Review: The List

The List by Steve Berry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an Advance Reader's Copy of The List by Steve Berry from Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley.  This book is available for purchase now.  

I am an avid reader of Steve Berry's books.  I have read the entire Cotton Malone series.  When I saw The List coming out, I couldn't wait to read it.  The List is not part of the Cotton Malone series.  It is also a bit different from that series.  This feels more like a John Grisham novel.  When I got to the end, I realized that Steve Berry recognized that as well.  I say all that in case you pick this up thinking you will get more Malone and are wondering why you are reading about Southern lawyers.  Surprise!  But seriously, this book scares me.  If a company isn't already doing what this book suggests, I feel like we are not far from a future where they will.  Sure, we don't see a lot of company towns these days although we might soon as companies look to diversify to increase profit.  I am being intentionally vague because I don't want to give away the big reveal.  However, it will reveal itself pretty early on in the book. You don't really need to fear spoilers.  If you like legal thrillers, you will want to read The List.

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Review: Westward Women: A Novel

Westward Women: A Novel by Alice Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an Advance Reader's Copy of Westward Women: A Novel by Alice Martin from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. It will be published in March 2026.  

I will confess that I agreed to read Westward Women by Alice Martin because as a young girl, I used to watch Westward the Women every time it was on television.  I haven't seen it in ages and don't remember if it is problematic, but I was just so fascinated with these women who were compelled to go west no matter what obstacles they encountered.  Westward Women is like a modern, fever dream version of that.  Nobody knows why women get the itch and have to compulsively start heading west.  The same thing that compels them to move also affects them in other ways physically and mentally, making them vulnerable.  Some try to travel in groups or rely on the kindness of strangers to get them where they are drawn to go.  Of course, not everybody they encounter has good intentions.  The story is told from the perspective of a few different women.  All of them are searching for something.  All of them are hoping to find what they are looking for before whatever this thing is completely debilitates them.  Despite what happens, I still found myself wanting to go on a road trip.

Bonus points for Winnie, worth remembering.  

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Review: Best Wishes from The Full Moon Coffee Shop

Best Wishes from The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an Advance Reader's Copy of Best Wishes from The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki from Ballantine Books via NetGalley.  This book is set to be published at the end of October 2025.

Best Wishes from The Full Moon Coffee Shop is the second book in the Full Moon Coffee Shop series by Mai Mochizuki.  While there are a few references to the first book, you could read this as a standalone.  If you do though, there might be a few first book spoilers.  If you don't care about that, enjoy them at will!  I will also say that this book might be best enjoyed around the winter holidays.  I couldn't wait that long.  Like the first book, the chapters of this book follow the story of a character and how they end up at the Full Moon Coffee Shop.  There is also a certain amount of overlap in the stories.  Every character learns something and often it is not to assume you know what someone else is thinking or their motivations.  Sometimes, you have to give people the benefit of the doubt.  

I can't decide if the best part of the coffee shop is that it is a cat cafe (IYKYK) or that they don't take orders and custom-make the food and beverages to each specific customer.  I am dying to know what I would get.  Astrology also plays an important part in these stories.  If you have ever wanted to learn more about birth charts and how the planets influence your life, this is a fun way to get a beginner course.  If astrology is not your thing, I would still encourage you to read this if you like animals or an adorable cafe.  I will warn you that I cried at the end.

Bonus points for Rin.  What a wonderful friend!

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Review: Carl's Doomsday Scenario

Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Carl's Doomsday Scenario is the second book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman.  You definitely want to start with book one and read in order.  The story is like playing a video game and each book builds on events from the previous.  So yes, there are cliffhangers.  Yes, if you like the book, you will probably be committing yourself to reading the rest of the books.  I, personally, am all in.  I actually have to force myself to read other things rather than immediately start the next book because I want to draw out the experience.  Book two picks up right where book one left off.  We've made it out of training and now the real trials begin.  Carl still has Donut and a rapidly growing velociraptor by his side.  What could possibly go wrong?  Although training is over, there is still a lot to learn if Carl and crew are going to survive.  They've picked up some friends and made more than a couple of enemies.  As exciting and thrilling as the adventure part is, these books are also laugh-out-loud funny.  I highly recommend these books to gamers but also to anyone who likes dystopian fiction that doesn't take itself too seriously.


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Review: One Perfect Couple

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware went by so fast I'm not even sure when I read it all.  I started reading and then the next thing I knew, it was over.  In case you are wondering, that is a good thing.  It was so engrossing.  Five couples travel to a remote tropical island to compete in a reality TV show that is a cross between Love Island and Survivor to see who will be crowned the perfect couple.  A tropical storm has other plans for the production and soon the Survivor-part of the game isn't just a game anymore.  The story is told in various formats including transcripts of radio messages and diary entries.  Not everything adds up though, and you really won't know who to trust.

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Review: It Had to Be You

It Had to Be You by Mary Higgins Clark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It Had to Be You is the eighth book in the Under Suspicion series by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke.  You don't have to start from the beginning of the series to read this although there are references to previous books.  If you want to avoid spoilers if you decide to go back, you may want to start with book one.  At the same time, each book is a self-contained mystery so you can be one and done.  I was so excited to see there was a new Under Suspicion book because I thought the series might be over with the passing of Mary Higgins Clark.  I am so glad that Alafair Burke was able to publish this!  The whole series is about a true crime reality TV show that successfully attempts to solve cold cases.  This particular story involved twins who separately or together may have killed their parents.  While they were never convicted, the brothers even suspect each other!  You have to read the book to find out what happens when you start digging up the past and seriously investigating all the possible suspects.  

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Review: You Are Fatally Invited

You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego is like reading a game of Clue.  I had such a good time trying to figure out who dunnit and how.  The story is told through alternating perspectives, so you can never be quite sure if you are getting the full truth.  And there is enough overlap in the characters' back stories to allow for red herrings.  I highly recommend this if you like a good locked room-type of mystery or playing Clue.  

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Review: The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey

The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey by Kathleen Kaufman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an Advance Reader's Copy of The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey by Kathleen Kaufman from Kensington Publishing via NetGalley.  This book is available for sale now.

I will confess that when the publisher reached out to me and said that I could have some tarot cards themed after the book if I wanted to read it, I said yes.  I would have read it even without the tarot card enticement, but I really love tarot card decks.  Whether you believe in what you get from the readings or not, they can be quite beautiful pieces of art.  As you can probably guess, the title character, Nora Grey, has a connection to the tarot.  Nora's story is told through an interweaving of narratives between her and her grandmother who also used tarot.  The cards connect them in an unexpected way.  I enjoy reading about the spiritualist movement and the men and women who made a living talking to spirits.  Some were clearly charlatans and yet, there are some people who do seem to have a gift.  Nora is one of them.  I won't give any more away, but if you are into seances, ghosts, mesmerism, and talking to dead people, you should read this. 

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Review: The Haunting of Maddy Clare

The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listened to the audiobook version of The Haunting of Maddy Clare written by Simone St. James and narrated by Pamela Garelick.  This is the kind of book that works well in any format.  You don't lose anything by listening, and it goes by very quickly.  I listened to the whole thing in a day.

The story follows paranormal researchers investigating the poltergiestish haunting of a barn by a mysterious young woman who was believed to have taken her own life there.  She's pretty scary, and she does not like men very much.  It didn't take much for me to guess why, but this is set in the past so people weren't so quick to put two and two together.  Or if they did, they didn't express it because that wasn't the thing to do.  Ghosts aside, there is a romance blooming here too.  That wasn't my favorite part but some people might like a little spice with their ghosts.  If you like a good ghost story and don't mind some mushy bits, check this out.

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Review: Let Them Stare: A Novel

Let Them Stare: A Novel by Jonathan Van Ness
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of Let Them Stare: A Novel by Jonathan Van Ness and Julie Murphy from Storytide via NetGalley. This book is currently available for purchase.

There is a lot to love about Let Them Stare: A Novel by Jonathan Van Ness and Julie Murphy. First of all, that cover! Who doesn't want to read a book with such a fantastic cover???? In a time when plenty of people viciously hate anyone that is different, it is nice to read a story that encourages you to love yourself and embrace who you are. I don't want to spoil too much but there is a ghost and a mystery. Come on, this is like Scooby Doo! This does fall into the young adult category, so you can safely read it without being worried about real scares. You may want to wrap yourself in a blanket and have a yummy beverage though while you consume it. We all deserve an uplifting book these days.

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Review: Kills Well with Others

Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kills Well with Others is the second book in the Killers of a Certain Age series by Deanna Raybourn.  While you could pick this book up independently, I highly recommend reading the first book first so you get acquainted with the characters and how they came to be where they are when this book opens.   That said, these books are a lot of fun if you don't mind a bit of blood and action.  Some people might grossly underestimate these women because they are of a certain age.  That is a huge mistake.  Their adventures are very entertaining.  I only wish I had half their survival skills.  But maybe not if it means other people want to kill me.  I can only hope that in a few more years, I will still be spry enough to potentially be recruited as an assassin.   

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Review: An Inquiry Into Love and Death

An Inquiry Into Love and Death by Simone St. James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listened to An Inquiry Into Love and Death written by Simone St. James and narrated by Rosalyn Landor.  Either audiobook or written format are great ways to consume this.  It is not so complex that you lose the plot while listening.  It also went by very quickly.  I finished it in a day.  

Simone St. James is always a great choice for a good ghost story.  This one is no exception.  This one has a somewhat gothic feel to it.  Young woman inherits an estate in a haunted area full of quirky locals who may or may not be dangerous.  A dashing inspector comes out to investigate the death of her relative even though nobody necessarily suspects foul play.  Sparks but not so much that it overwhelms the spooky bits.  It is a little bit Jane Austen meets Shirley Jackson.  

Bonus points for Sultana and Poseidon.

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Review: The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana

The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana by Umberto Eco
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Under normal circumstances, I would never choose to listen to a book written by Umberto Eco because the writing is so dense, but if it is the only version the library has, I have no choice!  The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana written by Umberto Eco and narrated by George Guidall is the last book of Eco's that I hadn't read.  I have put this one off for so long because I didn't want to have a to be read list absent of his writing.  However, the time had to come at some point.  The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana reminded me bit of his book, Baudalino.  It is the story of a man, told from his perspective.  In this case, he has lost the memory of who he is and is finding himself again through his interactions with the world.  I didn't really like the main character, but I did find it fascinating to think about the issues he raised in relation to myself.  For example, if you didn't know anything about yourself, but all your friends and family told you that you were XYZ, wouldn't you wonder why or how that came to be and what it said about you?  I did.  That is also what I will miss about not having another new (to me) Eco to read.  He always makes me think on a very deep level.  His work is great brain food.  

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Review: Sin Eater: A Novel

Sin Eater: A Novel by Megan Campisi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listened to the audiobook version of Sin Eater: A Novel written by Megan Campisi and narrated by Shiromi Arserio.  Normally, I would prefer to read a book like this, but my library only had the audiobook version.  It is a very rich story with vivid descriptions that I feel get a little lost when you are listening.  But better an audio version than nothing.  If you are not already familiar with sin eaters, they were real people who would absolve people of their sins by eating specific foods that correlated to each sin. By eating the sin, they took it upon their own soul.  It is heavy.  While they provided the most valuable of services, they were also social pariahs.  The sin eater in this book gets drawn into a mystery thriller.  I think the best part was hearing which foods went with which sins and guessing why that might be.  But as a vegetarian with food allergies, this book made me itchy. 

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