Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I am so mad at myself for taking so long to get around to this book. The hype surrounding this one was real, with good reason. When I heard what Ninth House was about, I had to snatch up a copy even though I've never actually read any of Leigh Bardugo's other books. It's basically the type of book you would write if you wanted to set a trap to catch me.

Secret societies and the occult? Seeing ghosts? Magic? Murder and some pretty disturbing rituals? A girl named Galaxy? COUNT ME IN. This one does need trigger warnings for murder, drug abuse and overdosing, rape (including rape of a child) and other sexual assault, racism, medical procedure descriptions, gore and other graphic descriptions. I know that sounds like a lot, but if none of those are triggers for you this book is an intensely wild ride.

In Ninth House, Galaxy (Alex) Stern has just begun at Yale. After surviving a traumatic and harrowing incident, she was offered a deal she couldn't refuse: free education at Yale in exchange for using her "gift" to monitor the secret societies on campus. But when she agreed, she had no idea what exactly it would be that she was policing.

I completely ate this book up. I was constantly torn between wanting to put it down to savor the experience and get to read it for a longer period of time and fly through it. I ended up giving in and flying through it. I loved seeing Alex grow and fight her own demons and really come into her own. I really enjoyed Darlington's character and would have loved getting more of him. I was fascinated learning about the different secret societies and their different types of magic. It's dark. It's heavy. It's twisted. But it's fascinating.

I honestly got a lot of City of Ghosts (Victoria Schwab-Cassidy Blake series) vibes from this one, but with a much more adult tone. 

Ninth House will also be developed as a TV series from Amazon, and Bardugo has also said there will be a sequel, so I'm super excited to get more Alex Stern content!

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

The Tenant by Katrine Engberg

I decided that in 2020 I wanted to read more adult books and less YA. Not that YA isn't awesome, I just found that I wasn't enjoying the genre overall as much as I used to. One of my favorite adult genres is the thriller genre, so I was eager to pick up this Danish crime thriller as one of my first reads of the year. The Tenant by Katrine Engberg takes place in Copenhagen, and follows detectives Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner as they try to solve the case of young torture and murder victim, Julie Stender.

I've always enjoyed books about books, and an unpublished thriller manuscript plays a huge role in this story. It did start off quite slow, but after pushing through the first 100 pages or so I found that it did pick up a little bit. On the flip side of that, I found the ending to be rushed. The reveal was also quite complicated. I did appreciate that I wasn't able to figure it out, since I do find a lot of thrillers to be predictable.

I typically don't read a lot of police-centric thrillers because I usually find the detectives to be pretentious and the plot to be dry. That being said, I loved the duo of Jeppe and Anette in this read! I would have liked to have seen more of Anette's perspective, as the majority of this read was focused on Jeppe and his personal back story. I thought it was a little unbalanced, since he had so many personal things happening in addition to the plot. Maybe since this appears to be the first in a series following the duo, we will get more of Anette's story in the next book. You also got the points of view of a few other characters in this story as well, which helped give further insight into the case.

I don't think I've ever read a Nordic crime fiction before, but from what I've gathered from other people's reviews, they tend to have certain characteristics that are distinctive of the genre. Unfortunately, I don't know enough about them to determine whether or not this book is true to the genre! I can say that the writing flowed well, and I couldn't tell that this book wasn't originally written in English.

Overall it was a solid read, but there were those few things I thought could have been done better.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to Scout Press for a finished copy of this read! The Tenant by Katrine Engberg releases TOMORROW, January 14th, so be sure to pick up a copy!

Dooku: Jedi Lost by Cavan Scott

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

After reading Black Spire, I decided to tackle the entire Del Rey Star Wars canon. For those counting, it's currently at 23 books long. Jumping in at the beginning of the canon, my first read was Dooku: Jedi Lost by Cavan Scott. Now this one is a little bit different, in that it was originally created as an audio production, then the script was turned into a book. Because of this, I chose to listen to the audio while I read along to the script so I was able to consume the media in its intended form.

This is basically Count Dooku's back story. This tells the tale of how Dooku started as a Padawan, training to become a Jedi. It talks about his family, as well as the relationships he had with other major Star Wars players, like Master Yoda (he was Yoda's own Padawan), and Qui-Gon Jinn (who Dooku chose as his Padawan). It also tells of how he abandoned the life of a Jedi to become Count of Serenno. The whole story is basically told through flashbacks, as his assasin Asajj Ventress learns about what makes her master tick.

I loved listening to the audio of this story as I read along with the script. It did take me a while to get through it this way, but hearing the full cast along with the sound effects really brought the story to life. I don't listen to a ton of audiobooks, but when I do I really prefer ones with a full cast.

I think learning about Dooku's back story was fascinating, and I really enjoyed the insight into why he is the way he is as we know him in the movies. You also got to learn more about Ventress through this story as well. 

Next up in the canon for me is Master & Apprentice by Claudia Gray, a story about Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Bunny by Mona Awad

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What did I just read? I knew that Bunny by Mona Awad was going to be weird based on the reviews I was seeing, but I don't think I ever expected how weird it actually was. I picked this one up after seeing it reviewed by Books and Lala over on YouTube. This story follows Samantha, a student in an elite MFA writing program. As a scholarship student, she constantly feels alienated from her wealthy peers, not like she would want anything to do with them anyway. Especially The Bunnies. 

The Bunnies are four pretty, dainty, rich girls who are obsessed with one another and call each other Bunny, and they happen to be the only other members of Samantha's writing cohort. When Samantha gets an invitation to join them one night, she goes, more out of curiosity than anything, but soon finds herself absorbed in the twisted and sweet world of The Bunnies.

I was just so obsessed with The Bunnies themselves! I can absolutely see being fascinated with people like them in real life. From their clothes, to the way they talked, to the way they were obsessed with tiny food, I loved it all. This story was dark and twisted and super disturbing. 

There should be a trigger warning on this for brutal animal deaths. Interestingly enough, that's usually a big problem for me and something that turns me off from a book, but it didn't bother me at all in this story.

As weird as this book was, I really enjoyed it! I could see this one being a fantastic movie. The only reason I knocked off a star was because I felt the ending wasn't as strong as the rest of the book and left me wanting more than I was given.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

The Furies by Katie Lowe

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I've always loved books and movies about witchy girl gangs. I love these groups of powerful women who stick together, fight for one another, and use their powers to try to right the wrongs in the world (or use their powers for evil, which can be even more fun!). That's why when I heard about The Furies by Katie Lowe I knew I had to read it. I will put a trigger warning on this one for rape and child abuse, as well as an animal sacrifice.

When Violet starts at a new school. she is immediately drawn to a group of girls: Alex, Grace, and Robin. When her art teacher Annabel invites her to be a part of a "special advanced course" she is offering, she accepts and discovers that these girls are the only other students. They learn about the occult, the history of the school, mythology, and how all these things are connected to strong females throughout history. But what happens when girls take these "history" lessons to mean more than their teacher implies? What results when the girls begin to perform rites and rituals of their own in the name of those about whom they have learned?

I enjoyed this book just fine, but was really hoping for more. With so many stories about witchy girl gangs out there to consume, I feel like any new stories need to be super inventive and really engaging, and this one sadly wasn't as strong as I'd hoped. I thought all the parts about Violet's past life and her current relationship with her mother were just extremely sad, and not at all that necessary to the plot. I mean I guess it explains why she got unhinged so quickly, but it just made me depressed. Parts of this story were a little too slow for my liking, and pieces of the plot felt a little disjointed in places.

I did love how all the girls were learning about things central to the idea of strong women, and the weird history of their school was really interesting. I also liked how the special course that the girls were taking was passed down through generations. There was some f/f rep in this story as well which I thought was a great little addition. And I really loved Robin's character, even though she was super manipulative.

Basically, this book reminded me a lot of The Craft (which I ADORE!), but wasn't quite as good. Even though this is about teenagers, I think it is technically an adult coming of age book (at least, it reads like one) but I could be wrong.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press for a finished copy of this read! The Furies by Katie Lowe is out now!

The Retreat by Sherri Smith

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It's always so disappointing to me when a book starts off really well and just tanks as it goes. Unfortunately The Retreat by Sherri Smith was one of those books.

Katie Manning is a washed up child actor. Having played the famous Shelby Spade as a girl, her life is now in shambles as an adult. As she blows through her money and drinks herself into oblivion, Katie realizes she needs to make a change. So when her future sister-in-law suggests a wellness retreat, ending with a transformative hallucinogenic tea experience, Katie can't say no. Not wanting to be alone with Ellie, Katie decides to invite her two best friends Ariel and Carmen along as well.

While this book started off engaging enough, I very quickly started to lose interest. I flew through the first 75 pages or so, but after that point had to basically force myself to get through this. This book was told from the points of view of all four main characters: Katie, Ariel, Ellie, and Carmen. To me this made the whole story feel disjointed, almost as if I was reading 4 different books instead of one. There was entirely too much going on. From a missing guest to an inappropriate relationship with the retreat leader to a drug plot and more, I just didn't know which way was up, and as such just wanted to abandon the whole story.

The ending was just chaos. So much didn't make sense, and I found myself more confused than thrilled or excited. This story had so much potential and I hated to see that it was wasted. 

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to Forge for a finished copy of this read! The Retreat is out now!

We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix

"A girl with a guitar never has to apologize for anything." 

― Grady Hendrix, We Sold Our Souls

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

Mix rock and roll with horror and you've got the perfect lure for me, and that's exactly what We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix is. Plus the Rolling Stone-esque cover? I'm sold. Just in opinion though. No soul dealing for me.

Kris Pulaski is washed up. Now working at a Best Western, her rock and roll dreams have long been crushed since her Dürt Würk bandmate Terry left everyone high and dry to go solo. But what really happened the night everything went down? Why can no one remember? With Terry's new act Koffin going on the road again, Kris is determined to find out. Reuniting with her bandmates to get to the bottom of things, Kris learns that Terry didn't just steal her songs, her money, and her future. He also stole her soul. 

This book hit all the right notes (if you'll pardon the pun!), and takes the idea of "selling your soul to the devil" in a new direction. There were definitely some great horror elements, some good action, and a little mystery as well! I really liked how interspersed throughout the book were interviews about the different rock artists (real and fictional) mentioned throughout the story. It definitely made everything feel more real. And titling each chapter after a famous album? Genius. Kris's journey was fantastic, and every interaction she had along the way was unique and added something to the story, versus just being fluff written to fill space.

I will leave a trigger warning on this for suicide, and if you get easily grossed out by gory descriptions, this might not be the book for you.

The reason I knocked off a star on this one was because the title completely gives away what happens. Yes, you don't know the intricacies until you read the story, but the bottom line is given away on the very front of the book.

This was the first Grady Hendrix book I've read, and definitely want to pick up more. I've heard great things about Horrorstör, so I think I'll try that one next!

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to Quirk Books for a finished copy of this read! We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix is out now, so be sure to pick up a copy!

The Reading Rush Wrap-Up

Whew! The Reading Rush is over! This was the first time I have ever participated in a readathon from beginning to end, and I COMPLETED EVERY READING CHALLENGE! I am so proud of myself, but honestly I'm exhausted. I think I pushed myself a little too hard...this is a lot of reading for someone with a full time job! Every night all I did when I came home was read, so I'm excited that it's over and I can binge some trash TV now!

Here are some mini-reviews of the books I completed, along with the challenge that each one met!

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery: I read this one for "Read a book you meant to read last year." So many people love and treasure this book, but I didn't feel the same. It was a solid 3 star for me, and I'm glad I read it, but I wouldn't pick it up again. The illustrations are adorable though!

Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson: This fulfilled the challenge of "Read a book with purple on the Cover." I actually did a full review for this one, which you can find here. This was a pretty good read! It was slow at first, but picked up well and was very shocking at the end. I'm definitely going to look into more of this author's books! I gave this read 4 stars.

Last Ones Left Alive by Sarah Davis-Goff: This was for the challenge of "Read an author's first book." This one will have a full review eventually, and it got a 4 star rating from me. Think The Walking Dead meets The Road with 99% female characters.

Animal Farm by George Orwell: Ick. I didn't get the point of this one. I know it's supposed to be satire but I just didn't enjoy it. I felt bad for the animals and wasn't entertained. At least this was a short read for the "Read a book with a non-human main character" challenge. I would rate this one 2 stars.

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware: I ADORED this read. Absolutely a 5 star. A full review will come for this one soon! This completed the challenge to "Read a book with 5 or more words in the title."

Little Girls by Nicholas Aflleje and Sarah Delaine. I chose this for "Read a book in one location" and this may be the biggest letdown of the entire readathon. I had really high hopes for this one and had heard great things, but it ended up being basically a deranged version of The Lion King. I didn't love the art style either, and this one ended up as a 2 star.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: I panicked a day before the readathon was over and swapped this one in for the "Read and watch a book to movie adaptation" challenge. The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite books of all time and I love this movie as well. This was the last challenge I completed and I'm glad this is how I ended up wrapping up the readathon. 5 stars again, to both the book and the movie.

Total books finished: 7

Total pages read: 1661

In at the Deep End by Kate Davies

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I don't think I quite knew what I was getting myself into with this book, but I definitely didn't hate it. In at the Deep End by Kate Davies follows Julia as she realizes she might in fact be a lesbian after realizing that sex with men is always terrible for her. This book was definitely explicit, so be aware if you are taking a copy of it with you into public! 

Julia throws herself headfirst into the world of lesbianism, experimenting both sexually and emotionally with women and finding herself more satisfied than ever before. When she meets the alluring Sam, she falls head over heels, but there is one problem...Sam doesn't like being monogamous. And she might also be more than a little controlling.

This was an excellent read for pride month! It was rewarding seeing Julia find herself and achieve happiness for the first time in a long time. I loved the supportive friend group that Julia had throughout the story, and I wish I had more people like that in my life! I also really loved that Julia had a super commonplace job as a civil servant. She wasn't in fashion, or an executive, or anything fancy...she was just an average woman, and I think that made it easy for readers to identify with her. I also really liked the side stories happening in the book.

I think we have all dated a Sam at some point or another...someone that makes us furiously happy one minute then puts off red flags all over the place the next. We don't want to lose those moments of happiness, but also have to decide if all the negatives that come with it are worth it. You know the relationship isn't really healthy, but it's just so hard to leave. This might be challenging for some to read if you have had a Sam (I know I have) and have traumatic memories associated with that relationship.

I was super satisfied with the ending! I did take off a star because some parts just made me squirm. I was proud of Julia's sexual liberation, but sometimes it was just a little too much to read about if you aren't typically into explicit literature. I think the point could have come across just as well with a little less graphic detail.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an ARC of this read! In at the Deep End by Kate Davies is out now!

Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

So this is the first Christina Lauren book I've ever read. I know, I know...what have I been waiting for? I don't know, but now that I've read this book I am desperate to get my hands on more by this author duo. Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating is an adorable contemporary romance that follows best friends Josh and Hazel and their riotous relationship as they navigate trying to hide that they have feelings for each other.

Josh and Hazel were friends in college, but had since drifted apart. But when Hazel finds out that Josh is actually her new best friend Emily's brother, the two rekindle their friendship and ultimately end up becoming roommates. The pair tries to set each other up on blind dates with friends of theirs, with each new date ending in disaster. Maybe strangers aren't who they should be dating after all.

I absolutely loved this story! It had me smiling and laughing the whole way through. It was told in alternating chapters between Josh and Hazel, giving the reader insight into each of their feelings and what they were thinking as the story progressed. I loved Hazel's zany personality and menagerie of pets, and I loved Josh's reserved yet playful demeanor. I actually think I was hesitating on reading this because it was labeled as a romance and I am not a fan of smut. Yes, there were a few sexy scenes in this book but it was much less than I thought it would be and did not at all deter from my overall enjoyment of the book. 

There were the perfect amount of side characters, and the plot was very easy to follow. I thought the epilogue was adorable, even though I've seen some people saying they weren't a fan of it. I could absolutely see this fantastic romantic comedy becoming a movie! And can we talk about how pretty this cover is?

Now that I know what Christina Lauren's books are like, I've already ordered My Favorite Half-Night Stand to try out next!

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Amy Cole Has It All Figured Out by Elizabeth McGivern

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I've been a major reading slump lately, and this was the perfect book to pull me out of it. I've raved about the Amy Cole books by Elizabeth McGivern here on my blog before. Amy Cole Has Lost Her Mind and Amy Cole is Zen as F*uck are both hilarious stories with engaging plots that simultaneously tackle some taboo issues. I obviously jumped at the chance to read the third, and sadly last, installment in the Amy Cole series: Amy Cole Has It All Figured Out. With Elle recently diagnosed with cancer and Amy pregnant again, life is maintaining its regular chaos. Will these two best friends be able to weather the storm unphased, or will life's circumstances win out?

As with the other Amy Cole books, this read had me both laughing and crying. One scene had me doing both! The friendship that Amy and Elle have is so pure and genuine, and I hope that one day I'll develop a friendship like theirs. This book, like the other installments, definitely touches on some tough subjects, like cancer, mental illness, grief, and loss. 

One thing I wasn't a huge fan of in this book was the pacing. There were multiple times throughout this read where I felt like the story was coming to a natural end, only to have it start revving right back up again followed by another major event shortly after.

I liked how more characters were introduced in this story and expanded Amy's universe. You really saw a lot of growth from Amy throughout this book. I will say that by the end of this story, I was really not a fan of Ben anymore. I thought he could have done a lot more to support Amy and lend a hand rather than make things harder for her. Like come on, who gets a puppy for his wife right before she is about to give birth then expects her to care for it?! I thought this was an absolutely perfect ending to the Amy Cole series. Even though I am super sad to not get any more, I am very content with the way it wrapped up. 

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to the author, Elizabeth McGivern, for reaching out and asking if I wanted to review this read. Amy Cole Has It All Figured Out is out now, so be sure to grab a copy of not only this read, but the entire Amy Cole series!

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I've been saving this post, even though I read this book weeks ago, because today Stevie Nicks gets inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as the first woman to ever be inducted twice! Keep reading to find out Stevie's ties to this story.

There has been no shortage of hype surrounding this book, so I snatched it right up for my Book of the Month. After reading it, now I know that the hype is real. Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid follows this band on their rise to the top in the 1970s, and their break up right as their star has gone as high as it could possibly go. Even though this is technically a historical fiction, it really didn't seem like one to me even though it took place about 40 years ago. If you read my blog regularly, you'll know I'm typically not a fan of historical fiction. But this book? This book I loved.

The band The Six is slowly making a name for themselves, at the same time as the young and beautiful Daisy Jones. When their record label forces them together, no one knows what will happen. Will it be chaos? Will it be magic? Turns out, it's a little of both. It's sex, drugs, and rock and roll all the way for this band.

About halfway through reading this I switched over to the audiobook. As much as I loved the book, I knew that the interview format would be that much better on audio, and I was right. I've seen some comments that the interview format was hard to follow, but I found it very easy to get used to, both written and in audio. I thought it was a very appropriate format for the subject matter.

This book absolutely SCREAMED Fleetwood Mac to me. And if you know me, you know I LOVE Fleetwood Mac. A Stevie Nicks biography was actually the first physical ARC I ever received! Even the voice of Daisy Jones on the audiobook sounds remotely like Stevie Nicks. The Aurora album mirrored Rumors, the Daisy/Billy relationship was absolutely Stevie and Lindsey, and Karen was Christine through and through. There's even a reference to Stevie in the acknowledgements at the end. Therefore, I obviously loved this book. 

I want the Aurora album to be real. I want to blast it on my record player. But even though I will never get to do that, there are lyrics in the back of the book, and a bonus track of Honeycomb (without vocals) on the audio version. There's also a playlist on Spotify inspired by the book, so be sure to check that out! 

This was my first Taylor Jenkins Reid book, and it will absolutely not be my last. I've seen that The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo gives serious Marilyn Monroe vibes, so I think I will pick that one up next.

This book had everything I love in a book: engaging characters, a dramatic storyline, and was realistic as hell. Even though it's only March, I'm convinced this will be one of my favorite books of the year, and I've already decided to collect as many editions of this as possible.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

**Sign up for Book of the Month with my link and we'll both get a free book!**

Forget You Know Me by Jessica Strawser

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I'm sad, because I haven't had a book let me down this much in a while. Recently I read and reviewed Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser and absolutely adored it, so I couldn't wait to jump into this one. Unfortunately, this domestic drama fell unbelievably flat for me. 

Best friends Molly and Liza are trying to keep their friendship going after Liza moved away to Chicago, so they set up a Skype date to catch up. When Molly steps out during the call to check on her child, Liza sees a masked figure enter the house. After a frantic call to the police, she is reassured it's nothing, and has the door slammed in her face after driving all night to check on her friend. Was Liza imagining the whole thing? Why is Molly giving her the cold shoulder? What is Molly hiding, and will their friendship ever be the same again?

For me, this book dragged from almost the beginning. After the masked figure incident, the plot slowed down to a snail's pace. It had such promise at the beginning, but jumped the shark early on. There were way too many side stories to keep track of, and I didn't find myself invested in the characters at all (except maybe Liza's love life). I actually dreaded picking up this book in the evenings because I didn't want to read it, but I felt like I owed it to both the book and the author to finish it. I literally screamed "ARE YOU KIDDING ME" at the reveal at the end, because I couldn't believe I wasted so much time for that ending. 

I know, I'm rarely this scathing in reviews. I adore more books than not, and I rarely dislike one enough to give it one star (although I have had a few 1 star reviews on this blog). This read seems like a novice attempt at a novel when compared to Not That I Could Tell. Unfortunately, I had no other option here when it came to rating.

Overall Rating: 1 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press for an early copy of this read! Forget You Know Me by Jessica Strawser is out now.

The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib

Cover Art Courtesy of St. Martin's Press

I have not read a book this captivating in a long time. The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib is a haunting tale of eating disorders that follows Anna, a 26-year-old woman with anorexia. 

About the Book:

Yara Zgheib’s poetic and poignant debut novel is a haunting portrait of a young woman’s struggle with anorexia on an intimate journey to reclaim her life.  

The chocolate went first, then the cheese, the fries, the ice cream. The bread was more difficult, but if she could just lose a little more weight, perhaps she would make the soloists’ list. Perhaps if she were lighter, danced better, tried harder, she would be good enough. Perhaps if she just ran for one more mile, lost just one more pound.

Anna Roux was a professional dancer who followed the man of her dreams from Paris to Missouri. There, alone with her biggest fears – imperfection, failure, loneliness – she spirals down anorexia and depression till she weighs a mere eighty-eight pounds. Forced to seek treatment, she is admitted as a patient at 17 Swann Street, a peach pink house where pale, fragile women with life-threatening eating disorders live. Women like Emm, the veteran; quiet Valerie; Julia, always hungry. Together, they must fight their diseases and face six meals a day.

Every bite causes anxiety.  Every flavor induces guilt. And every step Anna takes toward recovery will require strength, endurance, and the support of the girls at 17 Swann Street.

My Review:

This book was so engrossing that I just couldn't put it down. Told in present day mixed with flashbacks and patient medical reports, the story was hauntingly beautiful. It told the real story of anorexia, and really showed how eating disorders impact the families and loved ones of those that have them.

I absolutely LOVED that this read tackled eating disorders in grown women. So much fiction surrounding eating disorders focuses on teenagers/young adults, and while that population is definitely the most at-risk, adults do still experience eating disorders. It also did not at all glamorize eating disorders, as I've seen some fiction tend to do.

I flew through this story. I absolutely devoured every word of Anna's journey, and became so invested in not only her recovery, but the recoveries of all the girls at 17 Swann Street. It takes a lot for a book to make me emotional, but this one really did. I experienced a full range of emotions while reading, from compassion and understanding, to excitement and hope, to utter despair depending on what was happening. I do suspect this book could be very triggering for someone that is currently dealing with or has dealt with an eating disorder in the past. I will put a trigger warning on it for suicide as well.

Photo Courtesy of St. Martin's Press

About the Author:

Yara Zgheib is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters degree in Security Studies from Georgetown University and a PhD in International Affairs in Diplomacy from Centre D'études Diplomatiques et Stratégiques in Paris. She is fluent in English, Arabic, French, and Spanish. Yara is a writer for several US and European magazines, including The Huffington Post, The Four Seasons Magazine, A Woman’s Paris, The Idea List, and Holiday Magazine. She writes on culture, art, travel, and philosophy on her blog, "Aristotle at Afternoon Tea" (http://www.aristotleatafternoontea.com/).

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this beautifully haunting read and for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour. The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib is out TODAY, February 5th, so be sure to pick up a copy! You can purchase the book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Indie Bound, or Powell's. 

Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

Ok guys, this book hit me, and hit me hard. It took me a while to get around to reading it (to the point that I actually had three copies in my possession at once), but now that I have I am so upset at myself for not making it a priority earlier. 

Huge trigger warning on this book for domestic violence, so keep that in mind.

In Yellow Springs, a few neighborhood women get together one night for some drinks around the fire. The next morning, one of them and her children are missing. What happened to Kristen? Did her soon to be ex-husband have anything to do with it? Are her and her twins even alive?

This was absolutely a slow burn book, which usually bothers me, but with this one I was hooked. I loved the two different points of view of Clara and Izzy, interspersed with a third that we can rightly assume is Kristen's. Izzy's radio show segment "Second Date Update" is so similar to one I listen to on the radio every morning! I could really see myself in Izzy's shoes as well, and she reminded me of myself back when I was in my early twenties-sort of just drifting through life, lonely but not really willing to admit it, and struggling in a job she didn't like.

It was pretty clear from the beginning what was happening, and I think it was supposed to be, but there was still a reveal at the end that actually made me drop the book. 

The importance of this book is not to be overlooked, as it really shines a light on domestic violence and the struggles a woman must go through to escape an abusive husband. The story, the characters, and the message were all powerful, and were the perfect level of entertaining while still tackling an important issue facing many women today.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much for St. Martin's Press for a finished copy of this read! Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser is out in paperback now, so be sure to pick up a copy!

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

When I saw that this duo was putting out another book, I was insanely excited. When it showed up on my doorstep I could barely contain myself. After reading their book The Wife Between Us last year, I knew that I would eagerly gobble up anything these two put out, and An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen was no exception.

Jessica is a makeup artist, who traipses around the city from appointment to appointment trying to make ends meet. During one of these appointments, she catches wind of a psychology study focused on morality, where she could earn some much needed cash. After lying her way into the study, she soon realizes that it is more intrusive than she envisioned, but answering the probing questions asked of her is cathartic. When the study leader Dr. Shields starts to take an interest in her, Jessica feels special, like someone finally understands her. But soon that understanding gets deeper, the study steps get scarier, and Jessica doesn't know where the study ends and real life begins.

I really liked the main character, and definitely could see myself in Jessica's shoes. The manipulation used in this story was just brilliant. I could perfectly envision Dr. Shields in all her terrifying beauty, and can easily imagine getting swept up into the excitement and glamour that came with her, nail polish and all.

It was slightly predictable, however, which disappointed me since the twist in their last book threw me for a loop! I was hoping for a more dramatic twist.

While I didn't enjoy this quite as much as The Wife Between Us, it was still a great read, and I'm eager to see what these ladies come up with next!

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press for an ARC of An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen! This read is out January 8th, so be sure to pick up a copy!

Amy Cole is Zen as F*ck by Elizabeth McGivern

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I was part of a blog tour for Amy Cole Has Lost Her Mind a few months ago, and when the author Elizabeth McGivern reached out to me asking if I wanted to review the new, second installment, I jumped at the chance! I absolutely loved the first Amy Cole book, and I couldn't wait to have more of Amy's chaos in my life.

In Amy Cole is Zen as F*ck, Amy has finally gotten herself together. She is wrapping up therapy and ready to tackle her new life head on. Until she hits someone with her car. But in true Amy fashion, things can't be wrapped up neatly after an incident. Now Amy's best friend Elle has decided to marry the same man that Amy hit, who was a complete stranger a few days earlier. Now the calm and stress-free life Amy envisioned seems virtually unreachable, as she has to grapple with the chaos surrounding her.

This book ALMOST lived up to its predecessor. It definitely made me laugh out loud, and was nearly as zany as the first. I loved all the new drama added this time, and seeing Amy grow to realize that life isn't all about her. I also loved that Elle had a bigger role in this story. I'm happy that Amy and Elle have created their own small business, and that they're still tied to Joseph and his coffee shop. This one definitely took a dark turn at the end, as well as added a big surprise, so it will be interesting to see how Amy handles those events in the next book.

It just wasn't quite as good as the first book, which is why I had to take off a star for this one.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to the author, Elizabeth McGivern, for a digital copy of Amy Cole is Zen as F*ck! This second installment of the Amy Cole series is out now!

Severance by Ling Ma

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I recently resubscribed to Book of the Month, and this was my December pick. Severance by Ling Ma promised plagues and zombies, and a post-apocalyptic New York City. While it did deliver on those promises, it did not deliver in the way that I had hoped.

Candace lives in New York City, and works at a company who outsources the publishing of books. When a major pandemic hits, people are left as shells of their former selves, technically alive but forced to repeat the mundane tasks in their lives over and over again in a zombie state. Candace escapes New York after being found by a group of survivors, and embarks on a journey with them to a promised safe-house facility.

I just could not get behind this story. It was told in alternating chapters of before the plague and after, and I thought most of the before parts were unnecessary and didn't add anything to the story. I thought Candace was boring, and I didn't care what happened to her character. So many of the plot elements didn't make sense with what had been established already, and lots of questions were left unanswered. I also hated the way it ended.

When I saw this was a post-apocalyptic novel with zombies caused by a plague, I was excited, but this story just left me bored. The zombies aren't scary. There are no real high-stakes. It had all the bad parts of The Walking Dead with none of the excitement. I did enjoy the pieces about the NY Ghost blog, and the descriptions of desolate New York were good.

I found myself barely skimming towards the end just to get through it. Maybe there was a deeper meaning here that I just missed. All I know is I wanted an exciting zombie story and did not get it.

Overall Rating: 1 out of 5 Stars

The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle

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I was in desperate need of a short, fluffy read, and I thought The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle would be the perfect answer. This was a Book of the Month pick for me a few months back, and the gorgeous yellow cover drew me right to it. Well, fluffy, this coming of age contemporary was not. But I did really enjoy it!

You know the premise. If you could have dinner with any 5 people, living or dead, who would they be? But Sabrina never expects to actually get to have that dinner. Yet on her thirtieth birthday, she walks into the restaurant and there they all are: Audrey Hepburn, her estranged father, her best friend, her favorite college professor, and her ex. Throughout the course of the evening, Sabrina learns and laughs with this unexpected group, as well as reminisces on times both good and bad, and tries to pinpoint what went wrong with the main relationships in her life.

I was not expecting this book to get to my emotions as much as it did. Whether it was the relationship with her estranged father, drifting apart from her best friend, or trying so hard to make a doomed romantic relationship work, I really felt for Sabrina. I saw her grow and mature a lot throughout the dinner, and enjoying seeing how she interacted with and learned from each guest.

This read super quickly, so it was definitely the short read I was looking for. It was just a little more emotional than I was expecting! I liked how it alternated between the dinner scenes themselves (prefaced by times so you knew how much time was left in the night before the group had to disband) and flashbacks to different parts of Sabrina's life.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

As a side note, I think my 5 people would be Walt Disney, Stevie Nicks, Princess Diana, my late grandfather, and Steve Irwin.

The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain

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This book completely blew me out of the water! I've never read anything by Diane Chamberlain before, and honestly didn't know much about her books at all. When I got a chance to read this one, I was cautiously optimistic since I didn't know what to expect. But I ADORED IT. The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain can't even be summed up into one genre, because it had so many different components.

This story follows Carly, a widow living in the 1970s whose husband has been killed in the Vietnam War. Shortly after he was deployed, she discovered that she was pregnant. But now there is something wrong with her baby that could be fatal, and there is no cure. Enter Carly's brother-in-law, Hunter, who tells Carly there might be a way to fix the baby's heart condition, but it will require immense bravery and suspension of disbelief on Carly's part to make it happen. Suddenly Carly is faced with a decision: to put trust in the incredulous information her brother-in-law has told her and attempt to save her unborn daughter, or to not believe it and pray that the doctors were wrong.

I honestly can't say too much about this book without giving critical elements away, but I was gripped from the very beginning. I stayed up WAY past my bedtime to finish this read, and the plot captured me more than any book I've read in a long time. I enjoyed all the characters, with the exception of Carly's sister, and even though there were definitely elements of the plot that were unrealistic, it was an incredibly unique and engrossing read.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this read! The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain is out TODAY, so be sure to pick up a copy of this fantastic book!