Review: Everything Happens So Much: A Novel

Everything Happens So Much: A Novel by Andrew H. Murray
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of Everything Happens So Much: A Novel by Andrew H. Murray from Little, Brown and Company via NetGalley.  This book will be published around November 10, 2026.

Everything Happens So Much: A Novel by Andrew H. Murray is quite fun.  It takes place in a world that feels familiar but is definitely not ours.  In it, people have the opportunity to experience one of their many parallel lives in 15 minute increments by taking a potion, like a 5 hour energy drink, but not.  You can already see how this could become addictive.  The thing is, that isn't even the craziest part of this story.  I think it is best read if you don't know much more than that, but it is a real RIDE.  I felt like I was running through the book to find out how it ended.  I also laughed a lot because there are things included that are truly hilarious and also tip the cap to readers.  Read it for the fun of it.

View all my reviews

Review: The Cure's Disintegration

The Cure's Disintegration by Andi Harriman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Cure's Disintegration by Andi Harriman from Bloomsbury Academic via NetGalley.  This book will be published around October 15, 2026.

The Cure's Disintegration by Andi Harriman is part of the 33 1/3 series.  It focuses on one album and its place in music history.  In this case, Harriman chose to look at Disintegration through the lens of Charles Baudelaire's "Spleen."  I hadn't read Baudelaire, but I understand the sentiment.  I think of Disintegration like upbeat melancholy if you can have such a thing.  You might be sad, but you still want to dance around the room. Fans of The Cure will understand what I mean.  I find learning more about the behind-the-scenes of the album gives me an even greater appreciation of the music.  If you are a fan, you will want to read this when it comes out.  And then listen to Disintegration on repeat.

View all my reviews

Review: The Backyard Bird Chronicles

The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Backyard Bird Chronicles is a compilation of excerpts from Amy Tan's nature journals over a six year period documenting the wild birds that turn up in her backyard.  It is written in journal form and includes the drawings she has done of her birds.  I absolutely loved this book!  As someone who also enjoys watching the birds that show up in her backyard, I could appreciate Tan's enthusiasm for her visitors.  I wish I had the money to maintain the level of dedication she has to hers.  She has so many feeders and what sounds like the coolest bird-friendly house.  She also buys my weight in mealworms every day.  I'm not quite there yet, but I could see how it would be easy to become the crazy bird lady.  She is not claiming to be an expert on birds, and I can also appreciate that.  I didn't even think about modifying my bird feeders for ground feeders because they all seemed to adapt.  She seemed to have a similar epiphany when the bird snobs told her ground feeders would never eat on an elevated feeder and vice versa.  I am hoping there will be another book that includes more of the journals.  The drawings are beautiful, and I love the humor!  I too give my birds back stories while watching them.  I haven't named them, but I recognize my regulars.  If you like birds, you will want to read this.

View all my reviews

Review: Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth's Most Awesome Creatures

Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth's Most Awesome Creatures by Nick Pyenson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have mixed feelings about Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth's Most Awesome Creatures by Nick Pyenson.  I love learning about whales, but there was a lot of death in here that I had a difficult time reading.  Understandably, Nick is a paleontologist, so he is into bones.  I don't have a problem with that.  I do have a problem with reading about going whaling to collect specimens.  It is hard to think that the ends justify those means.  Sure, I want to know more about the history of whales but not by killing the current ones.  I guess you could say that they were going to die anyway, so better they be of scientific value.  It was still tough to read.  It is amazing when you realize how long they live and the cultures they develop.  I don't think many people realize some whale species are second in intelligence to humans and at one time were actually smarter than humans.  They might still be and just don't want us to know it.  I pushed through in order to learn more and maybe find hope for the future.  I'm not sure I found hope, but I did learn.  If you aren't squeamish about whale death, but want to learn more about those fantastic mammals, check this out.

View all my reviews

Review: 26 Beauties

26 Beauties by James Patterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

26 Beauties is the 26th book in the Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson.  You could read this as a standalone.  I enjoy this series and think each book is a fast read, so it is worth it to start at the beginning in my opinion if you haven't read any others.  I read this series for the characters.  I am invested in what happens to each of them.  This time we are dealing with human trafficking.  I don't know if people realize how prevalent it can be in the U.S.  or how easy it is for any young person to get caught up in it, especially in a world where so many young people dream of being influencers.  While low income or unhoused youth might be easy targets, they aren't the only ones.  It is an eye-opening case.

View all my reviews

Review: True Crime: A Memoir

True Crime: A Memoir by Patricia Cornwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Postmortem when nobody else was.  My mom bought them in hardback and kept them.  Whenever I came home to visit, I would devour the stack of the latest ones.  It was a love we shared.  It is no shock that I would want to read True Crime: A Memoir by Patricia Cornwell to understand the person behind those books.  To be fair, I have also read the Captain Chase and Jack the Ripper series.  Scarpetta is still my favorite.  

True Crime: A Memoir taught me that while I knew a little bit about Patricia Cornwell, I really had no idea about her and her influences.  I am not surprised that she is multi-faceted.  It is the facets themselves that are intriguing.  I would never have guessed she was so close to Ruth Graham.  Maybe if I had read Ruth's biography I would?  I would not have guessed that writing didn't come naturally or how her writing style is an extension of that discomfort.  It is how we get Scarpetta, and I am quite thankful for that.  

View all my reviews

Review: Sharp Force

Sharp Force by Patricia Cornwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sharp Force is the 29th book in the Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell.  You don't necessarily have to read the whole series to understand this book. It could be read as a stand-alone, but I probably wouldn't start the series here.  It has all of your favorite characters if you are a series regular.  There are some dynamics playing out that you may not totally understand if you have never read the books before.  The case is interesting with its use of advanced technology to stalk victims.  It is crime of the future that is totally possible now.  The resolution was not my favorite, BUT I would still read it because I always want to know more about Kay and her crew.

Bonus points for Merlin, one super smart kitty.  I also love how much Kay cares about him even though he isn't her cat.  I would be the exact same way.  

View all my reviews

Review: The Ending Writes Itself

The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke is perfect for lovers of Clue and/or stuck-on-an-island mysteries.  In this case, writers from a variety of genres are invited to the private island of a famous mystery/thriller author for a writer's retreat.  This could be the break they are looking for!  It is a mystery, so it is not a spoiler to say that someone dies.  Can they figure out whodunnit?  

I found this delightful even with the murder.  I enjoyed leaning into the tropes and stereotypes of literary genres.  Of course the romance writer would wear shades of red and pink!  There are plenty of clever surprises.  I hope we see more from Evelyn Clarke.

View all my reviews

Review: Hagitude: Reimagining the Second Half of Life

Hagitude: Reimagining the Second Half of Life by Sharon Blackie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hagitude: Reimagining the Second Half of Life by Sharon Blackie is a different take on menopause.  It is part memoir, part mythology lesson.  Blackie embraces the concept of the hag as a life choice for middle-aged/elder women.  She would not approve of using senior there.  She explores the depiction of older women through the ages and how we can take what is often a negative stereotype and spin it into something positive.  She intersperses the history and myth with tales from her own life that have led her on this journey.  Best read while wearing a caftan and drinking a cup of tea.  

View all my reviews

Review: Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have a confession.  I turned down an advanced copy of Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett because I thought it would be too romantic for me.  It was being billed as romantasy, and even with the fantastic cover and the lure of cats, I just felt I wouldn't like it.  But, this book did not give up on my.  It kept showing up everywhere.  It was recommended to me repeatedly.  Finally, I decided to put it on hold at the library and let fate decide when/if I should read it.  Well, it came off hold so fast, fate was sending an unmistakable signal.  I now regret turning down the ARC.  There is romance, but I feel in love with the dedication to cat rescue.  The cat shelter isn't a throwaway concept.  It is actually important to the story!  I'm sorry for misjudging you.  If you are passionate about cat rescue and don't mind a little romance, check this out!

Bonus points for so many cats who aren't forgotten throughout the story.  

View all my reviews

Review: Wordhunter

Wordhunter by Stella Sands
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wordhunter is the first book in the Wordhunter Mystery series by Stella Sands.  You will want to start reading here.  

Wordhunter is a very clever concept, profiling criminals based on their writing.  I'm a little surprised we don't hear more about this with all the CSIs and forensic crime shows and podcasts.  It is a very compelling idea.  As much as I never liked diagramming sentences, I loved the inclusion of the main character's habit of sentence diagrams.  I could see where it could be soothing like how some people enjoy sudoku or how I feel about jigsaw puzzles.  The crime under investigation is quite disturbing and toss in a creepy professor who is just the absolute worst, this book is not for the sensitive.  

View all my reviews

Review: Questland

Questland by Carrie Vaughn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Questland by Carrie Vaughn is like a dream come true.  If I were offered the chance to go to a theme park based on fantasy literature and gaming, I would not hesitate to say yes.  Actually, why doesn't this exist yet?  I guess they sort of tried it with Star Wars, and I still regret I didn't get to go before it shut down.  I need this to be a real thing.  Sorry, I am digressing from the book.  Our geeky main character is hired to go take back said theme park from the developers who  went rogue.  She is given a small team of mercenaries (my term) who actually do have combat skills but not really gaming skills to assist her in this mission.  I loved all the references.  I thought this book was a lot of fun even though there were some sad parts.  

View all my reviews

Review: Yesteryear

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I usually shy away from books marketed as "book club picks." I find I don't always like those books, or I need to wait until all the hype has faded long away before I can pick it up. However, the premise of Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke was really too enticing to pass up. I'm about as far away from being a trad wife as you can get and still have a uterus. I'm even exhausted just thinking about the time they invest to live their lives. Still, I find the idea fascinating. I thought the idea of suddenly waking up in the 1800s was clever. The back and forth in timelines reveals clues of what was really going on behind the curated online content. Nothing is ever as perfect as it seems. You probably won't see the ending coming though. It gets wild!

View all my reviews