Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Monday Mini Reviews: Quick and Enjoyable Mysteries and Novels of Suspense

 I have still been reading A LOT of books this summer.  One thing that has helped stave off a slump has been turning to some lighter, quick reads in between my five star books.

I either pick up a rom-com or a mystery/psychological thriller and so far that has worked well.

This past week,  I picked up SA Cosby's latest, King of Ashes and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Cosby's novels take me a little longer than some other mysteries; they are tough and gritty and not for the faint of heart. 





Roman has come back home - returning to help his siblings who are left running a crematorium while their father is in a coma after a suspicious car accident.  His younger brother, Dante, has managed to get himself in trouble - owing a huge sum of money to a group of scary young men.  Roman thinks he can help Dante outsmart these guys, and while he does have a few tricks up his sleeves, the trouble Dante has found is bigger than anyone could have imagined.  There were parts of this that made me cringe- plenty of violence that is described in detail.  But Cosby's stories are so well done; I'm already looking forward to his next book.




Party of Liars is another fast paced psychological thriller.  Told by multiple narrators, the chapters are short, and the story moves right along.  Sophie is turning sixteen and her dad and stepmom are throwing her a big birthday party.  Early on (it's even on the inside flap), we know that someone falls from the balcony and dies at the party, and as the story unfolds there are plenty of options for who this could possibly happen to.  Sophie's best friend, Mikayla, isn't as innocent as she appears.  Her stepmom Dani has been dealing with mental health issues since the birth of Sophie's new half-sister.  Sophie's mom has a drinking problem and is still angry about the divorce.  The baby's nanny has a few odd secrets she is keeping as well.  I didn't have everything figured out until closer to the end, and I appreciated the twist that Cox ended the story with.  




I have a lot of Miranda's books on my TBR, but I was surprised to realize that this is my first of hers I've read.  I love a good campus novel, and this story is easy to get into. Beckett grew up as the daughter of professors in a small college town.  After a fire and the death of two young men during Beckett's time there as a student, she leaves the college abruptly -  her roommate and best friend was thought to have been involved in the event.  Now her own daughter is starting college there, and when Beckett receives a strange phone call late one night from her daughter and is then unable to locate her, she returns to the college intent on finding her daughter.  Secrets are revealed about events that happened two decades before and I found myself turning pages quickly.  I enjoyed this one and will be picking up more of Miranda's books soon.


Summer school ends on Thursday, so I'm hoping my summer can soon involve some time spent sitting outside in the sun, reading a book.

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Waiting on Wednesday: The Phoebe Variations


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature where I highlight a soon to be released novel I can't wait to read.




This week's pick: The Phoebe Variations by Jane Hamilton

Due out: September 23, 2025


Synopsis taken from Amazon:

The acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Ruth and A Map of the World returns with a stunning coming-of-age novel about girls, mothers, and finding one's way in the world.

Seventeen-year-old Phoebe was never interested in her birth family. But on the cusp of her high school graduation, her adoptive mother, Greta, insists on a visit to meet her biological parents and siblings. The encounter is a jolt, a revelation that derails Phoebe.

With the help of her best friend Luna, Phoebe runs away―as far as their friend Patrick O’Connor’s chaotic home, where she hopes to go unnoticed among his thirteen siblings. But when Phoebe asks Patrick to chop off her hip-length hair, she’s suddenly transformed. Patrick’s older brothers can’t help but notice the striking, Peter Pan–like stranger who has suddenly appeared in their midst.

What starts as an adolescent rebellion soon spirals into a whirlwind of self-discovery and unexpected connections. As she grapples with her shifting identity and strained relationships, Phoebe must navigate the tumultuous road out of girlhood and chart a new and unknown course.

Friday, July 4, 2025

Friday Five: A Hoilday Weekend

 I always feel like the 4th of July signifies that summer is going too fast - and school is right around the corner.  I still have one week of summer school left, and although I'll miss seeing my coworkers every day, a break also sounds nice. 


This holiday weekend we have nothing on our agenda. I'm hoping for a little cleaning - and a lot of reading. I continue to find plenty of things I'd love to add to my closet, and some good sales, but I need to stop ordering things and enjoy what I have.  

Here's what caught my eye this week:



1.  Sonya Stripe Ringer Tee




2.  Nike Sportswear Phoenix Fleece




3.  Nova Graphic Tee





4.  Lower Rise Wide Leg Jeans With Tie




5.  The A & F Madeline Crew Sweater Tee




6.  Weekend Collection Open Stitch Wedge Sweater





7.  Hilda Bubble Top




8.  No Iron Short Striped Shirt





9.  Striped Wide Leg Crop Jean




10.  Striped Collared Tie Waist Top



That's it for me this week.  What's caught your eye?

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Waiting on Wednesday: A Dog In Georgia




Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature where I highlight a soon to be released title I can't wait to read.





This week's pick: A Dog In Georgia by Lauren Grodstein

Due out: August 5, 2025


Synopsis taken from Amazon:


Amy Webb is a chef. Or rather, she was a chef.  Somewhere along the way she also became a wife and a stepmother and an emergency contact, and the part of her that was a chef disappeared entirely– along with her sense of self.  Which is why she is currently in the republic of Georgia, on a mission to find a lost dog named Angeland, more importantly, the life’s purpose she once took for granted.
 
For months, Amy has escaped by watching Youtube videos of Angel walking the children of Tbilisi to school.  When Angel goes missing, Amy volunteers to go find him. The fact that her husband may be having (another) affair and her stepson is away at college probably has something to do with it.  Who is Amy, after all, if she’s not taking care of other people?
 
But to her surprise, Angel proves elusive, and while she does make friends with a number of stray dogs, what she finds in Tblisi is entirely human. Is she happy in her marriage? What happened to her career? Why doesn’t she ever cook anymore, even just for herself? 
 
Helping her on this journey of self-discovery is a rebellious teenager, a mysterious and attractive Russian, and several post-Soviet grandmothers. And, of course, the rich food and culture and complicated politics of Georgia itself.
 
After a lifetime of looking away from her own needs and appetites, Amy is forced to confront what she really wants and how to finally find herself -
 
And a dog.

Monday: Five Star Read and Underrated Gems

I have had such a great month of reading.  Last week I picked up Janelle Brown's newest book What Kind of Paradise and devoured it.  It was difficult to tear myself away long enough to teach summer school on Wednesday and I wasn't horribly productive until I turned the last page. 




Jane and her father are living off the grid in Montana, and although this is all Jane has ever know (or can remember), as she becomes a teenager she starts to question some of what her dad tells her.  It's the 1990s and her dad is anit-technology and self publishes his own newsletter proclaiming the evils of the modern world.  Something is definitely not right with Jane's dad (I was getting Unabomber vibes), and when he writes a manifesto of sorts that he publishes online with Jane's help, Jane has some unsupervised time on the internet. 

What she discovers sparks her curiosity and as she accompanies her father to San Francisco, she becomes an unlikely accomplice in his plans.  She also begins to question everything she has been told by the one person she thought she could trust.  

I loved the 90s setting, the suspense of this story as Jane begins to question what her dad has told her.  I have thoughts about Jane's mom, and felt like Brown did a great job tying things up in the end without making everything too "nice."

This one was a five star read.  Enjoyable from the very first page until the very last.

But What Kind of Paradise isn't Brown's first novel.  Back in 2008 I read (and also devoured) All We Ever Wanted Was Everything.  And since then she's been writing consistently high quality fiction; I look forward to reading anything she's written. So if Janelle Brown is a new-to-you author, pick up any title from her backlist.  You won't be disappointed. 




Thursday, June 26, 2025

Friday Five: June Is On Its Way Out

 I'm really enjoying these Fridays that I have free.  Summer school only meets four half days a week, so Fridays are a nice time to relax a little at home.  We are now halfway through with summer school, so a real break is just around the corner.


The weather has been hot, and will forever enjoy that more than I enjoy cold and snow.  I'm still finding things to buy for the summer, but I suspect that in a few weeks fall clothes will be coming out.


Enjoy this week's finds!



1.  Aerie Femme Sweatshirt




2.  Shirred Puff Sleeve Dot Print Top





3.   Botanical Print Raglan Button Front Top





4.  Atlas Camo Wide Leg Jeans




5.  Darcey Popover Swing Top




6.  Crochet Sweater Tank




7.  Callie Knit Top






8.  Wit and Wisdom Puff Shoulder Peplum Denim Jacket





9.  Heritage Cotton Rollneck Sweater in Stripe




10.  The Four Seasons




That's it for me this week.  What's caught your eye?

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Waiting on Wednesday; Hot Desk





Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature where I highlight a soon to be released novel I can't wait to read.




This week's pick: Hot Desk by Laura Dickerman

Due out: September 2, 2025


Synopsis taken from Amazon:


Younger meets Writers & Lovers in this rollicking, sparkling, and funny novel that spans decades and generations of a family in the publishing industry.

In the post-pandemic publishing industry, two rival editors are forced to share a “hot desk” on different days of the week, much to their chagrin. Having never set eyes on each other, Rebecca Blume and Ben Heath begin leaving passive-aggressive Post-it notes on the pot of their shared cactus. But when revered literary legend Edward David Adams (known as “the Lion”) dies, leaving his estate up for grabs, their banter escalates as both work feverishly to land this career-making opportunity. Their fierce rivalry ultimately forces each to decide how far they’ll go to get ahead, what role they want to play in the Lion’s legacy, and what they mean to each other.

As their battle for the estate gets more heated, Rebecca learns of a connection between her mother, Jane, and the Lion. The story travels back four decades earlier to when Jane arrives in Manhattan and meets Rose, soon her best friend. Jane and Rose are two strong, talented young women trying to make their mark in the publishing world at a time when art, the written word, and creative expression were at their height. But one fateful day during the April blizzard of 1982 will change the course of Jane’s life, and of their friendship, forever...

Monday, June 23, 2025

Monday Mini-Reviews: A Five-Star Read

 

On Thursday I picked up Wally Lamb's newest book, intending to read just a few pages before I started cleaning.  I knew within just a few minutes that my day was not going to be productive; I needed to read the entire book that day.  




It's been such a long time since I've read anything by Wally Lamb that I can't recall writing style or details, but I can recall reading I Know This Much Is True adn also being unable to put it down.


Corby and his wife Emily are a young couple raising their toddler twins.  When Corby loses his job, he stays home with the twins while his wife, Emily, goes to work each day.  Corby is a great dad, but he also begins drinking and overdosing on his prescription medication as he struggles with the anxiety of being out of work.

When a tragedy occurs - one that is Corby's fault- their family is forever changed.  Corby wants forgiveness from Emily, but he isn't able to forgive himself.  While he spends time in prison, life on the outside goes on, and Corby works hard to find happiness where he can and hopes to be with his wife and daughter when he is released.

I loved every single page of this book, and found the ending to be particulary heartbreaking.  This one won't feel like it's nearly five hundred pages because it moves fast.  

I didn't always like Corby's decisions, but his dialogue with Emily as they talk on the phone shows his insecurities and needs that are right at the surface- too hard for him to hold in, and as a reader you could feel the pain he was in.

I've been telling my friends that this is one I need them to read.  Put it on hold at your library, download it to your kindle, buy a copy.  This is a fantastic five star read.

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Waiting on Wednesday: The Break In


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature where I highlight a soon to be released title I can't wait to read.




This week's pick: The Break In by Katherine Faulkner

Due out: August 26, 2025


Synopsis taken from Amazon:


After killing an intruder in self-defense, a wealthy London mother must unravel a terrifying mystery filled with twists and turns, from the author of the “deliciously twisted thriller” (PeopleThe Other Mothers.

Alice, a professional mother of one, is hosting a playdate with friends at her upscale London home when a disturbed man breaks in. With her child in the next room, Alice panics and kills him—an act later ruled to have been in self-defense.

Everyone tries to encourage Alice to move on with her life—but with strange comments appearing online, a mysterious phone call telling her all is not as it seems, and her husband, nanny, and friends behaving strangely, Alice finds herself drawn to the mystery of who her intruder really was. As she digs deeper, she discovers a trail of dark secrets that spiral closer to home than she ever could have imagined.