contemporary thriller – Reading While Fat

Firekeeper’s Daughter, Warrior Girl Unearthed, and Sisters in the Wind

Book cover for Warrior Girl Unearthed, by Angeline Boulley, featuring an orange background and the face of a dark-skinned, dark-haired woman in the center, with the background of another face silhouetted behind her. A glowing bear and an otter are just below, and the phases of the moon are above.

So I read Warrior Girl Unearthed (2023) by Angeline Boulley in September, and immediately had to read Boulley’s first book Firekeeper’s Daughter (2021, Goodreads Choice Award for YA), and was thrilled to find out she’s just published a third book, Sisters in the Wind (September 2, 2025), which I also devoured. They are each amazingContinue reading “Firekeeper’s Daughter, Warrior Girl Unearthed, and Sisters in the Wind”

The Macabre

I don’t typically gravitate towards fantasy with a strong horror component as a genre, but I really enjoyed the last book by Kosoko Jackson that I read (a queer romance), so I had to request The Macabre (publication day September 9, 2025) from NetGalley. He’s published at least half a dozen books already, so thereContinue reading “The Macabre”

Gaslight

Gaslight (2023) is Nigerian author Femi Kayode’s 2nd installment in the Dr. Philip Taiwo series (Lightseeker is book #1), but it’s OK if you haven’t read the first book. Philip, a forensic psychologist, and his wife, Folake, a law professor, are back in Lagos, Nigeria with their three children after having spent two decades inContinue reading “Gaslight”

All the Sinners Bleed

All the Sinners Bleed (2023) by Anthony award-winning S.A. Cosby was a gripping, frightening mystery/ thriller set in rural, coastal Virginia featuring former FBI agent, and the county’s first Black sheriff, Titus Crown. Racial tensions are coming to a head, with local white people wanting to parade in support of a Confederate statue and TitusContinue reading “All the Sinners Bleed”

One of Our Kind

One of Our Kind (2024) is bestselling YA author Nicola Yoon’s adult fiction debut, so I was very much looking forward to it, and I was not disappointed. That being said, a quick scan of some of the Goodreads reviews told me my opinion was in no way universal–many people did not like it atContinue reading “One of Our Kind”

Bodies to Die For

I have mixed feelings about Bodies to Die For (publication date June 11, 2024) by Lori Brand. Many of the characters live their lives as fitness influencers, tracking every gram of carbs they eat every day, terrified of becoming fat. Gemma is the main character, and she is a former fat person, now a fitnessContinue reading “Bodies to Die For”

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It (2021) by Elle Cosimano is the first installment in a widely-popular comic thriller/mystery series (the third book is expected in January 2023) in which we meet divorced mother of two, writer Finlay Donovan. After a rushed meeting with her editor, Finlay is mistaken for a hit woman, and decides toContinue reading “Finlay Donovan Is Killing It”