The Yellow Bird Sings

 
“The Yellow Bird Sings” by Jennifer Rosner
Published by Flatiron Books
 
The writing in this book is simply beautiful, making it a wonderful read.  It’s historical fiction taking place in WWII Poland, in which a mother and her young daughter are forced into hiding.  To try to keep her daughter quiet, she tells her the story of a yellow bird that will sing whatever tune is in your head while being quiet.  The imaginary bird not only helps keep her quiet but also instills a greater love of music.  The yellow bird and the mother/daughter bond play a large part in their struggle to survive. 
 
Sidenote, I found out that this is the author’s debut novel.  Knowing that makes this book even more impressive.  I will be adding her 2^nd novel, Once We Were Home, to my list of books to read.
 
Finished 8/27 – 5/5 stars
 
#theyellowbirdsings #jenniferrosner #flatironbooks #5starreads #2025reads

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

 
“The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek” by Kim Michele Richardson
Published by Sourcebook Landmark
 
This is historical fiction taking place in the Appalachia mountains in Kentucky during the 1930s.  Not only did I learn more about the Pack Horse library service there, but I also learned that there were blue-skinned people living there.  Their skin was blue due to a recessive genetic disorder that passed down through generations of inbred cousins.  I had no idea that they existed.  As for the story within this book, I thought it was really good but found it to be a little slow in the middle and then seems to end quite abruptly.  The characters were great, and I loved the majority of their interactions – true neighborly compassion, looking out for one another.  Of course, there were also some ignorant racist individuals as well – those I didn’t care for.  Overall, I definitely recommend it.
 
Finished 8/19/25 – 3.5/5 stars
 
#thebookwomanoftroublesomecreek #kimmichelerichardson #sourcebooklandmark #2025reads #genxreads
 

One by One

 
“One by One” by Ruth Ware
Published by Scout Press
 
I really wanted to love this one, but I felt it dragged up until probably the last 100 pages and it felt repetitive a good amount of the time.  Some of that is simply because occasionally when the POV changes, you are getting new thoughts about a scene you just read from a different perspective.  That can be insightful, but in this case, I felt it took away from the flow of the storyline and made it drag even more.  Seeing as how this book takes place over just a few days, one would expect it to be a page turner with a lot going on during that short amount of time but there just wasn’t.  Unfortunately, I don’t recommend this one.  I’ve enjoyed other books by Ruth Ware and have more on my bookshelf, so this won’t be my last book by her, but it definitely wasn’t my favorite.
 
Finished 8/13/25 – 2.5/5 stars
 
#onebyone #ruthware #scoutpress #2025reads #genxreads

The Guest List

 
“The Guest List” by Lucy Foley
Published by William Morrow
 
None of the characters in this book are likable but I did like the concept of the storyline and think the setting works perfectly for it to all come together. The multiple points of view provide additional insight into certain situations and there are twists and turns to keep you turning the pages, but I thought it felt forced and didn’t flow well.  I’m giving it an average rating of 3, but I don’t think I’d recommend it to most people I know.
 
Finished 8/10/25 – 3/5 stars
 
#theguestlist #lucyfoley #williammorrow #botm #2025reads #genxreads

The Locked Ward

“The Locked Ward” by Sarah Pekkanen
Published by St. Martin’s Press
 
Another great psychological thriller by Sarah Pekkanen.  This is the 5^th book of hers I’ve read and I’ve enjoyed them all.  I think it’s safe to say she has become an auto-buy author for me.  Most were fairly short (under 350 pages) and all have been quick page-turners with short, intense chapters.  She doesn’t put a lot of “fluff” in her books so almost everything you read plays some part in the overall main plot/story, although you might not realize it initially.  Did I have a hard time wrapping my head around and believing certain aspects of it?  Yes, but that doesn’t mean I enjoyed it any less.  I definitely recommend this one.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.
 
Finished 8/6/25 – 4/5 stars
 
#thelockedward #sarahpekkanen #stmartinspress #netgalley #2025reads #genxreads
 

Keep Your Friends Close

 
“Keep Your Friends Close” by Lucinda Berry
Published by Thomas & Mercer
 
Well, this was quite a ride.  It’s starts with a dead body in a pool at a party of women who are all members of a glitzy mom’s club in LA.  As the police investigation goes on, you find more potential suspects but no real motive. There is plenty of drama and scandals among this group, but it becomes a little slow in the middle.  It ends with a lot happening all at once though.  You might be able to predict some of the ending, but probably not all of it.  This is my first book by Lucinda Berry, but I don’t imagine it will be my last. 
 
Finished 8/3/25 – 3/5 stars
 
#keepyourfriendsclose #lucindaberry #thomasandmercer #2025reads #genxreads