I loved the first half of this unsettling dystopian novel about a reality show that is a combination of Big Brother and Love Island, with a dash of Survivor (and some reviewers had added Lord of the Flies to the mix). I was glued to the first half, but about 3/4 through, I started getting weary of the unlikable contestants and the machinations required to stay in the game, some of which were quite brutal. I understood what the author was trying to convey about consumerism and the public’s fascination with every move of a group of relationships that become dysfunctional (and mean) in the quest to be the “sole resident” of the Compound. However, I still found it a little tedious.

That all being said, this would be a fabulous book for groups, as there are sure to be those who love this and those who feel the way I did about it, which always leads to a good discussion.

Despite its lack of nail-biting narrative, fans of The Hunger Games series may enjoy this, and those who liked Libba Bray’s Beauty Queens (especially in audio format) will likely appreciate this novel as well. For a real-life take on participating in a reality show, Parvati Shallow (from Survivor) has a recent memoir, Nice Girls Don’t Win.

I had been meaning to read this for a few years, and since it was available as an audiobook, I checked it out. The book, with its dual timelines (1980s and present day), is set in an old roadside motel with ghosts. It read like a house afire in the first half, creating a spooky vibe through ghostly encounters and the mysteries surrounding the murder of young women. However, it then slowed down, and I admit to skimming a bit. It picked up in the last 50 pages and had a satisfying and unsettling ending.

Fans of Stephen King’s “The Shining” and Shirley Jackson’s “The Haunting of Hill House” will find the ghostly encounters in this book both enticing and spooky. At the same time, those who prefer a more suspenseful book with a touch of what could be paranormal activity, such as in books by Riley Sager, may wish to give this a try. It might be a good book to read for fans of the film Psycho and the TV series Bates Motel.

For those who enjoy this author, her next book, A Box Full of Darkness, is scheduled for publication next January.

This was my first McFadden book, and it was fine. I won’t seek out her other books, but I would read more if I had nothing else — and the chances of that are slim. 🙂 The main character, Blake, is a little whiny and annoying, but the twists were a surprise (at least to me, some say they could see them coming a mile away), and I raced through it in no time. The audio is well done with a male and female narrator for the POVs.

If you’re a McFadden fan, pick it up; otherwise, it would make a good, fast read for the beach. Alternatively, try the psychological thrillers by Green Hendricks/Sarah Pekkanen, Liv Constantine, or Shari Lapena.

I adore travel narratives featuring solo women traveling in fairly exotic places, and this well-written memoir filled the bill. Noraly, a geologist who worked in exotic locations all over the world for a dredging company, suffers a bad breakup and is forced to sell her home. With the funds, she embarks on an epic motorcycle journey, taking her from India to Myanmar, Thailand, and on to the extremely remote sections of Iran, Afghanistan, and more former Soviet bloc countries I can’t name without looking them up. Traveling for nine months and over 22,000 miles, she suffers from mechanical breakdowns, gets into precarious situations in uninhabited areas, and meets many kind people who are always willing to lend a hand. As she traveled, she filmed the journey and established a YouTube Channel called “Itchy Boots,” which now has over 2 million subscribers.

I read an advanced digital copy with no photos (although I’m unsure if the print book includes any), so I’m off to explore her videos.

Other notable books featuring intrepid female travelers include “One Year and a One-Way Ticket” (click on the title for my blog post) by Danika Smith and “Tales of a Female Nomad” by Rita Gelman.

This is billed as a sequel to “Fool Me Once,” the first book in the Sami Kearse detective series, but it bears no resemblance to the first book, so don’t feel like you have to read it to understand what’s going on.

That being said, I’ve been a fan of Coben’s since his first book, “Tell No One,” and while I’ve missed a few along the way, this wasn’t quite up to his usual standards. First, I tried this in audio, but the narrator became a little overwrought at times, so I switched to the print book.

Secondly, while the plot was convoluted with a few surprises along the way, it became a little confusing; however, it all came together in the end, even though it was somewhat implausible (I won’t go into further details lest I spoil the twists). Coben did leave the ending open for another book in the series, so watch for that in the next few years.

[This comment doesn’t apply to the book at all, but I thought it was funny that he used the word “thrums,” a Wordle puzzle solution (thrum) that many were flummoxed by, as they had never heard the word, but many replied that it was because they didn’t read pot-boiling thrillers. 🙂 )

Travel narratives are one of my favorite nonfiction topics, regardless of the author’s destination. I recently read two travelogues written by single females traveling solo with mixed results.

Jen Ruiz’s 12 Trips in 12 Months outlined some fascinating destinations, and Jen is a good writer, BUT… while her travel experiences are enjoyable, her sense of entitlement and attitude as an “influencer” turned me off. Maybe it’s a generational thing, but the last straw was her rant near the end of the book about how one should be able to use accrued “sick leave” from a job for reasons other than being sick (like using it for a travel day). When I used a sick day, it was at least a “stay home” day and not boarding a plane for an overseas trip. Even if I did head out for a trip, I certainly wouldn’t be shouting it to the world.

Danika Smith’s One Year and a One-Way Ticket was much more appealing, with good writing and many fascinating experiences. This well-balanced journey of self-discovery and travel experiences (marked by bouts of angst) was intriguing and never dull. Because I’m of an older generation, I gave her the side-eye a few times at her judgment (especially when it came to relationships), but all turned out well, and she came away with a sense of her self-worth.

Danika’s journey is similar to Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, only more interesting and less self-indulgent. I recommend this to readers who liked a good travelogue featuring solo female travel, such as Rita Gelman’s Tales of a Female Nomad, Suzanne Roberts’s Bad Tourist, and Blythe Robinson’s America the Beautiful?.

I haven’t been a big fan of this author, often finding his characters a little *too* quirky, but this story of “family finding family” was heart-warming with likable characters whose newly developed relationships with their siblings were endearing. Finding their father (and you know it’s coming, so this isn’t a spoiler) was somewhat anticlimactic, but I had no quibbles with the way it all ended. The audio was very well narrated, and the voice of “Tom” was especially endearing. Click here for a Goodreads plot synopsis.

PERSONAL NOTE: This story hit me profoundly, and here’s why.

Some say this book has a weird and quirky premise, and while it may appear that way, such family events do happen. For example, by the time my birth mother met my father (and ran away with him, but that’s another sordid story), she had left four children by two men (I think; I’ll never know the entire story), so we were her third family. When I was about 9 years old, my brother and I came home from school to find that she was gone, with no explanation from our father. We were able to reestablish a relationship with her a year later, but we continued living with our father. And hey, guess what? Right after she died at age 80, we learned the reason she left was that she had had an “affair” baby, whom she gave up for adoption. But wait, there’s more! Years later, our half-sister found us and was pleased to find she had siblings.

So, while Wilson’s story may be quirky, funny, and unbelievable, I’m living proof that families can be pretty messy.

Note: Clicking on colored titles links to my reviews on Goodreads.

I recently finished one of my top books of 2025, The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. Taking place from 2012 to 2022, this novel is in the format of letters and emails exchanged between the main character, Sylvia Van Antwerp, a retired lawyer, and various family members, friends, business acquaintances, and even famous authors, including Larry McMurtry, Ann Patchett, and Joan Didion. These letters reveal a broad overview of Sylvia’s life, with a few revelations emerging near the end, which made me reach for a tissue. At times, it was a little confusing due to not knowing who the letter was from or to whom it was written, but it sorted itself out.

Another epistolary novel I recently read was Kate & Frida by Kim Fay. I had read Fay’s previous book, Love & Saffron, also told in letters, so I eagerly latched onto the sequel. I didn’t love it quite as much, but it was worth reading.

Readers of other epistolary novels such as The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and 84, Charing Cross Road may wish to try any of these. It’s also a good choice for readers who loved one of my recent favorites, The Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall.