Author: Monique (Page 4 of 129)

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin | Book Review

July 16, 2025 / Monique

How to Solve Your Own Murder is the first book in the Castle Knoll Files. I unknowingly read book 2 first. In short, Annie is tasked with solving the murder of her great-aunt Frances in order to claim Frances’ inheritance. If Frances’ step son solves the murder, then he inherits. And if either of them fail, then Oliver the property developer gets his claws into things and a golf course is on its way to quaint village of Castle Knoll.

The story alternates between Frances’ teenage past—where her murder was predicted by a fortune teller—and the present day where Annie discovers and reads Frances’ background story in diary entries, along with all of Frances’ suspicions and research into who her own murderer will be. The structure is great because it allows the reader to piece things together with Annie while also getting some insights directly from Frances’ perspective.

There is a whole cast of quirky (and suspicious) characters, all with connections to Frances and to a past murder. Like all great mysteries, Perrin laces this one with red herrings and twists and turns.

I thought this book was a fantastic series starter. If you like Susan Juby’s quirky detective Helen Thorpe, Anthony Horowitz’s cosy mysteries, or the idea of an unlikely heir dealing with mystery and murder in a small British village, then give this series a try.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas | Book Review

July 8, 2025 / Monique

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a fantasy romance series that is wildly popular. I have resisted reading it until now. And although romance is not my favourite type of read, this was a fun escape into a terrifying magical world of warring faeries.

Feyre is the sole provider for her family. She hunts in the woods and sells what she can to feed her father and two sisters. One day in early Spring, she is faced with killing a wolf that is hunting the only wildlife she has seen in days. If she kills both the deer and the wolf then it will be a game-changing act for her family.

Turns out the wolf was a faerie in disguise, one sent by a high lord who turns up at Feyre’s and demands retribution. Feyre is dragged off to his lands, not as a slave, but as a guest. It’s all alarming to her (and perhaps obvious to the reader that she is going to fall in love with this guy).

I can totally see why fans are crazy for this series. I’m mildly interested in book 2 but get the sense that it will be full of angst and melancholy.

The author website has all the books, and info on her other series, so if you’re into a slightly spicy fantasy series then I’d start here.

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride | Book Review

June 27, 2025 / Monique

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store opens with a mystery that quietly disappears into the background of the story. We are told upfront that workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, digging the foundation for a new housing development, have uncovered a skeleton. But the one person who may know anything about it disappears after being questioned by police. For the most part, this is inconsequential as the story skips back in time to the early days of the Jewish and Black residents who shared their lives on Chicken Hill, the neighbourhood adjacent to the wealthier, white part of Pottstown.

This is a lively, winding tale of Chona and Moshe, who own the grocery store, and their kindness towards their neighbours. It’s a story of race, religion and history, with an eclectic mix of characters. Addie and Nate, a Black couple, are Chona’s closest friends. Dodo is their nephew, who Chona hides from the authorities who want to send him to a special school for the deaf (but it’s really a dreadful asylum) . There’s also Malachi the dancer, Fatty, and Big Soap (an Italian immigrant who’s friends with Fatty), Rusty, Irv and Marv the Jewish Lithuanian shoemaker twins, and Doc Roberts whose deep-seated racism affects them all.

The general idea of America as a melting pot is challenged throughout the novel. One of the musicians speaking to Moshe, who owns the grocery but also a theatre, has this to say when Moshe says, “I didn’t know there were so many Spanish people around here.”

Mario smiled. “To you, they’re Spanish. To me, they’re Puerto Rican, Dominican, Panamanian, Cuban, Ecuadorian, Mexican, Africano, Afro-Cubano. A lot of different things. A lot of different sounds mixed together.”

The backstories of these Pottstown residents are presented in clever ways—and you understand the struggles between immigrant communities since the German Jews have different values than the Romanian, Hungarian, or Polish Jews; and the Blacks from the South likewise have different experiences and practices—but the overarching story is that of Chona and how she sees the good in people and pushes past their emotional barriers. She helps when others turn away, and when injustice is done to her, the community steps up.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah | Book Review

June 25, 2025 / Monique

Kristin Hannah is the author of The Women, which I really enjoyed. The writing here is also exceptional. The Nightingale is the story of the Rossignol sisters who struggle to survive in France during the German occupation in WWII.

Vianne is the elder sister, married, and with a young daughter. Her husband is a prisoner of war and she has a German officer billeted in her home. Not by choice.

Isabelle is the defiant younger sister whose ideals lead her to play a key role in the Resistance. Rossignol means nighingale and she is the Nightingale, a sought after thorn in the side of the Germans. The Nightingale is helping Allied pilots, shot down in France, escape over the Pyrenees.

One sister has everything to lose and the other has nothing to lose. The difference drives them apart, but they each risk their lives for the other.

Having just been to Northern France to the D-Day beaches and through the towns south of there that were occupied, The Nightingale illuminated my experience of those bombed out villages and the stories of resistance that remain at the heart of French culture.

This is a great audiobook if you want to hear the pronunciation of the French villages and character names.

The Nightingale

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green | Book Review

June 4, 2025 / Monique

Hank Green — co-creator of Crash Course, Vlogborhters, and SciShow, plus brother to John Green — has written a funny and poignant story about two 20-somethings who stumble into fame.

April May is coming home from work, late one night, and stumbles across a giant sculpture. It’s New York. Things like that happen. But this installation captivates her. It’s a 10-foot-tall Transformer style figure in a suit of armour. April convinces her friend Andy to meet her at the sculpture with his video camera, and they film April introducing “Carl” and upload it to video.

April has a rude awakening the next day when she learns that “Carls” have appeared around the world and every news media wants to interview her and Andy. The news is spreading so quickly that it’s tricky to deal with their new celebrity. But, Andy’s dad is a lawyer and since the news channels have used their video without permission, he is getting them, not only coverage, but cash. A lot of cash.

The novel is about the pressure April and Andy (although mostly April) have to deal with, the way it changes how they interact with other friends, and how they move through the world and make money. It’s a great social commentary on the vilification and adoration that influencers face.

Friendships are formed and lost. Great puzzles are solved. Good intentions devolve. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is a great novel and a cautionary tale.

The Drowned by John Banville | Book Review

May 28, 2025 / Monique

John Banville is an exceptional writer. The Drowned is a dark and moody tale set in 1950s Ireland. A loner comes across an abandoned car (still running and with the driver door wide open). Against his better judgment, he has a closer look. What unfolds is a troubled story of a missing woman, presumed drowned, and the deviant nature of her husband and the people he turns to for help.

Called in from Dublin to investigate is Detective Inspector Strafford, and through him we are introduced to pathologist Quirke, Chief Hackett, and Quirke’s daughter Phoebe. Their stories, running in parallel to the mysterious disappearance of the woman, are all about the secrets we hide, and the complicated ways that justice is served.

If you like John Banville, this read is top drawer. Similar writers would be Claire Keegan (Small Things Like These) or Anne Enright (The Green Road).

Published in Canada by HarperCollins

101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think by Brianna Wiest

May 23, 2025 / Monique

This isn’t your typical front-to-back read. Brianna Wiest’s 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think is a curated collection of reflections on purpose, emotion, identity, and intentional living. Each essay offers a sharp, sometimes spiritual, sometimes psychological nudge toward greater self-awareness. While the essays are standalone, a rhythm emerges—one that pulses with practical insight for anyone navigating adulthood, burnout, relationships, or meaning-making.

Published in 2016, this is an oldie but a goodie. I enjoyed all the essays, even the ones not directly applicable to this stage of my life. There are tons of mantras, lists, and thoughtful, grounded, and resilient approaches to common life scenarios. And yes, there is repetition in the essays but, as I mentioned, this is a pick-it-up and flip-it-open anywhere type of read.

Here are a few of the recurring life lessons:

Understand your emotions, don’t suppress them. Emotions are data, not directives. Learn to hear the lesson the emotion is conveying. And it is good to self-regulate but terrible to suppress. (Watch the Disney film Inside Out.)
Habits shape your identity. Change comes from what you do every day. Structure actually creates the freedom. (read Leah Goard on time management or Atomic Habits by James Clear)
Let go of who you should be. A lot of suffering comes from our assumptions or the perceived expectations of others. (check out Mel Robbins and the Let Them Theory)
Discomfort is a signal, not a stop sign. Growth is not comfortable. Don’t wait for certainty. (be like a hermit crab, get out of a tight space by growing and moving to something bigger than you)
You are not your thoughts. Cognitive distortions (like catastrophizing or black-and-white thinking) can quietly sabotage your well-being. (Write down your negative thoughts. This separates them from you. It’s quite freeing. Or, give your brain a name and talk to it. “Get it together Nicky.”)
Relationships are mirrors. What you dislike in others is often what you dislike or fear about yourself. (Judging others? Reflect on your own unresolved stuff. Learn from it. Check out Marcus Aurelius on judging others)
Stillness is not laziness. A life well lived is not measured by output alone. It’s a chaotic world, leave room for creativity, day-dreaming, and stepping back to see the larger picture. (Read some Stoic philosophy)
Your perception of reality is created by the focus of your attention. (Stop body scanning for anxiety or pain. Consider the stories you tell yourself about how an event is going or whether you like your job. Practice gratitude, hold on to happiness longer.)
Boundaries are acts of love. (Check out Dr. Becky on boundaries. They are something you set and maintain, they are about your actions not someone else’s.)

101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think is best read with a pencil in hand and space to pause. It’s not a book to race through; it’s a resource you return to. There’s repetition, yes, but also reinforcement—and in that, a kind of recalibration. If you’ve ever journaled your way out of a rut, or needed a mental reset without a full life upheaval, Wiest’s collection is a reliable reference for a life well lived.

You’ll like this read if you like Brianna Wiest’s other books (The Mountain Is You), or people like Ryan Holiday (The Obstacle Is the Way), James Clear (Atomic Habits), Mel Robbins (The Let Them Theory), Brené Brown (The Gifts of Imperfection)—all share a focus on personal growth, resilience, and achieving one’s potential, often exploring themes of overcoming challenges, building better habits, and navigating emotional experiences.

Butter by Asako Yuzuki, translated by Polly Barton | Book Review

May 21, 2025 / Monique

Butter is a an international bestselling novel that follows a Toyko journalist trying to get an exclusive interview with a female gourmet cook accused of serial murder.

Manako Kajii is awaiting her retrial in the Tokyo Detention House. She is charged with the murders of three businessmen with whom she was engaged to be married. Kajii refuses to speak to the press or entertain visitors but journalist Rika Machida, who knows nothing about cooking, gets a tip from her best friend about how she might infiltrate: Rika asks Kajii for her beef stew recipes. Will Kajii soften like butter and reveal all to Rika? Or will Rika just be another victim who falls prey to Kajii’s manipulations?

Yes, the novel is inspired by the real case of a convicted con woman and serial killer (the Konkatsu Killer), but Butter is more an exploration of misogynistic attitudes and diet culture. There are several female journalists who are treated differently in the office and by sources. There’s the toxic fat shaming Kajii endures from the press and from readers; and as Rika explores the rich meals Kajii loves, she too is shamed by peers and colleagues for her weight gain.

Butter is the story of a tenacious journalist who is committed to uncovering the nature of an accused killer. In the process she discovers more about herself, her family, her values, and her friends. It’s social commentary, personal journey, and a bit of gawker culture. It is not a fast-paced, true crime read but it is worthwhile.

If you like books where a culture and cuisine are highlighted, then this is for you. Or if you like social commentary with wit or some twist, then give this a try. I don’t have a lot of comparable reads but Kazou Ishiguro, Paul Lynch, and Jason Mott come to mind.

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen | Book Review

May 7, 2025 / Monique

The False Prince (The Ascendance series, Book 1) was introduced to me by my tween son. I love discovering books that I wouldn’t otherwise encounter, and this was a good find. I have since read the second book in the series, The Runaway King.

The False Prince opens with Sage, an orphan, being captured/bought by a noble named Bevin Conner. Sage isn’t the only orphan, there are four of them, and they soon find out that they have been selected due to their passing resemblance to the kingdom’s Prince Jaron, who hasn’t been seen for years and is believed to be dead at the hands of pirates. The rub is that the King, Queen, and the eldest son and heir to the throne have just died by poison. Conner believes that he can disguise and train one of the orphans to be the prince, and once the puppet prince on the throne then they will delegate Conner as steward and basically leader. Foolproof, right?

There are many plot twists in this novel and I do not want to give away too much of the story. What I can say is that only one orphan will make it to the throne and the others will be killed. The pressure is on for the boys to form alliances as a safety net yet they are still orphans used to fighting for their place so rivalries abound.

The Runaway King (Book 2) opens with the real Prince Jaron, recently crowned King, fighting off an assassination attempt. Apparently the pirates are not happy that they didn’t kill him the first time around. Jaron recklessly decides to infiltrate the pirates in order to suss out the traitor in his court.

The trilogy now has 5 books in this series.

My son is a fan of the Percy Jackson series, Harry Potter, and Keeper of the Lost Cities. The Ascendance series doesn’t have the fantasy and magic but it is otherwise a classic adventure with a strong, determined hero who faces physical and mental challenges, often aided by friends who he initially mistrusts. If you like a classic hero’s journey with rising tension and plot twists then this is for you.

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley | Book Review

May 7, 2025 / Monique

Grounded in reality. Rooted in culture. The Firekeeper’s Daughter is a thrilling debut set in the heart of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

In The Firekeeper’s Daughter, Angeline Boulley introduces us to Daunis Fontaine—a bright, science-minded Ojibwe teen navigating the fault lines of identity, family, and community.

Daunis is barely recovered from her uncle’s overdose death when tragedy strikes again. This time her best friend is killed by an estranged boyfriend. Are the two deaths linked? What’s the deal with the new hockey kid who Daunis has been showing around town? Is he involved? Who else is? Daunis suddenly finds herself connected to an undercover FBI investigation into a new, lethal drug that is threatening her community. Daunis must use her wits, her cultural teachings, and her fierce loyalty to protect what matters most. What follows is a suspenseful, emotionally rich journey of self-discovery, betrayal, and ultimately, belonging.

Most of my favourite passages include the French or Ojibwe words Boulley includes in the story. But there are also lessons in Indigenous medicine and healing. In one passage, Daunis reflect on love and control, “real love honours your spirit. If you need a medicine to create or keep it, that’s possession an control. Not love.” There is so much in this story about love and how relationships an be manipulated or used as a form of control. But there’s also a lot about how love can inform our actions.

Boulley opens the story with a gripping scene that sets the stage for Daunis’ complex, brave, and deeply rooted relationship to her family and her community. She struggles to be formally recognized by her father’s Indigenous community while also struggling with her connection to her mother’s prominent white family. There’s a ton of nuance to the story’s larger theme, which I see as the gap between how we’re seen and who we truly are.

The Ojibwe language and cultural references are expertly infused into the story, giving readers a better understanding of Anishinaabe traditions, values, and community structures. For example, in Ojibwe tradition, a Firekeeper tends the ceremonial fire that honours the dead and holds space for ritual. By the novel’s end, Daunis has claimed that role. She is her father’s daughter. She belongs. It’s a powerful reclaiming of heritage and agency.

The Firekeeper’s Daughter is a fierce, moving, and suspenseful coming-of-age thriller that challenges stereotypes and reinforces pride of place and identity. If you crave strong, justice-driven protagonists, this one belongs on your shelf.