Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans This might be pedestrian, but there is just something about rhyming that gets me every time. This classic children’s story is set in Paris, and the illustrations of France’s most iconic landmarks are top notch. Madeline is the bravest girl of them all when she falls ill. I always have to […]
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo “Sometimes the things we see do not make sense until many years have gone by. Sometimes it takes generations.” When I asked for short book recommendations, my underground book club suggested The Empress of Salt and Fortune. This book didn’t disappoint! I had no idea that this author
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The Other Me by Sarah Zachrich Jeng The Other Me is a book about two paths diverging. One day, Kelly is eking out a living in Chicago, living her dream of being an artist. Upon her birthday, Kelly feels a bit sick and walks into the bathroom only to come out of the bathroom into
The Turnout by Megan Abbott Dara and Marie are running their mother’s dance studio along with Charlie, Dara’s husband and former dance student. The three of them grew up together and have an incredible bond. But then Derek arrives, a contractor, working on the ballet studio. Will he upset the delicate balance of this family?
The Chosen and The Beautiful by Nghi Vo The Chosen and The Beautiful is a retelling of The Great Gatsby told from the perspective of Jordan Baker. Jordan provides some important insights into the early years of Daisy Buchanan (formerly Fay) and Jay Gatsby. Full disclosure: I am a HUGE The Great Gatsby fan. Every
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The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrick Backman Fredrik Backman is one of my favorite authors. And he has done the nearly impossible. Most authors are pigeonholed into one genre of books forever. If you are a mystery writer, your publisher doesn’t want you to write romance or children’s literature. However, Backman has somehow managed
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The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark Unpopular Opinion Alert Someone from my underground book club suggested The Haunting of Tram Car 015 when I requested short book recommendations (I’m still trying to get through Game of Thrones). My underground book club has never steered me wrong, so I picked this up
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The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse Elin Warner, a police detective on leave, is traveling to a new hotel to celebrate the engagement of her brother. However, things don’t go quite as planned, and Elin finds herself investigating a crime. What is going on at this hotel? Can Elin get answers to what happened to her
Survive the Night by Riley Sager It’s the 90’s. Charlie is looking for a ride to her hometown in Ohio when she meets Josh at the ride board going in the same direction. When Charlie hops in the car, she starts to think that Josh might just be The Campus Killer who has recently claimed
Skellig by David Almond “Don’t be angry. Be my friend.” – David Almond, Skellig Written in 1998, Skellig is a young adult fantasy novella which focuses on a young boy named Michael. He is experiencing multiple high stress events in his life. He has moved into a very creepy old house, and his mother has
