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The Isles of the Gods (Book 1): Surprisingly enjoyable
In a world where slumbering gods are awakening, a young sailor, a prince, and a scholar must survive both the ocean and their enemies if they’re going to prevent a war.
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Ordinary Monsters (Book 1): For the adults who loved Miss Peregrine’s
In 1880s Scotland, there is an Institute for children with special magical talents. An evil entity wants to eat these children, and only a select few can stand in its way.
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Lies We Sing to the Sea: A decent YA debut
Leto’s story begins with her death. After she is sacrificed to the sea god, she finds herself transformed – and saddled with a mission to kill the prince.
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The Book of Essie: Compelling and interesting
Essie, the youngest daughter in an evangelical family with a reality TV show called Six for Hicks, is pregnant. Now she must orchestrate her freedom.
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The Maidens: Entertaining enough
After a murderer strikes the college her niece attends, psychotherapist Mariana feels determined to discover the killer.
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The Paris Apartment: An excellent audiobook
Jess arrives at her brother’s apartment in Paris where he’s supposed to be expecting her, but he’s not there. Now she must engage with the strange inhabitants of the building – and their secrets – if she’s going to find out what happened to him.
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The Golden Couple: Contrived and underwhelming
An ex-therapist with a revoked license (who still does “consultations”) agrees to help a couple with their struggling marriage, but they’re hiding more lies than she initially thinks.
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Water for Elephants: Captivating and well-written
This story follows a man named Jacob at two different points in this life: when he’s 90 (or 93, he can’t remember) in a nursing home, and back when he joined a circus after a tragic loss in his 20s.
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Little Women: Sweet as a toothache
Little Women follows the four March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, as they grow up in the American Civil War era.