This post features the photos of our Baltimore Restaurant Week meal at La Cuchara! It was honestly the best restaurant week dinner we’ve done and I can’t wait to go back. If you’re in Baltimore- highly recommend this awesome spot!

The Address by Fiona Davis. I really liked The Dollhouse and this did have similar vibes- jumping back and forth between two different time periods- but it was too long. I almost quit like 60% of the way through and ultimately was glad I finished it but can’t give it a strong recommendation.

For Better and Worse by Margot Hunt. This was a very nice juicy read. It’s about a couple in Florida, both lawyers, with an 11 year old son. They find out that the principal at their son’s school is accused of molesting one of the other kids and it takes some very crazy turns. It’s an easy and quick read and I didn’t find it predictable at all. Recommend!

Come With Me by Helen Schulman. I decided to quit this one at 30%, at which point seemingly the only thing that had happened in the book was a weird teen sex-via-FaceTime scene that made me deeply uncomfortable. Hard pass.

The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis. Between this and The Address I’ve come to the conclusion that Ms. Davis is quite gifted at creating a surprise twist at the end of the book. The problem is getting to the end. I also almost quit this one and ended up powering through, and again was shocked and awed by the big reveal. But it shouldn’t be so much work getting through the middle.

American Street by Ibi Zoboi. My friend Kate recommended this one to me (thanks, Kate!) It’s about a teenage girl who attempts to immigrate to America with her mom, but her mom is detained so she goes on to Detroit alone to stay with her aunt and cousins. It’s a really quick and easy read and I liked it.

Carnegie’s Maid by Marie Benedict. This is a fictional story about an Irish immigrant who worked as a lady’s maid in the (obviously) real Carnegie house in Pittsburgh in the late 1800s. I listened to it during one of my marathon driving days and was in a real salty mood about that particular clinic, so it probably wasn’t the best choice because it’s a bit slow. But my mom really loved it so maybe give it a shot!

The Last of the Stanfields by Marc Levy. This one sucked me in right away, but then it got boring. I still finished it but don’t think I’d recommend it. I probably liked it more than the average person because there are a bunch of Baltimore references, and it still took me over a week to get through which is never a good sign.

My Husband’s Wife by Jane Lorry. This book is SO WEIRD but I could not stop listening to it. It has the most bizarre twists and turns and I genuinely had no idea where it was going or even why some of these characters were in the story. But it all comes together, I guess??

A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena. She got some attention a couple years ago for The Couple Next Door which I vividly remember as the only book I’ve reviewed IN MY LIFE with the statement “this would actually be better as a movie.” Having now read something else by her, I stand by it. Her stories are decent (The Couple Next Door was actually a much cleverer plot than this one) but her writing is just so… flat. Not impressed. I read this in under 4 hours (much of it during the most boring Superbowl of all time) but I don’t recommend it.

The Other Girl by Erica Spindler. I listened to almost the entire audiobook in one day while I was walking Louise and getting stuff done around my house. It was good! An easy, unpredictable thriller-ish novel with a strong female lead. Not the best I’ve ever read (Hi Karin Slaughter still love you the most) but solid! Recommend.

I’m currently maxed out on holds at the library (they only let me have 10- can you imagine?) but as always leave your recommendations here! A few things I have on hold that I’m most excited about: Where the Crawdads Sing, Educated, Becoming, and I’ll Be There for You: The One About Friends.