This is a brutal book. It describes, in relentless detail, the death one suffers from desert heat. This is the daily reality for some who walk from Mexico to the United States. What is the solution? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am so glad that this is the first in a series, as I really want to know what the characters in this novel are up to next. I have fallen in love with all of them, but they are not grandparently types, in the least. There is intelligence, snark, manipulation, stubbornness, blackmail, secrets, intrigue, and, of course, murder. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rachel Krall, podcaster, is back, and she is working with the FBI. Out of the blue, Terrance Bailey, suspected serial murderer is due to get out of jail and he wants to meet with Rachel. At the end of their meeting, he seems to threaten her, and the story takes off from there, interspersed with podcast excerpts that slowly explain the plot. The side story is an influencer convention. An entertaining read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is packed with a lot of information about cephalopods, more than I ever even knew existed. A scientific look at the evolution of and future of octopuses and squid and nautiluses and others, but written in a very accessible format. Who knew they were so prolific and so ancient? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was an interesting read. There were a lot of really great sections, and overall the storyline was cohesive. I really liked Jo. She is a flawed detective, my favorite kind, who is trying to get her life and career back on track. Her new partner, Mark, is her perfect foil. A compelling story, and a good ending. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It took me quite some time to finish this book. It is very interesting, but it bogs down in some of the longer sections. Should we search for life among the stars or is it enough to try and figure out how life began on earth? Both may seem important and/or improbable, but the advantage we have is that there is already life on our planet, our home. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Forward short story collection. Amazon Original Stories. What a great group of authors! Love these stories! #KindleChallenge ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Trespass collection. Sci-fi stories. Amazon originals. These are awesome. Give them a read. #KindleChallenge ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Black Stars series. These short stories are excellent. Give them a read.

This is such a touching short story about truth and lies and love and dysfunction and found family and two people filling each others voids. A mother who has lost a daughter. A daughter who needs to be mothered. Overlooking deception. Is the ending just slightly creepy, though? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a dense read. I think it did give me some insights into Jane Austen and into her novels. The most interesting parts of the book were the biographical insights into Jane Austen‘s life. I have had trouble with Mansfield Park, and this book gives me the courage for another attempt. This book is not for everyone. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The premise of this novel is good and I really did enjoy it, but the ending fell flat, and I changed my rating from 4⭐️s to 3⭐️s. Alien contact, alien technology lead to international conflict. It is more complicated than that, but the racial bias hits a sour note. I liked the science fiction aspect of the book, and I wanted more. Overall, an entertaining read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The eternal question: is there ever truly a safe time to bring a child into the world? And also: as parents, will we, will I, be enough? Struggling to reconcile her past and to face her future, Poppy finds answers that are not perfect, but are good enough. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Looking back on a life, at regrets, coming to terms with missed opportunities, realizing it‘s never too late, and finally letting go. What a sweet, sweet ending to a difficult story. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mothers and daughters are so completely intertwined. Are we really destined to become our mothers? They will always exert an influence on our lives. We will recognize them in us and us in them. Eventually, we figure it out and make peace with our mothers and with ourselves. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A mother who has lost a child, finds her heart healing when she agrees to care for a child, whose parents are victims of the Holocaust. Then her whole world is turned upside down, but she finally realizes that once a mother, always a mother, and miracles do happen. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In danger of losing everything, Autumn begins to see signs all around her of found family. She begins to realize what she must do for herself in order to heal and have the family she deserves and wants. We‘re there tears? Yes, yes there were. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mothers are magic. If the magic is strong enough, it can be felt from anywhere. It is passed from mother to child and it will always defy explanation and it always be known and it always be there. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

To discover that your life was not your life, that your birthday is not your birthday, that your stuffy was not what you remembered, to be flooded with a new reality, is unmooring. How would you handle it? Does love conquer all? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This latest Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James novel is so, so good! I love the intermixing of their professional and private lives. All of the characters come alive and I always want more. Of course there‘s murder, but it seems to be so random with too many theories and too many suspects. When the truth is discovered, everything fits neatly together. Is there a next book? Please? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Having watched the TV series, I didn‘t know what to expect from the books. The two seem to have more differences than commonalities. One thing about this particular book was the length. I almost hung it up at one point, but I stuck with it and I‘m glad I did. It‘s hard to catch the rhythm, but once caught, the book moves along. I think I‘ll stick with the series. Vera just gets under your skin. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a thriller right from the beginning. Josie Quinn is a flawed heroine and I‘m there for it. How does a suspended cop go about investigating a seemingly nonexistent case? With ferocity and fearlessness. But it‘s a conspiracy that will cost her nearly everything. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Megan Miranda has done it again. I loved this book. It‘s the tenth anniversary of a tragic accident. Cassidy Bent reluctantly joins her fellow survivors in their yearly commemoration of the event. But all is not as it seems. Alternating between the present and the past at the time of the incident, we learn truths about what really happened. It‘s not what you expect. And it‘s so good. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A girl. A cat. An inseparable bond. Is there a killer on the loose? Is it feline or human? Aren‘t all girls part feline? Joyce Carol Oates always writes the eeriest, scariest stories, and this one has a terrifyingly satisfying ending. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

David Sedaris makes me laugh, snort, giggle, guffaw, etc. I never would have guessed that book signings could be a source of such amusement. It‘s evidently not about the actual signing of the book, at least for this particular author. It seems like such an artificial encounter, but David Sedaris infuses his with amusing personal interaction. A fun essay. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the 3rd Aaron Falk book, and I think my least favorite. It is a very quiet book and it took me a while to finish it as it didn‘t hold my attention until the last quarter of the book. This is supposedly the last Aaron Falk novel, and my curiosity is satisfied. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is quite complicated and there were times when I had a hard time trying to remember some of the characters, but the plot was pretty easy to keep track of. I found myself laughing at some of the ridiculous and inevitable coincidences, but there are some very gory and grim scenes that were definitely not funny. The ending is weird, but I think everything turns out OK-ish. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have had a love/hate relationship with this book, and I‘m not really sure why, because love won out. I think part of it is that I feel so angry at the horrible way the women in this book are treated, because it‘s true in life, too. And I was reading another non-fiction book about women in chemistry and the parallels were uncanny. But this is a hopeful book and the heroine is a strong, courageous woman scientist. Also, it made me laugh.5⭐️

I didn‘t know what to expect from a book that is essentially about the beginnings of the acknowledgment of discrimination against women in science. It really translates to recognizing what discrimination looks like. But it is first a story of one woman‘s fight for basic human dignity that started a flood of change. We are not all the way there, even yet, but there is still progress being made. It can be so much better. Let‘s keep it going.5⭐️

Families have secrets. Some are small. Some are unbelievable. The Sandersons don‘t talk about any of them. In fact, they rarely talk to each other, at all. That‘s when Nora drops the biggest secret of all on her younger sister, Quinn, and we learn all kinds of things that could put everyone in danger. With a little girl at the center of things, will there be a happy ending? It‘s worth a read to find out. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am such a big fan of C.J. Tudor. Her books chill me to the bone, and this one is no exception. There are 3 narratives that seem at once to be connected and not. The links become clearer the further you read, but they also become more and more horrific. This is about a world wide, all encompassing pandemic, so be forewarned. This author is a must read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book as I have loved all of Alex North‘s books. Can all of time exist all at once? For this novel, apparently it can. Two bothers who are influenced by a truly evil father: one who obeys the rules, one who does not. One who believes he is the true heir, one who does not. But, all is not as it seems. The ending caught me off guard. Scary, but not freezer worthy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This has got to be one of the strangest, most convoluted, hard to grasp (aside from Ulysses), books that I have ever read. Ostensibly, it‘s about the senseless(?) destruction of an AI world, and contains gratuitous violence and gore. But I think I kind of liked(?) it. Not enough to read any more in the series, though. It‘s part of my TBR from a defunct bookclub that I have vowed to read. Onward. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

First off, is this a novel or a memoir? The answer is, yes. An author whose parents would not want a memoir written about them, so insert fictional character(s), and problem solved. I love the way Elizabeth McCracken writes. She is irreverent, hilarious, detailed, descriptive, warm, aloof, and the last lines undid me. This is a must read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book. The essays are lyrical, lovely, warm, funny, poetic, free form, beautiful, touching, surprising, yes, delightful, and I feel better for having read them. Although I read them straight through, you can pop into any essay and continue at random and not miss anything. It might be another delight to reread them that way. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A writing retreat as the basis for a mystery/thriller? Seems unlikely and that‘s why it works. I don‘t want to give anything away, but nothing is what it seems. And is it over the top to add in a ghost? Apparently not! It all meshes together for a really good story. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lately, Jonathan Kellerman‘s books have been hit or miss. This one is kind of both. There were times when I was so bored with this novel that I nearly DNFed it. Am I glad I finished it? I‘m still not sure. The eventual short action part was good. The rest was iffy. Read it or don‘t. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book! It‘s extremely dystopian, but that‘s part of its charm. Hazel Moore is a member of her local Patrol, the replacement police force, and she is a force of nature. Everyone contributes in multiple ways with whatever skills they have, and Hazel is a natural born detective. The murders are crazy and the murderer seems to be devolving. Will she figure it out before it‘s too late? Read this book and find out. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What could have been a dry, academic treatise, turned out to be a warm, humorous, informative, educational almost novel. It is nonfiction, but is very story like in places. I learned so much about beavers and their very real extremely positive impact on our watershed and the environment. It gives one hope. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is a twist on Agatha Christie‘s novel And Then There We‘re None with a touch of Shirley Jackson‘s We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Daisy Darker and her family gather for their Nana‘s 80th, prophesied, last, birthday, maybe? I found myself hiding the last paragraph of each chapter so I didn‘t peek and spoil the next reveal. This was an eerily fun read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Reading about a group of kick-ass women over 60 was refreshing. Discovering that they are all retired assassins, bonus. That‘s where things get crazy. Bracketed by 2 author's notes, we learn the story of their beginning and their ending(?) Or is it? These women are definitely individuals, but also a tight unit created out of whole cloth by a guiding Shepherdess. You will love Billie (narrator), Helen, Natalie, and Mary Alice. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What happens when a person doesn‘t sleep for an entire year? Isabelle Drake is still trying to find out what happened the night her infant son disappeared, but is she even thinking clearly anymore? This coldest of cases has her questioning everything she thought she knew. The twists in this novel took me by surprise. Such a good read! More, please! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow! This novel really had me from the start. It pulls you into Maya‘s state of mind, her confusion and frustration. We know something oddly sinister is happening to her, and when we finally find out, the truth is chilling. The ending left me feeling uneasy, yet hopeful. Quite the eerie novel. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Angelica Henley is tough, vulnerable, raw, smart, a complicated woman. After her harrowing experiences in The Jigsaw Man, she is right back in the fray. Called to the scene of a brutal murder, she makes a horrifying discovery that leads to a serial killer or killers with a twisted religious bent. She struggles to make connections and find the perpetrators while balancing her complicated personal life. Hoping for more in this series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is an unusual attempt to let our own Milky Way tell its own story in its own words. Some of the humor falls flat, but there is lots of interesting information. There also spots where it gets very sciency (not a bad thing) which bogs down the narrative. There are good notes, too. Overall, entertaining. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Having read every single Armand Gamache novel, I can say unequivocally that is the best one yet. Three Pines features centrally in this latest terrifying installment. All of our favorite characters are front and center. This book calls into play the very first interaction between Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir. Not saying any more. If you haven‘t read this series, start now (reading in order for full effect). You won‘t regret it. 5⭐️

This is not a ghost story. That being said, this book is filled with ghosts. They are souls that cling to Rita Todacheene, begging her to solve their deaths. She is a forensic photographer and is almost too good at her job. If she doesn‘t solve this murder, she may be next. I love the details about her Navaho family and life on her reservation. I hope we will hear more from Rita and from Ramona Emerson. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is quite a technical read, at times, with very long chapters. That being said, it is informative and illustrative of the very real impact that bioacoustics can have on climate change. Also, this book promotes and increases empathy for our nonhuman partners on our one and only home, Planet Earth. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This sequel to The Family Upstairs ties up loose ends from the first book. I love the dynamic of the very dysfunctional Lamb family. The tie in from another character with Lucy Lamb adds another element of thrill. There are a lot of characters and moving parts, so it sometimes seemed a bit confusing, but it has a satisfactory ending. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Duncan and Gemma and their children are invited to Melody Talbot‘s parents country home for a long weekend, but of course things start happening before they‘ve all arrived. Duncan is in an accident that turns complicated. Of course it does. Murder, deception, poisoning, chefs, dogs, family drama, and, as always, a mishmash of personal and professional life. I love this series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️