I love this YA mystery for bringing together diverse groups of friends pitted against a society that seems to be primed to ignore women, especially young women. SYNOPSIS Welcome to Castle Cove — a town cursed with missing girls,bad boyfriends, family secrets,and some very steep cliffs. Last summer, Alice Ogilvie's basketball-star boyfriend, Steve, dumped her.... Continue Reading →
Indemnity Only by Sara Paretsky
Between Christmas and New Year's Eve I always feel like watching suspenseful or action movies. I stumbled across the excellent 1992 Kathleen Turner film, V.I. Warshawski, and then went in hunt of the book series that inspired the film. SYNOPSIS Meeting an anonymous client late on a sizzling summer night is asking for trouble. But... Continue Reading →
See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Soloman
A YA romantic Groundhog's Day? I will freely admit that time loop stories are hard for me to pass up but equally difficult to enjoy and this one ticked all the boxes! SYNPOSIS Barrett Bloom is hoping college will be a fresh start after a messy high school experience. But when school begins on September... Continue Reading →
A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger
A gorgeously told story that highlights how our environmental crisis impacts the world we see and the one beyond our imagination and how friends and family can come together to save each other. SYNOPSIS Nina is a Lipan girl in our world. She's always felt there was something more out there. She still believes in... Continue Reading →
Less by Andrew Sean Greer
A story about a life lived but not yet over. On the cusp of 50, Arthur Less is both more than he was and not yet done growing. SYNOPSIS PROBLEM:You are a failed novelist about to turn fifty. A wedding invitation arrives in the mail: your boyfriend of the past nine years now engaged to... Continue Reading →
So This is Ever After by F.T. Lukens
A fantasy rom com that finally answers the question, "What happens at the end of a quest?" F.T. Lukens has written a story for all of us that have debated the what reality might look like in the ever after. SYNOPSIS Carry On meets Arthurian legend in this subversive, “delightfully original and whimsical” (Kirkus Reviews) young... Continue Reading →
Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian
Magical realism? I was intrigued. This book shifts between two time periods, two continents, and several characters. While I am glad that I read it, I have a special mental jail for the main character, Neil. SYNOPSIS An Indian-American magical realist coming of age story, spanning two continents, two coasts, and four epochs, in razor... Continue Reading →
My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Oh.My.Goodness. This dark and odd book was one that I couldn't put down and will not let me stop thinking about it! SYNOPSIS When Korede's dinner is interrupted one night by a distress call from her sister, Ayoola, she knows what's expected of her: bleach, rubber gloves, nerves of steel and a strong stomach. This'll... Continue Reading →
The House in the Cerulean Sea
The book that scooped me up and gave me back the gift of reading. SYNOPSIS Linus Baker is a by-the-book case worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He's tasked with determining whether six dangerous magical children are likely to bring about the end of the world. Arthur Parnassus is the master of... Continue Reading →
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Thank goodness for Matt Haig. His newest book, The Midnight Library, I deliberately held over until 2021 to ring in the New Year. Thankfully, I had it to keep me company Wednesday while I watched the White House siege. Unbelievable news and videos that still have me reeling make me more thankful than ever for... Continue Reading →