Book Reviews

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 :...

The Grownup  by Gillian Flynn (2015) A short story initially published as What Do You Do? in the 2014 anthology Rogues .  Laura’s Rating:...

House of Leaves  by Mark Z. Danielewski (2000) An experimental novel with atypical formatting including many footnotes, text printed...

The Invisible Man  by H.G. Wells (1897) A blend of early science fiction and horror that resulted in an iconic character. Laura’s Rating:...

A Death in Door County  by Annelise Ryan (2022) A cozy tale of mystery and intrigue set in charming and picturesque Door County,...

The End of Your Life Book Club  by Will Schwalbe (2012) A mother and son’s relationship is enhanced by reading in the final years of the...

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2021) A profile of a famous set of siblings and a detailing of a party gone awry. Laura’s Rating:...

The Wife Upstairs  by Rachel Hawkins (2021) A modern reimagining of Jane Eyre including character names and other references. Laura’s...

Funny Story by Emily Henry (2024) A romance between two unlikely characters thrown together by circumstance. Laura’s Rating: 4/5 Stars...

Jane Eyre  by Charlotte Brontë (1847) A literary classic sprinkled with romance and social commentary. Laura’s Rating: 3/5 Stars Plot :...

BOOK 📚 AND MOVIE 🎥 REVIEW 📚I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid (2016) Laura’s Rating: 3.5/5 Stars Plot: A young woman is unsure...

The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder  by Charles Graeber (2014) A thorough true crime story about a prolific...

My Husband by Maud Ventura (2023) A look inside the mind of a disturbed woman spiraling with her irrational thoughts. Laura’s Rating: 2/5...

The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell (2023) A friendly baking competition turns deadly in this charming mystery. Laura’s Rating: 3/5 Stars...

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain (2012) A case for the importance and appreciation of...

The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle (2012) A genre bending examination of the way society treats the mentally ill in America. Laura’s...

Surviving to Drive by Guenther Steiner (2023) A look inside the mind and experiences of a Formula 1 Racing team principal. Laura’s...

Foe by Iain Reid (2018) A haunting and uneasy domestic drama told through a science-fiction lens. Laura’s Rating: 4/5 Stars Plot: Set in...

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh (2015) A dark story about a young woman seeking a better life. Laura’s Rating: 1.5/5 Stars Plot: Eileen, now...

Asylum by William Seabrook (1935) A true account of an asylum patient in the 1930s. Laura’s Rating: 4/5 Stars Plot: Author William...

The Inmate by Freida McFadden (2022) A thriller that devolves into absolute absurdity. Laura’s Rating: 2/5 Stars Plot: Single mother...

Once Upon a Tome by Oliver Darkshire (2023) A collection of short stories and memories of working at a rare bookstore. Laura’s Rating:...

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz (2023) A locked room thriller featuring young writers desperate for a chance at success. Laura’s...

Finals Girls by Riley Sager (2017) A twisty and engaging thriller with a wild ending. Laura’s Rating: 3.5/5 Stars Plot: Quincy Carpenter...

The Club by Ellery Lloyd (2022) A scandalous telling of the disastrous opening of an exclusive club. Laura’s Rating: 3/5 Stars Plot: The...

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (2023) A 2023 Goodreads Choice Award winner that has fantasy, romance, and intrigue. Laura’s Rating: 4/5...

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger (2022) A scandalous locked room mystery featuring old friends and old secrets. Laura’s Rating:...

The Holdout by Graham Moore (2020) Part legal thriller, part murder mystery. Laura’s Rating: 2.5/5 Stars Plot: The teenage daughter of a...

The Measure by Nikki Erlick (2022) A thought provoking concept driven by a cast of characters. Laura’s Rating: 4/5 Stars Plot: One day,...

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware (2018) A mystery with an intriguing premise and a slow build up followed by a wild ending....

Merry Christmas! The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson (2023) A festive yet haunting novella. Laura’s Rating: 4/5 Stars Plot: An American...

One Day in December by Josie Silver (2018) A story of heartbreak, romance, and friendship spanning 10 years. Laura’s Rating: 3.5/5 Stars...

Silence for the Dead by Simone St. James (2014) A chilling tale with an interesting historical backdrop. Laura’s Rating: 4.5/5 Stars...

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson (2019) An original and thoughtful novel on finding unexpected love and purpose. Laura’s Rating: 4.5/5...

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (1955) A controversial and shocking novel detailing a man’s obsession with a young girl. Laura’s Rating: 2.5/5...

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (2019) A charming and thoughtful take on the idea of time travel. Laura’s Rating:...

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (1898) A classic horror novella that’s been adapted many times, most recently as Netflix’s The...

The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner (2023) Laura’s Rating: 1.5/5 Stars A story of romance and danger set during the height of...

Circe by Madeline Miller (2018) Laura’s Rating: 3/5 Stars A retelling of many famous Greek myths from the feminist perspective of a minor...