Strange Bedfellows

 Amanda Mortlock

Rating: ⭐⭐ ½
Genre: Romance + Fantasy

Strange Bedfellows has a very interesting premise, which is why the book caught my attention, and I decided to get it from NetGalley. The story is about a girl (Cleo) who can transform into a cat. She takes the form of the cat of her new love interest, Wes, who is also a witch! Their pets also have their own POVs and the story gets more complicated when Cleo decides that she wants to know what Wes is hiding. 

Multiple POVs are not my favorite thing in fiction, but I have no problem with it if it is well implemented. I usually don't have much trouble with multiple POVs, especially when the character's name is clearly given at the beginning of each chapter, but somehow I still found myself getting more confused the further I got into the book. The multiple plot threads, supernatural elements, and new ideas being introduced made tracking everything become a chore. The book seems to assume that adding more and more ideas will make the story more interesting, but it may have the opposite effect when those ideas aren't given enough room to develop. At some point I found myself trying to remember who was connected to whom rather than simply enjoying the story.

I can’t say I enjoyed the romance side of the story. I never felt much chemistry between the characters. I think it is very hard to be invested in their relationship when that chemistry is lacking. Another thing is that despite being an adult story, it gave me the vibes of YA books. This is not a bad thing, but it is not what I was expecting. I also feel a little more character development would have made a difference. 

If I have to pinpoint the biggest issue of the book, it would be its worldbuilding. There are many interesting concepts, yet they are not built upon or explained to make the fantasy side of the story work or make sense. There may be a good story buried underneath all these ideas, but for me there were just too many of them competing for attention. The original premise was interesting enough to get me to pick up the book, but the more I read, the less it worked for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book.

Key Themes

• Love
• Transformation
• Identity
• Magic
• Friendship
• Power

Out of Body

Chris Vanjonack

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Horror + Short Stories

Out of Body is a collection of short stories with a horror theme. The stories had some very interesting concepts, and that was most probably the biggest reason why I kept reading and being invested in them. I think the author had quite creative ideas combined with interesting situations. So I can say there was definitely enough originality to keep things interesting.

Unfortunately, I feel the horror side of these stories was not quite what I was hoping for. I went into this expecting something that would feel more genuinely creepy or unsettling, but the horror elements didn't have quite the impact I was hoping for. It felt more like a collection of fast-paced speculative stories with some horror mixed in.

The stories move very fast. Sometimes they moved so quickly that I felt like I had to run while reading them, if you know what I mean. I also didn't think the open ending worked for every story. Leaving some things unresolved can be effective, but when so many stories don't really give you a resolution, I started asking myself, "What's the point?" In some cases, I wanted just a little more closure.

Overall, this is a book with excellent concepts, and I recommend it for a one-time read to experience these ideas. The writing style is simple and easy to follow. If not for the writing or the stories, I feel the concepts used here will keep readers and fans of the horror and science fiction genres engaged and invested. I would give it a solid 3-star rating. I just wish I loved it more. 

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book.

Key Themes:

• Identity
• Death
• After Death
• Morality
• Grief
• Loss

I Am the Monster Under the Bed

Emily Zinnikas

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Horror + Mystery Thriller

I Am the Monster Under the Bed is the story of Willa, who returns to her hometown years after a devastating massacre that left her as the only survivor. As she tries to confront what happened, memories of the strange entity that visited her under her bed as a child begin to resurface, while the mysteries surrounding the town, the forest, and the killings gradually come back into focus.

I went into this expecting a horror novel, but for me, it worked much better as a mystery thriller with supernatural elements. Surprisingly, I found the atmosphere rather lacking for a horror story. There are certainly some creepy ideas and moments, but I never felt that sustained sense of dread or unease that I look for in horror. The book's premise is probably its strongest element, particularly the idea of a childhood "monster" that may be something considerably more complicated than a child's imagination.

My bigger issue was that there are simply too many ideas packed into the story. There is enough material here for a very intriguing supernatural mystery, but the novel keeps introducing additional concepts and plot threads, which made the overall story feel somewhat scattered. The pacing also felt uneven throughout—some sections moved nicely, followed by stretches that felt much slower than they needed to be. I kept waiting for everything to come together in a more satisfying way.

There were a few genuinely interesting moments, and I can see why the premise has appealed to so many readers. Unfortunately, those moments were too sporadic to push the book into like or love territory for me. It wasn't a bad read, but it never quite became the atmospheric horror story I was hoping for, nor did the mystery fully compensate for that. A decent 3-star read with an interesting premise that ultimately felt more ambitious than successful.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book.

Key Themes

• Guilt
• Trauma
• Memory
• Fear
• Isolation
• Secrets

Time to Burn

Ellery Lloyd

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ ½
Genre: Mystery Thriller

This is a time travel story that doesn’t go as planned. Tempus Tours, a huge tech company, is offering commercial time travel trips to wealthy people who want to capture important historical events. Phoebe Hunt, an award-winning filmmaker, is asked to make a documentary film about the whole thing and to witness at the same time the return of a group from their trip to the past. But things do not go as planned, and Phoebe finds herself in a challenging situation that needs her prompt action.

I found Time to Burn entertaining enough to give it 3.5 stars, although I was hoping for something stronger from its time-travel premise. I went into it thinking about some of the time-travel movies I have watched and loved, such as Predestination, Frequency, Pleasantville, The Time Traveler's Wife, and Somewhere in Time. Those stories each have their own distinct identity and, in different ways, manage to make their use of time travel feel emotionally or conceptually memorable. Time to Burn certainly kept me interested, but I never felt that same sense of discovery or lasting impact.

The biggest weakness for me was the character development. There is plenty happening to the characters, but I didn't feel that they developed enough for me to become particularly invested in them emotionally. The plot somehow became convoluted as the story progressed. There are lots of twists, timelines, revelations, and connections, and that can make it difficult to keep track of everything. I totally appreciate the ambition that the authors were going for, but I think the story might have benefited from being a little less complicated—putting more emphasis on its characters rather than continually adding another layer to the plot.

Ultimately, this was a fun and entertaining read, and that entertainment value is what carries it to 3.5 stars for me. I enjoyed the premise and wanted to see where everything would lead, even when the story became unnecessarily complicated. At the same time, I don't feel that Time to Burn has quite the identity that will make it memorable to me. I can appreciate what it was trying to do, but compared with the time-travel stories that have really stayed with me, this one feels more like an enjoyable read that I'll eventually move on from than a book I'll be thinking about long after finishing it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book.

Key Themes:

• Time Travel
• Power
• Wealth
• Fate
• Preservation of the Past

Beginning Middle End

Valeria Luiselli

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Literary Fiction

Beginning Middle End is a story that follows a mother and her daughter on a road trip through Sicily. They go to places where they share lots of family history, memories, storytelling, and their own shifting relationship. As the two travel together, the novel moves through a wide range of ideas and observations, allowing the present journey to intersect with the past and with larger questions about identity, migration, motherhood, and the stories we construct about ourselves and others.

Having also read Valeria Luiselli's Lost Children Archive, I couldn't help noticing how familiar the central setup felt. Both novels place a family on a road trip and use that journey as a framework for exploring much larger ideas. I gave Lost Children Archive three stars as well, and I found myself arriving at a remarkably similar reaction here. There is plenty to admire in Luiselli's approach, but the journey itself never became compelling enough for me to feel fully invested in where it was going.

That said, the problem was certainly not the writing. Luiselli's prose is beautiful, and I appreciated many of the subjects the novel engages with. As someone who loves literary fiction, I was quite happy to follow its reflections and digressions, at least in principle, and there is no shortage of interesting material beneath the surface. The novel is thoughtful and often intelligent, but I occasionally felt that my admiration for what it was doing was greater than my enjoyment of actually reading it.

Ultimately, the pacing was simply too slow for me. The story takes its time—and then takes a little more of it—and although that deliberate rhythm may work for readers who are completely absorbed by Luiselli's voice, I found myself waiting for the journey to gain a stronger sense of momentum. There is a great deal here that I genuinely liked, particularly the prose and the ideas, but the novel never quite came together in a way that made me want to rate it higher. A thoughtful and beautifully written book, then, but one that, for me, remained more admirable than engaging.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book.

Key Themes

• Motherhood
• Family History
• Identity
• Road Trip
• Migration
• Mythology

The Haunting of James Hastings

 Christopher Ransom

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Horror

The Haunting of James Hastings follows James, a man who is struggling with the death of his wife, Sarah. His grief takes an increasingly unsettling turn when he begins to believe that she may somehow be returning—or perhaps haunting him through another woman. From there, the line between the supernatural and James's deteriorating state of mind becomes less clear. Is he genuinely being haunted, or is grief pushing him toward a complete break from reality? The story plays with that uncertainty throughout, though the answers, or lack of them, may not work equally well for everyone.

I had owned this book for years and finally picked it up as part of my attempt to make some progress on my physical TBR. Honestly, I have no idea why I bought it in the first place. My best guess is that I found it heavily discounted at a bookshop, thought the cover looked suitably creepy, and decided that was reason enough to bring it home. Since the ratings weren't exactly encouraging, I went in with very low expectations. In a way, that may have helped, because I wasn't waiting for it to become the next great horror novel.

There were moments when the book showed some promise. The idea of mixing grief, psychological instability, and a possible haunting could have made for something genuinely unsettling, and at times the story does create a suitably strange atmosphere. Still, it never quite came together for me. The pacing often feels sluggish, and the plot appears to wander into directions that add more confusion than tension. James himself is also not the easiest character to spend several hundred pages with. That may be intentional—he is clearly not meant to be a straightforwardly sympathetic protagonist—but it also made it harder for me to become invested in what was happening to him.

In the end, The Haunting of James Hastings was neither as bad as its lower ratings had led me to expect nor good enough to surprise me. I can see why some readers might appreciate its psychological ambiguity and the increasingly strange direction the story takes. For me, though, very little of it stuck once I finished. It wasn't terrible, and I don't regret finally taking it off my physical TBR, but it was ultimately a forgettable read. One more book cleared from the shelves—and, unfortunately for this one, straight into the unhaul pile.

Key Themes:

• Grief
• Loss
• Guilt
• Reality vs. Illusion

Unsayable

Michael Cunningham

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Nonfiction

Michael Cunningham’s Unsayable is a memoir of sorts, though it deliberately avoids presenting itself as a complete account of his life. Instead, Cunningham looks back at the experiences, childhood, people, places, books, and moments that have shaped him, particularly his development as a writer. The book moves between personal recollections and reflections on literature, memory, creativity, and the strange process of turning lived experience into something that can be put into words. Rather than attempting to document every stage of his life, Cunningham selects particular fragments that seem meaningful enough to revisit.

Much of the book is concerned with the relationship between life and writing. The author reflects on the books and writers who influenced him, along with his own development and the way his understanding of writing has changed throughout his career. These sections give the book something of a hybrid identity: part memoir, part meditation on literature, and part conversation about the craft of writing. It is less interested in telling a complete chronological story than in examining the moments and ideas that have stayed with him. 

This is my third book by Cunningham, after The Hours, which remains a five-star favorite for me, and Day, which I rated three stars. Unsayable lands comfortably between those two at four stars. I found the glimpses into Cunningham’s life fascinating, even though this is clearly not a full memoir. There is certainly plenty that has been left unsaid—I don't necessarily see that as a flaw. It feels as though Cunningham deliberately wanted to keep the book tight and simple, sharing only what he felt was worth putting on the page rather than trying to give us an exhaustive account of his life. What he does choose to share is often intimate, thoughtful, and interesting enough to make the omissions feel less important.

The biggest strength, unsurprisingly, is the prose. Cunningham can write beautifully, and I honestly expected nothing less after reading The Hours. There is a quietness to his writing that suits the reflective nature of the book, and I often found myself appreciating the way he expressed an idea as much as the idea itself. For me, the quality of the writing is what elevates Unsayable above being simply an interesting collection of autobiographical reflections.

I also enjoyed the structure more than I expected to. The chapters are small, sometimes feeling almost like individual snapshots, and that makes the book remarkably easy to move through. I could pick it up and read several sections without feeling as though I had committed myself to a long, continuous narrative. In fact, the short chapters make you fly through it, and the book benefits considerably from that sense of momentum. At the same time, the fragmented structure means it doesn't always feel like a completely cohesive memoir, and some reflections inevitably left a stronger impression than others.

Ultimately, Unsayable worked for me because it feels sincere without trying too hard to reveal everything. It isn't the definitive Cunningham memoir, nor does it attempt to be one, but what he does choose to put on the page is consistently interesting, and the writing is frequently gorgeous. I still prefer The Hours, which remains the strongest of the three Cunningham books I've read, but Unsayable is a meaningful step up from my experience with Day.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book.

Key Themes:

• Life Vs. Fiction
• Identity
• Self Discovery
• Language
• Aging

Shades of Earth

Beth Revis

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Science Fiction + Young Adult

After spending two books aboard Godspeed, Shades of Earth finally delivers the moment the trilogy has been building toward: Amy, Elder, and the rest of the passengers arrive on Centauri-Earth. Reaching the planet, however, doesn't magically solve their problems. If anything, it creates a whole new set of them.

The book takes a major shift in the setting. Gone are the narrow hallways and the rules that need to be maintained on the ship. Now the colonists need to explore the new alien world where almost everything feels uncertain. This shift gives the book a different identity. 

Amy and Elder are still very much the main protagonists of the story. Their goals seem to be different, and their priorities don’t always align. In this installment, Amy’s father has a major role in moving the plot. The author answers many of the questions that were not answered in the first two books, and she also introduces new questions and some new obstacles that keep the tension high. The plot rarely stands still, and there's almost always another problem waiting around the corner.

By the time I reached the ending, I felt the trilogy had said what it wanted to say. Most of the major storylines are wrapped up, and I appreciated that Revis didn't rely on a vague or overly open-ended finale. Some revelations landed better than others, but I never had the sense that she was deliberately holding back answers just to appear mysterious.

Even so, this was probably my least favorite book of the trilogy. I enjoyed reading it, but I also found myself raising an eyebrow more often than I expected. Quite a few plot developments ask the reader to accept things without thinking too hard about them. That's hardly unusual in YA science fiction, and some readers may not mind at all, but I found those moments accumulated over time. Eventually, I was reading more for the momentum than because everything happening felt believable.

Ironically, despite everything that's happening, the book occasionally feels like it's in too much of a hurry. One crisis is barely resolved before another arrives. The premise has some interesting ideas about leadership, civilization, and learning from past mistakes, but I don’t think that these ideas are fully utilized. I also wish a few of the supporting characters had been given more room to breathe. Considering the size of the colony, several end up feeling more like functional pieces of the plot than fully realized people.

Looking back on the trilogy, I'm glad I read it. The premise—a generation ship carrying humanity's future—is still the strongest part of the series, and it's probably what I'll remember most. The execution, though, never quite matched the promise of that concept. That's not necessarily a criticism unique to this series. It may simply reflect the era in which these books were published.

One last gripe has absolutely nothing to do with the story, but it annoyed me every time I looked at my bookshelf. Why do publishers insist on changing a series' cover design halfway through? My copies of Across the Universe and  A Million Suns match perfectly, then Shades of Earth suddenly arrives looking like it belongs to a completely different collection. I honestly don't understand the logic. If someone is buying the third book in a trilogy, chances are they already own the first two. Keeping a consistent design seems like the obvious choice. It's a small complaint in the grand scheme of things, but as someone who collects physical books, it's surprisingly frustrating. 

Key Themes

• Freedom
• Uncertainity
• Lack of Control
• Chaos
• Coming of Age
• Isolation
• Identity
• Hope
• Leadership

The Paradise Proposal

 Tara Lush

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Contemporary Romance

This was a completely random pick. I noticed I already had it sitting on my Kindle and thought, why not? I wasn't looking for anything particularly memorable, just something light to fill a couple of evenings. The story follows Kate, who enters a marriage of convenience with Damien, someone she knew years earlier, after life throws her into a difficult situation. The story begins as a practical arrangement and turns into something more as the main protagonists reconnect and bond.

The story takes place in a small town called Cypress Grove. It is a small town where everyone knows everybody else. The plot is straightforward, and its main focus is on Kate and Damien’s relationship. The narration is from their POVs, too. It's a gentle romance from beginning to end, one that's clearly aiming to leave readers with a warm feeling instead of putting its characters through endless obstacles.

That was actually what appealed to me. I wanted something comfortable with very little tension. On that front, this delivered. I never felt anxious about where the story was heading, and sometimes that's exactly what I want from a romance. Not every book needs earth-shattering conflict to keep me turning the pages. At the same time, I occasionally wondered if things were too easy. Without much friction, parts of the story drifted by rather than pulling me in.

The small-town setting was another reason I kept reading. Cypress Grove is a charming town for sure. However, the atmosphere never fully worked for me. It's puzzling to me, because all the factors were there—the friendly neighbors, the cozy community, and the slower pace of life. Yet I was not fully immersed in the town itself. It almost seemed as though I was being told it was cozy more often than I actually experienced that feeling while reading. Others may connect with it more than I did, but I was hoping the setting would leave a stronger impression.

As for the romance, I liked Kate and Damien well enough, even if I never became deeply invested in them. Their shared history gives the relationship a believable foundation, and it makes sense that old feelings would resurface. Even so, some emotional moments came and went before they had much chance to settle. That may simply be the downside of a shorter novel. A little more time spent exploring their conversations and vulnerabilities could have made the payoff more satisfying.

Looking back, I don't regret picking this up at all. It gave me exactly the kind of reading experience I was in the mood for: quiet, easy, and comforting. At the same time, I don't think it'll stay with me for very long. The story was pleasant while I was reading it, but once I finished, very little lingered in my mind beyond the general feeling that it was... nice. Sometimes "nice" is enough, and sometimes you hope for just a little more. For me, this landed somewhere in the middle, which is why three stars feels about right.

Key Themes

• Second Chance Romance
• Small Town
• Marriage of Convenience
• Cozy Romance
• Comfort Read

Whispers of Madness

 Naguib Mahfouz

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Short Stories

Whispers of Madness is a collection of short stories that focuses on the unsettling sides of ordinary human behavior. I don’t think I have read short stories by Naguib Mahfouz before. The stories flow from one situation into another, shedding light on different types of characters that are caught up in love, jealousy, greed, loneliness, and social expectations. I think the title is fitting for all the stories because each character has some kind of madness inside him that is exhibited in a different way. 

Mahfouz often takes seemingly ordinary situations and uses them to expose weaknesses in his characters, whether that is vanity, jealousy, selfishness, or an inability to accept reality. I also noticed several stories dealing with infidelity, and interestingly, in all of those cases the unfaithful character was the woman. That became noticeable after a while, especially since the stories were otherwise quite varied in their subjects. It is difficult to know whether Mahfouz was deliberately making a particular point through this pattern or simply reflecting the social attitudes of his time, but it definitely stood out to me. Beneath the humor and simpler plots, there is often a more serious look at relationships, morality, and the ways people justify their own behavior.

What I liked most is that the collection never takes itself too seriously for too long. The absurdity and drama are there, keeping the stories accessible. Not every story worked equally for me, which is normal for any reader. Some stories were better than others and had more punch. The shorter format also works in the book's favor in many cases. Even when a story did not completely land for me, it was usually over before it had a chance to become frustrating.

Having read many books by Mahfouz in the past, I already knew that I enjoyed his writing style, and that remained true here. His writing is quite simple and accessible. There is also a certain understated humor in the way he presents some of these situations. He can make a character's behavior seem ridiculous without turning the story into pure comedy. At the same time, the collection shows the limitations of the short-story format. Character development is naturally quite limited—ideas and sketches are what you get here. 

One of the strengths is the variety. Mahfouz knows how to touch on a surprisingly wide range of human weaknesses and social situations without making the collection feel completely repetitive. Some stories are humorous, others are more melancholic, and a few are considerably stranger or darker. The pacing is generally easy to follow because of the short format, although the quality varies from story to story. For me, the biggest weakness was simply inconsistency. There were several stories I really enjoyed, but there were also some that felt forgettable. That is probably unavoidable with a collection of this kind, but it keeps the book from feeling as consistently strong as some of Mahfouz's novels.

One other thing worth mentioning is that I could not find the English edition of the physical book I own on Goodreads or on other websites, so I am not even completely sure whether the version I read is the original translation or a different edition. That makes it a little difficult to judge the translation itself, although I had no major problems with the prose as I experienced it. Overall, Whispers of Madness is not a collection where every story is a winner, but I enjoyed the majority of them, and Mahfouz's familiar writing style made it an easy and worthwhile read for me. The stories may be uneven, and some are too slight to make a lasting impression, but there is enough humor, human observation, and variety here to make the collection a solid 4-star read.

Key Themes

• Love
• Desire
• Infidelity
• Social Status
• Marriage
• Absurdity
• Madness

A Million Suns

 Beth Revis

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ ½

Genre: Science Fiction + Young Adult

After enjoying Across the Universe a little more, I went into A Million Suns with fairly modest expectations. Second books can sometimes lose the spark of the first, especially when the mystery has already been introduced. While I don't think this one quite reached the same highs for me, it still managed to keep me invested. The story takes the foundation laid by the first book and shifts its attention toward bigger questions, and I found myself wanting to uncover the next secret almost as much as the characters did.

Now that Eldest is gone, Elder finds himself in charge of Godspeed, though "in charge" may be giving him too much credit. He's trying to lead a population that has spent generations following orders without question, and the cracks begin to show almost immediately. Amy continues searching for answers about the ship's past, convinced that too much is still being hidden. Orion leaves strange messages and clues to make Amy question many things on the ship.

Soon, Amy finds herself invested in searching for GodSpeed’s history. Every clue seems to point toward another lie, another missing piece, or another decision made long before Amy and Elder ever arrived on the scene. I liked that the story didn't rush to hand out answers but kept lingering in that feeling of uncertainty throughout the book. 

By the final stretch, the stakes have grown well beyond simply keeping order aboard the ship. Trust becomes increasingly difficult to place, and several revelations reshape the characters' understanding of their mission and what may actually await them. Not every twist landed equally well for me, but I was curious enough to keep turning the pages, which is probably one of the book's biggest strengths.

While I enjoyed the first book more, I have to admit that this one kept that eerie atmosphere that made the first book click for me. In this installment, mysteries pile up, giving this story a constant sense of tension. 

Character-wise, I think I grew to like both Amy and Elder more in this installment. They aren't perfect, and that actually worked in the book's favor. Elder, especially, is forced to make difficult decisions without having the unquestioned authority that Eldest once held. Here, there is less control and more chaos, so that gives this book its own identity. 

Now that only the last book is left to finish this trilogy, I’m very curious to see how this series will wrap up. Hopefully, the final book will stay at the same level as the first two books or perhaps better. If that happens, I think this trilogy will have succeeded for me—it means a pleasant surprise.

Key Themes

• Freedom
• Uncertainity
• Lack of Control
• Chaos
• Coming of Age
• Isolation
• Identity
• Hope
• Leadership

Persuasion

 Jane Austen

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Classic + Romance

Persuasion gets 3 stars from me, though I had mixed feelings about it from beginning to end. I picked it up as part of my ongoing effort to clean up my library and finally read the books that have been sitting on my shelves for years. As Jane Austen's final completed novel, it tells the story of Anne Elliot, a woman who, eight years earlier, allowed herself to be persuaded into ending her engagement to Frederick Wentworth because those around her believed the match was unwise. When fate brings them back into each other's lives, both are forced to reckon with the choices they made and the years they cannot get back.

The novel relies entirely on a series of social visits, family obligations, and chance encounters. There are no dramatic twists or anything like that. You will see Anne always watching Wentworth from a distance while dealing with her own household, which is filled with vanity. Wentworth’s transformation from a young naval officer into a respected captain who is financially secure changes many things. 

I found that the author relied a lot on silence in building her story. Most of the emotions are hinted at rather than spoken. There is lots of emotional tension that is not being talked about, and lots of the conversations carry more meanings beneath the surface. Austen also concentrated a lot on the different aspects of society during that time, be it the rank, reputation, financial security, etc. 

I believe the author’s message from this story was whether love deserves another chance or not. I cannot deny that the premise of the book is quite thoughtful when you add everything to the subtle romance it has. My problem is that I never felt as emotionally invested in it as I had hoped.

Out of the three Austen novels I've read, Persuasion easily ranks the lowest. I loved Pride and Prejudice, while Northanger Abbey was just an okay read for me. This one, though, never reached either of those highs. If it were a contemporary novel published today, I honestly think I'd have rated it somewhere around 2 or 2.5 stars. Its place in literary history, and the fact that it was written more than two centuries ago, nudged my final rating up to a 3.0. That may seem generous, but it feels fair when judging it within its historical context rather than by modern storytelling standards.

Anne Elliot also didn't quite work for me as a protagonist. I know many readers admire her quiet resilience, and I can understand why. At the same time, she often felt so passive that I struggled to connect with her. The romance itself is incredibly restrained, almost to the point where it barely registers for long stretches of the book. Some readers may see that subtlety as its greatest strength; for me, it created an emotional distance that was hard to overcome.

Then there's the miscommunication trope, which is probably one of my least favorite devices in romance. It almost always frustrates me, and Persuasion seems to depend on it from beginning to end. I kept hoping the characters would simply have an honest conversation instead of letting assumptions and silence dictate their lives. Of course, that reluctance may be exactly what Austen intended to explore, but knowing the purpose behind it didn't make it any less irritating while I was reading.

One thing I did appreciate was my Vintage Classics edition. The cover is genuinely beautiful and looks fantastic on the shelf, which is partly why I bought it in the first place. Oddly enough, the interior design wasn't nearly as successful. Whenever the novel included letters, the formatting made them blend into the surrounding text, and I occasionally had to stop and work out where a letter ended before continuing. Even so, I don't regret owning this edition. My library cleanup isn't just about getting rid of books; it's also about deciding which ones are worth keeping. Although Persuasion turned out to be a fairly mediocre read for me, I'll be hanging on to it for now as a reference point in Austen's bibliography—and perhaps one day, with a different perspective, I'll appreciate it more than I did this time.

Key Themes

• Second Chances
• Regret
• Social Class
• Social Status
• Family Influence
• Pride and Humility

The Dry

 Jane Harper

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Genre: Mystery Thriller

Aaron Falk returns to his hometown after more than twenty years to attend the funeral of his childhood friend, Luke Hadler. The town believes Luke murdered his wife and young son before taking his own life, but Luke's parents struggle to accept that explanation. They convince Falk to stay for a few days and take another look at what happened, hoping an outsider—who also knows the town—might notice something everyone else has overlooked.

Being back home isn't easy for Falk. His return stirs up memories of another tragedy that changed his life years earlier: the death of his friend Ellie Deacon. At the time, suspicion fell on Falk, and the accusations became so overwhelming that he and his father left town. 

The more Falk digs deeper into the tragedy of the Hadler family, the more long-buried secrets come to the surface. This mystery thriller doesn’t depend on shocks and twists a lot. Instead, everything unfolds gradually in a slow pace through conversations, memories, and flashbacks

By the end, everything comes together in a way that felt convincing to me. The answers may not surprise every reader, but they made sense. I was actually glad the book resisted the temptation to become overly dramatic. Too many crime novels seem determined to outdo themselves with increasingly unbelievable reveals. The Dry stays grounded, and I think it's a better book because of that.

Reading this was part of my ongoing mission to clean up my bookshelves. It's one of those books I'd been meaning to get to for years, and I'm glad I finally did. At the same time, I don't think I'll ever feel the urge to read it again. Once the mystery is solved, a lot of the appeal naturally fades. A four-star read doesn't automatically become a forever book, and this is one I'll be unhauling without much hesitation.

What really stayed with me wasn't the mystery itself but the atmosphere. Jane Harper captures the feeling of a town that's been worn down by years without rain. The dry riverbeds, the dust, the struggling farms, and the short tempers all blend into something that hangs over every chapter. It almost feels as if the drought is quietly pushing everyone toward their breaking point. The title The Dry suddenly seems like the only name this book could have had.

Some readers will probably find the pacing too slow, and I can understand why. There are stretches where not much seems to happen on the surface. Still, I think the slower pace suits the story. Rushing through it would have weakened the mood, and the atmosphere is arguably the novel's greatest strength. It's one of those books where the setting often leaves a stronger impression than the actual plot.

As for the rest of the series, I don't own the second novel. From what I understand, it follows Falk on a completely different investigation rather than continuing this story, which is probably the right choice. I'll likely pick it up eventually, but there's no urgency on my end. I'm happy to leave Aaron Falk here for now, remembering The Dry as a well-written, believable mystery that succeeded more because of its atmosphere than because it tried to shock me.

Key Themes

• Isolation
• Past Trauma
• Grief
• Loss
• Small Town
• Secrets
• Betrayal 
• Trust

Across the Universe

 Beth Revis

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Science Fiction + Young Adult

One of my reading goals this year has been to work through older books I've owned for ages and decide what actually deserves a place on my shelves. Across the Universe was part of that project. I own the entire trilogy, and if I'm being honest, I went into this expecting it to be an easy unhaul. It had been sitting there for so long that I assumed I'd missed the window where it would appeal to me. As it turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.

The story follows Amy, who agrees to be cryogenically frozen alongside her parents during a 300-year journey aboard the spaceship Godspeed. Her parents are essential members of the future colony on a new planet, so the family leaves everything behind in the hope of helping build a new civilization. Amy isn't supposed to wake up until the ship reaches its destination, but someone opens her cryogenic chamber decades too early. Instead of a new world, she finds herself trapped on a ship where almost everyone is a stranger and very few people seem interested in telling her the truth.

Running alongside Amy's story is Elder's. He's next in line to lead Godspeed under the guidance of the current ruler, Eldest, and has spent his life believing the ship's way of doing things is the only way things can work. As Amy begins asking questions that no one else dares to ask, Elder slowly starts seeing cracks in the society he hopes to inherit. Before long, the story shifts from a survival tale into a mystery involving murder, secrets, and generations of carefully controlled lives.

What surprised me most wasn't the mystery itself, although I thought it was handled well. It was the setting. A generation ship drifting through space for centuries is such a simple idea on paper, yet Beth Revis manages to make it feel surprisingly lived-in. Every section of Godspeed, every rule, and every tradition hints at how much a society can change when it's completely isolated. I kept wanting to learn just one more thing about how this world worked, and that curiosity carried me through the entire novel.

The biggest surprise, though, was how much I enjoyed reading it. I genuinely expected to finish the book, shrug, and add the trilogy to my unhaul pile. Instead, I closed the last page looking forward to the sequel. Another pleasant surprise was the complete lack of a love triangle. I was almost waiting for one to show up because so many YA books from this era leaned heavily on that trope. The fact that it never happened was a huge plus for me and allowed the mystery and the world to stay at the center of the story.

Beth Revis's writing also deserves credit. It's clear without feeling overly simplistic, and I found it very easy to settle into the story each time I picked the book up. Her world-building is probably the novel's strongest feature. Rather than dumping information all at once, she lets readers piece together how life aboard Godspeed functions through everyday interactions, conversations, and small discoveries. 

I did have a couple of issues. The first was the romance. Amy and Elder worked well enough together, but their feelings seemed to develop faster than I could fully buy into. Given everything happening around them, it's understandable why they'd form a connection, yet I never felt like the relationship had enough time to breathe before it became an established romance. A slower build would have made the emotional moments land a little better for me.

My other complaint is oddly specific, but anyone who reads quickly might run into the same thing. I occasionally found myself mixing up the names Elder and Eldest. Not the characters themselves—I never had trouble remembering who they were—but the words are visually so similar that I'd sometimes read one when the sentence actually said the other. Every now and then I'd reach a line that didn't quite make sense, go back, and realize I'd simply read the wrong name. It's a small issue in the grand scheme of things, but it happened often enough that I noticed it. Even so, Across the Universe ended up being one of those rare books that completely overturned my expectations. Instead of clearing space on my shelves, it convinced me that the trilogy deserves to stay a little longer.

Key Themes

• Freedom
• Control
• Coming of Age
• Isolation
• Identity
• Hope
• Leadership

Fooled by Randomness

 Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Nonfiction

I don’t know who gave me this book to read it. I had it on my shelf for a long time. I thought it’s time now to pick it up and see what all the hype is about. Fool by Randomness has a main idea that grabs one’s attention. The concept that luck and chance play a much bigger role in our lives than we like to admit is fascinating, and it's something that applies to many parts of our lives than just investing or financial markets. This idea makes you evaluate success and failure differently.

There were many points I found myself agreeing with the author, but at the same time there were other points that I found myself not fully in agreement with his views. The good thing is that he keeps challenging the way we naturally think of events and reminds us that people often confuse luck with skill. 

Despite that, I’ll have to say that the biggest problem I faced with this book was unfortunately the writing style. While the core premise was compelling, I found the author’s delivery to be quite a struggle to get through. I feel the writing instead of pulling me inside the book, was doing the opposite. It made an interesting idea somehow less interesting.

There were also quite a few sections where I felt like I was reading one case study after another. I understand why those examples were included, but after a while they started to feel more like pushing on the brake and slowing me down.

Another issue was the repetition. Once I understood a particular point, the book would often come back to it again using different examples. I didn't need that many reminders, and I think the book could have been shorter without losing its message.

Despite all the cons I have mentioned, I still think the book has value. The core message is strong, and it makes you think and question things like success, failure, or even think about your own decisions. I feel this is the kind of book that gives you a lens to look at the world differently. 

If the delivery here matched the quality of the ideas, my liking and appreciation for this book would have been much bigger—my reading experience would have been much better. In other words, I feel the concept here was stronger than the execution.

I think a 3-star rating would be a fair rating here. I’m glad I read it because the main idea is worth thinking about. This is the kind of book that is enough to read once. I don’t see myself picking it up in the future. 

Key Themes

• Luck vs. Skill
• Randomness
• Illusion of Knowledge
• Risk & Uncertainty
• Illusion of Expertise

Requiem

 Lauren Oliver

Rating: ⭐⭐½
Genre: Dystopia + Young Adult + Romance

Requiem is the conclusion to the Delirium series. In this book, the conflict between the Wilds and the cured society reaches turmoil. The story alternates between Lena, who continues fighting alongside the resistance, and Hana, now living the life the cure was supposed to guarantee and questioning her new life.

The revolution takes over in this installment, and the story focuses more on the political unrest and the characters' relationships. Lena (like most YA books of that era) is torn between Alex and Julian, while Hana is trying to figure out the society that promised her hapiness once she is cured. Seeing events unfold from both sides adds some welcome perspective, gradually revealing the cracks beneath the polished surface of the cured world.

The story builds toward a large-scale confrontation, trying to balance romance, revolution, and personal growth all at once. Whether it succeeds probably depends on what each reader was hoping to get from the finale. Rather than wrapping everything up neatly, the ending leaves several threads unresolved, inviting readers to imagine what comes after instead of providing clear-cut answers.

I rated Delirium 3 stars, Pandemonium 2.5 stars, and now Requiem lands at 2.5 stars as well. Looking back, I don't think the trilogy ever settled on a clear identity. In some ways, it feels like Lauren Oliver was experimenting with different ways of telling the story. The first novel stays entirely with Lena's perspective, the second jumps between two timelines, and the finale introduces alternating chapters from Lena and Hana. I can appreciate an author trying something different, but the constant shifts in narrative structure made the series feel a little disjointed. At times, it almost felt as though each installment belonged to a different version of the same story. Ironically, the straightforward approach of the first book still worked best for me.

The surprise for me in this installment was how much more I enjoyed Hana's chapters. I think her perspective brought a sense of mystery and tension that Lena's storyline often lacked. Lena's chapters frequently circled around the same familiar emotional conflicts, whereas Hana's struggle between duty, expectation, and her own sense of self kept me far more invested.

Like so many Young Adult dystopian novels from this period, the obligatory love triangle once again becomes a major focus. Sometimes it feels as if publishers believed a YA dystopian novel simply wasn't complete without one. For me, that's where the story loses some of its potential. 

The political conflict and the questions surrounding the society are far more interesting than the romantic drama, yet they often take a back seat. It doesn't help that Alex and Julian never really developed into especially memorable characters. Across all three books, they remain surprisingly one-dimensional, which makes the emotional weight of Lena's choices feel less convincing than it probably should.

Lauren Oliver's writing is easy to read, and I think it is accessible to most readers. The ideas are certainly there, but they never felt as fully explored as the premise seemed to promise. I kept waiting for the series to dig a little deeper, and it never quite did.

Now that I've finally finished the trilogy, these books will be moving on to a new home. They're part of my summer shelf-cleaning project, where I'm revisiting older purchases and deciding which ones have earned a permanent place on my shelves. Unfortunately, this series didn't make the cut. I'm glad I stuck with it to the end, if only to satisfy my curiosity, but I can't see myself returning to it. The first book remains the standout, while the trilogy as a whole never quite lived up to the potential of its premise.

Key Themes;

• Love 
• Control
• Survival
• Resilience
• Freedom
• Grief
• Resistance

Dead to the World

 Charline Harris

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ ½

Genre: Fantasy

Dead to the World feels like a bit of a shift in the Sookie Stackhouse series. Yes, maybe not a dramatic one, but something in the tone changes. The plot itself is actually pretty straightforward: witches are targeting vampires, and in the middle of all that, Eric Northman loses his memory. From there, things don’t exactly explode into action. Instead, the story settles into something quieter, more character-focused, almost like the chaos is happening off to the side while the real story unfolds in smaller, more personal moments. 

With Eric suddenly stripped of everything that makes him… well, Eric, Sookie ends up taking care of him. It puts her in a position we haven’t really seen before. She’s not just reacting to him or pushing back against his authority—she’s guiding him, protecting him, even trying to understand him. And what she finds is a version of Eric that feels softer, more open, maybe even a little disarming. Whether that’s the “real” Eric or just a temporary version of him is something the book kind of plays with. 

The witch storyline is there throughout, and it does add tension, but I kept feeling like it never fully took center stage. It’s almost like it exists to keep the plot moving while the book quietly focuses on relationships instead. That might work really well for some readers, but I found myself occasionally wishing for a bit more urgency.

Another thing that stood out was who wasn’t there. Jason is basically missing (for plot reasons), and Bill is… barely present. It gives the book a very different feel compared to earlier installments. The world feels smaller, more contained, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does change the balance quite a bit.

I’ll be honest, this one took me longer to finish than I thought it would. I can’t even point to a single reason. It’s not slow, exactly, but the pacing has this uneven rhythm. Some parts pulled me in, others just sort of drifted by. I’d pick it up, read a bit, then put it down again—not out of boredom, just… a lack of urgency, maybe.

That said, Eric really is the highlight here. This is probably the most focus he’s had so far, or at least the most revealing version of him. Seeing him without his usual confidence makes him feel more human than ever. It works, even if the amnesia angle itself feels a bit too convenient at times.

The romance also takes a noticeable step forward in this book. There’s more of it, and it’s more direct than in previous installments. Sookie and Eric’s connection gets space to develop in a way that feels intentional, not just hinted at. I liked that… but I can also see how it might come at the expense of the main plot, which ends up feeling a little secondary.

On the flip side, the reduced role of Bill—and the near absence of Jason—does leave a gap. If you’re attached to those characters, you’ll feel it. And while the witch conflict is interesting on paper, it never quite lands with the impact it probably should have. It’s there, it works, but it doesn’t linger.

I think a rating of 3.5 stars is fair for this one. It’s enjoyable, especially if you’re invested in Eric, and it definitely leans more into character than plot. Whether that works for you probably depends on what you’re reading the series for. For me, it worked… just not all the way.

Key Themes

• Identity
• Power
• Vulnerability
• Love
• Control

Goodbye, Things

 Fumio Sasaki

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Nonfiction

Goodbye, Things is one of those books that either will convince you to make changes in your life by taking the first step or will make you totally dismiss the whole idea of what it suggests and go on with your life as it is without taking its advice. There is no right or wrong here, because it is your life and you know better what is right or wrong for you.

The author gets very personal in this book by giving his take on minimalism. He blends practical advice with his own reflections on why we clutter our lives in the first place. While the book may seem to be mainly about decluttering your house, I feel it is more about decluttering your mind first—setting your priorities and understanding what is more important and what you can let go of to save your energy and money.

The great thing is that the book is very easy to read and understand. I alternated between reading and listening to the audiobook, and both formats worked well for me in reinforcing the message. The content is quite easy to digest and makes you pause and think of the possibilities if you applied the idea to your own life.

One of the strongest aspects of the book is how motivational it is. I won’t lie here when I say that this book has motivated me and made me want to declutter many unnecessary things in my house. I found that the author’s honesty about less doesn’t mean less but can be more is very fascinating and, at times, even liberating. 

While reading the book, I was thinking about my book shelves, movie collections, and other items. Yes, I have been unhauling things lately that I don’t plan to read or watch again—especially those that have less reread or rewatch value. It can be difficult at first to part with your things at first, but eventually it will feel like a very freeing process. The idea that everything we own, actually, we don’t own but are renting, that the book suggests is true if you think about it. We come to this world without a thing, and we leave it empty-handed. Whatever we leave will be passed to someone else. 

I’ve also begun applying the same mindset to other areas—clothes, electronics, and even unnecessary furniture. The book highlights something simple yet powerful: the more you own, the more complicated life becomes. Managing, organizing, cleaning, and even thinking about all those items adds a kind of invisible weight that you don’t fully notice until you start removing it.

I feel minimalism should not stop at physical things but also should include digital decluttering, which the author mentions too. Organizing and decluttering your PC or mobile can be a starting point before you go for the physical items. 

The book is not without downsides. Those downsides can differ from one reader to another. I don’t think that everything the author suggested could be practical for everyone. People have different lifestyles and different living situations. There was also a bit of repetition, which I find is a flaw of many nonfiction books. 

Overall, Goodbye, Things was a positive reading experience for me. It’s not the perfect universal guide because those do not exist, but without a doubt, I found it to be impactful and convincing. You don’t need to follow every piece of advice by the author. However, I bet you will find a few of his ideas that can help you in making your life less complicated than it is with so many things surrounding you. It is definitely worth reading. 

Key Themes:

• Minimalism
• Freedom
• Identity
• Possessions
• Decluttering
• Ownership

Pandemonium

 Lauren Oliver

Rating: ⭐⭐½
Genre: Dystopia + Young Adult + Romance

This is the second book in the Delirium series. The story continues with Lena escaping the society that was controlling her, including her emotions, and running in the Wilds, where she is forced to survive in the harshest conditions. Living in such conditions with other fugitives who rejected that same system is a big challenge. Every single day is a test of her endurance, resilience, and identity. 

Unlike the first book, which was linear, Pandemonium is split into two timelines: “Then” that is the period which follows Lena’s life in the Wilds after her escape. “Now” is the time Lena is taking a new identity and working in disguise for the Resistance. In the “Now” period, Lena becomes involved with Julian, the son of a powerful figure tied to the old system, complicating both her mission and her emotions. Meanwhile, the Resistance prepares for larger moves against the government, but nothing is simple or stable.

As usual for young adult books of that era, a love triangle is thrown into the mix. It feels very cliché and predictable, and honestly, it doesn’t add much beyond manufactured tension. The emotional conflict often feels like it is being prioritized over the actual dystopian world-building, which weakens some of the stakes.

While the pacing is noticeably better than book one, the dual timeline structure didn’t really work for me. I was genuinely tempted more than once to just read all the “Then” chapters first and then go through the “Now” sections afterward. The constant switching broke the flow instead of enhancing it.

I can clearly see Lena’s character development and how she becomes more decisive and resilient compared to the first book. However, the supporting characters don’t get the same attention for such development or growth. To me, they often felt like they were fixed most of the time. I was hoping for some meaningful evolution. 

Many parts of the book also felt repetitive, especially in the Wilds sections, where survival struggles and camp life start to blend together after a while. And with Book 1 ending on a cliffhanger and Book 2 doing the same, it becomes frustrating. This isn’t a TV series—each book should feel like a complete story rather than a setup for the next installment.

Overall, Pandemonium is an improvement in pacing and gives Lena a stronger arc, but it is weighed down by clichés, structural choices that don’t fully land, repetitive sections, and an overreliance on cliffhangers. A 2.5-star read: readable, sometimes engaging, but uneven and frustrating in key areas. Now only book three is left to finish this series. 

Key Themes

• Love 
• Control
• Survival
• Resilience
• Freedom
• Grief
• Resistance