Sara Reads Things

  It’s that time again. Sunday Book Confessions! The weekly moment where I spill the truth about my reading life: the books I loved, the ones I struggled with, and the guilty little habits that crept into my reading week. Think of it as a cozy catch up over coffee, where I admit what actually happened between the covers (of books, of course). Sunday Confessions #319 ~ Weekly Menu #622 And The Book Of The Week ~ ARC Review: Murder in Retrograde by Greg Hickey ~ ARC Review: And the River Drags Her Down by Jihyun Yun ~ Book Review: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid ~ Fantasy Friday: The Book That Wouldn't Burn by Mark Lawrence Weekly Menu #623 And The Book Of The Week ~ August 2025 Wrap Up ~ Vampire Wednesday: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab ~ ARC Review: Red City by Marie Lu ~ Fiction Friday: The Edge of Water by Olufunke Grace Bankole ~ Sunday Confessions #321 Alphabet Squadron Alexander Freed ★★★★☆ Alphabet Squadron by Alexander Freed is a thrilling addition to ...

  Title:  The Book That Wouldn't Burn By:  Mark Lawrence Genre:  Fantasy Pages:  551 Release Date:  May 1st, 2023 Rating: ★★★★☆   Summary from Goodreads: A boy has lived his whole life trapped within a vast library, older than empires and larger than cities. A girl has spent hers in a tiny settlement out on the Dust where nightmares stalk and no one goes. The world has never even noticed them. That's about to change. Their stories spiral around each other, across worlds and time. This is a tale of truth and lies and hearts, and the blurring of one into another. A journey on which knowledge erodes certainty, and on which, though the pen may be mightier than the sword, blood will be spilled and cities burned.   Add on Goodreads   Review: While the pacing dragged at times, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn is a story that sticks with you. The journey these characters take is nothing short of epic. I mean, right from the start, a little girl jumps into...

  Title:  Atmosphere By:  Taylor Jenkins Reid Genre:  Fiction Pages:  352 Release Date:  June 3rd, 2025 Rating: ★★★★★   Summary from Goodreads: From the #1  New York Times   bestselling author of   The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo   and   Daisy Jones & The Six   comes an epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s Space Shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits. Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as aunt to her precocious niece, Frances. That is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA’s Space Shuttle program. Suddenly, Joan burns to be one of the few people to go to space. Selected from a pool of thousands of applicants in the summer of 1980, Joan begins t...

  Title:  And the Ricer Drags Her Down By:  Jihyun Yun Genre:  Horror/Fantasy Pages:  400 Release Date: October 2nd, 2025   Rating: ★★★★☆   Summary from Goodreads: She has always known the rules – never resurrect anything larger than the palm of her hand, but that was before her sister died. A chilling, compulsive exploration of sisterhood, loss, and revenge. "Yun beautifully captures the haunting of family myths in this slow-burn horror. Eerie and poignant,  And The River Drags Her Down  will sweep readers into its relentless current." - Trang Thanh Tran,  New York Times  bestselling author of  She Is a Haunting When her older sister is found mysteriously drowned in the river that cuts through their small coastal town, Soojin Han disregards every rule and uses her ancestral magic to bring Mirae back from the dead. At first, the sisters are overjoyed, reveling in late-night escapades and the miracle of being together again, but...

  Title:  Murder in Retrograde By:  Greg Hickey Genre:  Scifi/Mystery Pages:  202 Release Date: August 25th, 2025   Rating: ★★★★☆   Summary from Goodreads: A steadfast private detective. A case that would cover all his debts. When the first body drops, can he catch a killer before he’s cashed out? In a litigious future America, detective Marcus Carver sticks to civil cases. When a space tech CEO wants him to investigate a business rival for illegal hydrocarbon combustion, Carver reluctantly agrees. But the case takes an explosive turn when the police find the target’s head of security murdered. Determined to get to the bottom of things, Carver finds himself sucked into a morass of cyberpunk gangsters, cultish environmentalists and crooked cops. And when another body turns up, it’s clear this ruthless killer doesn’t intend to stop. Can Carver crack the case before it blows up in his face? Murder in Retrograde  is a thrilling science fiction crime n...

  This week, we’re heading to the vibrant heart of South America with a menu inspired by the bold, colorful flavors of Peru. Known for its fresh seafood, unique peppers, and world famous quinoa, Peruvian cuisine strikes a beautiful balance between comforting and adventurous. From the zesty brightness of ceviche to the smoky richness of pollo a la brasa, these dishes bring both high protein power and a delicious variety to the table. My current read is Danielle L. Jensen’s A Curse Carved in Bone, a dark fantasy woven with curses, forbidden bargains, and just enough romance to keep the pages turning late into the night. As I built this week’s menu, I couldn’t help but draw little connections to the book’s atmosphere. Rustic meals that feel as grounding and hearty as the forest setting, yet still layered with spice and intrigue, much like the story itself. WEEKLY MENU Monday Pollo a la Brasa with Quinoa Salad Kids - Chicken Nugget Skewers and Rice   Tuesday Grilled beef anticuch...

  It’s that time again. Sunday Book Confessions, where I spill all the truths about my reading week: the highs, the lows, the books I couldn’t put down, and the ones that left me a little conflicted. Consider this my cozy little reading diary, complete with unfiltered thoughts and maybe a few guilty pleasures. Sunday Confessions #318 ~ Weekly Menu #621 And The Book Of The Week ~ ARC Review: The Dragon Wakes with Thunder by K.X. Song ~ Book Review: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir ~ Re-read Thursday: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart ~ Fiction Friday: On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong Weekly Menu #622 And The Book Of The Week ~ ARC Review: Murder in Retrograde by Greg Hickey ~ ARC Review: And the River Drags Her Down by Jihyun Yun ~ Book Review: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid ~ Fantasy Friday: The Book That Wouldn't Burn by Mark Lawrence ~ Sunday Confessions #320 264/100 2025 Reading Challenge ~ 110/217 in my  Star Wars Legends challenge ~ 18/20  2024 Goodreads Fa...