October Round-Up

The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead. This was a pretty wild read after being introduced to Winstead via Hot Girl Murder Club. I thought it was going to be more of a social commentary on campus rape considering how it started and how outspoken the characters in Hot Girl Murder Club were. However, this book was much darker and I don’t think I would have read it if I knew what it was really about. But once I got to a certain point, I felt like I needed to finish, though I don’t think it was worth it and the ending wasn’t very satisfying. I think things were left too open-ended, and I never really got to know any character enough to root for them.

This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead. I really liked this one - the true crime/internet sleuth angle felt engaging but the case was different enough from the Idaho massacres that it didn’t feel like rehashing reality. My only issue was that I IMMEDIATELY knew who it was, and thought Winstead made it too obvious. Maybe that was because I’ve recently read several of her books and knew that the attractive male is always the bad guy. But I felt like the clues were a bit heavy-handed, and so it was frustrating that these other sleuths weren’t able to pick up on it.

The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead. This book felt like a Taylor Jenkins Reid book but I’m not mad about it. Everything I’ve read by Winstead to this point felt a bit grittier and more realistic, so this making me tear up in several sections was a bit of a surprise! I liked it though and was really pulled into the music industry storyline, especially with the idea of grief motivating people in strange ways.

Still the Eldest Daughter by Kaylin Weir. My poetry book for the month. I follow Weir on Instagram and like what she posts, and the concept behind this collection intrigued me. I relate a lot to the ideas of perfectionism and being what you think others think you should be, so it was really therapeutic to read.

That Night by Gillian McAllister. This book was not it for me, which is sad because the plot itself should be fascinating! Covering up an accidental death and everything that unravels… Unfortunately, the characters were cardboard and their overly close sibling relationship didn’t ring true to me. They didn’t seem like well-rounded characters that truly liked each other, even though the author repeatedly TOLD us how close they were. Again, if done well, that would have added so much suspense. I think the “twist” about the POV of certain sections was supposed to be a bigger “gotcha” - along with who the dead person actually was, though I think it was pretty obvious about ⅓ of the way through.

True Crime: A Memoir by Patricia Cornwell. The only Cornwell I know is her first Jack the Ripper book, which fascinated me as a high schooler obsessed with serial killers. However, I love reading about writers, so I was looking forward to this one. It jumps around a lot and is a bit hard to follow though, with more focus on her parents’ lives and her young childhood than the writing. I think fans would love to get to know more about her but it wasn’t what I was looking for.

The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Philyaw. I’ve been so excited to read this one after LOVING The Secret Lives of Church Ladies and recommending it to everyone when it came out. I loved getting to spend a novel’s worth of time with Philyaw’s new characters. They’re so complex and interesting and felt real to me. I loved the drama too, phew! As someone from the Bible Belt, all this megachurch mess was DELICIOUS. Can’t wait for more from Philyaw - she’s one I’ll read everything from.

A Very Novel Murder by Ellie Alexander. I wanted to give this spin-off series a try since I read all of the Secret Bookcase series (though it wasn’t my fave). Though I’m curious to learn more about Hal’s heritage (which is the overarching mystery for this series), I don’t think I’ll continue reading. The writing is SO scattered and inconsistent. Something mentioned early in a paragraph will be restated later, or something will be written that totally ignores what just happened, and it got frustrating - is the writer even reading what she’s putting on paper? Some of these even factored into the mystery the detectives were trying to solve, so what they were doing/thinking wasn’t always clear. It was just pretty messy overall - if it was an early draft, I’d have hope for the polished version, but meh. If the author doesn’t seem to care enough to make the story make sense, I don’t care enough to spend time reading it.

Big Little Truths (Big Little Lies, #2) by Liane Moriarty. I haven’t read or watched Big Little Lies in many years but this book does stand alone whether you’ve read the first, remember it, watched it, etc etc. It was an entertaining read but I think some of the pieces fell into place too early, too easily, so by the time the author “revealed” them, it felt obvious. Still kept me turning pages though.

Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult. I really enjoyed this one. To me, 9/11 books and Covid books are similarly tough to write because they can be awful, but Picoult has done well with 9/11 (I didn’t like her Covid book much though). I think she nicely balanced the attack with characters, so the “hook” isn’t even that important - you care more about the characters. I also love how she addressed postpartum psychosis.

His & Hers by Alice Feeney. I read this in a day and while it kept me turning pages, it didn’t feel too twisty, suspenseful, or shocking. I also worried that it was going to be a bit too “Girl on the Train” with the drunk narrator, so that was a relief when it didn’t happen.

Fahrenheit 451 by Tim Hamilton. Graphic novel adaptation of the book. I think it has powerful art and was very well done, but my favorite part was Bradbury’s introduction. I value graphic novels for how they engage more readers, but I personally prefer to read descriptions and picture them myself - I find it more immersive, whereas it’s harder for me to see the picture and take that in along with the text/dialogue and still take away the same idea the book presents.

I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh. This one was pretty slow at the beginning, but the twist halfway through shocked me! I was SO SURE it wasn’t possible that I had to go back to some previous sections to check myself. So well done! I feel like I can often see twists coming, but that one wasn’t it. The resolution was pretty satisfying and hopefully was just being realistic but I wondered if it was leaving things open for a sequel (I hope not!).

Tell Me Everything by Minka Kelly. I know Minka Kelly from Parenthood and was hoping for a peek behind the scenes, but this is more about her personal life, specifically her childhood and relationship with her mother. In that regard, it’s really interesting to know what she’s been through, but I feel like it’s more of a straight-forward memoir than a celebrity memoir (no dirt), so if you want gossip, it’s not here.

The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing the Lyric Essay by Heidi Czerwiec and Lee Horikoshi Roripaugh. I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. The “lessons” were so insightful and I wanted to stop in my tracks and try every exercise as I read it. The samples were gorgeous too, and I love that I now have so many new-to-me authors to read, plus lots of recommended reading. I’m diving into some lyric essay writing now and will definitely revisit this constantly - I have my own copy and it’s already so marked up and loved.

The Incredible Shrinking Woman by Athena Dixon. A re-read because I’ve been in an essay mood. I love how Dixon really captures what it is to be a woman, period, but also a bigger woman, and how people are so multi-faceted.

Into the Wild by Erin Hunter. My son LOVES this series and wanted me to give it a try. I’ve never been one for animal books (besides Socks by Beverly Cleary), but this one won me over and I want to continue the series! I really like the writing and the characters. The story arc in this book kept me turning pages, and the ending was intriguing enough to make me want to read more without it feeling like a cliffhanger.

Hostage by Clare Mackintosh. My second Clare Mackintosh and I liked this more than I Let You Go. The story was more straightforward, though there was a twist at the end that got me! I liked the suspense of the ticking clocks for both adults though, along with how everything tied together. Eager to read more from her.

Self Portraits by P.J. Blumenthal

Self Portraits by P.J. Blumenthal

I reviewed P.J. Blumenthal's Self Portraits for MicroLit Almanac - read it here and get your own copy of the book here!

There is a particular pleasure in being confused by a short story collection. Not frustrated or lost, exactly, but left with the sense that something happened to you that you cannot quite explain. P.J. Blumenthal’s Self Portraits embraces that feeling from the beginning. In his note “To the Reader,” Blumenthal writes that his self portraits, like mountains, “are meant to be experienced not understood.”

Blumenthal’s stories are strange, funny, intimate, surreal, philosophical, and occasionally absurd, often all within the same collection and sometimes within the same story.

September Round-Up

The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose. I’d read this one before but didn’t remember it, and since I wanted to read the second book, I figured it would be best to re-read. It was a quick read and the ending didn’t piss me off as much as the first time, but it’s definitely a fluffy “guilty pleasure” type book and didn’t keep my heart pounding like other thrillers.

The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose. I think this was a satisfying sequel to The Perfect Marriage, but it wasn’t as intriguing to me as the first. Things felt a bit stale, especially with the ending working out the way it did. It wasn’t surprising or empowering, it was like an eye roll of “of COURSE she made it out” despite picture proof that was never explained? I feel like this is open for a third but I wouldn’t keep reading the series.

Getting Away with Murder by Shari Lapena. I wasn’t into this book from the opening scene (for me, it was trying so hard to be overly descriptive that I simply couldn’t picture what was going on), but once things got more into the characters and their twisted mess, I was hooked and finished it in an evening.

Drinking with Strangers by Butch Walker. Re-read this as research for an essay I’m writing. I was a bit disappointed at how much sexism jumped out at me (even since I re-read it in 2023) but in the book Butch admits how much he’s changed since he was younger, and since this was published in 2011, I know/I’m sure/I hope he’s changed even more.

Beyond the Watershed by Nadia Alexis. My poetry book this month. This felt like jumping headfirst into someone’s life and family history - so beautiful and immersive and emotional.

Rebel Girl by Kathleen Hanna. Love how this one opened me up to so many different bands and ideas. I feel like Hanna is really honest about what she’s been through, how flawed she has been, and how she’s overcome so much. I found it really inspirational about just doing what you want to do, creating what you want to create, and putting it out in the world.

The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander. I read this before, but now have the whole series so I wanted a refresher. I really love the cozy community Alexander made here and can’t wait to see how the overarching mystery progresses.

A Murder at the Movies by Ellie Alexander. After the first book in the series being really cozy and interesting to me, this one was so disappointing. It was just WEIRD, honestly. First, Annie seems to have regressed. If you told me she was 23, I wouldn’t be surprised, but she’s early 30s? Most of it is the childish, faux love/hate with Liam - that seems really immature to me. I also find it hard to believe that Dr. Caldwell thinks Annie is some ace investigator, to the extent she coddles her and wants her to work as a detective? I've read books with amateur sleuths that are more tuned in than Annie.

If you’ve read this and want more… check my Goodreads review for spoilers. There’s no good way to hide them here so I won’t post them.

Death at the Dinner Party by Ellie Alexander. This book was much better than the second. I love the idea of muder mystery dinners and of course it’s a perfect idea for a cozy plot. There were still a few instances where it seems like characters said/did things and then in the next scene, it was either forgotten or spun like it had happened the opposite way, which confused me and really made me think the author forgot to cut some scenes from an earlier draft. I also really dislike how juvenile the “romance” with Liam is, but maybe I’m burning out on the series overall. I think maybe it’s a good concept for a series but with very poor writing, ex: “my cheeks ravaged with pockmarks and stinging sores from my unrelenting tears”.

A Holiday Homicide by Ellie Alexander. I’m glad the “what career to choose” storyline is finally moving along after so much waffling. The influencer angle was interesting but with the characters hardly ever online in the first few books, it seemed a bit out of left field. The romance angle is still a bit too sweet for me, and overdone considering how old the main characters are supposed to be, but I’ve made it this far so I’ll finish the series in hopes of the Scarlet storyline being resolved in a satisfactory way.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. I got this thanks to Libby’s “Skip the Line” offering - otherwise, it wasn’t on my radar, so I’m glad I didn’t miss it! I’m always a bit hesitant with epistolary books and stories because the writer can too often just infodump everything the reader needs to know, but those writing should already know. This, however, was incredibly well done. I think just enough information was given across the letters to put the story together and give the reader space to have things click into place. I also like how the distance allowed the reader to know so much of a character’s thoughts but not really see them in action at all… As someone who prefers writing to speaking, I could relate to this and found it incredibly engrossing, especially how it allowed the author to handle the ending. Check out my post about readalikes for this book!

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore. This one took me a bit to get into with the writing style - a lot of sentence fragments that added rhythm, sure, but made it hard to follow what was going on, especially once all the generations with same names were mentioned. Overall, the payoff was worth the read - really interesting how it all came together.

Self Portraits by P. J. Blumenthal. Read to review for MicroLit Almanac October 2026 - will update review with the link.

A Victim at Valentine's by Ellie Alexander. I think this was one of the more interesting storylines with so many suspects and so much going on with the matchmaking and the side case involving Scarlet. Since it was Valentine’s themed, the lovey dovey stuff between Liam and Annie didn’t stick out as much to me (though I do feel like Liam was in it less, despite being centered around a romantic holiday?).

A Body at the Book Fair by Ellie Alexander. I thought the final book in this series would be satisfying, but it felt very rushed to me - especially the ending, which wraps up Scarlet’s case. The book fair murder mystery was interesting, but everything regarding Scarlet felt shoved in and not thought out too well (by the author OR Annie and her friends). However, I feel satisfied that I completed the series. My library has the first book of the spin-off series, so I’ll give that a try, but I don’t think I’ll read them all.

Our Story Begins by Tobias Wolff. I’ve been on a big short story kick and Tobias Wolff hits just right. Some kind of feel like stuff I read in college workshops but when they’re good, they’re SO good.

The Art of Brevity by Grant Faulkner. My writing book for the month. This is one of the best flash fiction books I’ve read, mostly because I really appreciate how it pulls in other creative pursuits as well. I found that, along with some of the prompts, inspired me to think outside the box when it came to my own writing practice. I feel like this is more for writers with some flash background, but beginning flash writers could probably still get a lot out of it. Highly recommended.

It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell. I read this in less than a day - it was definitely compelling and I was trying to piece together all the characters and the timeline. However, the ending was SO lackluster. If it was a novella, I think it would have been stronger. But to read almost 400 pages for THAT ending… nah. Kind of disappointing. That said, it kept me hooked so that says a lot about Jewell’s writing and plot structure.

Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister. This was a great page-turner. It reminded me of Scott Smith’s “A Simple Plan” for how inevitable each choice made, but also how much you cringed for the character, knowing they were getting into more and more trouble. It was hard to root for the characters, though. The mother was pretty insufferable and felt like someone who would be the ONLY mother to love her kid the most, etc, and that got very repetitive and old. But the plot was compelling, and I could see it as a movie, I just wish the mother wasn’t so annoying.

Invasive Species by Ellery Adams. I thought this would be a nice book to read on the cusp of spooky season, and I love the Secret, Book & Scone Society books, but it was lacking overall for me. I think it was trying to do too much at once, with all the women on the street wanting different things and them not feeling completely wrapped up at the end, but more shoved under the rug in some cases. I understand Mrs. Smith met her end but what was the fallout of all the havoc? It felt way too rushed and unresolved, so I came away not feeling like I totally grasped everything, thinking surely I missed something that tied it together…? I think it might have been more interesting as a YA book from Jill’s POV because otherwise it felt pretty immature and stilted. That could also be a bonus so all the sexual content would be cut because I swear I thought a man was writing all these descriptions of women, yuck.

Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead. I was worried this book would be all style and no substance based on the killer title and idea that it centered on Hollywood, celebrities, etc. But it was amazing! I got totally sucked in and wasn’t sure how things would turn out. I loved the little insights from the PhD dissertation (I want to read all of that honestly, and everything Frances studies as a pop culture historian), and appreciated that the author included character titles at each chapter (like Jillian, the Model) because they DID kind of seem pretty similar, and there were a lot of them, so that helped me keep them straight. Definitely reading more from this author.

The Correspondent and Read-Alike Suggestions

The Correspondent and Read-Alike Suggestions

I got this book thanks to Libby’s “Skip the Line” offering - otherwise, it wasn’t on my radar, so I’m glad I didn’t miss it! I’m always a bit hesitant with epistolary books and stories because the writer can too often just infodump everything the reader needs to know, but those characters writing letters should already know. It makes the writing stilted and takes me out of the belief that I'm reading real letters - after all, if I'm writing to my cousin or my friend from college, I don't need to share my entire backstory. They already know. But I've definitely read some books where the author felt the need to break a traditional novel into letter format for no real reason.

The Correspondent, however, was incredibly well done. I think just enough information was given across the letters to put the story together and give the reader space to have things click into place. I also like how the distance of everything "happening" through letters allowed the reader to know so much of a character’s thoughts but not really see them in action at all… As someone who prefers writing to speaking, I could relate to this and found it incredibly engrossing, especially how it allowed the author to handle the ending.

Though this is a full-length novel, it made me think of flash fiction because of how each letter stood alone and, put together, empowered the reader to imagine what was happening between each letter. That felt really immersive and I could absolutely believe that I stumbled upon a box of old letters and started snooping.

I think my favorite part of this reading experience was how Sybil reminded me so much of Tabitha from Tabitha, Get Up and Tabitha, Stay Up by Lee Upton. I think it's because we get Tabitha's story from notes she writes to herself and voicemails people leave her, so it feels like a different take on an epistolary novel in a way. Also, the characters are both strong older women who are so sure of themselves in many ways, yet also looking back over their life choices and wondering what might have been different. I go into Tabitha's character more in-depth in this review, if you want to check it out. I highly recommend both of those books, especially if you liked The Correspondent.

Tabitha, Stay Up by Lee Upton

 

Tabitha, Stay Up by Lee Upton

I reviewed Lee Upton's Tabitha, Stay Up for MicroLit Almanac - read it here and get your own copy of the book here! 

Some fictional characters are memorable because of what happens to them. Tabitha is memorable because of how she thinks.

The plot of Tabitha, Stay Up certainly gives its delightfully eccentric protagonist plenty to navigate, but the novel’s greatest pleasure lies elsewhere: inside Tabitha’s endlessly curious, funny, and frequently misguided mind. Reading her observations feels less like following a traditional narrative than borrowing someone else’s way of seeing the world. Every page offers a fresh reminder that ordinary life becomes extraordinary when filtered through an imagination as peculiar as hers.

August Round-Up

Some of the Times by Gina Myers. My poetry book for the month. A re-read, but hits even harder now than it did before. I marked so many lines and entire poems. As with before, the section accompanied by photos is my favorite because they’re so perfect together, but overall this is just top notch.

Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder. This book was really fascinating and emotional. I really appreciate how completely and honestly the author dealt with the ups and downs of motherhood and how that can conflict with selfhood in those early years. However, the book went a bit long for me without developing and wrapping up some things I really wanted to see, like the MLM and ANY kind of confrontation with her worthless husband. The ending might have been over my head as well, or maybe I was just a bit frustrated by things at that point because it felt like the author didn’t know how to wrap things up so it’s like “Here’s a show!” and seemed incomplete to me. I think fleshing out some of the glossed over things I mentioned would have helped it seem like a complete story to me… or just shortening it into a novella.

Between a Roquefort and a Hard Place by Linda Reilly. This is one of my favorite cozy series because it’s a wonderful escape from reality, and I’m a huge grilled cheese fan so I love the recipes. This mystery wasn’t very intriguing, and there was still a loose end by the resolution, but I love the characters enough that they carried it. See my reviews on the rest of the series here: books 1-4, book 5, and book 6.

The Last Immortals: Dawn of the Axolotl by Kit Brooks. My kid loves axolotls and wanted me to read the first book in a new series. I thought it was interesting because it included facts about axolotls and how at risk they are in an engaging way that worked with the story. However, the characters were really flat and not memorable at all. I hope they become more realistic (for talking axolotls) in future books because the lack of caring about the characters as individuals (vs axolotls as a whole) made the book less enjoyable to me.

The Night in Question by Tobias Wolff. I’d previously only read “Bullet in the Brain” in college, but recently re-read it and wanted more. I read this whole collection in about a day - it was fantastic. He’s becoming one of my favorite short story authors.

Model Home by Rivers Solomon. I’ll admit I REALLY wanted this to be a book about a possessed house and I thought the true reveal was a bit rushed and unclear at the end, but overall it was a satisfying explanation for everything that happened. Elijah’s story felt a little shoehorned in and too “on the nose” considering the main storyline, but I did like that peek into how easy it is for these things to happen for teens and appreciate that there was no blaming (despite Ezri’s internal guilt). The language was so beautiful and raw and emotional, and sentences often made me stop and sit with them for a minute before I could move on.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I read this years ago, pre-Goodreads, and really enjoyed it, but it didn’t hit right for me this time. I still respect its status as a classic of course, and appreciate all it addresses. I’ll have to try another re-read later.

The Hive and the Honey by Paul Yoon. A friend mentioned she was reading a Paul Yoon book so I found some at the library. I love his writing style - these stories felt so immersive. I felt transported to other places and times. The characters were rich and their relationships felt real. Some of the stories didn’t really land for me, or make an impact overall, but the experience of reading them was worth it for the craft. I’m definitely going to read more.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. My kid is reading this for school, so I wanted to re-read it, too. I think I read it in high school but I was very resistant to required reading (though I’ve come to love many of those books in adulthood) and don’t remember liking this much. On the plus side, that meant I didn’t really remember it at all, so reading it now felt new. I liked the story a lot this time, especially with how relevant it sadly feels and how the commentary really packs a punch.

Dear Ally, How Do You Write a Book? by Ally Carter. My writing book for the month. I used to teach creative writing to middle schoolers and used this as a reference book when it first came out, but never read it the whole way through. While it’s geared to teens and certainly accessible, I think it’s so matter-of-fact and well-written that writers of any age would enjoy it. I especially love that she asked other YA authors about their experiences because I like hearing about others’ processes. Knowing everyone has such drastically different approaches, drafting styles, and publishing journeys really makes this feel like a well-rounded book.

Ancient Myths and Legends Without Men by Mara Gold. This book grabbed my attention at an indie bookstore and I took my time with it, knowing I’d definitely come back to it often. It’s an easy-to-read reference book, in a way. It has a fair amount of info on LOTS of mythological women. Read my full review here.

Cackle by Rachel Harrison. I thought this book would be fun and lighthearted, but Annie grated on my nerves immediately. She’s so desperate for a man that it was really hard to read. I’m fine with unlikeable characters but she had nothing interesting going on. Then Sophie came in grooming her and was SO over the top, that I just had to push through because what a mess.

On the Beach by Nevil Shute. I saw this movie decades ago (Anthony Perkins, swoon!) and started reading the book a year or so ago but didn’t finish. This time I made it through and I’m glad I did. The writing is nothing special—the baby, after being introduced as a girl named Jennifer, is called “it” multiple times, and the narration head hops a bit too much to be strictly third person or omniscient, but overall it works to tell a really emotional and all-too-real story. I compare the book with the movie here.

The Postmortal by Drew Magary. I have so many thoughts on this one… Read my full review here.

You Shouldn't Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose. This was way too romance-y for me - I should have known with the Colleen Hoover endorsement and namedrop in the book. It felt like a sleazy rip-off of Serial by Jack Kilborn and Blake Crouch, which I highly recommend. Rose’s writing felt really dumbed-down; I can’t count how many times the highway was like a black snake, and the “blue, blue eyes” was like nails on a chalkboard. I’m very curious what so many readers thought the “shocking twist” was… is it that she’s a wife and mother? Women can have hobbies and interests outside motherhood…

One of Us Is Dead by Jeneva Rose. This was like reading a reality show, and I admit I love that trash, so this was satisfying in a way. The characters all ran together though - I think there were too many rich white women with moist cardboard husbands to really keep them straight.

The Age of Migration by Kai Maristed

The Age of Migration by Kai Maristed

I reviewed Kai Maristed's short fiction collection The Age of Migration for MicroLit Almanac - read it here and get your own copy of the book here! 

Few books of short fiction feel as expansive as The Age of Migration. These stories introduce people caught at moments of profound transition—leaving marriages, burying parents, surviving abuse, chasing opportunity, or searching for belonging. Physical migration is only one form of movement here. Every story asks what it means to cross from one version of life into another, and whether arriving somewhere new can ever free us from what came before.

July Round-Up

ghosts passing through by Janet Dale. Poetry book of the month. A re-read and a great chance to reconnect with Dale’s unique way of combining science, memory, and poetry in many instances. Beautiful work in this collection.

Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant by Darci Hannah. I’m loving this series - absolute definition of cozy mystery for me. This Halloween installment was really fun and interesting and made me feel closer to the characters. I also like that the cast gets changed up a bit at the end…

Murder at the Blarney Bash by Darci Hannah. This one was so fun! I had no clue who did it and how but I was along for the ride. I love how Hannah integrates magical elements in a believable way without veering into speculative fiction.

Murder at the Lemonberry Tea by Darci Hannah. I love cooking shows so this was one of my favorite storylines - and the first I’d pretty much figured out by the end!

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan. I really liked this one. I thought the series would taper off for me in terms of interest, but this definitely kept me hooked and I can’t wait to read book five.

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Robert Venditti. As with graphic novels 2 and 3, I feel like as the novels get more complex, the graphic novels seem more lacking. It’s hard to get the full scope of the story from what’s presented on the page since Riordan’s writing is so detailed. I won’t be trying the fifth one since I really only enjoyed the first graphic novel in this series.

The Age of Migration by Kai Maristed. Reviewed for MicroLit Almanac - read it here.

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper. I’ve read this several times over the years, due to my love of middle grade books and background working with people with disabilities. I even met Draper and got my copy signed! That happened when my kid was a baby, so he’s met her too, and now he’s reading this as his summer reading, so I wanted to revisit it. It was a slower start than I remembered, and took a bit for me to get invested, but by the halfway point, I was hooked. Definitely a strong story and I think, even with technical advancements/especially with the current roadblocks for disabled people in society, this is still a necessary book for kids.

Tabitha, Get Up by Lee Upton. I’m reviewing the upcoming “Tabitha, Stay Up” for MicroLit Almanac in September, but wanted to read this one to get a feel for the characters. I don’t want to give away too much since there are definitely similarities between this and the sequel, but for now I’ll say I loved it and I’ll update this with more once my review is published.

Tabitha, Stay Up by Lee Upton. Reviewing this in September for MicroLit Almanac, will update this review then, but spoiler alert: I loved this more than the first! I can’t get enough of Tabitha. Read my review here.

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan. This was a good “final” book for the main series and is where I will stop (too many spin-offs for me). I thought this was a bit unbelievable in how relatively easy it was to conquer Kronos and the Titans (for now) and the young teens did better than adults/gods? Eh, ok. I mean it’s action-packed for the readers who like that, so I’m sure it appeals to the target audience, which is not me. I thought most of the earlier books were better though, in terms of balancing “reality” with the myths and related strength.

How Story Works by Lani Diane Rich. My writing book for the month. I remember reading her early books after the “publishing a NaNoWriMo novel” angle blew up, and re-reading them not long ago, and listening to her podcast Big Strong Yes got me through my divorce, so when I heard about this book a few years ago, I grabbed it immediately. You can hear her voice in this book. I read about half of it when I first got it in 2022 and shelved it to come back to, but I didn’t… until now. And I’m so glad I did. It works as both an entry point for people who want to write, and also as a refresher for more established writers, shining light on different points at new angles to help me feel more inspired to write. I dog-eared so many pages (in my personal copy of the book!) to come back to again and again.

June Round-Up

Spells of the Apocalypse by Vivian Wagner. My poetry book of the month. A re-read and I’m SO glad I spent more time with it. So many of these poems are so good that I have to re-read them as soon as I finish them, then sit with them and soak them in.

Mothman Is My Boyfriend by McKayla Coyle. I love cryptids and thought this sounded like a fun collection. It seemed like a romance version of Nothing Much Happens, meant as a compliment - it was a cozy escape from reality. Many stories definitely seemed like a slice of life or start of something longer and, as someone who loves flash fiction with a complete story told within specific constraints, that was a bit disappointing. The last story wrapped things up nicely enough where I’m semi-satisfied on that front, though.

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan. I didn’t think I’d like this series but my kid recommended it, so I started it and fell in love! It’s not my usual story but it’s really compelling and I read this one so quickly. We’re going to read the whole series together and watch the show as well.

Apple & Palm by Patricia Henley. Absolutely loved this one. It was enjoyable to read for pleasure, but also felt like a masterclass in writing - specifically regarding backstory and description. See my full review here.

Total F*cking Godhead by Corbin Reiff. Overall, this book delivered what I expected. It begins with a disclaimer that interviews were hard, or impossible, to get, or perhaps fizzled out after legal issues sprang up with Cornell's widow, Soundgarden, and probably many more parties. So as much as I love a juicy tell-all, it's understandable that there was no way that would happen here. Full my review here.

The Land and Its People by David Sedaris. I love David Sedaris, have read everything, seen him multiple times, so that’s just a disclaimer that this is probably a biased review. However, I loved this essay collection. It felt familiar, clearly Sedaris, but also new (with the exception of one I heard him read at my last show!) He’s definitely getting older, a bit out of touch, and showing his privilege a bit, but it’s still an enjoyable read because he’s so absurd in places but then can turn it around for an emotional gut punch.

Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven. I liked the premise of this book - it made me feel like something Taylor Jenkins Reid would write but… at the risk of sounding like a jerk, I think she would have done it better than Niven. This book felt like it was moving at a snail’s pace despite having so many interesting characters alternating chapters. The potential to play up the drama fell flat and I feel like there was a lot of talking around women’s issues from back then (also STILL TODAY) without it feeling like it was something the characters felt truly passionate about. If this was an early draft, I would be excited for its potential. But overall, it just fell flat for me.

The Uncool by Cameron Crowe. I went into this book thinking it was a memoir of Crowe’s life and was REALLY looking forward to the parts about Seattle and Nancy Wilson, so I was disappointed that it was just about the parts that inspired Almost Famous. However, that’s on me for not reading the blurb (I checked out the ebook and just saw the name and title and was in). I thought it was a bit uneven with how it would really stay with a certain band/artist/period of time for a while and then jump forward, and sometimes it was tough to keep the timeline in order, but it was interesting overall. Just too much like Almost Famous, for me. It didn’t feel like I was reading anything new, it almost felt like him trying to convince me everything in the movie did happen to him. And then the focus on the musical, and his mom. I almost wish the whole book was framed around his relationship with his mom since she factored in so heavily at the beginning and end and the middle was just kind of lost. Focusing it on his mom would have also made it feel new and interesting, instead of just more Almost Famous stuff. I did think it was weird that he touched a bit on his movies, but not Singles (I think that was only mentioned in his bio at the end?!) although I guess the argument is that Fast Times is also somewhat about that time in his life, so it belongs there. All this to say… it was ok, but I want a book about his Seattle time and Singles.

Say Everything by Ione Skye. This one felt a bit too surface level for me. Everything I learned that felt personal or interesting was about the men Ione dated instead of her - or even the women she dated! I understand she could have been showing parts of herself (or the lack of herself) by how she acted around them, but overall I came away feeling like I still didn’t know Ione Skye. She touched on her artistry with her painting and murals, but even much of that was framed around Adam Horovitz's studio, so it was a “meh” read overall for me.

The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan. I still love the second book best of those I’ve read, but this one definitely kept the story going. I feel like a lot of series have a laggy book that you wish you could ignore but so far (knock on wood) this series is going strong for me. I love that so many previously mentioned characters are coming back, and (as an adult reading this) I think whatever is going on with Percy's mom is a nice background storyline.

Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop by Darci Hannah. Read this for June’s Cozy Mystery Book Club so I’ll write a longer review after that. But I really enjoyed this one overall, as evidenced by me already starting the second!

Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off by Darci Hannah. I’m not really a Christmas person, so while I know many readers love holiday installments of their favorite mystery or romance series, those typically aren’t my cup of tea. However, this one was really fun, and I love Hannah’s magical elements at play in this series.

A Screaming Life by Kim Thayil. I love a good celebrity memoir, especially from rock stars because I’m fascinated by the art of making music. Thayil’s book is probably going to be one of my favorites. See my full review here.

Inside Fictional Minds by Stephanie Carty. My writing book of the month. I’ve read this before but apparently didn’t review it. It’s an amazing book; I see how it can apply to any writing, but it seems especially helpful for short stories and novels, when you have more room to get to know the characters. However, it’s still crucial to know your characters in flash. It’s also really interesting on a personal level, reading about characters and understanding how it applies to you and people you know as well…

The Lightning Thief by Robert Venditti. I’m hooked on the Percy Jackson series and thought the first book worked really well as a graphic novel.

The Sea of Monsters by Robert Venditti. I feel like I wouldn’t have been able to follow the story based on the graphic novel alone. I understand there needs to be some jumps because not every scene can be drawn, but I think if I hadn’t read the novel, I wouldn’t understand this one completely.

The Titan's Curse by Robert Venditti. This one didn’t work as a graphic novel for me. The art was cool but the story was just not there in my opinion. If I hadn’t read the book, I don’t think I would have understood what happened. Too much jumping around and, without narrative to fill in the gaps, I feel like I “missed” a lot that was in the novel itself. Murder at the Blueberry Festival by Darci Hannah. This series just keeps getting better. This was my favorite so far. I love that the mystery was light-hearted to some degree… and the end was really touching. It’s my favorite kind of cozy series because I feel like I’m getting to know the characters so well.