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Showing posts from November, 2025

Review: Dead Money

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Dead Money by Jakob Kerr My rating: 3 of 5 stars 3.5 stars. even though it was fun and twisty, this novel took me forever to read. at some point i had to take a break and then come back to it. glad i finished it but it was too long. View all my reviews

Review: Life: A Love Story

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Life: A Love Story by Elizabeth Berg My rating: 5 of 5 stars I've loved Elizabeth Berg's books for a long time. But this one has stood out for me maybe because as some of my favorite writers age, their novels get deeper, more reflective, and this is no exception. I loved the tidbits of life that jump out of the pages. I love the moments that stand out to us. The items that are seemingly so ordinary but have a whole lifetime of memories behind them. Items that are turning points in a life. People who will never be the same because you lived. The difference we make in others' lives and the difference they make in ours can come from the least expected experiences. And a life is both so long and so very short. Can go by in the blink of an eye. This beautiful novel will be a balm for your soul. with gratitude to Random House and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

Review: Two Kinds of Stranger

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Two Kinds of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh My rating: 4 of 5 stars I don't think I will ever get bored of Eddie Flynn. I love the twisty plots, I love the crazy lawyer who always finds a way to twist things in favor of his clients and who always finds a way to Robin Hood justice. But the best part of these books for me are the secondary characters. They are so full of life. They are not there as an aside. I grow to love them and I mourn every one of them are they have terrible things happen to them. Sign of a great writer, in my opinion, is putting as much energy into your secondary characters as to your primary ones. with gratitude to netgalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

Review: Good Spirits

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Good Spirits by B.K. Borison My rating: 3 of 5 stars sweet. View all my reviews

Review: The Buddha in the Attic

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The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka My rating: 4 of 5 stars i love otsuka's language. her writing has rhythm and depth. View all my reviews

Review: Your Knife, My Heart

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Your Knife, My Heart by K.M. Moronova My rating: 3 of 5 stars this was a quick read. i wanted to know what all the fuss was about. alas wasn't for me. View all my reviews

Review: Ghost Fish

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Ghost Fish by Stuart Pennebaker My rating: 4 of 5 stars I loved this quiet and weird story. It's about family, friendship and of course grief. so much grief. View all my reviews

Review: Life, and Death, and Giants

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Life, and Death, and Giants by Ron Rindo My rating: 3 of 5 stars i know it was full of love but i just didn't get into this as much as i'd hoped i would. View all my reviews

Review: Gone Before Goodbye

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Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon My rating: 3 of 5 stars 3.5 stars. read this one fast. it was crazy. full of plot all over the place. if you like fast-paced, plot-driven, you'll like it. View all my reviews

Review: The Road to Tender Hearts

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The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett My rating: 4 of 5 stars Really really really sweet read. I love this. Feels like backman novels. will stay with you. View all my reviews

Review: Wreck

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Wreck by Catherine Newman My rating: 4 of 5 stars Newman is a good writer and her stories feel both funny and touching and so very relatable. View all my reviews

Review: The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake

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The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake by Rachel Linden My rating: 4 of 5 stars Super sweet, light, joyful read. If you're looking for something that's like a comfort blanket, this is your read. View all my reviews

Review: I See You've Called in Dead

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I See You've Called in Dead by John Kenney My rating: 3 of 5 stars This was funny and different and a fun read. View all my reviews

Review: The Correspondent

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The Correspondent by Virginia Evans My rating: 5 of 5 stars The best book I've read this year so far. Deep, quiet, beautiful, devastating and so so so so good. What a true gift of a book. Absolutely my favorite. View all my reviews

Review: The Peculiar Gift of July

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The Peculiar Gift of July by Ashley Ream My rating: 5 of 5 stars I loved this wonderful, joyful and warm book. If you want something sweet, this is your pick. View all my reviews

Review: The Book of Guilt

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The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey My rating: 3 of 5 stars weird and interesting book but also didn't really stay with me... View all my reviews

Review: Heartwood

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Heartwood by Amity Gaige My rating: 3 of 5 stars I remember enjoying this when I read it. It's been 6 weeks and I can't really remember it. View all my reviews

Review: The Intruder

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The Intruder by Freida McFadden My rating: 3 of 5 stars not as despicable as some of the other recent ones she wrote. but just as fast paced. View all my reviews

Review: Seduction Theory

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Seduction Theory by Emily Adrian My rating: 3 of 5 stars 3.5 stars also a surprising read. It got better and better as i read it. View all my reviews

Review: Discontent

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Discontent by Beatriz Serrano My rating: 3 of 5 stars 3.5 stars what a weird weird weird novel. but it stayed with me... View all my reviews

Review: Mate

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Mate by Ali Hazelwood My rating: 4 of 5 stars i love ali. her dialogue is always the best. her characters are always quirky and fun! View all my reviews

Review: To Say Nothing of the Dog

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To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis My rating: 4 of 5 stars This was excellent. excellent. hilarious and funny. what a creative and hilarious story that i had never heard of. highly recommended. View all my reviews

Review: Count My Lies

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Count My Lies by Sophie Stava My rating: 3 of 5 stars kept me entertained. View all my reviews

Review: Lake Effect

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Lake Effect by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney My rating: 5 of 5 stars I love these types of stories. This story is both quiet and it's not. Two adults make a choice and it has reverberating and somewhat devastating impact on their children. And also time passes. This is the story of siblings, first love, marriage, happiness, choices we make for ourselves and for others. How long and how much we hold on to the things that happen to us and the consequences of those choices. How much we are defined by the choices we make. Loved this book. with gratitude to netgalley and Ecco for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

Review: To Cage a Wild Bird

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To Cage a Wild Bird by Brooke Fast My rating: 4 of 5 stars I read this book really fast and enjoyed the interesting world building as well as the variety of characters. It has some semblance to Hunger Games, some semblance to recent romantasy books, and some unique additions of its own. For me, it was interesting the whole time and I found myself invested in the story and in the characters. There's clearly going to be a next one and I am clearly going to read it :) with gratitude to Avon and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

Review: My Husband's Wife

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My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney My rating: 4 of 5 stars Truly crazy, twisty, fun, weird, and not what you expect. Alice Feeney can keep you on your toes from the first page to the very last one and I enjoyed every minute I spent with this one. I kept thinking it would be some crazy sci fi story. Some duplication. Some twin thing. But of course she managed to surprise me completely. I love listening to these on audio while I cook and do errands in the house. It makes it so much more interesting! with gratitude to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

Review: Through Gates of Garnet and Gold

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Through Gates of Garnet and Gold by Seanan McGuire My rating: 4 of 5 stars While story and character-wise this was not one of my favorites, McGuire's imagination will never disappoint and the worlds she builds are one of a kind. This story is no exception. It's intriguing, thought-provoking and reminds you of all the dangers there are in the worlds we make for ourselves. and the ones we have to live in. I truly hope she never ever stops this series. with gratitude to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

Review: Departure

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Departure by Julian Barnes My rating: 3 of 5 stars While the writing for this book is so so beautiful in parts, the navel gazing and meta nature of this story just didn't work for me. I am not interested enough in Julian Barnes himself I guess. It was still really beautiful in parts but not really for me. with gratitude to netgalley and Knopf for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

Review: All We Have Is Time

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All We Have Is Time by Amy Tordoff My rating: 3 of 5 stars I know a lot of people have compared this to the Invisible Life of Addie La Rue and it has a similar premise but I also thought that it was readable and enjoyable all on its own and it has some unique twists and differences. I think the writing was so so in parts and great in others. I found myself invested and wanting to keep reading and enjoyed the time I spent with it. with gratitude to netgalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

Review: More Than Enough

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More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen My rating: 4 of 5 stars If you're a fan of quindlan, this book will not disappoint. it's quiet, it's beautiful, it's character-driven and to top it all: it's not as devastating and several of her novels have been. I loved every single minute I spent with this novel. with gratitude to netgalley and Random House for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

Review: The Found Object Society

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The Found Object Society by Michelle Maryk My rating: 3 of 5 stars This had a most interesting premise. One that I hadn't read before. There's a lot of action, some were of interest to me and other bits not as much. The characters aren't very likable so if you're not in to the action or the depth of the plot, you're not likely to enjoy it. Even though the plot was interesting to me, the writing could have used some more work and the characters could have been developed a little more to make the reader be a little more sympathetic to them so they could be more invested. Still, a super interesting premise and a great debut! with gratitude to netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

Review: The Found Object Society

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The Found Object Society by Michelle Maryk My rating: 3 of 5 stars This had a most interesting premise. One that I hadn't read before. There's a lot of action, some were of interest to me and other bits not as much. The characters aren't very likable so if you're not in to the action or the depth of the plot, you're not likely to enjoy it. Even though the plot was interesting to me, the writing could have used some more work and the characters could have been developed a little more to make the reader be a little more sympathetic to them so they could be more invested. Still, a super interesting premise and a great debut! with gratitude to netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

Review: The Found Object Society

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The Found Object Society by Michelle Maryk My rating: 3 of 5 stars This had a most interesting premise. One that I hadn't read before. There's a lot of action, some were of interest to me and other bits not as much. The characters aren't very likable so if you're not in to the action or the depth of the plot, you're not likely to enjoy it. Even though the plot was interesting to me, the writing could have used some more work and the characters could have been developed a little more to make the reader be a little more sympathetic to them so they could be more invested. Still, a super interesting premise and a great debut! with gratitude to netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

Review: The Found Object Society

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The Found Object Society by Michelle Maryk My rating: 3 of 5 stars This had a most interesting premise. One that I hadn't read before. There's a lot of action, some were of interest to me and other bits not as much. The characters aren't very likable so if you're not in to the action or the depth of the plot, you're not likely to enjoy it. Even though the plot was interesting to me, the writing could have used some more work and the characters could have been developed a little more to make the reader be a little more sympathetic to them so they could be more invested. Still, a super interesting premise and a great debut! with gratitude to netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

Review: This Is Not About Us

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This Is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is exactly my kind of book. It's character-driven, it's about family and it's beautifully written. It's one of those books that when you finish the characters stay with you long after. It felt real, touching and quiet in the best way. with gratitude to The Dial Press and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

Review: The Doorman

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The Doorman by Chris Pavone My rating: 4 of 5 stars This novel got better as I read. I am not sure I would have stuck with it if a friend hadn't liked it but i am glad i did. View all my reviews

Review: Guilty by Definition

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Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent My rating: 3 of 5 stars Very cute mystery with lots of fun literary references and tidbits. Some people seem to think it was distracting, i thought it was fun and fascinating. View all my reviews