Stephany Writes

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Categories: Life

Monthly Recap | July 2024

Books

In July, I read 8 books. My favorite was This Spells Love by Kate Robb and my least favorite was What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall. Some other stats:

  • 88% fiction, 12% nonfiction
  • 3 print, 2 e-books, 3 audiobooks
  • 3.9 average star rating
  • 12% diverse
  • Abandoned books: 3 (The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict, God Spare the Girls by Kelsey McKinney, and Family Family by Laurie Frankel)

This Spells Love by Kate Robb (print, owned)  ★★★★★ | The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson (audiobook, library) ★★★★☆ | Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie (print, owned) ★★★☆☆ | Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert (e-book, library) ★★★☆☆ | Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg (audiobook, Spotify) ★★★★★ | Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez (e-book, library) ★★★★★ | What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall (audiobook, library) ★★☆☆☆ | The Housemaid by Freida McFadden (print, owned) ★★★★☆

Media

  • Big Brother – It’s summertime so I am all about Big Brother once again! I am loving this season so far. It’s been delightfully messy with lots of complex houseguests—and there’s even a local guy on the show, so that’s been fun!
  • The Paris Olympics – Like the rest of the world, I’ve been enjoying the Paris Olympics! I have been deeply invested in gymnastics and it’s been really fun to watch Simone do her thing. Mostly, I’ve been watching the primetime coverage on Peacock, although every now and then I’ll turn on a random sport to watch (like women’s rugby). And now it’s track and field’s time to shine, and I am really enjoying watching those races!
  • Survivor: Tocantins – I’m trying to watch older seasons of Survivor to familiarize myself with people and storylines that are still talked about today. I decided on Tocantins (which is season 18 and released in 2009) because one of my favorite current Survivor podcast co-hosts, Stephen Fishbach, was on that season and it was so much fun to watch him play!
  • Two Guys, Five Rings (podcast) – This has been a pretty fun podcast to listen to! It’s hosted by Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers and talks about all different Olympics topics. It was a little more active before the Olympics surprisingly, but has a fun, light-hearted feel.

On The Friendship Paradox, we came back from our summer break with three great episodes in July. We released episodes about the Predictive Index Assessment, subtypes of the enneagram, and how personality plays into our food choices.

Buying

  • Cordless vacuum ($100) – This purchase was so worth breaking my No-Spend July rules. I am so happy with it! It’s so nice to be able to zoom around my apartment with it and collect all of the cat hair and dirt that accumulates in my little apartment.
  • Can opener ($8) – A boring purchase but when my can opener broke near the end of No-Spend July, I immediately purchased a new one on Amazon. I really like it – and I got it in a fun color (pink).

Moments

In July, I met up with two friends twice for hair color night! The three of us have been going to the same (very expensive) salon for many years and it’s time to start cutting back on expenses, so we decided to learn how to color each other’s hair. It’s been so fun! Our first time around, we messed up so many things. We didn’t have a proper cape to protect K’s clothes, we only had one pair of gloves to use between two of us (so we left with very stained hands and arms!), we didn’t have clips to keep hair separated. We had a lot of learning to do, but judging from the photo above, we had a lot of fun doing it! Plus, K’s hair came out great and I might have a new future as a hair stylist? We decided that my name would be the Silent Stylist because you could come to me and just read your book while I colored your hair. Ha! I am hoping to get my hair colored at our new “salon” this month, so hopefully it goes just as well!

I love this picture of the three of us! For my mom’s birthday, we went to The Candle Pour to make candles (I made a coffee-scented candle that smells divine) and then went out for dinner and ice cream. It was such a great afternoon/evening with my favorite people!

I had a fun day at the dog beach with my favorite doggos! They are not huge water dogs so we brought out the float so they could hang out in the water but be protected from the scary ocean! Lucy spent most of her time on the float barking at all the birds. While on the beach itself, Chip enjoyed exploring and meeting all the other dogs. Lucy stayed by our setup and barked at any dog who tried to get close. (I’m more of a Lucy than a Chip.)

I had my CPAP Titration Sleep Study done in July and my doctor has ordered an APAP machine for me to use at night. APAP stands for automatic positive air pressure and differs from a CPAP in that it adjusts the pressure automatically throughout the night as my breathing patterns change. I am still unsure if this will also help the blood oxygen issues I had while on the CPAP machine at the sleep clinic, which is a question I need to ask my doctor about. But at least I have some therapy headed my way soon!

Mikaela treated me to my first pedicure in over a year! I used to get them regularly but then I started dealing with ingrown toenails, which made getting pedicures very unpleasant! While I still hate when they scrub the bottom of my feet to remove all of my dead skin (I’m so ticklish!!), but it’s so nice to have painted toes again.

What’s the best book you read in July? What was a highlight of your month?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (7.24.24)

The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Library • Contemporary Fiction • 2021

Short synopsis: Lonely librarian June Jones has never left the sleepy English village where she grew up. Shy and reclusive, the thirty-year-old would rather spend her time buried in books than venture out into the world. But when her library is threatened with closure, June is forced to emerge from behind the shelves to save the heart of her community and the place that holds the dearest memories of her mother.

This was such a lovely little book. It was the audiobook I chose after slogging through Detransition, Baby. I needed something light-hearted and sweet, and this novel absolutely fit the bill. I loved June so much. Her character growth throughout the novel, as she found her voice and learned to stand up for what she believed in, was beautiful and I was rooting for her all along the way. I loved the eclectic cast of characters that accompanied her throughout the journey, and the emphasis on libraries and the way they become community centers for so many people. Libraries are so much more than places to borrow books. They are places for people to access the Internet, for kids to have a safe space to do their homework, etc. I loved this book and it would be a great addition to anyone’s TBR—it’s a good book to pick up the next time you need a palate cleanser!

Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie (★★★☆☆)

Print • Owned (indie bookstore) • Mystery • 1942

Short synopsis: It was an open and shut case. All the evidence said Caroline Crale poisoned her philandering husband, a brilliant painter. She was quickly and easily convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Now, sixteen years later, in a posthumous letter, Mrs. Crale has assured her grown daughter that she was innocent. So, Caroline calls on Hercule Poirot to open the case and find out what really happened.

This was such a unique story! I appreciated what Agatha Christie was trying to do with this mystery—to show us how our perception of an event can be drastically different based on our biases. Unfortunately, it started to feel a bit repetitive when the same story was being told over and over again. I also found the mystery at the heart of the novel to be a bit hard to follow at times, but maybe that was the purpose because it wasn’t until the end of the novel that I could fully grasp what had happened. In this novel, there are five important players (aside from the victim, Mr. Crale, and the assumed murderer, Mrs. Crale): two friends of Mr. and Mrs. Crale who were around on the day of the poisoning, Mr. Crale’s mistress, Mrs. Crale’s younger sister, and the sister’s governess. Hercule meets with each one to get their side of the story and then asks them to write down their knowledge of the events. The result is a story that is told over and over again, and left me feeling rather bored by the plot. The ending was a bit convoluted and not as satisfying as I had hoped. But, hey, not every Christie novel can be a slam dunk, right?

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert (★★★☆☆)

E-Book • Library • YA • 2023

Short synopsis: Bradley and Celine are former best friends who had a falling out when they started high school and Brad abandoned her for the “cool kids.” (Or at least, that’s how she sees it.) When Celine signs up for a survival course that comes with a college scholarship, she’s surprised more than anyone to see Brad right by her side. As this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?

I was a little surprised that this was a YA romance because, so far, all of the Talia Hibbert books I’ve read have been adult. But I do love a good YA romance so I quickly got over my surprise and settled in for a cute read. It was an enemies-to-lovers trope and I loved the rapport between Bradley and Celine when they were enemies. They were so mean to each other (but not in a problematic way); they were so funny, though! I didn’t care all that much for the survival course scenes (they were kind of boring) and thought the chemistry between Bradley and Celine was just so-so. I liked the themes explored in this novel, especially because Celine is estranged from her father and I could wholly relate to her desire to show him what he’s missing out on. (And for Engie: No teens having sex in this novel!)

What are you reading?

Book List

Read in 2024:

  1. Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory ★★★★☆
  2. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman ★★★☆☆
  3. White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind by Koa Beck ★★★★☆
  4. The Honest Enneagram: Know Your Type, Own Your Challenges, Embrace Your Growth by Sarajane Case ★★★★☆
  5. This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens ★★★☆☆
  6. Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale ★★★★☆
  7. Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake ★★★★★
  8. Cover Story by Susan Rigetti ★★★★★
  9. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie ★★★★☆
  10. Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez ★★★★★
  11. Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan ★★★★☆
  12. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano ★★★★★
  13. The Art of Scandal by Regina Black ★★★★☆
  14. A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson ★★★★☆
  15. How to Be Yourself: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Rise Above Social Anxiety by Ellen Hendrikson ★★★★★
  16. Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks ★★★★☆
  17. The Seven-Year Slip by Ashley Poston ★★★★☆
  18. The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford ★★★★☆
  19. The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton ★★★★★
  20. You, with a View by Jessica Joyce ★★★★★
  21. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie ★★★★☆
  22. The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline ★★★★☆
  23. Heartbreaker by Sarah MacLean ★★★★☆
  24. Black Girls Must Die Exhausted by Jayne Allen ★★☆☆☆
  25. Come and Get It by Kiley Reid ★★☆☆☆
  26. Ander and Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa ★★★★★
  27. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt ★★★★☆
  28. White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color by Ruby Hamad ★★★★★
  29. About That Night by Julie James ★★★★☆
  30. The Women by Kristin Hannah ★★★★★
  31. The Longest Race: Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike’s Elite Running Team by Kara Goucher ★★★★☆
  32. The Comeback by Lily Chu ★★★★☆
  33. The Eighth Detective by Alex Pavesi ★★☆☆☆
  34. The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley ★★★☆☆
  35. A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham ★★★★☆
  36. All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir ★★★★★
  37. Knockout by Sarah MacLean ★★★★☆
  38. Victim by Andrew Boryga ★★★★☆
  39. Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena ★★★★☆
  40. How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly ★★★☆☆
  41. Zorrie by Laird Hunt ★★★★☆
  42. A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie ★★★★☆
  43. Planes, Trains, and All the Feels by Livy Hart
  44. Love Irresistably by Julie James ★★★★☆
  45. Go as a River by Shelley Read ★★★★★
  46. Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera ★★★★★
  47. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn ★★★★★
  48. Finley Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano ★★★★☆
  49. Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez ★★★★★
  50. Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson ★★★★☆
  51. The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian ★★★☆☆
  52. Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters ★★★☆☆
  53. This Spells Love by Kate Robb ★★★★★
  54. The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson ★★★★☆
  55. Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie ★★★☆☆
  56. Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert ★★★☆☆
  57. Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg ★★★★★
  58. Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez ★★★★★
  59. What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall ★★☆☆☆
  60. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden ★★★★☆
  61. Act Like It by Lucy Parker ★★★★★
  62. What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma by Stephanie Foo ★★★★★
  63. Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe ★★★★☆
  64. All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay ★★★☆☆
  65. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith ★★★☆☆
  66. An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera ★★★☆☆
  67. His & Hers by Alice Feeney ★★★★☆
  68. The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue ★★★★☆
  69. At First Spite by Olivia Dade ★★★★★
  70. A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas ★★★★☆
  71. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore ★★★★★
  72. Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan ★★★★★
  73. The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley ★★★★★

Read in 2023:

  1. A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny ★★★★★
  2. Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister ★★★★★
  3. Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis ★★★★★
  4. When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn ★★★★☆
  5. What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon ★★★★☆
  6. A Burning by Megha Majumdar ★★★★☆
  7. The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain ★★★★☆
  8. Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson ★★☆☆☆
  9. Unmasked by the Marquess by Cat Sebastian ★★★★☆
  10. The Fine Print by Lauren Asher ★★☆☆☆
  11. When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain ★★★★☆
  12. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson ★★★★★
  13. The Measure by Nikki Erlick ★★★★☆
  14. To the Edge by Cindy Gerard ★★★★☆
  15. The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberly and Austin Siegemund-Broka ★★★★☆
  16. Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade ★★☆☆☆
  17. Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon ★★★★★
  18. The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers ★★★☆☆
  19. The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Stor of War and What Comes After by Clementine Wamariya ★★★☆☆
  20. After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina M. Lopez ★★☆☆☆
  21. Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng ★★★☆☆
  22. The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson ★★★★☆
  23. Lucky Star by Susannah Nix ★★★☆☆
  24. The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark ★★★★☆
  25. Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn ★★★★☆
  26. Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson ★★★☆☆
  27. Finding Me by Viola Davis ★★★★☆
  28. The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton ★★★★★
  29. The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb ★★★★☆
  30. A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera ★★★★☆
  31. The Saturday Evening Girls Club by Jane Healy ★★★★☆
  32. You Have a Match by Emma Lord ★★☆☆☆
  33. The Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jenoff ★★★★☆
  34. To Sir, With Love by Lauren Layne ★★★☆☆
  35. The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen ★★★★☆
  36. In a New York Minute by Kate Spencer ★★★★☆
  37. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann ★★★☆☆
  38. I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai ★★★★★
  39. The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa ★★★★☆
  40. True Biz by Sara Novic ★★★★☆
  41. Something About You by Julie James ★★★★☆
  42. We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez ★★★★★
  43. The 1619 Project edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones ★★★★★
  44. The Power by Naomi Alderman ★★★★☆
  45. The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson ★★★★☆
  46. Happy Place by Emily Henry ★★★★☆
  47. The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka ★★★★☆
  48. It’s In His Kiss by Julia Quinn ★★★★☆
  49. Maame by Jessica George ★★★★☆
  50. All My Knotted-Up Life by Beth Moore ★★★★★
  51. Dating You/Hating You by Christina Lauren ★★★★☆
  52. Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo ★★★★★
  53. A Duke in Disguise by Cat Sebastian ★★★★☆
  54. Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close ★★★★☆
  55. Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld ★★★★★
  56. The World Record Book of Racist Stories by Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar ★★★★★
  57. Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley ★★★☆☆
  58. Have I Told You This Already?: Stories I Don’t Want to Forget to Remember by Lauren Graham ★★☆☆☆
  59. A Proposal They Can’t Refuse by Natalie Cana ★★☆☆☆
  60. Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak ★★☆☆☆
  61. The Stars Are Fire by Anita Shreve ★★★★☆
  62. A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin ★★★☆☆
  63. Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty ★★★★★
  64. The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell ★★★★★
  65. Just My Type by Falon Ballard ★★★★☆
  66. Something Wild and Wonderful by Anita Kelly ★★★★★
  67. Notes From a Young, Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi ★★★★☆
  68. An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena ★★★★★
  69. Cultish: The Language of Fantacism by Amanda Montell ★★★★☆
  70. To the Limit by Cindy Gerard ★★★☆☆
  71. Women Are the Fiercest Creatures by Andrea Dunlop ★★★☆☆
  72. A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins ★★★☆☆
  73. An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook’s Battle for Domination by Sheera Frankel ★★★★☆
  74. This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub ★★★★★
  75. Falling by TJ Newman ★★★★★
  76. Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make-And Keep-Friends by Marisa G. Franco ★★★★☆
  77. Walk of Shame by Lauren Layne ★★☆☆☆
  78. Love & Saffron by Kim Fay ★★★★★
  79. On the Hustle by Adriana Herrera ★★★☆☆
  80. The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth ★★★★★
  81. Happiness Falls by Angie Kim ★★★★☆
  82. Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone ★★★★☆
  83. Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan ★★★★☆
  84. Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant ★★★☆☆
  85. Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb ★★★★☆
  86. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith ★★★★★
  87. Last Girl Ghosted by Lisa Unger ★★☆☆☆
  88. Queen of Thieves by Beezy Marsh ★★☆☆☆
  89. America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray ★★★★☆
  90. Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas ★★★★☆
  91. The Agathas by Kathleen Glasglow ★★★★☆
  92. Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Soloman ★★★★☆
  93. Drowning by TJ Newman ★★★★★
  94. When We Belived in Mermaids by Barbara O’Neal ★★★★☆
  95. The Fiancee Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur ★★★★☆
  96. If We’re Being Honest by Cat Shook ★★★★☆
  97. Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America by Beth Macy ★★★★★
  98. Verity by Colleen Hoover ★★★☆☆
  99. The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling ★★★★☆
  100. Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating by Christy Harrison ★★★★★
  101. The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes ★★★☆☆
  102. Our American Friend by Anna Pitoniak ★★☆☆☆
  103. Like a House on Fire by Lauren McBrayer ★★★★☆
  104. The Displacements by Bruce Holsinger ★★★★☆
  105. Codename Charming by Lucy Parker ★★★★★
  106. Recursion by Blake Crouch ★★★☆☆
  107. The Stand-In by Lily Chu ★★★★☆
  108. The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
  109. The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi ★★★★★
  110. A Lot Like Love by Julie James ★★★★☆
  111. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett ★★★☆☆
  112. On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn ★★☆☆☆
  113. Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde ★★★☆☆
  114. Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella ★★★★☆
  115. The People We Keep by Allison Larkin ★★★★★
  116. Love at First by Kate Clayborn ★★★★☆
  117. Kill Show by Daniel Sweren-Becker ★★★☆☆

What I Read in 2022

What I Read in 2021

What I Read in 2020

What I Read in 2019

What I Read in 2018

What I Read in 2017

What I Read in 2016

What I Read in 2015

Read in 2014:

  1. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion ★★★★☆
  2. In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner ★★★★☆
  3. Secret Agent Secretary by Melissa Cutler ★★★★☆
  4. The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin ★★☆☆☆
  5. Cowboy Justice by Melissa Cutler ★★★☆☆
  6. The Girl with a Clock for a Heart by Peter Swanson ★★★☆☆
  7. Angel Falls by Kristin Hannah ★★★★☆
  8. Burning Up by Susan Andersen ★★★☆☆
  9. The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani ★★★☆☆
  10. The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty ★★★★★
  11. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini ★★★★☆
  12. Yours to Keep by Shannon Stacey ★★★★☆
  13. Why Can’t I Be You by Allie Larkin ★★★☆☆
  14. Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner ★★★★☆
  15. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell ★★★★★
  16. The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes ★★★☆☆
  17. Dark of Night by Suzanne Brockmann ★★★★☆
  18. Two Kisses for Maddy by Matthew Logelin ★★★★★
  19. The Girl Next Door by Cynthia Eden ★★★☆☆
  20. The Trouble with Cowboys by Melissa Cutler ★★★★☆
  21. Summer Island by Kristin Hannah ★★★★☆
  22. Ciao, Bella by Ryan M. Phillips ★★★☆☆
  23. The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult ★★★★☆
  24. Up at Butternut Lake by Mary McNear ★★★☆☆
  25. Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas ★★★★☆
  26. Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins ★★★★★
  27. The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal ★★★★★
  28. Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner ★★★☆☆
  29. French Lessons by Ellen Sussman ★☆☆☆☆
  30. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell ★★★★★
  31. It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas ★★★★☆
  32. One Hundred Names by Cecilia Ahern ★★★★☆
  33. The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer ★★★☆☆
  34. The Heiresses by Sara Shepard ★★★★★
  35. Seduction Under Fire by Melissa Cutler ★★★☆☆
  36. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood ★★☆☆☆
  37. The Edge of Normal by Carla Norton ★★★★☆
  38. Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen ★★★★☆
  39. In Search of a Love Story by Rachel Schurig ★★★★☆
  40. Hot Pursuit by Suzanne Brockmann ★★★★☆
  41. He Found Me by Whitney Barbetti ★★★☆☆
  42. Distant Shores by Kristin Hannah ★★★☆☆
  43. The Sweet Spot by Stephanie Evanovich ★★☆☆☆
  44. The Book of Bright Ideas by Sandra Kring ★★★★☆
  45. Executive Protection by Jennifer Morey ★☆☆☆☆
  46. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White ★★★☆☆
  47. The Publicist by Christina George ★★★☆☆
  48. The Theory of Opposites by Allison Winn Scotch ★★★★★
  49. Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner ★★★★☆
  50. Shelf Life by Christina George ★★☆☆☆
  51. Cancel the Wedding by Carolyn T. Dingman ★★★★★
  52. One Plus One by Jojo Moyes ★★★★☆
  53. Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover ★★★★★
  54. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein ★★★☆☆
  55. Landline by Rainbow Rowell ★★★★☆
  56. Born Wild by Julie Ann Walker ★★☆☆☆
  57. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell ★★★★☆
  58. The Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas ★★★★☆
  59. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins ★★★★★
  60. All He Ever Needed by Shannon Stacey ★★★☆☆
  61. The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison ★★★☆☆
  62. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom ★★★★★
  63. Arranged by Catherine McKenzie ★★★★☆
  64. Daring: My Passages by Gail Sheehy ★★★★☆
  65. Ballroom by Alice Simpson ★★☆☆☆
  66. How to Rope a Real Man by Melissa Cutler ★★★☆☆
  67. The Marine Next Door by Julie Miller ★★★☆☆
  68. Between Sisters by Kristin Hannah ★★★☆☆
  69. Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt ★★★☆☆
  70. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover ★★★★★
  71. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han ★★☆☆☆
  72. Breaking the Rules by Suzanne Brockmann ★★★★☆
  73. Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson ★★★★☆
  74. Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner ★★☆☆☆
  75. The Department of Lost & Found by Allison Winn Scotch ★★★★☆
  76. Vintage by Susan Gloss ★★★★☆
  77. Too Good to Be True by Kristan Higgins ★★★★☆
  78. Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas ★★★★☆
  79. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown ★★★☆☆
  80. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger ★★★☆☆

Read in 2013:

  1. Married by Midnight by Julianne MacLean ★★★☆☆
  2. Wild by Cheryl Strayed ★★★★★
  3. Putting Boys on the Ledge by Stephie Davis ★★★☆☆
  4. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott ★★★☆☆
  5. Three Girls and a Baby by Rachel Schurig ★★★★☆
  6. The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker ★★★☆☆
  7. Worth the Scandal by Karen Erickson ★★★☆☆
  8. A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash ★★★★☆
  9. Always the Baker, Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker ★★☆☆☆
  10. Perfect For You by Kate Perry ★★★☆☆
  11. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini ★★★★★
  12. The Wedding Gift by Lucy Kevin ★★☆☆☆
  13. Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey ★★★★☆
  14. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert ★★★★☆
  15. The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers ★★★★☆
  16. Midnight Secrets by Ella Grace ★☆☆☆☆
  17. Gone Too Far by Suzanne Brockmann ★★★★★
  18. Abby Road by Ophelia London ★★★★☆
  19. That Summer by Sarah Dessen ★★☆☆☆
  20. Makeover Miracle by Charmaine Ross ★★☆☆☆
  21. Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close ★★★☆☆
  22. A Mile in my Flip-Flops by Melody Carlson ★★☆☆☆
  23. Flashpoint by Suzanne Brockmann ★★★★★
  24. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins ★★★★★
  25. Cowboy’s Texas Rescue by Beth Cornelison ★★★☆☆
  26. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin ★★★★☆
  27. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen ★★★☆☆
  28. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald ★★★★☆
  29. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan ★★★☆☆
  30. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins ★★★★☆
  31. Hot Target by Suzanne Brockmann ★★★★★
  32. Love Irresistibly by Julie James ★★★★☆
  33. Breaking Point by Suzanne Brockmann ★★★★☆
  34. Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio ★★★★★
  35. Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen ★★★☆☆
  36. The Cottage at Glass Beach by Heather Barbieri ★★★☆☆
  37. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes ★★★★★
  38. Into the Storm by Suzanne Brockmann ★★★★☆
  39. Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson ★★☆☆☆
  40. Dreamland by Sarah Dessen ★★★★★
  41. The Fire Starter Sessions by Danielle LaPorte ★★★★☆
  42. Alias Mommy by Linda O. Johnston ★★☆☆☆
  43. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins ★★★☆☆
  44. Perfect Partners by Karen Drogin ★★☆☆☆
  45. The Next Best Thing by Jennifer Weiner ★★★★☆
  46. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery ★★☆☆☆
  47. Dr. Bodyguard by Jessica Andersen ★★★☆☆
  48. When Summer Comes by Brenda Novak ★★★☆☆
  49. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen ★★★★★
  50. I Got You, Babe by Jane Graves ★★★☆☆
  51. Adulting by Kelly Williams Brown ★★★★★
  52. Unwrapping Mr. Wright by Michele Dunaway ★★★☆☆
  53. Paper Towns by John Green ★★★☆☆
  54. Big Girl Panties by Stephanie Evanovich ★★★★★
  55. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain ★★★☆☆
  56. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott ★★★★☆
  57. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee ★★★★★
  58. Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani ★★★★☆
  59. Chasing Perfect by Susan Mallery ★★★★☆
  60. The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen ★★★★☆
  61. Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple ★★★★☆
  62. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith ★★★★★
  63. 7 by Jen Hatmaker ★★★★☆
  64. Texas Hero by Merline Lovelace ★★☆☆☆
  65. Moloka’i by Alan Brennert ★★★★☆
  66. Land of My Heart by Tracie Peterson ★★☆☆☆
  67. Carry On, Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton ★★★★☆
  68. Crazy for Love by Victoria Dahl ★★★☆☆
  69. The Violets of March by Sarah Jio ★★★★☆
  70. Good Girls Don’t by Victoria Dahl ★★★★☆
  71. Bad Boys Do by Victoria Dahl ★★★★☆
  72. Real Men Will by Victoria Dahl ★★☆☆☆
  73. Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty ★★☆☆☆
  74. Painted Hands by Jennifer Zobair ★★★★★
  75. The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton ★★★★☆
  76. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick ★★★★★
  77. Brava, Valentine by Adriana Trigiani ★★★★☆
  78. Force of Nature by Suzanne Brockmann ★★★★★
  79. Cowboy Comes Back by Jeannie Watt ★★☆☆☆
  80. The Bungalow by Sarah Jio ★★☆☆☆
  81. The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay ★★★★★
  82. A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans ★★★☆☆
  83. All Through the Night by Suzanne Brockmann ★★★★★
  84. Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner ★★☆☆☆
  85. Almost Perfect by Susan Mallery ★★☆☆☆
  86. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller ★★★★☆
  87. Baby-Sitters on Board! by Ann M. Martin ★★★★☆
  88. Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard ★★★★★
  89. Someone’s Baby by Dani Sinclair ★★★★☆
  90. Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani ★★★☆☆
  91. Single by Judy Ford ★★☆☆☆
  92. Undeniably Yours by Shannon Stacey ★★★☆☆
  93. These Girls by Sarah Pekkanen ★★★★☆
  94. The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski ★★★☆☆
  95. My Wicked Lies by Victoria Alexander ★★★★☆
  96. Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed ★★★★☆
  97. Tempted Into Danger by Melissa Cutler ★★★★★
  98. On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah ★★★★☆
  99. Fools Rush In by Kristan Higgins ★★★☆☆
  100. Save As Draft by Cavanaugh Lee ★★☆☆☆
  101. The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani ★★★☆☆
  102. Into the Fire by Suzanne Brockmann ★★★★★

Read in 2012:

  1. Night Swim by Jessica Keener ★★★☆☆
  2. What Women Fear by Angie Thomas ★★★★☆
  3. Summer of the Midnight Sun by Tracie Peterson ★★★★☆
  4. Last Spy Standing by Dana Marton ★★★☆☆
  5. The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides ★★★★☆
  6. The Ballerina Bride by Fiona Harper ★★★☆☆
  7. What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen ★★★★★
  8. Cover Me by Catherine Mann ★★★★☆
  9. L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad ★★☆☆☆
  10. Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein ★★★★★
  11. The Admiral’s Bride by Suzanne Brockmann ★★★★★
  12. There You’ll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones ★★★★☆
  13. Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay ★★★☆☆
  14. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn ★★★★☆
  15. Lawman Lover by Lisa Childs ★★★★☆
  16. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
  17. Illusion by Frank E. Peretti ★★★★★
  18. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling ★★★★★
  19. Hot Stuff by Carly Phillips ★★★★☆
  20. Sweet Little Lies by Lauren Conrad ★★★★☆
  21. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers ★★★★★
  22. Son of a Gun by Joanna Wayne ★★☆☆☆
  23. Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman ★★☆☆☆
  24. I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella ★★★★★
  25. Rejoice by Karen Kingsbury ★★★★☆
  26. Body Language by Suzanne Brockmann ★★★☆☆
  27. Divergent by Veronica Roth ★★★★★
  28. It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips ★★★★☆
  29. Obsession by Carol Ericson ★☆☆☆☆
  30. Dreaming of Mr. Darcy by Victoria Connelly ★★☆☆☆
  31. The Ideal Man by Julie Garwood ★★★☆☆
  32. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins ★★★☆☆
  33. Stuff Christians Like by Jon Acuff ★★★★★
  34. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks ★★★★☆
  35. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green ★★★★★
  36. Babyville by Jane Green ★★★☆☆
  37. Serendipity by Carly Phillips ★★★☆☆
  38. Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen ★★★☆☆
  39. About That Night by Julie James ★★★★★
  40. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak ★★★★★
  41. Bond Girl by Erin Duffy ★★★★☆
  42. The Joy of Less by Francine Jay ★★☆☆☆
  43. Under the Northern Lights by Tracie Peterson ★★★☆☆
  44. Rescue Me by Rachel Gibson ★★★★★
  45. The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann ★★★★★
  46. Copy That by HelenKay Dimon ★★★★★
  47. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger ★★★☆☆
  48. Over the Edge by Suzanne Brockmann ★★★★★
  49. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky ★★★☆☆
  50. Messy Spirituality by Michael Yaconelli ★★★★☆
  51. Always the Last to Know by Crystal Bowling ★★★★☆
  52. Bad Boys in Black Tie by Lori Foster ★★☆☆☆
  53. Trust Me on This by Jennifer Crusie ★★★☆☆
  54. Touching the Clouds by Bonnie Leon ★★★★☆
  55. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern ★★★☆☆
  56. Sad Desk Salad by Jessica Grose ★★★★☆
  57. If You Have to Cry, Go Outside by Kelly Cutrone ★★★★☆
  58. Lord of Temptation by Lorraine Heath ★★★★★
  59. The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent ★★★☆☆
  60. 20-Something, 20-Everything by Christine Hassler ★★★★☆
  61. Charlotte Street by Danny Wallace ★★★☆☆
  62. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn ★★★★★
  63. Worth the Risk by Charlene Sands ★★☆☆☆
  64. Because You Have To by Joan Frank ★★☆☆☆
  65. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen ★★★★☆
  66. Return to You by Kate Perry ★★★☆☆
  67. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling ★★★☆☆
  68. Out of Control by Suzanne Brockmann ★★★★★
  69. The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe ★★★★☆
  70. California Caress by Rebecca Sinclair ★★★★☆
  71. The Scent of Rain by Kristin Billerbeck ★★★☆☆
  72. MWF Seeking BFF by Rachel Bertsche ★★★★★
  73. Quiet by Susan Cain ★★☆☆☆
  74. Sugar Rush by Donna Kauffman ★★★☆☆
  75. The Accidental Bride by Christina Skye ★★★☆☆
  76. Her Holiday Fireman by Kathleen Y’Barbo ★★☆☆☆
  77. Switched by HelenKay Dimon ★★★★☆
  78. Into the Night by Suzanne Brockmann ★★★★★
  79. Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins ★★★★★

Read in 2011:

  1. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen ★★★★☆
  2. Blue Flame by Jill Shalvis ★★☆☆☆
  3. Bodyguard Under the Mistletoe by Cassie Miles ★☆☆☆☆
  4. Hard to Hold by Stephanie Tyler ★★★☆☆
  5. Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James ★★☆☆☆
  6. Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen ★★★★★
  7. The Pregnancy Test by Erin McCarthy ★★★★☆
  8. Listen by Rene Gutteridge ★★★★★
  9. Dining with Joy by Rachel Hauck ★★★★★
  10. Critical Care by Candace Calvert ★★★★☆
  11. You Don’t Love This Man by Dan DeWeese ★★★★☆
  12. A Billion Reasons Why by Kristin Billerbeck ★★★☆☆
  13. The Shelter of God’s Promises by Sheila Walsh ★★★★★
  14. Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis ★★★☆☆
  15. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen ★★★★★
  16. Leaving Carolina by Tamara Leigh ★★★☆☆
  17. Nothing But Trouble by Rachel Gibson ★★★☆☆
  18. GI Cowboy by Delores Fossen ★★★☆☆
  19. Paper Roses by Amanda Cabot ★★★★☆
  20. Miss Fortune by Allie Mills ★★★★★
  21. Redemption by Karen Kingsbury ★★★☆☆
  22. Getting What You Want by Kathy Love ★★☆☆☆
  23. Wanting What You Get by Kathy Love ★★☆☆☆
  24. Some Like It Scot by Donna Kauffman ★★★★☆
  25. Any Man of Mine by Rachel Gibson ★★★★☆
  26. Bossypants by Tina Fey ★★★★☆
  27. Love Me If You Are by Carly Phillips ★★☆☆☆
  28. Remember by Karen Kingsbury ★★★★★
  29. Off Kilter by Donna Kauffman ★★★☆☆
  30. The Affectionate Adversary by Catherine Palmer ★★☆☆☆
  31. Rescue Me by Christy Reece ★★★★☆
  32. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld ★★★☆☆
  33. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling ★★★★★
  34. Harry Potter and the Chambers of Secrets by J.K. Rowling ★★★★★
  35. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling ★★★★★
  36. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling ★★★★★
  37. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling ★★★★☆
  38. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling ★★★★★
  39. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling ★★★★★
  40. Miss Match by Allie Mills ★★★★☆
  41. The Help by Kathryn Stockett ★★★★★
  42. To the Edge by Cindy Gerard ★★★★☆
  43. Against All Odds by Irene Hannon ★★★★☆
  44. Picture of Lies by C.C. Harrison ★★★★☆
  45. Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner ★★★★★
  46. Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones ★★★☆☆
  47. The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard ★★☆☆☆
  48. Kissing Adrien by Siri L. Mitchell ★★★★☆
  49. Return by Karen Kingsbury ★★★★★
  50. Hot Zone by Catherine Mann ★★★★☆
  51. Just Between You and Me by Jenny B. Jones ★★★★☆
  52. Playing Dirty by Susan Andersen ★★★★☆
  53. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins ★★★★★
  54. My One and Only by Kristan Higgins ★★★☆☆
  55. Something About You by Julie James ★★★★☆
  56. A Lot Like Love by Julie James ★★★★★
Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (10.30.24)

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose (★★☆☆☆)

Print • Owned (indie bookstore) • Mystery • 2023

Short synopsis: When an acclaimed author dies at the Regency Grand Hotel, it’s up to a fastidious maid to uncover the truth.

Oh, I just really didn’t like this novel. A part of me is wondering if we even need the continuation of this series. (And there’s a third book coming out!) Everything I adored about Molly in the first book just felt trite and over-the-top in this novel. The novel dipped back and forth in time: present day where an author dies at an event at the hotel Molly works at, and then the past where Molly is a child and her grandma is working as a maid for a very rich family. This rich family felt like caricatures. They had no nuance to them and I struggle to understand where all of their money came from because the main occupation of the husband in this family is not one that lends itself to incredible wealth. Like, they had a whole room of silver! That kind of wealthy. All in all, this was a rather lackluster mystery, which is such a disappointment since the first book was one of my favorite reads of the year.

The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce (★★★★☆)

Print • Owned (Barnes & Noble) • Contemporary Romance • 2024

Short synopsis: Estranged exes Georgia and Eli must stick close together to save their best friend’s wedding after a string of disasters in this swoony and steamy second-chance romance.

I adored Jessica Joyce’s first novel, You with a View, and I was happy to get my hands on her second novel. While I didn’t love it as much as YWAV, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The FMC, Georgia, was a tough character to like at times, and I struggled to feel invested in her. She is someone who has a hard time asking for help and depending on people, and that has led her to doing everything for everyone else to keep their love and attention. (She is very much an unhealthy Enneagram 2, I think.) Eli, on the other hand, is a man who has missed out on a lot in life because of his addiction to work and success. Both of them have a lot of work to do on themselves (and they do–by the end of the novel, both of them are in therapy!) but they also find themselves drawn back together while trying to make sure their best friend’s wedding goes off without a hitch. I loved their sweet second-chance romance and they way they slowly but surely found their way back to each other. Also, I really loved the way the author took us on a journey of their past relationship without delving into past-and-present chapters. It was nestled into the story in a very natural way, and it was so refreshingly different than other books I’ve been reading lately. This was a wonderful romance and after two great books, Jessica Joyce has become an autobuy author for me!

Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Library • Mystery • 2024

Short synopsis: Finlay Donovan and her nanny Vero head to Atlantic City for a rescue mission that quickly spirals out of control. When a loan shark they’re trying to negotiate with turns up dead, the duo must dodge police, exes, and family while searching for Vero’s boyfriend and stolen car. 

I was looking for a light-hearted audiobook to listen to right after dealing with the hurricane madness, and the fourth book in the Finlay Donovan series was exactly what I needed! Are these books realistic in any way? Absolutely not. But are they fun to read? They sure are. I always love the ride-or-die friendship between Finlay and Vero, and the budding relationship between Finlay and her hot detective was icing on the cake. I found the mystery at the heart of this novel fairly easy to follow along with and it came to a very satisfying conclusion. I will also say that I gasped out loud at the last sentence of the book so needless to say, I need the fifth book to come out soon. (Okay, I checked: book five comes out in March!)

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (9.16.24)

At First Spite by Olivia Dade (★★★★★)

Print • Library • Contemporary Romance • 2024

Short synopsis: After her fiancé ends their engagement, Athena Greydon moves into the narrow Spite House she bought for him, only to find herself living next to the very man who convinced her fiancé to leave her—Matthew, her fiancé’s brother. While she initially plots petty revenge, her growing attraction to Matthew complicates her plans.

Oh my goodness, I just loved this sweet romance! It reminded me of an Abby Jimenez novel as it dealt with some heavy themes (including depression) but also had such a sweet love story at the center of the novel. I truly couldn’t get enough of Athena and Matthew. They had an instant chemistry that crackled off the pages. Athena battles depression in this novel and the author described her mental illness with such a deft hand that I found myself tearing up for Athena. She’s a woman in her 30s who has struggled to find where she fits, especially as it relates to her career, and it really touched me. I will say that I didn’t love the petty revenge part of the novel (I just honestly can’t with adults being petty like that, it drives me crazy), but others may find it hysterical. YMMV! All in all, though, this was a delightful romance!

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (★★★★★)

Print • Book of the Month • Mystery • 2024

Short synopsis: In August 1975, 13-year-old Barbara Van Laar vanishes from her family’s summer camp, mirroring her brother’s disappearance 14 years earlier. As a frantic search begins, the story unravels the dark secrets of the Van Laar family and the community intertwined with their legacy.

Everyone is raving about this novel, so I went into it with high expectations. Good news: It did not disappoint! I was enthralled with it from the first pages until the end, and I loved every minute I spent with this book. It may be a contender for my overall favorite book of the year! This story had a lot of people to keep track of and a lot of intermingling storylines and while sometimes I had to reorient myself with who I was reading about (is this the counselor or the mom or the investigator?!), it didn’t really detract from my enjoyment of the book. The last 150 pages I read in a single day, using every little break I could to sit down and read a few pages. I even came home from the gym and plopped right down on my couch to finish the book because I had to know how it all turned out. I think Liz Moore is incredibly skilled at writing these complex mysteries, making you care so much for characters and sit with a nearly 500-page book that you can’t put down! I loved the setting, the characters, the overall plot… everything about this book was perfection!

A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Library • Mystery • 2023

Short synopsis: Charlotte Holmes is offered a chance to reclaim a normal life by recovering a lost dossier for the crown. However, her mission aboard the RMS Provence is complicated by a murder, forcing her to avoid detection to keep her secret identity intact.

This is the seventh book in the Lady Holmes mystery series where Sherry Thomas reimagines Sherlock Holmes as a woman. I didn’t even realize she had released two more books in the series until someone on my Goodreads timeline reviewed this book. What a delightful discovery! I always enjoy my time with Charlotte and her people, and this one was especially fun as it took place on a ship and involved Charlotte donning a disguise to avoid detection. I found it difficult to keep track of all the different characters, which may have been due to the audiobook and not paying attention as closely as I should have. Eventually, though, I started to make sense of who was who and why they were important to the story. All in all, it was another great novel in this continuing series and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book!

What are you reading?