Category Archives: Reason: Book of the Month

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

The four main characters in Killers of a Certain Age are so well-developed and fun and interesting people I’d want to be friends with… other than the whole trained assassin thing. While there is a lot of (not very graphic) death going on, there’s so much humor that it doesn’t feel heavy. The plans the women come up with to kill people are very creative, too. While the basic outline of how the book goes is pretty obvious from the start, there were a couple twists I wasn’t expecting. Everything in the present is written in first person while the flashback chapters are written in close third person (focused on Billie, who narrates the present day chapters). I found that to be very effective, much more effective, I think, than today’s Billie recalling the things that happened decades ago. The pacing is slower than most thrillers, but steady throughout the book. The slower pacing made sense given the ages of the women. Speaking of their ages, it was great fun to read a book about sixty-something women being totally awesome. I recommend this book to all adults, and especially to adult women of a certain age.

4 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2023: 57
Pages Read in 2023: 18,249

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Filed under Reason: Alphabet Soup Challenge, Reason: B&N Book Challenge, Reason: Book of the Month, Reason: Flourish & Blotts Reading Challenge, Thriller

Darling Girl by Liz Michalski

Darling Girl by Liz Michalski

Darling Girl is a unique take on the Peter Pan story. It focuses on Wendy’s granddaughter and great-grandson and great-granddaughter. I really had no idea where the book was going through most of the time, but really enjoyed piecing the clues together as I read. While I could easily put it down, I always looked forward to picking it back up again to continue the story. I recommend it to adults who like the world of Neverland.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2023: 46
Pages Read in 2023: 15,352

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Filed under Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Reason: B&N Book Challenge, Reason: Book of the Month, Reason: Flourish & Blotts Reading Challenge, Reason: Grim Readers

Like a Sister by Kellye Garrett

Like a Sister by Kellye Garrett

Like a Sister is a fabulous book. There are so many twists and turns. I felt like part of the book, solving Desiree’s death right along with Lena, knowing only as much as she knew and making guesses and inferences as she did. I definitely didn’t see the end coming. There’s a lot of tension in this book, but the author has an incredible sense of humor that diffuses that tension absolutely perfectly. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers and mysteries.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2022: 116
Pages Read in 2022: 40,152
Graphic Novels: 4

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Filed under Mystery, Reason: Book of the Month, Reason: Grim Readers, Thriller

The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith

The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith

This is not a book that ends with a happily ever after, everything tied up with a bow perfect. It is more real, ending with things going generally well and the hope of something more. The whole thing is an emotional rollercoaster dealing with grief, love, anxiety, and how to move on. The writing is engaging and I had trouble putting it down after a while because I became invested in the characters’ lives. The descriptions of scenery in Alaska are lovely and vivid. I recommend The Unsinkable Greta James to anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2022: 88
Pages Read in 2022: 31,080
Graphic Novels: 2

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Filed under Contemporary Fiction, Reason: Book of the Month, Reason: Grim Readers

Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier

Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier

After a certain point I could not put Things We Do in the Dark down! It totally sucked me in. Rarely have I cared so much about what happens to characters that I hope things for them after the end of the book as if they were actual people. I was a bit confused when I got to part two and suddenly it was talking about totally different people, but of course all the storylines eventually converged and it all made sense. There were a couple things I expected and a couple things that were a complete surprise. I gasped right out loud a time or two while reading when things happened. The way the author wrote the feelings of the young teen in foster care toward her mother was super authentic. The ending was absolutely perfect. I highly recommend this book to adults who enjoy thrillers.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2022: 68
Pages Read in 2022: 24,871
Graphic Novels: 1

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Filed under Reason: Book of the Month, Reason: We Be Book'N, Thriller

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

I’m going to file this book under “I didn’t see that coming at all!” The Golden Couple is packed with red herrings, storylines that initially seem unrelated, and a cast of characters swirling around the main ones who nearly all seem suspicious at one point or another. The chapters alternate between Avery, a therapist who has lost her license and is now more of an overly involved life coach (first person), and Marissa, half of a wealthy couple who seeks out Avery’s help after she can no longer stand the guilt from a one night stand (close third person). The last three or four chapters were some of the most amazing and shocking I’ve ever read. I really, really didn’t see that coming. I highly recommend this book to adults who enjoy thrillers, particularly with unreliable narrators.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2022: 33
Pages Read in 2022: 11,858
Graphic Novels: 1

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Filed under Reason: Book of the Month, Reason: We Be Book'N, Thriller

Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon

Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon

Instructions for Dancing is one of those books that just stays with you for a long time after you finish it. On the surface it’s a relatively lighthearted young adult novel with lots of sweet romance. But it’s so much deeper than that. It’s about how the end, no matter how things end, isn’t what’s important. It’s the journey that’s important and to enjoy it. The writing is beautiful as is typical with this author. Some chapters are just silly while others are heartbreaking, striking a perfect balance. I could barely put this book down. I very highly recommend Instructions for Dancing to everyone teens and up!

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2022: 32
Pages Read in 2022: 11,522
Graphic Novels: 1

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Filed under Reason: Book of the Month, Reason: I Like the Author, Reason: We Be Book'N, Young Adult

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

One minute you are reading about something that happened decades ago on a Caribbean island, the next you are reading about a woman who grew up in England now living in Italy, and the next you are reading about siblings coming to terms with their mother’s death and details of her life they never knew. Amazingly, it was never confusing, was truly effective, and, really, was just the way I tell a story. The characters were very well developed and realistic. From about halfway through I barely put it down because I wanted to know the rest of the story. It’s a bit heavy, but not overly so. I enjoyed it so much and recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good book about family dynamics and secrets.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2022: 17
Pages Read in 2022: 6475

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Filed under Realistic Fiction, Reason: Book of the Month, Reason: We Be Book'N