Book Review: Homecoming by Kate Morton

Homecoming by Kate Morton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Set in various parts of Australian, we learn of a mother and her children being murdered on Christmas Eve in 1959.  In present day (2018), a London journalist is summoned back to Sydney (her hometown) when her grandmother is hospitalized after a terrible fall.  She becomes involved in finding out more about the family tragedy using her journalistic research skills.

This 500 plus page epic novel packs a punch with many genres (mystery, historical fiction, family drama) and touches on a lot of subjects (privilege, infidelity, revenge, secrets and lies, motherhood, investigative journalism, and more).  It also contains a 'book within a book' which is a true crime book written about the murders.  The dual story lines are easy to keep track of; the location and date is given at the beginning of each chapter.  As a reader, you will be drawn into the story and will want to spend the time required to fully appreciate this multi-faceted novel.  This is the first book I've read by Kate Morton, but it certainly won't be the last.  

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Book Review: Stitch It, Don't Ditch It: Simple Hand-sewn Repairs to Help You Love Your Clothes For Longer by Mary Morton

Stitch It, Don't Ditch It: Simple Hand-sewn Repairs to Help You Love Your Clothes For Longer by Mary Morton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a very well-researched and comprehensive book about repairing your clothes using hand sewing techniques.  It includes information about the supplies you will need, gives background on basic skills you will use, and has examples of various repairs that you can make with your clothing.  

I have been sewing, both by hand and with a sewing machine, since I was in elementary school (many years ago), so the majority of this book was just a review for me.  However, I would highly recommend it for those individuals just starting out sewing because it is so comprehensive and extensive.  My only complaint is that all of the examples are sketches rather than photographs.  I think it would be more helpful if detailed photographs were included instead.

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Book Review: The Violin Maker's Secret by Evie Woods (Advance Reader Copy)

The Violin Maker's Secret by Evie Woods
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three strangers come together surrounding a violin; they are trying to find out who initially made this violin (the luthier) and its provenance.  Devlin is a baggage handler at Heathrow Airport, Walter is a retired history teacher, and Gabrielle works in the family business of violin appraisal.  Their travels take them from London to Bath, Italy and finally to Dublin to track down the history of this important violin.  

This book has many of the things that I look for in a great book:  found friends, classical music,  musical instruments, and self discovery.  Throw in some magical realism, a little romance, and an encounter with some gangsters and you've got a wonderful, fast-paced story.  Through flashbacks the reader discovers all the individuals that have owned this violin throughout its history ...including Niccolo Paganini!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advance reader copy of this book.

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Book Review: The Art of the English Murder: From Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes to Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock

The Art of the English Murder: From Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes to Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock by Lucy Worsley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a very comprehensive book about the true crimes in England.  I was expecting more about the authors of mysteries and detective, but unfortunately that information was contained in the last 10-15% of the book.  The subtitle of the book is definitely a little misleading!

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Book Review: The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #11)

The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache have settled into retirement at Three Pines, but the former Chief Inspector is called into service when there is a suspicious death and an unsettling discovery in the woods.  Isabelle Lacoste (now the Chief Inspector) and Jean-Guy Beauvoir are on the scene setting up the command center (again!) in the abandoned train station and starting to interview and collect clues.  All of the villagers that we've grown to know and love are there, including a couple of new ones.

This is definitely a series which must be read in order to fully appreciate the characters and the character development.  The actual storyline was not one of my favorites, but any time spent in the village of Three Pines at the bistro among these unique individuals is always time well spent!  I'm looking forward to reading #12 in this series.

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Book Review: Wreck by Catherine Newman (Rocky #2)

Wreck by Catherine Newman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3 1/2 stars upgraded to 4 stars.  This is the second book by Catherine Newman focusing on Rocky (Rachel) and her family.  Once again we are immersed in her family drama -- her father and daughter are both living with she and her husband, and her son and his wife visit often.  She is still full of anxiety, inner dialogues which often get spoken out loud, medical issues, and her obsession about people and events that are just tangentially connected to her.  

For some reason, this one just didn't resonate with me as much as her first book, Sandwich, which I gave 5 stars.  I didn't really like the focus on the two aspects of the titular 'wreck.'  To be honest, the part I enjoyed the most was one of the final chapters when Rocky was in the kitchen with the extended family making Thanksgiving dinner.  Everyone is there, there's witty conversation, cooking, humor, and just a family enjoying a holiday.  This chapter alone reminded me of what I loved about her first book.  

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Book Review: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A charming, "meet-cute" story about two best friends (female/male) who take an annual vacation together. The book follows them over 12 years and 12 vacations. I'm usually not a fan of non-linear novels but I can see how it works in this case, interspersing the back story vacations with present day. Incredibly smart, witty dialogue. It should be made into a movie. Where is Nora Ephron when we need her?!? 

Re-read 2/2026 - I upgraded the rating to 5 stars this time!

This was the first book by Emily Henry that I read -- five years ago. I was absolutely charmed by her writing, the characters, the story, and her dialog. After reading all of her other books, I wanted to revisit it to see if it held up. It certainly did...and much more! I really appreciated it the second time through, especially the structure of the book with the non-linear timeline.

Because I read the hardcover book the first time, I wasn't aware of the Reader's Guide / Behind the Book, where Emily compares her book to a flipped version of the movie When Harry Met Sally... (which incidentally is one of my all-time favorite movies). And of course, I'm now looking forward to viewing the Netflix movie based on this book. Overall, a really wonderful reading experience!

In case anyone is interested, here's the list of vacations:

12 summers ago - University of Chicago orientation where Poppy meets Alex
11 - The drive together from U Chicago to Linfield, Ohio
10 - Victoria, Canada
9 - Nashville
8 - San Francisco
7 - New Orleans
6 - Vail, Colorado
5 - Sanibel Island, Florida
4 - Sweden / Norway
3 - Tuscany
2 - Croatia
1 - No Summer Trip
This summer - Palm Springs, California

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Book Review: Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter & Organize to Make More Room for Happiness by Gretchen Rubin

Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter & Organize to Make More Room for Happiness by Gretchen Rubin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a wonderful book by one of my favorite authors, talking about one of my favorite topics - decluttering and organizing.  Lots of great ideas and suggestions, all presented in a very short snippets.  It's an easy book to read a little at a time and get inspired, like I did.  And Gretchen Rubin is right (at least for me) -- outer order DOES lead to inner calm.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking to bring some order to their life.

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Book Review: Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff

Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3 1/2 stars, upgraded to 4 stars.  This novel is told from two points of view as well as dual timelines -- Helaine is a young Jewish woman living in Paris and Louise is a young British woman living in London.  The time frame is 1943-44 during World War II and ten years later.  Helaine was captured and housed at the Parisian department store, Levitan, that was turned into a prison-of-war work camp for Jewish women living in Paris from 'noteworthy' families.  Louise volunteered for the Red Cross during the war, delivering care packages throughout France and Germany.  Both experienced extreme struggles and hardships from the war that extended much further than we realize.

The book was very well researched by the author and provided glimpses into the reality in Western Europe at that time.  However, I felt that the story line was contrived and that there were too many coincidences.  The pacing was rather slow, and the characters a little too saccharine and sentimental.  However, after reading many of the Goodreads reviews, I'm looking forward to reading another book by this author.  

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Book Review: The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand

The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Tiffin Academy is a boarding school in rural Massachusetts, and the novel follows one year in the students' and faculty members' lives.

With all the teenage drama, hook-ups, break-ups, slang, and cultural references, I felt that this book is targeting the YA audience rather than Elin Hilderbrand's typical readers.  There are quite a few characters to keep track of, and the majority of them (faculty included!) are making bad decisions.  Unfortunately, there are too many characters and not enough plot and character development for me.

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Book Review: Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The basis for this book is a fable, written by Antonius Diogenes in the 2nd century.  It is woven within stories of five different individuals from various points in time and place.  Anna and her sister Maria live in Constantinople in the 14th century.  Omeir is a young boy born with a cleft palate, living with his farming family also in Constantinople.  Zeno lives in Idaho in the 20th century, but also spent time in a POW camp during the Korean War.  Seymour is a young boy on the autism spectrum and lives with his single mother, also in Idaho.  Finally, Konstance is a 12-year old living with her mother and father aboard the Argus starship heading for a distant planet.  

Wow - what a wild ride I went on while reading this book!!  The book jumps back and forth between each of the five main characters, with a portion of the Diogenes fable interspersed at the beginning of each section.  

I really struggled with the first 40% of the book, trying to figure out how the characters all fit together and what was happening.  It finally started to make sense and then I literally flew through the remainder of the book.  I typically don't like non-linear books with diverse storylines, but this one worked.  I would like to read it again with the knowledge I now have about the structure of the book.  

I thoroughly enjoyed discussing it with my book club and came away with a much greater appreciation and knowledge of this book.  

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Book Review: Warning Signs by Tracy Sierra (Advance Reader Copy)

Warning Signs by Tracy Sierra
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Zach and Bonnie (ages 12 and 9) have been trained by their mother on snow/skiing and outdoor safety techniques since they were very young.  Zach's father has arranged a father/son extreme sport skiing weekend with his big investors in hopes of salvaging his ailing business.  The adults in the group are extreme risk takers - ignoring avalanche warnings, overriding their guide's cautions, ignoring threatening weather, and drinking and taking drugs.  Zach is put into multiple situations where his knowledge and experience help him make the right decisions, but not before his life is put into danger.  

This is the second book I've read by Tracy Sierra.  I thoroughly enjoyed her first book, Nightwatching, and this book is just as page-turning!  I was having problems slogging through a 600+ page book for my book club and wanted a fast-paced book to serve as a palate cleanser -- this was exactly what I needed.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book.  It will be published on February 10, 2026.  Place your order now at your local bookseller, or hurry and put your hold on this book at your local library -- you won't regret it!

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Book Review: The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fast-paced suspense novel set in and around the Boston Public Library. Four strangers are in the library researching and writing when a scream is heard. The usually silent reading room buzzes with conversation about the scream, and these four quickly form a friendship. The story-within-a-story in epistolary format gives an additional, unique perspective. This is quite a page-turner and I finished the book in about 36-hours, anxious to find out who-dunit! It had everything I look for in a book - mystery, books, libraries, writers, readers, red herrings. Many thanks for NetGalley for the ARC! Highly recommended!

January 2026 Update: I re-read this book for a buddy read book club, and I liked it just as much the second time around! Of course I didn't remember the actual culprit, so the ending was a surprise to me once again. The story-within-a-story works well to add suspense and to keep the reader guessing.

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My Year in Books - 2025!

Goodreads – My Year in Books - 2025 

According to Goodreads, I read a total of 107 books in 2025.  My goal was cautiously 52 books (one per week).  Here are the details --  

107 books read / 33,676 pages read

Shortest book – The High Line – 32 pages

Longest book – The Poet by Michael Connelly – 597 pages

Average book length – 323 pages

Most shelved – Lessons in chemistry – 3,327,395 people shelved it

Least shelved – Lessons from a one-room schoolteacher – 1 person shelved it (me!!)

My average book rating – 4.2

My first review of the year – What I ate in one year by Stanley Tucci

My last review of the year – The curious charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick

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MY 2025 BOOKS