Charlotte McConaghy’s Wild Dark Shore has been chosen as Indigo’s #1 Best Book of 2025, and it is an interesting choice, not because I think it is a bad novel (it’s actually pretty good), but because there are certain elements of the story that feel contrived and uninspired.
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I have been waiting over a year to read Liz Moore’s The God of the Woods because the hardcover version was expensive, and I was not able to find it on sale. The paperback version finally came out at the end of October, and let me tell you, it was worth the wait to read this book.
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A Most Puzzling Murder is a murder mystery novel with puzzles that the reader solves alongside the protagonist for clues to figure out whodunnit. Now, I love mystery novels and puzzles, so I was expecting to love this novel as well, but this novel is not it.
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If We Were Villains has been compared to Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, which initially was enough for me to give it a hard pass. But my curiosity triumphed (as well as my desire to fill up my Book Outlet cart with enough books to get free shipping) and I am pleasantly surprised to say that I like this novel because not all the characters are insufferable, and I would recommend it over The Secret History.
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Julie Chan is Dead is Liann Zhang’s debut novel and a recent release that I noticed on the Indigo website. I enjoy novels that satirize the society in which we live, and I did enjoy this novel for the most part, but I feel like Zhang’s message with this novel is going to be lost on those readers that could benefit from it the most.
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2025 is off to a good start in terms of my reading. Chris Whitaker’s All the Colors of the Dark is a very slow-burn story about missing girls and a serial killer. Some people might not like how slowly the story moves along, but I think this novel is great and I spent a lazy Sunday afternoon powering through this book to its satisfying conclusion.
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After reading Richard Powers’ The Overstory, I needed something less heavy to read, so I thought Marissa Stapley’s The Lightning Bottles would do the trick, however, it ended up getting me riled up about society’s internalized misogyny. The Lightning Bottles is specifically about misogyny in the music industry, but I think it is a good book for music lovers, particularly if you have an appreciation for the Seattle grunge scene of the 1990s.
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A long time ago I learned that authors get paid to write reviews of other authors’ works, which I thought was disappointing because I liked to believe that authors are giving an honest opinion when they write their reviews and are not influenced by monetary gain. But after seeing the praise for The Hitchcock Hotel from the likes of Riley Sager, Alex Michaelides and A. J. Finn, I am convinced that authors are pocketing money as they trick us into reading crappy books, because The Hitchcock Hotel is not a good novel.
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I wanted to read The Shadow Key for a few reasons: 1) It is historical fiction 2) It is a gothic story 3) It is also a mystery 4) It is set in Wales. I ended up really enjoying it. It is predictable, but it still managed to surprise me. It straddles the line between realism and the supernatural without tipping over definitively into either side. I think readers who typically avoid reading supernatural stories may enjoy this one.
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I decided to read Remarkably Bright Creatures because it features an octopus detective. Yes, you read that right. An octopus that is a detective. Remarkably Bright Creatures turned out to be an incredibly sweet story about friendship, family and hope, with an ending that made me feel both sad and happy. I highly recommend this novel if you are looking for a cozy read.
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