I was excited to read Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors, but unfortunately I did not love it. The story follows three sisters who return to their childhood apartment in NYC to clean it out after the death of their fourth sister. For me, the biggest issue was how much telling versus showing there was - especially when it came to the sisters’ personalities. Instead of letting us discover who they were through their interactions and choices, we got lengthy backstory dumps at the start. The strained relationship with their mother seemed like it should have been a major plot point, but it was just stated rather than deeply explored, leaving me underwhelmed. A bummer for me, but I think this one will still resonate with lots of readers.

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter was a book club pick that ended up being a miss for me. The story follows estranged sisters investigating connections between their missing sister’s disappearance and a recent murder, after the death of one’s husband. The plot was twisty, which I expected, but the violence was way too graphic for my taste. The levels of corruption also felt over-the-top to the point where I couldn’t suspend my disbelief anymore.

Bel Canto is shockingly my first Ann Patchett! This story follows a group of hostages taken at a party in an unnamed South American country. The party was meant to honor a Japanese business executive, featuring a performance by a renowned opera singer who had been used to lure him there. My favorite character was Gen, the translator, who seemingly speaks every language and becomes essential to nearly everyone. I thought it was endearing how he tried to keep it professional and not insert himself, even though he was a literal hostage. As time passes, the hostages and captors fall into a mostly comfortable routine, despite the circumstances.

The slow pacing and somewhat sleepy writing style actually took away from any real sense of tension - I think the story could have benefited from more suspense. Still, Patchett’s writing kept me engaged enough that I ended up rooting for certain captor/hostage pairs, even knowing their situation couldn’t last forever. While I was drawn into the story and complicated relationships, the ending felt abrupt and not entirely believable - particularly the epilogue-style section after the main crisis is resolved. I found myself wishing for a different ending.

I would recommend this one to literary fiction fans, especially if you don’t mind a slower pace. I’ll definitely read more Ann Patchett since I enjoyed her writing style overall.

I thoroughly enjoyed Yellowface by R.F. Kuang! This was such a compelling trainwreck in the best possible way. June, our unreliable narrator, makes increasingly terrible choices as she steals her dead friend’s manuscript and poses as Asian to publish it, and I couldn’t look away. The pacing made it gripping and the commentary on publishing and cultural appropriation is sharp. Even Athena, who we’re initially meant to sympathize with after she chokes on a pancake and becomes June’s victim, is revealed to also be pretty insufferable by the end. I haven’t had this much fun reading about characters I couldn’t stand in ages. The only thing I didn’t love was how much time was spent on June thinking she was seeing Athena’s ghost - it felt unnecessary in an otherwise sharp and entertaining story.

Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall was a big miss for me. The plot was painfully slow and contrived, with no real sense of tension. Despite agreeing with the book’s stance on reproductive rights, the message felt too forced and heavy-handed to a point where I simply did not care anymore. And don’t even get me started on how the characters were all revealed to be connected at the end - it was completely ridiculous and unbelievable. It made for a great book club discussion though, since a few people loved it while two of us very much did not.

I read The God of the Woods by Liz Moore at the end of summer, which turned out to be the perfect time for this atmospheric mystery set at a summer camp in upstate New York. The story follows multiple characters at the camp when a girl from the prominent Van Laar family (who founded the camp and owns the nearby estate) disappears from her cabin. The mystery deepens as this disappearance echoes the unsolved case of her brother who went missing years before.

The summer camp setting absolutely made this book for me. Moore captures that specific blend of wilderness freedom and isolation that makes camps both magical and slightly unnerving. I enjoyed how the story unfolds through different perspectives, letting us see how different characters process their shock and suspicion, while also harboring their own secrets. As a new-ish mom, Alice’s devastation over her missing children (mostly Bear) felt visceral and real in a way that probably wouldn’t have affected me the same before having my own baby.

I’d definitely recommend this if you like atmospheric mysteries and thrillers where the setting is practically its own character. The moody summer camp vibes are strong, and it’s especially perfect to read during the warmer months when you can really sink into that summer feeling.

I’m a big fan of Olivia Muenter. One of my book clubs actually started from a local spinoff Facebook group of the podcast she is a cohost of - Bad on Paper. Of course we had to read her debut novel, Such a Bad Influence, as a book club pick!

This book follows Hazel Davis, the sister of an extremely famous influencer, Evie Davis. Their mom was basically a stage mom for influencers, but Hazel wanted no part of the family career. When Evie suddenly disappears, Hazel has to dig into her memories and her sister’s carefully curated online presence to figure out what happened—before it’s too late.

My favorite thing about this book was the way it mixed in different types of media, like an email newsletter about influencers, podcast transcripts, and snark subreddits. These elements made the story feel modern and immersive while showing the darker side of social media fame, including the ethical issues around exploiting children for views, and how the likes and instant gratification can be addictive and drive someone too far. I actually liked this one for the behind the scenes of the influencer life over the mystery, which was a bit of a slow burn. That said, I definitely didn’t see the ending coming! I’d recommend this one if you follow a lot of influencers like I do and want a mysterious read with some family drama thrown in.

Thanks to @avidreaderpress for my copy of Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly. This book follows queer siblings Greta and Valdin in New Zealand. Greta is stuck in a messy dynamic with a crush who’s probably stringing her along, while Valdin isn’t quite over his ex-boyfriend and has somehow become the unwitting star of a travel show. The story alternates between their perspectives.

This book is heartfelt and funny. I especially loved the scenes with more of their family. The large multicultural family is somewhat dysfunctional yet loving and joyous. I enjoyed watching the characters bloom as they discover more about what they want and who they want to be. If you like books that blend coming-of-age themes with self-acceptance, and feel very millennial, I definitely recommend this one.

Thanks to @avidreaderpress for sending me a copy of The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. This book was a delightful surprise. It follows an unnamed woman who works for the titular ministry as a “bridge”, a glorified babysitter, for Commander Graham Gore, who has time traveled to the present from 1847. She monitors his adjustment to the present time and side effects from his time travel, while becoming increasingly suspicious of her job’s true purpose and developing some feelings that she doesn’t know what to do with.

I don’t feel like I’ve read THAT many time travel books, but I would say that I like them in general. This one was a fun concept. It was tender and melancholy while also being mysterious and funny. Commander Gore struggles to adapt to the modern world, while the protagonist feels out of place within the Ministry. I did find it a bit jumpy and confusing at parts, and I am not sure I fully understood the ending TBH, but such is the nature of time travel. I think it will be fantastic as a TV show though so I’m excited to watch the BBC adaptation eventually. I would recommend this one if you, like me, overall enjoy time travel stories.

I read The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson for book club. It’s YA - and I somewhat enjoyed it! Who even am I anymore? I definitely had to suspend my disbelief to get through this one, but if I squinted enough I could put aside all the plot holes to go along with the ride. The book is packed with teen angst and twisty plot lines, though the pacing was all over the place and the ending was completely, absurdly unbelievable. That said, I did fly through it, but I’d only recommend it if YA thrillers are your thing.