ginasbookreport

As the holidays are approaching, thoughts of how to make the season magical start to take hold. There is little I like more than reading a book next to a beautiful Christmas tree with sparkling white lights. (Well, okay, I do love reading next to a pool or on a beach a bit more, but I digress!) We don’t have children, but both have the heart and eyes of a child during December and this led to a tradition of gifting each other an advent that we open together every day. This year’s advent consists of BOOKS! I thought I’d share how we went about building an adult book advent. Building the List If you are planning to build a book advent, it’s likely for someone who loves to read and that means they probably has a few shelves of books. What about the long list of novels they have already read? How do you figure out what books to include that will be fresh, of interest, and don’t break the bank. Our solution: Pinterest …create a Secret Board shared with only the participants. Each person th

A Spindle Splintered (Fractured Fable series) by Alix E. Harrow Publisher:  Tordotcom Ginasbookreport Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Fantasy Read This If You Love: Wicked  or The Ten Thousand Doors of January My own will might matter. — Zinnia Gray Zinnia Gray is terminally ill from an industrial accident. Her rare condition has never been survived past the age of 21. Charm, Zinnia’s best friend, throws her a fairy tale-themed birthday bash. Suddenly, Zinnia is transported into Perceforest, which is a far cry from Ohio. Perceforest is a realm in which she must do more than try not to die, but actually strive to live.  At its core, A Spindle Splintered , is a fairy-tale re-imagining of the classic Sleeping Beauty . However, this short novel is so much more than the classic damsel in distress with no autonomy of her own. This is a modern feminist fairy tale where curses are actually cussing and women get a voice. This series from Harrow is what happens when women get to write their own story. 

All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien Publisher:  William & Morrow Company Ginasbookreport Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Literature / Mystery Read This If You Love: A Woman Is No Man Just let him go. — Ky Tran When Ky’s brother Denny is killed, she feels responsible and sets out to discover what really happened. Through the investigation we are transported into the world of Vietnamese-Australians and the complexities of trying to maintain one’s heritage and belong in a world that isn’t always welcoming. Ky explores the bonds between friendship, family, and society. It’s a heart-wrenching look at addiction, abuse, and racial discrimination.  I found this book to be an enlightening and educational read and consumed All That’s Left Unsaid  as an audiobook. All of the performers were really great, but I personally connected to the chapters told through a child’s voice and perspective. It was so informative, humorous, and touching. Lien nailed the honesty and forthrightness of a child. Throu

It’s Tuesday and that means more new books are hitting the shelves! I am sooo excited for one book in particular… Available 11.15.23 Have I Told You This Already?: Stories I Don’t Want to Forget to Remember by Lauren Graham Publisher: Ballantine Books Genre: Humor/Memoir Synopsis from the Publisher:  Lauren Graham has graced countless television screens with her quick-witted characters and hilarious talk show appearances, earning a reputation as a pop culture icon who always has something to say. In her latest book,  Have I Told You This Already?,  Graham combines her signature sense of humor with down-to-earth storytelling. Graham shares personal stories about her life and career—from her early days spent pounding the pavement while waitressing in New York City, to living on her aunt’s couch during her first Los Angeles pilot season, to thoughts on aging gracefully in Hollywood. In “R.I.P. Barneys New York” Graham writes about an early job as a salesperson at the legendary department

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow Publisher:  Orbit Books Ginasbookreport Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre:  Fantasy Read This If You Love: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Every story opens a door. It’s a rare 5 ⭐️ book!!! Why isn’t this book on ALL the best lists? It should be. Let’s start with the production quality of this book. The cover is beautifully designed and really connects to the feeling of the content. Generally I’m a read-a-book-in-whatever-format-you-prefer-type of reader. However, I loved the feel of this paperback. The selection of the paper is such a nice stock and helps to put the reader into the book within this book. The entire package really is a piece of art. From the author photo and paper edge treatment, the production quality is top notch. (As a former Production Director, I really appreciate the care and expense of those decisions.) The story…the writing…all of it! Amazingly breathtaking. This book fits into every genre…horror, fantasy, mystery,

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger Publisher:  Park Row Books Ginasbookreport Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre:  Family Drama / Thriller Read This If You Love:  Crime Documentaries In this new suspense novel by the talented Lisa Unger, everyone seems to have something to hide. It was like a mash up of true crime documentary stories collided and formed a suspense novel. Gripping! When Hannah gathers with her parents, brother, and sister-in-law for Christmas, someone sneaks one last gift under the tree…DNA test kits. Cut to family retreat six months later and all hell breaks loose. Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six is a stormy thunderbolt of action wrapped up in plots you would find in a true crime documentary. I was hooked on this book and would have read it in one night if I hadn’t been so tired from the day. Books often rush through an ending that feels unsatisfying, but not this one. I was fully invested until the last paragraph. This is the right book for you if you like a complex family dynam

The Retreat by Sarah Pearse Publisher:  Pamela Dorman Books/Viking Ginasbookreport Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 Genre: Crime Read This If You Love: The Sanatorium In this follow up novel to The Sanatorium , we are back with Detective Elin Warner as she picks up the pieces and gets back to work. Once again, Elin finds herself investigating a death in a secluded location. This time it is on a island enveloped by a stormy sea. Not just any island, this place has a long history as the scene of a murder of students on an outbound retreat. With the Reaper’s Rock formation hovering over the island, everyone is on edge as bodies start to pile up.  From the beginning, I was excited about this book. It fits into my all-time favorite type of novel…mystery/crime with quick chapters, lots of movement, developed characters, and clues throughout. I liked the first book in the series well enough to read another Elin case and both books are locked room/isolated setting mysteries, which is a trope I enjoy.  Howeve

Dead and Gondola by Ann Claire Publisher: Bantam an imprint of Random House Ginasbookreport Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Cozy Mystery / Whodunnit Read This If You Love: Fluffy mysteries Dead and Gondola  is the first in the new Christie Bookshop series. Yes! That’s right…the series centers around a bookshop that is all things Christie. Perfect for those of us who love mysteries. Set in the charming little hamlet of Last Word, the Christie sisters (no relation) have taken over running The Book Chalet. Everything is picture perfect until a strange man arrives along with a massive snow storm. The sisters find themselves supplying books for the snow-stranded townspeople and investigating a murder and other mysteries. Dun Dun Duuuuunnnnn!!! I really enjoyed this quaint novel. It’s packed full of colorful characters, including resident cat Agatha. My personal favorite character is Glynis who is the town busy body. Are there tons of references to Agatha Christie? Yes. Did I love that? Yes. I’m s