Just a girl and her books
THE GODMOTHER | Barbie Latza Nadeau 09.06.2022 | Penguin Books Rating: 3.5/5 stars For as long as it has gripped our imaginations, the Mafia has been tied to an ingrained image of masculinity. We read about "made men," "wiseguys," and "goodfellas" leading criminal organizations whose culture prizes machismo, with women as ancillary and often-powerless characters: … Continue reading Book Review: The Godmother
THE SATURDAY NIGHT GHOST CLUB | Craig Davidson 07.09.2019 | Penguin Books Rating: 4/5 stars Niagara Falls in the 1980’s is a seedy, slightly haunted place where Jake Baker is growing up. The summer Jake turns twelve he forms a close bond with his uncle, Calvin, who is filled to the brim with eccentric tales … Continue reading Book Review: The Saturday Night Ghost Club
WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE | Shirley Jackson First published 1962 | Penguin Rating: 4/5 stars Merricat Blackwood lives on her family’s secluded estate with her sister Constance and Uncle Julian. The Blackwood family has been blacklisted in the neighboring town. Not long ago there were more Blackwoods living on the estate, but … Continue reading Book Review: We Have Always Lived in the Castle
THE GOOD SON | You-Jeong Jeong 06.05.2018 (first published 05/2016) | Penguin Books Rating: 4/5 stars Yu-Jin awakens early one morning feeling as though something is wrong. He can’t remember anything that happened last night. As he goes to get out of bed he realizes that he is covered, head to toe, in blood. His … Continue reading Book Review: The Good Son
THE PERFECT NANNY | Leila Slimani 01.09.2018 | Penguin Books Rating: 4/5 stars Miriam and Paul are the parents of two young children. Miriam has been a stay-at-home mother for some time now and has recently gotten the itch to head back in to the workforce when she bumps into an old acquaintance. The kids … Continue reading Book Review: The Perfect Nanny
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE | Anthony Burgess 04.07.2011 (first published 1962) | Penguin Essentials Rating: 4/5 stars Alex is fifteen. He lives in a society where the youth are trying to overthrow the world around them and show that they are the group in charge. It’s common for teenagers like Alex to engage in extreme violence, … Continue reading Book Review: A Clockwork Orange
POP GOES THE WEASEL (Helen Grace #2) | M.J. Arlidge 10.06.2015 | Penguin Books Rating: 5/5 stars The body of a man is found in an abandoned property known to be used by the area’s prostitutes. His body has been ripped open and his heart is missing. The police soon get word that the killer … Continue reading Book Review: Pop Goes the Weasel
Lolita | Vladimir Nabokov 04.07.2011 (originally 1955) | Penguin Rating: 4/5 stars Humbert Humbert is a middle-aged college professor looking to make a change in his life after losing who he believes is the love of his life. He makes a decision to move to a new town, however, his plans are thwarted because of … Continue reading Book Review: Lolita
EENY MEENY (Helen Grace #1) | M.J. Arlidge 06.02.2015 | Penguin Books Rating: 5/5 stars Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Two people are abducted, trapped in an inescapable location, and left with a gun containing one bullet. The only way to survive is for one person to take the life of the other. Days of starvation … Continue reading Book Review: Eeny Meeny
THE SCARLET LETTER | Nathaniel Hawthorne 11.05.2009 (originally published 03.16.1850) | Penguin Books Rating: 3/5 stars THE SCARLET LETTER is a classic tale about Hester Prynne, a woman sentenced to wear a red letter A on her clothes for committing the sin of adultery. The novel opens with Hester, standing upon the scaffold with her … Continue reading Book Review: The Scarlet Letter
What Jess Reads 