This was a fun read—ten young social media influencers sign up for a reality show to be unplugged without internet/devices on a luxurious private island. I was a little dubious that none of them batted an eye when red flags like no camera crew was there on the island and they‘re basically trapped there—have none of these kids read Agatha Christie?😂 Bodies start piling up. Told from multiple points of view. A fun mystery thriller with social media

Happy sigh. That‘s the sound of me finishing this middle-reader book by an author I have come to respect for his emotional sensitivity. As in his past books, he deals deftly with life challenges, a strong teacher figure, and the importance of community. This was a beautiful and sensitive story and you can only cheer on the protagonist as he grows throughout an incredibly difficult time in his life. I absolutely loved this.

A young caregiver, trying to get back on her feet after being accused of a crime, comes to the crumbling mansion to take care of an invalid woman, blamed for a Lizzie Borden-like massacre of her entire family, years ago on the eve of the stock market crash in 1929. There‘s definitely a gothic feel to this tale. I enjoyed this book.The twists at the end are a bit ludicrous and the family members are outright horrible, but it‘s an entertaining read.

Fun YA Agatha Christie inspired teen detective book that had definite Veronica Mars vibes. This was a fun, engaging read and decent mystery. I‘m definitely going to read the next in the series.

This is a character driven book with points of view of an elderly woman who has suffered great losses, a young man who can‘t get his act together and is searching for his father, and an octopus. Normally, I‘d be skeptical of the octopus angle, but Marcellus the octopus is pretty fabulous. I found this book heartwarming and life-affirming. I really enjoyed this read.

Our son LOVED the Percy Jackson books when he was younger and I read the series when he did to share in his excitement. I was happy to see that Nico, son of Hades, got his own book. This is a wonderful YA read, full of excitement and goofy humor and most importantly representation. Well done.

I enjoyed this book overall, but almost had to put it down because of the mother‘s homophobia and rigidness. I had no sympathy for her whatsoever. There are a lot of repetitive phrases, like Looney Tunes for LA and “Oh Barnett” and “posthaste” as literary devices, but I just found them annoying. Despite these criticisms, the book is funny and touching in parts and lets you believe that flawed characters can grow. I‘m glad I read this.

I loved this book nearly as much as the author‘s other book “The Guncle”. College friends make a pact after their friend overdoses right before graduation. They‘ll get together to have a “live” funeral when each of them comes to a crossroads—divorce, deaths of parents,a looming jail sentence, etc. it‘s actually very funny and poignant and a reminder to live your life well regardless of the time you‘re allotted.

This was the sequel that I didn‘t know I needed! Years ago, I read the first book about Arthur and Ben‘s summer romance and thought it was sweet. This picks up several years later, when they‘ve matured and gives you the happily ever after you‘d hoped for them. Also, Ben‘s friend, who is over the top in so many ways, is the ally everyone should have.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. The author actually lived at the Tower of London, so the insider views of the place are interesting and the best part of the story. The romance and characters themselves were difficult to get enthused about.

I don‘t know that this book will appeal to everyone, but I loved it. Alex drifts like a ghost, grifting, lying, stealing her way through different lives. You know this won‘t end well, yet you can‘t look away. The prose style is what captivated me. It‘s short sentences, sparse language. You learn more from what the author isn‘t telling you. I kept thinking about this book after I‘d finished it.

An absolutely charming book that is partially told by two ten year old girls. Part mystery, part human nature. All the neighbor‘s secrets start to reveal over a sweltering summer in 1976. It‘s a humorous, yet poignant read.

I‘m so far behind reviewing recent reads—I‘m going to try to catch up. This is a YA novel about a boy who quits his band and then misses his chance at fame when the band shoots to pop stardom afterwards. Two years later, he‘s back in contact with the lead singer after their friend, a band mate dies. Romance ensues, but closeted from the fans and friends. I am not the target audience for this book and I had a hard time caring about the characters.

So, my sweet niece texted her AP English summer reading list to me, Mom, and my sister (niece‘s other aunt), asking for recommendations from the list. I haven‘t read any of these! I‘ve read other titles from Cather, Tan, and Irving, but not these. Sigh. I thought I was a well-educated reader, but I guess I‘m happy with my mysteries and beach reads. Mom and sis had read several and made thoughtful recs. Feeling dumb over here 😂What would you rec?

This was a clever and fun murder mystery. I was lured in by the book‘s title. An estranged family has a family reunion to welcome a member released from prison at a mountain retreat. Snow starts falling and bodies start piling up. It‘s a clever premise, because it‘s like a book within a book. The narrator writes books about how to write murder mysteries, so he‘s explaining the “rules” while the story unfolds. This was a fun read.

This was a wonderful romance story. I realized it was part of a series after I‘d started it, but it seemed stand alone. All the characters, especially the two ER doctor protagonists, are likable. There‘s a kidney transplant storyline, too. I really liked how the author showed multiple positive strategies for dealing with societal anxiety and trauma/fear of abandonment for each character. This was a good book.

Argh. Remember when I had that unexpected wealth of about 15 ebooks on my library hold list suddenly drop into my Libby app? And then I weirdly freaked out with some sort of library book paralysis of analysis and didn‘t read for ten days or so because I was overwhelmed with choices. I can‘t explain it. Now I‘m paying for it. This darling romance is due today. I‘ve already requested a hold. 8 weeks wait.Sigh. I can‘t wait. Time to buy the book 😂

I absolutely loved this book. It centers around the friendship of Sam and Sadie, who meet in a hospital as children and over the course of thirty years as highly successful video game designers. I am not a gamer, but that doesn‘t matter for enjoyment of the story. This was a terrific read.

I‘ve barely read anything in the past week or ten days, which is weird. I know it‘s because a ton of ebooks I had on hold from the library suddenly became available, seemingly all at once, on my Libby app. I‘m kind of frozen with indecision with a wealth of choices and it‘s total overload for my brain. Ack! Fifteen books that need to be read now—what to do? Apparently, I just don‘t read in my panic. My sister raves about this one…

I loved this book. The author is great at writing such engaging characters. This time it‘s the road trip from hell up to a wedding in rural Scotland. The story is told from the two protagonists‘ views, with “then” and “now” tellings. It‘s a funny, sweet story of imperfect people and how they grow with time, therapy, and maturity. I really loved this one.

Much like her other book, The Lions of Fifth Avenue, the author imagines two historical fiction timelines, this time centered around the Frick Museum in NYC. Absolutely enjoyable tale that deftly weaves events in the Frick mansion in 1919 with a solved mystery in the ‘60‘s.

A young writer, in the early ‘90‘s finds that his editor is Jackie Kennedy Onassis. It‘s an interesting take on an imagined fictional event with a real person. It‘s also about the writer‘s relationship with his mother. I really enjoyed this read.

Six friends meet for a week at vacation home in Maine for the last time before it‘s sold.Two of them haven‘t told the others that they‘d broken off their engagement months before. The clever banter of this book saves it from a so-so rating. It dragged a bit in the middle during the angsty chapters and I was absolutely dumbfounded how such good friends could not communicate with each other, although that‘s a point of the book.

I‘ve been enjoying the audio versions of the books that the Midsomer Murder mysteries are based on. There is a lot more detail in the books than can be crammed into an allotted tv series time. I‘ve seen most/maybe all of the shows, but as there were umpteen seasons, I‘ve mostly forgotten the plots and the “who dunnit”, so the endings are a surprise. These are fun and entertaining listens.

This is a completely character driven book with very little action in the story. It follows a tightly knit, extremely wealthy family who avoid discussing anything uncomfortable or emotionally fraught. I disliked all the characters in this book, although I warmed up to them a bit towards the end. The pop culture references are weirdly archaic.(Bo Derek?Father of the Bride movie with Steve Martin?) It is a light read and I enjoyed it.

This book is absolutely charming. Eudora is a proper and kindhearted 85 yo Englishwoman who has decided to welcome death on her own terms when an absolute delight of a child moves next door to her and shakes up her life. The story is interspersed with flashbacks of Eudora‘s life, starting as a child during WWII. This is a wonderful, feel good book about friends, community and dignity in death. Loved it!

Cute middle reader of a 13 yo by an author I really admire. Sweet Pea is a 7th grader dealing with her parents‘ unexpected divorce because her father is gay and their extreme attempts to keep things as normal as possible by living in identical houses on the same street. I think it‘s a good solid read for middle readers about change, friendship, and moving forward.

This is the second book, but stand alone, in the romcom Great British Baking Show like competition, except it‘s much less about romance and baking than about mental health issues. Paris is spiraling downward in a sea of crippling anxiety. It‘s honestly difficult to wade through and I often wanted to give him a swift kick in the pants, but I truly think it was helpful for me to understand some of the challenges of anxiety.

I really enjoyed this funny rom-com set during the filming of a nationally televised baking show that‘s purposely supposed to be a Great British Baking Show twin. Rosaline is a single mother, who dropped out of Cambridge when she had an unexpected pregnancy, much to the disappointment of her high achieving parents.There‘s a lot of emphasis on social class, maybe that‘s very British? The dialogue is really, laugh out loud hilarious.Fun read.

I loved this historical fiction that alternates between two stories centering around the New York Public Library and missing valuable books, but 80 years apart. The dual timelines work well together. I enjoyed the characters, family dynamics and the mystery. I‘m going to read more by this author (And here‘s a less than flattering photo of me in front of the NYC Public Library during a trip in August 2021. It was so hot outside.)

Laura, a travel journalist, is on the maiden voyage of a luxury cruise ship, when she hears a scream, a splash, and a bloody smear on the balcony of the neighboring cabin. No one is in that cabin or reported missing and Laura is an unreliable witness with her excessive drinking and sleep deprivation. I generally like “closed room” mysteries, but I found the protagonist annoying. Good use of emails/news clips interspersed, but only a so-so story.

Meredith hasn‘t left her house for years. Her childhood was one of abuse and a traumatic event has rendered panic attacks that leave her afraid to step outside. Yes, it‘s heavy stuff, but you also root for Meredith as she begins to heal. I enjoyed this book, but I think I need a break from books about dysfunctional families for a bit.

This was a terrific book. Ro works in an aquarium, taking care of Delores, a giant octopus. Ro is stuck, her boyfriend has broken up with her to train for a mission to Mars. (I‘m guessing this is a very near future setting.) She‘s spiraling, drinking too much. The book is all about imperfect characters, dysfunctional families, but also growth and moving forward. I loved it. This may be the author‘s first book, I believe. I‘m impressed.

This is a multi-layered mystery/treasure hunt book full of clues and codes. The narrator is a lifetime criminal, recently out of prison, who wants answers to the mysterious disappearance of a teacher from decades before when he was a teen. The whole book is told as a voice to text narrative, which is sometimes phonetic, I.e. Miss Iles is written as missiles. It takes a bit to get used to. Fun, exciting, poignant. I loved it.

Second book in a series about a woman on a luxury cruise ship turned sleuth. This one deals with battling scary gangsters and kidnapping. Is the plot absolutely ludicrous? Completely. I don‘t care—it‘s entertaining and amusing and I‘m happily going to read the next book in the series.

I loved Nora Ephron‘s work, so I picked up her sister‘s memoir. Death of a spouse, followed by a rom-com worthy second chance at love, followed quickly by a cancer diagnosis that had killed her sister. Then she endures a successful, but hellish new type of bone marrow transplant. Poor woman has been through a lot. She‘s not the humorous writer her sister was, but I enjoyed her memoir. I bet it would be good as an audiobook.

This was a fun “And Then There Were None” type trapped murder mystery. At first the book‘s phrasing seemed cliched to me, a little cringey, but once the murders start happening, I really enjoyed the plot. (What does this say about me?😂) An estranged, really horrible family gathers together to celebrate the grandmother‘s 80th birthday at an isolated estate and one by one, on the hour, they start dying.Yeah, I figured it about 90% out whodunnit.Fun

The protagonist of this book is so introverted at the start of this book, that I almost put it down. I like a little more of a bad ass character. But, I‘m glad I stuck with it. Once he gets news of his upcoming forced retirement, he realizes how stagnant he‘s become and decides to search for his one love of 50 years past. It‘s charming as he forges friendships and the sense of community it brings and the changed attitudes of LGBT+ since the 70‘s

I love this kind of book—full of quirky characters and family members and people interacting with each other in unexpected ways. There‘s not much action, but it‘s a character driven story. Charming and amusing. It‘s definitely an “it takes a village” philosophy when two pretty horrible parents basically forget their infant. The “Maisy the Lazy Bird” and “cowbird” analogies are hilarious. I loved this book.

Cute rom-com meet cute sort of book that was a light and entertaining read. I enjoyed that it takes place in Jersey, one of the Channel Islands, which is an area I‘ve never visited. There‘s nothing especially deep in this book, but it‘s an enjoyable read.

This was a nice melding of two authors and an enjoyable book. My quibble is that it tried to hit all the “hot topics”. Maybe less would have been more. That said, I loved the story and I learned a lot about bees, court room procedure, sex reassignment surgery. The bee symbolism was great.

One morning every adult across the world receives a box with a string inside. The length of the string correlates exactly with how long you will live. Would you open the box? Would you live your life differently knowing you had limited time? The book follows several characters as their lives intertwine and shows reactions as “short stringers” become marginalized. Although at times a bit hokey, I enjoyed the life well lived theme.Thought provoking

This was an absolute delight to read. It‘s a total rom-com (wow, I must be on a bender with those right now) and really funny and entertaining. A bodyguard who looks like a kindergarten teacher protects a movie star from a crazed Corgi loving middle aged stalker while he‘s home in Texas for his mom‘s cancer surgery. It‘s funny (the scene with the cows!) and thoughtful and the heroine is completely badass.

Charming and ruthless political consultant Thom works for the governor of California, who is making a bid for the presidency. She‘s a truly awful woman who makes a public homophobic gaffe and through a ludicrous plan, decides Thom should have a social media romance to divert attention. Is it objectionable that straight presenting Thom is faking gay or refreshing to show sexual fluidity? The political theater was appalling but fun to read.

I must have put a hold on this holiday romance around Christmas, but it only just recently dropped into my library ebook borrows. Magical Christmas market disappears and reappears all over the world in a continual Christmas celebration. When it disappears, people don‘t remember it was there. The Kringle maker falls in love with a woman over 15 years, but she doesn‘t remember him from year to year. Corny, but sweet read.

I wanted to like this, because the premise is good. Australian bi teacher goes on a 6 month leave to seek pleasure. Except this seems to be getting drunk and having sex with people she‘d missed out on having sex with in the past. And her friends act like this is the most amazing life journey. After losing track of how many one night stands she has, I no longer cared about her “growth” or even the character herself.

I‘ve been listening to the audio books read by John Hopkins and I‘m loving them. These are the books that the Midsomer Murders are based on, but much more detail and depth than the tv series. This is the third in the series and I‘ve just started the fourth. Absolutely loving these mysteries read aloud to me.

This was a fun, light read with a rather unbelievable storyline. Still, I enjoyed it and plan on reading the next book in the series. Middle aged woman catches her husband in bed with her best friend. In shock, she clears out their bank account and buys a ticket on a luxury yacht leaving on a world cruise. There she befriends a butler and a perky personal trainer and promptly gets framed for murdering a jewel thief. Believable? No.Fun to read?Yes.

Fourth book in the series, seemed a bit less funny, less snarky than previous. It also deals with dementia and death a bit. I enjoyed the wrestler mom experience-my kid had a brief year in 7th grade wrestling. Totally commiserate on the teen boy smell funk and endless wrestling matches. Her daughters annoyed me this book. As always, the best part for me is that it takes place in Kansas City, where I‘m living, so all the places are familiar.

Third book in the series and you do have to read in order. Fun quick read, with some funny parts. Sometimes the protagonist‘s judgmental snark in the first two books got on my nerves, but I liked the emphasis on family in this one. My favorite part is that it takes place in Kansas City, where I live, so the places mentioned are familiar. We do NOT say “ya” nor would any Kansas Citian ever say that a Memphis bbq restaurant was the best ever.