Drive Me Crazy

Drive Me Crazy by Lizzy Dent, 368 pages

Chloe has clawed her way to the top of Formula 1, and is ready to finally be announced as the first female team principle. But her billionaire boss chooses to use that same press conference to announce the hiring of the once-great, now-not-so-great driver Matt, who also happens to be an unrequited crush from Chloe's childhood. But as Matt joins the team, sparks begin to fly between the two, and Chloe is forced to prove herself as a Formula 1 boss while also allowing her love life to flourish.

This is a spicy sports romance about a sport I know NOTHING about, which made it intriguing in ways that had nothing to do with the romance. I respect and appreciate that. What I didn't necessarily love about this is the sheer number of times that Chloe says "no, we shouldn't do that" and Matt presses her anyway (and she immediately folds). It doesn't seem to work with her established career focus, and made both of them feel really juvenile in their thinking. That said, I probably will pick up more Formula 1 romances, because I definitely found that bit interesting.

Blood Over Bright Haven

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang, 428 pages

Because I am woefully tardy on blogging about this one, and I have about a zillion other things to blog about, I'm going to direct you to Regan's wonderful post here. She captures the essence of the book quite well, and I share her feelings on this one, especially the bit about how this is what I wish Babel had been.

The Last Contract of Isako

The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee, 528 pages

Legendary swordswoman Isako has been the longtime right hand of a captain of industry on the harsh planet of Aquilo. But after her client's unexpected retirement, she's ready to follow him: by walking out of the safety of their habitation and into the frozen wasteland to die of asphyxiation (what, did you think "retirement" meant something cushier?). Instead, she learns that her contract has been given to her client's rival, and before she is able to retire herself, Isako must track down her final apprentice and his client to find out what skulduggery they're up to. This was a really fun samurai-in-space book, full of intrigue, double-crossing, and meditations on work, life, and what we are owed in life. An excellent book!

It Looks Like You in the Dark

It Looks Like You in the Dark by Mathilda Zeller, 288 pages

Chukchi is a tiny and remote Inupiat village in Alaska, and while there are some folks who leave, most of them either stay or return. The only time white men visit is when they're convinced that the nearby mine is full of rich minerals, whether it's gold, lead, or some of the rare earth materials that make up computer processors. And usually, when the greedy white men arrive, death soon follows, usually in the form of the legendary and always hungry kushtuka, a creature that disguises itself as someone you love to lure you to your death. That's certainly what happens in this book, in which a new herd of wealthy white men come into town and slowly win over everyone with their false charm and promises of better jobs at the mine. Everyone, that is, except Tapeesa, who is convinced they're up to no good. When Tapeesa's sister goes missing, she will do anything to get her back, even if it means seeking help from these outsiders, even though she's convinced they have something to do with the disappearance.

This debut novel pulls together so many types of horror -- supernatural and indigenous folklore, capitalism and the terror of being a young woman -- and they're woven together incredibly well, keeping the reader guessing as to what or who the villain actually is. And the remote location only adds to the creeping terror. An excellent book, and I can't wait to see what Zeller comes up with next.

Taxi Dancer

Taxi Dancer by Marivi Soliven, 240 pages

During the Great Depression, Filipino immigrants often found themselves working hard at low-paying service jobs in cities, or traveling up and down the west coast as farm workers. But on the weekends, many of the men found themselves spending all of their hard-earned money on dime dances with white women at taxi dance halls. This story tells of Filipino farmworker Eli who falls in love with dancer Lucinda and plans to run away with her to Washington, where it was legal for them to marry. But before Eli and Lucinda can escape San Diego, the owner of the dance hall where Lucinda works is gunned down and Eli is blamed for the crime.

While we often hear about the migrant workers during the Depression, this was the first time I'd read about the taxi dance halls, and the way in which the strict segregation of the era was breached in these nightclubs. I loved getting a peek into that world, and especially having it presented in such an adventurous way. There were a few coincidences that were a bit too convenient, but I think this is a fantastic look at an element of American history we don't often see in historical fiction.

A Vow Made Twice

A Vow Made Twice by Emma Denny, 432 pages

After his father's death, Ash has officially inherited the title of earl and must marry, despite the fact that he had already made a commitment vow to a partner, who died in battle several years earlier. When he meets young widow Agnes, the pair agrees to a marriage of convenience — Ash will keep the title and lands from one day going to his horrible uncle, while Agnes saves herself from being forced into marriage to an equally horrible family friend — and neither expects anything other than friendship out of the union. When a bandit sets upon them in their travels, however, Ash's past comes back to haunt him, and forces them to re-evaluate everything, including their growing affection for one another.

Denny plays with some familiar historical romance tropes here (marriage of convenience/fake dating, mistaken identity, etc), but with some fresh twists. Ash's past love is a man, Agnes is nonbinary (though she doesn't have the language to properly label herself), and the *spoiler* unexpected reappearance of Ash's long-thought-dead lover *end spoiler* creates a truly tricky romantic situation. Yet Denny handles all of it delicately and deftly. While this is the third book in the series and there are plenty of references to the first two, A Vow Made Twice stands alone well, and only made me want to pick up the first two. It's great to see the representation of this romantic configuration, especially in a historical setting.

Throw Away the Key

Throw Away the Key by Jason M. Hough, 320 pages

Lars Bergman was once part of the CIA's "surreptitious entry team," the group assigned to sneak in and steal, plant, or replace documents or other things during spy operations. But now, he's semi-retired, putting his skills to use as the main locksmith at CIA's headquarters. When a woman near the top of the CIA hierarchy dies and leaves hints that only Lars would understand in her office safe, he begins to suspect that her death is tied to a failed operation from decades earlier.

This is simultaneously a throwback to old-school Cold War spy thrillers and a nesting doll of heists. I loved the twists and turns, as well as the details about locks and how to pick them. Yeah, there are a lot of spy tropes here, but they're done so well. A wonderful escapist novel that you can just sink into. I recommend it for fans of Alma Katsu's CIA thrillers.

These Walls Remember

These Walls Remember by Del Sandeen, 352 pages

When sisters Mickie and Delilah inherited their great aunt's house, they also received their relative's increasingly unhinged artwork from the asylum where she spent her final days. Among the drawings, a note: DO NOT GO INTO THE ATTIC. Yet as Mickie prepares to flip the house for quick sale, Delilah is drawn toward the locked attic door and soon finds herself ascending the stairs. Meanwhile, Mickie starts hearing about mysterious disappearances linked to the house, going back to it's origins in the late 1800s. Before long, there is something pulling at both sisters, begging them to stay at the house.

I'll be honest — I read this book about a month ago and completely forgot about it until I saw it on my list of books to blog about. It wasn't until I looked up the plot summary that bits started to come back to me. So while it was a creepy read while I was reading it, it obviously has no staying power, at least not for me. Which is a shame, because it did offer up a nice Southern gothic haunted house vibe with plenty of generational trauma thrown in. The walls may remember, but I certainly don't.

Daggerbound

Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher, 448 pages

Learned Edmund is no longer excited by his career as a religious scholar after discovering that his job mainly consists of schlepping artifacts from one temple to another. He's determined that this job will be his last, though he doesn't anticipate being set upon by bandits and grabbing the relic with his bare hands, releasing an warrior cursed to live in the dagger forever. The Dervish, as the immortal and devastatingly handsome warrior calls himself, must serve the bearer of the dagger whether he wants to or not. But as much as he wants to hate his new wielder, the Dervish just can't help but like Edmund for his dorky kindness.

While that first paragraph makes this sound like a romance novel, I'd argue that it's more of a found-family cozy fantasy, as Edmund and the Dervish manage to pick up strays and reforge old friendships throughout their journey to break the Dervish's curse. It's sweet and cozy and a fun story, no matter where you put it on the shelf though.

Japanese Gothic

Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker, 352 pages

In one house, 150 years apart, two young adults are living through their own horror stories. In 1877, Sen is a young female samurai, hiding from the imperial forces when her father takes a monstrous turn, placing her between the danger of her father and the soldiers, either one of whom could kill her whole family. In 2026, Lee has retreated to the same house with no recollection of why or how he killed his roommate, but sure that his father's new home will provide sanctuary from investigators half a world away. When the two meet, they discover that they may be able to help each other, whether it's through searching the archives to find out how and when Sen's family died or helping Lee sort through his untrustworthy memory.

The idea of this book is really interesting, and I thought it played out well. It was definitely atmospheric and creepy at times, and there was true horror as the falsehoods were stripped away. I don't know that it's the best example of the horror genre, as the plot beats were a bit too predictable, but it was definitely an enjoyable read.

The 10:12

The 10:12 by Anna Maloney, 320 pages

Retired art professor Claire was on the titular train between Manchester and London when it was hijacked by a group of armed men. When she encounters one of the hijackers near the restroom, she's faced with a choice: stand by passively or fight back. Claire chose to fight, and for the first half of the book, we have a fast-paced thriller akin to Speed in a train. But once the train reaches London, the pace slows down as Claire navigates the legal proceedings afterward in which she is seen as both a hero and a villain, depending on who's talking. It's an interesting way of presenting a hijack story, and one that I'm not sure I fully enjoyed, especially with the rapid slowdown. Meh.

This book will be published Oct. 20, 2026.

Dreadful

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis, 349 pages

I blogged about this book a couple years back when it first came out, and looking back at that post, I feel like it sums it up pretty well. I still dig the book, and I enjoyed chatting about it with the Orcs & Aliens last month. It's funny, it's quirky, it's full of garlic and fun. Highly recommend!

We Are Gathered Here Today

We Are Gathered Here Today by Bobby Finger, 320 pages

Finlay, Elaine, and Jacque have attended zillions of weddings, and can only make it through the cringiest moments by saving them until their traditional Hour of Disrespect, in which the three friends gather to complain about the most obnoxious little elements of the day. But now, Fin is heading to Elaine's elaborate Texas wedding weekend, where he's been asked to serve as the officiant. When he arrives, he's newly engaged himself, though still unsure on the concept of marriage, and has NOTHING written for his speech. Thrown with Jacque into the "queer table" of guests and plenty of free drinks, Fin must navigate the increasingly unhinged weekend while also navigating his feelings and writing a speech.

I picked this one up hoping that it fall somewhere in the range of The People We Hate at the Wedding meets The Wedding People, with lots of quirky characters and dry humor. And it kind of is... but it also felt a bit clique-y. Like, I don't know that I would've continued hanging out with this assigned group if they annoyed me as much as they seemed to annoy Fin and Jacque. It was OK, but nothing fantastic.

As You Wake, Break the Shell

As You Wake, Break the Shell by Becky Chambers, 480 pages

Cora is a rorqual pilot, someone who works with and controls a vast space-native creature to haul goods and mines from far-off moons to supplement the sparse goods of Fortune, the planet where Cora and thousands of others live. Cora and her rorqual, Colibri, have an unusually close relationship, one that is beginning to be detrimental to Cora's health, as their mental connection is causing a condition called "mindbleed." When a pilot gets this, their career is pretty much over, and while it's possible for the rorqual to be reassigned, it generally doesn't work and leads to the death of the giant creature. In her hunt for an off-the-books solution to mindbleed, Cora ends up on the doorstep of botanist Signy, a woman who runs a quiet plant shop during the day, but bio-prints medicine for those in need in her "free" time. Creating these medicines means risking her license and freedom, but Signy can't not help if she's able.

Told in alternating chapters between their early days of meeting and their later, well-established domestic bliss together, this book tells the us the beginning and the end of a lovely story of trust, love, respect, and worthwhile risks. I can't wait for the second book of the duology, which I'm hoping helps bridge the gap between the beginning and the end. A lovely story, no matter what.

This book will be published Oct. 13, 2026.

The Dragon Has Some Complaints

The Dragon Has Some Complaints by John Wiswell, 400 pages

Once a powerful four-headed dragon, Garrodigh now has three heads and a stump, and is an outcast from the wild dragon society. Complicating matters, his three heads all have different personalities — Centerhead is mad at everyone and wants to rain terror on the heads of all he sees, Upperhead is under the delusion that he's human, and Bottomhead's personality is similar to that of my dog, in that he's food-motivated and dumber than a box of rocks. When a battle goes awry, Garrodigh ends up in a human-run training facility, where he gets shelter, meals, medical help, and a quirky rider named Rania who's desperate enough for a dragon that she's willing to put up with his weirdness. As he learns to trust himself and his rider, Garrodigh and Rania team up to help fight for the safety of their world.

I'll readily admit that I came to this book based entirely on my assumption that a three-headed, three-personality dragon would be hilarious, and that Wiswell would do it justice. And thankfully, I was right in that assumption. What I didn't anticipate (but really should have expected, given my previous experience reading Wiswell's books) was the thoughtful treatment of the often bumpy physical and mental healing process Garrodigh goes through. We get to see personal growth, the impact of colonialism and xenophobia on cultures, and the power of friendship, all with a solid magical system and just the right amount of humor. Highly recommend this one.

Soon By You

Soon By You by Dahlia Adler, 336 pages

Serial bridesmaid Arielle is sick of losing all of her best friends and closest cousins to marriages and coupled-up events where she doesn't really fit in. But she's also not really the type of woman to settle down. Orthodox wedding singer Judah is the opposite of that: he's determined to find a bride (and the right one, not just *a* wife), but he doesn't do hookups and ascribes to shomer negiah, a prohibition of touching the opposite sex that some Orthodox Jews follow. Yet Judah's gigs and Arielle's bridesmaid duties keep bringing them together, and to the surprise of both of them, sparks fly.

I was really excited to read this book, as I thought it would be great to see a romance that respects Orthodox Judaism's traditions and limitations. And to some degree, this one does that, with plenty of discussion about the wedding traditions, and shomer negiah. However, Judah's deeply held beliefs about remaining shomer negiah go right out the door and go straight to some pretty spicy situations RIDICULOUSLY FAST. That seemed really problematic to me, and distracted me from the connection between the two main characters. That may be a me issue while reading this, but it's definitely something to be aware of if you start reading this thinking the romance and sexual tension will simmer but never scald.

Destination Funeral

Destination Funeral by Paige Harbison, 352 pages

When her magnetic and free-spirited mother Babe dies, Didion is summoned to her late mom's home, forced to spend the weekend with her sister and two friends from childhood, all of whom she has avoided seeing for years. Babe has left the island home to the four "kids" to do with as they wish — the only stipulation is that they must spend the weekend in the house together, with no phones or internet access. The four grudgingly agree, thinking that it's only 48 hours, but something happens when the clock ticks past midnight, and they're stuck reliving the same day over and over and over and over... None of the outside world is aware of it, but the four of them are determined to figure out how to break out of their time loop, even if it means they have to learn some lessons along the way.

This is the second book of Harbison's that I've read, and the second one with a plot device lifted straight from Hollywood — the first was a Sliding Doors "what if" plot, and this one was Groundhog Day (if you didn't read the first paragraph and missed all of the blinking neon arrows that pointed to it). The devices work, but it doesn't show a lot of creativity. Yes, the characters in this book grew and learned, but I didn't particularly like the way it happened. Not a horrible book, but not my favorite by a long shot.

Please Enjoy Your Stay

Please Enjoy Your Stay by Tara Goedjen, 320 pages

When Mia was a child, her cousin was murdered while they stayed at a remote Austrian inn. Mia's aunt was a true crime writer planning a book about the inn's sordid history when it happened, and while Mia's testimony put the killer behind bars, the court of public opinion pinned the blame on Mia's aunt. While things have died down over the past several years, a new true crime podcast is reopening the case and casting doubt on Mia's testimony. In an attempt to shield her aunt from further scrutiny, Mia finagles her way into a job as a nanny for the influencer who is renovating the inn, hoping that by being back at the scene of the crime, she can find some more proof.

As with a lot of thrillers, there's a serious disconnect between reality and the high-stakes antics of the plot. Most of them, I can forgive. However, the one that I just can't buy is that the helicopter mom influencer would hire a woman with ZERO childcare abilities as the new nanny in a construction zone. It was a good escape, but nothing amazing.

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews, 480 pages

Maggie has woken up naked, cold, and dirty in an alley, which she quickly learns is Kair Toren, the central city of her favorite book series. Then she promptly dies. Next thing she knows, she's waking up again in the same state as before, only this time, she's determined to survive. While it takes a few more life reboots to achieve her goal, she's soon ensconced among the dangerous and elite of Kair Toren, positioning herself as a seer by using her knowledge of the series. The only problem is that the series is unfinished, so there's definitely a limit to how much she can know, and if she changes things too much, well, that's pretty rough  too.

The fantasy trope of waking up in a favorite fictional world is an increasingly popular one (it's official name is "isekai," as it started as a common manga trope), and this is definitely a good example of the subgenre/trope, with the protagonist waking up in a vaguely Game of Thrones-esque world. However, as we never learn how Maggie got there or why she keeps reviving after her various deaths, it feels a bit unfinished. Similarly, the readers are told about the upcoming events only by Maggie's POV recollections of the books, so it feels like we're just along for the ride instead of becoming fully immersed in the world. I would've loved to get a bit of backstory before Maggie was deposited in Kair Toren, just to give us a glimpse of outcomes in the unaltered book-within-a-book. As it is, the plot meanders with no arc that is clear to us. That said, I'll definitely read the next book in this series, as I am curious as to where it all goes. But there are plenty of other isekai books I'd recommend first.

The Redemption Center Is Closed on Sundays

The Redemption Center Is Closed on Sundays by Andrea Hairston, 416 pages

Oona the St. Berdoodle is known throughout the neighborhood, either as a loveable and smart pal or as a pesky and smart annoyance. When Oona and her current owner Zsuzsu start to investigate the death of a local celebrity, Oona's ability to travel between universes becomes a necessity to finding the killer. Unfortunately, the killer knows who Oona is, and the dog and her humans have to work fast to stay ahead of the murderer.

This is quite possibly one of the strangest and most scattered books I've read in a while. The characters are vibrant, but the plot is confusing, and a couple months after reading it, I still have no idea what I read. I may give it another go at some point, but that first go-round was a doozy.