Book 15 of 2025

Title: She's Up to No Good
Author: Sara Goodman Confino
Published: 2022
Format: eBook
Date Started: 2/22/25
Date Finished: 2/24/25
Days to read: 3

This is the second book I’ve read by this author! 

A woman going through a divorce takes her feisty grandma back to her family’s home town, and learns all kinds of things on the journey. I’m a sucker for family history stories, and I loved how the plot moved forward by jumping back and forth between present day and the grandmother’s youth.  Such a fun read!

Book 14 of 2025

Title: The Deep
Author: Rivers Solomon
Published: 2019
Format: eBook
Date Started: 2/19/25
Date Finished: 2/23/25
Days to read: 3

I loved the last book I read by Rivers Solomon so I was excited to pick this up - and it exceeded my expectations. The concept of a society where nearly all of its members live with no knowledge of their history of trauma hit a little close to home right now. I also love that the process of creating this story was described as an artistic game of telephone (read the afterword!)

Book 13 of 2025

Title: The Last Murder at the End of the World

Author: Stuart Turton

Published: 2024

Format: eBook

Date Started: 2/16/25

Date Finished: 2/19/25

Days to read: 4

The last of humanity will be extinguished in a few days, and there is a murder to solve - what to do? This book has been on my TBR since I saw it in a bookshop in Ireland, and I’m so glad I finally got to it. I went into this pretty much blind, I picked it mostly because I liked the cover, but the story inside did not disappoint! This is a mystery that is expertly told, and I really enjoyed it.

Book 12 of 2025

Title: Sometimes the Birds Come Back

Author: Nishi Patel

Published: 2025

Format: eBook

Date Started: 2/15/25

Date Finished: 2/15/25

Days to read: 1

The second book of poetry by my friend Nishi! 

A stunning collection examining grief, growth, change, art, and nature. It’s filled with beautiful illustrations, too! Several of the poems hit me right in the feels - it was like they were already written on my heart, and Nishi put them into words. I highly recommend this (and her 1st book, too!) to anyone - even if you’re not into poetry.

Book 11 of 2025

Title: James

Author: Percival Everett

Published: 2024

Format: eBook

Date Started: 2/12/25

Date Finished: 2/14/25

Days to read: 3

WOW. This book was so good. I didn’t want to put it down! It was so interesting to look at the Huck Finn story from James’ perspective. The unflinching portrayal of the brutality and racism experienced by slaves was sad to read, but I think it’s important (especially as a white person) to not shy away from it even when it’s hard. This book deserves every accolade - don’t skip it.

Book 10 of 2025

Title: Final Judgement

Author: Marcia Clark

Published: 2020

Format: eBook

Date Started: 2/4/25

Date Finished: 2/12/25

Days to read: 9

This was a slow read for me due to personal stuff going on, but I really enjoyed it. Out of the 4 books in this series, the stakes for the characters were the most personal in this story, and the continuing storylines were wrapped up in a satisfying way. Marcia Clark is a great writer, and I will for sure read more of her books in the future - hopefully some of her non-fiction!

Book 9 of 2025

Title: Snap Judgement

Author: Marcia Clark

Published: 2017

Format: eBook

Date Started: 1/30/25

Date Finished: 2/4/25

Days to read: 6

This was my favorite book in this series so far! It was also the most complex, there is a lot of stuff going on! But the story flowed effortlessly, I was never confused or lost in the plot. All the books in this series have dealt with moral and ethical gray areas in the justice system, but this one was the most thought provoking. Can’t wait to jump right into the next and final book in the series!

Book 8 of 2025

Title: Moral Defense

Author: Marcia Clark

Published: 2016

Format: eBook

Date Started: 1/27/25

Date Finished: 1/29/25

Days to read: 3

The second book in this series was a wild ride! It really kept me guessing as to “who done it” until the end, which is always a delight for me, since I’m very good at figuring that out early in a book. It’s a nice change of pace to have a crime novel focused on what happens after the crime is committed, and to be from the perspective of an attorney preparing for trial.

Book 7 of 2025

Title: Blood Defense

Author: Marcia Clark

Published: 2016

Format: eBook

Date Started: 1/25/25

Date Finished: 1/27/25

Days to read: 3

This is a re-read for me to refresh my memory before I read the other 3 books in the series. I picked this up when it came out in 2016 and loved it. Fast moving, thrilling ending, and yes, the author is *that* Marcia Clark. I was excited for the next book in the series and then spaced out, but now I have my hands on all of them so it’s time to binge read some crime novels!!

Book 6 of 2025

Title: Onyx Storm

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Published: 2025

Format: eBook

Date Started: 1/20/2025

Date Finished: 1/24/2025

Days to read:4

I’ve been looking forward to this book for months! I had a few issues with the writing - the first seven chapters had me completely lost, and I think the text could’ve used a bit more strenuous editing, but the story was enthralling, and I loved rejoining these characters on their adventures. As I expected it would , the book had a great cliffhanger, and I can’t wait for the next one!

Book 5 of 2025

Title: The Catcher in the Rye

Author: J.D. Salinger

Published: 1951

Format: Paperback

Date Started: 1/18/2025

Date Finished: 1/19/2025

Days to read: 2

 One of my book challenge prompts this year is to read a book I’ve been avoiding… And I feel like if I’m 46 and I haven’t read this yet, I’ve definitely been avoiding it. My favorite part was definitely Holden’s clear narrative voice, but damn, what a narcissistic twit he was. It was a good book, but maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it as a teenager? Who knows. 

Book 4 of 2025

Title:Lifting as we Climb

Author: Evette Dionne

Published: 2020

Format: eBook

Pages: 170

Date Started: 1/15/25

Date Finished: 1/17/25

Days to read: 3

Ever since I saw Suffs on Broadway last summer, I’ve been eager to learn more about the US suffragist movement. This excellent book brings the stories of oft-ignored Black women to the forefront, and explains how suffrage, abolition, anti-racism, & anti-lynching movements were intertwined. Many of the women featured were authors - I’m excited to read their books!

Book 3 of 2025

Title: The Guncle Abroad

Author: Steven Rowley

Published: 2024

Format: eBook

Date Started: 1/10/2025

Date Finished: 1/15/2025

Days to read: 6

I loved The Guncle, so it was great to reconnect with the characters in the next part of their story. This wasn’t quite the emotional gut punch that the first book was, but I still really enjoyed it! 

I was so glad that it continued to address the  experience with loss - because grief never really goes away. Also I want to be friends with all these people. They’re messy but fun!

Book 2 of 2025

Title: Traces

Author: Patricia L Hudson

Published: 2022

Format: eBook

Date Started: 01/06/2025

Date Finished: 01/09/2025

Days to read: 4

This tells the story of the women connected to  famed explorer Daniel Boone - focusing on his  wife and two eldest daughters. The stories of so many women from this time were lost, so this was  fictionalized, but it was an enthralling read. I was especially interested in this because I am descended from Boones - so the folks in this book were my cousins! 

Book 1 of 2025

Title: Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil 

Author: Ananda Lima 

Published: 2024

Format: eBook

Date Started: 1/1/25 

Date Finished: 1/5/25 

Days to read: 5 

 I primarily read novels, so short stories often leave me wanting more. This collection, though, is woven together so expertly, and once I figured out what parts were from the writers perspective vs the short stories she was writing, l loved it (The first story confused me a lot!). I’m still thinking about it after finishing it, so I will probably re-read this!