Full disclosure, this is a pandemic book set in New York City, which was one of the most COVID-19-wracked cities in the USA. Jodie P did her research, as per usual. It wasn‘t your typical Jodi P book, tho, in that it‘s told from a single POV. I read it in two days. It fully immersed me. It‘s a book about finding hope in a dark time and finding yourself along the way.

I can‘t decide if Barbera Kingsolver is a literary genius or a whack that scored a book deal. This is the first book by her that I‘ve managed to get through and it was a ride for sure. Not a roller coaster per se, more of a train without tracks or speed control that occasionally punches you in the face and also can put you to sleep. But it took me over two weeks to get through it. Maybe it‘s a metaphor for the long journey of addiction?

Cute aesthetic, quick tips, but not life-changing. This book would be great for an early twenty-something who is sick of getting blackout wasted. As someone who has reevaluated my own relationship with alcohol, this book wouldn‘t quite do it for me in terms of revolutionizing my relationship with booze. However, the author is like a friend reinforcing my decision in this book, showing me it‘s cool to be a sober almost-30-year-old lady.

This book has so much potential. Great plot about a murdered mistress, a powerful female attorney character, dual-perspective storyline and a twist at the end! Some of the writing left a bit to be desired. “Discoveries” came from thin air, but it was still an enjoyable read for sure.

Fascinating and disturbing read. Forensic psych is so interesting to me. This book just goes to show the severe and significant impact that trauma has, even on the most giving of our species: women.

Recommended to me by a dear friend! Another satisfying Picoult book. Great characters, a few types of love and a mystery to be solved. Pretty good read!!

Don is a quirky man whose social conventions differ from most of us. He establishes a method by which to search (scientifically) for a wife, and tumbles down a rabbit hole of unexpected variables to his research. I can‘t wait to read the next book in this series!

Oh Freida. You are a masterful twister of plots, but you don‘t have to twist EVERYTHING. Somethings should just be left as is. This book started out with some eye rolls. Then things were explained. Then she wrecked them anyways. Not my fave Frieda book. But, I enjoy few things more than a creepy psych ward!

This is the most complicated case of radicalization, groupthink and a cultish following I‘ve ever heard of. The social psychology involved to create a community of over 1,000 and have them all die for the cause is beyond evil. The Jonestown Massacre may go down in history as the most atrocious murder-suicide this world has ever seen.

A warm read of interwoven stories and a perfect little seaside town. The characters in this book feel like family, including the sea life. Certainly a pleasant read!

Laura McKowen‘s relationship with alcohol absolutely consumed every aspect of her life, putting herself and those she loved in real danger. Honest, heartbreaking and inspiring, “We Are the Luckiest” pulls you through a woman severely addicted to alcohol and how she battled shame, denial and self hatred to now live a sober, happy life. It‘s a book that would make even the most casual drinker rethink their relationship with alcohol.

So many “👏HECK YES” moments when listening to this book! Based on American education systems, but so relatable for any teacher. These systems are crippled and crumbling. Listen up, world. Something has to change.

Ghostly ghouls and murder? Not to mention a mysterious heiress!

Unfortunately it was a bit draggy for me. Seemed to take me forever to finish this one! Lots of excitement but it gets a 🤷‍♀️ from me.

As a woman, the first thing people ask if you‘re not drinking is “Are you pregnant?” Why should the only reason someone stops drinking be because they are knocked up? This book was a bit too “poison the patriarchy” for me in some parts, but I did highlight dozens of quotes that I plan to revisit. It made me re-evaluate my relationship with alcohol and take a step back from consuming it all together. Definitely worth the read.

Important read.

This book is about strong, intelligent women who do not back down. I hope to someday be as fearless and well-dressed as Kathryn Conroy, and as forward thinking as Madison. Law school, high ranking public officials and killer (wink wink) wardrobe.

Clever, cunning and concise. This was a great story about counterfeit luxury goods and the immensity of the market through which they‘re passed.

Little Christmas cutie. Pushy main character who becomes quite lovable. Mix in some serious content and some holly jolly. Not bad!

Honestly, I knew very little about her before reading this. However, she is a strong writer and has one hell of a story. She faced horrific trauma in the years she was “away at boarding school”, and the accounts of abuse and emotional torture from other survivors is finally coming to light.
she‘s a total business badass with a keen sense of fiscal prowess. Her legendary family may have given her the Hilton name, but she built Paris herself.

It‘s the story of a young girl who spirals into a schizophrenic war with herself, entangling her family every step of the way. The worst part? This book is told from the perspective of her 8-year-old sister, Meredith. Reading about a child experiencing one of the least-understood mental illnesses consuming her sister is both heartbreaking & extremely graphic. Some scenes left me nauseous. Mostly this book is an immensely disturbing rollercoaster.

Anyone who has/works with/interacts with/was once a child should read this book.

Dr Bruce Perry‘s Neurosequential Model is laid out with heart-breaking stories of children who have faced trauma. Not for the faint at heart, but worth pushing through. The first 4 years of a child‘s life are do instrumental in healthy brain development that trauma through these first years can literally derail their entire lives.

This was incredibly difficult to listen to. JWF is so incredibly brave for sharing the appalling and horrific details of the abuse she faced. This book is not for the faint of heart. It should be known that this book contains graphic descriptions of abuse, including sexual abuse, molestation and rape.
I believe this story has to be told to show other survivors and victims that they are not alone and that the abuse they face is not their fault.

This book was rapid action mixed with some relevant racial conflict. Very quick and exciting read!

This book is an unabashed look at her life from childhood to now dripping in denial. Maybe my psychology side is showing, but reading this book was like looking inside the mind of a delusional individual with very real and unresolved issues.

What a beautiful story of love and perseverance. You can feel the love between these two from the second they meet! A feel-good, Nicholas Sparks-esque love story for the ages.

Lyrical prose, murder, insanity, potential psychopathy and human obsession all set in an aged library with quirky patrons. A quick read and a gentle thrill.

Allow me to begin by saying I‘m not a huge fan of fantasy, and I‘m definitely not a fan of books dripping with smut.
This is one of the most immersive books I‘ve read in a very long time. It contains power, dragons, competition, lust, corruption, war and just the right amount of deliciously descriptive lovemaking. It takes an incredibly masterful author to compose such a story, and @rebeccayarros achieves this tenfold.

Buckle up! You‘re in for the wildest custody battle of your life!

This book had me shaking my head and dropping my jaw numerous times. What happens when an ambitious man tries to take your child from you? Trust me, this book is NOT your typical custody battle

This was truly a novel of ambition at all costs. Friendships (acquaintance-ships?) become ruined through theft, defamation and assumptions. Although it was an interesting look at the world of writing and publishing, I can‘t say it was the best book I‘ve ever read. I don‘t hate it, but didn‘t love it either.

A bit of a long drag for a thriller, but a fascinating glimpse into psychopathy and emotive expression.

Not only do his novels take you on imaginative but very feasible utopian journeys, but they will challenge your intellect as well.

Upgrade is a story of humanity in its raw form and an investigation of what actually makes us human. In the end, is it only compassion that our world needs in order to be saved from itself?

Wow, what a plot twist!
What starts out as a seemingly simple monster-in-law tale progresses to a point of jaw-dropping cruelty. Just when you think everything is figured out, the author lights your predictions on fire. A quick and consuming read!

Told from the unexpected POV of a newborn child with a see-all complex, this story travels the incredible journey of a Filipina immigrant worker in Canada who becomes the caregiver for an elderly woman.
A tale of getting to know things you don‘t understand, the ruthlessness and heart of humankind, and of glimpsing into the normalcy of people who are different than us, this book has my jaw on the floor with how much I enjoyed it.

Though this book contained several spooky scenes, I found the writing lacked the skill required to truly freak me out. Scariness was abrupt and thrown in like M&Ms in a Skittles bowl: not an unwelcome surprise, but didn‘t particularly mix well with the things around it.
I struggled with the rating, hovering around 2.5 most of the book, and it honestly is closer to a 2.5 for me. It took me over a week to read, so you know I wasn‘t in to it!

Another stunning read by KH. She really unpacks the complexity of grief and loss and manages to help her characters heal without cheesiness or romance-esque fairytale endings.

I read this in 5 hours. TJR does it again with a love story that is so devourable I couldn‘t put it down! Unique plot with a fine ending.

This is a work of art. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
A Plath-like depiction of a lost and tortured woman who is wandering and broken, the prose in this book was so delicious. It‘s a unique story unlike any I‘ve read before that left me sad but hopeful. The world is losing species at a rapid rate, and the protagonist is her own antagonist and goes searching for the last of the Arctic terns. Travel to tumultuous tundra of oceans that is a broken woman‘s existence.

Interesting read! The prose was a bit hard to get into, but definitely reflected the time period, if in a slightly disorientating way. Witch trials of the 1600s are really todays cancel culture and mean girls.

I tried to read this. I really did. It‘s like a fever dream mixed with MidSommar-like situational disassociations and some sexual violence. Felt like a bad trip. Bailed hard.

What started out as a slow burn turned into an adorable, well, romcom that challenged societal norms and encouraged self confidence and love.

I greatly enjoyed @csittenfeld ‘s style and her uncanny ability to build characters that are both lovable and relatable. Give this one a chance, and you won‘t be disappointed.

It takes a particularly talented author to be able to articulate in prose the crushing weight of grief, but @baparisauthor achieved this tenfold.

This story is filled with situational irony that maintains secrets in order to preserve familial happiness, only to be annihilated by tragedy. I loved it. I devoured this book in less than a day.

It‘s devastating, but enrapturing and painful.

This book seemed to drag on. I was hoping it would be a bad ass secret women‘s society that wiped out unruly men and handed out justice like Halloween candy. Instead, it‘s a dialogue and text-heavy blame game that I pushed through just to get finished.

Honest review? Pass on it.

This book took me on an undetermined adventure that seemed to have an ultimate ending looming as you continued to flip the pages. However, As I got to the ending, I found myself thinking “When will I be done this book”.
The author was trying to unpack and apply meaning to human pain and suffering, but I couldn‘t find the main characters‘ justification. Maybe that‘s just me.
I‘d love to know anyone else‘s thoughts on this book.

Not only does this book scrutinize the treatment of women in rural India, but it modernizes centuries-old women‘s issues set in Mumbai. It is also the story of an American woman returning to her roots (begrudgingly) and exploring her own power as a woman.

This is one of the best books I‘ve read this year. May be a new favourite. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it.

Heart wrenching true story of loss, war, and trying to find oneself in a broken world.

Heard lots of good things about this book, but agreed with the negative things I read. The ending seemed rushed and mashed together without much satisfaction.

Lots of spooky scenes and characters that make you shake your head.

I read this in one sitting!!! Sucked me right in, kept me guessing, and had HUGE plot twists!!! Five star read for sure. Loved it.

Gorgeous read about resilience and love through the eyes of Syrian refugees. Christy Lefteri uses prose that gives beauty to even the most desolate circumstances and settings.

This book really grew on me by the end! A combination of tasteful and sophisticated prose combined with sitcom-like friendship antics made this a great story. Female friendships, caste systems and a colourful cultural setting make this a unique read.

Excellent sequel. Just as page turning as the first book. Read in one day!