If you haven't already, buy this book!!

It's been almost 25 years since I first read this book, and the cover definitely put me on the criminal's trail way before my memory did. (Still, this Penguin series is beautiful.)

A lot less fairy tale than P&P or Persuasion, thanks to the villains being rewarded at the end. But as long as our heroines are happy, right?

Drizzt learns the difference between surviving and living thanks to a few good friends. More importantly, this book sets up new adventures in new places, and I am really looking forward to this fish out of water.

Spare and brutal, I can understand why so many believed Leamus' tale was a Cold War reality. Le Carre's characters are entirely unromantic simply because they can't afford to be so and live, but not even cynicism can save everyone. It's a classic spy novel, I just don't think I'm a spy novel kinda girl.

A poignant, necessary coming-of-age story that was made even better by the Author's Note at the end. Amanda Hardy's story made me so anxious going in: A teenage trans girl in the Deep South learning who she is and who she loves and exactly how strong she is. I was wrong to worry. Russo is a gifted storyteller with a tender, no-nonsense style.

This sequel is all about redemption -- who deserves it, how to earn it and why it matters to both those who have done wrong and been wronged. My poor, tragic, star-crossed babies. It's not a happy ending, but there is hope for everyone (left standing).

I think I'll be coming back to this one often.

Anne Bronte wrote a kickass social commentary on asshole dudebros, then sandwiched it in the middle of a more palatable dude's love story. A little more "single blessedness" and a little less "Heaven is its own reward" would have made this perfect.

The characters and plot were just about ruined by a sloppy story structure. Switching narrators rarely works for me, and in this book they sometimes changed multiple times in one chapter. It was just clumsy and distracting, instead of illuminating. Super disappointing.

Is this the very first Nice Guy in literature? Because he's making my skin crawl with this friend zone crap.

Feminism, Anne Bronte style.

I agree with Emma -- Julian IS terrIfying. Things to look forward to: Cortana being even more awesome; Cristina, Mark and Kieran figuring things out; Kit's mystery solved; and Dru coming into her own.

Kay Howard sets up a real-world fairy tale: Two sisters bedeviled by an abusive mother who find respite in their art. And then she brings some Old World faerie to throw even more peril their way. Her writing is both descriptive and prescriptive, creating the world and shaping it as eyes are opened and hearts are changed. This is a writer's book.

Hayes' title is a partial quote of Richard Nixon, one of the original law and order candidates. Beyond defining the nation and the colony, Hayes also defines the differences BETWEEN law and order. It's a potent and necessary discussion that I hope leads to a better understanding of punishment, justice, and who ultimately gets to decide what each means.

Looks like Hayes is my kind of book nerd!

Nature vs. nurture, D&D style! There are some timely themes around propaganda's affect on a culture and the individuals in it. For the drow, ends justify the means, and targeted misinformation just fuels the bloodlust and piety. Revisiting Drizzt is a joy, and I can't wait to see if the rest of the trilogy lives up to my memories.

Great resource for anyone who has had to explain why protesting matters, and what the techniques are designed to accomplish. But be warned -- it is literally a dictionary.

What. A. Slog. I got through a third of the book, but let's be honest -- this is more a reference for writers to properly attribute their words than an actual book to be read and enjoyed. Also, you can't give yourself a nickname, refer to yourself in the third person through a 300+ page book and expect me to take you seriously.

I'm a huge Rin Chupeco fan, and she didn't disappoint with her new, gorgeously built world. The ability to write a first-person narrative that I didn't want to immediately throw against a wall is also kind of a big deal. At its heart, this story is about a lonely young woman with terrifying powers to both heal and destroy. I can't wait to see which option she chooses.

A delightful palate cleanser. Of course the vulgar Americans would overwhelm a genteel 300-year-old English murderer. The Puritanism! The Capitalism! The nasty pranks! Such horror!

This man likes his analogies, and the high school drama was a bit too tawdry for my tastes. (Fistfights and staring contests tend to look a bit silly when you're dealing with serial murder.)

Some light Mother's Day reading ...

This guy not only refers to himself in third person, he gave himself a cutesy nickname. 🙄

Just brushing up on the basics. I wonder how differently this would be interpreted if written in the Trump era.

Guys, it's so bad. Halfway through, and life is too short.

If I have to read one more passage about her pouring a glass of whole milk down her throat, I'm going to be legit sick.

Holy unnecessary synonyms, Batman. I'm no Hemingway fan, but even I'm getting sick of this guy's gratuitous use of adjectives. Where's the editor?!?

I'm annoyed that I guessed the traitor before the first 100 pages, but at least that shows some internal consistency in this quasi-fictional world of WWII England. Spies abound, with MI5, Gestapo and Bletchley operatives chasing each other down in the Kentish countryside. It was enjoyable enough, with solid writing and fully realized characters. Mysteries just aren't really my jam.

Zadie Smith's ability to cut to the quick is breathtaking, and her characters are brutally raw. But I think I'd enjoy a short story collection much more than the meandering plot I got with this novel. While trying to explore themes including dance, feminism, colonialism, celebrity culture, familial bonds, friendship, class and race, this one ends with a whimper.

Reading this book was a bit like stumbling across a yearbook that you didn't know existed. Rowell tells the perfect coming-of-age story for journalists of a certain age. (I remember perfectly my first real journalism job in 2000, and the one computer in the entire newsroom with Internet access.) The characters come alive in their own words and ways, and I found myself cheering for their happiness as if they were just a few desks away.

This book reads uncomfortably like my future autobiography at times ...

Maybe, as a fan of "Doctor Who" and "Back to the Future," I expected too much from the book's title. Like, deliberate menace instead of sloppy incompetence. And a "forever" that lasted a bit longer. But Haldeman definitely captures the culture shock and PTSD of warriors returning to a home they no longer recognize, and I feel that was the point. The ending was a bit too pat; but if anyone deserved a clean break, it's these characters.

If you're a fan of slow-burn will-they, won't-they angst, this is the fantasy romance for you. Clara's always known her sister was destined for the sea, but now it's up to her and the steadfast O'Neill to take her home before she shrinks away to nothing. This is a cute one.

The Mirrorworld provides a tarnished reflection of familiar fairy tales, with politics and motives yet unclear. But some things are constant: true love, honor among thieves and untrustworthy fairies. Treasure hunter Jacob Reckless does everything he can to protect his cursed brother, pulling the reader deeper into this land, lush with beauty and mayhem. I'm definitely continuing this series.

As an Austen fan, this was a pleasant gift to receive. And now I am SO glad I didn't pay money for it! A modern-day California woman finds herself in Regency England, and she then spends 250 pages learning the same lesson about selfish behavior ad nauseum. Multiple men from her past are mentioned, but the relationships are never revisited in a healthy way -- she just falls in love with a new guy and regurgitates lines from superior books. Blech.

This should be mandatory reading for every American. Is there a way to donate books to schools? Because "March" would be. the. one.

The harrowing details of the Freedom Riders' fight for human dignity amps up the tension in Book Two. Lewis is unflinching in relating the internal divisions of the Civil Rights movement, including those who questioned nonviolence and even the personal lives of their leaders. Seeing history with his clear eyes is a gift.

It's a quick, heart-wrenching read. Lewis is a lyrical storyteller who never veers into the maudlin. If you want a primer on resisting Trumpism, this is a good place to start. On to Book Two! #marchinmarch

It's nice to dive into a book trusting the author's vision. I knew she absolutely would close this trilogy by remaining true to the characters and worlds I love. But this book should have been two separate novels. Expanding the universe, delving deeply into background characters and introducing new villains make this one a little overstuffed. Nevertheless, I'm grateful for the proper send off, and I hope we get to visit Red London again soon.

Hope Jahren writes a good book, but I don't think I'd enjoy her personally. In her seemingly single-minded pursuit of science, she steams ahead blindly into the China shop, searching for a truth. By the time she turns to share her discovery, she seems astonished that anyone is more concerned with the mountains of broken bits in her wake. We make allowances for genius, but what's the line between unshrinking optimism and unbearable privilege?

Supernatural detective stories are one of my favorite genres -- especially when the detective is a long-suffering badass woman who isn't afraid of (most) ghosts. I'll be continuing this series whenever I'm in the mood for some fun.

That was quite a yarn! One part whaling encyclopedia, two parts revenge tale, and allllll New England sensibility, Moby-Dick is a classic for a reason. Disregarding the debunked science and racism (uuuuugh) I'm glad I finally got to it.

There is a reason Mieville's genre is described as "New Weird." He takes an already disintegrating world -- German-occupied Paris -- and gives it more sides than a Surrealist die. The occult meets war meets art meets hell meets the French resistance. Slip into this world a while, and I doubt you'll regret it.

I can't quite decide if this is a cautionary tale to never settle for safety in place of happiness, or an inspiring biography showcasing successful perseverance in the face of misogyny and misunderstanding. Probably both. Either way, Jackson was an amazing woman and the repetition of research notes was minimal in this one. Fans of Shirley Jackson and psychological thrillers shouldn't miss it.

Pithy, witty, fun and just a touch cerebral ... protest literature for the Trump era.

Cora is now one of my favorite heroines in literature, and Whitehead's central motif -- that the Underground Railroad is an ACTUAL underground rail system -- makes my steampunk heart sing.

Prepping for #galentinesday!