Daughter of Mine

 
“Daughter of Mine” by Megan Miranda
Published by Marysue Rucci Books
 
This is just what I needed to get me out of a reading slump – a well-paced, interesting, mystery with fairly short chapters.  I enjoyed both the storyline and the characters, so it kept me turning the pages.  I definitely recommend it. 
 
Finished 7/7/26 – 4/5 stars
#daughterofmine #meganmiranda #marysueruccibooks

Liberty Street

 

“Liberty Street” by Heather Marshall
Published by Doubleday
 
I went into this book thinking it was just a mystery, not realizing it’s actually historical fiction.  Its main focus is the deplorable conditions of a women’s prison in Toronto during the 60s where inmates are not just mistreated, they are unknowingly used as Guinea pigs for trial medications and treatments.  It speaks to women’s rights (or lack thereof) and mental health, specifically how post-partum depression was considered insanity at the time.  There are a lot of issues rolled into this story.  Unfortunately, I felt like it dragged at times, although I still enjoyed it and would recommend it.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this honest review are completely my own.
 
Finished 6/29/26 – 3.5/5 stars
 
#libertystreet #heathermarshall #doubleday #netgalley

The Locked Door

 

“The Locked Door” by Freida McFadden
Published by Poisoned Pen Press
 
In all honesty, this was going to be a 3.5 star read but because I didn’t guess the killer, I’m giving it a full 4.  There weren’t a lot of twists, but there were many instances that made me change my guess as to who the killer was.  I enjoy a book that will keep me guessing.
 
Finished 5/27/26 – 4/5 stars
 
#thelockeddoor #freidamcfadden #poisonedpenpress

Saving Noah

 
“Saving Noah” by Lucinda Berry
Published by Rise Press
 
This is a small book with a big impact.  Mothers will do anything to protect their children from harm, but what happens when a child needs protection from themselves?  What do you do when you believe that one of your children needs protection from the other?  What if you feel all hope for a better future is lost?  This book will make you contemplate what you would do as a parent in the worst situations you can imagine.  It’s a hard read, but it’s worth every page.  Truly, you won’t want to put it down.  And my guess is it will make an imprint on your heart and stay with you for a long time.
 
Finished 5/23/26 – 5/5 stars
#savingnoah #lucindaberry #risepress #5starreads

Shibby Magee

 
“Shibby Magee” by Carrie Kabak
Published by Corbyn
 
This book is broken down into two parts – Shibby’s childhood and then her adult life.  And I must admit, I enjoyed the first part of the book more than the second.  I think it’s because when she’s younger you can explain behaviors as “she’s just a child” but then when she’s older you think “why would she do that?” As a bonus, it brought to my attention a culture in Ireland I was unaware of – the Travelers.  When in the story the Travelers lifestyle still existed in the time of cell phones, I was surprised and had to Google it to see if that was true.  And it is!  So, although I would not consider this historical fiction, I did learn something new.  I always enjoy expanding my mind while reading fiction.
 
Thank you to Carrie Kabak for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this honest review are completely my own.
 
Finished 5/20/26 – 3/5 stars
 
#shibbymagee #carriekabak #corbyn

Hungered

 
“Hungered” by Amanda Rizkalla
Published by Henry Holt & Co
 
Maybe my expectations for this book were too high because I feel like it could have been so much more.  I know it is a coming-of-age story, but it truly fell flat.  I also felt that various adult decisions made throughout the book gave a poor impression of people out there truly struggling.  And don’t get me started about the ending.  I get what the author was trying to say by ending it that way but honestly, it just lowered my rating a half point instead.  There were just too many unresolved points throughout the book to then also end with one.  Overall, the story felt unfinished.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this honest review are completely my own.  Unfortunately, this time it’s not the type of review you were hoping for.
 
Finished 5/15/26 – 2/5 stars
 
#hungered #amandarizkalla #henryholtandco #netgalley

The Underground Railroad

“The Underground Railroad” by Colson Whitehead
Published by Anchor Books
 
It’s a conflicting feeling to say how much you enjoyed a book when the story itself is about the inhumane treatment of slaves in America.  And it’s sad to think that some of it is still happening today.  In the book, a black man in a non-slave state is fully judged by their appearance and how they carry themselves.  Is that any different from today, 200 years later?  Unfortunately, people are still judged by the color of their skin and the accent of their speech.  Not to the extreme of the past, but prejudices are still rampant.  With regards to the book itself, I truly enjoyed reading their stories of grit and determination and of those people putting their lives on the line to help others.  The more people come together to help one another, more doors will open to allow change to come though.
 
I highly recommend this book for all.  Is it fully historically accurate with regards to the underground railroad?  No, but that is why it is called historical fiction.
 
Finished 5/13/26 – 4/5 stars
 
#theundergroundrailroad #colsonwhitehead #anchorbooks
 

The Forgotten Midwife

 
“The Forgotten Midwife” by Laura Anthony
Published by Gallery Books
 
This is a story you don’t want to put down and luckily, I’m on vacation so I didn’t have to often.  It is a story of resilience and hope that will break your heart multiple times.  It is a time in history that no one wants to speak of, when pregnancies out of wedlock were thought to ruin a girl and her family so the girls and young women were hidden away and treated worse than dogs.  This story mainly takes place in Ireland, but they are not the only country that treated people this way.  Society has come a long way since then but still has a way to go.  I highly recommend this book and afterwards, please take a minute to read the author’s note at the end.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this honest review are completely my own.
 
Finished 5/10/26 – 4/5 stars
 
#theforgottenmidwife #lauraanthony #netgalley #gallerybooks

The Calamity Club

 
“The Calamity Club” by Kathryn Stockett
Published by Spiegel & Grau
 
The Help was a 5-star read for me and this one is another great book at 4.5 stars.  The only reason I can’t give it the full 5 is because it dragged a little in the middle.  However, the last 25-30% will have you on the edge of your seat for a good amount of it even though it’s not a thriller or mystery.  You just don’t want anything negative to happen to the characters that you adore.  I loved Meg and I loved Birdie, and their time together was fantastic.  The majority of the side characters that entered the story were also well developed, whether you loved them or loved to hate them.  Together, they bring about 2 wonderful, intertwined stories showing strength and courage to overcome a variety of obstacles.  Some aspects of this story are probably seen as political but it’s historical fiction, that’s going to happen.  It’s not jamming any opinions down your throat, but it will make you grateful not to be living in 1933.  I highly recommend it.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this honest review are completely my own.
 
Finished 5/7/26 – 4.5/5 stars
 
#thecalamityclub #kathrynstockett #netgalley #spiegelandgrau

Liar's Dice

 
“Liar’s Dice” by Juliet Faithful
Published by Random House
 
This is not your typical coming of age story.  In this book, the main character has a twin with cerebral palsy and epilepsy in a small village in Brazil in the late 60s, early 70s.  At the age of about 12, the sister is sent away to a hospital in England while the rest of the family moves to Rio. So, not only is she struggling with all the things that come with being a pre-teen, she’s also starting a new school (hiding that she’s illiterate) and missing her twin terribly, with no way of knowing if she’s dead or alive because her parents won’t discuss it.   The story itself is told in dual timelines – the year leading up to the sister being sent away and the years immediately following.  In all honesty, I think having it split out that way, took away from the flow of the storyline.  In this instance, because there wasn’t a lot of time between the two timelines and because there wasn’t some big give-away being kept secret, I think it could have been told in a single timeline and been smoother.  That’s obviously just my personal opinion.  Overall, I still think it was a great read and definitely recommend it.
 
Side note – I wish I knew there was a glossary at the back of the book for some of the Brazilian words, terms, and references.  If you read this, please refer to it as needed for clarifications to make it an easier read.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the complimentary copy of this e-book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this honest review are completely my own.
 
Finished 4/24/26 – 4/5 stars

#liarsdice #julietfaithfull #randomhouse #netgalley

Mad Mabel

“Mad Mabel” by Sally Hepworth
Published by St. Martin’s Press
 
I think I might have a new favorite character.  I tend to love a spunky, sassy, older character and that is Elsie (aka Mabel) to a tee.  And with it being told in a dual timeline, I get to love her as a child as well.  She is such a strong character but has had such a hard life.  She truly just needs to be loved.  Many times, young and old, you want to just reach in, grab her, and give her a good solid hug, but it’s a book.  I definitely recommend it – it’s quick paced and witty, and at times, suspenseful.  And if you like a good curmudgeon character like I do, I think you’ll love it too.  
 
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the complimentary copy of this e-book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this honest review are completely my own.
 
Finished 4/19/26 – 4.5/5 stars
#madmabel #sallyhepworth #stmartinspress #netgalley
 

All the Dangerous Things

“All the Dangerous Things” by Stacy Willingham
Published by Minotaur Books
 
Although I own the physical book, I listened to it during a long drive and it definitely kept me entertained.  It is told in dual timelines with a few mysteries built in.  The one thing I didn't enjoy was that some of the information became repetitive.  It's not a long enough book for the reader to need reminders of what was said or done earlier.  Overall, I recommend it though.
 
Finished 4/17/26 – 4/5 stars
 
#allthedangerousthings #stacywillingham #minotaurbooks #botm 

Shoot the Moon

 
“Shoot the Moon” by Billie Letts
Published by Warner Books
 
I think this is what some might call a cozy mystery.  It’s not suspenseful or a page turner, and there aren’t any twists and turns, but there is a murder mystery to be solved in a small town.  Essentially, a man from California finds out he was adopted and travels to Oklahoma to find his birth mother, only to find that she was murdered 30 years prior and that he had been assumed dead.  As you can imagine, the entire town was quite shocked to find out he was alive and well and most welcomed him with open arms.  But now he has a new mission – he wants to know who killed his birth mother and why.  And therein lies the mystery.  I thought it was a nice, quick, and easy read.  I think it would make for a good vacation read or when you need to escape with a book that doesn’t make you think too hard (although there are a lot of characters to keep up with).
 
Finished 4/13/26 – 3/5 stars
 
#shootthemoon #billieletts #warnerbooks

Finding Chika

 
“Finding Chika” by Mitch Albom
Published by Harper
 
I don’t normally review audio books but I’m making an exception for this one.  If you need a book that will make you cry, this is it.  When Haiti suffered a crippling earthquake in 2010, many children lost parents or had parents that could no longer take care of them.  Mitch Albom stepped up and helped finance the rebuilding of an orphanage in Port-au-Prince to help house and care for some of these children.  In 2015, one of the orphans, Chika, was in need of medical testing that wasn’t available anywhere in Haiti, so he brought her home to Michigan.  Unfortunately, it was found that she had an uncurable form of brain cancer and given 4 months to live.  Mitch and his wife became her legal guardians, got her treatments, and took care of her until she died 2 years later at the age of 7.  This is their story.
 
I recommend the audio version because he has included snippets of recordings of Chika that will put a smile on your face.  However, please know that if you decide to buy the book, all author profits go to his Haitian foundation.
 
Finished 4/9/26 – 5/5 stars
 
#findingchika #mitchalbom #harper

A Town Called Solace

 
“A Town Called Solace” by Mary Lawson
Published by Alfred A Knopf Canada
 
This story is full of dysfunctional characters and I loved them all, especially 8 year old Clara and her former neighbor, Mrs. Orchard.  It is beautifully heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time.  Overall, I’d call it a quick feel-good book that’s an easy read.  Nothing outstanding….just a good read.  I do recommend it and think it would make a good pallet cleanser after a tough read.
 
Finished 4/8/26 – 3.5/5 stars
 
#atowncalledsolace #marylawson #alfredaknopfcanada

Blake Cake

 
“Black Cake” by Charmaine Wilkerson
Published by Ballantine Books
 
This is a fabulous multi-generational family drama told in dual timelines, full of culture with a little historical fiction thrown in as well.  What’s not to love?  It’s not my first Charmain Wilkerson book – I LOVED Good Dirt, but this was her first, her debut novel.   I find her to be quite a talented writer.  What she gives us in her storytelling is fabulous.  I wouldn’t say it’s the main focus of this book by any means, but I love how she gracefully shows the different racial cultures and blatant racism across both time and locations, spanning decades and multiple countries from the Caribbean, to the UK, and of course, to the United States.  She also puts emphasis on not holding family grudges – don’t wait until it’s too late to put aside family differences.  Keep the communication lines open to allow space and opportunity to possibly come back together one day.  The loss of not doing so is strongly felt in this book.  And yet, I found it to be a feel-good book that will warm your heart.  I definitely recommend it.
 
Finished 4/5/26 – 5/5 stars
 
#blackcake #charmainewilkerson #ballantinebooks #5starreads

Invisible Girl

 

“Invisible Girl” by Lisa Jewell
Published by Atria Books
 
This book had some decent twists and the story itself was good, but it was so slow and so repetitive.  I know when there are multiple POVs some scenes do get repeated but that’s because you need the other person’s side of the story.  In this instance, it was too much and slowed it down.  If I hadn’t been reading it for a challenge, I would have DNF’d it.  It just didn’t hold my interest.  It has a decent average rating in GoodReads though so maybe it’s just me.
 
Finished 3/27/26 – 2.5/5 stars

Like Mother, Like Daughter

“Like Mother, Life Daughter” by Kimberly McCreight
Published by Alfred A Knopf
 
I thought this book was just OK.  I think the concept was good, but there was just too much of it that felt unrealistic.  I’m one of those readers that doesn’t like fantasy because I have a hard time letting go of reality while I read.  And in this book, some things that happen and some choices that are made just don’t feel like things that would happen in real life.  So, it very well could be that plenty of people would enjoy this book more than I did.  But for me, it was just OK.
 
Finished 3/22/26 – 3/5 stars
 

Where the Truth Lies

 
“Where the Truth Lies” by Katherine Greene
Published by Crooked Lane Books
 
This is definitely a page turner murder mystery.  Initially you are given two unnamed males as suspects.  By the middle of the book, you have confirmation of who those 2 individuals are but by then you’ve added a couple more names to your suspect list.  You have to wait until almost the very end to confirm your suspicions though. (I got it right this time)
 
This is the 2^nd book I’ve read by Katherine Greene, and I greatly enjoyed them both.  There were times that this story made me quite angry due to the mistreatment of some female characters, both verbally and physically, but it’s part of the character development of a fictional story so it’s OK.  This might not be the book for you if you think those types of scenarios would be triggering for you though.  If not an issue, I highly recommend it.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed in this honest review are completely my own.
 
Finished 3/16/26 – 4/5 stars
 
#wherethetruthlies #katherinegreene #crookedlanebooks #netgalley

Too Good to Be True

 
“Too Good to Be True” by Carola Lovering
Published by St. Martin’s Press
 
I have conflicting opinions about this book.  I like the way it was written from three points of view, using journal entries to tell parts of the story.  I dislike the characters, completely (although that’s not always a bad thing).  I like the suspenseful feel it has throughout but dislike the ending because it’s too “wrapped up in a bow” for my liking.  With all that said, I did enjoy reading it.  The things I like about it outweigh the things I dislike, and my curiosity kept me turning the pages.  So, although I’ve mixed opinions, I still recommend it.
 
Finished 3/12/26 – 3.5/5 stars
 
#toogoodtobetrue #carolalovering #stmartinspress #botm