Book Review: Cold as Hell (Haven’s Rock, #3) by Kelley Armstrong Title: Cold as HellSeries: Haven's Rock, #3Author: Kelley ArmstrongPublisher: Minotaur BooksPublication date: February 18, 2025Length: 341 pagesGenre: Thriller/mysterySource: LibraryRating: ★★★★★ SPOILERS AHOY: Even the synopsis for…

Top Ten Tuesday: Books for Armchair Travelers Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week's topic is Books for Armchair Travelers. It's always fun to "visit" new places via fiction, and this week, I'm spotlighting a few of my…

The Monday Check-In ~ 2/16/2026 My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead -- what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too. Life. Long weekend! It's so nice to get the extra day to read,…

“It’s not you, it’s me” two-fer: A pair of mini-reviews for books that didn’t work for me Two of my anticipated books for February just didn't work for me... and I'm left wondering how much of my reaction is due to the books themselves... and how much was more about being the wrong books for me in…

Spell the Month in Books: February Spell the Month in Books is a monthly meme hosted by Jana at Reviews from the Stacks. To participate, find a book title that starts with each letter in the month’s name, make a list, share your link, and that’s it! You can share anytime by the end of the month.…

Book Review: The Bullet That Missed (The Thursday Murder Club, #3) by Richard Osman Title: The Bullet That MissedSeries: The Thursday Murder Club, #3Author: Richard OsmanPublisher: Pamela Dorman BooksPublication date: September 15, 2022Length: 413 pagesGenre: MysterySource: LibraryRating: ★★★★ It…

Top Ten Tuesday: It’s all above LOVE… My ten favorite love stories from this past year of reading (new & improved for 2026) Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week's topic is Love/Valentine’s Freebie, which means we all…

The Monday Check-In ~ 2/9/2026 My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead -- what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too. Life. My husband and I celebrated our 28th anniversary this weekend!…

My Classics Club Spin book for winter/spring 2026 will be… Earlier in the week, I shared a post with my list of books for the newest Classics Club Spin challenge (see it here), and today, this spin's number was announced. (For those keeping track, it's CCSpin #43, and for me personally, #15!)…

20th Century Decades Challenge — completed! Three cheers! Huzzah! Ring the bells! I've completed a challenge! Last year, I decided it would be fun to challenge myself to read one book published during each decade of the 20th century... and although I had to give myself a couple of extra months to…

Book Review: The Lark by E. Nesbit Title: The LarkAuthor: E. NesbitPublisher: Dean Street PressPublication date: 1922Length: 269 pagesGenre: FictionSource: PurchasedRating: ★★★★★ “Everything that's happening to us—yes, everything—is to be regarded as a lark. See? This is my last word. This. Is.…

Book Review: The Boy Who Cried Bear (Haven’s Rock, #2) by Kelley Armstrong Title: The Boy Who Cried BearSeries: Haven's Rock, #2Author: Kelley ArmstrongPublisher: Minotaur BooksPublication date: February 20, 2024Length: 339 pagesGenre: Thriller/mysterySource: LibraryRating: ★★★★★ In The Boy Who…

Getting ready for the next Classics Club Spin (CC Spin #43; winter/spring 2026) It's time for another Classics Club Spin! Hosted by The Classics Club blog, the Classics Club Spin is a reading adventure where participants come up with a list of classics they'd like to read, number them 1 to 20, and…

Top Ten Tuesday: Book covers with interesting typography Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week's topic is Book Covers Featuring Cool/Pretty/Unique/etc. Typography, with the prompt Typography is the art of arranging…

The Monday Check-In ~ 2/2/2026 My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead -- what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too. Life. I've had a busy yet mostly uneventful week! Work, work, work...…

Book Review: The Names by Florence Knapp Title: The NamesAuthor: Florence KnappPublisher: Pamela Dorman BooksPublication date: May 6, 2025Length: 328 pagesGenre: Contemporary fictionSource: PurchasedRating: ★★★★★ The extraordinary novel that asks: Can a name change the course of a life? In the…

Audiobook Review: Anne of a Different Island by Virginia Kantra Title: Anne of a Different IslandAuthor: Virginia KantraNarrators: Kathleen McInerney and Will CollyerPublisher: BerkleyPublication date: January 20, 2026Print length: 368 pagesAudio length: 10 hours 54 minutesGenre: Contemporary…

Book Review: Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon Title: Code Name HélèneAuthor: Ariel LawhonPublisher: DoubledayPublication date: March 31, 2020Length: 451 pagesGenre: Historical fictionSource: LibraryRating: ★★★★★ BASED ON THE THRILLING REAL-LIFE STORY OF SOCIALITE SPY NANCY WAKE, comes the newest…

Preview: A Divided Duty (October Daye, #20) — coming September 2026! I must have somehow missed the announcement... but I stumbled across this book on a retail site this week, and jumped for joy! The October Daye series is one of my favorites, and it's always a thrill to see that the next book has…

Top Ten Tuesday: New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2025 Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week's topic is Bookish Discoveries I Made in 2025, with the prompt New-to-you authors you discovered, new genres you learned you…

The Monday Check-In ~ 1/26/2026 My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead -- what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too. Life. Sadly, winter sniffles caught up with my household this past…

Beautiful book alert! A Jane Austen Year, by the curators of Jane Austen’s House Title: A Jane Austen Year: Celebrating 250 Years of Jane AustenAuthors: Jane Austen's House curatorsPublisher: PitkinPublication date: March 11, 2025Length: 208 pagesGenre: Non-fictionSource: PurchasedRating: ★★★★★…

Book Review: The Man Who Died Twice (The Thursday Murder Club, #2) by Richard Osman Title: The Man Who Died TwiceSeries: The Thursday Murder Club, #2Author: Richard OsmanPublisher: Pamela Dorman BooksPublication date: September 16, 2021Length: 355 pagesGenre: MysterySource: LibraryRating: ★★★★…

Book Review: Murder at Haven’s Rock (Haven’s Rock, #1) by Kelley Armstrong Title: Murder at Haven's RockSeries: Haven's Rock, #1Author: Kelley ArmstrongPublisher: Minotaur BooksPublication date: February 21, 2023Length: 340 pagesGenre: Thriller/mysterySource: PurchasedRating: ★★★★★ New York Times…

Birthstone Book Covers: January = Garnet! I participated in Birthstone Books Covers for the first time in August, and now I'm hooked! Leslie at Books Are the New Black hosts this fun monthly meme -- and since I love anything related to spotlighting amazing book covers, I just had to jump in. The…

Audiobook Review: 107 Days by Kamala Harris Title: 107 DaysAuthor: Kamala HarrisNarrators: Kamala HarrisPublisher: Simon & SchusterPublication date: September 23, 2025Print length: 304 pagesAudio length: 9 hours 58 minutesGenre: Non-fiction / political memoirSource: Library Rating: ★★★★ For the…

Top Ten Tuesday: Even more books releasing in the first half of 2026! Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week's topic is Goals for 2026 (Bookish or not! Share your reading goals, personal goals, etc.). Since I already…

The Monday Check-In ~ 1/19/2026 My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead -- what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too. Life. Another busy week at work... but at least that was balanced by…

Book Review: Detour by Jeff Rake & Rob Hart Title: DetourSeries: Detour, #1Authors: Jeff Rake & Rob HartPublisher: Random House WorldsPublication date: February 4, 2025Length: 320 pagesGenre: Science fictionSource: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalleyRating: ★★★★★ A space shuttle…

Book Review: The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart Title: The Ivy TreeAuthor: Mary StewartPublisher: Hodder & StoughtonPublication date: 1961Length: 391 pagesGenre: Suspense/thrillerSource: PurchasedRating: ★★★★★ Mary Grey had come from Canada to the land of her forebears: Northumberland. As she savored…

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2026 Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week's topic is Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2026. I have a huge list of upcoming new…

The Monday Check-In ~ 1/12/2026 My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead -- what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too. Life. Back to work this past week... and it was a full-steam-ahead…

Book Review: All Better Now by Neal Shusterman Title: All Better NowAuthor: Neal ShustermanPublisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young ReadersPublication date: February 4, 2025Length: 528 pagesGenre: Young adult dystopian/Science fictionSource: LibraryRating: ★★★★★ From New York Times bestselling…

Spell the Month in Books: January Spell the Month in Books is a monthly meme hosted by Jana at Reviews from the Stacks. To participate, find a book title that starts with each letter in the month’s name, make a list, share your link, and that’s it! You can share anytime by the end of the month.…

Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books I Read in 2025 Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week's topic is Best Books I Read in 2025. I read so many great books this past year! According to StoryGraph, I gave 5-star ratings to 30 books…

The Monday Check-In ~ 1/5/2026 My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead -- what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too. Life. Happy New Year! It's the first Monday of 2026... which means…

Book Review: Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher Title: Winter SolsticeAuthor: Rosamunde PilcherPublisher: DuttonPublication date: 2000Length: 520 pagesGenre: Contemporary fictionSource: PurchasedRating: ★★★★★ In Winter Solstice Rosamunde Pilcher brings her readers into the lives of five very…

Audiobook Review: Shakespeare: The Man who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea Title: Shakespeare: The Man who Pays the RentAuthor: Judi Dench and Brendan O'HeaNarrators: Brendan O'Hea and Barbara Flynn, with Judi DenchPublisher: St. Martin's PressPublication date: April 23, 2024Print…

Reading goals: Series to read in 2026 Welcome to 2026! Each January, I typically identify a few series that I want to prioritize in the coming year. When I started this tradition, my lists were long and ambitious... and I didn't particularly succeed at sticking to my plans. Last year, I scaled bag…

Bookish Goals for 2026 Happy New Year! As 2026 gets underway, I'm taking a moment to think about my book-related goals for the year to come. My bookish goals mainly have to do with my reading habits: What do I want to focus on more -- or less? What types of books do I want to read? What challenges…

2025: My reading year wrap-up It's the last day of 2025, and before it strikes midnight, it's time to look back on my reading and blogging stats for the year. Overall, my sense is that it was a good reading year! I definitely read lots of book that I loved... but let's see what the numbers reveal!…

All the books I meant to read – 2025 edition It's time for my annual end-of-year tradition -- a look at all the books I meant to read! Here's a look back at all the books I purchased in 2025, but just didn't get around to reading for one reason or another. As I noted last year, I've gotten much…

Top Ten Tuesday: The Ten Most Recent Additions to My Kindle Library Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week's topic is Most Recent Additions to My Bookshelf. I've already shared most of the recent physical books I've added…

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Recent Additions to My Bookshelf Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week's topic is Most Recent Additions to My Bookshelf. Oh dear... I've splurged a bit over the last few weeks, mostly due to holiday…

Book Review: The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis Title: The Stolen QueenAuthor: Fiona DavisPublisher: DuttonPublication date: January 7, 2025Length: 352 pagesGenre: Historical fictionSource: LibraryRating: ★★★★ From New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis, an utterly addictive new novel that…

The Monday Check-In ~ 12/29/2025 My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead -- what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too. Life. The clock is ticking... it's almost 2026! I have no plans for…

Audiobooks: The highs and lows… and the change I most want to see! As an avid audiobook fan, I spend a good chunk of hours every week plugged in and listening. And I love it! Mostly. The audiobook experience can be highly rewarding, but I have a few pet peeves that I'd love to see audiobook…

Book Review: A Damsel in Distress by P. G. Wodehouse Title: A Damsel in DistressAuthor: P. G. WodehousePublisher: Various (public domain)Publication date: 1919Length: 216 pagesGenre: Classic fictionSource: PurchasedRating: ★★★★★ When Maud Marsh flings herself into George Bevan’s cab in Piccadilly,…

A look back: Series reading in 2025 At the start of each new year, I write a post about my intended series reading -- which series I want to start, which I want to finish, and maybe even some that I want to devour all in one big reading binge. Now that we're at the end of December, it's time to…

Book Review: Through Gates of Garnet and Gold (Wayward Children, #11) by Seanan McGuire Title: Through Gates of Garnet and GoldSeries: Wayward Children, #11Author: Seanan McGuirePublisher: TorPublication date: January 6, 2026Length: 160 pagesGenre: FantasySource: Review copy courtesy of the…