Review: The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The 7 1/2 deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton is quite the mystery.  It was totally not what I was expecting to be but in a very good way.  For some reason, I thought this book would be about Evelyn Hardcastle.  It is, and it isn't.  It is about murder, redemption, and the choices we make in life.  I enjoyed the way it was told from multiple perspectives, so the clues are slowly revealed.  I don't want to give too much away, but if you like lots of twists and turns and I-didn't-see-that-coming-endings, you will want to give this book a try.  

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Review: Chilling Effect

Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to the audiobook version of Chilling Effect, the first book in the Chilling Effect series, by Valerie Valdes and read by Almarie Guerra.  You don't have to speak Spanish to read the book, but there is Spanish interspersed throughout.  

This is a super fun space opera.  It has it all: epic adventures, plenty of humor, bounty hunters, and a little romance.  Valdes had me from the very beginning with psychic cats!  When Captain Eva Innocente does right by them, I knew she would be a character I could love.  I also loved that one of the other characters expressed their feelings through smell.  What does smugness smell like?  Read this book!

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Review: The Last Equation of Isaac Severy: A Novel in Clues

The Last Equation of Isaac Severy: A Novel in Clues by Nova Jacobs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Last Equation of Isaac Severy by Nova Jacobs is a mystery involving math and puzzles which is enough for me to want to read it.  However, it also includes some of the best descriptions of grief I have ever read.  Going through my own grief for a parental figure at the same time, I felt a real kinship to Hazel and even some of the other characters.  I'm also not a math person even though I find it endlessly fascinating.  I felt like Hazel and I were working this out together using our knack for logic.  I enjoyed this book so much I imperiled my own life by walking down the sidewalks of New York City while reading because I didn't want to put it down.  That says a lot.

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Review: Awkwafina's NYC

Awkwafina's NYC by Nora Lum
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Awkwafina's NYC by Nora Lum is the best travel guide I have ever read.  Not only does she give you perfect directions for getting around a city by public transportation and walking, she highlights things that are not commonly found in guides and does so with a good dose of humor.  As someone fairly new to New York City, it made me want to get out and explore all of the city's nooks and crannies. Also, big props for providing such great food recommendations.  I also live fairly close to Central Park, so don't be surprised if you find me out there engaging in her challenges.

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Review: How to Date Men When You Hate Men

How to Date Men When You Hate Men by Blythe Roberson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

How to Date Men When You Hate Men by Blythe Roberson isn't a self-help book. It's comedy. Sure it is about navigating dating as a heterosexual woman while being oppressed by the very objects of your affection. Maybe that doesn't sound funny. It still was. And while I am a good deal older than Blythe, I also live in NYC. It was good to know what might be waiting for me out there if I were to ever consider dipping a toe in the dating life again. After listening to this, I can see why not dating is a much more appealing concept.

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Review: The Mere Wife

The Mere Wife by Maria Dahvana Headley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Mere Wife by Maria Dahvana Headley is not your high school English Beowulf but it should be. I've read, listened to, or watched several versions of Beowulf, but this is by far my favorite. I had already heard so many good things about it and then I saw Maria on an author's panel, and I was just so enamored with her and her motivation for doing this. You will definitely be asking yourself who are the real monsters. They aren't always who we think.

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Review: Jane, Unlimited

Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had heard that you shouldn't read a description of Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore before reading it. In that spirit, and because I agree, I am not going to tell you what it is about. I'm going to say that you should just give it a shot on faith that it is good alone. If you are like me, you will find it is not the book you thought it would be even though you didn't know what kind of book you thought it would be. Just trust me.

Bonus points for Jasper the dog and the amazing umbrellas.

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Review: Postcards from the Edge

Postcards from the Edge by Carrie Fisher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love having Carrie Fisher read me one of her stories, and that is very true of Postcards from the Edge. I didn't research it, but I think the rehab stories are semi-autobiographical and were my favorite part of the story. This is not a sanitized version of recovery.

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Review: Jeopardy in High Heels

Jeopardy in High Heels by Gemma Halliday
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jeopardy in High Heels is the twelfth book in the High Heel Mysteries series by Gemma Halliday. You could start here, but I think you would lose some of the character motivation.

This time the jeopardy actually has to do with Jeopardy! when a celebrity contestant is poisoned. I liked the Jeopardy! setting and the Alex Trebek cameos. I even liked the Martha Stewart/Snoop Dogg-esque characters. If you are looking for a light, fun read, this is a good choice.

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Review: Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl

Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl by Stacey O'Brien
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wesley the Owl by Stacey O'Brien is such a sweet and educational book. If you love animals or just owls, this is a great read. Warning that there is some graphic stuff about feeding owls that I found difficult to read, but you have to expect that in a story about raising an owl that can't be released back into the wild. It isn't always going to be pretty. Wesley and Stacey are amazing. I'm so glad she shared her experience with us.

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