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I’d like to give a bit of explanation for my ratings in the reviews I write. I probably should have done this when I started rating reviews…but it seemed self-explanatory. Except my ratings are more nuanced than five stars=a spectacular book. I read a lot. Like, a lot. But just because I loved a book, doesn’t mean you will. And just because something bothered me in a book, doesn’t mean it will bother a single other person on the planet. A review is an opinion, and we all know what they say about opinions.

It’s highly unlikely you’ll ever see a one- or two-star rating on a review here. Because if I think the writing is that bad, or I dislike the content that much, I won’t finish reading the book. (It took me years—most of my life—to embrace the freedom of not finishing a book that was a bad choice for me.) Writing is hard work, and I refuse to give a bad review to a book just because I don’t like it a bit. That’s disrespectful to the author and the work that went into creating the book. And, just because I don’t care for the book, doesn’t mean you won’t, either.

So, as a general guideline:
-5 stars means I loved the book. It might have a few issues, but I loved it anyway.
-4 stars means I liked the book, possibly loved parts of it. A solid read.
-3 stars means I thought it was good enough to finish—but there was something I
didn’t really care for (could have been a writing issued, could have been a character
I found annoying). The writing might have been superb—which I’ll mention—but if
the MC is whiny and annoying, that detracts enough that it knocked the rating
down.
-anything with a decimal number means it leaned towards the next number up (So,
the character was annoying, but not that annoying.).

Again, my reviews are my opinions. We don’t all have the same tastes or pet peeves or preferences. That’s what makes us individuals. If you think my 3-star rating is wrong on a book, please tell me why. Maybe your insight into the character I disliked will change my mind. Anything is possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Skylark, by Paula McLain    

Image belongs to Atria Books.

Title: Skylark
Author: Paula McLain     
Genre: Historical fiction   
Rating: 4 out of 5

1664: Alouette Voland is the daughter of a master dyer at the famed Gobelin Tapestry Works, who secretly dreams of escaping her circumstances and creating her own masterpiece. When her father is unjustly imprisoned, Alouette’s efforts to save him lead to her own confinement in the notorious Salpêtrière asylum, where thousands of women are held captive and cruelly treated. But within its grim walls, she discovers a small group of brave allies, and the possibility of a life bigger than she ever imagined.

1939: Kristof Larson is a medical student beginning his psychiatric residency in Paris, whose neighbors on the Rue de Gobelins are a Jewish family who have fled Poland. When Nazi forces descend on the city, Kristof becomes their only hope for survival, even as his work as a doctor is jeopardized.

I really enjoyed both timelines of this novel…except the endings. Wasn’t really a fan of either of those, but that’s a me issue. Strong writing, and I had no problems being immersed in the points-of-view of two such different characters. Both settings were sad and difficult, but the characters managed to find hope and push forward, despite the challenges.

Paula McLain is a bestselling author. Skylark is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Wildwood, by Amy Pease    

Image belongs to Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books.

Title: Wildwood
Author: Amy Pease       
Genre: Mystery/thriller    
Rating: 4 out of 5 

 Deputy Sheriff Eli North has spent the last year getting his life back together. He hasn’t touched a drop of alcohol, he’s working through his PTSD from his military deployment, and he’s repairing his most important relationships. When an undercover informant disappears and all signs point to murder, Eli must expose the dark underbelly of his idyllic Wisconsin small town while safeguarding his newfound stability.

Then, with the unexpected arrival of FBI Agent Alyssa Mason, Eli and his mother, the sheriff, are pulled deeper into a violent criminal network built on the backs of the lost and forgotten.

As the case deepens, loyalties fracture and the line between justice and survival begins to blur. In a town where everyone has something to hide, exposing the truth may cost them everything.

I’m pretty sure I thought the setting for Northwoods—the first novel in this series—was bleak, and that opinion hasn’t changed. I have zero desire to visit Wisconsin. Though bleak, the setting is vivid and well-drawn, and I have no problem picturing it, even if I have no desire to go.

There are so many layers in this town and with these characters. I found that fascinating, and the investigation into whatever happened to Trinity drew me in immediately. This book deftly avoids the sophomore slump to keep the reader glued to the page, eager to figure out just what is going on in Shaky Lake.

Amy Pease lives in Wisconsin. Wildwood is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #352

This was a good writing week! I wrote three book reviews, Silver & Blood, by Jessie Mihalik, The Unwritten Rules of Magic, by Harper Ross, and Carnival Fantástico, by Angela Montoya.

I also brainstormed two scenes for the fiction project I plan to work on this year. I didn’t work on fiction at all last year, so…I’m feeling pretty good about this progress.

Happy writing!

What I Read in 2025

January: 19 books.
February: 23 books.
March: 23 books.
April: 21 books.
May: 20 books.
June: 21 books.
July: 17 books.
August: 21 books.
September: 17 books.
October: 14 books.
November: 15 books.
December: 20 books.

The Best Books I Read in December (2025)

In December, I finished 20 books, bringing my total for the the year to 232 books read of my goal of 225. I have to be honest and say none of them completely blew me away, although most of them were solid reads. The three I liked the most were:

Secrets of the Octopus, by Sy Montgomery. The octopus is my favorite animal, and this was a fascinating read filled with gorgeous pictures.

Stone Cold, by Devon Monk. I’m enjoying this spinoff to the Allie Beckstrom books. Shane is a lot of fun to read.

Silver & Blood, by Jessie Mihalik. I liked these characters a lot, even if this wasn’t the most original thing I’ve ever read. (It also wasn’t the least original, so there’s that.)

What I Read in December (2025)

Books Read in December: 20
Books Read for the Year:  232/225
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook, by Matt Dinniman (audio): I have no idea why I’m enjoying this series so much.
Secrets You Can’t Keep, by Debra Webb (TBR): I enjoyed this.
Blueprint for a Book, by Jeanie Nash (TBR): I’m not sure I got anything out of this.
Secrets of the Octopus, by Sy Montgomery (TBR): This was a fascinating read, full of gorgeous pictures.
The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus, by Emma Knight (TBR): I think the title was a bit of a stretch, but this was a decent read.
The Moor Witch, by Jessica Khoury (TBR): I really enjoyed this read!
Stone Cold, by Devon Monk (TBR): Still loving these characters.
Someone Else’s Love Story, by Joshilyn Jackson (TBR): Apparently, I’d read this before, but I didn’t really remember it.
Transformed by the Messiah, by Rabbi Jason Sobel. I liked this read.


For Review:

Skylark, by Paula McClain. This was an intriguing dual-historical-timeline read…although I didn’t care for the ending(s).

Oxford Blood, by Rachael Davis-Featherstone. Social media isn’t my favorite, so that (rather large) part of the story low-key got on my nerves, but this was a decent YA murder mystery.

The Bookbinder’s Secret, by A.D. Bell. I like Lily, but she did a lot of stupid and underhanded stuff.

Anne of a Different Island, by Virginia Kantra. This was a solid read that felt like a comfort read, with the Anne of Green Gables connection and callbacks.

In Bloom, by Liz Allan. I didn’t really care for this. It felt way to jumbled an chaotic.

Silver & Blood, by Jessie Mihalik. I enjoyed this a lot! The world is cool and I liked all the main characters.

The Unwritten Rules of Magic, by Harper Ross. This was an okay read, but the MC was abit selfish.  

Carnival Fantastico, by Angela Montoya. I really liked the dark carnival idea, but I thought the execution was a bit lacking.

Just Because:
Life Application Study Guide Bible

Radical Wisdom, by Regi Campbell. I didn’t connect with this very much.

Jesus You’re All I Need. I enjoyed this devotional.

Left Unfinished:
Pedro the Vast, by Simon Lopez Trujillo. The language felt overly pretentious, like the author was self-important and was more interested in that than in telling a good story.

Detour, by Jeff Rake and Rob Hart. I don’t mind an ensemble cast…but I didn’t care about any of these people.

Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies, by Jenny Elder Moke. Vapid and superficial characters are a no for me.

The Society, by Karen Winn. Taylor’s obsessions with glitz and possessions was a major turn-off for me.I don’t want to read about someone like her. I don’t care what happens to her.

Sundays are for Writing #351

I only wrote two book reviews this week, Anne of a Different Island, by Virginia Kantra (A cute read full of callbacks to Anne of Green Gables) and In Bloom, by Liz Allan (A quick read, but chaotic and very meh to me).

I also finished reading through the almost-100-pages of the fiction project I haven’t touched since 2024, and I’m ready to start outlining (very loosely) the story I want to tell now.

Happy writing!

Sundays are for Writing #350

I only wrote one book review this week, The Bookbinder’s Secret, by A. D. Bell. I DNFed three books this week, So I didn’t get a lot of reading done.

Happy writing!

Sundays are for Writing #349

I didn’t write any book reviews this week…because I didn’t have very much time to read. Oh well. Maybe next week!

Happy writing!

Book Review: The Italian Secret, by Tara Moss

Image belongs to Dutton.

Title: The Italian Secret
Author: Tara Moss            
Genre: Fiction, mystery/thriller    
Rating: 3 out of 5

Naples, 1943. Deep within a secret network of underground tunnels, a woman takes shelter from a wartime air raid and prays her husband will return home safe.

Pacific Ocean, 1907. A girl embarks on a lonely journey to begin a new life far from home.

Sydney, 1948. Billie Walker, recently returned from a stint as a wartime investigative journalist, has reopened her father’s private inquiry office. One day, Billie is cleaning out old filing cabinets when she uncovers a dusty box whose contents just might upend everything Billie thought she knew about her late, beloved father.

Soon Billie is on the scent, uncovering the secrets of her family’s past, travelling aboard the first post-war luxury passenger ship from Sydney to Naples in search of answers. And as the trail leads her toward two women whose history may be entwined with her own, she realizes she might be putting all three of them in harm’s way. Billie’s father had an enemy—one who may now be stalking Billie around the world—and the closer Billie gets to the truth, the more danger she finds herself in.

I hadn’t read the first two Billie Walker Mystery books, but that wasn’t a problem—this wasn’t a complex book. It was an okay read, but it felt quite cliched to me. Billie’s mother got on my nerves, and so did Billie herself. Just not a good fit for me.

Tara Moss is a bestselling author. The Italian Secret is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Dutton in exchange for an honest review.)