Book Reviews

What Moves The Dead  by T. Kingfisher (2022) A retelling of Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher . Laura’s Rating: 1/5 Stars Plot : Alex Easton visits a childhood friend, Madeline Usher, after receiving a letter that she is dying. At the House of Usher, Alex discovers a grotesque overgrowth of fungus, mold, and decay among the crumbling Usher estate. Analysis :I didn’t enjoy this book. The mushroom/fungus focused horror didn’t really do much for me and reminded me of Mexican

My Year in Books 2025- Best and Worst My goal was to read 60 books this year and I (just) made it! I did set my goal before I knew I’d be starting a masters program this year, so I feel pretty good about getting as much reading done as I did. Here are my top 5 and bottom 5 books that I read this year: Best Books of 2025: The Silent Companions (4.5/5 Stars) The Life We Bury (4.5 Stars) An American Marriage (4 Stars) Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (4 Stars) All the

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter (2024) Two mystery writers are thrown into a mystery of their own where the stakes are life and death. Laura’s Rating: 4/5 Stars Plot : Cozy mystery author Maggie Chase and cool guy crime writer Ethan Wyatt are both invited to spend Christmas with a mysterious fan at a huge estate in England. Two problems: Maggie hates Wyatt, who can’t even bother to remember her name… and their host goes missing shortly after their arrival.

The Winter People  by Jennifer McMahon (2014) A generational tale of witchcraft and mystery. Laura’s Rating: 3/5 Stars Plot : Sara Harrison Shea was found dead in 1908, just months after the death of her young daughter. In present day, Ruthie and her family live in Sara’s old farmhouse. When Ruthie’s mom goes missing, she finds old journals from Sara that just might help her figure out what happened back then and what is happening now. Analysis : This book is closer to what I

The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared  by Jonas Jonasson (2009) A story of one man’s life spanning decades and countries. Laura’s Rating: 3/5 Stars Plot : On his 100th birthday, Allan Karlsson decides to escape his nursing home and go on an adventure. Along the way he encounters criminals, an elephant, and an interesting cast of friends. Flashbacks also show insight into Allan’s colorful life, which turns out to be closely entwined with some major hi

The Other Woman  by Sandie Jones (2018) A suspenseful domestic drama about a potential nightmare of a mother-in-law.   Laura’s Rating: 3.5/5 Stars Plot : Emily is infatuated with her boyfriend Adam, but not as much with his mother, Pammie. Is Pammie just an over-attentive mother or is she purposely trying to get rid of the woman taking up her son’s attention? Opinion : For the most part, I enjoyed the characters in the book. I felt for Emily, although at times it seemed like

West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman (2023) A meta murder mystery where the reader feels like a character in the story. Laura’s Rating: 3.5/5 Stars Plot : Detective Adam McAnnis is invited to the exclusive West Heart country club for a weekend of revelry. The story has all the makings of a great mystery: a remote hunting club, a suspicious cast of characters, and a morally gray detective. Be ready for the author to take you on a journey to uncover the truth. Analysis : The narrat

World War Z by Max Brooks (2006) The inspiration for the 2013 movie of the same name. Laura’s Rating: 4/5 Stars Plot : A fictional account of a zombie apocalypse, told through interviews featuring various perspectives across the world. Analysis : Listen to the audiobook!! I think the regular text might read a bit choppy, but the different voice actors portraying the perspectives from across the globe help relay the story as intended as a collected oral history. Rather than a

In a Dark, Dark Wood  by Ruth Ware (2016) A thriller set in a chilling remote cabin. Laura’s Rating: 3/5 Stars Plot : Nora is invited to her ex-best friend Clare’s bachelorette party at a secluded cabin. Reluctantly convinced by their mutual friend Nina to go to the party, Nora is greeted by Clare’s new friends and by secrets from her past. Analysis: The pacing of this book was all over the place. I was definitely intrigued by the setup and I was dying to know what happened,

Weyward  by Emilia Hart (2023) A 2023 Goodreads Choice winner about three women connected across centuries. Laura’s Rating: 2/5 Stars Plot : Told in three timelines, the story follows three women: Altha, a woman accused of witchcraft in the 1600s; Violet, a young woman during WWII; and Kate, a modern woman fleeing an abusive relationship. Each of the women has a connection to nature and to one another. Analysis: The pace is pretty slow and the story wasn’t incredibly engaging

The Accidental Tourist  by Anne Tyler (1985) A journey of self discovery for a man who loves routine and efficiency. Laura’s Rating:...

Tom Lake  by Ann Patchett (2023) A nostalgic story of life and love told by a mother to her three daughters. Laura’s Rating: 3/5 Stars...

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder  by Holly Jackson (2019) A YA murder mystery involving a teenager that went missing 5 years earlier....

One Golden Summer  by Carley Fortune (2025) A summer romance perfect for a trip to the lake or the beach. Laura’s Rating: 3.5/5 Stars...

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer (2024) An off-the-wall horror that goes from creeping dread to insanity. Laura’s Rating: 4/5 Stars...

The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell (2017) A gothic thriller with a supernatural twist. Laura’s Rating: 4.5/5 Stars Plot : When Elsie...

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil  by John Berendt (1994) “The tourists would leave Savannah in a few hours, enchanted by the...

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires  by Grady Hendrix (2020) A story of female friendship when faced with a threat in the...

The Shadows We Hide by Allen Eskens  (2018) The sequel to The Life We Bury featuring Joe Talbert uncovering another mystery, this time...

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman (1995) A dystopian philosophical novel originally published in French.  Laura’s Rating:...

The God of the Woods  by Liz Moore (2024) A tale of missing children decades apart, connected through one summer camp. Laura’s Rating:...

If We Were Villains  by M. L. Rio (2017) A dark academia style novel about friends caught up in a Shakespearean tragedy.  Laura’s Rating:...

Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín (2009) The story of a young Irish immigrant’s journey to and time in America. Laura’s Rating: 2/5 Stars Plot :...

All the Missing Girls  by Megan Miranda (2016) A unique thriller told mostly in reverse. Laura’s Rating: 2.5/5 Stars Plot: Nicolette left...

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros (2025) The third installment in the Fourth Wing series. **Potential light spoilers for the first two books....

The Crescent Moon Tearoom  by Stacy Sivinski (2014) A whimsical tale of magic, fate, and sisterhood.  Laura’s Rating: 3.5/5 Stars Plot :...

An American Marriage  by Tayari Jones (2018) An examination of a relationship impacted by a wrongful conviction. Laura’s Rating: 4/5...

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (2010) An exploration of the human experience shrouded in mystery. Laura’s Rating: 2/5 Stars Plot :...

The Lake of Lost Girls  by Katherine Greene (2024) A thriller that acknowledges and critiques society’s obsession with true crime....

All the Light We Cannot See  by Anthony Doerr (2014) A historical fiction that weaves together different stories during WWII.  Laura’s...

Ghost 19 by Simone St. James (2022) A short mystery with a potentially supernatural twist. Laura’s Rating: 3/5 Stars Plot : Seeking some...

Carmilla  by Sheridan Le Fanu (1872) Thought we were done with vampires after Nosferatu ? Wrong! This is one of the original vampire...

The Hooligans of Kandahar  by Joseph Kassabian (2022) An irreverent account of a soldier’s time in Afghanistan. Laura’s Rating: 3/5 Stars...

The Lighthouse Witches  by C.J. Cooke (2021) A story of witchcraft, disappearances, and family secrets spanning decades.  Laura’s Rating:...

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?  by Dr. Julie Smith (2022) Tips and tricks to help your maintain mental health and deal with...

Britt-Marie Was Here  by Fredrik Backman (2014) A heartwarming story translated from the original Swedish into English in 2016. Laura’s...

The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens (2014) A story of troubled individuals and their search for the truth. Laura’s Rating: 4.5/5 Stars Plot : Joe Talbert is tasked with writing a biography of a stranger for his college English course. He chooses Carl, a dying Vietnam veteran convicted of murdering a young girl 30 years earlier. He struggles to make sense of Carl’s heroism in contrast to his heinous crime and ends up on a quest to uncover the truth about what happened 30 years a

The Grey Wolf  by Louise Penny (2024) The 19th installment in the Armand Gamache series. Laura’s Rating: 3/5 Stars Plot : Chief Inspector...

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (2023) The second installment in the Fourth Wing series. The next book, Onyx Storm, releases tomorrow!...

Murder Road  by Simone St. James (2024) A supernatural thriller set in a small town.   Laura’s Rating: 3/5 Stars Plot : Newlyweds April...

My Year in Books 2024- Best and Worst Whew! I just barely made my reading goal this year (shoutout t o A Series of Unfortunate Events ...

The Overnight Guest  by Heather Gudenkauf (2022) A thriller featuring several timelines and plotlines that come together.  Laura’s...

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore  by Matthew Sullivan (2017) A bookstore based mystery exploring a young woman's traumatic past....

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow  by Gabrielle Zevin (2022) An exploration of friendship, creativity, and the trials of life. Laura’s...

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult (2016) An examination of race, privilege, and perspective . Laura’s Rating: 3.5/5 Stars Plot : Ruth...

The Best of H.P. Lovecraft: Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre by H.P. Lovecraft A collection of some of Lovecraft’s most...

The Halloween Tree  by Ray Bradbury (1972) A fantastical adventure that surveys Halloween traditions across time. Laura’s Rating: 3.5/5...

Misery  by Stephen King (1987) A story of horror, survival, and desperation. Laura’s Rating: 2/5 Stars Plot: Author Paul Sheldon awakens...

Hell Bent  by Leigh Bardugo (2023) A twisted sequel to a story of supernatural forces on a college campus. Laura’s Rating: 3.5/5 Stars...

Ninth House  by Leigh Bardugo (2019) A dark and mysterious tale of secret societies, magic, and murder. Laura’s Rating: 4/5 Stars Plot :...