Helga without the H

Five star review, originally posted here on February 10th, 2026: Finally broke my start-of-year-bad-book-streak with this absolute gem! Serves me right for trying outside-my-comfort-zone fiction. Yes, well-researched non-fiction about niche dark historical topics is the way for me! And this absolutely fit the bill. Venditozzi and Mitchell knock it out of the park with this … More Goodreads Review: How to Kill a Witch by Zoe Venditozzi and Claire Mitchell

Two star review, originally posted here on January 24th, 2026. So… which drugs do I need to be on to enjoy this book? Because I feel like I should have been on some drugs. I’m having a tough start to my reading year. I’m trying to step out of my comfort zone and try new … More Goodreads Review: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

Two star review, originally posted here on January 24th, 2025. There are few current authors who seem more divisive than Colleen Hoover. I often see her name muttered in the same breath as Sarah J. Maas in either one of two contexts:1. Best writer ever2. Worst writer everAnd this “Verity” book appeared everywhere I turned … More Goodreads Review: Verity by Colleen Hoover

Four star review, originally posted here on December 31st, 2025: I’m playing catch-up and doing my last couple months worth of reviews, which is never fair to any of these books. It’s especially not fair to the later books when I’m already pooped from my other reviews and just want to be done. I pushed … More Goodreads Review: North Woods by Daniel Mason

Four star review, originally posted here on December 31st, 2025: Full disclosure: I’ve done that thing where I don’t review any book for a couple months, then try to catch up all in 1 day. I’ve done several other reviews today, and I am fried. Also, I barely remember this book. I listened to it … More Goodreads Review: Eden Undone: A True Story of Sex, Murder, and Utopia at the Dawn of World War II by Abbott Kahler

Four star review, originally posted here on December 31st, 2025: I’m not usually a sci-fi reader. Even for TV and movies I’m generally not much of a fan unless there’s something particularly appealing to me about it. It’s just a preference, I guess. But I did really like the movie The Martian (based on another … More Goodreads Review: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Three star review, originally posted here on December 31st, 2025: There was so much potential here. Alas, the book is infuriatingly uneven. This was my first time reading a Fannie Flagg book, though I’ve seen the movie Fried Green Tomatoes a million times. This book is very similar, in that we jump back and forth … More Goodreads Review: The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion

Four star review, originally posted here on December 31, 2025: This is not a book I ever would have thought to pick up on my own. But in one of my classes I ask people to recommend books (to help me find inspiration, and to broaden my own horizons,) and this is the one that … More Goodreads Review: Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman