The Raven Scholar was a bit of a slow burn for me. The beginning dragged a little, I wasn’t super invested right away, and it took a while to figure out where the story was going. But once it got going, I was IN. 

About a third of the way in, things really picked up and it turned into a book I didn’t want to put down. The characters got way more interesting, and the tension kept building in a really satisfying way. Many of the reveals in this book were done well, with the reader knowing in advance and watching the other characters figure things out was a wild ride. 

It actually reminded me a lot of Voyage of the Damned, it had same kind of eerie mystery vibes with a sense that something is not quite right under the surface (plus all the animal stuff, lol). 

If you’re okay with a slower start and like a story that gradually pulls you in until finally you’re fully sucked in and can’t stop, this one’s definitely worth sticking with.

Grady Hendrix’s work often explores themes I wouldn’t typically expect a male author to handle with nuance, yet he consistently proves me wrong. In this novel, he delves into complex issues like teen pregnancy, systemic patriarchy, and the dynamics of power (gendered, racial, age, religious, etc.) with remarkable insight and empathy. While the title might suggest a more overtly supernatural tale, the witchcraft here is less the focus, rather the girl’s experiences and relationships take center stage. I had the opportunity to hear Hendrix speak on the historic portrayal of witches, and that context makes the book’s core message unmistakable: women possess immense power, regardless of whether witches are real, and society has repeatedly sought to diminish that power. Hendrix doesn’t just tell a story, he challenges societal norms and brings important social issues to the forefront.

Trigger warning: Contains graphic body horror, particularly related to pregnancy

Huge thanks to TOR and V.E. Schwab for the ARC!

V.E. Schwab has been a favorite of mine since The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. While I’ve enjoyed her other works, nothing quite matched the emotional impact Addie had on me…until now. This book is absolutely phenomenal. At its core is female rage, portrayed with raw power and nuance. Queerness is also woven deeply into the narrative, enriching the story and adding layers to the character’s pasts, relationships, and ultimately their endings. 

I was captivated by Charlotte and Sabine’s early stories and loved watching them unravel into something beautifully unhinged. Charlotte’s journey of self-discovery (in her human years) in particular felt deeply poignant and resonated with me personally. 

Alice, while less fleshed out than the others, seems that way by design since her tale is just beginning . She’s caught in the middle of something larger than herself but chooses to seize control of her own story… and I found that incredibly well done.

Schwab delivers a narrative that celebrates the messy, aching beauty of life, urging us to live not just for ourselves, but for those that surround us. 

No Human Involved by Cheryl L. Neely is a powerful and heartbreaking examination of violence against Black women, and the ways in which their lives and deaths have been neglected by the criminal justice system, police particularly. Neely approaches this subject both academically and empathically, giving voice to victims who have too often been dismissed,ignored, and forgotten. 

What makes this book especially compelling is how it blends statistics, case studies, and interviews to paint a devastating portrait of systemic failures. Neely never sensationalizes (my biggest problem with true crime), instead, she humanizes. She shows the humanity behind the headlines and reminds us that these women were daughters, sisters, and mothers whose stories matter.

This is not an easy read, but it is an essential one. Neely demands that we confront uncomfortable truths and reflect on the structural inequalities that make some lives seem less worthy of justice. 

This book starts with a bang…right in the first chapter, the author brings one of my worst fears to life through what happens to Cora’s sister. Anyone who has lived in a city has probably imagined a scenario like this at least once, and for those who belong to marginalized or targeted groups, that fear can feel even more real. Tragically, this isn’t just fiction, during the pandemic, there were real incidents in NYC where people were pushed onto subway tracks. It’s a horrifying thought, and one that hit me deeply.

As the story unfolds, we watch Cora grapple with trust, trust in herself, in her friends, and in her family—while navigating a world steeped in uncertainty, hatred, plague, and violence. I felt a strong connection to Cora’s emotional numbness during the darkest moments of her life; the author captures that feeling with striking authenticity.

This novel is beautifully written. The way it blends Chinese mythology with the stark reality of the Covid pandemic and the looming threat of a hate-fueled serial killer makes for a truly gripping and powerful read. I would absolutely recommend this book.

The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel by Douglas Brunt is one of those nonfiction books that reads like a thriller (think Erik Larson-esque)…and I mean that in the best way. I had no idea who Rudolf Diesel really was beyond the engine that shares his name, and now I can’t believe this story isn’t more widely known.

Brunt dives into Diesel’s strange disappearance in 1913 and pieces together a mystery that’s full of twists, shady politics, gilded age tycoons, and a whole lot of questions. It’s part biography, part true crime, and part geopolitical drama, and somehow even with all of those things, it all works. You can tell Brunt did his homework, but he also knows how to keep the story moving. I was hooked pretty much from the start. 

The only reason I’m giving it 4.5 instead of a full 5 stars is that I personally got bogged down in the science a couple of times and a few of the theories felt a little speculative, but to be fair, Brunt is clear about what’s fact and what’s educated guesswork. It didn’t take away from the mystery at all. 

If you like history, unsolved mysteries, or just a great story, this book’s definitely worth picking up!

(Ps: Edison and Diesel hating each other is so funny to me)

The Splendid and the Vile didn’t quite hit the same for me. It’s not a bad book, and the research is clearly solid, (Larson is clearly always doing the most in the archival digging) but it just didn’t have the same kind of momentum or story arc that made his other books so engaging.

This one focuses on Churchill during the Blitz (and I am a self proclaimed Churchill hater after reading Dead Wake, so maybe I’m too biased for this book), which sounds like it should be full of drama, but it ends up feeling more like a collection of well-written moments than a cohesive story. There’s no real central mystery or rising tension like in some of his other books, it’s more of a detailed snapshot of a year in Churchill’s life, with a lot of side characters and diary entries thrown in.

If you’re really into WWII or Churchill, there’s definitely some interesting stuff, although it is still not as definitive of history as other Churchill books. But if you’re picking this up hoping for the narrative punch of The Devil in the White City or Dead Wake, you might find this one a bit slow. It’s fine, just not as compelling as his best work.