Locking Up Our Own provides a detailed look at how mass incarceration and the war on drugs and guns came to disproportionately affect people of color. These policies often had the support of African American leaders and community, and over time, they slowly contributed to making America the most locked-up country in the world. Many people are thrown in jail for minor infractions, which then robs them of the chance to get good educations and have job opportunities.

What's amazing about this book is its nuance and empathy. Forman shows that there were many factors that contributed to this appalling outcome. These factors were the best wisdom of the time, thought up by well-respected folks (such as community leaders, politicians, cops and police chiefs), doing what they thought were the best thing for their people. Instead, their policies exacerbated the already hopeless conditions of poor African American communities.

I found this book to be timely and insightful. It is a must-read for those who wish to understand why our criminal justice system is the way it is today, as well as some ideas on how we can help poor minority communities plagued by hopelessness and crime rise above them.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

In Nine Perfect Strangers, nine people arrive for a ten-day health cleanse at Tranquillum House. Each one is there for a different reason, but they have all been promised a transformative experience. But could there be more going on than meets the eye at Tranquillum House? And what is each guest's story?

This book falls squarely into the over-promised category. It was promoted as a thriller and a mystery, but it wasn't either, really. There were a few small reveals that kept the story interesting, but this book is mostly about its characters. We follow the guests and the people running Tranquillum House, discovering what happened that led each of them here and their progress as they work towards a better and happier version of themselves, even in the face of some odd happenings.

The characters are interesting, though some get more development than others simply because there are quite a few of them. Moriarty sprinkles her typical wit and sharp observations throughout, which led to a few good chuckles. She has this way of writing that grabs me immediately and pulls me into her story, and this is no exception.

I did feel a little let down at the end that nothing more exciting was going to happen since I waited for that through the entire book. But even without the mystery/thriller that was promised, I found this to be an engaging and fun read.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

One Day in December originally caught my eye because of its intriguing premise. The idea that two people would see each other through a bus window and know instantly that it was love at first sight is soo romantic. It totally appealed to the sentimental mush in me. Besides, I'm always up for squeezing in a seasonally appropriate read this time of the year.

There is a lot I liked in here. Laurie and Sarah's heartwarming friendship is a real highlight, coming alive off of the pages with their joy and mutual devotion to each other. Laurie's growth as a character is well-done, showing how she matured through the years, evolving from a starry-eyed fresh grad into a confident and caring young woman. I also enjoyed the depiction of Laurie and Oscar's relationship, filled with so much love and happiness along with all of its struggles.

But for me, the real disappointment is Jack. He is mean and childish through most of this story. The parts from his perspective focuses on him thinking about how hot women are and how he wants to get with them. When Laurie starts dating Oscar, Jack refuses to be nice and essentially takes the attitude that Laurie shouldn't have a boyfriend even though he himself has a girlfriend. To be honest, I'm not sure why anyone would want to be with him. I just don't buy the book's premise that someone sweet and kind like Laurie would fall in love with a negative man-child like Jack.

I think the other thing that rubbed me the wrong way is that while this is supposed to be two people in love with each other equally, it came across as Laurie pining so hard for Jack while he hardly cared. He went from one woman to another, but there was never a feeling that he wanted to be with Laurie until the very end. It's just such a cliché to read about a woman longing for a man while he happily enjoys a succession of women, all the while stringing her along by saying how he would love her if only circumstances were different.

In the end, there is nothing I liked about Jack, which is a real bummer since this is a romance. Still, I found all the relationships other than the main one to be poignant and heartwarming, and for that, I'm glad I picked up the book.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

In Girls of Paper and Fire, Lei is from the Paper caste, the lowest and physically weakest of the classes. One day with no warning, she is ripped from her family and taken to the palace to become a Paper Girl, a concubine of the king. She must find a way to endure and ultimately escape from her cruel path.

There is so much to like in this book! The world-building is rich and interesting, and happens at a pace that is easily consumable. The premise of the story is interesting, and coming from a Chinese background, I liked all the Asian references in here. The plot unfurls steadily, and there is even a female/female relationship. There are so many compelling characters, including the other Paper Girls, and their diverse personalities and friendships with Lei are a real highlight.

Unfortunately, I did find the main character Lei to be incredibly grating at times. She is emotional and impetuous, doing whatever she feels like at any moment without thought for consequences. Many times, due to her words or actions, bad things happen to her and those around her. But she doesn't seem to have the insight to understand that.

While I was happy to see a young adult book that includes a female/female relationship, the way it was written was extremely childish. Pretty much every scene that the two of them are in together makes me cringe from how melodramatic and overwrought it is. Lei follows the other person everywhere, crying because she thinks they are cheating on her and lecturing them on the importance of trust, while not understanding the irony of that. She gets extremely upset if the other person doesn't tell her everything she wants to know, and proceeds to make a huge fuss about it. It's so frustrating to read and feels like such a missed opportunity. Ngan could have made Lei strong, but instead she comes across as whiny and needy. Thankfully, there aren't too many scenes with the two of them together.

Even though the book was a bit uneven overall, I still really enjoyed it, especially the plot. It looks like this is the first book in a trilogy, so I look forward to reading the next one. I just hope it contains more of the awesome plot and less of the main character emoting.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

I went into Winter in Paradise thinking that it would be the perfect beachy blend of mystery and family drama. Irene gets a phone call on New Years that her devoted husband has died from a helicopter crash while away on business. What follows is the dangling of the proverbial mystery bait, where hints abound that not everything is as it seems. And then some more bait dangling. And then the book just ends, on a cliffhanger, without anything being resolved.

Ugh! That was not at all what I expected. I knew this book was the first in a series, but I assumed that the mysteries of this book would be solved by the end of the book (or at least big parts of it), and the following books would have new mysteries to uncover and unravel. A big reason I even picked up this book in the first place was for the mystery, and to have it end without any forward progress is a huge disappointment.

Most of this book is just fluffy drama between the characters, and unfortunately, the main characters are not likable. Irene is a mother who plays favorites but can't see it. The two brothers both act like spoiled children, trying to best each other. The whole family keeps secrets from each other, sometimes for no particular reason. And there is so much insta-love I feel like I got whiplash.

Will I read the rest of the series when those books come out? Maybe, but only because I have been so thoroughly baited with this mystery. I do hope the payoff is good eventually, if it's going to take three whole books to get there.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix is the sequel to Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, and I've been eagerly anticipating it ever since I finished the first book last year. The sequel switches gears and focuses on Jade (east Asian Snow White, reimagined), who is destined to overthrow her evil stepmother Xifeng and save the kingdom. We follow her as she learns of her destiny and sets out on a series of adventures and tasks that will help her achieve her goals.

Many people mentioned they are disappointed with Jade because Xifeng was such an riveting evil heroine in the first book, while Jade pales in comparison as a goody two shoes who can do no wrong. I agree that just based on the main hero of the books, the first one was more interesting, yet I found this sequel to be no less compelling.

Dao took some small parts from the classic fairy tale, and weaved a whole world around it, fleshing it out and really making this story her own. There are so many unique and imaginative parts to it that it just sucked me right in. The quest that Jade undertakes to journey through the lands of her kingdom and find the five relics of the gods makes the book feel epic, all culminating in the final fight that determines whether good or evil will triumph.

I've been trying to put my finger on exactly what it is about this duology that is so fun, and in the end, I think it's my enjoyment of the characters and how entertaining the plot is. Dao has a real knack for crafting likable characters I can sympathize with and cheer for, whether they be good or bad. And she has shown a skillful ability to weave a tale that is complex and riveting. This duology is Dao's first books, and I look forward to reading more from her.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

In Sometimes I Lie, Amber is lying in a coma at the hospital, with no memory of how she got there. She can hear everything going on around her, but she can't move or speak. The story is told through three alternating timelines: right now while she is lying in the hospital, one week before this in the lead up, and many years ago through the diary entries of a young girl.

Pretty much nothing is as it seems in this story. I give a lot of credit to author Alice Feeney for coming up with and fitting more twists and turns into this one story than I have ever seen. The many reveals are definitely fun, though they require a big suspension of disbelief, because it's hard to believe that so many crazy things would all be happening around one person.

The one thing I don't like is that the main character Amber is rather unlikable. She's secretive, self-pitying, and waffling with indecision. She often withholds information from people around her and then acts very hurt when they don't read her mind. She assumes things but won't come out and ask, therefore spending much time nursing hurt feelings and mired in misunderstandings. The other characters in the story aren't much better either.

Overall though, the good outweighed the bad, and I found this book to be decently enjoyable. There are enough unexpected things going on in here to keep my attention. If you're looking for a domestic thriller with lots of outrageous twists and turns, this is a worthwhile one to consider.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

Sleep No More is a collection of six murderous short stories. Most aren't whodunnits, but rather contain tales of murders with unusual twists and turns. They're fun and taken together, have this vein of creepiness that runs through them, which I found delightful. It's my first time reading P.D. James and I look forward to reading more from her, including some of her full length stories.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

Whatever was coming next, this was a story we could own.

What an extraordinary and formidable undertaking it must have been, to be the one standing next to the first black President of the United States. And it was made all the more so because Michelle Obama was scrutinized and held to a bar far higher than any previous First Lady. And yet, she came through it with grace, intelligence, and humor, and in the process, inspired an entire generation of women and people of color, including me.

Becoming feels like I'm not just reading the words of one woman's incredible journey from lower middle class to being one of the most respected women of our time, but also the potential story of what could be for so many women of color. Michelle makes clear that her life was able to take its remarkable trajectory in large part due to the influence of her parents, extended family, teachers, and mentors, who all loved and invested in her through her crucial formative years.

Reading this, I'm struck by how honest and forthright she is. She is open with all the difficulties and struggles she has gone through, both public and personal. She talks about how she tries to balance her drive for a career in public service with her husband's political calling, all while raising two young children. It must have been extraordinarily challenging, yet she handled it all with enviable poise.

One of the things I most enjoyed about this book is its message of optimism and hope. She's incredibly resilient and driven, even in the face of so much opposition, criticism, and disparagement of herself and her family. She accomplished so much during her time as First Lady, and reading her words in this memoir is a true inspiration.

Michelle Obama encompasses all that I admire: authenticity, kindness, and resilience. And this book is not just a candid self-reflection, but also a hopeful call for us all that we can do better and can achieve anything we put our minds to, as long as we aren't afraid of hard work.

I'm so glad I picked up this memoir of a truly exceptional woman. There's a lot in here to digest, and I will be taking the time to think over all that I've read in the coming weeks and months. I know her words will stay with me for a long time.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

I've had Saints for All Occasions in my physical to-read pile for a while now. I keep picking it up due to the great reviews, and then putting it down again after reading the book jacket, wondering if there is enough in this book to keep my attention. I'm so glad I finally took the plunge and read this beautiful book.

It's a multi-generation story that starts out with sisters Nora and Theresa. As their lives take unexpected turns and fill with hardships, each has to make difficult decisions and sacrifices, which in turn drives them away from each other. It's not until tragedy strikes that they come together once again.

I really enjoyed the portrayals of family relationships in this book, in all their complexities and subtleties. Each person in the family has their own views and expectations, while bringing with them lots of baggage. As a result, each relationship is fraught with all that is left unsaid and unknown. Sullivan gently probes and explores that side-by-side with the power of love and the bonds of family.

I'm so glad I picked up this eloquent and moving book. While the topic isn't one that would normally interest me, I found this to be no less riveting and compelling due to it, largely because of the author's vividly graceful writing and astute perspectives on relationships. This is the first book I've read by Sullivan, and I'm definitely going to pick up more books by her.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

A Fatal Grace is the second installment of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, when he is called back to the small town of Three Pines to investigate another murder. This time the victim is someone everyone disliked, though the crime was almost impossible to pull off. So there were plenty of motives but not enough opportunities.

I thought the murder mystery was interesting enough, though the solution felt a little far-fetched, since a bunch of things had to have happened for the murderer to remain secret. I enjoyed being back at Three Pines, with its cozy neighborly feel, and some of the lovely characters from the first book make appearances in this one too. As a result, this is a series best read in order, since the reappearance of characters and their conversations do give hints about the outcome of previous books.

One thing I didn't like is the focus that someone is out to get Gamache, related to his previous Arnot case that had been briefly mentioned in the first book too. This story, murder investigation, and detectives are interesting enough to stand on their own. It comes across as rather forced to read about this other tangential issue, as if without a overarching nemesis, this series would fall apart. Also, the annoying and incredibly weird Agent Nichol is back, acting simultaneously slavish and petulant through every scene she is in. Ugh, I really wish she would either grow up or stop showing up in this series.

In general, I'm enjoying this series. I love the cozy backdrop of Three Pines, the interesting murders, and Gamache's thoughtfulness and intelligence. I just wish the other peripheral dramas would be kept to a minimum.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

In The Hollow of Fear, Charlotte Holmes is back again, this time to save her close friend Lord Ingram from a murder charge. This is the third book in the Lady Sherlock series, and it just keeps getting better. It picks up right where the second book left off, so if you are thinking of starting this series, I recommend reading the books in order for maximum understanding.

Everything I love in the first two books are back, including Holmes' intelligence, courage, spirit, and loyalty to those she loves. She consults under the assumed name of Sherlock Holmes, whom she pretends is her brother, working hard at a time when women are expected to stay at home and look pretty. It's so refreshing and heartwarming to read a series with a strong and capable female lead at a time when it seems like books are teeming with silly, paranoid, drug-abusing ones.

I also love the setting of the Victorian era. There's something about the way Thomas writes that captures the prudishness and formality of that time, making it come alive. Her dialog is witty and charming, and I often find myself reading passages multiple times just to soak it all in.

As far as the mystery, it looks like Thomas tried to simplify things down in this book, which is a good thing. I thought the mysteries in the first two books were overly complicated and convoluted, with so many characters to keep track of. There weren't many new characters in this one and they all fit in nicely with each other, so it was easy to remember who they all are. The conclusion wrapped everything up nicely, and even contained a few surprises.

Ah, now I can't wait for the next book! I hope Thomas writes fast and puts me out of my misery.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

In Origin, Edmond Kirsch is about to announce a discovery that will change the face of science and religion forever. Before he can do so, crazy things happen, and it's up to our professor Langdon to step in and make sure this discovery isn't lost forever. The premise is outstanding, though it immediately made me weary that the book can't possibly deliver on such high promises. And it doesn't really, though parts of it were entertaining enough.

For me, the part of the book that was most interesting and actually paid off was the mystery surrounding who is working against Kirsch to prevent his announcement of his discovery. Towards the end, I could guess what was going on, but it was still satisfying to read the full explanation.

Otherwise, the book was quite boring and slow. The problem is that Brown includes every little detail of everyone and everything, so that often we are treated to multi-page-long explanations of irrelevant art, buildings, religion, science, and history. Kirsch's discovery is a video, and it is described in its entirety in the book. Broken over two sections, it felt like 100 pages of the book went into covering it. I wish Brown had just summarized it, along with the rest of the irrelevant info he included. It easily could have cut the book down by half.

It also has short chapters which cut in and out between different characters. So just as you are getting into what is going on with one person, it immediately switches to a different person. It feels like I'm constantly trying to get into the book, with my attention pulled many different, sometimes pointless directions.

And as for Kirsch's discovery itself, just keep your expectations low. To be honest, I'm not sure why anyone would be upset by it, whether they are atheists or religious people. Or why anyone would want to hurt Kirsch or prevent him from making it public. After all the buildup, it's an understatement to say the discovery was completely lacking in epicness.

Maybe Dan Brown and I no longer mesh. His books are so well-received, yet whenever I read them in recent years, they feel so tedious to me. While there are parts of this book that are interesting, I can't help but compare how this book actually turned out to the promise of how amazing this story could have been, and it just fell short.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

I'm always up for a good, mind-bending story, something unique and complex I can just sink my teeth into. But even though I enjoyed The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, I actually found it a bit too complicated, which is something I never thought I'd say.

Evelyn Hardcastle will die at 11pm. Aiden Bishop has eight chances to relive the same day, inhabiting a different body each time, to discover who kills her. Only then will he be set free. He has many enemies working against him and also some who claim to be his allies, but who can he really trust? Such is the premise of this story, and it is an intriguing one.

There was so much I liked about this book. The plot is unique, fresh, and interesting. The writing is believable and riveting, and you can tell the author went to great lengths to keep track of everything so that he can correctly weave it all together. And the mystery itself is multi-layered; the more we discover, the more we realize is still hidden beneath the surface.

Yet, this is a case where the story's complexity is a bit too much and works against itself. It was really hard to keep track of everyone and to understand all that is going on. You really have to pay a lot of attention while reading not to feel lost. This was especially so in the first half of the book while we are getting to know all the characters.

The complexity also made revealing the solution in the end confusing, since it wasn't straightforward. Rather, more and more are added to the mystery while bits of it are solved. Even now that I have finished the book, I'm still not sure I understand everything.

I also found the implications of a sequential but also simultaneous timeline to be hard to grasp. Aiden lived sequential days in different bodies while the different bodies (with Aiden in each of them) interacted with each other simultaneously. It raises the interesting question of whether Aiden has control over his actions or is he predestined to do them because he has already observed himself doing so (from a different body). Too bad the story never satisfactorily explores this fascinating dilemma.

Still, even though the book had a few things that fell short for me, I found it entertaining nonetheless. This looks to be Turton's first book, so I look forward to seeing what he comes up with in the future.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

Muse of Nightmares is an appropriately grand sequel to Strange the Dreamer, though it doesn't quite touch the lofty magic of the first book. This one picks up right where the first book left off, and all my favorite characters are back. We are also introduced to some new ones, and we slowly learn how they tie into the world we already know.

Just like the first book, I had a hard time putting this one down. The world that Taylor creates is so real and detailed that it feels like you are immersed in it. Even though a lot of crazy things are happening, they're easy to believe. The plot continues to be unique and interesting, and it kept me glued to the book until the final pages.

Compared to the first book, I would say this one is a little less compelling. I really enjoyed the mysteries that surrounded Weep in the first book, with Lazlo slowly discovering and piecing them together. While there are some mysteries in this book, they just weren't as central to the plot, and as a result, were less captivating. One of the side stories involving Kora and Nova felt a little long and unnecessary, added to keep the drama and plot going rather than contribute to the overall world.

Another thing that aggravated me a little more in this book is how goody goody everyone is. No matter the instance, our main characters are always trying to turn bad people into good people. While that is sweet in little doses, when this happens again and again, even if their lives or their loved ones' lives are gravely threatened, it can get a little silly. But those are small grumbles.

I'm so happy I picked up this lovely series. The fairy tale of good versus evil, boy meets girl, boy and girl save each other is ubiquitous and timeless, but Taylor has put such an amazing and unique spin on it. Along the way she created a truly memorable universe. While this series has definitely ended, there are hints that more books could be written in this universe. If so, I can't wait to read them.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

Strange the Dreamer swept me away to a story and a world filled with magic and wonder.

Growing up an orphan, Lazlo Strange becomes a lowly librarian in the city of Zosma. But in his heart, he longs to discover the lost city of Weep. One day, an opportunity presents itself that opens the door to a world he had previously only dreamed of. Along the way, he'll uncover the mysteries of Weep, come face-to-face with magic, and find himself too.

This story reads like a fairy tale. The world that Laini Taylor creates is astonishing in detail and completeness. If feels so real, with mystical creatures, rich histories, and conquering heroes. It's easy to fall into this world and be swept away in its enchantments.

I thoroughly enjoyed its array of complex main characters. They are all likable, and I can relate to them and feel for them, even when they have to do bad things. The plot is so twisty and turny, leaving me at the edge of my seat. As the mysteries of Weep are slowly uncovered, there were surprises at every corner. And the ending left me stunned and amazed.

However, I did have a heck of a time getting into this book initially. I found the first 50 or so pages to be tortuously slow and confusing, and I often had to read sentences multiple times to understand them. Maybe it just took me a while to acclimate to Taylor's lyrical and descriptive prose. While her writing is beautiful, it isn't necessary to describe every building or hillside at depth. Or it could be that the initial pages tries to hint at all that is to come, and it's just too much when we haven't yet been properly introduced to the world. Whatever the cause, once I got over that initial big hump, the story grabbed me and didn't let go.

This is a duology, and I'm happy I don't have to say goodbye to this wonderous world just yet. I can't wait to see what magic the sequel holds.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

In Still Life, an old woman named Jane Neal is found murdered in the woods in the small town of Three Pines. In steps Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, who understands that to solve the murder, he has to get to know the hearts of the people of Three Pines.

The mystery itself is on the cozy side, without too much gruesomeness or suspense. But that's how I prefer my murder mysteries. I like to sit comfortably with a warm beverage and not feel like my heart is about to leap out of my chest for fear of what I will read next. Yet, for a cozy mystery, it's still plenty riveting and even has moments of humor. There are lots of twists and turns, and when the reveal happens in the end, it's clever and satisfying.

What I liked the most about this book is Gamache. There's a real sweetness in how he approaches the crime and how he treats the detectives helping him on the case. It's heartwarming that after seeing and solving so many murders, he hasn't become cynical or arrogant. And his group of detectives are competent and fun, with the exception of one annoying person who I hope isn't in any further books.

This is my first exposure to Armand Gamache, and I'm definitely going to keep going with this series. I want to read more of the kindness and heart of Gamache that has so drawn me in on this first book.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

The Calculating Stars is an alternate history of a meteor hitting the earth in 1952, in what will eventually become an extinction-level event. So earth must fast-track its efforts to colonize space. And there is a group of amazing women astronauts ready to kick ass. Sounds awesome, right? Well, it turns out to be terribly disappointing.

First, the main character Elma isn't very likable or relatable. She wants to become a woman astronaut at a time when women weren't really considered for more than housewife duty. But instead of being written as a strong character, she's meek and dithering, constantly hiding behind her husband and letting him take care of things for her. She is scared of everything (people she doesn't know, her boss, reporters, talking to media and having her pictures taken), and has panic attacks and vomits constantly. She doesn't think what she has is a problem and refuses to see a doctor, instead reciting the number pi or the Fibonacci sequence to try to get over it.

The plot of this book isn't what I thought it would be either. What I wanted is female astronauts kicking ass; what I got instead is a meek mouse saying she wants to be an astronaut while hiding and shaking with fear. The majority of this book is mundane, driven forward with dull dialog between uninteresting characters. Hardly anything happens in it. The author also chose to include a few sex scenes with truly cringe-worthy nerdy dialog, and random religious tidbits through every scene, as if trying to convince the reader that Elma is very Jewish and you better not forget it.

In all, the premise of this book was good, but that's about it for positive things. The meandering plot, dull and uncomfortable dialog, the meek main character who's afraid of her own shadow, and the random religious tidbits all combine to make this not for me.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

I've been waiting for Lethal White since I finished the last Cormoran Strike book almost three years ago, and I'm happy to report the wait was worth it. The characters of Cormoran and Robin, and their partnership and interactions with each other are among my favorite parts of the series, and this book continues to deliver.

Another thing I really enjoy is Rowling's writing style. Something about it draws me in every time. Her narrative and descriptions are clear and vivid, making it easy for me to understand and follow. Even though this book is quite long and can be trimmed down, it didn't feel long while I was immersed in the story, if that makes sense. It felt like the plot constantly moved forward and that momentum swept me along.

For a murder mystery, the mystery itself is intriguing and entertaining, though I would say the reveal in the end is the weakest part of the book. It didn't come across as a Eureka moment, partly because the plot was so complex that the explanation was hard to grasp at first. I didn't even realize that I was reading the big reveal until a few pages in. The reveal was structured such that it didn't explain everything in a logical order, instead explaining little pieces of it disjointedly one by one, making it hard to understand as a whole. It also didn't explain how Strike and Robin came to their conclusion, just that they thought of it and it made sense.

Still, this is one of the most enjoyable mysteries I've read recently. I'm already looking forward to the next book, and I hope Rowling doesn't make us wait three years again.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

This Could Change Everything is so sweet and uplifting, with a delightful cast of characters all looking for their happily ever after. As their paths weave and cross, they experience surprises, heart breaks, and finally love. The setting of this story, which takes place during Christmas and winter, feels so warm and cozy. Even though these types of books are always a little cheesy, I found this story to be fresh and lovely without being saccharine or overly dramatic.

This is the second book I've read by Jill Mansell, and she seems to have a real knack for writing books that make me feel so happy after reading them. I can't wait to read more books by her.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

A Touch of Gold takes the King Midas mythology and tells a tale from his daughter Kora's perspective. She was accidentally touched by her father and turned to gold briefly when she was a child, and still bears the scars of that. When a hero is needed to save the king and the kingdom, she draws on her courage and sense of adventure to come to their aid.

While the story itself is likable enough, I found the characters to be rather dull, the dialog to be really simplistic and cheesy, and the villain to be over-the-top. Taken together with the romance, in which Kora seems to fall for whichever guy gives her any attention, the story comes across as very young and immature.

Maybe I would have liked this book more in my youth, but as an adult, it just didn't really grab my attention.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

Silence of the Grave is a police procedural in which a skeleton is uncovered and the detectives go about solving the mystery of who it is and how it got there. I found the police procedural part of this book to be quite enjoyable, with lots of twists and turns until it's all cleared up at the very end. Unfortunately, that was only about a third of the book.

Another third of the book is a detailed look at domestic violence within a family, which was really hard to read. Considering how graphic it was and how much of the book that took up, I feel like it should have come with a warning so that I was better prepared. Or the author could have shortened this story line so that it was more of a summary rather than a plot line.

The last third of the book is the drama between Erlendur the detective and his family. It was boring and irrelevant. Every time the book started picking up the pace with the mystery, we switch to a few pages of Erlendur sitting at his daughter's bedside in the hospital talking about his regrets. 

In the end, I wish there were more of the police procedural since that was the best part and what was advertised, and less of the other stuff.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

While there were bits and pieces of Daring to Drive that were interesting, and Al-Sharif is certainly to be commended for her courage and passion to bring about positive changes for women in Saudi Arabia, overall this book just didn't grab my attention. (And I feel so bad for saying so!)

One reason is that the first half of the book, other than the initial few pages about her arrest, was really slow. She details growing up in Saudi Arabia, and while those are glimpses of her life there, I didn't feel like I learned anything new. She also spent a lot of pages talking about the radical brand of Islamic religion popular there, and how she felt affinity for that in her youth. Not only was it frustrating to read, but my eyes glazed over from all the religious information.

This book also suffers a lot from telling instead of showing, like "Here's something that happened to me, and then here's something else that happened to me". At times, it feels like the author is trying to include every single incidence of her life instead of choosing those that help her narrative. Or that she's trying to pad enough words in to make a book. When you put so much stuff in, a lot of it isn't really relevant and can be cut out to help with the pacing. And there isn't enough attention devoted to the core bits.

Perhaps this is a case of it's me and not the book. So many others have really loved this book, and while I didn't get much out of it, it still shines a light on a worthy topic.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

The Underground Railroad was both more and less than what I expected going in, having heard the numerous awards it had won and the rave reviews it had gotten. The biggest thing I got out of the book is its unflinching portrayal of how dehumanizing life was for a slave, and how terrible life continued to be for slaves on the run. They never fully become free from their masters, continuing to live a life of fear and hiding, carrying the burden of being a slave and the guilt of the horrible fates that befall those who aid them.

But I wouldn't say this story totally worked. In fact, it almost seems as if Whitehead had picked out topics and written passages he wanted to include in the book first, and then built his story around it. As a result, there are a lot of times when it seems like the story takes an awkward lurch and starts in on a random tangent, like the grave diggers and its blurbs about native Americans.

I agree with a lot of reviewers out there that the physical underground railroad was a logistical impossibility. How could you run a train underground and have no one above the ground hear it? How could you keep it a secret when the discovery of one sections leads you to the whole thing? What I don't get is that having it be a physical railroad didn't add anything to the story. Whitehead could easily have told the same story with Cora just being smuggled around above ground.

Whitehead also doesn't have the clearest writing style. His narration is often non-linear so that things happen out of order, like he'll explain much later something that he referenced earlier. This was especially hard in the beginning, when he would mention people or place names without explaining who or what they are, and then get around to clarifying a few pages later. I constantly had to go back to reread parts with the new understanding in mind.

Yet, even with all the negatives, there was enough positives in this book to make it a worthwhile read. It tells a necessary tale, one filled with sorrow and anguish, the consequences of which remain to this day. And though Whitehead took lots of narrative liberties, the spirit and facts of the slave experience remain, and they're an imperative piece to understanding our nation's history and where we are today.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

In Sea Witch, Evie is best friends with a prince and has caught the eye of another prince. But the townsfolk are mean-hearted and whisper constantly about why the lowly daughter of a fisherman is spending so much time in noble company. Evie is also battling tremendous amounts of guilt and loneliness from the drowning of her childhood friend Anna. Then one day, a woman who looks like a grown-up Anna shows up.

This book is advertised as the back story of Ursula, the villain from The Little Mermaid. But what we get is mostly a tale about friendships, young love, and class differences. At times, it feels like the book is conflicted about what tale it's trying to tell, with so much personal drama going on between each pair of characters. But for all that, the vast majority of this book, up to the very end, moves quite slowly with hardly any action or forward progress.

This is definitely a book that could have benefited from some aggressive editing to tighten up the story and remove unnecessary filler. But there was enough in here to keep me intrigued and reading. And once we get towards the end, the pacing picks up and everything is resolved satisfactorily. I especially enjoyed the epilogue, which ties this story back to the classic fairy tale.

I had a hard time rating this book. The majority of it was just ok, but the epilogue pulled it into the enjoyable category for me. While it's not my favorite retelling of The Little Mermaid, I think it's entertaining enough, assuming you're a reader who could enjoy a slow take on the classic tale.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder is the coziest of cozy murder mysteries. Hannah runs a bakery called The Cookie Jar, and when a murder rocks her small town of Lake Eden, she jumps in to help her policeman brother-in-law solve the murder. In between her often tactless questioning of suspects and digging around where she shouldn't, she bakes cookies and dishes them out to every person she meets.

The mystery itself is interesting enough, though the solution isn't clever so much as Hannah just badgers everyone in town with questions until they relent and tell her everything they know. Eventually, she arrives at the right answer simply because she's ruled out everyone else in town, or at least that's what it seems like.

It reminds me a lot of Nancy Drew books I read growing up, where the main character is never in any real danger even though she's nosing into everyone's business and making it quite obvious to any criminals what she's doing. It's all a bit hammed up, but still fun and cheerful, great for when I'm wanting a light, relaxing read.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

The Evolution of Beauty is utterly fascinating. It puts forth the notion that evolution is not all due to natural selection, where every mating display is an honest signal of genetic superiority. Rather, there is a separate force at work--aesthetic evolution of mate choice--which created a lot of the ornaments and behaviors we see in the animal world today.

Prum makes his arguments via interesting narratives about birds, ducks, and humans. I found it useful to look up bird displays as he talks about them so I can see and hear for myself the complex shows that they put on. Going in, I thought I would be learning about an abstract concept, so I was surprised by how much of what I'm reading applies to our lives today, including sexual coercion, females' right to make reproductive choices, and sexual conflict between the sexes.

For such a technical topic, I found the book mostly readable and digestible. The initial two chapters were a bit slow as Prum talks about the history of evolutionary science and puts forth his views. But if you can tough it out through those, then you get to the meat of it with chapter three, and it's completely mesmerizing from there on out.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

Bright We Burn is an appropriate, though long-winded conclusion to the trilogy. Reading the book jacket before going into this book, it sounds like it should be exciting, but just like the previous book, it turned out to be pretty dull.

I'm not sure what it is about this series that everyone loves, but I just can't seem to get into it. While others find Lada to be fierce and ruthless in a good way, I found her to be an indiscriminate killing monster. She comes across as immature and possessive, condemning others' betrayals and murders while doing the same thing herself. It's frustrating that she doesn't seem to be able to puzzle out that she's exactly like the people she hates.

All the shifting loyalties, political intrigue, back-stabbing, double-crossing, and politics that I found so tiresome in the first two books are back full force in this one. Added to that are long sieges, which involve lots of hiding, waiting, second-guessing, and silly verbal sparring. This series could give soap operas a run for their money.

It felt like a heroic achievement to finish this saga, and I'm glad I finally accomplished it.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

Now I Rise was really disappointing. All that I didn't like about the first book were magnified in this one. It was full of shifting alliances, palace intrigue, unrequited longing, lying, back-stabbing, drama, love triangles, double-crossing, and politics. It was so tiresome to read.

All the main characters were awful. One kills indiscriminately while looking down on others doing the same, and then laments why she has no one there for her. The other slavishly hopes someone who doesn't love him will one day return his unrequited love, but in the meantime goes about doing anything they ask.

It's too bad, because the writing of this series has been really good. But I think the plot just isn't to my taste. It's like reading a soap opera dressed in Ottoman wartime finery. How tedious. But I'm going to trudge on and finish the last book of the trilogy.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

And I Darken is the first book in the retelling of Vlad the Impaler as a girl--Lada the Impaler. The story centers around Lada, her brother Radu, and young prince Mehmed who eventually becomes sultan of the Ottoman Empire. The three of them form this toxic triangle of love, loyalty, and betrayal that tests their relationships to the breaking point.

The story is also full of palace intrigue, back-stabbing, jealousy, politics, assassination attempts, war, posturing, and personal drama. Whew... that's a lot. And while those elements made the book exciting, it also got a little old in certain parts. At times, the characters came across as highly immature, clingy, and emotionally volatile, with an affinity for drama.

Still, there was enough I liked in here to make it an enjoyable start to the trilogy, and I look forward to reading more.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

Here's the thing: when I read a memoir, I'm looking for something real, something that encapsulates enough of the truth as to be authentic. But the events in this book are pretty unbelievable.

Tara had never gone to school before applying for college. Her mom tried to homeschool her, but gave up early on. Without ever having studied or developed the discipline for learning, Tara teaches herself a variety of subjects well enough to ace the ACT and get into a good university. This all happens while she's simultaneously working for her dad at a junkyard, getting injured herself and watching others be grievously injured too, and being physically and emotionally abused by her brother.

I believe people can do a lot if they put their mind to it, but this is pretty far-fetched. It's natural to embellish the truth in order to tell a good story, but I have to wonder how much of it was really true and how much was the embellishment. Sure, there is a small possibility that everything happened exactly as described. But it's so remote that I have trouble suspending my disbeliefs. If this was fiction, I'd be okay with it. But since it's billed as nonfiction, I'm kind of skeptical.

But for me, the most frustrating thing about this memoir is reading about Tara justifying her brother's abuse towards her, and her parents' choice to turn the blind eye to what was going on. She's constantly rethinking what happened, with each subsequent version being more and more watered down until she no longer remembers if her brother even hurt her in the first place. She follows these people like a puppy, begging for their love and attention, even as they continue to mistreat and threaten her.

Am I the only one who thinks that's just bananas? She's essentially using the book as a form of therapy to justify the behavior of people who abused her. I'm sorry, but I just can't get on board with that. It was exhausting to read, and it's not clear she made any real progress on getting past this. Even at the end, she seems ready to forgive her parents if they ever say the word.

The writing style is philosophical and ruminating, with overly ornate language at times. There are so many passages in which she's overthinking things, but without gaining any of the key insight she really needs.

It's ironic this book is called "Educated," when it never makes clear if and what exactly she has learned through all of this.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

I'm sure Fahrenheit 451 is trying to make a worthy point, but there was nothing I liked about it. First, the premise is just unbelievable. People want their entertainment faster and faster, so books are shortened until they are just a sentence or two. And various people found offense with different books, so the solution was just to burn them until there was no writing and books left. Huh?

The writing style is over-wrought and tiresome, going on and on with sentences of utter nonsense. It reads like some experimental fiction written during English class when the lesson of the day was how to turn a simple sentence into as many stuffy, emotional paragraphs as possible without repeating yourself. At one point, there was even a monologue of a made-up dialogue of opposing arguments for reading versus not reading, consisting entirely of obscure quotes from books.

On top of all that, the main character Montag is a freaking idiot. He goes through his entire life not questioning his occupation of book burning, then meets a girl a handful of times while out walking, and she mentions how it's important to talk to people. At this point, he has an epiphany, pulls out a book while his wife's friends are around, and badgers them with a reading of poetry. Then afterwards when he's found out to have a book, he's all like ZOMG and freaks out. I was afraid I had bruised my eyes from rolling them so much.

Everyone in here talks like they are either super dumb or in code that is so subtle I'm surprised anyone can hold a conversation with anyone else. Bradbury makes an effort to incorporate future tech, which just results in vague descriptions of existing technologies, like 3 walls of TVs (... or something like that? I still haven't figured that one out).

Perhaps Bradbury is making the point that if books were to be banned and burned, then over time people will forget how to write convincing stories with good plots, interesting characters, and understandable paragraphs. In which case, he's got me. Otherwise, having a worthy idea for a book is not enough to save this one from being a complete dud.

Readaroo Rating: 1 star

In The Kiss Quotient, Stella has Asperger's, which contributes to her troubles in the relationship department. So she comes up with the idea to hire an escort to help her practice and become better. To be honest, I was hesitant going into this book. The set up sounded like the story could turn out to be awkward and silly, but instead it totally blew me away.

The main characters in here are riveting. Stella and Michael are both such sweet, lovable characters that I instantly connected with them. It was lovely to see them grow and become more sure of themselves as their time with each other grew. Even though they each had their issues, they treated each other with kindness and respect. I couldn't help but love them and cheer for them as a couple.

Most romances I read tend to be beachy artificial affairs, with rather silly characters and issues. But this book contained so much more, including telling the story from the perspective of someone with Asperger's, showing how consent during sex is sexy, and the difficult decision of doing the right thing versus doing the easy thing, to name a few.

The sex scenes in here are graphic (just a warning), but they are also deliciously sexy and sweet. You can feel the sparks leap off the pages, which is something rare for me when reading romances.

Once I picked up this book, I couldn't put it down, and I finished it in just one day. This is the author's first book, so I look forward with bated breath to reading more from her in the future.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

American Fire details the true crime spree of 80+ fires that engulfed a Virginia town over a period of five months, night after night, until the arsonists were finally apprehended. It follows the townspeople as they went about fighting the fires while suspicions sprang up against each other in this small town. It also follows the arsonists, how they met, and what happened leading up to and during the crimes.

I enjoyed the book's journalistic, straightforward style. Hesse spent a lot of time in this town talking to residents, firefighters, law-enforcement, and friends of the arsonists, and it shows in how detailed the story is. The one thing I wished I knew more of at the end is the true motives behind the crimes, but we only know as much as the arsonist are willing to share.

At times, the narrative digressed into small rural towns falling on hard times, and Hesse tried really hard to tie that into the arson story, which I found to be a bit forced and irrelevant. Otherwise, it was an easy and fascinating book to read about a truly strange crime spree.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

Rich People Problems is the wacky and hilarious last book of the trilogy that started off with Crazy Rich Asians. This time, the matriarch of the family is getting old and on her deathbed. Upon hearing this, all her relatives pop out of the woodwork to rush to her side and jostle for a piece of her fortune. What follows is a slew of zany tactics as each person tries to overtly and secretively achieve their objectives.

What makes this series so awesome is that pretty much every character is lovable, even the "villains" (all except Michael). Most of the characters in this book have been introduced previously, and all my favorites are back: Astrid, Charlie, Kitty, Oliver, and even Eddie. Each has their own issues and motives, and all the story lines march forth cohesively at a good pace, satisfyingly reaching resolutions for everyone by the end.

Sometimes I get sick of reading all these serious books with realistic, mean characters who make everyone miserable, including the reader. That's why this series has felt like such a welcome reprieve. It's so over-the-top and outrageous that you never confuse it with real life. And most importantly, it reminds me that reading can be so much fun!

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

I wanted to kill him myself . . . If I didn't kill him, then I'd cripple him for life, so that he'd be with us in a wheelchair . . . If he were in a wheelchair, I would always know where he was, and he'd be easy to find. I would feel superior to him and become his master, now that he was crippled.

Ah yes, this is a psychological thriller in which we delve deep into the mind and thoughts of a stalker. Err, you say this is a romance? Ok, you've lost me.

Let me just come out and say it: Call Me by Your Name is awful. It reads like the obsessive, icky, slavish ramblings of an unbalanced teenager rather than the beautiful romance I was promised.

In order to have an enjoyable romance, I need to be able to relate to the characters. Unfortunately, I did not relate to a single person in here. It's unclear why the boys liked each other, other than pure physical attraction:

To think that I had almost fallen for the skin of his hands, his chest, his feet that had never touched a rough surface in their existence—and his eyes, which when their other, kinder gaze fell on you, came like the miracle of the Resurrection.

Yes, the book really reads like that, all of it. Elio analyzes every small action, glance, word, and absence from Oliver. And then he obsesses over them. And leaves clues for Oliver, ones that are certain to be creepy and criminal. And it just gets worse from there.

If this were a thriller about the inner workings of an unhinged stalker, I would understand. But I just cannot believe that this is supposed to be a romance, and the other person would reciprocate such desperate and inane infatuations.

It doesn't help that the writing style is so overwrought and full of itself. It's stuffed with references to obscure old writings and music, none of which I knew.

I don't understand how this book could be so highly rated. It was awful purple prose at best and romanticizing criminal behavior at worst. Unless you somehow like the passages I quoted above and can relate to them, it's probably best to avoid this book.

Readaroo Rating: 1 star

Sometimes a book shows up on my radar and its premise is so unusual and so intriguing, there is just no way I can pass it up. That's what happened with The Word is Murder.

A woman goes to a funeral home and arranges her own funeral. A few hours later she is murdered. In steps detective Hawthorne to try to catch the killer. But he wants someone to write about the crimes he solves, so he contacts Horowitz (the author of this book!) to be his scribe. And that's how Horowitz gets tangled up in this funny business.

The mystery itself has all the elements of a clever whodunnit, with a short but interesting list of suspects, lots of secrets slowly uncovered, and plenty of red herrings. It was great fun to follow along and to take a crack at solving it as the clues come in. The solution ends up being satisfying, and looking back, there were plenty of clues I should've picked up on but totally missed.

The part I was less sure about is Horowitz writing himself into the book. On the one hand, it's a clever way to make the story feel more real. He includes lots of details of his actual life, so the real blends in seamlessly with the fiction. But on the other hand, at times he includes a bit too much, so it comes across like he's either trying very hard to convince the reader that this is real or he's trying to promote himself. Still, since this is the first book in the series, it makes sense that there is more focus on the backstory, and I imagine that will lessen in the future.

Horowitz is fast becoming one of my favorite authors for coming up with the most intriguing premises for his mysteries. His Susan Ryeland series has the mystery within a mystery format, with clues for the outer mystery hidden within the inner mystery. And this series has him writing himself into it as the bumbling Watson to Hawthorne's Sherlock. I cannot wait to see what Horowitz comes up with next.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

A River in Darkness is the memoir of Ishikawa's childhood starting in Japan, how he ended up in North Korea, his subsequent life there, and finally his escape. Told in simple, straightforward prose, the story is stark and powerful in its depiction of famine, desperation, and complete hopelessness.

This book contains a lot of details on what it's like to live in North Korea, especially as a half-Japanese. It's both fascinating to get an inside look at the secretive hermit kingdom, as well as horrifying to see the atrocities that the government commits against its people through the years of endless famine.

Ishikawa's bitterness towards his life in North Korea is visceral and heart-breaking. His feelings of resentment and regret permeate this book. Even after he escapes, there is no happy ending for him. In the end, this is a sharply haunting look at life in North Korea, and the despair that drove one man to risk everything to get out.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

Us Against You was one of my highly-anticipated sequels for 2018, following after the emotionally-wrenching and completely memorable Beartown. After reading it, it's safe to say that for me, it suffered from the sequel-syndrome, where it never quite achieves all that its predecessor did.

Probably the biggest negative for me is that this story took too long to get started. For the majority of this book, we are just reading about the extended fallout from what happened in the first book. It was frustrating to read at length about the townspeople sticking their heads in the sand and pretending that nothing happened, pretty much acting as they had been without learning any lessons.

There is a lot of repetition in the story, such as the same thoughts presented over and over with slightly different words, or the same event seen from half a dozen people's points of view. With so much rehashing, there just wasn't much new in this book that wasn't already in the first book. I had expected more in terms of plot from this book, and it just didn't deliver.

The style of this book also grated on my nerves. Backman writes as if there is an active narrator telling us the story, constantly foreshadowing events for us and making them out to be more horrible than they really turn out to be. The narrator voice also comes across preachy and holier-than-thou, constantly dropping nuggets of wisdom everywhere. It seems if you took the foreshadowing and the preachy passages out of the book, the book could easily be only half the length.

And yet, I have to give Backman credit. When the writing is not grating on my nerves, it's really quite beautiful. He constructs poignant passages and captures the essences and subtleties of emotional moments. Though there were a lot I didn't like about this book, the beautiful writing kept me reading on. But if there were to be a third book, I would probably skip it.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

The premise of The Death of Mrs. Westaway is interesting enough. Hal receives a letter from a lawyer with the wonderful news that her grandmother left her an inheritance. Except, she's certain the lawyer sent the letter to the wrong person. But she goes anyways and hopes to defraud the family out of some money she desperately needs. Yep, I can be on board with that.

But immediately, I can tell I'm not a fan of the way Hal's character is written. She comes across as confused, slow-witted, and completely unable to speak clearly. Her conversations are full of hemming and hawing, stammering, and waffling. For example, here is a conversation from her side:

“I—you’re welcome,” she managed at last, and took a hesitant step forwards into the room.

“I, well, yes,” Hal said.

“Although I didn’t know, I mean, I didn’t bring—”

“I—no—” she managed faintly.

But, Unc—” She stumbled over the word, unable to make herself articulate it, and began again: “Look, there’s something I must—”

It was so tedious to read, I kept shouting at her in my head to just spit it out already.

She's also jumpy and paranoid, looking at everyone suspiciously even when they've just said some innocuous words.

Why had he said that? It was so uncomfortably close to her own speculations that she had not been able to find a reply—and had only gaped, and then left the room hurriedly, hiding her shock. Did he know something? Had he and [other character] been talking? Hal . . . found herself wondering about how much [the two characters] really knew.

All this, over a completely common saying. My eyes rolled so hard.

I understand that there should be a dark and foreboding feeling throughout, but it seems to be contrived from Hal's paranoia rather than from any actual atmosphere in the house. She also constantly forgets that she's pretending to be someone else and would say things from her real life that she shouldn't, and then feel stricken and berate herself when she does.

In fact, reading this, it struck me that it's exactly same way Ruth Ware wrote her main character Lo in The Woman in Cabin 10. It's beyond frustrating to read such weak and sniveling female characters when they don't have to be. In both cases, they could've been strong and quick-witted without taking anything away from the story, and it would've been better for it.

As for the mystery itself, it was enjoyable enough, though it's predicated on the outlandish notion that no one would figure out there are two people with the same name, even when there are pictures of these people.

I always see a lot of potential in Ruth Ware's premises, but her execution and in particular, her female characters, fall short. I hope she moves away from writing such silly idiots and instead chooses to write strong, kickass females. I'll be waiting.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

To Kill a Kingdom is so much fun! It's told from the perspective of the two main characters: Lira the siren who kills princes at the rate of one per year, and Elian the prince who sails around hunting sirens. Once their paths cross, it kicks off an abundance of treachery, intrigue, betrayal, and general badassery. The two are both strong in their convictions and loyalties, so they're likable characters that you can cheer and root for. It's especially fun to follow Lira on her journey as she slowly grows from a murderous anti-heroine into a hero.

When I originally picked it up, I thought it was a retelling of The Little Mermaid, but most of what's in this story is original, so it's more accurate to say that it's a homage rather than a retelling.

The initial few pages were a bit slow as we are introduced to this world, but the pace picks up once the two main characters meet and it never stops. There is so much that's covered in these pages, and the author does a great job of giving enough information without overloading the reader too quickly or including information that isn't necessary.

I'm so glad I picked up this book. The world that's created in this story, the delightful characters, and their crazy battles for what they believe in, all contribute to make this a fantastically entertaining and memorable tale.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

While most books tell you everything there is to know about a topic, We Have No Idea flips that on its head and tells you all that we still don't know about physics and the universe (which is a lot, it turns out). I went into this book having some knowledge of the topics covered, and it was really interesting to see them approached from the other side of what we don't know yet, especially with respect to how these topics relate to each other and fit into a bigger picture.

The tone and images throughout are a bit jokey and tongue-in-cheek, which is to say there are a lot of good (so good they're bad?) puns. I know some readers thought the jokes were a bit distracting, but I didn't feel they took anything away. I enjoyed them sprinkled through the pages and found that they livened up what otherwise would be very serious topics.

I think if you go into this book expecting answers, you'll be disappointed. Instead, this book reads more like a discussion. It slowly explores our current thinking, how we got there, the limits of our knowledge, and where possibilities lie for more research in the future. At times, it does repeat itself with what it doesn't know, so the book could have been a bit more concise in its presentation.

Overall, I got a lot of fascinating tidbits out of this book. It helped me connect some of my disparate thoughts into a more coherent picture of our universe, and left me with many questions yearning to be answered.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

The Woman in the Window suffers from the usual domestic thriller malady—an intriguing premise and a strong start that never quite materializes into a satisfying narrative.

Going in, the first pages grabbed me immediately. Usually it takes a bit for me to get going on a new book, what with those initial pages being slow and setup-filled, but no such problems exist here. The beginning was fast-paced and full of riveting tidbits. But then we arrive at the main event, and the book completely slows to a crawl.

From that point onwards, no detail is too small or too unimportant to be included. We read about the main character Anna walking from room to room, eating cereal, looking out her window, checking her email, and playing online chess. She also watches black-and-white films one after another, and we are told in detail of their plot and actors. It was so much filler that I often caught myself skimming ahead just to find some sort of action.

We are also treated to many pages of rambling narration about Anna drinking several bottles of wine every day while mixing in prescription drugs, then spending the rest of the time telling herself to focus and to think. She would wonder if she should drink some more or not drink some more. When she is not focused on drinking, she acts like a complete loony, shouting at people and lying to everyone. After all this, she is confused when people don't believe what she says.

Reading about people who make one bad decision after another, trying their darn hardest to sabotage their own life, is not what I consider a good time. And this trope seems to be an easy way out. Instead of taking the time to come up with a well-rounded character, why not just make the female an alcoholic, say she's an unreliable narrator, and put "woman" in the title of the book.

And to top it all off, the mystery ended up being not that interesting. I enjoy having characters figure out what's going on by being clever and putting together the clues. Instead, this mystery unravels because Anna is eventually told what happened. I felt pretty let down by the end, especially in light of having read so many pages of utter drudgery to get there.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

I feel conflicted about The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane. On the one hand, it is a beautifully written story. As someone who drinks a lot of tea, I was excited to discover in the book's pages pu'er tea, a fermented type of tea that I have never had or even heard of. The book contains a lot of well-researched information about the Akha people, an ethnic minority in China. It's also a story of yearning between a birth mother and the daughter she gave up for adoption.

But I feel like some parts of this story fell short. Every big event in here comes across as very convenient. An example is when Li-yan doesn't want to date, but meets a woman and becomes friends with her, and the women's son just so happens to be a perfect match for her, and he also happens to be exceedingly rich! Another is how Li-yan keeps running into the same friend in different cities. It makes sense where there are a few events like this in a book to move a plot along, but when every thing is a coincidence, it makes the story feel very contrived.

Another problem is that for a book built on its characters, they don't seem particularly self-aware. For example, Li-yan comes from a very superstitious society, to the point where they think twins are evil, and so twins born must be killed immediately. Years later, once she's been out to see the world and become educated, and this topic comes up again, instead of acknowledging that this was atrocious, she just brushes it aside and says her village doesn't do it anymore. She also comes from a society that values sons over daughters. After lamenting during her younger years how she feels marginalized as a woman, when she becomes pregnant as an adult, she keeps repeating to herself that she wants a son and not a daughter. This consistent lack of growth is a real missed opportunity, and it makes the characters unlikable and unrelatable to me.

Another odd thing is that this journey of self discovery and attempt to reunite birth mother and daughter ended really abruptly. Mother and daughter lay eyes on each other and that's the end of the book. For how much this book built up the yearning for one's own blood relatives, I don't know why the author would choose to just end the book like that when there was so much more to tell.

In the end, this story had so much potential. While it delivered on some, I was ultimately let down by all the missed opportunities and wish for how much more it could have been.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

So Pretty a Problem is the third book I've read in the Mordecai Tremaine series, and my favorite so far. Whereas you'd normally see a small set of possible suspects in a book of this genre, this time there were hardly any suspects at all. The wife admits to accidentally shooting her husband, and no one else has been seen going to their house. So case closed, right?

What follows this intriguing premise is the typical unfolding of a quintessential cozy mystery, slow and steady, with lots of clues wrapped up in seemingly everyday interactions. Suspicions are aplenty, and lots of secrets are slowly uncovered, all leading to the culmination of the big reveal, which does not disappoint.

I've really grown to enjoy this series, and I look forward to reading more about this lovable and sentimental amateur detective.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars