The Running Bibliophile

Claire, Darling by Callie Kazumi  was published on March 11, 2025 by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Bantam. It opens with Claire finding out that her fiancé, Noah, isn't working where he said he was and is now ghosting her. Claire must find out why. Book Review: Claire, Darling by Callie Kazumi Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Bantam for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Claire Darling by Callie Kazumi for free in exchange for my honest review. I was absolutely thrilled when my request for a copy was approved because the synopsis was so good. From the beginning, I absolutely loved the main character of Claire and her work friend named Sukhi. Throughout the novel, we learn about Claire's past and how terrible her mother was towards her. I kept hoping that somehow we would learn who Claire's father was and would eventually connect with him. It's really no wonder Claire had no self confidence as an ad...

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang is about Yale classmates and friends, June Haywood and Athena Liu, debuting their novels at the same time with both expecting to become well known authors.  When Athena suddenly dies in front of her friend, June makes a rash decision and steals Athena's manuscript, pawning it off as her own in hopes of attaining some of the fame Athena found.  Will June be caught? This novel was the October selection for the book club I belong to.  Although the synopsis sounded intriguing, I was afraid I was going to be dissatisfied with the direction that the story would take.  My assumption was correct.   June ended up being as unlikable as I thought she would be and literally had no redeeming qualities.  She kept making excuses and trying to rationalize the reason for stealing Athena's manuscript and publishing it as her own.  I kept waiting for her to get caught or reveal what she had done, but neither one really happened, which just ...

Cady and Josh Caldwell are away from their house, so when neighbor Maggie sees the Venetian blinds move, she becomes concerned. A woman named Sarah answers the door reveals she's an old friend of the Caldwells and is house-sitting for them. What Maggie doesn't realize is that Sarah is panicking because no one was supposed to see her at 214 Palmer Street . I'd like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of 214 Palmer Street by Karen McQuestion. I was thrilled to receive a copy for free in exchange for my honest review. Gripping. Thrilling. Heart Pounding. Fast Paced. These are all words I would use to describe Karen McQuestion's novel 214 Palmer Street . From the very beginning, I was sucked into the story line and couldn't wait to see what would happen.  I loved the way the author set up the different chapters. Part of it went back and forth between the past and present. It also switched back and forth between the main character and a...

The End of Her by Shari Lapena is a gripping psychological thriller that follows Stephanie and Patrick, a married couple struggling to survive the exhausting reality of life with their colicky newborn twin daughters. Already overwhelmed by sleepless nights, stress, and the emotional strain of new parenthood, their fragile sense of stability is shattered when a woman from Patrick’s past unexpectedly reappears. Erica arrives with a devastating accusation: she claims Patrick murdered his first wife and their unborn child. Patrick insists he is innocent and believes Erica is attempting to blackmail them, but her presence triggers a chain of events that threatens to unravel their marriage, their family, and everything they thought they knew about each other. If there is ever a novel that truly feels comparable to Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl , then The End of Her is one of the closest matches. Both books explore the dark complexities of marriage, deception, and hidden truths, and both lea...

A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena is a gripping psychological thriller that explores how quickly a seemingly perfect life can unravel. Tom and Karen Krupp appear to have it all: a beautiful home in upstate New York, stable careers, and a loving marriage. But everything changes one evening when Tom returns home to find the front door unlocked, dinner started, and Karen missing.  Alarmed, he calls friends and family before finally dialing 911. Moments later, the police arrive with shocking news: Karen has been found in a serious car accident in a dangerous part of town and rushed to the hospital.  Even more unsettling, she has no memory of what happened during the hours leading up to the crash.  When Karen returns home, strange things begin to happen. Objects are moved, details don’t quite add up, and an uneasy feeling begins to grow. Soon, Karen finds herself at the center of a murder investigation, and suspicion starts to fall on both her and Tom.  Is Kar...

Gone Girl  by Gillian Flynn   opens on a sweltering summer morning as Nick and Amy Dunne prepare to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary.  When Nick returns home, he finds their house in disarray and Amy mysteriously missing. As the police begin their investigation, suspicion quickly turns toward Nick, whose behavior during questioning does little to help his case. If he didn’t do it, then who did? After reading the final words of Gone Girl , I set the book face down beside me and couldn't help but ask, "Did that really just end like that?"  Never in my life has a book made me as angry as Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl .  I had to sit there for a minute thinking about what I had just read before picking it back up and throwing across the room.  Of course, I immediately jumped up to retrieve it, worried I might have damaged it because as much as the story frustrated me, I still like to keep my books in good condition. Gone Girl  as a whole didn't m...