Uplifting and full of wisdom.  This short book was like a hug for a weary soul.  

 

If you have followed Roberts at all, you’ve heard her catch phrase,  “Make Your Mess Your Message.”  In the midst of great career success, Roberts has had her share of personal battles, many being major health scares.  So when she says that there is a way over every hurdle, she’s truly speaking from experience.  

 

Robins’ quintessential warmth radiates through the pages as she shares personal anecdotes about the struggles she’s endured. Self-help books can sometimes feel preachy, but Roberts comes across truly genuine in her desire to help others live the kind of joy-filled life she practices.  

 

This could easily be a super quick read.  But I found myself slowly working my way through the chapters, allowing time to reflect and ponder.  I think many people will enjoy returning to this book often as a mindset reboot.

 

I found this book a fresh reminder that optimism isn’t a fly-by-night feeling.  It’s a muscle to be strengthened through continual practice.

 

Roberts narrates the audiobook.  So if you’ve ever wanted to have a personal chat with her, this feels like exactly that. Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and sit down with her.  

 

Thank you to Robin Roberts, Grand Central Publishing, and MacMillan Audio for the #gifted copy of this book.  

Completely riveting.  I couldn’t listen to this audiobook fast enough.   

 

Krouse has always been used to people telling her everything.  She has a face that encourages it somehow. But the more she got immersed in other people’s stories, particularly the landmark case she was assigned to as a new PI, she realized that her own story still burned hot within.  

 

In a blend of the personal and professional, Krouse creates a book that is part memoir and part true crime expose.  She lays bare her own struggles to overcome sexual assault while also recounting her PI work investigating a college football program and the numerous sexual assaults alleged against its players.     

 

I found both aspects of this novel to be equally enthralling and heart wrenching in a way they might not have been if told singularly.  Krouse’s dedication and passion for the job combined with her own trauma and healing sets this novel apart from others.  

 

In a story like this, I typically prefer the author as narrator. But Gabra Zackman’s delivery felt every bit as intimate and personal.  

Thank you to Erika Krouse, Flat Iron Books, and MacMillan Audio for this #gifted copy.  

 

Playing With Myself is a wickedly funny memoir that will leave you inspired and hopeful.  

 

Laughter is the best medicine, and Randy Rainbow has been my (much needed) supplier since the early days of the 45 presidency.  What’s not to love: Broadway tunes, eccentric costumes, and a proper roasting of the most outlandish things happening in the world? Count me in. 

 

Rainbow, yes that is his real name, is fairly new to the big time.  But his talent was recognizable early on and nurtured heartily by both his mom and nanny (grandmother).  From a chubby gay kid to a man with chiseled cheek bones with sellout crowds, Rainbow gives us an inside look that took me from verklempt to laugh out loud entertained.  

 

And OH the name dropping.  Seriously.  So many names.  Carol Burnett, Stephen Sondheim, Patti Lupone, Bernedette Peters, Josh Gad… has he no shame?!!!  Nope.  And I’m glad he didn’t.  It was totally appropriate and fully fun.  (Also, if I was friends with all of those people, I would *totally* name drop too.)  

 

Be forewarned… this is a short, easy read.  But you’ll absolutely get sucked down the Google/YouTube rabbit hole, rewatching old parodies and looking up all the “flying monkeys” he mentions.  Plan to read this one when you have plenty of time and data.  It’s a full experience.

 

Go grab your copy.  I read the physical book, but I love when the audiobook is narrated by the author.  I can see that version being the total package.  

 

Many thanks to @randyrainbow and @stmartinspress for the #gifted book and glasses.  

Full of southern charm and deeply heartfelt.  Harvey’s newest novel blends women’s fiction with historic fiction, and it’s exactly the kind of book you’ll want to throw into your pool bag.  

 

Julia had hoped the family wedding veil would bring her luck on her wedding day.  Instead she finds herself a runaway bride taking her Virgin Islands honeymoon alone.  But maybe the veil’s luck found her before the ceremony.  Maybe that luck will lead her to new dreams…

 

The Wedding Veil tells the story of Julia and three other women tied together through this secret connection in the family wedding veil.  Women who must learn to forge their own way and seek out the happiness they desire.

 

My favorite storyline was the present time, but I did find the details of the Vanderbilt women and the pressure they faced to maintain the Vanderbilt legacy quite inspiring.  

 

Fans of KWH, southern fiction, and/or women’s fiction will find luck in this newest novel by Harvey.   

 

Thank you to Kristy Woodsen Harvey, Gallery Books, and UpLit Reads for this #gifted copy.

“Your heart is too soft for this Dani Flanagan.”  

“Maybe so (Michael).  But perhaps your heart is too hard.”

 

Gritty yet mystical and heartfelt.  Harmon’s newest book tackles a dark time in Cleveland history with finesse and humanity.

 

A gruesome serial killer.  A town shaken to its core.  A grumpy, closed off detective.  And a highly compassionate young woman.  The makings of an unforgettable read.     

 

Fedoras and long black cars set the damper mood for this story.  But it’s Dani’s light touch that awakens the plot’s full potential.  This dark story strewn with victims and laced with fear is offset by the gentleness we find in Dani. That dichotomy is adeptly executed and creates a message of hope even in the bleakest of circumstances. 

 

The cruelest truth in this story is that of the butcher’s victims.  Real people.  Most lost to the world and left nameless.  Yet Harmon manages to shine light onto them, well honoring them all of these years later.   

“Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortal.”

 

This book sets lofty goals… blending true crime facts from the Cleveland Torso Murders into a mystery/romance steeped in magic.   And yet, it works.  Which is why Harmon continues to be a go-to author I can count on.  

 

Many thanks to @amy.harmon.author and @amazonpublishing for this #gifted copy.  (Is it wrong to say that I’m already eagerly awaiting the next book?)

 

An immersive gothic southern tale painted with rich language and hints of the supernatural.  

 

In the summer of 1956, the cicadas emerge from there long slumber in Providence, Georgia, and the secrets that they kept buried alongside them threaten to upend the whole town.  The book centers around the friendship of young girls.  But it’s so much more than that.  Obsession.  Hatred.  Evil.  Lies.  Oh the lies!

 

This is a story that makes you cringe and while fully captivating. It’s dark and sinister.  Gothic at its best.  And the only thing better than the gothic vibes are the southern ones. 

 

Gwaltney’s writing has a way of drawing you in to small town life in cinematic detail… from the political and societal expectations to the aromas and beauty of the landscape.  The dichotomy between the beauty and the sinister is executed with such precision, you sometimes have to question to which category a scene fits.   

 

This debut dazzles with its dark and dramatic nature.  As you read, you’ll wonder… is it the cicadas or Gwaltney himself that has me under this spell?    

 

Many thanks to @robertgwaltneyjr  and @getredpr for this #gifted copy.  

Messy, scandalous, and drama filled.  You’ll want a bowl full of popcorn and a heavy pour of wine for this domestic suspense. 

 

The conclusion to The Three Mrs. Greys is over-the-top and dishy.  Full of sex, secrets, and sinister actions, you’ll find the characters incredibly hard to like but also difficult to look away from.  

 

As I passed from one (quick) chapter to the next, I found myself asking, “WHAT am I reading?”  There are many morally questionable  moments. And guns.  So many guns.  Yet I held on until the wild conclusion.  And boy was that ending 🤯!  

 

I think fans of the first book will find this a satisfying finish.

 

Fun and outrageous.  If you’re looking for a break from reality, Finlay delivers yet again.  

 

Full of implausible hijinks, Finlay and Vero team up to stave off a contract killing on Steven in a way that made me roll my eyes (in a good sense) and laugh out loud at the same time.  The shenanigans are completely over the top, but that’s exactly what makes Finlay Donovan so entertaining.  I particularly enjoyed the spotlight on the friendship between Fin and Vero in this installment.  But the men certainly aren’t to be overlooked. 🔥 (I feel strong Stephanie Plum vibes, and I’m here for it.)

 

I’ve enjoyed both Finlay Donovan books, but I think this one is my favorite of the two.  And I’m certainly looking forward to the next installment!    

This is a pure escapist read that I flew through, thoroughly enjoying every ridiculous plot point and laughing all the way.   

 

I listened to this one on audio, and I really enjoyed Angela Dawe’s narration.  It added a flair to the book that I didn’t feel in reading the print copy of the first book in this series.

 

Many thanks to @ellecosimano @smp @minotaur @macmillanaudio for a #gifted copy of this book to read and review. 

Witty, charming, and utterly addictive.  I was completely besotted with this 5⭐️ debut and its dazzling cast of characters. 

 

This is my favorite kind of book… one that keeps me laughing while also making me think and feel deeply, very Backman-esque in nature (thanks to my friend @thats for pointing this out…it was a great discussion).

 

Elizabeth Zott is a woman ahead of her times.  Fully brilliant and determined to make her way in the male dominated field of chemistry, Elizabeth is in a constant fight against societal norms.  And even as she loses battle after battle, she manages to reinvent her situation and herself.  After losing her job in chemistry research, she turns an afternoon cooking show into lessons in chemistry and a rally cry for women to see their full potential.  

 

And she has a dog too.  Don’t be surprised if you aren’t just as taken by him as you are with Elizabeth.  

 

Garmus has created a vibrant book with a unique storyline and endearing characters that you will cheer for.  It’s the kind of book that will leave you fully uplifted and will sit with you long after it’s been put on your shelf.  

 

Lessons in Chemistry is available April 5th.  {I won’t be surprised if this isn’t a celebrity book club pick!}

 

Thank you @bonnie_garmus_author and @doubledaybooks for an advanced copy to read and review.  

 

“It’s a hazard of my investigative process, putting myself in the rold of the killer.  After spending so much time in East Area Rapist’s head (now known as the Golden State Killer), I had an unsettling thought: what if I got stuck there?”

 

Part true crime, part memoir, Unmasked is a raw and immersive insider account of some of the most notorious cases of our lifetime and the investigator that solved them.  

 

From combing through crime scenes to bureaucratic restraints to constantly changing DNA technology, Holes details the inner workings of his job with a depth that fascinates.  He was known to foster a combination of science, art, and instinct to prove or disprove theories, often capitalizing on ancillary observation which accumulated as small victories that led to bigger wins.  But not every monster could be unmasked.  Even after following every painstaking lead, some cases came up empty.  

 

Holes investigated many noteworthy high profile cases, including Jaycee Duggard and Laci Peterson.  But his name is most synonymous with catching the Golden State Killer.  After more than 2 decades of research, Holes persistence combined with new DNA technology helped him bring down his most challenging and complex criminal. 

 

But it was the portrait he painted of himself that was most revelatory.  He describes homicide work as, “survival of the fittest.”  Obsessive to the point of getting lost in his work, Holes could interpret evidence but not his own feelings, and this necessity to solve cases consumed his whole life and eroded family relationships.  

 

True crime readily profiles a murderer’s psyche.  But it isn’t common to do so of the investigator, making this book both unique and riveting.  And while investigative work is one of the highest callings, it’s apparent through Holes’ career that much collateral damage is left in its wake.   

 

Which has made me wonder… Are those that bring criminals to justice in fact the actual last victim? 

 

If you are a fan of true crime, this one is gold.  

    

Thank you to @paul.holes and @celadonbooks for this #gifted copy to read and review.