Anya's Ghost, by Vera Brosgol

Ok graphic novel about an unpleanasnt Russian immigrant teen named Anya, who picks up a psycho ghost from 1918 afer falling in a hole.

Paper Covers Rock, by Jenny Hubbard

Whiny white boy teen angst boarding school drama drama. Wants to be Separate Peace or Dead Poet's Society, doesn't get there.

Definitely Not Mr. Darcy, by Karen Doornebos

Pretty silly (ok, ridiculous) but very very quick Austen/reality show fluff. Chloe Parker thinks she is participating in a Regency era immersion documentary, but it turns out to be a dating show (think the Bachelor) with Regency trappings. And so on.

Beautiful Days, by Anna Godbersen

The second in Godbersen's disappointing Bright Young Things series. As much as I want to enjoy these, I just don't, especially compared to Jillian Larkin's excellent Flappers series.  

The Mother-Daughter Book Club: Home For The Holidays, by Heather Vogel Frederick

Another lovely entry in this light but heartwarming tween-aimed series. Although the characters are growing up, the books are cleaner than clean, and the emphasis is on the interactions between the girls and their families rather than on some burgeoning (and age-appropriate) relationships.

Linnets and Valerians, by Elizabeth Goudge

Really lovely classic English childrens' classic I somehow missed. The Linnet children enter and change the lives of the aristocratic but troubled Valerian family, with hints of pagan magic and a great deal a old fashionoed charm.

Never Have I Ever, by Sara Shepard

2nd book in Shepard's ludicrous and delicious YA series. Very different from the hit tv series based on it, in that in the books, Sutton Mercer is dead, and her ghost is the narrator. Fun guilty pleasure reading.  

The Vault, by Ruth Rendell

Satisfying Ruth Rendell. Much better than recent ones, and the change of having Wexford retired and assisting rather than directing a case added something interesting to the story.

Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World, by Michael Lewis

Fascinating look at how the global recession has affected places such as Iceland,  Greece, Ireland, Germany and California. Michael Lewis is such an accessable writer, and makes this disaster tourism book as entertaining as it is informative. Great insights into the background of the recession have me reading his The Big Short right now, but he is such a clear writer that I feel much more aware of what the f is going on- a bit more alarmed, too, but much more informed.

How I Stole Johnny Depp's Alien Girlfriend, by Gary Ghislain

Fantastic, bizarre and wonderful YA. David falls in love with an alien who has come to earth to kidnap Johnny Depp and take him back to her planet- but even with this absurd set up, the book was really good and even touching in parts.

Wicked Autumn, by G. M. Malliet

Fantastic start to a new series by the seriously talented cosy mystery writer G. M. Malliet. As much as I hope she will continue the St. Just series, I really enjoyed the detailed Christie-reminiscent village setting of Wicked Autumn.

Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett

Wonderful book, a re-read for a book group, and still absolutely amazing. A group of dignitaries are taken hostage in an unnamed South American country (based on the 146 day long take-over of the Japanese embassy) and the hostages and their captives interact and develop truly remarkable relationships.

The Affair, by Lee Child

Fantastic Lee Child Jack Reacher thriller, giving a backstory to Reacher and why he is the way he is. So well done.

Hark! A Vagrant, by Kate Beaton

So funny. Literary and history based cartoons. Had me laughing out loud, literally.

Ashes, by Ilsa Blick

Unrelentingly dark YA. 17 year old Alex is on a solo hike when EMP bombs are set off. Horrifying scenes ensue, and that's just in the wild- when she meets humans, that's when the real trouble starts. Really disturbing images and some pretty ghastly violence made this a hard read, but I struggled through it hoping for some kind of redemption or hope- yeah, not so much. This read more adult to me, just for the level of horror and the utter hopelessness.

When She Woke, by Hillary Jordan

Dazzling dark dystopian fiction. Jordan's newest is a kind of cross between Margaret Atwood and Nathaniel Hawthorne- a futuristic America where gender politics and religion have resulted in abortion becoming illegal in 40 states, and in a nation where there is a Secretary of Faith. Chromosomal changes turn "criminals" skin different colors, to relieve overcrowding in prisons, and Hannah, the protagonist of this thought provoking novel is a Red, for murder of her unborn child. Excellent book.

Mercy, by Sarah Thompson

I really wanted to like this Rhode Island set YA novel, but I felt it was an awkward mix of realistic and paranormal, and can't say it was very good.

All These Things I've Done, by Gabrielle Zevin

Fantastic dark futuristic dystopian  YA. Mafiya heiress Anya just wantes to go on living with her grandmother and older brother, who suffered brain damage as a child, but a Romeo and Juliet style teenage romance propells a sequence of events reminiscent of the Godfather- she has to step into shoes she never wanted to fill. Clever twists on the dystopian future included museums functioning as nightclubs (Little Egypt), prohibitions on chocolate and coffee, and a lot of government censorship. Really well done.

The Leftovers, by Tom Perrotta

Wonderful literary take on a post-rapture world. Intertwined characters within a small community have varied responses to the Sudden Departure, from joining a cult of silent Watchers to dropping out of college to follow an evangelist to tryoing to just enjoy the rest of their days. Beautifully written, and interesting for a serious writer to take on a topic more regularly approached in thrillers and in religious schlock.

Bringing Home the Birkin, by Michael Tonello

Surprisingly fascinating and enjoyable book about a man who found a bizarre and lucrative career bying and reselling Hermes Birkin bags.
Wonderful writing really made this funny quirky story come to life. Really great casual non-fiction read.

40 Love, by Madeleine Wickham

Blogger won't let me add the cover. GRRRRR!!!!!
Cleverly done novel. 4 couples with varied ties to each other interact over a weekend tennis tournament being held by Patrick and Caroline, who have come far from their roots and are trying to impress some new friends, while Caroline still wants to remain close with Annie and Stephen, old friends from their old neighborhood. Intricate class issues come into play, but the book doesn't slam the old or the new or the no money- it was just a delicately done novel of manners.

Pretty Bad Things, by C.J. Skuse

Angry teen twins go on a violent attention getting rampage when they find out that their sociopathic grandmother has been lying to them about their imprisoned father never trying to get in touch with them. Paisley and Beau, the Wonder Twins,  head to Las Vegas aftrer hearing rumors that that is where their father is, taking along a gun they took after burning down their grandmother's house.
This was kind of Natural Born Killers, but improbably, to  me, Paisley and Beau hold up candy stores and popcorn trucks in their attempt to get national attention to help them find their dad.
It was well written, but strange, I did not love it, but that's not much of a review, is it.

The Red Blazer Girls: The Mistaken Masterpiece, by Michael Beil

Another excellent and clever Childrens/young YA mystery. These are so well done.

Murder Most Persuasive, by Tracy Kiely

Not a lot to say about this, clever well done cosy mystery with an Austen flavor. Contemporary, but the protagonist is an Austenite.

The Lipstick Laws, by Amy Holder

Forgettable YA. Cliques and bullying, with a rebellion. Mean Girls with less clever writing.

You Don't Sweat Much For A Fat Girl, by Celia Rivenbank

I loved Celia Rivenbank's Stop Dressing Your Six-Year Old Like a Skank, so was really excited to read this book, but I felt uncomfortable in many parts.


I realize that hyperbole and snarkiness is kind of her thing, but a section endorsing racial profiling at airports really disturbed me, and I felt like the many pointed jabs at Yankees went far beyond laid-back good humor. That said, it was still a funny and quick read, but overall it was not a feel-good read for me.

The Real Macaw, by Donna Andrews

Good new Meg Langslow mystery. Fun.

The Exile of Gigi Lane, by Adrienne Maria Vrettos

Pretty bad private school YA. Cliques and power.

Smokin' Seventeen, by Janet Evanovich

Stephanie Plum and her crazy life. Better than the last few.

The Sixes, by Kate White

Kate White's The Sixes was a quick and hard-to-put-down thriller. Well developed characters and tight plotting kept the pages turning well into the night, and a large and suspicious cast of suspects made for satisfying attempts at 'figuring it out' without being too overwhelming.


Disgraced celebrity biographer Phoebe Hall is teaching a writing course at Lyle College, after accepting the job offer from her best friend, the president of the school. When a young student is killed, Phoebe uses her investigational skills to look into the murder, and uncovers sinister situations in the groves of academe. This was a great read, and was genuinely thrilling without being gruesome- the perfect balance between chilling and cosy.

If You Were Here, by Jen Lancaster

Very funny fiction from Jen Lancaster, the queen of funny nonfiction. This was a quick and amusing take on HGTV fantasies, the suburbs, John Hughes, and it was a fast and enjoyable light read.

American Heiress, by Daisy Goodwin

Fantastic absorbing historical fiction. From gilded age Newport to crumbling English estates, this was an impossible to put down juicy read. Cora Cash, the richest girl in America, goes to England to secure a title, and the classic America vs. Europe thing happens. Great read.

Ingenue, by Jillian Larkin

This excellent follow-up to Larkin's Vixen follows the fortunes of Clara, Gloria, and Lorraine from Chicago to thrilling New York City. While the reader really should read Vixen first, I think it would be possible to jump in to the series here, and still enjoy it tremendously.


Wonderful historical detail combined with raging melodrama combine to create a book that is impossible to put down- a one-sitting read! The fashions, the music, and the societal tidbits mixed in with a racy enthralling plot make for a winning combination. Can't wait for the next in the series!

She Makes It Look Easy, by Marybeth Whalen

This seemed at first as though it was going to be a standard domestic fiction summer read, but it was surprisingly heavy on Christian theme and messages. Interesting and well written characters rose above predictable plotting.


New neighbors Ariel and Justine have very different stay-at-home mom lives, but when Justine's past returns to haunt her, both she and Ariel find out that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

Sisterhood Everlasting, by Ann Brashares

Heartbreaking and lovely conclusion to the sisterhood of the traveling pants series.

Divergent, by Veronica Roth

OK YA dystopian thriller-type thing, but the plot was pretty meh. Pointless, actually, but fast paced action kept pages turning.