REVIEWS

* Favorites are bolded, italicized and asterisked.
DNF =  Did Not Finish (because I didn't like it enough to keep reading)
I = Incomplete (couldn't finish because something happened to the book)


2024 Reviews:
  1. Ready or Not by Cara Bastone (B+ Rating)
  2. The Gathering Girl by Amanda Irene Rush (A Rating)
  3. Book Nooks by Vanessa Dina, Claire Gilhuly (B Rating)
  4. Vegan Cookbook for Singles by Jordan Riley (B+ Rating)
  5. Kowbird by Matt Horn (A+ Rating) *
  6. Tom Clancy's Act of Defiance by Brian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson (B+ Rating)
  7. Forage. Gather. Feast.: 100+ Recipes from West Coast Forests, Shores, & Urban Spaces by Maria Finn (B+ Rating)
  8. Welcome to Your Body: Lessons in Evisceration by Ryan Marie Ketterer (B Rating)
  9. I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger (A Rating) *
  10. Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez (A Rating) *
  11. Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth (B+ Rating)
  12. The Family Experiment by John Marrs (3.5 stars)
  13. The Pecan Children by Quinn Connor (3.5 stars)
  14. Beneath a Crescent Shadow by A.L. Sowards (4 stars)
  15. Nothing Less Than Magic by Stacy Finz (4 stars)
  16. Eat and Flourish by Mary Beth Albright (4.5 stars)
  17. Paradise Problem by Cristina Lauren
  18. The Words that Made Us by Andrea Busfield
  19. The Story Collector by Evie Woods
  20. Burn by Peter Heller
  21. Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray
  22. Does This Taste Funny by Stephen Colbert and Evie McGee Colbert

2019 Reviews:
  1. Almanac 2019 (B+ Rating)

2018 Reviews:
  1. Only Love Can Break Your Heart by Ed Tarkington (B Rating)
  2. Lights Out by Ted Koppel (B+ Rating) *
  3. The Crows of Beara by Julie Christine Johnson (A- Rating)
  4. The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck (A Rating)
  5. The Promise Between Us by Barbara ClaypooleA Wright (A- Rating)
  6. I'll Be Your Blue Sky by Marisa De Los Santos (A- Rating)
  7. In Praise of Difficult Women by Karen Karbo (A Rating) *
  8. Jefferson's America by Julie M. Fenster (B+ Rating)
  9. Promise by Minrose Gwin (B+ Rating)
  10. My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie (A Rating) *
  11. The Last Ballad by Wiley Cash (A- Rating)
  12. National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America by Jon L. Dunn and Jonathan Alderfer (A+ Rating)
  13. Apollo to the Moon: A History in 50 Objects by Teasel E. Muir-Harmony (A- Rating)

2017 Reviews:
  1. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd (B+ Rating)
  2. The Drifter by Christine Lennon (A- Rating)
  3. The Mothers by Brit Bennett (B+ Rating)
  4. Dishing Up the Dirt by Andrea Bermis (A- Rating)
  5. Epic Measures by Jeremy N. Smith (A Rating)
  6. Mississippi Blood by Gregg Isles (A Rating) *
  7. Rebel Queen by Michelle Moran (B+ Rating)
  8. All That Is Solid Melts Into Air by Carol Giangrande (A Rating)
  9. A House Without Windows by Nadia Hashimi (A Rating)
  10. The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson (A Rating) *
  11. The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter (A Rating) *

2016 Reviews:
  1. Cut the Sugar, You're Sweet Enough by Ella Leche (B- Rating)
  2. Free Men by Katy Simpson Smith (B+ Rating)
  3. The Golden Son by Shilpi Somaya Gowda (A Rating) *
  4. Angels Burning by Tawni O'Dell (A- Rating)
  5. America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie  (A+ Rating) *
  6. The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian (B+ Rating)
  7. The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swansen (A Rating) *
  8. Breaking Wild by Diane Les Becquets (B+ Rating)
  9. The Soup Cleanse by Angela Blatteis and Vivienne Vella (A- Rating)
  10. A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman (B+ Rating)
  11. When the Moon is Low by Nadia Hashimi (A Rating)
  12. Wilde Lake by Laura Lippman (A Rating) 
  13. Girls on Fire by Robin Wasserman (A Rating) *
  14. The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra (A+ Rating) *
  15. Food Swap by Emily Paster (A Rating)
  16. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (A+ Rating) *
  17. Dining at the Ravens by Jeff and Joan Stanford (B- Rating)
  18. The Hummingbird by Stephen P. Kiernan (A Rating)
  19. The Far Empty by J. Todd Scott (I)
  20. Cast-Iron Cooking by Rachael Narins (A Rating) *
  21. All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood (A+ Rating) *
  22. Be Frank with Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson (A Rating) *
  23. Commonwealth by Ann Patchett (A Rating) *
  24. News of the World by Paulette Jiles (A- Rating)
  25. The Dude Diet by Serena Wolf (A- Rating)

2015 Reviews:
  1. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra (A+ Rating) *
  2. Prayers for the Stolen by Jennifer Clement (B+ Rating)
  3. Real Food for Everyone by Ann Gentry (B+ Rating)
  4. The Last Neanderthal by Lisa Lareau and Charlie Boring (DNF)
  5. Good and Cheap by Leanne Brown (B Rating)
  6. Shaggy Dog Eats by Christy Bright (B Rating)
  7. Poole's Paradise by John Vorhaus (B Rating)
  8. Pure Food by Veronica Bosgraaf (A- Rating)
  9. Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson (B Rating)
  10. The Art of Eating Through the Zombie Apocalypse by Lauren Wilson and Kristian Bauthus (DNF)
  11. Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery (A Rating) *
  12. Normal by Graeme Cameron (B Rating)
  13. The Bone Tree by Greg Iles (A Rating) *
  14. Chowderland by Brooke Dojny (A Rating) 
  15. Genius Recipes by Food52 (A+ Rating)*
  16. To Dwell in Darkness by Deborah Crombie (A- Rating)
  17. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (A- Rating)
  18. Ice Twins by S.K. Tremayne (B Rating)
  19. Crooked Heart by Lissa Evans (A- Rating) 
  20. Food52 Vegan by Gena Hamshaw (A- Rating)
  21. A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute (B+ Rating)
  22. Crossroads by Tal Ronnen (B- Rating)
  23. Eating Sarah by Jared Martens (DNF)
  24. The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (B+ Rating)
  25. The Art of Crash Landing by Melissa DeCarlo (A Rating) *
  26. Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (B+ Rating)
  27. The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins (A Rating) *
  28. Microshelters by Derek Diedricksen (A- Rating)
  29. Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter (A Rating) * 
  30. The New Sugar and Spice by Samantha Senevirante (A+ Rating) *
  31. Carrying Albert Home by Homer Hickman (A- Rating) *
  32. The Husband's Secret by Lianne Moriarty (B+ Rating)
  33. Brother by Ania Ahlborn (A- Rating)
  34. Bull Mountain by Brian Panowich (A Rating) *
  35. Five Thousand Years of Slavery by Marjorie Gann and Janet Willen (A- Rating)
  36. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons (B Rating)
  37. My Mother's Secret by J.L. Witterick (B+ Rating)

2014 Reviews:
  1. The Secret History of Las Vegas by Chris Abani (I)
  2. Our Love Could Light the World by Anne Leigh Parrish (A Rating)
  3. The Gods of Heavenly Punishment by Jennifer Cody Epstein (A Rating) *
  4. We by Michael Landweber (A- Rating) 
  5. Becalmed by Normandie Fischer (B- Rating)
  6. The Deepest Secret by Carla Buckley (A- Rating)
  7. Decoding Your Dog by American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (B+ Rating)
  8. The Book of Jonah by Joshua Max Feldman (I)
  9. Daughters Who Walk This Path by Yejide Kilanko (B+ Rating)
  10. The Lost Sisterhood by Anne Fortier (B+ Rating)
  11. The Conditions of Love by Dale M. Kushner (B+ Rating)
  12. Natchez Burning by Greg Iles (A Rating) *
  13. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple (B+ Rating)
  14. The Untold by Courtney Collins (I)
  15. Eat Raw, Not Cooked by Stacy Stowers (B+ Rating)
  16. One-Hour Cheese by Claudia Lucero (A- Rating)
  17. Close Reach by Jonathan Moore (B- Rating)
  18. 100 Tough Questions About God and the Bible by Stephen M. Miller (A- Rating)
  19. Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why It Matters by Joshua Harris (B+ Rating)
  20. The Orenda by Joseph Boyden (A- Rating) *
  21. Forty Acres by Dwayne Alexander Smith (B- Rating)
  22. Sinful Folk by Ned Hayes (A Rating) *
  23. Neverhome by Laird Hunt (B+ Rating)
  24. The Chia Cookbook: Inventive, Delicious Recipes Featuring Nature's Superfood by Janie Hoffman (B- Rating)
  25. The Story of Land and Sea by Katy Simpson Smith (A- Rating)
  26. The Bully of Order by Brian Hart (B+ Rating)
  27. How To Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran (B Rating)
  28. A Separate Peace by John Knowles (B- Rating)
  29. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (DNF- book club read about 3/4 completed. Good book, but no time to finish)
  30. The Underground Girls of Kabul: In Search of a Hidden Resistance in Afghanistan
    by Jenny Nordberg (A Rating) *
  31. Blue Asylum by Kathy Hepinstall (A Rating) *
  32. A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote

2013 Reviews:
  1. Starting Seeds by Barbara Ellis (B Rating)
  2. Backyard Foraging by Ellen Zachos (A- Rating)
  3. Homeowner's Energy Handbook by Paul Scheckel (B Rating)
  4. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (B+ Rating)
  5. The Secret of Nightingale Palace by Dana Sachs (B+ Rating)
  6. The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin (A- Rating) *
  7. Philida by Andre P. Brink (C+ Rating)
  8. Garden of Stones by Sophie Littlefield (A- Rating)
  9. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline (B+ Rating) 
  10. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (B+ Rating)
  11. All Different Kinds of Free by Jessica McCann (B+ Rating)
  12. Ten White Geese by Gerbrand Bakker (B+ Rating)
  13. The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin (C+ Rating)
  14. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (A Rating) *
  15. Eat Your Vegetables: Bold Recipes for the Single Cook by Joe Yonan (B+ Rating) 
  16. Maya's Notebook by Isabel Allende (A- Rating)
  17. A Dual Inheritance by Joanna Hershon (A Rating) *
  18. A Far Piece to Canaan by Sam Halpern (A Rating) *
  19. The Book Lovers' Companion (A- Rating)
  20. Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver (B+ Rating)
  21. Fahim Speaks: A Warrior-Actor's Odyssey from Afghanistan to Hollywood and Back by Fahim Fazli (B Rating)
  22. Florida Wildflowers: A Comprehensive Guide by Walter Kingsley Taylor (A+ Rating)
  23. The Never List by Koethi Zan (B- Rating)
  24. World War Z by Max Brooks (DNF) 
  25. The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud (DNF)
  26. The Soup and  Bread Cookbook: More Than 100 Seasonal Pairings by Beatrice Ojakangas (A Rating)
  27. The Caged Graves by Dianne K. Salerni (A- Rating)
  28. League of Somebodies by Samuel Sattin (DNF)
  29. Die for You by Lisa Unger (B- Rating)
  30. The Anti-Breast Cancer Cookbook by Julia B. Greer (B+ Rating)
  31. How They Were Found by Matt Bell (DNF)
  32. The Texas Twist by John Vorhaus (A- Rating)
  33. The Thicket by Joe R. Lansdale (B+ Rating)
  34. Sea Creatures by Susanna Daniel (A Rating) *
  35. Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris (DNF)
  36. The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara (A- Rating) *
  37. Choosing Sides by Tara Mataraza Desmond (B Rating) 
  38. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent  (A Rating) *
  39. Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones (B- Rating)
  40. 50 Best Plants on the Planet by Cathy Thomas (A+ Rating)
  41. Leaving Haven by Kathleen McCleary (A Rating) *
  42. Cartwheel by Jennifer duBois  (B+ Rating)
  43. Mini Treats & Hand-Held Sweets: 100 Delicious Desserts to Pick Up and Eat by Abigail Johnson Dodge (B Rating) 
  44. The Round House by Louis Erdrich (A- Rating)
  45. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles (A Rating) *
  46. The Preservationist by Justin Kramon (B+ Rating)
  47. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill (A- Rating) *
  48. Gone by Randy Wayne White (DNF)
  49. Red Sky in Morning by Paul Lynch (B Rating)
  50. The Wildlife-Friendly Vegetable Gardener by Tammi Hartung (B Rating) 
  51. Going Home by A. American (B- Rating)
  52. The Troop by Nick Cutter (A- Rating)

2012 Reviews:
  1. Whither Thou Goest, I Will Go by Naomi Dathan (8.5/10)
  2. DNF: The Tragedy of Arthur by Arthur Phillips 
  3. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett (8/10) 
  4. All Her Father's Guns by James Warner (5.5/10) 
  5. The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson (8.5/10)
  6. Ten Healthy Teas by Valerie B. Lull (7/10)
  7. The Expats by Chris Pavone (8.5/10) 
  8. The Land of Decoration by Grace McCleen (8.5/10) 
  9. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson (8/10) 
  10. The Getaway by Lisa Brackmann (8/10)
  11. The Cove by Ron Rash (9/10) 
  12. Edge of Dark Water by Joe R. Lansdale (9/10) 
  13. Freaks of the Heartland by Steve Niles (7.5/10) 
  14. Edge of Light by Cynthia Justlin (7/10) 
  15. The Passage by Justin Cronin (9.5/10) 
  16. Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes (8.5/10) 
  17. Overseas by Beatriz Williams (7.5/10) 
  18. One Moment by Kristina McBride (8/10) 
  19. The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay (8.5/10) 
  20. The Earthquake Machine by Mary Pauline Lowry (6/10) 
  21. Shadow Show: All-New Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury (8.5/10) 
  22. Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik (8/10)
  23. The Dog Stars by Peter Heller (9/10)
  24. One Second After by William R. Forstchen (8/10)
  25. Divergent by Veronica Roth (7/10)
  26. John Saturnall's Feast by Lawrence Norfolk (9.5/10) 
  27. And When She Was Good by Laura Lippman (8/10) 
  28. Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (Rating A-)
  29. On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves (Rating C+)
  30. The Warmest December by Bernice L. McFadden (Rating B)
  31. The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian (Rating B+)
  32. Not Famous Anymore by Michael Loyd Gray (Rating B-) 
  33. DNF: Variations by John Donatich 
  34. Me, Who Dove Into the Heart of the World by Sabina Berman (Rating B)
  35. Wilderness by Lance Weller (Rating A+) 
  36. Sleep Talkin' Man by Karen Slavick-Lennard (Rating C+)
  37. The Names of Things by John Colman Wood (Rating B+)
  38. Viewer Discretion Advised by Cindy Roesel (Rating B-)
  39. Backyard Foraging by Ellen Zachos (A-)
  40. Dog by Matt Hlinak (Rating B)
  41. Dry Camp by Alfred Cool (Rating C+)

2011 Reviews:
  1. Under the Dome by Stephen King (8.5/10)
  2. Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey by Jane Goodall (9/10)
  3. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (9/10)
  4. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (8/10)
  5. Cheap Cabernet by Cathie Beck (7.5/10)
  6. Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan (7/10)
  7. Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank (8.5/10)
  8. Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan (8/10)
  9. Room by Emma Donoghue (8/10)
  10. Any Minute by Joyce Meyer (6.5/10)
  11. The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia by Peter Dendle (7.5/10)
  12. The Nobodies Album by Carolyn Parkhurst (7.5/10)
  13. The Foretelling by Alice Hoffman (7/10)
  14. The California Roll by John Vorhaus (8/10)
  15. Ten Beach Road by Wendy Wax (7.5/10)
  16. Purgatory Inn by Ernesto Jose Herrera (8/10)
  17. Secrets of the Vine for Women by Darlene Marie Wilkinson (7.5/10)
  18. The Civilized World by Susi Wyss (8.5/10)
  19. Ghellow Road by T.H. Waters (8/10)
  20. Home to Woefield by Susan Juby (7.5/10)
  21. Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran (8.5/10)
  22. The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin (7.5/10)
  23. The Bells by Richard Harvell (9/10)
  24. The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb by Melanie Bejamin (8/10)
  25. Organic Kitchen: making the most of fresh and seasonal produce by Ysanne Spevack (7/10)
  26. The Vegetarian Bible by Publications International (7/10)
  27. The Story of Moses by Jennifer Talbot Ross (8/10)
  28. The Reversal by Michael Connelly (8.5/10)
  29. Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent (8/10)
  30. Because of You by Cathy Maxwell (7.5/10)
  31. Smonk by Tom Franklin (9.5/10)
  32. First Love: Just Once in a Lifetime: A Memoir by Violeta Barrett (7.5/10)
  33. Say Not What If by Andrew Friedman (8/10)
  34. Jarred Into Being by Pat Lawrence (8/10)


2010 Reviews:
  1. Eternal on the Water by Joseph Monninger (9/10)
  2. Darkness on the Edge of Town by Brian Keene (6.5/10)
  3. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (9/10)
  4. The Florida Keys Cookbook by Victoria Shearer (8.5/10)
  5. Beginner's Luck by Laura Pedersen (7.5/10)
  6. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (8.5/10)
  7. Best Bet by Laura Pedersen (8/10)
  8. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (8/10)
  9. Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure by Allan Richard Shickman (7.5/10)
  10. Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country by Allan Richard Shickman (7.5/10)
  11. Maximum Ride: School's Out by James Patterson (7.5/10)
  12. Hearts on a String by Kris Radish (6.5/10)
  13. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (8.5/10)
  14. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (8/10)
  15. The Saving of Aris by NovaMelia (7.5/10)
  16. The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell (9/10)
  17. Absolute Power by David Baldacci (8/10)
  18. Rooms by James L. Rubart (7.5/10)
  19. The Good Son by Michael Gruber (8/10)
  20. Born Under a Million Shadows by Andrea Busfield (9.5/10)
  21. The Wake of Forgiveness by Bruce Machart (7.5/10)
  22. The Queen's Pawn by Christy English (7/10)
  23. The Maze Runner by James Dashner (8/10)
  24. Falling Home by Karen White (9/10)
  25. Vixen by Jillian Larkin (8/10)
  26. The Broom of the System by David Foster Wallace (6.5/10)
  27. Darling Jim by Christian Moerk (8/10)

2009 Reviews:
  1. Invasion by Robin Cook (4/10)
  2. Castaways by Brian Keene (6/10)
  3. The Pull of the Moon by Elizabeth Berg (9/10)
  4. The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams (7/10)
  5. Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea (8/10)
  6. Hot Blooded by Lisa Jackson (6/10)
  7. The Rising by Brian Keene (8.5/10)
  8. Horse Boy audiobook by Rupert Isaacson (8/10)
  9. Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan (9/10)
  10. The Color Purple by Alice Walker (8.5/10)
  11. BoneMan's Daughters audiobook by Ted Dekker (7/10)
  12. The 6th Seal by J.M. Emanuel (6.5/10)
  13. Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell (9.5/10)
  14. The Scarecrow audiobook by Michael Connelly (8/10)
  15. The Imposter's Daughter by Laurie Sandell (7/10)
  16. Lori's Song by Lori Foroozandeh (8/10)
  17. Karma for Beginners by Jessica Blank (8.5/10)
  18. Cemetery Dance audiobook by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (7/10)
  19. Daniel X: Watch the Skies audiobook by James Patterson and Ned Rust (7/10)
  20. Mother of the Believers by Kamran Pasha (8/10)
  21. The Juror audiobook by George Dawes Green (7.5/10)
  22. The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran (8.5/10)
  23. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (9/10)
  24. Swimsuit by James Patterson (8/10)
  25. The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond (9.5/10)
  26. City of the Dead by Brian Keene (7.5/10)
  27. The Postmistress by Sarah Blake (7/10)
  28. Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson (8/10)
  29. All of Me by Lori Wilde (7/10)
    Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)