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Devil in a Blue Dress (Easy Rawlins, #1)

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Devil in a Blue Dress (Easy Rawlins, #1)

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Walter Mosley

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I listened to this as an audiobook. The narrator for this audiobook, Michael Boatman, made Easy Rawlins and all the other characters come alive. I'm not sure it would be a 5 star review from me if I had read the words on a page.

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Devil in a Blue Dress (Easy Rawlins, #1)

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The Full Moon Coffee Shop (The Full Moon Coffee Shop, #1)

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The Full Moon Coffee Shop (The Full Moon Coffee Shop, #1)

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Mai Mochizuki

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Not nearly as entertaining as I had expected. It's more about astrology than about a bookshop with wise cats giving advice. I kept hearing the song "Age of Aquarius" in my head as I was reading this.

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	 The Full Moon Coffee Shop (The Full Moon Coffee Shop, #1)

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Jussi Adler-Olsen

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This book is said to be the conclusion to the Department Q series, and it's a nail-biter right up until the last page. It is not necessary to have read all the previous books in the series as Jussi Adler-Olsen does a good job of telling the reader enough about the characters that it all makes sense. However, do yourself a favor and read the series in order. It will definitely bring depth to the story in Locked In.

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Feast of the Seven Fishes: The Collected Comic Strip and Italian Holiday Cookbook

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Feast of the Seven Fishes: The Collected Comic Strip and Italian Holiday Cookbook

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Robert Tinnell

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Feast of the Seven Fishes, over the past few years, has become one of my favorite Christmas movies to watch- so much of it is relatable to my family and memories of Christmas eve growing up. However, finding a copy of the graphic novel it is based on is nearly impossible, BUT, I was able to read it on the internet archive! I was impressed with how much of the dialogue was exactly the same as used in the movie, but with a much different ending! 

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Feast of the Seven Fishes: The Collected Comic Strip an…

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Read 9 reviews from the world’s largest community for readers. The Italian-American Christmas Eve tradition comes to life in this popular online comic stri…

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Joseph O'Neill

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An inoffensive and unremarkable novel. It's written from the perspective of a non-native English speaker, like the author. Much of the dialogue is awkward, some of it being intentional I'd imagine. A good portion of the story is about the game of cricket, which I know nothing about and still do not fully understand the rules of. The focus is on the protagonist's personal life, which I didn't find to be particularly compelling. I picked this up thinking it would be more interesting than it actually was, given the premise. None of the characters are likeable or relatable, which doesn't always need to be the case for a good story, but it certainly helps. It's set in New York, and I liked that the Chelsea Hotel was a recurring location. Cricket fans will like this one, I'm sure. This is O'Neill's best known novel, but I didn't get much out of it. 

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George R. R. Martin

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Diana Gabaldon

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The second book in the series takes you on an adventure that starts with a modern-day mystery and leads to espionage in the French court in an attempt to alter history. Although I initially missed the Scottish Highlands setting, I was drawn in by the protagonists' interaction with a new and very different cast of characters in France.

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Diana Gabaldon

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As a fan of historical fiction, a fun read with light supernatural elements. A long book, so good to get lost in for a while!

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Yann Martel

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An exciting tale of a boy who becomes lost at sea, along with a hungry tiger named Richard Parker. The author tells a gripping tale full of twists and turns. I hesitate to say more to avoid ruining any surprises!  I enjoyed the audiobook version; the narrator, Vikas Adam, was great! At 319 pages or nearly 13 hours for the audiobook, it's a good book for long winter nights.

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Toshikazu Kawaguchi

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Of the 5 books in the "Before the Coffee Gets Cold" series, I found this one to be the  most moving.  Perhaps because there were only 3 stories so each one could develop the characters more, and explain why they wanted to go back in time. The underlying theme really of each story really is kindness.

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Agatha Christie

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This was the first Christie book I ever read, back when I was in college. Not sure why I read it, guess I was just a little bored. But I remember very little about it other than the bit with the train schedule. So now I decided to read it again and it was very enjoyable. 

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NHPR (Jason Moon)

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I am *that* person who listens unendingly to true crime podcasts and when I was stumbled upon this, I was pleasantly surprised. The narrative definitely drew me in and kept me questioning what had happened from episode to episode. The host was also really well spoken, and I enjoyed listening to him. Definitely worth a listen!

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Toshikazu Kawaguchi

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Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a popular Japanese novel with several sequels. I listened to the audiobook, and did not particularly enjoy it. As a highly-rated bestseller, I was a little disappointed given its intriguing premise. Without spoiling anything, it has to do with time travel. There is a long list of rules with this that I felt was severely limiting the narrative. Its thesis, that you cannot change the past, but the future remains full of possibilities, I thought, was rather underwhelming. The story takes place at a cafe and focuses on the experiences of four characters. None of these plot lines were exactly profound, I hate to say. My favorite author, Haruki Murakami, is Japanese, and I've enjoyed other novels from Japanese writers, like Yukio Mishima and Osamu Dazai, so I wouldn't say my dislike of this one is due to anything lost in translation. I imagine a lot of readers will relate more to the emotions and themes it presents. However, I can't say the same for myself. 

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Barbara Vine

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I may have enjoyed this dark, gloomy, gothic novel  more if I read it in the summer? Just reading this book made me cold and the plot was so sloooow. 3 stars because it was a great sleep inducer. 

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Max Hastings

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I rarely read military history. This seems a good overview of the war. The many first person accounts of soldiers and civilians makes for very immediate impact of the war's horrors than the usual general's eye view of strategy and battles. As an editor more than a trained historian Hastings is an evocative writer with a good narrative flow 

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Percival Everett

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Amazing retelling of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as told from the perspective of the escaped slave, Jim. In the novel, Jim, or James, is educated, and just playing the ignorant slave for Jim.  What a novel!

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The Slide: Leyland, Bonds, and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates

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The Slide: Leyland, Bonds, and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates

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Richard Peterson, Stephen Peterson

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This is an incredibly well-researched and put together book. The authors, a father and son, are clearly passionate about the topic and give you an objective account of team history. The focus is on the 1990, 1991 and 1992 seasons, and includes the necessary context for before and after these years. I like how some of the chapters are split up and summarized, between the regular season and playoffs. As someone who didn't grow up watching these teams, I learned a lot. It concludes by mentioning the 2013 team, that broke the record of twenty consecutive losing seasons. The book came out in 2017, and I would have liked it even more if they covered 2014 and 2015, both winning seasons that included playoff berths. Even the title "The Slide" is great, describing both the play that ended the 1992 NLCS and the next two decades for the team. At under 200 pages, there's no fat that needs to be cut. It's the perfect read for someone like me. 

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The Slide: Leyland, Bonds, and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates

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Ramona Ausubel

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This book tells the story of Jane, a recently widowed graduate student and her two teenage daughters (Eve and Vera). Jane works for a misogynistic professor as a research assistant and is trying to embark on a career that will ultimately support her and her daughters. A chance meeting with a wealthy woman at a party leads to them participating in a truly miraculous experiment. This book was relatively short and beautifully written. It makes you think about life, nature, history, and discovery. 

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Cixin Liu

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This is the second in the trilogy. It uses a different translator than the first book and I think it's perhaps a little easier to read (or at least I preferred this style better). I don't even know how to describe it, because so much happens and there are so many ways to interpret this book's many messages and events. Ultimately, the main point is that this is just really well-thought-out science fiction and it is amazing to read. Sometimes there may be a wee bit too much... science. But it's okay. There are also lots of plot twists and turns and surprises. I'm now embarking on the third (and final) book in the series... 

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James McBride

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A very satisfying read. Soulful and endearing, with wit and wisdom of small town 1930s Pennsylvania Americana, rich characters and the plot of a mystery that is so much more. Can't praise this enough. Optioned for a movie, which I'm looking forward to seeing. 

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Tamsyn Muir

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This came recommend by several sources. I checked the goodreads and reviews on audible. Its an original story with an interesting premise. While I enjoyed the dialogue, parts of it were incredibly difficult for me to follow while listening. I don't often have to go back and re-listen to parts but I found myself doing just that several times with this book.

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Susan Mallery

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This was a bit slow-starting with a lot of characters, but it grew on me! Lots of family dynamics, and I loved that the main character is not only a woman, but a woman who owns a tow-truck business! 

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Octavia Butler

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This is the sequel to Parable of the Sower.  It is often described as "science fiction" but it's not really at all. It is, however, very dystopian and continues the story of Lauren Oya Olamina and her attempt to grow her Earthseed movement. 

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Cormac McCarthy

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A fan of dystopian stories this hits all the tropes. A dark story highlighting the resiliency of the human spirit. 

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Ruby Hamad

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A history and cultural critique. A tough, uncomfortable read. It made me reflect on how I have interacted with POC femmes in my life. 

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Codi Hall

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A while back, I read a  book by Codi Hall about this town, only to stumble upon this book (#2 in the series) and am now reading book 3. What's not to enjoy about a Christmas rom-com? A single Dad meets the darling of a small Christmas-themed town, where her family owns the Christmas tree lot? Add a cute kid and some lovely parents... sweet fun :) 

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Viktor E. Frankl

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Some parts of this were difficult for me to get through. The first half is the author's experience surviving the Holocaust, and explains his beliefs regarding the book's title. The other half describes logotherapy and how it can be applied. Frankl, the author, was a psychiatrist and developed this school of thought and methodology throughout his long career. I liked part one more, but thought there were some situations where his advice would not apply well. Also, there's a lot of terminology that's referenced in part two I didn't understand that made it difficult to follow. Many people love this book and say it has even changed their lives. While I liked it for the most part, my own feelings aren't as strong. 

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Thomas R. Weaver

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I'm not sure how I ended up with this book. I'm not sure how it was recommended to me. Maybe the algorithm wanted me to read it. In the not so far-flung future, the climate collapse has already accelerated beyond harm reduction measures. Humanity has begun the process of electing a Dictator. In the Roman sense, supreme leader to implement plans to ensure humanity's survival. The final two candidates are and American and an AI. A plot to control the world, shadows moving in the dark, is there a Ghost in the Shell? The world's foremost investigative journalist is on a path to uncover the truth. Or the truth, as it appears. Steven Pacey's narration is out of the ballpark as always.  

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Susan Rieger

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This follows 3 generations of women (grandmothers, mothers, daughters), but Lila is the keystone.  She's also the most interesting of the characters.

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Now I Know: The Soviets Invaded Wisconsin?!: ...And 99 More Interesting Facts, Plus the Amazing Stories Behind Them (audiobook)

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Now I Know: The Soviets Invaded Wisconsin?!: ...And 99 More Interesting Facts, Plus the Amazing Stories Behind Them (audiobook)

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Dan Lewis, Gabriel Vaughan (reader)

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Short (4-5 minute) essays on trivia. Good way to pass the time in the gym

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Now I Know: The Soviets Invaded Wisconsin?!: ...And 99 More Interesting Facts, Plus the Amazing Stories Behind Them

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Wikipedia Contributors

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Physicists are not the best at naming things and it's very entertaining. Sstrange squarks (yes, a double s in strange), chargino, wino, gluino... 

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Jon Cohen

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I wish I could give this 10 stars. I also wish I could recall WHO recommended this to me, as I owe them a donut. What a magnificient story! A widow, a widower, a mysterious book, an inquisitive child, a gaggle of small town characters  ... all intertwined in a love letter to trees. It's poignant and thoughtful and,  at times, hilarious.  ALL the thumbs up for the audio as well! 

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John Grisham

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This was a light, enjoyable read. Grisham is best known for his tense legal thrillers, which this is very different from. It's about a struggling American quarterback that signs with a team in the Italian Football League, the Parma Panthers. Grisham wrote this after spending time in Parma and watching the Panthers play. The details of the locations and food sampled are quite impressive, based on his own experiences. The plot itself is relatively simple and predictable, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. If the premise is something that interests you, my guess is you'll probably like this book. Don't expect much, though. 

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Haruki Murakami

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Murakami is my favorite author. This book, however, felt incomplete, in its length and conclusions. It is a short novel just under 200 pages. So much is left unanswered, intentionally so if I had to guess. I don't feel strongly either way about story's characters, plot, etc. The entire narrative takes place over one night in Tokyo, and goes between the perspectives of each major character. I would not recommend this to anyone who hasn't read Murakami before. There's a lot that's difficult to understand, with many unresolved storylines as mentioned previously. It wasn't awful, but for an author of his caliber, I expected more out of this one. After Dark has its fans, to be sure, but I wouldn't consider myself to be one. 

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Dr. Edith Eva Eger

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This is a combination memoir/motivational/inspirational book.  Born to a Hungarian-Jewish family in Slovakia, Dr. Eger's life was turned upside down when World War II broke out and her family was ultimately sent to Auschwitz. She describes the various bends in the road or key moments where her choices changed the course of her life. After the war, she married and ultimately immigrated to the United States, where she and her family settled in El Paso, Texas. She returned to school to study psychology as an adult and became a world-renown speaker and psychologist. This book is emotional and beautifully written. Dr. Eger is brutally honest and insightful. She suffered from post-traumatic stress and survivor's guilt after the war, and it isn't until near the end that you learn a key detail of her story that led to these feelings. I cried. Peppered throughout are case studies/examples of how she has helped people reframe their perspectives and the release that comes with understanding that you have the power of choice. This is an incredible book.

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Stjepan Šejić

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A fascinating read about a toxic romance. I loved watching the development in Harleen's relationship with the Joker as the story progressed. Reading through her fascination with the Joker turn into what she sees as love was interesting and I highly recommend this read.

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Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

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This is, to date, my favourite Sherlock Holmes story I've read. The deaths being a completely different case than originally believed was an interesting twist I didn't see coming.

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Tim Madigan (Smithsonian Magazine, November 2024)

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Many of us know about the massacre at Wounded Knee or the massacre at Sand Creek. This is a little known massacre by the US Army in 1855. It was carried out against the Lakota in what is present day Nebraska. This article delves into the events leading up to the massacre, and then also delves into what do we do with artifacts recovered from the scene (or from any historical site for that matter). Do they belong in a museum in Washington, DC, or in a museum in Nebraska, or should they be returned to the Lakota to do with as they please.  

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www.smithsonianmag.com needs to review the security of your connection before proceeding.

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Joe Abercrombie

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A series of short stories based in the world of The First Law. Favorite characters with untold stories. Same ruthless writing. I'm looking forward to starting the most recent trilogy, all caught up on how the story got there.

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Chloe Walsh

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Really good read. It deals with important topics such as bullying, domestic abuse and sport career injuries. I am really impressed with how tye author handled the plot . She really took her time to write each scene and make sure we really understand all the characters. This story follows the life of Shannon, a 16 year old girl who has always been bullied both in school and at home by her father. We also see tye love siblings have for each other. The story continues in Keeping 13!

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Richard Osman

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A quick read, and quite entertaining. My advice is to keep a list of every character as they are introduced as even those characters who seem unimportant will have a role later in the book. By which time, I forgot who they were and had to go back and skim earlier chapters. 

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Colleen Hoover

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WOW I go into all of my books blind, but nothing could have prepared me for this. A great thriller for Halloween, and there's a free audiobook on YouTube!

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Kasie West

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This was a reread of one of my favorite books in high school. Still love it!

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Ashley Poston

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This is a cute romance with magical realism that gives the vibes of 13 Going on 30! It would be a 5 star book if I hadn't been able to guess everything that happens.

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Unlocking Us: Grief, Laughter and Sisterhood: Losing Our Mom and Holding On To Each Other

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Unlocking Us: Grief, Laughter and Sisterhood: Losing Our Mom and Holding On To Each Other

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Brene Brown

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A POWERFUL podcast about grief. Brown's mother died 12-25-23 and this podcast, done with her sisters, discusses moments those of us who have lived through grief understand and may have you saying, "I didn't know others felt that way." 

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Tracy Chevalier

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Enjoyable read! I found it easy to forget this wasn't the true story behind the mysterious painting and its subject. It also made me curious to learn more about Vermeer, who painted the portrait by the same name, and rewatch the film adaptation of the book. The movie shifted the story from first-person POV to third-person POV without any narration, so there were so key scenes where the girl's thoughts and motivations were lost to the viewer. This is what made the book much better, in my opinion.

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Octavia E. Butler

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I can't believe I never read this book until now, considering how much I love dystopian fiction. It's especially eerie/timely, since the "future" that it depicts begins in 2024 (it was written in 1993). Ultimately, I think it made me feel a lot better about the state of the world. The main character is Lauren Olamina, a young woman who lives with her family and many others in a semi-communal "gated" community in Los Angeles. It is gated because the world has become insane due to both climate change and the instability that it has created (shortages of water, food, etc.). While growing up, she begins journaling and documenting her own religion ("Earthseed") and begins to develop plans to put it into action. I don't want to say more for risk of spoilers. I finished this and immediately checked out the sequel (which I haven't started yet). It is quite dark, with a healthy dash of hope mixed in.

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Somme Sketcher

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A mafia romance about a forbidden love story between Rory Carter and Angelo Visconti. 

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Stephanie Booth

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We've all read stories and wished we could jump INTO that world, see the setting, talk with the characters. Libby Weeks has created a  world like that in her FALLING CHILDREN books .... but she's unable to complete the series and the world is clamoring for the last book and demands that the anonymous author F.T. GOLDHERO, her psuedonym,  reveal their identity. Libby needs help writing -- can she find it with 10 year old super-fan Pandora "Peanut" Bixton? A wonderful audiobook, this one is for all of us know that stories can be very real. 

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Morgan Housel

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This is a popular personal finance book and I thought it was alright. Most of the advise the author gives out is based on historical economic trends and our own emotions with regards to money. Some parts showed bias and he more often than not recognizes such as his opinions. The advise given is simple and realistic, but as he mentions, everyone's situation is different, so what he lays out might not work for you. These guidelines are a good start for someone interested in having a better handle of their finances. 

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An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good (Elderly Lady #1)

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An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good (Elderly Lady #1)

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Helene Tursten

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What's not to love about an old lady who is also a serial killer? But she only kills those who she thinks need it, almost like a public service. These are short little stories, and the book can be read in a day. 

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Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson

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This book is an intricate exploration of how self-justification and cognitive dissonance are big factors in everyone's lives. At first, you think it can't be true, but that's proof that your cognitive dissonance is at play. The book dives further, providing real-life examples to show how cognitive dissonance is a factor in marriages, conflicts, the justice system, and everyday life. Personally, I thought the book was interesting and brings to light how we all are "perpetrators" when it comes to cognitive dissonance, whether we admit it or not. With examples in the book, the authors help readers illustrate how their own lives are similar to the stories in the book. Overall, it was interesting to learn how the brain thinks automatically when it comes to cognitive dissonance and the book presented ways on how we could deal with our own self-justification and cognitive dissonance. It was a good read for self-discovery and for not being blind that cognitive dissonance is occurring in our daily lives anymore. 

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Tessa Bickers

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Told in alternating voices, this gem not only explores realtionships, but does so between characters, written in the margins of classic fiction. And "The Perks of Being A Wallflower" is a prominent topic, and I loved that book.

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Ha Jin

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A layered tale that reads some what like a fable of a Chinese doctor who has a rural wife and family but works in a distant army hospital. While there he falls in love with a nurse. He returns to his village once a year to divorce his wife and while she initially agrees changes her mind in the court. So the doctor, Mr Lin, has to wait 18 years before he can legally divorce without his wife's approval. This is a brief synopsis of the plot but the book tells a complex story of life within restricted Chinese Communist society, the sharp difference in China of this time between urban and rural life, and a love story of adultery and it's social conflicts. And even more Ha Jin goes into detail of the food, clothing, domestic life and culture of China during this period. 

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Kelly Bishop

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Over half a century in show business is depicted in this memoir written by none other than Kelly Bishop. While this memoir is a factual description of her career, Bishop also includes themes regarding happiness and peace that every reader should feel grateful to read.

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Kasie West

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I’ve read this book for three times now and am equally obsessed with it every time. When Autumn gets trapped in a library over a holiday weekend, she is surprised to discover that she isn’t in there alone, but instead is treated by her high school’s “criminal.” This is a beautiful YA romance that depicts anxiety in a very realistic way. 

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Ina Garten

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It's not surprising that Ina has many colorful stories to tell about her life, but I spent a lot of time thinking, "c'mon, no one's that lucky." While entertaining, it wasn't always easy to relate to Ina's many opportunities and adventures. In the end, I'm glad she came to realize what she had been calling luck was the result of a lot of hard work and risk, and some luck.

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Plutarch

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This is the account of Alexanders life as transcribed by Plutarch. It goes over the beginning of his life and his subsequent glory in battle. 

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Neal Shusterman

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This is an excellent dystopian novel about a world in which the pro-life and pro-choice factions have engaged in Civil War that ended in an agreement that life is sacred from conception until you're 13. Children between the ages of 13 to 18, on the other hand, can be "unwound" or used for donated body parts to others in need. Unwind tells the story of three teenagers who have been designated for unwinding who go AWOL. Great characters plus a fascinating moral/ethical landscape makes for gripping reading. 

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Sarah Lamdan

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This was a really illuminating book that describes how certain information companies exploit laws and have actually prevented us from evolving the legal landscape surrounding data. This is in many ways more of a reference book (I read the paper version and was constantly flipping to look at the notes at the back of the book). It also addressed issues of privacy, and would be an interesting read for anyone interested in this topic.

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Joe Abercrombie

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Joe Abercrombie writes books I like to read. This has been the *best* one. Steven Pacey does fantastic narration.

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Cody Cassidy, Dennis Boutsikaris (Narrator)

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I'm not sure that this book would be as entertaining if I were reading it on the page. Dennis Boutsikiris adds just enough humor and sarcasm to the narration to make it all very interesting. It's a fun way to think about "what ifs" and also learn some history at the same time.

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How to Survive History: How to Outrun a Tyrannosaurus, Escape Pompeii, Get Off the Titanic, and Survive the Rest of History's Deadliest Catastrophes

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This Must Be the Place: Music, Community and Vanished Spaces in New York City

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This Must Be the Place: Music, Community and Vanished Spaces in New York City

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Jesse Rifkin

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An amazing, comprehensive history of the New York (predominately lower Manhattan) music scene and the communities established through each of them. Ranging from the 1960's Folk Scene to 2000's Williamsburg indie explosion. 

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This Must Be the Place: Music, Community and Vanished S...

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Read 25 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. *Winner of the New York City Book Awards**A Kirkus Best Book of July**An InsideHook Book Yo...

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Natasha Preston

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This book has ultimate Halloween/ fall vibes and a chilling horror aspect. Picture Scream as a book! My rating is docked very low, though, because I just can’t give a high rating if a book ends in a cliffhanger.. especially a horror. 

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Sophie Kinsella

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What a powerful book. I've never thought of the genre of autobiographical fiction until I read this, as both Sophie and her main character, Eve, are suffering from the same diagnosis. It's a very real, honest story.

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Eve is a successful novelist who wakes up one day in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there. Her husband, never far from her side, explains that she

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Liane Moriarty

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This book has an amazing central concept: a woman walks down the aisle of a plan pointing at each passenger and telling them what they will die of and at what age. Who is the woman? Does she actually have psychic abilities? Will her predictions come true? How will the passengers change their lives in reaction to these predictions? All of these questions are answered in beautiful prose that is ultimately a meditation on fate.

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Dan Jones

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While not a card carrying historian (no PhD) he writes very well and seems to know the sources and secondary literature thoroughly. I wish he had talked about social and economic conditions during this period. A fun read. A pivotal period in English history

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T. Thomas

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This is cute for the small town romance, but I’m not a fan of the thriller aspect. So rushed and unnecessary when looking at the title. 

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Katie West

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A great mystery and romance about facing fears! 

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Emily Pifer

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I really enjoyed this memoir from Emily Pifer, a former collegiate runner at Ohio University, which won the 2021 Autumn House Nonfiction Prize. She details her struggles with body dysmorphia and living with an eating disorder, both of which I related to. Like her, I ran cross country and track in high school.

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The Family Upstairs + The Family remains

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The Family Upstairs + The Family remains

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Lisa Jewell

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litteraly one of the best two part series i have ever read, it's a perfect combination of thriller, drama, and mystery. These books have litteraly every component you can think of, romance check, cults check, murders check, innocence check, even gardening check. I 100% reccomend these to anyone who likes to read slightly jacked up thrillers.  Both books are so detailed and have so many different interesting characters, these two are very high up on my list of favorites.

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Jeff VanderMeer

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Some strong deviations between the movie and book. A rare instance in that I preferred the movie. The series gets raved about and recommended to me fairly often so maybe I'll be back for later installments.  

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Michael Parenti

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A history of capitalist influence across the globe. A book I highly recommend. Especially, trying to deconstruct and get a wider view of our current socio-economic and political systems.

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Joe Abercrombie

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After reading The First Law trilogy I jumped right to the second one, Age of Madness. I wasn't aware that the stand-alone books also take place in the same world. So, I'm circling back. Joe writes grim-dark that way I like to read it. Compelling characters in a well-built world with a streak of gallows humor and oh, so much violence. Looking forward to the next book. 

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Merlin Sheldrake

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First, what a cool name, Merlin Sheldrake. I was recommended this book over the summer during my internship. It *may* ended up being one of the most impactful things I've ever read. At least as far as driving my academic and future professional pursuits. Fungi rule the world. This book does an incredible job of making science entertaining and digestible.  

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Miranda Cowley Heller

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Meh. Some of the writing in this was really lovely. I think the author did a wonderful job of setting scenes, vividly describing the setting, etc. However, I did not like any of the characters. They all have pretty dismal lives, and when things do go well, they seem to go out of their way to make things fall apart. I skimmed the last third just to get through it because I was mildly interested in seeing what was going to happen. 

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Laura Nowlin

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This sequel to the heartbreaking If He Had Been With Me gives more characters’ perspectives. My rating was slightly docked due to a lackluster ending, but I did enjoy the book for how fast paced it was and the vibes from the original story?

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Kasie West

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This is a sweet YA contemporary romance with a little mystery! Perfect for fall… and there’s a free audiobook on YouTube! 

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Freida McFadden

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The third installment of The Housemaid series did not disappoint! Following the main character from the original book two decades later, she moved her family to an area of New York in an expansive neighborhood. The chilling twists always keep me on the edge of my seat in McFadden’s stories. This is cozy mystery for fall!

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Pierre Lemaitre

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There are times when the blurbs on book jackets seem overblown, but in this case, "gripping, frightening, intelligent, and brilliant" are all on target. This is a dark, brooding novel, reflecting Antoine's experiences when he is 12, when he kills another kid, and then the ramifications as he reaches adulthood. He can't outrun his past. However, the last few pages introduce a twist that I never saw coming. That twist then made me go back and reconsider other things that had happened to Antoine. Not trying to be cryptic - if I say anything more it will be a spoiler. 

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Kasie West

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I love Kasie West's writing. I've read my fair share of her work, which is a collection of contemporary young adult romances. Although this book is cute, it's not my favorite by her! I hated the MMC. The FMC deserves better!

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Maja Lunde

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Conceptually, this book had a lot going for it. The story takes place over three different timelines, it involves a concept I really enjoy (bees!), and it has bits of beautiful writing. But unfortunately, I found the connection between the stories, as well as two of the three stories themselves, to lack much intrigue or interest. I found it all to be rather predictable and I had little drive to continue reading. Not the worst read but not something I would ever suggest. 

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Cixin Liu

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I really enjoyed this book. It's a fascinating piece of science fiction with some Chinese history thrown in. I appreciated the translator's contextual  footnotes and thoughtful afterward about the process. The "science fiction" part of it is slow to develop, but there are a few twists and turns that are enjoyable, and the overall themes about the future of humanity are fascinating. I confess to skimming some of the super science talk that happens near the end. This is the first of the trilogy, and I will definitely be reading the other two books. 

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Haruki Murakami

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I first read this book last January. Murakami is my favorite author and I prefer his non-fiction work. This time, I listened to the audiobook. His methods are unorthodox and I find him very interesting as a person. He talks a lot about running and how it complements his writing. Murakami has inspired me to complete my own novel and first 5K race in many years. 

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Lily Brooks-Dalton

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An interesting climate-change speculative fiction read with a hopeful ending. It was crazy to read this as Hurricane Helene was decimating the southeast. A page turner full of likable characters that isn't too depressing...

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Ed and Lorraine Warren - Last Podcast on the Left

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Ed and Lorraine Warren - Last Podcast on the Left

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Marcus Parks, Henry Zebrowski, Ed Larson

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This podcast is always a great listen, but I love this series specifically. I loved the Conjuring movies, so hearing about the reality behind them was very interesting. The hosts always find a way to keep things creepy and morbid while making jokes along the way to keep things entertaining. 

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Episode 573: Ed and Lorraine Warren Part I - Go Get Me The Book!

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Tracy Chevalier

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A case of where the book is better than the movie, though the movie was fine on it's own terms. The book is rich in details and flavor of the time but retains the essential characters and plot in their own right. It's a book about real people with believable passions and dilemmas who just happen to be based on actual personages. Movie eliminated certain characters and plot events. The book is much more ambiguous and cautious about the sensual relations between the characters as befitting the times. Also most importantly the book is told through Greet's eyes and experiences. The movie seemed like it wanted to out-Vermeer the artist, drenching so many shots in the color and style of Vermeer, even a simple one of a character standing in a hallway looked a if it were cut directly from a lost Vermeer painting. The book was certainly a very effective historic fiction but it didn't sacrifice subjectivity to plot and period atmosphere. Greet, Vermeer, Catherine, van Ruyven others are fully realized fleshed characters who could have been placed in any historical world. Again, if you need to choose read the book over the movie. Or just watch the movie which I feel will be better viewed independently of knowing the book first.

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Ludovik Slimak

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Impassioned case for the uniqueness of Neanderthals, rescuing them from knuckle dragging low brow stupid pre-human stereotype. But Slimak seems to over compensate claiming for Neanderthals a certain superiority over modern humans or at the least that something vital was lost with the demise of these peoples. He's critical of purely data driven anthropologists, saying only if you spend decades getting dirty in Neanderthal caves you'll never really understand them. He seems to have an axe to grind. I wouldn't be surprised if he's not terrible popular among other colleagues. But he's an engaging evocative writer. I recommend this if interested in the topic.

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Alison Espach

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This was a really enjoyable and fun book to listen to in audiobook form. If you've ever fantasized about dropping everything and starting over, this is a book for you. The characters are believable and interesting, and while it may ultimately be very predictable in its outcomes and conclusions, the journey is enjoyable escapism. I almost felt like I was attending the wedding. 

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Chloe Walsh

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This second installment to Johnny and Shannon’s whirlwind romance shows their battles in life and love. Such a heartwarming, funny, and relatable read!

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Chloe Walsh

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Shannon and Johnny are a match made in heaven. This book left me speechless. I love a book with great world building and characters that become like close friends. Such a great YA romance!

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Stephen King

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This was one of my favorites as a teenager. I confess that I didn't re-read all of Skeleton Crew. But my teenager just watched the movie "The Mist," which was based on the short story of the same name.  His retelling of the movie did not sound entirely similar to my recollections of the story, so I re-read it.  It is a story that has stuck with me for 40 years and one I think about every time I am driving through intense fog. I'm so glad I re-read it, because it reminded me how brilliant Stephen King is as a writer. 

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Michael Zapata

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I read this for a book club, and my overall feeling is that it would have been five really interesting stories/books, but trying to combine all the threads into one book was too much. Some parts were really beautiful and interesting (I liked Maxwell's childhood and the excerpts from Adana Moreau's writing). But some of the more modern parts fell flat for me. 

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MARKED BY FATE: THE MARKED SERIES, BOOK 1

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MARKED BY FATE: THE MARKED SERIES, BOOK 1

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Jayme Hunt

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I like how the author brought in Celtic mythology and explained it in case you weren’t familiar with it. 4 stars

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Ketanji Brown Jackson

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This was a well-written and beautifully narrated memoir from our first African American woman Supreme Court justice. I love memoirs from prominent people as they provide behind the scenes glimpses of how things work in our country, but in an interesting narrative way and this was an excellent addition to the genre (I also love Sonia Sotomayor's memoir).

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Karen McManus

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I listened to this on audiobook and it was utterly gripping. The ending was a shocker and I loved all of the characters. Although they started out as stereotypes, they developed across the course of the novel and were interesting as people..

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Andy Weir

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I started this listen skeptically because I wasn't an immediate fan of the narration style. Didn't matter, I listened to it straight through. I loved this.

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Printerval.com - T-Shirts Starting at $14 Featuring Your Favorite TV Shows, Movies, Comics, and More

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Find the perfect handmade gift, vintage & on-trend clothes, unique decor home & living and more on Printerval.com

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James Islington

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World building was interesting. I'll likely read the next book when it releases but I can't help saying Red Rising does the premise better.

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The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

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The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

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Sangu Mandanna

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It was a very cozy read! I really enjoyed it and managed to read it in a day, it's a good light read.

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The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

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The People's Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine

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The People's Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine

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Ricardo Nuila

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Nuila provides a thought-provoking case study of life at a safety-net hospital in Houston called Ben Taub. It is county-funded and treats anyone who comes through its doors regardless of citizenship or insurance. He traces the medical histories of 5 particular patients through their time at Ben Taub to illustrate the complexities and pitfalls of healthcare in a country where medical care is dependent on private insurance. I am fascinated by the idea of public hospitals (like Bellevue in NYC), so I found it enlightening, and it's a shocking expose of how complicated Medicaid and insurance rules determine life and death, but it was a bit repetitive and not very nuanced. It really could have been a good article rather than an entire book.

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The People's Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine