Category: 2022 Favorites

Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley

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White library with lots of stairs and "Contemporary" text
Book Genre Block - "Emotional" Person standing between bright earth and desolate earth

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Emotional. Timely. Racial Injustice. Broken Systems. Family. Heartbreaking.

This beautifully written book brings a timely, emotional story to its readers. I could not stop reading this one.

This story follows a young girl whose family has been torn apart one piece at a time. Her father to prison, and then to disease and death, her mother locked away, and now her brother has stopped helping support the two of them. The burden of paying rent and the bills falls to Kiara. It’s not easy for a 17-year-old to find and hold a job though, and time after time she is told no. When one night she is mistaken as a prostitute, and she accepts payment, she unknowingly steps into a life and scandal she can’t back away from.

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A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong

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"Historical Fiction" genre card with glasses and book photo
"Mystery" Genre card with dark woods and light in the distance

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Time Travel. Serial Killer. Light Moments for Laughter. Kick-Ass Female.

I loved, loved, loved this book! I am always a sucker for time travel. I enjoy imagining how someone from present day adapts to living in a historical period. With this book, I got everything I wanted. It’s going to be a series, and I am already trying to get my hands on book two!

Mallory is a homicide detective in 2019. When she steps into an alley to investigate a scream, she finds herself being strangled. When she wakes up, she’s in 1869 in the body of Catriona, a housemaid for Dr. Gray.

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It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

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Book Genre Tag "Romance": A couple kissing
Book Genre Block - "Emotional" Person standing between bright earth and desolate earth

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Smiles. Tears. Love. Heartbreak. Found Family. Fantastic Story.

This book. Ugh…I cannot truly give this story the props it deserves, but I’m going to try.

This story follows Lily. The story is mostly told through the present day, but we do go back in time to understand her home life as a child. These flashbacks are told through written letters, which are emotional, raw, and revealing. She lives in a home where her mother is abused by her father, and her pain is heartbreaking. Through these writings we also follow the surprise relationship that develops between Lily and Atlas, a homeless boy squatting in her neighbor’s abandoned house. Lily’s present-day story follows her relationship with Ryle, her found friendship with Ryle’s sister, and her following her career dreams.

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The Change by Kirsten Miller

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"Mystery" Genre card with dark woods and light in the distance

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Murder. Mystery. Magic. Feminism. Kick Ass Women. Must Read.

And that’s my review! Alright, just kidding, I have more to say, but seriously this book is amazing.

The Change follows three women as they move into mid-life. Each has something special in them that is pulled out as their body begins to change.
Nessa hears voices of the dead begging to be found.
Harriett has a special connection with plants and nature that can be vicious and even deadly.
Jo has an inner anger that manifests as immense heat and power.
These three women work together to discover who is murdering young women in their town.

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My Wife Is Missing by D.J. Palmer

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Person peeking through hole titled "Thriller"
"Mystery" Genre card with dark woods and light in the distance

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Well, this book was fan-freaking-tastic! I loved the high-level action and energy right from the beginning! It’s got some twists, some secrets and some great storytelling!

Told through the alternating perspectives of a husband and a wife, we start the story with the husband’s discovery that his wife and two children are missing from their hotel room. He’s convinced they have been kidnapped because his son’s teddy bear was left behind. We follow him as he works with the hotel and police to discover that it looks like his wife left voluntarily. He partners with one officer to help find her. From his wife’s perspective, we jump between present-day and the past to unravel a web of stories that create an un-put-downable read!

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One of Us Is Dead by Jeneva Rose

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Person peeking through hole titled "Thriller"
"Mystery" Genre card with dark woods and light in the distance

Rating: 5 out of 5.

This book is fantastic. Filled with rich spoiled women on the surface, underneath you’ll find deep secrets, dangerous intentions, and murderous rage. You won’t be able to put this one down.

Buckhead is a town filled with money and people who know how to flaunt it. Four women spend their money and time getting make overs at Glow, the only place worth getting your makeovers. The story starts at the end…there’s been a murder…but the reader won’t know who until the final pages. Jenny, the owner of Glow is at the police station and is answering questions about what happened.

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The Book Woman’s Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson

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"Historical Fiction" genre card with glasses and book photo
"Historical Fiction" genre card with glasses and book photo

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Oh this book…I loved this one so much! I loved being back in Troublesome Creek with these Troublesome women! The story is beautiful, the writing is descriptive and vivid, and you’ll want to sit for the day and just absorb yourself in this book.

This is the follow-up book to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, and I would highly recommend reading it before reading this one. It’s also a five-star read, and I think it will help to set the stage for The Book Woman’s Daughter.

Honey is 16, and her parents are heading to jail for being married and of two different colors. One blue and one white. Honey’s blue skin is only in her hands and feet, and her mama sends her off to live with Retta in Troublesome Creek while her parents serve their sentence.

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The School for German Brides by Aimie K. Runyan

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"Historical Fiction" genre card with glasses and book photo

Rating: 5 out of 5.

This World War II story brings the lives of three women together in unexpected ways. It was beautifully written with surprising moments and wonderful characters, and I loved it!

Taking place in the early days of WWII, we are introduced to three women, but hear the story through the perspectives of two of them. These three women’s struggles are lived separately but come crashing together as the war intensifies.

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Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

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Book Genre Tag "Fantasy" with image of fantasy world of mountains and water

Rating: 5 out of 5.

This was a beautifully written story that sweeps the reader away to a world of magic, love, family and honor. I loved the characters, the world, the magic, and the overall story! This story is inspired by the legend of Chang’e, the Chinese moon goddess. While I didn’t know anything about this legend, I loved that it was inspired by it!

Xingyin lives with her mother hidden away from the Celestial Emperor who doesn’t know she exists. When Xingyin’s magic releases accidentally, she must escape the only home she’s ever known. She lands herself in the palace of the Celestial Emperor and must keep her true identity hidden.

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The Mad Girls of New York by Maya Rodale

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"Historical Fiction" genre card with glasses and book photo
"Historical Fiction" genre card with glasses and book photo

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Nellie Bly is by far one of my favorite historical people. I love reading about her, and when I heard about this book, I knew I needed to read it.

The Mad Girls of New York blew away my expectations in the best way! Maya Rodale did a fantastic job of bringing Nellie to life. She was bright and bubbly, strong-willed, and a genius! I loved her spontaneity and her compassion for others. Nellie’s career was filled with amazing stories to help get the stories of women heard, but her 10 days in the madhouse is probably the most famous. I loved getting a play-by-play view of this experience. It was so well-written and basically impossible to put down.

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The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon

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Person peeking through hole titled "Thriller"

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Wow, I really enjoyed this one. What a fantastic story! This was creepy, and confusing, and had a surprise ending. I loved it!

This is told through two timelines, and both are compelling stories, which I really appreciated. Sometimes one timeline is more interesting than the other, but in this story, I loved them both! We have the 1978 story where we follow three children living with their grandmother. But grandma has some secrets…

The second timeline is present day, where we follow Lizzie. She’s a monster hunter, but right now, she’s hunting a different kind of monster…her sister.

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At Least You Have Your Health by Madi Sinha

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Book Genre Block - "General Fiction" Person holding book

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Wow. I really loved this book. It has so much going for it. There’s the working mom aspect that I related so well with. There’s cultural differences and diverse characters that brought really interesting topics to light. There’s medical drama. And there is important commentary on women’s health.

I loved it.

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