The Running Bibliophile

Alice with a Why  by Anna James  opens with Alyce living with her grandmother Alice after the war. Not really believing the stories her grandmother tells of her time in Wonderland, Alyce receives a waterlogged invitation to a tea party. Now, she's not so sure that those stories of her grandmother were made up. Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Flamingo Books for approving my request for an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Alice with a Why  by Anna James. I found the synopsis of the book intriguing and always love a good reimagining of an older tale. I received a digital copy of this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion. Not having read Lewis Carroll's original story Alice in Wonderland , my only frame of reference going into this reimagining was the  Disney movie, and it's been quite some time since I've seen that. The concept of this story is amazing and thoughtfully presented. It did take me the briefest moment to keep both Alic...

A Poisonous Pour (Cece Barton Mystery, #3)  by Maddie Day  opens with the city of Colinas, California celebrating Memorial Day weekend with various activities including a car show and picnic. While co-sponsoring a booth at the car show with local mechanic Josie Jarvin, Cece witnesses one of the attendees, Regan Greene, getting into multiple arguments with others. Aside from that, everything goes well. That is until the next morning when the town finds out that Regan is dead, and it looks like she was murdered. With multiple people having motives, Cece utilizes her amateur sleuthing skills to find out who actually committed the dirty deed. I was approved for and received a digital copy of an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of A Poisonous Pour by Maddie Day from NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. A huge thank you goes out to both for providing me a copy for free in exchange for my honest opinion. Maddie Day's Cece Barton series has become one of my favorite cozy mystery series, an...

Who doesn’t love a good challenge, especially when it pushes you to read outside your comfort zone or discover a new author? I’ve always wanted to join a reading challenge or reading bingo, but so many of them feel repetitive. So, I decided to create something a little different. It doesn’t mean a challenge like this isn’t out there; I just haven’t come across one myself. Introducing The Running Bibliophile’s 2026 Holiday Reading Challenge, a fun and unique way to expand your reading list while celebrating the spirit of the year. This challenge features 14 books of your choice, with one key twist: each book’s plot must revolve around the specific holiday mentioned. The challenge runs for January 1 through January 31, 2026. To keep things exciting, you may not duplicate any books on the list. By the time you've completed the challenge, you will have read 14 new books to diversify your reading list. To kick things off, the first prompt is simple: choose any holiday-themed book as l...

When I Kill You  by B.A. Paris  opens with Nell Masters feeling as though she's being watched, possible by someone connected to her past. She tries to convince herself it's all in her head, brushing it off as paranoia. But, is her past truly coming back to haunt her? B.A. Paris is one of my favorite authors from across the pond, so when I saw she had a new novel coming out, I knew I had to request an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) from NetGalley. When I received the approval, I was overjoyed. A big thank you goes out to both NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a free digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. Going into  When I Kill You , I knew absolutely nothing about the synopsis before requesting it and diving in. At first, I did struggle a bit to get into the story. Part of that was because the writing didn't feel as strong as I've come to expect from the author; it came across as a bit juvenile. That said, the further I read, the more the wr...

Better Than Revenge by Kasie West is a young adult romance novel with an expected publication date of December 31, 2024. The story opens with Finlay auditioning for the school podcast. Jenson, her boyfriend, decides to audition as well at the last minute and happens to get the position Finlay has been wanting for years. Jenson overheard saying that Finlay is terrible, and Finlay breaks up with him and seeks out to get her revenge by becoming the new starting kicker for the football team. Can Finlay pull off this feat? A big thank you goes out to NetGalley for approving and providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy ARC of Better Than Revenge by Kasie West. I received a copy for free in exchange for my honest review. First and foremost, West did a fantastic job with this story. I was pulled into the storyline right off the bat and had trouble putting it down. Despite it being a young adult romance novel and me not being the target audience, I absolutely loved it!  The author had me ...

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt tells the unlikely but heartwarming story of an octopus named Marcellus and a human, Tova Sullivan, forming an extraordinary friendship. I had the pleasure of reading it as part of my book club’s September discussion, and it quickly became a story I couldn’t stop thinking about. To be honest, I really didn't have any interest in reading this book despite hearing rave reviews about it on Facebook.  There was so much hype about it, and I'm usually disappointed in books that are over-hyped.   Additionally, I just couldn't get past knowing that part of it was told from the perspective of an octopus ... I don't know why it bothered me since Charlotte's Web by E.B. White was told from a pig's perspective, and I loved that book as a child.  However, I had my own preconceived ideas about the book, and I am so glad that I put those ideas aside and gave it a chance.   Told from three different perspectives, the author does...

My Fatal Valentine (Juniper Holiday, #5) by Leighann Dobbs opens with a Valentine's Day charity event being held at Juniper's mansion.  When the grand prize winner is found dead in one of the bathrooms, there are few clues and no witnesses.  Detective Mallard must solve the crime without the help of Juniper or lose his job. Even though this is a cozy mystery that has a murder, it still put me in the mood for Valentine's Day.  I loved the jealousy between all of the contestants because it made the story more realistic and gave a good motive.  There were a lot of red herrings, and I have to say that I was stumped as to who could be the murderer. What I loved about this edition of the Juniper Holiday series is that there was a little more fantasy involved with a witch needing to perform a spell to assist in solving the case.  The magical people of the town is something I feel like could be developed a little more in the series.  The characters were amazing,...

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson is a non-fiction book taking a look at the history of the United States of America, specifically racism as a caste system and compares it to other caste systems like those in India and Nazi Germany. Using specific examples from history, Wilkerson takes a hard look at how we got to where we are now. Wilkerson's Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents is a powerful and eye-opening book that everyone should read, and it deserves a place in high school curricula. The depth of historical research included is truly remarkable. While I recognized some of the events and facts, many were completely new to me. What surprised me most was realizing how much of this critical history is often glossed over in traditional school lessons. One shocking example of history being glossed over is the practice of photographing public hangings. Photographers would capture the moment so that each person or family could have their photo taken with t...

The Breakdown by B.A. Paris opens with teacher Cass deciding to drive home after celebrating the end of the school year with her colleagues, rather than spending the night at a friend’s house. Before leaving, she calls her husband, Matthew, to let him know she’ll be home after all. Concerned for her safety, Matthew asks her not to take the shortcut home through the woods. In a moment of impulsive decision-making, Cass ignores his request and takes the shortcut anyway. Along the isolated road, she encounters a car pulled over on the shoulder with a woman sitting inside. Cass drives past without stopping, a choice that will soon haunt her. The following morning, Matthew informs Cass that a woman was found murdered in her car on Blackwater Lane, the very road she had driven through. While relieved she didn’t stop and potentially put herself in danger, Cass is immediately consumed by guilt. She feels responsible for ignoring her husband’s warning, and things only get worse; she beg...

Those Girls by Chevy Stevens is about the Campbell sisters (Jess, Courtney, and Dani), who are often left alone for weeks at a time in the rented house they share on a remote ranch in Western Canada. Struggling financially and falling behind on rent, the girls help the ranch owner with odd jobs to earn extra money.  When their abusive father suddenly returns home one night, chaos erupts, forcing the sisters to flee and go on the run. Their escape takes a terrifying turn when their pickup truck breaks down in a small town, and an encounter with dangerous strangers plunges them into a nightmare beyond anything they could have imagined. What follows is a harrowing journey of survival, resilience, and the unbreakable bond between sisters. Last week, I rushed to the library on my lunch break to pick up a book for one of the book clubs I belong to. While searching the shelves, I stumbled across Those Girls by Chevy Stevens. After reading the synopsis, I felt instantly intrigue...

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...

When A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness was published in February 2011, I kept picking it up and putting it back down at the bookstore. I was unsure if I'd like the book or not and didn't want to pay full price on a hardcover book.  Fast forward to the day after Thanksgiving, and my mom and I were doing our ritual Black Friday shopping and stepped into Barnes & Noble. A Discovery of Witches was on sale at 40% off, and I had a membership card that would give me another 10% off. I also had a coupon that would give me yet another 20% off. I finally decided I would buy the book. However, my mom wanted to buy it for me as a Christmas present, so I let her. It wasn't until July 2012 that I actually picked up the book to read, and I instantly fell in love with it. There isn't a way to describe what genre it belongs to because it is a cross over of sorts ... fantasy, paranormal, historical fiction, a bit of science fiction, romance, and a bit of action. ...

Book Review: The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware The Woman in Cabin 10   by Ruth Ware has been compared to Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train by many, so there was some hesitation on my part about reading it at first but the pull of it being reminiscent of Agatha Christie was greater. After reading a synopsis of the novel, I desperately wanted an Advanced Readers Copy but that wasn't in the cards for me.  When it was released to the general public, I purchased The Woman in Cabin 10 from Barnes & Noble with the intent of reading it while on my first cruise. However, I had second thoughts figuring it probably wouldn't be such a good idea for me to read a thriller taking place on a cruise ship while I was actually on a cruise. So, I put off reading the book, and boy, was I ever glad I did so because I would have been paranoid and imagining things the entire time.  This was the first novel I've read that was written by Ruth Ware and actually had never hea...

Suspicion  by Joseph Finder is a fast paced thriller based in Boston, Massachusetts. Struggling writer Danny Goodman's  life seems to be falling apart. His ex-wife recently passed away, and he's struggling to pay his daughter's private school tuition. After another student's parent being generous by loaning Danny a large sum of money via a wire transfer, he's now being scrutinized by the DEA. Holy plot twists, Batman!  Suspicion  had one plot twist after another that made the book hard to put down. Despite some of the twists being predictable, they didn't take away from the overall story. The suspense continues to grow throughout the novel, keeping readers on the edge of their seats and questioning every character and motive along the way. The only real flaw I saw with the book is that it is doubtful a person would accept a personal loan from another person they've never met before ... even if it was the father of their child's best friend. A mor...

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...