4 Stars

A dramatic true story about a bunch of misfits that end up on a secluded island is a rollercoaster read. German doctor Friedrich and his lover Dore attempt to create their own utopia on an island in the Galapagos. Much to their chagrin, the publicity surrounding them inspires others to join their island, with a family making a homestead. Once an eccentric Baroness and her two lovers come, in an attempt to develop the land for a luxury hotel, tensions boil over and some of the inhabitants wind up dead.

– Margaret
Posted 7/11/2025

4 Stars

Dream City Dreaming has something for everyone: history, mystery, coming of age, and a touch of romance, it was authentic and believable. Atmospheric and moving, it is obvious how much the author researched and loved writing this novel.  It’s a compelling story built around a strong female character and her likeable, reflective son, taking place in the richly detailed setting of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, it’s a lovely novel that is well worth reading.

– Michelle
Posted 7/8/25

4 Stars

Earl Weaver was a man of his time. He was a character and showman, all things that modern baseball managers are not. Earl’s teams also won a lot of games. As Miller points out in this evocative biography, Earl was ahead of his time. Weaver was known for his station to station, wait for the three run homer style of baseball. He came to shun the sacrifice bunt and preached getting on base, all things that would become commonplace with the analytical explosion in baseball in future decades. The Last Manager is a must read for both old and new school fans of baseball.

– Sean
Posted 6/16/25

4 Stars

This amusing book begins when teenage Jack Rubicon finds a body floating in the water on her kayak tour, thus embroiling Lana, her go-getter grandmother, to get involved in investigating the case. Lana’s daughter, Beth, is trying to not let her mother get on her nerves, while dealing with the loss of one of her favorite patients at the nursing home where she works. With property, land trusts, and family problems becoming entwined in their investigation, they must work together to try and solve the murder. 

– Margaret
Posted 6/12/25

4 Stars

With Katie Chandler’s debut comes Backhanded Compliments, a new spin (pun intended) on sports romance. After Luca Kacic and Juliette Ricci, two top rival tennis players, end their match at the Australian Open, they meet at the net and shake hands. Their worlds turn upside down when they realize they’re each other’s soulmates. Seeing the impact of social media and the public on the two girls is so powerful, especially when stan twitter runs rampant with theories and shipping. Having the tweets shown in the novel was a fun aspect. The twist of the soulmate!au is done so well and a unique take with romance novels. It reads more as a fanfic with that, and I love it. Tennis enthusiasts will truly appreciate this fantastical debut by Chandler.

– Aurora
Posted 6/11/25

5 Stars

This dystopian, postmodern story tackles current topics like climate change, capitalism, and celebrity culture in a witty and prose driven way. Novelist Patrick goes to Hollywood to assist with the movie adaptation of his book starring fading former teen star Cassidy Carter. Due to drought, California has switched to a manufactured H20 called WAT-R, which seems to have mysterious links to medical facilities and the film industry. While investigating with Cassidy he tries to keep in contact with his fragile wife and precocious daughter, who have joined an isolated eco-retreat in New York. 

– Margaret
Posted 5/20/25

4 Stars

This delightfully cozy mystery begins when wannabe influencer Maddy inherits her great Aunt Octavia’s bakery and giant mastiff Baby, on the heels of her very public abandonment at the altar. She tries to make the best of her opportunity at a second chance and stand on her own two feet. Unfortunately, there is danger lurking when the mayor is found dead in her bakery which has been set ablaze. Suspicion is thrown in her direction as she works with the Baker Street Irregulars, a group of amateur sleuths, to solve the case, but Baby is the only one she can trust. 

– Margaret
Posted 4/18/25

4 Stars

This slow build, haunting, gothic mystery begins when a seamstress jumps out of Lord Strythe’s window. Inspector Cutter is called to the scene to investigate the accident and on the way meets Gideon Bliss. After receiving an alarming letter from his uncle, Rev. Herbert Neuilly, Gideon has come to London to search for him. Reporter Octavia Hillingdon is working on a story about the Spiriters, a clandestine group abducting young working-class women. As these three set out on their investigations, the tangle of threads they follow leads them to uncover sinister dealings that affect them all, in this intricately plotted story.

– Margaret
Posted 3/18/25

4 Stars

In this cozy mystery, serial philanderer Rupert Compton died in a car crash, to the relief of his wife, Lady Adelaie. Much to her chagrin, he reappears, needing to help Lady Adelaide to make up for his misdeeds. When her dinner guest’s ex-wife is found dead in a nearby barn, Inspector Devenand Hunter is called in to investigate the case. He and Lady Adelaide are drawn to each other, despite the quirky way she talks to herself and his heritage and class. They work together to solve the case, with some assistance from Rupert, in this story filled with lively characters.

– Margaret
Posted 1/13/2025

4 Stars

Insu is growing up in an ever-changing world, his father an American soldier and his mother a Korean woman, move back to a post-Vietnam era South Korea. This semi-autobiographical coming of age novel, grapples with connections with family, chosen and biological, deals with the dark realities of life, sickness, death, and violence. As Insu enlists his friends on his journey to obtain Skull Water for its healing properties, his connection to his sick Big Uncle is shown through flashbacks to the latter’s Korean War experience.  

4 Stars

4 Stars

Freaky Folklore, by Darkness Press, is filled with artwork and fantastical stories and shares the stories and facts of the cryptids around the world. While readers won’t get a deep dive into the cryptid world, they get a first look at history and stories. There was a lot of variety in the cryptids they shared, ranging from America’s Wendigo to Europe’s El Cucuy to werewolves. This cryptid compendium, though not exhaustive, is a must-read for any cryptozoology and fantasy lover.

-Aurora
Posted 9/5/2024

4 Stars

4 Stars

Do you really know your coworkers? When Patricia starts her new job as a librarian, she is immediately drawn to her unassuming coworker Margo. When an incident at the library opens a door into Margo’s past, Patricia, trying to escape from her own life, becomes consumed with discovering more about her. As she grapples with how to handle what she learns, both women begin to unravel. This dark and thrilling novel makes you question what lies beneath the surface.

-Margaret
Posted 8/26/2024

4 Stars

The Desai women, Bindu, Aly and Cullie, are determined to make new names for themselves. Bindu seeks thrills at a septuagenarian level. Aly searches for career fulfillment after tumultuous family changes. And Cullie is thrust into the modern dating app scene… all because of her data analytics background. Masterful wit and unreserved discussions of female sexuality, generational trauma and womanhood as a vibrant, guiding light through darkness makes this a do-not-miss novel from Dev.

-Hannah
Posted 8/21/2024

5 Stars

One bachelor weekend. One poorly timed confession of love. One called-off wedding. And now two newly heartbroken people with nowhere to live. What brought Miles and Daphne together? Well, it’s kind of a funny story. Delivered with the heart, humor and scenic love of Michigan that has become synonymous with Henry’s prose, this book is sure to make you ponder the subtle art of being given reasons to stay, when everyone and everything else in life leaves.

-Hannah
Posted 8/13/2024

5 Stars

Set in the depths of a small-town southern summer, this book is not for the faint-hearted. The creepy atmosphere surrounding Magnolia is something out of a twisted fairytale, despite the present-day setting. After meeting a strange yet alluring man who runs a funeral parlor, she becomes sucked into a dark scheme and a life very different from her own. With an unsettling cast of characters, real and remembered, Magnolia navigates not only her pain surrounding her grief but others’ grief as well. Using lyrical prose and grim imagery, this novel conjures up the haunting darkness of dealing with loneliness and searching for identity.

-Margaret
Posted 8/2/2024

4 Stars

When Meddy’s meddling mother sets her up on a blind date, she doesn’t expect it to end with a dead body! In this lighthearted romp, Meddy enlists her overly involved aunts to help dispose of the body. The catch? Their wedding business happens to have their biggest event ever, at a luxury hotel on an island! Amidst the bickering of her aunts, running into the guy that got away, and smoothing out all the wedding day hiccups, Meddy has to figure out how to finally take charge of her own life.

-Margaret
Posted 7/12/2024

3 Stars

A charming and introspective story about Bob Comet, a retired librarian who embarks on a journey of self-discovery and redemption through unexpected friendships. The author’s sharp wit and poignant storytelling make this novel a heartfelt exploration of life’s quiet and transformative moments.

-Michelle
Posted 6/27/2024

5 Stars

Nelly Sawyer is interested in truth, justice and penning her own bylines with journalistic integrity. She wants to make a name for herself, rather than jockeying for societal acknowledgment as she rides the coattails of her affluent family’s horse-breeding and racing dynasty. On the heels of her brother’s death, Nelly is determined to break a story that will demand people’s attention: to unearth The Mayor of Maxwell Street and his seedy crime syndicate. With the help of speakeasy honor Jay Shorey, the two find themselves in dangerous adventures in between Nelly’s debutante season to find a suitable husband and put the dream of empowered career woman behind her. This gorgeous debut novel from Cunningham explores complex racial and class dynamics, love, and the hidden glimmers of life in 1920s Prohibition-era Chicago.

-Hannah
Posted 6/25/2024

5 Stars