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 December. I clearly had a great reading month—I liked a lot of books.

The Devil and the Dark Water (Stuart Turton): This one just squeaks onto the list. I’m not a fan of historical fiction, though this can barely be called that because he takes a lot of liberties with the time period to make the story work. Plus, you’ll figure out the mystery early on. But I enjoyed the journey even if it wasn’t the way I usually travel, book-wise.

Ready Player Two (Ernest Cline): If you read the first book, this one is very very very similar. Which means that if you liked the first book—which I did—you’ll probably have fun reading this one. If you didn’t like the first book, I would probably avoid it because… well… return to the first part about this being very similar.

Piranesi (Susanna Clarke): This was one of the most interesting books I’ve read in a long time, and I’m glad I went into it knowing almost nothing. It is an experience, and figuring out what is happening is part of the story. It is a gorgeous book, and it will stick with you a long time after reading it. I’m still thinking about it daily. It’s one of those books that I could see myself reading over and over again.

That Time of Year (Marie Ndiaye): I loved this book. It’s about a French family who stays one extra day on their summer holiday and discovers the town changes once September begins. It’s like a French Stepford Wives in feel. It’s non-scary horror. I ended up putting everything else the author wrote on my TBR list due to the strength of this story.

Royal Holiday (Jasmine Guillory): I bought this one for the ChickieNob and ended up grabbing it myself. I pretty much devoured it in one sitting. I’m not a big romance person, but I’m planning to read the rest of the books by this author. It was such a great book for winter break; I felt happier and lighter while reading it.

The Thursday Murder Club (Richard Osman): I loved this book so much that I was only a few pages in before I started Googling whether the author was planning a sequel. (He is! There will be a second book.) It’s about four people in a retirement community, solving crimes. Every character is fantastic—I wanted to get coffee with all of them. The dialogue is lovely. And even though it was a lighthearted mystery, there were some very emotionally-moving scenes.

The Inheritance Games (Jennifer Lynn Barnes): I ended my reading year on a high note. I figured out the mystery when I was 24% of the way through the book, and I didn’t care. It was so much fun. It’s like The Westing Game meets Knives Out meets quirky YA fiction. This book also has a sequel coming out soon-ish, and I happily added it to my 2021 TBR.

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 November.

The Silver Arrow (Lev Grossman): I loved this book so much that I immediately bought a copy for the Wolvog and ChickieNob and another for my niece. It was NOT what I expected, and I’m really sorry that I didn’t get to it sooner. In my defense, while I love riding in trains, I did not want to read a book about trains. But… this book isn’t about trains. And it’s ten kinds of awesome. And all of us had the same reaction to the same moment in the book. If you have a child in your life OR an adult with a mushy heart, get them this book.

Last Tang Standing (Lauren Ho): This book was so much fun. It’s very much like Crazy Rich Asians with people who are more on the normal end of rich (vs. the obscene end) and very funny. It feels a lot like an updated Bridget Jones’s Diary. I had fun reading it. We need more books that simply make us happy.

Crooked House (Agatha Christie): This was not my favourite Christie mystery, but it’s a totally solid book. I wasn’t impressed with it, but I realized I was being unfair just because it didn’t blow me away like ABC Murders or Murder on the Orient Express. I wanted to read it before I watched the television adaptation. It’s funny how I hold her books to a different standard because I read so many surprising ones in a row. So it’s a three star for Christie but a four star for every other mystery writer.

Anxious People (Fredrik Backman): This just squeaked onto the list. I liked this book, but I didn’t love this book. It was zany. And quirky. And a little too much, even for the mushy-hearted. It was like being trapped at Wes Anderson’s party, talking to Aaron Sorkin (it is very very very repetitive AND the people spend a lot of time holding conversations that keep looping back to points made… and those conversations don’t move the story forward) and Zooey Deschanel. It was the kind of book where you expected someone to pull out a little ukulele. Just because. But here’s the thing about Wes Anderson, Aaron Sorkin, and Zooey Deschanel. They all sometimes drop interesting moments into your brain. So I put this book on the list because there were a bunch of moments I underlined, even while sighing at others.

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 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?