5 Stars • In The Marriage Act by John Marrs, a dystopian Britain enforces the Sanctity of Marriage Act, promoting "Smart Marriages" with AI surveillance and penalizing singles. Four couples navigate the oppressive system, facing privacy loss, betrayal, and government control. A resistance group fights back in this suspenseful, twist-filled thriller.

#TheMarriageAct #DarkFuture #JohnMarrs #Bookish

4 Stars • Eleven Numbers by Lee Child, is a short story about a math professor Nathan Tyler who is recruited by the White House to decode a Russian nuclear algorithm. Sent to a Moscow conference, he faces danger and betrayal in a tense, twisty espionage mission.

#ElevenNumbers #LeeChild #Bookish

2.5 Stars • Awe by Dacher Keltner explores the science of awe—the feeling of wonder from encountering something vast. Triggered by nature, art, kindness, or rituals, awe reduces stress, boosts empathy, and fosters connection. Keltner shows it‘s accessible daily, promoting health, creativity, and meaning. Through science and stories, he encourages cultivating awe to transform life.

#Awe #DacherKeltner #Bookish

4 Stars • American Housewife by Anita Abriel follows Maggie Lane, a 1950s radio host turned TV star of The Maggie Lane Baking Show. Despite her lack of domestic skills, she must uphold a perfect housewife image. As fame grows, her marriage falters, an old lover reappears, and a past secret threatens her career, forcing Maggie to confront her ambitions and identity.

#AmericanHousewife #AnitaAbriel #Bookish

4 Stars • Wish You Were Gone is a thriller about Emma Walsh, whose husband, James, dies in a suspicious car crash. Planning to confront him about his alcoholism, Emma instead uncovers his secrets and questions his death's circumstances. With her friends and grieving teens, she navigates mistrust and hidden truths. Multiple perspectives reveal James‘s facade, blending family drama and suspense with twists until the end.

3.5 Stars • Trust by Hernan Diaz is a Pulitzer-winning 2022 novel about wealth and perception in early 20th-century New York. Told through four perspectives—a fictional novel, a tycoon‘s memoir, a ghostwriter‘s account, and a secret journal—it follows financier Andrew Bevel and his wife, Mildred. Each section reframes their story, revealing Mildred as the true genius behind their fortune. The book explores truth, power and narrative unreliability.

5 Stars • Haruki Murakami Manga Stories 3: Scheherezade; Sleep adapts two short stories by Haruki Murakami into manga.

• Scheherezade: Habara, a confined man, relies on a woman dubbed "Scheherezade" for supplies, sex, and stories. She recounts her teenage obsession with breaking into a boy‘s house, but her tale cuts off, leaving Habara longing for her return. ⬇️

Catching up with first few books ... (re)Reading with Christie‘s Capers Group on #Litsy (Reading Agatha Christie's books in publication order) Hosted by @Librarybelle
#AgathaChristieClubR3

4 Stars • 1920 • The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Agatha Christie‘s first novel, introduces Hercule Poirot. Set during World War I at Styles Court, it follows the poisoning of wealthy Emily Inglethorp. Narrated by Captain Hastings, ⬇️

5 Stars • The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride is about a mixed Black and Jewish neighborhood in Pottstown, PA, back in the 1920s and ‘30s. It kicks off with a skeleton found in a well and follows Chona, who runs this little store, and her husband Moshe, who owns a theater. It‘s all about how these folks stick together and deal with life‘s messy stuff like race and belonging.

#TheHeavenAndEarthGroceryStore #JamesMcBride #Bookish

4 Stars • We Solve Murders by Richard Osman follows retired cop Steve Wheeler and his thrill-seeking daughter-in-law, Amy, a security officer. When Amy‘s client, novelist Rosie D‘Antonio, is tied to a murder and Amy‘s framed, the trio embarks on a global chase. They uncover a conspiracy linking influencers‘ deaths to a criminal, Francois Loubet, and Amy‘s firm, solving the case with humor and cleverness.

#WeSolveMurders #RichardOsman #Bookish

Catching up with first few books ... Reading with Christie‘s Capers Group on #Litsy (Reading Agatha Christie's books in publication order) Hosted by @Librarybelle
#AgathaChristieClubR3

4 Stars • "The Secret Adversary," Agatha Christie's 1922 novel, introduces Tommy Beresford and Tuppence Cowley, unemployed friends who start "The Young Adventurers, Ltd." ⬇️

Read in March 2025...
14 Books
Six 5-Star reads this month:
• Spells for Forgetting
• Whisper Me This
• The Pastures of Heaven
• The Only One Left
• You Killed Me First
• Do Not Disturb

#Goodreads #Bookstagram #OUABC #Litsy #Libby #Everand #Audible #Kindle #Bookish

5 Stars • 🩵 the book • Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young is a mystery with magical realism set on the fictional island of Saoirse. Emery Blackwood and August Salt, former lovers, are reunited after fourteen years when August returns to bury his mother‘s ashes. ⬇️

5 Stars • "Whisper Me This" by Kerry Anne King follows Maisey Addington, a single mother who returns home when her mother falls into a coma and her father is suspected of abuse. As Maisey uncovers family secrets, including a hidden twin sister, she confronts a legacy of domestic abuse that has shaped her life. ⬇️

5 Stars • The Pastures of Heaven is a short story collection, published in 1932, that weaves together the lives of various residents in a California valley. The book consists of twelve interconnected tales, each focusing on different characters whose dreams, flaws, and struggles subtly intersect. The valley, described as a paradise-like setting, serves as a backdrop that contrasts with the often troubled or unfulfilled lives of its inhabitants.

Thank you #FarrarStrausAndGiroux and #NetGalley for providing this #ARC. Publication: May 20, 2025.

3 Stars • The Doorman by Chris Pavone is a thriller set in a tense NYC night, where Chicky Diaz, a doorman at the elite Bohemia building, navigates chaos after an NYPD shooting sparks protests. Amid class and racial divides, Chicky carries a gun, secrets unravel among residents, and a deadly showdown looms, blending suspense with social commentary.

Reading on #Litsy with Christie‘s Capers (Reading Agatha Christie's books in publication order) Hosted by @Librarybelle
#AgathaChristieClubR3

4 Stars • The Murder on the Links is the second novel featuring Agatha Christie's famous detective, Hercule Poirot. Published in 1923, the story begins when Poirot receives an urgent letter from Paul Renauld, a wealthy Frenchman living in Merlinville-sur-Mer, requesting his help due to fears for his life.

3.5 Stars • The Family Inside is a tense psychological thriller about Iris Blodgett and her daughter, Ellory. Reeling from her husband‘s unsolved murder three years earlier, Iris faces eviction after losing her job. Her boyfriend, Hugh Smoll, an architect, offers them a place in his mother‘s eerie, old mansion, Ravencliff, which he‘s renovating. Iris soon learns Hugh‘s family—siblings and spouses—lives there too, a detail he hid. ⬇️

5 Stars • "The Only One Left" by Riley Sager is a Gothic thriller set in 1983. Kit McDeere, a home-health aide with a troubled past, cares for Lenora Hope, an elderly, mute woman suspected of murdering her family in 1929 at Hope‘s End, a decaying Maine mansion. As Lenora types her story, Kit uncovers deception among the estate‘s odd staff, leading to shocking twists in a suspenseful mystery.

#TheOnlyOneLeft #RileySager #Bookish

4 Stars • "How to Sell a Haunted House" by Grady Hendrix follows siblings Louise and Mark as they try to sell their late parents‘ home, only to face supernatural chaos from a sinister puppet, Pupkin, and their family‘s dark secrets. Released in January 2023, it‘s a horror-comedy mix of grief, rivalry, and spooky absurdity.

#HowToSellAHauntedHouse #GradyHendrix #Bookish

3 Stars • Meant for Me by Tay Marley follows Addie May, who, after losing her sister, flees to Georgetown, Texas. Taken in by ranchers, she meets Zac, a farmhand who helps her heal. Confronting her past, Addie finds hope and love, rediscovering life after grief.

#MeantForMe #TayMarley #Bookish

5 Stars • "You Killed Me First" by John Marrs is a psychological thriller about three women—Margot, Anna, and Liv—whose lives collide in a suburban neighborhood. Starting with a woman waking up bound in a burning bonfire on Guy Fawkes Night, the story rewinds eleven months to reveal their secrets and escalating conflicts. What begins as a shaky friendship unravels into blackmail, attempted murder, and a deadly climax.

Seriously.

3 Stars • Zachary Ezra Rawlins, a graduate student, finds a mysterious book containing a story from his childhood, leading him to the Starless Sea—a magical underground library of stories. With allies like Dorian and Mirabel, he explores this labyrinthine realm, uncovering nested tales of pirates and bees, and facing threats to its existence. As he navigates love, fate, and storytelling, ⬇️

3.5 Stars • In The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry, set in 1980s Smiths Hollow, teenage Lauren grapples with her dad‘s unsolved murder while the town ignores the gruesome deaths of two girls. As her friend Miranda drifts away, Lauren‘s visions of a monster reveal a dark secret: a witch‘s curse demands sacrifices for the town‘s prosperity. With a curious new cop in town, Lauren must face the evil herself in this eerie, bloody coming-of-age story.

3.5 Stars • "The House of Cross" (Alex Cross #33) by James Patterson follows FBI contractor Alex Cross as he investigates a serial killer targeting Supreme Court candidates amid a president-elect‘s inauguration. When his wife Bree and partner John Sampson vanish while pursuing the murderer, known as "M" or "Maestro," Cross must unravel a conspiracy threatening the judicial system, rescue his loved ones, and survive a deadly trap. ⬇️

5 Stars • "Do Not Disturb" by Freida McFadden is a tense thriller about Quinn Alexander, who, after killing her abusive husband, seeks refuge at the creepy Baxter Motel during a snowstorm. Run by the suspicious Nick Baxter, the motel harbors dark secrets and odd characters, like a fortune teller. As Quinn unravels the truth, twists reveal a dangerous web, culminating in a shocking finale.

#DoNotDisturb #FreidaMcFadden #Bookish

Read in February 2025...
18 Books
Three 5-Star reads this month:
• The Push
• The Overnight Guest
• The Collected Regrets of Clover

#Goodreads #Bookstagram #OUABC #Litsy #Libby #Everand #Audible #Kindle #Bookish

5 Stars • The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer is about Clover Brooks, a death doula in NYC who helps dying people while collecting their regrets. Her work with an elderly woman named Claudia forces her to face her own isolated life, past losses, and fears, leading her to new relationships and a chance to embrace living fully.

#Bookish #TheCollectedRegretsOfClover #MikkiBrammer

3.5 Stars • "The Sequel" by Jean Hanff Korelitz follows Anna Williams-Bonner, a widow enjoying her late husband‘s success as a novelist. When she writes her own hit book, "The Afterword," someone starts sending her threatening messages hinting at a dark past involving her brother and husband. Anna fights to protect her new life in this suspenseful, satirical take on publishing.

#TheSequel #TheBookSeries #JeanHanffKorelitz #Bookish

3.5 Stars • Frank O'Hara's "Selected Poems" is all about capturing life's moments as they happen, especially in New York City. His poems are like personal chats or diary entries, mixing everyday life with art and culture. He writes about things like having lunch or hearing about Billie Holiday's death, making everyday stuff seem poetic. ⬇️

4 Stars • "The Change" by Kirsten Miller follows three women in their late forties—Nessa, Harriett, and Jo—who gain unique powers in midlife. In Mattauk, Long Island, they unite to solve a teenage girl‘s murder, ignored by police, uncovering a dark network of privilege. Part mystery, part fantasy, it‘s a fierce tale of justice and empowerment.

#TheChange #KirstenMiller #Bookish

4 Stars • In "The Hidden Child," Erica Falck finds a Nazi medal among her mother's things, sparking an investigation into her family's past. This leads to the murder of a retired teacher, intertwining with Detective Patrik Hedström's case. The story alternates between WWII and the present, revealing secrets of espionage, romance, and murder linked to Nazi activities in Sweden

3 Stars • "Good Energy" by Casey and Calley Means argues that metabolic health is key to preventing and reversing diseases. They link modern lifestyle issues to metabolic problems and offer a practical four-week plan to optimize health through diet, sleep, exercise, and stress management. It's a blend of science and actionable advice for better health.

#GoodEnergy #CaseyMeans #CalleyMeans #Bookish

4 Stars • In "The Twist of a Knife," Anthony Horowitz is struggling with his latest novel when he's drawn into the premiere of his own play, which ends in disaster. When a renowned drama critic, Harriet Throsby, is murdered shortly after publishing a scathing review of the play. Detective Daniel Hawthorne, with Horowitz as his reluctant chronicler, dives into the investigation. ⬇️

4 Stars • "None of This Is True" by Lisa Jewell is a psychological thriller where podcaster Alix Summer becomes entangled with the mysterious Josie Fair. Josie convinces Alix to feature her dark, possibly fabricated life story in a podcast. As Alix investigates, she uncovers disturbing secrets, leading to manipulation and murder, with the truth becoming increasingly elusive.

#Bookish #NoneOfThisIsTrue #LisaJewell

4 Stars • "The Mothers and Daughters of the Bible Speak" by Shannon Bream explores faith lessons from nine Biblical families, focusing on the women. It's aimed at readers seeking spiritual guidance through historical female perspectives in the Bible.

#Bookish #ReadHappy #TheMothersAndDaughtersOfTheBibleSpeak #ShannonBream

3 Stars • The Night Olivia Fell centers around Olivia, who is found at the bottom of a ravine, critically injured with no memory of how she got there. Her mother, Abi, is desperate to learn the truth behind the accident that leaves Olivia on life support until her baby can be born. Abi had no idea that Olivia was even pregnant and wholeheartedly believes that this was not an accident ... will she be able to uncover suspected foul play?

3 Stars • "Flora Macdonald: The Most Loyal Rebel" by Hugh Douglas is a biography that delves into the life of Flora Macdonald, known for aiding Bonnie Prince Charlie's escape post-Culloden in 1746. It provides background on the Jacobite Rising and its aftermath, emphasizing Macdonald's role in Scottish history. While famous for helping Charles Edward Stuart, ⬇️

4 Stars • Yet another fantastic thriller by McFadden. "The Crash" by Freida McFadden is about Tegan, who's pregnant and trying to escape her problems by driving to her brother's. She crashes in a snowstorm in Maine and gets rescued by a couple. But things get creepy; she suspects they're not good people, leading to a tense, twisty tale of survival and suspicion.

#Bookish #ReadHappy #TheCrash #FreidaMcFadden

Perfect read for Valentine‘s Day ?

4.5 Stars • "Eddie Winston Is Looking for Love" by Marianne Cronin tells the story of Eddie Winston, a 90-year-old man who has never been kissed. Eddie, described as a true gentleman and incurable romantic, volunteers at a charity shop in Birmingham, where he sorts through donations, preserving items of sentimental value. ⬇️

4 Stars • In "Jordan Peterson 100 Inspirational Quotes of Wisdom," you'll embark on a transformative journey guided by the profound wisdom and insights of renowned psychologist and bestselling author, Jordan Peterson. This thought-provoking ebook compiles 100 powerful quotes that encapsulate Peterson's teachings on personal growth, responsibility, meaning, and resilience.

5 Stars • I don‘t know why people often overlook this author. But, I think her books are amazing. I‘m fairly sure this one will give me nightmares.

The Overnight Guest dives into three interconnected stories: ⬇️

5 Stars • "The Push" by Ashley Audrain is a mind-bending thriller about a mom, Blythe, who's not quite clicking with her daughter, Violet. She starts to think there's something off about Violet, especially after her infant son Sam is killed in a freak accident. It's all about the dark side of motherhood, inherited pain, and whether what we see is real or just in our heads.

#Bookish #ThePush #AshleyAudrain

#WeekendReads.
@rachelsbrittain

3 Stars • "True Places" by Sonja Yoerg centers on Suzanne Blakemore, whose teenage daughter, Brynn, has run away from home. This event triggers a deep introspection for Suzanne, leading her to set out on the Appalachian Trail, a trail Brynn was known to love, in an effort to find her. The narrative alternates between Suzanne's journey and flashbacks to her life, revealing the complex dynamics within her family.

#TruePlaces #SonjaYoerg #Bookish

Read in January 2025...
16 Books
Three 5-Star reads this month:
• Prophet Song
• Hell Bent (Alex Stern 2)
• The Little Liar

#Goodreads #Bookstagram #OUABC #Litsy #Libby #Everand #Audible #Kindle #Bookish

4.5 Stars • "False Witness" by Karin Slaughter is a gripping thriller that explores the story around sisters Leigh and Callie, who share a dark secret from their childhood. Leigh has become a successful lawyer, while Callie has struggled with addiction and various personal issues. The plot thickens when a long-buried crime resurfaces, threatening to destroy the life Leigh has built.