Fun (and dark) fact: this was reportedly a favorite film of Felon Trump. As Stephanie Grisham recounts in her memoir after watching it with him:

“Here was a woman (Norma Desmond) who was convinced that everyone loved her and lived in a fantasy world of her own making. I‘m sure that Trump had no clue—like none—how similar to him she was.”

A cautionary tale about delusion, power, and decay—tragically lost on its biggest fan.

I knew when I started this lengthy book that I would not complete my 2025 reading challenge. But that‘s ok.

A mammoth tale of vampires/virals created and accidentally unleashed upon the world with apocalyptic results and a band of survivors trying desperately to see another day.

With multiple plot lines, characters and time jumps, this was a challenging, yet entertaining read.

Nat Cassidy is becoming my favorite new author!
Loved this story with echoes of Rosemary‘s Baby. A story about grief and parenting. A real page turner!

Reminiscent of the classic Twilight Zone episode "It's a Good Life," while touching on themes of parenting and paralyzing fear, this book was full of twists and turns and hooked me up until the very end. Very imaginative with some particularly wild sequences. It's also quite violent and bloody, so be warned.

I did get a kick that one of the locations in the story is literally located at the end of the street where I live!

Julie Clark delivers once again! Even though this was my least favorite of her books, I still found it gripping and entertaining. The non-linear storyline, with its time jumps to the 1970s, was a highlight, and she did an excellent job recreating that period. Although the ending left me wanting more, the story as a whole was truly engrossing.
Side note: The only ghosts in this story are those that linger in the mind.

While the themes and main characters in his books so far may seem similar, the compelling storytelling continues to keep me fully engrossed until the very end.
Out of all his books, this one seems to be the darkest of them all.
And I love it!

I love TJR, but I didn't really love this one.
I found the love story to be underwhelming; instead, I was much more invested in the dynamic among Joan, her sister Barbara, and her niece Frances. I wanted more of that.
The ending felt abrupt as well; I was hoping for a flash-forward.

While a tad long, this is a beautiful story about the friends you have when you are young and the different paths they take as they grow.
I don‘t know how Backman does it, but he has a way of abruptly dropping one or two sentences that simultaneously pull at your heartstrings and your tear ducts.

I have always struggled with Shakespeare, so this book, about a group of pretentious and insufferable theater kids (I was one, so I can say that), who endlessly quote the Bard, paired with a lackluster murder mystery, was definitely not for me.

While only 177 pages, I almost ditched this book around page 50, especially once I learned that the big question of the book is never really answered. Yet, much like our tireless narrator, I pushed onwards. Things picked up once the first big plot twist arrived, and thus my interest was piqued.
A philosophical sci-fi tale on what it is to be human, where there are more questions than answers.
It's a bleak tale, but one worth reading.

Detective Holly Gibney returns in Stephen King‘s latest crime (not horror) thriller! This time she is dealing with not one, but two killers. One a serial killer and the other a “pro-lifer” intent on killing a popular feminist activist. There‘s a lot going on in this book and there were moments I temporarily got confused as to who was who. Yet, it was a very enjoyable and suspenseful read.

Signed,
Totally Biased Lifelong Stephen King Fan

With the latest in scientific research, Dan Siegel illustrates how we can best connect and nurture our relationship with our teens by understanding It‘s not “raging hormones” so much as it is the profound changes that take place in the brain during this period in their lives.

This book offers valuable insights and is easy to read, guiding you on how to manage your emotions and not allow the opinions of others to affect your mood or overall life goals. Whether it's dealing with a spouse, a friend, or your child, "The Let Them Theory" lays out a clear path for managing various situations, ultimately leading to a happier and more fulfilling life.

Star Wars Holiday Special
Paul Lynde Halloween Special
Snow White Oscar telecast
Brady Bunch
Village People
Carol Channing
Charo

If any of those shows and/or celebrities mean anything to you, then you should definitely pick up this book.
A funny & witty behind-the-scenes memoir of what went into the making of some of the worst TV specials ever made during an era in Hollywood that is no longer.
Guaranteed to send you down a YouTube rabbit hole!

I loved the set up and the isolated setting for this novel about a father and his three children on a research island near Antarctica who are harboring a secret. A secret that is at risk of being exposed when a woman washes up on their shore.
Despite figuring out the major plot twist towards the end, we have great world building and fleshed out characters you truly care about that make this a riveting read.

Giving women their due, Kristin Hannah explores the life of women serving as nurses both during the Vietnam War and the aftermath.
There were moments where I felt a lack of subtlety when it came to the historic high points of the story, but overall, a moving and compelling read with some surprising twists along the way.

Loved everything about this book! From its short little chapters, to its compelling characters, propulsive narrative and several references to my favorite Elton John song, “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters”. Spanning over 3 decades, it‘s a story about family, love, obsession, secrets and a serial killer named Eli.
Coincidentally, EJ‘s new album dropped this week. Its opening track, an ode to Laura Nyro, uses the repeated refrain “Eli‘s coming”.

If you're looking for a detailed "How to" manual, this is not it.
The idea is to get ahead of potential health problems before they become actual ones.
He calls these problems The Four Horsemen: Cancer, Heart Disease, Neurodegenerative diseases and metabolic diseases (i.e., diabetes).

Cliff Notes Version: Exercise!!

My first Liane Moriarty book, but it won‘t be my last!
With its gripping premise, fully fleshed out characters and a storyline where everything eventually connects, this was a very compelling read and one that I could not put down.
Looking forward to reading more of her work!

Almost bailed on the book when I was only 10% in….then again at 50%….then decided to just finish the damn thing.
I think this was a “don‘t judge a book by its cover” except in reverse. The cover was so pretty, but the story itself was not.
Interesting premise, but thought it was overly long and at times confusing. Some funny moments and some interesting twists towards the end, but not enough to overlook the first 80% of the book.

It only took me 16 years to get around to reading this!
The premise is a bit silly, but as usual, King creates a compelling story with fully fleshed out characters.

For some reason, due to all the hype, I thought this was a new book.
Yet, it came out in 2018.
Either way, I can't say this book has changed my life, but there were some interesting insights and real world examples.
I particularly liked the idea of "habit stacking".

I'm a bit late to the party on this one, but I held off so I can go right into the sequel which just came out. Another wonderful and imaginative LGBTQ themed story about acceptance and finding what is truly important in life.

Another fantastic collection by the master himself.
While I enjoyed all of them, Rattlesnakes (which centers on a character from an early King work) and The Answer Man were two standouts for me.

After reading this propulsive page-turner, I‘m now ready for the upcoming apocalypse.

While I connected with the struggle of coming out, it's now 2024, and I found it hard to believe that a man in his 30s who works in Hollywood would still be closeted. Additionally, I wasn't particularly satisfied with the resolution to the mystery, which I sometimes found illogical. I was also unclear about the chapters that began like a screenplay featuring our protagonist; that aspect was never explained. Despite that, I still enjoyed the ride.

As a Gen X gay man, I found myself a bit confused by the pronouns & gender references, as well as some of the terminology—like “xe.“ I must have missed the memo on that one! While it may not be the most crucial part of the story, it did occasionally distract me and take away from my overall enjoyment.
Yeah, I know, soon I'll be yelling at clouds.
But if you can stick with the story until the end, the resolution is absolutely worth the journey!

This was a fun, scary and thrilling trilogy that I truly enjoyed.
But with that ending, I'm going to need this to be a tetralogy.
Thank you for your consideration.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Another page-turner from Blake Crouch!
Now on to Book #3 to see how it all ends!

With short, compact chapters, Helen Phillips constructs a world in the not too distant future where the ecosystem is collapsing&consumerism is rampant. AI robots called Hums advertise products to humans while also serving an unseen government.We meet unemployed May, who undergoes a face-altering surgery that will pay her enough to take her family to a Garden of Eden-style vacation.
A quick&tense read w/ an abrupt ending that I'm not sure I loved.

While the early chapters discuss UFOs and the closing chapter reveals a jaw-dropping explanation of the Roswell Incident, this book delves into more than just that.

With access to declassified info & interviews with those who were present at Area 51, Annie Jacobson provides a fascinating & detailed account of our government‘s efforts to conduct top-secret experiments in the realm of espionage & military warfare.

A shocking and fascinating read.

A bizarre and creepy tale that has many twists and turns. I thought this was going to be about some kind of home invasion, but it was so much more than that.
A very enjoyable and compelling page-turner!

If you‘re “A FAAAAANNN!!!” of Mommie Dearest, Joan Crawford or behind-the-scenes tell all books…this one has all those elements! A fun and quick read about what went on behind the scenes of this camp classic that was released back in 1981.

While it‘s not perfect, some of the stories tend to get repeated thus giving the impression the author might have been getting paid by the word, it still made for a very entertaining read.

The best part of the book is the beginning where it takes place on the plane..this is where Newman is in her element. The rest of the story, about a small town with one-dimensional characters trying to avert the meltdown of their nuclear power plant, feels melodramatic, silly and wholly preposterous.

(Note: I lost both my mom and my aunt within a two week period while reading this, so this could have impacted my review, but I doubt it.)

I was at risk for losing my Gay card for having not read this yet!

Christina Crawford‘s controversial bestseller opened the world‘s eyes to child abuse in general, and child abuse at the hands of a revered movie star & monster, Joan Crawford, in particular.

I loved the letters from Joan and encounters with her famous friends, but too much of the book is taken up by adult Christina‘s whining that Mommie wouldn‘t send her money or not enough.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
A truly chilling story as told from the perspective of an 8 year old girl. Everything was moving along nicely until the ending. An ending where I felt that the author didn‘t really stick the landing. That said, I loved reading this fast paced story at night to up the spooky quotient.

While not as riveting as "Nuclear War", Annie Jacobsen brings us her exhaustive and thorough research into top secret programs that were set up and funded by the CIA, the US military and other government intelligence agencies. Through declassified documents and interviews with these individuals, she paints a compelling and objective portrait with jaw-dropping accounts that makes one question (including this skeptic) the limit of our abilities.

I've read Blake's newer books yet never got around to this trilogy.
Here we find another compelling page-turner about a Secret Service agent sent to a small town to investigate the disappearance of two other agents. I have mixed feelings about the ending of book #1, yet not enough to diminish the enjoyment I experienced while reading it.
If you are a fan of Twin Peaks (a show that heavily inspired this trilogy), you'll enjoy this.

Are you feeling stressed by today's political climate? Then have I the book for you! Escape into a hypothetical scenario of nuclear war!
What I assumed would be a book as dry as radioactive concrete debris was actually a propulsive and engaging minute-by-minute scary AF timeline about how 12,000 years of civilization can be wiped away in just mere hours.

"Humanity is just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation."

That was one weird story.
I found the alternate timelines a bit challenging but that didn‘t stop me from wanting to get to the resolution at the end. An ending, weird as it is, that only Paul Tremblay could pull off.

A compelling and creative take on what it means to be human as seen through the eyes of a female robot who finds herself in an abusive relationship. I found the ending to be a bit underwhelming.
That said, I'd be lying if said I wasn't hoping for a murderous robot rampage when I was only 25 pages in.

I never expected a laugh out loud satire from one of my favorite authors, but here we are! It reminded me of the Bluth Family from Arrested Development…but British! Political viewpoints aside, Boyne has crafted a searing and hysterical take down of cancel culture and our obsession, dare I say addiction, to social media.
Loved it!

With alternating chapters on the private life of Lana Turner and the Los Angeles mobster scene, this was a compelling page turner about one of Hollywood‘s most infamous killings.
Author Casey Sherman doesn‘t dive into all the minutiae, but rather hits all the highlights of this particular period.
Despite some typos, this is a must read for fans of classic Hollywood and 1940-50‘s Los Angeles.

More like 3.5 stars.
I loved the concept of an American couple buying an old home in Italy on the cheap as so many fantasize about, including me!
This story though, will give you pause before making that leap.

Didn‘t fully love the supernatural element of it as it felt a bit hokey and the ending resulted in some eye rolling. Also, his physical descriptions of the locations as our characters make their way were a bit confusing.

Happy Publication Day for Paul Tremblay!
Love the red page edges!

Here‘s Hazel making her Litsy debut! It looks like she and Hera got caught plotting something.

This is a fun James Bond-style spoof about a hapless guy who gets caught up in the world of supervillains when his estranged Uncle, a supervillain himself, suddenly dies. Lots of fun set-pieces, sentient creatures and clever nods to spy thrillers.

Happy Publication Day!
#stephenking

In posing the question "What will you do with the time you have left?", TJ Klune gives us another funny and heartwarming story about life, loss, grief and tea.
I laughed, I cried....I appreciated life just a little bit more.
But not tea..it's like warm water with yard clippings...I'm more of a coffee kinda guy.

Turns out "Tom Lake" isn't a person, but a place. Was I the only one who initially thought that?

The story is about a woman reminiscing with her grown daughters about her past experiences in summer stock theater and her romance with a fellow actor who went on to become a famous movie star. The plot moves slowly, with the narrative switching back and forth between the past and present.

Not exactly a page-turner, but a sweet and nostalgic tale.