Going to keep a log of books I’ve completed for 2023. I read across genres so it'll be varied.
Book #1 How Y’All Doing? By Leslie Jones
Really love his voice, both as a narrator & storyteller. I’m sorry that I came in late to the game. Just as I was beginning to appreciate him, he tragically died a couple of months ago. He didn’t shy away from the good or bad in his life as some actors do in a memoir. He let us into his life. It was funny & sad & sweet.
4.5/5 stars audiobook
#Books #Memoir
Book #2 A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams
No 5 in the Bromance Book Club series about a men’s book club who read romances It’s very sweet and, being a romance, has some steamy scenes. I enjoy these books. They’re a great respite from the realities of our world.
4/5 stars audiobook
Book #3 Mrs. Jeffries Takes Stock by Emily Brightwell
No 4 in the Mrs Jeffries cozy murder mystery series. Set in Victorian England, the household staff, led by Mrs. Jeffries, help Scotland Yard Inspector Witherspoon solve murder mysteries. If you’re looking for a sweet, non-violent mystery to read on a rainy day, this hits the spot.
3.5/5 stars audiobook
Book #4 The Measure by Nikki Erlick
Saw that so many people rated it very highly. Was so excited by the premise of adults over 22 receiving boxes with a string in them and for each person, the length varied. People came to realize that the length corresponded with lifelines. It's very much a commentary on today's world. Which could've been really fantastic. Unfortunately, I couldn't connect with the author's writing.
2.5/5 stars audiobook
Book #5 The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz
#4 in the Hawthorne and Horowitz murder series. I really enjoy how the author of these books has written himself into these books. This time out, Horowitz is accused of the murder of the theater critic who panned his play. He reaches out to Hawthorne to help him out of the sticky situation. Loved the interaction between the private detective and the author. Fun outing.
4/5 stars print book
Book #6 Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou
A PhD candidate is struggling to finish her dissertation when she comes across something that could blow everything up. Ingrid, the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, deals with racism towards Asian Americans as well as internalized racism on a university campus in NY. Going into the book thought it was going to be a light comedic read but it turned out to be so much more nuanced. Kept me engaged throughout.
4/5 stars audiobook
Book #7 Mrs. Jeffries on the Ball by Emily Brightwell
Continuing with the Mrs. Jeffries mystery series, this is number 5. Looks like there are 41 in this cosy mystery series and as long as they continue to be fun, I'll be reading (listening to) them this year. They are pretty straightforward mysteries. Someone gets killed and Mrs. Jeffries and the rest of Inspector Witherspoon's household staff help him (without his knowledge) solve the murder.
3.5/5 stars audiobook
Book #8 The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray
The author has taken Jane Austin's world and put many of the characters from her books in one place (Emma & George Knightley, Elizabeth & Darcy, the Wentworths, the Bertrams, Colonel and Marianne Brandon). Mr. Wickham is the murder victim. Elizabeth and Darcy's son and Catherine and Henry daughter investigate the murder. Fun. A second one should come out this year. Looking forward to it.
4/5 stars audiobook
Book #9 Coq au vin by Charlotte Carter
Number 2 in series of 3. There is a mystery at the center of it (finding Aunt Vivian) but it’s really more about Nan meandering through her trip to Paris. It’s a little bit romance, jazz, street musicians, murder mystery, love of Paris. Not Aunt Vic’s murder but someone connected with her. If you’re looking for a straight mystery, this isn’t it. But if you’re looking for a good book to read on a rainy day, try this.
4/5 stars printbook
Book #10 Broad Band: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the Internet by Claire L. Evans
The story of how broad band came to be & the forgotten women who helped pioneer it. Thought the first half was very interesting. Gave lots of great facts. The 2nd half gave more of a hero worship vibe. The women chosen to be highlighted, though important, seemed more gossipy than fact. Unless I'm reading a memoir I'd rather my non-fiction stick to facts.
3/5 stars print book
Book #11 The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
Who knew that a book about cartographers would be fun? For a bit I couldn't figure out why this was categorized as a fantasy but it soon became evident. I did have questions though because it wasn't really explained, just existed. A little more world building would've gone a long way towards this being a 5 star. Did have one quibble but I suppose the book then would've been an entirely different one.
4/5 stars print book
Book #12 The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea
A story about a patriarch who is dying and his last birthday party. A good drama of a Mexican immigrant family and everything they faced and continue to face. At times disjointed and messy, it was a bittersweet end of life story. But it wasn't all doom and gloom as it had some laugh out loud moments. Wasn't expecting those but I'm glad they were there.
3/5 stars print book
Book #13 A Peculiar Combination (Electra McDonnell #1) by Ashley Weaver
A fun mystery/spy book set during WWII London about a thief who gets "drafted" into service for her country. Although it touches on some heavy subjects, it does read lighter. Really enjoyed the author's writing. Having read both books in the series, I'm looking forward to the third (mixed up #1 and 2).
4/5 stars audiobook
Book #14 5 Fly Girl A Memoir by Ann Hood
A fun memoir by a former flight attendant turned author. We see how she decided that she'd like to be a flight attendant to the work that it took to become one. She discussed the changes that have taken over the years. Personally, I would've loved to hear a little more about her adventures on the plane and off of the plane. Would recommend it.
3.5/5 stars print book
Book #15 Mrs. Jeffries on the Trail by Emily Brightwell
#6 in the Mrs. Jeffries series. I'm really enjoying this cozy mystery series about a Scotland Yard Inspector's household staff who investigate his murder cases behind his back and help him without his knowledge. This one is about a young flower seller who gets murdered. Who wanted her dead? And why? The narrator, Lindy Nettleton is quite good.
3.5/5 stars audiobook
Book #16 Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Emily Wilde, #1) by Heather Fawcett
Emily Wilde's mission in life is to gather information of all the fairy folk and put them in an encyclopedia. At first, I thought this was going to be a romance, and it is, kind of but it's more of a fantasy involving the fey. A bit uneven throughout and there's a definite change in the second half. Looks like the author is working on book 2.
3.5/5 stars audiobook
Book #17 Bad Cree by Jessica Johns
I am not a fan of horror since I'm the biggest scaredy cat out there but wow! At the heart, this is a book about grief and dealing with it. It's also about supernatural beings and prophetic dreams. Spent most of the book dreading what would happen next. Kept me in suspense. I really don't want to say more than this other than, you should read it.
5/5 stars print book
Book #18 Here Goes Nothing by Steven Toltz
Huh. Remember really liking his previous book, A Fraction of the Whole, but this was not my cup of tea. A man is murdered and in purgatory. We follow him as he tries to figure out how to survive there. Meanwhile, his widow is busy living her own bizarre existence. I don't know. It was ok, I didn't hate it. That's all I have.
2/5 stars print book
Book #19 Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
I've read previous books by Deanna Raybourn and I liked them but this one is the best. Four women assassins, who are about to retire, have a hit out on them. Why? What did they do? Can they find out before they're killed? There's humor and backstory and relationships explored and killing. So much killing. Now this is a group of women I wouldn't mind reading more books about.
4.5/5 stars audiobook
Book #20 The Guncle by Steven Rowley
I want to use sweet to describe this book but it feels like the wrong word because it is about grief. A man takes his young niece and nephew for the summer after the death of their mother so their father, his brother, can go into rehab. It's a good story of learning how to cope in the face of death, how to move forward.
4/5 stars print book
Book #21 A House at the Bottom of the Lake by Josh Malerman
The premise is so good, a young couple discover an intact house in the lake they're exploring while on their first date. Unfortunately, it devolves into a weird story because it can't decide whether it's a teen love story or a horror story. Further, it does neither one well. I didn't hate it but I was left confused. Maybe because it's a novella, the author wasn't able to fully realize his story?
2/5 stars print book
Book #22 Mrs Jeffries Plays the Cook by Emily Brightwell
Another fun installment (#7) of the Mrs Jeffries cozy series. As in the ones before this, Mrs Jeffries and the rest of Inspector Witherspoon's household staff investigate a murder, this time of a universally despised gentleman.
3.5/5 stars audiobook
Book #23 Renascence and Other Poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay
A very slim book of poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay, an American poet of the early 20th century. I liked them but I think I need to find another collection to see if all she writes about is death. Good grief. It was a lot.
3/5 stars print book
Book #24 The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood
A cozy mystery set in England with older women sleuthing/helping the police find the murderer of an art dealer. Thank you friend for recommending it! Though not exactly similar in set up to the Thursday Murder Club series, it has a similar vibe. Looks like this is the first in the series and, I, for one, can't wait to get my hands on the second one.
4/5 stars audiobook
Book #25 One-Shot Harry by Gary Phillips
Set in 1963 LA, a Black Korean War veteran who's a photographer, starts to investigate the murder of his army buddy who had just relocated to LA. This a hard boiled mystery, a subset of the mystery genre I don't usually read. There's so much here, racial injustice, shellshocked/ptsd, crime and trying to find out why his buddy had been murdered. Hope it's the start of a series bc I'd like to see more of Harry
4/5 stars audiobook
Book #26 The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont
How I wanted to throw this across the room! The whole book is a fictionalized account of Agatha Christie's missing days from the point of view of her husband's mistress. Call me judgmental but I don't like books with affairs being justified. A trope that doesn't work for me. I kept hoping it would get better. It didn't.
1/5 stars audiobook
Book #27 Mrs Jeffries and the Missing Alibi by Emily Brightwell
Inspector Witherspoon is a suspect in the murder of a businessman and Mrs. Jeffries and the rest of the household staff investigate to find the real culprit. But why won't the Inspector say where he disappeared to while the murder took place?
3.5/5 stars audiobook
Book #28 The Keeper of Stories by Sally Page
A cleaning woman who loves to hear the stories told to her by her employers, a significant story of their lives. She "collects" these stories to keep herself engaged in life because the life she's living is not the one she wants. She stumbles upon a new story, a change in her life, a new path. Lovely story of finding oneself and changing directions.
3.5/5 stars audiobook
Book #29 The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Jen Ferguson
A young Metis teen is living and working with her family at their ice cream shop before heading off to university. She's dealing with a variety of issues including an ex-boyfriend, a bio father that's newly arrived in her life after a prison sentence, racism and generally being lost/unsure of where her life is headed after some issues with her family. A good YA story with more depth than I expected.
3.5 stars audiobook
Book #30 Mrs. Jeffries Stands Corrected by Emily Brightwell
This entry isn't as strong as her previous ones as Mrs Jeffries and the household staff aren't as involved with solving the murder as they usually are. It felt like this was a story that could've been better served as a novella. Still liked it.
3/5 stars audiobook
Book #31 Death at the Voyager Hotel by Kwei Quartey
A young American teacher is killed in Ghana a couple of months before she was to leave the country. The police have deemed as an accidental drowning. The head mistress of her school, Paula Djan, doesn't accept that. She starts to investigate it although her husband and the police don't like it. Enjoyable novella. Will be reading more from this author.
4/5 stars print book
Book #32 Mrs. Jeffries Takes the Stage by Emily Brightwell
Mrs Jeffries and the household staff are back to solving mysteries after a slight set back in the last book. The humor was back and so was the fun.
3.5/5 stars audiobook
Book #33 The Violinist's Thumb And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code by Sam Kean
Non-fiction about DNA and how it came to be mapped. So much information that it took me most of the month as I read a chapter a day. Luckily, it wasn't chockfull of scientific vocabulary and it made it easier to follow the science. Interesting enough read that I'd like to read a bit more on this subject.
3.5/5 stars print book
Book #34 Exiles by Jane Harper
Aaron Falk is back and involved on the periphery of a murder investigation in his 3rd outing. He's visiting friends, as he's agreed to be their son's godfather. Last year when he visited them, a woman vanished leaving her baby in a stroller during a festival. Why did she disappear? Was she kidnapped? Was she suicidal? A slow burning mystery.
3.5/5 stars print book
Book #35 Mrs. Jeffries Questions the Answer by Emily Brightwell
Mrs Jeffries and the rest of the Inspector's household staff continue to delight.
3.5/5 stars audiobook
Book #36 Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson
I really enjoy Kate Atkinson's writing. Her Jackson Brodie detective series was really good and I loved Life After Life. And, now with this book, we're taken to the 1920s London with a cast of interesting characters from runaways to cops, both honest and corrupt to nightclub owners and to an inquisitive librarian. A fun world you can get lost in.
4.5/5 stars print book
Book #37 Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman
Listened to this collection and so glad I did. It's so powerful, full of history of the pandemics we've lived through ("Spanish flu", covid) and the continuing racism in this country (US). I've always had such a hard time reading poetry so listening to it elevated it. The last poem was the inaugural poem she read in 2020. Incredible insight. I'll definitely be checking out her other collections.
4.5/5 stars audiobook
Book #38 Mrs. Jeffries Reveals Her Art (Mrs. Jeffries, #12) by Emily Brightwell
An art broker chokes on his mints at a tea and the suspects are all around him. Was it the host who needs to sell his artwork, or any of the myriad of guests who were being blackmailed by him. It's up to Mrs. Jeffries, the housekeeper and the rest of Inspector Witherspoon's staff to bring the murderer to light.
3.5/5 stars audiobook
Book #39 Death by Bubble Tea (LA Night Market Mysteries #1) by Jennifer J. Chow
I'm not sure I've described a cozy mystery as cute but that was the overall feeling of this story. There were some things that seemed a bit over the top, for example, the police detective sharing as much information as he did. But I liked it, the mystery was alright and I'll going to give the next one a try when it comes out.
3/5 stars audiobook
Book #40 Blanche on the Lam (Blanche White, #1) by Barbara Neely
Blanche's on the run after she's just been convicted of passing bad checks and sentenced to 30 days in jail. She hides as a domestic worker in the house of old Southern family. She just wants to keep under the radar until she can get up to Boston. But circumstances conspire against her and she's pulled in to the strange goings on around her. Looking forward to the next book in the series
4/5 stars audiobook
Book #41 Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
A well written collection of connected short stories, a genre I usually shy away from. Really felt like I got to know the characters intimately, their history, their feelings & thoughts. The stories bring to life a variety of women so different from each other. Took my time listening to the book, choosing to listen to one story one day at a time. Recommend it.
4/5 stars audiobook
Books #42 & 44 Mrs. Jeffries Takes the Cake & Mrs. Jeffries Rocks the Boat by Emily Brightwell
Finding each book in the series to be delightful little gems. Love the interactions between Mrs Jeffries & the rest of the household staff, as well as Mrs Jeffries & Inspector Witherspoon. Are they intricate mysteries? Nope. But, for me, sometimes series are more about how the author has built up the world the characters live in. These fit that bill.
3.5/5 stars audiobooks
Book #43 Ghost Month (Taipei Night Market #1) by Ed Lin
So, I've been trying to figure out how to write this without being entirely negative. Picked this up because it sounded interesting being set in Taiwan during Ghost Month (which is a month when ghosts must be appeased as not to bring bad luck). That was the positive, I enjoyed learning about the culture. Big negative was the mysogynistic attitude of the main character. And the mystery was eh.
2.5/5 stars audiobook
Books #45 & 46 Mrs. Jeffries Weeds the Plot & Mrs. Jeffries Pinches the Post by Emily Brightwell
With the rainy days, it’s allowed me to continue with my adventures with Mrs Jeffries, Mrs Googe, Betsy, Wiggins and Smythe (plus others). Both fun mysteries, the second one seemed to be tighter. Loving the new narrator.
3.5/5 stars & 4/5 stars audiobooks
Book #47 The Night Ship by Jess Kidd
Don’t you hate it when an author you’ve loved puts out a book so different from the previous ones and it’s just not that good. That’s how this one was for me. It was ok but where was the connection between the characters? Where was the humor that’s present in her previous work? Was expecting magic realism, was not expecting the violence. It took me forever to read it. So disappointed.
2/5 stars print book
Book #48 Murder at Mallowan Hall by Colleen Cambridge
A fun new series featuring Agatha Christie's housekeeper in the starring role as detective. AG and her 2nd husband Max Mallowan are hosting a dinner weekend when a murder occurs. Love the interaction between AG and Phyllida Bright, the housekeeper. Am looking forward to the next one.
4/5 stars print book
Book #49 The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves
Vera Stanhope's 10th book has a murder on an island. A group of old school friends regularly get together for a reunion when one of them is found hung in his room. Vera figuring out the secrets held by the rest of the group is a joy. Love being back in her world.
4.5/5 stars print book
Book #50 The Body in the Garden by Katharine Schellman
New series featuring widow Lily Adler, who's come to London to start interacting with society again. On the night of attending her first ball, she overhears an exchange and then a gun shot. She finds a body and starts to investigate the murder when the police won't. A good start to the series. Next one is already sitting in Libby for me.
3.5/5 stars audiobook
Book #51 Station Eternity (The Midsolar Murders, #1) by Mur Lafferty
Cozy mystery set in space (near future). First contact has been made with Earth, 3 humans are on a space station which is sentient. A spaceship from Earth is on route to the station but a disaster occurs and only half the ship survives.Was this sabotage? Was there murder involved? It's up to Mallory Viridian, one of the humans onboard the space ship, to solve it.
3.5/5 stars print
Book #52 Black Candle Women by Diane Marie Brown
A book of magic, generations of women under a curse should've been fun. The narrative had alternating chapters of four women & I only cared about 2 of them. The one who had been cursed was so annoying! I could understand why she'd been cursed. As for the mother-teen daughter pair, why didn't the mother just reveal that they were cursed? In the end, this is a debut and it was ok.
2.5/5 stars audiobook
Books #53 Mrs. Jeffries Pleads Her Case by Emily Brightwell 3/5 stars
#56 Mrs. Jeffries Sweeps the Chimney 3.5/5 stars
#57 Mrs. Jeffries Stalks the Hunter 3/5 stars
The detecting continues with Mrs Jeffries and the rest of Inspector Witherspoon's household staff. Continues to be fun and comfort food.
audiobooks
Book #54 Stories from the Tenants Downstairs by Sidik Fofana
Collection of short stories about the tenants of an apartment building whose owners are trying to get rid of them. The teacher's assistant and the would be olympic gymnast stories stood out for me. I don't think there were any awful stories, just some more fleshed out than others. I'd like to read a full length novel by the author when he puts one out.
3/5 stars audiobook
Book #55 The City of Mist Stories (Cemetery of Forgotten Books) by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
The last release by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, think it was right after his death. Was so excited to read it because they were stories that take place in "The Cemetery of Forgotten Books" world. They were ok. This just reinforces my feelings of full length books/novellas as being better than a collection of short stories. Eh.
2.5/5 stars audiobooks
Book #58 The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James
A good book about a blogger who researches cold cases and starts interviewing a woman accused of being a serial killer but who was found not guilty. There were elements of paranormal/horror in it but that's to be expected from this author. Not going to say anymore in case I spoil it for others.
4/5 stars audiobook
Book #59 There There by Tommy Orange
What a powerful collection of stories. I thought I was going to be reading interconnected short stories but it turned out to be a book with multiple narrators. We follow the lives of a number of individuals who will end up at the Oakland Powwow.The stories were almost like the ocean with its ebb and flow, like waves crashing and receding. Very absorbing.
4/5 stars audiobook
Book #60 The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
What a lovely light contrast to the previous book. Just what I needed. I’m not used to reading a script but after the first bit, I adjusted quite easily. This left me laughing, smiling the whole way through. Definitely fun.
4/5 stars print
Book #61 A Restless Truth (The Last Binding, #2) by Freya Marske
A follow up to A Marvellous Light featuring Robin's sister Maud. Set wholly on a passenger ship from New York to London, Maud's mentor is murdered and Maud starts investigating to find out which magician killed her. Not quite as quirky or fun as the first book unfortunately. Still ok but I'm not sure I'll be quick to pick up the next book.
3/5 stars audiobook
Book #62 Exhalation by Ted Chiang
A sci-fi collection of short stories. There were so many fantastic reviews and I went in with high expectations. It seemed as though the author was trying deliver stories with lessons for us. Though I didn't disagree with the messages, I couldn't lose myself in the stories. Some were really good and others fell flat. It was alright.
2.5/3 stars audiobook
Lillias