Book Review Spectacular

Let's catch up on books

Ok, here are the books I read/ listened to in March/ April so far. It’s an impressive list but I’ve been choosing books even over my beloved television lately, so there you have it. Standouts were Heartwood, Wild Dark Shore, This Book Will Bury Me, and The Business Trip.

Reminder, to hear more about my life antics, subscribe to Reformed Good Girl Diaries. I’ve had some particularly unhinged stories as of late.

• Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (idk why McConaghy is such a hard last name for me to spell but I get it wrong every time. Poor Matthew M, he must get misspellings all the time)- This one’s creeping up toward book of the year. A mysterious woman washes ashore of Shearwater, a remote Arctic Island (closest land being Australia but it’s far out there). Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of the seed vault (seeds to repopulate the earth’s plants in the case of a disaster). They’re the only ones currently on the island that has been vacated by all other scientists and researchers. They have to race against the clock to save seeds before the island goes underwater. There’s love, mystery, family, betrayal, and shock! I wasn’t obsessed with the ending but upon further reflection, it was the right way to end. 5/5

• Heartwood by Amity Gaige- follows a search and rescue team race against time when an experienced hiker mysteriously disappears on the Appalachian Trail in Maine. A lady in a retirement home in Connecticut helps solve the crime from afar via Reddit (my mom’s gonna love this one). The Maine hiking vibes reminded me of my crunchy Montana family and warmed my heart. Super unique and character driven. A highlight of the year so far. 4.5/5

• This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead- News of deaths of three girls at an Idaho college takes the world by storm (sound familiar?) and grieving/lost Jane joins a community of amateur online sleuths who travel to Idaho to solve the case. Very interesting view into the parasocial true crime world and the personalities drawn to it. I love Ashley’s writing and will always drop everything to read a new release from her. 4.5/5

• The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia- While this is not particularly well written, the story is twisty perfection. Two women board a flight from Madison to Denver and neither comes home. They also both start sending mysterious texts about a man named Trent… that can’t be good. I recommend imbibing as an audio book because there’s an ensemble cast narrating the various characters. I thought the main girl was narrated by Chloe Sevigny but turns out it’s just her voice twin. 4/5

• Retreat by Krysten Ritter- Krysten Ritter also known for her iconic roles in Don’t Trust the B* in Apartment 23 and VERONICA MARS writes thrillers too. She’s good and she narrates the audio books. This one’s about a con lady who insinuates herself into a wealthy community in Punta Mita. 4/5

• You Deserve to Know by Aggie Blum Thompson- Desperate Housewives/ Lianne Moriarty vibes. Sinister suburbia drama in Bethesda. Remember to be wary of a friend who doesn’t want you to have other friends. That’s all I’m gonna say on the matter. 3.5/5

Books by Brianna Labuskes

• The Lies You Wrote- Raisa Susanto is a forensic linguist in Washington helping the FBI solve crimes. I’m now fascinated by linguists and wish I had taken a linguistics class in college. She can identify suspects based on their writing patterns. Oh and guess what… she has some skeletons in her closet and secrets that revealed to her as the mystery unfolds. 4/5

  The Truth You Told- in Raisa Susanto book #2 she has to decode letters from a serial killer on death row to figure out who really killed her partner’s wife. 3.5/5

• A Familiar Sight- Dr. Gretchen White is a specialist in antisocial personality disorders and violent crimes. She’s also a sociopath. Much to the chagrin of Detective Patrick Shaughnessy, she has solved many crimes for the Boston PD. Following a similar formula to the Raisa books, I enjoyed Dr. Gretchen and her sassiness. Kinda had Dr. House vibes. 4/5

  See It End- Dr. Gretchen White book #3 (I skipped #2) was also good. It had a few too many implausible twists but I enjoyed the ride. This one takes place in Vermont for all you Vermont heads out there. 3.5/5

Books I don’t remember as well but enjoyed nonetheless

• Love, Mom by Iliana Xander- famous author mom passes away and her daughter uncovers a shocking secret that unravels everything she thought she knew about her life. 4/5

• Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben- A disgraced detective sees a ghost from his past and solves a mystery that’s been haunting for 25 years. Classic Coben, good storytelling and short. 3.5/5

• You Killed Me First by John Marrs- Classic John Marrs implausible plot that somehow works. 3/5

• Famous Last Words by Gillian McCallister- Some lady’s husband commits a crime out of the blue and ends up in jail and she has to figure out why. 2.5/5

• Count My Lies by Sophie Stava- a compulsive liar becomes a nanny for a wealthy family and kinda tries to have their life for herself but then there’s a TWIST. 3/5

What have you been reading? Tell me, I need more books!

Show me to me plz!!

Consider pressing the <3 because it helps me get discovered on Substack. Love ya TTFN ta ta for now!!