I love this book. The story was interesting, about a women named Bree who spent her days searching for the wreckage that claimed the lives of her husband and son. Her occupation is K9 search and rescue with her dog Sampson. The book is an easy read and uplifting. Colleen Coble is a Christian author, which I didn't know til I was halfway through the first book.

In this story by Zoraida Cordova, there is rich Latin American folklore and incredible fantasy blended together to create the book known as Labyrinth Lost, the first book in the Brooklyn Brujas series. Alex Mortiz is a witch, although in her world, they’re called brujas. Alex, more than anything, wants to get rid of the magic that she knows she’ll eventually discover. Unfortunately, Alex’s first display of magic happens, and suddenly she’s all set up for a Deathday; plus, Alex turns out to be an encantrix, the once-in-a-lifetime On her Deathday, Alex casts a spell to banish her magic forever, but instead, she ends up banishing her mother and two sisters to Los Lagos, the in-between land for the living and the dead. Her only hope is to team up with a brujo named Nova and dive into the fantastical realm of Los Lagos.

This book was complex in how it portrayed grief and how it can affect family/friends/lovers. There were thoughts I read that someone I know has expressed feeling at that time in their life and made me reflect on if I did the right things during that time.

Eileen is a dark and disturbing Christmastime story about a young woman living in an unnamed New England town, sometime in the 1960s, caring for her alcoholic father while working at a prison for boys. Is Eileen an unreliable narrator or are things really about to go off the rails? Moshfegh's writing paints a vivid picture of this bleak winter, and the doomed friendship that gives Eileen a sliver of hope for her future.

Probably more of a three and a half star read, but rounded up because I couldn't seem to put it down. Mia is a London actress headed to LA to find her big break. While auditioning there, she meets a girl named Emily - who proceeds to be the weirdest person ever. After panicking about potentially running past her meter, Emily proceeds to give Mia her wallet and car keys so Mia can pay it for her. And then she vanishes. Gone. She leaves no contact info of any sort, nor does she wait by her car - instead she seems to disappear for days, leaving Mia, a complete stranger, with all her valuables and no idea what to do. Thus starts Mia's quest to find Emily, which is much harder than you would think it today's world - especially when it takes Mia a long time to figure out she should really open the wallet so she can at least have a last name for Emily. The book was quick paced and full of action, and I really felt for the terribly awkward position Mia was placed into. However, I didn't love the weird moments of sexism that the author threw in - I'm not sure why we had to have Mia have a "gut feeling" that it clearly could not have been a woman behind Emily's disappearance, for instance. The ending was also kind of over the top. I didn't LOVE this book, but I did enjoy it and I think it's good for a fun read.

This book was amazing, but I can't give it five starts because it was to romantic for me.

This was fantastic. I couldn't put it down, and read the entire thing throughout two reading sessions in one day, because sleep was not an option until I had answers. It's like the romantic comedy version of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. August has just moved to New York to try and get lost in the city. She's been alone almost her entire life, as her uncle went missing before she was born and her mother has been dedicated to finding out what happened to him ever since. August learned to speak so she could ask questions, and learned to read so she could help sort through files. She was practically raised to be a detective, but she's done with that now. Now, she's going to finish college and figure out what she wants to do with the rest of her life. At least, that was the plan, before she a wreck of a first day that is ultimately salvaged by meeting a girl named Jane on the subway. Jane is quickly all encompassing - she has a way of being able to charm anyone - and before August knows what's happening she's meeting up with Jane on her commute every day. But no matter how many times August asks Jane to meet up with her outside of the subway, it just doesn't seem to happen. Because Jane can't ever leave the subway. Originally from the 70s, Jane has been stuck riding the same line for fifty years, with no idea what's going on. August makes it her new mission to find a way to free Jane - even if that means they can't be together anymore. I loved discovering what happened to Jane, and the highly supportive atmosphere August has found herself in. This is such a cute, up-lifting book.

This is the true story of Elizabeth Packard who's husband had her put in a mental hospital because she dared to have ideas and opinions that were different from his. At the beginning she befriends the head doctor at the hospital but later he turns on her and she has to experience terrible conditions. The story revolves around how she gets released and then goes on to fight for the rights of women wrongly placed in these institutions and improves the conditions of those who have to stay. She also has to fight to regain her family of 6 children. It is very interesting but also incredible that such things were actually considered normal at one time.

I liked this book in spite of several negatives. It was extremely slow. And it had a lot of holes in the plot and unlikely coincidences. But I found the story entertaining and I was hooked to keep reading to find out who was murdered and why. I listened to the audiobook, which has the benefit of multiple narrators to bring the characters to life.

The books centers around Catherine always wondering what would have happened if she had a baby with her teen love. She thinks she missed out on a life of love and happiness, but does not realize the extent of the betrayal by her lover and her friend carried on throughout their marriage. The books drags in the middle with way too much description about the music career of Jimmy and could have had more of a focus on the emotions Jimmy experiences during the loss of his marriage.