On an August day on the remote Kamchatka peninsula of Russia, two young girls go missing. Their disappearance shocks the close community, and a sense of unease spreads when the police are unable to find any leads after weeks of searching.

DISAPPEARING EARTH is told like a series of closely connected short stories. Each chapter is one month further removed from the disappearance of these two young sisters, and each chapter focuses on a different woman in the community. It's much like the structure of THERE THERE, especially as the interconnected nature of the community becomes apparent.

The most surprising and important part of this story, to me, is the way the focus slowly shifts from the fear and panic surrounding a pair of missing white girls to the pain and anger of the local Even community - the people indigenous to the area - as they witness the lengths the police go to, and how this was not the approach when an Even teenager went missing a few years earlier.

Writing-wise, this book is excellent. Each chapter has a unique voice, and I felt that I began to know the contours of the location and the community as I began to see characters recur in successive chapters. The sense of foreboding in this book lingered even after I had finished it, and I think I will have these characters on my mind for some time to come.

An international trio of astronauts are scheduled to take the first manned mission to Mars. Before they go though, Prime Space, the organization running the mission, puts them through a hyper-realistic 17-month long simulation. While the astronauts navigate interpersonal politics inside the simulation, their friends and family outside struggle with being left behind.

So, if you’re looking for a space adventure, this book isn’t it. If you’re looking for a character study set against a potential incredible human achievement, here is your book. This book is measured and thoughtful and a deep exploration of the many emotions tied to humans attempting something bigger than themselves.

The atmosphere of this book reminded me of Mary Doris Russell’s SPARROW series. Not in terms of content, not at all, but in the overarching sense of dread and confusion.

Pretty soon after the simulation begins, it becomes apparent that there is a high likelihood that there is no simulation, but the astronauts and unknowingly on the actual mission already. It felt obvious to me, but as the characters became aware of this possibility and began to distrust each other and themselves, I became unsure as well. It’s a really fantastic look at how quickly things that seemed solidly real can begin to dissolve.

Harriet M. Welsch wants to be a spy when she grows up. To practice, she works her spy route every day, peeking in on neighbors and writing down all her observations in her notebook. But the other kids at school get a hold of her notebook and see all the nasty things Harriet has written about them.

I reread this for the "children's book" prompt in the 2019 Reading Women Challenge and it was such a joy to revisit an old favorite. I even found a lot of it maybe even funnier than when I was a kid, since I had a better understanding of all the things the adults said that went over Harriet's head.

I also don't think I realized as a kid how deeply set in New York this book is, and wealthy New York at that. It never occurred to me how rich her family must have been to have a cook and a nanny and a maid!

I did always like that this book made Harriet SO prickly. It takes her a very long time to see what she's done wrong! And yet, her parents don't try to force her to become someone else - they figure out positive ways to channel her energy and interests. It felt sort of like a precursor to today's kids' books that are all about being your unique self.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster for the free copy of this book.

Paleobotanist Molly is home alone with her two small children when she hears footsteps in the living room. She thought she'd been hearing noises recently, but now someone is here. Suddenly, she finds herself with an intruder who knows everything about her family and her life.

I can't fully discuss this book without some spoilers. The main reveal happens about 50 pages in or so, but if you want to go in blind, which I suggest, stop reading now! Just know that I give this book five stars and you should definitely read it, especially if you're open to a little sci-fi in your thrillers and/or the raw, animal side of being a mother.

Mary Katherine Blackwood and her sister Constance live in their family's ancient mansion, sticking to a rigid daily routine. The routine is for their own protection - the rest of their family is dead.

WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE is haunting and unnerving. I wouldn't exactly call it horror, but one is left with quite an off-putting feeling after reading it. Merricat and Constance are strange figures, at once sympathetic and alien.

I did guess Constance's reveal toward the end of the book, but that made the story no less enjoyable. Merricat's bizarre personality is unforgettable - her hold over the other characters translates over to the reader as well. Their slow slide into a living haunted house is impossible to tear your eyes away from.