The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre

 

“The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre” by Philip Fracassi
Published by Tor Nightfire
 
Who knew a thriller/mystery could be such a fun read.  I truly enjoyed every page of this book.  Not only is the mystery itself good, the characters are absolutely wonderful.  You just can’t get too attached because you never know who will be next, or how.  Each person is murdered in a different way and because all the victims are older, not all deaths appear suspicious, delaying the investigation.  But not all the residents are fooled.  Some of these senior citizens are ready to take charge and figure it out themselves, hoping to stay alive in the process.  I highly recommend this one even if thrillers aren’t your thing because this book is much more than a slasher book.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.
 
Finished 9/23/25 – 5/5 stars
 
#theautumnspringsretirementhomemassacre #philipfracassi #tornightfire #netgalley #5starreads

The Vanishing Place

 
“The Vanishing Place” by Zoe Rankin
Published by Berkley
 
What a fantastic debut thriller!  This one is just being released and I’m already excited for whatever she writes next.  There is family drama, cultish behavior, mystery, suspense, and a little sprinkle of romance all in one page-turner.  You’ll fly through it simply because you’ll want to pick it up and read every spare minute you have.  At least I did.  I highly recommend it.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.
 
Finished 9/12/25 – 5/5 stars
 
#thevanishingplace #zoerankin #berkley #netgalley #5starread #2025reads

Tell the Wolves I'm Home

 
“Tell the Wolves I’m Home” by Carol Rifka Brunt
Published by Random House
 
This may be a coming-of-age story but it is truly so much more.  The story is very much relationship driven, woven through a variety of pairings and situations.  There is love, friendship, forgiveness, and compassion but there is also loss, jealousy, anger, and fear.   You witness the characters grow and evolve through all these emotional experiences and struggles, both teenagers and adults alike.  I absolutely loved every page.  And as a Gen X’er who was only slightly older than the sisters during this time, I also enjoyed all the 80s references and the portrayal of the freedoms and independence they had.  I think it was very well done and I definitely recommend it.   
 
Finished 9/9/25 – 5/5 stars
 
#tellthewolvesimhome #carolrifkabrunt #randomhouse #5starreads #2025reads

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