The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins

 

Meh

Undercurrent by Sarah Sawyer

 Probably the best book I've read this year. Gorgeous writing, stellar plot with twists that aren't just silly, and excellent social commentary. And: not just set in Austin but in a neighborhood I lived in.

Sally Brady's Italian Adventure by Christina Lynch

 

Meh.

I Think I Was Murdered by Colleen Coble

 

 Great premise, dull execution.

Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney

 

Some of the characterization was really well done, but ultimately the theory of criminality left me disappointed.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch

 

Wow, this was stunning. I can't describe it in a way that won't sound stupid, but this is the best thing I've read in a long time.

A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson

 

 Good until the very end, when there was one twist too many.

The Woman Who Lied by Claire Douglas

 

Clever.

Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams

 

 Good.

Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? by Nicci French

 

Solid.

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman

 

 Fun.

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson

 

 Fun.

The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson

 

 Lame.

Family Man by Elinor Lipman

 

 Fun.

Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner

 

This did not age particularly well.

Blood Test by Charles Baxter

 

meh

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

 

So, so good.

Secret Bridesmaid by Katy Birchall

 

Fun.

What Does It Feel Like by Sophie Kinsella

 

 Not sad itself, but sad given how autobiographical it is.

Camino Ghosts by John Grishman

 

Solid.

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman

 

Things I don't like: magical realism, anachronistic feminists, sappy love stories, the trend of elderly protagonists, historical fiction, narratives split between past and present.

This book had all of the above -- and I loved it.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak

 

I'm kind of surprised to see all of the positive buzz about this one -- the plot was a bit too far, and the characterization seemed unnuanced.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Death at the Sanatorium by Ragnar Jonasson

 

Very solid -- sometimes these northern European works are a bit too dark for me, but this was very enjoyable.

Review copy provided by publisher.

That Summer by Jennifer Weiner

 

Solid, but weighty for a beach read,

Entitlement by Rumaan Alam

 

meh

Game Changer by Neal Shusterman

 

Clever and interesting.

In the Likely Event by Rebecca Yarros

 

A decent romance, except that I am not sure whether setting it against the fall of Afghanistan is a great way to bring some big issues to new readers or just tacky.

Every Moment Since by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

 

Unusually good character development for a mystery novel.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz

 

 I was pre-disposed to love this because Korelitz is one of my favorite authors, and this was narrated by Julia Whelan. But this was very disappointing. It just didn't work.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Mister Magic by Kiersten White

 

 Solid.

I'm Starting to Worry about This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin

 

Possibly the funniest book I've ever read. I've already made plans to buy several copies as gifts for several people who I think will appreciate it.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Playground by Richard Powers

  

 I came into this with high expectations because I loved Overstory. Usually, that means the stage is set for disappointment. In this case, I was just completely charmed. It was everything I loved about Overstory.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker

 

 So, so good.

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

 

 Nicely suspenseful, but the ending was disappointing.

The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave

 

 A bit disappointing for Dave, who I really like.

Bitter Remedy by Alis Hawkins

 

 A really solid mystery -- with nice historical touches.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Natural Selection by Elin Hilderbrand

 

 This story didn't make much sense to me -- basics of a narrative arc were missing.

Review copy provided by publisher.

I Dream of Falling by Julia Dahl

 

I read enough mysteries that they tend to seem very formulaic. But this one wasn't. I thought it was really well done and quite clever.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Colored Television by Danzy Senna

 

Fun.

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty

 

Liane Moriarty is one of my favorite authors, but I was a bit disappointed by Nine Perfect Strangers. So I was nervous going in to this, and the nods toward pseudo-magical realism were making me nervous. But ohmygosh, she knocked this one out of the park. I absolutely loved it. Highly recommended.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner

 

I feel like I didn't get this 

Guide Me Home by Attica Locke

 

 meh

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig

 

 So disappointing.

The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

 

 Solid.

The Guilty One by Kiersten Modglin

 

 This one fell flat for me -- probably because I didn't think it's portrayal of characters with particular conditions (sorry to be vague, but trying to avoid spoilers) was within the realm of reason. That said, there was an interesting twist.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Talking to Strangers by Fiona Barton

 

Solid 

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

 

This was so, so bad.

Silver Girl by Erin Hilderbrand

 

 meh

Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter

 

 meh

God of the Woods by Liz Moore

 

Decent