The Escape Game
This year, thanks to my wonderful girlfriend's recommendation, I read The Lunar Chronicles, which has since become one of my favorite book series. Marissa Meyer has a magical way with words, and that series was so good that, after it concluded its chronicle, it left a pit in
Five Survive
As the follow-up to her debut series and her second foray into the thriller genre after the genre shift in As Good As Dead, Five Survive is the last book I had to read to catch up with her bibliography. That is, as of 2026, though, as I will be
Thieves of Shadow
Kevin Sands's The Blackthorn Key series is one of my favorite series of all time. As such, I've told friends and family for years that it's essential reading, and that Kevin Sands is one of my favorite authors. The series is full of heartfelt
Not Quite Dead Yet
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'
My Sister the Serial Killer
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
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
While the original A Good Girl's Guide to Murder isn't one of my favorite Holly Jackson books, I was still excited to check out these sequels. I wish I had read her books in release order, but the two sequels were on hold so long that
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
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 bookânow a Netflix
Yellowface
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
The Reappearance of Rachel Price
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
The Housemaid
Spoilers ahead for The Housemaid! I wasn't able to check out Freida McFadden's The Housemaid right around when it first started blowing up. Still, it was a novel I was incredibly excited for because of the glowing recommendations from some of my favorite critics (and because