NetGalley ARC | Portrait of Haunting

I received a free digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchnage for an honest review.

Rating | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I. Am. Ob. Sessed.

I did not want this book to end and may reread it. That's how much I loved it - I NEVER reread.

Tatum and her mother have the Sight - the ability to see and communicate with spirits. While Tatum's mom has always embraced it - and attempted to get her daughter to do the same - Tatum resists. She hides from the spirits as best she can and wants to pretend they don't exist.

When Tatum was young, her mother Amarina murdered her boyfriend, used his blood to create her final painting, promptly admitted guilt but not motive, and has been in prison ever since. Tatum has lived her entire life since then wondering why. With the help of her best friend Mischa and their circle of friends (two of whom belong to the largest covern in Manhattan), Tatum gets through her daily life trying to ignore the spirits all around her.

Then Mischa is murdered and they can't ignore how similar it is to the murder Tatum's mother committed twenty years ago. And they definitely can't ignore the fact that the same symbol found on Amarina's victim all those years ago was found on Mischa as well.

Tatum has to accept who she is and what she can do. She has to figure out who killed Mischa, figure out the cryptic messages her mother has been giving her over the years, and figure out how to keep her loved ones safe - especially Jonas, the one she's loved since they were teenagers, who loves her back just as fiercely.

After Mischa's death, the spirit activity around Tatum changes drastically, kicking into over drive. Something is coming for her and won't stop until she's dead. The price has to be paid, whatever her mother did all those years ago. Tatum has to to save her friends and herself, and more will die before that happens.

See? OB. SESSED.

I could not put this book down and I can't stop thinking about it. There's so much more I want to know about everyone and part of me wants this to become a series. But the other part of me wants it to stay a stand alone, because it is so, so powerful just as it is. 

There were definitely times I wanted to shake Tatum and slap her around a little, to get her to see what was right in front of her. But she had so much she was dealing with, that you can excuse her for the most part, on account of all the trauma.

I loved the group of friends. Each character had their unique voice and stood out when it was their turn - even the twins, Ziggy and Leo. Sometimes twins can blend together, especially in a case like this where both are part of the coven, headed by their grandmother. But I found each compelling on their own, just as I did each character introduced.

And Jonas. Oi. I would love him too. Tatum needed to seriously get her shit together about him.

The story blends so many emotions together at once, but nothing feels forced or out of place. Ultimately it is a story about forgiveness (of self and others), grief, acceptance, loss, hope, and the bonds of family and friends.

I can't really say a whole lot more without getting into spoilers. I loved the eerie atmosphere created by the author and the world we are immersed in. It's a modern day gothic novel that lands every punch and doesn't shy away from the hard things in life. Plus, ghosts. But everything fits. Nothing was campy or too much or silly. I can't stop thinking about this book.

Highly, highly recommended.

Stacking the Sheves #367

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly feature hosted by Reading Reality. It is a chance to showcase all the goodies you've collected throughout the week, whether they're bought on-line or in-store, an ARC or a final copy, borrowed from a friend or the library, physical or digital, etc.

Library Treasures

NetGalley ARCs

Happy Reading!

Sarah

NetGalley ARC | Arthur, Prince of Wales: Henry VIII’s Lost Brother

I received a free digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a must-read for anyone who is interested in the Tudor dynasty.

For far too long, Arthur has been an afterthought - his name bandied about only in regards to whether or not he and his wife, the indomitable Catherina of Aragon (my favorite), consummated their marriage before he died unexpectedly a few months after the ceremony.

Here, the author uses his meticulous research to bring Arthur to life, to show us there is so much to the young man who died before he could reach his full potential.

And believe me, this loss is so much more devastating than it appears.

We do not know for sure what kind of king Arthur would have been (being raised by Henry VII, it is not outside the bounds of reality to suspect he could have become as paranoid and frugal. Nor should we completely doubt he might have been any less of a tyrant than Henry VIII). However, in Catherine of Aragon, Arthur would have had a suitable match that possibly could have curbed some of the negative impulses. Both had been raised from birth to prepare for their ascent to a throne, and given responsibilities and the education to ensure they were ready. Arthur's little brother Henry was given no such duties and was outmatched and outwitted by Catherine at every turn once he sought a divorce. He was still a highly-educated prince, but Henry's destination before Arthur's death was likely the Church. It's no wonder as to why Anne Boleyn told him to stop going head-to-head with her - Catherine bested him in any exchange.

Even though his life was short, Arthur lived through one of England's most turbulent periods. Henry VII's reign was never truly secure, nor was his claim to the throne any stronger than anyone else's (and honestly, his was a lot weaker). But Arthur's birth represented just the security Henry VII sought.

Surviving documents from Arthur's life show just how well he'd been prepared to wear the crown when his time came. By the age of three he'd been sent to the Welsh border as the Prince of Wales. Though he did not rule on his own given his age, these court documents show a well-run government moving briskly and competently along. As he grew, Arthur took on more of a role within this government, seeing courtiers and petitioners, continuing his education, making decisions, determined to do his duty as the future king.

Learning more about Arthur in relation to those around him was the most intriguing part of this book for me - especially in regards to Catherine. We know that after Arthur's death, Catherine was left in limbo for years. We also know that Prince Henry was determined to marry her even as his father dragged his feet, and that Prince Henry married her as soon he became King Henry. Despite what would come two decades later, Catherina and Henry seem much more of some kind of a love match than Catherine and Arthur had been, though both marriages would obviously have served their countries well. The reason I say so is only because I discovered through this text that neither Catherine nor Arthur made any effort to learn one another's primary language, in all the years they were betrothed. It was not until Catherine married Henry that she began to fully immerse herself in the English language. Arthur made no effort to learn Spanish, so the couple communicated in French and Latin.

The author also does a fantastic job dispelling the myths over Arthur's supposed sickly health. There's this perception, because of his early death, that Henry VII constantly worried for his son because of poor health. Surviving evidence shows quite the opposite - that he was a lively, active boy. He was not frail, but actually a strong young man gifted at both dance and archery.

While there is still so much we will never know for certain. the author's thorough research and use of surviving sources serves the text well. He fleshes out someone who has been confined to the shadowy edges of history for far too long, and brings the boy-who-would've-been-king to life.

Highly recommended.

NetGalley ARC | The Rosewood Hunt

I received a free digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating | ⭐

The quick version:

A terrible rip-off of the Inheritance Games, which did this same thing but MUCH better. Don't get me wrong, there can be multiple books with this kind of plot, but it doesn't mean that all of those books will be written well.

This one definitely is NOT.

Slightly longer version because I have too many reviews to write to waste time:

Lily Rosewood is going to take over the family business one day. She's also been supported by her grandmother in this endeavor, basically groomed to head the company when she is of age to do so. Unfortunately Gram dies suddenly and chaos ensues when it is discovered that Gram's fortune is missing.

Lily and three seemingly-random other teenagers are thrown together for a treasure hunt to find the mising money, but it becomes apparent very quickly that someone is also searching for it. More chaos ensues.

Lily is awful. She feels so betrayed by Gram, who had the nerve to will her money however she wished, and it's a big boo-hoo fest. She's such a baby and brat and not at all unlikable in a likable way.

Not recommended.

NetGalley ARC | The Society for Soulless Girls

I received a free digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley

Rating | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

So boarding schools and murder are always a sure-fire way to get me to read a book.

But to top it off, this book is highly inclusive in ways that don't feel forced. The characters don't all come out and say, "I am this-and-this-and-this", but they way they are written with such care, and fit seemlessly into the story and within their spaces in relation to other characters is beautiful. Sometimes I feel like authors write a character to fit certain requirements, then try to force that character into the plot in a way that is not organic, and ends up coming off as inauthentic. Not so here, at all.

This book is an lgbt+/POC friendly dark academia feminist retelling of Jekyll and Hyde that follows a pair of roommates who are set on solving an infamous cold case involving several murders on their campus a decade earlier.

Lottie and Alice are assigned as roommates at the Carvell Academy of the Arts. A decade earlier, four students died in the North Tower and the school closed. Lottie insists on finding out what really happened ten years earlier, while Alice discovers a ritual meant to stay hidden in a book in the school library.

Surely nothing can go wrong.

Unfortunately for one unlucky student, another death quickly follows the re-opening of the school, in the same location as the previous deaths.

It's so difficult to describe the plot any further, without giving away major spoilers. However, I will say that the moment the title of the book makes sense and everything clicks into place? PURE MAGIC. Chef's kiss. No notes.

On top of the inclusivity of characters, the thing I loved most was how the author represents rage in young women and girls. Our rage, our fury, is a thing of beauty in a society that wants us to be sweet and kind and docile. Society is frightened of our power, as it should be.

This is a book meant to be devoured in a single sitting. It is stunning, truly brilliant, and I loved every moment.

Highly recommended.

NetGalley ARC | West Heart Kill

I received a free digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating | ⭐⭐

Rich people who are awful to each other, a storm, and murder? Sounds like something I would LOVE, right? RIGHT!

Instead, I finally finished this slog of a book and only felt annoyed.

The book/author thought they were enitrely more clever than they actually were. It's absurd how many style and literary elements were used because in the end it was just a giant mess and nothing fit quite right. But the only reason I am giving it two stars instead of one is because at least it tried to be something unique.

So, we are at the West Heart Country Club where our main characters, Adam McAnnis is joining an old college friend and his family for some summer weekend festivities at the exclusive club. Everyone just kind of tolerates each other at best, but then the first body is discovered and it's obvious that someone is done tolerating. By the time the weekend is over, two more will die and as a private detective, Adam is going to figure out the mystery that has dropped into his lap so suddenly.

The major issue here is the story-telling styles themselves. Because there are multiple, and the book becomes so disjointed as the reader is thrown from one style to another that you never really get comfotable enough to actually start enjoying the story, getting to know the characters, attempt to figure out who is involved, etc.  The author spends so much time trying to be so clever, that it ends up a big clunky mess. Jumping from 1st to 2nd to 3rd person narration also did not help.

I don't mind the 4th wall being broken, with the narrator speaking directly to the reader. It's an interesting concept. What I DO mind, however, is the assumption of what I, as a mystery reader, am thinking, expecting, etc. It was kind of pompous, explaining HOW mysteries work.

And for all that work, reading through one device after another, constantly getting tossed around, you'd think we coould get a resolution, right?

WRONG.

So, you can see why I was annoyed.

Some readers will enjoy this. I did not.

Publicist Gift via NetGalley | A Few Days Full of Trouble: Revelations on the Journey to Justice for My Cousin and Best Friend, Emmett Till

I received a free digital ARC as a gift from the publicist via NetGalley

Rating | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

If you only ever read one book about the murder of Emmett Till, it must be this one.

Reverand Wheeler Parker Jr, at 87 years old, is the last surviving witness to everything that happened that horrible summer of 1955, and specifically to the kidnapping of his beloved cousin and best friend, Emmett Till. Wheeler shares his memories, insights, and suggestions as to what justic looks like at this point. Any hope of holding Carolyn Bryant accountable for her actions that lead to Till's horrific lynching died with her in 2023.

Here are the facts that we know: Till, Parker, and their siblings/cousins had an interaction with Carolyn Bryant in her family's store. Not long after, a bunch of racist redneck white supremacists protected by their whiteness stormed into the home Till was staying at, dragged him away, and his family never saw him alive again. We know a sham trial was put on, the white defendents were found not guilty despite all evidence pointing to their guilt, and that after the trial they confessed in detail their crime to a magazine, which they could not be charged again for. Till's family will never see justice for what those monsters did to this child.

I can't imagine reliving the worst times of one's life over and over again, but Parker does, repeatedly. Since the ay they encountered Carolyn Bryant in the store, the lies she told about their interaction fed these monsters, spurring them on to get revenge. She claimed Till grabbed her wrist and waist, and made sexual remarks - then whistled at her as he was leaving. Are we really supposed to believe that, considering all the preparation his mother gave him about what he would be exposed to in the deep south, compared to what he was used to at home in Chicago? Not only that, but Till had a pretty severe stutter, making it highly unlikely he could have said even half the things she accused him of. But really, even if he had said and done all those things, none of it justified his brutal torture and murder

Though I've read nurmerous books on this subject, this one has what no other book does - the perspective of someone who lived this with Till, right until he was taken away in the night. I can't begin to imagine the pain and guilt that Parker has carried with him for decades. Yet he willingly shares all of it for us, to make us understand what Till's death meant then, and still means now. He shares information from the investigation never shared before, clarifies errors reported over the years, and once more becomes that scared teenager on that August night in 1955, knowing there is nothing he can do to save his cousin and best friend. When Parker shares specific memories of the night those men forced their way into the home, his fear is viceral. Even knowing that the others are safe, that Parker will not be taken as well, the fear is palpable, leaping from the pages as you relive that night alongside him.

Something both this book and Death of Innocence: The Story of the Hate Crime that Changed America by Emmett's mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, do well is bring Emmett to life in a way no other authors can. Those who knew him best, loved him more than anything, show us the real Emmett Till - not the caricature the defendents' lawyers presented that already lived in the minds of the all-white male jury, but the joyful, sweet, funny young man who had his whole life ahead of him. The boy who wanted to spend time with his cousins and family, despite his mother's misgivings about him going. It will surprise no one that Parker blames himself for Till visiting in the first place.

Parker also give details regarding the continued fight to get justice for his cousin, such as FBI interviews in the early 2000s and the work another author did  for his own book, where some of his research included interviewing Carolyn Bryant. In 2022 an old arrest warrant was found from 1955 that originally charged Carolyn with kidnapping in addition to her husband and brother-in-law. At the time she had not been arrested with the two men, because of course she wasn't. Unfortunately a Mississippi grand jury declined to indict her after its discovery, citing no new evidence to move forward. The Department of Justice had formally closed their investigation in December, 2021 and it is unlikely to be reopened again.

This is the history our government is currently trying to gloss over and erase. We must never let that happen and we must never let Emmett Till be forgotten.

Highly Highly recommended (along with Till-Mobley's book mentioned above).

Nora Reads | May Edition

You might notice a little change here, Eleanor has decided to go by Nora now. One of the things I loved about the name from the start - besides the fact that Eleanor of Aquitaine was a badass queen - is that it is versatile; my girl could choose what she wanted to be called, whether it was Eleanor, Elle, Ellie, Nor, or Nora. 

Each month Nora and I share the chapter books we read either together or that she's read on her own. I love that she is exploring new genres and finding new authors to love.

Currently Reading Together

Read Together

none

Currently Reading Independently

Nora's Independent Reads

Nora's Rereads

Nora's DNFs

none

Do the kiddos in your life have an interest in any of these?

Happy Reading,
Nora and Sarah

Tackling the TBR | Week 20 | May 22 - May 31, 2026

Here we go!

This is year SEVEN of Tackling the TBR. When I started this mess I was well over 5,000 books, so to be where I am now is pretty incredible.

I will post on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and last day of the month.

Previous Week's TBR Total: 1,448

On My 'Currently Reading' Shelf
(This does not mean I am reading all of these at once. As soon as I get a book from the library, NetGalley, or a publisher/author/marketer, I put in on my 'Currently Reading' shelf. Yes, I know I have a problem. No, I don't want to do anything about it.)

Read from my TBR

Read Because I Have No Shelf-Control

Books DNF-ed:

Books Added to TBR: 0

Books Removed from TBR: 59

Duplicates Removed: 1

New TBR Total: 1,388

Happy Reading!
Sarah