April 2025 Reads

A good way to boost your reading and absolutely eat books is to find yourself awake in the night hours due to a sundowning dog. 

Annnnyway.

My links are all going to The StoryGraph now, since that's what I'm using instead of GoodReads for tracking (I still have some updates on GoodReads for Netgalley purposes). StoryGraph is Black-woman owned. GoodReads is Amazon owned and fuck billionaires. Please for the millionth time I beg of you, do not buy physical books on Amazon unless they are available literally nowhere else.  

You can find me on StoryGraph here. 

Engrossing Reads

Poetry is Not a Luxury: Poems for All Seasons by Anonymous - Maybe you're familiar with the Instagram account? Loved this collection and its dedication to Audre Lord. Also loved seasonal categories. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, pre-ordered to own, book publishes 5/6

Old School Indian by Aaron John Curtis - I don’t think I’ve ever read a book like this, it felt fresh. Harmoniously brutal and beautiful. Loved the writing and the story and the things it made me think about regarding native lives and what we’ve done to them on this soil. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes 5/6

Tell Them You Lied by Laura Leffler - I couldn’t put this down, which is few and far between these days. A constant scrunching up and unraveling of characters and plot. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes 5/26

The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff - For about 30% of this book, I was thinking it was one that was going to build to nothing but be one I enjoyed anyway, because the writing and characters were hitting. 

But the last 45% of the book was like being attacked in the best way possible.  I didn’t know what to expect after a plot trigger point and it was all the things. Like simultaneously being gut punched and also bear hugged. I loved this book and stayed up until 1 on a school night to finish. Appreciate the care the author took in writing about alcoholism and the conflicting feelings that come with loving an alcoholic.  Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Heartwood by Amity Gaige - I couldn’t put this down. Read it in a day and stayed up late to finish. Thanks to Netgalley for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review 

Kills Well with Others (Killers of a Certain Age #2) by Deanna Raybourn - I'd read 100 books about this crew of osenior female retired hired killers. OCNJ library hardcover

When She Was Gone by Sara Foster - This felt a little like coming in on the second book in a series, but we were caught up on the background quickly. If it was a series, I’d continue with it. Well paced and a little more character focused than a thriller typically is. I liked The story and layers. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review 

Passed the Time Just Fine

The Thrashers by Julie Soto - Definitely YA but definitely kept me invested. There were some parts that were a little draggy and heavier topics than I was expecting. I'd read an entire other book of JodiJulian even if the genre was different. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes 5/6

Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein - Lots of old pain and new pain in here. Several characters were difficult to like and made awful decisions but I appreciated their growth throughout. A quick read. 

Thanks to Netgalley via publisher invite for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes 5/13

Disco Witches of Fire Island by Blair Fell - I love a crew of eccentric characters, which helps when I don't love the main character. I’m not typically a fantasy reader, but was pulled in by the title. No regrets. Deeply weird, funny, and touching as hell at points. A quickly consumed read in a few hours on the beach on Easter. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes 5/6 

Things Left Unsaid by Sara Jafari - I love a book set in the publishing world, and this one had added depth as the main character brought an Iranian woman POV to overlay on that world. I appreciated the UK POV on ethnicity and aggressions in the workplace vs. the American POV I typically see. I also liked the relationship of the two main characters and the writing. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Somewhere Past the End by Alexandria Faulkenbury - I love a cult book and enjoyed the two perspectives. A little slow and trips over itself in spots. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes 5/20

Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay - Lots of moving parts here, and I’m  not sure all of them were necessary.  This could’ve used more of a backstory on some pieces. My least favorite Finlay so far, the pacing felt off in comparison to previous books. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes 5/6

Every Sweet Thing is Bitter by Samantha Crewson - This was a tough read - just awful on awful family shit in here. I  was rooting for Providence. A few lags in the pacing. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Night Swimming by Aaron Starmer - I loved the 90s vibe and the nostalgia of that summer between high school and college which, at this point, is hazy in my mind as best so it was nice to poke at those memories through this book. And a little magical realism never hurt anyone, I've not read a book like it. I wish more time was spent on the friend group dynamic. Definitely reads YA, as that's what it is. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Not For Me

Midnight in the Orchard by the Lake by Matthew Sullivan - I feel like I missed something here. Maybe the mysticism is beyond me, or I wasn't in the right mood. This felt slow and confusing. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

A Dead Draw by Robert Dugoni - I’m a fan of this series, but this was probably my least favorite. I think The pacing was impacted by the spaghetti western shooting points and all the shooting in general. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes 5/27

Did Not Finish

The Safari by Jaclyn Goldis - Free advanced copy via Netgalley, invite from publisher, book publishes 5/20

Discipline by Marc Avery - Free advanced copy via Netgalley, book publishes 5/27

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What have you been reading?

April 2024 Reads

Look who's turned up this month to do books in long form.

Engrossing Reads

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay - 4.5 for keeping me fully engaged and anxious to pick the book back up spurring me to read it entirely within two short blocks of time. Did the story work all the way though, did everything line up, were all the characters deep and likable? Does any of that matter if I couldn’t put it down? Free advanced copy courtest of Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, book publishes 5/28

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean - I simply devoured this - great story and writing. This was my first Emiko Jean book but it will not be my last. Free advanced copy courtest of Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, book publishes 5/7

Table for Two by Amor Towles - Shorter stories - I hesitate to assign them simply short because Amor Towles doesn't really do short per se - which is not my favorite type of read. I would read the packaging of paper towels if Towles wrote it though, and that holds true for writing in short form. One story I'd read before, but gladly read again. OCNJ library hardcover

What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan - I think this is McTiernan's best so far. It reads like true crime and is definitely reminiscent of one. This vibe is aided by its cover. OCNJ library hardcover

Passed the Time Just Fine

What Wild Women Do by Karma Brown - this was actually a March read that didn't make those rolls. Picked it up based on the title and a previous experience with the author. It was a bit deeper than I expected it to be with a large dose of feminism which you might imagine was just fine by me. OCNJ library hardcover

I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger - A not truly dystopian but feels dystopian-ish journey that read chaotic but still proved worthy of sticking with. I might have been more enthusiastic about this if actual life didn't feel very dystopian-ish?  OCNJ library hardcover

Wait by Gabriella Burnham - Appropriate given the title, I was sort of waiting for something at the end that was never coming. That's a little bit of the point maybe. I hated several people in this. More than several maybe? Okay, almost all. I liked the sisters and their relationship. Free advanced copy courtest of Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, book publishes 5/21

Beautiful Maids All in a Row (Iris Ballard #1) by Jennifer Harlow - It took me an eternity to read this, mostly slogging through the beginning and there was a lot of repetition. Once it got going it was certainly passble. This was on my Kindle, not sure where from, it published in 2016 so who knows

Long After We Are Gone by Terah Shelton Harris -  I liked the story but the storytelling and writing are the stars - they pull you in and keep you there. The characters and their relationships are developed just how I like in books too. Will definitely read more from this author Free advanced copy courtest of Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, book publishes 5/14

A Lovely Lie by Jaime Lynn Hendricks - Every book requires suspension of belief but this took it to another level. Everything but the kitchen sink in here, and I kept reading because I could not see how these people could continue on. A ride for sure, is it one you want to be on I don't know Free advanced copy courtest of Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, book publishes 5/28

Bless Your Heart (#1) by Lindy Ryan - Campy as hell, which I don't mind every once in a while. I love when campy is told in a matter of fact way too. A fun jaunt centered around a family of women I liked. Free advanced copy courtest of Netgalley in exchange for an honest review 

Everyone is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf - This author is an automatic read for me. Not my favorite of hers by far mostly due to the subject matter but passable. paperback, borrowed

Not For Me

Knife River by Justine Champine - I was expecting a much different book even after I started reading It ended up...fine. Edging near not for me mostly due to storytelling style so I'm leaving it here because if I knew now what I know then I probably would not have stuck with it. Early trauma and its effects on who we turn out to be. Relationships, both sisterly and romantic. Free advanced copy courtest of Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, book publishes 5/28

Lucky by Jane Smiley - This sounded so promising but was just...not it for me. Reading it was an uphill battle and I was confused as hell at the top. The ache that is familiar in Jane Smiley novels is present in glimpses, but otherwise it did not read much like a Jane Smiley to me at all. Free advanced copy courtest of Netgalley in exchange for an honest review 

Did Not Finish

n/a

TL, DR

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What have you been reading?