Books are a gateway drug…
We’re just all hooked on different Sh#t. So take the number of stars after the titles with a grain of salt. It might not be my cup of tea (strain of weed, etc), but it may be yours. It’s all just a matter of taste.
Are you the one and done type, or like me, do you return to your favorites year after year? Some of these titles will pop up year after year.
June 2025
Deadly Innocence - Scott Burnside and Alan Cairns **** Damn People be Crazy
Runaway Devil - Robert Remington and Sherri Zickefoose *** Meh
Fred and Rose - Howard Sounes ***** - If you ever read a true crime book and though to yourself, there can’t be people more f*&cked up, you probably read this book
From a Buick 8 - Stephen King *****
Depraved Obession - Rod Sadler ***** - Ick, but five stars for research
The Nomadic Devil - Genoveva Ortiz ***
If You Tell - Gregg Olsen **
Waking Gods - Sylvain Neuvel *****
Only Human - Sylvain Neuvel ***
May 2025
Sociopath, a Memoir - Patric Gagne *** Interesting. Almost like it was written by a sociopath :)
Mumming - Victoria Vanstone ***** Maybe biased because she emailed me, but I stand by those five stars
How to be a Tudor - Ruth Goodman ***** I’m a nerd but Goodman is the queen.
Mr. Beaton’s Guide to Household Management - Isabella Beaton**** Four stars for outdated societal norms and creepy old-timey racism and sexism
What Jane Austen ate and Charles Dickens Knew - Daniel Pool **** Cute and informative if you love you some period writing
The Pit - Ryan Green *** Meh
Childhood & Death in Victorian England - Sarah Seaton * Like reading a puzzle with half the pieces missing
Devolution - Max Brooks ***** Sasquatch!
Metabolical - Robert H Lustig ***** Processed Food, I keel you!
April 2025
Sex and Sexuality in Tudor England - Carol McGrath ***
How to Be a Victorian - Ruth Goodman ***** Always good if it’s Goodman :)
Too Pretty to Live - Dennis Brooks * Author’s ego the primary subject
The Homecraft Book - Ann Hathaway **** Hilariously out of date.
March 2025
You Might Feel A Little Pressure: Finding Wonder After Miscarriage - Mary Adkins (ARC) ***** It’s always amazing to read a book before it’s releases. This is a heartbreaker.
Hell House - Richard Matheson **** It’s a horror classic for a reason, but it’s age makes me cringe at some of the attitudes toward women. Ick.
How to Be a Victoria - Ruth Goodman **** Fun read. Not going to keep you up at night but I feel like I want to hang out with the author.
Blue Hour Homecoming: Finding Life on the Fringes of Reproduction (ARC) - Alle Mudrick ***** This book fills a gap in memoir that needs filling in the worst day. But I hate crying, and this is a tear-jerker.
World War Z - Max Brooks ***** This is one of my all-time favorites, so five stars, duh. Even liked the movie which had about zero to do with the book.
Salem’s Lot - Stephen King ***** Because what would a month be if I didn’t read a Stephen King book?
Good Calories, Bad Calories - Gary Taubes ***** Feel like I was reading it for a year, since it’s very dense, but the science is incredible.
February 2025
The Bachman Books - Stephen King - Not my favorite, but still better than anything I could ever come up with.
Christine - Stephen King - I swear, I read other authors. Just on a mission this year :)
Hell House - Richard Matheson ***** This is a classic for a reason.
Life at the Dakota - Stephen Birmingham *** Informative but not going to set your ass on fire or anything
Night Shift - Stephen King ***** I don’t love short stories, but I’m on a mission to read everything King this year. So sue me.
The Institute - Stephen King **** My second favorite King book. God I hope this gets made into a movie that doesn’t blow.
The Talisman - Stephen King and Peter Straub *** Not gonna lie, I don’t love this book.
The Domestic Revolution - Ruth Goodman ***** Goodman makes the most obscure, inside the home parts of history insanely interesting.
January 2025
Kaiju Preservation Society - John Scalzi ***** - Another winner from the writer I want to be :)
Darcy, Harriet, Susan - Alice McVeigh - ** For Christ’s sake people, leave Jane Austen’s shit alone!
Desperation - Stephen King ***** Love reading this one back to back with the Regulators.
The House of Dudley - Joanne Paul *** Not bad, at least compared to those Dudleys
Daughter of Chivalry - Kelcey Wilson-Lee **** Interesting and very juicy considering the subject matter and time period.
The Long Walk - Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman ***** Oldie but a goodie
Glamorous Notions - Megan Chase - No Stars - Hated it
Eleven Numbers - Lee Child - ***** - Not usually a short story fan but this might get the conversion underway
