The Ascent

 

Author: Adam Plantinga

Narrators: Charles Halford and Christine Lakin

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing 

Year: 2024

Happy Friday! Any exciting plans for the weekend? 

Kurt is a former hard charging Detroit cop. Grieving the death of his wife, he goes on a road trip for a change of scenery. When he sees a young girl being lured away by a predator, he steps in to help and beats the guy up. Kurt didn’t know the guy was connected to the corrupt local sheriff. Kurt is arrested and charged. Instead of keeping Kurt in the local lockup until his arraignment, the sheriff sends him to a high security prison. Julie, the governor’s daughter, is a grad student on a tour of the prison as part of a class assignment. While at the prison, the security and communications systems go down, releasing all the prisoners. Mayhem ensues. Kurt helps Julie and two state troopers fight to survive an onslaught of the state’s most dangerous convicts as they try to make their way up to the top floor of the prison to call for help. 

This is an over the top, action packed thriller by author Adam Plantinga. Kurt is a rough and tough guy who’s not afraid of a fight and to mete out his own form of justice. He reminded me of Jack Reacher, but bloodier. The pace is nonstop and I enjoyed the narration by Charles Halford and Christine Lakin. This one reads like an action movie on steroids. Is it believable? Nope. Did I like it anyway? I sure did. Will I read the next book in this series? I sure will. 

#crimefiction #mysterybooks #thrillerbooks #bibliofile #reader #readinglife #alwaysreading #booksbooksbooks #bookish #bookrecomendation #bookworm 

#booklover #bookstagram#librarybook #lovemylibrary

#audiobook #audiobookstagram #audiobookreview #audiobookrec

#theascent #adamplantinga #grandcentralpublishing #backlistbook 

About the Author

Adam Plantinga is a patrol sergeant with the San Francisco Police Department whose first two nonfiction books— 400 Things Cops Know and Police Craft— have become his calling cards to the world of thrillers. 400 Things was nominated for an Agatha, a Macavity, and was deemed “the new Bible for crime writers” by the Wall Street Journal. Adam’s fiction debut, The Ascent, was published in 2024 and became a USA Today bestseller. Hard Town, his second novel, published earlier this month. 

Heartwood

 

Author: Amity Gaige

Narrators: Justine Lupe, Alma Cuervo, Rebecca Lowman, Ali Andre Ali, Cary Hite, Helen Laser

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Year: 2025

Many thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for the gifted audiobook. 

I’ve seen this book all over bookstagram and I’m here to say the hype is real. Heartwood by Amity Gaige is the story of a woman who goes missing while hiking the Appalachian Trail in Maine. When Valerie  doesn’t rendezvous with her husband at particular point, the authorities are notified. Beverly, a veteran Maine State Game Warden, leads the search and rescue. While the search unfolds, Lena, an elderly woman in a retirement home miles from Maine, becomes obsessed with the mystery of the lost hiker. 

I really enjoyed how the author wove together all the different threads into a riveting and emotional story. Valerie’s personality really comes out in her journal entries and in interviews with a fellow hiker she befriended on the trail. I really liked Beverly’s story of making her career in what was once a male only profession. Her dedication and service in the job she loved fueled her search for Valerie. The multiple POV kept the tension steady as the search went on. The mystery of what happened to Valerie kept me listening. I binged listening to this one because was so riveting. The multi cast narrators did a fantastic job of bringing the characters and story to life. I highly recommend Heartwood if you’re looking for a story full of heart with strong female characters. 

Have you ever taking on a physically and mentally demanding goal like hiking the Appalachian Trail? 

#heartwood #amitygaige #simonaudio #mysterybooks #audiobook #audiobookstagram #audiobookreview #audiobookrec 

#adventurefiction #hiking #appaliciantrail #reader #readwithjenna

About the Author

Amity Gaige is the author of four previous novels, O My Darling, The Folded World, Schroder, and Sea Wife. Sea Wife was a 2020 New York Times Notable Book and a finalist for the Mark Twain American Voice Award. Schroderwas also a New York TimesNotable Book and a best book of 2013 according to TheWashington Post, The Wall Street Journal, among others, and was shortlisted for UK’s Folio Prize in 2014. Her work has been translated into eighteen languages. In 2018, Amity was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in Fiction. She lives in West Hartford, Connecticut, with her family and teaches creative writing at Yale. 

The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne

 

Author: Ron Currie, Jr.

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Year: 2025

Babs Dionne is a very proud Franco American, loving grandma, and ruthless crime boss. She knows everybody and everything that goes on her small town while she controls the drug trade with the help of her oldest friends and older daughter. Her enterprise and her family are threatened when another drug kingpin who wants Babs and her network to work for him sends a ruthless fixer to Babs’s town. It can’t be a coincidence that Babs’s younger daughter goes missing at the same time. 

This is a dark and sometimes darkly humorous book. I liked that the town’s criminal enterprise is run by a bunch of grannies and they can be cold-blooded- especially Babs. I don’t want to give too much away because I think the less you know going in the better. The pace is fast, the town is bleak, the characters are well drawn, and the story is heartbreaking at times. I recommend this one especially if you’re looking for a different kind of thriller/suspense story. Just be aware there are numerous trigger warnings including sexual assault, PTSD, and physical abuse. 

Several characters in this book speak English and French. Can you speak more than one language? 

Sadly I can’t. I took Spanish, Latin, and Greek in high school. Never kept up with it after high school. 

#crimefiction #mysterybooks #thrillerbooks #bibliofile #reader #readinglife #alwaysreading #booksbooksbooks #bookish #bookrecomendation #bookworm 

#booklover #bookstagram #librarybook #lovemylibrary #thesavagenobledeathofbabsdionne #putnambooks 

About the Author 

Ron Currie is the author of four novels. He has won the New York Public Library’s Young Lions Award, the Addison M. Metcalf Award, the Alex Award, and the Pushcart Prize. His books have been translated into fifteen languages, and his short fiction and nonfiction have received recognition in Best American anthologies. As a screenwriter he worked most recently on the Apple TV+ series Extrapolations and has developed projects with AMC Studios, Amblin Television, and ITV America. He lives in Portland, Maine and teaches in the University of Southern Maine Stonecoast MFA program.

Class Clown

 

Author: Dave Barry

Narrator: Dave Barry

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Publication date: May 13, 2025

Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio for the gifted audiobook. 

Humorist Dave Barry recounts his life & career in his latest book Class Clown. He began his career as a small town newspaper reporter who covered everything from the city council to local flooding. He started writing humorous columns for the paper. He then spent a number of years as a writing consultant teaching corporate business people to be better communicators. He continued to write his humorous takes on whatever captured his attention, eventually landing a job as the humor columnist for the Miami Herald. His column was syndicated in newspapers across the country. He also played in a rock band with Stephen King and other prominent writers. 

Barry is a funny guy with a quirky sense of humor that’s on full display throughout this book. He helped popularize Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19) when the two guys who came up with the idea wrote Barry asking to get the word out. He lead his readers on a crusade against telemarketers. This was in the time before caller id and cell phones. He urged his readers to turn the tables on telemarketers by calling the national telemarketers association. The association had to stop answering its phones because of all the unwanted calls. His work as a humorist took him on the campaign trail, the Johnny Carson Show,  and David Letterman. He even won a Pulitzer Prize for his work at the Miami Herald. His life wasn’t all full of laughs though. He recounts his father’s battle with alcoholism and his mother’s depression and eventual suicide. 

I’m old enough to remember reading Barry’s columns in the newspaper when they were syndicated around the country. This was like a trip down memory lane for me. I really enjoyed Barry’s narration. He does a wonderful job. It made the listening experience more satisfying. This was a fun, quick, and entertaining read and celebration of an incredible life & career. I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a book to make you laugh. Class Clown comes out May 13 so preorder it or add it your tbr now. 

About the Author

Dave Barry is an author and humorist who won a Pulitzer Prize for his syndicated column, which ran in more than 500 newspapers and was the inspiration for the TV show Dave's World. He has also written dozens of bestselling books, most recently Lessons From Lucy: The Simple Joys of an Old, Happy Dog. His new novel, Swamp Story, will be published by Simon and Schuster in June of 2023.

Along with Ridley Pearson, Barry wrote the bestselling Starcatchers series of young-adult novels, one of which was adapted as the Tony-award winning Broadway play Peter and the Starcatcher.

 

Dead of Summer

 

Author: Jessa Maxwell

Publisher: Atria Books

Publication date: July 22, 2025

Happy Thriller Thursday! Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the e-arc! 

Orla returns to her childhood home on a remote New England island in Dead of Summer by Jessa Maxwell. Orla’s best friend Alice mysteriously disappeared from the island years ago. Although Alice was presumed drowned, her body was never found.  Being back home stirs up memories for Orla about what really happened to Alice. 

David, Orla’s former crush and son a very wealthy family, is also back on the island for the summer. David has brought along his girlfriend Faith to the island. While David spends most of his time talking business with his demanding father, Faith becomes interested in the story of the missing Alice. Looming above the island is lifelong resident Henry and his telescope. Henry’s lives in a house on a rock just off the island. He spends all his time watching the residents and tourists on the island. He lives in a self imposed exile because of rumors he was involved in Alice’s disappearance. 

When another young girl goes missing after all these years, memories and secrets are stirred up. Orla, Faith, and Henry are pulled into the mystery. 

This is a perfect summer beach or pool read! I was drawn right into the story. This is an atmospheric thriller with lots of summer vibes. The pace is good with lots of rising tension. I also enjoyed the multiple POV. There are twists, turns, and secrets galore. This is a quick read and entertaining thriller. It’s out July 22, so preorder it or add it to your tbr list now. You don’t want to miss this one. 

What’s your favorite season? Mine is summer. 

#deadofsummer #jessamaxwell #atriabooks #netgalley #crimefiction #mysterybooks #thrillerbooks #bibliofile #reader #readinglife #alwaysreading #booksbooksbooks #bookish #bookrecomendation #bookworm #booklover #bookstagram #summervibes #beachread

About the Author

Jessa Maxwell is the nationally bestselling author of The Golden Spoon, I Need You to Read This, and Dead of Summer. She is also the author and illustrator of five picture books for children. Her comics and cartoons have been published in The New Yorker and The New York Times and her writing has been published in Slate, Marie Claire, and many others. She now lives in Jamestown, Rhode Island, with her husband, two cats and three-legged dog. 

Ghost Station

 

Author: S.A. Barnes 

Narrator: Zura Johnson

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Year: 2024

When I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut. But then i found out an astronaut had to be good at math and that was the end of that. Every now and then a space opera is a nice change of genre for me. I loved S.A Barnes’ Dead Silence, so I was excited to try her second book. Ghost Station is a spaced based psychological thriller/horror. A psychologist who specializes in treating a space-based condition that could result in extreme violence joins a small exploration crew. Not long after they land on an abandoned planet, things start to go horribly wrong. 

This is a slow burning story and the set up takes a while. Ophelia, the main character, wasn’t my favorite. I thought she was kind of annoying and there was too much internal monologue. I thought the ending was a bit too abrupt. The story ended with a whimper instead of a bang. The listening time for the audiobook is just under 15 hours. I think that was a little too long and a quicker pace would have helped keep my interest more. One thing I did enjoy was the narration by Zura Johnson. She does an admirable job bringing the story to life. This ended up being just ok for me, but I’m looking forward to her next book. 

How do you feel if a book by an author you usually enjoy doesn’t do it for you? Do you give the author another chance? I realize not every book is going to wow me, so I’d keep reading them. 

 #reader #readinglife #alwaysreading #booksbooksbooks #bookish #bookrecomendation #bookworm 

#booklover #bookstagram #librarybook #lovemylibrary#audiobook #audiobookstagram #audiobookreview #audiobookrec 

About the Author

S.A. Barnes works in a high school library by day, recommending reads, talking with students, and removing the occasional forgotten cheese stick as bookmark. Barnes has published numerous novels across different genres under the pen name Stacey Kade. She lives in Illinois with more dogs and books than is advisable and a very patient husband.

All the Water in the Workd

 

Author: Eiren Caffell

Narrator: Eunice Wong

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Year: 2025

All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall is a post apocalyptic climate change survival story. Nonie, her sister Bix, and their parents survived the initial societal collapse. They stayed in NYC with a small group of scientists and reachers and made a settlement atop  the American Museum of Natural History. Life wasn’t easy, but they were relatively safe and surviving. Nonie has a special gift of feeling when storms are coming and what kinds of storms- from a gently rainfall to a massively destructive hypercane. 

When a hypercane hits, Nonie, Bix, their father, and their Keller are forced to flee. Their plan is to make their way to a farm upstate and hopefully find safety there. 

This is a thoughtful story of society’s collapse and survival in a new world. It stresses the importance of keeping a record of the things that used to be. The group worked very hard to preserve and create a record of the museum’s collections while they lived on the building’s roof. The story includes many of the things one expects to find in a dystopian world- like food shortages, scarce medicine, and small communities run by evil people. 

I thought this was an interesting and, at times, scary story. It doesn’t take a great leap of imagination to think this could happen sometime in the not too distant future. Eunice Wong’s narration is spot on and really enhanced the story for me. I definitely recommend this literary and thought provoking novel. 

What do you think of dystopian novels? Are you a fan? Throw out some recommendations if you have any. 

#bibliofile #reader #readinglife #alwaysreading #booksbooksbooks #bookish #bookrecomendation #bookworm #booklover #bookstagram #librarybook #lovemylibrary#audiobook #audiobookstagram#audiobookreview #audiobookrec #allthewaterintheworld 

About the Author

Eiren Caffall is a writer and musician based in Chicago. Her writing on loss and nature, oceans and extinction has appeared in Guernica, The Los Angeles Review of Books, Literary Hub, Al Jazeera, The Rumpus, and the anthology Elementals: Volume IV Fire, forthcoming in 2024 from The Center for Humans and Nature. She received a 2023 Whiting Award in Creative Nonfiction, a Social Justice News Nexus fellowship, and residencies at the Banff Centre, Millay Colony, MacDowell Colony (waitlisted), Hedgebrook, and Ragdale. Row House Publishing released her first book and memoir, The Mourner’s Bestiary, in 2024, and her novel, All the Water in the World, released by St. Martin’s Press earlier this year.