pickHazel and Ben live in Fairfold where humans and fae live side by side and a mysterious fae boy sleeps in an impenetrable glass coffin. When someone frees the boy, Ben and Hazel and their friend Jack, a changeling, are pulled into a fae battle for power, and the secrets they keep from each other and themselves may prove deadly. Loved the main characters, the rich imagining of a town rich in fae magic, and the new love stories for both characters.
pickWhen Hannah‘s husband Owen disappears, leaving her with her stepdaughter, Bailey, and a cryptic note saying, “Protect her,” Hannah is plunged into the high stakes mystery of husband‘s hidden past. Heavy with suspense and claustrophobic with “who can I trust?” anxiety, Dave has written an engaging thriller with believable protagonists in Hannah and Bailey, who are learning to navigate each other while uncovering the secrets of the past. #BOTM
pickFinch Nobles was burned badly as a child and as an adult lives alone as caretaker of her parents‘ graveyard with only the dead for company. But what company they are - oddly lively and vivid, Reynolds‘ dead manage nature while they tell their stories and wait to get light enough to rise. Atmospheric, mysterious, with a unique main character who is prickly but lovable, this short book made for an unexpectedly good spooky season read. #bookspin
pickOn a planet overwhelmed by climate catastrophe, 3 children search for their aunt after their parents disappear from their dying seaside village. Their mother is stolen into slavery for a society of sun worshippers. A man is forced to abandon scholarship to take on his father‘s legacy of wool production to earn a ticket to escape the drought stricken city. After Whiskey When We‘re Dry, I was hoping for another powerful character study. ⬇️
pickWhat a sweet story about hapless, rule-abiding Linus Baker who gets sent on a four week assignment by the Department in Charge of Magical Youth to an island with a most unusual orphanage. As he observes and engages with the island‘s unique denizens he finds unexpected joy, acceptance, and himself. The messaging is heavy handed at times, but I fell in love with the characters and this feel-good story of found family and choosing the life you want.
Trying a little something different for October #bookspin These are officially the oldest 20 books on my TBR. I figure it‘s about time they either get read or get re-homed before they‘ve officially been on my bookshelf for an amount of years that‘s too embarrassing to admit. Or maybe they‘ve already achieved that dubious honor… 😬
pickThis is the most immersive book I‘ve read in a long time. Kapoor brings modern India to life with the haves, have nots, and those who have way too much. Starting with one tragic event, Kapoor peels off many layers of the story surrounding that event from the perspectives of several characters, which is something I love in a book. Characters who are not necessarily lovable but real are another and Age of Vice is full of these. Lives up to the hype!
Trying to read on vacation, but the lovely scenery is so distracting! 📚🤷🏻♀️
pickActually *reading* some of my books from #BOTM this year. This was a beautiful story about connection and healing for two families struck by tragedy who find their stories being unexpectedly interwoven. Big thoughts about time and space and our place in them wrapped up in a very human story. 4.5 ⭐️ August #doublespin
pickThis book was a surprise. First, that the story of Willis Wu, a “generic Asian man” who dreams of being “King Fu Guy” is written in script format. Second, that the format proves so adept at weaving fiction with reality and humanity with stereotype. Yu draws out the Asian immigrant experience with humor and insight in this creative format that will have you hoping that Willis finds his way out of being generic Asian man and into being so much more.
pickStranger is a damaged character seeking redemption for himself by making the clients who rent his time happy. When a client threatens to upend his carefully constructed set of rental identities, he is forced onto a collision course with…himself. Well-written but a bit soulless, this is a book that has something to say about relationships and the risk and value of love. This is not the fluffy book the cover would lead you to expect. Soft pick.
pickThis might be my token romance read for the year, and it was a winner. A sweet friends to lovers romance about Poppy and Alex, polar opposites who become friends in college and vacation together every year. Loved the summer flashbacks, the sense of humor, the slow build-up of romantic tension, and the extra depth of both characters unpacking the emotional baggage that‘s been holding them back. Super satisfying!
pickThis book written by a therapist about 5 of her patients who survived jaw-droppingly horrible childhoods was fascinating. Gildiner illustrates the therapeutic process with skill and honesty about her own failures and struggles in the process. These are some very powerful stories well-told. #bookspin
pickAgh, I‘m so behind on my reviews, but I finally finished the Red Queen series. The finale wasn‘t perfect but it was a fitting end. There were some added POVs that didn‘t seem to add much, but I loved getting into Evangeline‘s head and her arc. I loved the depth of Aveyard‘s world building and how she didn‘t shy away from politics and strategy to make it all about romance, but the romance piece was still nicely done and realistic. Great series!
When you skip two months of #botm to “get a handle on things,” and then here comes this month…. 🏔️📚🤦♀️
pickA serial killer thriller that reminded me of a Criminal Minds episode, except that it is layered with the story of Titus, former FBI agent turned sheriff of his SE Virginia county. Racism still runs rampant there, complicating the lives of its citizens and its first Black sheriff. Except for a little bit of overdone prose at the beginning, I was totally wrapped up in this twisty, turny thriller with its nuanced MC and stayed up late to finish!
pickVampires were so huge in YA for a while, and it turns out I missed them! Ahdieh brings 1870s New Orleans to life as equal parts danger and excitement. Impetuous Celine, arriving from Paris, hopes for a fresh start but instead finds herself courting danger and followed by murder. She is a bold, clever MC and her romance with the smoldering Bastien has the perfect amount of tension. The ending felt a little sloppy, but I‘m still on board for book 2.
pickDenton Little is about to die, but it‘s OK, he‘s always known his life will be short because everyone knows their deathdate. When a strange man appears at his funeral and a purple splotch on his leg goes rogue, Denton‘s carefully planned death festivities take a wild turn. I‘m glad I listened to this. The author does a great job with the narration, and I think the format kept me from taking it too seriously. A fun romp of a book! May #doublespin
The mysterious golden sky orb shining…on a *Saturday*! Naturally I had to take this rare opportunity to read outside for a change. 😀☀️
pickLoved the way this post-apocalyptic story was told, integrating before, during, and after and examining the ripples of human connection. St. John Mandel‘s imagination of what it must be like to have known all our modern conveniences and then live another whole lifetime without them is so vivid and convincing. I‘m not much of a re-reader but can see myself re-reading this book. Glad #authoramonth finally got me to read it!!
Found this tote bag with a spot on depiction of me touring the many fine bookstores of Northern California in….a fine bookstore in Northern California. I can‘t even say how many books I would have purchased had I not had to get them all in a suitcase and a carry on for a plane ride home. With great regret did I have to stop at purchasing a mere 3. 🤪📚
The best part of every vacation is buying a bookish souvenir, right? I bought the tagged book here at Point Reyes Books. 😀❤️📚
bailedSomeday I‘m going to choose a #NetGalley I actually like again. This is not that day. The writing isn‘t bad but I couldn‘t get engaged with these ultra rich characters who do reprehensible things in a weirdly casual and unremarkable way. Told in reverse chronology, this should have been interesting but instead turned out to be a pet peeve of mine: a bunch of short stories that threw on a trench coat to pretend to be a novel. #bookspin for May.
panDo you ever read a book and it makes you wonder if maybe a whole genre just isn‘t for you anymore? For me, that was Middletide, a literary thriller about a failed author returning to his PNW hometown. When the dead body of the town‘s doctor is found on his isolated property, Elijah finds himself under scrutiny. This book is a love letter to the Pacific Northwest, beautifully bringing its scenery to life, but that‘s where my praise ends. ⬇️
pickI loved the writing in this book more than I loved the book itself. Marra‘s writing is clever and his turns of phrase stuck in my mind. A broadly scoped story about WWII refugees/immigrants making their way in 1940s Hollywood, this book perhaps spread itself too thin with too many characters and stories, but, honestly, the vivid and hilarious descriptions of the main character‘s Italian great aunts is worth the price of admission. March #bookspin
pickI almost gave up on this one early. It‘s a realistic look at commercial fishing in Alaska from the perspective of Adam, who‘s trying to make enough for tuition to finish college. That comes with a level of unpleasantness that got to be a bit much at first, but I‘m glad I didn‘t bail. I came to appreciate the realism and Adam‘s testing and coming of age. An unexpected ending left me thinking about personal identity, who defines it and how.
pickThis story of ILLC, a nursing home for disabled kids and teens, as told by its residents and staff is bleakly honest about the greed, abuse, and other systemic problems that plague the institutions that house the most vulnerable. Vivid characters put a human face on this story and temper its bleakness with the hope of people who really care. The full cast audiobook performance makes this powerful story even more affecting. 🌟🌟🌟🌟
so-soI enjoyed this quick read while I was listening but have been surprised to find it very forgettable. The relationship between Amanda and Max is believable but Pippa‘s easy willingness to be misled by her untrustworthy husband despite his troubled history is a pretty unsteady pillar to build the suspense on. Not bad, but not great either.
pickIt was a privilege to spend this rainy Saturday morning weeping my way through the end of this book, a brilliant novelization of the author‘s Jewish family‘s experiences living through World War II in Poland. I was captivated by this story of how one family navigated impossible times with courage, ingenuity, and love. What a story. All the stars. 🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟
pickMy February #doublespin was a reread because I want to finish this series this year. It‘s the story of girls at a creepy boarding school in Victorian England flighting to take back some power over their lives by accessing magic from a secret (and, of course, dangerous) realm. I loved it the first time and loved it again! Looking forward to the rest of the series.
pickIn a town founded by a sea captain who fell in love with a mermaid, humanity and myth meet. The present day citizens find their lives interwoven with the magic of mermaids but the characters are all too afflicted by the plagues of humanity: grief, hate, and loss. This book has a unique atmosphere, an interesting mythology, and characters who are more than they seem. A little repetitive but still a quick read about where magic and mundane meet.
pickLoved this story of two sisters, the daughters of addict parents. Gem is barely holding it together as the responsible one and Dixie is desperate to believe their parents can be better. When their father unexpectedly returns, they have an opportunity to change things, but at what cost? This is a heartbreakingly realistic portrayal of neglect/abuse. The storytelling is so genuine and both girls so sympathetic, it had me in tears by the end.
pickFalls into the precocious kids coming of age genre. I struggle with this genre because it‘s hard to pull off while still seeming genuine. Sal, Sam, and Fito are great characters and so is Sal‘s adoptive father Vicente. The book shines as they patiently help each other navigate hard times, but Sal‘s narration reads more like a message Saenz is trying to get out than a real teenage boy‘s perspective. Sweet, if heavy-handed, I still give it a pick.
pickVasquez-Lavado‘s memoir is my favorite book of the year so far. She deftly weaves the story of her abusive childhood and self-destructive young adulthood with her journey to healing as she attempts to summit Mt. Everest. A story like hers could easily be told in an emotionally heavy-handed way, but Vasquez-Lavado‘s honesty and vulnerability make every last bit of her journey compelling and meaningful. January #bookspin catch up!
The library book sale has been good to me. Too good to me, one might say. Ergo, I give you “Breakfast in a Book Fort” with special cameo from a book I‘m actually reading because, yes, every once in a while I *do* take a break from buying books to read one. 🤪📚
pickThis is one of those books that I objectively know is a Good Book™️. A historical tale of a girl fleeing the starving Jamestown settlement, it seamlessly combines the visceral experience of surviving alone in the wild with the haunted inner life of the girl recalling her journey to that point. For the first half, I was heavily invested but I struggled with the end where its more dreamlike, spiritual bent left me a little unsatisfied. Still a pick!
Still churning through my January #doublespin but it‘s time for a new list. Here‘s hoping something here will jolt me out of what has been a pretty mediocre reading year so far. #bookspin
pickLivy West is a trailblazing female aviator in the 1920s desperate for a chance to prove herself in the Dole Derby race to Hawaii. Wren Summers is a down on her luck artist who has unexpectedly inherited a piece of land on the Big Island in the 1980s. The chronicle of Livy‘s death-defying flight pairs nicely with Wren‘s journey of discovery of her past to make for a sweet story filled with adventure, healing, and unexpected love. Hits shelves 2/6!
pickThis Vicious Grace was so good that its sequel had a good chance to disappoint, and it did. As Alessa and Dante turn their attention to saving the world, the emotional richness and plot urgency of the first book is overwhelmed by a lack of communication trope and surface-level flirtations for almost every side character. The end, however, goes a long way toward redeeming the whole. No spoilery details, but it did make me cry, in a good way. 🥲
Late is better than never! Managed to whittle my favorite reads of 2023 down to a respectable 15. 😀 #Bestof2023
pickThe premise of this YA book is wild. Piano prodigy Kiri, whose older sister died in an “accident,” spends 6 weeks home alone while her parents go on vacation. She makes some bad decisions then some worse ones and ends up with a mentally ill boyfriend, a drunken friend, and the truth about her sister‘s death. As her mental health splinters, the people around her do little. Soft pick for the boyfriend‘s redemption arc and Kiri‘s unique voice, but 😯
