“A murder on the high seas. A detective duo. A demon who may or may not exist.” I definitely picked a winner for my first book of the year! I loved the writing in The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, so I was really looking forward to reading Stuart Turton’s latest book.

The Devil and the Dark Water is a true mystery/detective book that slowly sinks its teeth into you and then doesn’t let you go. I will admit that it took me a while to get adjusted to the writing style and language, but before I realized what happened I was completely hooked. I may have neglected some of my chores because I couldn’t stop listening.

Turton will keep you guessing about the story and the characters right up until the end of the book. This was a fabulous book to kick of the reading year!

Add this to your TBR!!!!

I’m not sure I would have picked this one up on my own, but that is the beauty of book clubs. I’m so glad I read this one and highly recommend it

This is a research-based book that focuses on unconscious bias and how it affects us as individuals and society. I found it easy to read and relate to much of what the author said (not always the case in books that tackle hard subjects). I also found it encouraging… striving to be a “good-ish” person rather than always knowing the right things to do or say is an easy concept to embrace.

This is definitely a book to read if you want to be someone who makes a positive impact in both big and small ways.

Have you ever been totally conflicted about a book? I loved this book. It was hard to put it down.

The story is beautiful and the characters are so well written they feel like friends. It is truly an historical journey across the 300 years in the life of Addie LaRue.

I gave this book 5 starts and it deserves all of them, no doubt.

I have reservations, though, because I felt like the book glorifies things (demons, making deals with the Devil) that I don’t believe should be glorified. I might not have picked it up if I had known that, and while I would definitely be missing an awesome book, I wouldn’t feel quite so itchy and scratchy.

I’m not discouraging anyone from reading it, like I said, I loved it. I just feel like I need to bathe in Holy Water and go to confession.

Anyone else feel like that after they read it? Is there another book that made you feel that way?

Such a well written story!

While it does have somewhat of a Harry Potter feel, with magical/unusual kids and a paternal caregiver, it is its own adorable, imaginative tale.

It’s not just the story of misfit kids, it’s a story about redemption, acceptance, and unconditional love. I fell in love with the kids and cheered for the main character, Linus, as he struggled with his internal and external challenges and dilemmas.

This is a book that I recommend across the board. Even if you are not necessarily a magical fan, you will find so many things to love about this book.

Chime in if you read this one and loved it!

Still working my way through Philippa Gregory’s Plantagenet and Tudor Novels. I love how she is able to combine the factual history with her imagination to create so many fascinating stories.

The Virgin’s Lover tells the tale of Queen Elizabeth I in the early years of her reign; her struggles as a new queen and her struggles as a young, single woman searching for love.

It’s not my favorite of her books, but I enjoyed it all the way through.

This was another book club read and it was such a fun book!!!

The story itself is a crazy tale of love, family, and lifelong pursuits. Want a book that makes you laugh out loud and cry with all the feels? This book will do just that.

The characters were real- loveable, funny, and frustrating. You’ll love them, want to smack them, and cheer for them (sometimes all at once).

I recommend this book when you want a fun, easy read but also has some real themes in it.

If you are a Matthew McConaughey fan, you will love this book because it gives a private perspective on so many public things we’ve seen happen in his life.

I highly recommend listening to the audiobook…. it truly feels like Matthew McConaughey is sitting next to you having a fireside chat.

I enjoyed this book, but I will say that his casual attitude towards drugs was very off-putting. That part probably won’t bother others, but that was the difference between a three star book and a four star book for me.

This was a very entertaining book and even if you are a prude like me, I recommend it (especially the audiobook!

I learned about this book during Dave Hollis’s Goal Getter Challenge and I’m glad I picked it up.

Donald Miller is transparent as he discusses the successes and failures in his relationships, and that transparency is one of the strengths of the book. I appreciated and could relate to many of his stories.

This one is a good read, I think you will find many nuggets of useful information. I wasn’t over-the-moon with it like a lot of reviewers, but I do recommend it.

Whew. Where to even start with this one?

At its core, this is a book about fear and it’s frightening how apropos it is for our current state of affairs. Global pandemic, civil unrest, zombie sleepwalkers… this book has it all.

Although I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, it was the wide array of characters that made the book most interesting to me. The plotlines were eerily prescient and that made the book even more unputdownable.

If you’re a fan of apocalyptic novels and like to be freaked out by the books you read, this is definitely the book for you.

This is the story of two sisters divided by time, distance, and their family history. Told by both sisters, their perspectives of the past paint a picture of how they became the people they are today and how their past shaped each of their presents.

I loved the dual narrators. Barbara O’Neal did a fabulous job presenting two sides of the same coin and making both sisters worthy of understanding and redemption.

Of all the themes in this book, redemption and forgiveness were the two that spoke the loudest to my heart. How much can someone hurt you until you cannot find it in your heart to forgive them? Should toxic family members be given more chances than others in your life? How low can someone go before they are unredeemable?

Although these themes are kind of heavy for a beach read, the ocean plays such a prominent role I felt like I should be reading it on the beach. It made for a nice escape from the snow and frigid temperatures here in Wisconsin.

Add this one to your TBR and don’t wait until you get to the beach to read this!

I have heard about this book for years (it was originally published in August of 2013). I don’t know how many different people have recommended it, yet I never made it a priority to read until now.

This book will take you back to exactly where you were when you heard the news on 9/11 and at times I had to stop reading because those feelings were overwhelming.

Overall, this is a wonderfully positive book about goodness in the midst of the evil.

This wasn’t a long book, but it did take me time to get through it. There may never be a “good time” to read it, but definitely add this to your TBR and read it when the mood strikes you.

This was a quick, easy, and really fun read.

Set back in the ’70s, this book had some fun throwbacks. The pacing of the story keeps it light and easy, and the story itself is intriguing enough to keep the pages turning.

This is a quirky who-dunnit that will keep you entertained from beginning to end. Read this one when you need a break from real life!

Are you looking for a crazy psychological thriller that is HEAVY on the psycho??? Then this book is calling your name (in a super, creepy way).

At 375 pages, this book isn’t particularly long, but it is a slow burn that takes a little while to warm up to. Before you realize it, you will be completely sucked in and then it’s like watching a train wreck. No matter how much you might want to look away, you just can’t.

Add this to your TBR… if slow-burn psychological thrillers are your jam, you will love it!

Looking for a mystery novel with a great cast of characters and a mystery that will keep you guessing? Truly, Devious is the book for you.

The story unfolds in dual timelines: the original unsolved mystery of the disappearances of businessman and school founder Albert Ellingham’s wife and daughter, and the current mystery surrounding modern-day student Stevie Bell and her quest to solve their disappearances.

Johnson does a great job weaving these two timelines and mysteries together. She drops hints throughout the entire book, yet you never have a firm grasp on whodunnit. Good thing, since the mystery continues through three more books.

I enjoyed Stevie and her friends as a fun, quirky bunch of characters. I’m crossing my fingers that Johnson doesn’t pull a Game of Thrones and kill them all off!

Grab this one (and its sequels) for a quick, well-paced, classic mystery!

Full disclosure! One of my high school friends wrote this and I originally bought and read it just to show support for him. HOWEVER….. I absolutely loved this book and gave it 5 stars because it’s awesome.

“Dog Dad Diary is the mostly-true story about one man and his family’s struggle to get through their mischievous Rhodesian Ridgeback Roxy’s never-ending puppy phase. Richard documented their journey with periodic journal entries detailing their pain. But little did he know, Roxy had a few things to say as well!” – from the author’s website.

Not surprisingly, the book is written as a series of diary entries chronicling his family’s adventures with their Rhodesian Ridgeback pup. The format of the book makes it easy to put down and pick up where you left off, although it’s so funny and easy to read, you won’t put it down often.

If you’ve ever raised a puppy, you will relate to Richard’s struggles as a dog dad. If you are a dog lover, you will nod your head along with his escapades with Roxy. If you are a book lover, you will laugh your way through all of their struggles and escapades.

The best part of the book (IMHO) are Roxy’s contributions. Yes, Roxy actually writes in the diary, too, and her perspective when contrasted with her owner’s are hysterical. I got more than a few curious glances because I literally burst out laughing during parts of this book.

I highly recommend this book to everyone, even cat lovers. Grab it on your kindle and keep it close so you will always have a laugh nearby!