REVIEW: The Lilac People by Milo Todd

Synopsis

For readers of All the Light We Cannot See and In Memoriam, a moving and deeply humane story about a trans man who must relinquish the freedoms of prewar Berlin to survive first the Nazis then the Allies while protecting the ones he loves.

In 1932 Berlin, Bertie, a trans man, and his friends spend carefree nights at the Eldorado Club, the epicenter of Berlin's thriving queer community. An employee of the renowned Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld at the Institute of Sexual Science, Bertie works to improve queer rights in Germany and beyond, but everything changes when Hitler rises to power. The institute is raided, the Eldorado is shuttered, and queer people are rounded up. Bertie barely escapes with his girlfriend, Sofie, to a nearby farm. There they take on the identities of an elderly couple and live for more than a decade in isolation.

In the final days of the war, with their freedom in sight, Bertie and Sofie find a young trans man collapsed on their property, still dressed in Holocaust prison clothes. They vow to protect him—not from the Nazis, but from the Allied forces who are arresting queer prisoners while liberating the rest of the country. Ironically, as the Allies' vise grip closes on Bertie and his family, their only salvation becomes fleeing to the United States.

Brimming with hope, resilience, and the enduring power of community, The Lilac People tells an extraordinary story inspired by real events and recovers an occluded moment of trans history.

Format 303 pages, Hardcover
Published April 29, 2025 by Counterpoint
ISBN 9781640097032 (ISBN10: 1640097031)


About the Author

Milo Todd is a Massachusetts Cultural Council grantee and a Lambda Literary Fellow. His work has appeared in Slice Magazine and elsewhere. He is co-editor in chief of Foglifter Journal and teaches creative writing to queer and trans adults.

Learn more about the author


My Thoughts

The Lilac People is a powerful, haunting novel based on real events, offering a fictionalized account of the persecution of the LGBTQ community during the rise of the Nazi regime in 1930s Germany. After roughly fifteen years of unprecedented freedom—following centuries of oppression—the community once again finds itself in grave danger as fascism tightens its grip.

At the heart of the story is Bertie, a trans man working at Berlin’s famed Institute of Sexual Science under Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, a pioneering sexologist and advocate. When he isn’t assisting at the Institute, Bertie spends his nights at the Eldorado Club—dancing, drinking, and commiserating with friends in a space where the LGBTQ community can finally breathe. But as the Nazis gain power, those safe spaces dissolve, and the people who once lived openly and vibrantly become direct targets of hatred and violence.

Though the author adjusts the real-world timeline, the narrative centers on Bertie and his girlfriend Sofie as they flee following a brutal attack on the Institute during the Night of the Long Knives. The chaos and terror of that event—during which as many as a thousand were murdered and many more arrested or sent to Dachau—is vividly rendered. The pair take refuge on a rural farm, eventually adopting the identities of its former residents in a desperate bid for survival.

The novel also confronts a lesser-known and devastating truth: liberation from the concentration camps did not bring freedom for everyone. American forces, too, sought out and arrested gay and trans individuals, continuing the persecution long after the camps were liberated. It is a sobering reminder of how deeply rooted these injustices are—and how shamefully they were perpetuated by even the liberators.

Todd writes with empathy and nuance, crafting characters who feel real, vulnerable, and deeply human. Through Bertie, Sofie, and later Karl, readers gain a clearer understanding of the pain, fear, resilience, and hope experienced by many in the LGBTQ community during this era.

Five words: shameful, heartbreaking, haunting, illuminating, tender

Buy Now:
Indiebound
Barnes and Noble
Books-a-Million
Amazon

My final word: I found The Lilac People both enlightening and emotionally gripping. It illuminated a part of Nazi history I had not previously known, and it left me reflecting on humanity’s capacity for cruelty—and our responsibility to do better. The story lingers long after the final page, leaving me hopeful that we can still pull ourselves out of the moral tailspin we so often seem caught in, even as I worry about whether we will.

Warnings/Triggers:

Violence, depictions of sexual assault and exploitation, smoking, drinking, genocide

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 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. 

TLC BOOK TOURS AND REVIEW: The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth by Barbara O'Neal

Synopsis

Two women overcoming past traumas embark on a healing journey across continents in a novel about friendship, family, and rediscovery by the USA Today bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids.

Recently and abruptly divorced Veronica Barrington is anxious for a new direction when she answers a listing for a travel companion. It’s from Mariah Ellsworth, a young woman adjusting to an injury that ended her Olympic career. She’s also grieving her mother, Rachel, a lauded food writer, and Mariah aims to trace the steps of her mother’s final, unfinished project so she can heal and also honor the woman she misses.

Veronica seizes on the opportunity to experience with Mariah the culture, traditions, and intoxicating aromas of Parsi cafés throughout London, Paris, Morocco, and India. Accompanied by a former war photographer who has a wounded history of his own, and with just Rachel’s letters to guide them, the quest is a chance to not only close a chapter in life but also begin a new one.

Following the letters one by one—each a clue to an illuminating mystery—Veronica and Mariah must face the painful and beautiful challenges of freeing themselves from the dark shadows of the past. Together, far from home, they can find the light.

Format 377 pages, Paperback
Published July 29, 2025 by Lake Union Publishing
ISBN 9781662514937 (ISBN10: 166251493X)

About the Author

Barbara O’Neal is the author of more than a dozen award-winning, bestselling novels, including the runaway bestseller, When We Believed in Mermaids, which has been published in 21 countries and spent many months on both the most sold and most read Amazon Charts, as well as the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Washington Post bestseller lists. Barbara is an avid traveler and passionate cook, and discovered the Oregon coast on a pandemic-era trip with her husband. She now lives on that rocky, moody coast in a quirky beach house and writes her books from a room overlooking the sea. She lives with her British husband, who has promised to never lose his accent, and their cats and dogs.

Learn more about the author


My Thoughts

The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth was my introduction to Barbara O’Neal’s writing, and I was immediately swept away by the story she crafted. This beautifully layered novel follows two women at very different phases of their lives—each with her own ambitions, wounds, and desires—who find themselves unexpectedly intertwined as they work to rebuild the broken pieces of their worlds.

Veronica is reeling after a painful divorce that cost her nearly everything she cherished. With her grown children busy forging their own paths, she is left searching for purpose and a sense of direction. In this vulnerable moment, she stumbles across a wanted ad seeking a travel companion and assistant. Answering it leads her to Mariah, a young former Olympic champion skier trying to outrun trauma of her own.

Mariah, still grieving the loss of both her mother and her athletic career in the same devastating moment, feels unmoored and unsure of how to begin again. She chooses to start by finishing her mother’s book on Parisian cafes across Europe. When a family emergency prevents her aunt from accompanying her, Mariah needs someone who can help with both the physical demands of travel and the day-to-day tasks of organizing notes and keeping the project moving forward.

Joining them is Henry, a longtime family friend who has been a steady father figure in Mariah’s life—and who carries his own emotional scars. Sparks soon begin to fly between him and Veronica. As they journey together, Mariah’s aunt sends Veronica a series of letters written by Mariah’s mother, Rachel, during her youthful travels across Europe, Asia, and North Africa. These letters become a trail of clues, drawing the trio along Rachel’s footsteps and deepening the mystery of what happened all those years ago.

Their travels through London, Paris, Morocco, and India strengthen their bonds and begin to heal long-held wounds. Mariah and Veronica both slowly reclaim parts of themselves they feared were lost forever—Mariah finding comfort in Veronica’s nurturing presence, and Veronica rediscovering her own vitality in the bustle of unfamiliar cities, new flavors, and the sensory richness of Parisian cafes.

Five words: stimulating, vulnerable, mysterious, heartfelt, layered

Buy Now:
Indiebound

My final word: I truly loved this book! O’Neal’s writing moves me in a way few authors do. Her descriptions of Morocco and India—rich with color, scent, and texture—made me want to cook alongside the characters. Bun maska, fragrant lassis and biryanis, quiche, chai, even fruits less common in the U.S. like tamarind—I wanted to taste everything right along with them. The characters felt real and well developed (even if Mariah could be abrasive at times), and their emotional arcs were satisfying and heartfelt.

I’m already eager to dive into more of Barbara O’Neal’s work. This book was a delight from beginning to end.

Warnings and Triggers:

Depicts a shooting and minor sexual situations

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 TLC Book Tours 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.

REVIEW: The Bone Thief by Vanessa Lillie

 Synopsis

When a Native teenager vanishes from her small town—a place with dark ties to an elite historical society—archaeologist Syd Walker is called to investigate...from bestselling author Vanessa Lillie.

In the hours before dawn at a local summer camp, Bureau of Indian Affairs archaeologist Syd Walker receives an alarming call: newly discovered skeletal remains have been stolen. Not only have bones gone missing, but a Native teen girl has disappeared near the camp, and law enforcement dismisses her family's fears.

As Syd investigates both crimes, she's drawn into a world of privileged campers and their wealthy parents—most of them members of the Founders Society, an exclusive club whose members trace their lineage to the first colonists and claim ancestral rights to the land, despite fierce objections from the local tribal community. And it's not the first time something—or someone—has gone missing from the camp.

The deeper Syd digs, the more she realizes these aren't isolated incidents. A pattern of disappearances stretches back generations, all leading to the Founders Society's doorstep. But exposing the truth means confronting not just the town's most powerful families, but also a legacy of violence that refuses to stay buried.

From the national bestselling author of Blood Sisters (a Washington Post Best Mystery of the Year and Target Book Club pick) comes a new Syd Walker novel that proves the sins of the past are destined to repeat until the truth is finally unearthed.

Format 384 pages, Hardcover
Published October 28, 2025 by Berkley
ISBN 9780593550144 (ISBN10: 0593550145)

About the Author

Vanessa Lillie is the USA Today bestselling author of Blood Sisters, a new series centered on the stories of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which was a Target Book Club pick and GMA Book Club Buzz Pick, as well as a best mystery of the year from the Washington Post, Amazon Editor’s and Reader’s Digest. The sequel, The Bone Thief, will be out October 28, 2025.

Her other thrillers are Little Voices, For the Best and she’s the creator and coauthor of the # 1 Audible Charts bestseller and International Thriller Writers award-nominated, Young Rich Widows, set in Providence, RI where she lives, with the Audible Original sequel Desperate Deadly Widows and print edition recently released.

Originally from Miami, Oklahoma, she is a proud citizen of the Cherokee Nation. Vanessa wrote a weekly column for the Providence Journal about her experiences during the first year of the pandemic. She hosts an Instagram Live show, ‘Twas the Night Before Book Launch, where she chats with authors the night before their book is out in the world.

Learn more about the author

My Thoughts

Syd Walker works with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, having recently stepped into the role vacated by her former boss, Bud Russell, who retired six months earlier. When suspected tribal remains are discovered at Camp Quahog, Syd takes it upon herself to investigate—sneaking onto the property and uncovering what appears to be a troubling pattern of mishandled ancestral remains. As she digs deeper, the mystery expands to include a missing local reservation girl, pulling Syd into a web of secrets and unsettling discoveries.

The story starts out strong and held my attention for the most part. It’s one of those novels that clearly builds on characters from earlier books, and since I hadn’t read those, I often felt like I was missing parts of the emotional or narrative context. The book spends a fair amount of time filling in that backstory, which unfortunately slows the pace of the main mystery.

As the novel progresses, the writing feels uneven. Some chapters flow well, while others—particularly one near the end—read as if they were written by someone else entirely. That section felt especially stilted and rushed, full of repetitive “I did this” and “I did that” phrasing. It stripped away the atmosphere and nuance, leaving the chapter feeling bone thin and sparse, without much flesh on the story’s framework.

Five words: mysterious, ambitious, lacking, implausible, promising

Buy Now: Check out your purchase options

My final word:

I appreciate what the author was aiming for—a blend of mystery, cultural tension, and social commentary—but the execution didn’t quite land for me. The premise, while intriguing, starts to stretch credibility as the story unfolds. What began as a grounded investigation eventually veered into territory that felt improbable and, at times, outright preposterous. It reminded me a bit of the movie Antebellum—ambitious in concept but collapsing under the weight of its own ideas.

Overall, The Bone Thief was just okay. The first half was far more engaging, while the second half descended into implausibility. I went in with higher hopes than this book was able to meet.

Trigger warnings:

Violence, murder, racism

My Rating:

(Rounded up from 3.75 stars)

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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 the BookBrowse First Impressions program, 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.

FIRST IMPRESSION: The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth by Barbara O'Neal

The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth is my first introduction to Barbara O’Neal’s writing. Even just a third of the way through the novel, I find myself completely immersed in its world of loss, discovery, and the healing power of food and travel.

The story is told through the journeys of two women. Mariah, once a rising Olympic snowboarder, finds her life upended not only by the end of her athletic career but also by the devastating loss of her mother, Rachel. Grief-stricken and adrift, she struggles with nightmares and uncertainty until her aunt suggests she take up Rachel’s unfinished culinary project—a book exploring the rich history of Parsi cafés.

Parallel to Mariah’s story is that of Veronica, a middle-aged woman reeling from divorce and searching for a sense of renewal. When she comes across an advertisement for a traveling companion, she embraces it with surprising enthusiasm. What follows is an exhilarating journey through London, Paris, Morocco, and India that reinvigorates her through new cultures, flavors, and connections.

O’Neal’s gift lies in her ability to create characters who feel both flawed and deeply human. Mariah, Veronica, and Henry—Rachel’s longtime friend and a former war photographer—carry their own burdens, but together they form an unlikely trio bound by grief, curiosity, and the late Rachel’s letters. As they unravel the mystery she has left behind, they also find themselves.

There is a richness to this novel that goes beyond its plot. O’Neal’s prose is infused with sensory detail—the aromas of unfamiliar spices, the beauty of unfamiliar landscapes—that makes the journey feel vivid and alive. Reading it has made me want to cook alongside the characters, turning the story into a fully immersive experience.

So far, The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth is shaping up to be a moving and nourishing novel—one that speaks to the resilience of the human spirit, the complexities of love and family, and the transformative power of adventure. I cannot wait to see where O’Neal takes these characters next.

I'll do a full review after I finish the book.

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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 through TLC Book Tours and the publisher, in exchange for my honest opinion and first impression. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel.

QUICK REVIEW: Mental Exercises for Dogs by Susan Swanson

Synopsis

Do you feel overwhelmed by the behavior of your energetic dog?

Have you ever wished that your dog would obey commands, stay calm and be the perfect companion in every situation?

Do your dog's signs of stress and anxiety make you anxious?

🐶🐶🐶 If the answer is "YES", then read on because this is the book you have been looking for! 🐶🐶🐶

I get it. Dealing with an energetic dog who never seems to get tired, especially with just the basic exercises, can be nerve-wracking. Perhaps you've tried to train your dog using common sense and personal experience, only to find that he still won't listen or remains problematic. You may not know where your dog came from or how he was treated in his early years. Perhaps past training mistakes have left their mark , making corrections seem more daunting as time goes on.

You're not alone in this challenge. But here's the good there is a way to engage your dog's mind and keep him mentally happy and calm. "Mental Exercises for Dogs" is the solution you've been looking for!

👉 FOR ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS! EVEN IF YOU'VE NEVER OWNED A DOG BEFORE, THIS STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE WILL GIVE YOU REAL, LASTING RESULTS!

⭐⭐⭐ As you read this book, you'll discover: ⭐⭐⭐

✔️ COMPREHENSIVE Dive into effective and proven training techniques curated by a professional dog trainer.

✔️ EARLY & LATE Whether you're starting with a puppy or an adult dog with a history of behavioral problems, you'll find strategies tailored to each stage.

✔️ STAY IN Learn to manage large breeds or particularly energetic dogs to ensure the safety of the elderly or children around them.

✔️ STEP-BY-STEP Follow detailed, easy-to-understand steps for each workout.

✔️ PROFESSIONAL You will benefit from the experience of a professional trainer who has dedicated his life to dogs and has taken his dogs to the highest levels of international competition.

✔️ BUILD STRONG Techniques that focus not just on obedience, but on creating an enduring bond between you and your furry companion.

👉 Imagine walking into a café or a friend's house with your dog at your side, obedient, calm and perfectly at ease in any situation. Imagine the nods of approval, the compliments and the sense of pride that comes from knowing you've given your dog the best training to ensure both his and your happiness.

Now this dream can become your reality. "Mental Exercises for Dogs" is the tool that will bridge the gap between chaos and calm. Thanks to the techniques explained in this book, you can now take your dog with you wherever you go and share every moment of your day with him. Are you ready for this transformational journey?

🐕🐕🐕 IMMERSE YOURSELF IN A WORLD OF EFFECTIVE DOG TRAINING. 

My Thoughts

I wanted to like this book. I have three dogs and would love to learn some tricks to challenge them. Unfortunately, I found it wanting. While it may be a good fit for some who are new to dogs, most of this book just covers the basics of obedience training taught in any introductory class and basic tricks like "Shake", and then just dabbles in things like an introduction to agility training. Additionally, the book would have benefited from a good proofreader, as it is riddled with typos and grammatical errors that I found a distraction (even the synopsis says the author is a trainer who has dedicated "his" life to his dogs. Perhaps the author has opted for the pronouns he/him, but I'm guessing it is instead an error.) Overall, I found it just mediocre for anyone with any experience with dogs and basic training knowledge.

Buy Now:

Amazon

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.

My thanks to the author for the free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

TLC BOOK TOURS: Measure of Devotion by Nell Joslin

 

Synopsis

Set against the tumultuous backdrop of the American Civil War, this intricately woven novel delves into the life of Susannah Shelburne, a thirty-six-year-old woman residing in South Carolina with her older husband, Jacob. Their son, Francis, defies his parents' wishes by enlisting in the Confederate army, sparking bitter familial discord. In October 1863, devastating news Francis has been critically wounded near Chattanooga, Tennessee. Susannah embarks on a perilous journey to bring her son home, finding Francis delirious with fever and haunted by the horrors of battle. Their reunion is overshadowed by the conflicts at Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, culminating in Francis being captured as a prisoner of war. As the war exacts its toll and tensions escalate between mother and son, Susannah confronts impossible choices amidst harrowing revelations from home. This gripping narrative explores themes of sacrifice, resilience, and the profound impacts of war on family bonds, painting a vivid portrait of one woman's relentless fight for survival and reconciliation in a time of unprecedented turmoil.

Format 304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 20, 2025 by Regal House Publishing
ISBN 9781646036134 (ISBN10: 1646036131)

About the Author

Nell Joslin is a native of Raleigh, North Carolina and received her MFA from North Carolina State University. Besides a fiction writer, she has been a public school teacher, medical librarian, copy editor, freelance journalist, stay-at-home mom, and attorney. She currently lives in Raleigh.

Learn more

My Thoughts

It was one of the last nights of October, and cold had settled onto the Tennessee hills.

Nell Joslin’s Measure of Devotion is a quietly affecting novel that takes its time, both in pace and emotional impact. The story centers on Susannah, a woman who seems to focus more on the darker corners of her life, choosing to dwell in sorrow rather than seek out the brighter moments and blessings. This choice— whether an act of resignation or strength— is the emotional core of the book.

Joslin writes with clarity and restraint, which suits the introspective tone of the narrative. There is a certain honesty to the story. Readers looking for a fast-paced plot or tidy resolutions may find the novel’s rhythm difficult, but those who appreciate subtle character studies will find something quietly compelling here.

Susannah is not always easy to understand or even sympathize with—one to whom pain and resentment becomes more familiar than joy-- and I often felt I wanted to shake her! There are moments of beauty in the book, but Joslin doesn’t linger on them, much like her protagonist. Whether this makes the novel feel realistic or emotionally distant will likely depend on the reader.

Five words: slow, melancholy, frustrating, honest, ultimately hopeful (okay, six words)

Buy Now:
Regal House Publishing

My final word: Measure of Devotion is not a feel-good read, nor does it offer resolution in the traditional sense. But it is thoughtful and quietly powerful, offering a portrait of a woman who lives not in spite of her pain, but through it. For readers who appreciate character-driven fiction that resists easy answers, this novel is worth the time and patience it requires.

Warnings:
War, slavery, sexual abuse

My Rating:

I would like to thank TLC Book Tours for including me on this tour.

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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 TLC Book Tours 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.  

REVIEW: House on Fire by D. Liebhart

Synopsis

Bernadette Rogers swore she’d never put her father in a nursing home. Does that include euthanizing him to keep her word? Her mother thinks it does. Bernadette isn’t so sure. And even if she were, it’s not like you can walk into a drug store and buy Nembutal.

As an ICU nurse she’s no stranger to the blunt realities of death, but her mother’s request to help her father—who’s disappearing into the abyss of dementia—go “peacefully” blindsides her. Her mother thinks it’s assisted suicide. Bernadette knows better. Even if they do it for all the right reasons, it would still be murder.

Surrounded by conflicting voices, Bernadette doesn't know which way to turn. Her self-righteous sister insists it's a sin. Her magnanimous ex thinks her mother will try it alone. Then her best friend offers to help. What was supposed to be a relaxing two-week break becomes an emotional rollercoaster as Bernadette is forced to make an agonizing decision about her beloved father and figure out just how far she’s willing to go for love.

For fans of Jodi Picoult and Lisa Genova, House on Fire is an unforgettable story of family, friendship, and the promises we aren’t sure anyone should honor.

Format 282 pages, Paperback
Published March 31, 2023 by 9:25 Books
ISBN 9798987461518

About the Author

D. Liebhart is a nurse and writer. She writes (and sometimes lives) stories about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, where they learn that life is rarely predictable and answers to the most complex questions are almost never black and white.

House on Fire, her first novel, won the 2023 Page Turner Award for both fiction and debut. It was long-listed for the 2022 Petrichor Prize and received an honorable mention from Writer’s Digest. Her essay Thalassophobia (a true account of a very out-of-the-ordinary honeymoon) won the 2021 Linda Julian Creative Nonfiction Prize from Emrys Journal.

Learn more about the author

My Thoughts

My mother asked me to kill my father on Christmas.

D. Liebhart’s House on Fire is a deeply affecting novel that offers a raw, unflinching look into the emotional landscape of a family navigating life with a parent suffering from dementia. With tender prose and piercing honesty, Liebhart brings readers into the daily struggle—balancing love and exhaustion, duty and resentment, memory and loss, and the struggle to determine when to let go.

I don't want to disappear in little pieces, like God is crushing stars between his fingers until the whole sky is dark.

Personal note: My mother suffered sudden onset dementia after a terminal cancer diagnosis and went within a few months from someone fully capable of caring for herself and maintaining a household to needing someone with her nearly 24 hours a day. It was both a blessing and a curse that it hit Mom so fast and hard that we didn't have to watch her slowly fade, and since she was terminal, we only suffered through 18 months of mental decline.

Through intimate storytelling and alternating timelines, Liebhart captures the small moments of disorientation and fear that characterize dementia’s slow progression-- not just in the afflicted, but in those left to witness it. The reader is placed in the shoes of adult children trying to make impossible decisions, second-guessing themselves at every turn, as they juggle careers, relationships, and guilt.

Dementia had given him an obstinate streak, like a two-year-old practicing "no" at every opportunity.

This book struck me in an unexpected way. It became something akin to therapy for me, like talking to a friend who's been through the same thing. I felt a kinship with the main character as she navigated the rocky path of dementia watching a parent slowly degrade and debating over how the story will end.

The fervency in his actions was new. Everything was turned up a notch.

What sets House on Fire apart is its refusal to simplify the emotional toll. There is no neat resolution, no sanitized version of caregiving. Instead, we are offered insight into the helplessness that comes when a once-strong parent becomes someone unrecognizable, and the heartbreak of watching that transformation. The novel excels in showing how dementia doesn’t happen in isolation; it happens to a family. Liebhart gives voice to the internal conflict so many caregivers face—the desire to do the right thing against the quiet rage of watching someone slip away. Her characters are flawed, tender, overwhelmed, and real, and they speak clearly to someone who has traversed this hell themselves.

Liebhart’s writing is lyrical without being sentimental, and the story is grounded in an authenticity that suggests lived experience. House on Fire will resonate with anyone who has felt the sting of watching a loved one fade, and it offers a compassionate, cathartic lens for those in the throes of similar trials.

Five words: honest, heartbreaking, human, cathartic, intimate

Buy Now:

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

IndieBound

My final word: This novel doesn't just tell a story—it feels like a lived experience, and in doing so, affirms the resilience of the human spirit, even when it seems on the brink of collapse. It’s a beautifully written, empathetic novel that offers both comfort and clarity to anyone touched by dementia. A valuable perspective for those who haven’t yet had to walk that road, House on Fire is a testament to resilience, and to the emotional complexities of loving someone through the most difficult of goodbyes.

Warnings:

Marijuana use and alcohol, casual references to sex, dementia (can be a trigger for anyone who has had a loved one diagnosed with it)

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 from the author 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.   

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.