Book Review: Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Title: Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto

Series/Standalone: Vera Wong Series (Book #1)

Genre: Mystery, Adult Fiction, Cozy Mystery

Pages: 339

Publisher: Berkley

Year Published: 2023

Format: Audiobook

"Vera Wong is a lonely little old lady-ah, lady of a certain age-who lives above her forgotten tea shop in the middle of San Francisco's Chinatown. Despite living alone, Vera is not needy, oh no. She likes nothing more than sipping on a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy detective work on the Internet about what her college-aged son is up to.

Then one morning, Vera trudges downstairs to find a curious thing- a dead man in the middle of her tea shop. In his outstretched hand, a flash drive. Vera doesn't know what comes over her, but after calling the cops like any good citizen would, she sort of... swipes the flash drive from the body and tucks it safely into the pocket of her apron. Why? Because Vera is sure she would do a better job than the police possibly could, because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands.

Vera knows the killer will be back for the flash drive: all she has to do is watch the increasing number of customers at her shop and figure out which one among them is the killer. 

What Vera does not expect is to form friendships with her customers and start to care for each and every one of them. As a protective mother hen, will she end up having to give one of her newfound chicks to the police?"

My Rating: 5/5

This was unlike other cozy mysteries that I've read. Mostly because it centred around a main character I hadn't read from before. Her narrative throughout the mystery kept me intrigued and laughing throughout. I loved the way we got to see so many sides of her character the woman, the mother, the community leader and more. I can't wait to read more. 

Sidny

Book Review: The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook by Matt Dinniman

Title: The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook

Author: Matt Dinniman

Series/Standalone: Dungeon Crawler Carl (Book #3)

Genre: Science Fiction, Adult, Dystopian, LitRPG

Pages: 532

Publisher: Indie Published

Year Published: 2021

Format: Ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

"Welcome to the Gun Show!

The top 10 list is populated. The sponsorship program is open. The difficulty is ramping up. The first three floors were nothing compared to what Carl and Donut now face.

The Iron Tangle. An impossibly complicated subway system built out of the world's subterranean railway systems, all combined and then tied together into a knot. Up is down. Down is up. Close is far. The cars are filled with monsters, the railway stations are less than safe, and the exit is always just a few stops away.

But there is hope. For the first time, the crawlers are all working together. The loot is better than ever. And the secret to unraveling it all may be hidden in the pages of a seemingly useless book.

Welcome, crawlers. Welcome to the fourth floor of the dungeon."

My Rating: 4.25/5

I enjoyed the character development in this third instalment. The plot twists and the change of pace were interesting. I was grateful that the author started this book with the warning that it was confusing and not to worry about it that everything would come together in the end. That being said, it was still a lot of exposition and explanation. It did burn me out a bit, and we (my husband and I, since we're buddy reading) will be taking a little break. I hope to pick up the next one before the end of the year.

Sidny

Book Review: She's Not Sorry by Mary Kubica

Title: She's Not Sorry

Author: Mary Kubica

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Adult Fiction

Pages: 330

Publisher: Park Row

Year Published: 2024

Format: Audiobook

"Meghan Michaels is trying to find the balance between being a single mum to a teenage daughter and working as a full-time nurse. While on duty at the hospital one day, a patient named Caitlin arrives in a coma, having plunged from a bridge onto train tracks below.

But when a witness comes forward with shocking details about the fall, it calls everything they know into question. Was Caitlin pushed and if so, by whom and why?

Meghan has always tried to stay emotionally detached from her patients, but this time she mistakenly lets herself get too close, until she's deeply entangled in Caitlin's and her family's lives. Only when it's too late, does she realise that she and her daughter could be the next victims."

My Rating: 2.75/5

I liked a lot of parts about this book; there were multiple mysteries and ideas at play throughout a lot of the book. Unfortunately, because I've read a lot from this author, I saw a lot of them coming. What I didn't expect was for the ending to almost be a cliffhanger. I also think the nurse conversations, while important, were almost too repetitive (I agree with what was said, but it felt like every other line was a stance). I will continue to read from the author; this just wasn't my favourite. 

Sidny

Book Review: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Title: The Haunting of Hill House   

Author: Shirley Jackson

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Horror, Classic, Adult Fiction

Pages: 182

Publisher: Penguin Classics

Year Published: 1959

Format: Audiobook 

"'Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against its hills, holding darkness within...'

Four seekers have arrived at the rambling old pile known as Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of psychic phenomena; Theodora, his lovely and lighthearted assistant; Luke, the adventurous future inheritor of the estate; and Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman with a dark past. As they begin to cope with chilling, even horrifying occurrences beyond their control or understanding, they cannot possibly know what lies ahead. For Hill House is gathering its powers- and soon it will choose one of them to make its own."

My Rating: 1.75/5

I don't often read classics, and when I do, I'm reminded why. This book was unsettling but not horrifying, not in the same vein that I expected. The characters were annoying, and I had a hard time empathisizing with them. I would be curious to see if the show kind of adds to the story. I think the archetypes are interesting; the atmosphere was chilling, but other than that, I didn't enjoy my time reading this book. 

Sidny

Book Review: Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman

Title: Carl's Doomsday Scenario

Author: Matt Dinniman

Series/Standalone: Dungeon Crawler Carl (Book #2)

Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian, Litrpg

Pages: 400

Publisher: Indie Published

Year Published: 2021

Format: Ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

"'The training levels have concluded. Now the games may truly begin.'

The rating and views are off the charts. The fans just can't get enough. The dungeon gets more dangerous each day. But in a grinder designed to chew up and spit out crawlers by the millions, Carl and Princess Donut need to work harder than ever just to survive.

They call it the Over City. A sprawling, once-thriving metropolis devastated by a mysterious calamity. But these streets are far from abandoned. An undead circus trawls the ruins. Murdered prostitutes rain from the sky. An ancient spell is finally ready to reveal its dark purpose.

Carl still has no pants.

They call it Dungeon Crawler World. For Carl and Donut, it's anything but a game."

My Rating: 4.5/5

This book really grew my interest in the world. From the first book, I was a little hesitant to go in, but this book laid out a lot of good points, world-building, and character development. I love the humour in the books even when the content is gruesome. Matt Dinniman does a wonderful job of building a world where anything can happen, but not making it too absurd. The random bits of extra madness splashed throughout keep the story interesting and us wondering what will happen with Carl next.

Sidny 

Book Review: Lore Olympus: Volume 10 by Rachel Smythe

Title: Lore Olympus: Volume 10

Author: Rachel Smythe

Series/Standalone: Lore Olympus (Volume 10)

Genre: Graphic Novels, Romance, Fantasy 

Pages: 448

Publisher: Inklore

Year Published: 2026

Format: Paperback (Library Copy)

"'The Mortal Realm- it's dying'

After years of yearning, the big day has finally arrived: Hades and Persephone are getting married! It's the ceremony of the century, and practically all the gods are invited to celebrate the happy couple. The wedding, full of love and joy, provides a much-needed respite for the pantheon... but the newlyweds have no time for a honeymoon.

The king and queen of the Underworld begin unprecedented dives into the dream world to find the god that Kronos took hostage- and, hopefully, to get answers on defeating the furious titan once and for all. During their explorations, they begin to suspect that Persephone's powers of spring may have been altered. Their theory is proven correct with deadly consequences: When Persephone returns to the Mortal Realm, Apollo uses the chaos as cover for an attempt to kill Zeus. He claims his dying father's throne and decrees that the only way to save the Mortal Realm is if Persephone- and her power- belong to him. The others reject his outrageous demand, proposing instead that whoever can fix the failing seasons will be named interim ruler of Olympus. Hope now rests with the struggling goddess to find a way to stop the treacherous Apollo and save humankind- or else be separated from Hades forever."

My Rating: 5/5

I still love this series. I like that this one felt so impactful to the series. The twists and turns were entertaining, but not out of left field. I also enjoyed seeing how the characters spoke about their pasts in a way that matched their myths while still maintaining the contemporary setting.

Sidny

Book Review: Creed: Submission by Odessa Harlow

Title: Creed: Submission

Author: Odessa Harlow

Series/Standalone: Confessions of Creed (Book #1)

Genre: Dark, Romance, Mafia Romance

Pages: 321

Publisher: Self-Published

Year Published: 2025

Format: Ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

"We were children when they took us, but worth billions as adults, sold as death incarnate. Any contract with Creed meant someone was bound to burn alive. Hope was the cruellest thing I ever carried. It told me if I was quiet enough, obedient enough, lovely enough, I could be more than a product of their f%cked system. But over time, we'd all been bought, sold, traded and passed around so much that most of us stopped trying to be anything other than what they made us. 

And we became their most valuable investments when we learned how to kill. 

Creed. Contract killers to the syndicate and terrorists to the world. Me. Rafe. Kane. Thorne. Trafficked assets trapped in the same nightmare, trying not to become it. 

The funny thing about survival is that it doesn't always look the way you'd expect. Sometimes it looks like the deaf sharpshooter who teaches you that silence doesn't have to be lonely. Other times, it looks like the big brother and fighter who keeps standing long after he should've fallen, or his hacker kid brother who still believes people like me- morally corrupted, angry women- are worth saving.

Yes, Creed killed them. All those headlines on the news are probably us. But our story? It wasn't really about that; it was about finding a family in the last place on earth we should've found one.

Surviving together became our double-edged sword. It kept us human. It taught us how to love each other despite the darkness we were trapped inside. But loving someone gives people leverage. It gives them something to threaten. Something to take. 

And we were trapped in a system that only knew how to take.

Once you've spent your whole life being owned, controlled and discarded, you'll do just about anything to protect the first people who ever made you feel loved. Even if it turns you into the very thing the world fears....

Do you know how long it takes a person to die once their body's engulfed in flames? 

Four minutes.

I know what it smells like, sounds like, feels like- and I'll still do it. Again and again. Especially to protect Creed. 

Bodies, I've found, have a way of cataloguing hurt, even when we beg them to forget, and mine is so bruised, so broken and stitched, blood leaking from every crevice of my soul, that I simply must confess this to you-

All that Creed did- we did. 

But we're victims too. Whether you show us mercy, officer, is up to you."

My Rating: 2.5/5

I thought this was just ok. I think the storyline is interesting, but the gruesome nature was a bit repetitive for my taste. The horrors were obviously important for context, but I wished that we saw at least a little bit of the happy moments more in depth to help with some of the drag in the story. That being said, the plot twist got my attention, and I plan to continue the series at some point.

Sidny

Book Review: So Many Stars : An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer and Two-Spirited People of Color by Caro De Robertis

Title: So Many Stars

Author: Caro De Robertis

Serie/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Nonfiction, LGBTQ+, History, Adult

Pages: 304

Publisher: Algonquin Books

Year Published: 2025

Format: Audiobook

"So Many Stars knit together the voices of trans, nonbinary, genderqueer, and two-spirit elders of color as they share authentic, intimate accounts of how they created space for themselves and their communities in the world. This singular project collects the testimonies of twenty elders, each a glimmering thread in a luminous tapestry, preserving their words for future generations- who can more fully exist in the world today because of these very trailblazers.

De Robertis creates a collective coming-of-age story based on hundreds of hours of interviews, offering rare snapshots of ordinary kids growing up, navigating family issues and finding community, coming out and changing how they identify over the years, building movements and weathering the AIDS crisis, and sharing wisdom for future generations. Often narrating experiences that took place before they had the array of language that exists today to self-identify beyond the gender binary, this generation lived through remarkabloe changews in American culture, shaped American culture and yet rarely takes center stage in the history books. Their stories feel particularly urgent in the current political moment, but also remind readers that their experiences are not new, and that young trans and nonbinary people today belong to a long lineage.

The anecdotes in these pages are riveting, joyful, heartbreaking, full of personality and wisdom and artfully woven together into one immersive narrative. In De Robertis's words, So Many Stars shares 'behind-the-scenes tales of what it meant- and still means- to create an authentic life, against the odds.'"

My Rating: 4.75/5

Once again, this book proves why we need to read about experiences like and unlike our own. Learning the history of different people helps us to understand how we got to where we are today, while still reminding us what there is to lose and why the continual fight for equality is important. I think the grouping of stories is so incredibly valuable, the different touch points vastly important. The only reason I didn't give this book 5/5 was that this book wasn't narrated by the elders, or there weren't voice snippets from the elders. I think that might have helped me better distinguish individuals in the audiobook.

Sidny

Book Review: Finding Me by Viola Davis

Title: Finding Me    

Author: Viola Davis    

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Memoir, Nonfiction, Adult

Pages: 304

Publisher: HarperOne

Year Published: 2022

Format: Audiobook

"In my book, you will meet a little girl named Viola who ran from her past until she made a life-changing decision to stop running forever.

This is my story, from a crumbling apartment in Central Falls, Rhode Island, to the stage in New York City and beyond. This is the path I took to finding my purpose but also my voice in a world that didn't always see me.

As I wrote Finding Me, my eyes were open to the truth of how our stories are often not given close examination. We are forced to reinvent them to fit into a crazy, competitive, judgemental world. So I wrote this for anyone running through life untethered, desperate and clawing their way through murky memories, trying to get to some form of self-love. For anyone who needs reminding that a life worth living can only be born from radical honesty and the courage to shed facades and be... you.

Finding Me is a deep reflection, a promise and a love letter of sorts to self. My hope is that my story will inspire you to light up your own life with creative expression and rediscover who you were before the world put a label on you."

My Rating: 5/5

I am excited that this year I am being more open to nonfiction reads. Hearing each other's verbal stories is so valuable, and the idea of verbal storytelling is sitting with me more and more. I knew of Viola Davis, but hearing her story was entrancing. Her past and her path to her current life are filled with hurt, racism, and reflection. It made me reflect on how piece of who we are get us to where we are. Even the parts that hurt. That being said, therapy (as Viola Davis mentions frequently in this memoir) helps us confront parts of our past and who we are to help us live with it all.

Sidny

Book Review: We Were Never Here by Sophia Hannan

Title: We Were Never Here

Author: Sophia Hannan

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Horror, LGBT, Young Adult

Pages: 352

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Year Published: 2026

Format: Audiobook

"The remaining members of a ghost hunting show return to the haunted manor that may have killed their friend in this atmospheric, contemporary gothic debut perfect for fans of She is a Haunting and Delicious Monsters.

In July, Georgia Perry and Jules Park- secret girlfriends, covert art thieves, and cohost of a popular Youtube ghost hunting show- step into a haunted house to steal a priceless painting. A few short hours later, there's a knife in Jules chest and Georgia is is waking up in a pool of blood with no painting and no memory of how she got there. 

Now it's October, and Georgia is underwater. She hasn't been to class in weeks, and she's avoiding her old crew- and only friends- like the plague. But when the three remaining thieves get a call from the man who paid a hefty sum to keep them out of jail, demanding that they return to finish the job, Georgia has no choice but to return to her old life.

As estranged friends scramble to steal the painting with no cover story and no leader, they quickly realize that something is very, very wrong, and it's not just the suffocating memory of Jules or the prying eyes of their viewers. Between the strange shadows that begin to trail them and the nightmares plaguing Georgia's sleep, only one thing is certain: something followed them home from De Lys manor and it will do anything to keep them from going back."

My Rating: 1.5/5

This was one where I realized that I'm getting too old for YA, which is not the book's fault. My issue was that if you are a major criminal, you are not hiring these idiots to steal art for you. I should really read the blurbs on the YA books I pick up because when picking this up I had no idea this would involve art hiests. And without it I might have enjoyed it, but with it, I was distracted. Also, the horror didn't feel as terrifying as I would have liked. It seemed like everyone was just lacking communication skills. I don't think I would read anything else from the author at this time but hey, if this seems like your cup of tea, give it a whirl.

Sidny