Historical Fiction

Rating: 8/10

Journalist Georgie isn’t prepared for what she finds when she returns to Germany once the war is over. The fighting might be over, but the ravages of it are plain to see. A crumbling city, hundreds of thousands of displaced souls as hungry for warmth as they are for food. With the help of a ragtag group, she might find a way to tell the story of the people and the war no one wanted. Beautifully written!

Hitting The Books-January 2025

This month’s read-a-likes are curated for the release of The In-Between Bookstore by Edward Underhill. The story of a Magical Bookstore that allows the transgender Darby the opportunity to revisit the world of his sixteen-year-old self and maybe tweak things just a smidge. More Magical Bookstores and Libraries, here we come!

New Books On The Shelves-January 2025

I’m a planner in every way you could imagine, a particular quirk that benefits my reading life. And now you dear reader, will reap the rewards with my new monthly post that will feature three of the most interesting books coming out in the next month as well as a few extra just for fun. Happy Reading!

Fiction

Rating: 9.5/10

When Patch is abducted during a brave attempt to spare another, his best friend Saint will stop at nothing to find him. She will not sleep, or eat. She will chase the police for answers. She will never give up, never back down. When she does find him, neither will ever be the same. Following decades of friendship, this gifted author reminds us that although some things may be lost to us, more survive despite the harshest odds. Patch and Saint will take up residence in your heart, and you will be better for it. Not to be missed!

Thriller

Rating: 9/10

A rip-roaring, action packed crime novel starring three bandmates who moonlight as vigilantes. They find themselves caught in a trap when they follow a lead to a serial killer they have been hunting. Instead they find themselves pitted against each other in a fight to the death. They will need to find a way to flip the script; new game, new stakes, new players. I feel like if Tarantino wrote a book, it might read like this! Brilliant!

Speculative Fiction

Rating: 9/10

Marsh never imagined she would be chosen as the star of season three of All This & More. A reality show with a simple premise; each season the chosen one will have ten episodes to try and alter their life path. With quantum bubbling they can try multiple versions, moving back and forth until they land on the do over they are looking for. The possibilities seem endless to Marsh, but if life has taught us nothing else, be wary if something seems to good to be true. The reader can follow paths of their own choosing too! There are 27. I counted.

Sci-Fi/Mystery

Rating: 8.5/10

If Sherlock Holmes and M. Night Shyamalan had a book baby, this would be it! The island is idyllic: 122 villagers and three scientists living in peaceful harmony. The villagers are content to be of service in sustaining their way of life; doing what they are told. Until, to their horror, one the scientists is found brutally murdered and they discover that the security system keeping a deadly fog at bay has failed. And that’s before they find out about the AI that knows all their thoughts, and might be manipulating them.

Mystery

Rating: 9/10

I have never really understood the whole cruise thing. Voluntarily imprisoning oneself on a slow-moving island with endless activities tailored to be “fun”, but more like a form a shared torture from my perspective. No thanks. Well, if I was looking to have my mind changed, this book had no hope of that! As with this author’s first book, I loved the wry banter, the masterful grasp and dispensation of red herrings, the eccentric cast of characters.

Fiction/Thriller

Rating: 9/10

Clara can’t remember when she learned about the family curse. There was no pomp and circumstance, nobody came out and said, Clara everyone thinks your family is irrevocably doomed. She and her brother Teddy had to figure it out on their own, piecing together the truth from the whispers around them. And once they had the whole story…all hell broke loose. One of the best last minute twists I have read in a while!

Books Full Of Mystery, Thrills & Chills…

My Christmas wish for you is this, let books be the gift you choose to give. To others, and to yourself. May they provide an escape, a door into a world of wonder, a glimpse at an everyday hero’s inspirational tale, a reminder that laughter is indeed the best medicine, and that words and stories are sustenance for the soul, and in our darkest moments, a soft place to land. Find a cozy spot, crack open a book and have a wonderful, joyous, and peaceful holiday season.