en-US Wed, 11 Jun 2025 19:38:59 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Review7541727652 Wed, 11 Jun 2025 19:38:59 -0700 /review/show/7541727652 Sheila The Reader gave 3 stars to My Wife, the Serial Killer (Kindle Edition) by H.J. Garbett
Fran Donoghue has just murdered her neighbor, and honestly, you’ll probably think he deserved it. Meanwhile, Detective Gareth Donoghue, her husband, is trying to piece together what happened and uncover the mystery behind this disappearance. As Gareth digs deeper into the case, he starts to wonder if the person he loves could be the one responsible.

I got an advanced copy, and the first half of this book was both witty and sarcastic…exactly the kind of sharp humor that kept me flipping pages and fully hooked. It’s clever, darkly funny, and Fran’s inner dialogue had me smirking one minute and gasping the next.

But once we hit the second half, the tone shifted. It got darker and slower and I felt myself losing focus. The punchy wit and quick pacing faded, and the story drifted into heavier territory. I appreciated the intent behind the darker turn, but it didn’t land for me the way I hoped. The ending wasn’t quite what I wanted either.

That said, one bright spot in the later chapters was the cat! Seriously, that feline stole the show. I’m always all in for a great animal character, and this cat carried every scene he appeared in.


This is a super quick and easy read. If you’re into dark comedy wrapped in a domestic thriller, especially in the first half, you’ll probably enjoy it. Just know the tone gets heavier later on, and the ending may not wrap things up as you expected.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the early copy. All opinions are my own. ]]> Review7646413107 Wed, 11 Jun 2025 10:28:46 -0700 /review/show/7646413107 Sheila The Reader gave 5 stars to One More Page: A Sticker Book for Book Lovers! (Paperback) by Katie Hughes
This adorable little sticker book is such a treat for book lovers! One More Page is perfect for anyone who enjoys adding a bit of personality to their Kindle, laptop, phone case, journal, or just about anything that could use a touch of bookish flair. It’s also the kind of thoughtful, feel-good gift you could easily pop in the mail to a fellow reader.

The stickers are colorful, creative, and full of charm. What really stood out to me was the inclusive vibe throughout the book. It was lovely to see characters and designs that reflect a range of people and identities. That kind of representation isn’t always easy to find in novelty items, and it really made this feel special.

There are fun references sprinkled throughout that any reader will recognize, and the whole book just radiates love for stories and the people who enjoy them. Whether you're treating yourself or picking up a gift for your favorite bookish friend, this is a fun and delightful little gem that will definitely bring a smile. ]]> Review7091358598 Wed, 11 Jun 2025 10:05:19 -0700 /review/show/7091358598 Sheila The Reader gave 4 stars to Sandwich (Hardcover) by Catherine Newman
Sandwich is a funny, tender, and incredibly relatable story about Rocky, a woman in her fifties navigating the messy, beautiful middle of life. The book follows her during a single week of a family vacation in Cape Cod, where she’s surrounded by her grown kids, her longtime husband, and the familiar chaos of family dynamics. On the surface, not much “happens�. There’s food, swimming, sand, laughter, and some old stories, but underneath, there’s a quiet storm of reflection as Rocky reckons with aging, desire, motherhood, marriage, and her own shifting identity.

As a 53-year-old woman with grown children and a decades-long marriage, I felt so seen by this book. Catherine Newman captures with honesty and humor the strange place we land in midlife, not quite young, not quite old, pulled between nostalgia and acceptance. Rocky is self-aware enough to know that she’s still working through what it means to grow older, to change, to let go. Her reflections on her body, her relationships, and her sense of self are so sharply observed that I often found myself nodding in recognition. She hasn’t completely figured it out, and that’s the point. That awareness is part of what makes her story feel so real.

There’s a quiet ache in this book that sneaks up on you. So many of us women begin to feel invisible as we age, especially in a culture that worships youth and beauty. Newman doesn’t ignore that sadness. She leans into it with empathy, while also offering us a nudge to savor life’s sweetness while we still can, the warm bodies of our grown children leaning on us, the inside jokes of a long marriage, the messy joy of food and family. It’s all fleeting, but it’s still ours.

Sandwich is more than just a midlife beach read. It’s a celebration of imperfection, change, and the complicated beauty of this “sandwiched� stage of life. And if you’ve ever stood in front of a mirror and wondered where your younger self went, this book might feel like a friend telling you it’s okay to grieve her, but also reminding you to be tender with who you are now. ]]> ReadStatus9535499625 Wed, 11 Jun 2025 10:05:05 -0700 /review/show/7244108108 Sheila The Reader started reading Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
]]> Review7091358598 Wed, 11 Jun 2025 10:04:13 -0700 /review/show/7091358598 Sheila The Reader gave 4 stars to Sandwich (Hardcover) by Catherine Newman
Sandwich is a funny, tender, and incredibly relatable story about Rocky, a woman in her fifties navigating the messy, beautiful middle of life. The book follows her during a single week of a family vacation in Cape Cod, where she’s surrounded by her grown kids, her longtime husband, and the familiar chaos of family dynamics. On the surface, not much “happens�. There’s food, swimming, sand, laughter, and some old stories, but underneath, there’s a quiet storm of reflection as Rocky reckons with aging, desire, motherhood, marriage, and her own shifting identity.

As a 53-year-old woman with grown children and a decades-long marriage, I felt so seen by this book. Catherine Newman captures with honesty and humor the strange place we land in midlife, not quite young, not quite old, pulled between nostalgia and acceptance. Rocky is self-aware enough to know that she’s still working through what it means to grow older, to change, to let go. Her reflections on her body, her relationships, and her sense of self are so sharply observed that I often found myself nodding in recognition. She hasn’t completely figured it out, and that’s the point. That awareness is part of what makes her story feel so real.

There’s a quiet ache in this book that sneaks up on you. So many of us women begin to feel invisible as we age, especially in a culture that worships youth and beauty. Newman doesn’t ignore that sadness. She leans into it with empathy, while also offering us a nudge to savor life’s sweetness while we still can, the warm bodies of our grown children leaning on us, the inside jokes of a long marriage, the messy joy of food and family. It’s all fleeting, but it’s still ours.

Sandwich is more than just a midlife beach read. It’s a celebration of imperfection, change, and the complicated beauty of this “sandwiched� stage of life. And if you’ve ever stood in front of a mirror and wondered where your younger self went, this book might feel like a friend telling you it’s okay to grieve her, but also reminding you to be tender with who you are now. ]]> Review7531214121 Wed, 11 Jun 2025 04:08:23 -0700 /review/show/7531214121 Sheila The Reader gave 5 stars to Home of the American Circus (Hardcover) by Allison Larkin
Freya, a struggling young woman fresh from an emergency appendectomy and an emotional breakdown, returns to her crumbling childhood home in Somers, New York, known as the former "home of the American circus." There, surrounded by the ghosts of her past, she begins to piece her life back together while caring for, and slowly reconnecting with her estranged niece. What unfolds is a slow-burn journey of healing, redemption, and learning what’s worth holding onto.

This is literary fiction in its best form. And I want to emphasize that up front because I’ve seen reviews that seem to miss what this genre is all about. Good literary fiction isn’t about twists or tidy conclusions. It’s about character growth. About quiet moments. About the unresolved and the messy parts of life. It’s reflective and layered, and it invites you to sit with the ambiguity rather than run from it. If you go in expecting a snappy plot or a grand dramatic arc, this won’t be your book. But if you’re looking for something thoughtful, emotional, and deeply human, you’re in for something special.

Freya’s emotional arc is beautifully crafted. Her physical healing from an appendectomy mirrors the emotional healing and the purge of toxicity that she begins when she returns home. That home, by the way, is practically a character in itself. Falling apart at the seams, it reflects the broken pieces of her past, and watching her rebuild it while deciding which relationships and memories are worth salvaging was quietly powerful. Her journey with Jam and her tender, evolving dynamic with Aubrey, are just two examples of how this book explores repair, reconciliation, and grace.

I listened to this on audio and I can’t talk about book this without mentioning Julia Whelan, who once again brings so much depth and warmth to the narration. She gets these kinds of characters, and she gets this kind of writing. Her voice carries the emotional weight of the novel so naturally that it feels like she’s just living it rather than reading it.

Those final pages filled me with such hope. Also, and truly, F that house. I love that even that got its moment of redemption.

Five stars, with my whole chest. Thoughtful, evocative, gorgeously written, and one of my favorite listens this year. ]]> ReadStatus9534513202 Wed, 11 Jun 2025 04:07:13 -0700 /review/show/7645671747 Sheila The Reader wants to read A Clean Mess: A Memoir of Sobriety After a Lifetime of Being Numb by Tiffany Jenkins
]]> ReadStatus9532469565 Tue, 10 Jun 2025 14:32:34 -0700 /review/show/7091358598 Sheila The Reader started reading Sandwich by Catherine Newman
]]> ReadStatus9532232686 Tue, 10 Jun 2025 13:28:25 -0700 /review/show/7644113443 Sheila The Reader wants to read I Bet You’d Look Good in a Coffin by Katy Brent
]]> ReadStatus9532230217 Tue, 10 Jun 2025 13:27:46 -0700 /review/show/7644111711 Sheila The Reader wants to read The Lamplighter’s Bookshop by Sophie Austin
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