The Running Bibliophile

Wild Dark Shore  by Charlotte McConaghy  takes place on a remote island of Shearwater. Dominic Salt and his three children are the caretakers of the island where it houses the world's largest seed bank. They're all that remains after the researchers fled the island due to rising sea levels until a woman named Rowan is washed ashore. As the Salt family takes care of the woman, they begin to realize Rowan isn't telling the truth about why she's there. This novel was chosen by one of the book clubs I belong to for our June discussion. I thought the premise of the story was intriguing, and I was excited to dive into it. However, I struggled in the first few chapters because it just wasn't capturing my attention. Once the plot began to unfold, the story became more compelling, the suspense kept building, and I found myself eagerly turning the pages to find out what would happen next. McConaghy does a fantastic job of showing the reader the story instead of telling it. I ...

Such A Clever Girl  by Darby Kane  opens with the friends and family of Xavier Tanner gathered for the reading of his will when his granddaughter, Aubrey (presumed dead for the last fifteen years), suddenly walks through the door. Her unexpected appearance reignites the rumor mill surrounding the mysterious disappearance of her family all those years ago. It also draws a teacher, a  café owner, and a psychologist back together for the first time since that day. What secrets have they been keeping, and how are they connected to the Tanner family disappearance ? Told mainly from the perspective of Stella, Marni, and Hannah, the author slowly weaves a hellacious story of secrets, lies, and things that aren't as they seem. As the reader navigates the story, they're presented with flashbacks and tidbits of information of what happened to the Tanner family that connect these three women together who otherwise wouldn't be connected. Add in an occasional bit of information from t...

The Night House by Jo Nesbo  was published on October 3, 2023, is an adult horror novel released by Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor. The story follows Richard Elauved, a young boy sent to live with foster parents in the town of Ballantyne after his biological parents are killed. At his new school, Richard is both an outcast and a target of bullying, which only deepens his isolation. When a classmate named Tom mysteriously goes missing, Richard quickly becomes the prime suspect. He insists that Tom was somehow sucked into a phone booth at the edge of the woods, a claim no one is willing to believe. As fear and suspicion grow, another student disappears, leaving Richard in even deeper trouble and facing serious consequences with the law. Not having read any books by Jo Nesbo, I was intrigued by the synopsis and cover art of The Night House .  I requested to receive an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of this book from NetGalley.  I was absolutely ecstatic that I was...

Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow was published on April 5, 2022 by The Dial Press and is the debut novel of the author. As the story unfolds, we learn the narrative of a Southern, Black family told from three different generations and how the legacy is finally changed with the most recent generation. This book was selected as the monthly read for one of the book clubs I belong to. I typically read books in the genres of horror, thriller, suspense, and mystery, so Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow isn't likely a book I would have chosen to read on my own. However, I am so glad that it was selected because it was an interesting read, and I couldn't wait to see how the story of the North women progressed. Although this is a work of fiction, it felt like it was real life as it touched on very palpable subjects like racism, domestic violence, rape, gangs, life and death, and many more topics that plagues society today. There were times that my heart ached and hurt for the characters ...

Dreaming of a life in music, Kate gives up her life as a librarian to go back to school at a prestigious college. Needing to rent a place to live, Kate answers an ad and moves in with Amy. At first, Kate is glad to have the support of her landlord, but when Kate's life starts to spiral out of control, Amy becomes a bit smothering in The Tenant by Angela Lester . I'd like to thank NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Tenant by Angela Lester. The synopsis of the book and the cover intrigued me, and I was thrilled to receive a digital copy for free in exchange for my honest review. The Tenant by Angela Lester is one of those novels that would make a great movie. The storyline felt vaguely familiar, but not in a bad way. I genuinely did not predict the twists or the direction the story would ultimately take. The ending, in particular, caught me off guard and left a lasting impression. Although I enjoyed this book quite a bit, there were points...

The Devil Wears Prada  by Lauren Weisberger follows recent college graduate Andrea “Andy” Sachs as she moves to New York City with her best friend Lily, determined to break into the competitive world of publishing. After blanketing the city with her résumé and facing rejection after rejection, Andy finally lands what many consider the opportunity of a lifetime: a job “a million girls would die for” as the junior personal assistant to the formidable Miranda Priestly, editor-in-chief of the fictional high-fashion magazine Runway. What begins as a stepping stone into the publishing industry quickly spirals into a demanding, all-consuming role that tests Andy’s ambition, integrity, and relationships. As she becomes more entrenched in the glamorous yet cutthroat world of fashion, her personal life begins to unravel, leaving her to question how much she’s willing to sacrifice for her career. When The Devil Wears Prada hit theaters, I knew I had to see it, and I wasn’t disappo...

Joseph Finder delivers another gripping political thriller with The Switch , a novel that is action-packed from the very first page to the very last. Set against the backdrop of Boston, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., The Switch follows two main characters, Michael Tanner and Will Abbott, with the story alternating between their perspectives in a way that builds tension and suspense throughout the book.  One of the things I loved most about The Switch is how it allows readers to experience both sides of the story instead of focusing on just one viewpoint. This dual perspective makes the plot feel more layered and realistic, and it keeps you constantly questioning motivations and outcomes. The characters are well developed, with complex relationships that feel believable and emotionally grounded. There were characters I immediately connected with, like Michael Tanner and his wife Sara, characters I truly disliked, such as Will Abbott, and characters I wasn’t sure about at f...

Disappearance at Devil’s Rock by Paul Tremblay centers on a chilling mystery involving a 14-year-old boy named Tommy Sanderson and his two friends, Josh and Luis. During a late-night sleepover, the boys sneak into Borderland State Park in Ames, Massachusetts, a setting that immediately feels ominous and full of potential danger. After exploring the woods, Tommy tells his friends he’ll meet them back at Josh’s house, but he never returns. His sudden disappearance sends shockwaves through his family and community, leaving his mother, Elizabeth Sanderson, devastated as police searches turn up no clues and unsettling, unexplained events begin to unfold around town. This book was chosen for a book club I belong to, and after reading the synopsis, I was super excited to read Disappearance at Devil's Rock , and I immediately went to the library to check out the book. Although it started with great promise, the book turned out to be a great disappointment. It is touted as being ...

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins opens with single mother Nel Abbott being found dead at the bottom of a river, an apparent suicide that immediately raises questions. Nel had been investigating the deaths of other women who were also found in the same river over the centuries, making her own death feel unsettling from the very start. Her sister, Jules Abbott, is called back to town to identify the body and to take responsibility for Nel’s teenage daughter, Lena. Jules is forced to confront both her strained relationship with Nel and the dark history surrounding the river and the town itself. When I first heard that Paula Hawkins was releasing another novel titled Into the Water , I was genuinely excited. I really enjoyed The Girl on the Train , and because of that, I expected her second novel to be just as gripping, if not better. I intentionally avoided reading reviews for Into the Water because I didn’t want my expectations shaped by other readers’ opinions. Unfortunately, I ke...

Looking at the cover of Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, I didn’t have especially high expectations going in since it had a similar look and feel to the covers of Emily Giffin novels. There was also the fact that many of the people I knew who were raving about Me Before You tend to have very different reading tastes than I do. The emotional journey you take with the characters is a difficult one because the story centers around Will Traynor, a man who becomes a quadriplegic after a devastating accident. Struggling to cope with how drastically his life has changed, Will falls into a deep depression and no longer wishes to live. Louisa Clark is hired by Will’s parents to serve as his day-to-day caregiver and companion in the hope that she can help change his mind about assisted suicide. At first, Louisa has no idea about Will’s plans until she overhears his mother discussing it with Will’s sister. Determined to help, Louisa begins researching activities and experiences that might give...

All the Missing Girls   by Megan Miranda  starts off in the present day, jumps two weeks ahead, and then starts going backwards one day at a time.  From there it goes back to present day and then three months into the future. I'm not sure how I felt about the structure of the book. I didn't particularly care for the format, but if she had told it any other way, we would have know the entire plot, with the exception of the ending, within the first half of the book. Because of the way Megan Miranda wrote the book, it started off slowly and maintained the slowness through out most of the book. It wasn't until the last third of the book that it got really interesting. At that point, I had trouble putting it down, which is the reason I gave it 3 stars out of 5. As far as the characters go, I didn't feel like we really got to know any of them. They seemed so two dimensional. Even with them being two dimensional, I found both Daniel, Corrine, and Annaleise to be ...

There are very few books that make me want to stay up all night to finish it, but Harlan Coben's Tell No One was one of the few that made me want to stay up all night. However, I wasn't actually able to do that as I had lunch plans the following day. All I can say is that I am thrilled that this book was chosen for one of the book clubs I belong to. This was my first time ever reading one of Harlan Coben's novels, and I absolutely loved his writing. I was sucked in from page one, and it had twists and turns galore. Like most thrillers, it does follow the typical formula most thriller writers use, so you knew the ending would be somewhat predictable. There really isn't much I can complain about ... except for the last page when you're thrown for yet another twist. I really didn't care for that last minute twist. Other than that I was quite pleased. While reading some of the reviews on Goodreads.com, one of the reviewers said they felt like it hinted at s...

Have you ever read a book and had a moment of déjà vu? A moment where you thought you've read it before? While reading Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, I had several of those moments and kept racking my brain of what book I had read that could possibly be similar to Dark Places in any way, shape, or form. And, I came up with Truman Capote's true crime book, In Cold Blood that I started reading but never finished. Both books, Dark Places and In Cold Blood , take place in Kansas where a family, or a few members of a family, were murdered in their home. Coincidentally, or maybe not, both of these homes happened to be on a farm. That's really where the similarities end, but it was enough to make me feel like the basis of Dark Places was taken from Capote's book. Dark Places begins in the present day and introduces us to the main character, Libby Day. I find her to be passive, unmotivated, and continuously blaming others & her past for not being able to keep a...

11/22/63  by Stephen King opens with high school teacher Jake Epping being recruited by his friend Al, a local diner owner, to travel back in time to 1963 and stop the assassination of John F. Kennedy . Though skeptical at first, Jake follows Al’s instructions and discovers a portal to the past. As he builds a new life in another era, he quickly learns that altering history comes with unexpected consequences and not everything goes according to plan. Who hasn't thought about time travel ... of going back into the past or jumping ahead into the future? With so many books, and movies, on this subject matter, you'd think the subject of time travel would be overdone and predictable. But, Stephen King is anything but predictable and delivers a story that feels fresh, immersive, and completely unforgettable. I frequently find myself thinking about 11/22/63 . Does the date sound familiar to you? On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, leaving the nati...