Books

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (11.1.26)

Ask for Andrea by Noelle W. Ihli (★★★★★)

Audiobook • Libby • Thriller • 2024

Short synopsis: Three murdered women, connected only by the charming online predator who killed them, must join forces from beyond the grave to stop him from claiming his next victim.

Put simply: This might be one of the best thrillers I’ve read… maybe ever? It was unexpectedly touching, with a very satisfying ending. In this book, we’re following three women from three different timelines: Meghan, Brecia, and Skye. All three were courted by the same man who turned on the charm to get them to trust him… and then he murdered them. The women are now ghosts (!!), and are on a mission to figure out how to stop the next murder.

The thriller itself was a wild ride, and I listened to the last few hours with my heart in my throat! I couldn’t put it down for anything. But what made this book even more special is this idea of what’s waiting for us after we die. I don’t think this is a spoiler, but maybe skip the rest of my review if you plan on reading the book! (And then please message me with your thoughts after you read!!!) Each woman is visited by one of her ancestors to greet them into the afterlife. One of them was her grandma, who died a few years ago. When I finished the book, I texted Kim to tell her my thoughts (since she had recently read and recommended the book). And I couldn’t help it: I started to cry, thinking about my grandma greeting me in the afterlife. This idea of being in such an unsettling place, but here comes a woman who loved me so, so much, and who I miss so, so much… I lost it.

I’ve never cried after reading a thriller, but this one was so special, and really made me think. It’s the one thriller I want to shove into everyone’s hands! (Side note: It was a little hard to keep track of three women and their timelines, so I kept a note in my phone to remind me who was who.)

Sipsworth by Simon van Booy (★★★★☆)

Print • Owned (indie bookstore) • Contemporary Fiction • 2024

Short synopsis: An older, reclusive woman returns to her childhood English village hoping for a quiet end to her life, but an unexpected encounter with an abandoned mouse leads her to rediscover friendship and the joys of living.

Gosh, this book really divided my book club, and I truly didn’t expect that! I first heard about the book from Lisa, one of my most trusted recommendation sources. I’m a sucker for an older protagonist and a found-family plot, so this book was right up my alley. I’ll be honest, though: This book started really slow, and I wasn’t a huge fan of Helen. She was just so blah and sad, and I didn’t love being in her head. However, the book quickly turned around for me as Helen began to open up her life little by little, thanks to this little mouse. I love the way the author revealed bits and pieces of Helen’s life. I thought it was a clever way to write this book: at the beginning, Helen feels closed off to us, the readers, because she is. Then, as she opens up to others, we open up to her. I loved the book, even though I was a bit of an outlier within book club.

Under Your Spell by Laura Wood (★★★★☆)

E-book • Libby • Contemporary Romance • 2024

Short synopsis: After a disastrous breakup leads Clementine to a very unexpected new job working for the world’s biggest rock star, she finds herself falling for the one man she swore she’d never date.

This book was a lot of fun! I read it during my trip, and it was an easy one to dip in and out of while I was adventuring. I really loved Clementine and Theo’s characters. Their meet-cute was very sweet, and I loved the way they kept falling back to each other, even as they tried not to. I could relate to Clemmie’s issues with her father, although I was a little perturbed by the way that plotline resolved. That’s probably my own biases at play, though. All in all, a very sweet romance with great characters and a satisfying ending.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

B is for Book Club

I get a lot of questions about the book club I belong to, which is really so much more than that. We are best friends who have been with each other through the ups and downs: divorces and marriages and remarriages and cancer and pets dying and health struggles. They are my people, and as someone who struggled for a long time to make friends, it feels surreal to have these strong bonds in my life.

Let’s do a little Q&A about my book club today, shall we?

1) How did everyone meet?

Our book club started on Meetup. When I was in my early twenties, had finished college, and was entering the workforce, I knew the one thing I wanted in my life was to belong to a book club. I found this book club for young women (ages 20-35), but it took me a full year to summon the courage to actually go. In that time, I had tried to join some other social groups, like a Tampa area bloggers meetup, and I was basically ignored at the meeting I went to, which made me apprehensive about joining this book club. But then I went to a new member’s dinner, felt immediately accepted, and the rest is history! That was in September 2012, which means I’ve been attending this book club for 14 years!

Eventually, we took the group off Meetup (ironically, a few months after I joined – good thing I didn’t wait any longer!). Now, everyone in the group either joined because of Meetup or because they knew someone who was already in book club. For example, Bri joined because we had a “new members” meeting where everyone was encouraged to bring a friend to book club. As it stands right now, we’re pretty much closed for new members and have a great group of seven women, all of whom I’ve known for a decade or longer!

2) How do we choose the books we read?

This process has evolved over the years. Here’s what we’ve been doing for the past two years: In January, everyone brings three book recommendations written down on pieces of paper. Those recommendations go into a bag. Every month, we pull three slips of paper from the bag, read the options (and the Goodreads synopsis!), and vote to select the book. We throw away the selected book, and the other two go back into the bag. If one of the books has been pulled three times but never selected, it is thrown away.

(We also use this same process to choose our book club activity every month!)

We can add books and activities to the bag throughout the year if anyone has inspiration, so it’s a very flexible system!

3) What happens at a typical book club meeting?

We are not your typical book club, as many of you have probably figured out. Every month involves some sort of activity. Our last few activities have been shuffleboard, an escape room, bedazzling, a pajama party, etc. Usually, we spend the first hour or so hanging out and catching up on life, and then at a certain point in the night, we’ll be like, “Oh, we should talk about the book!” I instituted a rule that we should go person by person, so that everyone had an opportunity to tell us what they thought, and I think that has led to some really interesting conversations. We try not to interrupt the person while they are talking, but sometimes it happens because we just get too excited to stay quiet! Some books lead to longer discussions, while others do not. We don’t try to select only books that will provide a lengthy discussion. Sometimes, we just want to read a fun domestic thriller and talk about whether or not we saw the twists coming!

4) What happens if someone doesn’t finish a book?

We do not expect everyone to finish every book. Sometimes, life gets busy and finding time to read is hard. Sometimes, we select a book, and it’s just not the right time for someone to read that book, depending on what they’re going through. Sometimes, the book just sucks, and we never expected people to read a book they hate. When this happens, the person who didn’t finish the book knows they will be spoiled by our discussion (or, if they don’t want to be spoiled, they can leave the room). We accept that’s the cost of not finishing the book!65

5) What have been some standout book club reads?

I’m going to choose five books that really made an impact with us:

The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Ware – We still talk about this book, and we read it in 2017! It was the kind of book where we felt like, if it was fiction, we would have thought the author was being too over-the-top.
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin – We all loved this book so much that we named our (now-defunct) shared Instagram profile after it.
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein – This book made an impact in a bad way. I had heard so many rave reviews of this book that I kept recommending it. We finally selected it, and we all hated it. I think I was the only one who finished it; everyone else DNF’d it.
In the Blood by Lisa Unger – This was our first introduction to local author Lisa Unger, and we still talk about that ending! It was one of the first thrillers since Gone Girl that really surprised me!
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters – I did not love this book (and most of book club gave it 3 stars or less), but it led to one of our liveliest discussions we’ve ever had, which means it was a standout for us!

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (10.26.26)

Today, I have three very different books to review: an inventive thriller, a meh romance, and a quirky story that didn’t quite land for me. And I need to admit that I am way behind on writing my book reviews. Not that it really matters to anyone but me, but I finished the books below in September. Eeks! I’m planning on writing “What I’m Reading” posts throughout NaBloPoMo until I’m caught up, but since I decided to do a special project for the challenge, that means that some days, you’ll be getting two posts from me. Is this crazy? Yes, absolutely, but I thrive on crazy!

Time to Burn by Ellery Lloyd (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Spotify • Thriller • 2026

Short synopsis: When a time-travel tour to London during the Blitz ends with a billionaire’s family returning bloodied and one member missing, filmmaker Phoebe Hunt recognizes the missing woman and must uncover her sinister motives before the past rewrites the future and puts those closest to her in danger.

I had heard a lot of buzz about this book, specifically from my parasocial friends at The Popcast, so I was excited to dive in, especially because the premise was so insane! The most I had heard about it was that it was a thriller involving time travel gone wrong, and I was so in. The beginning was a little confusing because there were a lot of people and I had no idea how any of it related to the original premise, but soon I got my bearings. And the majority of the story was great! I loved the time travel element, especially this idea of a billionaire who figured out the technology to make commercial time travel something that the ultra-wealthy can experience. There was so much happening behind the scenes, too, especially as Phoebe Hunt has been commissioned to create a documentary about the company and the billionaire behind it all. But then things go awry and this documentary becomes something much bigger than Phoebe had anticipated. I didn’t love the ending, however, but I think that’s more of a personal preference thing. It made sense with the rest of the story, but I just wanted something else selfishly! All in all, though, a great thriller with an intriguing premise.

If Not You by Ellen O’Clover (★★★☆☆)

Print • Owned (Book of the Month) • Contemporary Romance • 2026

Short synopsis: When an ambitious copywriter is forced to compete against her longtime rival for a coveted account, a month of travel, cutthroat competition, and unexpected vulnerability threatens to rewrite the story she’s spent years telling herself.

I love a good workplace romance, and I especially love a good enemies-to-lovers workplace romance so I was all in for this novel. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations and left me wanting. For me, it felt a little too close to The Hating Game (one of my all-time favorite romances!) but without characters you want to root for. Honestly, I found the FMC, Mattie, to be rather obnoxious at times and honestly downright mean to the MMC, Campbell, who really didn’t do anything to deserve her ire. I actually don’t know why Campbell was attracted to Mattie because she was pretty terrible to him, and he deserved better. Once we got past the enemies part of the story and the two characters started connecting on a deeper level, I grew to like Mattie a lot more and their romance kept me turning the pages. But alas, it just didn’t give me the sort of magic I want from my romances, so meh.

Sky Daddy by Kate Folk (★★★☆☆)

Print • Owned (indie bookstore) • Contemporary Fiction • 2025

Short synopsis: Linda has a secret: she is romantically and sexually obsessed with airplanes. Her infatuation leads her to pursue a fatal union with her soulmate plane, and in doing so, she must choose between maintaining the appearance of normalcy and risking everything for the love she believes she was destined to find.

I started this book with a lot of trepidation. It didn’t really seem like my jam, but many people had raved about it and I’m always willing to give a wild premise a try. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the hit I hoped it would be. Let me be clear: I loved Linda and her obsession with planes. I don’t know if I will ever look at planes the same way. I loved how she tried so hard to fit in—online dating, vision board nights, etc.—even though none of it felt natural to her. However, the reason this book didn’t work for me is that I was missing any sort of character arc for Linda. I needed to see some sort of growth from her, and the ending left me a bit cold. I need Linda to seek a therapist who will understand the brilliant way her neurodivergent mind works, and I really need her to find a better group of friends (aside from Karina, she can stay).

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (10.19.26)

A Ruse of Shadows by Sherry Thomas (★★★☆☆)

Print • Library • Mystery • 2024

Short synopsis: With her sights set on freeing her sister’s beloved from Moriarty’s clutches, Charlotte is forced to divert her plans when the disgraced Lord Bancroft Ashburton compels her to track down his missing henchman, dead or alive.

This is the eighth book in the Lady Sherlock series, and I’m not sure if I will continue after this one. It’s not that it was bad. Like all the Lady Sherlock books, it was a fun ride with a cast of characters I have grown to love dearly. At first, I tried listening to this book, but I got very confused by all the different characters. I set it down, determined to try again in print, and it went a lot better in that format, especially because I kept a character list on my phone to keep things straight. I enjoyed the mystery at the heart of this book, but at a certain point, there was too much going on, and it started to feel a bit convoluted. Everything came together nicely at the end, but it was a bit of a mess to get there.

The Anatomy of Anxiety: Understanding and Overcoming the Body’s Fear Response by Ellen Vora (★★★★☆)

Print • Owned (Amazon) • Nonfiction • 2022

Short synopsis: In The Anatomy of Anxiety, Dr. Ellen Vora argues that anxiety can also stem from physical imbalances, lifestyle factors, and deeper issues in our lives. Drawing on scientific research and clinical experience, she offers practical strategies for managing anxiety and reframing it as something that can guide us toward greater balance and well-being.

I’d really recommend this book to people who struggle with anxiety but are interested in exploring ways to manage it beyond medication. For me, I’m someone who does need anti-anxiety medication to keep my brain functioning at a relatively normal level, but I know that’s not the case for everyone. A growing body of research has found a relationship between gut health and brain health, and I’m definitely interested in learning more about that connection! In fact, one of my best friends struggled with depression for over a decade before discovering she had a chronic autoimmune condition. Once she cut out gluten, her mental health improved drastically. Of course, that’s not going to be the answer for everyone who struggles with a mental health disorder, but it’s a good reminder that our physical health can have a significant impact on our mental health, too.

The way I approached this book was with curiosity. To be honest, none of the strategies discussed were particularly groundbreaking. Eating less sugar, getting better sleep, and understanding how stress affects the mind-body connection are all things we’ve heard again and again. But sometimes, it helps to understand why these habits matter and how they can affect our mental health. I think it’s vitally important to be introspective about our bodies and our lives, and I appreciated the reminder to look at the bigger picture when it comes to mental health. I didn’t agree with everything in this book, but I do think Dr. Vora has an important point to make: so many environmental, societal, and dietary factors affect the way our bodies function, and those factors deserve consideration when we’re trying to understand our mental health.

I’m not going to stop taking my medication after reading this book, nor even approach the topic with my psychiatrist. But I am thinking about some of these strategies and how they could help improve things like inflammation, moodiness, and period hormones.

Get Over It, April Evans by Ashley Herring Blake (★★☆☆☆ 1/2)

E-Book • Libby • Contemporary Romance • 2026

Short synopsis: When two heartbroken artists—April, whose ex-fiancée left her for a younger woman, and Daphne, that very woman—find themselves working together at a New Hampshire resort, a rivalry over an opportunity to showcase their art in London gives way to an unexpected attraction.

This is the second book in AHB’s Clover Lake series, and it has not been working for me at all. Was she just a one-hit wonder for me (Delilah Green Doesn’t Care for liiiife)? In this book, the characters felt so similar that I kept having to remind myself who was who. (“April is the girl who got dumped. Daphne is the other woman.”) The romance didn’t feel particularly believable, and I really, really hated the dark moment. I thought it was honestly a bit silly because she left us on a cliffhanger, like we thought something different was going to happen. (Hello! We’re reading a romance novel! We know how this ends!) I love a dark moment that feels earned and real, and basically makes me want to cry alongside my characters. I didn’t feel anything for these two, and by the end, I was skimming just so I could be done. I think it’s time for a break from AHB, which really bums me out.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (9.28.26)

Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord by Sarah MacLean (★★★★☆)

E-Book • Owned (Amazon) • Historical Romance • 2010

Short synopsis: After fleeing London’s marriage-minded society, the irresistibly eligible Lord Nicholas St. John is drawn into Lady Isabel Townsend’s desperate scheme to protect her brother’s inheritance—and into a dangerous romance neither can resist.

I first read this book quite a while ago, and I’m on a mission to reread all of Sarah MacLean’s books since she’s my #1 historical romance author. This one was just as delightful as the first time around, and it had been so long since I had read it that I didn’t remember anything. It’s fun when that happens! (Or maybe concerning about my memory. Either or.) Here’s a really funny thing that happened while I was reading, though: In the story, Isabel realizes she needs to sell these “marbles” that have been in her family for a long time because she needs money. I spent far too long thinking that they are the kind of marbles you play with, and I was really confused. I’m picturing this small bag of tiny marbles and I didn’t understand why a) they were so damn valuable and b) it would take someone weeks to assess their worth. No, no. Marbles as in sculptures. It made so much more sense. The more you know!

The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune (★★★★☆ 1/2)

Audiobook • Libby • Fantasy • 2025

Short synopsis: A spine-tingling thriller about a 10-year-old girl with an impossible power, her father, and an unlikely stranger, who come together to confront the dangerous forces that want her at all costs.

I am three for three on TJ Klune books. So far, I have loved everything he’s written (that I’ve read, of course, as I am not yet a completionist!), and this book is no exception. This novel is about Nate, a guy who lost his job and wants to spend some time at his family’s abandoned cabin to lick his wounds and figure out what’s next for him. The problem is, when he arrives, he finds out his cabin is occupied by a surly man named Alex and a precocious young girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader. Why are they there, and what would happen to them if they left? I adored Nate and Alex and Art so, so much. They were all so wonderfully complex and different and so fun to root for. I was here for every moment of this adventure, even when things seemed impossibly dire. I didn’t care for the epilogue, which is why I gave this book 4.5 stars. I find most epilogues unnecessary, and I think the novel would have had such a stronger ending without it.

And Now Back to You by B.K. Borison (★★★☆☆)

Print • Owned (Target) • Contemporary Romance • 2026

Short synopsis: When radio meteorologist Jackson and journalist Delilah are forced to team up to cover a historic snowstorm, their clash of personalities gives way to an unexpected friendship—and a chemistry neither can ignore.

I think we have a pattern here with B.K. Borison books. Her first book in a series is always excellent (Lovelight Farms, First-Time Caller), which makes me so excited to check out the next book in the series. But then the second one is always a dud (looking at you, In the Weeds). This book was so bland with one very dull MMC and one manic-pixie dreamgirl of a FMC. I just didn’t care about them, nor did I find their romance all that exciting. And, as always, I think any romance over 400 pages is too long, and this one was around 470 pages, which is TOO GODDAMN LONG. There were so many unnecessary side plots, along with a dramatic moment that felt forced and gratuitous. And don’t even get me started on the grand gesture at the end, which I could see from a mile away. I literally muttered to myself, “Oh, he’s going to do XYZ thing, isn’t he?” And sure enough, he did. I didn’t hate this book and I can understand why many people love it. But I just need more from my romances these days, and this one failed to deliver.

What are you reading?