February Round-Up

It felt like I was back on track with reading this month, but it's almost on par with January! With the exception of the manuscripts I read for Split/Lip Press, phew! I read 33 this month and there are more coming in right before the deadline! I can't wait to see what's chosen.

Too Old for This by Samantha Downing. I forgot how this book got on my radar but I’m so glad it did. I absolutely love Lottie and the chapter cliffhangers were just intriguing enough without giving me an anxiety attack like some thrillers try to do. That also means the resolution to this book felt right and realistic, instead of being a letdown like a lot of current thrillers end up. Definitely reading more by Downing ASAP.

Green by Melissa Fite Johnson. My poetry book for the month. I’m biased because I’ve gotten to know Melissa as a friend, but this collection is so emotional and powerful. The little moments give way to deeper thoughts and feelings that have me thinking about my daily life and interactions in more poetic ways, wishing I could put them into words as beautifully as Melissa has done in this collection.

Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh. I liked this one - the twists were ones I didn’t really see coming, mostly because the writing was so strong that I was propelled along, page after page, without feeling the need to stop and dissect what was happening to try and figure out what comes next. I like how it all wrapped up and will read more by this author.

Mystery in the Mansion by Lauren Magaziner. I read this aloud with my son because we love mysteries and choose your own adventures. I previously read this on my own.

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing. This book was interesting but I’m glad it wasn’t the first of Downing’s I read, because it didn’t make me want to read more. (Too Old for This was the first I read and I HIGHLY recommend it.) This one felt stale to me because the trope of the educated man who is level-headed and doesn’t use contractions secretly being a psychopath feels overdone. I feel like I’ve heard this voice too many times before. I also hated all of the characters so I didn’t care if it all went up in flames. Characters don’t have to be likeable but if I don’t care at all, I’m not going to enjoy the book.

A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing. I like Downing’s writing style a lot but this story just wasn’t it for me. It’s the third book I’ve read of hers, and the second where I really didn’t like any of the characters. The storyline wasn’t that compelling either - I wanted more, to have it really ramped up, but it almost read like a season of a CW show to me.

Delicious Strangeness by Stephanie Barbé Hammer. My writing book for the month. Just reading this really helped me understand what I love about magical realism and how I can pull it into my own writing more. The prompts kickstarted my imagination and I’m going to re-read this immediately, slowly, giving myself time for each prompt to see what I can create.

For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing. This one gave me twisted Tom Perrotta vibes, which I liked! I thought it was interesting without being overly suspenseful. It’s the fourth Downing book I’ve read, and the second one I really liked. I still recommend Too Old For This first, but this one is also worth a read.

Carver Country: The World of Raymond Carver by Raymond Carver. Beautiful coffee-table type book of Carver’s writings and letters with photographs of him, his desk/office, and the land where he lived and set many stories. The selections of his stories and poems went well with the photographs, but the letters and introduction by Tess Gallagher were my favorite parts because they were so eye-opening.

Out There by Kate Folk. I loved Sky Daddy but I am IN LOVE with these short stories. And Folk’s brain. These stories were fascinating and weird and many had wonderful twists at the end. “The Turkey Rumble” was especially a favorite that I didn’t think I’d like much at all when I started it, but the ending made it all worth it. I love that she’s not afraid to have narrators die in the end.

Stolen from the Studio by Lauren Magaziner. The second book in the Case Closed choose your own adventure mystery series. A re-read for me, but I’m reading it aloud with my kid this time. We take turns both reading aloud and making the choices.

He Started It by Samantha Downing. Downing’s books are so hit or miss for me. I’ve read 5 now and loved one, liked one, and trudged through the others. I love road trip books and this one had a lot of potential for suspense but it felt so lacking to me. Reading it was like wading through mud. I only finished thinking that the ending had to be worth it but… womp womp. Just a big no for me.

The Life of Chuck Book and Movie

It's no secret that I love reading books, then watching the movie or TV adaptation and comparing them, so here's the latest... The Life of Chuck.

The Life of Chuck by Stephen King. Read this on the recommendation from a writer friend who watched the movie. I like reading the books first to see what I imagine, so I got this from the library immediately. I love the story structure and how innovative it is to have the world exist because one person’s mind created it. This was a short story made up of beautiful moments and I read it in just an hour or so because I couldn’t put it down. Even with the sad ending (at the beginning), it was so wonderful that I just wanted to crawl inside of the story. I can’t wait to compare it to the movie.

It's also super cool that the dance scene is a flip book on the movie version of the book! Little details like that make things feel special.

Now to the screen adaptation...

I don't know why I thought Chuck was Kevin Costner... something about the image looks like him to me. Am I crazy? It also made me think of the In & Out cover, which is Kevin Kline, so maybe I just merged "dancing on a movie cover" and Kevins and had that impression. I also don't know a lot of "current" actors, so me thinking it was Kevin Costner was actually me thinking that I was "in the know" and had some movie knowledge by identifying the actor from this random shot alone. But I digress.

I liked the movie overall. I liked the callbacks about math and the stars, which, if they were in the book, I missed them or had forgotten by the time I watched the movie (maybe two weeks later, but two weeks in January 2026 is two fucking lifetimes, so consider that).

I liked that some of the same actors from Act 3 were in other acts as different(?) roles at the dance in Act 1, though it also seemed that Marty was a teacher at the school when Chuck was a kid, talking to him at the dance, yet wasn't old enough in Act 3 for that to be true... Am I missing something here? I'm convinced I have a degree of face blindness because I don't recognize people until I know them very well (see also thinking Chuck was Kevin Costner), so maybe it wasn't the same actors? And I understand how Chuck knowing them when he was young would bring them to life in Act 3, the way that's framed, so maybe I'm just nitpicking too hard at something that shouldn't be a big deal.

Beyonf that, there were some differences, like Chuck's time in a band is glossed over, which impacts the dance scene in a subtle way. Honestly, the shift of that moment linking back to his grandmother is so much more touching to me. That was a great change.

Overall, I liked the book better than the movie just because I felt like it had more depth. I learned more about Chuck in the story. But in the movie, it felt like some random peeks into his life without really feeling the weight of who he is. That made the ending seem a little flat, because I wasn't connected to Chuck like I was in the story.

I keep seeing things about this being an "uplifting" movie, and maybe it's just the fact that I read the story and watched the movie in January 2026, but it really doesn't feel that way to me. It feels really dire. Knowing you're going to die and the waiting being the hardest part... yes, exactly, except now it's breathing down our necks. The moments of Chuck's life that we do get to see are sweet, yes, and though he dies young he still had a full life - I get all that. But it's not uplifting to me.

Have you seen and/or read The Life of Chuck? What are your thoughts? Let's talk about it!

January Round-Up

As 2025 came to an end, I gave myself a few reading goals. My overarching goal is to read books from my shelves, because I've bought a lot of books that sound great, then get distracted when my library holds come in, or someone recommends a book to me, yada yada yada. But beyond that, I want to read one writing book each month, and one poetry collection each month. While I feel like I didn't read much this month (dammit, doomscrolling), I did accomplish those two goals by the skin of my teeth.

Though I didn't read as much this month as I usually do according to trackability, I did read 9 short story/flash fiction collection manuscripts for Split/Lip Press, with more to read over the next two months. So I can't claim those since they're not published...yet, but I've read some great ones.

The Dragonet Prophecy (Wings of Fire, #1) by Tui T. Sutherland. My son wanted me to read this book because he loves this series. It was more violent than I thought it would be considering how much he likes it, but overall it was a good book and an interesting premise. I don’t think I’m going to blaze through the entire series soon, but if I don’t know what to read, it’s definitely something I’d be willing to pick up and see what happens.

Short Cuts by Raymond Carver. Part of my short story project for the month. I originally read this in 2008 or 2009 and probably watched the movie around then, too. I’ve re-read some of the short stories since, but this is the first time I re-read the entire collection. I read it right after watching the movie again so I liked seeing how the director interpreted some of the stories.

Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes by Karen Rose Smith. I read this for the Cozy Mystery Book Club. I love culinary cozies and I’m a tea fan, so I liked that aspect of the storyline. The mystery was fairly intriguing as well. However, the writing style seemed really basic. I was always aware I was reading a book because everything was told and explained instead of shown through action and dialogue, so that was disappointing. Daisy was a weak character, too. She had no personality and deferred to men so much. She was a widow and mentioned her late husband a bit, which is understandable, but she kept saying she “didn’t know why” she had feelings for handsome, kind Jonas, but also went on dates and seemed trying to force something with Cade, which had been her prom date but was really dismissive and somewhat controlling of her. I found it off-putting that she kept acting like she wanted to be with him even after admitting how he treated her annoyed her. Get a backbone! I wouldn’t have finished this if it wasn’t for book club. Read the full review here.

The Life of Chuck by Stephen King. Read this on the recommendation from a writer friend who watched the movie. I like reading the books first to see what I imagine, so I got this from the library immediately. I love the story structure and how innovative it is to have the world exist because one person’s mind created it. This was a short story made up of beautiful moments and I read it in just an hour or so because I couldn’t put it down. Even with the sad ending (at the beginning), it was so wonderful that I just wanted to crawl inside of the story. I can’t wait to compare it to the movie.

Very Nice by Marcy Dermansky. Wasn’t sure what to expect with this one but it was a nice, quick read as a snow storm blew into my area. I read it in one night. I liked the different points of view and how all the characters came together. The ending was a little lackluster to me, considering Chekhov’s gun and how much potential there was there, but I liked the author’s writing and would read more from them.

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. I’d heard about this since it came out and was intrigued based on the title alone. My favorite aspect of this book was definitely the cultural insights. I think the title definitely sets a different idea in your mind and the story didn’t live up to THAT, for me, but it was still enjoyable and I loved how some chapters were short, reading almost like flash fiction pieces, and sometimes the chapter titles came directly into play with the content so you had to keep it in mind as you read. The ending was kind of meh though, like leading into more of the same instead of a resolution.

The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene. I love mysteries but have never read a Nancy Drew book, so I wanted to start with the original. It was an interesting book, definitely providing a glance back at the time. I don’t think it’s interesting enough to read the whole series, but I know there are some “modern” spins on it, I think with a younger Nancy as the main character, so I’ll probably give those a try too, just to see. I didn’t necessarily dislike the book, but I don’t think it stands the test of time and can hold its own in the current literary field.

 

Writing Creativity and Soul by Sue Monk Kidd. My writing book for the month. I’ve read several of Kidd’s novels, years ago, but didn’t know she’d written a writing book. It was exactly what I wanted (and needed) to start the year fresh. I love her approach to writing and how she shared finding inspiration, nurturing an idea until it becomes a story, and more. I highlighted so much in this book - really helpful quotes to revisit when I feel stuck in my own writing.

The State That Springfield Is In by Tom C. Hunley. My poetry book for the month. Maybe a cheat because it’s a re-read and I know I’d love to read it again, but honestly, I should have been re-reading it every year since my first time (in 2020) because it’s just that good. My previous review: These poems were told in the voices of Simpsons characters - beloved and obscure. It was pretty eye-opening to think of these characters as real people, and they randomly pop into my head and make me remember them as more than just fictional sitcom characters. I can’t recommend this enough to Simpsons fans, poetry fans, or people who love fictional characters as if they were real.

Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes by Karen Rose Smith

Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes by Karen Rose Smith

I read this for the Cozy Mystery Book Club, and you can check out the discussion here.

I love culinary cozies and I’m a tea fan, so I liked that aspect of the storyline. The mystery was fairly intriguing as well. However, the writing style seemed really basic. I was always aware I was reading a book because everything was told and explained instead of shown through action and dialogue, so that was disappointing.

Daisy was a weak character, too. She had no personality and deferred to men so much. She was a widow and mentioned her late husband a bit, which is understandable, but she never got into her grief, so even bringing him up felt hollow and didn't add anything to the story.

Beyond that, she kept saying she “didn’t know why” she had feelings for handsome, kind Jonas, but also went on dates and seemed trying to force something with Cade, which had been her prom date but was really dismissive and somewhat controlling of her. I found it off-putting that she kept acting like she wanted to be with him even after admitting how he treated her annoyed her. Get a backbone!

I did like the aspect of an adopted daughter wanting to find her birth mother and how that was handled. It felt really rushed at the end though, and a lot of that action happened off the page. And also, it was all facilitated by... guess who? A man! So that was kind of a bummer.

I think this would have been a much better book is Daisy (and her aunt Iris) were stronger characters - and stronger women. I wouldn’t have finished this if it wasn’t for book club.

Convenience Store Woman vs. Sky Daddy

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori

vs

Sky Daddy by Kate Folk

I read both of these books in December 2025 and saw some similarities. As far as I can remember, both were recommended in the back of The Collected Regrets of Clover by 

Mikki Brammer (but my memory is terrible so don't hold me to that). I was on library hold lists for both and got access to Convenience Store Woman first.

I've previously read translations, including the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, and I appreciate how hard it can be to translate work and keep the author's original intentions and the beauty of their language. I also know that there's still a lot lost, and cultural context can certainly shape your interpretation of a book.

It took me a bit to get through the book, but here are my thoughts:

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori. This book was interesting until incel Shiraha came into play. His rants were too realistic and repetitive, so I had to skim a lot of his sections. The resolution definitely improved my thoughts of the book, but I was much more intrigued by the essay included at the end that spawned the book idea. I like the concept of the romantic relationship with the store more than the overall novel itself.

When I got access to Sky Daddy, I read it all basically straight through. Here are my thoughts:

Sky Daddy by Kate Folk. I wanted to read this book because the title made me laugh and I was curious about how the concept would play out, but damn did it become my favorite read in December 2025! I read it in about a day and keep thinking about it. I wish it had gone on longer just because I want to immerse myself in Linda’s world more, but I have to say the ending is PERFECT and I would be so angry if it ended any other way.

Overall, there were a lot of similarities with the main characters, in my opinion. I'm not sure if they were meant to be autistic or just... "different" because honestly, the more adult women I meet, the more I feel that we're all drastically different in wonderful ways, and without a diagnosis and being told if someone is autistic, it's hard for me to tell. But these characters were certainly not "typical" female main characters, and I love them both for that.

That said, they were both a bit naive, moreso the narrator in Convenience Store Woman. She seemed oblivious to how she was being treated by the incel and put up with it for appearances, and I wish she was stronger than that. The Sky Daddy narrator seemed to be using the man as much as he was using her and kind of turned that situation on its head by the end, which was more satisfying, whether it was "wrong" of her or not.

I think the "relationship" in Sky Daddy was more interesting and engaging. I think that's what the author of Convenience Store Woman was trying to do, but it didn't come off that way because the incel derailed things, whereas in Sky Daddy, nothing came between the narrator and her planes. I'm not sure if that relationship aspect was something lost in translation or if it just wasn't really present in the story. It was definitely clear in the essay at the end, so I think that was the intention, but maybe the author didn't want to follow it through for the novel, or maybe it was an editorial decision.

If I had to recommend just one, it would definitely be Sky Daddy. I keep thinking about the ending and am ready to read it again, honestly, because the writing style was so engaging and I'm willing to just read anything and everything about this character's daily life.

Have you read one or both of these? What were your thoughts?

Castle Dark Series by Veronica Bond

I first read Death in Castle Dark in August 2024 after getting the recommendation from the Cozy Mystery Book Club (though I read it too late to participate).

Death in Castle Dark by Veronica Bond. First read: It’s the first book in a cozy mystery series (A Dinner and a Murder Mystery Series). I love the setting of a castle used for murder mystery dinners because it’s already engaging and spooky - then add in a real murder, and I’m hooked! 

Re-read December 2025: I heard there was a new third book in this series so I wanted to re-read the first. This is SO cozy to me - I love the mystery dinner theater concept, and set in a castle makes it that much better. This is one I'll definitely re-read again.

Castle Deadly, Castle Deep by Veronica Bond. This one didn’t pull me in as much as the first. I thought Nora’s relationship drama seemed kind of middle school and immature, and that dragged on for most of the story. Some of the twists were good though, so the ending redeemed the book overall. Also too much dependence on the Doll's House play - explaining it too much.

Death at a Castle Christmas by Veronica Bond. This was a bit too sweet for me. It felt like it was more of a clean romance than a cozy mystery. The ending seemed especially over the top, with everyone getting engaged for Christmas? After dating six months? I also felt like the storyline of the men trying to find treasure in the castle was a bit too similar to the last book, which is disappointing. I’d read another installment if it went back to “seeing” the murder mysteries performed in the castle - I think there could be 3 or 4 unique storylines around that concept and I wouldn’t think it was too played out.

The first book will always be a cozy mystery I'd like to re-read. However, the second seemed like too much filler, while the third seemed like it was trying too hard to wrap up the series. I'd read further installments if they focused more on the mysteries than sugary-sweet romance, but I have a feeling the author was indeed trying to wrap up the series with this delayed third installment.

2025 Year in Reading

This was a good reading year for me. I feel like I read a lot of what I wanted, a lot that was recommended, and a lot for Cozy Mystery Book Club.

I read 182 books total (with a goal of 110), which blows my mind, honestly. Some years it's a struggle to hit 100, but this year I got sucked into a few series so reading all of those definitely upped my numbers.

I'm keeping my goal at 110 just because... why change a good thing? I'm also hoping to shift some priorities this year so more of my free time will be spent writing instead of reading... But we'll see how that turns out. Clearly reading instead of scrolling worked well for me, so maybe I should just stick with that for my mental health.

I also did a book bracket this year, and I'd like to do one next year, too. It was fun to sit and think about my favorite book each month. Some were clear standouts, but some were really close and I had to think hard about it. Here's my finalized bracket:

And the winner is...

Seriously, READ THIS BOOK if you haven't yet!

See the last few recaps:

2024 Year in Reading
2023 Year in Reading

December Round-Up

I felt like I was in a reading slump for most of the month, but it doesn't really look like it... It just wasn't as enjoyable of a reading month as usual. I finished a few series, though, and got some inspiration from Lily King like I always do when I re-visit Writers and Lovers.

The Mystery of Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie. This was a fun, adventurous read, but I felt like the problems the main character and her friends had felt really tacked on just to give the story depth. There was also a lot of detail in some scenes, then the book would totally skip over some major action just to get them to the next room/plot point. Younger readers who like Mr. Limoncello, Book Scavenger, etc, would probably like this.

The Cure for What Ales You by Ellie Alexander. This was a major book in terms of the background story of Sloan’s history, but I found it a bit tough to follow. I couldn’t piece together everything she was discovering about people from her past and have it make sense, so it fell flat for me.

The Tattered Cover by Ellery Adams. This one took a bit for me to get into, and I’m not 100% on board with Nora and McCabe moving forward for some reason, but I’m so invested in the series that I’m sure it’ll work out and I’ll be fine with it. This one felt a bit scrambled to me, but that might have just been my mindset as I was reading it. I felt like it wasn’t as rooted in the town or bookstore this time for some reason.

Heart the Lover by Lily King. I LOVE Writers & Lovers so when I heard this was connected, I knew I had to read it. King’s writing is fantastic and though the ending seemed a little overwrought, that final line SENT ME. I immediately got out my copy of Writers & Lovers to re-read (it’s been 4 years!).

Writers & Lovers by Lily King. This is my third read of the book and it never fails to put me in such a comforted state of mind, as strange as that may sound. Something about the writers surrounded by writers fuels my creativity. This time I was reading it to better understand how Heart the Lover fit in but it still conveyed the same mood and got me writing.

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata. This book was interesting until incel Shiraha came into play. His rants were too realistic and repetitive, so I had to skim a lot of his sections. The resolution definitely improved my thoughts of the book, but I was much more intrigued by the essay included at the end that spawned the book idea. I like the concept of the romantic relationship with the store more than the overall novel itself.

Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen by Vicki Delany. I’m not a huge Christmas fan but liked the idea of this Christmas town and thought I’d give the book a try to get in the spirit. However, it fell flat for me. The main character felt like a paper doll in her actions and reactions. And she had two men pursuing her but didn’t seem to care, and it wasn’t really played up much, despite basically being the cliffhanger at the end of the book. It wasn’t compelling enough for me to want to continue the series.

Death in Castle Dark by Veronica Bond. I heard there was a new third book in this series so I wanted to re-read the first. This is SO cozy to me - I love the mystery dinner theater concept, and set in a castle makes it that much better. This is one I'll definitely re-read again.

Castle Deadly, Castle Deep by Veronica Bond. This one didn’t pull me in as much as the first. I thought Nora’s relationship drama seemed kind of middle school and immature, and that dragged on for most of the story. Some of the twists were good though, so the ending redeemed the book overall.

Sky Daddy by Kate Folk. I wanted to read this book because the title made me laugh and I was curious about how the concept would play out, but damn did it become my favorite read in December 2025! I read it in about a day and keep thinking about it. I wish it had gone on longer just because I want to immerse myself in Linda’s world more, but I have to say the ending is PERFECT and I would be so angry if it ended any other way.

Death at a Castle Christmas by Veronica Bond. This was a bit too sweet for me. It felt like it was more of a clean romance than a cozy mystery. The ending seemed especially over the top, with everyone getting engaged for Christmas? After dating six months? I also felt like the storyline of the men trying to find treasure in the castle was a bit too similar to the last book, which is disappointing. I’d read another installment if it went back to “seeing” the murder mysteries performed in the castle - I think there could be 3 or 4 unique storylines around that concept and I wouldn’t think it was too played out.

Mrs. Wilson's Affair by Allyson Reedy. I wanted to love this one. It’s no secret I love Gatsby and retellings, and I was interested to see things from Myrtle’s point of view. But this was a real struggle to get through. Most of it was Myrtle’s interior thoughts, and I get that happens when you’re isolated and having an affair, but they were SO repetitive. Then there were weird little asides that made me all too aware I was reading a book, like “Since Myrtle wasn’t present enough to recount the details, here they are:” and “The sins, for the uninitiated or the merely forgetful, are:” Some of it was also really heavy-handed, like after showing Myrtle thinking of two things, it literally says “One symbol actually there; the other imagined.” You’ve got to trust the reader to pick up on these things. Way too much telling rather than showing. I think affairs have so much potential for emotions and guilt and hopefulness and I didn’t feel any of that here.

Always Happy Hour by Mary Miller. I’ve been wanting to read more short stories and this collection interested me with Miller’s Mississippi proximity. I like her writing a lot but the stories were pretty depressing, which I understand can be the point and “the vibe” and that’s fine! But so many were little glimpses of bad relationships with bad boyfriends and it became hard to tell them apart after a few. I like the narrators and would like to see them in different situations instead of always centering men.

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody. I’ve been reading the YA version of this book but read the OG (well, not the REAL original, but still) for a Sisters in Crime book club-type discussion. It’s really helpful to learn how the same story beats can work in so many different ways to help you ensure your idea is complete enough for a novel.

November Round-Up

Absolutely Normal Chaos by Sharon Creech. After re-reading Walk Two Moons, I wanted to read this one because I never realized it came before Sal’s story! I loved getting more insight into Mary Lou and recognizing some of the things mentioned in the second book - drastically different writing style and storyline compared to Walk Two Moons though!

A Good Hard Look by Ann Napolitano. This book instantly transported me back in time to Milledgeville. I loved getting a peek inside Flannery’s life, and I love how everyone's lives twisted together. This book is the epitome of literary fiction to me - getting to know everyone at a leisurely pace and letting it build until it all unwinds. It gave me Tom Perrotta vibes in a way. Read more here.

The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer. This might be one of my new favorite books. I was totally immersed in Clover’s world and really identified with her in so many ways, probably more than any other character I’ve “met.” I loved the different ideas around death and how Clover kept notes for the people she worked with. I thought the romance was a bit rushed and too romance-novel-y, but overall this was so good that I’ll admit maybe I’m just jealous of what she found in the end. Read more here.

A Daughter's Guide to Mothers and Murder by Dianne Freeman. I love this series and read the first seven installments earlier this year. I was looking forward to this one, even though I skipped the novella that came before it (but read it after). Thankfully, it all stands on its own, and it was nice to revisit these characters. However, I didn’t find the mystery too compelling - I think the characters involved with the murder were too much on the periphery, so the stakes felt too low. Still a quick, cozy read, though, and I’ll continue on with the series.

George and Frances Roll the Dice by Dianne Freeman. This was a good novella to satisfy the “honeymoon” need for George and Frances without devoting a whole book to it. I understand it was a novella but everything felt a little flat and rushed to me; however, that could be because I just read book 8 and was kind of rewinding to read this, so I already knew some bits that came next, and the rest was like fitting puzzle pieces into things I had seen in book 8.

Death on Tap by Ellie Alexander. I didn’t love this one as much as the first in The Body in the Bookstore series but I love the cute little town and the mysteries that seem like they’ll span more of the series, so I’m definitely going to read a few more. It felt like the main mystery in this book was resolved way too cleanly, though, right at the end, after being dragged out and looking at so many other suspects. More of the story focused on the cheating husband (which got a bit repetitive) than the mystery. But I like the cliffhanger of Sloan’s past, so that’s the main reason I’ll read on.

The Twits by Roald Dahl. I read this as a kid and vaguely remembered the Twits themselves, but not the whole story. I wanted to re-read it before watching the movie. The Twits are disgusting and the description of Mr. Twit’s beard almost made me stop reading, but I love the Muggle-Wumps and how they outsmarted the Twits in the end.

Kinsey and Me by Sue Grafton. I’ve read this one before but didn’t remember much, so it was time to revisit. I LOVE the Kinsey Millhone short stories - quippy and satisfying in terms of the mystery. Some of the personal stories were really hard to read, and after a few I had to take a break because they really got me down. It strikes me how literary Grafton’s writing really was though - those stories seem like things we could have read in some college English/writing courses.

The Sherlock Society by James Ponti. This was such a fun read - I love that the grandfather was part of the crew. I think all the characters are unique and fun and would recommend this to younger readers - plus *I* want to see what happens later in the series!

The Unwedding by Ally Condie. Was this a thriller? It didn’t play up the suspense, though the potential was there. Instead, it felt like I was ambling around the rainy resort with Ellery, and not in a good way, like we were solving the mystery together. Instead, it felt like I was stuck following her around even though I wanted to be doing anything else. That said, I did feel like I needed to finish this book once I started it, so I guess that’s on me. Read more (with spoilers) here.

Vladimir by Julia May Jonas. This book reminded me of Miranda July’s All Fours in many ways, mostly that I enjoyed reading it overall but don’t know what to think of it now that it’s done. I initially thought the twist at the end that brought it all down was overkill, but I think it’s fairly realistic and can’t think of another way for things to have played out. But overall, I kind of have the feeling of, “Okay, I read that.” It didn’t change me, it’s not something I’ll re-read, but I’m not angry I read it and I like the author’s writing enough to read another book by her, which I think is a favorable review overall.

Perfect Little Children by Sophie Hannah. This story was not compelling enough for a novel for me. A novella, maaaaybe. I initially found the concept interesting but it dragged on way too long, the suspense seemed low stakes, and it took forever to get a resolution. And that resolution was not particularly thrilling or dangerous to me, so by the end, I felt like I’d read all that for nothing.

The Pint of No Return by Ellie Alexander. The first book was somewhat meh to me, but interesting enough to make me want more of the characters and town. The second book definitely pulled me in, and I’m invested in the series now. I especially like Alexander’s overarching series mystery of Sloan’s parents.

Beyond a Reasonable Stout by Ellie Alexander. I think this was my least favorite murder in the series so far, but I did like how it all came to a head without being the typical cozy mystery “risky” resolution. I also love how the brewery is developing.

Without a Brew by Ellie Alexander. This has been my favorite mystery yet in this series. I think it was really interesting how it all came together and it kept me guessing the whole time.

A Good Hard Look by Ann Napolitano

 

A Good Hard Look by Ann Napolitano

I saw a giveaway for this book on Instagram and thought it sounded fascinating, so I entered, eager to read the book. But when I added it to my Goodreads list, I saw it was already published and had just gotten a facelift! So I got it from the library and dove in.

This book instantly transported me back in time to Milledgeville. I loved getting a peek inside Flannery’s life, and I love how everyone's lives twisted together. This book is the epitome of literary fiction to me - getting to know everyone at a leisurely pace and letting it build until it all unwinds. It gave me Tom Perrotta vibes in a way.

I've read other Napolitano books (Dear Edward - 3* and Hello Beautiful - 4*) that I liked, so I'll definitely keep reading more by her. But I think the thing I liked most about this book was the historical fiction angle. It reminded me a lot of Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor - one of my favorite reads this year. Cantor also has other historical fiction/alternate history books that I really loved, so I'd recommend her if you like A Good Hard Look.

The Unwedding by Ally Condie

The Unwedding by Ally Condie

Was this a thriller? It didn’t play up the suspense, though the potential was there. Instead, it felt like I was ambling around the rainy resort with Ellery, and not in a good way, like we were solving the mystery together. Instead, it felt like I was stuck following her around even though I wanted to be doing anything else. That said, I did feel like I needed to finish this book once I started it, so I guess that’s on me.

These aren't all spoilers but just to play it safe...