Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

Wild Dark Shore My Rating: 3.9

Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world’s largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers, but with sea levels rising, the Salts are now its final inhabitants. Until, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman mysteriously washes ashore.

Isolation has taken its toll on the Salts, but as they nurse the woman, Rowan, back to strength, it begins to feel like she might just be what they need. Rowan, long accustomed to protecting herself, starts imagining a future where she could belong to someone again.

But Rowan isn’t telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realizes Dominic is keeping his own secrets. As the storms on Shearwater gather force, they all must decide if they can trust each other enough to protect the precious seeds in their care before it’s too late—and if they can finally put the tragedies of the past behind them to create something new, together.

From the very first pages, Wild Dark Shore pulled me into its rugged landscape and the stark, cold remoteness of its setting. The atmosphere is vivid and haunting, and I found myself completely immersed in the world the author created.

The story of Dom and his three children was compelling and layered, offering a raw look at survival, family dynamics, and the human spirit in extreme circumstances. While quite a few of the plot elements felt a bit far-fetched and she also put in a heavy dose of fear mongering (climate change) that detracted from the story, I was willing to go along for the ride.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read—atmospheric, emotionally resonant, and just unpredictable enough to keep me turning the pages.

The Paris Orphan by Natasha Lester

The Paris Orphan My Rating: 4.2

1942: When American model Jessica May arrives in Europe to cover the war as a photojournalist for Vogue, most of the soldiers are determined to make her life as difficult as possible. But three friendships change that. Journalist Martha Gellhorn encourages Jess to bend the rules. Captain Dan Hallworth keeps her safe in dangerous places so she can capture the stories that truly matter. And most important of all, the love of a little orphan named Victorine gives Jess strength to do the impossible. But her success will come at a price...

France, 2005: Decades after World War II, D'Arcy Hallworth arrives at a beautiful chateau to curate a collection of famous wartime photos by a reclusive artist. It's the opportunity of a lifetime, but D'Arcy has no idea that this job will uncover decades of secrets that, once revealed, will change everything she thought she knew about her mother, Victorine, and alter D'Arcy's life forever.

I was deeply drawn into the 1942 storyline in The Paris Orphan—the historical narrative was compelling and richly developed. Natasha Lester did an excellent job with character development, especially in portraying the women navigating life and war during such a turbulent time. I was particularly invested in Jess's work as a correspondent, especially the way the novel explored the overlooked roles women played during WWII and how they were often dismissed or mistreated. These parts of the novel felt both emotionally resonant and historically significant.

However, the 2005 storyline didn’t hold the same weight. The modern thread felt superficial and somewhat fluffy by comparison, lacking the depth and emotional pull of the wartime plot. I found myself disengaged from the characters in that timeline, and their stories didn’t seem to add much to the book overall. Unfortunately, this modern-day arc detracted from what could have been a truly excellent historical novel.

In all, The Paris Orphan is worth reading for its vivid depiction of female strength and resilience during WWII, but I wish the dual timeline had been more balanced in tone and substance.

Fast Like A Girl by Mindy Pelz

Fast Like A Girl My Rating: 3.0

This is a fasting manual created to address women's needs based on their hormones and menstrual cycle.

As someone who has naturally fasted most of my life—typically eating in a 4- to 8-hour window—Fast Like A Girl didn’t bring much new to the table for me personally. While it was somewhat interesting to learn more about the science and reasoning behind fasting, the content felt more geared toward beginners or those looking for motivation to try fasting for the first time. Dr. Pelz presents the information clearly, and I can see how someone unfamiliar with fasting could find it empowering and informative. However, for seasoned fasters, especially those for whom this lifestyle already feels intuitive, the book may not offer much beyond what’s already known or practiced.

The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

The Book of Lost Names My Rating: 3.6

Eva Traube Abrams, a semi-retired librarian in Florida, is shelving books when her eyes lock on a photograph in the New York Times. She freezes; it’s an image of a book she hasn’t seen in more than sixty years—a book she recognizes as The Book of Lost Names.  

The Book of Lost Names touches on an important and powerful topic—resistance efforts during World War II and the preservation of identity amidst chaos. While the premise is compelling and the historical backdrop significant, the execution fell a bit short for me. The story felt somewhat predictable, and the emotional depth didn’t resonate as strongly as I’ve experienced in other novels on this subject.

Though it may appeal to those new to historical fiction set in WWII, I’ve read other books on the topic that offered deeper character development and more nuanced storytelling. 

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

The Water Dancer My Rating: 4.3

Young Hiram "Hi" Walker was born into bondage. When his mother was sold away, Hiram was robbed of all memory of her - but was gifted with a mysterious power. Years later, when Hiram almost drowns in a river, that same power saves his life. This brush with death births an urgency in Hiram and a daring scheme: to escape from the only home he’s ever known. So begins an unexpected journey that takes Hiram from the corrupt grandeur of Virginia’s proud plantations to desperate guerrilla cells in the wilderness, from the coffin of the Deep South to dangerously idealistic movements in the North. Even as he’s enlisted in the underground war between slavers and the enslaved, Hiram’s resolve to rescue the family he left behind endures. This is the dramatic story of an atrocity inflicted on generations of women, men, and children - the violent and capricious separation of families - and the war they waged to simply make lives with the people they loved.

I really enjoyed The Water Dancer and found the story of escape from slavery powerful and moving. Ta-Nehisi Coates did a fantastic job portraying the emotional toll and daily humiliation enslaved people endured, even without focusing on physical brutality.

However, I wasn’t expecting the magical elements, and while I see their symbolic value, I felt they took away from an otherwise strong and realistic narrative. Still, the writing is beautiful, and I’d recommend the book to anyone interested in historical fiction with depth and heart.

The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

The Fox Wife My Rating: 4.6

Manchuria, 1908. In the last years of the dying Qing Empire, a courtesan is found frozen in a doorway. Her death is clouded by rumors of foxes, which are believed to lure people by transforming themselves into beautiful women and handsome men. Bao, a detective with an uncanny ability to sniff out the truth, is hired to uncover the dead woman’s identity. Since childhood, Bao has been intrigued by the fox gods, yet they’ve remained tantalizingly out of reach—until, perhaps, now.

Meanwhile, a family who owns a famous Chinese medicine shop can cure ailments but can’t escape the curse that afflicts them—their eldest sons die before their twenty-fourth birthdays. When a disruptively winsome servant named Snow enters their household, the family’s luck seems to change—or does it?

Snow is a creature of many secrets, but most of all she’s a mother seeking vengeance for her lost child. Hunting a murderer, she will follow the trail from northern China to Japan, while Bao follows doggedly behind. Navigating the myths and misconceptions of fox spirits, both Snow and Bao will encounter old friends and new foes, even as more deaths occur.

I really enjoyed this beautifully written, magical novel. The world of the foxes was richly imagined and immersive, and the characters—especially Bao and Snow—were memorable and full of heart. A thoughtful, atmospheric blend of folklore, mystery, and emotion.

Entrances and Exits by Michael Richards

 Entrances and Exits  My Rating: 3.0

The man who brought the kavorka to the Seinfeld show through one of the most remarkable and beloved television characters ever invented, Kramer, shares the extraordinary life of a comedy genius—the way he came into himself as an artist, the ups and downs as a human being, the road he has traveled in search of understanding.

“The hair, so essential, symbolizes the irrational that was and is and always will be the underlying feature not only of Kramer but of comedy itself. This seemingly senseless spirit has been coursing through me since childhood. I’ve been under its almighty influence since the day I came into this world. I felt it all within myself, especially the physical comedy, the body movements, so freakish and undignified, where I bumped into things, knocked stuff down, messed up situations, and often ended up on my ass.

“This book is a hymn to the irrational, the senseless spirit that breaks the whole into pieces, a reflection on the seemingly absurd difficulties that intrude upon us all. It’s Harpo Marx turning us about, shaking up my plans, throwing me for a loop. Upset and turmoil is with us all the time. It’s at the basis of comedy. It’s the pratfall we all take. It’s the unavoidable mistake we didn’t expect. It’s everywhere I go. It’s in the way that I am, both light and dark, good and not-so-good. It’s my life.”

Who doesn’t love Kramer? The Seinfeld stories in this memoir are hilarious and had us laughing out loud in the car. But much of the book dives into deep existential and spiritual territory—what we’d call “woo-woo” rabbit holes—which made parts of it feel more like a philosophical lecture than a memoir. Richards, like many comedians, seems to be a tortured soul. While his narration on audio is heartfelt, the pacing dragged at times. Worth it for Seinfeld fans, but be ready for a very introspective ride.

The Power Of A Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian

The Power Of A Praying Wife My Rating: 4.2

Stormie offers praying wives a selection of favorite prayers from her bestselling The Power of a Praying Wife. Small enough to keep in purse or pocket for quick conversations with God, lovely enough to give as a special gift to uplift and draw the hearts of friends and loved ones to the Lord in prayer, this little book will help you unlock the enormous power of prayer in your marriage. Insightful, honest, and life-changing prayers from The Power of a Praying® Wife will also encourage your heart as you pray for God's purposes and plans to come about abundantly in your husband's life.

This book offers a powerful and practical guide to praying for your husband in specific areas like his work, health, and spiritual life. While not every chapter applied to my situation, the ones that did were incredibly helpful and gave me a fresh perspective on the power of prayer in marriage. Stormie’s honest and faith-filled approach encouraged me to focus on what God can do in both my husband’s life and my own.