The Eyre Affair

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (2001), 374 pages

In this very clever book, we follow Special Operative Thursday Next as she tracks down Acheron Hades before he can snatch Jane Eyre out of the novel Jane Eyre. It is a fun fantasy/sci-fi novel that imagines 1985 England as a place where people can travel in and out of time and in and out of literature. It is creative (real life bookworms!), silly, and fun for folks who love to pick up on classic literature references. My only real criticism is that the actual Jane Eyre plot line doesn't pick up until the second half of the book. I kept thinking I had missed it somewhere. Also - I listened to the audio book version. The narrator, Susan Duerden did a wonderful job. Her voice, though, has such a soothing, classic British sound to it that I sometimes felt like the characters were woodland creatures a la Peter Rabbit. 

Wreck

 

Wreck by Catherine Newman (2025) 215 pages

Wreck is the perfect title for this short novel, which follows Rocky's family, the same family that was highlighted in Sandwich. Wreck empasses the emotional aftermath of a train wreck, but also the deep concern with a health blip that turns into a full-fledged health scare. Rocky's widowed father is living in a separate building on Rocky and her husband Nick's property in Western Massachusetts. Their daughter Willa is with them as well, not having moved out post college yet. Their son Jamie is married and living in New York City, but in spite of his distance, he is a key player in this story, as well.

This story has it all - realistic, close famiy relationships, frustration that sometimes comes with such close relationships, health concerns, as well as moral concerns: do we really know the people we think we know. One does not have to have read Sandwich to enjoy this book, but having read Sandwich gave me the chance to feel that I was coming home to a family that I hadn't seen for a bit, and didn't realize how much I missed them.

The New People

 

The New People by Andrea Uptmor, 320 pages.

Newly married, Emma and Rachel have just moved from Chicago to a college town in rural Indiana, into a shoddily flipped house that was foreclosed when the housing bubble burst. Emma is uneasy in the new house, overshadowed by her wife's success and surrounded by the type of community that was not easy to grow up in for a queer girl and isn't any better in 2008. But soon the house itself starts making her uneasy, things go missing, damage and mess come from nowhere, and something always seems to be going wrong. It turns out that this is because the previous owners never left. Charlotte and Dirk have been secretly staying in a hidden attic apartment, building resentment against the women who took their house and desperately waiting for what comes next for two retirees with nothing to their names. 

This was masterfully crafted in a way that I found surprising for a debut novel. I was impressed how our two protagonist's perspectives wound together, often mirroring each other in ways that the characters themselves would be surprised by. There is a real sense of uneasiness to this book that makes it hard to tell what genre direction it was going to go in, which I think fed back into the sense of uneasiness again. There is of course something very disturbing about the idea of someone secretly living in your home who means you harm. But rather than what could have been a fairly solid suspense premise, Uptmor instead focuses on a very human element, which makes the novel shine in a way that is both more complex and interesting. Definitely a recommendation from me. 

This book will be published on 21 July 2026 

Daydream Hour

 

Daydream Hour: Doodles by Ryoko Kui, 232 pages

This is a collection of doodles, art studies, and short comics from Ryoko Kui, the creator of Delicious in Dungeon. Kui appologizes in the introduction of the book for how ridiculously self-indulgent it is, but I do think that its self-indulgence is the real strength of this collection. It is a very cozy collection of low-stakes art that is very relaxing to read. However, it is also an interesting peak behind the curtain at the process of making a manga, and of a professional artist's process. A fun little expansion that is great fun for fans of the series. 

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

 

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan, 112 pages  

Is there anything so delightful as revisiting a book you loved as a child?! The surprising details that have stayed in the back of your memory somewhere, the charming little things you didn’t notice at a different point in your life, the surprise when you find yourself identifying with the adults in the story...what’s not to love? I had read this one several times, and certainly long after it was an academic challenge, just because it was so darn good.

This is the story of a father and two children in a setting that I took to be 1880’s Kansas, but was surprised on this read to find it is actually a little more vague. A widower places a personal ad in the newspaper, and his two children eagerly await an answer. A response comes from the titular Sarah from the exotic land of Maine. Sarah arrives to spend a month the family before deciding if she’ll marry the widower and stay forever. Behaving as no actual children ever have, the kiddos strive to impress Sarah both because they want so much to have a stepmother and because they come to love her as an individual. They enjoy a sampling of prairie-life experiences, and hear how different things are in Maine. It’s difficult to call this a spoiler because the book is 45 years old, and because it’s a predictable book: Sarah decides to join the family!  

Of course this is one of many White People on the Great Plains type of books, that don’t offer a variety of experiences, but did lack the more overt insensitivity of the Little House books (which you’d expect from 1980s and 1930s books, respectively). It did get a little monotonous that Sarah responds to everything with “in Maine, we do xyz instead!” Girl, we get it, you’re from Maine! Otherwise, a fun little one-sitting read. 

We Came, We Saw, We Left: A Family Gap Year by Charles Wheelan

 

We Came, We Saw, We Left: A Family Gap Year by Charles Wheelan, 269 pages

 

This is a memoir of two parents and their three teenagers that take a gap year and travel together around South America, New Zealand and Australia, Asia and Africa. This was among the best lighthearted travel writing that I’ve encountered!   I have my own theories on why most travel writing is mediocre at best, and why there is so much of it, which I will spare you here.  WCWSWL is the exception! This book is a fun escape not only in that you get to go along on the travel adventure but also feel a part of a fun- but not too perfect- family. I laughed out loud many times (especially at the antics of the teens) and actively looked forward to my bedtime reading throughout the day.   While I got the impressions that the Wheelan’s are thoughtful people that sought to understand the social issues that the inhabitants of their destinations were facing, it wasn’t a particularly informative book that sought to be life-changing at its heart. There’s plenty of profound travel writing out there, but this one was delightful just telling a fun story that took me on the cheapest kind of vacation.

Americus

 Americus by M.K. Reed with art by Jonathan Hill (2011) 216 pages

Americus is small town America. Published by First Second back in 2011. That year the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom recorded 326 book ban challenges. In 2025 there were over 4,000 titles challenged. I found this book on BookRiot's recent list "Fighting Oppression: 5 Graphic Novels About Book Banning." The main character, Neil, is starting high school in Americus. Following a somewhat sheltered youth with his divorced mom, he is a budding punk music fan who thinks a lot of his small town and high school is stupid. He is a big fan of a popular fantasy book series and becomes a page at the local public library. His best friend's mom launches a Christian crusade against these fantasy books. The book ban is the main crisis of the plot, but I really enjoyed this book because of the people surrounding Neil. His mom as compared to the other moms, their neighbor, his friendship with the teen librarian, his best friend (sent to a military school), and other outcast kids at school, build a recognizable world.

Margo's Got Money Problems

Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe (2024), 294 pgs. 

Margo was a student, living in an apartment with three roommates and working as a server to make ends meet. She was nowhere near rich, but she was comfortable. Then, Margo got pregnant, and her whole life flipped upside down. Now, Margo's got money troubles. Diapers, doctors appointments, baby food, rent--all these costs certainly add up quickly, and after losing her job and her roommates, they are getting harder and harder to keep up with. Perhaps Margo didn't fully comprehend what she was getting herself into, starting this whole motherhood thing. After trying a few different plans and realizing that the system is not set up to support young single parents, Margo starts an experimental account on OnlyFans. Seeing how her father has made money by building a fanbase as his wrestling persona, she wonders if she can create an online character for herself to make enough money to support her son. 

This is a complicated, interesting book. It leaves you with a lot to think about in terms of the broken system of childcare in this country; sex work vs. other jobs in entertainment and the sticky morality of it all; and what it means to be a "good" mother. Margo is as real of a character as one can write. She is deeply flawed, naive at times, and lonely as well. She fights with her mom and seeks approval from her dad and wonders if she is doing enough for her son. Rufi Thorpe did a wonderful job writing this story and keeping me hooked, then leaving me with so much to consider. Highly recommend with a slight warning for motifs of sex work and addiction

A Chance to Harmonize

A Chance to Harmonize: How FDR's Hidden Music Unit South to Save America from the Great Depression--One Song at a Time, by Sheryl Kaskowitz, 272 pgs. © 2024

This was an fascinating read. As part of FDR's New Deal, a special agency is created to help bring the arts to resettlement towns, which are towns and encampments meant to transition destitute farmers and migrants during the great depression into planned communities. This was a huge agency that's main goal was to boost morale of Americans through the arts, specifically music--the music unit within the Resettlement Agency was even led by Charles Seeger, father of banjo folk-hero Pete Seeger. The book focuses on two women who were a boon to the success of the program, doing the most work and receiving the least amount of credit. The women learn to use the latest in recording technology and travel to the different resettlement towns, recording the folk songs and music of the community, bringing joy and optimism during a very bleak period in American history--the 1930s music program  is credited with the renewed interest in folk music that took place in the 1950s.

The Bodyguard

 

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center (2022) 302 pages

When you think of a bodyguard, you may not visualize a five foot five inch woman, but that's what Hannah is. Her company has been hired to protect an especially popular and good-looking actor, Jack Stapleton, who has a stalker. When Jack needs to temporarily relocate to Texas to be near his mother, who has been diagnosed with cancer, Hannah is the primary bodyguard for Jack. Because Jack doesn't want his family to worry about his stalker, he insists that Hannah pose as his girlfriend, rather than as a more traditional type of bodyguard.

A few complications are that Hannah had been dating another bodyguard in her company, who has broken up with her (and right after her mother has died), but she still needs to work with him. Jack's complication is that one of his brothers - Drew - died in a car accident two years ago, and Jack's older brother Hank still blames Jack, because Jack was in the car with Drew. Jack survived, but Drew did not.

Hanging out with Jack and his family - not the standard operation for a bodyguard - is making Hannah appreciate the relationships within Jack's family (with the exception of Hank) even as she works to convince herself that Jack is acting, not really interested in her. I really enjoyed this page turner.

The Yahoo Boys: Love, Deception, and the Real Lives of Nigeria's Romance Scammers

The Yahoo Boys by Carlos Barragan (2026), 304 pages 

After his mom falls for a Nigerian romance scammer, Barragan (a Spanish journalist) goes to Lagos to better understand the lives of Yahoo Boys and what drives them to commit these frauds. This was a fascinating look into a world most westerner's do not fully understand. Barragan does a fantastic job of humanizing the scammer's and delving into the economic realities of life in Nigeria. He discusses Nigeria's long culture of deception and, particularly, it's involvement in internet schemes. We all remember the Nigerian Prince emails, but those morphed into celebrity dupes (his own mother believing she was corresponding with Brad Pitt) to outright romances and blackmail. Personally, I had no idea that bitcoin and gift cards played so heavily into these scenarios. Barragan also touches upon the loneliness epidemic that helps fuel the success of romance scammers and the affect it has on their targets. Finally, he discusses the Nigerian diaspora and how those living abroad are frustrated by the Yahoo Boys and the reputation they give all Nigerians. There is a lot to unpack in this book and I highly recommend you give it a read. It will have you thinking about for a long time. 

It Takes a Thief to Catch a Sunrise

 

It Takes a Thief to Catch a Sunrise by Rob J Hayes, 345 pages.

Jacques Revou and Isabel de Rosier have just pulled off a daring heist that should be enough to retire on in comfort. Until the king's Shadow Councilor shows up in their house and tells them that all of their accounts have been frozen and they'll work for him if they know what's good for them. So the nation's greatest con artists are soon embedded as nobility in a scheme they don't understand, completely surrounded by people they can't trust.

This was a bit mediocre for me, which is surprising with how much I enjoy a fantasy heist. Unfortunately, it felt like none of these characters were as clever as the book tried to convince me they were, and it didn't come together in a way that was particularly compelling, hindered by clunky writing. I will grant that the steampunk setting was interesting, and I liked how the alchemy played in. I still think I would recommend The Lies of Locke Lamora instead for someone looking for a fantasy heist. 

After Hours at Dooryard Books

After Hours at Dooryard Books by Cat Sebastian, 351 pages.

Taking in the stray his landlady brings him isn't anything new for Patrick, she did the same for him years ago and he's been trying to replay the kindness to the world ever since. Nathaniel is skittish, clearly a man running from something, but Patrick gives him a job in his new bookshop, and hopes a chance to rest will help him get past whatever he's running from. Soon the two men, along with Patrick's recently widowed best friend and her fresh baby, are forming their own community in a radical corner of 1968 New York, even as their pasts crowd in.

Unfortunately, I seem to be less impressed by each Cat Sebastian book I read. I really loved We Could Be So Good, but this book feels like it could use some structural edits. It is extremely slow, and it feels like we know virtually nothing about Nathaniel until his first perspective chapter well into the book. Overall, it feels like this book never really went anywhere, and it was slow getting there. I really liked the characters, but I think it would benefit a lot from some added plot. 

 

Love By the Book

Love By the Book by Jessica George (2026) 326 pages

Remy has written her first book, a best-seller based on a decade-long friendship with three other friends. Her agent is after her to get her next book underway, but Remy is suffering from writer's block, partly because her friends have gone different directions - one is expecting her first child and has moved outside London, one is making a move across the ocean to New York City, and the third has gone back to the boyfriend that the rest of them feel is not a good match for her. As Remy's finances tank, she makes a move back into her mother's home. But worse than the financial part, she is feeling a drought of friendship.

This book explores her attempts to nurture a relationship with Simone, who had gone to Remy's high school. Simone is smart, but prickly with regard to whom she gets close to. Simone's family, who had provided her with all the nurturing she needed, has walled her off because of a side job of Simone's that they learn about and disapprove of.

The friendship with the original group of four young women feels genuine, as does Remy's attempts to reach out to Simone. The novel has a few other storylines that add conflicts to make it even more real. Recommend.

Hope Rises (Walter Nash #2)

Hope Rises by David Baldacci (2026), 420 pages 

If this is your genre of book, then you will enjoy Hope Rises. You may remember that I recently reviewed Nash Falls (book one of the two) and had some strong criticisms. This one, though, is just all over the place. I am not sure you can pack anymore twists, turns, and tropes into it. Much of it was unbelievable, but in a way that just added to the fun (as long as you went with it and did not overthink it). If you read Nash Falls, then you will definitely need to read Hope Rises. 

Like, Follow, Subscribe

Like, Follow, Subscribe by Fortesa Latifi (2026), 288 pages

I was a new mom when Mom Bloggers became a thing in the early 2000s. As someone who didn't have close family by, it was a lifeline to connecting with people who were dealing with similar issues as myself. Unfortunately, it has been disheartening to see the long form blog and discussion about the parents' struggles become an almost exhibitionist dive into every aspect of a child's life. A child who does not have consent over what is shared and who might be viewing it. It is one thing to share about yourself, it is another to co-opt your child's story (especially for views). The author attempts to give a full perspective view of the phenomenon of family and child influencers - from it being a family bonding experience to a way for a single parent to stay home with their child while paying the bills. But, Latifi also delves into the dark side of the internet and the repercussions for the child and the family as the child ages. The book is worth a read, and reconfirmed my thoughts that this is never a good plan. 

POPS

 Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong y Terry Teachout, 496 pgs. ©2010

Birth of an American legend. I picked this book in part because I, like many others, wrongly believed Armstrong's birth to fall on the 4th of July--even Louis himself believed this was his birthday. But he was actually born on August 4th. Teachout does a great job dispelling some of the other myths that arose during Armstrong's meteoric rise to fame during the birth of the Jazz age (he also was not the first person to invent scatting). For many players and aficionados alike, he's largely credited with solidifying the genre in the public imagination and making it synonymous with baseball and apple pie and Teachout shows how close the country came to missing out entirely on Armstrong's work. Born in poverty in New Orleans, he was picked-up and thrown in jail as a youngster for firing a gun in the street. From there, he was sent to a orphanage where a teacher made him play cornet. He cut his teeth learning the ins and outs of blues and rags, playing in brothels and gentlemen clubs and became so in demand that he went north on the riverboats to play with small combos, eventually making his way to Chicago to play with his trumpeter hero, King Oliver. Teachout documents the recording sessions and other musicians that he spent time with, detailing his strained relationship with his white manager Joe Glaser, who may have been funneling some of his money to the mob. Armstrong survives the Great Depression to see younger players helm the birth of the Swing and Bebop eras, in which he had little respect. In fact, many younger black players accused Armstrong of being an Uncle Tom and playing only to white audiences. But the real truth is that Armstrong was a musician at heart--he didn't care who heard him, as long as he could play music. His style was revolutionary and his technical feats laid the groundworks for jazz legends to come. 

Joe the Pirate

 Joe the Pirate: The Life and Times of Marion Barbara Carstairs by Hubert and Virginie Ausustin (2026) 224 pages

"Joe was an adrenaline junkie who drove an ambulance in the First World War, piloted speedboats into history as 'the fastest woman on water,' flew an airplane through a hurricane, and battled crocodiles. Her love life was no less whirlwind." Virginie completed this posthumously for Hubert. I like the design of the book with art deco cover and chapter breaks. Joe is such a fascinating and complex individual. The life of a socialite with both their parents (and multiple stepfathers) regularly having affairs clearly affected Joe in constantly chasing each new paramour. This is for mature readers since it openly portrays Joe's many sexual conquests. "I came out of the womb queer." And yet, their mother and the press and even friend/lover Marlene Dietrich tried to force them into feminine roles. I love the art in this biography. The black and white can be realistic and dramatic. A couple pages are illustrated in color, perhaps pointing to the legend status of the story of Joe flying through a storm. I appreciated Kate Bugos' preface too. She writes about how discrimination and privilege were both part of Joe's life, and how their paternalistic leadership on Whale Cay came from their British upbringing.

Severance

Severance by Ling Ma (2018), 291 pages

The novel (written before COVID), follows Candance Chen, a millennial, dealing with the fallout of a mass pandemic. While some parts of the novel are eerily prescient and disturbing, it is overall quite boring. Chen is deeply uninteresting and despite going through some hard tragedies, doesn't particularly engage with her life. It is a bit maddening. She finally takes some initiative at the end, but even that is lowkey dull. This book could have been really interesting, but it is not.

The Russian Cage

 

The Russian Cage by Charlaine Harris, 304 pages.

In this third installment of the Gunnie Rose series, Lizbeth is not on a job. Instead, she has to make her way to the Holy Russian Empire (made up mostly of what was once the West coast of the United States) after receiving a letter that says Eli is in jail. In San Diego, she reconnects with her sister Felicia, meets Eli Savarov's family, and gets way more involved in the politics of the royal family than she would like. 

This was probably the weakest book in the series to far. This is another fish-out-of-water story, much like A Longer Fall, and the actions that characters decide they need to take to kick off the climax make no sense, nor do their consequences (I will avoid being more specific for spoiler reasons). That being said, it was still very entertaining. The GraphicAudio version of the audiobook in particular is fun to have on in the background, and it's easy to get sucked into the story. I will probably continue listening to these. 

Good Luck, Babe!

 

Good Luck, Babe! by Erin Baldwin, 332 pages.

Noelle and Yumi have been best friends since they were kids, until an impulsive kiss the night they submit their application to the Adventureverse (an Amazing Race-type reality show) resulted in a year of no contact. But Noelle will do anything to get the money for her father's medical treatment, including fake-dating her former best friend for an all-couples season of reality TV. Now the girls are suddenly remembering what it's like to be each other's person, but it's hard to figure out feelings on national television, and even harder when everyone else has to believe you already have them figured out. How is a girl supposed to know what's real?

I think this book was made in a lab for me specifically. Much like Noelle, I grew up watching The Amazing Race with my family, and it's uncanny how exactly Baldwin nailed the tone, to the point where I definitely heard the clues in Phil Keoghan's voice, and could visualize the shots of the challenges. I thought the depiction of Noelle's ADHD and anxiety were very well done, and I loved the characters, both individually and as a unit. I would have liked to see a little bit more explicit clearing of the misunderstanding in the backstory, because the hardest thing I found to buy about the premise was that they misunderstood each other that badly for a year, after seeing how instinctively they seem to understand each other at literally every other point. Overall though, I think this novel did a great job balancing a fun, silly premise with a solid emotional heart, so it can be forgiven for making me hum Chappell Roan under my breath for days. I also NEED a director's cut for this book, because every cut for time scene that Baldwin describes in the author's note sounds delightful.

This book will be released 6/23/26 

The Bright Sword

The Bright Sword (2024) by Lev Grossman, 688 pages

After reading the reviews from Kara and Regan, I decided to give this book a go. I love Arthurian tales and this one did not disappoint. I particularly loved how it deals with what does a Knight of the Round Table do when their leader dies and spiritual quests dry up? Collum, a would-be knight, finds himself at the center of this conundrum and the reluctant problem solver. This is a meandering tale that frequently flashes back to the great Knights’ adventures. Grossman tackles everything from the Knights’ pettiness between each other, the lasting influence Roman occupation to the reluctant spread of Christianity. If you are looking for a quick read - this is not it. But, if you want to slow down and just enjoy a tale, this is your book. 

Emma

 

Emma by Jane Austen (1816) 484 pages

Until recently, the only book of Austen's which I had read was Pride and Prejudice, along with many take-offs using the Bennett family as a starting point. I have been thirsting for something substantial to read, something that would be a sure winner, and Emma was that sure winner.

Possibly everyone reading has long been aware of the plot of this novel: Emma is a twenty-one-year-old woman from a family of means, determined to care for her elderly father rather than to marry. She does relish the idea of trying to match up other available young people and she takes credit for the successful marriage of her former governess and a local widower. When Emma meets Harriet Smith, a young woman of unknown parentage, Emma is determined to keep her from marrying a farmer who has caught her eye, but instead wants to match her up with a man who is higher up in society. Things don't always work out the way she expects.

The reader meets all sorts of people in the small town of Highbury, some 16 miles outside of London, many of whom are just regular folks, and some who are more in the "gentleman's" class of people, such as her neighbor, Mr. Knightley, who is the brother of Emma's sister's husband. Sometimes Emma has a streak of classism and other times we see a more humanitarian side of her. Her inclinations evolve as time goes on and as she tries to assuage her father's negativity. This work is a fine, classic story.

Fear and loathing in Las Vegas

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: a savage journey to the heart of the American dream by Hunter S. Thompson (1971) 204 pages 

Nothing beats an audiobook when doing mindless chores, so why not take a blast to the (mindless) past. Thompson was the outlaw journalist of the 1960s and this little book is a trip (in the vernacular of the time). If you ignore the absurd overdone shenanigans, Thompson is critiquing the social mores and the post-countercultural movement – albeit in Las Vegas circa 1971. Thompson, known for his over-the-top hyperbole does not disappoint – driving across the desert at 100 mph in a red convertible, gulping drugs, trashing hotel rooms, and nipping at norms on every page. Thompson, whose alter-ego goes by Raoul Duke in this mini-saga, is accompanied by his Samoan attorney, Dr. Gonzo, as they report on a desert road race and incidentally end up attending a law enforcement convention – a not-so-subtle irony. When published in Rolling Stone magazine this was radical; now it would be dismissed as another attention-seeking story. Thompson had a fascination with former President Nixon (he is mentioned a couple of times in the book) and in retrospect, Thompson foresaw the future of our political leadership. He would surely have a front row seat at the White House UFC cage fight. Alas, we no longer have curated satirists; perhaps we are all Thompson now. 

Brooms

 Brooms by Jasmine Walls with art by Teo Duvall (2023) 240 pages

"It's 1930s Mississippi. Magic is permitted only in certain circumstances, and by certain people. Unsanctioned broom racing is banned. But for those who need the money, or the thrills...it's there to be found." Practicing magic and racing on brooms is an allegory for the intersectionality of being queer and black or indigenous or asian. There is tons of diverse representation in this graphic novel. The first race that we, the reader, witness, which explains the mechanics of the game, establishes antagonists, but skips some steps before our central characters win the race. I wish it spent more time visually explaining the game. The characters have just a few defining traits, mostly centered around their identity, so I wish there was more depth to them too. However, it was still a fun read. I loved the post Bios scrapbook pages.