Kelly's Reviews

Sarah Gailey offers up a refreshing and exciting twist on the Magic School trope. Osthorne Academy is more Sabrina than Hogwarts, and there’s been a deeply disturbing murder on campus. Ivy Gamble isn’t magic, but she’s determined to ignore that fact and get to the bottom of this whodunit (helped with lots of alcohol). Twisty, gritty, and darkly humorous, you won’t want to miss this! - Kelly

This is the Murderino manifesto fans of the My Favorite Murder podcast have been waiting for! Part dual memoir, part advice book, SSDGM is a tender guide for all the weirdos, latchkey kids, and hot messes. Karen and Georgia dish hard truths with a heaping side of compassion and a wicked sense of humor. Brimming with hope and filled with deeply personal anecdotes from these two extraordinary women, SSDGM is essential reading for navigating this gnarly world, and it’ll show you how to be kind to yourself while still being a badass. - Kelly

This compulsively readable book is as much about NYC as it is about the two toxic friends who party in its private clubs and brownstone lofts. Burton takes you on a heart-pounding ride as Lavinia introduces Louise to a lifestyle any girl would kill for. It’s Bright Lights Big City meets The Talented Mr. Ripley, down to the last, bloody page. - Kelly

This delightful, deeply funny, and raw story is the perfect read if you're looking for something that's wholly original. It's like an MFA Shape of Water with an R rating—you'll be completely lured in by the dazzling descriptions of Venice Beach and the erotic encounters of our narrator-in-crisis. Perfect to read with friends! - Kelly

An absolute must-read for any true crime fan, this horrifying account of a decades-long California crime spree will have you locking your doors and windows at night. The compassion and bulldog advocacy McNamara brought to the story is truly a new standard for the genre, and the killer was recently apprehended in Sacramento due to her efforts.

A compelling and carefully crafted blend of memoir and investigative journalism. The author begins with a heinous murder case she stumbled upon as a law intern, and slowly reveals how she uncovered her own deeply traumatic past while researching the murder. Her deft touch with seriously sensitive material finds hope even in the darkest of stories. - Kelly

Phoebe Robinson’s new collection of essays will make you laugh out loud and is a great tutorial on being trash but forgiving yourself for it while still being able to name the things that are #serioustrash. These essays get real about the sitch of our union—calling out nonintersectional feminists, internalized sexism, our workaholic culture, and toxic sosh meeds (social media). Written in classic Phoebe stream-of-consciousness style, this is the perfect antidote to the garbage fire of 2018. - Kelly

Abbi Jacobson (of Broad City fame) set off on a solo road trip from New York City to Los Angeles in an impulsive attempt to shake off heartache from a breakup. This quietly introspective and sweetly self-deprecating essay collection brings readers along on Jacobson’s cross-country trek and shows us that we’re never too old to figure out who we are. The raw honesty and startling vulnerability of this book took me by surprise, inspiring me to take stock of my own path. - Kelly

This deliciously nuanced and layered mystery is a terrific book for Lou Berney fans and thrill-seekers. Set days after JFK’s assassination, November Road follows two people who are on the run from a diabolically evil hitman and have no choice but to do what comes unnaturally for both: trust each other. Berney’s latest masterpiece will have you clutching the pages and your pearls as he takes you on a white-knuckle road trip from the sticky heat of the French Quarter to the dusty skies of Nevada. - Kelly

Gothic and atmospheric, this book is a terrifying fever dream, an extended waking nightmare. It follows Goody, our unreliable narrator, as she gets lost in the woods and discovers what lies beyond the veil. Lurking behind Laird Hunt’s lush and evocative prose is a sense of dread that creeps up your spine as the story twists and writhes. It’s a haunted-woods tale full of wolves and witches—the brutal kind who eat children and steal your very soul. A perfect and easy-to-devour book to usher in Halloween or give you a fright any time of the year. Just be sure to read it with all the lights on. - Kelly