thoughts on books

Category: Recommendations

  • most eligible by isabelle engel

    A raucous, fun loving inside look at the contrived nature of reality TV. Georgia is a journalist, going undercover into Love Shack (it’s meant to be The Bachelor). She is going to expose the producers for less than integral methods and toxic culture. But she is surprised that Rhett, her one-time-stand, is going to be the host. A country singer and past star if the show, his short marriage fizzled shortly after the cameras stopped rolling.

    The plot is just as juicy as you’d expect. Georgia is a bit insecure but ambitious, and her personality and exposure to the show really changes her. My favorite part of this one were the side plots, the minor characters involved in the show and how they are manipulated by the producers. It really makes you think about reality shows and how they are manufactured to do a certain storyline. It made me think of one Bachelor season where the bachelor made his choice then started sobbing dramatically—- and then at the cast reunion announced he was now engaged to the runner up.

    The audiobook performance on this one is excellent. I particularly loved her voice acting on all the bachelorettes. I found it easy and fun to follow on audio. I even listened at 1.0 speed which I find luxurious and almost never do.

    I had to uprank this one because I really loved the finale.

    Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC. book to be published January 13, 2026. #macaudio2025

  • this weekend doesn’t end well for anyone by catherine mack

    Screenshot
    1. This is a stunning cover
    2. This book is funny, irreverent and extremely enjoyable.
    3. I want to read more of these

    Hi friends and thank you for reading my review. Please do yourself a favor and read the other two books in the series. It is easy to get lost in the back story if you haven’t. But it does work as a stand alone if you’re gonna be stubborn about it.

    NetGalley plays a part in this book, and as someone who typically reads an ARC well before the pub date, I was again humbled and a little freaked out by how impactful an early review can be and how authors really hate negative reviews.

    This book breaks the fourth wall and is cozy-ish, or cozy-adjacent. If you like the Vera Wong or Ernest Cunningham or The Maid books, Finley Donovan, etc etc. please don’t miss Eleanor. This particular book is about a convention of learning to write a murder mystery. The book legitimately does walk the reader through how to structure a murder novel and the actual craft of writing. And it’s quite good advice, all of the mysteries I ended up not liking were ones that didn’t follow her advice.

    Last note- the book has humorous footnotes. I love footnotes but I detest them on an e-reader because the touch screen can be finicky. So if you are wondering if you should do physical or e-reader, I’d recommend physical. I had a hard time getting the footnotes back where they belong.

    It’s funny and a well written plot. I was rooting for Eleanor and Oliver the whole time.

    Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC. Book to be published April 27, 2026

  • box full of darkness by simone st james

    Screenshot

    A really great balanced mystery story with good pacing. Three siblings return to their childhood home because their brother Ben- who disappeared when he was 6, is telling them to come home by appearing to the landscapers.

    Violet, Vail and Dodie have full lives apart from Fell, they left long ago and left their related traumas behind. The current time in the story is the late 1980’s. They all decide to return back to their hometown and their childhood home, untouched for 20 years. After Ben’s disappearance, their dad split town and soon thereafter their mother was also gone. They still own the home and maintain the grounds, but now they need to help solve the mystery of Ben’s disappearance so that his soul can rest and they can move on with their lives.

    I think what makes this thriller special is that although it is a mystery, thriller and ghost story, the characters go through their own journey as they deal with their current lives and making sense of their childhoods. As they see spooky unexplainable things in the home, they realize they don’t have identical memories of what happened.

    The setting was ethereal and ponderous; with vivid descriptions and a lot of chirpy dialogue and critical relationships to keep the plot moving. The reveals came slowly then quick. I was surprised and intrigued.

    If you are in the mood for a homecoming small town mystery ghost story, this is definitely the book for you.

    Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC. Book to be published January 19, 2026.

  • dog person by camille pagan

    Screenshot

    I took a minute to write this review because I had to stop crying. One word…. Heartwarming. Written from the POV of a dog, Harold, who is getting older. His owner Amelia died of cancer 6 years ago, her partner Miguel now runs their bookstore solo. That’s another thing! It takes place in an independent bookstore! And the dog tries to help Miguel find love again after Amelia’s passing. The bookstore is on the verge of extinction. So they have to save the shop and find love. Literally it does not get more heartwarming.

    Can you even with all of the sweetness??? The story is exactly as adorable as it sounds. I don’t think Harold’s breed is ever mentioned, but he’s probably a mutt because he is a rescue. But his inner dialogue is very golden retriever energy. He is just as loving, loyal, and unconditionally loving as we know our dogs to be. There is also a 12 year old girl in it- single mom Fiona is our FMC, although I didn’t feel intense chemistry between them it would have been inappropriate in this story.

    Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte press for the ARC. Book to be published April 6, 2026.

  • her one regret by donna freitas

    Screenshot

    This is an ideal thriller book to read for a mystery book club. Rather than just a page turner, popcorn and twists story, this has some deeper themes that are worth exploring. The mystery itself lies in a woman, Lucy Mendoza, who goes missing from the grocery store parking lot, her phone left on the concrete, and her infant daughter sitting in the abandoned shopping cart. Multiple point of views are another mom that has a difficult post partum experience and does not feel supported by her husband. Another POV is from her best friend Michelle who knows some of Lucy’s deepest secret thoughts.

    The mystery itself takes a back seat to the thoughtful plotting and discourse around women and the choice or regret to become a mother. I have always wanted to be a mother and definitely had some stressful experiences while parenting, but this book helped me see the viewpoint of someone who regretted their choice to be a mother. Our culture definitely assumes that women want to be mothers and should be very nurturing. The truth is, not everyone should be a parent. Our culture very much assumes it is a gift and a duty of everyone, which causes people to make family planning choices they later come to regret. I think it is certainly a taboo to say you wish you hadn’t become a mom, even to say that you do not want to have kids.

    That discourse is really the star of this show, the mystery is secondary. It is easy to read and the characters are flawed but likable. The audio is easy to follow and well acted. For me, the Michelle voice was read in a more “insecure” way than I viewed the character. It was best to follow at a 1.7 speed.

    Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the ALC. Book to be published 11/4/25

  • the forget me not library

    If you are looking for an entirely wholesome light-magical realism heartwarming small town, look no further than Forget-me-not, Alabama. This is one of the most wholesome books I have ever read. Even the inner dialogue is quaint and truly big hearted. There are two POV- assistant librarian and single mom Tallulah, who lives in Forget-me-not with her grandfather. She was divorced 18 months ago. The other POV is Juliet Nightingale. She is a school nurse on a road trip after losing her memories in a lightning accident. Juliet’s car breaks down and starts smoking blue smoke. Their lives are entwined as they get ready for the climax at the town “Flour festival” which highlights baked goods.

    Many thanks to Macmillan as a part of the early listeners program. The audiobook narration was fantastic- the Alabama accent was authentic and pleasant while engaging. The pacing is deliberate and intentional- for me I found the speed I was able to follow best was 2.0. It was easy to follow Tallulah vs Juliet’s chapters.

    Katie was a great child, I loved her personality. There are no major villains in the story, the conflict comes from the characters accepting their destiny. Who doesn’t love a book about libraries and books? Another plus for me was an anecdotal story about a queer character.

    It’s a good story and one you wouldn’t be embarrassed to listen in front of your kids.

    Thank you Macmillan for the ALC ! #macaudio2025

  • the vanishing church by ryan p burge

    A thoughtful and well researched book from a political scientist or sociologist standpoint. Although Ryan Burge is a pastor, there isn’t as much of a pastoral tone. There are lots and lots of data points, telling the reader the difference in how many people surveyed respond to data points such as “are you religious” “how often do you attend services” “Do you identify as evangelical” Over time those pages had a tendency to be a bit dry for me, but they are necessary to make the author’s points. From a hope perspective, I learned that while church attendance for moderates is rapidly declining, more people have more moderate beliefs than we think. I think the typical reader would be a mainline protestant wondering why their church is losing members. This book will show that it may not be your church or denomination, that the religious right has increased in popularity, that more far left people identify as atheists.

    Another point he makes over and over again is that “it wasn’t always this way”- that in the 1980’s the evangelical church was 50/50 democrat vs republican. That unfortunately churches have become a place that is “far right coded” and the more mainline churches are losing members. Social media highlights mostly fringe beliefs, even though more americans have more moderate views. For example, the southern baptist convention published a stance against IVF, but only 8% of members of the SBC were against IVF.

    Thank you to NetGalley and Brazos Press for the ARC. Book to be published January 13, 2026

  • before I forget by tory henwood hoen

    Screenshot

    An engrossing tale- a late coming of age story that ends up being incredibly relatable. That time of life where you look from side to side and realize you are the adult in the room. Cricket, at 26, comes back to the Adirondacks to sit with her father, who is healthy aside from Alzheimer’s. Sometimes he doesn’t know her at all. After a tragic accident ten years earlier left a grieving Cricket to lash out at her family, she realizes now she can’t truly reconcile with her father, but she needs to create a new relationship instead.

    Soon she starts to notice that he is able to predict the future in small ways- that the blueberries were ready, much earlier than usual. That they were looking forward to a visit from Seth, who had died years earlier. Together, Cricket and her father co-create a final chapter to determine if he is an oracle.

    Some believe that Alzheimer’s is a gift for the end of life, to forget your hangups, your resentments and regrets. To live fully in the moment and be fully present. This story explores that concept, while at times it is heartbreakingly sad, it is also sweet and touching at others.

    It’s a stunning audio performance from Barrie Kreinik. Inner dialogue with just the right amount of hesitation and insecurity, this is perfect for a long ride or while doing errands. I listened while at a Big 10 football game with AirPods in, everyone around me cheering and I was silently listening and wiping tears from my cheeks.

    Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. book to be published December 1, 2025.

    macaudio2025

  • Long Island girls by Gabrielle korn

    Screenshot

    “Everything is changing all the time, regardless of our feelings about it.”

    One of my favorite quotes from the book is also exactly a perfect reflection of its best themes. The book follows Susan and has a few snapshots from her life. Sort of like how the memories on your phone hit you hard sometimes… it’s incredible how not much seems to change day to day but a snapshot from 2019 can really knock you off your stool.

    Starting in 2005, Susan doesn’t know who she is and has typical self-centered teen relationships. She comes across Eliza briefly but immediately loses track of her and sees her as the one that got away.

    The first chapter is rife with early 00s nostalgia, you’ll be surprised at things that have since faded away that were so entrenched in the every day. The Lancôme juicy tubes and downloaded punk rock.

    The subsequent chapters jump and while you miss Susan’s coming out, her career start, I love the way this book skips the “big event” scenes and just cuts to a sort of a normal day. Just as in real life, people who are main characters in one phase of your life become a forethought in the next.

    All throughout, Susan sort of romanticizes Eliza although she truly doesn’t really know her. It’s less of a Romance than a coming of age LitFic character study. It is solidly Susan’s POV and shows a jump in her maturity and a loss of innocence and a growth with each passing year.

    “Maybe love is trusting how someone feels about you.”

    You’ll highlight several sentences.

    Thanks to NetGalley and st martins press for the ARC. Book to be published June 22, 2026.

  • the book witch by meg schaffer

    Screenshot

    Instant love of this one. This is a story for those who love stories. For everyone that ever had a book boyfriend, who wanted to dive into the pages of a book, or to have a cup of coffee with Sherlock Holmes. It makes me want to go to the library and check out Pride and Prejudice, The Great Gatsby, and several Nancy Drew novels.

    I kept thinking of the scene in the Barbie movie when Barbie goes to talk to the creator of the doll, played by Rhea Perlman.

    It’s so so good. I am grateful to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC. Book to be published 4/6/26. I have already pre-preordered a trophy copy.