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.