Category: Fiction

  I didn’t get along with Susanna Clarke’s most popular book, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, at all. I’ll say that up front. I tried, I really did. I tried reading the book (twice), I tried listening to the audiobook, and I even tried watching the TV show. None of them got very far at READ MORE

  I’ve never read any Lily King before, though I’ve had her novel Euphoria on my TBR for ages. This book appealed to me – partly because of the books on the cover, partly because of the title, and then a little bit because of the blurb. Having meant to try Lily King, this seemed READ MORE

  This is one of the first books I read from my round of judging for the BookTube Prize. I had tried to read it twice before, and wasn’t able to get into it. I hoped that, with the added motivation of reading it for the prize, I’d be able to get through the rocky READ MORE

  When this book came out, I had zero interest in reading it. I haven’t read any Shakespeare in years, I usually dislike historical fiction, and it seemed like a pretty big commitment. But almost immediately upon its release, the buzz started. It seemed that not only was everyone reading it – everyone who read READ MORE

  Jenny Offill’s newest book is a tiny book, really. Not as small as her last book, Dept. of Speculation, but small by regular standards. I chose to embark on this one as an audiobook, having had some trouble connecting with her last time. I enjoyed the narration, and I definitely had an easier time READ MORE

  I picked this up after reading and (mostly) enjoying French’s newest book, Because of You. I was curious about some of her older books, plus I enjoyed the audiobook and wanted another fun listen. This book is about a woman who is stuck in her marriage and flumoxed by her teenaged kids – which READ MORE

  This is going to be a short review because I read this book a few months ago, and the details have gotten a bit fuzzy. I love Dawn French. Particularly right now – her short Vicar of Dibley in Lockdown revival and her podcast with Jennifer Saunders, Titting About, have been two of the READ MORE

  Louise Erdrich is a name I feel like I’ve heard many times for so long I can’t remember first hearing it. I’ve had at least two of her other books on my shelves for years – if not decades at this point – and yet this is the first of her books I’ve actually READ MORE

  This book isn’t my usual type of book. It’s entirely about a family and the drama that occurs between them, the emotions they each struggle with because of that drama (and their own issues) and how the family shifts and changes over time. Our main characters are Graham, a bookshop owner and Annie, his READ MORE

  I hadn’t heard of this book until I saw it on the BookTube Prize longlist. Since I’m hoping to make my way through a few of the books on the list before next round, I found the audiobook version of this and thought I’d give it a try. I was hooked.  I’m actually really READ MORE

  This is a middle grade book that evokes all the delightfully terrifying aspects of the children’s books I remember reading when I was a kid. It is the story of a young orphan, Clementine, who is being kept captive by her aunt and uncle – the type of old school storybook villains that will READ MORE

  I’ve had this sitting on my shelf for YEARS, but by the time I got it I had mostly forgotten what happened in Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, and didn’t have a clue who Leah even was (I had forgotten who Blue was as well, and even that he was called Blue, so READ MORE

  This is one of those books I’ve been meaning to read for years, and kept putting off. But my mom decided to read it, and I enjoy talking to her about books we’re both reading, so I figured now was the time! (I also really wanted to watch the mini-series but wanted to read READ MORE

  I first heard about this book while watching PBS’ The Great American Read. I hadn’t heard of it before that, but now I really don’t know why. This is the story of a young man named Castle Cranshaw – better known as Ghost. Ghost hasn’t had an easy life. He lives in the projects READ MORE

  This book is a beast. I was defeated by it before I even began – over a thousand pages, most of it comprised of a single sentence – yep, I was fully intimidated. And then it was selected for my pool in the BookTube Prize (I suspected my luck would bring me that outcome READ MORE