Enjoyed the heck out of this horror debut! Thrilling, culty, creepy. I look forward to whatever he writes next.

Entertaining, personal, nostalgic trip through the tunes of the ‘90s.

Inspiring graphic memoir.

Great characters and snappy dialogue make this series such pleasant listening. On to book five!

Some fun mail today! Always excited to get a new issue of Oh Reader. Tagged is the second in the DC Morgan series (really enjoyed the first). And I rushed to order the Carlsson after the recent rave review from @Cathythoughts - sounds like a good one!

Delightful cozy mystery. I wish I had a Vera to boss me around and cook me amazing meals! 🥢

Not the sharpest knife in the drawer, our Cynthia. I suppose she makes up for it with her “tender, adorable ways.”😆 I was definitely feeling impatient and annoyed with our heroine and would have liked more mystery (the reader pretty much knows what‘s up from the get-go), but still fun for what it is—an entertaining, atmospheric tale.

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

Beautiful and extremely moving. Have tissues handy! 😭 #BOTM

Just what you‘d expect from Larson—riveting and exhaustively researched. #BOTM

Links in comments below to author chat with Ken Burns, recent interview on Fresh Air and CBS Sunday Morning segment.

#bookmail! Tagged and The Anomaly are for book club. River for my #WomensPrize reading. And Nightwatching just because - sounds like a page-turner!

Dark, brutally honest. Expressive and impactful art. Thorogood uses a variety of styles and images to depict her struggles with suicidal depression and finding her way as a young adult and burgeoning artist/author.

Tore through this new thriller. Suspenseful and compelling. #BOTM

Gripping thriller/procedural. Well-plotted with a satisfying twist. #BOTM

“The survivors will envy the dead.”

Are you looking to feel even worse about the state of the world and what the future holds? Have I got the book for you!

Just kidding (kind of). This was seriously terrifying. An important reminder though in terms of the immediacy of the threat (the situation humanity has gotten itself into really is insane) and how very important it is to elect wise, responsible leaders who aren‘t volatile.

Blue box day! Went a little crazy this month with five picks. #BOTM

Haunting graphic novel. Corman‘s art is so striking and powerful.

Arresting graphic novel. Compelling story, nice artwork.

Really interesting collection. I guess most of these pieces were previously published in the New Yorker, but they were all new to me.

“Life is not like a video game that you can replay.”

Good graphic memoir. Mechner, the creator of the Prince of Persia video game, explores his family history, confronting intergenerational trauma and finding some unexpected points of connection.

Light, entertaining. Got a bit repetitive and I didn‘t love the ending, but overall a fun read. #BOTM

Well, now I understand all of the Whipple love. Wonderful read! I always appreciate character interiority and contemplation and she does that so well. #PersephoneClub

Book three was a fun listen. Really liked the classic/golden age vibe.

I ended up enjoying our April #NunLitQuarterly pick quite a bit. Rich in historical detail. Lots of inner turmoil for our young heroine. A good deal of drama yet filled with quiet, reflective moments. I think it was meant to be a happy ending, but I was left feeling concerned about how things might play out—hopefully just lots of romance and reading.

Zipped through this audiobook. I‘ve always had a bad feeling about MLMs and avoid those “parties” we‘ve all been invited to like the plague. Really good exposé!

Entertaining, over-the-top listen. Twists galore. I can see this being a good book club choice. Intriguing premise that gets you thinking. The dialogue was a bit cheesy at times and characters somewhat flat and unlikable, but it‘s a fun ride if you aren‘t feeling too critical. My first Marrs. Interested in giving one of his other books a try. Maybe The Passengers next? Looks like he has a new one coming soon, The Family Experiment.

“she prayed and worked on a paperole that was meant to have a gleaming white consecrated host at its center.”

The art of paperole has been mentioned a few times. Had to go searching for some images. Found this beautiful example.

#NunLitQuarterly

“She opened the package—it was another novel, The Monk. The title made her smile…She leafed through it, as she always did. Every book has its own identity and characteristics, and Agata had a ritual that she followed in order to get to know and love a book…and only then did she pick up the paper knife. She put the little uneven tabs of paper that ripped off as she cut the pages into her mouth, as if they were communion wafers.”

#NunLitQuarterly

So excited to learn that we‘re getting a new novel from Louise this October!

#bookmail Part 3 Mystery/Crime

#bookmail Part 2 Nonfiction

#bookmail Part 1 Fiction

Loved it. Denfeld is one of my favorite authors. She writes about dark, heavy things with such care and sensitivity. Totally gripping, great characters—highly recommend!

Enjoyed this more than the last one. Nancy‘s genius idea at the end to sell admission to see the cave/counterfeit operation to help save the farm was pretty great. 💵

I don‘t have books 7-10 so will be sitting out the next few. Might jump back in for later books. It‘s been so fun to revisit these with you all! #NancyDrewBR

I always assumed Sally Hepworth wasn‘t an author for me (based on the covers, I guess?), but I actually really enjoyed this. Now I‘ll have to give her backlist a try. #BOTM

Fascinating. Makes me want to read more about archaeology and ancient Egypt.

The spoils of today‘s bookshop visit!

Just okay for me. My least favorite Finlay so far.

Moving one-sitting read. I liked it, but not nearly as much as the other two #WomensPrize titles I‘ve read (Ordinary Human Failings and Brotherless Night).

“They are not for cider” and don‘t you forget it! 🍎

What a brilliant book! So unique and layered (not to mention beautifully written).

Discussed with my book club last night. Everyone loved it and we had lots to talk about.

Wonderful grief memoir—smart, funny, heart-wrenching. Just a pleasure to read. #BOTM

Fun listen. I wasn‘t really a doll girl, but I was very into the Kirsten, Samantha and Molly books—the original three that were out when I was prime American Girl age.

Blue box delivery day! #BOTM

These audiobooks are great! Book three in the Sparks & Bainbridge series was another fun, pleasant listen. Glad I‘ve still got a couple left to look forward to.

This is one heartbreaking read, but so well done. I found the intimate voice of the novel very moving and came away with a greater understanding of Sri Lanka‘s civil war. #WomensPrize

Delightful middle grade novel filled with endearing characters. #NunLit

“They had come to the spot in the freshness of June, chased from the village by its people, following deer path through the forest, the valleys, the fern groves, and the quaking bogs.”

#FirstLineFridays

Truly excellent. I couldn‘t stop listening!

Winner of the Truman Capote Prize for Literary Non-Fiction and 2024 Edgar Award Nominee in the Best Fact Crime category.

“There is no secret, Tom, or else there are hundreds of them, and none of them interesting enough for you. The secret is that we‘re a family, we‘re just an ordinary family, with ordinary unhappiness like yours.”

Propulsive and poignant family drama. Insightful, impactful writing. An impressive work of literary fiction. Great start to my #WomensPrize reading!

Essential and enlightening history. Great read for Women‘s History Month.

Wow, this was so good! Smart, relevant, thought-provoking.

#WomensPrizeNF