I have been low-key obsessed with Linda Holmes ever since I first discovered her wit and A+ pop culture analysis as a contributor to NPR鈥檚 鈥淧op CulturI have been low-key obsessed with Linda Holmes ever since I first discovered her wit and A+ pop culture analysis as a contributor to NPR鈥檚 鈥淧op Culture Happy Hour鈥� podcast. This obsession is why I fell hard for her debut (I鈥檓 sure the male love interest being named Dean also had something to do with it) and then, despite feeling lukewarm about her sophomore title, looked forward to picking up her newest release, Back After This.
At first, I was humdrum about Back After This, too. If anyone deserves to write a book set in the world of podcasting, it is Linda F鈥攌ing Holmes (whose knowledge of said world is so comprehensive she teaches a master class on the subject throughout the pages of this book). But, I鈥檝e gotta admit, in 2025, I鈥檓 reaching capacity on wanting podcasting to take center stage in any fictional stories I read. (For my money, Listen for the Lie is still my favorite of the bunch 鈥� and there have definitely been a bunch).
ANYWAY, these were the thoughts circling in my head as I plowed through early chapters of Back After This. Until I got to the meet-cute scene鈥攁 scene that involved main character Cecily Foster chasing down a Grant Dane and its curly haired, soon-to-be-owner Will (also gotta admit, in 2025, I鈥檓 reaching capacity on appreciating male love interests in romances being named Will).
But listen, it doesn鈥檛 matter that the guy鈥檚 name was Will because, as soon as I 鈥渕et鈥� him on the page, he read SO COMPLETELY Adam Brody-coded that 鈥�. he just became Adam Brody in my mind. And that, my friends, is why 75 pages into Back After This, my feelings for this story went from lukewarm to LOVING IT IN A MAJOR WAY.
After that, the rest of Back After This went down predictably smooth and I ended up appreciating Back After This for the slow burn, closed door romance it was. The TLDR version of the above review? Come for the Adam Brody vibes of Back After This, stay for the A+ banter between his character and the protagonist.
[Also, if you鈥檙e wondering why I keep repeating Back After This, it鈥檚 because I鈥檓 going to want to recommend this book in the future and鈥 won鈥檛 be able to recall the name of it (because, I think, it鈥檚 not the best title? ...more
Our March selection for my local book club and what a perfect book to read in celebration of Women鈥檚 History Month. This book centers on a murder mystOur March selection for my local book club and what a perfect book to read in celebration of Women鈥檚 History Month. This book centers on a murder mystery that takes place in 18th century Maine, but鈥攆or me, anyway鈥攖he mystery proved secondary to the daily musings of Martha Ballard, a renowned midwife whose diary inspired this historical retelling of her life.
What a remarkable woman Martha was 鈥� one ahead of her time in so many ways. If I had one (wee) complaint, it鈥檚 that her husband, Ephraim, was written a bit too perfectly on the page, especially for the era in which the couple lived. (Like, couldn鈥檛 the author have at least given the guy one quirk or minor bad trait? Maybe, say, he snored in bed? Or left his used handkerchiefs on the nightstand? Ha!) Then again, I did sort of love the idea of Martha and Ephraim鈥檚 romance being #couplegoals centuries before that hashtag existed 鈥� just as I loved learning this lost-to-time story about a colonial frontier woman who, for all intents and purposes, was a genuine badass.
I cannot recall the last book I read where I did the middle of the night thing (you know the thing) where, after an overnight bathroom bWOW. WOW. WOW.
I cannot recall the last book I read where I did the middle of the night thing (you know the thing) where, after an overnight bathroom break, I told myself 鈥淛ust one chapter,鈥� and then, 20 chapters later, blearily roused myself out of bed at 6 a.m. having never fallen back to sleep.
This book manages to work on ALL levels鈥攁s a propulsive courtroom drama, a mystifying whodunnit, and a sweeping love story鈥攁nd I have finished it feeling bereft. Like, how is any other book I read this month (this year?) going to top this? The twists in Broken Country are what make me wish I could give this new release six stars instead of five. They made me gasp out loud鈥攆irst the obvious one, with its full-circle symmetry to the book's opening pages, but then (OH BUT THEN) the major one I never saw coming.
I am SO thrilled for Clare Leslie Hall that her book is about to become THE Novel of 2025 (I鈥檓 calling it now!). And I鈥檓 all the more excited to know that, thanks to Sony and Hello Sunshine, there is a film adaptation of this gripping drama well underway. Already I cannot wait to see which British stars line up to be cast in it! ...more
How ironic to come across these lines roughly 50 pages into this buzzy new novel:
"It can be hard to separate how we feel about people from how we feelHow ironic to come across these lines roughly 50 pages into this buzzy new novel:
"It can be hard to separate how we feel about people from how we feel about what they make. That's why Veronica said she'd been burned one too many times by blurbs heralding books as unputdownable when she'd found them to be, in fact, quite putdownable."
The irony here being that I'd checked this book out from the library on the strength of the names associated with blurbs on its back cover鈥攏ames that included authors whose work I love (Emma Straub, Claire Dederer, Isaac Fitzgerald) and, therefore, thought I could trust.
Wow was I wrong, as this is my first DNF of 2025. Quite putdownable, indeed!...more
I鈥檝e never read a collection of short stories I loved as much as Ben Shattuck's The History of Sound. I'm grateful I took my friend Andy up on his recI鈥檝e never read a collection of short stories I loved as much as Ben Shattuck's The History of Sound. I'm grateful I took my friend Andy up on his rec to listen to this one on audio because I was as mesmerized by the star-studded cast of narrators as I was by how this book transported me to New England in the most compelling, creative ways. Counting down until the film adaptation of its titular story鈥攖o star faves Paul Mescal and Josh O鈥機onnor鈥攄ebuts at Cannes!...more
I picked the PERFECT month to listen to Erin Carlson's I'll Have What She's Having, a non-fiction read that meticulously (and entertainingly!) revealsI picked the PERFECT month to listen to Erin Carlson's I'll Have What She's Having, a non-fiction read that meticulously (and entertainingly!) reveals how Nora Ephron elevated the romantic comedy with her films. It was fun to finish this right before Valentine鈥檚 Day and then introduce my kids to 鈥淪leepless in Seattle.鈥� A MUST read for Nora fans! ...more
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