These books do not belong to a series.
An alien comes to Earth expecting the worst of humanity. Instead, he discovers poetry, peanut butter, and a few reasons to stick around. Matt Haig’s The Humans is a funny, feel-good read with some thoughtful reminders about what makes life worth living.
Ever read a book that makes you want to highlight every other page because you feel so seen? Kim Hooper’s Woman on the Verge brought back some complicated feelings about motherhood, and I wasn’t expecting just how validating it would be.
A remote island, a missing patient, and a psychological thriller everyone seems to know. Shutter Island had the ingredients I wanted, but did it deliver? Here’s what worked, what didn’t, and why I left wanting more.
The cover of Strange Houses immediately caught my attention. Floor plans, a strange mystery, visual puzzles? Sign me up. Unfortunately, the book inside didn’t quite live up to the intriguing package. Here’s why this short Japanese mystery left me disappointed.
I expected Nomad to be a quiet story about grief and life in the Arizona desert. I didn’t expect it to hit quite so close to home. Cynthia A. Johnstone’s debut surprised me with its beautiful writing, complicated characters, and one very persistent stray dog. Here’s why this one stayed with me.
I don’t consider myself a horror reader.
Which makes it particularly funny that I requested a book about blood witches, body horror, magical science, and a creepy mansion in the Appalachian Mountains.
But *The Forest Bleeds* caught my attention on NetGalley with two words: “arcane bioengineering.” Add a blood witch and a gorgeous cover, and apparently that was enough to make me click Request.
I’m glad I did.
Rachel Kitch blends science and magic into a creepy, atmospheric story with complicated characters, dark academia vibes, and enough hopefulness to balance out the horror. I even gobbled it up in two days.
Sometimes following the thing that makes you curious leads you somewhere you didn’t expect to enjoy.
Read my review of *The Forest Bleeds* to find out why this non-horror reader is already feeling ready for spooky season.
I probably wouldn’t have picked up *Rainwater* on my own.
I’d never read Sandra Brown, barely knew what the book was about, and wasn’t looking for a Depression-era historical romance. But a friend sent it to me as part of an annotated book exchange, and suddenly the reading experience became about more than the story.
*Rainwater* took me into a Texas I hadn’t encountered much in fiction, where drought, poverty, prejudice, and desperation shape everyday life. It’s a quiet story with a memorable cast, an unexpected twist, and a few things that didn’t quite work for me.
But the best part? Reading a book covered in someone else’s notes felt surprisingly intimate, like getting to experience the story alongside my friend even though we live in different states.
Read my review of *Rainwater* and find out why this was a book I wouldn’t have chosen for myself, but was glad to read.
A mystery that knows it’s a mystery
There are few things more fun than a mystery that knows exactly what kind of mystery it is.
How to Write a Murder puts a group of mystery writers in an isolated monastery, gives everyone secrets and motives, and then starts killing people.
Naturally, I had a great time.
But what really made this one work for me was how Jessica Brody plays with the conventions of the genre. The characters know they’re behaving like characters in a murder mystery. The book itself keeps winking at the reader. And somehow, beneath all that cleverness, there is a surprisingly thoughtful exploration of how the roles we believe we’re playing can shape who we become.
I had a blast with this one. And yes, I have thoughts about that cover, too.
Read my full review of How to Write a Murder.
Despite being nearly 500 pages, *Bodies of Magic* became the book I reached for every chance I got.
If dark academia, magical medicine, layered mysteries, and unlikely friendships sound like your kind of story, this review might help you decide whether Freya Marske’s newest fantasy deserves a place on your TBR.
Read the full review →
I almost didn’t read *Atmosphere*.
I actually started a completely different book, DNF’d it, and picked up Taylor Jenkins Reid’s latest on a whim.
Then I sobbed. Repeatedly.
What I expected to be a story about astronauts, NASA, and an ’80s space program turned into one of the most unexpectedly emotional reading experiences I’ve had in a long time.
So, was the hype finally right?
I’ve shared my full review, including what worked, what surprised me, and why this book made me want to pay much closer attention to the life I’m actually living.