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 reads that month. Book reviews are important for authors, and I want to get better at 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.

The Bright Sword (Lev Grossman): This is a book you need to own, not borrow, because you will want to take your time with it. It is slow and beautiful, almost a lament to Arthur. I’m a casual Arthur fan, so I imagine a true lover of the Arthurian legends would be over the moon with this book. But I am a Lev Grossman fan, and any story in his hands becomes beautiful.

I Hope This Finds You Well (Natalie Sue): A cute workplace romance (kind of)? It wraps up super neatly, which is why I may be thinking of it as a romance more than straight fiction (plus, crush). Loved the interactions with her mother. It was just a much sweeter book than expected from the opening. I thought it was going to be like Green Dot, but after that Green Dot-y opening, it veered more into romantic comedy territory.

The Wedding People (Alison Espach): Yes, it was sometimes unrealistic (sure, send the 11 year old off with a stranger to run errands despite all of the family there) but the writing and ideas were lovely. It’s about finding reasons to live every day. And it made me want to plan a trip to Rhode Island.

A Talent for Murder (Peter Swanson): If you read The Kind Worth Killing (and enjoyed it), you’ll like this one. It was another great creepy read from Swanson. His books make you squirm a little inside while reading them. And, as always, Lily and Henry are fantastically grey together.

The In Crowd (Charlotte Vassell): Sometimes I was laughing. Sometimes I was just appreciating the writing. I loved Vassell’s first book, and this is a connected story, sharing many of the same characters. There are two related crimes, one has a great twist and the other is a bit of a dud, but the book is so much more about the main characters and their relationships. I love the writing so much.

Death at Morning House (Maureen Johnson): I think I may have emotionally aged out of Maureen Johnson books. I know they’re for teens, but they were enjoyable reads for adults, too. I’m listing this book here because if I was a teen, I would have loved this book. And if you like Maureen Johnson, this has a similar feel to the Truly Devious series.

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 reads that month. Book reviews are important for authors, and I want to get better at 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.

One Perfect Couple (Ruth Ware): I had a hard time getting into this one. Then, it became intriguing. Then it became far-fetched. So. If you like Ruth Ware, you will probably like this book. It’s a good beach read, but it’s also one of the least realistic ones.

The Twist of a Knife (Anthony Horowitz): I have a thing where I won’t read the next book in this series until the next one comes out so I always have an Anthony Horowitz book to look forward to. I love his books that much. Like all of the other books in the series, this story was perfection. I love love love these books and would give them a million stars instead of just five if Goodreads allowed it.

The Bingo Hall Detectives (Jonathan Whitelaw): I was intrigued by this book because it had so many five-star reviews, so I bought it last time we were in the UK. It was a sweet cozy mystery with a bickering son-in-law and mother-in-law. It felt very Marlow Murders but in the Lake District. I’ll definitely read the next in the series, and I bought the third one when it was on sale.

Long Island Compromise (Taffy Brodesser-Akner): This was another book that exceeded the Goodreads star system. This was brilliant. Truly the best satire I’ve read in a long time that hits such a deep truth and familiar space. I loved every second of 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 reads that month. Book reviews are important for authors, and I want to get better at 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.

The Last Murder at the End of the World (Stuart Turton): This is a book with A LOT of plot holes (as in, if x is true then y cannot be true, but the author asks us to also believe y is true – you know, science fiction math) but if you can get past those plot holes, there is an interesting story in there. And if nothing else, it was fun to imagine the world.

Lies and Weddings (Kevin Kwan): Kevin Kwan books are like a paper version of good champagne — festive, fun, bubbly. It’s not going to quench your thirst, but you’re going to have a lot of fun consuming it. It is the perfect beach read, except you need to be connected to wi-fi so you can look up all the real places and designers he names.

The Queen of Poisons (Robert Thorogood): I felt like the first Marlow Murders book was Thursday Murder Club-esque like a lite version of Richard Osman. This one felt lighter than that. It was still enjoyable. Still liked the main characters. Maybe it felt a little rushed? In any case, very solid cozy mystery.

Very Bad Company (Emma Rosenblum): Points off for choosing adtech as the topic but not understanding digital ads (I think we all cringe when we see someone get our job so wrong in a book), but extra points for every Churchill quote. That was such a brilliant character quirk. Every character was unique. It was White Lotus-level enjoyment of some truly terrible people. Cannot wait for her next 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 reads that month. Book reviews are important for authors, and I want to get better at 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 May.

The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder (C.L. Miller): It was a very sweet cozy mystery, which felt a little like a literary love letter between child and parent because the author is the daughter of Judith Miller, the antiques expert. I spent equal time reading the story and Googling all of the antiques to see them.

The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers (Samuel Burr): This is a very sweet book with major TJ Klune vibes (a la Cerulean Sea). Great characters, and I liked the interlocking stories, jumping back and forth in time. There are some difficult topics that may get resolved in a tv-like rather than realistic-like way, but I sense the author’s heart is in the right place.

Impossible Creatures (Katherine Rundell): For the first few pages, I thought I had found the next Harry Potter (which is what websites were calling this book when it won Waterstones Book of the Year), but then it firmly veered into sweet-children’s-book-with-a-lovely-message territory. I think if you’re nine years old, you’ll like this book. And I think adults may find it a little simplistic.

Wives Like Us (Plum Sykes): I love all of her books, but this is one of the best. Before there was Crazy Rich Asians, there was Bergdorf Blondes. If you like Kevin Kwan, you will probably like this skewering of the ultra-rich in the English countryside. This book was pure frothy joy from start to finish — wildly entertaining with a great deal of heart.

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 reads that month. Book reviews are important for authors, and I want to get better at 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 April.

Malice (Keigo Higashino): This was brilliant. Every single plot point is accounted for. Every detail snapped into place. It was so neat, so clever. I want to read every book in this series. The numbering is different in Japan vs. here; it listed this one as #1 and/or #4. But you will be fine following the story if it is #4. I treated it as #1.

Moderate Becoming Good Later (Toby Carr and Katie Carr): I read about this book before we left for the UK this winter, and I was lucky enough to snag the last copy at the bookstore. (And thank you to the employee who ran from section to section saying, “It has to be here, somewhere.”) I love the Shipping Forecast, and I’ve long told Josh that my dream is to take a trip where you visit each of the Shipping Forecast locations. Toby Carr did just that — in a kayak. The book is a meditation; time spent on a verbal sea. I cried at the end despite not knowing Toby personally. Spending time with him in the pages made me feel like I had been on the trip with him. I’ll reread this one whenever I need time on the water.

Expiration Dates (Rebecca Serle): It is exactly what you expect from a Rebecca Serle book: It’s a super sweet book about being okay with the unknown. If you think too deeply, you’ll end up with a lot of questions that poke holes in the plot. My recommendation is not to think too deeply and just enjoy the story.

How To Solve Your Own Murder (Kristen Perrin): First and foremost, I love the cover for the U.S. version. Brilliant. It was a fun cozy quirky mystery, set in a great town with interesting characters. I am so happy there will be a second book.

The Husbands (Holly Gramazio): I laughed so hard reading this book. There were passages I tried to read aloud to Josh, but I couldn’t get through them, so I had to hand the book over. The story is perfect from beginning to end: Interesting situation, funny exploration, wonderful ending.

What did you read last month?