This was a fairly good, fast thriller. My family is down with the flu this week, so our Thanksgiving plans were pretty much cancelled. I work tomorrow a half day (work from home), then probably another chill day at home. On the bright side, I will get some more reading in.

I loved the first novel, but not this one. It felt like a 300+ page lecture to “educate“ the reader. It was honestly a slog to get through and somehow the magic of the first story was lost. The villains fell flat. The saccharine family relationships felt overplayed. Boo.

This was definitely an unusual and disgusting horror novel. The beginning was a bit slow, but the end was oddly satisfying in a twisted way.

Set in the near future, people co-exist with AI bots in a very different world. A mother is being investigated for neglect of her children, after surveillance footage goes viral of a parenting mistake. This book also explores the crazy hold that technology has on society, where we are the product and the consumer. The scary thing is, that I can see many of the things in this book actually happening in my lifetime.

This was a soft pick because it took a bit for me to really feel invested for some reason. It really took me WAY too long to read. Don't you hate when that happens?.... I was still mixing up characters at the end too. After a while the side characters were almost too many people to worry about. That can pull attention away from a good plot. Boo. The ending was interesting. So more than a meh...less than a yay.

Audiobook pick: If you're into domestic thrillers, this was really good. I usually am so-so about this genre but this was a solid pick. Two women's worlds collide and nothing is as it seems.

This was an odd little book, which delves into anticipatory grief in such a unique way. It focuses on connection and meaning in a world that seems to often skip over the “important“ stuff of life.

Loved this twisted horror novel. So creepy! This author always gets pretty bizarre but in all the best ways. Cleaning out a hoarded, deceased family member's house in the middle of nowhere would be a big NO for me.

This was the sequel to Warcross and I actually liked the 2nd book even better. It's definitely YA vibes but has a solid sci-fi story with many layers. Overall it was a satisfying ending.

Audiobook pick: This was funny and interesting at the same time. A candid look at how much is too much. This covered what made her decide to quit drinking and all that led up to it. It isn't preachy and the parts on parenting young children (sleep deprivation, stress) definitely ring true.

Audiobook pick: This is my second book from this author and I'm officially a fan. He is just really funny. The good thing about being late to the party in an author's popularity, is he has a lot of books out there. His books seem like they would translate well to movies and they are full of action and snarky/absurd humor.

This was definitely a so-so novel for me. A very slow build, so I kind of had to push through the first half. I didn't quite guess the ending and parts of it were pretty implausible as it was revealed. Overall, it was a decent read.

First off, Happy Mother's Day to all the USA mommas! Hope you feel loved on today. 🌷

I adored this quirky book. It does get a bit repetitive, but that is literally the premise. When faced with a seemingly endless supply of husbands and different life outcomes, who/what will she pick? How does one even decide? I chuckled through much of this and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Current Saturday mood at my house.

Fast-paced Sci-Fi novel that has some Ready Player One vibes, but definitely is it's own beast. Emika Chen (hacker, gamer, bounty hunter) is a fun character to follow. I plan to start the sequel soon.

Audiobook pick:
This was a recollection of the horrific abuse suffered at the hands of his mother. It was so unbelievable and devastating to hear what he endured. What a survivor.

Audiobook pick:
If you like character driven novels, you will likely enjoy this. I usually need more action, but this was actually well paced. The backstories were good. I got invested in all their broken stories and how they converged.

Solar eclipse as seen in Des Moines, Iowa today. About 84% coverage at it's peak. Pretty cool!

This was a soft pick. The main characters and even their cat were unlikeable throughout this.
I will admit the cat did grow on me. Grumpy cats can be endearing.
It was one of those thrillers you speed through because you are so curious of what is going to happen. I didn't quite guess the ending.

This was good. It's an overarching murder mystery with elements of substance abuse and PTSD. The characters were well fleshed-out and interesting. The setting was a small lake town in northern Wisconsin, which I loved as I grew up in northern Minnesota.

Loved the setting, but the characters/plot/reveals were just okay.

Audiobook pick:
I think I may be in the minority, as I see some raving reviews on this one. I was bored for 75% of this. Later it did get a bit more interesting but not worth the slog to get there. Lots of telling vs showing in this novelist's writing. Not scary, just some moments of creepiness. I was overall very underwhelmed. The narrator was great though, loved his performance.

A very honest glimpse into the life of Tyrus. I've been a fan for some time and it was interesting to learn more about his background. This was fascinating and a quick read.

This book actually started out a bit...weird. But I gave it a chance and am glad I did. I loved the way this murder mystery unfolded at just the right pace. Told in a series of flashbacks and present day interviews, the multiple POVs reveal things bit by bit. It's set in Sri Lanka several days leading to a lavish wedding. The Instagram-perfect bride is missing and feared dead.

This is my 3rd book by this author and she continues to spin a sweet and complex love story each time.

This was pretty slow for a thriller, lots of repetitive scenes and waiting for anything to just happen. The ending was okay, but not worth the wait.

This was a fun ride, full of unpredictable turns with villains pitted against villains.

I didnt really have a lot of opinions about this artist going into this audiobook. I've seen her in and out of headlines. As I've grown older I've definitely learned not to believe what the headlines report. The most interesting point she made was-if she was too unwell to manage her life, why was she well enough to work?...that really calls out her family and their greed.

Audiobook pick: I really alternated between being disgusted with the author and then being inspired. There's a lot of hard things to digest in this one, especially concerning her kids. Overall it touches on her redemption. I wish the author and her family the best. This had to be tough to write.

This was more of a mystery than thriller and so uniquely different than anything I have read before. I liked it overall and definitely did not guess the twist, which is always a plus!

This started out very promising, but I wanted more. The ending felt abrupt. Loved the characters. It was described as Stranger Things meets Ready Player One; I can appreciate the comparison of genre.

This was really good. I couldn't put this one down. Such a creepy main character too. 😳

Audiobook pick:
This was pretty bad. It spent way too much time building up some ridiculous hallmark-type romance. The last 30 minutes finally had a twist and some horror. It just couldn't make up for the rest of the book. Lame.

This was interesting and had some good parts, but overall it left me kind of feeling like it could have been much better.

Another excellent thriller! I started this last night and could not put it down.

This is one of the better thrillers I have read lately. Almost until the end I kept second-guessing what I thought was happening.

I made it through the first short story and it was problematic at best. It contained a brief but completely inappropriate conversation with her high school class (she was a teacher). Just yuck. I'm not a prude, but that was just too high on the creep factor for me.

Audiobook pick:
This was pretty good. Picture a combination of The Grudge, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and throw in some HP Lovecraftian Horror. Loved all the 90s references, including the music. I graduated in 1996 and this book captured the time period well. Only issue, a lot of POV changes which can get to be a bit much...

This was a weird but interesting novel, with elements of horror and science fiction. At points I loved it, but overall, I think the execution was lacking.

This is a story that is centered around death, but manages to be quite hopeful and sweet. There is an unexpected love story which really lifts your heart in the end.
I worked as a hospice nurse for many years and it brought up a lot of memories for me (though clearly a death doula is a different profession).

Audiobook pick:
Creepy horror with a slow build that leads to a truly bizarre and scary ending. At one point I wasn't a fan of the direction of things, but then another twist redeemed the storyline for me. Overall, I love this writer's style.
The narrator was okay. I think I just prefer male narrators, I'm finding.

EXCELLENT book from start to finish. If you loved House in the Cerulean Sea, this was comparably good (same author). A unique (loose) retelling of Pinocchio with AI thrown in. The banter between the robots was so well written. This author just wins my heart every time.

This novel was funny, violent, and so wonderfully bizarre. Loved the humor. When a plot comes crashing together with such a cast of crazy characters, you can't put it down.

This was a soft pick, a pretty good twisty thriller. I will admit I couldn't put this one down and flew through it.

This was a retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher by Poe. Loved this Gothic horror novel. So unsettling and creepy. This author has an incredible way of making horror whimsical somehow. Hard to explain, but it works.

This book was like watching a screaming train hit a stalled semi...in slow motion. You are compelled keep reading to find out how the heck this will finish. Slow burn. Creepy ending! Great writing and a strong debut. 🐌

Audiobook pick:
I enjoyed this classic horror novel. It is interesting to compare earlier SK writing to his current novels. I actually have preferred his newer works in writing style, which has notably evolved over time.

This book is spot on funny and thought provoking. Free speech and the ways we cope through humor are the dominating theme. This books takes equal digs on all political views and discusses cancel culture in all its current glory. These are strange times people!

This was just okay. It felt more mystery than thriller and I just kept waiting for something (anything...) to happen. The locale was my favorite part of this story.

This was a classic collection of horror stories that was just the right amount of spooky. The Mannequin was my favorite.