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My Top Books of 2023
I read a total of 12 five-star books in 2023 and if I had to pick my favorites, I think it would be a three-way tie between Wellness,...
Mel Leslie
Jan 6, 2024
What I read in November & December
Life has been very busy the last couple of months, so I haven't had time to do full blog reviews for most of the books I have read. You...
Mel Leslie
Dec 31, 2023
The Leftover Woman
Jean Kwok might be my all-time favorite author that I have met in person. She is funny, engaging and humble. I was enamored her life...
Mel Leslie
Nov 5, 2023
Wellness
First off, if Oprah puts her stamp of approval on it, I’m gonna read it. That, coupled with the fact that I loved The Nix, influenced me...
Mel Leslie
Oct 26, 2023
Brotherless Night
I knew little to nothing about the civil war in Sri Lanka until I devoured this novel. Brotherless Night by V.V. Ganeshananthan starts...
Mel Leslie
Oct 9, 2023
All the Sinners Bleed
S.A. Cosby does it again. He is a master at writing high-octane crime fiction that keeps you on the edge of your seat. His books have a...
Mel Leslie
Sep 27, 2023
Symphony of Secrets
Hear me out: it's a book about a famous composer from the 1920's who may have stolen the music that made him famous, and we have a...
Mel Leslie
Sep 15, 2023
Happiness Falls
I was a huge fan of Angie Kim's Miracle Creek so it was a no brainer for me to pick up her latest, Happiness Falls. Both books are...
Mel Leslie
Sep 14, 2023
The River We Remember
I love me some William Kent Krueger, especially when he publishes a standalone (because my anxiety riddled brain has a hard time keeping...
Mel Leslie
Sep 5, 2023
Intergenerational family sagas
I love a good story spanning multiple generations of women whose lives build off of each other in a way that ultimately ends with healing...
Mel Leslie
Aug 24, 2023
The House of Eve
Let me start by saying I loved Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson. It feels strange saying ‘love’ because it is a heavy book filled with pain...
Mel Leslie
Aug 24, 2023
Demon Copperhead
I love a good character driven novel with writing that has me emotional invested, ripping at my heartstrings and leaving me wanting more....
Mel Leslie
Jul 10, 2023
Yellowface
Yellowface was brilliant and the satire was on point. The plot read like a runaway train where things went completely off the rails...
Mel Leslie
Jul 7, 2023
Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supperclub
Thank you to Viking Books for the #gifted finished copy of Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supperclub by J. Ryan Stradal. #partner I loved...
Mel Leslie
Jul 4, 2023
Fourth Wing
Better late than never! Here are my thoughts on the hottest book on #bookstagram since ACOTAR. Holy, moly, this book is on fire. I swear...
Mel Leslie
Jun 23, 2023
Toxic Love Stories
What is it about toxic love stories that are so intriguing? It's like a train wreck that you cannot help but look at. You weirdly crave...
Mel Leslie
Jun 7, 2023
Once We Were Home
Once We Were Home by Jennifer Rosner came on my radar this past March when I attended Literature Lover's Night Out hosted by Valley...
Mel Leslie
Jun 2, 2023
Stolen Focus
Wow, this book left me with a lot to chew on. I went into Stolen Focus thinking it would center mostly around screentime and social...
Mel Leslie
May 29, 2023
Books I read forever ago (and haven't reviewed until now)
The Cartographers I love when a book has an intriguing plot and teaches me something new. I knew little to nothing about cartography and...
Mel Leslie
May 10, 2023
Think Like a Monk
I am in awe of this book. It is truly beautiful and left me a better person. I annotated the heck out of this book and marked pages that...
Mel Leslie
May 5, 2023
