Scan barcode
spaceonthebookcase's reviews
1086 reviews
Penitence by Kristin Koval
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
Penitence is the action of feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong; there is a lot of that going around in this book.
The opening chapter immediately grabs you when a 13 year old calls 911 to turn herself in for shooting her brother. While it sets the book up to be a fast paced thriller, the reality is the book moves really slowly and it works for this story.
While it takes time to unravel the motives behind the shooting, the lives of their parents also begin to unspool. From a horribly accident that separated teenage love to secrets relationships and cheating; Penitence is filled with emotional punch after punch.
Kristin Koval digs into the heart of imperfect people who are just trying to get through life and the grit it takes to do it. This isn't a story with a pretty bow in the end, but I felt the ending did the story justice.
Thank you to Celadon Books for the gifted copy.
***50 States Challenge: Colorado, New York
The opening chapter immediately grabs you when a 13 year old calls 911 to turn herself in for shooting her brother. While it sets the book up to be a fast paced thriller, the reality is the book moves really slowly and it works for this story.
While it takes time to unravel the motives behind the shooting, the lives of their parents also begin to unspool. From a horribly accident that separated teenage love to secrets relationships and cheating; Penitence is filled with emotional punch after punch.
Kristin Koval digs into the heart of imperfect people who are just trying to get through life and the grit it takes to do it. This isn't a story with a pretty bow in the end, but I felt the ending did the story justice.
Thank you to Celadon Books for the gifted copy.
***50 States Challenge: Colorado, New York
No Place Left To Hide by Megan Lally
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3.75
No Place Left to Hide is a high intensity thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. It's rare that I am shocked by a book, and while I was solid on the who, it was the how and why that I totally missed.
Focused on the perfect student with the perfect parents in the perfect house with the perfect friends, Brooke can seem to do no wrong. That is until a lake house party ends with the death of a former classmate. Six months has passed and Brooke has just been accepted to Yale. She reluctantly accepts an invite to her first party since the incident and all hell breaks loose.
What Brooke hasn't told her friends or her parents is that she's been getting stalked by someone. It starts as little things, but as the party night unfolds the stakes grow even higher.
With a satisfying ending, it was easy to overlook some glaring inconsistencies and plot holes that made me scratch my head a bit. Overall it was an enjoyable read.
Thank you Sourcebooks Fire for the gifted ARC.
***50 States Challenge: Oregon
Focused on the perfect student with the perfect parents in the perfect house with the perfect friends, Brooke can seem to do no wrong. That is until a lake house party ends with the death of a former classmate. Six months has passed and Brooke has just been accepted to Yale. She reluctantly accepts an invite to her first party since the incident and all hell breaks loose.
What Brooke hasn't told her friends or her parents is that she's been getting stalked by someone. It starts as little things, but as the party night unfolds the stakes grow even higher.
With a satisfying ending, it was easy to overlook some glaring inconsistencies and plot holes that made me scratch my head a bit. Overall it was an enjoyable read.
Thank you Sourcebooks Fire for the gifted ARC.
***50 States Challenge: Oregon
Isaac's Song by Daniel Black
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
A story that will weave itself into your soul, Isaac's Song backs an emotional punch I won't soon forget.
Parent loss is hard, but it's especially hard when you're mourning the loss of the person and what you wished the relationship could have been. Isaac's story spans from childhood to adulthood as he grapples with his identity inside a home dominated by his controlling father.
There are a lot of layers to Isaac's story and you'll experience an array of emotions depending on where you are. From figuring out he was gay to trying to open up to his mother and watching his friends die from AIDs as a young man, there is a lot of sorrow but also tinges of hope and resilience.
Daniel Black is a gifted storyteller. If you loved Don't Cry For Me, this is for you. If you haven't read it yet, run don't walk. Isaac's Song will be in my Top 10 of 2025, I'm calling it now.
I chose Isaac's Song for my Jan BOTM box, but I was gifted an audio copy from Harlequin Audio. JD Jackson was a wonderful narrator and his ability to narrate such depth of emotion is a gift.
Parent loss is hard, but it's especially hard when you're mourning the loss of the person and what you wished the relationship could have been. Isaac's story spans from childhood to adulthood as he grapples with his identity inside a home dominated by his controlling father.
There are a lot of layers to Isaac's story and you'll experience an array of emotions depending on where you are. From figuring out he was gay to trying to open up to his mother and watching his friends die from AIDs as a young man, there is a lot of sorrow but also tinges of hope and resilience.
Daniel Black is a gifted storyteller. If you loved Don't Cry For Me, this is for you. If you haven't read it yet, run don't walk. Isaac's Song will be in my Top 10 of 2025, I'm calling it now.
I chose Isaac's Song for my Jan BOTM box, but I was gifted an audio copy from Harlequin Audio. JD Jackson was a wonderful narrator and his ability to narrate such depth of emotion is a gift.
Iron Flame (2 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] by Rebecca Yarros
5.0
I chose to go the graphic novel route for my reread before Onyx Storm and I loved it. I really enjoyed the cast the characters because you star to recognize voices. This enabled me to listen for more details and I definitely caught things during my re-read that I didn't catch during my initial read.
Iron Flame (1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] by Rebecca Yarros
5.0
I chose to go the graphic novel route for my reread before Onyx Storm and I loved it. I really enjoyed the cast the characters because you star to recognize voices. This enabled me to listen for more details and I definitely caught things during my re-read that I didn't catch during my initial read.
Fourth Wing (Part 2 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation) by Rebecca Yarros
5.0
I chose to go the graphic novel route for my reread before Onyx Storm and I loved it. I really enjoyed the cast the characters because you star to recognize voices. This enabled me to listen for more details and I definitely caught things during my re-read that I didn't catch during my initial read.
Fourth Wing (Part 1 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation) by Rebecca Yarros
5.0
I chose to go the graphic novel route for my reread before Onyx Storm and I loved it. I really enjoyed the cast the characters because you star to recognize voices. This enabled me to listen for more details and I definitely caught things during my re-read that I didn't catch during my initial read.
You'll Never Believe Me: A Life of Lies, Second Tries, and Other Stuff I Should Only Tell My Therapist by Kari Ferrell
informative
2.5
During the rise of the "Hipster Grifter," I was happily living in Europe with a deployed husband and a new baby, so it wasn't a news story that reached me. I actually prefer memoirs where I don't already know all the details about someone's past, so in hindsight, I think that was a good thing.
Overall, I felt that You'll Never Believe Me by Kari Ferrell stayed fairly surface-level for a memoir. She touches on her experiences as an adopted daughter from Korea and being raised in the LDS church. She emphasizes how the church gave her the tools to become a con artist because the religion requires members to present themselves in a singular way. However, I found myself wanting more details about her family structure and the day-to-day life that shaped her upbringing.
Kari does a good job of outlining all her crimes, even naming many of her victims, and for the most part, she comes across as remorseful. However, there isn’t much depth when it comes to the "why" behind her choices—though perhaps she doesn't fully understand her motivations either.
The transition between Chapters 13 and 14, especially in the audiobook, was particularly jarring. One moment, Kari is describing a sketchy situation where she’s living, and in the next sentence, she’s waking up in a strange room and bed. A smoother transition would have helped bridge the story, especially since this section ultimately introduces us to her future husband.
Kari raises important points in her book about second chances. From the dehumanizing aspects of prison to being fired from jobs after employers discovered her past, her experiences highlight just how difficult it can be to get back on your feet after being convicted of a crime.
Overall, I found the story interesting but lacking depth. If Kari's goal in writing this memoir was to set the record straight, I think she succeeded.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the gifted copy and MacMillan Audio for the gifted ALC.
Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams
funny
medium-paced
5.0
Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams follows the story of two rival second-grade teachers, Emily and Jack. Their rivalry dates back to college, and Emily thought she was rid of Jack when he moved to Nebraska with his fiancé. But now Jack is back in Rome, Kentucky—and he’s her new neighbor.
What I really enjoy about Sarah Adams' writing is the assurance of the happily-ever-after you'd expect in a romance novel, paired with a compelling, multilayered story. The characters grow and develop meaningfully from start to finish.
The book is filled with witty banter, especially as Emily tries to turn the town against Jack while Jack stubbornly attempts to tackle renovations on his own. Amid the humor, there are also subtle, endearing moments woven throughout as they navigate their lives and feelings.
Brittany Pressley and Nelson Hobbs did a fantastic job narrating the story. Their performances brought the characters to life, and I found myself experiencing a wide range of emotions while listening.
Thank you to PRH Audio for the gifted ALC.
***50 States Challenge: Kentucky
What I really enjoy about Sarah Adams' writing is the assurance of the happily-ever-after you'd expect in a romance novel, paired with a compelling, multilayered story. The characters grow and develop meaningfully from start to finish.
The book is filled with witty banter, especially as Emily tries to turn the town against Jack while Jack stubbornly attempts to tackle renovations on his own. Amid the humor, there are also subtle, endearing moments woven throughout as they navigate their lives and feelings.
Brittany Pressley and Nelson Hobbs did a fantastic job narrating the story. Their performances brought the characters to life, and I found myself experiencing a wide range of emotions while listening.
Thank you to PRH Audio for the gifted ALC.
***50 States Challenge: Kentucky
The Helsinki Affair by Anna Pitoniak
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
2.0
While I went into the story with a lot of hope, I left with a lot of disappointments.
The choice to switch around between so many character POVs and timelines didn't help this book feel like a cohesive story. Amanda, the FMC read almost like an afterthought while her father, Charlie, and his story took center stage for the majority of the book. I struggled with some aspects of realism, for example Charlie falling for the oldest trick in the spy craft book and Amanda's ability to seemingly absorb everything instantly.
The end of the book, which gave time for Amanda to be reflective, was perhaps the deepest and most connected I felt to the story. The premise was promising, but the author lacked in execution.
Thank you Simon Books for the gifted copy.
***Read Around The World Challenge: Rome, Finland, Russia
The choice to switch around between so many character POVs and timelines didn't help this book feel like a cohesive story. Amanda, the FMC read almost like an afterthought while her father, Charlie, and his story took center stage for the majority of the book. I struggled with some aspects of realism, for example Charlie falling for the oldest trick in the spy craft book and Amanda's ability to seemingly absorb everything instantly.
The end of the book, which gave time for Amanda to be reflective, was perhaps the deepest and most connected I felt to the story. The premise was promising, but the author lacked in execution.
Thank you Simon Books for the gifted copy.
***Read Around The World Challenge: Rome, Finland, Russia