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.

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

The Briar Club  My Rating: 4.8

Washington, DC, 1950. Everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, a down-at-the-heels all-female boardinghouse in the heart of the nation’s capital where secrets hide behind white picket fences. But when the lovely, mysterious widow Grace March moves into the attic room, she draws her oddball collection of neighbors into unlikely friendship: poised English beauty Fliss, whose facade of perfect wife and mother covers gaping inner wounds; policeman’s daughter Nora, who finds herself entangled with a shadowy gangster; frustrated baseball star Beatrice, whose career has come to an end along with the women’s baseball league of WWII; and poisonous, gung-ho Arlene, who has thrown herself into McCarthy’s Red Scare. Grace’s weekly attic-room dinner parties and window-brewed sun tea become a healing balm on all their lives, but she hides a terrible secret of her own. 

When a shocking act of violence tears the house apart, the Briar Club women must decide once and for all: who is the true enemy in their midst? Capturing the paranoia of the McCarthy era and evoking the changing roles for women in postwar America, The Briar Club is an intimate and thrilling novel of secrets and loyalty put to the test.

The Briar Club surprised me in the best way. Going into it, I expected a light, perhaps charming read centered around a group of women living together—but what I found was a novel with real substance and unexpected emotional depth.

Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different boarder at the Briar Club, giving us a rich tapestry of voices, secrets, and personal struggles. These rotating viewpoints not only kept the story fresh, but allowed the reader to connect deeply with each woman’s experience. I especially loved how each chapter closed with a recipe, giving the book a cozy, almost communal feel—like you were part of the club too.

Despite its warm tone and inviting structure, the novel doesn't shy away from serious themes. Set against the backdrop of the 1950s, it explores the oppressive weight of McCarthyism, the paranoia around Communism, and the broader cultural and political tensions of the era. The contrast between the light, personal moments and the heavy historical context made for a compelling read.

The Briar Club is a book that manages to be both accessible and thought-provoking. It offers friendship, mystery, and history in equal measure—and leaves you with a few recipes to try when you're done.

Honor by Thrity Umrigar

 Honor by Thrity Umrigar My Rating: 5.0

The story of two couples and the sometimes dangerous and heartbreaking challenges of love across a cultural divide. 

Indian American journalist Smita has returned to India to cover a story, but reluctantly: long ago she and her family left the country with no intention of ever coming back. As she follows the case of Meena—a Hindu woman attacked by members of her own village and her own family for marrying a Muslim man—Smita comes face to face with a society where tradition carries more weight than one’s own heart, and a story that threatens to unearth the painful secrets of Smita’s own past. While Meena’s fate hangs in the balance, Smita tries in every way she can to right the scales. She also finds herself increasingly drawn to Mohan, an Indian man she meets while on assignment. But the dual love stories of Honor are as different as the cultures of Meena and Smita themselves: Smita realizes she has the freedom to enter into a casual affair, knowing she can decide later how much it means to her. 

In this tender and evocative novel about love, hope, familial devotion, betrayal, and sacrifice, Thrity Umrigar shows us two courageous women trying to navigate how to be true to their homelands and themselves at the same time.

I’ve loved Thrity Umrigar’s writing for years, and Honor is yet another testament to her incredible gift. As with her other novels, India is not just a setting—it’s a character in itself. The throbbing pulse of the city, the clash of modernity with deep-rooted traditions, the painful realities of poverty and the caste system, all unfold beside the country’s undeniable beauty and spirit.

The plot is rich and layered, and the character development is nothing short of stunning. Umrigar has a way of making you feel everything—grief, hope, outrage, and love. I found myself completely absorbed, drinking in every word, eagerly turning each page.

Honor is a heart-wrenching story, but one that’s told with grace and power. It’s a book that will stay with me, and it’s a rare 5-star read from me—fully earned.

Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams

Husbands and Lovers My Rating: 4.7

New England, 2022 Three years ago, single mother Mallory Dunne received the telephone call every parent dreads—her ten-year-old son, Sam, had been airlifted from summer camp with acute poisoning from a toxic death cap mushroom, leaving him fighting for his life. Now, searching for the donor kidney that will give her son a chance for a normal life, Mallory’s forced to confront two harrowing secrets from her past: her mother’s adoption from an infamous Irish orphanage in 1952, and her own all-consuming summer romance fourteen years earlier with her childhood best friend, Monk Adams— one of the world’s most beloved singer-songwriters—a fairy tale cut short by a devastating betrayal. 

Cairo, 1951 After suffering tragedy beyond comprehension in the war, Hungarian refugee Hannah Ainsworth has forged a respectable new life for herself—marriage to a wealthy British diplomat with a coveted posting in glamorous Cairo. But a fateful encounter with the enigmatic manager of a hotel bristling with spies leads to a passionate affair that will reawaken Hannah’s longing for everything she once lost. As revolution simmers in the Egyptian streets, a pregnant Hannah finds herself snared in a game of intrigue between two men . . . and an act of sacrifice that will echo down the generations.

At first, I was a little worried this was going to turn into a fluffy romance without much depth. Thankfully, it didn’t go there — or at least it stopped just short. Instead, the book offered two strong and engaging storylines that kept me hooked. Overall, it was a very enjoyable read, and I appreciated that it had more substance than I initially expected. Very enjoyable.

The All Of It by Jeanette Haien

 The All Of It My Rating: 3.0

While fishing in an Irish salmon stream one rainy morning, Father Declan de Loughry reflects on the recent deathbed confession of his parishioner, Kevin Dennehy. I won’t reveal the spoiler, but Kevin’s widow, Enda, shares the deeper story of her life — finally confiding "the all of it."

Haien’s novel is a quiet, intimate exploration of conversations and moral dilemmas. If you go into it expecting a fast-moving plot or deep character arcs, you might be disappointed. The All of It is, at its heart, about two people grappling with secrets, faith, and forgiveness in a series of thoughtful, sometimes meandering conversations.

The beauty of the novel lies in its quietness — the rainy Irish setting, the slow unfolding of Enda’s story, and the way Father Declan wrestles internally with what he hears. It's not a novel of action; it’s a novel of reflection. 

Readers who enjoy a contemplative, dialogue-driven story will find much to appreciate here. I really enjoyed the writing but wasn't invested in the characters. Those looking for a more traditional narrative structure, or a strong sense of character development, may find themselves wanting more. Still, Haien’s careful prose and the novel’s meditative tone make it a memorable (if understated) read. Haien’s intimate novel of conversations and dilemmas

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

The Warmth of Other Suns  My Rating: 3.7

Wilkerson presents a definitive and dramatic account of one of the great untold stories of American history: the Great Migration of six million Black citizens who fled the South for the North and West in search of a better life, from World War I to 1970. 

Wilkerson tells this interwoven story through the lives of three protagonists: Ida Mae Gladney, a sharecropper’s wife, who in 1937 fled Mississippi for Chicago; sharp and quick-tempered George Starling, who in 1945 fled Florida for Harlem, and Robert Foster, a surgeon who left Louisiana in 1953 in hopes of making it in California. 

Wilkerson captures their first treacherous cross-country journeys by car and train and their new lives in colonies in the New World. This captures an “unrecognized immigration” within our own land. 

While I respect the significance of this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and acknowledge the importance of the story it tells, I found the execution lacking in key areas.

Although the core story is powerful and deeply important, the book would have benefited greatly from stronger editing. It wandered into too many side storylines, many of which pulled focus away from the three main characters — characters I wanted to know more deeply. Instead of rich character development, the narrative often got bogged down in excessive backstory, repetition, and meandering detours.

At several points, I found myself slipping into “skim mode,” wishing the story had been told with more conciseness and clarity.

There's no doubt that the events portrayed are horrific and should never be forgotten, but I believe that a more streamlined and focused approach could have made the novel even more impactful. 

Assassin's Fate (Fitz and the Fool #3) by Robin Hobb

Assassin's Fate 

My Rating:  5.0

Fitz’s young daughter, Bee, has been kidnapped by the Servants, a secret society whose members not only dream of possible futures but use their prophecies to add to their wealth and influence. Bee plays a crucial part in these dreams—but just what part remains uncertain. 

As Bee is dragged by her sadistic captors across half the world, Fitz and the Fool, believing her dead, embark on a mission of revenge that will take them to the distant island where the Servants reside—a place the Fool once called home and later called prison. It was a hell the Fool escaped, maimed and blinded, swearing never to return. 

For all his injuries, however, the Fool is not as helpless as he seems. He is a dreamer too, able to shape the future. And though Fitz is no longer the peerless assassin of his youth, he remains a man to be reckoned with—deadly with blades and poison, and adept in Farseer magic. And their goal is simple: to make sure not a single Servant survives their scourge.

Robin Hobb is solely responsible for me spending the past few months utterly consumed by her world. I found myself waking up in the middle of the night thinking about her characters—sometimes even reaching for my Kindle to read “just a few pages” before going back to sleep. Her writing is that immersive.

She made me fall deeply in love with so many characters, only to ruthlessly destroy them (emotionally, physically... sometimes both). And the dread—oh, the dread! That creeping sense of doom she so masterfully builds had me bracing for impact constantly, and yet I couldn’t stop reading.

Now that I’ve finished the series, I find myself in the dreaded book limbo—missing the characters, the world, the emotional rollercoaster... and honestly? I wouldn’t change a single minute of it. If you’re ready to be completely wrecked—in the best possible way—this series is worth every page.

Fool's Quest (Fitz and the Fool #2) by Robin Hobb

 My Rating: 5.0

The harrowing adventures of FitzChivalry Farseer and his enigmatic friend the Fool continue in Robin Hobb’s triumphant follow-up to Fool’s Assassin. But Fool’s Quest is more than just a sequel. With the artistry and imagination her fans have come to expect, Hobb builds masterfully on all that has gone before, revealing devastating secrets and shocking conspiracies that cast a dark shadow over the history of Fitz and his world—a shadow that now stretches to darken all future hope. 

 Long ago, Fitz and the Fool changed the world, bringing back the magic of dragons and securing both the Farseer succession and the stability of the kingdom. Or so they thought. But now the Fool is near death, maimed by mysterious pale-skinned figures whose plans for world domination hinge upon the powers the Fool may share with Fitz’s own daughter. 

Distracted by the Fool’s perilous health, and swept up against his will in the intrigues of the royal court, Fitz lets down his guard . . . and in a horrible instant, his world is undone and his beloved daughter stolen away by those who would use her as they had once sought to use the Fool—as a weapon. 

But FitzChivalry Farseer is not without weapons of his own. An ancient magic still lives in his veins. And though he may have let his skills as royal assassin diminish over the years, such things, once learned, are not so easily forgotten. 

Now enemies and friends alike are about to learn that nothing is more dangerous than a man who has nothing left to lose.

Hobb can build suspense like no one else. I loved, loved, loved this book so much but don't want to write about it to prevent spoilers. Just read it. I am so sad their is only one more book in this series but also can't wait to read it next!