Time Travel for Beginners
by Jaclyn Moriarty
Oh, If Only It Were True (5/30/2026)
I raced through this book, savoring the twists and turns--ultimately being surprised by the final plot twist. That is my measure of a great book! There are many great little moral lessons about parenthood, loss, and relationships, as we navigate through Anna and Teddy's lives. Wouldn't it be great if there was a little Time Travel Agency Shop in our neighborhood?
Like the characters, would you first revisit your own life, or go back to moments in history? Would you believe that it was real, or just call it another trick of artificial intelligence. Although it reads like a light, engaging, fund read...it really makes you think a little deeper. And I really like that!
The Reimagining of Thornwood House
by Jaleigh Johnson
A Cozy and Captivating Fantasy World (4/15/2026)
Who doesn't love an imagined world with witches that have specific talents, a house with feelings and its own powers, and a heroine who is trying to buck the governing body to raise an orphaned girl? I know I do!
I absolutely loved disappearing into this story that is imaginative, heartwarming, and kept my attention from beginning to end. I didn't want it to end, and I really want to know what happens after the end of the story. Close your eyes and jump in!
Feast
by Catherine Kurtz
When Is a Gift Not a Gift? (4/15/2026)
The story of "Feast" centers around a mixed-race girl, the daughter of a prostitute, who has an amazing sense of smell: she can identify every ingredient, down to its origin in food. She is alone in the world after the death of her beloved grandfather, and sets out to find her place in France.
She becomes a poison taster for an oblivious duke, and a natural enemy of the manor chef. Her naivity and isolation create other problems. The author makes you root for the heroine, but shake your first at some of her decisions.
This is overall a book of the life of an "other" in an unforgiving time. It is easy to glean parallels to current day.
Boring Asian Female
by Canwen Xu
Far From Boring (3/7/2026)
I wanted to gate this book. From the beginning, our title character, Elizabeth, is super judgmental, overly materialistic, and seriously driven. When she doesn't get into Har and Law School, she gets crazier and crazier. Although I didn't like her, I could understand her, and, to a certain extent, admire her persistent.
This is an interesting viewpoint from an Asian author, frankly talking about racism. I am many years away from college, so the level of competition is a bit removed for me..but the emotions are all there. It's a fast fun read with lots to think a d talk about.ç
The Jellyfish Problem
by Tessa Yang
A Jellyfish Quandary (3/4/2026)
Who knew that jellyfish were so interesting? This intriguing story follows a young scientist who specializes in the study of jellyfish who is really from from the death of a close colleague. A call from a college friend brings her to a small island off the coast of Maine to study a humongous red jellyfish that has entrapped the islanders. It is a story of community on many levels, with the climax resolving many complicated issues in a satisfying way.
Thistlemarsh
by Moorea Corrigan
The Faerie World Meets a Plucky Orphan (2/4/2026)
Who doesn't love a story that combines history, folklore, romance, and even includes a dragon-cum-puppy. Our intrepid heroine, Mouse, returns home from nursing during WW1 to find that her uncle has left her the family mansion with impossible conditions. She has one month to complete repairs that have been decades in the making or lose it to a hated cousin.
The property has long-standing ties to faerie history, and in steps a mysterious figure who agrees to assist. It is a faerie with his own agenda. Together they work to return the mansion to its former glory, not without complications that include dragons, mermaids, and polar bears.
This is an imaginative, fun read that I could not put down! A perfect escape from a cold winter night.
Fireflies in Winter
by Eleanor Shearer
Love Comes in Many Forms (1/31/2026)
This historical novel brings to light a period of time following the American Revolution, when there were four classes of dark-skinned people living in Nova Scotia (other than indigenous): slaves, freed slaves, indentured servants, and Maroons from Jamaica. The author has created a diverse cast of characters that include examples of each, backstories, and reactions to the harsh landscape, creating an intriguing narrative. The principal characters are Cora and Agnes. As the story progresses, we learn more about the origins and motivations of each. The book is a sensitive vision of a forgotten period of history with believable characters shaped by tragic events. Yet love prevails in many forms.
The Pie & Mash Detective Agency
by J.D. Brinkworth
Fun Romp Through the English Countryside (12/25/2025)
This book was exactly what I expected, an uncomplicated, enjoyable, light-hearted read. The two main characters are charmingly bumbling, and the mystery they are assigned to solve in their entry-level detective class is a missing persons case. They are aided by their teacher, who has absolutely not faith in them, and gave them the case as a throw-away.
Would I read other novels in the series, if written? Probably not; there were many very British colloquialisms and slang, and I didn't particularly like either of the lead characters. But it was a fun, if a bit unprobably story.
When We Were Brilliant
by Lynn Cullen
A Brilliant View (11/2/2025)
This book did an exemplary job of turning my opinion of Marilyn Monroe on its head. I have seen many of her films, and have heard and have read the usual summary of her life, but this novel really made me think of her in a completely different way. I was unfamiliar with Eve Arnold (and paused the book to do my own research and look at some of the photos mentioned).
The story of their friendship amidst the patriarchal worlds of both publishing/photography and Hollywood/Broadway does shine a light on the struggles of women during that era. The book is well-researched and easily readable It makes we want to go back and watch all the Monroe films mentioned to look for the woman behind the makeup.
The Magic of Untamed Hearts: Wild Magic #3
by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
Fun Romp (9/22/2025)
This was a fun easy read with vivid characters and a predictable ending. This could easily be characterized as a young adult book, except there are numerous explicit adult situation.
The story involves our heroine trying to reintegrate into her small town after disappearing for 8 years. Where has she been? Wandering the woods in a state between dead and alive, cared for by "old gods." We sre introduced to lots of interesting folklore, and insight into the experience of trying to fit in.
A Club of One's Own
by BookBrowse
Roadmap for a Great Book Club (7/31/2025)
As one of the leading forces in our local book club, I was excited to read this guide. My hope was to help re-energize our club and find ways to make meetings fun and worth attending. It met and exceeded my expectations, and I am waiting for our first meeting after a summer break to implement.
This is the perfect tool for anyone who is either setting up a new book club, or is part of an existing club. Clearly a lot of thought and research went into to guide, and the many suggestions will fit every taste.
The Botanist's Assistant
by Peggy Townsend
A Fun and Quirky Read (6/27/2025)
The Botanist's Assistant was a fun murder mystery, replete with red herrings and quirky characters. The plot takes place in the biochemistry department in a small college, and our heroine is a 54-year old, very tall, plain research assistant called "Big Bird" behind her back.
Her boss, a charismatic professor, is found dead in his office, and Big Bird, ever keen on observing details, is sure that the cause is murder, not a heart attack. The author keeps you guessing until the end, and, if you are a gardening enthusiast, as I am, there are all kinds of horticultural factoids to keep you interested.
The Vanishing Place
by Zoë Rankin
A Slightly Unbelievable Trip to New Zealand (6/4/2025)
I wanted to read this book because I recently spent a month in New Zealand. My time there really enhanced the experience, as I could picture many of the locations, fauna and flora. It was perhaps easier to understand the isolation of the bush and the characters' attitudes.
This was an interesting but flawed novel, jumping back and forth in time periods. First, the main character's present time and childhood are explored, and later in the book, several other characters are introduced who are ultimately connected.
I am not sure that I totally bought into the motivations of the characters; the religious fervor seemed a stretch. I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much as I did if I hadn't felt a connection to the locale.
Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden from Us
by Anna Malaika Tubbs
An Eye-Opening Analysis of the History and Results of Gender (4/25/2025)
This work rests soundly alongside other books like "Caste" by Isabel Wilkerson, which shows, in part, how the United States got to its current state. The author clearly lays out the history of our patriarchal society, and all of the layers of norms, laws, and habits that diminish everyone who is not a privileged white male.
Although some of the assertions are a bit heavy handed (I am not sure that I believe that founding fathers so purposely set out to exclude women from the new country), and the step to the conclusion are repeated to excess, the facts are clear, eye-opening and a bit scary.
This is hard reading in our political climate, but necessary.
Jane and Dan at the End of the World
by Colleen Oakley
A Fun Romp with a Few Twists (11/30/2024)
I wasn't sure what to expect with this novel, but it ended up being a warm twisty romp. There are insights about marriage, parenting, climate change, and even crypto currency. Nothing ends the way you think it is going to, which is just the way I like my fiction. It's a quick read with believable characters in an unbelievable situation.
The Seven O'Clock Club
by Amelia Ireland
Could Not Put This One Down (11/13/2024)
Four strangers come together with a therapist to work on an experimental technique to help each recover from a personal trauma. Over the course of the novel, each character unravels. We learn about them, without learning about their actual trauma throughout the novel. Each of them starts to relate to the other, finding that the relationship and act of communicating is, in itself, healing.
Then we find out why they are there. (No spoilers here.) I came to alternately love, hate, and feel for each of these characters more and more throughout the book. What a great debut novel!
We'll Prescribe You a Cat
by Syou Ishida
Cute Stories for Feline Lovers (6/6/2024)
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book, but I was delighted and hooked after the first twenty pages. There is just the right mix of supernatural, morality play, and cuteness to make it a lovely and uncomplicated read. It doesn't hurt if you happen to be a lover of all things feline, which I am.
Each short story follows a person with a serious life problem who is seeking psychological help from a mysterious practice recommended by a friend, relative, or acquaintance. After a brief examination, each is prescribed a cat and given written care instructions.
What happens next makes the stories interesting, and I won't give you any spoilers. Suffice it to say problems are solved.
The September House
by Carissa Orlando
A Dandy and Thought-Provoking Read (5/28/2023)
I must begin by admitting that I am a fan of the horror genre, so this is a book that I would normally gravitate towards. The September House, however, intrigues and titillates while fulfilling two criteria of a superior horror read. First, the characters have believable motivations for what might otherwise be unthinkable actions (why stay in a house that is harming you?...why stay in a relationship where you are being beaten?). Second, there is a reasonable backstory for the house itself. The scariest tales are those that we can believe are possible. After all, what force is stronger than the love of a mother for her child?
The Critic's Daughter: A Memoir
by Priscilla Gilman
Homage to a Father (1/18/2023)
When I started this book, I knew nothing about the critic Richard Gilman or his works. The world that the author, his daughter, describes--New York City intelligentsia, artists, and writers is equally unknown. Yet I reveled in the vivid descriptions, and the touching memories of a well-loved father; it kept me awake remembering my own father.
The writing is exquisite; I am amazed that she remembers so many details of her childhood. Be prepared that she does not sugar-coat her father, he is a fully realized person. At the beginning of the book he is shown through child-like eyes, and then as she grows, so do his personality, faults, and virtues.
The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
by Colleen Oakley
Rollicking Good Read (10/25/2022)
How many books have crossed my path recently with a feisty and funny older person as the protagonist? Sadly, very few, with this exception! This was a great fast read, with some fun twists and turns. We get to take a road trip with an octagenarian, a 20-something, and a convicted felon, who wouldn't love that? Add in gangsters, dementia, and a jewel heist, and you are sure to love it.
I am very sad that Louise won't be in any sequels! I would love to see more adventures with her.
Power Reviewer
