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Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty - a Book Review

Any time Liane Moriarty releases a new title, it’s highly anticipated. While I can’t say any of her more recent books have quite blown me away like Big Little Lies which sparked a near obsession in me, I haven’t read any I didn’t like. This particular book has a slightly different tone. The mystery is a bit more understated. Synopsis One fateful day on a domestic flight from Sydney to Hobart,…

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Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar - a Book Review

In February, 1959, a group of hikers, all but one college-aged, but all highly experienced hikers who were quite adequately prepared for their hike into the North Ural Mountains in Russia, perished on their journey under highly mysterious circumstances. Over the past more than 60 years following the incident, numerous theories have abounded, from the natural (avalanche) to the supernatural…

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2025 Reading Challenge

Now that I’ve finally finished posting all my 2024 reviews, it’s time to set my categories for 2025. Again, I’ve decided to do a 26 book challenge, and this time I decided to do something kind of fun and design alphabetical categories! Here they are: Alliterative Title Banned Book Color in the Title Book with Death in the Title Eccentric main character Book about Friendship Galactic…

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Lucky Turtle by Bill Roorbach - a Book Review

Well, here you have it. This is my final catch-up review of 2024 and then I can turn over a new leaf and pledge to be more on top of things for 2025. I barely made it with this one to get it read in time, and partly it’s because of the book itself. I’ll get into that more in a little bit. Synopsis Troubled teen, Cindra, having been convicted in an armed robbery scheme along with her boyfriend,…

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Silverview by John Le Carré - a Book Review

I’ll start this review by saying that it was a terrible choice. I’m not saying it’s a terrible book, but it wasn’t a great choice to begin. I’ve never read any of this author’s work before now, and from what I’ve read about the author, this is something that was a little different for him. Le Carré, born David John Moore Cornwell, was a former intelligence officer and British author of numerous…

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The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami (translated by Jay Rubin)- a Book Review

This is quite possibly the most difficult review I’ll write for 2024. Yes, please ignore the fact that I’m posting my last 3 reviews (3!!!) for 2024 finished books in 2025. Forgive me, I’m not really on my game, as one would say. No… let me change that. That was absolutely on purpose because I’m doing my reviews in a non-linear flashback-laden fashion in honor of this book. You’re buying that,…

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A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - a Book Review

Alas, for my shame. This is my choice for my Bad Reader category in 2024- the book I have seen an adaptation of but never picked up. I know, I know!!! How could I have gone through 40 years of life without ever having read A Christmas Carol??? Honestly, maybe I did at some point but the actual book is buried in my brain beneath the various recreations by film, play, muppet and anything else that…

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2024 Reading Challenge Final Update

Well, I sort of made it. I did the reading but I don’t see me getting the last reviews posted before midnight as plans with the family feel a bit more important at the moment. Alas, if the review isn’t linked the review will be coming in the next few days. I’ll also announce my 2025 challenge categories soon. For the most part, it was a great year full of a lot of life changes for me at the tail…

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Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev - a Book Review

This one is a choice for my reading challenge that’s a new-to-me classic. Not only had I never picked up one of his books before, but I’d been saying his name wrong all these years. Thank you narrator David Horovitch for setting me straight on that one. I will say, it sounds a lot better in real life than the version that was in my head. Fathers and Sons was released in 1862 and was a bit…

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Don't Call Me a Hurricane by Ellen Hagan - a Book Review

This is why I do a reading challenge every year and why I often try to put categories outside my comfort zone on my list. Rarely, if ever, would I seek out a book in verse. In this case, I’m so glad I did! Let’s dive in, no pun intended. Synopsis Eliza Marino is a teen who deals with constant threats from external forces. Having survived a hurricane five years previous that threatened to…

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The Women by Kristen Hannah - a Book Review

I feel I’m cheating a bit with this pick of The Women by Kristen Hannah as my reading challenge choice as a book recommended by a fellow blogger. I have, after all, read a lot of Kristen Hannah and would have eventually picked this one up on my own, but WHO CARES? I was definitely inspired to move it up a bit in the rotation, one would say, by Bob at Bob on Books who even chose it as one of his…

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The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells - a Book Review

I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday, whatever it may be that you celebrate. For my family, we celebrate Christmas and everyone had a wonderful and relaxing time opening presents and eating wonderful food. The last few days of the year will find me tying up loose ends here at the blog, posting my final reviews, and completing my reading challenge (hopefully). What better way to follow up a…

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The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing by Lara Love Hardin - a Book Review

Forgive me if I quickly blaze through my next few reviews. I’ve been moving lately and life has been so chaotic. I find myself at the final hour trying to finish my books and reviews for my reading challenge this year. I’m going to make it, but my reviews might not be quite as well-thought-out as I usually attempt. For my Oprah’s Book club selection, I chose this one. It’s a very highly-rated…

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Divine Rivals (Letters of Enchantment #1) by Rebecca Ross - a Book Review

In my quest to check off more titles on my reading challenge at the last minute, I’ll add this one for my alliterative author pick. It was also the book club selection for Read Between the Wines this month, chosen by me. I did a bit of double dipping, as you can see. Having been feeling a lot of weight in the things I was reading and experiencing, I decided a nice YA title would be a good choice.…

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James by Percival Everett - a Book Review

I hope you came here for unpopular opinions, because I’m about to throw one at you. I’m not a big Mark Twain fan. I know, I know, but hear me out… It’s not his ideas. I love the concept of his books. He was ahead of his time, and I think satire is a very effective tool as a force for change. Humor has healing properties, and writers like Mark Twain were positively revolutionary in the world of…

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Funny Story by Emily Henry - a Book Review

Yes, this will be an actual book review. While my last two reviews were stark reminders of how truly FORKED the United States is, this book is like basking in the warmth of the sun on a sandy beach with a margarita in hand and no worries in your head. In case you are in need of a respite from the perils of the world, look no further than this charming contemporary romance. Synopsis Daphne and…

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Somewhere Beyond the Sea (The Cerulean Chronicles Book #2) by T.J. Klune - a Book Review (and more random thoughts for society)

This is the second book that it makes me sad to read in the era of Donald Trump’s second reign of terror. But… this time, I’m going to take a different tone. Less “burn it to the ground” and more “let’s start rebuilding.” I’ve spent the last 24 hours reflecting on this book. I loved The House on the Cerulean Sea. This whole series is full of wonderful and quirky characters who I desperately wish…