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 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?

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 October.

Grave Expectations (Alice Bell): My only regret is that I borrowed this book, but I will buy a copy because I still chuckle to myself when I think about it. This was big, campy fun, and I am so glad the characters are returning for a second book because I adored spending time with them.

One Puzzling Afternoon (Emily Critchley): This book blew me away. I’m not generally drawn to historical fiction, but this book is perfectly structured. The modern day story follows a woman with dementia, and the jumpbacks give the reader information on the woman’s teen years. It is beautiful and aching and heartbreaking. All at once.

The Last One (Will Dean): This was a weird one. I had been looking forward to it, but the story had so many holes that the holes became the focus more than the plot. I’ll try another book by this author in the future because I liked the writing.

Good Bad Girl (Alice Feeney): I usually love Alice Feeney books, and I’m still listing it here because maybe someone else will like it more than I did. This one just didn’t do it for me because I couldn’t connect with any character. Maybe my expectations were too high because I loved her other books so much.

The Christmas Guest (Peter Swanson): This book was bonkers in the best possible way. I am not a Christmas fan and usually wouldn’t choose a book like this, but Christmas is kind of beside the point. The time of year makes part of the plot possible, and it’s such a great twist.

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 September.

None of This Is True (Lisa Jewell): I know this author is super popular, but this was my first Lisa Jewell book. I loved the writing and the pacing; I wanted to keep going and going. But I was waiting for a big, amazing twist that never happened. So, I’ve adjusted expectations for future Jewell books because I will read many of them.

A Trick of the Light (Louise Penny): As I summed it up on GoodReads, there should be a word when your heart explodes while reading a book. That’s how I felt when Ruth said numb nuts at the end. It is always a good reading night when you spend time in Three Pines.

Reign (Katharine McGee): I almost didn’t read this book right now; I didn’t think I was in the mood. But the ChickieNob convinced me that literary fluff is exactly what you need when you’re down. And this is well-written, engaging literary fluff. Absolutely love the conclusion of this four-part series.

Okay Days (Jenny Mustard): This is a book that I will buy for many people in my life because it’s a simple story that carries deep wisdom. It is the smartest relationship/friendship advice I’ve seen in a while about how to know you’re choosing the right people to keep in your life.

Adelaide (Genevieve Wheeler): This was a solid book that I may have enjoyed more if I hadn’t read it right after Okay Days. You love all of the characters in Okay Days because they are all essentially good, flawed people. You do not love all of the people in Adelaide because some are truly awful people. It’s a novel that feels like non-fiction. Like I had to keep remembering that it was fiction because it read like a memoir. But it was an interesting read, and I’m glad a friend recommended it.

The Hike (Lucy Clarke): I liked the last Lucy Clarke book I read, but I really loved this one. It was a great, non-scary thriller about women taking a vacation together that goes horribly wrong. It was such a quick, engaging read, filled with great characters who felt so real.

What did you read last month?