Meant to Be by Emily Giffin

 

This just didn't work for me -- it felt way too formulaic.

Sparring Partners by John Grisham

 

Honestly, this was kind of lame.

How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis

 

This was outstanding -- there are a lot of self-help and home organization type books out there, but this one is unique. Highly recommended.

This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub

 

I thought this was a lot of fun: I like time travel novels, and this one was very well done.

The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner

 

I liked this, and I'm embarrassed that I liked this. It's a beach read, OK?

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

 

This just got too byzantine at the end.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Facemaker by Lindsey Fitzharris

 

Fascinating -- well written and an interesting slice of history.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Tracy Flick Can't Win by Tom Perrotta

 

This was a super-fun read, and I didn't see the plot twist coming. Clever and entertaining.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson

 

This was very clever.

Minor Dramas and Other Catastrophes by Kathleen West

 

This was really good -- I'm kind of surprised I just came across it randomly and hadn't seen it reviewed elsewhere.

The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz

 

This was so, so good. Great characters, interesting scenarios, and very clever social commentary.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Fire and Flood by Eugene Lindon

 

This was excellent.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

 

Started strong, ended disappointingly. 

Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone

This was really good. I've read enough thrillers that I can usually guess what's happening or the plot is way too Byzantine, but this one worked really well.

Review copy provided by publisher.

You're My I.T. by C. N. Holmberg

 

A good, geeky, light rom-com.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

 

Wow, I loved this. It was just so, so good. Highly recommended.

The Other Dr. Gilmer by Benjamin Gilmer

 

This was amazing.

The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian

 

meh

The Key to Deceit by Ashley Weaver

 

There are so many books about WW2 London that it's hard to pick up a new one, but this was fantastic. It's just really well done, in ways both large and small. Recommended.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Brass Queen by Elizabeth Chatsworth

 

A super-fun steampunk/spy/romcom.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Palace Papers by Tina Brown

 So of course I liked this.

Be Brief and Tell Them Everything by Brad Listi

 

I would have predicted that I would have taken a dislike to what is basically a stream-of-consciousness novel, but this worked really well.

Review copy provided by publisher.

My Wife Is Missing by D. J. Palmer

This started off strong and then just got too weird.

Review copy provided by publisher.

2 A.M. in Little America by Ken Kalfus

 

This was excellent -- the plot was a bit mundane, but the concept was very clever.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Surgeon's Daughter by Audrey Blake

 

 I liked pretty much everything about this book except for the title.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Immortal King Rao by Vauhini Vara

 

This was pretty amazing. It packed in a lot -- family epic, tech criticism, climate change, etc. -- into a relatively short book. Recommended.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson

 

A cheesy rom-com.

The Museum by Samuel Redman

 

Very interesting.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

 

meh

Supertall by Stefan Al

 

Super interesting.

Mother of Invention by Katrine Marcal

 

I loved this so, so much. Highly recommended.

Vagina Obscura by Rachel Gross

 

Well that was fascinating.

Bittersweet by Susan Cain

 

I liked this for the same reasons that I liked Quiet: she takes a topic usually approached from a self-help perspective and approaches it philosophically/sociologically, and she pushes against the conventional wisdom.

The Odyssey by Lara Williams

 

I . . . just didn't get this. Maybe it was too subtle for me, maybe it just doesn't work, but . . .

Review copy provided by publisher.

The World of Pondside by Mary Helen Stefaniak

 

This just didn't work for me. 

Review copy provided by publisher.

Wired for Love by Stephanie Cacioppo

 

This was fantastic -- a really good combination of memoir and narrative non-fiction.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Darkest Place by Phillip Margolin

 

This tried to do way too much in such a short narrative. It didn't work well.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li

 

Decent.

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

 

Decent.

Bluebird by Rich Cochrane

 

meh

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

 

This was fun and different, and maybe the first time I didn't hate a touch of magical realism?

House on Fire by Bonnie Kistler

 

This started out intelligently, and then it got too convoluted.

The Recovery Agent by Janet Evanovich

 

This was just dumb.

The Queen by Andrew Dennison

 

 Of course I liked this.

Let's Not Do That Again by Grant Ginder

This was fun and funny.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

 

This was OK, not as strong as her others.

Brave New Home by Diana Lind

 

Very interesting.

What Happened to the Bennetts by Lisa Scottoline

 

Started out strong and then kind of jumped the shark.

Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown

 

I mostly like Brene Brown and think she has interesting insights, except for when it becomes clear that, e.g., her definition of "love" is based on how a few hundred undergraduates classified a list of words.

Romania by Debbie Stowe

 

I enjoyed this, but I also wonder how much you can summarize a culture in one book.