REVIEW: Build It Simple: Practical Projects and Inventive Solutions for Home and Garden by How-To Experts at Storey Publishing

Synopsis

Discover 50 simple, thrifty, low-tech projects that you can create, even if you're a novice builder!

With simple tools and materials and just basic building skills, you can make exactly what you need for all of your backyard and gardening projects, from a tool shed and storage bins to lawn chairs, fences, plant supports, and feeders for your chickens. These sustainable, timeless designs, paired with step-by-step instructions and resourceful tips provide a wealth of ideas for a practical and purposeful garden and home.

Format 144 pages, Paperback

Expected publication July 8, 2025 by Storey Publishing, LLC

ISBN 9781635868241 (ISBN10: 1635868246)

My Thoughts

I'm admittedly fascinated with survival techniques. I have been since I read the books Cold River by William Judson and Survive! by Evan Lee Heyman as a kid. They sparked my interest in the things people can and will do to survive, and in old homesteading practices. 

So, when I saw this book available on Netgalley for review, I had to take a look! This book is trove of practical projects to resolve common problems. The introduction states this book was written to save you money, time and resources by guiding you on how to make items for the house and home using some relatively basic hand tools. 

The book starts with instructions for how to build some projects that will help you with other projects like a sawhorse, carpenter's box, and workbench. These earlier projects are more detailed and include drawings showing how to assemble them. Later projects (which include the likes of benches, storage bins, a solar dryer, macrame plant hangers, garden boxes and plant supports) regularly only offer up a drawing of the project and a description of the wood needed with the assumption that if you got through the first few projects then you can handle this.

Sprinkled throughout the book are charming colorful drawings that show happy scenes of home life with these projects in use.

My final word: This book is simple and exactly what it purports to be. A book of 50 relatively simple projects, mostly wood projects, that you can make for your home or garden. With some basic tools, minimal skill, and a bit of ambition, you can fill your home and garden with a bevy of homemade projects that can both bring joy and be practical and useful.

My Rating:

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The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

I received a copy of this book to review through Netgalley, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. The book that I received was an uncorrected proof, and quotes could differ from the final release.  

REVIEW: The Crash by Freida McFadden

Synopsis

The nightmare she’s running from is nothing compared to where she’s headed.

Tegan is eight months pregnant, alone, and desperately wants to put her crumbling life in the rearview mirror. So she hits the road, planning to stay with her brother until she can figure out her next move. But she doesn’t realize she’s heading straight into a blizzard.

She never arrives at her destination.

Stranded in rural Maine with a dead car and broken ankle, Tegan worries she’s made a terrible mistake. Then a miracle she is rescued by a couple who offers her a room in their warm cabin until the snow clears.

But something isn’t right. Tegan believed she was waiting out the storm, but as time ticks by, she comes to realize she is in grave danger. This safe haven isn’t what she thought it was, and staying here may have been her most deadly mistake yet.

And now she must do whatever it takes to save herself—and her unborn child.

A gut-wrenching story of motherhood, survival, and twisted expectations, #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden delivers a snowbound thriller that will chill you to the bone.

Format 384 pages, Hardcover

Published January 28, 2025 by Poisoned Pen Press

ISBN 9781464232985 (ISBN10: 1464232989)

About the Author

#1 New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publisher's Weekly, and Amazon Charts bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and possessed cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

My Thoughts

The Crash is a passable psychological thriller that starts with promise but quickly veers into the mundane and, at times, the downright preposterous. Freida McFadden delivers fast pacing and accessible prose, and twists that feel more forced than clever.

The characters are thinly drawn and often behave in baffling ways, making it hard to stay emotionally invested. and while the premise is intriguing, the execution relies too heavily on unlikely coincidences and melodramatic turns. By the end, the story stretches credibility to its limits, making it hard to stay invested in the outcome.

Five words: mundane, preposterous, fast-paced, theatrical, unbelievable

Buy Now:

Visit the publisher

My final word: It’s not a bad book—it moves quickly and may satisfy readers looking for an easy, forgettable read. But The Crash feels like a fender bender of ideas that never quite adds up to a solid impact. The plot winds up feeling overly familiar (more than once I thought of Stephen King's Misery) and eventually collapses under the weight of its own implausibility. Overall, it’s a mundane but readable effort-- adequate for a lazy afternoon, but little else.

Warnings:

Violence, kidnapping, references to rape

My Rating:

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The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

REVIEW: James by Percival Everett

Synopsis

A brilliant reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn—both harrowing and satirical—told from the enslaved Jim's point of view

When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.

Brimming with nuanced humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a literary icon, this brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim's agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before. James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first-century American literature.

303 pages, Hardcover
First published March 19, 2024

About the Author

Percival L. Everett (born 1956) is an American writer and Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Southern California.

There might not be a more fertile mind in American fiction today than Everett’s. In 22 years, he has written 19 books, including a farcical Western, a savage satire of the publishing industry, a children’s story spoofing counting books, retellings of the Greek myths of Medea and Dionysus, and a philosophical tract narrated by a four-year-old.

The Washington Post has called Everett “one of the most adventurously experimental of modern American novelists.” And according to The Boston Globe, “He’s literature’s NASCAR champion, going flat out, narrowly avoiding one seemingly inevitable crash only to steer straight for the next.”

Everett, who teaches courses in creative writing, American studies and critical theory, says he writes about what interests him, which explains his prolific output and the range of subjects he has tackled. He also describes himself as a demanding teacher who learns from his students as much as they learn from him.

Everett’s writing has earned him the PEN USA 2006 Literary Award (for his 2005 novel, Wounded), the Academy Award for Literature of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award (for his 2001 novel, Erasure), the PEN/Oakland-Josephine Miles Award for Excellence in Literature (for his 1996 story collection, Big Picture) and the New American Writing Award (for his 1990 novel, Zulus). He has served as a judge for, among others, the 1997 National Book Award for fiction and the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction in 1991. 

-- from his Goodreads listing

Setting/Location

This story takes place on the Mississippi River in the 1800s.

My Thoughts

Those little bastards were hiding out there in the tall grass.

Percival Everett’s James is an inventive reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn-- this time allowing the spotlight to shine on Jim, giving him voice, intellect and complexity long overlooked.

From the outset, James feels both familiar and surprisingly new. The language hums with originality. Everett is at times reverent, crafting a voice for Jim that is intellectually rich, biting, and sometimes heartbreakingly introspective, making it not just a retelling but a reworking of American mythology.

Everett’s novel is deeply nostalgic, not for the mythic Mississippi River of Twain’s era, but for the power of storytelling itself—its ability to challenge, to liberate, and to reimagine. With moments of biting satire and profound humanity, James confronts the past with both rage and grace.

Five words: nostalgic, original, storyteller, human, reawakening

Buy now:
Penguin Random House

My final word: A timely novel, James is a reminder of literature’s power to reframe the past and reshape the present. I appreciate the author's ability to give dignity to a previously undervalued voice, to make him the star of the story. Written with compassion, humor, and courage, James is an original literary reinvention. This story will resonate strongly with lovers of Twain!

Warnings:

Abuse, cruelty, slavery, lynchings

My Rating:

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The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

REVIEW: The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean (audiobook)

 

Synopsis

Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s life is turned upside down when she gets the call Ellie Black, a girl who disappeared years earlier, has resurfaced in the woods of Washington state—but Ellie’s reappearance leaves Chelsey with more questions than answers.

It’s been twenty years since Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s sister vanished when they were teenagers, and ever since she’s been searching: for signs, for closure, for other missing girls. But happy endings are rare in Chelsey’s line of work.

Then a glimmer: local teenager Ellie Black, who disappeared without a trace two years earlier, has been found alive in the woods of Washington State.

But something is not right with Ellie. She won’t say where she’s been, or who she’s protecting, and it’s up to Chelsey to find the answers. She needs to get to the bottom of what happened to Ellie: for herself, and for the memory of her sister, but mostly for the next girl who could be taken—and who, unlike Ellie, might never return.

The debut thriller from New York Times bestselling author Emiko Jean, The Return of Ellie Black is both a feminist tour de force about the embers of hope that burn in the aftermath of tragedy and a twisty page-turner that will shock and surprise you right up until the final page.

Format Audio CD

Published May 7, 2024 by Simon & Schuster Audio

ISBN 9781797174686 (ISBN10: 1797174681)

About the Author

Emiko Jean is a New York Times best-selling author of adult and young adult fiction. Her books have been published in over thirty languages. Her work has been featured on Good Morning America as a GMA book club pick, by Reese Witherspoon as a young adult book club pick, and in publications such as: Marie Claire, Entertainment Weekly, Time, Cosmopolitan, Shondaland and Bustle. She lives in Washington with her husband and two kids.

Learn more about the author

My Thoughts

I recently finished listening to The Return of Ellie Black, and honestly, it was just okay. The story had some interesting moments — the premise of a missing girl returning home after missing for years definitely had potential — but it didn’t quite deliver the emotional punch I was hoping for.

The narrator did a decent job overall, and I appreciated the attempt to alternate voices for different characters to enhance the experience, but I found that it could actually be a bit distracting. The pacing felt uneven too; some parts dragged on while others felt rushed, which made it a little hard to stay engaged.

The characters were fine but not especially memorable. I kept waiting for some deeper development or big revelations, but most of it felt pretty surface-level. By the end, I wasn’t totally sure if I even cared what happened next. I appreciated the mystery aspect as Ellie's disappearance and life away from home was slowly revealed piecemeal, but I lacked any real emotional connection to the characters or story.

Five words: mediocre, mysterious, promising, slow-paced, detached

Buy Now:

Visit the publisher for purchase options

My final word: It’s not a bad audiobook — if you need something to pass the time on a commute or while doing chores, it’ll do. But if you're looking for something that really pulls you in and sticks with you afterward, this probably isn't it.

Warnings:

Violence, kidnapping, abuse, murder, rape

My Rating:

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The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

REVIEW: The Words That Made Us by Andrea Busfield

 

Synopsis

After fleeing their home in Romania, Mala and her family travel to the South of France to make an offering to Sara e Kali – patron saint of the Roma whose statue rests in a small church in Saintes Maries de la Mer. Once the family’s pilgrimage is complete, they seek refuge among their own to consider their future during a time when anti-Roma sentiment is running high.

As the government begins to expel hundreds of foreign-born ‘gypsies’, a local man arrives at the travellers’ camp eager to learn their history, and it falls to Mala to speak to him.

Beginning in India she recounts the fall of Kanauj and the relocation of tens of thousands of Indians to Ghazna as prisoners of war. Mala then speaks of the Roma’s flowering in Constantinople, before the plague forced them westwards – into 300 years of slavery. After recounting the horrors of the Second World War, Mala ends with her own story – of her life in present-day Romania, and the tragedy that stole the smile from her young daughter’s face.

Five stories covering one thousand years, The Words That Made Us chronicles the mistrust, misunderstandings and monstrous cruelty that has followed a scattered nation whose only crime was that of being different.

Format 371 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 18, 2024

About the Author

The author only humbly and simply states on Goodreads that she's a "journalist and writer". I will add that she's a bit of a nomad who's lived in numerous places, she loves cultural diversity, she's a vegetarian, and a momma to horses, dogs, cats, and literally has the birds eating from her palm. She currently resides in Ireland.

My Thoughts

I have a name though it's unlikely you've heard of it. Instead, you'll recognise and claim to know me through words of your own making such as gitano, ijito, gjupci, sipsiwn, and yiftos. In England - the birthplace of Shakespeare and Dickens - I'm known as gypsy, my people as gypsies. In other places, at other times, there have been other names, most of them stemming from a medieval belief that we were Egyptian. Sometime later, when this was clipped to 'gypcian, we lost not only the truth, but also entitlement to a capital letter - something the rest of the world's nations appear to enjoy.

I was introduced to author Andrea Busfield through her book Born Under a Million Shadows, and thus began my love affair with her. So, this time I decided to explore her lesser-known book The Words That Made Us.

This book is essentially a series of short stories within a story as Mala, a keeper of Roma history, shares their stories with a couple of outsiders referred to as gadje (essentially "peasants" in Romani). 

I am just as familiar with anti-Romani propaganda as the next person. We've been taught that they are all thieves and con artists; they abuse, sexualize and exploit their children, and are unclean. They're "gypsies".

This book has helped to open my eyes to my own bias, to the larger picture explaining why many Romani in America seem to skirt around the fringes of society, and even why those we see in grocery store parking lots pulling things like the violin-playing scam may have to resort to such things just to survive in a world where they have repeatedly been victimized, persecuted, hunted and run out of towns-- for a thousand years. A proud people who are dedicated to their culture, who have had to evolve to adapt to the environments they've found themselves in as they have spread across the globe seeking safety, peace, and a place to call home.

While some Romani still live as outsiders as a nomadic people seeking labor in the housing and metalworks industries, or running violin scams in parking lots and selling flowers at streetlights, others have become well-assimilated into American culture. Here in America, we have had renowned Romani like Rita Hayworth and Tracey Ullman who have succeeded in Hollywood, and others have succeeded in public service and politics. Bill Clinton is even said to have the blood of the Romani running in his veins.

Romani Americans have served as experts on official delegations to meetings and conferences in the U.S. held by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). At an OSCE Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting on Roma issues in November 2013, Nathan Mick, who is Romani American, delivered the U.S. delegation's intervention and participated in working sessions on improving respect for the rights of Romani people. Another American Roma Dr. Ethel Brooks served as a moderator at this same event; she also spoke at the UN Holocaust Commemoration in New York in 2013 in commemora- International Efforts to Promote Roma Rights 79tion of the Romani genocide during World War II. In January 2016, former President Barack Obama named Dr. Ethel Brooks to serve on the Holocaust Memorial Council, making her the only Romani American on the council since President Bill Clinton appointed Ian Hancock in 1997.  (Wikipedia)

All this to say that the Romani are a complicated people, just like the rest of us. They have suffered hardships and persecution, they are proud of their heritage, and they want peace and safety for their children just like everyone else. 

The author takes the reader through the origins of the Romani, a thousand years of distrust, hatred, misunderstanding, enslavement, abuse, and slaughter. But through it all they have persevered and never lost sight of who they are or where they came from. The author does an admirable job of bringing humanity to an oft-reviled people, of portraying them as a prideful people without making them feel cold, of explaining why so many Romani still hold themselves apart from general society, and shares with the reader a history that has helped form who the Romani are today as they have been continually chased out of towns through the generations, or worse.

Five words: Insightful, humane, heartbreaking, determined, inspirational

Buy Now:

Amazon

My final word: Andrea Busfield's The Words That Made Us is a thought-provoking exploration of the power of words and the persecution of the Romani people. Busfield masterfully takes the reader through the historical and cultural impact of bias and bigotry against a race of people who refused to bow to societal expectations and have held fast to their culture and history. Andrea always knows how to stir me, to reach a place that not many can touch. Her writing is well-researched; nothing is ever shallow or without depth. There's always a feeling of reading someone's private diary, being privy to their deepest hopes and fears and suffering. If you want a story within a story, an inspiring journey through history, well-researched and well-crafted, pick up this one! And then afterwards, grab her book Born Under a Million Shadows. You'll thank me and will quickly find yourself a Busfield fan, too!

Warnings:

Cruelty and violence

My Rating:

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The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

REVIEW: The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne

Synopsis

Cyril Avery is not a real Avery or at least that’s what his adoptive parents tell him. And he never will be. But if he isn’t a real Avery, then who is he?

Born out of wedlock to a teenage girl cast out from her rural Irish community and adopted by a well-to-do if eccentric Dublin couple via the intervention of a hunchbacked Redemptorist nun, Cyril is adrift in the world, anchored only tenuously by his heartfelt friendship with the infinitely more glamourous and dangerous Julian Woodbead.

At the mercy of fortune and coincidence, he will spend a lifetime coming to know himself and where he came from – and over his three score years and ten, will struggle to discover an identity, a home, a country and much more.

In this, Boyne's most transcendent work to date, we are shown the story of Ireland from the 1940s to today through the eyes of one ordinary man. The Heart's Invisible Furies is a novel to make you laugh and cry while reminding us all of the redemptive power of the human spirit.

Format 582 pages, Hardcover
Published August 22, 2017 by Hogarth Press

About the Author

John Boyne is one of the most successful and critically acclaimed novelists of his generation. In a career spanning more than 30 years, he has published 17 novels for adults, 6 novels for younger readers, a short story collection, and a picture book.

His most famous book, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, was a New York Times No.1 Bestseller, and adapted for film, theatre, opera, and ballet, selling more than 11 million copies worldwide. It is used in schools on every continent to introduce young readers to their study of the Holocaust.

Among his many international bestsellers are The Heart’s Invisible Furies, A Ladder to the Sky, and All the Broken Places.

His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Observer, The Times Literary Supplement, The Irish Times, and in dozens of international newspapers and magazines.

He has won 4 Irish Book Awards, the Hennessy Literary ‘Hall of Fame’ Award, and many international literary prizes, including the Qué Leer Award for Novel of the Year in Spain and the Gustav Heinemann Peace Prize in Germany for his work on Holocaust Education. In 2015, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of East Anglia.

His novels are published in 60 languages.

In November 2023, John published the first of a four novella sequence, Water, which was followed by Earth and Fire. Air will be published in May 2025. The sequence will be published in September 2025 in one volume, titled The Elements.

Learn more about the author on his website.

Setting and Location

The bulk of this book takes place in Ireland.

National Library of Ireland on The Commons, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons

John Boyne’s The Heart's Invisible Furies is a triumph of storytelling — a powerful, sweeping novel that traces the life of Cyril Avery from his illegitimate birth in 1940s Ireland to his later years, exploring his journey to find acceptance, identity, and love.

Let me preface this by saying that this review has been a long time in the making. I started this book at the end of 2017 and was happily declaring it to be one of the best books I'd ever read when I had to make a surprise trip to Michigan to stay by my dying father's bedside in January/February 2018. I put the book down and barely touched another book for years after. I'm glad to say that I finally felt ready to pick it up again, backtracked to refresh my memory on where I'd left off, and finally completed it. 

The story follows Cyril Avery, born out of wedlock to a teenage girl cast out by her small Irish village, and adopted by eccentric, distant parents. From his earliest days, Cyril knows he’s different — not just because he’s "not a real Avery," as his adoptive parents frequently remind him, but because he’s hiding a truth about himself that 1950s Ireland would never accept. His lifelong journey of self-discovery — marked by heartbreak, longing, and resilience — is both intensely personal and universally resonant.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is how it examines Ireland’s evolving social and political landscape alongside Cyril’s own growth. It’s a story that confronts the cruelty of prejudice, yet it never loses sight of hope — hope for change, for acceptance, and for the quiet, powerful force of human kindness.

The characters are richly drawn, each one leaving an indelible mark on Cyril’s life. From his eccentric adoptive parents to his lifelong (and unrequited) love for his friend Julian, every relationship feels authentic and layered. Boyne’s ability to weave historical events into Cyril’s personal journey adds an extra layer of depth, making the book not only an emotional odyssey but also a poignant commentary on societal change.

The Heart’s Invisible Furies is, at its core, a deeply compassionate novel — one that embraces the flaws, mistakes, and regrets that make us human. Cyril’s journey is heartbreaking and uplifting all at once, and Boyne’s ability to weave humor into even the darkest moments is nothing short of brilliant.

Five words: heartfelt, witty, original, nostalgic, absorbing

Buy Now:

Purchase through the publisher

IndieBound

My final word: John Boyne’s The Heart’s Invisible Furies is nothing short of extraordinary — a sweeping, emotionally rich novel that captures the complexities of identity, love, and belonging with unforgettable tenderness and humor. If you’re looking for a novel that will make you laugh, cry, and reflect on what it means to belong, The Heart's Invisible Furies is an absolute must-read. By the final page, the novel leaves you feeling both heartbroken and hopeful — a testament to Boyne’s extraordinary ability to capture the messy, beautiful complexity of life. It’s a book that lingers in your mind long after you’ve finished it, reminding you of the invisible forces — love, regret, hope — that shape us all. 

Warnings:

Some sexual situations, references to drug use and prostitution, physical assault

Cover: 3.5

Writing Style: 5

Characters: 5

Storyline/Plot: 5

Interest/Uniqueness: 5

My Rating: 

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The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

REVIEW: Bear by Julia Phillips

Synopsis

A mesmerising novel of two sisters on a Pacific Northwest island whose lives are upended by an unexpected visitor — a tale of family, obsession, and a mysterious creature in the woods, by the celebrated, bestselling author of Disappearing Earth.

They were sisters and they would last past the end of time.

Sam and her sister, Elena, dream of another life. On the island off the coast of Washington where they were born and raised, they and their mother struggle to survive. Sam works long days on the ferry that delivers wealthy mainlanders to their vacation homes while Elena bartends at the local golf club, but even together they can’t earn enough to get by, stirring their frustration about the limits that shape their existence.

Then one night on the boat, Sam spots a bear swimming the dark waters of the channel. Where is it going? What does it want? When the bear turns up by their home, Sam, terrified, is more convinced than ever that it’s time to leave the island. But Elena responds differently to the massive beast. Enchanted by its presence, she throws into doubt the plan to escape and puts their long-held dream in danger.

A story about the bonds of sisterhood and the mysteries of the animals that live among us — and within us — Bear is a propulsive, mythical, rich novel from one of the most acclaimed young writers in America.

Format 304 pages, Hardcover
Published June 25, 2024 by Hogarth
ISBN 9780525520436 (ISBN10: 0525520430) 

About the Author

Julia Phillips is the author of the bestselling novels Bear and Disappearing Earth, which was a finalist for the National Book Award and one of The New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of the Year. A 2024 Guggenheim fellow, she lives with her family in Brooklyn.

Julia's work has been translated into twenty-six languages. She has written for The New York Times, ​The Atlantic, and The Paris Review and teaches at the Randolph College MFA program. She is also on the board of the Crime Victims Treatment Center, a nonprofit that helps people heal from violence.

Learn more about the author

My Thoughts

The ferry from Friday Harbor left fourteen times a day-- fifteen on weekends-- to loop around San Juan Channel's scattered islands.

I lived for a time near the islands where this story takes place, and it is an area near and dear to my heart. 

Patos Green Algae, San Juan Islands, Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Therefore, I was really looking forward to this story. Unfortunately, I was left wanting.

Julia Phillips' Bear undoubtedly showcases her talent for vivid, atmospheric writing. The descriptions of both the wilderness and the internal struggles of the characters are evocative and compelling. Phillips has a knack for painting a scene and giving life to the landscape.

However, despite her skill with prose, Bear often feels like it's trying a little too hard. The plot, which revolves around an unusual and darkly symbolic premise, veers into territory that feels more absurd than poignant. The see-saw between the emotional depth of the characters and the increasingly outlandish events they find themselves caught in makes for a jarring and at times frustrating reading experience. The more the book tries to build depth, the more it risks turning into an over-wrought melodrama.

While Phillips' writing can be beautiful at times, the story itself doesn't always match the ambition behind it. The narrator's motivations are at times unclear or exaggerated to the point of ridiculousness, making it difficult to connect with their journey and creating a convoluted plot.

Five words: melodramatic, overdone, vivid, unusual, convoluted

My final word: In short, Bear is a book that could have been more if it didn’t stretch so far. I was left feeling that this was one long and drawn-out story in what should have been part of a short story collection. Phillips' talent is evident, but the book's execution ends up feeling overly dramatic and weighty, leaving the reader caught between admiration for the writing and eyerolls at the story as it falls short of its mark.

Buy Now:

Find your purchase options on the author's website.

Warnings:
Minor sexual situations, minor violence

Rating:

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The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

I received a copy of this book to review through Netgalley, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. The book that I received was an uncorrected proof, and quotes could differ from the final release.  

REVIEW: Burn by Peter Heller

 

Synopsis

From the best-selling author of The Dog Stars, a novel about two men—friends since boyhood—who emerge from the woods of rural Maine to a dystopian country racked by bewildering violence

Every year, Jess and Storey have made an annual pilgrimage to the most remote corners of the country, where they camp, hunt, and hike, leaving much from their long friendship unspoken. Although the state of Maine has convulsed all summer with secession mania—a mania that has simultaneously spread across other states—Jess and Storey figure it’s a fight reserved for legislators or, worst-case scenario, folks in the capital.

But after weeks hunting off the grid, the men reach a small town and are shocked by what they find: a bridge blown apart, buildings burned to the ground, and bombed-out cars abandoned on the road. Trying to make sense of the sudden destruction all around them, they set their sights on finding their way home, dragging a wagon across bumpy dirt roads, scavenging from boats left in lakes, and dodging armed men—secessionists or U.S. military, they cannot tell—as they seek a path to safety. Then, a startling discovery drastically alters their path and the stakes of their escape.

Drenched in the beauty of the natural world and attuned to the specific cadences of male friendship, even here at the edge of doom, Burn is both a blistering warning about a divided country’s political strife and an ode to the salvation found in our chosen families.

• Format 291 pages, Hardcover
• Published August 13, 2024 by Knopf
• ISBN 9780593801628 (ISBN10: 0593801628)

About the Author

Peter Heller is a longtime contributor to NPR, and a former contributing editor at Outside Magazine, Men’s Journal, and National Geographic Adventure. He is an award winning adventure writer and the author of four books of literary nonfiction. He lives in Denver. Heller was born and raised in New York. He attended high school in Vermont and Dartmouth College in New Hampshire where he became an outdoorsman and whitewater kayaker. He traveled the world as an expedition kayaker, writing about challenging descents in the Pamirs, the Tien Shan mountains, the Caucuses, Central America and Peru. He was the first man, with a Kiwi paddler named Roy Bailey, to kayak the Muk Su River in the High Pamirs of Tadjikistan. The river was known as the Everest of Rivers in the Soviet Union, and the last team that had attempted it lost five of their eleven men. The run was 17 days of massive whitewater through a canyon inhabited by wolves and snow leopards.

Learn more about the author on their website.

My Thoughts

Two men go on their annual hunting trip and emerge from the Maine woods to find destruction and a barren land amid political upheaval. The story follows their journey through ghostly quiet fishing towns as they attempt to safely make their way home.

Edmund L. Mitchell, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons

He let the fire burn down to embers, let the dark envelop him, and stood.

Peter Heller, the author of The Dog Stars which was one of my favorite books of 2012, releases a new page-turner that blends suspense, action, and emotion into a gripping narrative. The book combines elements of mystery, survival, and deep emotional exploration, creating a complex but engaging experience.

Set in the rugged wilderness, Burn introduces us to Jess and Storey, two hunters emerging from a hunting trip into a changed world, caught in a life-or-death situation that will test their resilience, morals, and the very core of their bond.

Heller has a rather choppy writing style that I think can be a bit off-putting for some, but his descriptions of the wild landscapes and towns are so vivid that you can practically feel the cold air and hear the crackling of the fire. The writing is poetic yet sharp, with Heller’s signature style of blending intense action with reflective moments. The pacing is perfect—just when you think you have a grip on the story, another twist or revelation keeps you on your toes. The relationship between Jess and Storey is profound and the kind you only find among those who have grown up together and seen one another through all of life's hills and valleys.

Five words: introspective, patient, gripping, immersive, mysterious

Buy Now:

Check out the author's website for purchasing options

My final word: From the very first page, Heller pulls you in with a story that’s equal parts gritty and thought-provoking. His writing is vivid and immersive, with an almost cinematic quality that keeps you on the edge of your seat. While I didn't love Burn as much as The Dog Stars, Heller delivers a gripping, reflective narrative that’s as heart-wrenching as it is thrilling. Highly recommended for anyone who likes their dystopian to have a bit more depth and meat to it!

Warnings:

Mild language, sexual situations, violence

 

Cover:  4.5 stars
Writing Style:  4 stars
Characters:  4 stars
Storyline/Plot: 4.5 stars
Interest/Uniqueness: 4 stars

Rating:

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The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

I received a copy of this book to review through Netgalley and the publisher, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. The book that I received was an uncorrected proof, and quotes could differ from the final release.  

BOOK BINGO 2025

 I'm trying to read some diverse literature. and in an attempt to help me toward that goal I am doing BINGO to help keep my reading pattern from getting redundant. It will also help towards my goal of reading 25 books this year. (I know that 25 books isn't much to most bookies, but I have been so busy with work that I can barely find time to read, but things are beginning to look up.)

REVIEW: Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray

 

Synopsis

The extraordinary story of Jessie Redmon Fauset whose exhilarating world of friends, rivals, and passions all combined to create the magic that was the Harlem Renaissance, written by Victoria Christopher Murray, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Personal Librarian.
 
In 1919, as civil and social unrest grips the country, there is a little corner of America, a place called Harlem where something special is stirring. Here, the New Negro is rising and Black pride is evident everywhere…in music, theatre, fashion and the arts. And there on stage in the center of this renaissance is Jessie Redmon Fauset, the new literary editor of the preeminent Negro magazine The Crisis.
 
W.E.B. Du Bois, the founder and editor of The Crisis, has charged her with discovering young writers whose words will change the world. Jessie attacks the challenge with fervor, quickly finding sixteen-year-old Countee Cullen, seventeen-year-old Langston Hughes, and Nella Larsen, who becomes one of her best friends. Under Jessie’s leadership, The Crisis thrives, the writers become notable and magazine subscriptions soar. Every Negro writer in the country wants their work published in the magazine now known for its groundbreaking poetry and short stories. 
 
Jessie’s rising star is shining bright….but her relationship with W.E.B. could jeopardize all that she’s built. The man, considered by most to be the leader of Black America, is not only Jessie’s boss, he’s her lover. And neither his wife, nor their fourteen-year-age difference can keep the two apart. Their torrid and tumultuous affair is complicated by a secret desire that Jessie harbors — to someday, herself, become the editor of the magazine, a position that only W.E.B. Du Bois has held.
 
In the face of overwhelming sexism and racism, Jessie must balance her drive with her desires. However, as she strives to preserve her legacy, she’ll discover the high cost of her unparalleled success.

Format 400 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication February 4, 2025 by Berkley

ISBN 9780593638484 (ISBN10: 0593638484)

About the Author

Victoria Christopher Murray is the author of nine Essence bestselling novels, including The Ex Files; Too Little, Too Late; and Lady Jasmine. Winner of the African American Literary Award for Fiction and Author of the Year (Female).

She has received numerous awards including the Golden Pen Award for Best Inspirational Fiction and the Phyllis Wheatley Trailblazer Award for being a pioneer in African American Fiction. Since 2007, Victoria has won nine African American Literary Awards for best novel, best Christian fiction and Author of the Year — Female. After four nominations, Victoria finally won an NAACP Image Award in Outstanding Literary Work for her social commentary novel, Stand Your Ground.

Victoria splits her time between Los Angeles and Washington DC. 

Learn more about the author on their website

Setting / Location

This book is set in Harlem in the 1920s amid the Harlem Renaissance.

James Van Der Zee, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

My Thoughts

I thrust open the taxicab's door, and the moment my t-strap heels hit the pavement, a cacophony of city sounds welcomes me.

Jessie Redmon Fauset, photographer unknown, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

W.E.B. DuBois, photographer Battey, C. M. (Cornelius Marion), 1873-1927, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Victoria Christopher Murray's Harlem Rhapsody is a compelling and emotionally charged novel that beautifully weaves together history, passion, and social activism. Set in the heart of Harlem, the book takes readers on a journey through the lives of two remarkable figures, W.E.B. DuBois and Jessie Redmon Fauset, whose real-life contributions to African-American history are celebrated in the pages of this inspiring novel.

While the novel primarily follows the story of Fauset's contributions to the African-American movement in the arts, W.E.B. DuBois is also a central figure. Murray does a wonderful job of delving into their personal struggles and triumphs. W.E.B. DuBois, known for his groundbreaking work as an intellectual and civil rights leader, is portrayed with a deep respect for his complex, and at times contradictory, character and his profound impact on African-American thought and our impressions of the African-American community. Fauset, though lesser-known, is equally significant in her role as a passionate advocate for the community and their expression through the arts. Murray’s exploration of both Fauset's personal and professional life adds depth to the story, highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of women in history.

The author’s rich prose is filled with historical detail, yet accessible enough for readers who may not be familiar with the time period or the individuals themselves (like me!). Murray masterfully captures the spirit of Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance, infusing the novel with the cultural vibrancy of the era, and introducing other historical characters like Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Countee Cullen who entered the human consciousness during the Harlem Renaissance.

"Something is happening here, Jessie. It's happened on the stage, it's happened in music, and now, this movement has come to literature. We're telling our stories in every form of the arts."

One of the book's greatest strengths is its ability to highlight the emotional complexities of both DuBois and Fauset’s lives. Their internal struggles, their relationships, and their drive to shape a better future for African-Americans resonates deeply. Their personal stories are presented as a powerful reflection of the larger societal battles they were part of.

Five words: intriguing, inspiring, measured, historical, fascinating

PreOrder Now (expected release February 4, 2025):

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Indiebound

My final word: Harlem Rhapsody is a celebration of resilience, passion, and the unyielding fight for equality. Murray’s portrayal of these real-life characters offers a heartfelt tribute to their legacies. Whether you’re a historical fiction enthusiast, a lover of richly drawn characters, or simply someone who enjoys a well-crafted, thought-provoking novel, Harlem Rhapsody is a must-read that will linger and encourage you to learn more about the subjects even after you've closed the book.

My Rating:

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The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

Disclosure:

I received a copy of this book to review through BookBrowse, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. The book that I received was an uncorrected proof, and quotes could differ from the final release.

REVIEW: The Story Collector by Evie Woods

 

Synopsis

In a quiet village in Ireland, a mysterious local myth is about to change everything…

One hundred years ago, Anna, a young farm girl, volunteers to help an intriguing American visitor translate fairy stories from Irish to English. But all is not as it seems and Anna soon finds herself at the heart of a mystery that threatens her very way of life.

In New York in the present day, Sarah Harper boards a plane bound for the West Coast of Ireland. But once there, she finds she has unearthed dark secrets – secrets that tread the line between the everyday and the otherworldly, the seen and the unseen.

With a taste for the magical in everyday life, Evie Woods's latest novel is full of ordinary characters with extraordinary tales to tell.

Format 358 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 18, 2024 by One More Chapter
ISBN 9780008706661 (ISBN10: 0008706662)

About the Author

Evie Woods is the author of The Lost Bookshop, the #1 Wall Street Journal and Amazon Kindle and Sunday Times bestseller, which has now sold over half a million copies. She is also the author of The Story Collector, The Heirloom and The Mysterious Bakery on Rue De Paris under her real name, Evie Gaughan.

Living on the West Coast of Ireland, Evie escapes the inclement weather by writing her stories in a converted attic, where she dreams of underfloor heating. Her books tread the intriguing line between the everyday and the otherworldly, revealing the magic that exists in our ordinary lives.

Learn more about the author

Setting / Location

The majority of this story takes place in County Clare in western Ireland.

Minor road from Ogonnelloe to Carrowcore, Co. Clare by P L Chadwick,
CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

On her way to her sister's while nursing a broken heart, Sarah makes the abrupt decision to fly to Ireland after reading a news article. While there she finds an old diary and experiences a love story from a century before.

My Thoughts

Where Thornwood House now stands was once ancient woodland.

The Story Collector by Evie Woods is an enchanting tale that intertwines history, mystery, and romance into a captivating read. Woods' storytelling prowess shines through as she skillfully brings to life a world rich with characters and immersive settings. The dual protagonists' journeys of discovery keep readers engaged and eager to turn the pages.

Sarah embarks on an unexpected journey to a small village in western Ireland after reading a story of a magical fairy tree (and imbibing a bit too much before her flight). After finding herself in a strange town without available shelter, a kind hotel manager finds her lodging in a nearby cottage rented by a local family. She decides to embrace her circumstances and work on healing her broken heart and "finding" herself and then discovers the diary of an old cottage tenant from a century before and the mystery surrounding her.

Oran is the cottage owner, and a single father and widower who is nursing his own broken heart while fumbling to raise a teenage girl. 

"Was he trying to keep the painful memories in or keep happiness out?"

Woods weaves an evocative story rife with descriptive passages that beautifully paint the backdrop of the quaint town, of two people in one timeline navigating pain and grief, and two people in another time navigating life and new love. The blend of historical and contemporary elements adds depth and intrigue, making the narrative both educational and entertaining. The development of relationships, particularly the romantic subplot, is heartfelt and adds an emotional layer to the story.

"Our wills and fate do so contrary run." (Shakespeare)

However, while the book is undoubtedly charming, it occasionally leans on familiar tropes that may feel predictable to seasoned readers. Some plot twists are more foreseeable than surprising, which can diminish the impact of certain revelations. Additionally, the pacing in some parts may feel slow, which might test the patience of readers looking for a more briskly-paced adventure.

My final word: The Story Collector is a delightful read that captures the magic of storytelling with a blend of history, mystery, and romance. Despite some predictable elements, Woods' engaging prose and well-crafted characters make this novel a worthwhile addition to any bookshelf.