Tania's bookshelf: all en-US Sun, 06 Apr 2025 10:43:51 -0700 60 Tania's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg The Antidote 214537790 FromĚýPulitzer finalist, MacArthur Fellowship recipient, and bestsellingĚýauthor of Swamplandia! and Vampires in the Lemon Grove. A gripping Dust Bowl epic about five characters whose fates become entangled after a storm ravages their small Nebraskan town

The Antidote opens on Black Sunday, as a historic dust storm ravages the fictional town of Uz, Nebraska. But Uz is already collapsing—not just under the weight of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl drought, but beneath its own violent histories. The Antidote follows a "Prairie Witch," whose body serves as a bank vault for peoples� memories and secrets; a Polish wheat farmer who learns how quickly a hoarded blessing can become a curse; his orphan niece, a basketball star and witch’s apprentice in furious flight from her grief; a voluble scarecrow; and a New Deal photographer whose time-traveling camera threatens to reveal both the town’s secrets and its fate.

Russell's novel is above all a reckoning with a nation’s forgetting—enacting the settler amnesia and willful omissions passed down from generation to generation, and unearthing not only horrors but shimmering possibilities. The Antidote echoes with urgent warnings for our own climate emergency, challenging readers with a vision of what might have been—and what still could be.]]> 432 Karen Russell 059380225X Tania 3 2025, fiction
That said, the sheer number of narrators kind of threw me off. I think the emotional impact would’ve hit harder if the focus had been narrower. With fewer perspectives, I would’ve felt more connected to the story instead of just watching it from the sidelines.

Antonina Rossie � the prairie witch or "The Antidote" � was my favourite character. The idea of someone who holds everyone else’s secrets but can’t remember them herself, becoming the vessel for other people’s trauma, is really unique. By turning forgetting into a physical character, Russell shows us the cost of trying to erase pain. She suggests we can’t forget without consequences � that pain and memory are things we need to carry with us to stay human. And she takes it even further, reminding us how dangerous it is to forget the wrongs of the past.

I wanted to love this book, but I only liked it. I admired its ideas more than I actually felt them. I think, for me, this is one of those cases where less might’ve been more.]]> 4.02 2025 The Antidote
author: Karen Russell
name: Tania
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/06
date added: 2025/04/06
shelves: 2025, fiction
review:
This was my first Karen Russell book, and I was really impressed by how big and ambitious it was. It mixes so many genres � speculative historical fiction, magical realism, climate fiction, mystery, and even some historical commentary.

That said, the sheer number of narrators kind of threw me off. I think the emotional impact would’ve hit harder if the focus had been narrower. With fewer perspectives, I would’ve felt more connected to the story instead of just watching it from the sidelines.

Antonina Rossie � the prairie witch or "The Antidote" � was my favourite character. The idea of someone who holds everyone else’s secrets but can’t remember them herself, becoming the vessel for other people’s trauma, is really unique. By turning forgetting into a physical character, Russell shows us the cost of trying to erase pain. She suggests we can’t forget without consequences � that pain and memory are things we need to carry with us to stay human. And she takes it even further, reminding us how dangerous it is to forget the wrongs of the past.

I wanted to love this book, but I only liked it. I admired its ideas more than I actually felt them. I think, for me, this is one of those cases where less might’ve been more.
]]> Dream Count 219521090 A publishing event ten years in the making�a searing, exquisite new novel by the best-selling and award-winning author of Americanah and We Should All Be Feminists�the story of four women and their loves, longings, and desires.

Chiamaka is a Nigerian travel writer living in America. Alone in the midst of the pandemic, she recalls her past lovers and grapples with her choices and regrets. Zikora, her best friend, is a lawyer who has been successful at everything until � betrayed and brokenhearted � she must turn to the person she thought she needed least. Omelogor, Chiamaka’s bold, outspoken cousin, is a financial powerhouse in Nigeria who begins to question how well she knows herself. And Kadiatou, Chiamaka’s housekeeper, is proudly raising her daughter in America � but faces an unthinkable hardship that threatens all she has worked to achieve.

In Dream Count, Adichie trains her fierce eye on these women in a sparkling, transcendent novel that takes up the very nature of love itself. Is true happiness ever attainable or is it just a fleeting state? And how honest must we be with ourselves in order to love, and to be loved? A trenchant reflection on the choices we make and those made for us, on daughters and mothers, on our interconnected world, Dream Count pulses with emotional urgency and poignant, unflinching observations on the human heart, in language that soars with beauty and power. It confirms Adichie’s status as one of the most exciting and dynamic writers on the literary landscape.]]> 416 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 059380273X Tania 4 2025, favorite-books, fiction
I appreciated how complex and unique each character was, but the only one who really made me feel something was Kadiatou. Her story stood out, especially in contrast to the more “first world� struggles of the others. I wasn’t sure if that contrast was intentional, but it definitely made an impact.

The book doesn’t really have a strong central plot, but I was still pulled in by Adichie’s gorgeous writing, clever insights, and dialogue that feels real and engaging. That more than made up for the looser structure, so I’m happy to round up to 4 stars.

The Story: Dream Count tells the intersecting stories of four African women. The novel recounts the characters� hopes, dreams and struggles, interweaving flashbacks from their childhood and earlier adulthood with episodes set in the narrative present, during the COVID-19 pandemic.]]> 3.98 2025 Dream Count
author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
name: Tania
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/06
date added: 2025/04/06
shelves: 2025, favorite-books, fiction
review:
Dream Count is a book about relationships � between friends, lovers, children and parents, cultures, and countries. It especially focuses on the expectations placed on women in Nigeria when it comes to marriage and motherhood.

I appreciated how complex and unique each character was, but the only one who really made me feel something was Kadiatou. Her story stood out, especially in contrast to the more “first world� struggles of the others. I wasn’t sure if that contrast was intentional, but it definitely made an impact.

The book doesn’t really have a strong central plot, but I was still pulled in by Adichie’s gorgeous writing, clever insights, and dialogue that feels real and engaging. That more than made up for the looser structure, so I’m happy to round up to 4 stars.

The Story: Dream Count tells the intersecting stories of four African women. The novel recounts the characters� hopes, dreams and struggles, interweaving flashbacks from their childhood and earlier adulthood with episodes set in the narrative present, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
]]> <![CDATA[A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World]]> 40698027
My parents told me how crowded the world used to be, but we were never lonely on our remote island. We had each other, and our dogs.

Then the thief came.

There may be no law left except what you make of it. But if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you.

Because if we aren't loyal to the things we love, what's the point?]]> 365 C.A. Fletcher 0316449458 Tania 5
Griz’s observations and musings about what life might have been like before most humans became infertile and nearly everyone died out are deeply thought-provoking. What makes this dystopian tale stand out from others I’ve read is the absence of anything to fight or flee from—just the slow extinction of humankind. Some of the scenes depicting how people chose to cope with this reality are heartbreaking, while the descriptions of nature reclaiming everything created by man are both beautiful and profoundly sad.

The author masterfully builds tension through foreshadowing and delivers an unexpected twist at the conclusion of Griz’s quest. I highly recommend A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World to readers of all ages.]]> 4.11 2019 A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World
author: C.A. Fletcher
name: Tania
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/04
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: best, favorite-books, dystopian, 2025
review:
This book had been on my to-read list for the longest time, and I’m so happy I finally got to it. I enjoyed this heartwarming story so much that I felt a sense of loss when it ended. I loved Griz’s earnest, introspective voice and the way he speaks directly to the reader.

Griz’s observations and musings about what life might have been like before most humans became infertile and nearly everyone died out are deeply thought-provoking. What makes this dystopian tale stand out from others I’ve read is the absence of anything to fight or flee from—just the slow extinction of humankind. Some of the scenes depicting how people chose to cope with this reality are heartbreaking, while the descriptions of nature reclaiming everything created by man are both beautiful and profoundly sad.

The author masterfully builds tension through foreshadowing and delivers an unexpected twist at the conclusion of Griz’s quest. I highly recommend A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World to readers of all ages.
]]> The Hackman Blues 323488 152 Ken Bruen 1899344225 Tania 0 to-read 3.84 1997 The Hackman Blues
author: Ken Bruen
name: Tania
average rating: 3.84
book published: 1997
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Worst Wingman Ever (The Improbable Meet-Cute, #2)]]> 200034606
Holly is dealing with the impending death of her grandmother and still reeling from a bad breakup. One bright spot: a Valentine’s Day card on Holly’s windshield—even if it wasn’t meant for her. An amusing mistake soon turns into a lovely exchange of anonymous notes, little acts of kindness, and a growing affection between two strangers. What happens when one of them has to say goodbye?]]> 61 Abby Jimenez 166251963X Tania 3 2025, romance, novella Just for the Summer. I really enjoy her brand of humour and romance.

The Story: A misplaced note on a car sparks romance between two strangers before they ever meet.]]> 3.99 2024 Worst Wingman Ever (The Improbable Meet-Cute, #2)
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Tania
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: 2025, romance, novella
review:
This is my second novella by Abby Jimenez and I am sold, my next will be Just for the Summer. I really enjoy her brand of humour and romance.

The Story: A misplaced note on a car sparks romance between two strangers before they ever meet.
]]> <![CDATA[Hang on St. Christopher (Detective Sean Duffy, #8)]]> 219293007
But then a murder case falls into his lap while his protege is on holiday in Spain. A carjacking gone wrong and the death of a solitary, middle-aged painter. But something's not right, and as Duffy probes he discovers the painter was an IRA assassin. So, the question becomes: Who hit the hitman and why?

This is Duffy's most violent and dangerous case yet and the whole future of the burgeoning "peace process" may depend upon it. Based on true events, Duffy must unentangle parallel operations by the CIA, MI5 and Special Branch. Duffy attempts to bring a killer to justice while trying to keep himself and his team alive as everything unravels around them. They might not all make it out of this one.

[b]New York Times bestselling author Adrian McKinty continues the Edgar Award-winning Sean Duffy series with Hang on St. Christopher.[/b]]]> 306 Adrian McKinty Tania 4
I adore Adrian McKinty’s dark humor, razor-sharp dialogue, and noir-infused writing style—it makes listening to this series an absolute blast. And the audiobooks? Gerard Doyle’s narration is pure perfection. If you're a fan of Tana French, Ian Rankin, Mick Herron, Stuart Neville, or Ken Bruen, then The Cold Cold Ground, the first in the series, is a must-read. McKinty deserves a much wider audience.

The Story: It’s July 1992, and the Troubles in Northern Ireland are still grinding on after twenty-five brutal years. Detective Sean Duffy is now a part-time cop, only returning to Belfast six days a month to qualify for his pension. But when a murder case lands in his lap while his protégé is on holiday, he can’t resist digging deeper. What appears to be a carjacking gone wrong—resulting in the death of a solitary, middle-aged painter—quickly unravels into something far more sinister. The victim was an IRA assassin, and as Duffy investigates, he stumbles into a tangled web of covert operations involving the CIA, MI5, and Special Branch. Based on true events, this case is anything but straightforward.]]> 4.43 2020 Hang on St. Christopher (Detective Sean Duffy, #8)
author: Adrian McKinty
name: Tania
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/28
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: 2025, audio, favorite-books, suspense
review:
If you haven't tried this series yet, you absolutely should. What sets these books apart is their vivid setting—Belfast during the Troubles, a world of bomb threats, sectarian violence, and political conspiracies that adds relentless tension to every page.

I adore Adrian McKinty’s dark humor, razor-sharp dialogue, and noir-infused writing style—it makes listening to this series an absolute blast. And the audiobooks? Gerard Doyle’s narration is pure perfection. If you're a fan of Tana French, Ian Rankin, Mick Herron, Stuart Neville, or Ken Bruen, then The Cold Cold Ground, the first in the series, is a must-read. McKinty deserves a much wider audience.

The Story: It’s July 1992, and the Troubles in Northern Ireland are still grinding on after twenty-five brutal years. Detective Sean Duffy is now a part-time cop, only returning to Belfast six days a month to qualify for his pension. But when a murder case lands in his lap while his protégé is on holiday, he can’t resist digging deeper. What appears to be a carjacking gone wrong—resulting in the death of a solitary, middle-aged painter—quickly unravels into something far more sinister. The victim was an IRA assassin, and as Duffy investigates, he stumbles into a tangled web of covert operations involving the CIA, MI5, and Special Branch. Based on true events, this case is anything but straightforward.
]]> Allegedly 30037870
Allegedly. She didn’t say much in that first interview with detectives, and the media filled in the only blanks that mattered: A white baby had died while under the care of a churchgoing black woman and her nine-year-old daughter. The public convicted Mary and the jury made it official. But did she do it? She wouldn’t say.

Mary survived six years in baby jail before being dumped in a group home. The house isn’t really “home”—no place where you fear for your life can be considered a home. Home is Ted, who she meets on assignment at a nursing home.

There wasn’t a point to setting the record straight before, but now she’s got Ted—and their unborn child—to think about. When the state threatens to take her baby, Mary must find the voice to fight her past. And her fate lies in the hands of the one person she distrusts the most: her Momma. No one knows the real Momma. But who really knows the real Mary?]]> 390 Tiffany D. Jackson 0062422642 Tania 3 2025, suspense The First Day of Spring—a darker, more unsettling counterpart to Allegedly.

The Story: Nine-year-old Mary B. Addison was convicted of killing a baby—a white baby. Allegedly. She has remained mostly silent about the night of baby Alyssa’s death. After serving six years in “baby jail,� Mary is placed in a group home, where she meets Ted during a work assignment. When she discovers she’s pregnant, Mary becomes determined to protect her unborn child, but to do so, she must finally set the record straight about what really happened that night. And for that, she needs her mother’s help.]]> 4.06 2017 Allegedly
author: Tiffany D. Jackson
name: Tania
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/28
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: 2025, suspense
review:
Allegedly delves into how the system fails vulnerable children—especially those labeled as troublemakers or criminals. I found this novel to be a sad yet fast-paced read, full of unexpected twists. I thought I had the ending figured out early on, but I was wrong. I won’t reveal more, as this read is best experienced with as little prior knowledge as possible. If you enjoyed this book, I highly recommend The First Day of Spring—a darker, more unsettling counterpart to Allegedly.

The Story: Nine-year-old Mary B. Addison was convicted of killing a baby—a white baby. Allegedly. She has remained mostly silent about the night of baby Alyssa’s death. After serving six years in “baby jail,� Mary is placed in a group home, where she meets Ted during a work assignment. When she discovers she’s pregnant, Mary becomes determined to protect her unborn child, but to do so, she must finally set the record straight about what really happened that night. And for that, she needs her mother’s help.
]]> <![CDATA[Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)]]> 214331246 When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.]]> 382 Suzanne Collins 1546171460 Tania 3 2025, dystopian
The Story: This prequel explores the events of the 50th Quarter Quell from the perspective of District 12 tribute Haymitch Abernathy, who appears in the original trilogy as Katniss Everdeen's initially begrudging and then devoted coach and mentor.]]> 4.67 2025 Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Tania
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/23
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: 2025, dystopian
review:
I really enjoyed the build-up to the Games, but I found the Games themselves quite dull—perhaps because Haymitch spends so much time alone. While I expected his backstory to be tragic (given what we know from the original trilogy), the final chapters felt overwhelmingly bleak, almost to the point of overkill.

The Story: This prequel explores the events of the 50th Quarter Quell from the perspective of District 12 tribute Haymitch Abernathy, who appears in the original trilogy as Katniss Everdeen's initially begrudging and then devoted coach and mentor.
]]> Wild Dark Shore 211004089
Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world’s largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers. But with sea levels rising, the Salts are now its final inhabitants, packing up the seeds before they are transported to safer ground. Despite the wild beauty of life here, isolation has taken its toll on the Salts. Raff, eighteen and suffering his first heartbreak, can only find relief at his punching bag; Fen, seventeen, has started spending her nights on the beach among the seals; nine-year-old Orly, obsessed with botany, fears the loss of his beloved natural world; and Dominic can’t stop turning back toward the past, and the loss that drove the family to Shearwater in the first place.

Then, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman washes up on shore. As the Salts nurse the woman, Rowan, back to life, their suspicion gives way to affection, and they finally begin to feel like a family again. Rowan, long accustomed to protecting her heart, begins to fall for the Salts, too. But Rowan isn’t telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers the sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realizes Dominic is keeping his own dark secrets. As the storms on Shearwater gather force, the characters must decide if they can trust each other enough to protect the precious seeds in their care before it’s too late—and if they can finally put the tragedies of the past behind them to create something new, together.]]> 303 Charlotte McConaghy 1250827957 Tania 5
In Wild Dark Shore, the raw, atmospheric descriptions of the island and its animal inhabitants captivated me, as did Orly’s passion for the seeds. I felt a deep connection to each of the five flawed yet fully realized characters—perhaps because there are so few of them, making the emotional intensity even stronger.

This suspenseful novel made me feel, think, and, yes, do some ugly crying by the end.

Another reviewer said it best:
"A novel of breathtaking twists, dizzying beauty, and ferocious love, Wild Dark Shore is about the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love."

The Story: For eight years, widowed Dominic Salt has been the caretaker of a remote island between Australia and Antarctica, raising his three children in a paradise of abundant wildlife. But Shearwater, home to the world’s largest seed bank, is slowly being swallowed by rising seas. One day, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman washes ashore—unconscious, but alive.

]]> 4.33 2025 Wild Dark Shore
author: Charlotte McConaghy
name: Tania
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/22
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: 2025, best, favorite-books, science-fiction
review:
Wow. Breathtaking. Wild Dark Shore is an exquisitely written love letter to the natural world—an exploration of isolation, loss, and grief wrapped in stunning prose. I love cli-fi novels that vividly bring a world to life, showing us the wonders humankind stands to lose if we don’t change, rather than simply preaching doom and gloom.

In Wild Dark Shore, the raw, atmospheric descriptions of the island and its animal inhabitants captivated me, as did Orly’s passion for the seeds. I felt a deep connection to each of the five flawed yet fully realized characters—perhaps because there are so few of them, making the emotional intensity even stronger.

This suspenseful novel made me feel, think, and, yes, do some ugly crying by the end.

Another reviewer said it best:
"A novel of breathtaking twists, dizzying beauty, and ferocious love, Wild Dark Shore is about the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love."

The Story: For eight years, widowed Dominic Salt has been the caretaker of a remote island between Australia and Antarctica, raising his three children in a paradise of abundant wildlife. But Shearwater, home to the world’s largest seed bank, is slowly being swallowed by rising seas. One day, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman washes ashore—unconscious, but alive.


]]> Migrations 42121525
Epic and intimate, heartbreaking and galvanizing, Charlotte McConaghy's Migrations is an ode to a disappearing world and a breathtaking page-turner about the possibility of hope against all odds.]]> 256 Charlotte McConaghy 125020402X Tania 0 to-read 4.11 2020 Migrations
author: Charlotte McConaghy
name: Tania
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Dream Hotel 218695937 A novel about one woman’s fight for freedom, set in a near future where even dreams are under surveillance.

Sara has just landed at LAX, returning home from a conference abroad, when agents from the Risk Assessment Administration pull her aside and inform her that she will soon commit a crime. Using data from her dreams, the RAA’s algorithm has determined that she is at imminent risk of harming the person she loves most: her husband. For his safety, she must be kept under observation for twenty-one days.

The agents transfer Sara to a retention center, where she is held with other dreamers, all of them women trying to prove their innocence from different crimes. With every deviation from the strict and ever-shifting rules of the facility, their stay is extended. Months pass and Sara seems no closer to release. Then one day, a new resident arrives, disrupting the order of the facility and leading Sara on a collision course with the very companies that have deprived her of her freedom.

Eerie, urgent, and ceaselessly clear-eyed, The Dream Hotel artfully explores the seductive nature of technology, which puts us in shackles even as it makes our lives easier. Lalami asks how much of ourselves must remain private if we are to remain free, and whether even the most invasive forms of surveillance can ever capture who we really are.]]> 336 Laila Lalami 0593317602 Tania 0 to-read 3.70 2025 The Dream Hotel
author: Laila Lalami
name: Tania
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Trouble Up North 215748809 An atmospheric, haunting novel about a family of bootleggers, their troubled history,Ěýand the land that binds them.

The Sawbrooks have lived on prime real estate on the lakes of Michigan since before there was prime real estate. A family of smugglers and bootleggers, every man, woman, and child in each generation has been taught to navigate the nooks and cranniesĚýof the rivers and highways that flow in and out of Canada. The hidden routes are the family's legacy.

But today, the Sawbrooks are deeply fractured, and the money that's sustained the family is running out. Edward, the Sawbrook patriarch, is dying from cancer, and his wife,ĚýRhoda,Ěýis bitterlyĚýdisappointed in her three adult children. The eldest daughter, Lucy, is now a park ranger, working to federally protect the land against her mother’s will; the middle son, Buckner, hasn’t been the same since he came back from the armyĚýsuffering from alcoholism; and the youngest daughter, Jewell, is wasting her potential as a card player andĚýbartender.

When Jewell is asked to commit a crime for a major insurance payout, she agrees, eager for the cash, but too late,Ěýshe realizes that that the boat she torched wasn't empty...

Together,Ěýthe Sawbrooks will have to contend with the old, familial ways and the new, shifting world, and faceĚýeach other—and their pain-filled past—to smuggle one more thing through and out of their land toĚýsafety.]]> 288 Travis Mulhauser 1538767988 Tania 4 2025, suspense
Mulhauser excels at crafting unique, complex characters and placing them in high-stakes situations with tough choices. I wish Buckner Sawbrook had been the main protagonist—his sections are both deeply felt and darkly funny, and I would have loved to spend more time with him. Since this seems to be the first in a series, I might still get my wish.

The Story: An atmospheric, haunting novel about a family of bootleggers, their troubled past, and the land that binds them. The Sawbrooks are desperate people, but their desperation is rooted in love—for their home, their legacy, and each other.]]> 3.72 The Trouble Up North
author: Travis Mulhauser
name: Tania
average rating: 3.72
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/16
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: 2025, suspense
review:
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. I read and adored Sweetgirl by Travis Mulhauser a few years ago, so I was excited to dive into his latest release. While I enjoyed The Trouble Up North, it didn’t quite pack the same punch as Sweetgirl—or maybe my expectations were just too high.

Mulhauser excels at crafting unique, complex characters and placing them in high-stakes situations with tough choices. I wish Buckner Sawbrook had been the main protagonist—his sections are both deeply felt and darkly funny, and I would have loved to spend more time with him. Since this seems to be the first in a series, I might still get my wish.

The Story: An atmospheric, haunting novel about a family of bootleggers, their troubled past, and the land that binds them. The Sawbrooks are desperate people, but their desperation is rooted in love—for their home, their legacy, and each other.
]]> Wolf Whistle 498340
“An immense and wall-shattering display of talent. Wolf Whistle will help usher Lewis Nordan into the Hall of Fame of American Letters.� —Randall Kenan, The Nation]]> 320 Lewis Nordan 1565121104 Tania 0 to-read 3.99 1993 Wolf Whistle
author: Lewis Nordan
name: Tania
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1993
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Sweetgirl 25817448
As a blizzard bears down, Percy James sets off to find her troubled mother, Carletta. For years, Percy has had to take care of herself and Mama—a woman who’s been unraveling for as long as her daughter can remember. Fearing Carletta is strung out on meth and won’t survive the storm, Percy heads for Shelton Potter’s cabin, deep in the woods of northern Michigan.

But when Percy arrives, there is no sign of Carletta. Searching the house, she finds Shelton and his girlfriend drugged into oblivion—and a crying baby girl left alone in a freezing room upstairs. From the moment the baby wraps a tiny hand around her finger, Percy knows she must save her—a split-second decision that commences a dangerous odyssey in which she must battle the elements and evade Shelton and a small band of desperate criminals hell-bent on getting that baby back.Ěý

As the storm breaks and violence erupts, Percy will be forced to confront the haunting nature of her mother’s affliction, and come to find her own fate tied more and more inextricably to that of the baby she is determined to save.Ěý

Filled with the sweeping sense of cultural and geographic isolation of its setting—the hills of fictional Cutler County in northern Michiganâ€�SweetgirlĚýis an affecting exploration of courage, sacrifice, and the ties that bind, a taut and darkly humorous tour de force that is horrifying, tender, and hopeful.]]> 256 Travis Mulhauser 0062400827 Tania 5 arc-netgalley, best, fiction They were tears of grief, but somehow the hurt was clean and not polluted for once with his own shame and guilt.
I adored the writing in Sweetgirl, it was gritty, sweet, funny and dreamlike all at the same time. I've tried thinking what I can compare it to, but absolutely nothing comes to mind. I can find no fault with this novel at all, the characters will break your heart. The author has the amazing ability to show that even "bad" people have good intentions and thoughts, and that we should not always judge people by their deeds. In fact Shelton is the character that will probably stay will me the longest. In only 250 pages he creates so many heartfelt characters, he even has the ability to make you feel for people who only features in one scene, for instance Hector and Zeke. The action is fast-paced, and you can never predict what will happen on the next page. The setting also plays a major role in this story, and in becomes a metaphor for love:
And that's the thing about Cutler - it's a hard place, but sometimes it's so damn pretty you don't know what to do with it all.
If you're looking for something that will make you cry, laugh, hold your breath and feel love, then I highly recommend this beautiful debut novel.]]> 3.80 2016 Sweetgirl
author: Travis Mulhauser
name: Tania
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2016/09/03
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: arc-netgalley, best, fiction
review:
They were tears of grief, but somehow the hurt was clean and not polluted for once with his own shame and guilt.

I adored the writing in Sweetgirl, it was gritty, sweet, funny and dreamlike all at the same time. I've tried thinking what I can compare it to, but absolutely nothing comes to mind. I can find no fault with this novel at all, the characters will break your heart. The author has the amazing ability to show that even "bad" people have good intentions and thoughts, and that we should not always judge people by their deeds. In fact Shelton is the character that will probably stay will me the longest. In only 250 pages he creates so many heartfelt characters, he even has the ability to make you feel for people who only features in one scene, for instance Hector and Zeke. The action is fast-paced, and you can never predict what will happen on the next page. The setting also plays a major role in this story, and in becomes a metaphor for love:
And that's the thing about Cutler - it's a hard place, but sometimes it's so damn pretty you don't know what to do with it all.
If you're looking for something that will make you cry, laugh, hold your breath and feel love, then I highly recommend this beautiful debut novel.
]]> Tom Lake 63241104 In this beautiful and moving novel about family, love, and growing up, Ann Patchett once again proves herself one of America’s finest writers.

In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.

Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. As in all of her novels, Ann Patchett combines compelling narrative artistry with piercing insights into family dynamics. The result is a rich and luminous story, told with profound intelligence and emotional subtlety, that demonstrates once again why she is one of the most revered and acclaimed literary talents working today.]]> 309 Ann Patchett 006332752X Tania 4
After listening to the first few chapters of Tom Lake, I was convinced this wasn’t my kind of book—it felt slow, with very low stakes. But life got in the way, and I never got around to switching to another audiobook. A few chapters later, I found myself drawn into this intimate and beautifully written story about love, growing up, family, and the choices that shape our lives.

I especially enjoyed Lara’s character—she might be the least dramatic female protagonist I’ve ever encountered. That said, this quiet, reflective story isn’t for everyone. If I had read it instead of listening, I’m not sure I would have enjoyed it as much.]]> 3.92 2023 Tom Lake
author: Ann Patchett
name: Tania
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/16
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: 2025, audio, fiction, favorite-books
review:
3.5 stars, rounded up for Meryl Streep's exquisite narration.

After listening to the first few chapters of Tom Lake, I was convinced this wasn’t my kind of book—it felt slow, with very low stakes. But life got in the way, and I never got around to switching to another audiobook. A few chapters later, I found myself drawn into this intimate and beautifully written story about love, growing up, family, and the choices that shape our lives.

I especially enjoyed Lara’s character—she might be the least dramatic female protagonist I’ve ever encountered. That said, this quiet, reflective story isn’t for everyone. If I had read it instead of listening, I’m not sure I would have enjoyed it as much.
]]> <![CDATA[Other People's Houses (DC Morgan, #3)]]> 211965585 From the author who brought you the jaw-dropping twist of I Let You Go, the gasp-out-loud ending of Let Me Lie, and the loveable, unpredictable Ffion Morgan in The Last Party and A Game of Lies.]]> 352 Clare Mackintosh 1408726025 Tania 3 2025, suspense
The Story: Ffion and DS Leo Brady � who worked through their romantic issues in Game of Lies � are each investigating a property-related crime. Ffion is trying to solve the murder of an estate agent, while Leo is looking into a spate of burglaries on The Hill, an exclusive community full of grand houses. Woven into the narrative is an intriguing cold case brought to the forefront by an explosive true-crime podcast.]]> 4.50 2025 Other People's Houses (DC Morgan, #3)
author: Clare Mackintosh
name: Tania
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/11
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves: 2025, suspense
review:
Third in the DC Morgan series, and I enjoyed this one just as much as the other two. Like the previous books, this was a quick and easy read, yet well-written, with fun characters and interesting plotlines. I also appreciate the sprinkles of humour throughout.

The Story: Ffion and DS Leo Brady � who worked through their romantic issues in Game of Lies � are each investigating a property-related crime. Ffion is trying to solve the murder of an estate agent, while Leo is looking into a spate of burglaries on The Hill, an exclusive community full of grand houses. Woven into the narrative is an intriguing cold case brought to the forefront by an explosive true-crime podcast.
]]> Sister Snake 199531653 A glittering, bold, darkly funny novel about two sisters—one in New York, one in Singapore—who are bound by an ancient secret.

Sisterhood is difficult for Su and Emerald. Su leads a sheltered, moneyed life as the picture-perfect wife of a conservative politician in Singapore. Emerald is a nihilistic sugar baby in New York, living from whim to whim as she freely uses her beauty and charms to make ends meet. But they share a secret; once they were snakes, basking under a full moon in Tang Dynasty China.

A thousand years later, their mysterious history is the only thing still binding them together. When Emerald experiences a violent encounter in Central Park and Su boards the next flight to New York, the two reach a tenuous reconciliation for the first time in decades. Su convinces Emerald to move to Singapore so she can keep an eye on her—but she soon begins to worry that Emerald’s irrepressible behavior will out them both, in a sparkling, affluent city where everything runs like clockwork and any deviation from the norm is automatically suspect.

Razor-sharp, hilarious, and raw in emotion, Sister Snake explores chosen family, queerness, passing, and the struggle against conformity. Reimagining the Chinese folktale “The Legend of the White Snake,â€� this is a novel about being seen for who you are—and, ultimately, how to live free.Ěý]]> 272 Amanda Lee Koe 006335506X Tania 0 to-read 3.79 2024 Sister Snake
author: Amanda Lee Koe
name: Tania
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Just for the Summer (Part of Your World, #3)]]> 195820807
Emma hadn't planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

It's supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma's toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they're suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected--including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?]]> 432 Abby Jimenez 1538704439 Tania 0 to-read 4.36 2024 Just for the Summer (Part of Your World, #3)
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Tania
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Gates of Gaza: a story of betrayal, survival, and hope in Israel’s borderlands]]> 209752317 The gripping true story of how leading Israeli journalist Amir Tibon, along with his wife and their two young children, were rescued from Kibbutz Nahal Oz on October 7, 2023 by Tibon’s own father—an incredible tale of survival that also reveals the deep tensions and systemic failures that led to Hamas’s attacks that day.
Ěý
On the morning ofĚýOctober 7, Amir Tibon and his wife were awakened by mortar rounds exploding near their home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz, a progressive Israeli communityĚýless than a mile from Gaza City. Soon, they were holding their two young daughters in the family’s reinforced safe room, urging them not to cry as gunfireĚýechoed just outside the door. With his cell phone battery running low, Amir texted his “The girls are behaving really well, but I’m worried they’ll lose patience soon and Hamas will hear us.â€�
Ěý
Some 45 miles north, Amir’s parentsĚýhad just cut short an early morning swim along the shores of Tel Aviv. Now, they jumped in their Jeep and sped toward Nahal Oz,Ěýarmed only with a pistol but intent on saving their family at all costs.
Ěý
InĚýThe Gates of Gaza, Amir Tibon tells this harrowing story in full for the first time. He describes his family's ordeal—and the bravery that ultimately led to their rescue—alongside the histories of the place they call home and the systems of power that have kept them and their neighbors in Gaza in harm’s way for decades.Ěý
Ěý
Woven throughout is Tibon's own expertise as a longtime international correspondent, as well as more than thirty original with residents of his kibbutz, with the Israeli soldiers who helped to wrest it from the hands of Hamas, and with experts on Gaza, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the failed peace process. More than one family's odyssey,ĚýThe Gates of GazaĚýis the intimate story of a tight-knit community and the broader saga of war, occupation, and hostility between two national movements—a conflict that has not yet extinguished the enduring hope for peace.]]> 404 Amir Tibon 1761385895 Tania 0 to-read 4.59 2024 The Gates of Gaza: a story of betrayal, survival, and hope in Israel’s borderlands
author: Amir Tibon
name: Tania
average rating: 4.59
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Rubbernecker 16071656
Life is already strange enough for Patrick - being a medical student with Asperger's Syndrome doesn't come without its challenges. And that's before he is faced with solving a possible murder, especially when no one believes a crime has even taken place. Now he must stay out of danger long enough to unravel the mystery. But as Patrick learns one truth from a dead man, he discovers there have been many other lies closer to home.]]> 313 Belinda Bauer 0593066928 Tania 0 to-read 4.07 2013 Rubbernecker
author: Belinda Bauer
name: Tania
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Fall Risk 223199392 Two good neighbors make the best of a bad Valentine’s Day in a funny and improbably romantic short story by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer.

It’s Valentine’s Day weekend, and Charlotte and Seth are not looking for romance. Armed with emotional-support bear spray, Charlotte is in self-imposed isolation and on guard from men. Having a stalker can do that to a person’s nerves. Just across the hall and giving off woodsy vibes is Seth, a recently divorced arborist. As in today recently. Heights, he’s fine with. Trust? Not so much. But when disaster traps them one flight up and no way down, an outrageously precarious predicament forces a tree-loving guy and a rattled girl next door to embrace their captivity. Soon their defenses are breaking away. Considering how close they both are to the edge, Charlotte and Seth could be in danger of falling—in love.]]> 82 Abby Jimenez 1662529082 Tania 3 2025, novella, romance
The Story: When two neighbours with adjacent apartments find themselves stranded due to a construction mishap, Seth and Charlotte are forced to spend the weekend together � and what starts as an inconvenience quickly turns into something unexpected.]]> 4.13 2025 The Fall Risk
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Tania
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/08
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: 2025, novella, romance
review:
3.5 stars. This was my first Abby Jimenez novel, but it definitely won’t be my last. It was charming, heartfelt, and genuinely funny. I often struggle with novellas because there’s usually not enough time to truly connect with the characters � but that wasn’t the case with The Fall Risk. The story felt complete, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Seth and Charlotte.

The Story: When two neighbours with adjacent apartments find themselves stranded due to a construction mishap, Seth and Charlotte are forced to spend the weekend together � and what starts as an inconvenience quickly turns into something unexpected.
]]> <![CDATA[The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by True Stories of Trauma, Madness, and Recovery]]> 18774002 From the author of the bestseller The Disappearing Spoon, tales of the brain and the history of neuroscience.

Early studies of the functions of the human brain used a simple method: wait for misfortune to strike-strokes, seizures, infectious diseases, lobotomies, horrendous accidents-and see how the victim coped. In many cases survival was miraculous, and observers could only marvel at the transformations that took place afterward, altering victims' personalities. An injury to one section can leave a person unable to recognize loved ones; some brain trauma can even make you a pathological gambler, pedophile, or liar. But a few scientists realized that these injuries were an opportunity for studying brain function at its extremes. With lucid explanations and incisive wit, Sam Kean explains the brain's secret passageways while recounting forgotten stories of common people whose struggles, resiliency, and deep humanity made modern neuroscience possible.]]> 416 Sam Kean 0316182346 Tania 0 currently-reading 4.24 2014 The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by True Stories of Trauma, Madness, and Recovery
author: Sam Kean
name: Tania
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Lady Susan 60758184
A Penguin Classic Hardcover

Recently widowed, the unscrupulous and beautiful Lady Susan Vernon is determined to scheme her way through high society in the hope of a profitable new match - all while trying to marry off her unfortunate daughter. Ambitious and manipulative, Lady Susan is unlike any Jane Austen heroine you’ve read about before. Told through a series of letters, Jane Austen's magnificent first novella is as subversive as it is charming.]]> 128 Jane Austen 0241582520 Tania 3 2025, classics 3.81 1871 Lady Susan
author: Jane Austen
name: Tania
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1871
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/03
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: 2025, classics
review:
Lady Susan is an epistolary novella by Jane Austen. This early complete work, which the author never submitted for publication, follows the despicable Lady Susan as she hunts for husbands for both herself and her daughter. Not as good as her other books, but still enjoyable and well written.
]]> Isola 212806636 A young woman and her lover are marooned on an island in this epic saga of love, faith, and defiance from the bestselling author of Sam.

Heir to a fortune, Marguerite is destined for a life of prosperity and gentility. Then she is orphaned, and her guardian—an enigmatic and volatile man—spends her inheritance and insists she accompany him on an expedition to New France. Isolated and afraid, Marguerite befriends her guardian’s servant and the two develop an intense attraction. But when their relationship is discovered, they are brutally punished and abandoned on a small island with no hope for rescue.

Once a child of privilege who dressed in gowns and laced pearls in her hair, Marguerite finds herself at the mercy of nature. As the weather turns, blanketing the island in ice, she discovers a faith she’d never before needed.

Inspired by the real life of a sixteenth-century heroine, Isola is the timeless story of a woman fighting for survival.]]> 368 Allegra Goodman 0593730089 Tania 2 2025, historical-fiction 4.02 2025 Isola
author: Allegra Goodman
name: Tania
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: 2025, historical-fiction
review:
As a big fan of historical fiction � and someone who doesn’t shy away from sad stories � I genuinely thought Isola, based on the true story of a young woman who sails from France to the New World in 1542 and becomes marooned on an island in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, would be a standout read for me. Sadly, I found the writing unexpectedly bland and struggled to connect with any of the characters. That said, I am in the minority with my opinion, so please don’t let my experience discourage you from giving Isola a try.
]]> Fever Beach 217245548 Another instant classic from Carl Hiaasen—laugh-out-loud funny, tackling the current chaotic and polarized American culture (following in the path of Squeeze Me), with two wonderful new Hiaasen heroes

“The afternoon of September first, dishwater-gray and rainy, a man named Dale Figgo picked up a hitchhiker on Gus Grissom Boulevard in Tangelo Falls, Florida. The hitchhiker, who reminded Figgo of Danny DeVito, asked for a lift to the interstate. Figgo said he’d take him there after finishing an errand.�

Thus begins Fever Beach, with an errand that leads—in pure Hiaasen-style—into the depths of Florida at its most a sun-soaked bastion of right-wing extremism, white power, greed, and corruption. Figgo, it turns out, is the only hate-monger ever to be kicked out of the Proud Boys for being too dumb and incompetent. On January 6, 2021 he thought he was defacing a statue of Ulysses S. Grant, but he wound up spreading feces all over a statue of James Zacharia George, a Civil War Confederate war leader.

Figgo's already messy life is about to get more complicated, thanks to two formidable adversaries. Viva Morales is a newly transplanted Floridian, a clever woman recently taken to the cleaners by her ex-husband, now working at the Mink Foundation, a supposedly philanthropical organization, and renting a room in Figgo’s apartment because there’s no place else she can afford. Twilly Spree has an anger management problem, especially when it comes to those who deface the environment, and way too many inherited millions of dollars. He's living alone a year after his dog died, two years after he sank a city councilman’s party barge, and three years after his divorce.

Viva and Twilly are plunged into a mystery—involving dark money and darker motives—they are determined to solve, and become entangled in a world populated by some of Hiaasen’s most outrageous Claude and Eletra Mink—billionaire philanthropists with way too much plastic surgery and a secret right-wing agenda—and Congressman Clure Boyette—who dreams of being Florida’s (and maybe America’s) most important politician. The only things standing in his way are his love for hookers and young girls, and his total lack of intelligence. We meet Noel Kristianson—a Scandinavian agnostic injured when Figgo thinks he’s aJewish threat to humanity and runs him over with his car; Jonus Onus—Figgo’s partner in white power idiocy; and many, many more. Hiaasen ties them all together and delivers them to their appropriate fates, in his wildest and most entertaining novel to date.]]> 384 Carl Hiaasen 0593320948 Tania 0 to-read 4.02 Fever Beach
author: Carl Hiaasen
name: Tania
average rating: 4.02
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Exception to the Rule (The Improbable Meet-Cute, #1)]]> 200033357 New York Times bestselling authors of The Unhoneymooners.

One typo, and a boy and girl connect by chance. Wishing each other a happy Valentine’s Day isn’t the end. In fact, it becomes a friendly annual tradition—with rules: no pics, no real names, nothing too personal. As years pass, the rules for their email “dates� are breaking, and they’re sharing more than they imagined—including the urge to ask�what if we actually met?

Christina Lauren’s The Exception to the Rule is part of The Improbable Meet-Cute, irresistibly romantic stories about finding love when and where you least expect it. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.]]> 101 Christina Lauren 1662519893 Tania 3 2025, romance, novella 4.21 2024 The Exception to the Rule (The Improbable Meet-Cute, #1)
author: Christina Lauren
name: Tania
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: 2025, romance, novella
review:
This is the first novella in the Amazon Original Improbable Meet Cute series. It begins with a mistyped email address and unfolds into years of playful banter, culminating in a remarkably coincidental meeting. I was looking for something warm, fuzzy, and sweet � a light read that required no real effort � and this was just perfect.
]]> Famous Last Words 210680099
From the author of Reese’s Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller Wrong Place Wrong Time comes an addictive thriller about a new mother’s world upended when her husband commits a terrifying crime. How well does she truly know the man she loves? And what danger does she face if her entire life has been built on a lie?

It is June 21st, the longest day of the year, and new mother Camilla’s life is about to change forever. After months of maternity leave, she will drop her infant daughter off at daycare for the first time and return to her job as a literary agent. Finally. But, when she wakes, her husband Luke isn’t there, and in his place is a cryptic note.

Then it starts. Breaking news: there's a hostage situation developing in London. The police arrive, and tell her Luke is involved. But he isn't a hostage. Her husband—doting father, eternal optimist—is the gunman.

What she does next is crucial. Because only she knows what the note he left behind that morning says...

Famous Last Words is the story of a crime, a marriage, and more secrets than Camilla ever could have imagined. This novel cements Gillian McAllister’s reputation as “the best at putting her characters in impossible situations and making her readers not only contemplate but feel what it would be like to find themselves in those situations.� (Emily Henry)]]> 402 Gillian McAllister 1405957328 Tania 3 2025, suspense
The Story: It’s Camilla's first day back at work and her daughter's first day at nursery. But her husband, Luke, is nowhere to be found. The only clue to his disappearance is an unfinished note.]]> 4.10 2025 Famous Last Words
author: Gillian McAllister
name: Tania
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: 2025, suspense
review:
This is the fourth book I’ve read by Gillian McAllister, and I really enjoy her unique brand of suspense. There’s always a mystery I can't quite figure out, and she never relies on an excessive number of twists. What truly sets her books apart are her characters � they feel real and compelling, and I genuinely enjoy getting to know them. Her novels are the perfect palate cleansers between more literary reads.

The Story: It’s Camilla's first day back at work and her daughter's first day at nursery. But her husband, Luke, is nowhere to be found. The only clue to his disappearance is an unfinished note.
]]> Milkman 36047860
Milkman is a tale of gossip and hearsay, silence and deliberate deafness. It is the story of inaction with enormous consequences.]]> 352 Anna Burns 0571338763 Tania 4
This is not an easy book to read for several reasons. Though humor is woven throughout, the dominant atmosphere is one of quiet violence and deep-seated dread, permeating every interaction and thought. I believe Milkman provides one of the most powerful depictions of the societal trauma that arises when a country experiences daily brutality and distrust over a long period of time.

That said, Milkman is not for everyone. Written in a stream-of-consciousness style, the chapters are long, with minimal paragraph breaks, and the novel tackles many unsettling and thought-provoking issues. At times, it felt overly drawn out and could have benefited from some tightening to avoid moments where the narrative dragged.

I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by Brid Brennan, and absolutely loved her accent—it added so much to the experience.

The Story: An unnamed young woman, referred to as "Middle Sister," navigates life in an unnamed, tension-filled Northern Irish town during the Troubles. She becomes the target of unwanted attention from a menacing paramilitary figure known as "Milkman," who begins stalking her. As rumours of an affair spread, despite her attempts to avoid him, she finds herself increasingly isolated by community gossip.]]> 3.51 2018 Milkman
author: Anna Burns
name: Tania
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/21
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: 2025, audio, favorite-books, fiction
review:
Wow, I was completely swept away by the originality of Milkman. The novel never specifies the city or the characters' real names, though it appears to be set in Northern Ireland in the 1970s during the Troubles. Instead, the protagonists are known by sobriquets such as Maybe-Boyfriend, Somebody McSomebody, Milkman, Third Brother-in-Law, Wee Sisters, and Almost-Boyfriend. This technique extends to places as well, with locations referred to as The Usual Place, The Reservoirs, The Parks, The Ten-minute Area, Over the Water, and The Country over the Border. I found this approach to be a perfect fit for the novel, highlighting the constant fear of being labeled by those around you.

This is not an easy book to read for several reasons. Though humor is woven throughout, the dominant atmosphere is one of quiet violence and deep-seated dread, permeating every interaction and thought. I believe Milkman provides one of the most powerful depictions of the societal trauma that arises when a country experiences daily brutality and distrust over a long period of time.

That said, Milkman is not for everyone. Written in a stream-of-consciousness style, the chapters are long, with minimal paragraph breaks, and the novel tackles many unsettling and thought-provoking issues. At times, it felt overly drawn out and could have benefited from some tightening to avoid moments where the narrative dragged.

I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by Brid Brennan, and absolutely loved her accent—it added so much to the experience.

The Story: An unnamed young woman, referred to as "Middle Sister," navigates life in an unnamed, tension-filled Northern Irish town during the Troubles. She becomes the target of unwanted attention from a menacing paramilitary figure known as "Milkman," who begins stalking her. As rumours of an affair spread, despite her attempts to avoid him, she finds herself increasingly isolated by community gossip.
]]> <![CDATA[God's Away on Business: Sean Duffy Year 1 (Detective Sean Duffy, #.5)]]> 220633934
From the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author Adrian McKinty comes the origin story of his most famous creation, Detective Sean Duffy.

Belfast, 1980, is the apocalypse. Bombings, riots, army on the streets, low flying helicopters, and ever-present rain. The grinding Northern Irish civil war between Protestants and Catholics has been going for a decade now. Hated by both sides are the police.

Sean Duffy Year 1takes us into that world. Newly promoted Detective Sergeant Sean Duffy is given his first command at Carrickfergus CID.

In this prequel novella, McKinty takes listeners through Duffy’s first two weeks on the job. A case to solve and a chance to impress his bosses, if, of course, he can get out of it alive.]]> 1 Adrian McKinty Tania 4
This is one of my best-loved series and I'm so happy that the next on the series is releasing 4 March, I can't wait!]]> 4.12 God's Away on Business: Sean Duffy Year 1 (Detective Sean Duffy, #.5)
author: Adrian McKinty
name: Tania
average rating: 4.12
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/21
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: 2025, 2024, audio, bookclub, favorite-books, suspense
review:
The only reason this audible novella (just over an hour and a half) does not get 5 stars, is because I wanted more! I adore this series - Sean Duffy, is a detective catholic sergeant in 1980s Northern Ireland. He is one of the most interesting, funniest characters I've ever "read". I highly recommend that you listen to the audio versions read by Gerard Doyle as his narration is perfection.

This is one of my best-loved series and I'm so happy that the next on the series is releasing 4 March, I can't wait!
]]> <![CDATA[I Feel Bad About My Neck, And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman]]> 8765
The woman who brought us "When Harry Met Sally"..., "Sleepless in Seattle", "You've Got Mail", and "Bewitched," and the author of best sellers "Heartburn," "Scribble Scribble," and "Crazy Salad," discusses everything -from how much she hates her purse to how much time she spends attempting to stop the clock: the hair dye, the treadmill, the lotions and creams that promise to slow the aging process but never do. Oh, and she can't stand the way her neck looks. But her dermatologist tells her there's no quick fix for that.

Ephron chronicles her life as an obsessed cook, passionate city dweller, and hapless parent. She recounts her anything-but-glamorous days as a White House intern during the JFK years ("I am probably the only young woman who ever worked in the Kennedy White House that the President did not make a pass at") and shares how she fell in and out of love with Bill Clinton - from a distance, of course. But mostly she speaks frankly and uproariously about life as a woman of a certain age.

Utterly courageous, wickedly funny, and unexpectedly moving in its truth telling, "I Feel Bad About My Neck" is a book of wisdom, advice, and laugh-out-loud moments, a scrumptious, irresistible treat.]]> 139 Nora Ephron 0307264556 Tania 3 2025, non-fiction 3.72 2006 I Feel Bad About My Neck, And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman
author: Nora Ephron
name: Tania
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/16
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: 2025, non-fiction
review:
3.5 stars. This book had been sitting on my Kindle forever, and I'm so glad I finally moved it to the top of my reading list! I thoroughly enjoyed these humorous essays on aging. I finished the book in one sitting, which says a lot about how entertaining it was.
]]> Black Woods Blue Sky 213243955 An unforgettable dark fairy tale that asks, Can love save us from ourselves?

Birdie’s keeping it together; of course she is. So she’s a little hungover sometimes, and she has to bring her daughter, Emaleen, to her job waiting tables at an Alaskan roadside lodge, but she’s getting by as a single mother in a tough town. Still, Birdie can remember happier times from her youth, when she was free in the wilds of nature.

Arthur Neilsen, a soft-spoken and scarred recluse who appears in town only at the change of seasons, brings Emaleen back to safety when she gets lost in the woods. Most people avoid him, but to Birdie he represents everything she’s ever longed for. She finds herself falling for Arthur and the land he knows so well. Against the warnings of those who care about them, Birdie and Emaleen move to his isolated cabin in the mountains on the far side of the Wolverine River.

It’s just the three of them in the vast black woods, far from roads, telephones, electricity, and outside contact, but Birdie believes she has come prepared. At first, it’s idyllic, but soon Birdie discovers that Arthur is something much more mysterious and dangerous than she could have imagined, and that like the Alaska wilderness, a fairy tale can be as dark as it is beautiful.]]> 306 Eowyn Ivey 0593231023 Tania 4 The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey, you should definitely read Black Woods, Blue Sky. While the prose isn't as literary and the story takes a darker turn, it is just as magical and atmospheric.

The writing in this novel is magnificent—I was captivated from the very first page. The author masterfully evokes a sense of place, and her rich descriptions of Alaska’s wild beauty are among the story’s greatest strengths. Equally compelling is the depth of the characters, particularly Birdie. Even if you find yourself questioning her decisions, you can’t help but feel sympathy for her. As the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

I love a touch of magical realism, but few authors can pull it off successfully, especially in a modern setting. Eowyn Ivey, however, does so effortlessly. I can't wait to see what imaginative tale she weaves next.

The Story: Seeking a fresh start and always searching for something more, Birdie moves with her six-year-old daughter, Emaleen, to a remote cabin in Alaska. There, they begin a new life with Arthur, a reclusive man harboring a complicated secret.
]]> 3.71 2025 Black Woods Blue Sky
author: Eowyn Ivey
name: Tania
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/14
date added: 2025/02/15
shelves: 2025, best, bookclub, favorite-books, fiction
review:
If you enjoyed The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey, you should definitely read Black Woods, Blue Sky. While the prose isn't as literary and the story takes a darker turn, it is just as magical and atmospheric.

The writing in this novel is magnificent—I was captivated from the very first page. The author masterfully evokes a sense of place, and her rich descriptions of Alaska’s wild beauty are among the story’s greatest strengths. Equally compelling is the depth of the characters, particularly Birdie. Even if you find yourself questioning her decisions, you can’t help but feel sympathy for her. As the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

I love a touch of magical realism, but few authors can pull it off successfully, especially in a modern setting. Eowyn Ivey, however, does so effortlessly. I can't wait to see what imaginative tale she weaves next.

The Story: Seeking a fresh start and always searching for something more, Birdie moves with her six-year-old daughter, Emaleen, to a remote cabin in Alaska. There, they begin a new life with Arthur, a reclusive man harboring a complicated secret.

]]> The Seven O'Clock Club 216522745 Four strangers are brought together to participate in an experimental treatment designed to heal broken hearts in this surprising and heartfelt debut novel from author Amelia Ireland.

In a perfectly ordinary building, four strangers who couldn't be more different meet for the first time. Their skepticism of this new kind of grief therapy—and the unnervingly perceptive group leader—means they're all wary, but as the weeks go by, they find themselves returning again and again, pulled to work toward healing, even if it means first facing the pain head-on.

A sharp-tongued lawyer who has no intention of letting down her walls, a fragile young woman looking for a place to belong, a musician at the top of his game who's one drink away from losing it all, and an interior designer facing the crumbling of her picture-perfect life—this unlikely group slowly opens up, not only to the possibility of a happier future but to friendship, change, and even romance.

When a shocking revelation reveals the real reason they were chosen for this group, it shakes the very foundation of what they thought they knew. What began as a journey designed to heal turns out to be a much greater test of friendship, strength, and love as they realize happiness is just outside the door...if they're brave enough to seek it.]]> 368 Amelia Ireland 0593952634 Tania 0 to-read 4.16 2025 The Seven O'Clock Club
author: Amelia Ireland
name: Tania
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Three Days in June 213243949 A new Anne Tyler novel destined to be an instant classic: a socially awkward mother of the bride navigates the days before and after her daughter's wedding.

Gail Baines is having a bad day. To start, she loses her job—or quits, depending on whom you ask. Tomorrow her daughter, Debbie, is getting married, and she hasn’t even been invited to the spa day organized by the mother of the groom. Then, Gail’s ex-husband, Max, arrives unannounced on her doorstep, carrying a cat, without a place to stay, and without even a suit.

But the true crisis lands when Debbie shares with her parents a secret she has just learned about her husband to be. It will not only throw the wedding into question but also stir up Gail and Max’s past.

Told with deep sensitivity and a tart sense of humor, full of the joys and heartbreaks of love and marriage and family life,ĚýThree Days in JuneĚýis a triumph, and gives us the perennially bestselling, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer at the height of her powers

]]> 165 Anne Tyler 0593803485 Tania 0 to-read 3.64 2025 Three Days in June
author: Anne Tyler
name: Tania
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3) 209439446
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything. They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth. But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.]]> 527 Rebecca Yarros 1649374186 Tania 3 2025, bookclub, fantasy
That said, the second half was much stronger—I reconnected with some of the characters and found myself more engaged. However, I wanted more of the quest element and less romance, which at times felt repetitive.

If this book had been about 40% shorter, with a tighter focus, fewer new characters, and clearer callbacks to Iron Flame, I think it would have received a higher rating from me.]]> 4.19 2025 Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Tania
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/04
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves: 2025, bookclub, fantasy
review:
I'm definitely noticing a downward trend in my ratings for this series. Onyx Storm wasn’t a bad read, but it introduced far too many new characters without enough reminders of what happened in the previous book. This made the first half feel a bit disjointed and harder to get into.

That said, the second half was much stronger—I reconnected with some of the characters and found myself more engaged. However, I wanted more of the quest element and less romance, which at times felt repetitive.

If this book had been about 40% shorter, with a tighter focus, fewer new characters, and clearer callbacks to Iron Flame, I think it would have received a higher rating from me.
]]> The Things They Carried 133518
The Things They Carried depicts the men of Alpha Company: Jimmy Cross, Henry Dobbins, Rat Kiley, Mitchell Sanders, Norman Bowker, Kiowa, and the character Tim O’Brien, who has survived his tour in Vietnam to become a father and writer at the age of forty-three.

Taught everywhere—from high school classrooms to graduate seminars in creative writing—it has become required reading for any American and continues to challenge readers in their perceptions of fact and fiction, war and peace, courage and fear and longing. The Things They Carried won France's prestigious Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger and the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize; it was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award.]]> 246 Tim O'Brien 0767902890 Tania 4
Summary: The Things They Carried is a collection of interconnected short stories following a platoon of American soldiers on the ground in the Vietnam War. Drawing from his own experiences as a member of the 23rd Infantry Division, O'Brien blends fact and fiction to create a deeply personal and haunting meditation on war, memory, and the burdens we carry.]]> 4.14 1990 The Things They Carried
author: Tim O'Brien
name: Tania
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1990
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/11
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves: 2025, best, favorite-books, memoir, classics
review:
I'm so glad I finally read The Things They Carried—it felt like the most realistic depiction of war I've ever encountered. Tim O'Brien's writing is stunning, particularly in the opening story, where he beautifully describes the emotional and physical weight of war. He brings to life the soldiers' boredom, camaraderie, regret, panic, and fear, as well as the eerie intensity of feeling truly alive in the midst of chaos. The book serves as a powerful reminder that no war is moral and that all wars are pointless.

Summary: The Things They Carried is a collection of interconnected short stories following a platoon of American soldiers on the ground in the Vietnam War. Drawing from his own experiences as a member of the 23rd Infantry Division, O'Brien blends fact and fiction to create a deeply personal and haunting meditation on war, memory, and the burdens we carry.
]]> The Lion Women of Tehran 199798217 A heartfelt novel of friendship, betrayal, and redemption set against three transformative decades in Tehran, Iran.

In 1950s Tehran, seven-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown. Lonely and bearing the brunt of her mother’s endless grievances, Ellie dreams of a friend to alleviate her isolation.

Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind, passionate girl with a brave and irrepressible spirit. Together, the two girls play games, learn to cook in the stone kitchen of Homa’s warm home, wander through the colorful stalls of the Grand Bazaar, and share their ambitions for becoming “lion women.�

But their happiness is disrupted when Ellie and her mother are afforded the opportunity to return to their previous bourgeois life. Now a popular student at the best girls� high school in Iran, Ellie’s memories of Homa begin to fade. Years later, however, her sudden reappearance in Ellie’s privileged world alters the course of both of their lives.

Together, the two young women come of age and pursue their own goals for meaningful futures. But as the political turmoil in Iran builds to a breaking point, one earth-shattering betrayal will have enormous consequences.]]> 327 Marjan Kamali 1668036584 Tania 0 to-read 4.48 2024 The Lion Women of Tehran
author: Marjan Kamali
name: Tania
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Yellow Wallpaper (Bedford Cultural Editions)]]> 775616 400 Charlotte Perkins Gilman 0312132921 Tania 3 2025, classics, fiction
A well-written story about how women were treated in the 1900's, and the author would know as she received the same diagnosis and treatment after the birth of her first daughter. The reason that I didn't rate this higher is that I needed more time to connect to the character.]]> 4.08 The Yellow Wallpaper (Bedford Cultural Editions)
author: Charlotte Perkins Gilman
name: Tania
average rating: 4.08
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/05
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: 2025, classics, fiction
review:
3.5 stars. A creepy, disturbing short story about a woman confined to the upstairs nursery by her husband where she is forbidden to work or write. She secretly keeps a journal and it is through these entries that we slowly realise to what extent she has been imprisoned by her husband. The author uses her descriptions of the yellow wallpaper to track her descent into madness.

A well-written story about how women were treated in the 1900's, and the author would know as she received the same diagnosis and treatment after the birth of her first daughter. The reason that I didn't rate this higher is that I needed more time to connect to the character.
]]> <![CDATA[Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)]]> 76703559 An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass—and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.]]> 406 Sarah J. Maas 163973094X Tania 0 to-read 4.18 2012 Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Tania
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Breakfast at Tiffany's 22925739 Breakfast at Tiffany's, Truman Capote's most beloved work of fiction, introduced an independent and complex character who challenged audiences, revived Audrey Hepburn's flagging career in the 1961 film version, and whose name and style has remained in the national idiom since publication. Hall uses his diligent attention to character to bring our unnamed narrator’s emotional vulnerability to the forefront of this American classic.]]> 3 Truman Capote Tania 4 "Never love a wild thing...If you let yourself love a wild thing. You'll end up looking at the sky.�
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because of the wonderful narration by Michael C. Hall. This is my second book by Truman Capote and, same as Jane Austen, I think his books are so well written that they would have become best-sellers no matter when they were published. If you can, definitely listed to this free audible original as it added to the enjoyment of this short story.

The Story: Breakfast at Tiffany's documents the year-long friendship of a New York writer, whose name is never mentioned, with his neighbor Holly Golightly. ]]> 3.76 1958 Breakfast at Tiffany's
author: Truman Capote
name: Tania
average rating: 3.76
book published: 1958
rating: 4
read at: 2022/06/21
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: 2022, audio, bookclub, classics
review:
"Never love a wild thing...If you let yourself love a wild thing. You'll end up looking at the sky.�

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because of the wonderful narration by Michael C. Hall. This is my second book by Truman Capote and, same as Jane Austen, I think his books are so well written that they would have become best-sellers no matter when they were published. If you can, definitely listed to this free audible original as it added to the enjoyment of this short story.

The Story: Breakfast at Tiffany's documents the year-long friendship of a New York writer, whose name is never mentioned, with his neighbor Holly Golightly.
]]> Me 44670690
In his first and only official autobiography, music icon Elton John reveals the truth about his extraordinary life, which is also the subject of the upcoming film Rocketman. The result is Me - the joyously funny, honest and moving story of the most enduringly successful singer/songwriter of all time.

Christened Reginald Dwight, he was a shy boy with Buddy Holly glasses who grew up in the London suburb of Pinner and dreamed of becoming a pop star. By the age of twenty-three, he was on his first tour of America, facing an astonished audience in his tight silver hotpants, bare legs and a T-shirt with ROCK AND ROLL emblazoned across it in sequins. Elton John had arrived and the music world would never be the same again.

His life has been full of drama, from the early rejection of his work with song-writing partner Bernie Taupin to spinning out of control as a chart-topping superstar; from half-heartedly trying to drown himself in his LA swimming pool to disco-dancing with the Queen; from friendships with John Lennon, Freddie Mercury and George Michael to setting up his AIDS Foundation. All the while, Elton was hiding a drug addiction that would grip him for over a decade.

In Me Elton also writes powerfully about getting clean and changing his life, about finding love with David Furnish and becoming a father. In a voice that is warm, humble and open, this is Elton on his music and his relationships, his passions and his mistakes. This is a story that will stay with you, by a living legend.]]> 10 Elton John Tania 0 to-read 4.43 2019 Me
author: Elton John
name: Tania
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Just Kids 11435839 Winner of the 2010 Non-Fiction National Book Award Patti Smith's definitive memoir is an evocative, honest and moving coming-of-age story of her extraordinary relationship with the artist Robert Mapplethorpe'Sharp, elegiac and finely crafted' Sunday Times'Terrifically evocative ... The most spellbinding and diverting portrait of funky-but-chic New York in the late '60s and '70s that any alumnus has committed to print' New York Times'Render, harrowing, often hilarious' VogueIn 1967, a chance meeting between two young people led to a romance and a lifelong friendship that would carry each to international success never dreamed of. The backdrop is Brooklyn, Chelsea Hotel, Max's Kansas City, Scribner's Bookstore, Coney Island, Warhol's Factory and the whole city resplendent. Among their friends, literary lights, musicians and artists such as Harry Smith, Bobby Neuwirth, Allen Ginsberg, Sandy Daley, Sam Shepherd, William Burroughs, etc. It was a heightened time politically and culturally; the art and music worlds exploding and colliding. In the midst of all this two kids made a pact to always care for one another. Scrappy, romantic, committed to making art, they prodded and provided each other with faith and confidence during the hungry years--the days of cous-cous and lettuce soup. Just Kids begins as a love story and ends as an elegy. Beautifully written, this is a profound portrait of two young artists, often hungry, sated only by art and experience. And an unforgettable portrait of New York, her rich and poor, hustlers and hellions, those who made it and those whose memory lingers near.]]> 325 Patti Smith Tania 0 to-read 4.35 2010 Just Kids
author: Patti Smith
name: Tania
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland]]> 40241779 From award-winning New Yorker staff writer Patrick Radden Keefe, a stunning, intricate narrative about a notorious killing in Northern Ireland and its devastating repercussions

In December 1972, Jean McConville, a thirty-eight-year-old mother of ten, was dragged from her Belfast home by masked intruders, her children clinging to her legs. They never saw her again. Her abduction was one of the most notorious episodes of the vicious conflict known as The Troubles. Everyone in the neighborhood knew the I.R.A. was responsible. But in a climate of fear and paranoia, no one would speak of it. In 2003, five years after an accord brought an uneasy peace to Northern Ireland, a set of human bones was discovered on a beach. McConville’s children knew it was their mother when they were told a blue safety pin was attached to the dress–with so many kids, she had always kept it handy for diapers or ripped clothes.

Patrick Radden Keefe’s mesmerizing book on the bitter conflict in Northern Ireland and its aftermath uses the McConville case as a starting point for the tale of a society wracked by a violent guerrilla war, a war whose consequences have never been reckoned with. The brutal violence seared not only people like the McConville children, but also I.R.A. members embittered by a peace that fell far short of the goal of a united Ireland, and left them wondering whether the killings they committed were not justified acts of war, but simple murders. From radical and impetuous I.R.A. terrorists such as Dolours Price, who, when she was barely out of her teens, was already planting bombs in London and targeting informers for execution, to the ferocious I.R.A. mastermind known as The Dark, to the spy games and dirty schemes of the British Army, to Gerry Adams, who negotiated the peace but betrayed his hardcore comrades by denying his I.R.A. past�Say Nothing conjures a world of passion, betrayal, vengeance, and anguish.]]> 464 Patrick Radden Keefe Tania 0 to-read 4.42 2018 Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
author: Patrick Radden Keefe
name: Tania
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind]]> 20873740 From a renowned historian comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution—a #1 international bestseller—that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.�

One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one—homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us?

Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago with the appearance of modern cognition. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas.

Dr. Harari also compels us to look ahead, because over the last few decades humans have begun to bend laws of natural selection that have governed life for the past four billion years. We are acquiring the ability to design not only the world around us, but also ourselves. Where is this leading us, and what do we want to become?

Featuring 27 photographs, 6 maps, and 25 illustrations/diagrams, this provocative and insightful work is sure to spark debate and is essential reading for aficionados of Jared Diamond, James Gleick, Matt Ridley, Robert Wright, and Sharon Moalem.]]> 414 Yuval Noah Harari 0062316109 Tania 0 to-read 4.44 2011 Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
author: Yuval Noah Harari
name: Tania
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Hang On St Christopher (Detective Sean Duffy, #8)]]> 53296423 Adrian McKinty Tania 0 to-read 4.35 2020 Hang On St Christopher (Detective Sean Duffy, #8)
author: Adrian McKinty
name: Tania
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Time of the Child 201608156
Doctor Jack Troy was born and raised in Faha, but his responsibilities for the sick and his care for the dying mean he has always been set apart from the town. His eldest daughter, Ronnie, has grown up in her father's shadow, and remains there, having missed one chance at love � and passed up another offer of marriage from an unsuitable man.

But in the Advent season of 1962, as the town readies itself for Christmas, Ronnie and Doctor Troy's lives are turned upside down when a baby is left in their care. As the winter passes, father and daughter's lives, the understanding of their family, and their role in their community are changed forever.

Set over the course of one December in the same village as Williams' beloved This Is Happiness, Time of the Child is a tender return to Faha for readers who know its charms, and a heartwarming welcome to new readers entering for the very first time.]]> 304 Niall Williams 1639734201 Tania 0 to-read 4.16 2024 Time of the Child
author: Niall Williams
name: Tania
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The New Confessions 77844
From his birth in 1899, Todd was doomed. Emerging from his angst-filled childhood, he rushes into the throes of the twentieth century on the Western Front during the Great War, and quickly changes his role on the battlefield from cannon fodder to cameraman. When he becomes a prisoner of war, he discovers Rousseau's Confessions , and dedicates his life to bringing the memoir to the silver screen. Plagued by bad luck and blind ambition, Todd becomes a celebrated London upstart, a Weimar luminary, and finally a disgruntled director of cowboy movies and the eleventh member of the Hollywood Ten. Ambitious and entertaining, Boyd has invented a most irresistible hero.]]> 480 William Boyd 0375705031 Tania 0 to-read 4.10 The New Confessions
author: William Boyd
name: Tania
average rating: 4.10
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Brotherless Night 60324341 In this searing novel, a courageous young woman tries to protect her dream of becoming a doctor as civil war devastates Sri Lanka.

Jaffna, 1981. Sixteen-year-old Sashi wants to become a doctor. But over the next decade, a vicious civil war tears through her home, and her dream spins off course as she sees her four beloved brothers and their friend K swept up in the mounting violence. Desperate to act, Sashi accepts K's invitation to work as a medic at the field hospital for the militant Tamil Tigers, who, following years of state discrimination and violence, are fighting for a separate homeland for Sri Lanka's Tamil minority. But after the Tigers murder one of her teachers and Indian peacekeepers arrive only to commit further atrocities, Sashi begins to question where she stands. When one of her medical school professors, a Tamil feminist and dissident, invites her to join a secret project documenting human rights violations, she embarks on a dangerous path that will change her forever.

Set during the early years of Sri Lanka's three-decade civil war, Brotherless Night is a heartrending portrait of one woman's moral journey and a testament to both the enduring impact of war and the bonds of home.]]> 348 V.V. Ganeshananthan 0812997158 Tania 0 to-read 4.45 2023 Brotherless Night
author: V.V. Ganeshananthan
name: Tania
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Skagboys (Mark Renton, #1) 12926063
It's no better for his friends. Spud Murphy is paid off from his job, Tommy Lawrence feels himself being sucked into a life of petty crime and violence - the worlds of the thieving Matty Connell and psychotic Franco Begbie. Only Sick Boy, the supreme manipulator of the opposite sex, seems to ride the current, scamming and hustling his way through it all.

Skagboys charts their journey from likely lads to young men addicted to the heroin which has flooded their disintegrating community. This is the 1980s: a time of drugs, poverty, AIDS, violence, political strife and hatred - but a lot of laughs, and maybe just a little love; a decade which changed Britain for ever. The prequel to the world-renowned Trainspotting, this is an exhilarating and moving book, full of the scabrous humour, salty vernacular and appalling behaviour that has made Irvine Welsh a household name.]]> 548 Irvine Welsh 0224087916 Tania 0 to-read 4.04 2012 Skagboys (Mark Renton, #1)
author: Irvine Welsh
name: Tania
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Parasol Against the Axe 186872432
In Helen Oyeyemi’s joyous new novel, the Czech capital is a living thing—one that can let you in or spit you out.


For reasons of her own, Hero Tojosoa accepts an invitation she was half expected to decline, and finds herself in Prague on a bachelorette weekend hosted by her estranged friend Sofie. Little does she know she’s arrived in a city with a penchant for playing tricks on the unsuspecting. A book Hero has brought with her seems to be warping her the text changes depending on when it’s being read and who’s doing the reading, revealing startling new stories of fictional Praguers past and present. Uninvited companions appear at bachelorette activities and at city landmarks, offering opinions, humor, and even a taste of treachery. When a third woman from Hero and Sofie’s past appears unexpectedly, the tensions between the friends� different accounts of the past reach a new level.


An adventurous, kaleidoscopic novel, Parasol Against the Axe considers the lines between illusion and delusion, fact and interpretation, and weighs the risks of attaching too firmly to the stories of a place, or a person, or a shared history. How much is a tale influenced by its reader, or vice versa? And finally, in a battle between friends, is it better to be the parasol or the axe?]]> 272 Helen Oyeyemi 0593192362 Tania 0 to-read 3.07 2024 Parasol Against the Axe
author: Helen Oyeyemi
name: Tania
average rating: 3.07
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Kairos 58877223 379 Jenny Erpenbeck 332860085X Tania 0 to-read 3.35 2021 Kairos
author: Jenny Erpenbeck
name: Tania
average rating: 3.35
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Narrow Road to the Deep North]]> 17905709
Richard Flanagan's story � of Dorrigo Evans, an Australian doctor haunted by a love affair with his uncle's wife � journeys from the caves of Tasmanian trappers in the early twentieth century to a crumbling pre-war beachside hotel, from a Thai jungle prison to a Japanese snow festival, from the Changi gallows to a chance meeting of lovers on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Taking its title from 17th-century haiku poet Basho's travel journal, The Narrow Road to the Deep North is about the impossibility of love. At its heart is one day in a Japanese slave labour camp in August 1943. As the day builds to its horrific climax, Dorrigo Evans battles and fails in his quest to save the lives of his fellow POWs, a man is killed for no reason, and a love story unfolds.]]> 467 Richard Flanagan Tania 0 to-read 4.01 2013 The Narrow Road to the Deep North
author: Richard Flanagan
name: Tania
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau]]> 220160204 Kristin Harmel, the New York Times bestselling author who “is the best there is at sweeping historical drama� (Kelly Harms, author of The Seven Day Switch), returns with an electrifying new novel about two jewel thieves, a priceless bracelet that disappears in 1940s Paris, and a quest for answers in a decades-old murder.

Colette Marceau has been stealing jewels for nearly as long as she can remember, following the centuries-old code of honor instilled in her by her mother, take only from the cruel and unkind, and give to those in need. Never was their family tradition more important than seven decades earlier, during the Second World War, when Annabel and Colette worked side by side in Paris to fund the French Resistance.

But one night in 1942, it all went wrong. Annabel was arrested by the Germans, and Colette’s four-year-old sister, Liliane, disappeared in the chaos of the raid, along with an exquisite diamond bracelet sewn into the hem of her nightgown for safekeeping. Soon after, Annabel was executed, and Liliane’s body was found floating in the Seine—but the bracelet was nowhere to be found.

Seventy years later, Colette—who has “redistributed� $30 million in jewels over the decades to fund many worthy organizations—has done her best to put her tragic past behind her, but her life begins to unravel when the long-missing bracelet suddenly turns up in a museum exhibit in Boston. If Colette can discover where it has been all this time—and who owns it now—she may finally learn the truth about what happened to her sister. But she isn’t the only one for whom the bracelet holds answers, and when someone from her childhood lays claim to the diamonds, she’s forced to confront the ghosts of her past as never before. Against all odds, there may still be a chance to bring a murderer to justice—but first, Colette will have to summon the courage to open her own battered heart.]]> 384 Kristin Harmel 1982191732 Tania 0 to-read 4.49 The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau
author: Kristin Harmel
name: Tania
average rating: 4.49
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]]> Fagin the Thief 213870090 A thrilling reimagining of the world of Dickens, as seen through the eyes of the infamous Jacob Fagin, London’s most gifted pickpocket, liar, and rogue.

Long before Oliver Twist stumbled onto the scene, Jacob Fagin was scratching out a life for himself in the dark alleys of nineteenth-century London. Born in the Jewish enclave of Stepney shortly after his father was executed as a thief, Jacob and his open-minded mother, Leah, are each other’s whole world. But Jacob’s prospects are forever altered when a light-fingered pickpocket takes Jacob under his wing and teaches him a trade that pays far better than the neighborhood boys could possibly dream.

Striking out on his own, Jacob familiarizes himself with London’s highest value neighborhoods while forging his own path in the shadows. But everything changes when he adopts an aspiring teenage thief named Bill Sikes, whose mercurial temper poses a danger to himself and anyone foolish enough to cross him. Along the way, Jacob’s found family expands to include his closest friend, Nancy, and his greatest protege, the Artful Dodger. But as Bill’s ambition soars and a major robbery goes awry, Jacob is forced to decide what he really stands for—and what a life is worth.

Colorfully written and wickedly funny, Allison Epstein breathes fresh life into the teeming streets of Dickensian London–reclaiming one of Victorian literature’s most notorious villains in an unforgettable new adventure.]]> 336 Allison Epstein 0385550707 Tania 0 to-read 4.21 2025 Fagin the Thief
author: Allison Epstein
name: Tania
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2025
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]]> The Pretender 216371549
In 1480 John Collan’s greatest anxiety is how to circumvent the village’s devil goat on the way to collect water. But the arrival of a well-dressed stranger from London upends his life forever: John is not John Collan, not the son of Will Collan, but the son of the long-deceased Duke of Clarence, hidden in the countryside after a brotherly rift over the crown, and because Richard III has a habit of disappearing his nephews. Removed from his humble origins, sent to Oxford to be educated in a manner befitting the throne’s rightful heir, John is put into play by his masters, learning the rules of etiquette in Burgundy and the machinations of the court in Ireland, where he encounters the intractable Joan, the delightfully strong-willed and manipulative daughter of his Irish patrons, a girl imbued with both extraordinary political savvy and occasional murderous tendencies. Joan has two paths available her—marry, or become a nun. Lambert’s choices are similarly stark: he will either become King, or die in battle. Together they form an alliance that will change the fate of the English monarchy.

Inspired by a footnote to history—the true story of the little known Simnel, who was a figurehead of the 1487 Yorkist rebellion and ended up working as a spy in the court of King Henry VII� The Pretender is historical fiction at its finest, a gripping, exuberant, rollicking portrait of British monarchy and life within the court, with a cast of unforgettable heroes and villains drawn from 15th century England. A masterful new work from a major new author.]]> 496 Jo Harkin 0593803302 Tania 0 to-read 4.23 2025 The Pretender
author: Jo Harkin
name: Tania
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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]]> The Famine Orphans 218155515 A powerful, captivating novel of historical fiction from the acclaimed author of The Titanic Sisters, based on the little-known story of the thousands of young women sent from Irish workhouses to Australia after the Famine.

1848: The girls, 4,000 in all, come from every part of Ireland—from the shores of Galway to the Glens of Ulster and Belfast’s teeming streets—to board ships bound for Australia. All were chosen from Ireland’s crowded workhouses. Most are orphans. The Earl Grey Scheme was presented as an opportunity for young women to gain employment as domestic servants in the Colony. But there is another, unstated purpose—the girls are to “civilize� the many men sent there as convicts, so that settlements can be built.
Ěý
Kate Gilvarry has spent six months in a Newry workhouse, subsisting on a diet of watery porridge. She knows there’s no future for her either within its walls or outside, in a ravaged, starving land. But once Kate’s ship completes the harrowing voyage, she and her companions find their reception in Sydney dismayingly unwelcoming, as anti-Irish sentiment grows. Homesick, and disillusioned by love following a shipboard crush, Kate strives to fit in, first as the servant of a demanding English woman, then as a farmer’s bride in the Outback.
Ěý
When heat and drought force her husband to leave for long periods to work on a sheep ranch, Kate is left alone to fend off wild animals, drifters, and her aching loneliness. She longs to return to Ireland. But first, this beautiful, unforgiving country will teach her about resilience and survival, and the limitless possibilities that come with courage and love.
Ěý
Evocative and compelling, The Famine Orphans is a testament to the young women whose pioneering spirit left an enduring legacy in a land so far from home.
Ěý]]> 368 Patricia Falvey 1496748131 Tania 0 to-read 4.45 The Famine Orphans
author: Patricia Falvey
name: Tania
average rating: 4.45
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]]> <![CDATA[The Cardinal: from the Sunday Times bestseller, the gripping new novel about the man behind the Tudor crown]]> 217937872 Step into the thrill and intrigue of Tudor England in the rich, compelling new novel from Sunday Times bestseller Alison Weir.

'Alison Weir makes history come alive as no one else' BARBARA ERSKINE

AN EXTRAORDINARY RISE TO POWER. A TRAGIC FALL FROM GRACE.

It begins with young Tom Wolsey, the bright and brilliant son of a Suffolk tradesman, sent to study at Oxford at just eleven years old.

It ends with a disgraced cardinal, cast from the King's side and estranged from the woman he loves.

The years in between tell the story of a scholar and a lover, a father and a priest. From the court of Henry VIII, Tom builds a powerful empire of church and state. At home in London, away from prying eyes, he finds joy in a secret second life.

But when King Henry, his cherished friend, demands the ultimate sacrifice, what will Wolsey choose?

Alison Weir's riveting new Tudor novel reveals the two lives of Cardinal Wolsey, a tale of power, passion and ambition.

PRAISE FOR ALISON WEIR'S TUDOR FICTION

'Alison Weir gives us her most compelling heroine yet... This is where the story of the Tudors begins' TRACY BORMAN

'History has the best stories and they should all be told like this' CONN IGGULDEN

'As always, Alison Weir is ahead of the curve - and at the top of her game' SARAH GRISTWOOD

'Weir is excellent on the little details that bring a world to life' GUARDIAN

'Profoundly moving... lingers long after the last page' ELIZABETH FREMANTLE]]> Alison Weir 1035416212 Tania 0 to-read 4.40 2025 The Cardinal: from the Sunday Times bestseller, the gripping new novel about the man behind the Tudor crown
author: Alison Weir
name: Tania
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/26
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]]> Boleyn Traitor: A Novel 223614606 Sister. Pawn. Liar. Traitor.

Her words sent two queens to the scaffold.

Her secrets shaped a kingdom.

But her true story was hidden.

Until now.

Philippa Gregory brings the Boleyn traitor out of the shadows in a groundbreaking tale of love, betrayal—and survival.]]> 640 Philippa Gregory 0063455854 Tania 0 to-read 0.0 Boleyn Traitor: A Novel
author: Philippa Gregory
name: Tania
average rating: 0.0
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]]> Boleyn Traitor 220216358 From the author of The Other Boleyn Girl, legendary historical novelist Philippa Gregory returns to the court of Henry VIII with this dazzling and provocative tour de force about the high cost of loyalty, love, and betrayal.

Sister. Liar. Spy. Traitor.

Her secrets shaped a kingdom.

Her loyalty was deadly.

Jane Boleyn watches from the shadows of the Tudor court, where nothing is more powerful than a secret. And power rests on the edge of a tyrant King’s sword.

She wears many masks � loving wife, devoted sister, and obedient spy. It’s what a woman must do to survive.

The only weapon she has is her voice.

They say Jane’s whispers sealed the fate of two queens. They called her a liar and a traitor.

But the truth is far more dangerous�

Philippa Gregory brings the Boleyn traitor out of the shadows in an explosive story of one woman’s survival in the deadly dance of the Tudor Court.]]> Philippa Gregory 0008745005 Tania 0 to-read 0.0 Boleyn Traitor
author: Philippa Gregory
name: Tania
average rating: 0.0
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]]> 2025 on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ 216825549 2025 on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ should make an interesting and varied catalogue of books to inspire other readers in 2026.

For those of you who don't like to add titles you haven't actually 'read', you can place 2025 on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ on an 'exclusive' shelf. Exclusive shelves don't have to be listed under 'to read', 'currently reading' or 'read'. To create one, go to 'edit bookshelves' on your 'My Books' page, create a shelf name such as 'review-of-the year' and tick the 'exclusive' box. Your previous and future 'reviews of the year' can be collected together on this dedicated shelf.

Concept created by Fionnuala Lirsdottir.
Description: Fionnuala Lirsdottir
Cover art: Paul CĂ©zanne, Vase of Flowers and Apples, 1889-1890
Cover choice and graphics by Jayson]]> Various Tania 0 to-read 4.71 2025 2025 on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ
author: Various
name: Tania
average rating: 4.71
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/20
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]]> The Love Haters 217387810 It’s a thin line between love and love-hating.

Katie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past—now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole’s request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom “Hutch� Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West.

The catch? Katie’s not exactly qualified. She can’t swim—but fakes it that she can.

Plus: Cole is Hutch’s brother. And they don’t get along. Next stop paradise!

But paradise is messier than it seems. As Katie gets entangled with Hutch (the most scientifically good looking man she has ever seen . . . but also a bit of a love hater), along with his colorful Aunt Rue and his rescue Great Dane, she gets trapped in a lie. Or two.

Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ensue—along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last.]]> 320 Katherine Center 1250283825 Tania 0 to-read 4.03 2025 The Love Haters
author: Katherine Center
name: Tania
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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]]> Speak, Memory 30594 This is an older alternate cover edition for ISBN 0141183225/ 9780141183220. A newer edition may be found here.

From one of the 20th century's great writers comes one of the finest autobiographies of our time. Speak, Memory, first published in 1951 as Conclusive Evidence and then assiduously revised in 1966, is an elegant and rich evocation of Nabokov’s life and times, even as it offers incisive insights into his major works, including Lolita, Pnin, Despair, The Gift, The Real Life of Sebastian Knight, and The Luhzin Defense.

One of the 20th century's master prose stylists, Vladimir Nabokov was born in St. Petersburg in 1899. He studied French and Russian literature at Trinity College, Cambridge, then lived in Berlin and Paris, where he launched a brilliant literary career. In 1940 he moved to the United States, and achieved renown as a novelist, poet, critic, and translator. He taught literature at Wellesley, Stanford, Cornell, and Harvard. In 1961 he moved to Montreux, Switzerland, where he died in 1977.]]> 255 Vladimir Nabokov Tania 0 to-read 4.06 1966 Speak, Memory
author: Vladimir Nabokov
name: Tania
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1966
rating: 0
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]]> What the Wind Knows 40407141 In an unforgettable love story, a woman’s impossible journey through the ages could change everything�

Anne Gallagher grew up enchanted by her grandfather’s stories of Ireland. Heartbroken at his death, she travels to his childhood home to spread his ashes. There, overcome with memories of the man she adored and consumed by a history she never knew, she is pulled into another time.

The Ireland of 1921, teetering on the edge of war, is a dangerous place in which to awaken. But there Anne finds herself, hurt, disoriented, and under the care of Dr. Thomas Smith, guardian to a young boy who is oddly familiar. Mistaken for the boy’s long-missing mother, Anne adopts her identity, convinced the woman’s disappearance is connected to her own.

As tensions rise, Thomas joins the struggle for Ireland’s independence and Anne is drawn into the conflict beside him. Caught between history and her heart, she must decide whether she’s willing to let go of the life she knew for a love she never thought she’d find. But in the end, is the choice actually hers to make?]]> 418 Amy Harmon 1503959600 Tania 0 to-read 4.37 2019 What the Wind Knows
author: Amy Harmon
name: Tania
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/20
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]]> A Most Puzzling Murder 212431569
Destiny Whip is a former child prodigy, world-renowned enigmatologist and very, very alone. A life filled with loss has made her a recluse, an existence she’s content to endure until a letter arrives inviting her to interview for the position of Scruffmore family historian. Not only does an internet search for the name yield almost nothing, it’s a role she never applied to in the first place!

After she decodes the invitation’s hidden message with ease, the promise of her family secrets being revealed is too powerful a draw for the orphaned Destiny, who soon finds herself on Eerie Island. It’s a place whose inhabitants are almost as inhospitable as the tempestuous weather. The Scruffmores themselves turn out to be not much better, a snarled mess of secrets and motives connected by their mistrust for one another.

Their newly arrived guest proves to be just as much an enigma to them as they are to her. While Destiny slowly works to unravel the mysteries hidden throughout the ominous castle, she struggles to interpret disturbing nightly visions of what is to come. In the midst of cryptic ciphers, hidden passages, and the family’s magical heritage and line of succession, Destiny is certain of two things: one of the Scruffmores is going to die and she’s running out of time to stop it.

Interspersed with riddles and puzzles that both Destiny and the reader must solve, A Most Puzzling Murder is a one-of-a-kind mystery that will leave you guessing and gasping until the very last page!]]> 480 Bianca Marais 0778368602 Tania 0 to-read 4.41 2025 A Most Puzzling Murder
author: Bianca Marais
name: Tania
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/19
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]]> We Are All Guilty Here 221559926 The gripping and exciting first book in a brand new crime thriller series from the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author.

Welcome to North Falls—a small town where everyone knows everyone. Or so they think.

Until the night of the fireworks. When two teenage girls vanish, and the town ignites.

For Officer Emmy Clifton, it’s personal. She turned away when her best friend's daughter needed help—and now she must bring her home.

But as Emmy combs through the puzzle the girls left behind, she realizes she never really knew them. Nobody did.

Every teenage girl has secrets. But who would kill for them? And what else is the town hiding?]]> Karin Slaughter 0008625891 Tania 0 to-read 4.32 2025 We Are All Guilty Here
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Tania
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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]]> The Paris Express 214151304 Emma Donoghue, the “soul-stirring� (Oprah Daily) nationally bestselling author of Room, returns with a sweeping historical novel about an infamous 1895 disaster at the Paris Montparnasse train station.

Based on an 1895 disaster that went down in history when it was captured in a series of surreal, extraordinary photographs, The Paris Express is a propulsive novel set on a train packed with a fascinating cast of characters who hail from as close as Brittany and as far as Russia, Ireland, Algeria, Pennsylvania, and Cambodia. Members of parliament hurry back to Paris to vote; a medical student suspects a girl may be dying; a secretary tries to convince her boss of the potential of moving pictures; two of the train’s crew build a life away from their wives; a young anarchist makes a terrifying plan, and much more.

From an author whose “writing is superb alchemy� (Audrey Niffenegger, New York Times bestselling author), The Paris Express is an evocative masterpiece that effortlessly captures the politics, glamour, chaos, and speed that marked the end of the 19th century.]]> 288 Emma Donoghue 1668082799 Tania 0 to-read 3.36 2025 The Paris Express
author: Emma Donoghue
name: Tania
average rating: 3.36
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/19
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]]> Twist 215361877 An “urgent [and] ingenious� (The New York Times Book Review) novel of rupture and repair in the digital age, delving into a hidden world deep under the ocean—from the New York Times bestselling author of Apeirogon and Let the Great World Spin

“The spirit of Joseph Conrad hovers over the text, but here the heart of darkness lies at the bottom of the ocean.”—Salman Rushdie

“Everything gets fixed, and we all stay broken.�

Anthony Fennell, an Irish journalist and playwright, is assigned to cover the underwater cables that carry the world’s information. The sum of human existence—words, images, transactions, memes, voices, viruses—travels through the tiny fiber-optic tubes. But sometimes the tubes break, at an unfathomable depth.

Fennell’s journey brings him to the west coast of Africa, where he uncovers a story about the raw human labor behind the dazzling veneer of the technological world. He meets a fellow Irishman, John Conway, the chief of mission on a cable repair ship. The mysterious Conway is a skilled engineer and a freediver capable of reaching extraordinary depths. He is also in love with a South African actress, Zanele, who must leave to go on her own literary adventure to London.

When the ship is sent up the coast to repair a series of major underwater breaks, both men learn that the very cables they seek to fix carry the news that may cause their lives to unravel. At sea, they are forced to confront the most elemental questions of life, love, absence, belonging, and the perils of our severed connections. Can we, in our fractured world, reweave ourselves out of the thin, broken threads of our pasts? Can the ruptured things awaken us from our despair?

Resoundingly simple and turbulent at the same time, Twist is a meditation on the nature of narrative and truth from one of the great storytellers of our times.]]> 256 Colum McCann 0593241738 Tania 0 to-read 3.81 2025 Twist
author: Colum McCann
name: Tania
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/19
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]]> More or Less Maddy 214151333 A breathless, riveting novel about a young woman diagnosed with bipolar disorder who rejects the stability and approval found in a traditionally “normal� life for a career in stand-up comedy.

Maddy Banks is just like any other stressed-out freshman at NYU. Between schoolwork, exams, navigating life in the city, and a recent breakup, it’s normal to be feeling overwhelmed. It doesn’t help that she’s always felt like the odd one out in her picture-perfect Connecticut family. But Maddy’s latest low is devastatingly low, and she goes on an antidepressant. She begins to feel good, dazzling in fact, and she soon spirals high into a wild and terrifying mania that culminates in a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

As she struggles to find her way in this new reality, navigating the complex effects bipolar has on her identity, her relationships, and her life dreams, Maddy will have to figure out how to manage being both too much and not enough.

With her signature “deep empathy and insight� (Booklist), Harvard-trained neuroscientist and New York Times bestselling author Lisa Genova has crafted another profoundly moving novel that makes complicated mental health issues accessible and human. More or Less Maddy is destined to become another classic like Still Alice.]]> 368 Lisa Genova 1668026163 Tania 0 to-read 4.23 2025 More or Less Maddy
author: Lisa Genova
name: Tania
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/19
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]]> Loot 62802771
" Loot held me spellbound from the first page. This is an expertly-plotted, deeply affecting novel about war, displacement, emigration, and an elusive mechanical tiger.� —Maggie O’Farrell, best-selling author of Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait

Abbas is just seventeen years old when his gifts as a woodcarver come to the attention of Tipu Sultan, and he is drawn into service at the palace in order to build a giant tiger automaton for Tipu’s sons, a gift to commemorate their return from British captivity. His fate—and the fate of the wooden tiger he helps create—will mirror the vicissitudes of nations and dynasties ravaged by war across India and Europe.

Working alongside the legendary French clockmaker Lucien du Leze, Abbas hones his craft, learns French, and meets Jehanne, the daughter of a French expatriate.Ěý When Du Leze is finally permitted to return home to Rouen, he invites Abbas to come along as his apprentice. But by the time Abbas travels to Europe, Tipu’s palace has been looted by British forces, and the tiger automaton has disappeared. To prove himself, Abbas must retrieve the tiger from an estate in the English countryside, where it is displayed in a collection of plundered art.]]> 304 Tania James 0593535979 Tania 3 2025, historical-fiction
I think this would have been far more compelling if it had focused solely on the Indian segment, as the voices of Abbas and Lucien Du Leze felt the most authentic and the story the most distinctive. By attempting to weave together so many characters and narratives, the book sacrificed depth, making it difficult to truly connect with any of the players. While it’s undeniably a well-written piece of historical fiction, it ultimately falls short of delivering the kind of magic that leaves a lasting impression.

]]> 3.73 2023 Loot
author: Tania James
name: Tania
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/19
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: 2025, historical-fiction
review:
Loot charts the sprawling fictional journey of an actual historical artefact across two centuries (eighteenth and nineteenth), eight different narrative perspectives (from an Indian sultan to a British seaman), and four geographic backdrops (India, the open seas, France, and England). Unfortunately I think the immense scope is the reason why this story did not make more of an impact on me.

I think this would have been far more compelling if it had focused solely on the Indian segment, as the voices of Abbas and Lucien Du Leze felt the most authentic and the story the most distinctive. By attempting to weave together so many characters and narratives, the book sacrificed depth, making it difficult to truly connect with any of the players. While it’s undeniably a well-written piece of historical fiction, it ultimately falls short of delivering the kind of magic that leaves a lasting impression.


]]> The Answer Is No 219876684 In a hilarious short story from New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman, the absurdities of modern life cause one man’s solitary world to spin suddenly, and comically, out of control.

Lucas knows the perfect night entails just three things: video games, wine, and pad thai. Peanuts are a must! Other people? Not so much. Why complicate things when he’s happy alone?

Then one day the apartment board, a vexing trio of authority, rings his doorbell. And Lucas’s solitude takes a startling hike. They demand to see his frying pan. Someone left one next to the recycling room overnight, and instead of removing the errant object, as Lucas suggests, they insist on finding the guilty party. But their plan backfires. Colossally.

Told in Fredrik Backman’s singular witty style with sharply drawn characters and relatable antics, The Answer Is No is a laugh-out-loud portrait of a man struggling to keep to himself in a world that won’t leave him alone.]]> 68 Fredrik Backman 1662526520 Tania 3 A Man Called Ove, where the characters felt more grounded, and the narrative delivered a full cast of Lucases or Oves without veering into caricature.









]]> 3.94 2024 The Answer Is No
author: Fredrik Backman
name: Tania
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/19
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: 2025, audio, bookclub, fiction, novella
review:
2.5 rounded up to 3 stars. Some characters and scenes in The Answer is No felt exaggerated and absurd, but Fredrik Backman’s ability to capture the nuances of human behavior made the story enjoyable nonetheless. The parts about meetings and Facebook groups were particularly amusing and had me smiling. That said, I couldn’t help but long for another story like A Man Called Ove, where the characters felt more grounded, and the narrative delivered a full cast of Lucases or Oves without veering into caricature.










]]> You Killed Me First 212375021 Three women. Three smouldering secrets. Who will make it out alive?

It’s 5 November, and a woman awakens to a nightmare. Bound and gagged, she lies trapped in the heart of a towering bonfire. As the smoke thickens, panic sets in � she’s moments away from being engulfed in flames. How did it come to this?

Rewind eleven months: Margot, a faded TV star, and her long-suffering friend Anna watch as glamorous Liv and her flawless family move into their street. The three women soon fabricate the perfect pretence of friendship, but each harbours her own deadly secret � and newcomer Liv senses something is terribly wrong beneath the polished exteriors.

As cracks widen in the veneer of perfection and lies escalate out of control, tension ignites. Bonfire Night is approaching and someone is set to burn…But who will it be?]]> 399 John Marrs 166250649X Tania 0 to-read 4.01 2025 You Killed Me First
author: John Marrs
name: Tania
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave (Finlay Donovan, #5)]]> 211003787 From New York Times bestseller and Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave—the hugely anticipated next installment in the fan-favorite Finlay Donovan series.

Finlay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet . . . but at least there's not a body in her backyard.

Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime, Vero, have not always gotten along with Finlay’s elderly neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, the community busybody and president of the neighborhood watch. But when a dead body is discovered in her backyard, Mrs. Haggerty needs their help. At first a suspect, Mrs. Haggerty is cleared by the police, but her house remains an active crime scene. She has nowhere to go . . . except Finlay’s house, right across the street.

Finlay and Vero have no interest in getting involved in another murder case—or sacrificing either of their bedrooms. After all, they’ve dealt with enough murders over the last four months to last a lifetime and they both would much rather share their beds with someone else.]]> 320 Elle Cosimano 1250337348 Tania 0 to-read 4.17 2025 Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave (Finlay Donovan, #5)
author: Elle Cosimano
name: Tania
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Let Them Theory 216351768
If you've ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or frustrated with where you are, the problem isn't you. The problem is the power you give to other people. Two simple words�Let Them—will set you free. Free from the opinions, drama, and judgments of others. Free from the exhausting cycle of trying to manage everything and everyone around you. The Let Them Theory puts the power to create a life you love back in your hands—and this book will show you exactly how to do it.

In her latest groundbreaking book, The Let Them Theory, Mel Robbins�New York Times bestselling author and one of the world's most respected experts on motivation, confidence, and mindset—teaches you how to stop wasting energy on what you can't control and start focusing on what truly YOU. Your happiness. Your goals. Your life.

Using the same no-nonsense, science-backed approach that's made The Mel Robbins Podcast a global sensation, Robbins explains why The Let Them Theory is already loved by millions and how you can apply it in eight key areas of your life to make the biggest impact. Within a few pages, you'll realize how much energy and time you've been wasting trying to control the wrong things—at work, in relationships, and in pursuing your goals—and how this is keeping you from the happiness and success you deserve.

Written as an easy-to-understand guide, Robbins shares relatable stories from her own life, highlights key takeaways, relevant research and introduces you to world-renowned experts in psychology, neuroscience, relationships, happiness, and ancient wisdom who champion The Let Them Theory every step of the way.

Learn how

Stop wasting energy on things you can't control Stop comparing yourself to other peopleBreak free from fear and self-doubtRelease the grip of people's expectationsBuild the best friendships of your lifeCreate the love you deservePursue what truly matters to you with confidenceBuild resilience against everyday stressors and distractionsDefine your own path to success, joy, and fulfillment. . . and so much more.

The Let Them Theory will forever change the way you think about relationships, control, and personal power. Whether you want to advance your career, motivate others to change, take creative risks, find deeper connections, build better habits, start a new chapter, or simply create more happiness in your life and relationships, this book gives you the mindset and tools to unlock your full potential.

Order your copy of The Let Them Theory now and discover how much power you truly have. It all begins with two simple words.]]> 311 Mel Robbins 1401971377 Tania 0 to-read 4.20 2024 The Let Them Theory
author: Mel Robbins
name: Tania
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Murder at Gulls Nest (Nora Breen Investigates #1)]]> 214151311 A cozy mystery series about a former nun who searches for answers in a small seaside town after her pen pal mysteriously disappears

1954: When her former novice’s dependable letters stop, Nora Breen asks to be released from her vows. Haunted by a line in Frieda’s letter, Nora arrives at Gulls Nest, a charming hotel in Gore-on-Sea in Kent. A seaside town, a place of fresh air and relaxed constraints, is the perfect place for a new start. Nora hides her identity and pries into the lives of her fellow guests—but when a series of bizarre murders rattles the occupants of Gulls Nest it’s time to ask if a dark past can ever really be left behind.]]> 336 Jess Kidd 1668034034 Tania 0 to-read 4.07 2025 Murder at Gulls Nest (Nora Breen Investigates #1)
author: Jess Kidd
name: Tania
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Listeners 56988057
January 1942. The Avallon Hotel & Spa has always offered elegant luxury in the wilds of West Virginia, its mountain sweetwater washing away all of high society’s troubles.

Local girl-turned-general manager June Porter Hudson has guided the Avallon skillfully through the first pangs of war. The Gilfoyles, the hotel’s aristocratic owners, have trained her well. But when the family heir makes a secret deal with the State Department to fill the hotel with captured Axis diplomats, June must persuade her staff—many of whom have sons and husbands heading to the front lines—to offer luxury to Nazis. With a smile.

Meanwhile FBI Agent Tucker Minnick, whose coal tattoo hints at an Appalachian past, presses his ears to the hotel’s walls, listening for the diplomats� secrets. He has one of his own, which is how he knows that June’s balancing act can have dangerous consequences: the sweetwater beneath the hotel can threaten as well as heal.

June has never met a guest she couldn’t delight, but the diplomats are different. Without firing a single shot, they have brought the war directly to her. As clashing loyalties crack the Avallon’s polished veneer, June must calculate the true cost of luxury.]]> 400 Maggie Stiefvater 0593655508 Tania 0 to-read 4.04 2025 The Listeners
author: Maggie Stiefvater
name: Tania
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Names 217245618
In the wake of a catastrophic storm, Cora sets off with her nine-year-old daughter, Maia, to register her son's birth. Her husband, Gordon, a local doctor, respected in the community but a terrifying and controlling presence at home, intends for her to name the infant after him. But when the registrar asks what she'd like to call the child, Cora hesitates...

Spanning thirty-five years, what follows are three alternate and alternating versions of Cora's and her young son's lives, shaped by her choice of name. In richly layered prose, The Names explores the painful ripple effects of domestic abuse, the messy ties of family, and the possibilities of autonomy and healing.

With exceptional sensitivity and depth, Knapp draws us into the story of one family, told through a prism of what-ifs, causing us to consider the "one . . . precious life" we are given. The book’s brilliantly imaginative structure, propulsive storytelling, and emotional, gut-wrenching power are certain to make The Names a modern classic.]]> 336 Florence Knapp 0593833902 Tania 0 to-read 4.34 2025 The Names
author: Florence Knapp
name: Tania
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[DIRTY, LAZY, KETO: Getting Started: How I Lost 140 Pounds]]> 41889261 132 Stephanie Laska 1720029628 Tania 4 2025, non-fiction
I read this book in just over an hour and it was perfect for what I needed - just a very quick overview on the macro splits and then some advice on which foods are best in each category. I loved her emphasis on vegetables (with fat) as I think this will actually help me eat cleaner this time round.

]]> 3.64 DIRTY, LAZY, KETO: Getting Started: How I Lost 140 Pounds
author: Stephanie Laska
name: Tania
average rating: 3.64
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/12
date added: 2025/01/12
shelves: 2025, non-fiction
review:
I've been doing keto for a few years, but I always lose my way towards the end of the year. So every year I have to do a quick read to check that I still have a clue of what is expected from me.

I read this book in just over an hour and it was perfect for what I needed - just a very quick overview on the macro splits and then some advice on which foods are best in each category. I loved her emphasis on vegetables (with fat) as I think this will actually help me eat cleaner this time round.


]]> Martyr! 139400713 Kaveh Akbar’s Martyr! is a paean to how we spend our lives seeking meaning—in faith, art, ourselves, others—in which a newly sober, orphaned son of Iranian immigrants, guided by the voices of artists, poets, and kings, embarks on a search that leads him to a terminally ill painter living out her final days in the Brooklyn Museum.

Cyrus Shams is a young man grappling with an inheritance of violence and loss: his mother’s plane was shot down over the skies of Tehran in a senseless accident; and his father’s life in America was circumscribed by his work killing chickens at a factory farm in the Midwest. Cyrus is a drunk, an addict, and a poet, whose obsession with martyrs leads him to examine the mysteries of his past—toward an uncle who rode through Iranian battlefields dressed as the Angel of death to inspire and comfort the dying, and toward his mother, through a painting discovered in a Brooklyn art gallery that suggests she may not have been who or what she seemed.

Electrifying, funny, wholly original, and profound, Martyr! heralds the arrival of a blazing and essential new voice in contemporary fiction.]]> 331 Kaveh Akbar 0593537610 Tania 4
Themes like addiction, death, art, politics, and religion are woven into the narrative in a highly imaginative and often humorous way. I especially appreciated Cyrus's deep, almost obsessive introspection and his thought-provoking observations, which sparked many fascinating conversations with my husband.

Although the author is renowned for his poetry, I found the poetic inserts to be my least favorite part of the book. However, his exceptional talent for language shines through in the sharp, vivid sentences that define the rest of the novel.

The Story: Martyr! follows recovering alcoholic Cyrus Shams as he wrestles with difficult questions of how to be an artist, an Iranian man, and how to give your life (and death) meaning.]]> 4.23 2024 Martyr!
author: Kaveh Akbar
name: Tania
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/12
date added: 2025/01/12
shelves: 2025, bookclub, favorite-books, fiction
review:
This inventive, though occasionally over-the-top, novel and its unique protagonist may not appeal to everyone, but I found the beautiful writing and the one-of-a-kind experience utterly captivating.

Themes like addiction, death, art, politics, and religion are woven into the narrative in a highly imaginative and often humorous way. I especially appreciated Cyrus's deep, almost obsessive introspection and his thought-provoking observations, which sparked many fascinating conversations with my husband.

Although the author is renowned for his poetry, I found the poetic inserts to be my least favorite part of the book. However, his exceptional talent for language shines through in the sharp, vivid sentences that define the rest of the novel.

The Story: Martyr! follows recovering alcoholic Cyrus Shams as he wrestles with difficult questions of how to be an artist, an Iranian man, and how to give your life (and death) meaning.
]]> <![CDATA[Leo (Bennie Griessel, #8) (Afrikaans Edition)]]> 200160202 552 Deon Meyer 079818339X Tania 4
Ek het ook die tong-in-kies name van sekere van die politieke spelers (onder andere die voormalige korrupte president, Joe Zaca, en sy korrupte Indiese borge, die Chandas) geniet.

Ongelukkig het die spanning in die storie vir my net bietjie te lank gevat voor dit ingeskop het. Nou begin die lang wag tot die volgende Deon Meyer.]]> 4.48 Leo (Bennie Griessel, #8) (Afrikaans Edition)
author: Deon Meyer
name: Tania
average rating: 4.48
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/11/05
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: 2023, afrikaans, favorite-books, suspense
review:
3.5 opgerond na 4 sterre. Dit is onmoontlik om nie meegesleur te word deur Bennie en Vaughn se interessante gesprekke en unieke verhouding nie. Bennie se empatiese innerlike geworstel met alles wat hy in sy daaglikse ondersoeke sien in kontras met Cupido se humor en sjarme is wat hierdie speur-paar een van die vermaaklikstes maak.

Ek het ook die tong-in-kies name van sekere van die politieke spelers (onder andere die voormalige korrupte president, Joe Zaca, en sy korrupte Indiese borge, die Chandas) geniet.

Ongelukkig het die spanning in die storie vir my net bietjie te lank gevat voor dit ingeskop het. Nou begin die lang wag tot die volgende Deon Meyer.
]]> Wool - Holston (Wool, #1) 12287209
Or you'll get what you wish for.]]> 56 Hugh Howey Tania 3 favorite-books, dystopian 4.14 2012 Wool - Holston (Wool, #1)
author: Hugh Howey
name: Tania
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves: favorite-books, dystopian
review:
A quick, easy read. I will be reading the rest of the wool titles
]]> The Family Experiment 197108968 From the acclaimed author of The One and The Marriage Act, The Family Experiment is a dark and brilliant speculative thriller about families: real and virtual.

Some families are virtually perfect�

The world's population is soaring, creating overcrowded cities and an economic crisis. And in the UK, the breaking point has arrived. A growing number of people can no longer afford to start families, let alone raise them.

But for those desperate to experience parenthood, there is an alternative. For a monthly subscription fee, clients can create a virtual child from scratch who they can access via the metaverse and a VR headset. To launch this new initiative, the company behind Virtual Children has created a reality TV show called The Substitute. It will follow ten couples as they raise a Virtual Child from birth to the age of eighteen but in a condensed nine-month time period. The prize: the right to keep their virtual child, or risk it all for the chance of a real baby�

Set in the same universe as John Marrs's bestselling novel The One and The Marriage Act, The Family Experiment is a dark and twisted thriller about the ultimate Tamagotchi—a virtual baby.]]> 384 John Marrs 1335000364 Tania 3 2024, science-fiction
The story: On The Family Experiment, 11 contestants (five couples and one single man) will each raise a virtual child in the Metaverse, with the public watching and judging their parenting skills. The prize is either keeping your virtual child forever or getting the means to raise a real one. Set in the same universe as the author's bestselling novel The One and The Marriage Act. ]]> 4.01 2024 The Family Experiment
author: John Marrs
name: Tania
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/06
date added: 2025/01/06
shelves: 2024, science-fiction
review:
This is my eighth book by John Marrs. Apart from The One, which I rated 4 stars, he’s consistently been a solid 3-star author for me. I appreciate his incredibly unique approach to sci-fi and his use of short chapters with multiple character POVs. His books are easy to read and serve perfectly as palate cleansers between heavier reads.

The story: On The Family Experiment, 11 contestants (five couples and one single man) will each raise a virtual child in the Metaverse, with the public watching and judging their parenting skills. The prize is either keeping your virtual child forever or getting the means to raise a real one. Set in the same universe as the author's bestselling novel The One and The Marriage Act.
]]> 2024 on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ 195342176 2024 on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ should make an interesting and varied catalogue of books to inspire other readers in 2025.

For those of you who don't like to add titles you haven't actually 'read', you can place 2024 on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ on an 'exclusive' shelf. Exclusive shelves don't have to be listed under 'to read', 'currently reading' or 'read'. To create one, go to 'edit bookshelves' on your 'My Books' page, create a shelf name such as 'review-of-the year' and tick the 'exclusive' box. Your previous and future 'reviews of the year' can be collected together on this dedicated shelf.

Concept created by Fionnuala Lirsdottir.
Description: Fionnuala Lirsdottir
Cover art: Paul CĂ©zanne, The House with the Cracked Walls, 1892-1894
Cover choice and graphics by Jayson]]> Various Tania 5 2024 Below are my 5 star reads:
Exit Wounds: A Story of Love, Loss and Occasional Wars
The Frozen River
Margo's Got Money Troubles
All the Colors of the Dark
Playground
Sandwich
And So I Roar
Fi: A Memoir of My Son
What Does It Feel Like?
Grief Is for People

]]> 4.15 2024 2024 on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ
author: Various
name: Tania
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/01/05
shelves: 2024
review:
I read 91 books this year, and discovered many new authors - something I'm always very happy about.
Below are my 5 star reads:
Exit Wounds: A Story of Love, Loss and Occasional Wars
The Frozen River
Margo's Got Money Troubles
All the Colors of the Dark
Playground
Sandwich
And So I Roar
Fi: A Memoir of My Son
What Does It Feel Like?
Grief Is for People


]]> <![CDATA[The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games, #0)]]> 51901147
The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined -- every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute... and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.]]> 541 Suzanne Collins Tania 0 to-read 3.99 2020 The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games, #0)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Tania
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Hidden Pictures 58724923 A wildly inventive spin on the supernatural thriller, about a woman working as a nanny for a young boy with strange and disturbing secrets.

Mallory Quinn is fresh out of rehab when she takes a job as a babysitter for Ted and Caroline Maxwell. She is to look after their five-year-old son, Teddy.

Mallory immediately loves it. She has her own living space, goes out for nightly runs, and has the stability she craves. And she sincerely bonds with Teddy, a sweet, shy boy who is never without his sketchbook and pencil. His drawings are the usual fare: trees, rabbits, balloons. But one day, he draws something different: a man in a forest, dragging a woman’s lifeless body.

Then, Teddy’s artwork becomes increasingly sinister, and his stick figures quickly evolve into lifelike sketches well beyond the ability of any five-year-old. Mallory begins to wonder if these are glimpses of a long-unsolved murder, perhaps relayed by a supernatural force.

Knowing just how crazy it all sounds, Mallory nevertheless sets out to decipher the images and save Teddy before it’s too late.]]> 372 Jason Rekulak 1250819342 Tania 0 to-read 4.12 2022 Hidden Pictures
author: Jason Rekulak
name: Tania
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Roofdier 58602432 Kaptein Alek Strauss, lid van die Fiskale se Spesiale Ondersoekeenheid, het nog nooit iets so gewetenloos teëgekom nie. Waar gaan die Woestynroos volgende toeslaan? Die Fiskale se forensiese speurwerk lewer geen leidrade op nie, en met elke grumoord word die moordenaar slinkser. Het die Woestynroos dalk ’n persoonlike vendetta?
Strauss is onseker of die FSO opgewasse is om dié duister ondersoek op te los. En wat van sy eie donker drifte? Gaan hy in staat wees om brigadier Jack Mabuza se bevele te gehoorsaam, en nie wéér oor die tou te trap nie?
’n Senutergende krimi-debuut deur Marie Lotz � ’n skrywer wat die bloederige donker onder ’n blink oppervlak blootlê.]]> 330 Marie Lotz 0798182067 Tania 3 2024, afrikaans, suspense
Ongelukkig het ek op 6% reeds een van die groot kinkels raak geraai en die ander die deel van die ontknoping was net te toevalling vir my smaak. Ten spyte daarvan het ek hierdie debuut in net een dag deurgedraf. So ek kan nie wag om te sien hoe Polsslag vergelyk nie.]]> 4.21 2021 Roofdier
author: Marie Lotz
name: Tania
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/29
date added: 2025/01/02
shelves: 2024, afrikaans, suspense
review:
3.5 sterre. Roofdier is my eerste Marie Lotz maar sal nie my laaste een wees nie. Ek het veral haar taalgebruik geniet, maar dit was ook lekker om 'n speuder, Kaptein Alek Strauss, te ontmoet wat nie 'n stereotipe is nie.

Ongelukkig het ek op 6% reeds een van die groot kinkels raak geraai en die ander die deel van die ontknoping was net te toevalling vir my smaak. Ten spyte daarvan het ek hierdie debuut in net een dag deurgedraf. So ek kan nie wag om te sien hoe Polsslag vergelyk nie.
]]> Polsslag (Afrikaans Edition) 61287974 Doktor Nadiya Patel, forensiese sielkundige, is vas oortuig die moordenaar se modus operandi is ’n waarskuwing dat nog lewens in gevaar is.

’n Meesleurende spanningsroman deur Marie Lotz, die skrywer vanĚýRoofdier.
Ěý]]> 358 Marie Lotz 0798182954 Tania 0 to-read 4.38 Polsslag (Afrikaans Edition)
author: Marie Lotz
name: Tania
average rating: 4.38
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Lincoln in the Bardo 29906980 Lincoln in the Bardo is a literary experience unlike any other—for no one but Saunders could conceive it.

February 1862. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnest, and the nation has begun to realize it is in for a long, bloody struggle. Meanwhile, President Lincoln's beloved eleven-year-old son, Willie, lies upstairs in the White House, gravely ill. In a matter of days, despite predictions of a recovery, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. "My poor boy, he was too good for this earth," the president says at the time. "God has called him home." Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returned to the crypt several times alone to hold his boy's body.

From that seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of its realistic, historical framework into a thrilling, supernatural realm both hilarious and terrifying. Willie Lincoln finds himself in a strange purgatory, where ghosts mingle, gripe, commiserate, quarrel, and enact bizarre acts of penance. Within this transitional state—called, in the Tibetan tradition, the bardo—a monumental struggle erupts over young Willie's soul.

Lincoln in the Bardo is an astonishing feat of imagination and a bold step forward from one of the most important and influential writers of his generation. Formally daring, generous in spirit, deeply concerned with matters of the heart, it is a testament to fiction's ability to speak honestly and powerfully to the things that really matter to us. Saunders has invented a thrilling new form that deploys a kaleidoscopic, theatrical panorama of voices—living and dead, historical and invented—to ask a timeless, profound question: How do we live and love when we know that everything we love must end?]]> 368 George Saunders 0812995341 Tania 3
Even though I found it entertaining and well written from the get-go, I don’t think I would have enjoyed it half as much if I tried to read it, as the cast of narrators on the audio version is fantastic and added another layer to this unusual experience.

I must give the author his dues as by the end I really connected to the main characters and felt quite sad for all of them. The whole idea of being stuck in the Bardo is probably also one of the saddest things I’ve ever read.
]]> 3.75 2017 Lincoln in the Bardo
author: George Saunders
name: Tania
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/26
date added: 2025/01/02
shelves: 2024, audio, historical-fiction
review:
I’ve been wanting to listen to Lincoln in the Bardo for a while now, but was a little bit hesitant to use one of my audible credits as some people violently hated this novel. So, when I saw this title on sale for next to nothing, I decided this was the perfect opportunity to get it.

Even though I found it entertaining and well written from the get-go, I don’t think I would have enjoyed it half as much if I tried to read it, as the cast of narrators on the audio version is fantastic and added another layer to this unusual experience.

I must give the author his dues as by the end I really connected to the main characters and felt quite sad for all of them. The whole idea of being stuck in the Bardo is probably also one of the saddest things I’ve ever read.

]]> We Were the Lucky Ones 30267929
As one sibling is forced into exile, another attempts to flee the continent, while others struggle to escape certain death, either by working grueling hours on empty stomachs in the factories of the ghetto or by hiding as gentiles in plain sight. Driven by an unwavering will to survive and by the fear that they may never see one another again, the Kurcs must rely on hope, ingenuity, and inner strength to persevere.

An extraordinary, propulsive novel, We Were the Lucky Ones demonstrates how in the face of the twentieth century’s darkest moment, the human spirit can endure and even thrive.]]> 403 Georgia Hunter 0399563083 Tania 5
As the family members get separated from each other we travel to France, Germany, Russia, Africa and even South America, giving us glimpses into how the war affected each of these countries. Another element that I liked was the brief historical synopsis and timeline data prefacing many of the chapters which provided a bigger picture and helped me understand the exact sequence of events in WWII.

Each chapter is told from the viewpoint of one of the family members and even though it took a moment to connect with so many characters, it was definitely worthwhile in the end. Obviously the fact that approximately 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust is horrifying, “living� through each family members harrowing experience made it so much more real though. I highly recommend this fictionalized account of the author’s grandfathers family.
]]> 4.39 2017 We Were the Lucky Ones
author: Georgia Hunter
name: Tania
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/26
date added: 2025/01/02
shelves: 2024, best, favorite-books, historical-fiction
review:
They say truth is always stranger than fiction and We Were the Lucky Ones proves this once again. The story follows a Jewish family, the parents and their five adult children, starting in Poland in 1939, just prior to WWII. There are so many elements I loved about this novel, the first one being that we get to see how each family member had a different experience during the war where not everyone ended up in a concentration camp.

As the family members get separated from each other we travel to France, Germany, Russia, Africa and even South America, giving us glimpses into how the war affected each of these countries. Another element that I liked was the brief historical synopsis and timeline data prefacing many of the chapters which provided a bigger picture and helped me understand the exact sequence of events in WWII.

Each chapter is told from the viewpoint of one of the family members and even though it took a moment to connect with so many characters, it was definitely worthwhile in the end. Obviously the fact that approximately 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust is horrifying, “living� through each family members harrowing experience made it so much more real though. I highly recommend this fictionalized account of the author’s grandfathers family.

]]> My Friends 217163697 #1ĚýNew York TimesĚýbestselling author Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a stranger’s life twenty-five years later.

Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an artist herself, knows otherwise and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures.

Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their difficult home lives by spending their days laughing and telling stories out on a pier. There’s Joar, who never backs down from a fight; quiet and bookish Ted who is mourning his father; Ali, the daughter of a man who never stays in one place for long; and finally, there’s the artist, a boy who hoards sleeping pills and shuns attention, but who possesses an extraordinary gift that might be his ticket to a better life. These four lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream.

Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be put into eighteen-year-old Louisa’s care. As she struggles to decide what to do with this bequest, she embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to learn the story of how the painting came to be. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more she feels compelled to unleash her own artistic spirit, but happy endings don’t always take the form we expect in this fresh testament to the transformative power of friendship and art.]]> 448 Fredrik Backman 1982112824 Tania 0 to-read 4.59 2025 My Friends
author: Fredrik Backman
name: Tania
average rating: 4.59
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Summer Queen (Eleanor of Aquitaine, #1)]]> 16125281
This stunning novel introduces an Eleanor that all other writers have missed. Based on the most up-to-date research, it is the first novel to show Eleanor beginning her married life at 13.

Overflowing with scandal, passion, triumph and tragedy, Eleanor's legendary story begins when her beloved father dies in the summer of 1137, and she is made to marry the young prince Louis of France. A week after the marriage she becomes a queen and her life will change beyond recognition . . .]]> 478 Elizabeth Chadwick 1847445454 Tania 0 to-read 4.07 2013 The Summer Queen (Eleanor of Aquitaine, #1)
author: Elizabeth Chadwick
name: Tania
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Lust for Life 79834
"Vincent is not dead. He will never die. His love, his genius, the great beauty he has created will go on forever, enriching the world... He was a colossus... a great painter... a great philosopher... a martyr to his love of art. "

Walking down the streets of Paris the young Vincent Van Gogh didn't feel like he belonged. Battling poverty, repeated heartbreak and familial obligation, Van Gogh was a man plagued by his own creative urge but with no outlet to express it. Until the day he picked up a paintbrush.

Written with raw insight and emotion, follow the artist through his tormented life, struggling against critical discouragement and mental turmoil and bare witness to his creative journey from a struggling artist to one of the world's most celebrated artists.]]> 431 Irving Stone 0099416425 Tania 0 to-read 4.22 1934 Lust for Life
author: Irving Stone
name: Tania
average rating: 4.22
book published: 1934
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa]]> 144214
WHEN A CROCODILE EATS THE SUN is a stirring memoir of the disintegration of a family set against the collapse of a country. But it is also a vivid portrait of the profound strength of the human spirit and the enduring power of love.]]> 344 Peter Godwin 0316158941 Tania 0 to-read 4.15 2006 When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa
author: Peter Godwin
name: Tania
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> All the Water in the World 211003759 In the tradition of Station Eleven, a literary thriller set partly on the roof of New York’s Museum of Natural History in a flooded future.

All the Water in the World is told in the voice of a girl gifted with a deep feeling for water. In the years after the glaciers melt, Nonie, her older sister and her parents and their researcher friends have stayed behind in an almost deserted New York City, creating a settlement on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History. The rule: Take from the exhibits only in dire need. They hunt and grow their food in Central Park as they work to save the collections of human history and science. When a superstorm breaches the city’s flood walls, Nonie and her family must escape north on the Hudson. They carry with them a book that holds their records of the lost collections. Racing on the swollen river towards what may be safety, they encounter communities that have adapted in very different and sometimes frightening ways to the new reality. But they are determined to find a way to make a new world that honors all they've saved.

Inspired by the stories of the curators in Iraq and Leningrad who worked to protect their collections from war, All the Water in the World is both a meditation on what we save from collapse and an adventure story—with danger, storms, and a fight for survival. In the spirit of From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Parable of the Sower, this wild journey offers the hope that what matters most � love and work, community and knowledge � will survive.]]> 304 Eiren Caffall 1250353521 Tania 0 to-read 3.58 2025 All the Water in the World
author: Eiren Caffall
name: Tania
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Don't Let Him In 220160814 Three women are connected by one man in this kaleidoscopic thriller.

Restauranteur Paddy Swann was the life of the party until the day a man pushed him in the path of an oncoming train, leaving his twenty-something daughter Ash and wife Nina devastated. Shortly after Paddy’s funeral, the two women receive a surprise in the mail: a note and package from Nick Ratcliffe, an old friend of Paddy’s, and a nondescript lighter that once belonged to him decades ago. This unexpected gift draws Nick and Nina closer together—much to Ash’s dismay.

Martha is a small-town florist with dreams of expansion. She lives with her second husband Al, her baby, and two sons from her prior marriage. But they never seem to have any money, and with his constant traveling for work, she feels like a single parent—especially when an emergency makes her realize something needs to change.

But Nick and Al may not be who they say they are, leading these three women on a shocking collision course, wishing they had heeded a warning: Don’t let him in.]]> 368 Lisa Jewell 1668033879 Tania 0 to-read 4.00 2025 Don't Let Him In
author: Lisa Jewell
name: Tania
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Atmosphere 220817728 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six comes an epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s Space Shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits.

Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as aunt to her precocious niece, Frances. That is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA’s Space Shuttle program. Suddenly, Joan burns to be one of the few people to go to space.

Selected from a pool of thousands of applicants in the summer of 1980, Joan begins training at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilot Hank Redmond and scientist John Griffin, who are kind and easy-going even when the stakes are highest; mission specialist Lydia Danes, who has worked too hard to play nice; warm-hearted Donna Fitzgerald, who is navigating her own secrets; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer, who can fix any engine and fly any plane.

As the new astronauts become unlikely friends and prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined. In this new light, Joan begins to question everything she thinks she knows about her place in the observable universe.

Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, everything changes in an instant.

Fast-paced, thrilling, and emotional, Atmosphere is Taylor Jenkins Reid at her best: transporting readers to iconic times and places, with complex protagonists, telling a passionate and soaring story about the transformative power of love, this time among the stars.]]> 352 Taylor Jenkins Reid 0593158717 Tania 0 to-read 4.44 2025 Atmosphere
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Tania
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Emperor of Gladness 219848315 Ocean Vuong returns with a big-hearted novel about chosen family, unexpected friendship, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive

One late summer evening in the post-industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, nineteen-year-old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge in pelting rain, ready to jump, when he hears someone shout across the river. The voice belongs to Grazina, an elderly widow succumbing to dementia, who convinces him to take another path. Bereft and out of options, he quickly becomes her caretaker. Over the course of the year, the unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond, one built on empathy, spiritual reckoning, and heartbreak, with the power to alter Hai’s relationship to himself, his family, and a community at the brink.

Following the cycles of history, memory, and time, The Emperor of Gladness shows the profound ways in which love, labor, and loneliness form the bedrock of American life. At its heart is a brave epic about what it means to exist on the fringes of society and to reckon with the wounds that haunt our collective soul. Hallmarks of Vuong’s writing � formal innovation, syntactic dexterity, and the ability to twin grit with grace through tenderness � are on full display in this story of loss, hope, and how far we would go to possess one of life’s most fleeting mercies: a second chance.]]> 416 Ocean Vuong 059383187X Tania 0 to-read 4.35 2025 The Emperor of Gladness
author: Ocean Vuong
name: Tania
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> We All Live Here 213243915 The #1 New York Times bestselling author, whose books so many love, brings us a fresh, contemporary story of a woman and her unruly blended family

Lila Kennedy has a lot on her plate. A broken marriage, two wayward daughters, a house that is falling apart, and an elderly stepfather who seems to have quietly moved in. Her career is in freefall and her love life is . . . complicated. So when her real dad—a man she has barely seen since he ran off to Hollywood thirty-five years ago—suddenly appears on her doorstep, it feels like the final straw. But it turns out even the family you thought you could never forgive might have something to teach about love, and what it actually means to be family.]]> 450 Jojo Moyes 1984879324 Tania 0 to-read 3.89 2025 We All Live Here
author: Jojo Moyes
name: Tania
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Great Big Beautiful Life 218559595 Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping new novel from Emily Henry.

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: To write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years--or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the 20th Century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad…depending on who’s telling it.]]> 384 Emily Henry 059344129X Tania 0 to-read 4.26 2025 Great Big Beautiful Life
author: Emily Henry
name: Tania
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil]]> 215020997 London, 1837.
Boston, 2019.

Three young women, their bodies planted in the same soil, their stories tangling like roots.

One grows high, and one grows deep, and one grows wild.

And all of them grow teeth.]]> 560 Victoria E. Schwab 1035064642 Tania 0 to-read 4.38 2025 Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil
author: Victoria E. Schwab
name: Tania
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Blue Sisters 195430687 Three estranged siblings return to their family home in New York after their beloved sister's death in this unforgettable story of grief, identity, and the complexities of family.

The three Blue sisters are exceptional—and exceptionally different. Avery, the eldest and a recovering heroin addict turned strait-laced lawyer, lives with her wife in London; Bonnie, a former boxer, works as a bouncer in Los Angeles following a devastating defeat; and Lucky, the youngest, models in Paris while trying to outrun her hard-partying ways. They also had a fourth sister, Nicky, whose unexpected death left Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky reeling. A year later, as they each navigate grief, addiction, and ambition, they find they must return to New York to stop the sale of the apartment they were raised in.

But coming home is never as easy as it seems. As the sisters reckon with the disappointments of their childhood and the loss of the only person who held them together, they realize the greatest secrets they've been keeping might not have been from each other, but from themselves.]]> 342 Coco Mellors 0593723767 Tania 3 2024, fiction
The author aptly portrays the complexities of sisterhood in a household with an absent mother and a violent father. My only critique is that I wish I had felt a deeper emotional connection with these characters—experiencing their emotions, not just observing their actions.



]]> 3.94 2024 Blue Sisters
author: Coco Mellors
name: Tania
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/16
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: 2024, fiction
review:
3.5 stars. This novel follows the surviving Blue sisters—Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky—after the tragic loss of their fourth sibling, Nicky. I enjoyed getting to know each of these unique characters and found their individual approaches to coping with grief to be both compelling and realistic.

The author aptly portrays the complexities of sisterhood in a household with an absent mother and a violent father. My only critique is that I wish I had felt a deeper emotional connection with these characters—experiencing their emotions, not just observing their actions.




]]> Gebooie (Afrikaans Edition) 215999113 En Kassie en Rooi moet hom vastrek. Maar dit is makliker gesĂŞ as gedaan.
Die moordtonele is smetloos, met slegs bisarre boodskappe by die lyke. Die slagoffers se hoë profiele veroorsaak ook ’n ongekende mediaherrie, wat bykomende druk op die ondersoekspan plaas.
Die Spesiale Spookeenheid se elite-speurspan tas behoorlik in die donker rond. Het hulle dié keer hulle meerdere teëgekom?]]> 400 Rudie van Rensburg 0795802722 Tania 3 4.36 Gebooie (Afrikaans Edition)
author: Rudie van Rensburg
name: Tania
average rating: 4.36
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/12
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves: 2024, afrikaans, bookclub, suspense
review:
Ek sukkel altyd so bietjie om in 'n Kassie in te kom, dis asof die reeks se boeke my nooit onmiddellik gryp nie. Ek wens ook dat ons bietjie groei in die hoofdkarakters kan sien. Maar dit bly altyd lekker om Afrikaans te lees en ek het die storielyn geniet toe dit eers aan die gang kom.
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