Bad Asians
When I saw Bad Asians repeatedly pop up as a "Staff Pick" on my local library's website, I was beyond intrigued—I had to check out the audiobook on Libby! Following a group of post-college friends as they navigate the lead-up to and fallout of a
Table for Two
After reading his three previous novels and attempting to track down his more limited-release short stories, essays, and novellas, I finally read Table for Two. This is my first venture into a short story collection that is entirely fictional and written by a sole author. Towles is a wonderful auteur,
Rules of Civility
After reading his three previous novels and attempting to track down his more limited-release short stories, essays, and novellas, I finally read Eve in Hollywood as part of the Table for Two collection. As a big fan of Rules of Civility, I was excited to see what Amor Towles was
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
I'm always a big fan of authors returning to their worlds with a cute spin-off, short story, or novella. So, as a fan of Holly Jackson's trilogy, Kill Joy was bound to be a delight... right? Following Pip as she attends a friend's 1920s
The Future Saints
I've been looking for a grief-driven, romantic tale of the struggles within the music industry for a while now. Of course, because I needed a comparable title with that very profile for my book, Lu Patrick Easley and the Groovy Penguin Avenue. This is finally the book I&
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
In my continued search to find a comparable title for the community-based mystery and grief aspects of my book, Lu Patrick Easley and the Groovy Penguin Avenue, I stumbled upon this novel: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. It's a tale about processing grief, community drama, and
Cinder
I've been trying to get my hands on this book, Cinder (and The Selection), for months and months, but they're on hold for so many people at the library that I haven't been able to get them. This review is dedicated to my cherished
Serial killer sister? Enabler sister? Set in the wonderful country of Nigeria? That's one heck of a combo. My Sister, the Serial Killer was recommended to me as an effective comp title for my in-progress novel, My Name Is Karen, and I was really happy at the end
I started reading A Gentleman in Moscow much in part because my mom loves it. I'm one of those guys who doesn't have a favorite genre, unless that genre is "good books". The book I read before this was The Reappearance of Rachel Price
I was recommended Yellowface by a friend, who said its satirical, comedic portrayal of a white woman spiraling out of control and rationalizing terrible actions would make for a great comparable title for one of my current projects, My Name Is Karen. I looked up the novel and, as soon
I'm currently reading lots of books that seem like effective comp titles for my book-in-progress, Lu Patrick Easley and The Groovy Penguin Avenue. With a dark, cynical character-focused mystery following a teenager, The Reappearance of Rachel Price seemed like a good match. So, did the book live up
As well as a place for all sorts of fun reviews and rankings of other novels!
The Unmaking of June Farrow is yet another book I read in search of a perfect comparable title for my novel, Lu Patrick Easley and the Groovy Penguin Avenue. While this still didn't crack the code for what I was looking for, I'm still glad I
As a major fan of A Gentleman in Moscow and a respecter of The Lincoln Highway, which I found to be a mixed bag, I was really excited to check out where it all started with Rules of Civility. This time around, it's not a week in 50s
Upmarket fiction is generally my favorite. For those who don't know book category jargon, the simplest way to put it is: commercial is plot-focused, upmarket is character-focused, and literary is prose-focused. That's an oversimplification, but the point is, I didn't think Holly Jackson'
While it wasn't a 100% perfect novel for me, A Gentleman in Moscow was a wonderful masterwork that holistically inspired my next novel. That was a genuinely incredible book, so I consequently checked The Lincoln Highway out on Libby! Following multiple points of view as they wrestle with
Serial killer sister? Enabler sister? Set in the wonderful country of Nigeria? That's one heck of a combo. My Sister, the Serial Killer was recommended to me as an effective comp title for my in-progress novel, My Name Is Karen, and I was really happy at the end
As a mystery lover and a lover of Singlish linguistics, I was delighted to find this gem of a book on my most recent library visit! Food-related mysteries seem to be quite the trend as of late, but as a lifelong fan of the legendary TV show Just Add Magic,
As I've inevitably continued my search for the perfect comp titles for my novel, Lu Patrick Easley and the Groovy Penguin Avenue, a friend recommended Iron Widow to me as a good match for the character voice side of things. I was a little skeptical of the claim&
I started reading A Gentleman in Moscow much in part because my mom loves it. I'm one of those guys who doesn't have a favorite genre, unless that genre is "good books". The book I read before this was The Reappearance of Rachel Price
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, from the mind of Holly Jackson, is a book that I've heard many good things about. I love amateur sleuth stories if they're done well, and I was pretty excited for this one! This book—now a Netflix
I was recommended Yellowface by a friend, who said its satirical, comedic portrayal of a white woman spiraling out of control and rationalizing terrible actions would make for a great comparable title for one of my current projects, My Name Is Karen. I looked up the novel and, as soon
I'm currently reading lots of books that seem like effective comp titles for my book-in-progress, Lu Patrick Easley and The Groovy Penguin Avenue. With a dark, cynical character-focused mystery following a teenager, The Reappearance of Rachel Price seemed like a good match. So, did the book live up
My grandma just moved in from out of state, and I've been helping her set up her new bookshelf. As I opened Banker's box after Banker's box, I spotted a really cute book I'd (somehow) never seen before: Remarkably Bright Creatures! And