Had the great privilege of seeing Ramona Emerson in person yesterday at Gaithersburg Book Festival!! She talked about her book Shutter & how it‘s going to be a trilogy!! She also talked about her documentarian work & the Native American community. Fascinating panel. Shutter is on my to-read list!!

Got to see David Ellis and Alex Finlay in a panel moderated by Andrea Bartz yesterday at Gaithersburg Book Festival!! I‘ve read two of Finlay‘s books and am eager to read his latest. Ellis‘ book I have a hold on at the library and I‘ve read Bartz‘s We Were Never Here and am eager for her new one: The Spare Room! It was a great conversation about thrillers & the writing process & how they‘re there to entertain. Had a front row seat again!

Author Tara Laskowski was the moderator of the Ashley Winstead and Julia Bartz panel yesterday at Gaithersburg Book Festival! I have two of her books but haven‘t read them yet. So exciting to see these authors in person! This is them prepping for the panel. Local author Angie Kim was the introducer for them.

Ashley Winstead and Julia Bartz were at Gaithersburg Book Festival yesterday and I had a front row seat! So exciting to see these authors in person! It‘s the second time I‘ve seen Ashley there. Their books are definitely dark and twisted. I read The Last Housewife last year & wow it was intense to put it mildly! Haven‘t had the chance to read The Writing Retreat yet, but it‘s on my list!

This was an excellent stand-alone by Coben! It was fun to see characters featured in other books of his. This was intense with the authorities on the tail of David as he escapes prison & navigates his way to find his son. 4.5 stars. I rounded down to 4 on Goodreads bc I figured out a major twist earlier on but this one is full of suspense and twists. Highly recommend!

I absolutely loved this book (and yes even the ending). 5 stars from me. A young woman is found dead & the story is told from the POV of the parents of those who were last seen with her. Great way to keep the mystery going by not doing the teens POV. It was beautifully written with flawed & realistic characters. I may have to go back & read more of his work. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. Will be a “buy” for me when it‘s in paperback

What a great horror-somewhat comedy, lol. Pupkin, the evil puppet, makes Annabelle seem like a sweetheart. I enjoyed the dynamic between Louise and her brother Mark and how it evolved. I‘d be really eager to see this adapted into a mini series or film. Hendrix is becoming a go to read for me after enjoying The Final Girl Support Group. He introduces the ludicrous on the page & makes it believable & suspenseful! Right balance of humor. Really good!

Overall a pick. While most of this was interesting, a fair amount of it was kind of boring. It picked up when he met Meghan. Prince William is not shown in a flattering light. It‘s just sad how the Palace was against Meghan from the beginning when she didn‘t do anything. Them just cutting off security really could‘ve put them in danger. I‘m glad things worked out for Harry and they were able to get away. Who knows what the future holds for them.

But aren‘t you doing the same thing, Harry? Releasing a tell-all for money? Although I know some is going to charity. And I‘m enjoying this, but he should be a little more self aware…

Finished this last week too! An interesting premise: a woman being held in captivity, but she feels safer there than if she were to be with her husband? What happened to her? It‘s a thrilling ride to find out. I don‘t want to give away too much. If you liked Paris‘ previous works, you should like this one! I really feel for the main character! Eager to know what other readers thought!

Finished this one last week! The ending is what made it a so-so for me. Other than that I really enjoyed the suspense and buildup as the characters kept being killed one by one. I was surprised by the ending and not in the best way. I will still read books by this author as I have a couple of her other ones. I really enjoyed Daisy as a main character. An overall fun locked room mystery.

True that! I love coming across bookish quotes while reading!

Guilty! Lol. Bookstores are my favorite places on Earth!

Adele is an actress who desperately needs an acting gig so she accepts this last minute offer to be the main star in a horror film being made in an isolated Irish forest. Things happening in the script begin to happen to Adele. I really liked this! A large portion of the book is Adele by herself as she experiences strange phenomena & I could see where that would be a turnoff for some. I was surprised by the end & I liked the way it wrapped up!

I love St. John‘s books! Always an escape to an exotic locale and the suspense pumping. There were twists in this one I didn‘t see coming. Former model Sveta arrives in Mexico after finding out she is inheriting her estranged uncle‘s estate which is an empire based on a cult (not a spoiler). Stuck there Sveta does her best to survive when bigger threats appear. There is contesting to the will. A very fun and enjoyable read! I recommend!

Read this 4 work as it‘s one of the One Maryland One Book Top 11 this year! A powerful read. It‘s a compilation of Native peoples‘ POV as they all converge at the Oakland Powwow. It was interesting to see how all the characters were connected & their histories. The Powwow scenes were gripping & short as POV kept switching. I was satisfied with the way the story ended.

I LOVED this book! I flew through it! Great character driven thriller! I don‘t want to say much bc I don‘t want to give anything away, but basically it‘s about two couples are intertwined when one of them goes missing. This one has lots of twists and turns. I really liked the character Christian. I hope that everyone who reads this book enjoys it as much as I did!

Read this for work as it‘s 1 of the Top 11 for One Maryland One Book! I listened to this last year & didn‘t care for it much, but physically reading it i understood the connections between the characters & their stories. It tells the stories of a 16 year old Melody & generations of her family. It features issues involving sex, race, class & the impact of making decisions before you fully understand them.

At 1st I didn‘t understand the lower rating on Goodreads for this one but over time I got it. I liked the book, but it dragged at parts. It‘s definitely more of a literary mystery than a thriller. It‘s about a young woman who comes back to her hometown after college & gets involved in her family‘s private investigating business when one of her colleagues at the cafe she works at is murdered. I‘ll still read the 2nd book when it comes out in April.

I wanted to love it bc it‘s a Reese‘s pick & described as a “can‘t put it down” thriller but I found that not to be the case. IMO it‘s not a typical thriller, which may be the appeal for some. I don‘t really want to say too much bc I don‘t want to give anything away. I‘m curious as to others‘ thoughts on this one! Let me know in the comments!

I read this for work. It‘s one of the Top 11 Titles for the 2023 One Maryland One Book program. This book chronicles the journey of a mixed immigration status family fractured between the US & Colombia. There are points of view from all 5 of the family members. This is well written & shows the hardships endured by families. There was hardly any foul language & there is a brief rape scene. It‘s a shorter, but powerful read.

I read this for work as it‘s one of the Top 11 for the 2023 One Maryland One Book program. I‘m so glad I did! It‘s a graphic memoir that depicts the author‘s journey in having complicated conversations about race & racism in America with her young son who is of mixed race. It‘s a great read & highly recommend it! Note for younger readers: there is one scene of full frontal nudity & the F word is used sparingly throughout.

My 2nd of 2023! 5 strangers have someone taken from them and they‘re instructed via an anonymous text to play “the game” & there can only be 1 winner. I wasn‘t sure what to expect going into this in terms of how it would all come together, but was surprised enough when it was revealed. This has some twists in it & shows how we‘re all dependent on technology & makes us conscious of what we put out there. I would read another book by this author.

My 1st book of 2023! I really flew through this book! It tells the story of Ellen Saint, a woman who has lost her son in a “careless driver” accident at the hands of Kieran, one of her son‘s friends whom she has never able to tolerate. Years later she sees Kieran, which is impossible since she had him killed. I really enjoyed the twists in this one- all the way to the very end! I will check out more of Candlish‘s books!

This was my last book of 2022 & the 1st of Alderson‘s books! I was pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns of the plot. The suspense in the first part was legitimate & the intensity of what Laura & Liam are going through on the island. The twist about 2/3rds of the way through really got me & made me give it 4 stars. It‘s an enjoyable read & I would like to read more of the author‘s books!

I‘d watched Big Bang when it was on TV but I hadn‘t finished it, so over the past month I binged the entire series & then read this book. It provided so much insight into the series, the thoughts in the writers room & the actors experiences. I loved having the behind the scenes scoop! If you watched the show & want to learn more about it, I definitely recommend it! It is 500 pages but it‘s interview style so it goes quickly. I was hooked on this!

I enjoyed the multiple POVs & the characters Laughton Rees & Tannahill Khan. I liked the pacing of the book & there were surprises until the very end! Laughton is brought in as a consultant on the murder of a woman in a luxurious home when a book she wrote is left at the crime scene. Also, the woman barely has a paper trail making everyone wonder who would want to kill her. I like the way the case resolves & that there‘s going to be a 2nd book!

This was a little slow at first but when it picks up, it really picks up! Because Liv Reese has amnesia (not a spoiler) it feels disjointed at times & keeping the timelines straight. I really enjoyed the character of Detective Darcy Halliday & wouldn‘t mind seeing her in future books (not that this is a series). I‘ve read The Night Swim by the author & enjoyed that so I will be on the lookout for future books by her! It‘s a great suspense thriller

I REALLY really enjoyed this one! This is Perks‘ debut but the 2nd I‘ve read of hers. There were definitely some twists in this one! The characters are well developed but some still manage to hold onto secrets. The villain may have been a little cheesy at times in the portrayal but represents a huge issue in relationship dynamics. Perks is an author I will be on the lookout for in the future!

I really enjoyed this one! It was interesting to learn about Sri Lankan culture in the midst of a thriller setting. This one had some twists that I didn‘t see coming! I liked having both Amaya‘s and Kaavi‘s points of view. Amaya trying to stop her former best friend from marrying Amaya‘s ex boyfriend was quite entertaining. I think it would make a great mini series!

Almost a Pan. It took me a while to get through this. I‘m trying to read more books by diverse authors. However, this was a confusing book. Some of the characters I didn‘t understand who they were. The OBG storyline didn‘t make sense to me & I was confused by the end & didn‘t really get it. The narrators did a great job. I think that‘s what kept me listening if I‘m being honest. I liked the main character Nella but the story was drawn out too much

I usually avoid books about cults but I heard the author speak at Gaithersburg Book Festival in May & so I figured I‘d give it a try. This book is really intense, to the point that it comes with a content warning, which I‘d never seen in a book before. There‘s a lot of triggering content. The author paced it well & that made it easier to read. I liked the ending. I need to go back and read the author‘s “In My Dreams I Hold a Knife.”

This was a wonderful second installment in the Detective Annalisa Vega series! I‘m such a fan of Schaffhausen‘s writing & pacing of the story. I loved how the story unfolded & appreciated the balance between the case Vega was working & what‘s happening in her personal life & how the two intersect. I definitely recommend this book & this series overall! I‘m excited for the next one!

At 1st I thought it took a while to get to the reveal, like the characters were wondering who the killer was but no action 4 a while. I will say that it had a very good climax and the ending was satisfying! I did enjoy the development of Kara. I want to check out more of the author‘s works. When I went to Barnes & Noble I couldn‘t find any. This would make a good tv mini series.

Reading the tagged book and was intrigued to see the content warning. I don‘t think I‘ve read a book that‘s had this before. It‘s interesting, like a rating for movies. What do you make of it? Should all books do this?

I usually listen to Miranda‘s books and not really like them. I physically read this one & I enjoyed it very much. You really feel for the protagonist Abby as she runs the inn and tries to figure out how so many people have vanished from her town. I liked the reveals at the end. Not the most engaging book but a decent read. It will make me want to try future books from the author.

A solid 3.5 stars. I haven‘t read her books before & I may check more of hers out in the future. Dr. Laina Landers‘ is a psychologist & her patients are being harassed & followed. Then there‘s Cal Murphy, a Black reporter (there is a lot of emphasis on his race in the book) who Laina is drawn too. Part romance & a lot of psychological suspense. Makes for an okay read! I thought the quality of writing was subpar- a lot of exclamation points lol

At #NatBookFest! Sat in on a panel with Tiffany D. Jackson and Ryan La Sala. I haven‘t read any of their works. It was a panel on the horror genre in YA. It was very interesting and they were both very funny! I may be checking out their books!

I‘m surprised by the lower rating for this on Goodreads bc this was a really good read. Three wives & mothers receive a letter that their husbands committed a sexual assault decades earlier. The three women come together to figure out what to do & if any justice can be served. I think this is an important read in a post Me Too era. What would you have done if you were one of the women?

At #NatBookFest and just got out of this great panel with authors Jennifer Close and Eleanor Brown. I may have to check their books out now!

I‘m at #NatBookFest at the DC Convention Center and was at this panel earlier with Counterfeit author Kirsten Chen, Katie Gutierrez, and author of The Lifeguards, which I want to check out now, Amanda Eyre Ward.

Surprised by a couple of twists at the end but this one was difficult for me to keep interest. The suspense wasn‘t really there for me. I felt for Rosie more than I did Laura. Maybe if I had read it physically my response would be different. I would try another Wendy Walker book in the future. I really just wish it had been more thrilling.

For as long as it was & Ruth Ware‘s reputation I expected more from the book. That being said it is still a very enjoyable read & you really get to know & feel for Hannah, the main character. I easily get annoyed with books where it‘s all about this perfect, ethereal beauty but I stuck it out for this one. I‘ll read more Ruth Ware in the future but it may not be so high up on my list.

This was a good read! You really felt for both Meg and Kat as they got closer to one another. It was entertaining to see their agendas unfold as Kat tried to keep tabs on Meg & as Meg tries to keep Kat at a distance, knowing she‘s a reporter. Kat‘s boyfriend being a recovering gambling addict adds for an interesting layer. I was pleased with the ending.

I flew through this book. Having the actual pictures as part of the text was a good touch & helped with the pace. I really appreciated the main character & her development as an addict in recovery. The book takes an unexpected turn towards the end. It‘s just different & makes you evaluate the whole book. I‘m eager to hear what others thought about the revelations at the end.

Omg how I loved this book! It was just so readable! I really love Waxman‘s style of writing and dialogue and fun yet complex characters. Laura moves to LA to start grad school against her family‘s wishes and she stumbles into the bookstore run by Nina Hill (from Waxman‘s The Bookish Life of Nina Hill). There she finds a place to live with a bunch of welcoming & loveable characters. I didn‘t want this book to end but I was satisfied with the end.

I loved this book! I‘m a sucker for books about dynamics between parents of kids at school (think Big Little Lies). I really appreciated the structure of this book bc it gives insight into each of the characters at the right time. I was satisfied with the ending. This makes me want to read Perks‘ other novels. I will definitely check out her next one! Have you read any of her other books? How were they?

I really enjoyed this one! I really liked the main character Casey. At like 2/3rds of the way through there is a twist that almost made me throw the book at the wall, but I was really impressed with how it was handled & this ended up being a Pick for me. I enjoyed the twist that comes closer to the end too. I want to go back and read Sager‘s previous books that I haven‘t already.

Here‘s the mass market paperbacks & hardbacks I‘ve gotten recently. They were all on sale! One of the Barnes & Nobles near me had a 20% off on mass market paperbacks, which I‘m a sucker for anyway, so ahh! I have soooo many books plus I‘m constantly getting books from the library.

I have a book buying problem lol. This is a stack of what I‘ve gotten in the past couple months. I think I use book buying as a form of therapy but I‘m running out of places to put them all! Ahh! My Barnes & Noble membership comes in handy. They‘re BOGO 50% off sales always get me lol.