The perfect audio book for a long car ride. The Shining Girls kept me riveted as the mystery of Harper the time-traveling serial killer was unraveled. I'm always dubious of more than one narrator, but it totally worked for this book. Each reader was dedicated to a chapter and it really helped keep the narrative straight (especially through the mulitple charachers and time travel). The relationship between Kirby (the one who lived) and Tom, her journalist mentor, was also awesome and often laugh out loud funny which helped lighten this VERY gruesome tale. I love a good time travel tale and the different devices author's use to make it work. Beukes has a big win here.

What the hell did I just read? I picked this up after it was referenced in Ernest Cline's newest, [b:Armada|16278318|Armada|Ernest Cline|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1377284428s/16278318.jpg|22378124]. The premise was sound, a common man seeks revenge in a space opera much like The Count of Monte Cristo, but the overall story was wonky and off for me.

There are so many cool ideas - jaunting, the different societies on different planets, revenge, double-crossing, etc, but then there a lot of TERRIBLE ideas-women as chattel BECAUSE of being able to jump through space, rape, naming your main character Jisbella and having her nicknamed JIZ.

I don't know. This was not my style of writing, these were not characters I enjoyed, and overall I felt the ideas were never as fully explored as I would like. I finished it, but I wouldn't ever read it again, or really recommend it.

Green Bay, WI is referenced a few times in this book as a place where characters live, so that is cool.

Just not really for me.

Why was Nora invited to Clare's hen party? They haven't spoken in ten years, and they did not part on good terms. Despite her reservations, Nora goes off to the hen party in the woods, with disastrous results.

I super hate amnesia as a plot device, so that ticked me off straightaway. A fine mystery, and I knew it had to be one of the bozos, but this was no Girl on the Train. I also wish it were more British, because this book could have taken place in any woods, anywhere.

I've been exploring the romance genre lately, okay, not just lately but broadening my scope and trying to really explore all the different sub-genres. This one came onto my radar from an NPR article I recently read AND from its place on the NPR list of favorite romance novels. This quote also cinched the deal for me:

All you Outlander fans, take note: The story involves chivalry, bravery, time travel, and a bittersweet ending that romance fans still debate. I found it to be perfect, and remember crying over my copy of A Knight in Shining Armor when I read it.

Well, I wasn't as enchanted with this as I would have hoped. Perhaps it was over praised, but really I think that it felt just a tad too dated for me. The heroine is a pretty sad sally in the beginning, but DOES grow throughout. I ended up cheering for her. However, the hero did NOT do it for me. He came across as a bozo, and while I appreciate he was from the 1500s, I grew tired of his pomposity, his force, and his delight into turning a NO into a yes. This would have been better for me if it kept the comedic tone and had the heroine figuring out he was a bozo.

There was also this whole bit about their souls being connected and that's why they travel through time, and when they do it they go back to their time, but it wasn't explored to my liking.

Also, I guess the ending of this novel is super controversial, because it isn't a true HEA. I liked that part the best actually.

This was a ton of hot steamy, spy-assassin fun. I loved that Ethan was the "Rookie," six years younger than awesome assassin and thief Juliet. Their banter was witty, the sexual tension perfect, and I enjoyed the storyline about how they had to band together to seek revenge against the men who murdered Juliet's brother. I'll look into the rest of this series.

Noah's slightly off former Suffragette godmother refuses to send him away to the country, despite the Nazi Blitz on London. Her unconventional lifestyle and teaching habits are perfect for bookworm Noah, and he is devastated when a terrible accident takes Mattie's life. As the Blitz strengthens, Noah is finally sent off to a foster home, where he and scrappy Vee take advantage of each other's strengths to live despite the hardships of total war.

Delightfully unsentimental, and full of entertaining characters who are fairly terrible but who you can't help but love. A wonderful glimpse at the underbelly of life during WWII, where truth be told, not everyone was a hero. Loved it.

I was so excited for Tim and Alice's story. From the minute Tim was on the page in [b:My Life Next Door|12294652|My Life Next Door|Huntley Fitzpatrick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394240144s/12294652.jpg|17271423], I knew he would be my favorite type of character. Not a prince, but an imperfect boy with a heart of gold.

That said, this wasn't quite what I was expecting or hoping for. The story took a much more complicated and hard turn then I would have thought based on Fitzpatrick's other stories. And while it was super great, I still wish it had a little more lightness and romance that imbue her other novels.

Still a big recommend, but I would start with her other novels first.

A charming tale of one English girl's struggles with an anxiety disorder and her loving, but often overwhelming, family. A great (and fairly quick) audiobook listen with a lovely narrator who accurately portrays a 14-year-old girl without sounding twee. I often laughed out loud, and Kinsella handles the tough subjects with grace.

Smart, sassy, and so so so funny. Kate Beaton is a marvel, and even when I didn't get her reference, I wanted to look it up.

My favorites were her comics based on old, public domain images and scans.

Highly recommend!

More madcap and violent action in the latest collected volume of Revival. It has been a minute since I read [b:Revival, Vol. 4: Escape to Wisconsin|22358440|Revival, Vol. 4 Escape to Wisconsin|Tim Seeley|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1409618670s/22358440.jpg|41765468], so I had forgotten some of the finer details, but I was caught up fairly quickly. I'm hoping there was a bit of a clue to WHY reviving is a thing...