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Book Review: Cat

Rating: 3.5 stars

Rebecca van Laer and her partner purchase a home and move in with their senior cats, Toby and Gus. Their loved ones see this as a step toward an inevitable future—first comes the house, then a dog, then a child. But what if they are just cat people?

Moving between memoir, philosophy, and pop culture, Cat is a playful and tender meditation on cats and their people. Van Laer considers cats’ role in her personal narrative, where they are mascots of laziness and lawlessness, and in cultural narratives, where they appear as feminine, anarchic, and maladapted, especially in comparison to dogs.

From the stereotype of the ‘crazy cat lady’ to the joy of cat memes to the grief of pet loss, van Laer demonstrates that the cat-person relationship is free of the discipline and dependence required by parenting (and dog-parenting), creating a less hierarchical intimacy that offers a different model for love.

I received a digital copy of this book through the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. Cat is a philosophical nonfiction piece that switches between talking about the cats the author and her husband have in their lives and bringing up interesting philosophical thoughts regarding cats.

I found this short nonfiction book charming for the content within its pages, whenever Rebecca would talk about her cats. As a cat lover myself, I found her experience of raising cats relatable, as a lot of the struggles she experienced with having cats were similar to mine. For example, when she talked about when her one cat disappeared, only months later, she received a phone call from a stranger that they had found her cat, who was two hours away from where she currently lived at the time. That experience was relatable to me because our family had a similar experience with one of our cats, the one time when someone had posted on one of the neighborhood sites a picture asking about a cat, and it was one of ours.

I found these stories of her sharing her experiences of raising her cats enjoyable because they were relatable to me as a reader. Even the segment where she describes her grief in this book was relatable to me. Animals that have been a part of your life for so long, you see them as family, so it was difficult for me not to get emotional whenever she talked about the loss of one of her cats in her life. And I found these aspects of Cat enjoyable to read.

The aspects of this book that I didn’t quite enjoy were when Rebecca would talk about cats in a philosophical and cultural way. As in, the way in which cats are in society and are described. Not because I didn’t understand what I was reading or anything. Because I feel like it didn’t flow overall with Rebecca talking about her cats, or add anything to the narrative she was trying to create. Yes, I get her talking about the stereotypes of women who have cats but don’t have children, but I felt at times some of the topics she discussed with regard to cats had nothing to do with her and her husband’s situation regarding their cats. Then again, this was my first time reading a book that was one of many in the Object Lessons series, and maybe a lot of books in this series are structured in this way.

Cat was an enjoyable and charming read that I recommend to anyone like me who loves animals, especially cats, and is set to publish tomorrow, October 2, 2025, for anyone interested in giving this book a read.

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Book Review: Ladies in Hating

Rating: 4 stars

A pair of Gothic novelists trade rivalry for love in this swoony, steamy, sapphic Regency by USA Today bestselling author Alexandra Vasti.

Celebrated authoress Lady Georgiana Cleeve has achieved fame and fortune. Unfortunately, she’s also acquired an the enigmatic Lady Darling, whose spine-tingling plots appear to be pulled straight from Georgiana’s own manuscripts. What’s a stubborn, steely writer to do? Unmask her rival, of course.

But unmasking doesn’t go according to plan—because Lady Darling is actually Cat Lacey, the butler’s daughter and object of Georgiana’s very secret, very embarrassing teenage infatuation.

Cat Lacey has spent a decade clawing her family out of poverty. The last thing she needs is to be distracted by the stunning(ly pretentious) Lady Georgiana Cleeve. But Cat can’t seem to escape her infuriatingly beautiful rival—including at the eerie manor where they both plan to set their next books. The plot unexpectedly thickens, however, when the novelists find themselves trapped in the manor together. In between ghostly moans and spectral staff, Cat and Georgiana come face-to-face with real the scorching passion that’s been haunting their rivalry all along.

I received a digital copy of this book through the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review.

When I initially started reading Ladies in Hating, I didn’t find myself immediately hooked to the story. It wasn’t until more and more interactions occurred between the main characters that I found myself becoming more invested. This is because, for me, the book felt like a slow-burning romance between these two characters. Seeing the interactions between Cat and Georgiana is what made me more invested because their banter was entertaining to me.

Then, as the story progressed, I found myself intrigued by what was going to happen next. When the two of them end up in that manor with all of its intrigue and mystery, I knew this book’s plot was going to continue captivating me. Add in that both of these women were also authors who wrote the same type of fiction that happened to have similar plots, along with already knowing each other in the past, and I was sold on seeing the direction their story was going.

Ladies in Hating was enjoyable because I found Cat and Georgiana relatable characters that I was rooting for. Both of them had things that happened in their past that they hid from each other, that, once revealed, helped me understand their characters. But once I learned more about their characters’ back story, I was all in and was eager to find out the direction their romance was going and what more they were going to learn about the manor they found themselves trapped in together. I also enjoyed the secondary characters that were a part of their story, who played a role as I felt like they were just as important in the story as Cat and Georgiana.

If there’s anything with Ladies in Hating, I had an issue with it would be the lack of conflict between Cat and Georgiana. I feel like this book describes their rivalry really heavily, but I don’t feel like I see it all that much when I’m reading their story. Yes, they both write about the same genre of books, and apparently, they both happened to write about books with characters with similar names or plots, but you find out that none of it was ever intentional to begin with. If anything, it’s a connection that gets made by Georgiana in the beginning of the book that Cat doesn’t even know about until she’s confronted by her about it, so it’s not like it’s a connection that’s made in the story by the readers. Anytime there’s any issue in their relationship, it’s usually something minimal that’s resolved within a few pages, so any conflicts I’ve seen in this story between Cat and Georgiana didn’t seem like all that much in comparison to other romance books I’ve read.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Ladies in Hating and seeing Cat and Georgiana’s relationship develop throughout. I highly recommend reading this book to those who enjoy reading romance novels, especially those who wouldn’t mind reading an LGBTQ romance. Ladies in Hating was published on September 23, 2025, for those interested in giving this book a read.    

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Book Review: The Secret Book Society

Rating: 4 stars

A captivating new historical novel from Madeline Martin, set in Victorian London about a forbidden book club, dangerous secrets, and the women who dare to break free.
 
You are cordially invited to the Secret Book Society…
 
London, 1895: Trapped by oppressive marriages and societal expectations, three women receive a mysterious invitation to an afternoon tea at the home of the reclusive Lady Duxbury. Beneath the genteel facade of the gathering lies a secret book club—a sanctuary where they can discover freedom, sisterhood, and the courage to rewrite their stories.
 
Eleanor Clarke, a devoted mother suffocating under the tyranny of her husband. Rose Wharton, a transplanted American dollar princess struggling to fit the mold of an aristocratic wife. Lavinia Cavendish, an artistic young woman haunted by a dangerous family secret. All are drawn to the enigmatic Lady Duxbury, a thrice-widowed countess whose husbands’ untimely deaths have sparked whispers of murder.
 
As the women form deep, heartwarming friendships, they uncover secrets about their marriages, their pasts, and the risks they face. Their courage is their only weapon in the oppressive world that has kept them silent, but when secrets are deadly, one misstep could cost them everything.

I received a digital copy of this book through the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review.

The Secret Book Society was an enjoyable read for me. What I enjoyed about this book was reading the stories of these women during this time and seeing the friendships they developed with each other as the book progressed. Even though all these women’s stories were different, what they had in common was being suppressed by the men in their lives and not being able to enjoy a hobby that they loved. I really loved seeing these women come together in sisterhood and watching their friendship with each other blossom into a support system that was there for each other when needed.

I especially enjoyed reading this book because I found I could relate to the struggles one of the characters was dealing with. Having big emotions that you don’t always feel like you have control over is something I can definitely relate to, so I deeply felt for Lavinia when the book was from her perspective. I felt like I could relate to both Eleanor and Rose as well, but not quite as much as the struggles Lavinia was facing when it came to her emotions and how she handled situations she found herself dealing with in this book.

I also enjoyed that this book was from these women’s perspectives, and getting to learn more about Lady Duxbury through her diary. Hearing each of these women’s voices during this time was wonderful, even when I found myself feeling frustrated by the men in their lives. I enjoyed getting to learn more about Lady Duxbury, too, because you were able to see how she became the character you see in The Secret Book Society. Yes, she still ends up having some mystery to her character, but I feel like getting to read her diary was a great way to learn more about her.  

If there was anything I didn’t particularly enjoy with this book, it would be the ending. I enjoyed that things worked out for all of these characters, but I wanted to see more of their story after the events that transpired, instead of getting a little snippet about what happened. This is mostly because I enjoyed reading their story, but also because I wanted to see how their friendship continued to grow with everything they’d gone through.

As a whole, though, I enjoyed reading The Secret Book Society. I think it’s a book women should read to learn about what happened to women during that time and to see how they were treated by men because of their gender. Especially because each of these women are very relatable too. The Secret Book Society was published on August 26, 2025, for anyone interested in giving this book a read.  

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Book Review: Sing the Truth (The Kweli Journal Short Story Collection)

Rating: 3.5 stars

Celebrating 15 Years of Kweli: A must-read collection of bold BIPOC voices.

Hailed as “The Paris Review of BIPOC literature,” Kweli Journal has been a launching pad for many of today’s most celebrated writers. This powerful anthology marks the journal’s 15th anniversary, showcasing 15 unforgettable stories curated by founder Laura Pegram.

With a foreword from award-winning author Edwidge Danticat, the narratives included in this vivid anthology explore the devastation of leaving home and the struggle to adapt to reimagined lives, lost loves, distant families, and buried pasts.

Featuring works from authors including Naima Coster, DéLana R.A. Dameron, Nicole Dennis-Benn, Daphne Palasi Andreades, Susan Muaddi Darraj, and Princess Joy L. Perry, this collection is a testament to the richness and diversity of voices often marginalized in mainstream literature. These stories delve into themes of displacement, loss, and resilience, challenging readers to broaden their perspectives and deepen their understanding of the human experience.

All proceeds from this collection go directly to Kweli Journal, ensuring the continued support of emerging BIPOC writers and the creation of a vibrant literary community.

I received a digital copy of this book on NetGalley for an honest review.

The collection of short stories in the Kweli Journal’s Sing the Truth was an enjoyable read for me. What I liked about these stories is how I felt like I was the person narrating their stories, like I was living their everyday experience. Even though I know I can’t relate to these characters and all their struggles, I didn’t feel that way when reading their stories. I believe a lot of that is due to how real these characters’ struggles felt to me, which is what I was hoping for when I read this collection.

What I also enjoyed reading Sing the Truth was getting to read stories from BIPOC writers. I’m going to be honest, I’m not always the best at reading a diverse set of books. I have a particular set of genres that I really enjoy reading, and I typically stick to reading books within those genres. However, from time to time, I find myself wanting to give other genres in literature a try.  That is when I find myself reading stories I typically wouldn’t, and end up discovering books I enjoy more than I was expecting to.

For me, whenever I read, I usually read books that allow me to escape reality. But I have come to realize, too, that I need to branch out when I read. And for me, that involves reading books outside of the genres I typically enjoy and reading stories that take me out of my comfort zone. As a white woman, I feel like it’s really important that I read stories from BIPOC authors and that I read stories about characters whose voices need to be heard. Stories that are not geared towards someone like me as their intended audience, but that someone like me needs to read all the same, because of the importance of reading about others’ struggles, even if you can’t necessarily relate to them. I also feel like it’s important to read works written by BIPOC authors because I see it as a learning opportunity about other cultures and to acknowledge the struggles people go through just because of the color of their skin. So, for me, I also enjoyed reading this book because of the stories being written by BIPOC writers and having the chance to read about struggles from a perspective I know I’ll never have to face.

What I also found enjoyable about the stories in Sing the Truth was the different themes. A lot of the characters in this collection struggled with loss, feeling out of place, and finances. I enjoyed these stories because they talk about these struggles and how the characters here get through the challenges they are dealing with. I especially enjoyed reading the stories in the collection that focused on loss because of my own experiences with loss that I’ve dealt with. I felt like I could relate to those characters and the choices they made to deal with the loss they were experiencing, even though their loss is different from mine.

There are only two things with this collection of short stories that I didn’t particularly enjoy: the characters and endings. Some of the characters in the short stories I didn’t particularly like. I don’t know for sure if the authors who wrote them made that intentional, but I found some of the characters unlikable. I felt sympathetic for them because of what they were going through, but didn’t like them because of some of the choices they made or how they treated members of their family in the story. The characters, in particular, that come to mind for me are the mothers in most of these stories because of how they used their daughters to get the money they needed. While I understood that they were going through a tough time and needed the money, I wasn’t okay with this aspect in those stories because I felt like the daughters weren’t given a choice in the matter, and the mothers didn’t act like they cared. I also didn’t like the endings for a majority of the stories in this collection. Mostly because I felt like some of the stories ended with no real resolution, or in the middle of the story I was reading, being told. They didn’t make sense to me because they left me feeling like there was more of the characters’ story the author had to tell.

But overall, I enjoyed reading this collection of short stories from the Kweli Journal’s Sing the Truth (link here for anyone interested in checking out their website to learn more about them: https://www.kwelijournal.org/ ). While there aren’t certain stories within the collection that stand out to me to name as my favorite, I enjoyed reading a variety of stories and reading about struggles told by BIPOC authors. Sing the Truth was published on May 13, 2025, for those interested in reading this collection from the Kweli Journal.            

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Book Review: Monster: A Tale of Murder, Madness and Plastic Surgery

Rating: 3 stars

MONSTER. The word evokes images of fairy tales and horror. But once, in 1850 Philadelphia, it was actually the term commonly used in physician’s case notes for the victims of fire.

Conflagrations were common in this period—clothing, especially women’s lace, was highly flammable. Once the flesh was destroyed, there was no cure. These unfortunate souls lived out their lives as MONSTERS, secluded away by family. Once burned flesh gives way to contractures, disfigurements to rival even Bram Stoker’s imagination were born. And the hearts of the people inside the shell perished.

Lorelei is one such MONSTER. Born to a wealthy family, disfigured by fire, she fake’s her own death, leaving the world she knows behind—because in her mind…freedom, even if it is a workhouse, is preferable than the life of a shut-in, a burden on her family’s name.

!850’s Philadelphia is an epi-center of medicine. Rival medical schools search in desperation for bodies—cadavers to teach the art and science of anatomy to their medical students. Corpses become so rare, a new profession evolves. Resurrection Men, or body snatchers, dig up the graves of the newly decreased for high pay.

Rory Henry is one of the Resurrection Men. A Scots-Irish Immigrant, he has fought his way off the streets, and into medical school by whatever means necessary. He is not above digging up corpses—he cuts them by day and searches them out by night. These two lives intersect in an explosion of personality-Rory is designated as Lorelei’s surgeon. Entrusted with performing the new operation called The Mutter Flap. Once he sees her face, will the unrequited love die, or ignite?

People are disappearing. Someone has discovered that murder is far more lucrative than grave robbing. And many of the bodies are from Lorelei’s workhouse. Will she be next?

Monster is an interesting story that I found myself eager to find out what happens next. Told back and forth from the perspectives of Rory and Lorelei, this book is a story about two people with somewhat similar backgrounds/circumstances who come together unexpectedly when Lorelei asks for Rory’s help as her sister Molly is very sick. What starts as a doctor patient relationship quickly turns into much more as Rory and Lorelei discover their feelings for each other while there’s a killer on the loose in Philadelphia who’s killing people and Rory starts receiving notes that people close to him are next.

What I enjoyed when reading this book was reading the story from both Rory and Lorelei’s perspectives. I especially enjoyed reading Rory’s chapters because of getting to see him when he’s at work as a doctor. I also loved his chapters because of getting to meet his friends (in particular, I enjoyed his friendships with Charlie and Becca) along with hearing about his experiences as one of the Resurrection Men. His chapters really caught my attention because I found his story interesting and wanted to learn more about him. It was also interesting because I felt like I was hearing a lot of technical terms that doctors use and also felt like I could hear his Scots-Irish accent when he engaged in conversation throughout the book. What I enjoyed about Lorelei’s chapters is learning more about her background and how she came to be in Philadelphia. What you learn about Lorelei while reading her chapters is that she is a victim of burning so severe that her face is disfigured and that she has a terrible past that she would rather forget. Overall when reading this book, the story is told from the perspectives of two interesting characters with a difficult past who are doing the best they can to overcome the odds stacked against them.

What I also enjoyed about Monster was the romance that developed between Rory and Lorelei. Though at times I felt like their feelings for each other came too quickly, I felt like overall they were a good couple that balanced each other out. Rory out of the both of them would make rash decisions based on his feelings while Lorelei was the more reserved/guarded one who thought her decisions through. So whenever anything happened in the story, I felt like Lorelei was the one who was able to help Rory get through them. Not to say Rory never did the same for Lorelei, but I feel like Lorelei was able to hold her own overall better out of the both of them. I also liked that they loved each other despite each of their circumstances and what happened throughout the book. Especially that Rory cared about Lorelei despite her disfigurement as there were people in the story who cared too much and were doing what they could to tear their relationship apart.  

There are some aspects of their relationship, however, that I did have some criticism for. I felt like their relationship developed into romance way too quickly for starters. As much as I love the dynamic of their relationship, I definitely felt like their relationship was an instant attraction even though I feel like neither of them needed that in the story. From the moment they met, I felt like they were instantly interested in each other which was why that scene in the carriage happened. And I wasn’t too fond of it just because I didn’t feel like it fit either of their characters with Rory talking about his swearing off of lasses and Lorelei’s dark past that you find out about as the story goes on. So seeing them both instantly interested in each other despite what we learn I find hard to believe as I didn’t feel like it fit each of their characters. I also found it hard to believe how quickly their feelings for each other developed into love and how quickly they were willing to tell each other about their pasts. I get that this story is told from a different time period so romance might’ve been different then, but with how guarded both these characters were around people they didn’t trust, I had a difficult time believing they would open up to each other so quickly.

Another criticism of Monster I have that resulted in me giving this book a three-star rating was the plot of the story. I found the plot overall interesting, but I felt at times like there was too much happening in the story at once. In the beginning, it didn’t seem like too much was going on and the story’s pacing was great. But as Lorelei and Rory’s relationship continued to grow, I felt like more and more things started to happen in their lives. Some examples that come to mind for me that I feel like I can share without spoiling the story too much include when Rory is going digging up bodies and a creature he heard about from his childhood in stories starts making an appearance at his group’s digging sites and he finds out the truth about this creature, the murders that happen of women including someone Rory and his friends know, and Lorelei being given the opportunity to get surgery to change her disfigurement. While I definitely feel like all of these things happening in the story is interesting plot-wise, I feel like when they happen disturbed the overall pacing in the book for me that it started off with. I also feel like some of the moments I mentioned happened way too quickly in the book, making the build-up to finding out how things went disappointing. While I enjoyed these moments in the plot because I found them interesting, I also felt like they were rushed through and not given as much detail as they deserved.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Monster. It was an interesting read for me with unique characters and romance thrown in that while developed too quickly for my liking, I found myself still rooting for it. And while the overall plot in this book didn’t match the pacing of the story and could’ve used more writing to flesh things out, I was still interested in seeing where things went in the story. I recommend this book to anyone interested in a fast-paced read that’s filled with romance, murder, and a story set in a time period different from our own.

I received a digital copy of this book through the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review.            

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Book Review: Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories Volume II

Rating: 5 stars

Since his first appearance in Beeton’s Christmas Annual in 1887, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes has been one of the most beloved fictional characters ever created.

Now, in two paperback volumes, Bantam presents all fifty-six short stories and four novels featuring Conan Doyle’s classic hero—a truly complete collection of Sherlock Holmes’s adventures in crime!

Volume II begins with The Hound of the Baskervilles, a haunting novel of murder on eerie Grimpen Moor, which has rightly earned its reputation as the finest murder mystery ever written.

The Valley of Fear matches Holmes against his archenemy, the master of imaginative crime, Professor Moriarty.

In addition, the loyal Dr. Watson has faithfully recorded Holmes’s feats of extraordinary detection in such famous cases as the thrilling The Adventure of the Red Circle and the twelve baffling adventures from The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes.

Conan Doyle’s incomparable tales bring to life a Victorian England of horse-drawn cabs, fogs, and the famous lodgings at 221B Baker Street, where for more than forty years Sherlock Holmes earned his undisputed reputation as the greatest fictional detective of all time.

Just like the first volume, which you can check out my review of here, I enjoyed reading this volume of the rest of Sherlock Holmes novels and stories. Like with the first volume, I still enjoy seeing Holmes and Watson interact with each other and how they go about solving cases together. Their relationship with each other was still enjoyable to me to read and I continued to love how Watson described their cases. It also felt like their relationship and trust with each other had grown since the first volume, which I liked to see.

Like with the first volume, there were a lot of cases in this one that weren’t just murder. And I feel like I enjoyed a lot of those cases more in this volume than the last one. It just felt like they were more interesting to me story wise.

There were also a lot of cases in this volume that I really enjoyed overall which made this book an enjoyable read to me. Some of my favorites were The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Valley of Fear, His Last Bow, The Adventure of the Dying Detective, The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire,  and The Adventure of the Lion’s Mane, just to name a few. What all of these stories have in common in comparison to the others in this volume for me is that the stories were interesting to me in ways I didn’t expect. They had twists in their plot I wasn’t expecting that made me continue to read them to find out what happened next.

My biggest criticism with this volume was how Holmes was still keeping Watson in the dark at times when they’d solve cases together. While I understood why, I definitely felt like there were times he could’ve at least let Watson know what was going on so he could better help him. I also was sad when I finished reading this volume because of how much I was enjoying these stories. While I’m happy to have now read all of Sherlock Holmes because of how much I enjoyed my experience, I’m sad to have finished these stories as I know the next time I read them it won’t be the same since it won’t be my first time reading them.

If you’ve read this post, thank you so much for stopping by! Please leave a comment below if you feel like you can relate to feeling sad after reading a book for the first time that you really enjoyed like I did with these two volumes.

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Book Review: Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories Volume I

Rating: 5 stars

Since his first appearance in Beeton’s Christmas Annual in 1887, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes has been one of the most beloved fictional characters ever created. Now, in two paperback volumes, Bantam presents all fifty-six short stories and four novels featuring Conan Doyle’s classic hero – a truly complete collection of Sherlock Holmes’s adventures in crime!

Volume I includes the early novel A Study in Scarlet, which introduced the eccentric genius of Sherlock Holmes to the world. This baffling murder mystery, with the cryptic word Rache written in blood, first brought Holmes together with Dr. John Watson. Next, The Sign of Four presents Holmes’s famous “seven percent solution” and the strange puzzle of Mary Morstan in the quintessential locked – room mystery. Also included are Holmes’s feats of extraordinary detection in such famous cases as the chilling “ The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” the baffling riddle of “The Musgrave Ritual,” and the ingeniously plotted “The Five Orange Pips,” tales that bring to life a Victorian England of horse-drawn cabs, fogs, and the famous lodgings at 221B Baker Street, where Sherlock Holmes earned his undisputed reputation as the greatest fictional detective of all time.

As someone who’s never read any of Sherlock Holmes’s tales, this was such an enjoyable read for me. The first volume out of two that feature all of Holmes’ tales told from the perspective of his trusted friend Dr. Watson, each of these stories intrigued me in various ways. I wasn’t sure when I started if I would enjoy reading these stories because while I’m a fan of mysteries and crime, classics aren’t always enjoyable to me. I don’t know if its due to difference in writing style over the years, but some classics I have a difficult time reading. Luckily for me though, I found Arthur Conan Doyle’s writing enjoyable.

I believe what made this first volume of Sherlock Holmes so enjoyable to me was the characters themselves, especially Holmes and Watson. I loved their relationship throughout from the start as I feel like they both balance each other out. Holmes is the type of person most people normally wouldn’t be able to tolerate and I feel like Watson is the perfect person to handle all his quirks. From their introduction to each other, I knew they would become such wonderful friends and there would be so many tales of adventure to be told.

The way in which Watson tells of each of their adventures is marvelous. I especially enjoyed when the villain was caught hearing that person tell of why they committed their crime. I also enjoyed hearing Holmes and all of his deductions that he would make from some of the simplest things that most people wouldn’t ever think of. I found his knowledge of crime throughout so interesting, especially since he was the one who normally had everything figured out before the Scotland Yard detectives who would call on his aid. I feel like with a lot of these stories like I was there with Holmes and Watson, asking questions of those involved and trying to figure out who committed the crime and why.

What I also loved about reading these Sherlock Holmes stories was that not all of the crimes committed were murder. I love that there were all sorts of crimes committed throughout, some ending in a way which I as the reader didn’t at all expect. I found this to be interesting because it shows you Sherlock Holmes’s character and that he doesn’t always feel like a person needs to be brought to justice. I found that especially interesting because it makes you question his character and ethics even though he’s the one who ultimately solves all these crimes.

What I loved about hearing these stories told from Watson’s perspective is that I felt like as the reader, I was reading his personal journal regarding these cases he helped Holmes with. And I found myself extremely interested in hearing with each case what would happen next, even if the end result was unexpected to me. Some of my favorite cases from this first volume were the ones with a twist I didn’t see coming or the stories with interesting protagonists who came to Holmes looking for help.

I would say if I had to choose a criticism for this book it would be that there are so many cases Holmes solved that I know I won’t remember them all. But I don’t see that as too much of a problem here because I enjoyed reading this so much that I know I’ll be rereading it again in the future. For now though, I’ve already started reading the second Sherlock Holmes volume in this collection, which has the rest of his stories I’ve yet to read and am looking forward to sharing my thoughts on those as well when I have finished.

Thank you for those who’ve finished reading this post! Leave a comment below if you’re at all familiar with Sherlock Holmes or have any stories you’ve enjoyed just as much as I’m finding myself enjoying reading these.  

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Book Review: An Honest Lie

Rating: 4 stars

“I’m going to kill her. You’d better come if you want to save her.”

Lorraine—“Rainy”—lives at the top of Tiger Mountain. Remote, moody, cloistered in pine trees and fog, it’s a sanctuary, a new life. She can hide from the disturbing past she wants to forget. If she’s allowed to.

When Rainy reluctantly agrees to a girls’ weekend in Vegas, she’s prepared for an exhausting parade of shots and slot machines. But after a wild night, her friend Braithe doesn’t come back to the hotel room. And then Rainy gets the text message, sent from Braithe’s phone: someone has her. But Rainy is who they really want, and Rainy knows why.

What follows is a twisted, shocking journey on the knife-edge of life and death. If she wants to save Braithe—and herself—the only way is to step back into the past.

So when I started reading this book, I wasn’t at all prepared for how sucked in I was going to get into the story. I wasn’t expecting to completely consume this book in the course of a day, but that’s exactly what happened when I started reading An Honest Lie. 

This book is extremely dark from beginning to end and I was instantly hooked. What started as me intrigued by this book because of the main character sharing my name (though spelled differently) and the plot sounding interesting turned into me unable to put this book down as I wanted to know what happened to the Rainy in this story.

What I enjoyed about reading An Honest Lie was learning about Rainy’s dark past. The chapters in this book go back and forth between past (then) and present (now) and you quickly understand what Rainy is afraid of and why she didn’t want to go on the Vegas trip forced upon her by her boyfriend’s female friend group. This is my first time reading a book about a fictional cult and I felt myself unable to stop reading about Rainy’s past as dark as it was. I found myself unable to stop reading as I was rooting for Rainy to be able to conquer her past once and for all.

I think what made this book so chilling of a read for me that sucked me in was feeling like I was in those moments of her life even though I have no idea what its like being a child raised in a cult. Even though those dark moments were definitely hers, I felt like I was with her from beginning to end as she did what she could to survive terrible moments of her life. This book pulled me in so much I was dreading the climax of the story when we found out who had kidnapped her friend.

In An Honest Lie, what I would say its biggest flaws were for me were the present (now) chapters and Rainy’s actions in the story. What I didn’t enjoy about the present (now) chapters was that they didn’t pull me into the world in the pages quite as much. I also didn’t like the friend group Rainy was hanging out with as they gave off a very mean girl vibe and didn’t seem like people she would’ve normally hung out with if it wasn’t for her boyfriend Grant. This also played into why I wasn’t fond of some of the decisions Rainy makes in the story because she made some really dumb decisions, especially at the climax of the book. It was almost unbelievable some of the things Rainy decided to do as it felt like she left a lot of things up to chance with no guarantee she’d get the outcome she wanted. I still continued to read anyway but found myself in such disbelief at how things turned out.  

But despite this book’s flaws, An Honest Lie is a book I’ve read that I feel will stay with me. Rainy’s story left such a strong impression on me that it’ll take me a moment to recover and read another book similar to it. I don’t know if its because of the character having my name so that just made everything I was reading feel even more real to me. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t recommend this book to anyone who wants to read it as the story really pulled me in. Just want to leave a note of caution for those who do decide to take the plunge and read this. In my opinion, it’s a very dark story and while I recommend it, if you don’t feel comfortable with the subject matter discussed, its okay not to finish it and read something else more light.

For those who’ve read this review, have you ever read a book with a main character with your name? And do you think that ever impacted at all how you perceived what you were reading or did that book leave an even heavier impression on you as a result? I wouldn’t mind hearing about it if you’ve also had this experience in the comments below.             

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Book Review: Fire and Ice (Warriors #2)

Rating: 4 stars

“Fireheart could hear a roaring around him, like wind in tall trees. The acrid stench of the Thunderpath stung his nostrils, together with a new smell, sharper and more terrifying. Fire!”

Book two of Warriors continues Fireheart’s quest to be a true warrior, when he finds new danger lurking in the woods as the chill of winter sets in.

WindClan is missing, and hostilities between the remaining three clans place all the cats in peril. Illness and tragic accidents weaken the camp, and ThunderClan needs all its warriors to defend itself – but Fireheart suspects that certain cats may not be as loyal as they appear.

I feel like this was an enjoyable sequel to where Into the Wild left off. We continue with Firepaw going by Fireheart due to becoming a warrior of ThunderClan. We also have him along with his friend helping another clan getting back into their territory despite the other clans not wanting them to return. I feel like there was a lot that happened in such a small period of time between the two books, making it enjoyable to find out what was going to happen next.

What I also enjoyed when reading Fire and Ice was seeing Fireheart return to his roots. You see him throughout the story struggling with belonging in the clan because of seeing his sister Princess and thinking about what his home used to be. You see him visit her quite frequently despite the risk and danger of doing so, which I thought was interesting because it made the theme of family a prominent part of this book. I know at times I wondered if Fireheart would end up going back to where he used to be before ThunderClan became such a big part of his life. But then you also see the choice Princess ends up making so that more of their family joins the clan, which I thought was sweet considering the risk involved.

What I also enjoyed with this sequel was being introduced to some of the cats of WindClan as well as meeting more of the cats of RiverClan. Its interesting to see when reading this series the dynamic between all the clans and how they interact with each other throughout the story. I also loved the slowly building romance that started to occur through the story despite the obstacles it presents.

I also love that Fireheart is continuing to investigate the truth of Oakheart and Redtail’s deaths. I know there are going to be a lot of obstacles in his way as the truth of what really happened during that time will cause a divide in the clan when its finally brought to light. But I think it’s great he’s investigating because Tigerclaw is one of my least favorite characters in ThunderClan. The reason being that so many cats in the clan seem to look up to him but he’s hiding things from Bluestar and the rest of the clan. I feel like even though Bluestar doesn’t want to face that truth, I find it telling that she’s told Fireheart how many lives as their leader she has left while Tigerclaw who is her deputy, has no idea.

I also disliked in Fire and Ice how Fireheart’s nephew Cloudkit was treated by their clan when Fireheart brought him in. While I understand the danger of having outsiders joining the clan that aren’t blood, I feel like it reminds me too much of how Fireheart was treated when he first joined ThunderClan. And it bothered me because most of the cats in this series seem to have the mindset that cats born in a clan are superior to cats who aren’t full-blooded warriors. I know it bothered me in Into the Wild with how clan members were with Fireheart, and it bothered me just as much with Cloudkit, maybe even more so because of being a baby kitten and not knowing any better.

But overall, I enjoyed this sequel and can’t wait to continue into the next book in the series Forest of Secrets to find out what happens with ThunderClan and the rest of the clans. This series continues to captivate me so I’m definitely looking forward to the next installment.  

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