Littoral Librarian

    The Burglar by Thomas Perry

    I am generally a fan of Thomas Perry’s books, so I was happy to get a copy of The Burglar from Grove Atlantic/Mysterious Press and NetGalley in return for my honest review. As the story opens, we meet the protagonist, a petite blonde named Elle who is a successful burglar in the rich neighborhoods around …

    Yes We (Still) Can by Dan Pfeiffer

    I was super excited to get a copy of DanPfeifer’s book Yes We (Still) Can: Politics in the Age of Obama, Twitter, and Trump from Twelve Books and NetGalley in return for my honest review. If you know and love Crooked Media and Pod Save America, as I do, you will love this book. If …

    The Menendez Murders by Robert Rand

      If you want a comprehensive book on the Menendez murders, your wait is over! I just read The Menendez Murders: The Shocking Untold Story of the Menendez Family and the Killings that Stunned the Nation by Robert Rand (thanks to BenBella Books and NetGalley) and now I know way more about this case than …

    An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

    “Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed.” I was happy to receive a review copy of “An Anonymous Girl,” the second novel by the duo responsible for “The Wife Between Us” (thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley) – so, in return, here is my honest …

    Transcription by Kate Atkinson

    I have loved many of Kate Atkinson’s books (esp the Jackson Brodie series), and was happy to receive a copy of Transcription from Little, Brown & Co. and NetGalley In return for my honest review. Possibly I am just burned out on historical fiction set in and around WWII featuring a plucky heroine, but…this didn’t …

    On Desperate Ground by Hampton Sides

    My husband is a military history buff – if we are in a bookstore and get separated, I know I will find him in the military history section, and if I lose him in a public library, I just look in the 940s through the 990s. He has read hundreds of books on military history …

    Lords of the Desert by James Hall

    I confess to a high level of ignorance (or a low level of awareness, depending on how I feel that day) about the Middle East. I know things are basically a huge mess there, have been for many years, and seem unlikely to improve (despite Jared Kushner being put in charge of peace in the …

    Natural Causes by Barbara Ehrenreich

    Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed is one of my all-time favorite books, and I have recommended it to MANY people over the years. Several people have admitted to having their eyes opened enough that they began to see invisible workers such as hotel housekeeping staff as real people who should ALWAYS be tipped. So I …

    The Witch Elm by Tana French

     Publication date: October 9, 2018 I have LOVED Tana French’s series of books featuring various characters from the Dublin Murder Squad, so when Penguin Group Viking and NetGalley provided me with the opportunity to read The Witch Elm  in return for my honest review, I was ecstatic. It is a standalone novel, unrelated to the …

    Safe Houses by Dan Fesperman

    I love fiction that includes some political intrigue/espionage, and if it is a mystery/thriller that’s all the better! Cold War timeframe is great if done well (I loved Jake Tapper’s Hellfire Club, for example). Dan Fesperman’s Safe Houses seemed right up my alley, especially as it was praised by Lee Child as being “One of …

    Heartland by Sarah Smarsh

    Many years ago, I read Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed and it knocked my socks off. When I saw Sarah Smarsh’s Heartland had been favorably compared to it and recommended to people who liked it, I jumped at the opportunity (provided by Scribner and NetGalley) to read it in exchange for my honest review. First …

    Lacks Self-Control by Roy Sekoff

    How could you pass up a book subtitled “True Stories I Waited Until My Parents Died to Tell”?? I couldn’t. I wasn’t familiar with Roy Sekoff, although I’m a fan of The Huffington Post  (he was the founding editor). Plus, there’s this promotional blurb: “If David Sedaris, Chelsea Handler, Larry David, and Caitlin Moran had the …

    The Lies We Told by Camilla Way

      I truly enjoyed Camilla Way’s book Watching Edie, so I decided that I should just carve out a DAY to wallow in her latest, The Lies We Told, which I received from Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for writing this honest review. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers, YOU HAVE …

    The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain

      I am a bit of a fan of Diane Chamberlain’s books, so I was really happy to receive a copy of The Dream Daughter (thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review. TBH, I didn’t even read the promotional material, figuring if it was as enjoyable as Necessary Lies, …

    Accused by Amber Hunt

    I loved the Accused podcast that discussed the (subtitle) “unsolved murder of Elizabeth Andes.” This book is essentially a transcript of the nine episodes that make up season #1 of the podcast. If you have listened to the podcast, this is nothing new except a nice introduction by Amber, and some comments in the epilogue. …

    Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult

    Just two years ago, in my review of Jodi Picoult’s Small Great Things, I related that “when a friend and former library co-worker basically sniffed her disapproval when I told her I liked Jodi Picoult’s books, our friendship was changed forever.” I worked for several years  in public libraries and tried not to be judgmental …

    Visible Empire by Hannah Pittard

    I was REALLY looking forward to reading Hannah Pittard”s new book Invisible Empire. Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley, I received a copy in exchange for this honest review. The book is based on the real-life crash of an Air France flight seconds into takeoff from Orly airport in Paris in 1962. 130 people …

    Rush by Lisa Patton

    I received a copy of Lisa Patton’s new book RUSH from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley in return for my honest review. I thought it sounded like it would be light entertainment – what some call a “beach read.” Sounded perfect—I mean, I LIVE at the beach and with the crap going on in our …