Adult Fiction, Events, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Memoirs, Nonfiction, Thriller

Author Day @ Harrison Public Library

 I went to Author Day at Harrison Library and it was awesome! I got to reconnect with one of my favorite author friends, Lisa Montanaro after having been to her book signing in May for her debut novel Everything We Thought Was True, meet a fellow bookstagrammer, Jen (@electric_bookaloo) and catch up with an old friend. I even won a raffle! 

BOOKS & AUTHORS PICTURED
Jessica Anya Blau – Shopgirls
V.S. Kemanis
Lisa Montanaro – Everything We Thought Was True
Cleyvis Natera – The Grand Paloma Resort
Cherry Lou Sy – Love Can’t Feed You
Liv Constantine – Don’t Open Your Eyes 
Amity Gage – Heartwood
Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau – The French Honeymoon
Clémence Michallon – Our Last Resort
Mariah Fredericks 
Alyson Richman – The Missing Pages
Lauren Willig – The Girl From Greenwich Street 
John Beyer – Live A Little Better
Susan Shapiro Barash – Estranged (author not pictured)

Lisa Montanaro & Me
Monthly Wrap-Ups, Thriller

Monthly Wrap-Up: September 2025

I read 7 books in September. I’m looking forward to a spooky reading month in October! 🧙🎃👻

My favorite books read in September were The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline and What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown.

Books Read In September:
📖 Feel Better, No Matter What by Michael James
📖 We’ll Prescribe You A Cat by Syou Ishida
📖 Burn After Reading by Catherine Ryan Howard
📖 What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown
📖 She Didn’t See It Coming by Shari LaPena
📖 You Belong Here by Megan Miranda
📖 The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline

What did you read in September? Which was your favorite?

Adult Fiction, Netgalley Reviews, Thriller

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark

Ages 18+

It is widely known that ghostwriter Olivia Dumont’s father killed his two siblings, Olivia’s aunt and uncle, when the three of them were kids. Her father became famous writer Vincent Taylor, and she’s been hiding that fact her entire professional life.

Now, Olivia’s career is stalled, and she has the chance to ghostwrite her father’s memoir, a tell-all to what really happened in 1975. But is it the real truth?

This book was propulsive and unputdownable!

Thanks to Netgalley for a review copy of this book.

Adult Fiction, Netgalley Reviews, Thriller

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall

Ages 18+

Theodora Scott is on her way to her fiancé Connor Dalton’s wealthy family’s retreat in the woods, Idlewood. It was a whirlwind romance, and the two were engaged within six months of dating.

The thing is, Theo has been getting threatening texts on her phone from an unknown number, warning her to stay away from Connor Dalton. But why? She chooses to ignore them. What she can’t ignore? The snowy footprints she sees outside the cabin window, or the strange sense of familiarity she has that she’s been to Idlewood before. The clincher? She finds a photo of herself as a child, taken right here, at Idlewood.

Theo has almost no memories of herself as a small child, but after seeing the photo, she begins to remember, and piece things together. Things she’s sure she’d rather forget.

Marshall takes readers on a chilling, wild ride, as family secrets unfold in a way they’ll never imagine possible.

Thanks to Netgalley for a review copy of this book.

Adult Fiction, Netgalley Reviews, Thriller

Someone in the Attic by Andrea Mara

Ages 18+

Anya and Julia have been friends since their school days, and they plan to meet up soon after a long while apart, along with their mutual friend Eleanor. When Anya doesn’t show, the other ladies grow worried, and quickly find out that their friend has drowned in her bath at the hands of a stranger who’s been in Anya’s attic.

Soon Julia and Eleanor are entangled in a web of neighbors, a mystery person who has been taking videos from inside Julia’s house, and the family members of their late best friend Donna who lost her life back in high school.

This fast-paced mysterious thriller is not to be missed!

Thanks to Netgalley for a review copy of this book.

Adult Fiction, Netgalley Reviews, Thriller

You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Ages 18+

Meredith Lee and Aspen Palmer are mom-fluencers, or internet influencers/ semi-famous moms on the internet who make videos on Instagram and TikTok to show their followers how easy it is to be a mom and have it all. They’re also former best friends. Meredith discovered Aspen during her YouTuber days, and helped her get big, only to be ditched when Aspen surpassed Meredith’s numbers.

Then one day, Meredith sees an opportunity and takes it – she swipes Aspen’s daughter’s iPad – a gold mine of videos of Aspen faking it behind the scenes, showing that she doesn’t actually have it all together, as well as access to her social calendar, which Meredith quickly messes with.

As Aspen’s perfect life falls apart, Meredith begins to feel in control, but is “having it all” all it’s cracked up to be?

Thanks to Netgalley for a review copy of this book.

Adult Fiction, Netgalley Reviews, Thriller

Like Mother, Like Daughter by Kimberly McCreight

Ages 18+

Like Mother, Like Daughter is McCreight’s thrilling new novel about two people who are both hiding secrets, and each don’t know what the other’s are. When Cleo, a college student, finds her mother’s bloody shoe under the bed and her mother gone from the house, she knows something terrible has happened to her, but what? She doesn’t entirely trust the police to do their jobs, and takes it upon herself to find out what happened to her mother. This was a pulse-pounding, duel point of view ride not to be missed!

Thanks to Netgalley for a review copy of this book.

Adult Fiction, Netgalley Reviews, Thriller

What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena

Ages 18+

Diana lived in the small town of Fairhill, Vermont. That is, until she was murdered and her body was dumped in a cornfield, and everyone and their mother becomes a suspect. This book was propulsive, I’ll give the author that, but there were way too many characters to keep track of, and it became too much in the end. I loved Lapena’s last one, Everyone Here Is Lying, but this one just didn’t do it for me. I am a Lapena completist, though, so I will read anything she writes. 

Thanks to Netgalley for a review copy of this book.

Adult Fiction, Netgalley Reviews, Thriller

The Last Thing She Saw by Nina Laurin

Ages 18+

A child’s body is discovered after a devastating flood in the center of a small Quebec town called Marly. It is discovered to be that of nine-year-old Michelle Fortier, who went missing in 1979. Stephanie O’Malley is back in Marly after having vowed never to return to her hometown and is determined to find out the truth about what happened to Michelle. This book was suspenseful, propulsive and not to be missed!

Thanks to Netgalley for a review copy of this book.

Adult Fiction, Netgalley Reviews, Thriller

The Hollywood Assistant by May Cobb

Ages 18+

This book was unputdownable, propulsive, and just plain sexy. I loved it! 

Cassidy is offered her dream job in Hollywood thanks to her best friend. She moves from Texas after a horrible heartbreak, and is now working as an assistant for actress Marisol Torres and her husband Nate Sterling. She starts out doing simple errands for them like grocery shopping and re-organizing Marisol’s closet, but as she gets closer to the couple, things heat up, and she gets entangled in their web. I couldn’t put this book down. Highly recommend!   

Thanks to Netgalley for a review copy of this book.