The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois
by Honorée Fannone Jeffers
Excellent and creative (9/12/2021)
This was as fantastic as you might have been hearing. It tackles an almost uncountable number of current topics in a sensitive and realistic way by wrapping them in a beautiful multi-generational historical fiction. I fell in love with Ailey and her family. Highly recommended.
Project Hail Mary
by Andy Weir
I give this all the stars! (4/22/2021)
A million thanks to Random House/Ballantine and Netgalley for providing the ARC of Andy Weir’s new novel! For fans of The Martian, Andy Weir seems to be back (after his previous Artemis which I was so disappointed with I didn’t finish). Remember “science the shit out of this” from The Martian? That describes this book to a tee. A fascinating science/adventure/survival tale with SO much heart! Highly recommended for everyone.
Two Truths and a Lie: A Murder, a Private Investigator, and Her Search for Justice
by Ellen McGarrahan
Worthwhile, but not great (2/4/2021)
Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for providing this ARC. This is an interesting investigation and memoir that I would categorize as a lesser version of I’ll Be Gone in the Dark. The author goes from naive cub reporter to a haunted and obsessive private detective, searching for answers that may never come in the hopes of finding peace for herself. The investigative parts got me hooked quickly (and I originally had zero expectations for this at all) but as I got further and further into the book, I started to lose a bit of interest in the solving of the questions and by the end I felt that it was really dragging. Recommended for true crime fans.
The Survivors: A Novel
by Jane Harper
Another winner from Jane Harper (1/21/2021)
I discovered Jane Harper with The Lost Man a few years ago and loved that book. I also read The Dry which didn’t excite me as much, but this new novel The Survivors has drawn me back in. I’m sure I will read more of her books in the future. I especially enjoyed that the setting was not the Australian desert, but a coastal Tasmanian town, which gave the book quite a different feeling. What did not change was Harper’s skill in writing a compelling page-turning mystery and her ability to create a sense of place. Highly recommend this for anyone looking for a good mystery. Thanks to Flatiron Books and Bookbrowse for providing the ARC.
Trial by Fire: A Devastating Tragedy, 100 Lives Lost, and a 15-Year Search for Truth
by Scott James
Interesting investigative journalism (10/21/2020)
Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing this ARC. This is an excellent work of investigative reporting on the 2003 Rhode Island Station Fire. I remember when this tragedy happened, but I think I’ve only heard details in the broadest sense. This book captures details regarding the state and the press’ rush to judgment and uncovers many facts that were not publicized at the time, casting serious doubts on the culpability of the club owners. This is also the first time that the owners have spoken at length about the fire as there was no trial in which they could present their side of the event. Depressingly, I think a similar situation could easily happen today (perhaps not the fire, given some improvements in fire safety codes) but definitely the political and emotional aftermath. The book is disturbing and graphic in some parts describing the fire and the dead and survivors. Recommended for those who enjoy non fiction and investigative journalism.
The Cold Millions
by Jess Walter
Another winner from versatile Jess Walters (10/21/2020)
Thank you to HarperCollins and Edelweiss for sharing Jess Walter’s new novel. I really enjoyed this historical fiction title. Jess Walters is a great and multifaceted writer. I’ve started comparing him to Chris Bohjalian and Mary Doria Russell, authors who write on a huge variety of subjects and genres, all successfully. This story especially will be enjoyed by fans of Russell’s “The Women of the Copper County” as there are a number of thematic similarities. It was somewhat slow going in the beginning, but stick with it, things pick up. I recommend this to an fan of historical fiction.
The Once and Future Witches
by Alix E. Harrow
Fantastic! (10/11/2020)
Many many thanks to Redhook and Netgalley for providing the advance reader copy! This book was fantastic. It centers on three estranged sisters who are (as you might have guessed) witches. The book combines alternative history and touches on suffrage, labor rights, gender, and more. I’m just in love with this book and sorry it’s over. Put this on your to-read list for fall, I highly recommend it.
When She Was Good: Cyrus Haven #2
by Michael Robotham
Recommended, but read number 1 in series first (7/15/2020)
Thanks Scribner and Netgalley for providing this ARC. This was a fantastic follow up to Good Girl, Bad Girl. Highly recommended but read the first one before diving into this. I can’t wait to read more about these characters and I hope there are more to come in the series.
Memorial Drive
by Natasha Trethewey
Beautifully lyrical memoir. (7/15/2020)
Thanks to Harper Collins/Ecco and Edelweiss for sharing the ARC of this memoir. Memoir is not usually my favorite genre, but something about the description of this one spoke to me. It’s a beautifully written, haunting and poignant story of the author’s (Natasha Trethewey, former US Poet Laureate) coming to terms with her mother’s murder and what she believed (wrongly) was her own complicity in it. Recommended.
Crossings
by Alex Landragin
Complicated, it worth it. (7/15/2020)
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this upcoming novel. I wasn’t sure if it was for me after reading a reviewer compare it to Cloud Atlas which I struggled with and abandoned. I see the similarities but I found this work more accessible. So it’s a fascinating time travel (but not really) story, which can be read it two different fashions. I chose the “normal” start at the beginning way and thought it was great. After finishing, I started to read it again in the alternate sequence but didn’t finish it that way. It seemed more confusing to me in that order, even after having read it already (or maybe because of that?). I think either way you choose, you will love it. Highly recommended.
His & Hers
by Alice Feeney
Much better than expected! (7/15/2020)
Thank you Flatiron Books and Netgalley for offering me this ARC to read. This book is off the charts! When I first started, I admit that I was thinking it was another book derivative of Gone Girl, of which there have been so many. While there are similarities with the two possibly unreliable narrators, it very quickly surpassed my expectations. By the last 15, my brain was about to explode and I never saw it coming! Highly recommend this novel.
The Silence of the White City: The White City Trilogy #1
by Eva Garcia Sáenz
Better than average serial killer mystery (7/15/2020)
I loved this newly translated crime story. While it’s a typical serial killer tale, the setting in Spain and the complicated back stories of the protagonists (and antagonists) lifted it into something above average. I’d recommend this for fans of Jo Nesbo’s Harry Hole, maybe even Louise Penny fans willing to dip into something a little more savage. I’m looking forward to reading the others in this trilogy when released in the US and also checking out the movie adaptation that’s on Netflix.
The Cold Vanish: Seeking the Missing in North America's Wildlands
by Jon Billman
For fans of Jon Krakauer (6/24/2020)
I enjoyed this book and learned a lot about the number of people who go missing without explanation or resolution. Which was surprising to me and sad. I recommend this for non fiction fans, but especially those who have enjoyed Jon Krakauer and other similar writers.
Survivor Song
by Paul Tremblay
Didn’t enjoy this, but seems perfect for the crazy 2020 (6/24/2020)
Due to its subject matter (a rabies pandemic) and the current state of the world I’m not sure my review could ever be fair to the author. This book made me feel exceptionally uneasy and nervous, and not in the typical good thriller way. Despite not feeling an overwhelming amount of anxiety about the coronavirus situation, this book sent me over the edge. If you’re a fan of the author’s, I would recommend the book, but I wouldn’t read it until the real world settles a bit. Too distressing.
Utopia Avenue
by David Mitchell
For fans of Daisy Jones and the Six (6/24/2020)
This is a must read for David Mitchell fans, but should have a wider appeal as well. I have only read a few of his books (The Bone Clocks and Slade House) both of which I loved. Familiar characters from prior Mitchell books make appearances, but you don’t need to know the backstories to follow along in Utopia Avenue. I’ve heard his novels called not accessible but that’s definitely not true here. It’s an easy to follow story about a fictional band in mid to late 1960s England. If you liked Daisy Jones and the Six, you should like this as well. I recommend this novel for a wide audience.
The Last Flight
by Julie Clark
Suspenseful, timely (6/16/2020)
Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks LANDMARK for providing me this ARC. I highly recommend this upcoming thriller title. It starts a bit slowly, but by the midpoint, I was hooked on the stories of the main characters and their interplay. Great suspense, right up until the end and fantastic realistic women characters. A timely story for the current state of the #MeToo movement.
Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre
by Max Brooks
New take on the zombie (but not zombie!) genre (6/5/2020)
I read this a few months ago after receiving an ARC. I couldn’t wait to read this because I had loved World War Z so much. I don’t think Devolution quite lived up to that, but it was a fun read nonetheless. I enjoyed the narrative style, which was journal entries interspersed with expert interviews. That reminded me of World War Z’s approach, although I think focusing mainly on one character here might have made it less interesting to me. Overall, a fun thriller and definitely a new take on the zombie-type story, but with no zombies!
Surviving Autocracy
by Masha Gessen
Another winner by Masha Gessen (5/21/2020)
Masha Gessen really nailed it. I’m not much for politics and haven’t read too many Trump-focused books because I found that a frustrating and unappealing topic. I picked this up mainly due to author recognition. But it was great. Ms. Gessen’s explanations of things that have been happening since Trump was elected were insightful and inciteful. My only quibble is that there weren’t enough concrete ideas for action at the end, more of a philosophical wish for how things should change. Because of that, it felt like it ended abruptly. But I would recommend this wholeheartedly.
The Lost Family: How DNA Testing Is Upending Who We Are
by Libby Copeland
Food for thought (5/13/2020)
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher. This was fascinating. In some sections, it did get a bit bogged down in the technical minutiae of DNA testing and genetics but thankfully those areas were short and then returned to the main human interest part of the story about a family trying to trace their father’s roots. Lots to think about here, I’d say I’m unsure now about having my DNA tested by one of the genealogy sites, but the bottom line of this book is that it really doesn’t matter whether I do or not — no one is anonymous anymore.
Saint X
by Alexis Schaitkin
Thought- provoking debut (3/19/2020)
Thanks to Celadon Books and Edelweiss for the advance copy. The novel appears to be inspired by the Natalee Holloway case with many similarities to the facts there. You could term this a mystery, as the final resolution doesn’t come until the end of the book, but it’s not really a mystery but an examination of white/wealthy privilege and inherent racism. I found the book thought provoking and would recommend it.
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