Ali

I love this little recovering assassin family.

I read almost all of this in a single day because I needed to know how the events in the first chapter came to be. I needed to know how the family would be tested time and again supporting the ones they’ve grown to love in their imperfect ways. And by god, they were tested. Partially as the result of their own actions, but that just kept me turning pages.

You don’t get the ending you might want but it makes sense after everything has unfolded.

Lulu deserves her own book cause she’s clearly got one hell of a backstory. Lucia and Kittie Smalls? You’re both perfect just as you are.

(Also I need to know what this dumpling place was based on!)

I hope we get another adventure some time soon.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the opportunity to read and review.

Let’s put it out there from the start - the Golden Girls mysteries are for fans of the show who want to feel like they’re in an episode. If you’re looking for hard hitting, twisty turny mysteries, look elsewhere. The author again nails the characters and had this been a few decades earlier, could easily have joined the show’s writing staff.

I thought the mystery itself was better than the first one although I feel like someone would’ve reporting at least one of the guests missing by the 3rd day. The events of the “rescue” were the most implausible part of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the opportunity to read and review.

I wanted to read the graphic adaptation of “Mister Magic” because I enjoyed the novel and graphic adaptation of another Kiersten White novel, “Hide”. The difference this time is that I’m approaching the graphic version without having read the novel version first.

That will need to be rectified at some point because I need to better understand the monster at the center of this. We all watched shows as kids that left us with an odd taste in our mouths and questions later in life.

I’m still trying to make sense of the ending. Why are they perpetuating things instead of bringing closure? Things are never going back and those who got out deserve to live free, fulfilled lives.

Thank you to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for the opportunity to read and review.

I applied for an ARC for “A Violent Masterpiece” as it came highly recommended by one of my favorite authors, S.A. Cosby, and I’m glad I did. What a ride!

Yes, it’s a sort of mishmash of ripped from the headlines stories but it’s packaged in a way to seem fresh and compelling. Jake was the most interesting character for me and I enjoyed his musings. I also thought the 3 POVs/storylines converged in a way that made sense and served the rest of the book.

I ache for real life ending to this timeline.

Thank you NetGalley, Little, Brown and Company and Mulholland Books for the opportunity to read and review.

An overview of heartland rock in the 80s with particular focus on 4 figures: Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Bob Seger and John Mellencamp, “Won’t Back Down” was a book absolutely geared for me.

I enjoyed the chapters corresponding to each year of the decade. Too many music books try to clump together concepts and you get completely lost chronologically. There are tangents but they make sense when discussing albums and songs of that respective year. Kudos to the author for including many female musicians in her narrative.

That said, it was hard to overlook a bevy of glaring errors that should’ve been caught long before ARC stage. (If you’re gonna mention The Pretenders’ classic “My City Was Gone”, you gotta get the title right). Also sections about Bonnie Raitt were repeated.

Thank you to NetGalley and W.W. Norton and Company for the opportunity to read and review.

This is the real American road trip. Yes, it includes famous sights like Disneyland and Mount Rushmore but it’s so much more than those. It’s also exploring the good and the bad, the small towns and the brief moments that had outsized impacts on America as it is today.

Occasionally slow and preachy at times, it’s still a worthwhile read as we stand at a crossroads 250 years after our founding. I especially enjoyed learning about lesser known sites like Mound Bayou and the Pullman neighborhood of Chicago.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review.

I keep flip flopping on how I feel about this book. I enjoyed it and was correct on who the ultimate villain ended up being (it was pretty clear early on) but I also felt that it could’ve been 100 pages shorter and the main characters better fleshed out.

A lot of suspension of disbelief is required with regard to production of “The Escape Game” show. You would think the show would’ve been shut down after a murder. The indeterminate ages of the characters caused issues for me as those under 18 would never be unchaperoned around those over 18, let alone be able to sign binding contracts. Where are the parents when all this is happening? The shooting schedule seems insane for a show with underage participants. One show a week for five weeks with a crazy amount of downtime in between to get in trouble and try to solve crimes?

That said, I agree with other readers who felt the writing was seamless between the two authors. I also anticipate the implied sequel and the direction it seems to be headed. Hopefully the characters will gain a little more depth, especially Carter, as she came across poorly when compared to her 3 team members.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group/ G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books For Young Readers for the opportunity to read and review.

This is definitely one of those books that probably should’ve gone straight to being a movie instead. The premise is gripping and you want to keep reading and learning more through the twists and turns.

I wish there had been more info on the MMC’s mother and the antagonist’s estrangement.

I thought the big twist was well executed and that many characters got a satisfying ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins/Minotaur for the opportunity to read and review.

Beneath was the book I wanted Conform to be. A true dystopian thriller/romance that gripped you from start to finish.

The world building was much better this time around. I definitely got some Silo vibes from Haven. Sasha is a compelling main character even if her constant “everything I touch dies” temperament does get wearisome over time. Tristan is a great foil for her and I adored reading and learning about the members of Unit Seven. I’d run through walls for Levi and Damien.

I have an inkling of how this might connect to Conform and I can’t wait to find out the answer.

Just a heads up - while Conform came across as more YA/new adult, this book is not. There are a lot of traumatic scenes with illness, injury, violence and death. The sex scenes are far more detailed and graphic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the opportunity to read and review.

That was…a lot.

Probably the heaviest Orphan X novel yet when it comes to the subject of his mission. The person he’s helping though turned out to be the right person for him to meet at the right time. As he’s slowly and reluctantly embracing humanity, he’s faced with someone who sees right through him. It was interesting to see him reconcile with that and be forced to resist his baser instincts. It was also nice to see him openly recognize the importance of some of the people in his life.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press/Minotaur for the opportunity to read and review.

• Things I liked: - Nakamura - The slow burn keeps you engaged - The final twist

• Things I Didn’t Like: - The rush towards the end - How Ed knew the truth deep down and then the story 180ed and he acted like he had no idea - I thought the ultimate sacrifice would be “smaller” if you catch my drift

Even though a lot of the book was predictable, it was an enjoyable read. I appreciated the insights into Japanese culture and the sumptuous food descriptions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for the opportunity to read and review.

Wake Now In The Fire is a fictionalized depiction of the real student fight against the banning of Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis” in Chicago Public Schools.

“Persepolis” was one of the first graphic novels I ever picked up and helped me fall in love with the format. Anyone who discounts graphic novels doesn’t appreciate the power of imagery. Part of why “Persepolis” was so effective was because of the visuals of life under the Iranian regime. These teens understood that and stood up for their right to read “Persepolis”.

The situations in this book were eerily prescient for what would flare up only a few years later. There are some very valuable lessons to learn from their fight and what can happen when commonplace freedoms are restricted.

I understood the deliberate choice in color (or lack thereof) in the art but it ultimately made the book a little more difficult to read as it was hard to tell some characters apart at times. I also found the personal side stories to be a little uneven.

Thank you to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for the opportunity to read and review.

I will straight up tell you that unless you are a Chuck Klosterman fan or you like discussing football on a philosophical/sociological level, this book is not for you. Luckily I’m a fan of both Klosterman and football so I’m an obvious target for this long but worthwhile read.

In the way that only he can, Klosterman writes extensively on the rise, prominence and eventual decline of football in the United States. And yes, it tangents off into pop culture discussions at times as you would expect from him but it addresses the difficult issues around football at the same time including discussions of race, concussions, financial implications and the cultural hegemony it has in this country.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Press for the opportunity to read and review.

I was glad to get the chance to read Anatomy of An Alibi after enjoying First Lie Wins. Stick with FLW because AOAA doesn’t compare.

First Lie Wins kept you turning pages to find out what happens. AOAA just keeps turning in circles and trickles out new info so slowly that you wonder if it’ll ever end. It doesn’t need so many chapters from ten years ago explaining the aftermath. We got it the first time around. The same story could’ve been told in half the pages.

Camille wasn’t a compelling character nor was she helpless. She gave in to her current life when she was still young enough to change things. Hank was sweet but couldn’t have been that clueless as to what was going on around him. Only he and Deacon kept me reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin/Pamela Dorman for the opportunity to read and review.

Excited to have Zig and Nola back!

This is a disclaimer for all writers - not just Brad Meltzer: when it’s several years between installments, we could use a little refresher earlier on in the book because I’ve read a lot of books since The Lightning Rod. Meltzer slowly trickles out info from past books but it took too long for things to click.

I really wasn’t feeling this book as strongly as the first two. It felt like too many characters were introduced before anything is really established and any action happens. That said, once the action starts, the last third of the novel flies by. That last fight…damn. It was a lot even if the outcome is a little unbelievable.

I hope there’s another Zig and Nola novel in the future. Just hope it’s less than 4 years away.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read and review.

Whew. That was quite a storm. Or should I say storms.

The hurricanes depicted in this book are truly the main characters around which everyone’s lives are focused and determined.

While it may not be a start-to-finish thriller, it’s still a layered and complex mystery spanning three generations of women in a small Alabama coastal town. It keeps you reading as the truths about these women past and present start revealing themselves.

I found the ending a little unsatisfying but yet fitting to the tale as it was told.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review.

Damn I miss Tony.

Of all the things I miss, it might be his writing that I miss most. His insight, descriptive abilities and humor were second to none.

The Anthony Bourdain Reader is a wonderful collection of his vast and varied works over the decades.

If you’ve read his books, fiction or non, you’ll recognize and remember many of these essays and stories but having them thematically arranged gives them a new life for new and old audiences alike.

I definitely recommend this to anyone who loved and misses Tony or anyone looking for a good place to start with his writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco for the opportunity to read and review.

I didn’t love reading Animal Farm when I first picked it up in high school. Now that I’m older and more able to appreciate the story, I thought a reading graphic adaptation would be a good way to “reread” it.

This adaptation serves as a good initial introduction to the book. It does not go anywhere near as in depth but allows readers, especially younger ones, to better grasp the story. Several characters from the book are sparsely seen to non-existent. The illustrations are well done and impactful, especially the choice to only use the color red at strategic points.

I would recommend this as a supplement to the original book rather than a replacement.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gemini Books Group for the opportunity to read and review.

Automatically comparing this book to The Inheritance Games does it a disservice. Yes, the basic plot is the same - unknown girl becomes heir for unknown reasons - but that’s where the similarities end. If you expect the riddles and puzzles of TIG, you will be disappointed. Beyond a couple things early in the plot, the majority of the book is a multilayered murder mystery.

That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it. It was a fast paced whodunit full of twists and turns.

I agree with many reviews that this isn’t really a YA novel which is another reason why the TIG comparisons don’t help.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review.

I’ve been a big Brittlestar fan for years and jumped at the chance to read this.

It is what the title says it is - a guide to resisting fascism by seeing it through the psyche of a cat. A quick and funny but valuable read. My only complaint is that the text gets a bit repetitive at times

If you’re looking for something longer and more in-depth, check out his other book “Welcome to the Stupidpocalypse”.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read and review.

I’ve read many memoirs and autobiographies in my life but rarely have I read one where I could only hear the subject person’s voice in my head. It is a testament to the wit and charm that we’ve come to know from Tim Curry that his voice comes through as well on paper as it does on screen.

I enjoyed his look back through so many of the now iconic or at least well remembered roles of his long career across stage, television and film. I also thoroughly respect his decision to keep aspects of his life private. You can tell your story effectively without being a complete open book and he has done so.

Absolutely recommend this to anyone who has loved Tim’s work at any point or wants to learn about someone who has led a varied and full creative life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central for the opportunity to read and review.

Let me preface this review by saying that it is impossible for me to not be critical when it comes to any book about Fleetwood Mac. As an elder millennial FM fanatic of many decades, I have read countless books on FM and its members and nitpick every single one. This case is no different but I've tried my best to keep it civil.

I think the premise here is a compelling one - why has "Rumours" continued to influence generation after generation and specifically found new life among Gen Zers. In execution though, it felt as if there were 3 different directions combined into 1:

- the overall persisting influence of Rumours - the song-by-song breakdown of the album - the particular focus on Gen Z's relationship with the album.

I think the book would have been more effective if you kept the influence and song-by-song breakdown as the book. I think the focus on Gen Zers would have been better as a separate article. Ultimately, I think the constant and at times misguided analysis by Gen Zers took away from the other foci of the book.

While I have DEFINITE OPINIONS on the included observations of the Gen Zers, I am glad that they primarily found "Rumours" through the music first and not via the backstory and that it's a comfort album to many of them. Light does some of his best work in describing the emotional appeal of the album and how that has been a major part of why younger generations keep finding it. I could write volumes on the bias towards one band member in particular by this book and its contributors but I'll spare you my diatribes.

Some of the thoughts and asides in the book seemed to be just randomly dropped in with little context and really didn't warrant being included. There's also some factual errors which is par for the course of almost every FM book.

In the end, I don't think I'd recommend this to hardcore FM fans but I would for younger fans coming on board via "Rumours". I'd also encourage the younger fans to listen to the rest of the FM catalog. There's more to FM and to life beyond "Rumours".

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the opportunity to read and review.

So much to love in concept and so much to be frustrated about in execution.

I expected something along the lines of Handmaid’s Tale. What I read was a supposed adult being caught up in a teenagey love triangle while being used as a pawn by both the Illum and the rebels.

I keep reading to the end waiting for any sort of satisfying conclusion that never really came. I hope the prequel coming out next year does a better job of world building because there are so many questions needing answers. Even a cursory overview of “how we got here” would have helped.

I agree with other reviewers that this really is a YA/New Adult level book save for a few sex scenes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the opportunity to read and review.

Sometimes when I’m wavering on my feelings about a book, I read other reviews to try to make sense of it all. In this case, I found many others in the same confused boat. I wanted to love this book from the outset being a long time fan of Cameron’s movies, writings and previous books. Ultimately it just felt incomplete.

These stories are absolutely worthy of being told and I’m glad they were but it felt like a collection of Rolling Stone story backgrounds and a biography of his mother put together rather than a true autobiography. So much of his life is seemingly intertwined with his mother’s and I kept wanting him to tell his own story outside of hers. The moments of true introspection are fleeting and you’re left desiring more. You also come away from The Uncool hoping for a Part 2. There’s still so much to be told about his life and his filmmaking career.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avid Reader and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review.

As a frequent reader of dystopian fiction, I am often hesitant as a romance (in this case, a love triangle) is introduced knowing it ultimately will make or break the book. Luckily, Eden/Skye’s triangle makes An Ocean Apart a page turner. You can understand why she becomes torn between the home she knows and possibilities of the future and you, as the reader, find yourself vacillating between them as much as she does.

The big twist and the ultimate outcome both make sense for the characters. I’m not entirely sure why the perspective shifts for the epilogue though. Out of the 3 main characters, it’s the perspective I was least interested in hearing. I think it did a slight disservice to the story to not provide a little more closure.

That said, I definitely recommend this for dystopian-YA-romance-competition loving readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review.