⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Kyle Mills delivers high-octane action, global stakes, and a protagonist who’s as broken as he is dangerous. In Fade In, ex-Navy SEAL Salam “Fade” al-Fayed wakes from a coma to find himself recruited by a shadowy billionaire-run outfit and thrown into a race against a viral catastrophe that could wipe out civilization. The pace is relentless, the action cinematic, and the villainy chilling. Mills adds emotional depth too—Fade’s inner turmoil and his willingness to keep walking into danger make him a fascinating hero. The writing is taut, the plot twists sharp, and the moral gray zones deliciously murky. On the downside, some of the side characters could’ve used more flesh, […]
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A Love of Books Amid War and Ideology
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 stars) Madrid, 1934. Bárbara, a young German woman fleeing the rise of Nazism, opens a small bookstore in Spain—a sanctuary for dreamers as political tensions mount. When the Spanish Civil War erupts, her bookshop becomes a fragile refuge for hope and love, even as hatred threatens to consume the country. Her passion for literature and her relationship with a young Republican keep her fighting for a future built on words instead of war. Mario Escobar’s research is excellent, and I appreciated the Spanish Civil War setting—a refreshing departure from the many WWII novels I’ve read. The story’s message about the power of books and human resilience is uplifting. […]
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Waves of Regret and Renewal: A Quiet, Haunting Debut
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Set against the mesmerizing Croatian coastline, Slanting Towards the Sea by Lidija Hilje is a cinematic and emotionally resonant debut about love, loss, and the fragile nature of possibility. The novel follows Ivona, a woman whose life has stalled while her ex-husband, Vlaho, has moved on. Despite the passing years, she remains tethered to the past—until a new relationship forces her to confront what she’s lost, what she left behind, and what she might still reclaim. Hilje, writing in English as her second language, crafts prose that is crisp, atmospheric, and quietly powerful. The Croatian coast becomes more than a backdrop—it reflects Ivona’s inner tides of longing and regret. Reading it […]
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Murder, Mischief, and Jazz: A Roaring Twenties Whodunit
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars) Songbird by Gail Meath is a lively blend of mystery, humor, and romance set in the glitzy, dangerous world of 1920s New York. Meet Jax Diamond, a sharp, no-nonsense private eye with a loyal German Shepherd sidekick, Ace, whose bark may be worse than his bite. When a famous playwright dies under suspicious circumstances and a missing manuscript worth a fortune disappears, Jax and Ace are on the case. Enter Laura Graystone, a rising Broadway star who gets pulled into the investigation—and into trouble. Together, the trio races through smoky speakeasies and backroom deals in search of the truth before the killer strikes again. Meath captures the […]
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A Whirly, Swirly Lesson
⭐⭐⭐⭐ I read What to Do with Your Whirly, Swirly Thoughts with my grandchildren, ages 3 to 11, and this review reflects their opinions as much as mine. The message is wonderful—kids learning they can control their thoughts instead of letting worries or mean ideas take over—and Jennie Allen presents it in a faith-based, encouraging way. But my grandkids struggled with the nonlinear layout. Bits of text scattered around the pages made it hard for them to follow, and the lack of smooth flow caused their attention to drift. That said, the illustrations by Nadia Gunawan were a hit—bright, whimsical, and full of heart. Despite the confusing structure, we had […]
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Secrets, Shadows, and a Vanished Girl in the Adirondacks
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars) The God of the Woods is an atmospheric and tragic mystery that transported me straight back to my own camp days in the 1970s—the bug spray, the creaky bunks, and the secrets whispered after dark. Liz Moore’s novel is a haunting literary mystery set in 1975, when thirteen-year-old Barbara Van Laar disappears from her family’s elite summer camp in the Adirondacks. It’s not the first tragedy to strike—the girl’s brother vanished years earlier—and soon the line between victim and culprit blurs in a web of privilege, power, and buried secrets. Moore captures the claustrophobic tension of a small town divided by class, where the wealthy Van Laars employ many locals who […]
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A Love Story Etched in War: The Courage of a Nurse, the Secrets of a Lifetime
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I rarely cry when I read a novel, but The Lies We Leave Behind completely undid me—I was a sniveling mess by the ending. This sweeping WWII story follows Kate Campbell, a fearless flight nurse who risks everything to save others. From the blistering skies over the Pacific to the misty fields of England, Kate’s journey is one of heartbreak, duty, and unrelenting courage. After an injury grounds her from active service, she’s reassigned to a quieter post in the English countryside. There, she meets William, a wounded officer with a quick wit and a tender soul. Their bond offers Kate her first glimpse of peace—but secrets from her […]
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Trailblazing Without a Degree: The Brilliant, Flawed Mary Leakey
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Penny Haw’s Follow Me to Africa is an inspiring and educational novel about Mary Leakey, the groundbreaking paleoanthropologist whose discoveries changed how many view human origins. Haw paints a vivid picture of the grit and glory of fieldwork in East Africa—complete with the heat, dust, and danger of the dig sites. It’s incredible to see how much Mary accomplished without a formal education. Her keen eye, intellect, and fierce independence set her apart in a field dominated by men. I found the book fascinating for its historical and scientific detail, but it also reminded me that geniuses are often complicated people. While I admired Mary’s brilliance and courage, I was disappointed […]
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Wingbeats, Secrets, and Second Chances on the Hudson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Jocelyn Green’s The Hudson Collection scratched my bird-nerd itch in the best way. Set in 1926 New York, Elsa Reisner works in the ornithology department at the American Museum of Natural History and heads upstate to catalog explorer Linus Van Tessel’s vast bird collection. What sounds like a quiet assignment turns into a fight over a priceless aviary that Van Tessel’s wife willed to Danielle, the gardener’s young daughter—much to the dismay of Mr. Spalding, the heir who doesn’t think a child should inherit anything so valuable. The plot moves with a steady hum: hidden journals, a looming demolition deadline, and the search for the aviary keep the pages turning. As […]
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Fredrik Backman’s My Friends Shines Bright in Small-Town Sweden
WOW!!! This book is extraordinary. Fredrik Backman never misses. My Friends is a funny, heartbreaking, and deeply human story about friendship, art, grief, and the ties that refuse to let go. From the first page, I was swept into Louisa’s world—a young artist haunted by a mysterious painting and the summer that changed everything. Backman’s gift has always been his ability to make readers laugh one minute and ugly cry the next, and this novel is no exception. The four friends—Louisa, Joar, Ted, and Ali—feel so real it’s like you grew up with them. They fight, forgive, and carry one another through tragedy in ways that are both messy and […]
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