The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

 My Rating: 4.4

Brother turns on brother. The throne of England is at stake. The deadly Wars of the Roses have begun...

Philippa Gregory’s The White Queen takes readers deep into one of the most turbulent and tragic periods in English history. At the heart of it all is Elizabeth Woodville — a commoner whose beauty and ambition lead her to secretly marry the young King Edward IV. What follows is a tale steeped in rivalry, betrayal, and the relentless pursuit of power. Yet, beneath all the crowns and conflicts lies a woman trying to protect her family in a world ruled by men and manipulated by fate.

Gregory, as always, writes with her trademark blend of historical detail and storytelling flair. She pulls back the curtain on the women who moved quietly yet powerfully behind England’s throne — queens, mothers, and daughters who shaped dynasties in the shadows. The disappearance of Elizabeth’s two young sons, the Princes in the Tower, remains one of history’s great unsolved mysteries, and Gregory weaves it through the narrative with chilling tension.

That said, The White Queen didn’t capture my heart in the same way The Lady of the Rivers did. Jacquetta and Richard felt alive — vibrant, human, and magnetic. Here, I struggled to connect with the characters. Perhaps it was the endless web of scheming, the repetition of names (so many Richards, Edwards, and Georges!), or the heavy air of ambition that overshadowed warmth.

It’s surprising this was the installment chosen for a television adaptation. While it certainly has the drama and grandeur for the screen, the emotional depth that made The Lady of the Rivers so special was missing for me.

For now, I’m setting the Plantagenets aside — just a short pause. The endless plotting and palace intrigue can be exhausting, but I know I’ll return. Philippa Gregory has a way of pulling readers back into her world of power, passion, and peril. The next time I visit, I’ll be ready to dive back into the tangled roots of England’s royal past.

The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory

The Lady of the Rivers My Rating: 4.8

When the young and beautiful Jacquetta is married to the older Duke of Bedford, English regent of France, he introduces her to a mysterious world of learning and alchemy. Her only friend in the great household is the duke’s squire Richard Woodville, who is at her side when the duke’s death leaves her a wealthy young widow. The two become lovers and marry in secret, returning to England to serve at the court of the young King Henry VI, where Jacquetta becomes a close and loyal friend to his new queen.

The Woodvilles soon achieve a place at the very heart of the Lancaster court, though Jacquetta has visions of the growing threat from the people of England and the danger of their royal York rivals. Jacquetta fights for her king and queen, as she sees an extraordinary and unexpected future for her daughter Elizabeth: a change of fortune, the white rose of York, and the throne of England…

This novel begins in the time of Joan of Arc and spans more than thirty years, ending in 1461. Gregory captures the dangerous and intricate world of royal courts, where the political scheming and betrayals make today’s politics seem tame in comparison.

It’s a slow build, but that’s part of the magic—you’re gradually immersed in a world of castles, alliances, and plots. The pacing is perfect, drawing you steadily deeper into the lives and ambitions of its characters. Engaging from start to finish, this is historical fiction at its most absorbing. 

The Ghostwriter by Julia Clark

The Ghostwriter My Rating: 4.6

Olivia is in elementary school when a classmate taunts her with, “your dad is a murderer!” She denies it, but the looks on her classmates’ faces tell her they know something she doesn’t.

Years later, Olivia has built a career as a ghostwriter, quietly shaping other people’s stories. On the brink of financial ruin, she’s offered the most personal project of all—her estranged father Vincent’s final book. But it isn’t another horror novel he wants her to write. After fifty years of silence, Vincent is ready to reveal what really happened that night in 1975.

This was an engaging gripping mystery intertwined with family drama and well developed characters. The pages flew by as everything gradually unfolded. Thoroughly enjoyable and I will read more by this author. 

WARNING: Sensitive material

Dead Man's Walk by Larry McMurtry

Dead Man's Walk My Rating: 4.5

As young Texas Rangers, Augustus McCrae and Woodrow Call ("Gus" and "Call" for short) have much to learn about survival in a land fraught with perils: not only the blazing heat and raging tornadoes, roiling rivers and merciless Indians, but also the deadly whims of soldiers. On their first expeditions—led by incompetent officers and accompanied by the robust, dauntless whore known as the Great Western—they will face death at the hands of the cunning Comanche war chief Buffalo Hump and the silent Apache Gomez. They will be astonished by the Mexican army. And Gus will meet the love of his life.

I absolutely love Larry McMurtry’s storytelling. His ability to pull readers into a time and place, with characters so vivid they feel like old friends, is unmatched. Mark isn’t usually big on fiction, but we decided to listen to this one on audio during our commute. Even he had to admit that McMurtry spins an engaging story that keeps you hooked. That said, Mark also pointed out something worth mentioning: it sometimes felt like one bad thing after another kept happening to Gus and Call. The relentless hardships wore on him a bit, though for me, that’s part of what makes McMurtry’s writing so real—life in that world was often brutal and unforgiving.

Overall, I found Dead Man’s Walk to be another shining example of McMurtry’s gift for storytelling. The mix of humor, tragedy, and unforgettable characters makes it worth the read—or the listen.

The Jackal's Mistress by Chris Bohjalian

 The Jackal's Mistress My Rating: 5.0

Virginia, 1864. Libby Steadman’s husband has been gone so long she can scarcely remember the sound of his voice. While she prays he isn’t dead in a Union prison camp, her days are consumed with running a gristmill in the war-torn Shenandoah Valley. When she discovers a wounded Union officer abandoned to die, she faces an impossible choice: let her enemy perish, or risk everything—including charges of treason—to save him.

This novel was absolutely excellent from start to finish. Not having grown up in America, I’ve never known much about the Civil War, but this book had me constantly looking up real historical events and learning as I went. The atmosphere is vivid, the characters deeply likable, and the tension had me on the edge of my seat more than once.

And the ending? I won’t give anything away, but it didn’t disappoint. In fact, I think this might be the best Chris Bohjalian novel I’ve read so far.

Highly recommend!

The Only One Left by Riley Sager

The Only One Left My Rating: 2.5

The Hope family murders shocked the Maine coast one bloody night in 1929. While most people assume seventeen-year-old Lenora was responsible, the police were never able to prove it. Other than her denial after the killings, she has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she set foot outside Hope’s End, the cliffside mansion where the massacre occurred.

It’s now 1983, and home-health aide Kit McDeere arrives at a decaying Hope’s End to care for Lenora after her previous nurse fled in the middle of the night. In her seventies and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora was rendered mute by a series of strokes and can only communicate with Kit by tapping out sentences on an old typewriter. One night, Lenora uses it to make a tantalizing offer—I want to tell you everything.

This one was a slog. The Only One Left dangles the promise of a gothic thriller, but what you actually get is a drawn-out exercise in manufactured suspense. The structure feels like a rinse-and-repeat cycle: the book gives you one tiny reveal, stretches it for chapters, then hands you another small clue and milks that for all it’s worth. That pattern continues endlessly, testing both patience and interest.

By the time the story barrels into its ending, it abandons even the thin thread of plausibility it had been clinging to. The final twists feel less like shocking revelations and more like the train flying off the rails—wild, unbelievable, and frustrating after so much slow build-up.

If you enjoy thrillers where atmosphere outweighs logic and you don’t mind plot points being dragged out until they snap, you might find something here. Personally, I closed the book knowing that the effort wasn't worth it.

Under The Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee

Under The Tulip Tree  My Rating: 4.9

Sixteen-year-old Lorena Leland’s dreams of a rich and fulfilling life as a writer are dashed when the stock market crashes in 1929. Seven years into the Great Depression, Rena’s banker father has retreated into the bottle, her sister is married to a lazy charlatan and gambler, and Rena is an unemployed newspaper reporter. Eager for any writing job, Rena accepts a position interviewing former slaves for the Federal Writers’ Project. There, she meets Frankie Washington, a 101-year-old woman whose honest yet tragic past captivates Rena.

As Frankie recounts her life as a slave, Rena is horrified to learn of all the older woman has endured—especially because Rena’s ancestors owned slaves. While Frankie’s story challenges Rena’s preconceptions about slavery, it also connects the two women whose lives are otherwise separated by age, race, and circumstances. But will this bond of respect, admiration, and friendship be broken by a revelation neither woman sees coming?

I truly enjoyed this book. Having grown up knowing the atrocities of slavery, I had never really considered how the generations immediately following it might have processed that history—or even tried to deny or rewrite it. This story made me stop and think about what it must have been like to live in a time when “we don’t talk about things,” when neighbors’ opinions carried enormous weight, and when the uncertainty of the stock market crash hung over daily life.

What impressed me most was how beautifully the author brought together these different layers of history and perspective. The book doesn’t just tell one story—it gives voice to multiple generations grappling with truth, silence, and identity. It felt very authentic, and the narrative was both moving and eye-opening.

This is one of those novels that lingers long after the final page, because it makes you think about how stories get told—and how many more still need to be heard. I will definitely read more by this author.

When The World Fell Silent by Donna Jones Alward

When The World Fell Silent My Rating: 4.9

1917 Halifax, Nova Scotia, two story lines. Nora Crowell wants more than her sister’s life as a wife and mother. As WWI rages across the Atlantic, she becomes a lieutenant in the Canadian Army Nursing Corps. But trouble is looming and it won’t be long before the truth comes to light.

Having lost her beloved husband in the trenches and with no-one else to turn to, Charlotte Campbell now lives with his haughty relations who treat her like the help. It is baby Aileen, the joy and light of her life, who spurs her to dream of a better life.

When tragedy strikes in Halifax Harbour, nothing for these two women will ever be the same again. Their paths will cross in the most unexpected way, trailing both heartbreak and joy its wake…

When the World Fell Silent is a moving and immersive story that shines a light on a little-known period of Halifax history. I found myself both learning and feeling throughout the pages—history came alive in a way that was both educational and deeply personal.

The characters were well developed and layered, and I quickly found myself invested in their lives. Their struggles and resilience felt authentic, and I could easily empathize with the difficult circumstances they endured. The author has a gift for weaving historical fact with human emotion, giving the reader a sense of what it might have been like to live through such a time.

This book not only taught me about a part of history I had previously known little about, but it also left me reflecting on the strength of the human spirit in the face of hardship. For readers who enjoy historical fiction with heart and depth, this is a story worth picking up.

The Two Family House by Linda Cohen Loigman

The Two Family House My Rating: 4.9

Brooklyn, 1947: in the midst of a blizzard, in a two-family brownstone, two babies are born minutes apart to two women. They are sisters by marriage with an impenetrable bond forged before and during that dramatic night; but as the years progress, small cracks start to appear and their once deep friendship begins to unravel. No one knows why, and no one can stop it. One misguided choice; one moment of tragedy. Heartbreak wars with happiness and almost but not quite wins.

At first glance, The Two-Family House feels like a cozy story of two Brooklyn families sharing one home—one living upstairs, the other downstairs. There’s a sense of intimacy and nostalgia in the setting, and the relationships between the families draw you in right away.

But what begins as a portrait of family life soon deepens into something much more layered. Loigman takes us inside the hearts and minds of her characters, showing how a single decision can alter not only one person’s path but the future of everyone connected to them. The ripple effects stretch across decades, touching marriages, children, and friendships in ways both tender and heartbreaking.

What I especially appreciated was how the novel balanced the predictable with the unexpected. There are moments when you can see a choice coming, and yet the consequences are never as simple as they seem. That complexity made the story feel real—the kind of messiness that defines life itself. Love, secrets, regret, and growth all intermingle as the characters evolve, showing how time can both heal and deepen old wounds.

By the end, The Two-Family House is not just a story about two families under one roof—it’s a meditation on how families are shaped by loyalty, silence, and the courage (or lack thereof) to face the truth. It’s a novel that lingers, because it reminds us how profoundly we are all changed by the choices we make and the ones we don’t. The more I read this author, the more I love her stories. Highly recommend! ♥

The Lightkeeper's Daughters by Jean E Pendizwol

The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughters My Rating: 3.6

Though her mind is still sharp, Elizabeth's eyes have failed. No longer able to linger over her beloved books or gaze at the paintings that move her spirit, she fills the void with music and memories of her family, especially her beloved twin sister, Emily. When her late father's journals are discovered after an accident, the past suddenly becomes all too present.

With the help of Morgan, a delinquent teenager performing community service at her senior home, Elizabeth goes through the diaries, a journey through time that brings the two women closer together. Entry by entry, these unlikely friends are drawn deep into a world far removed from their own, to Porphyry Island on Lake Superior, where Elizabeth's father manned the lighthouse and raised his young family 70 years before.

As the words on those musty pages come alive, Elizabeth and Morgan begin to realize that their fates are connected to the isolated island in ways they never dreamed. While the discovery of Morgan's connection sheds light onto her own family mysteries, the faded pages of the journals will shake the foundation of everything Elizabeth thinks she knows and bring the secrets of the past into the light.

While The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughters kept me engaged and eager to discover the outcome, I found some aspects distracting. The frequent and often excessive swearing, from Morgan, felt jarring—especially in contrast to the sweet, elderly Elizabeth. Morgan could have been portrayed as strong, street-wise, or rebellious without relying so heavily on crude language, which seemed unlikely for a teenager in many scenes. Maybe it wouldn't have been so offensive it wasn't on audio where I was constantly hearing it.

Additionally, the story felt a bit long-winded at times and could have benefited from tighter editing. That said, the narrative was compelling enough that I stayed with it until the end. Overall, it’s a mixed experience: frustrating in style, but captivating in plot.

Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Happy Land My Rating: 4.6

Nikki hasn’t seen her grandmother in years. So when the elder calls out of the blue with an urgent request for Nikki to visit her in the hills of western North Carolina, Nikki hesitates only for a moment. After years of silence in her family, due to a mysterious estrangement between her mother and grandmother, she’s determined to learn the truth while she still can.

But instead of answers about the recent past, Mother Rita tells Nikki an incredible story of a kingdom on this very mountain, and of her great-great-great grandmother, Luella, who would become its queen.

It sounds like the makings of a fairy tale—royalty among a community of freed people. But the more Nikki learns about the Kingdom of the Happy Land, and the lives of those who dwelled in the ruins she discovers in the woods, the more she realizes how much of her identity and her family’s secrets are wrapped up in these hills. Because this land is their legacy, and it will be up to her to protect it before it, like so much else, is stolen away.

I went into Happy Land knowing nothing about it, and I’m so glad I did—there were rich surprises waiting on every page. The characters, especially Mother Rita, Nikki, and Luella, are vividly drawn and felt real to me. I loved the sense of camaraderie in Happy Land, both in its past and its present, and how it carried through the story.

What truly delighted me was learning how much of this novel is rooted in little-known true events. That layer of authenticity gave the story extra weight, and it’s why I would describe it as historical fiction as much as anything else. It’s a beautifully crafted novel that both entertains and teaches, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean

The Return of Ellie Black My Rating: 4.6

It’s been twenty years since Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s sister vanished when they were teenagers, and ever since she’s been searching: for signs, for closure, for other missing girls. But happy endings are rare in Chelsey’s line of work.

Then a glimmer: local teenager Ellie Black, who disappeared without a trace two years earlier, has been found alive in the woods of Washington state.

But something is not right with Ellie. She won’t say where she’s been, or who she’s protecting, and it’s up to Chelsey to find the answers. She needs to get to the bottom of what happened to Ellie: for herself, and for the memory of her sister, but mostly for the next girl who could be taken—and who, unlike Ellie, might never return.

This was a well-paced and engaging thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. The storytelling was strong, with enough twists and tension to keep the pages turning. Like many thrillers, it does require you to suspend reality a bit and just go along for the ride—but if you do, it’s a good one.

The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo

 My Rating: 1.0

Lucy and Gabe meet as seniors at Columbia University on 9/11 - a day that changes both of their lives forever. Together, they decide they want their lives to mean something, to matter. When they meet again a year later, it seems fated—perhaps they'll find life's meaning in each other. But then Gabe becomes a photojournalist assigned to the Middle East and Lucy pursues a career in New York. What follows is a thirteen-year journey of dreams, desires, jealousies and betrayals. Their journey takes Lucy and Gabe continents apart, but they are always pining for the other one,

This book was a real struggle to get through, and I regret pushing myself to finish it – ugh! The characters were extremely immature. That was fine when they were in college, but they never seemed to grow up, even years later. The entire plot revolves around their love story – with each other and with other people – and while I kept reading because I knew “something” was going to happen, the payoff was a huge disappointment. Honestly, it felt like time I’ll never get back.

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

Broken Country My Rating: 4.9

Beth and her gentle, kind husband Frank are happily married, but their relationship relies on the past staying buried. But when Beth’s brother-in-law shoots a dog going after their sheep, Beth doesn’t realize that the gunshot will alter the course of their lives. For the dog belonged to none other than Gabriel Wolfe, the man Beth loved as a teenager—the man who broke her heart years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo, a boy who reminds Beth very much of her own son, who died in a tragic accident.

As Beth is pulled back into Gabriel’s life, tensions around the village rise and dangerous secrets and jealousies from the past resurface, this time with deadly consequences. Beth is forced to make a choice between the woman she once was, and the woman she has become.

A sweeping love story with the pace and twists of a thriller, Broken Country is a novel of simmering passion, impossible choices, and explosive consequences that toggles between the past and present to explore the far-reaching legacy of first love.

Much to my surprise, I truly loved all of the characters — even when I disagreed with their choices or questioned their decisions. That, to me, takes a gifted author: someone who can draw you so deeply into a character’s humanity that you care about them anyway.

If you enjoy character-driven stories that stay with you long after you finish, I HIGHLY recommend Broken Country. It’s the kind of book that makes you think, feel, and keep turning the pages late into the night.SO GOOD! Thank you to @shoegaljeanna for this great recommendation.

Michael Jordan The Life by Roland Lazenby

Michael Jordan My Rating: 4.6

 The Shrug. The Shot. The Flu Game. Michael Jordan is responsible for sublime moments so ingrained in sports history that they have their own names. When most people think of him, they think of his beautiful shots with the game on the line, his body totally in sync with the ball -- hitting nothing but net.

But for all his greatness, this scion of a complex family from North Carolina's Coastal Plain has a darker side: he's a ruthless competitor and a lover of high stakes. There's never been a biography that encompassed the dual nature of his character and looked so deeply at Jordan on and off the court -- until now.

Basketball journalist Roland Lazenby spent almost thirty years covering Michael Jordan's career in college and the pros. He witnessed Jordan's growth from a skinny rookie to the instantly recognizable global ambassador for basketball whose business savvy and success have millions of kids still wanting to be just like Mike. Yet Lazenby also witnessed the Michael Jordan whose drive and appetite are more fearsome and more insatiable than any of his fans could begin to know.

Michael Jordan: The Life explores both sides of his personality to reveal the fullest, most compelling story of the man who is Michael Jordan. Lazenby draws on his personal relationships with Jordan's coaches; countless interviews with Jordan's friends, teammates, and family members; and interviews with Jordan himself to provide the first truly definitive study of Michael Jordan: the player, the icon, and the man.

During our commutes between our homes, we decided to listen to Michael Jordan: The Life on audio. I’ll admit, I went into this book a bit skeptical—I’m not a huge sports fan, and biographies about athletes aren’t usually at the top of my list.

Much to my surprise, I ended up really enjoying it. The author tells Jordan’s story in a way that feels both objective and deeply human. Rather than just listing career highlights and stats, it dives into the complex layers of his life—his upbringing, struggles, triumphs, and relentless drive.

What struck me most was how the book balanced admiration with honesty. It doesn’t shy away from showing the intensity and at times controversial sides of Jordan’s personality, yet it never loses sight of what made him such an extraordinary figure—not just as an athlete, but as an individual with vision and determination that pushed him to legendary heights.

Even if, like me, you’re not a sports enthusiast, you may still find this biography surprisingly compelling. It’s a story of discipline, sacrifice, and what it really takes to become the best. Listening to it on audio made the commute something to look forward to, and it sparked a lot of great conversations afterward.

If you’ve been curious about Michael Jordan beyond the highlights reels—or if you enjoy biographies that really dig beneath the surface—I’d recommend giving this one a try.