Category — Book Reviews

As I say every month, I’m shamelessly stealing this idea from Jessica Lahey. She has a recurring monthly date where she reviews all the books she read that month. Book reviews are important for authors, and I want to get better about doing this.

So. I’m going to review them here and also online, but I’m going to do it a little differently. I’m only going to review the stuff I really liked. I don’t see a reason to spend my time writing about something I didn’t love; it’s just using up more of my energy. So only positive reviews.

These are the books I liked (or mostly liked) from October.

If We Were Villains (M. L. Rio): This is a book with plot holes. Major plot holes. Major major major plot holes. And I’m still going to recommend it because even with those plot holes, it was a great read. It reminded me of The Secret History by Donna Tartt—both in content and in pacing. I love books set in schools.

The Midnight Library (Matt Haig): This was a quick, sweet read about getting to test out all of the roads not taken in life. It was clever and wistful and hopeful. It was a book that came to me at the right time, but I think I would have been smitten with this book at any time.

Carry On (Rainbow Rowell): This was a re-read before I read the sequel, Wayward Son. I liked it the first time, but I didn’t think she stuck the landing. The story sort of wobbled apart at the end. But this read-through was a completely different experience. I thought it was a great ending, and the whole thing was well-structured. I mentioned that to ChickieNob, and she re-read it and agreed that it was much better the second time around.

Dreyer’s English (Benjamin Dreyer): This is the most enjoyable reference book you’ll ever read. It’s worth reading cover to cover because (1) the first part of the book is more story/explanation than reference and (2) you’ll know where to look when you have a question in the future.

Majesty (Katharine McGee): This is the sequel to American Royals, and I believe it’s the end of the story. Meaning, there are only going to be two books in this series, though the ending left things sort of feeling like there could be another book in the future. I liked the story and liked all the characters again. I wish it took a stronger stand with the ending. I either wanted it wrapped up tightly or left open-ended so the author could return in the future. Some characters had no fuel left in their story. Some characters were left hanging. So… read knowing that’s how it will close and be okay with the journey.

His and Hers (Alice Feeney): This was the sleeper hit of the month made all the more perfect because I also read the worst book of the year this month. (Clearly, I didn’t review that book this month because… read my rule above.) I loved this book so much that I immediately put everything else she has written on my TBR list. I thought I knew who the killer was, and I was delighted to be so incredibly wrong. Loved this book.

What did you read last month?

As I say every month, I’m shamelessly stealing this idea from Jessica Lahey. She has a recurring monthly date where she reviews all the books she read that month. Book reviews are important for authors, and I want to get better about doing this.

So. I’m going to review them here and also online, but I’m going to do it a little differently. I’m only going to review the stuff I really liked. I don’t see a reason to spend my time writing about something I didn’t love; it’s just using up more of my energy. So only positive reviews.

These are the books I liked (or mostly liked) from September.

Boyfriend Material (Alexis Hall): I laughed aloud reading this book. Like fall-over-snorting-and-have-Josh-stare-at-me kind of laughing. I spent every day texting my cousin favourite lines. I’ll admit that I almost didn’t read this book because it wasn’t grabbing me in the first page or two. But then he mentioned the 80s boy band, Bros, and I was sold. If you are looking for something light that actually contains a lot of depth (and is a completely sweet love story to boot), read this one.

So You Want to Talk About Race (Ijeoma Oluo): This is the best book I’ve ever read about race. She provides solid examples to give everyone a clear understanding of common situations. She’s unflinching but kind. Patient and thoughtful. A fantastic writer. I think this book should be a must-read for every student in America.

I Killed Zoe Spanos (Kit Frick): This book had such an intriguing set-up. A woman confesses to a crime that she couldn’t have committed… or maybe she could. And she looks like the victim. The end is a little sloppy—actually, very sloppy—but I still enjoyed this book so much. It’s a quick read, and totally worth grabbing if you liked the podcast Serial or the book, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

One by One (Ruth Ware): This was my first Ruth Ware, and it won’t be my last Ruth Ware. This book was a totally enjoyable read about tech executives being picked off, one-by-one, at a ski resort. Most of the characters felt pretty interchangeable, but it didn’t detract from the enjoyment of wondering who would be next and who was the killer.

When No One Is Watching (Alyssa Cole): I’m not a fan of romance books, though I’ve always heard great things about Cole. So I was excited to see that she had a non-romance book coming out, and read it on the first day it released. It was so good. She’s a fantastic writer. This book was sort of Stranger Things meets Rear Window about the gentrification of a neighbourhood in New York. So mystery, but with a weird Stepford element. Did I mention it was good? It was so good that I’m going to try her romance books, too.

What did you read last month?

As I say every month, I’m shamelessly stealing this idea from Jessica Lahey. She has a recurring monthly date where she reviews all the books she read that month. Book reviews are important for authors, and I want to get better about doing this.

So. I’m going to review them here and also online, but I’m going to do it a little differently. I’m only going to review the stuff I really liked. I don’t see a reason to spend my time writing about something I didn’t love; it’s just using up more of my energy. So only positive reviews.

These are the books I liked (or mostly liked) from August.

Blue Ticket (Sophie Mackintosh): You may have noticed that I’m a tad obsessed with this book. It’s not just the best book I read in August—it’s up there within the top tier of books I’ve ever read. Very high praise. Like Handmaid’s Tale, I could see myself reading this one again and again. I have her other book on my TBR pile, and she has earned an eternal free pass—regardless of what future books are about, I’ll give them a chance because I love her writing that much.

How to Be an Antiracist (Ibram X Kendi): Kendi is really good at distilling racism into easy to remember statements, which is important if you are carrying with you the desire to do better every single day. Sometimes I wish he’d unpack his examples a little more—he relies heavily on superlatives to describe people who are important to understanding his story—but it is a straightforward, important read and a good place to dive in if you want to understand your place in a larger system.

Seven Lies (Elizabeth Kay): This was such an engaging thriller—totally creepy—and I couldn’t wait to get back to it every night and read the next lie. It has a great framing, too—you don’t realize it until you’re close to the end, and then the whole book comes together. Very well done.

Rodham (Curtis Sittenfeld): I went back and forth on whether to include this book. Here’s the thing, there were parts I really enjoyed, especially early in the book. And I may have felt differently about this book if I read it when we weren’t in the middle of an election season. It turned me off to the real and fictional Bill and fictional Hillary Clinton (real Hillary managed to remain beloved in my heart because I held the book at arm’s length). Trump is always a turnoff everywhere, and his inclusion ruined parts of the book for me. I decided to include it as a book in this list because the last line made me sob.

Camp (Lev Rosen): This was such a sweet book that would have meant so much to me if I had read it as a teen. It made me miss camp, even though I definitely don’t miss that stage of trying to figure yourself out. It’s about a camp for LGBTQ+ teens, and how the narrator changes himself to attract his crush. Did I mention it’s so sweet? It was a joy to spend time with this book with all of the crap in this world.

The Lion’s Den (Katherine St. John): This is one of those books that I liked and liked and liked and then I LOVED. I didn’t see the end coming at all, which made it such a delicious twist. Like you think you understand where things are going, and then you realize that you knew nothing and the story was so brilliantly put together that if this book were a casino, the dealer would definitely win. And you wouldn’t mind because you’d be so impressed.

What did you read last month?

As I say every month, I’m shamelessly stealing this idea from Jessica Lahey. She has a recurring monthly date where she reviews all the books she read that month. Book reviews are important for authors, and I want to get better about doing this.

So. I’m going to review them here and also online, but I’m going to do it a little differently. I’m only going to review the stuff I really liked. I don’t see a reason to spend my time writing about something I didn’t love; it’s just using up more of my energy. So only positive reviews.

These are the books I liked (or mostly liked) from July.

The Vanishing Half (Brit Bennett): This book is such a good read. I had no clue where it was going or where we’d end up, and I loved that. There were a few places where the coincidences were a bit much and one analogy Bennett drew that bothered me, but I could overlook those things because what remained was so achingly beautiful. I couldn’t wait to get back to the story every day.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Suzanne Collins): This is just squeaking by onto the side of mostly liking it. Does it recapture the magic of The Hunger Games trilogy? Not a bit. But it’s an interesting backstory of how cruelty can form. I was happy when it was over, but I was also happy that I read it.

The Guest List (Lucy Foley): I was looking forward to reading this book set in Ireland while in Ireland. Oh well. It was a completely enjoyable mystery. Like The Vanishing Half, I was okay with the mountain of coincidences because I liked everything else in the book. I especially liked the ending and all of the nods to Agatha Christie along the way.

Sex and Vanity (Kevin Kwan): I adored the Crazy Rich Asians books, and I adored this book, too. It’s not in that world, though the name Astrid pops up (and you just know that it’s the original Astrid). It is ridiculous fun with the ultra-rich. My only complaint is that Kwan sent me on such a Googling spree that it look forever to get through the book because I kept getting distracted looking up various designers and locations.

Exciting Times (Naoise Dolan): This was probably my favourite book of the month. If you like Sally Rooney, you will likely enjoy Naoise Dolan. It’s about an Irish girl teaching English in Hong Kong, and the two relationships she’s having the same time. Dolan captures relationships so beautifully, the good ones and the bad ones. She made me feel like I was there in Hong Kong, hanging out with Ava and Julian and Edith. True—that’s the word I would use to describe this book, and it’s one of my highest compliments.

What did you read last month?

As I say every month, I’m shamelessly stealing this idea from Jessica Lahey. She has a recurring monthly date where she reviews all the books she read that month. Book reviews are important for authors, and I want to get better about doing this.

So. I’m going to review them here and also online, but I’m going to do it a little differently. I’m only going to review the stuff I really liked. I don’t see a reason to spend my time writing about something I didn’t love; it’s just using up more of my energy. So only positive reviews.

These are the books I liked (or mostly liked) from June.

Also skipping the The Return of Sherlock Holmes because, yes, I love Sherlock Holmes, but no, you don’t need a review of each short story collection. But since I technically liked it (vs. felt meh about it), I’m mentioning it.

The Silent Patient (Alex Michaelides): This was a very quick read, and I mostly loved it. I figured out the ending early on, so reading became more an act of “am I correct?” vs. “where is this going?” I prefer the latter to the former, so it falls into the solid read zone instead of the exceptional read category. It was the Diet Coke of mysteries: Easy going down and thirst-quenching, but… you know… it’s not a handcrafted, small batch soda.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (Holly Jackson): So much fun. I almost didn’t read this book because people said that the writing mentally took you out of Connecticut. (The writer is in the UK.) I didn’t find that at all. I thought the writer did an admirable American writing accent. If you liked the first season of Serial, you’ll like this book, too.

Catherine House (Elisabeth Thomas): This book is a hard one. I filled two pages in a notebook listing plot holes in this book, BUT I enjoyed the experience of reading it more than I’ve enjoyed some books that I’ve given four stars. So I read it quickly and was always engaged, but I can’t say that I thought it was a good book. But maybe people will feel otherwise.

Ghosts of Harvard (Francesca Serritella): The paragraph for Catherine House perfectly describes this book, too. I enjoyed reading it, and I’ll give it four stars for keeping me engaged. Life stuff distracted me while reading this, so it took longer than it should have. I’m keeping it on the list, even though I also entertained not finishing it at certain points. But in the end, I’m glad I did.

A Deadly Inside Scoop (Abby Collette): It would be hard to love a book more. This is a case of right book at the right time. It’s light—a cozy mystery—set in an ice cream shop. It’s adorable, I liked spending time with the characters, and it was a joy to pick it up at the end of the day. The next book in the series doesn’t come out until March, which is a bummer because fun book + ice cream recipes = excellent summer fun.

What did you read last month?