Deadly Entanglement (Harriman & Mancini #2) by Cathy Pegau (NetGalley ARC, pub 9/15) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ It was fun to return to these familiar characters with some interesting themes, but I was frustrated by how transparent the mystery was from early on. The book layered in some complexity which I appreciated, but I wish it had kept me guessing longer. I enjoyed the sense of place and time. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
Christmas Mysteries at The Mysterious Bookshop by Otto Penzler (NetGalley ARC, pub 9/8) I requested this book on NetGalley for kindle and the formatting was so bad it was barely readable. I relayed it to tech support who notified the publisher and they removed the kindle option but didn’t resolve it. I was stuck reading it on my computer - I would not have requested the ARC if it had not been available for kindle and this affected my reading experience. I enjoyed the variety of settings/characters for these stories, some of which had more prominent Christmas themes than others and of course being centered around a mystery bookshop was fun. I liked the concept but the execution was hit or miss, as happens with short story collections. Thank you to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for the ARC.
The Mystic and the Missing Girl by Vikki VanSickle (NetGalley ARC, pub 9/8) ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
I definitely would not have grabbed this based on the title or description, but when I read the preview in the
Minotaur sampler I liked it and am glad I requested the book. This story is set outside of Toronto and has cozy
autumn vibes without being cheesy. The characters are likeable although could use some more maturity, and
there are interesting elements around tarot and I would pick up the next book if this was turned into a series.
The Art of Fighting by Priya Parker (NetGalley ARC, pub 9/8) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ There is a lot of conflict at work, so this book was often hard to read since it reminded me of those complexities and how many approaches are strategies could be tried. It also made me reflect on when or whether to have an intentional end to a collaboration. I liked this overall but it was really dense and sometimes felt like an overwhelming onslaught of information without enough road markers to help ensure the reader is tracking. Thank you to NetGalley and Riverhead Books for the ARC.
Fundamentals of Flavor by Nik Sharma (NetGalley ARC, pub 9/22) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I knew a bit about Sharma but I actually found his backstory at the start of the book quite fascinating. The book is organized around the four elements of fire, earth, air and water. While a lot of the scientific explanations went over my head, the ingredient combinations look delicious (a combination of classic and original pairings), and the recipes are more accessible than I expected. Some of the recipes that caught my eye included: Caramelized Shallot + Feta-Labneh Dip; Grilled Sweet Potato, Red Onion + Halloumi Salad; Grilled Nectarines with Bulgur Salad + Hazelnut Aillade; Yellow Curry Pork Chops with Citrus; Basque Cheesecake with Salted Date Caramel Sauce; Baked Beet + Sweet Potato Chips with Za’atar; Roasted Asparagus with Orange-Miso Dressing; Tomato Couscous Soup; and Salmon with Buttermilk-Dressed Apple-Pecan Salad. This book offers a wide range of techniques and layers of flavor. Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the ARC.
Tsubaki Stationery Store by Ito Ogawa (NetGalley ARC, pub 7/7) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is a story about found family, the art of letter-writing, and stationery supplies. The book is not very plot-driven and very slow moving - it focused more on characters and a sense of place, with seasonal rituals and traditions and odd townspeople. It was a contemplative, soothing read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves (NetGalley ARC, pub 7/7) ⭐⭐⭐💫This was both beautiful and painful to read. The formatting of the dialogue was unfortunately very frustrating, and in some ways the stories felt repetitive. I ended up skimming some sections since I couldn’t commit to reading the full book closely. I did read the note at the end and appreciated the life-affirming message. Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the ARC.
The Top of the World by Ethan Joella (NetGalley ARC, pub 6/30) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I finished this a couple days after the publication date because I needed to take my time with it. If you can embrace the sadness, it is a really beautiful story. But yes, it made me cry multiple times. It is the kind of book that makes you reflect on the goodness and beauty in life, and that you want to hug at the end.
Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts (Marlow #5) by Robert Thorogood (NetGalley ARC, pub 7/7) ⭐⭐⭐💫 It was fun to be reunited with these characters, but the storyline confused me for a chunk of the book. It felt a bit more campy than mysterious at times, but I liked how things tied together at the end of the book. I saw some pieces coming, and some surprised me. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC.
Food is a Feeling by Carla Lalli ⭐⭐⭐ This book started with an emotional wallop of the author describing her first night alone during a divorce. And as I kept reading, I realized this book couldn’t device if it was a divorce memoir or a cookbook. I guess I went into this expecting more of a cookbook as I own and enjoy one of her earlier books, but the narrative sections caught me by surprise and was trying hard for resilience but often felt like a bummer. Some of the recipes looked appealing, but some felt more like just vibes (e.g. cereal and milk, seltzer and fresca, etc.). Thank you to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter for the ARC.
The Shippers by Katherine Center (NetGalley ARC, pub 5/19) ⭐⭐⭐ This was my fifth Katherine Center novel, and unfortunately not my one of my favorites. The writing for the first half of the book felt rather manic and wacky. It had that jubilant bouncy style, but cranked up a few too many notches for my taste. I found the female main character annoying and was unconvinced by the repeated statements that she was brilliant. For the last third of the book, the story hit its stride and had more of the elements I’ve enjoyed in her other books, but this one felt more cloying than sweet.
