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Good book! Great book? I dunno, somewhere in the middle high end of that spectrum. Jennifer McMahon kinda nailed it. The plot was solid. Husband and Wife buy a plot of land to build their 'dream home'. Ye old land has a swamp and a long history of hauntings and a long past lynch mob murder of a woman who was rumored as a witch. As the house is built and local secrets are learned, the history of the land and town unfolds. By the end, while I was able to guess an handful of plot elements, it was crafted overall in a manner that kept me guessing. This is a strong feat for an author. Throw the reader some bones, obscure the skeletal majority. Review is mainly just for the experience. Plot wise, Super kudos. Enjoyed it. Suggest it.

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing - Matthew Perry's last foray I love a good audible book, but it might have been a mistake for my wife and I to have listened to this in a day long binge while we worked on some stuff. Hearing Perry's voice talk through all the emotions was rough. No spoilers, but by the end of the book, dude sounded like he was on track but scared shitless of the end. Hardest part was a specific chapter ending where the irony of his death was cemented in biographic history. Well worth the hours spent listening, but perhaps would have been less fraught with 'ouch' statements by the both of us had we read it directly or if it were a hired voice to create separation from the subject. If you liked the guy, enjoyed Perry's work, and dont mind a pretty harsh self loathing egress, pick this up.

No Spoilers - OKAY - I finished reading 3 Body Problem by Cixin Liu. I have read many Japanese and Korean books, but this was my first foray into any Chinese literature. While I am a huge fan of hard science fiction, somehow missed all the hype about this trilogy entirely. Netflix releases their initial season of treatment and I am slack jaw and annoyed I am so out of the loop. Immediately snagged a ebook translated by Ken Liu, a man I hear is an amazing author in his own right (translation / Ken Liu). There are thousands of existing reviews out there, so I will refrain from a deep analysis, instead, I will simply state: Both book and series, while sourced from the same material, are strong and unique for their own reasons. The series was amazing and comparisons are inevitable. I loved the hard science of the book, which actually explains the root cause of some of the 'miracles' which the series glosses over (likely explained later). It also clearly explained an important scene...

Miriam Sagan's 'Commune of the Golden Sun'. The recipe for this novella is a strange mixture. Part hippie Rumspringa, part essence of Ayn Rand's Anthem, part drug fueled walkabout. Obviously inspired by Trumpian politics, this book is set in a dictatorship driven South Western United States. The civil war is coming and some folks have decided to exclude themselves in the Commune of the Golden Sun, a planned community with resources to stay off the grid. A generation later, five teenagers march from the confines and safety to see what the 'ruined world' has to offer them. Each has a distinct need, an itch to scratch, or a hole in their soul requiring salve. What follows is an introspective study in relationships and the bond of family, found, chosen, and born into. What fascinates me most about this book is the setting. Part of it occurs post neo civil war, but beyond PTSD references for soldiers, the world itself appears no worse for wear, everyone seems to be ...

Okay, So in I was totally sucked in by an author sponsored Advert on Instagram back in 2023.. I started reading the book while camping, IRL distractions abounded and I finally finished the book in Q1 of 2024. -- Unleashed is book 1 in Emily Kimelman's Sydney Rye Mystery series. I was caught immediately by the concept, dog walker turned detective after running afoul of a murder, it was just a little strange and nuanced unlike so many other series. The story was compelling and Joy, the female protagonist (NOT named Sydney Rye) was incredibly likable, the right amount of snarky, and tough as nails (hides her pain till she gets home kinda tough). By the time Sydney makes her first appearace in the final chapter, I was definitely hooked on the duo of Joy and her massive dog Blue. I highlighted one of my favorite lines, it just stuck with me because me and gum are not friends. \\ "There are rumors that you found the body," she whispered, leaning toward me, attempting to create...