The pacing of this book was insane! I couldn‘t put it down. And the twist at the end was freaking crazy! I had mixed feelings about said twist and with that still a solid 4 or 4.5 star read! I‘m excited to be reading Feeney‘s back catalog of books because I‘m going to get to meet her next month when she comes to Maryland as part of her tour for her new book! I can‘t wait!! I‘d be intrigued for this one to be adapted.

This was the December pick for my Literary Fiction book club. I love family dysfunction in literature. A married man w/ teenaged children gives away all of the $2.3 million pounds he received from the selling of his company to charity w/out consulting with his wife first. (He was injured in a freak accident & this was the result). Was what he did selfish? Should he have looked out for his family? Is he crazy? This sparks interesting conversations.

5 stars for this one! It was so much fun!! I don‘t believe I‘ve read Downing before but will definitely read more now. The pacing was excellent. So many twists and surprises. I would love to see this adapted! It would be hilarious! If you‘re in a reading slump, this one will definitely get you out of it!

After getting caught up on the Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny, I was looking for another series to dig into & I‘m so glad when a friend suggested the Shetland books! It took me a little bit to learn the characters but was pleasantly surprised by the reveals towards the end. Shetland is a fascinating setting & I‘m really looking forward to listening to the rest of them!

Read this for Historical Fiction book club & I loved it! The characters felt like real people & missed them after it was over. A really good mixture of character development & advancements in plot. I‘ll admit I was surprised at first at the scope of the novel but was heavily satisfied with the conclusion. This would make an excellent movie or limited series. I would definitely want to read the author‘s other books.

Really enjoyed this one! This doomsday scenario is so frightening bc it could actually happen. It makes you wonder what you would do with your last 59 minutes if you knew the end was coming. There‘s a lot of talk of twists w/ this book & maybe bc it was the audiobook but I didn‘t pick up on it when it was revealed & by the end of the book was confused. I still really liked it! I had to ask a friend to confirmed what happened.

Firstly, this was very jarring to read bc of the current state of the world. Secondly, this felt almost like a different series. Penny should‘ve started a new series if this is the turn she wanted to take it. After I was done with it I was like “huh that was interesting/different”. Still a 4 star read but idk where the series can go from here given the direction it‘s been taking.

4 stars! This is the December pick 4 my Mystery/Thriller book club & I will say I was very pleased with this collection of short stories. Out of the 12, there were only 4 that I didn‘t care for as much so that‘s pretty good!! The ones I liked were by Jason Starr, Rob Hart, Laura Lippman, Jeffery Deaver, Thomas Perry, Ragnar Jonasson, Tom Mead, & David Gordon. I‘m eager to see what other club members will think of the different stories! Great pick!

This was an interesting take on the morality and ethics involving AI. Some parts are slower than others but it mostly held my attention. There are a couple revelations that made me bump it up to 4 stars on Goodreads. It‘s definitely a timely story. And it was cool that it took place in the Delmarva area. Love the Maryland representation (although it mostly took place in Delaware and Virginia). It‘ll be unnerving to see how AI affects society.

This made for a really good audiobook w/ it being a full cast including Reese herself! I went into this not really knowing what to expect but I enjoyed it & it was a crazy, thrilling ride. I wonder if we will see the protagonist again in a future book.

The past 2 Feeney books I read (Daisy Darker & Beautiful Ugly) were 3 star reads for me. I‘m glad I gave her another chance w/ His & Hers because this was a 5 star read for me! I read it bc of the upcoming Netflix adaptation & I love me some Jon Bernthal & I had to read it first. I‘m very excited for the show & I couldn‘t put this book down! I‘m going to read her other books!

I read this for historical fiction book club & it was so good! This is the 1st book I‘ve read by this author & I would definitely read more of her books. It‘s a dual timeline between Violet at Harvard in 1992 & Harry‘s experiences with the book buying world in 1912. Harry is a victim of the Titanic (not a spoiler) & he may be trying to communicate with Violet. This was such a sweet & lovely story! I cared about both of the protagonists. 5 stars!

I read this 4 literary fiction book club & I really haven‘t liked the picks recently including this 1. I‘ve never read Erdrich b4 & I can‘t say I‘d be in a hurry to read another one. I listened to it so maybe that has something to do w/ it, but I wasn‘t invested in the characters & there were so many little sections that it just felt disjointed. I didn‘t pay the most attention; I just wanted to get through it. The voice acting could‘ve been better

Ok I really like the author because I‘ve seen her multiple times at Gaithersburg Book Festival & I enjoy her social media posts. But this is a 2.5 star read rounded up to 3 for Goodreads. This book was longer than it needed to be and it just dragged a lot. The narrator for Abby sounded real whiny & perhaps that grated on my nerves but I didn‘t really care for the characters. I really enjoyed We Were Never Here, I‘d like one like that again.

Omg this was amazing just like the 1st book & there has 2 be a 3rd one on the way, just saying! I love that it‘s metafiction & Chizmar‘s a phenomenal writer! I love these serial killer books! I wish there were more (I prefer this more so now than unreliable narrators). This book means a lot to me as I‘m a lifelong Marylander. I‘ve met Chizmar & he‘s great at events. I‘m eager to read the other books I have of his & see what he comes out with next!

I love M Night movies & have respect for Nicholas Sparks so I was eager to see what a collab between them would be like. It was compelling enough of a story & fans of both of them should enjoy it. Nothing groundbreaking though; a solid 3.5 stars! I‘ll see the movie adaptation by M Night. I like how there‘s a mystery built in too. I predicted the whodunnit but it still makes for an enjoyable listen overall!

This book was phenomenal! 5 stars! I‘ve never read anything like it b4! I‘ve met the author a few times & he‘s great! It‘s amazing how he‘s able 2 do metafiction so well! Perfect read for October (spooky season!) I love a good serial killer story & the hunt 4 the killer kept the suspense going. It doesn‘t hurt that the fictional events take place in Maryland & it‘s always nice 2 read about areas u know! I‘ve already started the 2nd one & love it!

This book was really good but so. freaking. sad. It‘s the 1st Wally Lamb book I‘ve read. It‘s heartbreaking all the way through. This would make a good limited series or movie. I loved Jeremy Sisto‘s narration of the audiobook. The book is still lingering with me even though it‘s been a couple of days since I finished it.

I read the book bc the movie comes out Oct 24th & I really like the cast for it so I‘d thought I‘d read this one. I really enjoyed this book & it will make a great movie! I‘m not sure why there‘s so much Colleen hate online in terms of her writing. Every book I‘ve read by her I‘ve really enjoyed. You will love the characters in this book! Im always drawn to books featuring mother/daughter dynamics. I‘m excited for the movie!

This was longer than it needed to be probably but it was a good listen. I wish the narrator had made more differences between characters when switching POVs. This was the 2nd book of Faulkner‘s I‘ve read & they‘ve been good. I liked how there were twists throughout all the way until the end.

I flew through this audiobook! It‘s 10 hours long & I started listening 2 it late Saturday night & I finished it over lunch today! I was hooked from the very start & it just kept twisting & turning. The pace was really well done & interesting 2 hear from different POVs. The narrator did a great job of making each character sound different so it was easy 2 keep track. I will definitely have 2 read other books by this author. I think I have a couple

I finished this book last night & I really loved it. It‘s my 1st time reading this author & now I‘d like to read her other books. Anne and Delia felt like real people 2 me & I wanted to continue watching them on their journeys. There are different locations the book takes place in & it really adds to the story. This was the pick for a new historical fiction book club at my local independent bookstore & what a great 1st pick! I highly recommend it!

This made for a great audiobook bc there was a whole cast narrating the different POVs throughout the book. I didn‘t see the end twist coming & was pleasantly surprised by it. There are definitely twists and turns throughout the book & I thought it had an interesting structure. As far as thrillers go, this was almost original & I definitely recommend reading/listening to it! I would read from this author again!

This was a very good read! I could‘ve done with less of Toby‘s point of view which at times felt excessive. The viewpoints came together & had a good ending. Malfi is an excellent writer. This would make a good adaptation. At times there‘s gory descriptions, but I went through it in a few days time. It‘s on the bigger side at 429 pages. I read this 4 book club & id definitely read more from Malfi since he‘s from the same town as me & have met him.

I‘ve read books feat. seniors reflecting on their lives & some r really great. This 1 wasn‘t. The Annapolis/Arnold, MD setting was cool since that‘s where I‘m from but overall this is just an ok book. I didn‘t gain anything from it. I listened to the audio & maybe that has something 2 do with it. The different narrators helped liven it up. Like it wasn‘t bad, it just wasn‘t anything special. I don‘t understand the really high rating 4 this book.

This is the 2nd Emily Henry book I‘ve read (the other being Book Lovers). I really loved this one! I loved how Daphne was a children‘s librarian & the set up of the novel. I really respected her as a character. I‘m new to the romance genre & this one was highly recommended & I‘m glad I read it! I would love 2 see this adapted to film or tv! I appreciated the connection Daphne had with her mom & the struggles she had with her dad. I could relate.

I started reading the physical book of this a couple months ago & I wasn‘t into it. I placed a hold on the audio in case I felt like giving it another try & I‘m glad I did! It ended up being a 4 star read for me & it helped to have all of the different narrators. I believe this is the first Jewell book I‘ve read. I have a few of her others so I‘m eager to give them a try.

I really enjoyed this one although I‘m not as big a fan of the new narrator for this book as the previous 2. I can‘t wait to find out what happens next after reading this one. The next book (coming out in October) called The Black Wolf will surely be connected to this one so I‘m glad I waited to listen to it! Ruth & Rosa aren‘t as funny with the new narrator. If you‘ve enjoyed the series thus far, you will enjoy this one!

5 stars! I read this for book club & I loved it! I flew through it in a couple days over Labor Day weekend! The characters were developed & lovable despite their flaws. The children in the book made the book! I would love to see this adapted to a film or limited series. It‘s very darkly funny at times, but is funny throughout. I‘d be eager to read more from this author!

I listened to this I wish there had been different narrators 4 the 2 different timelines bc then I would‘ve kept more of it straight. There were groups of women in both timelines & I couldn‘t always keep all of the names straight. The plot was intriguing at times. It was overall an okay read. Not too memorable. I would read other books by the author but it wouldn‘t beat the top of my list. If I‘d read the physical book I may have felt different.

4.75 stars! This was so good! The characters were developed and the mystery/suspense going throughout was intense & there were twists at the end that made for a satisfying conclusion. I‘m glad this is the first in a series because I‘m looking forward to revisiting some of these characters. It‘s dark and intense like her books are but very good!! Be prepared for a ride!

This was one of the better books in the Gamache series! I really enjoyed this one! Especially towards the end! I‘m glad to be caught up in this series bc I‘m listening to The Grey Wolf next! If you‘ve read the previous books, you will like this one! I liked how new characters were introduced and how a case from the past was brought into play.

Another good installment in the Frankie Elkin series! Gardner always delivers with this character. I read it in 2 days (mainly because I‘m recovering from getting sick). I‘m always impressed with Gardner‘s research & a lengthy acknowledgements section goes into detail all she learned for it. It leaves me to wonder where Frankie can go next. At an author event Gardner said she‘s taking a break from Frankie, but I‘d like to see more!

I loved this book! I couldn‘t put it down! I finished it in a couple of days! Lynne Constantine wrote this one solo (apart from her sister Valerie who together make up Liv Constantine). Annabelle is having dreams that are coming true. What does it mean? There were plenty of twists along the way and I really liked and cared for Annabelle. I‘d love to see this one adapted. I definitely recommend this one!

I always enjoy Vivienne Leheny‘s performances of Donlea‘s books! They make great audiobooks! This one overall was enjoyable. I predicted a couple of things & with his books I usually don‘t. That being said I did enjoy the twists and turns along the way. It would make a good movie. If you‘ve read the author‘s books before you‘ll like this one. I listened to it on some longer car rides and it made the time go by faster. I recommend this one!

I really enjoyed this book! You have to suspend disbelief at parts but that‘s okay. Pretty early on, you get the kind of person that Julia is and that follows through the book. Sometimes the dialogue seemed forced or stilted but it still worked for me in terms of the story being told. You really just have to accept it for what it is which may sound bad, but it‘s not. It‘s a good escapist thriller wondering how it‘ll all end.

I‘m glad this audiobook was short. It‘s basically a stream of consciousness of a woman as she goes through a day after a major earthquake strikes. I wasn‘t that entranced with the main character & there wasn‘t as much action as I thought there‘d be. I guess I need something with plot to keep me interested. This was recommended by someone whose recommendations I don‘t usually care for so now I know better. Wasn‘t the worst book but nothing special.

I read this for book club & really did not enjoy it. I listened to the audiobook. It wasn‘t paced well & I kept going back & forth on being into & not. The characters aren‘t developed & I just didn‘t really care about what was going on. It was also way too long at 11 hours & didn‘t get interesting until 9 hours in. There is a twist at the end, but not caring about the characters I was just like “ok”. I do not recommend this one!

A solid 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 for Goodreads. This was an interesting premise & I enjoyed the characters and narration. It wasn‘t the best but it wasn‘t bad. I liked Kate as a character. I guess I don‘t have much to say about it lol but it wasn‘t bad. If you‘re looking for a nice fun light read, then this is it.

4.5 stars rounded down to 4 for Goodreads. This was really good! The author kept the twists coming, surprising me. This would make a great limited series. I flew through this one. The suspense was great and you cared about the characters too. Julie Clark hasn‘t disappointed yet. My mystery thriller book club‘s pick for October but sadly can‘t make it to that meeting. The sprayed edges are so pretty!

Solid 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 on Goodreads. I think this book could‘ve been shorter but overall I enjoyed it. It picked up more towards the end & I predicted part of what happened but it was still a good story overall. Right mix of the supernatural or was it? I would read this author again.

So this book was fine enough of a listen. Although I‘m not sure what the author was trying to convey with this book. I wasnt always paying the most attention but still I‘ve noticed this book has a low Goodreads rating. So yeah I don‘t have any takeaways from this book. Kind of a waste of almost 5 hours. It was compelling until it wasn‘t. Maybe 3 stars was too generous.

I listened to more than half the book yesterday alone bc the Libby hold was going to expire today. It took a little bit for it to get more interesting but once it did it was good. I feel like the narrator wasn‘t consistent with accents but overall it was a good performance. This is the first I‘ve read of the author so would be intrigued by more potentially. I thought Shaw was a good protagonist.

So I went through this one rather quickly. It‘s Barclay‘s first time doing horror. Maybe horror novels aren‘t for me. I‘m a huge fan of his regular thrillers but idk I wasn‘t fully satisfied with it. 3.5 stars rounded down to 3 for Goodreads. I liked the main characters enough (except for the villain). If you like horror novels this is for you. If like me you just wanted to read it bc of being a Barclay fan, I‘d advise caution.

At 1st I wasn‘t sure I was going to like this one or not, but once I got more into it, I really liked it and seeing how it all played out. I‘m usually not the biggest fan of locked room mysteries but this one worked for me. The setting of 1954 was interesting as it made for a simpler story w/out technology advances. I rated it 4 stars but could see where others may not like it. I‘d like to see this one adapted. Who would play Anna?

This one was definitely interesting given the topic of the professor‘s research. Definitely would make for a heated debate in terms of ethics. While I enjoyed this one overall, it kind of dragged on and on to me. I think it could‘ve been shorter. It‘s always good to be with Gamache, Beauvoir, and Lacoste solving a case! I‘m excited that I‘m almost caught up on this long running series, this being the 17th one!!

I really flew through this 3rd entry in the Laughton Rees series! I certainly hope there is another one! It was nice to be reunited with characters after a couple of years since the 2nd one. I enjoyed the setting of London, never having been there myself and the urgency of the story as it takes place over 3 days. If you liked the 1st two, then you should like this one!

I read this for book club & I‘m glad the audio became available on Libby bc I wouldn‘t have made it through the physical book. It was okay enough of a story but it wasn‘t my cup of tea. I felt like Nettie didn‘t make the best decisions. I know books like this are important, focusing on the period of time & the Black Panthers, but was not overly impressed with the delivery.

5 stars! I LOVED this book! I flew through it in a couple of days! This was the 1st romance I read in a long time & it was so good! I loved all of the info about the indie bookstores & what it‘s like to manage & work at one. I really cared about the characters! I would read this one again! I‘m excited to read the author‘s other books!

4 stars. Not quite as engrossing as Evelyn Hugo or Daisy Jones for me but still an impressive family saga over generations. I loved the Riva siblings and their bond. I love the crossover of some characters from other books by TJR. It‘s always fun to read about fictional famous people lol!