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 March.

A Death in Diamonds (S.J. Bennett): Just when I thought this series had hit peak awesomeness, Bennett does it again by writing a great mystery with great characters that sounds like it was written 60+ years ago. This one is set early in Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, and it’s an impressive feat to create dialogue that sounds as if it could have happened in 1957. While you should read the first three books in this series in order, you could technically read this one first (or at any time) and not be confused about any of the characters/events.

Green Dot (Madeleine Gray): It is very difficult to create a single character who is very much of their age that appeals to multiple age groups, but the ChickieNob and I both enjoyed Green Dot. Does the main character make terrible decision after terrible decision? Yes. But she owns it and learns from it, and you end up loving her for it.

Listen For the Lie (Amy Tintera): There’s a line in the book about how it’s better to be interesting than likable, and that sums up this book. Every character is terrible. And you can’t really cheer anyone on. But it’s interesting and a quick read. It makes for a good beach read.

First Lie Wins (Ashley Elston): Two books about lying, back to back. And both are quick, easy reads. But this one was the stronger novel with a deeper plot. The surprises keep coming and coming and coming. I was blown away and guessed very little of it. I loved this book and would read future ones by her.

The Golden Compass (Phillip Pullman): The twins didn’t want to read His Dark Materials, so this was my first re-read after first encountering the books 20ish years ago. Being back with Lyra was like re-entering Wonderland or finding your way back into Narnia. There’s a reason these books are classic fantasy literature. Moving on to the next book in the series.

I Promise It Won’t Always Hurt Like This (Clare Mackintosh): I waited for this book to be published for a long time since it was first announced, and it was worth the wait. This is the most brilliant book I will read this year. I knew I loved Mackintosh’s writing, and she has taken her loss — two, actually, the loss of her son at five weeks and the loss of her father — and given readers a map to a new place. I don’t say this facetiously; I think every person should read this book. I think you should read it before you need it so you know the resource is there when you are mourning. Because everyone will mourn at some point. You WILL get lost mourning, but it is easier to accept being lost when you know you have a map in your bag than when you don’t see how you will move forward. This book is such a gift, and I am grateful she wrote it and shared her story.

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 February.

Spaceman of Bohemia (Jaroslav Kalfar): This is a gorgeous book. It is a story that will stay with you when you’re away from the book. It was beautiful, aching, hopeful, sad, clever, surprising. It will definitely be among the best books I read this year.

Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect (Benjamin Stevenson): I enjoyed this book so much that I dug out all of my old Australian pop music from the 80s. (Paul Kelly for the win! And if you read this book, I imagined the song “Dumb Things” when they chase the train.) It’s the follow up of Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone. Both books are 5 stars for fun. I loved that this was a real train, and it was a great set up.

Anna O (Matthew Blake): I am pretty sure that this book wins for most unethical and unrealistic therapy situation, an award long held by The Silent Patient, which is a very similar book. If you liked The Silent Patient, this is like that. Mind candy but ultimately not realistic. Still, great pacing makes for a good beach 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 January.

All the Queen’s Men (S.J. Bennett): I loved The Windsor Knot so much that I immediately started the second book in the series. It was even better than the first one, and the best part was going on a tour of Buckingham Palace right after reading it and getting to walk through a section of the palace impacted by the reservicing plan discussed in the book. And I saw the Canaletto exhibit they’re putting together in the book when it was at Holyrood in 2018. Real-life intersecting with fiction is one of my favourite things.

Murder Most Royal (S.J. Bennett): Then she did it again! Bennett made an even better book for the third in the series, and the first two were so strong. These books are exceptional, and I want to keep re-reading them. I love every character — the portrayals of the real people and all of the fictional ones.

Heartstopper, Volume 5 (Alice Oseman): Oh Heartstopper… these are very quick, sweet reads. You’ll cheer on these teens and hope they find college and romantic peace.

One of the Good Guys (Araminta Hall): This book is creepy, full-stop. It will make you think. It will judge you. It will provoke you. It is not a good mystery, and you probably will not like any of the characters, but it’s still worth a read if you go into it, knowing it’s about challenging how we think and talk about women.

The Fury (Alex Michaelides): I guessed his last two books pretty early on, so when I guessed the twist in this one, I rolled my eyes. BUT he totally got me because that twist was just one of many, and I was so distracted by it that I didn’t notice everything else coming down the road. It’s a clever one, and you’ll see characters from the other two books pop up in this one.

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 December.

The Mystery Guest (Nita Prose): I felt the same way about the second book in the series as I did about the first book. I liked it. I’m glad I read it. I wasn’t wowed by it. If you liked the first book, this one felt identical.

West Heart Kill (Dann McDorman): I’ll start with the only negative thing about this book: It didn’t stick the landing. It promised a big, clever reveal, and it wasn’t. So why did I give this book five stars? Because up until that point, it was Knives Out + Ice Storm + Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone. And I really liked Knives Out. So I loved this book.

The Heir Affair (Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan): I was saving this book for a rainy day, and I was in a bit of a reading lull — emotionally — so I decided to break out the story. It meandered all over the place, and the infertility stuff ranged from moving to offensive. But it was exactly what I needed at the right time. Is it great art? No. But neither is People magazine, and I love that, too.

The Windsor Knot (S.J. Bennett): I was both drawn to and suspicious of this series. Queen Elizabeth solving crimes? Would the whole thing be silly? But no; this is like Queen Elizabeth in the Crown — a replica of the woman but feeling true(ish) to life. How does she realistically solve crimes? You’ll have to read to find out. But this was such a delightful book that I immediately continued to the next book in the 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 November.

The Christmas Appeal (Janice Hallett): I read a second Christmas book because Janice Hallett is a gift to the world. It pulls in the same characters from The Appeal and follows the same format of reading emails and text messages. So good.

The Last Devil To Die (Richard Osman): Speaking of so good, I will buy every Richard Osman book, plot summary unseen. I don’t even look to see what the book is about. I just go to the bookstore the first day they have it and buy it. This was a sad one, though all the books are moving in their own ways. This one was just more so. It was a good mystery and a good time with these friends.

The Three Dahlias (Katy Watson): I bought this book because Janice Hallett blurbed it. (I am such a cheap sell.) But this was so so so much fun. I loved it and can’t wait to start the next book. Best trio ever — fun and empowering. Beyond being smart, savvy women, I liked that they always straightened the other’s crowns, even though they didn’t enter the situation feeling inclined to have each other’s back. It just happened because they’re awesome.

The Trial (Rob Rinder): Speaking of being a cheap sell, I purchased this book because it reminded me of the cover of The Appeal. (Are you sensing a theme?) You don’t really solve the crime as you do with The Appeal — it’s a straightforward mystery — but I learned a lot about the British legal system. And it was a good read.

The Kind Worth Killing (Peter Swanson): This is an older book, but it took me a while to get to it despite reading several other Peter Swanson books. I liked the writing a lot, though Swanson’s male characters are so creepy and unlikeable 100% of the time. It ends abruptly, but I enjoyed the twists until the last page. I’m not saying this well because it was a five-star read — engaging, well-paced, and interesting.

The Other Half (Charlotte Vassell): I waited a long time for this book to come to the US. (It has been out in the UK for months.) It was like a modern Brideshead Revisited as a murder mystery, and I loved the main detective and his co-workers.

What did you read last month?