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What have you just read? Opinions, Recommendations, and Reviews, part 3
Catch up, luckily fewer books this time mainly because one of them was so long:It's a Good Life by Jerome Bixby - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Secret by the Lake by Louise Douglas - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The last two in Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy - Bring Up the Bodies - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... and The Mirror & the Light - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Can Her Glory Ever Fade?: A Life of Mary Seacole by Jay Margrave - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and
The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I read Brotherless Night by V.V. Ganeshananthan about the civil war in Sri Lanka in the 1980s. The novel won the 2024 Women’s Prize for Fiction. The novel is well-researched and documents actual events, many of which are horrific. I thought the novel was done well and worth reading, although I found the narrator's voice a little long-winded at times.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Women by Sommer Schafer
Enjoyed this indie story collection. For those who love thought-provoking and metaphorical character-driven tales.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Teacher of Auschwitz by Wendy Holden
Sounds like yet another typical WWII fiction with 'Auschwitz' in the title, but this one is surprisingly well handled.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Every Hour Until Then by Gabrielle Meyer
This is the latest entry in one of my absolute favourite historical fiction series, and the author has continued to maintain her high standard.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
by Amanda JonesMy review 3 stars:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
by Phoebe RogersMy review 5 stars:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review of The Sandcastle Hurricane
by Carolyn Brown4 stars
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review of The Secrets of Summer House: An absolutely gripping tale of family secrets and romance – the perfect summer read for 2023!
\4 stars
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose
The last book in the Maid trilogy and the biggest disappointment of the series.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Books 1 & 2 of the Sunken Archive duology by Sylvie Cathrall, and both almost equally disappointing. 1. A Letter to the Luminous Deep
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
AND
2. A Letter from the Lonesome Shore
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Unnatural Selection by Coco Cooper
A contemporary satire about a dog who acts human. Kinda weird, and fairly entertaining except for the final quarter.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
⭐⭐⭐⭐.4 for rural romance and family drama
Cockatoo Cove by Maya Linnell https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
If you've ever wondered about the difficulties in translating a poem, I highly recommend Nineteen Ways of Looking at Wang Wei: How a Chinese Poem is Translated by Eliot Weinberger. I don't know anything about Chinese poetry, but Weinberger's critiques of different translations of this 1200-year-old, four-line poem were eye-opening about the challenges of translating poetry. And he did it all with a great sense of humor.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....
When novels are failing me left, right and centre, graphic novels are turning out to be the rainbows! Absolutely loved these three:1. Pacheco and the Witch of the Mountain: A Graphic Novel by Juan E. Zambrano
A middle-grade graphic novel with an aspiring "boy witch".
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
2. The Lost Sunday by Iléana Surducan
After a long, long time, a book earned the full five stars from me. This graphic novels is meant for kids and adults alike.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
3. The Fairy Tale Fixers: Cinderella: A Graphic Novel by Deborah Underwood
This one is perfect for younger kids who love fractured fairy tales.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Woman Who Met Herself by Laura Pearson
I like this author, but I don't think this was her best work. It's not bad, but it's not great either.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I read The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason, a World War I novel. The focus is on the casualties of war and those who are tasked with healing them. This is the third novel I've read by Daniel Mason. I've enjoyed them all, but my favorite is still his North Woods.My review of The Winter Soldier: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....
by Lisa GardnerMy review 3 stars (not indicative of writing which is 5 stars)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I read Nesting by Roisín O’Donnell. A powerful novel about a woman struggling to extricate herself from an abusive relationship. I used to volunteer at a shelter for battered women and can attest that O'Donnell's portrayal of the abuser and the victim was authentic.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....
Finding Love at the Magical Curiosity Shop by Jaimie Admans
One of my biggest disappointments of 2025. Never thought this author would let me down! :( Mine is an outlier review yet again...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
⭐⭐⭐.6 for the lovely
Finding Joy in Oyster Bay by the late Susan Duncan https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 for the action-packed
Second Chance Station by Renae Black. P.S. The action is not all romantic! There's plenty of other stuff going on. 💖📚
Catching up on reviews. My review of How to Find Your Way Home by Katy ReganHow to Find Your Way Home
4 and a half stars
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review of P.S. Come to Italy by NickyPellegrino
3 and a half stars
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Mod
Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood
The best thing about this cozy fantasy was probably the cover. Mine is an outlier review.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review of The Passengers on the Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I recently finished this books and here are my reviewsWe Were on a Break
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I knew you were trouble
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
La governante
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
3 stars - had high hopes for this one as it was compared The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I read Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout, a book in the Lucy Barton series. It is a character-driven novel in which little happens. I enjoyed it mainly because I loved Lucy Barton's narrative voice.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Michael Without Apology by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Such a beautiful book, which shouldn't be a surprise considering who the author is. Much recommended despite the dragged ending.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
⭐⭐⭐⭐.7 for #19 in the Tom Thorne series by Mark Billingham,
What the Night Brings. Easily able to be read as a stand-alone. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...💖📚
I read Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner. A quiet, meditative novel about a woman author shipped off to Switzerland by her friends with strict instructions to come to her senses. Very little happens in the novel. I absolutely loved it!My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Ex-Wives Club by Sally Hepworth
The second story of the Alibis collection works much better a a domestic suspense than as a thriller. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
All About Books
Books mentioned in this topic
House of Treason: The Rise and Fall of a Tudor Dynasty (other topics)Thin Air (other topics)
Once There Were Wolves (other topics)
The Edge of a Knife and Other Stories (other topics)
Dead Water: A Cornish Crime Thriller (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Beka Gremikova (other topics)M.L. Wang (other topics)
R.F. Kuang (other topics)
Robert Jackson Bennett (other topics)
Sarah Wynn-Williams (other topics)
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My 5 star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...