This was such a heartwarming novel, in the end. Yes, the main characters endure a lot of emotional, physical, and psychological trauma, but they also experience unconditional love and forgiveness. One of the central themes involves a girl confused about her racial origins and another theme involves a family who has endured much loss and inevitable racism. I highly recommend this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is one of the most disturbing books I have ever read. Cora Zeng begins the book with no agency but by the end is a somewhat unwitting heroine. I don‘t want to describe anything more about the plot because it defies description. I don‘t know if any of the things in this book actually happened, but I‘m sure there must have been equally gruesome crimes against humanity and particularly Asian women. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I had not heard of this author but I love her writing and I love the heroine of this book. Dr. Gul Delani, a museum curator in Pakistan, is called to investigate a mummy and the wild ride begins. Mystery, history, violent crime, danger, murder, Gul and her museum team work to authenticate the mummy and uncover all kinds of intrigue in the process. An excellent read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is definitely not my genre, but I needed that bookmark. This was a hard read for me because I don‘t read in this format and I prefer the Anne Rice type of vampire. I know some would consider this a good graphic novel, but I will not be continuing this series if there is more of it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

What an incredible read! Patricia Ononiwu Kaishon's book reminds me of Hope Jahren and Robin Wall Kimmerer, all scientists deeply involved in nature and natural science. I learned so much about fungi, and there is still so much to learn. This book teaches that nature is inclusive and it feels like a warm hug. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I wasn‘t sure how I was going to rate and review this book. It changed from being what I thought it was into something completely different that I discovered I was not really enjoying. I finished it for a book club discussion and maybe my opinion will change after hearing what everyone else thought. This is one really messed up, weird, scary/not scary book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is Volume 1 of a 2 volume anthology of science fiction stories by women. I took my time and savored each story. This is a fantastic collection and some of these stories scared the hell out of me. A lot of these authors were eerily prescient. I highly recommend this anthology. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

One would not think a book all about cadavers could be anything but morbid and gross, but this book is entertaining and informative and funny. Mary Roach makes the subject approachable and educational. I had no idea about the many “lives” of cadavers. Includes an interesting chapter on burial/cremation/composting. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have to admit that I did not know who Emily Ratajkowski was when I chose this book. She is brutally honest about her body, her life. This book left me feeling that she still has some work to do to get to a place of self love, but then don‘t we all? I think I like her, though. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a dense dive into other animal‘s senses and the near impossibility that human animals will ever truly be able to know what it‘s like to be another animal. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love an engaging short story and this one grabs you from the first word and does not let go. What happens when we attempt to manipulate reality? We only imagine we know what the unforeseen consequences could be. We cannot account for our unintended interference. At least that‘s the premise of this foray into recreational time travel. Are we our own worst enemy? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As cozy murder stories go, this one is excellent. Throughout the story, Nora Breen grows on you. She starts uncertainly but grows into her own. Her instincts are eerily spot on and she learns to trust them. Mysterious disappearances, poisoning, accidents, spirits(?). I did not figure out who the murderer was and was surprised. This is such an entertaining read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What seems to be such a simple and softly written novel, is filled with a gentle wisdom. The separate chapters are really loosely woven together separate stories. I like this style of story telling. Each has a small moral and the entire novel is a larger moral. It will lift your heart. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

These short stories are unique, and each is unique from the others. I can‘t begin to describe any single story and they don‘t have a connecting theme, yet they hang together. Some are dystopian and some are dystopian adjacent, I guess. This is an excellent read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love a good epistolary novel and this one is excellent. Sybil is a prolific and fearless letter writer. She is unafraid to bare her soul which makes her a compelling correspondent. Her letters don‘t always paint her in the best light, but as the book progresses, we see her grow and change. Flawed as she is, you can‘t help but love Sybil. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh, ick! The things that greed will make us do. And desperation. One man‘s hell may well be another‘s perceived heaven. Be careful what you wish for and what you can‘t control. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

How do you describe a family? The definition has changed so much in the past few decades. Had it been as it is now, so much pain could have been saved for so many families. As it is now, there is still too much pain inflicted. This novel is about tolerance and reconciliation. And hope. We can become our better angels. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a stunner of a memoir. I didn‘t know anything about this book when I started it so it really shook me. I felt the trauma right along with Amy. I am shocked at the harm that befalls the most vulnerable of us. I am also heartened by all the compassionate and wonderful people who do the work of helping to heal those who are most in need. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a strange, strange journey. I‘m not sure how to feel about this book nor how to describe it. I guess it seems like how a bad acid trip would be. Two different tales of another‘s demise but I‘m not that either informs the other. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I sympathize with Chris McCandless‘ family over his loss, but also understand how he hurt them with his unstinting moral code. It seemed to be more than youthful hubris. A deliberate unwillingness to communicate with loved ones caused them all so much hurt. If he had come out of the Alaska wilderness alive, one hopes that he would have learned enough from the experience of extreme isolation to resolve his familial differences. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The first in a new series, I can‘t wait for the second. This novel went to a place I could not foresee. Talk about being blindsided. Detective Tommy Kelly is sent to Nantucket Island to oversee the discovery of a child‘s body. The case is more than cold and there seems to be no chance of solving it when he and the local detective Jo Harris get a series of lucky breaks. This novel will flip you on your head. A great series beginner. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I had been hit or miss (more miss than hit) with Riley Sager books lately, but this one has everything. Secrets, ghosts, missing memories, death, hauntings, confession, redemption, forgiveness. The ending was not as sinister as I had expected. in fact, it was surprisingly heartwarming. A definite hit. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Stacy Wliilngham is an auto-buy for me. This newest novel is a perfect example of why. Two sisters, separated by so much unknown history, have similar harrowing experiences decades apart. Secrets, a hidden diary, isolation, family, kidnapping, murder, and, of course, dysfunctional characters. Cut off from everything, Claire tries to resolve her feelings about her missing sister and uncovers so much more than she bargained for. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a book that I don‘t really have the capacity to describe. I cannot relate to anything in it. And yet I have been changed by the mere reading of it. It‘s not sad but matter of fact. We, especially we in the United States, do not deal well with death, especially death from suicide. I feel a strong compassion for the author. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is definitely one of the weirder books I‘ve read. But I loved it! A bot who is basically off the rails, following a program that parallels proscribed actions only if they suit its own purposes. I really, really like Muderbot. It is kind of amoral, and yet seems to have some type of morality. I think I will have to continue this series. I kind of care about what happens to Murderbot. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh my stars and garters. That was quite a ride. The epilogue. Woof. This is an off college campus, campus thriller. Australia is the backdrop, but also a character as this drama unfolds. Study abroad cohorts become instant friends but each harbors secrets, some of which turn deadly. Flash forward to a reunion and a police investigation and everything starts to go to hell. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This twisty mystery had a lot going on. Some of the side stories were distracting and just served as misdirection. I was kind of amazed to find out who the killer turned out to be. It felt like it came out of left field. And talk about dysfunctional. Not one character escapes that label. I would like to see Detective Jayne Salter solve another crime, though. And there are some loose ends that could be tied up in a sequel. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a twisty tale of a slippery man, told from alternating perspectives, one of which is his. It‘s a look inside the mind of a sociopath who has a knack for divining the needs and wants of women. But sometimes he loses control and bad things happen. This is one of those novels that you read through your fingers, metaphorically, like a scary movie. Oh, the delicious anxiety and the satisfaction of the ending. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fay and Poppy are BFFs, ride or dies, and they have a plan. This short story is a fake within a fake within a fake. It‘s such a fun read and so much fun to try and figure out. No one is truly innocent. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What is home? What do we take with us when we leave home? Petros allows his mother to convince him that he should see the world before joining his father‘s taxi business. But he is ill prepared for the world. What do we take back with us when we return home? We can‘t help but be changed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I wasn‘t sure about this book at first but it really grew on me. I don‘t think there is a character in this book that is not dysfunctional. One of the most frustrating things about this book is that a hell of a lot could be cleared up if they‘d just talk to each other. So many secrets. So many lies. So much darkness. Solving (sort of) a 50 year old crime with little to go on. A very satisfying ending. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Now, that was a wild ride. This is a story within a story within a story. I did not see that ending coming. Throughout this novel, Mackenzie‘s character just shines. I love the back and forth of past and present that slowly build her story and push the narrative along. This is an exciting and smart novel. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I never know what to expect from a Joyce Carol Oates work. I‘m left with the feeling that I‘m not sure what actually happened. In this case, I‘m not sure anything did happen. But it might have. What I do know is that we‘re left with a surprisingly happy-ish ending, I think. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Beckett Bowery has returned to her hometown and the school she attended but didn‘t quite graduate from, not by choice, but because Delilah, her daughter, has secretly applied and been accepted to the same school. Too much water has passed under the bridge and things start to spiral out of control. Tradition, conflict between town and gown, fire, death, twists and turns, and the “howling". I loved this book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

That‘s an ending I did not foresee. This is so much more than a haunted house story. So much creepier. Both of the main characters exchange chapters, with another character occasionally having their own chapter. Miscommunication, obfuscation, hauntings(?), possessions(?), murder, scenes that will make you sleep with the lights on. Wow! I really enjoyed this book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is one of the creepiest short stories about the descent into madness. The callousness of the medical profession towards women suffering from postpartum depression is appalling. Women are just labeled as hysterical and told to “just calm down”. The results are as we see them in this horror story. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Strong poetry, essays, other writing from a group one does not readily associate with Appalachia. You can feel the love that these creators have for this region of the country. You can feel the courage that each individual radiates in the truth of their self identification. Claiming their heritage, they show us the true spirit of Appalachia. May that spirit grow and flourish across all regions of the world. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I wanted to like this book more, but there‘s just something off about Nic. She‘s dysfunctional, for sure, but she‘s also not always a believable character. There were times when she was misreading a situation, but it didn‘t ring true. I didn‘t believe that that‘s what her character would think. The ending is a weird twist, but it was unsatisfying. It was entertaining, but not one of my favorites. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is an intimate short story about life, about death, about mourning, about laughing. It feels true. We temporarily lose ourselves and hopefully we come back to ourselves, but we will never be the same. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love, love, love this series! And this book is so good! We are once again in the world of serial killer Isabel Parker. Will she successfully manipulate her sisters yet again? Told in a back and forth timeline between Raisa and Delaney, we get a disorienting version of events. All of the characters are dysfunctional but you can‘t help rooting for almost all of them. The ending is so satisfying. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I‘m giving this novel a 4 but I‘m really feeling a 3.5 because I felt frustrated by all of the seemingly unnecessary incomplete filler chapters that just added confusion to the plot. I much prefer The Thursday Murder Club series. I do like Steve and Amy and Rosie and the rest of the locals where Steve lives. Maybe, if the series continues, it will find a more solid footing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have read and loved every Alex North thriller. He has a way of chilling you to the bone. The killers are human but very twisted and oh so believable. This one is a freaky twist on the Pied Piper. An island, trauma, child abduction, guilt, shame, rage, a sick, domino-effect murder path. You need to read this and all of Alex North‘s books. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh my gods. The ending of this book just gutted me. But in a good cathartic way. This is about a woman who gets lost while hiking the Appalachian Trail. But it‘s about so much more. The descriptions of the trail, the hikers, the environs, the search, the searchers, the family, shows how much more complicated the Appalachian Trail actually is and how unprepared most of us are to be out in raw nature. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a fast read (power outage, nothing else to do), and I enjoyed it very much. I know not every book has a happy ending, but this one could have. It was a bit of a let down. The book is a bit of an emotional roller coaster, and I enjoyed the different chapters told by the different characters, none of whom were without their issues. This was also a microcosm of global warming. All in all, a solid story. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have loved all four of The Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories, but this one made me bawl. I recommend reading them all, and in order. I love this family. Alice Hoffman writes so well. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Color me confused. What just happened? This is such a compelling short story that seems to go in several directions at once. I don‘t know what really happened, although I can guess, I guess? I cant really say much more without giving anything away. All I will say is that it starts with one ending and ends with another. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There‘s a reason I don‘t read ghost stories but I couldn‘t stop reading this book. It scared me, but when seen from Nell‘s perspective it seemed almost cozy which was just plain crazy and not true which was even scarier. For such a short novel it packs a wallop. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is such a sweet book. It is a series of stories loosely held together by cats. Each one feels a little more odd than the previous one, until the end which I was kind of but not really expecting. Still, it‘s never completely spelled out what‘s going on. But it‘s not NOT explained. You just have to read between the whiskers. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Raisa Susanto is an FBI linguist which gives her a unique slant on tracking down serial killers. Her family is completely dysfunctional but she is stronger for it. Codes, serial killer(s?), misdirection, family, justice. This is an excellent series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Be careful what you wish for. Is there a conduit to another dimension? What happens when you unknowingly open a line of communication with an unknown correspondent? Unexpected consequences. This short story is spooky. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️