Abbi Waxman‘s latest is salve for a wounded soul, full of humor and friendships. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#adult-assembly-required

You know I‘m a sucker for books with “book,” “bookshop,” or “library” in the title . . . even though I know better! Read my review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#the-library-of-the-dead

I guess “Tropical Depression Girl” wouldn‘t attract many readers. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#hurricane-girl

This fifth installment in the Lincoln Lawyer series was the first I read . . . over eight years ago. Read my review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#the-gods-of-guilt-mickey-haller-5

This debut is important, but not easy. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#last-summer-on-state-street

Bailing at 30% [2:26:07]. MC is unpleasant. I don't care about her. It's not funny or interesting enough to warrant another 5:43:18 of audio time. [My real time would be less—I'm not listening at base speed.]

Bailing at 21% [2:36:31]—I haven't enjoyed the story since beginning, and it seems like things are only getting worse. I‘m morbidly curious about the connection between Louisa and Kristie, but not enough to suffer through *another* 10 audio hours of their miserable lives! [My real time would be less—I'm not listening at base speed.]

If you like mysteries or true crime podcasts, Acts of Violet may be a treat for you. I especially recommend reading this one with your ears. Publication is expected July 5. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#acts-of-violet

#NetGalley #MacmillanAudio #ActsOfViolet

My take: hype-worthy! [4.66⭐] Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#lessons-in-chemistry

Fan of the TV series How I Met Your Mother? This novel is the work of one of its co-creators. Read my review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#the-mutual-friend

This mythical retelling wasn‘t quite what I expected. Publication of the audio edition is expected July 1. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#i-antigone

#NetGalley #SagaEgmontAudio #IAntigone

The fourth Lincoln Lawyer installment got bogged down in the courtroom, but it dropped a nifty twist at the end. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#the-fifth-witness-mickey-haller-4

Who doesn‘t need something to look forward to? If you‘re struggling for ideas, try some of these. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#things-to-look-forward-to-52-large-a...

This was not the sci-fi multiverse romp I was expecting; it was a sci-fi multiverse dystopia. Publication of the audio edition is expected June 30. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#the-sisters-sputnik

#NetGalley #ECWPressAudio #TheSistersSputnik

Lincoln Lawyer installment three finds Mickey Haller switching sides to serve as lawyer for the prosecution. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#the-reversal-mickey-haller-3

Finally, a novel that satisfies both my romantic and bookish fiction needs! Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#book-lovers

My Lincoln Lawyer series deep-dive continues. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#the-brass-verdict-mickey-haller-2

May reading recap: Last month, 9 of 17 books read rated high enough to make the recommended list. https://debbybrauer.org/#may-2022-recap

Which is real? Which is fake? I‘m not just talking about the bags. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#counterfeit

bailed at 35%—wish I hadn't spent so much time on it

This feminist fairy tale reboot sequel finds Zinnia face-to-face with Snow White‘s Evil Stepmother. Publication is expected June 14. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#a-mirror-mended-fractured-fables-2

#NetGalley #MacmillanAudio #AMirrorMended #FracturedFables2

Down the Lincoln Lawyer rabbit hole I go. . . . Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#the-lincoln-lawyer-mickey-haller-1

Is the publishing world becoming more inclusive? The flow of my reading pipeline might suggest it. Read my review of this YA story set in Salem, Massachusetts here: https://debbybrauer.org/#improbable-magic-for-cynical-witches

This urban fantasy—the author‘s first targeted at adults instead of younger audiences—was unpleasant and anticlimactic instead of magical and thrilling. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#book-of-night

I *really* wanted to like this because the MC is a Canadian detective visiting Scotland to care for her dying gran. But, I did not dig the going back 150 years to 1869 to be a chambermaid, all the time fumbling to fit in, and so much internal dialogue—just not there for it.

I patiently awaited my turn for this bookish rom-com. . . . Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#meet-me-in-the-margins

This debut mystery/thriller is a good bet for fans of Lee Child‘s Jack Reacher series. Publication is expected June 7. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#the-gatekeeper

#NetGalley #MacmillanAudio #TheGatekeeper

This mystery (and more) was a craftily layered treat. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#bellweather-rhapsody

You don‘t have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this, but be ready for major drama. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#the-cactus-league

The key sociopolitical points of this novel are not exclusive to South Africa. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#an-island

I took a break because needed to attend to a NetGalley, but this is of the suburban housewives behaving badly ilk, and I just can't. Bailing at 19%.

This loner-senior-finally-blossoming saga is a pleasant, if predictable, story. Publication is expected May 31. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#the-secret-life-of-albert-entwistle

#NetGalley #RBMedia #TheSecretLifeofAlbertEntwistle

This novella provides a taut, contemporary look at racism and misogyny. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#assembly

This YA mystery is a satisfying Mean Girls/Agatha Christie/Scooby-Doo/buddy mash-up. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#the-agathas

The first novel I‘ve read by this author—and her first piece of adult fiction (she usually writes YA)—is an emotional and gut-wrenching journey through the lives of two young women. Publication is expected May 31. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#yerba-buena

#NetGalley #MacmillanAudio #YerbaBuena

Bailing at 23%. I'm not sure why I should care about the story based on what I've read so far.

This mystery/thriller centers on an Innocence Project case. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#the-murder-rule

I expected a promising satire. True to the title, I was presented with a hot mess (bad, not clever). Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#jameela-green-ruins-everything

April reading recap: Last month, 10 of 20 books read rated high enough to make the list. https://debbybrauer.org/#april-2022-recap

While cozy mysteries are not my favorite subgenre, this one is especially fun! Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#the-marlow-murder-club

Casey McQuiston‘s latest is a light mystery involving LGBTQ high-schoolers at a Christian school in Alabama. Read my review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#i-kissed-shara-wheeler

The best parts of this work of fiction are the snippets of nonfiction. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#true-biz

I was charmed by this relationship-heavy story starring a 70-something widow and a giant Pacific octopus. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#remarkably-bright-creatures

I came for the text; I stayed for the illustrations. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#lets-dance

Here‘s a romance book I didn‘t hate (and maybe even liked). Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#birds-of-california

This mystery managed to surprise me! Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#one-of-us-is-dead

I‘m lukewarm about this middle-school anti-bullying story, but I‘d love to hear from tweens about their impressions. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#jennifer-chan-is-not-alone

This tense mystery built its way to a high rating from me and then tore itself down. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#two-nights-in-lisbon

#NetGalley #MacmillanAudio #TwoNightsinLisbon

This second memoir from American TV writer, producer, and actor Gary Janetti is a quick, fun read. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#start-without-me-ill-be-there-in-a-m...

#NetGalley #MacmillanAudio #StartWithoutMe

This family drama is a promising debut. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#hope-and-glory