Reading Lately: December 2024 Book Reviews

Jonathan Haidt explains why moving from a play-based childhood to a screen-based childhood has changed the neurological development children, making them more anxious, along with other mental health problems. Haidt shows why this causes them to withdraw further into a digital world, and then proposes a solution that he says will reduce the incidence of mental illness in the rising generations.

Jonathan Haidt paints an enlightening (and terrifying) picture of the damage screen-based childhood has done on a generation of children. He perfectly expressed in data the feelings I already had about my kids and phones. While Haidt mostly focuses on the dangers of social media and smartphones, he also focuses on the solutions, especially a greater need for connections, independence and in-person interaction. I will definitely be making some changes to my parenting after reading this one and I absolutely recommend it to everyone.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 26 March 2024
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

Erik Larson delves into the six months between Abraham Lincoln’s election and the first shots fired on Fort Sumter to start the Civil War. In a period of betrayal, error, and miscommunication, Larson focuses on the stories of four individuals: Sumter’s commander caught between sympathy to the South and loyalty to the Union; a bloodthirsty radical promoting secession at every turn; the wife of a local planter who is conflicted about marriage and slavery; and in the thick of it all, is Abraham Lincoln, desperately trying to avert a war.

The Demon of Unrest is a detailed look at the months leading up to the Civil War that is perfect for fans of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals. I don’t often read history books but, when I do, I love when they can captivate my attention. I enjoyed Larson’s narrow focus on the lead-up to the war because it really helped place this large world event into perspective. If you don’t mind a long read, The Demon of Unrest manages to be extremely informative while also keeping my attention.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 30 April 2024
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph | More Info
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

In August 1975, Barbara Van Laar is discovered missing from her summer camp bed. A tragedy for any child, but Barbara is the daughter of the wealthy owner of the camp and the nearby estate. Fourteen years ago, Barbara’s older brother also went missing without a trace. Tying together the wealthy Van Laar family with the working class community that supports the camp and estate, The God of the Woods is a multi-layered drama about secrets that refuse to be forgotten.

I’d been hearing great things about The God of the Woods since it came out last summer and I immediately snagged a copy. Which proceeded to sit on my shelf for months, intimidated by its large size (almost 500 pages). I’m so glad I finally picked it up because I was completely engrossed staying up way too late to finish it. Moore does the slow build of suspense perfectly, gradually unwinding the past and present in an atmospheric story with rich characters.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 2 July 2024
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph | More Info
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

Twenty-five years ago, Malcolm Gladwell topped the bestseller list with The Tipping Point, analyzing the science of viral trends. Now, Gladwell revisits his bestseller to reframe the lessons for the modern day. Gladwell expands his focus to look at the dark side of contagious phenomena using his trademark mix of fascinating anecdotes and social science.

I just adore anything Malcolm Gladwell writes and will listen to any audiobook he narrates. Returning to the same topic as his bestseller, The Tipping Point, Gladwell takes on a dark twist to the topic, showing the dangers when individuals try social engineering using the science of virality. Explaining social phenomenon with fascinating real-world examples, Gladwell always makes you think deeper. Using the opioid epidemic, Gladwell highlights how small changes can have large, often unintended, consequences.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 1 October 2024
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph | More Info
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour became a cultural phenomenon, shattering records as it grossed over 2 billion dollars. With a 3 and a half hour set list, The Eras Tour stunned fans with remarkable production and was turned into a successful concert film. Capitalizing on the success of the tour, Swift released a book with over 500 high-quality images from the tour. With barely any text, The Eras Tour book is really just a coffee table book with pretty pictures that only the truly diehard Swifties (like me) would want to read.

Publication Date: 29 November 2024
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph
Buy Now: Target

When his father has a stroke, Kyle McCray reluctantly returns to his hometown to care for him. Two and half years ago, Kyle abruptly left town abandoning his father, his friends, his employees, and Casey, his wife of sixteen years. When asked to coach the struggling middle school hockey team, Kyle finds an chance for redemption. But to stay in town permanently, he must make peace with Casey as the book slowly reveals what caused a love-filled relationship to collapse so suddenly.

Tearjerker alert. I cried several times while reading Lange’s latest novel which, I should add, I devoured in one day. Tracey Lange knows how to tear my heart and then put it back together in just the right ways and I am loving her family dramas. The complicated intertwining of grief and guilt that destroyed their marriage is painfully realistic and hits you like a truck but the hopeful ending provides the catharsis you need to warm your heart back up.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celadon Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 14 January 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph | More Info
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

Author Grady Green calls his wife to share his exciting news. But while on the phone, he can hear her slam on the brakes. Her car is found parked on the edge of a cliff with her phone in the seat but she is gone. A year later, a grieving Grady wracked by insomnia visits a small Scottish island to try to start writing again and bring himself back to life. Except he thinks he sees a woman on the island who looks exactly like his missing wife.

Although I generally enjoy thrillers with unreliable narrators, Beautiful Ugly suffered from an overcomplicated plot without any likable characters. Despite its decent ending twist, the story was completely inconceivable and the characters didn’t draw you in. On the bright side, the audiobook production for Beautiful Ugly was top-notch. With A-list actors Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton narrating, the audiobook incorporated just the right amount of music and sound effects to enhance the story without overpowering it. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Macmillan Audio through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 14 January 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph | More Info
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

The daughter of a wealthy Black family, Ebby Freeman accidentally turns the headlines to herself during a failed wedding. Now the press is rehashing the death of her brother twenty years earlier in a home invasion. Fleeing to France, Ebby begins looking into her family history and researching a heirloom stoneware jar that was destroyed in that same home invasion. Will Ebby’s family’s past be the thing that sets her free in this multigenerational family drama from the author of Black Cake.

Although I loved Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut, I had mixed feelings about Good Dirt. Much of the book was extremely slow and dragged in a lot of ways. Yet, at times the writing was powerfully beautiful. I loved the connection between the family’s past and the history behind the jar. However, instead of focusing on Ebony’s relationship with her parents and grandparents, Good Dirt spent most of its time on how PTSD affected her romantic relationship. In all, I would say Good Dirt is a beautiful book that’s rough around the edges.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Ballantine Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 28 January 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph | More Info
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

Single mom Birdie is doing the best she can to raise her daughter Emaleen in Alaska. When Emaleen gets lost in the woods, Arthur, the scarred local recluse, brings her home safely. Soon Birdie falls in love with Arthur, craving his existence in the isolated mountains. Moving in with him, Birdie soon learns that the Alaskan wilderness, and Arthur himself, have darker sides than she realized.

Black Woods, Blue Sky was an odd book. A naive and misguided Birdie makes careless decisions to move in with a man who barely talks. I understood Birdie’s desire to be independent but the connection with Arthur wasn’t there, mostly because he’s barely present in the story. It wasn’t until after I finished that I saw the book being marketed as a Beauty and the Beast retelling, which I don’t see. Magical realism has never been my thing but, other than beautiful descriptions of the Alaska wilderness, I didn’t see the appeal of this tale.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 11 February 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

To avoid a layoff, Katie accepts an offer from her co-worker Cole to fly out to Key West and create a promotional video for the United States Coast Guard featuring rescue swimmer Hutch. The catch: Hutch is Cole’s estranged brother and Katie lied about knowing how to swim. Soon Katie finds herself falling head over heels for the handsome Coast Guardsmen, his massive Great Dane, and his charming aunt. Now Katie must decide how far she’ll go to save her job as she finds herself caught between two feuding brothers.

There’s no other way to say it, The Love Haters is sappy beyond belief. The entire first half is spent on Katie drooling over Hutch that you are so grateful when some conflict finally arrives. From there, the story settles into your standard cheesy romantic comedy (with no steam) that at least has some plot to move it along. Although Center tries to add nuance by discussing body image issues, it never gets the full emotional kick that highlighted some of her better books.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 20 May 2025
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

At the turn of the century, a twelve-year-old girl grieving her father is sent by boat to meet her 40-year-old husband. Eventually, she becomes known as Big Ammachi, the matriarch of a family particularly cursed to have one member of each generation die by drowning. From 1900-1977, Big Ammachi and her family see unimaginable changes to her Christian community on South India’s Malabar coast.

What a beautiful book! The Covenant of Water is a modern classic that reads like an epic Dickens’ novel. This gripping multigenerational story brings the characters and settings and history alive so you feel like you experience their sliver of the world. I really liked that the family curse turned out to just be a genetic condition. In true Dickensian fashion, the whole story comes full circle at the end in a touching conclusion that makes an excellent book even better. I can’t recommend it enough.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 2 May 2023
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph | More Info
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

Poet Maggie Smith never imagined that her career success would lead to the deterioration of her marriage. In her lyrical memoir, Smith tells her tale of heartbreak and rebuilding as she is determined to become a fierce mother even as she finds herself. More than just her story, You Could Make This Place Beautiful contemplates modern womanhood, traditional gender roles, patriarchy’s role in society, and the challenges facing women today.

Maggie Smith narrated the audio version of her divorce memoir perfectly. I was captured by her poetic structure and her ability to beautifully turn a phrase so that I felt so many of her lines. Although Smith is trying to be fair and nice, her husband comes off as a complete jackass – a spouse who refuses to be an equal parent and blames the wife for her career success. Smith’s story is powerfully relatable to modern women and I absolutely loved her unique take on storytelling.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 11 April 2023
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph | More Info
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

Instead of asking What’s wrong with you?, we should be asking What happened to you? Oprah Winfrey teams up with neuroscientist Bruce D. Perry to discuss how understanding the trauma faced at a young age can impact behaviors now. By understanding past experiences, we can shift our viewpoint and see a clear path to healing.

What Happened to You? is a fascinating look at the long-lasting effects of childhood trauma. Bruce Perry does a great job explaining the science and the research that Oprah Winfrey helps illustrate with emotional stories. Audiobook listeners, be aware that Oprah talks faster than normal and the clips from her show are even faster still.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 27 April 2021
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph | More Info
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

When a government minister is accused of rape, a courtroom drama ensues. Sophie Whitehouse knows her charming successful husband James isn’t perfect. While she’s disappointed in his affair, she doesn’t think he’s capable of rape. On the flip side, Kate, the lawyer in charge of prosecuting the crime, is convinced beyond out a shadow of a doubt that James is guilty. 

Sarah Vaughan drops you into an intense courtroom drama with complicated female characters. Kate’s drive for justice made her an excellent character. However, I found Sophie most fascinating as she had to decide whether to stick by her husband or not. Though I would not have made the choices Sophie did, I liked how Vaughan showed her history to help you see why she did. With a great conclusion, Anatomy of a Scandal was a great legal thriller to read, however, I almost hate to admit it but I enjoyed the miniseries even more than the book.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 11 January 2018
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph | More Info
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books