1.) The Lost Story by Meg Schaffer
From Goodreads:
As boys, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell went missing in a vast West Virginia state forest, only to mysteriously reappear six months later with no explanation for where they’d gone or how they’d survived. Fifteen years after their miraculous homecoming, Rafe is a reclusive artist who still bears scars inside and out but has no memory of what happened during those months. Meanwhile, Jeremy has become a famed missing persons’ investigator. With his uncanny abilities, he is the one person who can help vet tech Emilie Wendell find her sister, who vanished in the very same forest as Rafe and Jeremy. Jeremy alone knows the fantastical truth about the disappearances, for while the rest of the world was searching for them, the two missing boys were in a magical realm filled with impossible beauty and terrible danger. He believes it is there that they will find Emilie’s sister. However, Jeremy has kept Rafe in the dark since their return for his own inscrutable reasons. But the time for burying secrets comes to an end as the quest for Emilie’s sister begins. The former lost boys must confront their shared past, no matter how traumatic the memories. Alongside the headstrong Emilie, Rafe and Jeremy must return to the enchanted world they called home for six months—for only then can they get back everything and everyone they’ve lost.
I read Meg Shaffer's other book, The Wishing Game, and thought that it was okay. 3 stars. But I heard on one of my favorite book podcasts that this book was better than that one. Wrong. It was much worse. This book was also a nominee for Goodreads Best Fantasy for 2024 and I am baffled. In addition, it is marketed as Narnia for adults. Also no.
The Lost Story is a portal fantasy novel with magical realism. It has a great premise. I love the idea of two boys going missing and trying to figure out what happened to them years later. I really liked the characters of Rafe and Jeremy. But these characters...like the premise...didn't live up to what could've been. This could've been a really interesting story. But it wasn't. It fell flat.
First, the writing is incredibly juvenile and this isn't a YA novel. Jeremy and Rafe are men in their thirties but they don't talk or act like it. The dialogue was cringy and left a lot to be desired especially when the character of Emilie was speaking. Second, there wasn't enough world building. We didn't get enough details about this *other* world. I struggled to connect with it because there wasn't enough time spent there nor much information about it. I also hated the interjections from the storyteller. Awful. Third, especially pertaining to the two sisters, there was only very shallow character development. I wanted more depth and story. The plot just kind of fizzled. I lost interest and my reading momentum.
From the ending it sounds like there will be a sequel to this book. I am not interested in any more Meg Shaffer books. They have great premises but that's as far as it goes. It's too bad.
My Rating: Not great.
2.) The Only One Left by Riley Sager
Riley Sager books are always fun reads. Usually I read them in October but here we are in March and still enjoyable!
From Goodreads:
Now reduced to a schoolyard chant, the Hope family murders shocked the Maine coast one bloody night in 1929. While most people assume seventeen-year-old Lenora was responsible, the police were never able to prove it. Other than her denial after the killings, she has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she set foot outside Hope’s End, the cliffside mansion where the massacre occurred.
Stabbed her father with a knife
Took her mother’s happy life
It’s now 1983, and home-health aide Kit McDeere arrives at a decaying Hope’s End to care for Lenora after her previous nurse fled in the middle of the night. In her seventies and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora was rendered mute by a series of strokes and can only communicate with Kit by tapping out sentences on an old typewriter. One night, Lenora uses it to make a tantalizing offer—I want to tell you everything.
“It wasn’t me,” Lenora said
But she’s the only one not dead
As Kit helps Lenora write about the events leading to the Hope family massacre, it becomes clear there’s more to the tale than people know. But when new details about her predecessor’s departure come to light, Kit starts to suspect Lenora might not be telling the complete truth—and that the seemingly harmless woman in her care could be far more dangerous than she first thought.
This book is marketed as a thriller and I think that is a bit of a stretch, more like a gothic mystery, which I happen to love! Give me a story set in a creepy old mansion perched atop a cliff overlooking the sea in Maine anytime! This story unfolds as a dual timeline...1929 and 1983...which I thought were both interesting choices. I loved the shout outs from the author to so many great books from the 1980s! That was fun!
This book had a great sinister tone and an even greater setting. I love when a house is its own character and Hope's End definitely is. A crumbling and tilting Manor house. I could see it so clearly in my mind. Sager did a fantastic job with the house descriptions! The Hope family with its buried secrets were intriguing especially the sisters...Lenora and Virginia. The 1929 timeline was my favorite. Kit, the caregiver, in 1983 wasn't quite as interesting but it was still fun to try to put the pieces together and figure out what really happened in that creepy murder house. This was a quick and propulsive read. The ending was a bit over the top...but...who cares!
My Rating: A fun twisty Gothic mystery.
3.) Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
From Goodreads:
New Bremen, Minnesota, 1961. The Twins were playing their debut season, ice-cold root beers were selling out at the soda counter of Halderson’s Drugstore, and Hot Stuff comic books were a mainstay on every barbershop magazine rack. It was a time of innocence and hope for a country with a new, young president. But for thirteen-year-old Frank Drum it was a grim summer in which death visited frequently and assumed many forms. Accident. Nature. Suicide. Murder. Frank begins the season preoccupied with the concerns of any teenage boy, but when tragedy unexpectedly strikes his family—which includes his Methodist minister father; his passionate, artistic mother; Juilliard-bound older sister; and wise-beyond-his-years kid brother—he finds himself thrust into an adult world full of secrets, lies, adultery, and betrayal, suddenly called upon to demonstrate a maturity and gumption beyond his years. Told from Frank’s perspective forty years after that fateful summer, Ordinary Grace is a brilliantly moving account of a boy standing at the door of his young manhood, trying to understand a world that seems to be falling apart around him. It is an unforgettable novel about discovering the terrible price of wisdom and the enduring grace of God.
I absolutely LOVED this book! I buddy read it with my husband who also loved it. This was our first William Kent Krueger novel and I am so excited to read more of his work. This is a stunningly beautiful coming-of-age novel. Incredible literary fiction that is both propulsive and engrossing.
The story takes place in 1961 in a small rural town in southern Minnesota. The writing is almost cinematic it is so evocative of time and place. The story of what happens that summer is told from the perspective and reflective voice of the main character Frank Drum. It is now 40 years later and he is telling the story of that fateful summer in New Bremen when he was 13 years old. "It was a summer in which death, in visitation, assumed many forms." Krueger's storytelling is phenomenal. His prose is thoughtful, simple, and elegant.
Ordinary Grace is that perfect combination of being BOTH character and plot driven. A mystery enfolds around the complexities of a family and the small mindedness of a Minnesota town. The story is poignant and bittersweet. The characters are richly written...characters that think and feel deeply. The Drum family and their community face tragedy, misunderstanding, classism, racism, loss, forgiveness, faith, resilience, grief, and grace. I couldn't put it down. It was moving and powerful.
The novel is so atmospheric with some Stand By Me and Peace Like a River vibes. The feeling of the carefree days of youth abruptly coming to an end. Krueger's exceptional writing made me feel like I was in that time and place with Frank and Jake and trying to help them hold their family together. I was emotional and full of wonder and sorrow. After reading all kinds of books this year and then reading this novel...wow...it is a perfect example of what great writing looks and feels like. The others pale in comparison. This is a special book. It has won multiple awards and so it should. It is a modern American classic.
This is a fantastic backlist read. I cannot wait to read more William Kent Krueger. I absolutely loved this quietly powerful novel and story of resilience. I would highly recommend it to everyone! Five Stars!
My Rating: Spectacular!
4.) Blandings Castle by P.G. Wodehouse
From Goodreads:
Here are a dozen stories to delight all Wodehouse addicts...A crooning tenor is attempting to captivate the affections of the Rev. Rupert Bingham's fiancee, Lord Emsworth is striving to remove a pumpkin-shaped blot on the family escutcheon, the Hon. Freddie Threepwood is making a last-ditch attempt to convert Lady Alcester to the beneficial quality of Donaldson's Dog-Joy, and in the bar-parlor of the Anglers' Rest, Mr. Mulliner fascinates everyone with the secret history of old Hollywood.
This is my third P.G. Wodehouse book. I thought I was reading a novel about Blandings Castle and its zany inhabitants but it turned out to be a collection of short stories. The first half of the short stories were about Blandings Castle and its residents. The second half were about Mr. Mulliner and Hollywood. While I appreciated the satire and humor of the old Hollywood stories...I was more interested in the Blandings Castle stories. The title of this book is misleading.
I thoroughly enjoy Wodehouse's humorous writing. It is great British Lit and I will definitely read more of his work, although I prefer his novels to his short stories. Still...I love the 1930s charm. Wodehouse's books are always light-hearted and a good palate cleanser. Wodehouse is the master of whimsical farce. I love his humorous portrayals of rural British life. So while this is my least favorite of the three books I have read...it is still a comedic classic.
My Rating: Okay, but not my favorite.
5.) All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
From Goodreads:
Delve into the magical, unforgettable world of James Herriot, the world's most beloved veterinarian, and his menagerie of heartwarming, funny, and tragic animal patients.
This classic was my book club's pick for April 2025. It was a cozy comfort read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is the semi-autobiographical chronicle of the adventures a young vet in the Yorkshire countryside in the 1930s. It is absolutely charming.
While the book isn't plot heavy...lots of veterinary anecdotes and procedures with some entertaining plot here and there...it was still so enjoyable. I loved the village of Darby and its eccentric farmers and villagers. I couldn't get enough of Siegfried and Tristan Farnon who had me laughing. I adored them. Not to mention Tricki Woo, the pampered Pekinese, and her *brother* a piglet named Nugent.
This is a lovely collection of stories where every day brings a new adventure in the ups and downs of animal care. The writing is full of humor and compassion. It is uplifting and endearing. This is a must-read for animal lovers. The delightful descriptions of the Yorkshire Dales has put it on my list of places to visit. The PBS Masterpiece series based on this book is truly perfection too. I highly recommend.
My Rating: A Timeless Classic
6.) To Charm a Lady by Joanna Barker
From Goodreads:
Cora Atherton wants nothing more than to finally fall in love—real love, not the unrequited sort. When she is invited to attend a house party without her disapproving, overbearing mother, Cora leaps at the chance, desperate to make a match of her own. That is, until she finds that Oliver Cartwell is also attending the party. Oliver, the boy she has loved since she was a girl and the man she is determined to forget. A house party in the country is just what Oliver needs to distract himself from the shadows of his past. When he discovers that Cora, his sister’s best friend, is in need of a little matchmaking, he resolves to help her in her search for a husband. He quickly learns that no man is good enough for her, least of all himself. Why, then, does he find himself fighting his attraction to gentle, beautiful Cora at every step? As the two draw closer together, Cora is forced to confront the feelings that have tortured her for years. With her future on the line and a deadline fast approaching, can she trust that flirtatious Oliver has changed for the better—or will he leave her heart in pieces once again?
I love a Regency romance! Especially one set at a lavish house party at a seaside castle in the English countryside. I am not sure where I heard about this novel and it is also the second in a series...which I also didn't realize...but it didn't make that big of a difference to the plot or my reading enjoyment. The story is told via dual POVs which was interesting. The chapters alternate between Cora and Oliver and we get each of their perspectives as events unfold.
This was a fun easy read. I love a good forced proximity/friends to lovers trope. Both Cora and Oliver were likeable characters who have grown up together. Oliver is the flirty older brother of Cora's best friend. Cora has had a secret crush on him for ten years while he has been oblivious to her. Now they are thrown together and love ensues.
This had a simple yet enjoyable plot and a small but interesting cast of characters. The setting and imagery were lush and the romance was sweet and fun. There was great chemistry and some wonderful character growth in Oliver too. This is a book that you could recommend to anyone. It probably would have been even better if I had read the first book in the series, A Game of Hearts, where Oliver and Cora were also characters but it wasn't necessary.
My Rating: A fun historical romance.
7.) The King's Messenger by Susanna Kearsley
I love Susanna Kearsley's books and I loved this one too! Fantastic historical fiction that is well researched and well written. I highly recommend.
From Goodreads:
1613: King James – sixth of Scotland, first of England, son of Mary, Queen of Scots - has unified both countries under one crown. But the death of his eldest son, Henry, has plunged the nation into mourning, as the rumors rise the prince was poisoned. Andrew Logan’s heard the rumors, but he’s paid them little heed. As one of the King’s Messengers he has enough secrets to guard, including his own. In these perilous times, when the merest suggestion of witchcraft can see someone tortured and hanged, men like Andrew must hide well the fact they were born with the Sight. He’ll need all his gifts, though, when the king sends Andrew north to find and arrest Sir David Murray, once Prince Henry’s trusted courtier, and bring him a prisoner to London to stand trial before the dreaded Star Chamber. A story of treachery, betrayal and love…
In 1613 a prince dies mysteriously and the King sends one of his messengers to find a person of interest and bring him back to the palace. The messenger ends up traveling with some unlikely traveling companions and adventure ensues. Add to that mystery, political drama, royal intrigue, and a quest for power.
Kearsley's writing is always transportive. I love her style. It is rich and detailed. The setting of Scotland and England and their respective political landscape was perfection. The story is told from the POVs of four characters: Andrew, Sir David, Phoebe, and Queen Anna. The characters are wonderful and believable. Each character was interesting in their own right. They are strong and sympathetic. I particularly loved Andrew Logan (who doesn't love a dashing Scottish hero?), wise Sir David, Phoebe, and wee Hector. They had excellent character development and I loved journeying with them. The plot surrounding the mystery of Prince Henry's death was interesting and the slow burn romance was beautifully done. I enjoyed the addition of a bit of magical realism too.
I thought this was a fascinating story and it was a page-turner for me. I read it in both audio and physical form because I didn't want to stop reading. It was a great story of love, trust, and betrayal with an incredible historical backdrop. There was also an interesting and informative author's note at the end. Don't skip it!
My Rating: Enjoyable! A very satisfying read.
8.) Ordinary Time by Annie B. Jones
From Goodreads:
Can life be an adventure, even when it’s just . . . ordinary? Annie Jones always assumed adulthood would mean a high-powered career; life in a big, bustling city; and travels to far-flung places she’d longed to see. But her reality turned out differently. As the years passed, Annie was still in the same small town running an independent bookstore —the kind of life Nora Ephron dreamed. During that time, she hosted friends’ goodbye parties and mailed parting gifts; wrote recommendation letters and wished former shop staffers well. She stayed in her small town, despite her love of big cities; stayed in her marriage to the guy she met when she was 18; and she stayed at her bookstore while the world outside shifted steadily toward digital retailers. And she stayed loyal to a faith she sometimes didn’t recognize. After ten years, Annie realized she might never leave. But instead of regret, she had an epiphany. She awakened to the gifts of a quiet life spent staying put. In Ordinary Time, Annie challenges the idea that loud lives matter most. Rummaging through her small-town existence, she finds hidden gifts of humor and hope from a life lived quietly. Staying, can itself be a radical act. It takes courage to stay in the places we’ve always called home, Jones argues, as she paints a portrait of possibility far away from thriving metropolises and Monica Gellar-inspired apartments. We’ve long been encouraged to follow our dreams, to pack up and move to new places and leave old lives—and past selves—behind. While there is beauty in these kinds of adventures, Ordinary Time helps us see ourselves right where we in the middle of messy, mundane lives, maybe not too far from where we grew up. We don’t have to leave to find what we yearn—we can choose to stay, celebrating and honoring our ordinary lives, which might turn out to be bigger and better than we ever imagined.
I regularly listen to Annie B. Jones' podcast From the Front Porch and follow her and her independent bookstore in Thomasville, GA online. She is a delight! I have gotten many great book recommendations from her. I was intrigued when I saw that she had gotten a book deal. Would she write about her experiences being a small town bookshop owner? Or something else? It's a little of both.
Jones does write about her experiences of owning a bookstore but she also writes about her life, family, friends, small town living in the South, hopes and dreams, choices made, midlife, marriage, and her faith. I thoroughly enjoyed this series of essays. It was touching and thoughtful. I appreciated her vulnerability as she wrote about her life and choices.
This was a quick read for me. Annie B. Jones feels like a friend and I quickly read all that she had to say and share. She writes with humor, authenticity, and insight. I enjoyed the stories she shared about her family and friends, people in her small town, the pros and cons of staying in one place, and even her shifting beliefs around religion. The book is divided into four sections: Staying Friends, Staying Put, Staying Faithful, and Staying Grounded.
My favorite essay was "Everybody Writes About Sisters" that talked about her relationship with her younger brother. I loved it and related to it so much as an old sister with a much beloved younger brother. This is a too often overlooked family dynamic in literature. I loved it!
I also enjoyed the essay about the Virtue of Affability...the quality of having a friendly and good-natured manner. More value needs to be put on affability in our society these days. What a great quality to have and to cultivate.
I loved this quote:
"The solution to an age of disenchantment? Be enchanted. Share about it...In a world of cynicism, earnestness is crucial."
Yes! In addition to affability let's add enthusiasm! Love what you love and be enthusiastic about it and share that enthusiasm. All of this makes life so much more enjoyable and is a breath of fresh air in today's world of cynicism and negativity.
I also respected what Jones had to say about friendships...old and new...and especially the impact and importance of acquaintances. That was something that I had never really considered before. Not everyone will be a close and deep friend but don't look down on the value of acquaintances and all the richness that they can add to life.
But I especially appreciated the theme of finding contentment where you are and with the choices you have made. Ordinary lives are special and magical. They matter. There is joy to be found in a quiet life. Most of us will live one. Learning to appreciate the small things in life and loving the life you live is a gift.
I really enjoyed this book. It was heartfelt, warm, and engaging.
My Rating: Good!
9.) Vision Quest by Terry Davis
From Goodreads:
You think I’m just another muscle-bound, sex-crazed, fuzzy-brained, futureless JOCK. But You’re Wrong. I dream big. I love hard. I think far. I act fast. I live humbly. I want to win. And, yeah, I’m a jock. My Vision. My Quest. My Life. The cult classic coming-of-age novel is back.
A few months ago my husband and I attended the 40th Anniversary of the movie Vision Quest. It was filmed in our town and the book it was based on also takes place in our town. Matthew Modine, who starred in the show, was there at the screening along with the author of the original book, Terry Davis, and the author Jess Walters who was moderating. It was an interesting night. We watched the movie that we have seen many times and then watched it at home again with our daughter. Before that event I had no idea that the movie was based on an actual book. I decided to read the book to see how it compared to the movie which is an 80s classic. The book was published in 1979.
The novel takes place in 1972 in Spokane, WA. It's a coming-of-age story about a humble 18 year old high school wrestler named Louden Swain whose long-standing goal is to make his weight and wrestle a guy named Shute who is the toughest wrestler in the state of WA. The novel builds to this long-awaited wrestling match. Louden is a likable goofy character. Matthew Modine played him to perfection. Louden is a deep thinker who is trying to figure out life through discipline and commitment to his sport. The story follows Louden for a few months during his senior year as he prepares and trains for this epic match aka his "vision quest."
Overall the story was interesting and somewhat different from the movie. I liked that. I liked the character depth that we get in the book verses the movie and that the book explains some of the plot holes in the movie. But to me Spokane, WA was the star of the show! I loved reading vignettes about life in Spokane in the 1970s. I loved when many favorite places were mentioned. So fun!
There were a few things that I didn't love. First, there is a lot of sexually explicit content which was hard to read and surprising to me for a YA book written in 1979. There is also A LOT of wrestling jargon and technical wrestling details. I get it...this is a wrestling novel...but prepare for pages of it. Then I didn't love the ending. All the build up and then I just felt cheated. I definitely prefer the movie ending. Still I found it to be a page-turning novel about a teenage wrestler who is grappling with the meaning of life and what awaits him beyond high school.
My Rating: A fairly interesting novel about wrestling and self-discovery set in my beloved hometown.
10.) Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce
From Goodreads:
London 1940, bombs are falling. Emmy Lake is Doing Her Bit for the war effort, volunteering as a telephone operator with the Auxiliary Fire Services. When Emmy sees an advertisement for a job at the London Evening Chronicle, her dreams of becoming a Lady War Correspondent seem suddenly achievable. But the job turns out to be typist to the fierce and renowned advice columnist, Henrietta Bird. Emmy is disappointed, but gamely bucks up and buckles down. Mrs. Bird is very clear: Any letters containing Unpleasantness—must go straight in the bin. But when Emmy reads poignant letters from women who are lonely, may have Gone Too Far with the wrong men and found themselves in trouble, or who can’t bear to let their children be evacuated, she is unable to resist responding. As the German planes make their nightly raids, and London picks up the smoldering pieces each morning, Emmy secretly begins to write letters back to the women of all ages who have spilled out their troubles. Prepare to fall head over heels with Emmy and her best friend, Bunty, who are spirited and gutsy, even in the face of events that bring a terrible blow. As the bombs continue to fall, the irrepressible Emmy keeps writing, and readers are transformed by AJ Pearce’s hilarious, heartwarming, and enormously moving tale of friendship, the kindness of strangers, and ordinary people in extraordinary times.
This was my book club's pick for May 2025. Another WWII novel. Sigh. I wasn't super excited going into it but I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed it and have since moved on to reading the next book in the series. I also learned about yet another aspect of life during WWII. It was interesting reading about the wartime experiences of Emmy and her best friend Bunty during the Blitz in London. What a terrifying time and place and yet life continued. People fell in love, worked jobs they enjoyed, kept a sense of practicality, and even had a sense of humor during horrifically difficult times.
In this novel Emmy Lake wants be a war correspondent only to find out that she has actually been hired to work for a failing ladies magazine. Humor ensues. There is a wonderful cast of characters and a great sense of camaraderie. Most of the novel is humorous and quirky and then it got incredibly moving. I enjoyed this book about friendship, bravery, love, following your heart, and continuing to find joy even in a time when it would have been so easy to fall into dark despair. The novel highlights the bravery of ordinary people in extraordinarily difficult times.
My Rating: Good.
11.) Yours Cheerfully by AJ Pearce
From Goodreads:
London, November 1941. Following the departure of the formidable Henrietta Bird from Woman’s Friend magazine, things are looking up for Emmeline Lake as she takes on the challenge of becoming a young wartime advice columnist. Her relationship with boyfriend Charles (now stationed back in the UK) is blossoming, while Emmy’s best friend Bunty, still reeling from the very worst of the Blitz, is bravely looking to the future. Together, the friends are determined to make a go of it. When the Ministry of Information calls on Britain’s women’s magazines to help recruit desperately needed female workers to the war effort, Emmy is thrilled to be asked to step up and help. But when she and Bunty meet a young woman who shows them the very real challenges that women war workers face, Emmy must tackle a life-changing dilemma between doing her duty and standing by her friends.
This is the second book in the Emmy Lake Chronicles. It's 1941 WWII historical fiction set in London during the Blitz. I gave the first book in the series four stars but this one was only three stars for me.
In this novel, Emmy takes on the plight of female war workers. She does some investigative work at one of the munitions factories as a journalist for the Women's Friend Magazine. She takes on and exposes the bureaucratic injustices of female war recruitment and employment. I found the realities of war work for women during WWII compelling. Especially for women with children and war widows who were trying to do their part for the war effort but for less pay, no benefits, no childcare, workplace discrimination, and an inability to join unions. While I appreciated Emmy's crusade to help these incredible women...the plot didn't grip me as much as it did in the first book.
Many charming characters are back. I loved not only spunky Emmy but also her best friend Bunty and the delightful brothers...Charles and Guy. They are all likable, resourceful, and clever. Guy, who is also Emmy's quirky boss, may be my favorite side character. He seems to have a somewhat mysterious past that I hope we learn more about in future books.
There was less danger in this novel. Less bombs dropping. Less war trauma. It was a bit of a breather after the last book. It was also slower paced than the first book. The magazine office and cast of characters there takes a bit of a backseat this time as does Emmy's volunteer work at the fire station and the cast of characters there which was unfortunate. Some new characters have been added instead as well as a new location. But this is still a feel good novel with enjoyable banter and loveable characters.
My Rating: Sweet.
