a Look at a Book

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh

This book felt, to me, like a cross between Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, and The Rosie Project – possibly with some themes from A Man Called Ove thrown in. Isadora gives readers a delightful look into what makes someone’s life truly happy and meaningful.
Isadora is a researcher at Chicago University whose life has been far too isolated for most of her life. After reading an article about 30 things to do to make your life happier, she decides to prove that author wrong – that simply changing your actions can’t make you happier. 

I enjoyed listening to the audio version of this book, and I also found the premise interesting. While there was a little too much angst toward the end of the book, with a predictable plot twist when you’d think she would just figure it out and get on with it already, it’s a sweet, chaste romance and love letter to community.

The Last Eye of Time by Guy W. Nettleton

(Please note: the cover is way different than the ARC I received . . . it’s creepier. Not my favorite.)
This debut from author Guy W. Nettleton was a solid start. It has characters that intrigued me and drew me into their story, a world that slowly reveals itself throughout the book, a twist on the typical battle of good vs evil, and some hints at the back story – that I’m guessing will be explained further in subsequent books, since this is simply book one of a trilogy. 

The writing ability of the author reminded me a bit of Christopher Paolini’s writing at the beginning of the Eragon series – it has the bones of a good story, though there are some rough spots that could use some polishing. Overall, though, it was a good read!

The beginning was fantastic. I wanted to keep reading from the first couple of sentences. You know those books where there is this hero who manages again and again to make it through trouble, and doesn’t realize there is something special about him? That would describe the protagonist here and you’re introduced to him right away.

I also really love the underdog, small band of rebels trope that we find here and characters who have a moral code of loyalty, bravery, and fighting even when it seems there’s not much hope. 

The technology piece of the book is fairly confusing, but is made more clear by the end of the book. I hope there are some more answers in the coming books. 

As for love stories, romance is not a huge part of this book, though there is one relationship and there are hints of perhaps future ones. 

All in all, I’d say take a chance on this debut and read it! And thanks to NetGalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Its release date was August 14, 2025! P.S. Since it’s new as of this year, the cheaper price is not on Thriftbooks as of the writing of this post.

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

Clocking in at just under 25 hours of audio, this book is one hefty tome. I probably wouldn’t have even tried it had my sister not given it the stellar recommendation that she listened to it for several hours straight on a long road trip. It has to be good to keep our attention spans on the highway for hours on end! 

And indeed, I found it enthralling, too. I found myself wishing my typical 30-minute drives were just a tad longer or that there were a few more dishes (!!!) to wash so I could keep listening. 

What made it compelling for me was mainly that I couldn’t figure out who was “good” and who was “bad” for the majority of the book. Sanderson did a great job at truly making the political machinations of the city seemingly overt, while adding an underlayer of subtle and intricate workings. When you add to that the character development of some of the main characters, and some solid world-building, you have a great story. 

If you’re a fantasy fan, specifically of Sanderson-type books, give this a read/listen. I don’t need to tell you any more details than what I did above. It’s great even going in blind, like I did.

The Keeper by Charles Martin

Also inspired by a bookish conversation with two of my siblings, I checked out The Keeper from my library after learning that what I thought was the last of this series, was, in fact, not. I have read most of Charles Martin’s backlist, but lost track of his work in the last year or two. I have his other recently published book on hold now too! 

The Keeper is the next (? or last?) installment in Martin’s series on a couple of guys and their team who rescue people from human trafficking. Whether they’re high-profile abduction cases or the more typical every day people who are conned or forced into trafficking, Murphy Shepherd and his mentor, Bones, will go to any lengths to save them. 

To be honest, after reading so much of Martin’s work, I get a little annoyed at his in-book references to others of his works. If he wove in characters from other books, that would feel different than mentioning others of his works. If that makes sense. I also found some aspects of this book to be predictable.
That being said, however, I still find his non-preachy writing style so compelling in the ways that he gets at the heart of being human and what true love is. It’s almost like reading a devotional wrapped in a captivating story. His work truly edifies the reader. And, in the case of this series, it strikes at all of our hearts. That these types of things happen in real life, in real time, to people today, is beyond horrific. 

Don’t pick up this, or another book in the series, if you have triggers surrounding abuse. It obviously deals with it, since the main guys rescue people from trafficking. Do pick up this book (or the first of its series The Water Keeper) if you are in need of a book filled with hope, truth, and goodness that pierces through the darkness of this world.

All The Ways You Save Me by Melissa Weisner

Second chance trope with some crazy twists.

The ways that Madeline and Adam help heal each other’s hurt is a beautiful story. While I can’t imagine having that soul-level connection to a high school sweetheart who I only knew for six months before he died, I suppose that could happen, especially when they bonded so deeply over some of their difficult life experiences and had that “I feel like I’ve known you forever” sense which you don’t find often in life.

Positives: While I suspected some parts of the plot, I didn’t fully grasp it all until about when it was revealed. I like not knowing everything in advance as I read.

I enjoyed Madeline’s character and her sticking to her convictions/going with her gut even when those close to her told her to move on. The description of the setting and the love of the little island where she grew up were compelling for me since I can’t picture the life of someone who can just go and surf or hang out at the beach every day in the summer. It sounds lovely!

I like the trail of crumbs that the author left for the next book that is to come . . . I really want to know what made Madeline’s mom move their family with no notice. What’s behind all of that?

This book, despite the critiques below, stuck with me past the final page. I found myself mulling over some of the parts and the insights into life, death, grief, and love.

Critiques:
The best friend character was confusing. While the author did drop plenty of hints that he was jealous of Adam, the male protagonist, getting the girl, I also felt like the reveal at the end made his character a little too simplistic and flat.

Some other parts were a bit unbelievable for me. I don’t want to give spoilers, so I won’t say more. I did suspend belief for a few parts, but it didn’t detract too much from the story.

Cuss words. I mean, I know people use them, but . . . do we have to print them so much in books?

A couple of open door scenes which I try to avoid. You have been warned if you, too, try to avoid them!

In sum, I liked the book well enough, though it’s not a top favorite. If you want a book with some spicy romance, some suspense and danger thrown in, along with heartbreak and redemption, pick up this second chance love story.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Incredible Kindness of Paper by Evelyn Skye

I read an e-ARC of this book way back in January of this year, so I’ve been waiting ages to tell you about it! While I have some criticisms of the book, I mostly loved it, and couldn’t wait to tell people about it.

The Incredible Kindness of Paper is a heartfelt and uplifting story both about spreading kindness and about a second chance at first love.

Chloe and Oliver grew up as best friends after meeting via school pen pals, but one day, at the age of sixteen, Oliver and his family disappeared without a trace. Chloe is devastated and heartbroken, but eventually picks herself up and moves on with her life. Oliver is devastated and heartbroken as well, but he experiences trauma due to his dysfunctional mom and makes the decision to close himself off to any new friendships or relationships. He finds solace in doing math and providing for his dad and brother. Through both outward happenstance in Chloe’s and Oliver’s lives and some sort of magical, soul-level connection that they’ve always shared, this book is the story of how they find their way back to each other.

Overall, I liked the pacing the author used to interweave Chloe and Oliver’s history with their present-day circumstances. It was also beautiful to get details of the stories of others who were uplifted by Chloe’s messages in the origami flowers. I could feel the difference between the lonely beginning, and the blossoming of community, which is something everyone needs and craves – even the closed-off Olivers of the world! So many of the characters grew personally in some way throughout the book, and that fills my heart in a way I can’t describe. Doesn’t everyone want that in their lives?

Some criticisms: The nemesis-at-work schtick was a bit Hallmark-y and the secondary characters seemed to be too well-connected to be believable. It also felt like there were some parts that weren’t quite clicking yet as far as characterization and descriptions of scenes – it swung between feeling unrealistically cliche-like to feeling very down to earth and relatable.

Some other positives:

I found it redeeming that Mr. Not Right was not completely villainized and was given a more complex character than some romance books would.
Though parts of Chloe’s characterization felt a bit exaggerated to me, she was also a really loveable protagonist. I really appreciated how she stuck to her principles and refused to take advantage of how popular her origami flowers became.

As far as content warnings go, there are a handful of four-letter words sprinkled throughout (that I could always do without). Sex is alluded to euphemistically or at least vaguely with no open-door scenes, which is a huge plus for me when reading romances!

If you’re looking for a generally clean read, a sweet (if somewhat unbelievable) love story, and a feel-good message, this book is for you!

Thanks for NetGalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Martian by Andy Weir

While it was turned into a movie, I have to say, I still prefer the book! I could do without the cussing, as always, yet if anyone is entitled to curse words, it makes sense it would be someone who wakes up to find himself stranded on Mars. I decided to read it because 1) it was available for check out when I was looking for a book on Libby and 2) I adored Weir’s book Project Hail Mary. This book didn’t have as much thematic depth, but a case of survival in seemingly impossible and extremely daunting circumstances captured my attention completely. I gobbled up this book. Again, I’ll give the caveat or some explicit language. That aside, it’s a fascinating story, especially if you like science and tech-related stories.

The Last Love Note by Emma Grey

This was a precious, though heart-wrenching story. While there are many potential emotional triggers, it was worth the read for me. The story is about a woman who loses her husband to early onset Alzheimer’s and has a miscarriage around the time of his diagnosis. She also has a toddler son to care for. You can see where some of the triggers might lie.

However, it is also a beautiful story of the community that helps her through her grief, small though it be, and the ways she gradually finds healing. I could relate on several levels to her grief, though not completely, of course. Turns out the author experienced the death of her husband, and writing this was part of her telling her story, through fiction. I loved when authors share bits about their craft within their books, as she did here. 

There is some cussing, but there are no open-door, drawn-out scenes. And it has a hope-filled, satisfying ending.

Sacred Seasons by Danielle Hitchen

At the recommendation of several mom friends at church, I ordered this book over the summer. Now that our son is getting to the age where he can participate a bit in church services (e,g. Saying “amen” at the end of prayers without our prompting), I wanted to be intentional about each of the liturgical seasons in the Church calendar.
For those who are in very liturgical churches, as we are, this is a great help to augment what your church is likely encouraging you to do. For those who are not in churches that focus on the liturgical seasons, but are interested in observing the Church calendar, I also highly recommend this book! It’s got lots of practical ways to cultivate a home that is focused on Christ by celebrating and observing each part of the liturgical year. 

Go with Your Flow by Dr. Alexandra MacKillop

For those of you who have been following this blog for a few years, you might remember that I reviewed her first book Fulfilled and did an author interview with Dr. MacKillop. She’s a college friend of mine, and I highly respect her viewpoint on the medical world and women’s health. I was eager for this book to come out as she posted all sorts of snippets relating to it on her Instagram. I kept wanting more explanation, but had to wait for it! You, however, do not have to wait, since the book was published in September of this year. 

This book gets very specific, even academic, at times, but it’s all to serve Dr. MacKillop’s larger goal of empowering women to understand their hormonal health. She does a fabulous job simplifying and explaining terms as much as possible for the layperson without dumbing things down. If you’re a woman or have a woman in your life who has wondered if their period and its symptoms are “normal,” this is the book for you/her! 

While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it as a Christmas present (that might be weird?), it would make sense to get it for yourself or for your loved one as a “Hey I was thinking of you and our conversation about . . .” kind of a gift. Find it wherever books are sold!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson

Did you know that the name for the garden in the center of Berlin is translated to English as “The Garden of Beasts”? I didn’t, until I read this book. How appropriate a name for a book focused on the experience of the American ambassador to Germany during Hitler’s rise to power. On the surface, all seemed like a beautiful garden. But really, it was full of beasts.

Normally I don’t reach for nonfiction history books. But when I saw reviews that said it reads quite narratively, I thought I’d give it a chance. Larson has an incredible talent for meticulously researching and then succinctly synthesizing what he learns into a narrative that keeps the reader’s interest. The number of names I hadn’t heard of before was, at times, hard to keep up with; this isn’t a book you want to put down for weeks between readings. But it provided a fascinating view at a piece of history where so many people wonder, “Why did the world allow Hitler to become so powerful?”.

It boggles my mind to think of how many primary documents Larson must have pored over – diaries, missives within the State department, etc. – to compile this cohesive narrative. He presents, fairly, multiple perspectives, while still keeping the focus on the ambassador’s experience. If WWII history is intriguing to you, I recommend this book!

Content caveats: some cussing, some mention of affairs/liaisons and other vices, violence