We All LIve Here by JoJo Moyes

 Title: We All Live Here

Author: JoJo Moyes
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 4/3/2025
When was the book published: 2025
Main Characters: Lila Kennedy, stepfather Bill, daughters Celie and Violet, bio father Gene the actor, Elanoar the best friend, Jensen fixing the garden, Dan the ex-husband who left for Marja
What happens? Lila's life is turned upside down when Dan leaves her, her mother is killed in an accident, and she struggles to get on with life with Bill at her side, and Gene showing up broke and moving in.  They all live there.
How long was this?  448 pages
Did I like this? Why can't every book be this good?  Why can't the story go on?  I don't want it to end.
Overall grade: A

By Any Other Name by Jodi Piccoult

 Title: By Any Other Name

Author: Jodi Piccoult
Did I listen or read?:  library book
When did I finish?: 3/26/2025
When was the book published: 2024
Main Characters: Two sets.  Emilia Bassano in the Shakespeare era.  Melina in the modern era.  
What happens? Elimia writes shakespeares plays.  Melina writes a play about her, but her black gay best friend submits it as "Mel" and has to pretend to be "Mel Green."
How long was this? 480 pages
Did I like this? A really good authentic story with plenty of action and plenty of MISERY that goes on for 180 pages too long.  No happy ending here.
Overall grade: B+

Rescued by David Rosenfelt

 Title: Rescued

Author: David Rosenfelt
Did I listen or read?: libby audiobook
When did I finish?: 3/24/2025
When was the book published: 2018 Deck the Hounds is next 2018
Main Characters: Andyt, Hike, Laurie, Tara, Marcus
What happens? A truck with 60 dogs being rescued is the site of a murder, by a guy who is Laurie's ex and now a PI.  Claims self defense.  Knife mysteriously missing from the truck.
How long was this? 
Did I like this? Good not great. 
Overall grade: B

The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths

 Title: The Stranger Diaries

Author: Elly Griffiths

Did I listen or read?: kindle from library
When did I finish?: 3/19/2025
When was the book published: 2018
Main Characters: Harbinder Kaur. Clare Cassidy, single mom school teacher, Georgia, Cathy's daughter, Rick the boss at Tagarth's school, Elly, best friend, Herbert the dog
What happens? Elly gets killed.  Someone is writing in Clare's diary the Hell is Here (all the devils are on earth) as quoted in The Stranger by RM Holland (invented gothic fiction short story).  More deaths, and Harbinder has to figure out what is going on.
How long was this? 338 pages
Did I like this? A good story.  3 viewpoints and short chapters kept it moving.
Overall grade: B+

A Sunlit Weapon by Jacqueline Winspear

 Title: A Sunlit Weapon

Author: Jacqueline Winspear
Did I listen or read?: libby audio during Palm Desert drive w Wendy March 2025
When did I finish?: 3/17/2025
When was the book published: 2022
Main Characters: Maisie Dobbs, Jo Hardy, ferry pilot
What happens? Jo almost gets shot down over 1942 England.  Her husband and another ferry pilot were killed in unexplainable crashes, so she asks Maisie to investigate.  Maisie's adopted daughter struggles at school and a plot against Eleanor Roosevelt is revealed.
How long was this? 358 pages, 11 hours
Did I like this? Decent story, nothing great.  Interesting to learn about the role of race in the American army during WWII
Overall grade: B

Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanaugh

 Title: Kill for Me, Kill for You

Author: Steve Cavanaugh
Did I listen or read?: libby audiobook
When did I finish?: 3/11/2025
When was the book published: 2023
Main Characters: Ruth and Scott, Amanda, Wendy
What happens? Ruth gets stabbed in her home by a blue eyed man.  Amanda is trying to kill the man who abducted her 6 year old daughter and killed her, after which her husband killed himself.  Wendy meets Amanda at a grief group with her own story, and they agree to kill each other's target.  Lots of plot twists and turns.
How long was this? 340 page
Did I like this? a really good story, shocking plot twists
Overall grade: A-

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley

 Title: The Midnight Feast

Author: Lucy Foley
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 3/5/2012
When was the book published: 2024
Main Characters: Francesca Frankie Meadows, Owen Dacre, Bella, Eddie
What happens? Francesca opens this amazing resort for rich people.  Bella is attending, the only single person, and has some agenda.  Eddie is one of the locals staffing the event.  We go back and forth in time to the "after" as the place is burnt and people are dead, and the before, as the event builds, and the before/before, as every single person (spoiler alert) has some connection to the town (Tome pronounced tomb) from the old days.
How long was this? 350 pages
Did I like this? Barely passable.  Rich people's resort turns into nightmare?  Been done.
Overall grade: B-