Thanks to Gallery/Scout Press for the copy of this book.

Touted as Mr. and Mrs. Smith x The Fugitive, I was excited to read this even though spy books are not always my favorite. I also really enjoyed Ruth's last book, The It Girl.

Zero Days unfortunately fell pretty darn flat. While there was a lot of action, I was somehow still bored and thought it was incredibly predictable (aside from one very random twist thrown in there). There was A LOT of book left after the major twist was revealed and there were quite a few unbelievable moments in the book leaving me saying, "really?!" and kind of wondering how Jack ever got hired as a pen tester. I'll still read more Ruth Ware in the future, but this one wasn't for me.

Thanks to @bibliolifestyle @williammorrowbooks for the #gifted copy of this book.

After witnessing the death of her "friend" and fellow author, Athena Liu, June Hayward begins her shift into Juniper Song. She steals Athena's completed manuscript about Chinese laborers in WWI, edits it, and publishes it. June's feeling pretty good about herself and her impending success - after all, Athena wanted to know how her works would do if written by a white author, and it's basically reparations for what Athena owes her anyway... but June can't seem to escape Athena's ghost as the popularity of the book skyrockets and things don't go quite as smoothly as June hoped.

Yellowface is absolutely brilliant -- R.F. Kuang's mind is just a masterpiece. Told entirely from June's POV, we follow the story of a white woman trying to pass as Asian American to finally find success in a "diversity-focused" industry by stealing. The satire is absolutely on point as we watch June rationalize all of her (very cringe-worthy) decisions and digs herself deeper and deeper into this scenario she's created for herself. We also see the multitude of issues within the publishing industry that perpetuate exactly what June's doing. Having June's POV written by an Asian woman really drives the satire and entire experience of this book home, and it is compulsively readable (with some Babel references thrown in!). I think this would be a fascinating read for book clubs and a great way to start conversations on racism, cultural appropriation, OwnVoices works, whitewashing, and the publishing industry. I highly, highly recommend this one - it will absolutely be on my list of favorites for the year.

Thanks to PRH Audio for the copy of this ALC.

Okay I really enjoyed this one. Yes, he’s big and huge and mistaken for a refrigerator… but she’s tall this time! Progress!

Anyway, I absolutely loved the banter, nerdy jokes, absurd emails from students, and discussion around women in academia and adjunct professorship. I love that Elsie was working as a fake girlfriend to make money on the side, because that made for a lot of really funny moments. And don’t get me started on Millicent - I love a feisty grandma. This was a great balance of academic politics, physics jokes, and romance. Elsie and Jack were wonderful together and you can’t beat a grumpy, nerdy man who is totally gone for a woman.

Ali book rankings:
1. Love Hypothesis
2. Love, Theoretically
3. Love on the Brain
4. Novellas (I read one and then gave up)

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell for the copy of this ARC.

Emily Stone… you’ve done it again. If you like Christmas and crying, she’s the author for you!

But all funniness aside, Emily Stone writes beautifully touching stories that somehow relate back to Christmastime - but can really be read at any time of year. In Love, Holly, Emily touches on grief, loss, and how to face the end, but also provides us with heart-filling love story. The meet cute between Holly and Jack is funny, but they also work on coming to terms with their own company in the process of falling in love. They have to deal with devastating moments in their lives that have ruined relationships - and then learn how to forgive themselves and others and repair their relationships. I love the raw emotion and real-world scenarios that Emily brings into her stories - she does it so eloquently that it really just pulls at the heartstrings in the best way possible.

Read if you:
- love real and raw romance with lots of plot
- enjoy sad romance or need a cry
- appreciate tenacious and charming elderly characters
- want to explore grief, loneliness, and forgiveness

Thanks to Gallery Books for the copy of this ARC!

A fun debut from Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding, Emma of 83rd Street is a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma. I thought it was an enjoyable and fresh take, and I loved the friendships, Upper East Side vibes, and watching Knightley finally come around. I will say I wasn't sure if I was going to continue at the beginning of the book, but I'm glad I did because the story got more interesting and unfolded well. If you love Clueless (also an Emma retelling) and an NYC setting, and enjoy contemporary romance, this book is for you.

Definitely consider the audio of this one: it's narrated by Brittany Pressley and Teddy Hamilton!

Thanks to Putnam for the copy of this book!

Same Time Next Summer is very much in the same vein as Every Summer After, Happy Place, and Meet Me by the Lake - second chance romance by a lake is hot right now!

How is this book different? Sam's life is perfectly on track and she is happily engaged to Jack when her past love Wyatt, comes back into her life, so we see her wrestle through her feelings as she's supposed to be planning her wedding. There's also a very special treehouse in this book and a really wise and supportive father - I loved their conversation toward the end of the book. I appreciated having dual POV and dual timelines in this one, and it worked really well on audiobook narrated by Brittany Pressley and Dan Bittner.

Read this if you:
- are looking for a good summer/beach read
- enjoy second chance romance with a first love
- liked Every Summer After, Happy Place, or Meet Me by the Lake
- appreciate dual POV romance

4.5 stars

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the copy of this book.

I feel like my heart just got a nice little hug. This is such a tender and sweet story of a death doula - a woman who sees poeple through their last days and lets them think through their lives, their last wishes, and what happens next. Clover is a bit lonely herself, I think high-functioning autistic (although this isn't explicitly stated in the book), and spends her life bringing people peace. I loved watching her shine through her job, but also blossing in her relationships with the living as the book went on. This is a really beautiful book and one I can see myself rereading.

The audiobook is narrated by Jennifer Pickens, who does a fabulous job. I think you could win on either format for this book: physical to highlight favorite quotes, or audio to experience the great narration. Just pick it up in some format :)

Thanks to Scribner Books, Dart Frogg Co and Book Club Favorites for the copy of this book!

A fascinating story of a female physician in 15th-century China, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women is perfect for lovers of historical fiction, Chinese history, and women’s health. Tan Yunxian is born into an elite family, learns medicine from her grandmother, and starts practicing and recording what she’s learning as she treats ailments even as she goes to live in her husband’s house. She faces challenges as most doctors are male and females have certain duties and traditions within the home and society.

I loved learning about this time period in the light of women’s health: when feet were bound, concubines were common, many female ailments were “unclean”, and female friendships across classes are forbidden. I leaned a lot, but also enjoyed Yunxian’s tenacity and her friendship with Meiling - it’s a tale that’s informative but captivating at the same time. I read this in two sittings! Highly recommend if you typically enjoy medical history, women’s health issues, or friendship/family stories. There are definite trigger warnings for this book, so please feel free to ask me if you have a concern.