1.13.2026 - Is This A Cry For Help?

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster | Atria Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by Emily Austin.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Darcy is just returning to her librarian job after a mental health crisis, caused by learning of the death of her old boyfriend.  She has her wife, Joy, as a huge support, but Joy is currently helping her sister after the birth of her child.  So Darcy is left alone with their cats, her anxiety, and a growing protest movement against the library and its policies.  

I was anxious to read this book because I loved Austin's last book, Everyone in this Room Will Someday Be Dead.  This book has similar dark humor, while much more serious themes swirled throughout.  I also loved that it's a love letter to and a deep dive into libraries, especially in today's politically charged environment.  Darcy was an interesting character, gutted by the death of her first real boyfriend and her anxiety over the way she ended the relationship.  We see her work through her issues with the help of a therapist and her wife.  Plus, the letters from Sammy added to the story, especially as it all wraps up.  

1.12.2026 - The Shark House

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Muse and Harper Muse for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this atmospheric book by Sara Ackerman, with the audiobook beautifully narrated by Jennifer Robideau.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 4.5 stars!

 

In 1998, biologist and shark expert Minnow Gray travels to Hawaii where a series of shark attacks have left the community on edge.  Determined to uncover the reason for the attacks before the mayor calls for a mass killing of sharks in the area, Minnow must rely on others.  With her own past marked by a tragic shark encounter, Minnow must face both her past and nature.

 

This is a beautifully atmospheric novel, as long as you aren’t scared just reading or thinking about sharks!  What I loved was how respectful Minnow was with the sharks, knowing that humans were much more deadly to sharks than the other way around.  Minnow must tackle the fact that she is typically the only woman in the room and in her field, as well as coming to grips with her past, so that she can move forward.  There’s beauty in this book on every page, from the creatures in the sea, to the scenery, to the connections between humans and animals.  Just lovely.

1.12.2026 - The Bookbinder's Secret

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this debut book by A. D. Bell, with the audiobook beautifully narrated by Olivia Vinall.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 4 stars!

 

Lily Delaney is an apprentice to a master bookbinder in Oxford.  But she struggles against the fact that she is a woman in a man’s world, as well as the fact that her father’s bookshop is failing.  During a visit to a collector, she finds an old letter hidden beneath the binding speaking of love, fortunate and murder.  Lily learns there are more books and becomes obsessed with finding them to uncover the mystery.  But the books are becoming a very dangerous pursuit.

 

I really enjoyed this debut book set in 1901.  It felt like a book within a book, as parts and pieces of the letters formed another story.  It was also fascinating how bookbinders worked at their craft, which is unheard of in present day.  You may have to suspend a bit of belief at her chance encounters and how easily Lily was able to track down these rare books, but it’s fiction after all.  Lily’s personality was another dichotomy for me – I loved her strength and resilience, but she also had me shaking my head at some of her choices, like stealing, lying, and her romantic pursuits.  The audiobook felt immersive, with the narrator’s beautiful accent transporting the listener to another time and place.  

 

1.11.2026 - 99 Ways to Die: And How to Avoid Them

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this fascinating book by Ashely Alker, M.D., with the audiobook wonderfully narrated by Natalie Naudus.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Dr. Ashely Alker is an emergency medicine doctor, so she has pretty much seen or heard it all.  Now she shares that knowledge with the rest of us in such a great way - it's informative, darkly funny, and just plain fascinating.  Of course, you may know most of this stuff (wear a helmet, take all your antibiotics), but she covers so many other situations and conditions.  Sections include categories on sex, poison, drugs, biological warfare, disease, animals, crime, the elements and much more.   If you need them, it will give you plenty of reasons to not travel or venture out of your house (but wait - plenty in your house that can hurt you!).  The narrator nailed it too - just the perfect blend of snarky realism, if that's a thing.  I found myself repeating all kinds of crazy facts to anyone in my vicinity.  Loved it!

1.11.2026 - Strangers

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House | Dial Press for gifting me this moving memoir by Belle Burden.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

On a chilly day in early spring, Belle Burden’s husband of twenty years announced, with no prior warning, that he was leaving her. Belle was shocked; he had always been a committed partner and a devoted father to their three children. She thought they were in love. But overnight, her caring, steady husband became a man she hardly recognized. 

This was a beautifully written account of a life and a marriage, one that went very badly.  It's a story of grief as Belle struggles to understand her husband's behavior and the resultant fallout to her family.  While Belle is the first to say she was privileged, that doesn't take away any of the inflicted trauma. of losing the life she thought she had.  It's hard to understand James' abhorent behavior on so many levels, but Belle was so respectful and graceful in the way she handled this abandonment with her children.  It's also a cautionary tale about letting one partner have total control over the finances and letting naysayers change your dreams (take that, Greg!).  I also loved the osprey tie-ins.  Bravo for sharing her story - hoping that we'll be reading more from Belle in the future!

1.10.2026 - Dandelion is Dead

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut novel by Rosie Storey.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Poppy is feeling stagnant in her personal life with her boyfriend, Sam, and utterly devastated over the loss of her sister, Dandelion.  She starts spending time at her sister's apartment and discovers Dandelion's phone, which contains unanswered messages from a stranger in her Hitch dating account.  She makes an impulsive decision to meet him just once to see how it would feel to be the much more adventurous sister.  Jake is also dealing with issues over his failed marriage and his unresolved grief over his mother's death and his father's abandonment when he was younger.  The connection between Poppy posing as Dandelion and unaware Jake is immediate and strong.  Poppy faces some huge choices.

I really liked this book and fell immediately into the story.  The writing is wonderful, making a book mostly about grief and resolving past trauma both funny and endearing.  While neither of these characters makes good choices, they are still relatable in their feelings.  Plus, who among us hasn't made bad decisions along the way?  There are plenty of other interesting characters too, from Jake's ex and her new boyfriend, to Dandelion's best friend.  Ultimately, it's a hopeful story about second chances and moving forward.  Will be anxiously awaiting more from this author - great debut!

1.9.2026 - Her Beautiful Life

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing | Thomas & Mercer, and Brilliance Publishing for gifting me an audio ARC of the latest book by Brianna Labuskes, narrated by Moniqua Plante, Jess Moran, and Maria McCann.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

When journalist Holland Tate is granted an interview with Catriona Bouchard, her former best friend turned mega-popular tradwife, she jumps at the chance to also possibly rewrite their bitter ending. But at the Bouchards’ gated compound, what she finds is not the independent woman she once knew. Cat may have six beautiful children and be married to the man she calls the love of her life, but she’s a ghost of her former self.

I'm a fan of this author and because of that, I chose this book as my Amazon First Reads pick, and was then thrilled to get the audiobook.  I love an audiobook with more than one narrator, and thought the audio production was wonderful.  Told in different timelines and from the voices of both Holland and Cat, there is also chapters from a detective's POV.  I appreciated the unreliable narrators and found myself second-guessing everyone and their motives.  There's also themes of domestic violence, parasocial behavior, social media, and female friendships.  I was quite surprised at the final twist!