Summer's Never Over
by Darby Bozeman
one dark summer (4/27/2026)
I enjoyed this book that took place at a summer camp over several years. It was definitely a thriller and kept me interested throughout the story with the twists and turns that were thrown into the storyline. The characters were so believable and I loved the way the story was told from different perspectives and along a past and present timeline. It kept me turning the pages for sure !
The Take
by Kelly Yang
dont be quick to judge! (4/27/2026)
This was one of those books that I had a difficult time in engaging with for the first several chapters, but once I picked up on the rhythm of the story, I couldn't put it down! The two characters in the story, one young woman trying to make it big and an older woman trying to hang on to what she had made...they caused so many problems for themselves along the way. They both had my hating and loving them at different times in the story, but really rooting for them each in a different way!
Ulysses S. Cat and Other Animals I Have Known
by Scott Simon
an animal lovers delight (4/27/2026)
I enjoyed this light hearted book of short stories about the many animals that have been in the authors life... as pets and otherwise (including the reason that their family no longer eats octopus!). Any of us that adore our pets, should get a kick and be able to relate to the many anecdotes shared in this book. Its a quick read that made me smile!
The Insomniacs
by Allison Winn Scotch
Kept me up all night! (4/13/2026)
The Insomniacs had me suffering insomnia right along with them as I got more and more involved in this story of 4 total strangers who meet online on a page for insomniacs. Each character had their own reasons for suffering from insomnia and they meet up to keep each other company as they learn more about each other along the way. Until they lose one of their own to an accident involving a third insomniac...that's when the real story begins. I loved all the twists and turns and even a little romance on the side. Really loved this one!
Fireflies in Winter
by Eleanor Shearer
Friendship, Love, and Freedom in the Arctic (2/18/2026)
I really loved this beautifully written book about two women who meet in the Nova Scotia wilderness in the 18th century. The story follows Cora, a free woman from Jamaica, who has a volatile home relationship with her family who has come to Nova Scotia with her. As she searches for solitude in the forest, she finds Agnes, who has a past of her own that she is hiding from. The story explores friendship, loss, freedom, and love and centers around a trial that the story keeps flashing back to. This is a character driven story that kept me engaged and curious. The landscape and the descriptions were beautiful and the relationships that Cora made with various characters, made the story unforgettable. I had not read this author before, but will definitely read her other book and hope for many more in the future.
Fatherland: A Novel
by Victoria Shorr
Reflections of a missing character (2/9/2026)
Loved this book that shows the after math of a father who leaves his family in the 1940s… we get to follow the characters through the 1990s and get an up close glimpse of what this void meant for Lora, the wife, and mostly, Josie, the eldest daughter. The writing style is slow and thoughtful , we really get to look at the emotions of Josie and how she ultimately relates to her father . I really enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more from the author.
Haven't Killed in Years
by Amy K. Green
an edgy winding road (11/26/2025)
I loved the premise of this book and even though it is not my normal genre, I dove in and got caught up in the story. It really kept me engrossed for about the first third of the book, but then I started getting bogged down with the characters and their aliases and trying to keep everyone straight. The story started to feel very far fetched and too coincidental, and then in steps the character of Natalie, and I was totally caught up again. The story line of her and Marin (Gwen)'s friendship really had me hanging on the edge of my seat. But as that part of the story twisted back to the modern day, I started to feel like the story was just too unbelievable again.
All in all, the story was pretty entertaining and did have some plot twists that I didn't see coming, but at the finish, I still rate it a 3.5
When We Were Brilliant
by Lynn Cullen
Historical fiction at its best (11/11/2025)
I loved how this book brought a totally new perspective to the life of Marilyn Monroe for me. I didn't know anything about Eve Arnold, but this prompted me to do some research into her life and look at some of the photos she took of Marilyn. I did have a bit of an obsession with Marilyn Monroe when I was in high school and knew that she lived a tormented life, but this put a new twist on it for me. I loved the story of the friendship of these two strong women through the years and how they had to fight for the respect of the men in their lives. It gave a great history but the friendship added a personal flavor that I really enjoyed.
Dandelion Is Dead
by Rosie Storey
Wishing for a few more chapters! (10/6/2025)
I loved this book! It had just the right amount of love, humor, mystery, and chaos to keep me turning the pages to see what came next . I enjoyed every character and it was so fun to see how each one evolved during the story .. so sad when this one ended .. could have followed these characters for several more chapters :).
The Botanist's Assistant
by Peggy Townsend
Botany assistant becomes Detective (7/24/2025)
Margaret Finch is a true gem in this entertaining mystery by Peggy Townsend. Margaret is the assistant to the botanist Dr Deaver and is also his biggest fan and admirer. When Dr Deaver is found dead in his office, Margarets "sleuth sense" kicks in as she tries to convince the police that there was foul play involved . She takes notes and goes through her list of quirky characters who become her suspects. I really enjoyed reading this light hearted novel and hope to see Margaret in future books by Townsend!
Angelica: For Love and Country in a Time of Revolution
by Molly Beer
The other side of Hamilton (7/2/2025)
I love most historical fiction and this was no exception. In fact is probably one of my favorite books in this genre! I had never heard about Angelica Schuyler Church , except in the context of the musical "Hamilton", so I was very happy to broaden my view of this amazing woman who was part of the American revolution (as much as she could be, considering her gender). I loved her strong personality and always enjoy reading about women in history, as I don't recall learning much about women's contributions to our American history, other than Betsy Ross , when I was in my school days. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a history buff or just enjoys historical fiction as much as I do.
The Fairbanks Four: Murder, Injustice, and the Birth of a Movement
by Brian Patrick O’Donoghue
Missed the mark (4/18/2025)
This was such an important story, 4 wrongly accused teens of a murder they did not commit in Alaska… a journalist uncovers the lies and coverups in their case to help free them. I felt like the story was hard to follow and had a lot of superfluous details that distracted me from the real story . I had a tough time finishing this one as it seemed to drag on for me as well.
L.A. Women
by Ella Berman
Love -Hate relationship (4/1/2025)
This was a love hate relationship for me as well as the characters in this book! I loved how I felt the main characters, Lane and Gala, each had 2 very different sides to their personalities. Each of them made me feel so many emotions while reading this book... empathy, anger, sadness, happiness.... all the feels! I thought it was a great telling of how women treat each other. Even though it took place 50 years ago, I think the feelings can still be the same.
We should be building each other up, but sometimes jealousy and judgement sneak in , and we end up tearing each other down instead. This book kept me engaged from the very beginning, and I hope to read more from this author in the future!
The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant
by Liza Tully
Merritt and Blunt figure it out! (3/24/2025)
Really liked this modern who dun it and the dynamic duo of Aubrey Merritt and Emily Blunt! The mystery was intriguing but not too violent and the quirkiness of the main characters really kept me engaged in the story line and trying to stay ahead of the mystery. I hope this is the first in a series of mysteries starring these strong women heros!
Serial Killer Games
by Kate Posey
I hope they make this into a movie! (1/12/2025)
I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end! It totally took me for a ride...I never knew from one chapter to the next what was about to happen, and when it all finally unfolded, I thought it was one of the sweetest love stories I have ever read. I could see this being a movie from about half way into the book. I would call this one a dark comedy, parts of it were truly hilarious and parts of it were extremely sad. This is a great debut novel from an author I hope we get to hear lots more from in the future!
Jane and Dan at the End of the World
by Colleen Oakley
One of my faves of the year ! (12/16/2024)
I loved this light hearted caper! It was so humorous , but also a poignant story about relationships and coming to terms with what we want in life . I just really enjoyed this fun story !
Happy Land
by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
A little known piece of history ! (12/4/2024)
Historical fiction is my favorite genre and I really enjoyed this book! I love learning something new in a great book. I loved going back and forth in time to learn about Happy Land , in the 1800s and the struggle to keep the land in the present day. The relationship struggles in both time periods were realistic and kept me turning each page … I highly recommend this book for lovers of historical fiction or just a good , interesting read.
The Bog Wife
by Kay Chronister
Strange times in the Bog (8/29/2024)
This is definitely not my normal genre, but I found this book very intriguing and creepy and strange. The story of the Haddesley family and their relationship with the bog they live on is filled with oddities and traditions that kept things very entertaining and thought provoking. This would be a great book club book because there are so many things to discuss! Each member of the family is outlined and developed very thoroughly, the book is well written and engaging. It was hard for me to imagine that this could be a real family, but there are some pretty strange things happening out there, and who knows? I definitely would like to read more by this author.
Pony Confidential
by Christina Lynch
A mystical murder (6/16/2024)
I loved this book! Critics will say it was unrealistic, which it 100 percent was, but was such a fun story and I loved each character ( except the villains and I really disliked them!) This book was written for animal lovers and those with an open mind about our relationship with our pets. I just thought it was a fun story, but also brought up some good points about how animals are treated and also the holes in our justice system. Read this if you just want a whimsical story told by a pony and his owner, with a little bit of mystery mixed in.
Follow the Stars Home
by Diane C. McPhail
Original Historical Fiction (5/15/2024)
Follow the Stars Home was a book based on a true story that I had never heard about before. Its a story of Nicholas Roosevelt's first steam boat, the New Orleans, and its maiden voyage in which he brought his young wife Lydia, who was 8 months pregnant, and their toddler along for the journey. Along the way, they meet much adversity which also included one of the biggest earthquakes in history. It is an interesting read and I enjoyed learning something new, however, there was a lot of repetition and I felt Lydia's prose was a little dull. I enjoyed the book for the most part however, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
