I want to start my brief review with a disclaimer that as an employee of a nonpartisan state government agency, I cannot speak publicly on my views ofI want to start my brief review with a disclaimer that as an employee of a nonpartisan state government agency, I cannot speak publicly on my views of the laws of our state and positions of our lawmakers.
I am writing this review simply as a parent. My child is 2 years old, too young for us to know much yet about exactly how he was made, his dreams and ambitions, his deepest desires. But regardless of what he learns about himself in the years to come, no matter who he is, his dad and I want to show the kind of fierce support and advocacy that Abi Maxwell and her husband have demonstrated on behalf of their daughter Greta, who is transgender. I cannot fathom the trauma this family and countless others have endured, the instability they have experienced to have to uproot their lives and move because they are not being supported and protected and embraced by their communities. It sickens me. As a mom, I was internally ugly crying all throughout this book, wanting to hug Greta and tell her, you matter.
The book itself, the writing and the way Abi presents her story, is beautifully done. She's an awesome writer and now I'm curious about her fiction as well. I don't know if she will ever see this review, but I want to thank her for sharing her family's story, particularly Greta's story.
I received a finished copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review....more
This story of three women who share a Dior gown, a Paris apartment, and a solid friendship after reuniting in the city where they first met is exquisiThis story of three women who share a Dior gown, a Paris apartment, and a solid friendship after reuniting in the city where they first met is exquisitely crafted and inspiring. It's full of romance, mystery, and heart and is sure to be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys mid-20th century historical fiction.
I received an ARC of this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review....more
Two siblings from a wealthy family go missing, 14 years apart, from their family's Adirondack summer camp. More than a mystery, more than a summer reaTwo siblings from a wealthy family go missing, 14 years apart, from their family's Adirondack summer camp. More than a mystery, more than a summer read, The God of the Woods is great literature. It's an exploration of survival, privilege, class, mental health, and so much more. It's a slow burn that is worth sticking through until the end. The characters are portrayed with empathy, compassion, and brutal honesty. Truly a great story.
It is rare that a book, especially a Goodreads giveaway ARC of a debut novel, leaves me so profoundly surprised. The Safekeep has done that.
This novelIt is rare that a book, especially a Goodreads giveaway ARC of a debut novel, leaves me so profoundly surprised. The Safekeep has done that.
This novel set in 1961 in the Netherlands, which has only recently rebuilt from the destruction of World War II, is about more than forbidden love and material possessions. It's about how a house can define who we are because of how it, and the place where it exists, gives us roots...and what can happen when we are uprooted. It is about identity and belonging in a society that wants to destroy certain people. It is about grief and how everyday objects and places can adopt an identity when the people who made those objects and places special, are taken from us.
This story seeped into my soul, and I suspect I will be thinking about it for a while.
I received an ARC of this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review....more
"There was a truth observed by all good preachers, leaders, and salesmen: tell a good story, tell it in simple language, tell it often. That's how bel"There was a truth observed by all good preachers, leaders, and salesmen: tell a good story, tell it in simple language, tell it often. That's how beliefs and memories were formed. It was how people defined themselves, in a reliance upon the stories about themselves that they were told by others."
"She herself had been thinking about 'home' a lot. Home, she'd realized, wasn't a place or a time or a person, though it could be any and all of those things: home was a feeling, a sense of being complete. The opposite of 'home' wasn't 'away,' it was 'lonely.' When someone said, 'I want to go home,' what they really meant was that they didn't want to feel lonely anymore."
Another beautifully written, densely packed work of mystery and drama by Kate Morton. She paints such evocative settings and rich characters with the words she chooses. The varying timelines and narratives, including excerpts of a true crime book written in the style of In Cold Blood, were full of detail that was almost overwhelming but helped to build a world in which I found myself utterly lost.
I received a finished copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review....more
I learned way more than I ever thought I could about Carson McCullers by reading this biography! She led a complicated and troubled life made more difI learned way more than I ever thought I could about Carson McCullers by reading this biography! She led a complicated and troubled life made more difficult by lifelong health problems including alcoholism, but she also led a very full life that resulted in some profoundly important writing. I read The Member of the Wedding in high school and The Heart is a Lonely Hunter as a young adult, and now I want to read them again as well as see the movies.
The minuetua of this book made for some difficult reading at times, but I'm glad I stayed with it. McCullers was ahead of her time in so many ways and her life deserves to be celebrated.
I received a finished copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review....more
Wow, I really enjoyed this prequel novella to the Jess Lambert series, and now I want more! It's such a twisty little thriller. A former paramedic movWow, I really enjoyed this prequel novella to the Jess Lambert series, and now I want more! It's such a twisty little thriller. A former paramedic moves to a small town with her husband, looking to start over, and she's immediately plunged into a super creepy murder mystery. There was so much action and hints of horror woven into this story. I really enjoyed it.
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review....more
I love the careful and intentional crafting that goes into a well-written work of historical fiction like this one, blending real characters with imagI love the careful and intentional crafting that goes into a well-written work of historical fiction like this one, blending real characters with imagined ones as they make their way through a significant event or era. The collaboration of Quinn and Chang made this story so rich.
I did struggle through the first half of this book, as there was a LOT of setup for what happens in the second half (which moves at a breakneck pace). Something about the pacing of the story leading up to the earthquake just made the book feel so much longer and slower than it really was.
I received an ARC of this book through a Goodreads giveaway, in exchange for an honest review....more
The competing timelines of this historical fiction novel, centering on two rival bookshop owners in Coventry, England during World War II, made this bThe competing timelines of this historical fiction novel, centering on two rival bookshop owners in Coventry, England during World War II, made this book a bit hard for me to get into at first. This sleep-deprived toddler mama is having trouble lately with anything that isn't straightforward ...more
This was just OK for me. The mystery itself was well crafted. It didn't have super festive vibes and I wasn't fond of the storytelling style, which coThis was just OK for me. The mystery itself was well crafted. It didn't have super festive vibes and I wasn't fond of the storytelling style, which consisted of WhatsApp messages, texts, and emails between the characters. I like epistolary novels, but I found all the message streams to be confusing.
My last read of 2023!
I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review....more
This first in a series installment features a London detective who travels to a small town to look into two cold case murders and a third that's just This first in a series installment features a London detective who travels to a small town to look into two cold case murders and a third that's just occurred. In the wake of the local police's failure to make headway, and a podcast that's gaining attention, Maud O'Connor leads the charge. Along the way, we get to know the families of the victims as well as the suspects.
This was a decent story that could have been quite a bit shorter. I struggled to stay interested at times. But it's a good blend of family drama and police procedural. I liked Maud, although I don't feel like I got to know her very well because she doesn't show up until about halfway into the book. I'll consider checking out the second in the series when it's published.
I received an ARC of this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review....more
This is an inspiring and nostalgia-filled memoir of a man whose life has been profoundly shaped by total hearing loss due to a brain tumor. My dad, whThis is an inspiring and nostalgia-filled memoir of a man whose life has been profoundly shaped by total hearing loss due to a brain tumor. My dad, who died mere weeks after his cochlear implant was turned on, would have enjoyed this book and I thought of him constantly as I read it. His hearing loss was quite profound toward the end of his life, and Hay's story really helped me understand the frustrations of not being able to communicate fully with the surrounding world.
I received an advance copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review....more
I've never read a holiday-themed romance until now, and this was a fun one. Set during World War II, a department store "head of holidays" and her pubI've never read a holiday-themed romance until now, and this was a fun one. Set during World War II, a department store "head of holidays" and her publicist friend work together with other staff to set up Christmas display windows after the display designer leaves them in the lurch right before the season kickoff. Mostly PG-rated holiday fun and nostalgia!
I received a Kindle copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review....more
A detailed and brutally honest account of a little-known facet of the Holocaust. We hear so much about the concentration camps, but not very much abouA detailed and brutally honest account of a little-known facet of the Holocaust. We hear so much about the concentration camps, but not very much about the clearing of the Polish ghettos for instance. What this man endured, actually working for the Nazis in order to survive, is unfathomable.
I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review....more
Brutal and compelling, and well researched by a correspondent for the Times. I appreciated that he kept reminding the reader who was who, because therBrutal and compelling, and well researched by a correspondent for the Times. I appreciated that he kept reminding the reader who was who, because there are a lot of people to keep track of. Great work, and I would expect no less from someone employed by the Times.
I received an ARC of this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review....more
This was really good, but not great because the storyline was a bit confusing at times. There were so many characters to keep track of for a relativelThis was really good, but not great because the storyline was a bit confusing at times. There were so many characters to keep track of for a relatively short book! But I did really enjoy the plot and how this murder mystery was slowly uncovered. The use of a 19th-century female doctor as the protagonist was a unique aspect of the book, and the author used her own medical expertise without coming across as too clinical. I wouldn't mind a sequel, and I feel like the ending of this novel lends itself well to that possibility.
I received an ARC of this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review....more
This inspirational romance, about a widow and a detective assigned to her case after she gets taken by a con artist, isn't a typical read for me but iThis inspirational romance, about a widow and a detective assigned to her case after she gets taken by a con artist, isn't a typical read for me but it seemed intriguing. I liked the setting, even if most of the characters in it seemed a bit too good to be true. There was one part of the story involving a BIPOC character that sort of rubbed me the wrong way. I could tell it was the author's attempt to make the cast of characters less...homogenous. Considering what I read in the author's bio about having one of her books made into a movie for Fox Nation, I guess my radar for B.S. was activated.
The mystery element to the story was a bit predictable, but also kind of satisfying. And there's a puppy. So all is not lost. For all my nitpicking at this book, I might actually read the next in the series because I did like the main characters and want to see what happens next for them.
I received an advance copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review....more
This book, based on the life of a real Crow woman who really did rescue a group of Nakoda women, exceeded my already high expectations (I loved The KiThis book, based on the life of a real Crow woman who really did rescue a group of Nakoda women, exceeded my already high expectations (I loved The Kitchen House and Glory Over Everything). Crow Mary was a bad ass as a woman, a mother, a wife, and more.
I received a finished copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review....more
The first half of this memoir, which covers the author's time in the Lyman Family, was pretty slow and uneventful, considering it was about her livingThe first half of this memoir, which covers the author's time in the Lyman Family, was pretty slow and uneventful, considering it was about her living in a cult. But she did emphasize that she was writing from the perspective she held at the time, being a young child. The second half will be extremely triggering for anyone who has experienced domestic/sexual abuse, so if that kind of content bothers you, I absolutely do not recommend this book. It was pretty upsetting for me in places, and I would describe my own personal experiences as trivial by comparison.
This was an OK read overall. I try to give memoir writers some grace because they're sharing some very intimate and personal things, but I just struggled with this one.
I received an ARC of this book through a Goodreads giveaway, in exchange for an honest review....more
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