Walking With Sam: A Father, A Son & 500 Miles Across Spain- Andrew McCarthy

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Walking With Sam: A Father, A Son & 500 Miles Across Spain- Andrew McCarthy

Memoir

Rating: 8/10

If you go into this book by actor Andrew McCarthy thinking you are going to leave with some juicy celebrity gossip, you will be dissatisfied. What you will get is an intimate, funny, and deeply poignant memoir that invites you along on a trek of discovery for a father and son as they navigate a new way to connect as adults. Within moments of setting out on day 1 of this ambitious, arduous, and potentially profound walk, Sam informs his dad that he is about to get so sick of him. 34 days to go.

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The Best Minds: A Story Of Friendship, Madness & The Tragedy Of Good Intentions - Jonathan Rosen

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The Best Minds: A Story Of Friendship, Madness & The Tragedy Of Good Intentions - Jonathan Rosen

Memoir

Rating: 7.5/10

A haunting and deeply nuanced reconstruction of the forces that led the authors closest childhood friend, Michael, from the heights of brilliant promise to the psychiatric hospital where he has lived since killing the woman he loved. It is in many ways the authors reckoning against his own inaction in the face of his friend’s schizophrenia. The book painstakingly illustrates the entanglement of madness and genius. Brilliantly written!

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Sleuths & Such...

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“Just One More Thing”…

I have wonderful memories of watching television mysteries with my mom. Sunday nights were must-see TV, hobnobbing with Jessica Fletcher as she ambled into yet another murder in her quaint hometown. Thursdays were all about Columbo, our eyes were riveted to the boob tube in stupefied fascination as the seemingly bumbling detective laid it all out. The chagrin of the dastardly culprits as they were unmasked by either of these genius sleuths was priceless. Is it any surprise that love translated to books? Enjoy a read that celebrate sleuths of all kinds!

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Mystery: A Seduction,A Strategy, A Solution - Jonah Lehrer

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Mystery: A Seduction,A Strategy, A Solution - Jonah Lehrer

Microhistory

Rating: 9/10

A standout book that provides a deconstructed exploration of why puzzlement is integral for the mind. Illustrating key principles through examples set by artists, athletes, musicians, writers, magicians, salesmen, and geniuses. Pursuing explanations of the things that confound us; one hit wonders, sport statistics and predications, the misleading threads laid down in novels, the art forgery’s, the cracking of cyphers, the feint and flourish of a magical illusion. The author tackles them all with a nerdish brilliance that left me longing for more!

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Read With The Lights On...

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Bookish Scares To Keep The Blood Pumping…

The Lesser Dead - Christopher Buehlman

All Souls Lost - Dan Moren

Boys In The Valley - Philip Fracassi

In The Valley Of The Sun - Andy Davidson

Dead Eleven - Jimmy Juliano

A Haunting On The Hill - Elizabeth Hand

A Light Most Hateful - Hailey Piper

Fever House - Keith Rosson

The Handyman Method - Nick Cutter

Your Lonely Nights Are Over - Adam Sass

Out There Screaming - Jordan Peele

Schraders Chord - Scott Leeds

Edenville - Sam Rebelein

Never Whistle At Night - Shane Hawk

Rouge - Mona Awad

Wasps In The Ice Cream - Tim McGregor

The Bottoms - Joe R. Lansdale

The Ancestor - Danielle Trussoni

Cry Your Way Home - Damien Walters

Armchair Travels...

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Escape To Destinations On The Page…

Nigeria - Rosewater - Tade Thompson

Russia - A Gentleman In Moscow - Amor Towles

Mexico - Mexican Gothic - Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Japan - Strange Weather In Tokyo - Hiromi Kawakami

Egypt - City Of Brass - S.A. Chakraborty

Korea - The Plotters - Kim Un-Su

Argentina - Who Is Vera Kelly? - Rosalie Knecht

Malaysia - The Night Tiger - Yangsze Choo

Ghana - Homegoing - Yaa Gyasi

Australia - The Cartographers Secret - Tea Cooper

Sri Lanka - The Seven Moons Of Maali Almeida - Shenhan Karunatilaka

Netherlands - The Miniaturist - Jessie Burton

Sweden - The Stockholm Octavo - Karen Engelmann

Czech Republic - The Woman From Prague - Rob Hart

Greece - The Two Faces Of January - Patricia Highsmith

Portugal - Two Nights In Lisbon - Chris Pavone

Hungary - The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova

Sierra Leone - The Gilded Ones - Namina Forna

Nicaragua - Heir Of Uncertain Magic - Charlie Holmberg

Congo - The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingslover

Denmark - Smilas Sense Of Snow - Peter Hoeg

Finland - The Witch Hunter - Max Seeck

Norway - The Snowman - Jo Nesbo

Lebanon - The Arsonists City - Hala Ayan

New Zealand - Birnam Wood - Eleanor Catton

Jamaica - Black Cake - Charmaine Wilkerson

Vietnam - The Sympathizer - Viet Thanh Nguyen

Thailand - Bangkok 8 - John Burdett

Scotland - The Lost Queen - Signe Pike

Dark Sparkles...

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Tales of Broads, Babes & Rebels…

Charm - The Bone Orchard (Sara A Mueller)

Lanore - The Taker (Alma Katsu)

Sister Holiday - Scorched Grace (Margot Douaihy)

Celaena - Throne Of Glass (Sarah J. Maas)

Wren Connolly – Reboot (Amy Tintera)

Victoria McQueen – NOS4A2 (Joe Hill)

Anna - Hench (Natalie Zina Walschots)

Annie Wilkes – Misery (Stephen King)

Jessa-Lynn - Mostly Dead Things (Kristen Arnett)

Nova - Renegades (Marissa Meyer)

Hwa - Company Town (Madeline Ashby)

Chelsea - The Violence (Deliah S Dawson)

Martha - The Future (Naomi Alderman)

Flo & Clara - Plain Bad Heriones (Emily Danforth)

Jane - Bad Monkeys (Matt Ruff)

Jude - The Cruel Prince (Holly Black)

Carmen - Secret Identity (Alex Segura)

Lore - Lore (Alexandra Bracken)

Ada - Outlawed (Anna North)

Loretta & Hamara - Chain Gang All Stars (Nana Kwame-Adeji)

Nova - Zero Sum Game (S.L. Huang)

Gwendy - Gwendy Button Box (Richard Chizmar & Stephen King)

Small Mercies - Dennis Lehane

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Small Mercies - Dennis Lehane

Crime Fiction

Rating: 9/10

The author’s masterful way with words and the beauty of his prose carry the reader through the horrors of the hard life that the characters are enduring, depicting a brutal and unflinching story of both criminality and humanity. He will not let us hide from the fact that change, for those who have no say it, feels like a death to whatever dreams you had and whatever life you have made do with. You will not walk away from this read unscathed. And you will be fine with that.

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We Begin At The End - Chris Whitaker - (Replay)

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We Begin At The End - Chris Whitaker - (Replay)

Fiction

Rating: 10/10

There is nothing I can say that will do this book justice, no grouping of words that can embody how I felt at its conclusion. This is a staggeringly beautiful and powerful story; it will imbed itself in you, it will linger long after the final page is turned, and it will break you a little. If you are lucky. If you allow it to. I originally read this in 2021 and as we sit on the cusp of 2024, I am no less impacted by it.

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The Busy Body - Kemper Donovan

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The Busy Body - Kemper Donovan

Mystery

Rating: 9/10

Let’s begin at the end shall we. Hands down the cleverest denouement I’ve read in a long time. Dramatic, snarky, and deliciously gossipy, it was an absolute delight! An old-fashioned murder mystery with a touch of glitz and glamour with a cast of the rich and infamous. Dorothy has got time on her hands after losing the bid for presidential candidate, so she decides to hire a ghostwriter to help her with her memoir. Then someone dies. You know where we go from here…

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Wrap It Up!-Chapter Six

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Wrap It Up!-Chapter Six

My Christmas wish for you is this, as we navigate through another trying year, let books be the gift you choose to give. To others, and to yourself. This instalment of Wrap It Up gathers together books for those waiting for my 2023 Top Picks. Whether it’s you or a love one, find a cozy spot, crack open a book and have a wonderful, joyous, and peaceful holiday season.

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Wrap It Up!-Chapter Five

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Wrap It Up!-Chapter Five

My Christmas wish for you is this, as we navigate through another trying year, let books be the gift you choose to give. To others, and to yourself. This instalment of Wrap It Up gathers together books for those seeking mastery in their storytelling. Whether it’s you or a love one, find a cozy spot, crack open a book and have a wonderful, joyous, and peaceful holiday season.

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Wrap It Up!-Chapter Four

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Wrap It Up!-Chapter Four

My Christmas wish for you is this, as we navigate through another trying year, let books be the gift you choose to give. To others, and to yourself. This instalment of Wrap It Up gathers together books for those wanting to tease their brain with a puzzle. Whether it’s you or a love one, find a cozy spot, crack open a book and have a wonderful, joyous, and peaceful holiday season.

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Wrap It Up!-Chapter Three

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Wrap It Up!-Chapter Three

My Christmas wish for you is this, as we navigate through another trying year, let books be the gift you choose to give. To others, and to yourself. This instalment of Wrap It Up gathers together books for those wanting to lose themselves in make believe. Whether it’s you or a love one, find a cozy spot, crack open a book and have a wonderful, joyous, and peaceful holiday season.

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Wrap It Up!-Chapter Two

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Wrap It Up!-Chapter Two

My Christmas wish for you is this, as we navigate through another trying year, let books be the gift you choose to give. To others, and to yourself. This instalment of Wrap It Up gathers together books for those seeking some sustenance or indulgence. Whether it’s you or a love one, find a cozy spot, crack open a book and have a wonderful, joyous, and peaceful holiday season.

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Wrap It Up!-Chapter One

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Wrap It Up!-Chapter One

My Christmas wish for you is this, as we navigate through another trying year, let books be the gift you choose to give. To others, and to yourself. This instalment of Wrap It Up gathers together books for those seeking a glimpse into someone else’s story. Whether it’s you or a love one, find a cozy spot, crack open a book and have a wonderful, joyous, and peaceful holiday season.

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Once Upon A Time...

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The Gift Of Reading To Children…

Children’s books are magical. No matter our age, if we choose to turn the page on a storybook, we will feel that sense of nostalgia for the whimsy and wonder that they offer. Through tales of adventure that are rife with imagination, we will find ourselves. Among this very special collection you will find fractured fairytales, told with exquisite illustrations and magnificent story’s. You will laugh out loud at the crayons on strike, the endless farts, the pampered cats and sleepy sloths. You will embrace the snuggly hugs and the coolest alphabet book ever. And you will want to board a rocket ship in the cloak of night and the elevator to everywhere. Enjoy!

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All The Sinners Bleed - S.A. Cosby

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All The Sinners Bleed - S.A. Cosby

Crime Fiction

Rating: 9/10

Titus, a newly appointment Sheriff, and his deputies are called to the scene of a reported school shooter, one who has killed a beloved teacher and is himself killed when officers believe he is going to turn his weapon on them. Sounds straightforward, a bad man killed a good man and then a good man killed the bad man, what more could there be to talk about? Turns out quite a lot. This author is a masterful storyteller, able to have his characters stare into the abyss and yet still maintain their hope.

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The Art Thief: A True Story Of Love, Crime & Obsession-Michael Finkel

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The Art Thief: A True Story Of Love, Crime & Obsession-Michael Finkel

True Crime

Rating: 7.5/10

When I feature a non-fiction pick, it’s undoubtedly narrative in style, and if it’s a story chockfull of transgressions? Then count me in! If you call Stephane Breitwieser a thief or a con man, he will correct you in short order. He’s an art lover, a collector, a guardian of beauty. And if his method of acquisition is rather unorthodox? Well risks must be taken to shield art from the philistines putting it on display for all to see.

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