Passion Project | By London Sperry

 

Publication date April 8, 2025

Bennet Taylor 's life isn't what she thought it would be.  She is living in New York and working as a temp. She has no true direction in life and no social life. Bennet is deeply grieving the unexpected death of her love.  She decided to take a chance on go on a date with Henry Adams but at the last minute she ghosts him. 

Henry and Bennet reconnect and form a friendship of sorts. In an effort to help Bennett find her passion in life he comes up with the passion project. This results in them finding something new every weekend. Their friendship builds and sparks start to fly.

I am amazed that this is a debut novel. It feel as though a seasoned writer wrote it.  The story line and characters feels leap of the pages. I felt the character emotions and wished I had a Bennet and Henry as friends in my life.

** I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

You Love Me (You, #3) by Caroline Kepnes

 

Joe has moved to the Pacific Northwest. He is volunteering at a library. Mary Kay DiMarco is the head  librarian. She is married and has a teenage daughter. Joe is going to do whatever it takes to make Mary Kay his. He is obsessed but has more patience that in the past. 

Joe is his typical fashion makes a bit of a mess of things. He is a creature of habit and repeats past errors and techniques. Expect a fast pace read that is filled with pop culture , movie and literary references. The ending was a bit unexpected making for a thrilling read.

Hidden Bodies (You, #2) By Caroline Kepnes

Hidden Bodies is the second installment in the You series. Joe has a new obsession and her name is Amy. Amy has her own agenda and one day she goes missing. Joe heads out to Hollywood hoping to find Amy but Joe meets Love and Amy quickly becomes old news.

Love and Joe quickly find themselves loving life together but Joe's past demons keeping calling him back and Love's ex boyfriend and brother monopolize her time and energy.  Joe is not pleased and acts out in  typical Joe fashion. Joe might have to met his match with Love's family!

Hidden bodies does not have the same zest that You has but Joe's psychopathic tendencies keep you turning the pages. Kepne's writing keeps you entertained and his dark mind and personality will give you some chuckles but the magic of You has fizzled a bit.

The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits Book | By Jennifer Weiner

  

Cassie and Zoe Grossberg are only one year apart and as different as night and day. Not just physically but also in personality. Zoe is more outgoing and charismatic while Cassie is likes to lay low and keep to herself. Both women love music however Cassie is a music prodigy. 

A chance opportunity results in these sisters becoming a pop sensation. Zoe lives for it and Cassie is simply uncomfortable with being in the spotlight. Zoe years for fame but Cassie ends up with a bit more of a following as she is more relatable to girls like her. The sisters are at the top of their fame when a suddenly event results in Cassie disappearing and going off the grid.

It's been 20 years and the Griffin Sister music still lives in popularity and fans new and old want new music. Cassie has gone off the grid in a remote area of Alaska and then video surfaces of her singing ...

Weiner is one of my favorite authors and I read her books without knowing what they are about as sometimes the synopsis give too much away. This book isn't my favorite of hers but I did enjoy it and found myself drawn to the characters and storyline.

Ask Not: The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed |By Maureen Callahan

Maureen Callahan gives insight into the dark side of the Kennedy family focusing on the women in their lives. Callahan has put a lot of research and time into this book. 

Each chapter focuses on a different Kennedy woman.  The women aren't exactly perfect themselves which makes them and the Kennedy clan more real.

I learned quite a bit about the Kennedy's and wasn't exactly surprised to learn that RFJ Jr. has always been vile. He is the worst of them.

This is an important book to read as it gives an honest look into history of a family that was once beloved. Hopefully, Callahan can gives us some more books with truths behind other politicians. I knew bits and pieces about the Kennedy's and was left feeling disturbed as more information unfolded. 

This is an enlightening and devastating read. 

Turning Twelve (Growing Pangs #2) | By Kathryn Ormsbee

Turning Twelve is book two of Growing Pangs. I had no idea it was part of a series which means this book does will on its own. This is an excellent graphic novel for young girls. It deals with issues such as getting a first bra, first period and even dealing with issues regarding ones sexual orientation. 

Our main character Katie is experiencing all sorts of new things in her life. Growing up is hard, fun and exciting. I think this book will resonate well with young girls who are experience their firsts in life. It does deal with one's sexuality which will help those who are going thru something similar and help others understand what they are going thru.

Claudia and the Bad Joke: A Graphic Novel (The Baby-Sitters Club Graphic Novels #15) | By Arley Nopra (Illustrator) , Ann M. Martin

Another well done graphic novel. Most Baby-Sitters books teach a lesson of sorts and this one is no different. The focus on this one has to do with jokes and how some jokes can go to far. Claudia breaks her leg as a result of a joke making her question if she wants to continue babysitting. 

You (Book 1) | by Caroline Kepnes

Kepnes keeps you on the edge of your seat. Our main character Joe Goldberg works in a bookstore. He appears to be normal but he is far from it. Joe is a stalker and molds his personality to fit that of a woman he becomes obsessed with. Joe will do anything and I do mean anything to make Beck his. 

Beck falls for Joe but she isn't exactly a likable character and together they are a hot mess. None of the characters in this book are anyone I would want to be friends with.  Everyone is pretty horrible but that's part of what make this book so good. 

The book is fast paced, entertaining and will leave you with many WTF moments. The story is told in second person and present tense which makes it a bit more chilling. Social media plays a major roll in this story and makes you rethink what information you put out there. 

Life After Death | By Damien Echols

 

First Published September 17, 2012

I first heard about the West Memphis Three (WM3) when I took an class in college on documentary's. It soon became a case that I was not only intrigued by but followed. It never sat right with me and felt as though it was a miscarriage of justice.  If you aren't familiar with it google it. There is a lot of information for and against their innocence and several documentaries. 

Life After Death has sat in my TBR pile since 2012.  I am not exactly sure why I kept putting it off other than I have never been a huge fan of Damien Echols (Yes, you can be indifferent about someone and think they are innocent). I always found him a bit cocky but I always took that as who he was in his youth. I always found him to be intelligent and having the ability to use words to express himself beautifully.

Life After Death is a raw account on Echols life behind bars (more than half his life at the point of his release) and the cycle of poverty, prejudice and incidents that resulted in a guilty verdict. Damien's experienced a level of poverty that no one should undergo. Is a victim of a failed justice system. This is sadly a common occurrence in out society and makes this an important read. 

*** I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Slayers, Every One of Us: How One Girl in All the World Showed Us How to Hold On | By Kristin Russo , Jenny Owen Youngs

 

First Published April 8, 2025

If you are fans of the podcast Buffering the Vampire Slayer you'll love this book. If you're just discovering them this book is for you. It gives a lot of background information on the podcasters ( Kristin and Jenny), their podcast and the love they have for Buffy!

Buffering the Vampire Slayer started off with Kristen watching Jenny's favorite show Buffy The Vampire Slayer and analyzing it. It was meant to enhance their relationship and while the podcast becomes a success their personal life becomes complicated. Their romantic relationship and marriage falls apart but they manage to remain committed to their audience, fans and show by producing episodes and Buffy events. 

This book will spoil episodes so don't read it if you haven't seen Buffy! One of the most interesting things about the book is how it's disclosed that their relationship was mirroring Buffy episodes they were watching/discussing. 

This is an interesting read. If you want to listen  or revisit the podcast now is a good time to start because they Kristen and Jenny are going thru all the episodes again this time with spoilers! 

I am not sure what I was expecting when I read this book but I didn't think the main focus would be about Jenny and Kristens relationship with Buffy as an afterthought. This doesn't mean it wasn't a good read because it was but I wanted more Buffy. 

* I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Count My Lies by Sophie Stava

Sloane Caraway is a liar! She uses her ability to lie to get what she wants. I'm not even sure Sloane knows why she is a liar. She just is. 

Sloane Caraway lies her way into becoming a nanny for a family. A wealthy family that has some secrets of its own. Jay and Violet appear to be the perfect couple. Their story along with Sloane unravels via different points of view and each point of view is unreliable. 

Sloane is creepy and bat shit crazy but Jay and Violet are messy. There are too many lies to count which makes you addicted to this read. The twists and turns are the best I've come across this year. It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel. Stava has written a well executed novel that keeps you guessing.