Book Review: "Aftertaste" by Daria Lavelle

The minute I heard about the concept of this book, I knew I needed to read it. It’s a mashup of food writing, magical realism, and a dash of the paranormal, resulting in an emotionally satisfying (and hunger-inducing) read. Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy!

When Kostya was 10 years old, his father died. His mother took to her bed for an extended period of time, leaving Kostya to deal with his grief on his own. One day, he gets a strange taste in his mouth, one he can’t quite define until he realizes it was the taste of his father’s favorite dish.

That moment sparked the discovery a special talent in Kostya. He has the ability to taste the favorite dish of a ghost. It isn’t until one night while working behind a bar that he decides to actually make what he’s tasting—in this case, it was a bespoke cocktail—and he is shocked by what happens then.

While he never had any desire to cook, the discovery of his unique ability inspires him. He decides to try and use cooking to reunite a grieving person with someone they’ve lost, by making a dish that was important to the deceased. It doesn’t always work, but Kostya hopes he’ll be able to summon his father’s ghost, as he has never stopped missing him.

Kostya winds up working in the world of NYC restaurants, but of course, he can’t reveal the true reason for pursuing this career track. Yet in his zeal to help others, he doesn’t realize he’s opening the door to trouble in the Afterlife.

This book is emotional, fun, and thought-provoking. It’s also incredibly timely for me, as last week marked the 11th anniversary of my dad’s passing. At times the pace dragged a bit, but I really enjoyed it. And boy, was I hungry afterward!

Book Review: "He's To Die For" by Erin Dunn

I kept seeing ads for this book, so I knew I had to read it. It was so good! Thanks so much to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

At age 29, Rav is the youngest detective of NYPD’s Homicide Squad. He’s definitely not your typical New York cop, though; he’s the son of a British lord, a fan of sharply tailored and expensive suits, and he’s gay. He’s also a bit of a narcissist, although he has the skills to back up his ego.

When he gets assigned to be the lead detective on a murder case, he’s ready to shine. But while the murder of a record executive seems straightforward, it turns out to be anything but.

The record exec had a feud with a popular band over ownership of their master recordings, so it makes sense that the band members are prime suspects. But the last thing that Rav is expecting is to feel a connection with Jack, the band’s lead singer.

As Rav tries to make sense of newly discovered evidence and multiple suspects, he’s hoping to clear Jack’s name, since Jack is anything but the egotistical diva Rav was expecting. He’s not counting on becoming an object of fascination on social media—or putting his job and his reputation at risk. Is he falling for a killer?

I enjoyed this so much. Rav is a fantastic protagonist and the supporting characters were great, too. In addition to a twisty mystery, there’s some steam and some exploration of mental health issues. I’d love to see this become a series!

Book Review: "Tilt" by Emma Pattee

Wow. This was such a powerfully written book, one which filled me with anxious tension.

It’s the first day of Annie’s maternity leave, as she’s nine months pregnant and ready to give birth. She decides to go to IKEA to buy a crib for the baby, as she and her husband haven’t gotten around to that task yet. In the middle of shopping, a massive earthquake hits Portland, Oregon, throwing the city—and Annie—into utter chaos.

“Last I checked, your father and I have $836 in a checking account at Wells Fargo, a Subaru with 160,000 miles on it, and a two-bedroom apartment we can only afford because the landlord feels too guilty to raise our rent or kick us out. And here I am, thirty-seven weeks pregnant at IKEA. On a Monday. With a credit card I’ll probably die before I pay off.”

With no way to reach her husband because phone lines are down, and with the streets either wrecked or clogged with traffic, Annie decides to walk to the cafe where her husband works.

As she walks through the streets and witnesses the destruction first-hand, Annie reflects on her life, her marriage, and her anxieties over the impending birth of her baby. Her emotions spiral through fear, anxiety, grief, and anger, and she grows more uncomfortable physically.

Along the way she encounters examples of human kindness as well as the chaos that occurs during natural disasters like this. She’s not fully sure that she and her husband are ready to be parents (or adults, for that matter), especially as she witnesses the anxieties of parents.

Emma Pattee is a climate journalist, and that expertise is truly evident in the imagery she uses. I felt like I was walking beside Annie, seeing the same destruction and feeling aftershocks along the way. This book really made me think how I’d handle being in this situation.

Book Review: "My Friends" by Fredrik Backman

This book has been all over Bookstagram, and deservedly so. I’m a huge fan of Fredrik Backman’s, but I tend to love those of his books that are more serious and emotional. And he sure knows how to make me cry!

“Adults always think they can protect children by stopping them from going to dangerous places, but every teenager knows that’s pointless, because the most dangerous place on earth is inside us. Fragile hearts break in palaces and in dark alleys alike.”

You can obviously tell from the title that this is a book about friendship, but it is so much more than that. This is a story about loss, loneliness, the love we feel in our souls and the joy when that love is reciprocated. It’s also a story about rescuing those in need, even when you’re in need of rescue yourself.

In this book, as in his Beartown trilogy, some of Backman’s characters have known great pain, sadness, even hopelessness. Yet quite often, they still find the strength to endure, to experience joy, to love, even as their hearts are broken. That is one aspect that makes his books so meaningful and moving to me.

“He would often try to think that perhaps that has to be the case: that our teenage years have to simultaneously be the brightest light and the darkest depths, because that’s how we learn to figure out our horizons.” (I felt this quote in my soul.)

From the very first words in this book, I was reminded of a line from one of my favorite movies, Stand By Me. It goes, “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?” (Substitute 14 for 12, and that summed up so much of what made this book special.) I have no doubt this will be one of my favorite books of the year.

Book Review: "The Ghostwriter" by Julie Clark

It’s another winner from Julie Clark! I’ve loved her two previous books, and this one was so good, too. Thanks so much to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the advance copy!

Olivia was a tremendously successful ghostwriter until her (valid) outspokenness puts her career and her finances in jeopardy. She gets offered a job she desperately wishes she could refuse, but she can’t: ghostwrite the latest book for famed horror writer Vincent Taylor.

No one knows that Vincent is Olivia’s father. She left home in high school and hasn’t seen her father in years. But when she returns to her childhood home in Ojai, California, she learns he doesn’t want her to write a novel for him. He wants her help with a memoir about a family tragedy that occurred 50 years ago.

In 1975, Vincent’s older brother and younger sister were murdered in their home. As the only surviving child, many believed he was the killer—suspicion that he’s never quite been able to shake. But now he’s ready to talk about what happened.

Vincent’s memories don’t quite jibe with written recollections and other memorabilia Olivia finds from 1975. Is he purposely trying to evade the truth, or is he telling what he believes happened back then? There’s a lot of pressure for Olivia to complete the book quickly, but she’s determined to find the real truth.

This is a slow-paced yet tremendously twisty mystery, shifting between 1975 and the present, and narrated by Olivia, Vincent, and his sister, Poppy. It’s one of those books where you don’t know what or whom to believe, but I couldn’t put this down. So good!

The book will publish 6/3/2025.

Book Review: "The Love Haters" by Katherine Center

Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book! I always love the arrival of a new Katherine Center book each year!

Katie enjoys her work as a video producer, helping companies raise their profile with promotional videos. On the side, she has a YouTube channel for which she films interviews with ordinary people who do heroic things.

When word gets a large number of employees will be fired to cut costs, Katie is a bit panicked. But then her coworker, Cole, taps her to film a recruiting video for the Coast Guard, by profiling Hutch, a rescue swimmer down in Key West. (He also happens to be Cole’s estranged brother.) Hutch had gotten some notoriety after a rescue, but he turned down any opportunities to cash in on his 15 minutes of fame.

Rather than stay and get fired, Katie agrees to the assignment. Of course, she can’t swim, but is that a big deal? She is quickly embraced by Hutch’s aunt Rue and her gaggle of friends, and is dazzled by Hutch in every way. But while Cole keeps pressuring her to get Hutch to film one of her hero videos, she understands why he is reluctant for publicity.

But then Cole arrives in Key West—with his and Katie’s boss in tow. Apparently Cole isn’t good with the truth, and to save his job—and hurt Hutch—he lies about his relationship with Katie. Lots of drama ensues.

I really love Center’s books, but sadly, this wasn’t a favorite of mine. I enjoyed the focus on self-esteem and body positivity, and loved Hutch (and George Bailey, his Great Dane), but miscommunication is one of my least favorite tropes.

The book publishes 5/20.

Book Review: "Disco Witches of Fire Island" by Blair Fell

How could I resist a book with a title like this? My thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the advance copy!

In 1989, Joe and his best friend Ronnie plan to spend the summer working and playing at the gay mecca of Fire Island Pines. Ronnie is looking for a sugar daddy, while Joe realizes it’s time to move on from grieving his late boyfriend Elliot, who died of AIDS.

When Ronnie’s promised job and accommodations both fail to materialize, Joe meets Lenny and Howie, two older gay men who are housecleaners on the side. They take Joe under their wing, and although they’re tremendously kind and generous to him, they seem to have a lot of secrets and quirky habits. What are they hiding?

Howie and Lenny are part of a coven of disco witches. They use dance to conjure up protection for the younger gay men who might become overwhelmed by the availability of sex and drugs on Fire Island. Both of these have destroyed too many men already, and they’re committed to protecting Joe. But the coven has been depleted by the loss of many of its members to AIDS, so they’re not as powerful as they once were.

While Joe works as a bartender, he finds himself attracted to a bisexual ferryman, and tantalized by a muscular man that keeps disappearing. Lenny and Howie try to warn Joe away from the mysterious hunk, saying that he represents impending danger. Will the disco witches be able to keep everyone safe?

This was such a fun, poignant, nostalgic, and steamy book. I can’t pass up anything set in the 1980s, and when you throw in a little magical realism—plus disco—I’m hooked. I really enjoyed this, and it made me think back to those we’ve lost.