4/5 stars The Writing Retreat , by Julia Bartz (2023) This is one of those books where it’s best to go into it knowing only the very basics - like, what’s on the back cover - so I won’t say too much. But I really enjoyed this literary murder mystery / thriller / haunted house story! Rosa Vallo is a famous author known for her feminist horror novels. She lives a reclusive life in a large estate in the Catskills, but once a year she invites a small group of female writers to h

4/5 stars The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches , by Sangu Mandanna (2022) Delightful! "A warm & witchy hug of a book" is right! Reminded me a lot of The House in the Cerulean Sea , but with female witches (kids and adults) instead of the motley crew of various "magical youths." Mika Moon is witch, but has been taught all her life that she must not only hide her magic, but stay away from all other witches, save for once a year when a group of about 10 get together for

4/5 stars Make It Scream, Make It Burn , by Leslie Jamison (2019) One of my favorite nonfiction books is Leslie Jamison's The Empathy...

4/5 stars The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales & Dangerous Magic , by Leigh Bardugo (2017) Illustrated by Sara Kipin I guess I'm...

4/5 stars Green Frog: Stories , by Gina Chung (2024) Short story collections can be tough for me. Often I feel like some are great while...

4/5 stars Chain-Gang All Stars , by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (2023) Trigger Warnings: Graphic violence, Imprisonment and enslavement,...

4/5 stars Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) , by Jesse Sutanto (2025) Another cozy murder mystery with your favorite old...

4/5 stars The Crane Husband , by Kelly Barnhill (2023) Barnhill does magical realism very well. I've read two other novels by her - The...

4/5 stars Witchmark and Stormsong , by C.L. Polk (2018 and 2020) A great one-sentence summary from a post on Goodreads:...

4/5 stars Black Star , by Kwame Alexander (2024) TW: Racism, KKK activity, reference to a lynching This is a sequel to The Door of No...

4 & 3 out of 5 stars What Moves the Dead and What Feasts at Night , by T. Kingfisher (2022 & 2024) 4/5 stars What Moves the Dead A...

4/5 stars Sleeping Giants , by Rene Denfeld (2024) TW: Child abuse and death, sexual assault, institutionalization, foster care I saw...

4/5 stars Woodworm , by Layla Martínez (2021) Translated by Sophie Hughes & Annie McDermott I got this in a book swap at my book club's...

4/5 stars A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking , by T. Kingfisher (2020) “Death by sourdough starter. Not a good way to go.” This book...

4/5 stars How to Be Eaten , by Maria Adelmann (2022) I don't always love a fairytale re-telling, but this one is done especially well....

4/5 stars An Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder , by C.L. Miller (2024) Freya Lockwood was an orphan when she went to live with her quirky...

4/5 stars The Book of Delights, by Ross Gay (2019) It IS a delight, this book! Ross Gay's essays remind us to look around each day and...

4/5 stars Even Though I Knew the End, by C.L. Polk (2022) At barely over 100 pages, this was a quick read, but Polk manages to create an...

4/5 stars Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, by Jesse Sutanto (2023) “People always say that your wedding day is the happiest...

4/5 stars Then She Was Gone, by Lisa Jewell (2017) I've read two Lisa Jewell books before and really enjoyed them (The Family Upstairs...