Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson

 

I read The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson back in 2022. I really enjoyed this novel and have wanted to read another novel by Peter Swanson ever since. 

Earlier this month, I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson, which was nicely narrated by Karissa Vacker. 

The narration for Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson is the most positive thing I can say about this suspense/thriller novel! The first half of Every Vow You Break is sooooo painfully slow and things didn't pick up until the second half of this novel. 

Additionally, I can't say as I liked any of the characters either for Every Vow You Break. The storyline and plot weren't that engaging either. Most of the storyline and characters seemed so two dimensional at best. 

I was tempted to 'dnf' this book on several occasions, but since I really enjoyed the first novel I read by Peter Swanson, I pushed forward in hopes it would turn out to be a better read. I liked the premise of this novel, but sadly, Every Vow You Break wasn't a winner in my eyes.

Below is the publisher's summary for Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson found on Goodreads:

A bride’s dream honeymoon becomes a nightmare when a man with whom she’s had a regrettable one-night stand shows up in this electrifying psychological thriller from the acclaimed author of Eight Perfect Murders.

Abigail Baskin never thought she’d fall in love with a millionaire. Then she met Bruce Lamb. He’s a good guy, stable, level-headed, kind—a refreshing twist from her previous relationships.

But right before the wedding, Abigail has a moment of uncertainty. The drunken one-night stand from her bachelorette weekend, the sexy guy who wouldn’t give her his real name, didn’t really mean anything she keeps telling herself. She puts the incident out of her mind, and now believes she wants to be with Bruce for the rest of her life. Their honeymoon on a luxurious, secluded island in Maine will be the beginning of their blissful lives together.

Then the mysterious stranger suddenly appears—and Abigail’s future life and happiness are turned upside down. He insists that their passionate night was the beginning of something much, much more. Something special. Something real—and he’s tracked her down to prove it.

Does she tell Bruce and ruin their idyllic honeymoon—and possibly their marriage? Or should she handle this psychopathic stalker on her own? To make the situation worse, strange things begin to happen. She sees a terrified woman in the night shadows, and no one at the resort seems to believe anything is amiss… including her perfect new husband.

I am giving Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Lilith by Eric Rickstad

 

Lilith by Eric Rickstad was my first read for the month of June 2026. Eric Rickstad is a new to me author this year. I was drawn to this novel due to the plot summary provided by the publisher.

Lilith is a work of contemporary fiction and is a triller/suspense novel! This novel sucks you in from the very start. I loved the action/suspense/tension building by the author. Elisabeth Ross is the protagonist in Lilth. She is a single mother and elementary school teacher by profession.

Lilith by Eric Rickstad focuses its topic on gun violence and school shootings. Elisabeth is required as a teacher to perform monthly drills with her students on what to do during an emergency lockdown. 

Little does Elisabeth know that something bad will happen on the day she and the rest of the teaching staff are to perform an emergency lockdown drill with their students. A real life shooting occurs and it is horrific! Elisabeth saves her students by breaking protocol from the required instructions specified by the school district. 

Additionally, Elisabeth's son, Lydan, also attends the same school where she teaches. Elisabeth somehow manages to save Lydan's life as well even though he isn't a student in her class. We read and feel the angst and terror that only a mother can feel about her child's near death experience and long term recovery from their traumatic injuries.

Jumping forward in Lilith, Elisabeth grows angry with the lack of gun control efforts and school shootings that she takes matters into her own hands vigilante style.

Although, I enjoyed Lilith by Eric Rickstad quite a bit. It wasn't perfect by any means. There were interactions between Elisabeth and her son, Lydan, that seemed unrealistic. Plus, some of the plot details were lacking in parts or unrealistic at least in my opinion. For instance, I found the scene where Elisabeth's son saves the day to be unrealistic based on the scope of his injuries. Additionally, Lydan has a few bizarre paranormal type of experiences that didn't seem to fit well with the storyline. Otherwise, Lilth is a good read.

P. S. I listened to the unabridged audio version of Lilith. This book is well narrated by Brittany Pressley.

Below is the publisher's summary for Lilith by Eric Rickstad I found on Amazon's website:

Mother. Hero. Villain. Killer.

After her son, Lydan, suffers traumatic injuries in a school shooting, single mom Elisabeth Ross grows enraged at men in power. If they won’t do anything to help end this epidemic of violence, she will. Believing it’s her destiny, she sets out to awaken the world to the cowards these men are and commits her own shocking act of violence.

Going by the name Lilith—the first wife of Adam who fled Eden rather than serve a man—she posts a video of her crime that reverberates throughout society.

Praised by some, demonized by others, and hunted by the FBI and vigilantes alike, Elisabeth must keep her identity a secret as she tries to care for her son.

As events take startling twists, Elisabeth begins to question her act of violence and the very roots and mythology of violence itself. Was her act justified, or has she become the monster that the original Lilith was accused of being?

As the FBI draws closer and Lydan starts to display odd, terrifying behavior, Elisabeth plots to avoid capture and keep her son safe at all costs, fearing she’ll never escape what she’s done without losing her son forever.

Written with Rickstad’s singular command of language, human insight, and unnerving suspense, Lilith is a tale of our times. Tragic and profound, it echoes in the mind and lingers in the blood.

I am giving Lilith by Eric Rickstad a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Woodworking by Emily St. James

 

I listened to the unabridged audio version of Woodworking by Emily St. James and is very well narrated by several narrators.

Woodworking by Emily St. James is the April book selection for the Online Rainbow Book Club hosted by my public library. 

Woodworking by Emily St. James is an excellent novel and is my favorite book club selection for the Online Rainbow Book Club to date. 

Woodworking is a novel set in South Dakota in the year 2016. This novel touches upon so much - trans identity, friendship, politics, finding oneself, and coming of age are just a few of the topics that all come together in this novel. Also, as a back drop for Woodworking, the 2016 election is looming and we read how potential policies being proposed in this novel could effect the lives of trans people. Woodworking isn't really a political novel at all, but the topic of politics does come up in the novel as part of the storyline.

The primary focus of Woodworking is on the lives of three different trans women at different stages in their transition journey. All three women are at different stages in their journey and are different ages.

I really enjoyed all of the characters in Woodworking, especially Abigail Hawkes, a trans teen with a wicked sense of humor. The writing for Woodworking is excellent. There are so many layers to this novel that it is difficult to describe all of the nuances to give readers a sense of how wonderful written this novel really is. 

Plus, I don't want to give away too many details about the storyline/plot to spoil it for those whom want to read Woodworking. Suffice it to say, I truly enjoyed reading Woodworking!

At the end of the audiobook, Emily St. James mentions the website, Assigned Media, as a resource for transgender news. Click on the link to learn more about the latest transgender news.

Below is the publisher's summary for Woodworking by Emily St. James, which I discovered through the Goodreads website:

An unforgettable and heartwarming debut following a trans high school teacher from a small town in South Dakota who befriends the only other trans woman she knows: one of her students.

Erica Skyberg is thirty-five years old, recently divorced—and trans. Not that she's told anyone yet. Mitchell, South Dakota, isn't exactly bursting with other trans women. Instead, she keeps to herself, teaching by day and directing community theater by night. That is, until Abigail Hawkes enters her orbit.

Abigail is seventeen, Mitchell High’s resident political dissident and Only Trans Girl. It’s a role she plays faultlessly, albeit a little reluctantly. She's also annoyed by the idea of spending her senior year secretly guiding her English teacher through her transition. But Abigail remembers the uncertainty—and loneliness—that comes with it. Besides, Erica isn’t the only one struggling to shed the weight of others’ expectations.

As their unlikely friendship evolves under the increasing scrutiny of their community, both women—and those closest to them—will come to realize that sometimes there is nothing more radical than letting the world see who you really are.

Detransition Baby meets Fleishman is in Trouble in this remarkable debut novel from an incisive contemporary voice. A story about the awkwardness of growing up and the greatest love story of all, that between us and our friends, Woodworking is a tonic for the moment and a celebration of womanhood in all its multifaceted joy.

I am giving Woodworking by Emily St. James a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Fire Exit by Morgan Talty

 

I recently found the hardback edition of Fire Exit by Morgan Talty at a Little Free Library in Livermore, California last month. 

I've had this desire to read more books written by Native American writers. So, when I saw Fire Exit at the Little Free Library last month, I felt like it was serendipity that I read Fire Exit this month.

I'm not sure what I was really expecting from Fire Exit, but it wasn't this. I liked Fire Exit, but it was a darker read for me. The novel deals with Native American culture and identity, mental health and dementia, alcoholism, and touches upon the lgbtqia+ topic. 

Also, the fact that in order to be considered a Native American, one must have a certain percentage of Native American blood in them. This was a huge topic/storyline in this novel! The protagonist, Charles Lamosway, is the biological father of a girl named, Elizabeth, but he only has one interaction with Elizabeth as a child because Elizabeth's mother, Mary. Mary wants a man named Roger to assume the role of father to Elizabeth, so that Elizabeth can be considered a full member of the Penobscot Tribe as Roger is Native American.

Over the years, it becomes apparent that Charles Lamosway continues to long to be part of Elizabeth's life and regrets not being a part of her life. He wrestles with the idea of whether or not to confront Elizabeth and tell her that he is her biological  father. Charles Lamosway wants Elizabeth to know her true background and cultural identity and not solely what Roger and Mary have told Elizabeth.

Charles Lamosway also deals with alcoholism. Charles Lamosway's friend, Bobby, is an alcoholic too. So this is another topic touched upon in Talty's novel. 

Mental health issues and dementia are also a big part of Fire Exit as Louise (Charles Lamosway's mother) has dementia and he takes care of her. Elizabeth also has mental health issues throughout the novel as well.

Fire Exit deals with so many topics/subjects. I feel like Morgan Talty does a good job combining all of them to make a cohesive novel.

Below is a short YouTube video of Morgan Talty discussing his novel, Fire Exit. I always enjoy hearing authors discussing the inspiration behind what made them write their novels.

Below is the summary for Fire Exit by Morgan Talty, which I found on the Goodreads website:

Does she remember this day? Does she remember it at all? Does she know this history—this story—her body holds secret from her?

From the porch of his home, Charles Lamosway has watched the life he might have had unfold across the river on Maine’s Penobscot Reservation. On the far bank, he caught brief moments of Roger and Mary raising their only child, Elizabeth—from the day she came home from the hospital to her early twenties. But there’s always been something deeper and more dangerous than the river that divides him from this family and the rest of the tribal community. It’s the secret that Elizabeth is his daughter, a secret Charles is no longer willing to keep.

Now it’s been weeks since he’s seen Elizabeth, and Charles is worried. As he attempts to hold on and care for what he his home and property, his alcoholic, quick-tempered and big-hearted friend Bobby, and his mother, Louise, who is slipping ever-deeper into dementia—he becomes increasingly haunted by his past. Forced to confront a lost childhood on the reservation, a love affair cut short, and the death of his beloved stepfather, Fredrick, in a hunting accident—a death that he and Louise cannot agree where to lay the blame—Charles contends with questions he’s long been afraid to ask. Is it his secret to share? And would his daughter want to know the truth?

From award-winning author of Night of the Living Rez, Morgan Talty’s debut novel, Fire Exit, is a masterful and unforgettable story of family, legacy, bloodlines, culture and inheritance, and what, if anything, we owe one another.

I am giving Fire Exit by Morgan Talty a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

How You Ruined My Life by Jeff Strand

 

I found a used paperback copy of How You Ruined My Life by Jeff Strand inside a Little Free Library. I've read four other novels written by Jeff Strand and enjoyed them, so snagged this one when I saw it. Little did I realize at the time that How You Ruined My Life by Jeff Strand is a book for young adults!

I have enjoyed many young adult novels in the past. However, How You Ruined My Life by Jeff Strand flopped big time for me, which is disappointing for me as I've enjoyed the previous novels I've read by Jeff Strand. How You Ruined My Life came off as immature to me.... Yes, I realize How You Ruined My Life is a book for young adults, but it felt like he was trying to hard to be humorous and write a book that teens will love. 

The ending was decent... I was kind of concerned that it was going to be unsatisfactory, but the ending was better than expected. There were also a few plot devices used by Jeff Strand that were redeeming, but overall How You Ruined My Life wasn't very enjoyable for me. I'll stick with his books written for adults in the future.

Below is the publisher's summary for How You Ruined My Life by Jeff Strand I discovered on Goodreads:

Rod's life doesn't suck. If you ask him, it's pretty awesome. He may not be popular, but he and his best friends play in a band that has a standing gig. Yeah, it's Monday night and they don't get paid, but they can crank the volume as loud as they want. And Rod's girlfriend is hot, smart, and believes in their band-believes in Rod. Aside from a winning lottery ticket, what more could he ask for? Answer: A different cousin. When Rod's scheming, two-faced cousin Blake moves in for the semester, Rod tries to keep calm. Blake seems to have everyone else fooled with his good manners and suave smile, except Rod knows better. Blake is taking over his room, taking over his band, taking over his life! But Rod's not about to give up without a fight. Game on. May the best prankster win . . .

I am giving How You Ruined My Life by Jeff Strand a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Shrouded Memory by Krista Wagner

 

I snagged the unabridged audio version of Shrouded Memory by Krista Wagner, which is narrated by Leo Goodman, from Chirp for 99 cents. 

I'd never heard of the author before. However, based on the summary of Shrouded Memory and the 99 cent price tag, I decided to give this novel a try. I like thriller/suspense novels, so I figured I'd enjoy Shrouded Memory.

Shrouded Memory was definitely not to my liking! The premise behind this novel was sound, but the execution was not. It was very boring overall with only the last two chapters having anything exciting to read about.

The leading character, Rian Field, has a traumatic experience. She was attacked by two masked men in her own home. She suffers from PTSD from this event and by another follow up event that triggers her PTSD all over again two years after the first event.

I sympathize with Rian's circumstance, but the author essentially shows Rian having the same haunted thoughts and actions throughout most of the novel. This grows old and boring after a while. There needed to be other interesting plot developments and scenarios to keep this book more engaging for readers.

Below is the publisher's summary for Shrouded Memory by Krista Wagner from Chirp's website:

A gripping psychological thriller: Marine biologist Rian Field survives a shark attack — only to be haunted by fractured memories of masked men invading her home. As nightmares bleed into reality and a new break-in shatters her illusion of safety, she begins to suspect those closest to her. To survive, Rian must confront the past before it destroys her…

I am giving Shrouded Memory by Krista Wagner a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Chicano Frankenstein by Daniel A Olivas

 

I listened to the unabridged audiobook version of Chicano Frankenstein by Daniel A Olivas, which was well narrated by Thom Rivera.

Chicano Frankenstein by Daniel A Olivas was my first read for the month of December 2025. I really enjoyed listening to this novel of contemporary fiction, which is a modern retelling of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. 

Chicano Frankenstein is set in California. I loved how the author weaves current events of our times into this novel, yet still keeps many of the elements of Mary Shelley's original novel in mind... Like the fact that the leading character remains nameless throughout Chicano Frankenstein as does the leading character in Frankenstein. 

Also, the fictional POTUS in Chicano Frankenstein seems to be very much like our current POTUS in many ways.

Chicano Frankenstein combines horror, contemporary fiction, romance, and politics together. It questions social justice/social equality and what it means to be human.

Below is the publisher's summary for Chicano Frankenstein by Daniel A Olivas from the Goodreads website:

A modern retelling of the Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley classic that addresses issues of belonging and assimilation

An unnamed paralegal, brought back to life through a controversial process, maneuvers through a near-future world that both needs and resents him. As the United States president spouts anti-reanimation rhetoric and giant pharmaceutical companies rake in profits, the man falls in love with lawyer Faustina Godínez. His world expands as he meets her network of family and friends, setting him on a course to discover his first-life history, which the reanimation process erased. With elements of science fiction, horror, political satire and romance, Chicano Frankenstein confronts our nation’s bigotries and the question of what it truly means to be human.

I am giving Chicano Frankenstein by Daniel A Olivas a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

The Flip Side by Jason Walz

 

The Flip Side by Jason Walz was the last novel I read during the month of November 2025.

I received the paperback version of The Flip Side by Jason Walz for FREE through the Goodreads Giveaway program. Below is my honest, unbiased review of this young adult, graphic novel.

First off, I absolutely loved the artwork for The Flip Side. In fact, the artwork was probably my favorite thing about this book. The Flip Side is also a very quick read, which is one of the things I enjoy about graphic novels. 

The Flip Side by Jason Walz is a novel geared towards teens. The focus of The Flip Side is on the loss of one’s best friend, loneliness, fear, grief, and how one’s life can feel like it has turned upside down after the loss of one's best friend. 

The Flip Side by Jason Walz showcases how to two teens, Theo and Emma, overcome the obstacles of fear, loneliness, and grief together.

Below is the publisher's summary for The Flip Side by Jason Walz from the author's website:

This breathtaking, page-turning graphic novel is a supernatural survival story in which a grieving teen finds himself in a haunting alternate reality—the frightening embodiment of his depression.

Theo’s best friend has died, and he can’t pull himself out of his sadness—a sadness that those around him don’t seem to respect or even notice. And then something even more disconcerting happens: His town literally flips upside down and everyone disappears, except for a threatening, shape-shifting monster and a snarky teenage girl who knows her way around this flipped world. Is Theo doomed to spend the rest of his life in this scary state?

Tremendously unique and suspenseful, The Flip Side tackles grief and depression in a fascinating and affecting way.

I am giving The Flip Side by Jason Walz a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

We Had to Remove This Post by Hanna Bervoets

I had We Had to Remove This Post by Hanna Bervoets on my reading wishlist for quite a while. I finally read the hardback edition earlier this month. This novella is a quick read at 138 pages. I wasn't sure what I was expecting with this novella when I first started reading it. However, it most definitely packs a punch and sends a powerful message about the perils employees face while work in stressful environments.

We Had to Remove This Post highlights the impact of social media in general and the working conditions of social media content moderators, which feels like an important topic to examine. 

The fictional employees featured in We Had to Remove This Post watch videos during their shifts at a company named Hexa. During their shifts, employees decide whether the videos they watch are allowed to be posted online or are taken down due to the video's content. 

The employees view some pretty horrific things while watching these videos. Over time, the employees seem to be effected by post-traumatic stress disorder due to watching videos during their shifts. Some of the employees turn to alcohol and drug use/consumption to cope with stress caused by viewing the views, some deal with insomnia or other sleep disturbances/issues due to watching these videos, and some display other disturbing behaviors.

We Had To Remove This Post is told through the point of view of Kayleigh. Kayleigh works at Hexa and so does her girlfriend, Sigrid. The focus is on Kayleigh's time at Hexa, how working at Hexa effects her negatively, how the work effects Sigrid and their relationship, and the effects on other employees too.

I think the author does a fantastic job describing the horrors of being a social media content moderator for such a social media company! I cannot imagine watching horrific video after video after video for hour after hour after hour over weeks and months. It must wreak havoc on one's psyche.

As much as the author does a fabulous job in describing the horrors of being a social media content moderator, it was all too much. Plus, parts of this novella were boring and felt disjointed. Maybe this is because We Had to Remove This Post is a translated work?

Below is the publisher's summary for We Had to Remove This Post by Hanna Bervoets from Amazon's website:

Kayleigh needs money. That’s why she takes a job as a content moderator for a social media platform whose name she isn’t allowed to mention. Her job: reviewing offensive videos and pictures, rants and conspiracy theories, and deciding which need to be removed. It’s grueling work. Kayleigh and her colleagues spend all day watching horrors and hate on their screens, evaluating them with the platform’s ever-changing terms of service while a supervisor sits behind them, timing and scoring their assessments. Yet Kayleigh finds a group of friends, even a new love—and, somehow, the job starts to feel okay.

But when her colleagues begin to break down; when Sigrid, her new girlfriend, grows increasingly distant and fragile; when her friends start espousing the very conspiracy theories they’re meant to be evaluating; Kayleigh begins to wonder if the job may be too much for them. She’s still totally fine, though—or is she?

I am giving We Had to Remove This Post by Hanna Bervoets a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

I listened to the unabridged audio version of Wonder by R. J. Palacio, which was well narrated by a wonderful cast of voice actors. Wonder was my first read during the month of November 2025.

Wonder by R. J. Palacio is a children's novel that had been on my reading wishlist for a number of years before I finally made the time to listen to it this year.

The writing is superb for Wonder! I loved the characters, the storyline, and the plot development for Wonder. Auggie Pullman the main character. He is a young boy with a birth deformity that leaves his face looking very abnormal. Auggie receives a lot, and I mean a lot, of stares because of they way he looks. Due to all of his surgeries, Auggie is home schooled until his parents decide to send him to school where he enters the fifth grade. We read about Auggie's experience with going to school for the first time, making friends, and dealing with what comes when one has a physical deformity.

One of the things I love about children's novels are the important messages/life lessons imparted in them. In Wonder, kindness, compassion, empathy, and self-acceptance are the key life lessons. Wonder also explores looking beyond/past outward appearances. In this case, it's all about looking beyond Auggie's facial deformity and seeing the person within for who he truly is.

Below is publisher's summary for Wonder by R. J. Palacio I discovered on the Goodreads website:

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school?until now. He's about to enter fifth grade at Beecher Prep, and if you?ve ever been the new kid, then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances? R. J. Palacio has crafted an uplifting novel full of wonderfully realistic family interactions, lively school scenes, and writing that shines with spare emotional power. Wonder is a book with such a big, wide heart? it shows how we are all fragile, imperfect, and perfectly beautiful creatures.

I am giving Wonder by R. J. Palacio 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Savannah Sleuth by Alan Chaput

 

I listened to the unabridged audio version of Savannah Sleuth by Alan Chaput, which was nicely narrated by Allyson Ryan. In fact, Savannah Sleuth was my last read for the month of October.

I was able to download Savannah Sleuth by Alan Chaput for FREE from Chirp's website. Each week, Chirp Audiobooks offers a few free audiobooks for a limited time. 

Below is my honest, unbiased review for Savannah Sleuth by Alan Chaput.

Savannah Sleuth by Alan Chaput is the first novel in the 'Vigilantes For Justice' series. Based on the publisher's summary, I felt like Savannah Sleuth would be a good fit for me. It's a cozy mystery novel (I love cozy mysteries) set in Savannah, Georgia and the plot sounded intriguing enough for my taste.

However, Savannah Sleuth was a huge disappointment to me. I felt like there were way too many topics/bylines in this novel that received more attention than they should've. These side topics/bylines were too distracting. 

Additionally, the main character, Patricia Falcon, was too wimpy for someone who works with other women to help rescue badly abused women in Savannah, Georgia. Patricia seemed too emotionally fragile for this type of work. 

Speaking of rescuing abused women, Patricia Falcon and her crew only did one rescue of an abused woman at the start of the novel. After that, the rest of the novel was focused on other topics. If part of the novel's focus is to highlight the fact that Patricia and her crew rescue abused women, then I'd have liked to see more of that focused on in Savannah Sleuth rather then focusing on other nonessential bylines.

Savannah Sleuth also seems to fall into the Christian fiction genre as well. I don't have any specific beef with the Christian fiction genre. But Christian fiction isn't something I gravitate towards. There was too much talk about the church for me in this novel.

Below is the publisher's summary for Savannah Sleuth by Alan Chaput from Chirp's website:

Though born to heirloom pearls, designer dresses and lush garden parties, Savannah social icon Patricia Falcon and three of her closest friends spend their days in Savannah’s dark side rescuing abused women. Patricia’s darling mother, a prominent philanthropist, drops dead, and the police are baffled by her untimely death. Patricia recruits her three friends to help her investigate what she believes is murder. “Savannah Sleuth” is a page-turning journey from Savannah’s Southern wealth and grace into the hidden corners of Savannah and across two continents in a deadly pursuit of justice.

I am giving Savannah Sleuth by Alan Chaput a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars. Needless to say, I won't continue reading the remaining novels in the 'Vigilantes For Justice' series.

Listening time for Savannah Sleuth by Alan Chaput is 8 hours, 14 minutes.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

The Earthquake Bird by Susanna Jones

 

I listened to the unabridged audio version of The Earthquake Bird by Susanna Jones, which is narrated by Kirsty Rider. 

The Earthquake Bird is a novel that had been sitting on my reading wishlist for quite a long time and I finally made the time to read it this month. The Earthquake Bird also happens to be the author's debut novel. 

The Earthquake Bird is billed as a psychological thriller. I enjoy reading psychological thrillers, which is one of the features that attracted me to this novel. Another factor that drew me to this novel is that the story takes place in Japan and also features an unreliable narrator named, Lucy Fly, as the leading character. If done correctly, unreliable narrators are a fantastic feature in a novel.

So, what did I think of The Earthquake Bird by Susanna Jones? The pacing of this novel is kind of slow. 

Yes, I like unreliable narrators, but I've seen better unreliable narrators in other novels I've read over the years. 

There was too much switching back and forth between the first person perspective and third person perspective in the The Earthquake Bird, which I found disconcerting. I guess you can say this only added to the main character's unreliability. However, I still don't like the lack of clarity when an author switches perspective on a reader as it is does cause some minor confusion.

The ending for The Earthquake Bird by Susanna Jones was dull. For me, it's clear who the killer is to me. But it felt like the author was trying too hard to be creepy in a psychological way that didn't hit the mark. 

The Earthquake Bird by Susanna Jones is a good, debut novel, but I think it could have been so much better. 

Below is the publisher's summary for The Earthquake Bird by Susanna Jones from Chirp's website:

Now a major Netflix film starring Alicia Vikander and Riley Keough, a haunting psychological thriller set in Tokyo probing deep into the mind of a murder suspect

The grisly headline leaves nothing to the imagination: “Woman’s torso recovered from Tokyo Bay. Believed to be missing British bartender Lily Bridges.” The only suspect is Lucy Fly. Her friend is dead, her lover has disappeared, and as far as anyone is concerned, she’s as good as guilty.

Trapped in the interrogation room, Lucy begins to unravel two stories. One, for the police, is a spare outline, offering more questions than answers. The other–the real one, if you believe her–is a gripping dive into an obsessive mind, revealing the checkered past that brought her to Japan, her complicated friendship with Lily, and a tempestuous affair with a missing Japanese photographer named Teiji. As she excavates the dangerous secrets–both past and present–that haunt her waking mind, Lucy relates an unsettling life story that spans bustling Tokyo, the British countryside, and remote Japanese islands, each step taking us closer to the chilling truth about Lily’s death. An all-consuming crime story like no other, Susanna Jones’s mesmerizing debut novel is a neo-noir thriller as shocking as it is exquisitely composed.

While listening this novel, I learned that Netflix made a movie, 'Earthquake Bird', based on the novel in 2019. I might watch the movie version.

I am giving The Earthquake Bird by Susanna Jones a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next, post happy reading!!

Colorful by Eto Mori

 

I'm always on the lookout for new to me authors and books to expand my reading horizons. One never knows when they'll discover their next favorite author or book!

I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of Colorful by Eto Mori, which is well narrated by Brian Nishii. I've never read anything by Eto Mori before, let along heard of her before. Eto Mori is a Japanese writer.

I liked this coming of age novel. It deals with the topic of teenage suicide in a unique way. The topic of suicide is depressing, of course, but the storyline itself makes you think about suicide in a different way... Colorful is about second chances... I felt like Colorful is about hope... Or at least gives one hope that things in life will not always remain the same, which is an important concept for youngsters going through tough times.

Below is the publisher's summary for Colorful by Eto Mori from the Goodreads website:

A beloved and bestselling classic in Japan, this groundbreaking tale of a dead soul who gets a second chance is now available in English for the very first time.

"Congratulations, you've won the lottery!" shouts the angel Prapura to a formless soul. The soul hasn't been kicked out of the cycle of rebirth just yet—he's been given a second chance. He must recall the biggest mistake of his past life while on 'homestay' in the body of fourteen-year-old Makoto Kobayashi, who has just committed suicide. It looks like Makoto doesn't have a single friend, and his family don't seem to care about him at all. But as the soul begins to live Makoto's life on his own terms, he grows closer to the family and the people around him, and sees their true colors more clearly, shedding light on Makoto's misunderstandings.

Since its initial release over twenty years ago, Colorful has become a part of the literary canon, not only in Japan—where it has sold over a million copies—but around the world, having been translated into several different languages. Now, Eto Mori's beloved classic is finally available in English.

I am giving Colorful by Eto Mori a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson

 

I listened to the unabridged audio version of Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson, which is well narrated by the author. 

I picked Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson because I'd read and enjoyed two previous novels by the author and also because this novel sounded like a really great read based on the blurb on the back of the novel. However, after I first began listening to Mother May I, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. In fact, I almost ditched Mother May I for another read from my 'to be read' pile. But I pressed onward and I am glad that I did.

Although, I enjoyed Mother May I, it isn't my favorite novel written by Joshilyn Jackson to date. Overall, I think the writing, storytelling, plot, and characters are well done. I like suspense/thrillers and this novel has that down to a science. The first couple of chapters made it difficult for me to get into this novel. Also, the last chapter glossed over how things turned out in a way that was too tidy for my liking after the busy pace that kept the reader on edge for most of the novel... In other words, the ending was soft, too soft.

I have three other novels to read by Joshilyn Jackson in my 'to be read' pile that I look forward to reading in the future. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I like them better than Mother May I. 

Below is the publisher's summary for Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson from Goodread's website:

A novel of domestic suspense in which a mother must decide how far she is willing to go to protect her child and the life she loves -- a tale of power, privilege, lies, revenge, and the choices we make, ones that transform our lives in unforeseen ways.

Revenge doesn't wait for permission.

Growing up poor in rural Georgia, Bree Cabbat was warned that the world was a dark and scary place. Bree rejected that fearful outlook, and life has proved her right. Having married into a family with wealth, power, and connections, Bree now has all a woman could ever dream of.

Until the day she awakens and sees someone peering into her bedroom window--an old gray-haired woman dressed all in black who vanishes as quickly as she appears. It must be a play of the early morning light or the remnant of a waking dream, Bree tells herself, shaking off the bad feeling that overcomes her.

Later that day though, she spies the old woman again, in the parking lot of her daughters' private school . . . just minutes before Bree's infant son, asleep in his car seat only a few feet away, vanishes. It happened so quickly--Bree looked away only for a second. There is a note left in his place, warning her that she is being is being watched; if she wants her baby back, she must not call the police or deviate in any way from the instructions that will follow.

The mysterious woman makes contact, and Bree learns she, too, is a mother. Why would another mother do this? What does she want? And why has she targeted Bree? Of course Bree will pay anything, do anything. It's her child.

To get her baby back, Bree must complete one small--but critical--task. It seems harmless enough, but her action comes with a devastating price.

Bree will do whatever it takes to protect her family--but what if the cost tears their world apart?

I am giving Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

The Horoscope Writer by Ash Bishop

 

I listened to the unabridged audio version of The Horoscope Writer by Ash Bishop, which is decently narrated by a collected group of narrators. 

Ash Bishop is a new to me author and the plot summary for his novel, The Horoscope Writer, was intriguing enough for me to purchase it. The Horoscope Writer is a contemporary, mystery novel set in San Diego, California.  I liked the horoscope angle for this novel. The premise for the storyline was a good one, but the writing wasn't very captivating. The writing needed more depth and suspense to keep the reader interested in the storyline. I wasn't a fan of any of the characters either. Towards the end of the novel, I didn't care what happened and just wanted The Horoscope Writer to end.

Below is the publisher's summary for The Horoscope Writer by Ash Bishop from Amazon's website:

From Audie Award-winning author Ash Bishop

“Readers will be eager to see what Bishop does next.” —Publishers Weekly

“. . . filled with realistic scenarios and satisfying twists.” —Midwest Book Review

Leo: You’ll step out the door, prepared for a normal day. But you’ll never reach your workplace. You will vanish, without a trace.

Who is The Horoscope Writer? It’s not Bobby Frindley. He’s an ex-Olympic athlete who has fast-talked his way into an entry-level position at a dying newspaper. He’s supposed to be writing horoscopes, but someone has been doing it for him . . .

On his first night on the job, Bobby receives an email with twelve gruesome, highly-detailed horoscopes, along with a chilling ultimatum: print them and one will come true, or ignore them and they all will.

Working with a skeptical co-worker, Bobby investigates the horoscope writer’s true identity, but the closer he gets to the truth, the more the predictions begin to be about him. Has he attracted the attention of a cruel puppeteer? Or is it possible that, like any good horoscope, it’s all in his head?

For readers who enjoy The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown, Deal Breaker by Harlan Corben, or Therapy by Jonathan Kellerman.

I am giving The Horoscope Writer by Ash Bishop a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

The Seas by Samantha Hunt

 

I listened the unabridged audio version of The Seas by Samantha Hunt, which is well narrated by the author. Samantha Hunt is a new to me author. I enjoyed reading The Seas very much and look forward to reading other books by Samantha Hunt.

The Seas was my 10th read of 2025 and what an excellent read it! It's also a very quick read too. Essentially, The Seas by Samantha Hunt is a coming of age story with an unnamed and unreliable narrator as the protagonist. Throw in some magical realism and you have an almost perfect read with The Seas. I think The Seas may be my favorite fiction read so far for 2025.

Below is the publisher's summary for The Seas by Samantha Hunt, I found on Chirp's website:

Moored in a coastal fishing town so far north that the highways only run south, the unnamed narrator of The Seas is a misfit. She’s often the subject of cruel local gossip. Her father, a sailor, walked into the ocean eleven years earlier and never returned, leaving his wife and daughter to keep a forlorn vigil. Surrounded by water and beckoned by the sea, she clings to what her father once told her: that she is a mermaid. True to myth, she finds herself in hard love with a land-bound man, an Iraq War veteran thirteen years her senior. The mesmerizing, fevered coming-of-age tale that follows will land her in jail. Her otherworldly escape will become the stuff of legend. With the inventive brilliance and psychological insight that have earned her international acclaim, Samantha Hunt pulls listeners into an undertow of impossible love and intoxication, blurring the lines between reality and fairy tale, hope and delusion, sanity and madness.

I'm giving The Seas by Samantha Hunt a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Toxicology by Jessica Hagedorn

Toxicology is the 4th novel I've read by Filipino-American writer and playwright, Jessica Hagedorn. Incidentally, Toxicology is also my 4th read of 2025. Hagedorn's writing is edgy, artsy, unique and quite a wild ride. If you haven't read any of her novels, then you're in for a treat!

Quite frankly, Toxicology wasn't what I was expecting. It is edgy, unique, and artsy as to be expected from Jessica Hagedorn, but not as engaging as her other novels. I liked the characters and the storyline for Toxicology, which is written in a unique voice only Jessica Hagedorn can bring to the table... BUT, some of the imagery just went over my head. I liked Toxicology, but it just didn't resonate with me like her previous novels did.

If you want to explore Jessica Hagedorn's writing, I wouldn't recommend starting with Toxicology. Try reading Dogeaters or The Gangster of Love instead.

Below is the publisher's summary for Toxicology by Jessica Hagedorn found Amazon's website:

A bold new novel about the intersection of art, love, fame, and money from the acclaimed author of Dogeaters.

Jessica Hagedorn's edgy and entertaining new novel centers on the lives of two women who are neighbors in Manhattan's West Village. Mimi Smith is a filmmaker of low-budget slasher movies in search of new material. Her neighbor Eleanor Delacroix is a legendary writer of erotic fiction, now nearing eighty and addicted to cocaine and gin. Their personal and artistic lives begin to collide in unexpected ways as Eleanor grieves over the recent death of her live-in lover, the renowned painter Yvonne Wilder, and as Mimi deals with the challenges presented by her newly sober brother Carmelo; her drug-dealing boyfriend, who has mysteriously disappeared; and her wayward fourteen-year-old daughter, Violet. Looming over all these characters is the ghost of Agnes-an "illegal" and cousin of Mimi's who might have been murdered by her New Jersey employers. Toxicology is a dark yet playful exploration of money, desire, mortality, and the connection between creativity and self-destruction.

I am giving Toxicology by Jessica Hagedorn a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

A Christmas Candy Killing by Christina Romeril

 

I love reading cozy mystery novels! With it being the month of December and so close to the Christmas holiday, I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of A Christmas Candy Killing by Christina Romeril, which was well narrated by Bernadette Dunne.

A Christmas Candy Killing by Christina Romeril is the first cozy mystery in the 'A Killer Chocolate Mystery' series. I have the second novel in the series, A Nutcracker Nightmare, downloaded and ready to listen to and enjoy next! Cozy mysteries are great for fun, relatively quick, and lightweight reads this time of the year when we're all so busy with everyday life and preparing for the holiday season.

I enjoyed listening to A Christmas Candy Killing. It's a cozy mystery, features chocolate, a mystery bookstore, is tied to Christmas, and is a fun read. What's not to like?

I liked the storyline, plot twists, pacing, and the characters for A Christmas Candy Killing. There seemed to be quite a few characters to initially remember and keep straight, but nothing too burdensome to handle. I did figure out who the killer was long before the identity was revealed to readers due to the clues mentioned throughout the novel. 

I did like A Christmas Candy Killing. And as I already mentioned, I look forward to listening to the second novel.

Below is the publisher's summary for A Christmas Candy Killing by Christina Romeril from the Goodreads website:

Identical twin sisters Alex and Hannah are the owners of Murder and Mayhem, a mystery bookshop that sells their famous poison-themed Killer Chocolates. But now, there’s a real killer in their midst. Shortly before Christmas, their septuagenarian neighbor, Jane, confides to Alex that a murderer from a true-crime show has taken up residence in the village. Unfortunately, she’s also shared her suspicions with town gossip Netta. The next morning, Alex shows up at Jane’s house to watch the show, but instead she discovers Jane's body, with a box of Killer Chocolates nearby. The sheriff quickly zeroes in on two Alex, a beneficiary in Jane’s will, and Zack, a handyman who was seen leaving the crime scene. But Alex maintains her innocence and sets out to draft a list of other potential suspects―townsfolk who’d recently been seen arguing with Jane. When Alex gets hold of Jane’s journal, she begins to understand the truth. But a bearer of ill tidings is arriving early this year―and Alex just might not make it to Christmas.

I am giving A Christmas Candy Killing by Christina Romeril a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

 I listened to the unabridged audio version of The Sentence by Louise Erdrich and narrated by the author. This is my first experience with anything written by Louise Erdrich. 

I'm so grateful that I finally took the step to read a novel by Louise Erdrich!! Louise Erdrich's writing is amazing and The Sentence covers a lot of ground, so you're in for a good ride.

What did I like about The Sentence? Just about everything. The writing is great and so is the storyline. I loved the characters for this novel as well... I especially loved the main character, Tookie! I enjoyed the indigenous bookstore set in Minnesota. The bookstore is a haunted bookstore as in that it's haunted by a difficult, former customer named, Flora, who had passed away recently. Flora makes the most problems for Tookie throughout most of the novel. Tookie and the rest of the staff try to figure out why Flora is haunting the bookstore and help her cross over to the other side. We read about the lives of those running the bookstore and a few of the customers as well as about Tookie's friends and family, which make for a great read.

The time period for The Sentence is an entire year from November 2019 to November 2020. So, the Covid-19 pandemic is front and center for much of the novel and how it effected people's live. Additionally, the George Floyd murder and riots to follow were also front and center. Not to mention the lives of Indigenous Americans were also front and center for this novel. Louise Erdrich writes about each topic so well and interweaves each topic together in such a way as to be seamless to the storyline, including the haunting of the bookstore that we read about throughout the novel. 

Louise Erdrich also appears as a minor character in her own novel. Also, I can only assume that the bookstore in the The Sentence is somewhat based on the author's own bookstore.

Below is the publisher's summary for The Sentence by Louise Erdrich from the Goodreads website:

In this stunning and timely novel, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author Louise Erdrich creates a wickedly funny ghost story, a tale of passion, of a complex marriage, and of a woman's relentless errors.

Louise Erdrich's latest novel, The Sentence, asks what we owe to the living, the dead, to the reader and to the book. A small independent bookstore in Minneapolis is haunted from November 2019 to November 2020 by the store's most annoying customer. Flora dies on All Souls' Day, but she simply won't leave the store. Tookie, who has landed a job selling books after years of incarceration that she survived by reading "with murderous attention", must solve the mystery of this haunting while at the same time trying to understand all that occurs in Minneapolis during a year of grief, astonishment, isolation, and furious reckoning.

The Sentence begins on All Souls' Day 2019 and ends on All Souls' Day 2020. Its mystery and proliferating ghost stories during this one year propel a narrative as rich, emotional, and profound as anything Louise Erdrich has written.

I am giving The Sentence by Louise Erdrich a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

The Twilight Wife by A.J. Banner

 

I enjoyed listening to The Twilight Wife by A.J. Banner and narrated by Cassandra Campbell while on vacation earlier this month.

Listening time for The Twilight Wife by A.J. Banner is 7 hours, 40 minutes.

The Twilight Wife by A.J. Banner is a work of contemporary fiction and is also a psychological suspense. I've had this novel in my 'to be read' pile for a number of years and I am glad I finally read it this month.

The pros of The Twilight Wife by A.J. Banner for me was the main character, Kyra Winthrop, and the overall storyline. Kyra is a 34 year old marine biologist and she was involved in a diving accident that left her with a complex form of memory loss. She barely remembers anything about her life from the past four years. Kyra has flashes of memories that don't make a lot of sense to her as she tries to piece her life back together.

Kyra is also essentially an unreliable main character. She draws a few false conclusions about her life when it comes to all of her fragmented flashes of memories and how they fit together. I also questioned whether or not Kyra's fragmented flashes of memoir were even true/real at the time or if they were simply false memories.

The overall storyline/plot and other characters were good too. I figured out some of what was happening in the novel early on, but there was a plot twist that I didn't quite catch.

The major con for me was the pacing of this novel. The Twilight Wife was a bit slow for me. 

Below is the publisher's summary for The Twilight Wife by A.J. Banner from Amazon's website:

From best-selling author A.J. Banner comes a dazzling new novel of psychological suspense in the vein of S.J. Watson's Before I Go to Sleep and Mary Kubica's The Good Girl that questions just how much we can trust the people around us.

Thirty-four-year-old marine biologist Kyra Winthrop remembers nothing about the diving accident that left her with a complex form of memory loss. With only brief flashes of the last few years of her life, her world has narrowed to a few close friendships on the island where she lives with her devoted husband, Jacob.

But all is not what it seems. Kyra begins to have visions - or are they memories? - of a rocky marriage, broken promises, and cryptic relationships with the island residents, whom she believes to be her friends.

As Kyra races to uncover her past, the truth becomes a terrifying nightmare. A twisty, immersive thriller, The Twilight Wife will keep listeners enthralled through the final, shocking twist.

I am giving The Twilight Wife by A.J. Banner a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!