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Book Review: The Names by Florence Knapp

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Title: The Names
Author: Florence Knapp
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Publication date: May 6, 2025
Length: 328 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The extraordinary novel that asks: Can a name change the course of a life?

In the wake of a catastrophic storm, Cora sets off with her nine-year-old daughter, Maia, to register the birth of her son. Her husband, Gordon, respected in the community but a controlling presence at home, intends for her to follow a long-standing family tradition and name the baby after him. But when faced with the decision, Cora hesitates….

Spanning thirty-five years, what follows are three alternate and alternating versions of their lives, shaped by Cora’s last-minute choice of name. In richly layered prose, The Names explores the painful ripple effects of domestic abuse, the messy ties of family, and the possibilities for autonomy and healing.

Through a prism of what-ifs, Florence Knapp invites us to consider the “one … precious life” we are given. Full of hope, this is the story of three names, three versions of a life, and the infinite possibilities that a single decision can spark. It is the story of one family and love’s endless capacity to endure, no matter what fate has in store.

The Names is a fascinating look at decisions and possibilities:

Yes, people’s lives bump and collide and we send one another spinning off in different directions. But that’s life. It’s not unique to you. We each make our own choices.

Before going further:

Content warning: While I don’t typically read or provide content warnings, I do feel it’s important to make clear that this book deals very heavily with domestic violence and abuse.

I had no idea what to expect when I picked up The Names. I knew it made a lot of “best of” lists for 2025 and had been a Goodreads Choice nominee. I vaguely knew that the plot had to do with deciding what to name a baby. Not much to go on! So I was both surprised and pleased to find myself completely immersed in this unusual, moving story.

As the book opens, Cora is on the way to the registrar’s office to officially register the birth and name of her newborn son, accompanied by her nine-year-old daughter Maia. Cora and her husband have already picked a name — he’ll be called Gordon, just like his father and grandfather before him. But as mother and daughter walk, they start to talk. Cora shares that she likes the name Julian, which means “sky father” — and the “father” element could be a nod to her husband while not passing on the actual traditional name. And Maia, full of creativity and whimsy, says that if she could pick, she’d name him Bear — because “it sounds all soft and cuddly and kind […] but also, brave and strong.”

From there, the story splits in three, providing three chapters in the immediate aftermath of the registrar’s office — Bear, Julian, and Gordon. In each, we see the consequences and fallout of Cora’s naming decision. How does her life — and Maia’s, and the baby’s — change depending on what she named him? The structure of the book follows this three-branched approach, moving forward in seven-year increments, each one showing this new period with Bear, Julian, and Gordon versions of their lives.

I’m not providing details, as it would spoil much too much to go into the specifics of the variations, how very different each version of their lives is, and why their lives develop as they do. This is a book that should be allowed to unfold for the reader, without foreknowledge or expectations. There are beautiful moments as well as pain, sorrow, and regrets. The characters are complex, and the ramifications of their choices are shown through the textures of the lives they live.

As I stated in the content warning, domestic abuse is the driving force — the origin story, in a way — for much of what happens, as well as the secret weight behind Cora’s naming choice. The violence isn’t gratuitous in any way, but it is painful to read, making certain sections of the book feel practically overwhelming.

Still, at its core, The Names is a story about love and family, finding beauty in life and in the people who we care about. It’s fascinating, powerful, and deeply emotional. I’ll be thinking about this book long after closing the cover. Highly recommended.

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible audiobook – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

Audiobook Review: Anne of a Different Island by Virginia Kantra

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Title: Anne of a Different Island
Author: Virginia Kantra
Narrators: Kathleen McInerney and Will Collyer
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: January 20, 2026
Print length: 368 pages
Audio length: 10 hours 54 minutes
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Library (audiobook); ARC via NetGalley (ebook)
Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

A woman learns to be the heroine of her own life in this heartfelt novel inspired by Anne of Green Gables by New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra.

She believed life could follow a plotline—until the story she was living unraveled.

Anne Gallagher has always lived by the book. Anne of Green Gables, that is. Growing up on Mackinac Island, she saw herself as her namesake; the same impulsive charm, the same wild imagination, even the same red hair (dyed, but still). She followed in Anne Shirley’s fictional footsteps, chasing dreams of teaching and writing, and falling for her very own storybook hero.

But when a string of real-life plot twists—a failing romance, a fight with the administration, and the sudden death of her beloved father—pulls her back to the island she once couldn’t wait to leave, Anne is forced to face a truth no story ever prepared her for. Sometimes, life doesn’t follow a script.

Back in the house she grew up in, Anne must confront her past and the people she left behind, including Joe Miller, the boy who once called her “The Pest.” It’s time to figure out what she wants and rewrite her story to create her own happy ending. Not the book version. The real one.

Anne (with an E!) is a 24-year-old high school teacher who enjoys inspiring her students by making sure they find the books that might change their lives. She lives alone, waiting for the day when her doctor boyfriend Chris is ready for them to move in together. Anne dreams of being a writer, but meanwhile, everything is fine, and her happy ending seems within reach.

And then, her life more or less implodes. Anne’s beloved father dies — the man who was always her greatest source of love and support, the man who first put a copy of Anne of Green Gables into her hands, the man who always seemed to appreciate Anne’s nonstop chatter and big dreams. Going back home to Mackinac Island for the funeral, she is wracked by guilt over not visiting more, and has to deal with the sense of abandonment she feels when Chris chooses to stay behind to take care of a patient rather than going with her.

Back on the island, Anne at first is reminded of her own isolation. Her mother isn’t emotionally accessible. Anne has never quite repaired the distant relationship with her childhood best friend. Her father’s former apprentice and business partner — who nicknamed her the Pest when she was a child — seems to always be around, apparently closer to her parents than she herself was. By the end of the funeral, Anne can’t wait to get back to her “real” life in Chicago.

But when a parent complaint leads to a temporary leave from work, and Chris makes a unilateral decision about their future, Anne retreats back to Mackinac for the summer to take a break, recharge, and take stock of what she really wants. And the longer she spends on the island, the more she starts to see the potential of a good life back where she started from, especially as she reforges relationships with the people who matter most to her.

Anne of a Different Island is, obviously, filled with references to and inspiration from Anne of Green Gables, but it’s not a retelling. Anne Gallagher holds up Anne Shirley as her idol (she even has a tattoo of a favorite Anne quote, “tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet”). The Anne of this book shares Anne Shirley’s optimism and imagination, and uses the Anne books as a point of reference when she feels lost in her own thoughts and quandaries.

Seeing Anne find her place on the island is heart-warming, and while we may figure out long before Anne does that (a) Chris sucks, (b) her old school sucks too, and (c) she really can have a future on Mackinac, it’s still sweet to see how Anne finally realizes all this too. The romance with Joe is mostly a slow-burn, as each deals with the baggage of former relationships, but there’s really no doubt that they’ll work it all out eventually.

The story is mainly told through Anne’s point of view, with a scattering of Joe chapters mixed in. The narrators do a nice job of voicing the characters and their friends and neighbors; Kathleen McInerney is particularly charming as she brings out Anne’s quirkiness, self-doubt, and irrepressible brightness.

One thing I really loved about this book is the emphasis on how reading can change lives. We get the sense that Anne is an amazing teacher. She reaches her students through books, and makes sure that they have access to books that can open their eyes or speak to their inner fears and needs. I was pleased that teaching remains a focus for Anne throughout; even though she finds more time and commitment for writing, she never views teaching as just a fallback until she makes it as an author.

Anne of a Different Island is a sweet, lovely story that made me yearn for a little island community of my own… and reminded me that it’s about time for me to revisit the world of Anne of Green Gables.

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
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Book Review: Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon

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Title: Code Name Hélène
Author: Ariel Lawhon
Publisher: Doubleday
Publication date: March 31, 2020
Length: 451 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

BASED ON THE THRILLING REAL-LIFE STORY OF SOCIALITE SPY NANCY WAKE, comes the newest feat of historical fiction from the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia, featuring the astonishing woman who killed a Nazi with her bare hands and went on to become one of the most decorated women in WWII.

Told in interweaving timelines organized around the four code names Nancy used during the war, Code Name Hélène is a spellbinding and moving story of enduring love, remarkable sacrifice and unfaltering resolve that chronicles the true exploits of a woman who deserves to be a household name.

It is 1936 and Nancy Wake is an intrepid Australian expat living in Paris who has bluffed her way into a reporting job for Hearst newspaper when she meets the wealthy French industrialist Henri Fiocca. No sooner does Henri sweep Nancy off her feet and convince her to become Mrs. Fiocca than the Germans invade France and she takes yet another name: a code name.

As LUCIENNE CARLIER Nancy smuggles people and documents across the border. Her success and her remarkable ability to evade capture earns her the nickname THE WHITE MOUSE from the Gestapo. With a five million franc bounty on her head, Nancy is forced to escape France and leave Henri behind. When she enters training with the Special Operations Executives in Britain, her new comrades are instructed to call her HÉLÈNE. And finally, with mission in hand, Nancy is airdropped back into France as the deadly MADAM ANDRÉ, where she claims her place as one of the most powerful leaders in the French Resistance, armed with a ferocious wit, her signature red lipstick, and the ability to summon weapons straight from the Allied Forces.

But no one can protect Nancy if the enemy finds out these four women are one and the same, and the closer to liberation France gets, the more exposed she–and the people she loves–become.

After reading The Frozen River last year, I was excited when my book group picked Code Name Hélène as our January read. Ariel Lawhon is a gifted writer; it’s stunning to see how well she captures two vastly different historical periods in the two books of hers that I’ve read so far.

In Code Name Hélène, Lawhon tells the story of real-life heroine Nancy Wake, an Australian woman in her 20s living in Paris as war looms in Europe. Working as an occasional freelance writer, she enjoys her unrestrained life, with good friends, romantic flirtations, wine and good food and constant excitement. Her path veers toward a new, more serious direction when she travels to Vienna and then to Berlin to witness first-hand the dangers of the growing Nazi power.

Once war breaks out, Nancy’s life changes even more. Madly in love with her husband Henri and building a life with him in Marseille, Nancy finds herself alone once he’s called to the front lines. She decides she can’t just sit by and wait while people’s lives are destroyed, and becomes involved first as an ambulance driver, then as a member of the underground working to rescue those in danger from both Nazis and the Vichy collaborators in their midst.

Eventually, Nancy is forced to flee, and after a harrowing escape, ends up in England, where she’s recruited into a special operations unit and prepared for a mission back to France, where she and her teammates will be tasked with arming and organizing the French resistance fighters in advance of D-Day.

Told through alternating timelines, we first meet Nancy in 1944 as she’s about to jump out of a plane and parachute into occupied France. As this story moves forward, interwoven chapters take us back to 1936, when Nancy meets Henri and takes the first step on her journey toward becoming a spy and a fighter.

Nancy Wake (1945)

Nancy’s story is powerful and would feel incredible — as in, hard to believe — were it not for the fact that she really lived the life described in Code Name Hélène. The author’s notes at the end of the book identify her sources and explain places where she had to condense or alter details for artistic purposes. So, while it may feel like too much to accept that one young woman did all the things described in this book, it’s clear that Ariel Lawhon pulled from the historical record to the greatest extent possible.

In terms of the reading experience, Code Name Hélène is phenomenal. It took me a few beats to really warm to the story (more on this in a moment), but within the first quarter or so of the book, I was hooked, and couldn’t put it down. I simply had to know what happened to Nancy, Henri, and all of her various friends and allies introduced throughout this story.

I did struggle with the writing, especially at the beginning, for several reasons. First, the opening scene has a few issues that pulled me out of the story before I could get invested. In one passage, Nancy tells us about her code name on this mission and notes that it’s sexist — which startled me, because I didn’t think “sexist” was a term in use at that time. (According to Wikipedia, the word “sexism” appears to have been coined in 1965.) Maybe that’s too picky of me — but surely a more time-appropriate description could have been used? Beyond that, in the dramatic scene leading up to Nancy’s jump from the airplane, she’s told to jump as they reach the drop zone — and she refuses to do so until she applies a fresh coat of her beloved red lipstick. Okay, perhaps the author was trying to find a memorable way to introduce us to the red lipstick that we see Nancy turning to for courage at key moments throughout the book — but it felt unrealistic to me that a serious operative would act that way in that particular moment.

Fortunately, the book gets better and better — and while, yes, there still were occasional moments that felt anachronistic to me, they bothered me less once I was fully absorbed in the narrative.

I will say, however, that the dual timelines didn’t work particularly well for me, and I think the story would have been stronger overall with a sequential chronology. Going from the big parachuting scene back to Nancy drinking in a Paris bar in 1936 is jolting — and it takes much too long before we learn how and when Nancy was trained for this mission, which left me with a constant question about how she was qualified to do the things we see her doing, and even whether this was her first, tenth, or hundred mission.

Quibbles aside, Code Name Hélène is a truly powerful book that tells the story of a remarkable woman, and I’m very glad to have read it. My quibbles keep me from giving this book a full 5-star rating, but at the same time, I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction about strong, dynamic women. Fans of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah may also appreciate Code Name Hélène; there’s some overlap in terms of subject matter and setting, which made reading Code Name Hélène especially poignant and resonant for me.

I’ve now read two books by Ariel Lawhon, and I’m eager for more. As of now, I think my next book by this author will be I Was Anastasia — if you’ve read it, let me know your thoughts!

To learn more about the real Nancy Wake:

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible audiobook – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
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Beautiful book alert! A Jane Austen Year, by the curators of Jane Austen’s House

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Title: A Jane Austen Year: Celebrating 250 Years of Jane Austen
Authors: Jane Austen’s House curators
Publisher: Pitkin
Publication date: March 11, 2025
Length: 208 pages
Genre: Non-fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

This beautifully illustrated book charts the life of one of the world’s most beloved authors through the letters, objects, and manuscripts that shaped her life.

Published in partnership with the curators of Jane Austen’s House, the enchanting Hampshire cottage where Jane Austen’s genius flourished that now attracts thousands of visitors every year.

Arranged over the course of a calendar year, from snowy scenes in January to festive recipes in December, specially commissioned photography of Austen’s home and possessions are brought together with extracts from her books, reproductions of her letters, and stories of her life throughout the seasons. Highlights include the first time Austen read a published copy of Pride and Prejudice to an enraptured audience in her drawing room, affectionate letters to her sister Cassandra reproduced in full and an exquisite miniature portrait of Tom Lefroy, the man she nearly married.

Read this book for a unique and intimate insight into Austen’s world. Dip into it as you will, or visit each month, and enjoy a full year of Austen—her life, works and letters, people and objects she knew, and of course her idyllic, inspiring home.

Note: Photos from book page on Amazon and the Jane Austen House website, plus a few photos I took myself…

If you’re looking for a special gift for the Austen-lover in your life — or if you’re just in the mood to treat yourself! — then look no further! A Jane Austen Year is a gorgeous illustrated book that’s perfect for anyone who loves the works and world of Jane Austen.

Put together by the curators of Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, this coffee table book is a delight to read through cover to cover, or simply to open at random to enjoy a page or two at a time.

The book is organized by month, highlighting a combination of historical events in the author’s life, seasonal references from her books, letters she wrote at that time of year, and other tidbits about the environment and the countryside where she lived. Photos, recipes, and book excerpts offer something different on every page.

I read through A Jane Austen Year over the course of about a week and a half, reading one month at a time, and savoring the photos and other content. The monthly approach is an interesting way to organize the material. I suppose it could be a bit confusing, since as a whole it’s not chronological — Jane’s birth and death, for example, are discussed in the months when they occur, as are other events from her life, so that we’re constantly jumping between years. That’s okay: If you’re looking for a biography of Jane Austen, this isn’t it. Nor does it pretend to be!

A Jane Austen Year truly is what its subtitle promises — a celebration. The variety of material is an absolute treat, which left me hungry for an opportunity to finally travel to Chawton and visit the Jane Austen House!

I’ll close by sharing a few photos that I took while leafing through the book one more time:

To learn more, visit the Jane Austen House website: https://janeaustens.house/
You can buy this book and other lovely items directly from their giftshop: https://jane-austens-house.myshopify.com/products/pre-order-a-jane-austen-year-hb
They’ve also got a podcast! Find out more: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2434395

To order via Amazon: Amazon 
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Book Review: The Man Who Died Twice (The Thursday Murder Club, #2) by Richard Osman

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Title: The Man Who Died Twice
Series: The Thursday Murder Club, #2
Author: Richard Osman
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Publication date: September 16, 2021
Length: 355 pages
Genre: Mystery
Source: Library
Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

It’s the following Thursday.

Elizabeth has received a letter from an old colleague, a man with whom she has a long history. He’s made a big mistake, and he needs her help. His story involves stolen diamonds, a violent mobster, and a very real threat to his life.

As bodies start piling up, Elizabeth enlists Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron in the hunt for a ruthless murderer. And if they find the diamonds too? Well, wouldn’t that be a bonus?

But this time they are up against an enemy who wouldn’t bat an eyelid at knocking off four septuagenarians. Can The Thursday Murder Club find the killer (and the diamonds) before the killer finds them?

Another outstanding adventure with the dynamic foursome of the Thursday Murder Club! We’re back in the world of the Coopers Chase retirement village, where Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron enjoy their comfortable surroundings, good friendship, and solving murders together.

When former spy and all-around bad-ass Elizabeth receives a letter from a man she knows to be dead, it sets of an unlikely chain of events involving an arms dealer, the mafia, stolen diamonds, and local drug dealers… to say nothing of chess matches, home-baked goodies, and various outings in the Coopers Chase minivan.

It’s always great fun to see these characters in action. Their group dynamics, with room for each of their distinctive personalities to shine, are a hoot. This book’s escapades are unpredictable, convoluted, and a winning combination of silly and dangerous. There are high stakes… but also plenty of laughs.

Count me in as a new-ish fan of this delightful series! With three more books currently available, it’s great to know that I have more murders and adventures to look forward to!

Up next: Book #3, The Bullet That Missed

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible audiobook – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

Book Review: Murder at Haven’s Rock (Haven’s Rock, #1) by Kelley Armstrong

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Title: Murder at Haven’s Rock
Series: Haven’s Rock, #1
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication date: February 21, 2023
Length: 340 pages
Genre: Thriller/mystery
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong’s Rockton Novels had one of the most unique towns in crime fiction. Murder at Haven’s Rock is a spinoff, a fresh start… with a few new dangers that threaten everything before it even begins.

Haven’s Rock, Yukon. Population: 0

Deep in the Yukon wilderness, a town is being built. A place for people to disappear, a fresh start from a life on the run. Haven’s Rock isn’t the first town of this kind, something detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, know first hand. They met in the original town of Rockton. But greed and deception led the couple to financing a new refuge for those in need. This time around, they get to decide which applicants are approved for residency.

There’s only one rule in Haven’s Rock: stay out of the forest. When two of the town’s construction crew members break it and go missing, Casey and Eric are called in ahead of schedule to track them down. When a body is discovered, well hidden with evidence of foul play, Casey and Eric must find out what happened to the dead woman, and locate the still missing man. The woman stumbled upon something she wasn’t supposed to see, and the longer Casey and Eric don’t know what happened, the more danger everyone is in.

What do you do when you reach the end of a terrific series? If you’re author Kelley Armstrong, you spin off into a new (equally terrific) series! The Rockton series wrapped up in 2022 after seven strong novels, and was then followed by a novella (Dead Letter Days) that serves as a bridge between Rockton and Haven’s Rock.

And here we are, with a new town and new series to explore! The Haven’s Rock series starts with a bang (or kind of a crash and a thud, if we’re being literal) with the first book, Murder at Haven’s Rock.

A quick “history” lesson to set the stage: Rockton was a secret town hidden in the Yukon wilderness, a place where those needing sanctuary could live off the grid for a couple of years. Rockton’s day-to- day needs were overseen by Sheriff Eric Dalton and his partner/lover/wife Detective Casey Butler. The town functioned, but not always smoothly, while the powerful, remote council that controlled the town’s funds made shady decisions about who to allow in, leaving the town to deal with fallout from a variety of criminals and generally bad eggs who also found shelter in Rockton.

The Rockton series ends with the dismantling of the town. Eric, Casey, and a small group of close allies move forward with establishing a new, better version of Rockton: Haven’s Rock, where the town will be built to their specification, and where they’ll have better control over ensuring that only those who truly need refuge are allowed in.

As Murder at Haven’s Rock opens, the new town is still in the final stages of construction, with move-in dates quickly approaching. Eric and Casey make their first visit to Haven’s Rock when the construction project manager requests help. Two of her crew — the head architect and engineer — have gone missing. Venturing into the forest is forbidden, but it appears that that’s where they both went… and then disappeared. Eric and Casey are delighted to get a first look at their new town — although they would have preferred that it not come with missing persons, dead bodies, and potentially multiple crimes to solve.

The mysteries in Murder at Haven’s Rock are doozies. First, it’s not clear that crimes have even occurred, and even if they have, under whose jurisdiction they’d fall. Once Eric and Casey start investigating, they find dead ends and conflicting trails, possible motives, and unwelcome surprises in the shape of outsiders in what they’d believed to be an unpopulated area.

The crime and mystery aspects of this story are superb, with twists and confusion around every corner. The who’s-who of suspects and victims and interpersonal connections is complicated, and the author does an amazing job of keeping it all manageable, even when it seems like there are almost too many options at play. There’s a really satisfying and convincing resolution, even while the ending of the story introduces what’s sure to be a major source of danger and conflict as the series moves forward.

Meanwhile, we get an excellent introduction to the new town of Haven’s Rock. It’s really fun to go alongside Eric and Casey as they explore their new home, especially when their key people start to arrive as well.

Murder at Haven’s Rock is a terrific kick-off to this new series, and I’m delighted to be digging in. As of this moment, two more book are available, with another set for release in February 2026. And even though I have a ton of other reading commitments, I can’t help but admit that I won’t be able to hold off for very long before picking up book #2, The Boy Who Cried Bear.

Interested in the worlds of Rockton and Haven’s Rock? Check out my reviews of these previous books:
City of the Lost (Rockton, #1)
A Darkness Absolute (Rockton, #2)
This Fallen Prey (Rockton, #3)
Watcher in the Woods (Rockton, #4)
Alone in the Wild (Rockton, #5)
A Stranger in Town (Rockton, #6)
The Deepest of Secrets (Rockton, #7)
Dead Letter Days (Rockton, #7.5)

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

Audiobook Review: 107 Days by Kamala Harris

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Title: 107 Days
Author: Kamala Harris
Narrators: Kamala Harris
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: September 23, 2025
Print length: 304 pages
Audio length: 9 hours 58 minutes
Genre: Non-fiction / political memoir
Source: Library
Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

For the first time, and with surprising and revealing insights, former Vice President Kamala Harris tells the story of one of the wildest and most consequential presidential campaigns in American history.

Your Secret Service code name is Pioneer.
You are the first woman in history to be elected vice president of the United States.
On July 21, 2024, your running mate, Joe Biden, announces that he will not be seeking reelection.
The presidential election will occur on November 5, 2024.
You have 107 days.

From the chaos of campaign strategy sessions to the intensity of debate prep under relentless scrutiny and the private moments that rarely make headlines, Kamala Harris offers an unfiltered look at the pressures, triumphs, and heartbreaks of a history-defining race. With behind-the-scenes details and a voice that is both intimate and urgent, this is more than a political memoir—it’s a chronicle of resilience, leadership, and the high stakes of democracy in action.

Written with candor, a unique perspective, and the pace of a page-turning novel, 107 Days takes you inside the race for the presidency as no one has ever done before.

In 107 Days, Kamala Harris takes us through her experiences during the dramatic presidential campaign of 2024… from the day Joe Biden officially dropped out of the race and she became the Democratic candidate for president through election day (and slightly beyond). Day by day, she shares the highs and low of the campaign trail, as well as personal reflections on her career, her family, and the hopes she carried into the race for president.

It’s a revealing look behind the scenes. If nothing else, listening to this audiobook gives me a new-found appreciation for how much candidates endure for the sake of their party and their country. The lack of privacy or downtime is astounding, as is the absolutely intense scrutiny of every word and every gesture.

I suspect how you react to this book will depend largely on how you voted in the 2024 election. If you weren’t a Harris supporter then, I’m sure you’ll either avoid this book or find plenty to criticize. As someone who voted for Harris, I found a deeper sense of appreciation for her expertise, sense of values, and commitment to a campaign that was an uphill battle from the start.

Early critics of this book seem to take Harris to task for not owning more of the failures of the campaign. I don’t believe that’s entirely fair. She does examine the ways in which her messages didn’t land, places where she wishes she could go back and rephrase or re-do a key interview or speech. She reminds the reader/listener continuously of just how little time there was to campaign — hence the book’s title. Sure, she could go deeper on content: Were there themes or issues that her campaign didn’t fully embrace, or where they miscalculated the importance to voters? Endless political analyses post-election say yes, but these do not get addressed in depth in this book.

Still, what she does reveal is informative. The odds were always stacked against such an abbreviated campaign. Harris is careful to hold back on criticisms of Biden — for the most part — although it’s clear that some of his actions, statements, and decisions caused great frustration and obstacles for her as a candidate. It was interesting to hear about her approach to combatting the lies and slurs directed toward her by the opposition, refusing to engage in rebuttals and keeping the focus on her own agenda and values.

While there are sweeter moments shared, including time with her family and her husband, I could perhaps have done without an analysis of how and why she felt let down by her husband’s lack of plans for her birthday. But other than that, there’s a warmth that comes through while talking about her loved ones that helps ground this book in a sense of Harris’s commitment to people and community, not just to political success.

Overall, I’m not sure that I learned a whole lot from this book that I hadn’t come across, one way or another, during the presidential race or afterward, but I did find it an interesting, informative listen, and I’m glad I experienced it.

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

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Book Review: Detour by Jeff Rake & Rob Hart

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Title: Detour
Series: Detour, #1
Authors: Jeff Rake & Rob Hart
Publisher: Random House Worlds
Publication date: February 4, 2026
Length: 320 pages
Genre: Science fiction
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

A space shuttle flight crew discovers that the Earth they’ve returned to is not the home they left behind in the first book of this emotional, mind-bending thriller series from the creator of the hit Netflix show Manifest and the bestselling author of The Warehouse.

“If The Martian and The Twilight Zone had a baby, it would be Detour—a thriller that messes with your head as you scramble to piece together what’s really going on.”—Steve Netter, Best Thriller Books

Ryan Crane wasn’t looking for trouble—just a cup of coffee. But when this cop spots a gunman emerging from an unmarked van, he leaps into action and unknowingly saves John Ward, a billionaire with presidential aspirations, from an assassination attempt.

As thanks for Ryan’s quick thinking, Ward offers him the chance of a lifetime: to join a group of lucky civilians chosen to accompany three veteran astronauts on the first manned mission to Saturn’s moon Titan.

A devoted family man, Ryan is reluctant to leave on this two-year expedition, yet with the encouragement of his loving wife—and an exorbitant paycheck guaranteeing lifetime care for their disabled son—he crews up and ventures into a new frontier.

But as the ship is circling Titan, it is rocked by an unexplained series of explosions. The crew works together to get back on course, and they return to Earth as heroes.

When the fanfare dies down, Ryan and his fellow astronauts notice that things are different. Some changes are good, such as lavish upgrades to their homes, but others are more disconcerting. Before the group can connect, mysterious figures start tailing them, and their communications are scrambled.

Separated and suspicious, the crew must uncover the truth and decide how far they’re willing to go to return to their normal lives. Just when their space adventure seemingly ends, it shockingly begins.

Detour is an absolutely addictive science fiction thriller — and it’s totally on me that I didn’t realize until about 10 pages from the end that this book isn’t a stand-alone. More on that later… meanwhile, here’s what it’s all about.

Planet Earth is in dire trouble as Detour opens, with the collapse of a huge Antarctic glacier spelling a major escalation of the world’s climate catastrophe. Life on Earth may be unsustainable; science is now looking beyond the planet for a new home for humankind.

Enter billionaire and presidential candidate John Ward, a man with the deepest of pockets, limitless ambition, and a huge ego. He’s funding a project to send a space crew to circle Saturn’s moon Titan, to leave behind satellites to report back on Titan’s ecosystem and help plan for future human settlement there. Thanks to advances in power sources and radiation shielding, a new spaceship has been built that can make the journey to Titan in a year, which means the ship’s crew will have to commit to a two-year journey away from home and loved ones.

In addition to three experienced astronauts, three civilians have been chose to join the expedition: Padma, a scientist who has done pioneering work on the viability of Titan for human habitation; Ryan, a DC cop who just happened to be in the right time and place to save John Ward from an assassination attempt; and Stitch, a graffiti artist who won a lottery for a seat on the mission. With only the briefest of training periods, this motley assembly is soon on their way off-world, each leaving behind complicated work and family situations.

As the synopsis indicates, something goes wrong during the mission, but the crew is able to avert disaster and return home as scheduled. But for the astronauts, there’s something wrong about “home”. Nothing is quite as they left it. Their family lives are different in key ways. The world is mainly the same… but it’s not. And their treatment is decidedly suspicious — rather than getting a heroes’ welcome, they’re warned to avoid the press, stay quiet, and no matter what, not to contact any of the other members of the crew.

The final quarter of the book is a mad rush of action and investigation, as the six astronauts struggle to understand the lives to which they’ve returned, while also trying to piece together exactly what happened out there near Titan, and why powerful forces seem to be gathering to stop them.

And then the book stops! Which I did not expect. When I first requested this book on NetGalley, I didn’t see a mention of this being the first in a series — and I did not go back to re-read the synopsis, either there or on Goodreads, before starting the book. If I had, I might not have been so surprised, somewhere around the 90% mark, to realize that there was absolutely no way this story would be wrapped up by the last page. My bad. Let this be a lesson to me — always read the synopsis (again) before starting a new book!

In any case… Detour is thrilling page-turner, and I’m so glad I read it. I’m a sucker for a great space travel story, and this book delivers. The authors skillfully establish the stakes of the mission right from the start, as well as establishing the core main characters and their individual struggles and backstories. As they depart on their mission, we know them — their strengths, their doubts, what they leave behind, and what they hope for upon their return.

The story is told through vignettes that shift the action between all major players, as well as involving John Ward, some side characters, and a few shadier people as well. The mystery of what happened on the journey and why the world seems changed when the astronauts return isn’t resolved (must leave content for the next book!), but there are enough hints and partial theories that leave a reader with a sense of tantalizing information still to come.

I appreciate that the personal isn’t sacrificed in favor of the action. The action is terrific, but a large part of my enjoyment stems from feeling invested in the characters themselves and caring about each of their lives and their futures.

The authors’ credentials alone let us know that we’re in for a great ride in Detour. Jeff Rakes is the creator of the TV series Manifest, which was one of my pandemic-era binges. Detour has elements that remind me of some elements of Manifest — not in a repetitive way, but more in the sense of themes and the underlying mysteries. Co-author Rob Hart is the author of a bunch of very popular books — of which I’ve only read The Warehouse, but I do have several other of his books on my TBR, and now I’m even more motivated to read them. (There’s a very fun little moment in Detour when both Manifest and Assassins Anonymous get shout-outs — yay to the authors for including this!)

Detour was just the sort of compelling, drop-everything-and-read book that I needed this week! I enjoyed every moment, and will absolutely be back for book #2. Here’s hoping the wait for the next book will take less time than, say… a mission to Titan!

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible audiobook – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

Book Review: The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart

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Title: The Ivy Tree
Author: Mary Stewart
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Publication date: 1961
Length: 391 pages
Genre: Suspense/thriller
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Mary Grey had come from Canada to the land of her forebears: Northumberland. As she savored the ordered, spare beauty of England’s northern fells, the silence was shattered by the shout of a single name: “Annabel!” And there stood one of the angriest, most threatening young men Mary had ever seen. His name was Connor Winslow, and Mary quickly discovered that he thought she was his cousin—a girl supposedly dead these past eight years. Alive, she would be heiress to an inheritance Connor was determined to have for himself. This remarkably atmospheric novel is one of bestselling-author Mary Stewart’s richest, most tantalizing, and most surprising efforts, proving her a rare master of the genre.

A slightly different synopsis for another edition of the book:

An English June in the Roman Wall countryside; the ruin of a beautiful old house standing cheek-by-jowl with the solid, sunlit prosperity of the manor farm – a lovely place, and a rich inheritance for one of the two remaining Winslow heirs. There had been a third, but Annabel Winslow had died four years ago – so when a young woman calling herself Annabel Winslow comes ‘home’ to Whitescar, Con Winslow and his half-sister Lisa must find out whether she really is who she says she is.

The Ivy Tree opens with gorgeous scenery: A woman enjoys the peace of a pastoral view in Northumberland, savoring the quiet and solitude. But a man shows up and immediately begins yelling at her. He thinks she’s his presumed-dead cousin Annabel, who disappeared eight years earlier. With their grandfather ill and nearing death, her reappearance can’t be coincidence. Connor and his half-sister Lisa have been tending the estate for the old man all these years; it should be theirs. With Annabel’s return, Connor’s inheritance is very much on the line.

But there’s a catch. This woman isn’t Annabel. Although she bears a remarkable resemblance to Annabel, she introduces herself as Mary, a descendant of another line of the family which emigrated to Canada a few generations back. Mary has heard stories of Northumberland all her life, and has come seeking a fresh start.

Almost immediately, Connor proposes a plan. He and Lisa can teach Mary all about Annabel — and if she’ll impersonate her for a brief time, just long enough to convince their grandfather, they’ll make it worth her while. Connor fears that the grandfather has never believed that Annabel truly died, and worries that he’ll leave his fortune to her anyway. With a stand-in, that fear can be addressed. If their scam works, and even if Con himself is left out of the will, “Annabel”‘s inheritance will go to Connor, and fake-Annabel will get a hefty payout for her efforts.

It’s a marvelously twisty scheme, and Mary — who has little money and no real plans — agrees to go along with it. After all, the real Annabel is dead. Who would be hurt by this? After three weeks of intense training, the plan is put into motion, and Mary — now going only by Annabel — arrives at the Whitescar estate to fulfill her role as the returning prodigal.

Annabel’s impersonation is successful with the grandfather, household staff, and visiting younger cousin Julie. But Annabel herself is wracked by guilt and worries as she ingratiates herself into life at Whitescar. Can she succeed, and should she? What does Connor stand to gain? What will this mean for Julie. And what really happened on the night that the original Annabel ran away and left Whitescar behind?

The Ivy Tree is a wonderful example of 1960s-era romantic suspense, verging on the gothic. The old estate makes for a picturesque, lush setting, even while the neighboring estate, Forrest Lodge, lends an air of haunting decay, with the manor house in ruins after a devastating fire years earlier, and an overgrown old tree wrapped in ivy holding up the remaining walls.

For a 21st century reader, this book has an old-school feel to it. The pacing, descriptions, and narrative approach feel very much like throw-backs — which, of course, they are. The Ivy Tree is a great example of its genre and era. There’s an undercurrent of desperation and hidden desires and dire motives. It’s all quite grand and dramatic, but never too over the top.

While the plot moves forward at a mostly fast clip, the author also provides breaks in the action fairly regularly to set the scene. Descriptions of overgrown forests or a centuries-old quarry or even the condition of the roads all add to the overall atmosphere of the book, firmly grounding the characters in their environments and making clear where the beauty and the threats are to be found. A final set-piece involving a mad dash through a terrible storm adds to the overall gothic effect, and is both exciting and chilling.

I loved all the dramatic confrontations, the subterfuges and hidden (and revealed) identities, and the conflicting needs and thwarted ambitions of the various characters. It all adds up to a delightfully suspenseful reading experience. For me, The Ivy Tree feels like an excellent introduction to Mary Stewart’s books.

As far as I can recall, my mother and aunt — two avid readers! — were both fans of this author, and I’m quite sure that at least a few Mary Stewart books were on the shelves of my childhood home. Perhaps that’s another reason why I feel drawn to her novels and want to read more!

Question: Do you have a favorite Mary Stewart book to recommend?

About the author:

Mary, Lady Stewart (born Mary Florence Elinor Rainbow; 17 September 1916 – 9 May 2014) was a British novelist who developed the romantic mystery genre, featuring smart, adventurous heroines who could hold their own in dangerous situations. She also wrote children’s books and poetry, but may be best known for her Merlin series, which straddles the boundary between the historical novel and fantasy.

Her obituary from The Guardian offers a great deal of insight into Mary Stewart’s life and writing career. In addition to the Merlin books (The Crystal Cave and four others), her well-known mysteries include Touch Not the Cat, Madam, Will You Talk?, Nine Coaches Waiting, and many more.

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible audiobook – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

Book Review: All Better Now by Neal Shusterman

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Title: All Better Now
Author: Neal Shusterman
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date: February 4, 2025
Length: 528 pages
Genre: Young adult dystopian/Science fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

From New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman comes a “thought-provoking and grimly enjoyable” (Kirkus Reviews) “epic biological thriller” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) about a world where happiness is contagious but the risks of catching it may be just as dangerous as the cure.

A deadly and unprecedented virus is spreading. But those who survive it experience long-term effects no one has ever seen before: utter contentment. Soon after infection, people find the stress, depression, greed, and other negative feelings that used to weigh them down are gone.

More and more people begin to revel in the mass unburdening. But not everyone. People in power—who depend on malcontents and prey on the insecure to sell their products, and convince others they need more, new, faster, better everything—know this new state of being is bad for business. Surely, without anger or jealousy as motivators, productivity will grind to a halt and the world will be thrown into chaos. Campaigns start up to convince people that being eternally happy is dangerous. The race to find a vaccine begins. Meanwhile, a growing movement of Recoverees plans ways to spread the virus as fast as they can, in the name of saving the world.

It’s nearly impossible to determine the truth when everyone with a platform is pushing their agenda. Three teens from very different backgrounds who’ve had their lives upended in very different ways find themselves at the center of a power play that could change humanity forever.

All Better Now is a propulsive page-turner about viral contagion, with an incredibly interesting premise that provides all sorts of food for thought.

In this YA sci-fi thriller, a virus known as Crown Royale is sweeping the globe. It’s only been a few years since the last pandemic; no one wants to go back to lockdowns and mask mandates. Crown Royale is highly contagious and has about a 4% mortality rate for those infected. People who test positive for the virus experience dramatically high fevers and other dangerous symptoms. But in some ways, it’s the aftereffects that are most shocking.

Crown Royale recoverees are… well… different. Without exception, recoverees are happy and peaceful. Their aggressions, greed, drive for competition, avarice — all are gone. Recoverees are kind, driven by altruism. They’re non-violent, and have an unstoppable urge to help others, even at the risk of their own lives.

On the surface, that sounds pretty great. But big business and governments alike are worried. What will this mean for the economy? What does this mean for international politics, struggles, and power plays? If people are no longer motivated by consumerism, what does this mean for production? And of course, the billionaires are the most worried, both for their own enormous profits and what it might mean if — heaven forbid — they themselves become infected. Already, a worrying number of very wealthy people have recovered from Crown Royale only to give away everything they own.

Within this intriguing premise, we’re introduced to three teens with very different backgrounds. Rón (yes, with an accent over the “o” — it’s short for Tiburón) is the youngest son of the third richest man in the world. He’s a bit of a lost soul, constantly fighting the depression that threatens to pull him under. To Rón, a virus that will leave him happy for the first time in his life sounds pretty good. Mariel lives on the streets with her flighty mother, and after her mother’s death from Crown Royale, finds herself connecting with Rón at a pop-up commune for recoverees.

And then there’s Morgan, a hard-driving prodigy who lands a coveted internship with a very wealthy consortium — only to discover that the old woman who owns the consortium is signing over all her assets to Morgan in the event she contracts Crown Royale. Dame Havilland lives for spite, and hates the idea that she might turn into a kinder, gentler version of herself if she gets the virus, and so she creates ironclad legal documents to permanently keep control of her assets out of her own hands.

As the story progresses, we see how each of these three main characters, as well as the many people they’re connected to, navigate a world that’s changing before their eyes. Rón and Mariel develop a very deep connection, but seem to be diverging toward quite different trajectories. Meanwhile, Morgan shows all the cunning and ruthlessness that landed her the job in the first place — but with limitless power now in her hands, she has her own agenda when it comes to Crown Royale.

I’d hate to give away any more of the plot. Suffice to say, the story is twisty and turny, and goes in directions I didn’t see coming. There are fascinating moral dilemmas at the core of this story. Crown Royale is deadly for a relatively small percentage of its sufferers, but the rest experience beauty and true happiness in its aftermath. So should the world be trying to fight Crown Royale at all? Would the world be a better place if everyone was transformed by the virus? If war and cruelty could be eliminated, isn’t that a good thing?

Because if you took everything into consideration, from war to apathy, from greed to racism—all the self-destructive, self-loathing, self-annihilating tendencies of human nature—Crown Royale might just be the best thing to ever come along.

But on the other hand, many believe that the recoverees, although happy, aren’t truly themselves any longer — and for those with that belief, there’s a deep-seated fear of the virus and a hatred for it and those who might spread it.

“Despair builds character!” countered Morgan. “It’s what motivates us—but Crown Royale denies people that! You’re just too naïve to see it!”

For those who truly believe Crown Royale is a blessing for humanity, there’s a feeling that they’re called to pass it along to everyone else. But what about free will? Shouldn’t it be a choice? And when a potential vaccine or counter-virus seems possible, the same question applies: Should Crown Royale be absolutely eliminated? What about the people who want to seek it out and experience a better version of their lives?

I picked up All Better Now after seeing it mentioned in this Reactor article about what to read after watching Pluribus (AppleTV). I though Pluribus was terrific, and I’ve read and enjoyed several of Neal Shusterman’s books in the past (including the Arc of a Scythe series), so All Better Now seemed like an obvious choice for me.

I’m glad I stumbled across that article, and I’m glad that I gave this book a try! I actually didn’t realize that it was a YA novel (although I should have known based on the author and the publisher). And really, apart from the fact that the main characters are teens, I’d say this doesn’t have to be shelved as YA — it’s just a really good sci-fi book about a world-changing virus!

I also didn’t realize that All Better Now is the first book in a projected duology. Until I went back to the Goodreads listing as I neared the end of the book, I had no idea that I wasn’t reading a stand-alone novel. The book does have an open-ended conclusion… but given the subject matter, I suppose it could just be seen as ominously open to interpretation. I suppose I’m glad to know that there will be more in this world, and that the story will continue (and get wrapped up) in one more book — but I think I could have been satisfied with All Better Now on its own as well.

(According to Goodreads, book #2 will be called All Over Now, and does not yet have a release date.)

Once I started All Better Now, I just couldn’t put it down. Sure, there are plot points that stretch credulity, and I never quite bought Morgan’s trajectory. Likewise, having teens driving the plot make sense from a YA branding perspective, but left me at times wanting to know more about what the grown-ups were up to.

Still, quibbles aside, there’s no denying that this was a fascinating, utterly absorbing read that kept me up late turning pages, then not being able to get the various scenarios out of my head.

All Better Now wasn’t on my reading agenda for this year, but I’m so glad I picked it up!

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible audiobook – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.