Happy February, sweet friends. In the midst of my move and the world literally being on fire, I had a solid month of reading and am excited to share what I finished and a few books still in progress. Let’s jump in!
The Ends of Things by Sanda Chwialkowsa
Mystery turned Women’s Fiction | Type: Audiobook
Description: A propulsive literary debut, The Ends of Things is both a thought-provoking suspense and a meditation on female friendship and agency–perfect for fans of The White Lotus and authors like Catherine Steadman and Rachel Hawkins.
She thought she had the perfect life … until she met a stranger in paradise.
Laura Phillips always wanted to travel the world but was too afraid to go it alone. So when her new boyfriend, Dave, invites her on a romantic getaway to the remote island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas, she jumps at the chance.
As soon as they arrive at the Pink Sands resort, Laura and Dave are handed cocktails garnished with umbrellas and led to a luxurious suite. It’s a lovers’ paradise. But when they head down to the pristine beach, Laura notices an oddity among the sunbathing couples: a woman vacationing alone. Intrigued, Laura befriends the woman, Diana, and as they spend time together, Laura finds herself telling Diana secrets she’s never shared with anyone.
But when Diana unexpectedly disappears, Laura suddenly realizes how little she knows about this mysterious woman.
The police suspect Diana may be in danger, and soon Laura herself becomes embroiled in the investigation. Her worries swiftly turn into obsession: Who is Diana? Where did she go? Is she dead? Murdered? As Laura races to find out what happened–and prove her own innocence–she quickly realizes that nothing in this sun-soaked paradise is what it seems, and it’s impossible to know who she can trust. What started out as a dream getaway is turning into a terrifying nightmare …
Review: This book was…fine. I was drawn to the “thrill” the description claimed the book would be but sadly, the book fell completely flat at the end. Admittedly, it had a very, very strong start and middle. I was hooked on the character, this doomsday relationship she was in and wanting this couple trip to completely turn her life around. The mystery wasn’t actually a mystery. The main character made less and less sense as the story went on and how the story ends was very odd. It’s hard to rate this book but I would probably round it up to a 3.25 stars. ** Thank you Libro.fm for the advance listener copy **
The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds by Jennifer Moorman
Magical Realism | Type: Audiobook
Description: Widowed at thirty-five, Josephine Reynolds wishes she could disappear, but her concerned sister convinces her to buy their ancestral home, a Craftsman bungalow in disrepair and foreclosure. It’s a welcome distraction, and Josephine can’t believe her luck when she finds the home’s original door in a salvage yard.
When she installs the door and steps through it, Josephine is transported into 1927, where she meets her great-grandmother Alma, a vivacious and daring woman running an illegal speakeasy in the bungalow’s basement. Immersed in the vibrant Jazz Age, Josephine forms a profound bond with Alma, only to discover upon her return to the present that history has been altered. Alma’s life was tragically cut short in a speakeasy raid just a week after their fateful meeting.
Josephine has a chilling revelation–her own existence is unraveling/vanishing–and she must race against time to rewrite history. Josephine is desperate to not only save Alma but save her own future in a time-bending journey where past and present intertwine in a desperate battle for survival.
Review: This fresh release gave me the feels of so many books I’ve loved in the past: The Invisible life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab mixed with The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid and a sprinkle of A Love Song for Ricki Wild by Tia Williams. This story was completely charming and one that hooked me from the beginning. I am warming up to the genre of magical realism and this book was a pretty perfect description of it. I love that Josephine’s grandmother and friends remembered meeting her and the full circle moment of the man she met at the end being the grandson of someone special in the past. I listened to this book in the midst of moving prep and it reminded me of my goal to host more this year, find any reason to celebrate and why I love being the overdressed friend. 5/5 would recommend! ** Thank you Libro.fm for the advance listener copy **
Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson
Historial Fiction | Type: Audiobook
Description: When ten-year-old Ebby Freeman heard the gunshot, time stopped. And when she saw her brother, Baz, lying on the floor surrounded by the shattered pieces of a centuries-old jar, life as Ebby knew it shattered as well.
The crime was never solved—and because the Freemans were one of the only Black families in a particularly well-to-do enclave of New England—the case has had an enduring, voyeuristic pull for the public. The last thing the Freemans want is another media frenzy splashing their family across the papers, but when Ebby’s high profile romance falls apart without any explanation, that’s exactly what they get.
So Ebby flees to France, only for her past to follow her there. And as she tries to process what’s happened, she begins to think about the other loss her family suffered on that day eighteen years ago—the stoneware jar that had been in their family for generations, brought North by an enslaved ancestor. But little does she know that the handcrafted piece of pottery held more than just her family’s history—it might also hold the key to unlocking her own future.
In this sweeping, evocative novel, Charmaine Wilkerson brings to life a multi-generational epic that examines how the past informs our present.
Review: Next to thrillers, I am learning that multi-generational family dramas with alternating timelines is my favorite type of book and Charmaine Wilkerson, who also authored one of my 2024 favorites Black Cake, is incredible at telling stories like this. I loved the main character and hearing about “the incident” from several perspectives. I also loved the mini stories wrapped in the main like the 9/11 connection and the early American unsung Black artists. I did find the book to be about 10% too long and close to the end, the amount of new characters began to get confusing. However, I would still give this book a solid 4.5/5 and would highly recommend for lovers of Black Cake! ** Thank you Libro.fm for the advance listener copy **
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
Mystery| Type: Audiobook
Description: Growing up Black in rural North Carolina, Ray McMillian’s life is already mapped out. But Ray has a gift and a dream—he’s determined to become a world-class professional violinist, and nothing will stand in his way. Not his mother, who wants him to stop making such a racket; not the fact that he can’t afford a violin suitable to his talents; not even the racism inherent in the world of classical music. 
When he discovers that his beat-up, family fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius, all his dreams suddenly seem within reach, and together, Ray and his violin take the world by storm. But on the eve of the renowned and cutthroat Tchaikovsky Competition—the Olympics of classical music—the violin is stolen, a ransom note for five million dollars left in its place. Without it, Ray feels like he’s lost a piece of himself. As the competition approaches, Ray must not only reclaim his precious violin, but prove to himself—and the world—that no matter the outcome, there has always been a truly great musician within him.
Review: I am coming off the absolute happiness high of having Brendan Slocumb on bookclub with us this month. He was the perfect guest to kick off the year and add a little bit of joy to a stressful January. I also recognized when selecting this book that my bookclub, going on 5 years this summer, had read less than 5 male authors and it was time to shake that up. I would say this novel is more of a cozy mystery than a thriller and I loved it. I felt for Ray from the very beginning and was rooting for him every step of the way. I am not in the industry but growing up as a dancer, I could relate to many of the experiences Ray had and racial discrimination he faced as an artist. I learned so much about playing instruments and was reminded of the piano lessons I’ve had on my vision board for the past couple of years. Anyway, the book was such a warm, cozy winter read and although I suspected the culprit early on, many book club members had did not. A debut novel for Brendan and now the start of a three book connected stand-alone series all centered around performing arts and music.
Okay, those are the books I started and finished in January. I also started two others: The Guilt Pill by Saumya Dave (to be released April 2025 – thank you Harlequin Trade for the advance reader copy) and The Favorites by Layne Fargo. I am still reading the Guilt Pill on my kindle and finished The Favorites this weekend.
For #LotsofBookClub, we are reading We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds and discussing on Thursday, 2/27 at 8pm. Find all the deets: on the bookclub homepage here.
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Thanks so much for reading, friends! Have a lovely week xoxo
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