Family Family by Laurie Frankel

 

Laurie Frankel is consistently amazing, and this book was no exception. She manages to build in so many great insights into a stellar plot, with characters that are just so lovable.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Whisper Network by Chandler Baker

 

 So, so good.

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

 

Very well done.

The Second Stranger by Martin Griffin

 

 meh

Kids Run the Show by Delphine de Vigan

 

 Very, very good.

Hero by Thomas Perry

 

So you always have to suspend some disbelief for a cat-and-mouse type book, but once you do that, this was quite solid.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Fury by Alex Michaelides

 

This just didn't do it for me. I can deal with a certain amount of suspension of disbelief in a mystery, but at a certain point, it's just too much.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Space between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

 

 solid.

The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes

 

There were some genuinely funny moments, but also some attempts at humor that fell flat. The plot was a bit Byzantine.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Lay Your Body Down by Amy Suiter Clarke

 

 meh

Anna O by Matthew Blake

 

 meh

Drop Dead Healthy: One Man's Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection by A. J. Jacobs

 

Super funny.

The Librarianist by Patrick DeWitt

 

 meh

Rabbit Hole by Kate Brody

 

I felt like this was really well done -- clever, not predictable, social critique.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood

 

A fun read, but the end wasn't satisfying.

Christian Nation by Frederic Rich

 

On the one hand, this was way too didactic to work as a novel. On the other hand, it was kind of fascinating to compare his timeline with what has actually happened.

Bury What We Cannot Take by Kirsten Chen

 

 Very good.

The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton

 

 meh

After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid

 

 Cheesy, but I liked it.

The Distant Echo by Val McDermid

 

Solid.

The List by Yomi Adegoke

 

 Solid.

With Regrets by Lee Kelly

 

Meh.

The One by John Marrs

 

 This was super clever.

Before We Were Innocent by Ella Berman

 

 Decent.

In the Dark I See You by Mallika Narayanan

 

Lame.

Whispers Underground by Ben Aaronovitch

 

Solid.

Lost in Time by A. G. Riddle

 

 Fun.

The Future by Naomi Alderman

 

This was amazing.

Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni

 

 Solid

Moon over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch

 

 Solid.

Night Swim by Megan Goldin

 

meh

Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton

 

 Really good, and I particularly liked the ending.

Desert Star by Michael Connelly

 

Decent.

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

 

I loved this, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood

 

This was fun.

Reykjavík: A Crime Story by Ragnar Jónasson

 

meh

Stranger by Ben H. Winters

 

Very clever.

Self Help by Ben H. Winters

 

This was fun.

The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella

 

meh

A True Account by Katherine Howe

 

This was fantastic. I can't say too much without spoiling the twists, but let me say that it was extremely clever.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Inheritance by Nora Roberts

I believe this is my first Nora Roberts book -- I was underwhelmed. Sometimes, it is difficult to tell if the problem is a narrator who is just not sticking the landing or if the problem is the text itself.

Review copy provided by publisher. 

Vivian Apple at the End of the World by Katie Coyle

 

Solid.

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

 

meh

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

 

Super fun.

This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance! by Jonathan Evison

 

meh

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

 

Interesting.

Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke

 

One of my favorite books of the year -- so, so funny.

Challenger Park by Stephen Harrigan

 

I thought this was really well done.

I See You by Clare Mackintosh

 

Solid.

Land of Milk and Honey by C. Pam Zhang

 

Started very strong and then just kind of withered.

Dangerous Women by Mark De Castrique

 

This book was fantastic -- I hope the series continues.