The Haunting of Hill House

An extremely chilling, unique, and unsettling horror novel; that remains relevant even to this day. I've read other books by Shirley Jackson, but this might be my favorite. It's simple yet so very deep and nuanced and everything ties in together; weaving a tapestry of evil and doubt. Three strangers are united by a scholar of the occult promising a summer of free lodging, modest pay, and amiable company. The four find themselves taking up residence in Hill House, a massive manor that has spent decades empty and has dozens of rumors surrounding it. Everyone is unsettled by the house which gives off an air of darkness and chill, but they band together to see if anything is truly off about the house. Dr. Montague is the primary note taker and scholar, Theodora is a beautiful and engaging participant, Luke is the future inheritor of the estate, and Eleanor is poor, friendless and determined to make the best of the situation. Small horrors begin to creep in and by the time they think to do something it's too late. A great horror novel!

Letters From My Sister

The writing is lush and evocative and I adore that this historical romance is unique, well written, and not overly inspirational. Emmy and Callie Bullock are not only sisters, they are best friends. They have grown up with wealth and privilege, part of a brood of Alabama cotton farmers. Their cozy life gets turned upside down when their cook's granddaughter turns up unexpectedly and starts getting a lot of unwanted attention from Emmy's fiancé's twin brother. The final straw is when Callie witnesses something she was never meant to see, she blacks it out, but that only makes things more challenging. The sisters are soon separated and the only way they are able to piece together what happened that fateful night is through letters. Heart-wrenching and filled with a cast of great characters. I wouldn't mind reading some more books set in this family's household! 

Evergreen

 

The second installment of the Edgar award winning Japantown mystery series by Naomi Hirahara showcases not so much mystery, but the beautiful, fractured, and resilience of a Californian Japanese community. The second World War has just ended and people are finally making their way back to their homes after being detained in Japanese Internment camps. Aki, her recently returned veteran husband, and her parents rent a new home in their old community. When she stumbles across Babe, the best man at her wedding, and his father at the hospital she works at, Aki has questions. Did Babe beat his father? How did he get so many broken bones and bruises? Babe seems evasive and unwilling to talk and when his father is later found dead in his Little Tokyo apartment, Babe is nowhere to be found. Aki is determined to find out what happened before their connections with Babe drag them along in the scandal. Excellently narrated by Allison Hiroto, whose charm and wit shines through. This fantastic historical mystery is a must read, Aki Ito will win over readers with her sweet demeanor and quick wit. - Erin Cataldi

World War Z

This was a fantastic audiobook. It kept me hooked and I loved the full cast of voice actors. I had never seen the movie before so I went into this blind and I loved it. I loved how Max Brooks thought through so many different scenarios and outcomes and I loved that he "interviewed" people all over the world to really get the scope of the zombie apocalypse. If you love zombie books and movies then this will not disappoint - I wish the book were longer - I feel like there were so many different perspectives he could have included! I would definitely recommend the audiobook version - I feel that since this was an oral history - that it was the best way to read it - the voice actors really were superb too!

The Rocky Road to Ruin

A cute New England town, a homemade ice cream parlor, a mysterious murder, and cute cats. What more can a reader want?! Well maybe a bit more of a plot that doesn't have a million threads, lol. I love a good cozy mystery - but this one was a bit of a struggle for me. I feel like the author tried to introduce far too many characters, and every single quirky trope that she had ever encountered. Plus the plot has a lot going on and is all over the place. Riley Rhodes, librarian, spy and travel blogger (the travel blogger thing - NEVER came back up) comes back to her hometown for her best friend's mother's funeral. Buzzy was a legend in her hometown - she had a huge sprawling farm and a fun ice cream parlor - everyone is sad when dies. What will happen to the property? To the ice cream parlor? Her daughter doesn't want to sell, but the son sure does. When he is found murdered with a pitchfork Riley and her friend have to make some hard choices. Dear read - be prepared to suspend your disbelief for the whole dang novel. It's entertaining but COME ON!

The Oracle

Is this series amazing... not really - but it keeps me entertained and I'll be damned if I don't finish it. The Oracle is the 11th installment of the Fargo Adventure series and follow Sam and Remi Fargo as they follow up on some funding inconsistencies at an archaeological site they are funding in Tunisia. As if that wasn't enough of a headache one of the supply trucks headed out to a girls school (that they also fund) is missing in transit. Is something nefarious going on? Not as much about treasure hunting as there other books, but it was still exciting. I really liked Nasha, a young stowaway that wins over the hearts of the Fargos and their friends. Implausible as always but a fast listen. 

A Royal Christmas

When Adelaide Smith stops working as a barista it's so she can focus up on finishing her law degree. But when she gets a mysterious letter in the mail saying she is the long lost princess of Montovia, she puts those plans on hold to go visit her long lost father, the king. When she arrives he is on his deathbed; so she devotes the holiday season to getting to know him better. There is one person who is not happy to see her in the palace and that is the queen. She has designs to put her son (the king's stepson) on the throne. Adelaide finds herself being won over by the small European country and its quaint Christmas customs. It doesn't hurt that Anton, the friendly diplomat guiding her around, is charming and sweet. Can Adelaide picture herself ruling someday? Or does she need to go home to finish her law degree? It definitely reads like a Hallmark Christmas movie but that does not make it any less of a read. The perfect Christmas novella for those who love rags to riches, or in this case, rags to royalty. 

Shark Heart

My heart was not ready for this! When the description of the book tells the reader to expect a man to slowly morph into a shark, you don't anticipate crying your bloody eyes out. I certainly didn't. I was intrigued with the weird concept, that in this world, some people are born with a condition that mutates them into animals. Sometimes it doesn't happen until they are older, sometimes it happens to children. Some animal species can take humans decades to evolve into - other species (like sharks) can take only a few months. Wren and Lewis have recently wed and they have their whole lives ahead of them. Lewis is an eternal optimist, a high school theater director, fun and loud. Wren is his opposite, small, quiet, tidy, and orderly - always thinking two steps ahead. When out of the blue Lewis is diagnosed with the ultra rare diagnosis - transforming into a great white shark - they have to figure out how to proceed. How long does he have? Will their love endure? AMAZING STORYTELLING! I can't stop thinking about this book. The format is amazing - it alternates characters, is sometime told in the form of a scene in a play, sometimes just a thought. It's gorgeous. Definitely one of my top picks for the year!

How Can I Help You?

A small town library harbors a dangerous secret. Margo, the helpful, demure, and punctual librarian is not in fact, be who she claims to be. Years ago as a nurse she left behind a trail of death; what was just "mercy killings" to her, outraged the police, families, and public when discovered. She managed to sneak away and change her identity, but when Patricia, the new librarian arrives, her long hidden secret may come tumbling out. When a library patron is found dead in the bathrooms, Patricia starts to put some pieces together and can't help looking at Margo. Margo's forbidding and menacing personality starts to escape bit by bit and rather than be disgusted or scared by it, Patricia is intrigued. Patricia is a struggling novelist, and when she starts to write about Margo - the words just flow out. She can't wait to see what will unfold. The narration is fantastically executed by Carlotta Brentan and Maggi-Meg Reed, who convey disgust, incredulity and intrigue so so well. Margo and Patricia are unforgettable characters and this suspenseful novel will have listeners at the edge of their seats. Readers who love books about librarians and literature will eat up this psychological thriller.