After loving the author's previous two books, one of which is an all-time favorite of mine, no one's more surprised than me that I didn't end up loving The Lincoln Highway.

Emmett has just been released from a juvenile detention facility after serving time for involuntary manslaughter. Now that his father has passed away and he no longer has family in town, he plans to pick up his little brother and drive along the Lincoln Highway to California so that they can start anew. But his carefully laid plans fall by the wayside when his friends show up and force him to embark on a different journey altogether.

I hate to say it, but this book confused me. I thought Emmett was our protagonist, and I was all ready to cheer him on as he did whatever he needed to do to start a new life, mainly by driving along the Lincoln Highway (hence the name of the book, right?). But this must be a case of mismatched expectations because Emmett wasn't the actual focus of this book and he didn't drive along that namesake road.

Emmett is but one character out of many in this book, and he shares equal limelight with them all. Each of these characters has their points of view and ample time in the book, filled with their corresponding backgrounds and narratives. But the issue is that the tales of these side characters are not vital to the story. You can just cut out their turns and still have essentially the same story overall. So to include them made the whole thing feel bloated and unfocused.

It doesn't help that a bunch of the side characters kept clowning around and getting up to shenanigans throughout the entire book. It almost feels like slapstick comedy, where outrageous things happen just for some laughs. This was especially odd because a lot of the notable events in here were people getting beat up or killed. But there was this incongruous, jokey tone permeating those scenes that didn't really go with whatever horrible event was happening.

That isn't to say this was all bad. I still enjoyed Towles's writing, even if I didn't really connect with the story. He always includes these little bits of wisdom coated in humor, and I gobbled up the Greek mythology references in here, as well as the trip down memory lane to FAO Schwarz. Clearly Towles was paying homage to 1950s Americana, and he does well from the parts I could pick up. But in the end, I just wasn't the right audience for this book, and I hope other readers trying this will have better luck than I did.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

This was my Book of the Month pick for October. If you're curious about BOTM or want to find out how to get your first book for $5, click here.

Alessandra Torre, I applaud you ma'am for coming up with this crazy and twisty story.

The Bloody Heart Killer has taken six victims already. When his seventh victim escapes and points the finger at a local teacher as the serial killer, the police are satisfied. But Robert Kavin, the father of a deceased victim, doesn't believe it. So he asks Dr. Gwen Moore, a psychiatrist who specializes in treating killers, to step in and help. But the more she digs, the more questions she has. Because it seems everyone involved is hiding secrets. So what is the real truth?

What a compulsive read this turned out to be! At first, I was slightly confused by the book blurb. There seemed to be a lot of people and things going on, and I was worried it wouldn't grab me. But I didn't need to worry at all because I was hooked from the first page. And once I started, I couldn't put it down.

This is one of those stories that starts out with many threads, but they all slowly converge into a cohesive tale. I particularly enjoyed that this thriller is a little different from others I've read. The plot is unique and fresh, with interesting elements combining in ways I haven't seen before. And of course, the twists in the end felt surprising and thoroughly satisfying.

This is the second book I've read by Torre, and I've found both to be fun and unputdownable. At this point, there is no need to be coy anymore. I'm just going to go ahead and dump the rest of Torre's books onto my TBR stack posthaste.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

"Next time you're going to defy the gods, do it for a better reason."

Circe has always known that she does not belong. Though she is a goddess born to the almighty sun god Helios, she has never desired power nor indulged in vanity and cruelty the way her family does. They, in turn, have never ceased to remind her that she is the lesser daughter of greater sires. So when she displays an affinity for witchcraft and is exiled to a remote island, she jumps at the chance. Here finally is the opportunity to live life on her own terms.

Told in her trademark lyrical prose, Madeline Miller weaves a tale that is at once familiar and brand new. Circe has always been a minor goddess in Greek mythology, but in this book, she shines bright as the star of her own tale. It was fascinating to see so many familiar events—Scylla, Jason and Medea, and the infamous Odysseus—made fresh again through her eyes.

You would think a story like this might feel remote and otherworldly and be hard to relate to. After all, I'm not a goddess (well, only in my head). But what's amazing about this story is how utterly relatable it really is. Miller manages to portray Circe in sharp relief, and she is a compelling figure. Her search for purpose and belonging, her loneliness, her mistakes and sacrifices, and ultimately her redemption, all coalesce to drive home her humanity and fragility. It makes for a mesmerizing tale, one I could not look away from.

In comparison to The Song of Achilles, I found both to be wonderful in their own right. Which you will enjoy more will depend on personal preference. For me, The Song of Achilles has a better arc just based on source material, with the story relentlessly building up to the Trojan War. Circe does not have the luxury of a huge war at its end, so the story ebbs and flows depending on the current narrative. That isn't to knock Circe, but rather speaks to Miller's masterful skill that she was able to make this story just as riveting as its predecessor.

In just two books, Madeline Miller has become a favorite of mine. It must not be easy to take a classic that has been told again and again, and to infuse something thrilling and new into it. Yet she does just that, shaping these myths into tales appealing for the modern audience, while still retaining all of their old-world charms. I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

The first Chinese came in 1815. . . . Why doesn't this face register as American?

At its core, Interior Chinatown is a meditation on the Chinese American immigration and assimilation experience. It tackles this through a heavily metaphoric screenplay about a Generic Asian Man forever stuck in the background of a police procedural called "Black and White." He is not privileged like White, nor is he oppressed like Black. Yet he is relegated to the sidelines, never able to be the star of his own narrative.

I can see why this book received so much recognition. For such a quick read, it packs a punch. It's sharp, unusual, and compelling. To be honest, it left me a bit conflicted afterwards. On the one hand, it unearthed some feelings I generally try to keep buried, being a first-generation Chinese American immigrant myself. But on the other hand, it only just skimmed the surface of its potential.

One of the most interesting things about this book is its unique screenplay format. It took me a few pages to get used to, but once I did, I couldn't look away. Quite often, it's not clear if we're reading the perspective of the main character Willis Wu or the character that Wu is playing in the police drama. And I think that ambiguity is on purpose, since they are both characters limited by their circumstances.

Aside from the format, this book reads like a memoir to me, with the author putting a lot of himself into it. And as in all cases with memoirs, I want to respect the author's deeply personal experiences. However, his experiences don't always align with mine. And since mine are such a deeply ingrained part of me, it was hard for me at times to separate out my own personal feelings and approach this as a neutral party.

Because this subject is quite familiar to me, I was hoping for a deep dive. But while the book touches upon many topics—assimilation and the barriers against it, longing for a place to belong, the gulf between generations of immigrants, and the long term financial and emotional impact of discrimination and racism—it doesn't go far enough in any of them for me. But I believe most readers who don't have personal experience in this will find it insightful and eye-opening.

One thing this book solidly achieves is that it opens the door to a conversation about the Chinese American immigrant experience, something that had previously been lacking. I am always so heartened to see diverse voices and representation in literature. I hope this is just the beginning of Chinese American authors getting the space and recognition they need to share their stories.

Let me close up by offering a personal thought. For me, one of the most difficult things about immigrating to another country, especially one that does not share a similar language or culture, is that you end up losing bits and pieces of yourself in the process. When you think about it, a person's language and culture is intrinsic to the foundation of who they are. So in order to fully assimilate, you must renounce crucial parts of yourself and take on a new persona. It is an extremely difficult journey, but to do so and have your new country not accept you, that is heartbreaking indeed. Because then you are unmoored. You cannot go back to the person you were before, for that country and culture has left you behind. Nor can you go forward to your new country. You have become a citizen without a state, a person without a home. Your only recourse is to forge a new culture that is a bridge between the old and the new. But not many others can truly understand and share that with you, so you are forever trying to find that connection with the few who do. That is one of the defining characteristics of the immigrant experience for me.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

The truth is, they're all so much better off now that their parents have been murdered.

The Mertons gather for Easter dinner, and it's a dreadful experience for almost everyone involved. The only one having fun is patriarch Fred Merton, who particularly enjoys bullying every member of his family, including his wife and his three grown children. So when Fred and his wife are gruesomely murdered later that night, no one is really surprised. Any of his children would gladly have done it, or was it someone else altogether who hates their father even more?

This story had me hooked from the very first page. I love Lapena's writing style here, which is sparse and to the point. It doesn't contain any unnecessary fluff or overwrought musings, so it jives well with the genre, enabling the action to take the front seat. Every page contains some crucial new development, so I always feel compelled to read just a few more pages.

The characters are unlikable but relatable. After all, who hasn't occasionally indulged in a bit of fantasy wishing an irksome relative would just go away. (No one? Oh, how awkward.) The contradiction between their complicated emotions—happiness that their father is out of their lives, shock that one of their siblings might be a murderer, and frightened of what the police would find out—creates this tension in the story that is both uncomfortable and entertaining.

The mystery proceeds like a whodunnit, with clues slowly uncovered and red herrings galore. If you've read mysteries before, the big reveal at the end probably won't shock you. For me, though, the highlight is all the little twists and turns leading up to it. They were so deliciously fun, and kept the pacing taut and brisk. Just when I think I've got it all figured out, a new surprise has me reconsidering everything.

I've read quite a few Shari Lapena books now, and I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with them. I think I've finally figured out that I adore her mysteries (someone is killed and there are multiple suspects), while I don't like her domestic thrillers (husband or wife could be lying, so are they or aren't they). This mystery definitely goes onto my list of favorites from her.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

On the surface, The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina should be everything I enjoy. So why couldn't I get into it, no matter how hard I tried? Honestly, I'm still puzzling that one out.

Orquídea Montoya knows she is dying, so she calls her descendants back home to bestow upon them their inheritance. But when the large family arrives, they are greeted by strange events. And when an unknown figure threatens the entire family, they must band together and venture into Orquídea's past to learn her secrets and protect their future.

Sounds promising, right? Well, maybe too much so. This is a really ambitious story, with a huge cast of characters. And I think herein lies the first issue. We are introduced to so many of Orquídea's family members, and each comes with their own accompanying background. We are inundated with information about each person, but it's only ever on the surface. So while my eyes glazed over from all these extraneous details, I still don't feel like I know the characters underneath.

The story is told via dual timeline, which always makes me wary that one will be less interesting than the other. Unfortunately, that happened here. We follow various members of Orquídea's family as they wander aimlessly, trying to figure out what happened to Orquídea. But because so much of that is irrelevant to the main story, it felt really slow and plodding. What's more interesting is Orquídea's narrative told through her own eyes, but that's just a chapter here and there.

But probably my biggest issue is that, after finishing the story, I'm still confused. There were so many ideas introduced throughout that were never adequately explained. A lot of the fantasy elements, while interesting, were handwaved through with vague or no explanations. And it doesn't help that the writing tends to border on flowery, especially during crucial moments. So instead of elucidating, it just added to the bewildering and chaotic feel of the whole thing.

I had such high hopes for this story going in. And while I enjoyed bits and pieces of it, it just never came together into a cohesive whole for me. I didn't end up making that all-important emotional connection with it, and instead come away feeling dazed and unsatisfied.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

My heartfelt thanks for the copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.

I'm not sure what exactly I thought Dial A for Aunties was going to be. Perhaps a cozy mystery because there's a dead body? But no, it definitely wasn't that.

Instead, it's more like a mishmash of romance, social commentary about Asian culture, satire/comedy, soap opera, and thriller. If you're like "What?" after reading that, then that about sums up my feelings.

The story is crazy right out of the gate, and it just gets more so from there. Each scene, when taken individually, makes sense. But when you put them back-to-back, it doesn't gel into one cohesive story. One moment, Meddy is running around hiding a dead body, then her mom and aunts show up and act overbearing, then she's making out with her ex. And it just keeps going round and round. I seriously got whiplash from it all.

It doesn't help that the treatment of each idea in the book is over-the-top, so it's hard to take any of it seriously. The aunties are caricatures of Asian culture, but in their most exaggerated and grating forms. Even while hiding a dead body, all they care about is filial piety and respecting your elders. One even busts out in tai chi every time she's stressed, right in the middle of whatever scene.

And every character is nothing more than a one-dimensional stereotype taken to the extreme. Meddy is such a dutiful Asian child that she's a complete pushover. She can't even broach the subject of leaving home, even though she's twenty-six. And Nathan is your typical besotted ex-boyfriend, who still pines for Meddy and follows her around like a lovesick puppy everywhere. I tell you, no real person acts like this.

It's not that I didn't enjoy any of of this book. I did. There were a bunch scenes that made me smile or laugh. But if you think about it, they don't really make sense as a whole. At one point, Meddy even comments on how unrealistic everything is. I'm like, Girl, that's the first time you've made sense in this entire book!

If you're going to approach this story, the only way to do it successfully is to suspend all your disbeliefs. Whatever chaos is happening on the pages, you need to just nod and accept. People acting utterly nonsensical? Accept. Impossible/illegal stuff going down? Accept that too. Random lovey-dovey scenes thrown in? Yep, just let it all in. Acceptance is the word of the day while reading this book.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

I made a promise. . . . I said I would never do this again, never play the detective, never again lose myself.

Pip has sworn off solving mysteries for good. Now she's just following the trials from her one and only bout of sleuthing and updating her podcast with all the latest developments. But when a friend goes missing and the police refuses to do anything, Pip knows she'll have to step up again, even if it costs her everything.

Sometimes I read a book, and it so far exceeds my expectations that I wonder afterwards if maybe I'd hallucinated. That's how I felt about the first book in this series. It was young adult, yet it was so smart, sharp, gritty, and utterly unputdownable. Now that I've read book 2, I know it wasn't just a fluke because it yet again exceeded all my expectations.

I'm one of those people who grew up reading Nancy Drew (and The Hardy Boys, of course, but Nancy was my main jam). And so I'm always on the lookout, hoping some new, smart, spunky teen detective would pick up the mantle and delight me once again. And I've found exactly that in Pip.

One of my favorite things about this series is the way the investigation unfolds. Clues are collected and followed up, which then leads to the next set of steps and clues. It's all very logical. And the dossier format of interviews, articles, maps, notes, etc. is so masterfully done that it feels like I'm in the middle of a real investigation.

Just a word of warning: this isn't one of those mystery series you can read in any order you'd like. This book contains crucial information on the resolution of book 1, something I'm very thankful for because I have absolutely terrible book-memory. But it means you must read the books in order or risk being completely spoiled.

As I'm getting older, I've noticed that I'm slowly outgrowing YA, but this series still speaks to me. Its mysteries and the way they expose the darkness of human nature, but also its cleverness and resourcefulness through its teen detective, appeals to all ages. I cannot wait for book 3!

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars