What Did T. Read in 2025?
Note: Where I list genre after author, this is how I
would classify. YA stands for Young Adult (14+) —
although half of all YA readers are adults! MG stands for Middle Grades (ages 8-12).
Anything without one of these classifications =
marketed toward adults.
Quick Guide
Best Young Adult (new read): A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Best Historical Fiction: Eleanor of Avignon
Best Suspense/Thriller: The One
Best Audiobook: Remarkably Bright Creatures*
(audiobook a must for this one)
Best Science: Ultra-Processed People
Best Psychology: Good Morning, Monster
Best Memoir: The Sound of Gravel
Best Literary NonFiction: The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy
Best Book by a Non-White Author: Minor Detail by Adania Shibli
Keep It In The Family. (Suspense) I did not like this book about serial killers hiding bodies. I was not at all surprised by the “twist.” None of the characters were particularly likable. (2 stars)
Andromeda. (Realistic) Americanized readers will not like this book. It is very European. It ends almost in the middle of a thought. However, there’s something very real about it. I’m glad I finally got to read a work of fiction by a Swedish author. (4 stars)
Sober Girl Society Handbook (Self-Help) I’m obsessed with this author’s voice (she reads for the audiobook version). I decided to temporarily give up a series of things for 2025, one being alcohol, and found this book while searching for inspiration. The author obviously did a lot of research for this book, and I applaud her commitment to changing her life. At the same time, I had a hard time relating. Gooch points out that she never had a “rock-bottom moment” but was finally inspired to change after she got tired of blackouts and throwing up while out with friends. I’ve never experienced either thing so I just had a hard time getting behind some of her rah-rah “quit the poison!” talk. However, it did give me pause and some interesting things to think about. (3.5 stars)
Do Not Disturb (Suspense/Thriller) Quinn Alexander has murdered her husband and taken off. Unfortunately, she’s caught in a blizzard and must take refuge in a tiny, run-down hotel off the beaten path. It’s too bad another blonde, beautiful woman was recently murdered there. And what’s that red liquid dripping down from the ceiling? As the blizzard rages on, Quinn realizes she is in grave danger. ** This was not the author’s best book, but it will keep you entertained. (3 stars)
Minor Detail (Historical/ Multicultural) This book was deeply unsettling. I guess any book about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was bound to be, but I almost couldn’t finish this. In 1949, a Bedouin girl is gang raped and murdered by the new border patrol. In 1974, a young woman who is very clearly autistic becomes fixated on her story and sets out to learn more, only to be shot & killed by soldiers while reaching for a pack of chewing gum. I think more than anything, this book is a nihilistic portrayal of the absurdities of war. In the first half, the platoon commander is bitten by a deadly insect. He never even considers getting medical help, despite a medic being in the platoon. Instead he observes the wound over the next several days as it reddens, swells, blackens, and bursts. As the infection eats away at his flesh, he experiences heart palpitations, spots in his vision, fever & chills — yet never does he visit the medic! Instead of addressing the problem and excising the wound while there is still time, he takes to scouring his hut & killing everything that moves, in a completely misguided attempt to exert agency. This absurdity is mirrored as the soldiers take to killing anything that moves in the surrounding desert: camels, unarmed Bedouins, & eventually an innocent young woman. 25 years later, a different woman wanders in absolute circles in the blistering desert, trying to make heads or tails of where she is. It’s mostly impossible to tell because the Palestinian & Israeli maps are nothing alike, with dozens or even hundreds of villages being blown apart & disappearing completely. When she is ultimately shot in the heart while searching for truth, there’s a sense of inevitability. The reader is left wondering what the point of any of it was— which pretty much sums up the pointlessness of war. (4 stars)
Scarcity Brain (Psychology, Self-Help) Michael Easter is a rockstar and I love the ending of this book that talks about our quest for happiness. The rest of the book was ok but not quite what I was expecting. I did learn about addictive behavior and that we are MOST motivated when “rewards” are unpredictable… such as with slot machines, which were redesigned to emulate video games! I was also really struck by his commentary about subtraction instead of addition, and how the human impulse is always to "add" to make things better. All in all, this was a pretty good book, although I liked The Comfort Crisis better. Hey, I think I should go re-read that one. You should, too! (3.5 stars)
Babylonia (Historical, Women’s Lit) Historical fiction about the ancient Assyrians? Yes, please! I knew they were brutal, but man! Reading it in the context of fiction makes it real. This was an interesting look at the only reigning Queen of Assyria and how she rose from poverty and climbed her way up to the throne. Some aspects didn’t really make sense…(SPOILERS) brothers in love?? Eh? And the entire storyline with Taria? Ninus turning on Semiramis right after they wed? I don’t know. I LOOOOOOVED Clytemnestra by this author and would recommend that one more. (3.75 stars rounded up to 4)
What Have You Done? (Suspense, Mystery). A body is found in a farmer’s field in Vermont where nothing bad ever happens…until it does. Anyone could be the killer. So who is it? ** I think if I’d read the hard copy, I’d have suspected a different killer. Something about the intonation in the audiobook gave it away 🤣 As for the writing, a few parts seemed arbitrary… for example, every part including the principal’s daughter. * (Standard 3.5 stars)
Havoc (Thriller) Thriller- What a strange, strange book. Maggie is 81 years old and obsessed with wreaking havoc everywhere she goes— breaking up families, planting evidence, inciting acts of violence. The past catches up with her in Egypt when she meets an 8-year-old boy and decides he must die. * I’m not really sure I understand what I just read. (3.5 stars)
Mythos (Mythology) A humorous look at the Greek gods told in a dry British accent? Okay! (3 stars)
Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone (Fantasy, MG) JUST AS AMAZING THE SECOND TIME. Also… can we take a moment to acknowledge the fact that there’s a twelve-week wait on this book A DECADE AFTER PUBLICATION?! (5 stars)
The Crash (Thriller) SPOILERS: I love Frieda McFadden’s books generally, but this one didn’t cut it. For one thing, it seemed a LOT like one of her other ones where a woman gets stranded with a dangerous couple during a blizzard, and then her family member tries to kill her. And let’s talk about that: I found it unbelievable in that book and unbelievable in this book. Maybe because both main characters had ZERO IDEA that their sibling even resented them. Both characters went on and on about how close they were to their sibling. And then out of nowhere, BAM! LET ME TRY TO MURDER YOU! I have a hard time buying that premise. Maybe I just have good siblings? Second, I disliked the voice of “Tuna” inserting itself throughout. Third, I think the story would have been benefited from a completely unreliable narrator, aka Tegen, rather than the dual perspective that allowed readers to know from the get-go that Polly was the villain and Hank was being dragged along. Try Rock Paper Scissors instead of this book. (2 stars)
Champagne Letters (Historical Fic) I enjoyed the fact that it was about a woman in her 50s… I can’t remember the last time I read a book where THAT woman was the heroine. Nathalie’s husband had left her for someone else. To avoid looking like she has nothing going for her, she announces that she’s going to Paris for her “grand adventure.” Once in Paris, Nathalie find the luxury hotel she selected (the only one available at short notice) mistakenly assumes the loss of her husband means he’s dead. A suite upgrade is the beginning of her transformation. At a nearby bookstore, Nathalie picks up a book on Veuve Cliquot - or “the widow Cliquot” - a woman who remade herself after the *actual* death of her husband. I liked learning about the hardships the Veuve Cliquot faced trying to build an empire during the Napoleonic wars. This book was very predictable for me… it meant to be full of surprises but they were not surprising, which is why I don’t rate it higher. Still, a good piece of history. (3 stars)
Teaching Yoga Beyond the Poses (Reference, Spirituality, Teaching). This book was pretty good. I think it’s probably geared toward people who are just starting out as yoga teachers and overwhelmed. In that sense, the authors break ideas down into bite-sized chucks of what to say before, during, and after class to fit your theme. My problem is that I never remember during class. (3.5 stars)
Famous Last Words (Mystery Thriller) Kept me reading and included a surprise twist or two but didn’t blow my mind. ** Camila is an introvert literary agent who prefers to live in the world of books. She lives a very ordinary life with her husband Luke and new baby. Then, one morning, Luke disappears and the whole world watches a livestream of him taking—and then murdering—hostages. He’s never apprehended and the two victims are never identified. Seven years later, a mysterious book shows up in Cam’s mailbox…one that begins to feel eerily familiar. (3.5 stars)
Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets (Fantasy, MG) JUST AS AWESOME THE SECOND TIME AROUND. (5 stars)
Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban (Fantasy, MG) I THINK THIS IS MY FAVORITE ONE!!! Love it so much. (5 stars)
Ordinary Mysticism (Religion & Spirituality) Mirabai Starr, the author, was named one of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential People recently. It’s easy to see why, with her own gurus being Ram Das and Natalie Goldberg! Starr is the acclaimed translator of such mystics as Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross!!! It’s hard to imagine a more qualified person to write about “ordinary mysticism.” So why the 3.5 stars? I guess I didn’t like the writing style. This very short book took me nearly three weeks to read. It was written like this: point #1, 34 examples to follow. Or like this: point #1, reaaaaaaally long example to follow. I wish it had SAID more, if that makes sense. I did find the part about the author’s falling out & making up with Anne Lamott relatable and good. In the margins, I wrote, “look for friends who are willing to do soul surgery.” (3.5 stars)
Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire (Fantasy, MG) I waited until all 7 books were out and then read them all in about 3 weeks. I loved the first three books best. This one is like the in-between book between the lighter books (when Voldemort was weak) and the darker books (when he’s in power). This book is very long but the foreshadowing is on point. (5 stars)
The Locked Door (Thriller) I think I’ve read too much McFadden. I immediately knew who the killer was. What would be a shocking twist is just par for the course with this author. You just look for the least likely person in the story, add in zero foreshadowing, and BAM, there’s your killer. I am glad, however, that the cat didn’t die. (2 stars)
Quidditch Through the Ages (Fantasy, MG) I love the Pottermore universe. It’s a true testament to how boring I find sports that I managed to be bored to tears by a book about a magical sport, as well. (2 stars)
The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Fantasy, MG) The Tale of the Three brothers is truly a masterpiece and professors of myth structure would not go awry in teaching it. (I myself have used it in teaching archetypes and literary tropes). Other than that, I did not particularly enjoy the tales. And as you can read The Tale of the Three Brothers in the Harry Potter proper series, there is really no need to invest in this book. (2.5 stars)
The Sicilian Inheritance (Realistic, Historical) An interesting look at Sicily from the perspective of two different women: the witch Serafina and her great-granddaughter (still not sure I have that right) Sara. I liked that Sara was a 6 foot tall, straight, tattoo-covered butcher. I mean how many protagonists does that describe? (4 stars)
More or Less Maddy (Realistic) I can’t say I liked this book. It hit too close to home. I still think it’s an important book, though. With a sibling who has bi-polar disorder and a parent who has borderline, there is nothing that skyrockets me into anger faster than people joking, “OMG stop being so bi-polar.” Maybe this book will educate people. It would be an amazing thing to stop hearing jokes about mental health. (4 stars)
The Night She Disappeared (Mystery Thriller, MG/YA) Read it with some students. None of the characters were particularly likable, but the students liked it. (2 stars)
Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix (Fantasy, MG) “In the end…It was your heart that saved you.” This book shows the power of free will. (5 stars)
Count My Lies (Thriller) an interesting but wholly unmemorable book about a crazy lady who weasels herself into the lives of those she admires from a distance. (2.5 stars)
Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince (Fantasy, MG) “He understood at last what Dumbledore had been trying to tell him. It was, he thought, the difference between being dragged into the arena to face a battle to the death, and walking into the arena with your head held high.” (5 stars)
Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows (Fantasy, MG) I think the best books are the ones that challenge you to be a better person and that show you there’s a different way to BE in the world. This finishes my second complete read-through of the Harry Potter series. What struck me this time around about book 7 is that on their own, no one could have defeated Voldemort. He and his allies were too powerful. Harry often felt like he was alone fighting evil, or even that it was just he, Ron, & Hermione. But by the time the Battle of Hogwarts occurred, it was EVERYONE Harry had ever met— quidditch players & their families, house elves, former teachers, giants he barely knew. Everyone stood together to defeat evil & they were successful in their togetherness. I think it’s a lesson. (5 stars)
The Wedding People (Realistic) “She has always preferred books—because to be alive is much harder.” This book was unaccountably hard to get through. It took me 2 weeks when it should have taken 2 days. Maybe it was too deep to take in large quantities. Or possibly there was just too much witty banter. It was a good story, but it felt poorly executed. The chapters were way, way too long. But I’m glad it ended how it did. (2.5 stars.)
Men Who Hate Women (Sociology, Psychology, General Nonfiction) A compelling but hard-to-read look at the “manosphere”— that collection of fringe groups that includes incels, men’s rights activists, trolls, and more. What a depressing book. I had no idea the problem was so pervasive or so subversive as to be embedded in the algorithms of YouTube and other social media sites. The author tells you exactly how to test this premise for yourself, to see exactly what type of messaging the average boys and men and receiving online. It’s at once sad and deeply disturbing. Bates also makes a great case for how fringe groups plant extremist ideas on social media, promote them until they go viral, and then sit back and gloat when mainstream pundits turn them into “real news.” This is definitely not a fun read, but I do think parents of boys would greatly benefit from these book. (3.5 stars)
What Happened to the McCrays? (Realistic) Imminently predictable, but still enjoyable. I did think that there was a REASON why Will looked so much like Charlie, why the author kept noting that. I expected him to be the secret child of Wyatt or something, but no dice. He’s just a kid who looks like their dead son. The good: Kyle & Casey; Star; and Wyatt, who so reminds me of a Wyatt I have as student. The bad: predictability; the fact that Kyle has no flaws, as is evidenced all the way from the opening to the closing scenes. There is no ugly, and that’s why I rate it as I do. (3.5 stars: my standard good book rating.)
Family Family (Realistic) I love Laurie Frankel and I love that she tackles hard subjects through fiction. This book didn’t do it for me, though. I respect that she wanted to show adoption as an equally beautiful option to biological birth, and if anyone could do it, it’s her. But India Allwood never struck me as anything but completely self-centered, even in the hands of this master storyteller. (2 stars)
Eleanor of Avignon (Historical Fic) Great book!! I loved this look at the world of the 1300s in Europe. I had no idea that Jews had to wear a yellow mark on their clothes even 700 years ago. And I’d never heard of Queen Johanna of Naples, Sicily, & Jerusalem. This book was such an interesting look at the Bubonic Plague and the clinicians who battled against it. (4 stars)
Big Lies in a Small Town (Historical Fic) I can see why people like this book. A woman recently out of prison, hired to restore the mural of a mysterious artist? It’s a great idea, and the other 1950s plot was done well. I felt the relationship between Oliver and Morgan was overwrought…I mean who says “I love you” in 2018 before they’ve even held hands? But I loved the relationship between Anna and Jesse Williams. Idk…it might be that I just didn’t like the narrator. I do think fans of historical fiction would like this. (3.5 stars)
The Serviceberry: Abundance & Reciprocity… (NonFic) What a great little book!! I love that the author narrated it herself because I love the singsong lilt of First Nations peoples. And what a lot she had to make me think about: the difference between a scarcity economy and a prosperity economy. I’d never heard of a maternal gift economy, but now I wonder how we can start electing people who stop privatizing natural resources. The best kind of books lead to action and this little 2-hour read did propel me to change! (4 stars)
We Were Liars (YA, Mystery) This is essentially a modern-day interpretation of Shakespeare's King Lear, with nods to Macbeth along the way. Cadence Sinclair is a 17-year-old girl whose grandfather owns a small island near Martha's Vineyard. On the family island, good old granddad has built a house for each of his 3 daughters & the children. He plays his daughters against each other on the regular, but their children, the cousins (Cadence & crew) adore each other and look for ways to mend the family rifts. Things are mostly great; who wouldn't love spending every summer on a private island? The only thing is...Cady has no memory of her last visit to the island. And she keeps getting blinding migraines. And the cousins are acting kind of weird. All this adds up to an explosive conclusion that will leave readers thinking. (5 stars)
Great Big Beautiful Life (Realistic, Chick Lit) This book was good for what it was. I’m not really a romance reader these days, but if escapism is your thing, you could do worse than a book about an aging media darling writing a tell-all. (3 stars)
What the River Knows (Historical Fic, Fantasy) The pacing was off on this book. Nothing happened, nothing happened, nothing happened, everything happened. My other issue with it was the world-building. In theory, there’s nothing wrong with writing magical realism into a historical fiction. But you can’t write a book that’s 93% historical fiction and 7% “I’m going to use my magic scarf to throw scalding water on your face.” It just doesn’t work. I found the main character annoying — she didn’t seem to have any capacity for emotions other than anger and desire. She was just always getting angry, at everything! It did end in an interesting note, but I'm not invested enough to check out the sequel. (2 stars)
The Bombshell (Historical Fic) The setting is Corsica, a small island off the coast of France. The summary: extremely unlikable character exhibits no redeeming qualities or growth over a period of twenty years. (2.5 stars)
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (YA, Mystery) I enjoyed listening to this audiobook while cleaning, cooking, driving etc. It felt a bit like listening to a true crime podcast in parts. **Pip is a high school senior who needs to complete a self-directed capstone project. She decides to tackle the murder of a girl in her community five years ago. Something about the alleged killer’s suicide and shaming never tracked with what she knew of him. Pip teams up with his brother, but the closer they get to the truth, the more the anonymous threats start rolling in. (4 stars)
The Overnight Guest (Mystery Thriller) Wiley is a true crime writer investigating a decades-old murder when she discovers a child half-frozen in a blizzard. What is less clear is what happened to the child’s mother after their truck crashed on the icy roads. — This book is classic “great idea, poor execution.” The motive for the perpetrator was never fully established or explained. And someone told this author, “Hey, try to use the main character’s name as much as possible. Like, 7 times per page, if you can. Maybe even set yourself a goal like ‘I will start every sentence with the character’s name because I hate pronouns’ or even ‘I will attempt 1,000 uses of “Wiley” in 319 pages.’ That way, even if she’s the only person in the room, it’s CLEAR she’s the one who picked up the flashlight or whatever!” And the author was like, THAT’S A GREAT IDEA!! (3 stars)
Ultra-Processed People: The Science Behind Food That Isn’t Food (Science, Health)
This one will absolutely be one of my top picks for 2025. It’s one of those books that everyone would benefit from reading. I listened to the audiobook. The author takes readers through why obesity has skyrocketed in the US and UK. Although we don’t really understand the science of it, something about extracting all the different chemicals that make up a food, reformatting them, and then gluing them back together differently causes our taste buds not to recognize them as food and our satiety mechanism to never quite switch to “full.” For this reason, ultra-processed food (UPF) literally causes hunger as we eat it, even as it makes us feel we’re going to pop. I was fascinated by the fact that a home-cooked meal with the EXACT SAME CALORIE COUNT registers as completely different by our bodies than a similar UPF meal. I’d only ever heard “a calorie is a calorie.”
The author points out how the UPF industry is incentivized to create products that cause hunger and that cause us to eat more. He interviewed an expert who kept correcting him and saying, “Stop calling it food. What you’re referring to is not food. It’s industrial-grade flavored product.” The author did an experiment…he ate whole foods for a month to start fresh: and then he ate ultra-processed food for a month. By the end of that month, he couldn’t sleep, he was depressed and angry, and he’d gained two belt sizes. He came to hate UPF, although he’s clear that he doesn’t judge anyone who loves their packet of chips. What I thought was most interesting in the book was a study done decades ago by a scientist who took on a bunch of low-income children and had her team offer each toddler 34 DIFFERENT FOODS for every meal. Without fail, each toddler KNEW exactly what his or her body seemed to need. For example, one toddler reached for cod liver oil every day (!!) until his rickets and vitamin deficiency were cured— and then never touched the stuff again. The body DOES know what it needs, but we subvert that with UPF.
All in all, I highly recommend this book, although there were parts where the audio kept going from loud to soft and back. I’m going to start limiting my purchases of items containing palm oil, soybean oil, ubiquitous “flavorings,” anything that has a marketing team behind it, and “soft” foods that are designed for quick consumption. Check it out! (5 BIG BEAUTIFUL STARS)Yoga Nidra Meditations (Health, Spirituality) This is not a book you sit down on a beach to read. And it’s not for those unfamiliar with yoga. But that said, if you have a significant amount of training or experience with yoga or tantra and are looking to expand your repertoire or teaching practice, this is a fantastic resource. Each script has a very clear voice of its author. That said, you can change them to fit your own voice (which I did) or pick the parts that most appeal to you, as suggested by Julie Lusk. This is a great resource. (4 stars)
The Winemaker’s Wife (Historical Fic) I’m over WWII books. Spies, intrigue, betrayal, etc etc. It’s a bunch of unlikable people who continue to be unlikable for many, many pages. I felt like I knew the end at the 25% mark. Writers— we need to love the characters you create. (2 stars)
Revenge of the Tipping Point (Science, Sociology) A great book, though I think the title should be “Overstory” with a subtitle like “the making of zeitgeist” or something. Full disclosure: I listened to 70% of the book while cycling the Katy, and I feel like I didn’t fully “get” why Harvard heavily recruits athletes from around the world…something to do with the school’s racist legacy and trying to maintain a white majority? In addition to every other Ivy, other than Columbia? (Kind of crazy given the past year) But the chapters on Purdue Pharma, Will & Grace, and monoculture were 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Gladwell is gifted in a way few other sociologists are in finding and explaining the reasons behind complex concepts. For example, did you know “Holocaust” didn’t enter the zeitgeist until 30 years after the end of WW2? Meryl Streep was in a made-for-TV movie by that title in 1978. BAM! 3+ decades after armistice, suddenly there was a name for what happened and people started actually TALKING about it. It really helped me better understand how Holocaust denial could have gotten such a foothold. This book is packed full of so much information. Give it a read! (4 stars)
When the World Tips Over (YA, Magical Realism) I don’t know how to describe or rate this book. It was weird. It was full of soufflés and RVs and cabernet… also gay ghosts and giants and people who levitate. I think Jandy Nelson must have woken up one day and said, “You know what no author has done recently? Recreated East of Eden, but with magic and more representation.” That’s the best descriptor I can think of. Steinbeck wrote his 600-page masterpiece to be “the First Book,” or a creation mythology set in California. Nelson set this book in California, as well, in a mythical town called Paradise Falls. The town moves and shimmers, disappearing from maps entirely and revealing itself to a chosen few. And like in Genesis and like in East of Eden (one of the best books ever written imho), a generational curse exists that pits brother against brother. That said, why do we need a talking dog? (3 stars)
Nesting (Realistic) A woman with two tiny children and another on the way decides to leave the husband who terrifies her. It’s not that this book is poorly written or anything… it’s just really freaking stressful and depressing. And the whole time, I couldn’t help but think— it’s THIS hard for a woman to escape and try to build a life in Ireland, where there is healthcare and a support system for women in distress. Imagine the horror of trying to live this reality in a land like America. And it made me sad. Because so many do. (3 stars)
The One (Near-Future Thriller) This book was totally bonkers!!!! I loved it!! I’m rating it 4 because it wasn’t life-altering (like say, The Comfort Crisis or, you know, Harry Potter). But if I can’t stop thinking about it for a long time I may bump it up. *** Match Your DNA is a patented matchmaking scheme based on the science of genetics. There is only one person in the entire world whose DNA is mirrored to yours, and when you find that person, you know and feel it instinctively. Fortunately, the scientist who discovered the gene patented biological matchmaking and for the low, low price of $9.99, you may be able to find your soulmate! — I’m saying “may” here because if your genetic match never took the test, you won’t ever receive a match. But if they did? Well, start planning the wedding! Without giving too much away, I want to say that this book kept me really engaged, while also causing me to question: how much of “chemistry” is actually psychological? Give this one a read for sure and tell me your thoughts! (4 stars)
Atmosphere (Historical Fic, Women’s Lit) First I thought, “This is boring. I don’t really want to read about women in love.” Then I thought, “Wait, our last book club pick was about straights in love and I found that annoying, too.” Then it occurred to me maybe I’m at the place in life where reading about ANYONE in love is just not relatable and therefore boring. But boy can Taylor Jenkins Reid tell a story! This book won me over. I think it was Frances, whose existence reminds me so, so much of my niece Lemon and all the things I want to be and do for her. And that ending! 🤩(4 stars)
The Tenant (Suspense/Thriller) I don’t know why I liked this book, but I did. Even though I suspected some parts from the beginning, it still kept me hooked! Blake just got fired from his high-power job in the finance district. He’s worried his incredible financee Krista is going to leave him if he doesn’t get his sh!t together. They agree to take in a tenant…from hell. But how else to keep this gorgeous upper west side brownstone? ** It was a great beach read. Give it a whirl (3.5 stars)
Do You Remember? (Suspense/Thriller) I’m starting to have serious, serious concerns about the integrity of Freida McFadden. Colleen Hoover self-published her blockbuster bestseller “Verity,” and McFadden comes out with the nearly identical “The Wife Upstairs” before Hoover can get publisher backing. S.J. Watson publishes “Before I Go to Sleep,” and McFadden comes out with this “Do You Remember,” with a nearly identical plot. Why hasn’t anyone called this author to account???? (2 stars)
I Who Have Never Known Men (Futuristic, Women’s Lit) If Samuel Beckett and Jean Paul Sartre got together and had a lovechild, that lovechild would be this book — an existential, absurdist narrative that begins and ends in meaninglessness. Idk how to rate it because I hated it with the fire of a thousand suns — but it also helped me understand Life better. “The Child” lives in an underground prison on a silent planet where nothing ever happens. One day, sirens go off, and the guards vanish, seemingly into thin air, leaving the keys in the lock. The Child forces open the door and leads her 39 cell mates not to freedom, but to another form of hell: the hell of a meaningless existence. For the next 40 years (Moses in the desert, anyone?) The Child wanders the plains of the silent planet because to stop wandering would be to give in to despair. ** This book reminded me of a Holocaust account I read once, where the writer described the prison guards’ attempt at dehumanization. They made the prisoner clean out the latrines with a toothbrush. So the prisoner scrubbed the latrines through twice— once at gunpoint; and a second time, by choice, to wrest back his humanity. This absurdist narrative is partly that type of philosophy, part sci-fi, part speculative fiction…and wholly unique. (4 stars)
A Long Stretch of Bad Days (YA, Realistic) GAWD! She’s a YA writer, yet McGinnis can sure make people think. I mean, imagine the sheer level of SKILL required to make a defense attorney look human. And the creation of Bristal’s character with that totally unique voice: “I’m a Jamison Girl. Not pregnant.” She may be one of my favorite characters in fiction. So well-crafted. **Bristal and Lydia’s guidance counselor was a drunk Benzo addict who failed to notice they didn’t have enough credits to graduate high school. So the girls co-host a podcast about the dark underbelly of their idyllic small town. Bristal’s sass makes the podcast —and the book—worth it. (4 stars)
Brain Damage (Suspense/ Thriller) Dermatologist marries hottie who doesn’t want to work. Then she gets nearly-murdered. ** It was okay. Predictable but okay. (3 stars)
The Female of the Species (YA, Realistic) In a tiny backwater town, the local humane society manager teaches her helpers that most people don’t want to adopt male animals because they assume the testosterone makes for greater aggression. In actuality, it is almost always the female of the species that is more dangerous because she has more to protect and more to lose. Perhaps this is true in humans as well. Certainly, something seems to be *off* about Alex, a possible sociopath who believes in vigilante justice. ** This book was depressing but did keep me reading. (3.5 stars)
The Names (Speculative Fiction) When the baby is born, Cora is instructed to register his birth name as “Gordon” — and in one universe, she does. After all, to disobey her husband would be to invite more broken bones and humiliation. But in a parallel universe, Cora calls the baby Julian, setting an entirely different course for his life. And in another universe, she allows the baby’s older sister to name him Bear, propelling them all into completely different realities. How much difference can one small decision make? It’s the question asked by Florence Knapp’s book — a strange, strange book that will leave me thinking for days. (4 stars)
Magic Pill (Science, Health) This book about GLP-1s was absolutely fascinating. I read it because I was curious about the controversy surrounding the new weight loss drugs, and boy was it enlightening!! The author systematically takes readers through a history of other weight loss miracle-cures, offers up the leading concerns about the current ones, and offers real, relatable advice for those conflicted about whether these drugs are right for them (Spoiler: under 27 BMI, hard pass; over 35 BMI, it’s worth the risk; somewhere in between—- you’re going to have to very, very carefully weigh everything presented in these pages). Full disclosure, I do not take these drugs - but I’ve been concerned by what I see in the bodies of friends who do. This author is really compassionate and also honest. I love his response to those who say holding the American food industry to account is impossible — 40 years ago, we would have said the same thing about the tobacco industry…smoking was allowed and expected EVERYWHERE. And now look— we managed to regulate and change. Why can’t we do the same for a food industry that is quite literally killing us? Give this book a read, for sure. (4.5 stars)
A Good Marriage (Suspense/Thriller) A beautiful Park Slope mother is killed. The prime suspect is sent to Rikers. An old law school friend is called to Defense. **This book. The climax normally comes at 80% or so. This one comes at 96%. That means you’re on the edge until the last 4%. THAT’s a pretty good selling point. However, I was left with several points of confusion now that I think about it (SPOILERS AHEAD): the marriage between Amanda and Zach never fully made sense—I kept waiting for there to be a REASON they got together (and stayed together, for that matter). The marriage between Sarah and her husband didn’t seem to make sense either: the narrator kept mentioning how wonderful and strong and ideal it was, but I never saw a shred of evidence for that. The addition of Case didn’t make sense because he never appeared. I kept expecting him to not be Zach’s biological son, but apparently, he was. I don’t know. It was propulsive but didn’t fully come together. (3.5 stars)
Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks (Science, Sociology) It’s very long and complicated, but this book will make you think if you can hang in there. Harari is a military historian who puts his formidable mind and background to the task of helping us understand information systems as Power. What did Nero, Tiberius, Ceausescu, Napoleon, and Stalin have in common? They controlled the information nexus. Harari takes readers through a meandering history of how information spreads — from word of mouth to holy books to radio to AI. He also addresses the havoc wreaked when more modern information systems are left unchecked, as was the case in Myanmar’s 2016 genocide, facilitated by Facebook algorithms. This is not an easy book to read, but it is thought-provoking. (3.5 stars)
The Bones Beneath My Skin (Fantasy) This book is WEIRD. I rate it 3.5 stars for keeping me fully engaged despite the weirdness. There was an explicit scene between Nate (journalist) and Aaron (Marine) that didn’t seem crucial to the plot. A random trip to the Badlands that didn’t seem crucial to the plot either. An ending in 2012 that seemed to be very arbitrary and make zero sense. But despite this, the book has a very winning heroin in 10(thousand?)-year-old Artemis Darth Vader, a fugitive who loves bacon and is learning to be human. (3.5 stars)
Custodians of Wonder (Sociology) This is a book that defies definition, about all the beautiful, wonderful, aching traditions of millennia that are about to be lost. Highly recommend! (4 stars)
The Five Year Lie (Mystery/Thriller) A mostly engaging book about the fallout of a text message delayed by 5 years. The small child was unlikable (or maybe it was the narrator’s rendition), and the last 25% of the book was pretty slow-moving. But Brains and The Boss kept me guessing. (2 stars)
Don’t Look for Me (Suspense/Thriller) This book kept me company while I played 9 hours of Vector training (on mute) and took the accompanying quizzes. I will say that it surprised me. I didn’t find ANY of the characters particularly likable, but the story of a woman held hostage against her will did keep me from poking my eyes out. (3.5 stars)
Bright Young Women (Thriller, Women’s Lit) This was a really excellent book loosely based on the Bundy murders, but told from the perspective of the women. I particularly like how the cover only reveals a man’s teeny tiny stature in the eyes of a woman. This book is excellently written and clearly highlights the danger to women posed by the incompetent assumptions of men in the 1970s. (4 stars)
Remarkably Bright Creatures (Magical Realism) I would rate this higher, but my cat gave me so much side eye over the tears I shed. This book is beautiful but sad. It made me really wonder about Giant Pacific Octopuses. 🐙 If you read this book about a really extraordinary one, DEFINITELY listen to the audiobook. And envision Dr. Frasier Crane as the octopus, like I did 🌸(4.5 stars)
Dig (YA, Magical Realism) Ok. First of all, I think if I had read a hard copy of this, it would have made a lot more sense and been easier to follow. It reminded me of an amalgamation of We Were Liars and Monster and Speak (also all YA). Four young people interact with a Freak who appears and disappears at will. As they do so, they grapple with the racism of the generation before them. My friend Sarah will love this book, but for me, I wish it were a little less…weird. Also, I’m still waiting for a book that paints the racists with more nuance. That’s the only way it’s going to start getting through. (3.5 stars)
Warrior Girl Unearthed (YA, Multicultural, Mystery) Perry Firekeeper-Birch is an Ojibwe girl on Sugar Island, a place where Native girls keep going missing. No one seems to care, least of all the police. When Perry crashes her Jeep, her penance is to do an internship at the Cultural Center, where she discovers archivists have been hoarding ancestral items from her community. But that is only the start. On a mission to repatriate found items, Perry unexpectedly discovers a silo full of the bones of more than 40 ancestors. She becomes convinced that the ends justify the means and decides to stage a heist. But before she can bring her plan to fruition, Perry, too, goes missing. This book was good but hard to follow via audiobook. I think audio is important in Native stories because of the distinctive cadence. But this audiobook was hard to follow because there seemed to be a lot of subplots that didn’t need to be there & confused the narrative— Pauline’s hair-pulling; Daunis’ relationship with TJ; Lucas’ involvement with Pauline. (4 stars)
The Historian (Historical Fantasy) This is the type of book that I finished all 500+ pages of and then sat back and thought, “Damn. I just wasted a bunch of hours reading about a vampire. What the heck?” It was interesting but really bogged down at times. Update: I reread it these 7 years later and liked it much better now that I’ve been to “Emona” and “Ragusa” and some of the other places!!! The first 500 pages were enchanting. The last 150 dragged on for me. (3.5 stars)
Heartwood (Realistic, Mystery, Survival) A COVID nurse, feeling overwhelmed by the weight of humanity, decides to hike the Appalachian Trail in an effort to recover some missing part of herself. When she goes missing, the largest search in Maine history kicks off. (3.5 stars)
Forget Me Not (Mystery/ Thriller) An interesting book about a cult, its leader, and the woman trying to undermine both. This didn’t have the “wow” shock value of A Flicker in the Dark, but was still an easy and compelling read. (3 stars)
Good Morning, Monster (Psychology, Memoir) This is a hard book to read, but really, really good. Dr. Gildiner tells about five patients she treated who were incredibly resilient in the face of trauma, neglect, and abuse. I’m giving it 4 stars because the last story didn’t seem to match the depth or breadth of the first 4… Gildiner kept referring to the mother as a psychopath but I never fully grasped why. The phrase “Good morning, monster” didn’t seem to be fully explored: the “good morning” shows civility and seems to leven the “monster” or make it sound sort of endearing. There was something about this final story that was more rushed and disjointed, just making it harder to understand. However, the first 4 were spectacular (if chilling) and I love how Gildiner interwove so many explanations of why psychotherapists do what they do and use different strategies. I’ll definitely be checking out her memoir! (4 stars)
The Dorito Effect (Science, Health) My ambivalence about this book might be more due to Hoopla (which I rarely use) than to the book itself…The app kept skipping around and it was hard to keep track. Here are some things I learned: Garden Gems tomato seeds are what I will be buying and planting if I decide to plant tomatoes. Plants “scream” a scented chemical when a caterpillar eats them, and that scent alerts a wasp that a delicious caterpillar is near. (I think this must be what happened to all my monarchs) “Nutritional wisdom” is the term for the body’s ability to determine what it needs; animals in nature have this ability too. On the whole, I like the appendix of this book better than the main part, but again, that might be Hoopla. I preferred Ultra-Processed People. (2 stars)
The Weight of Blood (YA, Horror) 3.5 stars. I listened to the audiobook, which was nice for the podcast portions and for the sheer snarkiness of characters like Jules. Wendy was unlikable until the very end. Maddy and Kenny and Kenny’s sis felt really odd and one-dimensional. But the story itself was a great idea, turning Stephen King’s Carrie into a race-filled blood bath. I think where it really fell apart for me was that Maddy’s race wasn’t what her dad was really trying to protect her from…it was his own evil blood. And yet somehow he kept forcing her to straighten her hair and wear sunscreen because…why??? That just didn’t make sense. He knew the Blackness of her mama wasn’t evil, that it was his OWN (white) mama’s evil in Maddy. So what in the hell was the entire point of surrounding her with white screen stars, making her pretend to be white, etc? It was ALMOST Kate Chopin but then it fell apart. However, I did learn that Black and white proms still exist in some places in this country (in 2025!!!!) & that is insanely messed up. (3.5 stars)
Broken Country (Realistic) I’m definitely the odd one out on my opinion of this book. Another teacher once said that she likes books that either entertain her or teach her something new, and that resonated with me. This fiction book about a woman who loves two men simultaneously didn’t really teach me anything new about humanity, and that’s fine. But it also did not entertain or bring me any enjoyment. It was just sad and hard and depressing. For me, not worth the investment. (2 stars)
The Lost Year (MG, Historical, Multicultural, War) This is a book I’ll get in trouble for teaching at some point. Why? Because I work in a district riven by the culture wars. This is the story of a boy stuck home during COVID, listening to his great-grandmother’s stories of the Holomodor, the man-made famine that Russia inflicted on Ukraine in the 1930s. However, the author pulls no punches about authoritarian governments. Her characters talk about the stupidity of getting all your news from one news source and of refusing to wear a mask during a pandemic because it violates your personal freedoms. There are some that will be really offended by that. This book was good, but I prefer Nowhere Boy, the author’s other book about the Syrian refugee crisis. I saw the end of this book from about the 30% mark. (3.5 stars)
Your Head Is A Houseboat (Psychology, Self Help) This is a psychology picture book, basically. The author (who goes by the moniker "Struthless") takes readers through a tour of the mind & its coping mechanisms. I wrote quite a few Post-It notes. I got a little bogged down with the extended metaphor (angry sock puppets! hapless freeloaders! the five bosses! wacky windshield! etc etc etc) but on the whole, it was a great book. I particularly liked how the author presented death: as a sweet release and the thing that actually GIVES life meaning. Life is precious BECAUSE it is finite. How Greek!
The Ghostwriter (Realistic, Mystery) This was a standard 3.5 stars for me (liked it, fully engaged, will forget almost immediately) BUT the author’s recreation of 1975 caused me to round it up. What a ride! Olivia is called on to ghost write her father’s memoir. She does it because she has no choice financially, but she regrets it almost immediately. After all, her father is a best-selling horror author who everyone suspects of double homicide…(3.5 stars)
Careless People (General NonFiction, Memoir, Sociology) I have never before rated a book 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ that I wanted to quit at the 40% mark! This book had waaaaay too much exposition. But MAN, when it got going in the corruption of Mark Zuckerberg, Cheryl Sandberg, & other Facebook elites, it was RIVETING! You could probably skip the beginning. I’ll sum it up for you: the author survives a serious shark attack as a young girl. She grows up, joins Facebook, and becomes convinced it’s “the next big thing” in government and politics, so she convinces the Facebook staff to hire her. As she climbs the ladder, she becomes increasingly uncomfortable, scared, and disillusioned about what Facebook is doing. (4 stars)
Alchemy of Secrets (Fantasy) If you need a #spooky #halloween type of atmospheric read, this is the book for you. Holland St. James is the daughter of two Hollywood legends who died tragically 15 years ago. Holland’s always been obsessed with the weird & unusual… but when a mysterious person called The Watch Man tells her she’ll die on Halloween, things take an unexpectedly dark turn… (3.5 stars)
The Lost Bookshop (Historical, Magical Realism) This book had a great premise — a bookshop that doesn’t exist, that provides wanderers with exactly what they need. And even Emily Bronte’s lost manuscript! But the execution was lacking. I found myself struggling to return to the story, struggling to keep the plot lines straight, trying to care what happened to Matthew and what was even the point of him…(2.5 stars)
These Summer Storms (Realistic, Chick Lit) This book would have been pretty insufferable if it had taken me any more than 24 hrs to read via audiobook on double speed. Lucky for me, it became available from the library right before book club was due to meet. The metaphors in this book were suuuuuuper heavy-handed: “He would protect her from the coming Storm. The coming Storms.” And also, come on dude…how many times can a heroine be like, “I HATE YOU!!” *literally 20 seconds of conversation later* “I WANT YOU, TOO!!” If my book club picks another predictable romance book, I’m boycotting. (2 stars)
How to Read a Book (Realistic) “Even the least eventful life holds an avalanche of stories.” I loved this book. I didn’t particularly like Harriet, but I related to many characters. My parents own an African Gray parrot named Billy Graham. He loves nuts and Bible verses. Sometimes his friend Earl Grey comes to hang out, and they do their parrot-y things. They are intelligent birds. This book was about an ex-convict who befriends parrots. I loved that the love story was between older people. * “Underneath this razzmatazz, I’m just a 64-year-old woman who likes ice cream,” she said. “Nothing wrong with ice cream,” he said as he slid her blouse open, revealing a sturdy white brazier. * (4 stars)
When You’re Ready, This Is How You Heal (Psychology, Self Help) When you read a book, you expect it to be good. When you read a book, you expect there to be pithy truths. When you read a book, you expect it to change your life. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes it uses SO MUCH REPETITION at the start of sentences that it ceases meaning anything at all. SOMETIMES those annoying sentences also contain cliches. What if that was the whole book? What if that’s all the author was capable of? What if I barely finished this book because I was ready to stab my eye out? That is all. (2 stars)
Long Bright River (Realistic) One sister is a beat cop. One sister is an addict. Between them flows a long, bright river of souls taken by the streets. ** This book was ok. It was realistic, and there weren’t pretty bows wrapping everything up neatly at the end. (3 stars)
The Sound of Gravel (Memoir) A beautiful, brutal, cruel and enraging look at the heartbreak of a childhood lost to a Mormon polygamist cult. Hard one to rate because it was a hard one to read. For those who appreciated books like The Glass Castle, Educated, Jesus Land, and Unfollow. (4 stars)
Symptoms of Being Human (YA, Realistic) I read this for a Book Challenge committee (my district is trying to ban it). I did not enjoy it, but I do see its merit. For one thing, it definitely made me sit with the discomfort of wanting to place every human into a box: boy or girl? It was very creative of Jeff Garvin to write an entire novel in which he refused to acknowledge the biological sex of the protagonist. I rate it 3 stars just for that. Gender dysphoria does sound like a difficult thing to navigate...but does it mean a character really isn't a boy or a girl? I just didn't feel compelled by this book. Good genderqueer texts exist but this wasn't my fave. (3 stars)
The Tell (Memoir) Author Amy Griffin has been described by others as akin to a glass of champagne: slender, tall, blonde, bubbly. Married to a hedge fund billionaire and herself the friend of A-listers everywhere, Amy was perfect…which means that if ANYONE were going to make a case for drug-induced therapy, it would be her. How do you argue with a billionaire who just went to Venice for Jeff Bezos’s wedding? What could she possibly have to gain by lying about her experiences? That’s the big question everyone asks now. In The Tell, Amy describes her experiences with MDMA (Ecstasy) and the revelations of abuse by a middle school teacher that she experienced. It’s an interesting book. She clearly believes her own story. And yet…not one other survivor has come forward in all the time since. And a teacher’s life is over. (4 stars)
Everyone Is Lying to You (Mystery/Thriller) I enjoyed this book about the fakeness of the influencer subculture. Who knew?!? Magazine writer Lizzie hasn’t talked to her former best friend for 15 years…but she’s stalked her famous Instagram obsessively. When Rebecca reaches out to her with a preposition for a huge story, Lizzie can’t resist. Her family needs the money. When she meets back up with her former college roommate, she gets a lot more than she bargained for. **There was a lot of narrator-telling-the-backstory, but still interesting! (3 stars)
The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy (Literary Nonfiction) This was an incredible book about the very recent tragedy of “the Idaho 4” murders — the killer was just sentenced a couple of months ago. I’ve never read James Patterson before because he seemed too “mass market trendy” but WOW! This book was on par with In Cold Blood and Midnight in The Garden of Good and Evil. I really appreciated how the authors showed the different responses of “characters” to tragic, upsetting, or overwhelming events. One guy aged prematurely and had to retire. One paid attention to his reactions and leaned on his wife for help. One family let rage consume them. One chose to focus only on legacy and what they could do moving forward. The power of books to hold up a mirror to our own lives and help us make choices was on full display here. (5 BIG SHINY STARS)
The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau (Historical, Chick Lit) I’m sorry, I just can’t. This book was ridiculous. It took me FIVE WEEKS to read. There were so many things I hated about this book, but to start with the positive: I loved Marty. Too bad he doesn’t get the girl. Also I love that the FMC found love at 90. And that she wore red lipstick at that age. Now the bad. This book was a pumpkin spice latte… saccharine, predictable, over-the-top, and totally basic. My pet peeve is when characters use each other’s names in conversation every other sentence— that happened 100% in the scene in Aviva’s office. I almost threw the book across the room but it was on my phone. It was also very neatly tied up with a bow at the end. 10% of concentration camp prisoners survived. Oh but Daniel did! And he also happened to be the secret Tristan!! Nah, my guy. (2 stars)
The Intruder (Mystery/Thriller) 3.5 stars. This author’s unpredictability is now predictable, but she still writes a fast-paced thriller perfect for listening to while you’re raking leaves 🤣 Casey is renting a cabin in the woods when a storm rolls in. She finds a girl covered in blood hiding in her tool shed and takes her in. But who is this intruder and why does she have a notebook full of deeply disturbing drawings…of Casey? (3.5 stars)
The House of My Mother (Memoir) A lot of this book resonated with me, and I found myself arguing with the narrator, playing Devil’s advocate. But even with all that, it was well-written. “It doesn’t excuse what she did…but it reminds me that behind all that manipulation lay a deeply wounded person who never learned how to connect with others in a healthy way.” The author somehow found a way to hold onto her faith, despite the spiritual abuse and psychological manipulation she experienced. (4 stars)
How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us & Them (Sociology) This academic year, I found myself propelled into a spotlight that left me questioning what I’m doing with my life and if any of it is good. School board members started sending me their book recommendations, and this is one of those. It’s a good primer on the politics of Us vs Them if you don’t already know about mass incarceration in the US, Martin Buber’s philosophy, the nativism of Hitler, etc. If you’ve already done a fair bit of reading and/or research about those topics, this might not be for you. Or it could be a good, quick recap! (3.5 stars)
What Kind of Paradise (Realistic) TS Eliot's poem "The Hollow Men" ends with the lines "This is the way the world ends/ This is the way the world ends/ This is the way the world ends/ Not with a bang but a whimper." That's how I feel about What Kind of Paradise, a novel about a girl whose misguided father becomes the "Bombaster" (based on the real-life Unabomber). The novel starts off really strong -- I found Jane's story, a gradual awakening to the strangeness of her life "off the grid," compelling. It read like a memoir and I was hooked! A young girl whose father kidnaps her and moves her to a cabin in the middle of Montana woods? And never lets her leave the cabin alone or hang out solo with her ONLY friend? Sweet! And while I appreciate that the book didn't tie everything up with a neat bow at the end (I'm looking at you, Kristen Harmel), this book left a few TOO many loose ends, and the second half was lacking. I kept waiting to learn which parent's perspective (Tess's or Saul's) was more correct but never got any resolution. I kept waiting for the plot to return to Jane's interactions with the reporter at the beginning of the story -- the event that set the whole flashback off -- but it never did. She was apparently there just because. I kept waiting to find out what happened to Saul/Adam at the end and how his relationship with Jane/Esme resolved in some way. Nothing. I did appreciate that Esme's daughter was NOT the result of Jane's relationship with Lionel (that would have been the case if Kristen Harmel were writing this book). And as a Xennial, I did like the look back at the dot.com era. This book was engaging, but just kind of fizzled out in the 2nd half. (3.5 stars)
Don’t Let Him In (Suspense/Thriller) If you want to read a book about a gaslighter, this is the book for you.
Mrs. England (Gothic) This book won’t be for everyone, but if you’re a fan of Gothic, it may be for you! In the same vein as Rebecca and Jane Eyre, Mrs. England tells the story of Ruby May, a children’s nurse with a mysterious past. Ruby takes an assignment at the isolated Hardcastle House on the Yorkshire moors. What she finds there is far more than she bargained for. **** I really liked this book, but there were elements that made no sense to me: did Eli have a crush on Ruby? Why did he give her poems and turn white around her? And what was the point if he married Blaise? What was the purpose of Mrs. England deciding NOT to be with Sheldrake after all that dreams?! Why did the novel end with an unread letter from Elsie? Did I miss something? Was there or was there not a letter from Ruby’s father amongst Charles’s papers? How did Mrs. England get so much money at the end if her family turned against her and her husband was in debt? Why couldn’t Ruby emigrate after her father died, if she just kept sending money back? The atmosphere of this book was wonderful and I had to check to see if the author was modern or if the book was written 100+ years ago. There were just a lot of things I didn’t quite get.
The Comfort Crisis (Psychology, Sociology, Memoir) My friend Mims recommended this book and it was one of my top reads a couple years ago. It is extremely rare for me to take the time to re-read an actual hard copy of a book, but this is one of the most impactful books I’ve ever read. Michael Easter, the author, goes on a month-long caribou hunt in the Arctic circle. He uses the opportunity to examine our western conceptions of comfort, death, and happiness. (5 BIG SHINY GOLD STARS)
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek (Historical) This is hard to rate because I mostly hated it. I hate animals and humans in starvation and poverty, in life and in literature. Nonetheless, this book about a Melungeon “blue” woman who totes books in Kentucky was well-written and unique. (3.5 stars)
This Happened To Me (Psychology, Memoir) Bessel van der Kolk’s seminal work “The Body Keeps the Score” is considered sacrosanct in much of the yoga community— his research into how the body stores trauma revolutionized how we view somatic therapies. As a yoga instructor myself, I was thrilled to learn that one of the patients whose stories he featured in his book was ready to write her OWN memoir. Dr. Kate Price suffered unimaginable trauma in her early life, yet through EMDR therapy with Bessel at Harvard, she was able to piece together experiences that her mind had blacked out. I was really curious to read about this because I had experiences with my own mind shutting down and refusing to remember things mere seconds after they occurred. This book, however, was sorely lacking. While it was absolutely a story that needed to be told, Dr. Price should have hired a ghost writer to tell it. The writing was absolutely excruciating… I found myself checking to see how many pages I had left to slog through every 3 pages!! I’m not sure why an editor allowed the book to go to print like this, but instead of writing in simple past tense (“He put the truck in gear and we sped off to the county fair, stopping along the way for kettle corn…), Price FILLED the entire book with strange auxiliary verbs that created distance between the reader and the story (“He would put the truck into gear and we would speed off toward the county fair, where we would stop for kettle corn…”). The entire book was written like that (though those aren’t exact quotes) and it left a feeling of something always being on the verge of happening— and then never actually getting there. (2 stars)
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