I devoured Stacy Willingham's latest book, "Only if You're Lucky," and honestly, where do I begin?

"If there's one thing Lucy has taught me since the moment we met, it's that once you bend one rule without consequence, it feels a lot easier to break the others."

Meet Margot: quiet, shy, reserved, and deep in grief during her first year of college after losing her best friend the summer after their senior year of high school. Margot is quickly befriended by Lucy, who's the life of every party, and invites Margot to be the fourth roommate in an off-campus apartment run by a Greek fraternity. Midway through the year, one of the brothers is murdered, and Lucy turns up missing. In a wild tale that tests the bounds of friendship with a strong dose of betrayal, Margot must come to terms with her past and now her future because it will never be the same.

This story is an unbelievable yet believable academia nightmare. (Seriously, it has me questioning if I should EVER send my 5-year-old to college!). Stacy does an excellent job crafting the perfect setting for a murder - a creepy house, which is like a character in itself, and a group of strangers. No one knows each other when they go to college, or do they?

I can't write too much because I don't want to give anything away, but this is another super twisty and addictive thriller from Stacy Willingham!

Whoa! I wasn't expecting that!

Jane Ellison is a "super recognizer" and recognizes a woman during her shift, Bella, who she swears was present when her younger sister, Kit, died. Jane breaks cover, ends up fired, and proceeds to figure out what Bella is doing on an island off the coast of Cape Cod and what happened the night Kit died.

This suspense novel starts as a slow burn and picks up the last third or so of the book. Jane is kind of an unreliable narrator, which will leave you second-guessing what you're reading constantly. (She even second-guesses herself!). Jane's narration keeps the book interesting because you'll question everything you're reading. 

Speaking of Jane, the "super recognizer" element was fascinating. I have never heard of this skill, and I enjoyed reading Sarah's introduction (and inspiration) from her experience at London's Heathrow Airport. 

Lastly, drug addiction and drug/substance abuse are mentioned quite a bit in this book. Sadly, drug abuse affects countless individuals, including Massachusetts. Thank you, Sarah, for your authenticity in including a personal note about your brother. 

Overall, this is a psychological thriller I'd recommend because I enjoyed the pacing of the book and some of the outlandish characters.

The best novel yet from Marcy McCreary! I was hooked from the beginning of this Agatha Christie-Woodstock-inspired whodunit!

"The Summer of Love and Death" is the third mystery in the "Ford Family Mystery series." While this can be a standalone, I recommend picking up "The Disappearance of Trudy Solomon" and "The Murder of Madison Garcia" because there are a few references in this book where a backstory will add richness. Anyway, Detective Susan Ford has a new partner, Jack - an investigation into the murder of a summer theatre director ensues. The murder is gruesome and it was on the set of "Murder on the Orient Express." Susan shares the case details with her father, retired Detective Will Ford, who has flashbacks to a similar string of serial killings in 1969, right when Woodstock was in full swing. 

This is the first time we get Will's POV and Marcy does an excellent job of balancing the dual timeline and multiple POVs. The long chapters provided depth and context and made me feel more immersed in the story. (Truthfully, I'm a sucker for long chapters because I just like to read, people!). 

After reading three of Marcy's novels, she has a signature writing style that includes some wild characters. There are just enough characters to keep you on the edge of your seat and I felt like I was solving this case right alongside Susan. I even needed to go back and re-read a few times, which I loved because it meant I did not see something coming. 

I don't want to give anything away, of course, but Marcy includes a heartfelt author's note in the back of her book, detailing the inspiration behind one of the characters. I worked with Marcy a few years back and to share this intimate detail, well, thank you, Marcy, for letting us in. 

And thank you to Marcy and CamCat Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

"Good friends aren't afraid of your light. They never blow out your flame and you don't blow out theirs - even when it's really bright and makes you worry about your own flame."

Brene Brown's latest is a phenomenal read that will leave you feeling inspired...

Call it what you want, a self-help, personal or professional development, or an inspiring read - "Atlas of the Heart" is the most beautiful book of its kind, because it isn't written like a typical book. It's more of a coffee table book that can displayed and perused at the reader's leisure. 

"Atlas of the Heart" is a deep look at eighty-seven (yes, 87), emotions that make us human. The chapters are divided into groups of similar emotions and really, this book makes you delve beyond what what it means to be "happy" or "sad." You'll find new meaning in how you engage with others and how to explain what you're feeling (and why). 

I found certain sections very interesting - like when we, as humans, confuse emotions, such as envy and jealousy. Or that nostalgia actually comes from the Latin "nostos" = "homecoming" and "alga" = "pain." (Say what?!)

Brene continues to deliver inspiring quotes that make you feel understood, and grounded, and can’t help but leave you coming back for more. 

Because you can relate to that "we're all made of strength and struggle."

I am so glad I finally picked this book back up and I think it will live on my coffee table where others can page through at their whimsy and find relatable wisdom and connection. 

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Paulette Kennedy for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

You can't help but fall in love with Loretta and her story. It's the 1950s in rural Missouri - Pete and Loretta (Mr. and Mrs. Davenport) are the picture-perfect couple. Pete is a professor at the local bible college, Loretta is a homemaker, and they have two children. 

But behind closed doors, Pete and Loretta's marriage is another story, one of perpetual unhappiness, especially after a local girl is found murdered. Loretta begins to receive messages from the next dimension, but Pete paints a picture of lunacy. With the help of a local parapsychological doctor, Dr. Curt Hansen, Loretta can channel these messages, which is a blessing. Pete sees this as the devil's work...

After reading "The Devil and Mrs. Davenport", I can say that the 1950s is another decade I want to read more about. This book reminded me of "The Lobotomist's Wife" and while the 50s were on the cusp of women entering the workforce and making a life for themselves, that decade is an eerie part of our nation's history. Women couldn't open bank accounts without permission from their husband or a male relative, divorce wasn't an option without substantial proof of adultery, not to mention the rise of institutions and unjust medical experiments. Paulette's writing transported me to this time.

Loretta's character was fascinating - inspired by Shirley Jackson - this talented and fearless woman, who is trapped literally and figuratively. I loved learning more about Loretta and her relationships with other women and men in the story, and how she sought out people to help her, despite her husband's wishes. 

I don't want to give anything away, but I really enjoyed this story, and the parapsychology element. Especially the mention of Rhine cards - I have read a few books that referenced Rhine cards, which was another fascinating experiment in the 1900s. 

"But the one amazing fact that we are confronted with every day is that life is incredibly, irrepressibly resilient."

"The Last Days of the Dinosaurs" is going to go down as one of the most interesting and informative books that I have ever read. If you enjoy science books and are looking to learn more about the mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs, just go read this book. 

It's hard to explain the premise of this book in a few sentences (because I'm talking millions and millions of years), but here goes: Riley Black approaches the last days of the dinosaurs in such an interesting way - by chronicling:

The part that was so surprising for me, was learning that the crater from the space rock wasn't discovered until the 90's. I guess I assumed that this was pretty common knowledge for years, so it prompted me to have some interesting conversations with my mom and family members about how they remember being taught about the extinction. 

Riley also chronicled the evolution of several species, letting us in on how those animals thrived (i.e. why birds have beaks and what habitats were less likely to be affected by the extinction). Now the species names throughout the book are challenging, so I'd suggest taking notes or reading on a kindle Scribe where you can highlight and annotate. 

I have already recommended this book to at least 5 people and will continue to do so. It's a fascinating read that I highly recommend. I'll leave you with this final quote: "The world as we know it today is the continued flowering after a disaster, life is not only coming back but reshaped by the nature of the cataclysm."

"Murder Your Employer: McMaster's Guide to Homicide" is a super fun and quirky read! It's a bit morbid, but this book is based on the question "what would the worst be like if your mortal enemy ceased to exist?" 

Enter McMaster's Conservatory for the Applied Arts, where you can receive an education in homicide or "deletion". No one knows where the campus is and you can't apply by normal means, but through a vastly connected community of alumni, you can receive admission and even a sponsor. Now, you need to have an ethical reason for your elimination and you'll learn the skills to follow through on this. Not following through or not graduating? Well, you're looking at your elimination, mate. "Murder Your Employee" chronicles the education and deletion attempt for three students.

The plot of this book, while absurd, is laugh-out-loud funny. I have to wonder how Rupert came out with this idea and how many homicides he studied! I found it interesting that the deletions weren't gory, the school and the deletions were more clever and creative (odd to pair these adjectives with homicide, I know). 

I also adored the writing style - it was brilliant, creative, and funny, with a rather polarizing title and premise.. I'm looking forward to reading more from Rupert!

Well, I finally read a cozy mystery by Maddie Day (it's been on my list for a while). "Murder on Cape Cod" is the first of the "Cozy Capers" mystery series. In a cozy mystery (if you're not familiar), you find out the murder or the worst possible thing that will happen in the book right away, and then the rest of the book unravels the mystery. 

In "Murder on Cape Cod," we find out that Westham local, Jake, has been found murdered on the bike path, right behind Mackenzie (Mac)'s home. Mac owns the local bike shop and is part of a book club in town. It's prime tourist season, so Mac and her book club friends decide to pull out all the stops in trying to figure out who killed Jake, despite the police saying "We've got this." 

This book takes place in a fictional town, Westham, on Cape Cod, but I was picturing Falmouth the entire time. Falmouth is mentioned in the book, but I still couldn't shake that Westham is actually Falmouth, haha. 

Overall, this was a fun read. I liked the aspect of the book club members trying to solve a crime - I wouldn't put that past my book club ladies either (we all want a safe community, am I right?!). And this was a nice break from some of the other intense mystery/thrillers that I read. 

Here is your chance to walk alongside Dave Grohl as he dazzles us with the story of his musical career. From the pivotal moment that opened the doors to Nirvana, to the start of the Foo Fighters, you're going to hear it all. And let me tell you, the audio is a top-notch experience for this one!

This memoir is a collection of stories, i.e. "The Storyteller." The stories allow Dave's creative side to shine and they're all consistently interesting. It was a slower read for me, but it was almost like getting a backstage pass to a several decades long alt-rock show. 

I especially loved that Dave included so much about his daughters in his book. I almost felt like I knew them personally - especially when I happened to catch an episode of "The Morning Show", that featured the Foo Fighters and Violet!

If you're a fan of Nirvana, Foo Fighters, or music in general, don't miss Dave's book!

The title "Tell Me What I am" drew me to pick this book off the shelf at the library, and let me tell you, I am so thrilled that I picked it up. 

This was a bizarre and chilling read, but I completely loved it. The premise of a young girl who is essentially taken from her family and raised by her father in rural Vermont. But he's very savvy in the wilderness and can teach his daughter how to live off the land. It's not as though she's locked in a basement somewhere, but with that being said, she is isolated from the outside world. 

I loved the dual settings - Vermont and Philadelphia. (I felt as though I was right back in Philly - thanks Una!) Una's writing style was unique and it forced you to pay attention due to the multiple timelines shifting, multiple POVs, and the entire story is sort of blurred together, since there are no quotation marks denoting dialogue. 

"Tell Me What I am" is such a unique read and perfect for these long winter nights.