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Christi

@bookish_chris

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🝮 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑓𝑢𝑛 🝮
•twin mom •empty nester
•avid reader
•lover of books of all genres
•2026 Reading Challenge: 62/60

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Book #62 for 2026  The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry

What if the haunted house down the street wasn’t just full of ghosts, but was actually a living, breathing predator that preyed on children? 🏚️

This was my first Christina Henry novel, and I was surprised by just how much I loved it! She really knows how to tell a story while creating an unsettling atmosphere.

I’ve read plenty of haunted house stories, but this one takes things to a whole new level. Forget ghosts and possessions. This house has a mind of its own and knows exactly how to lure people inside. I loved how Henry used even the smallest details to make it all so unsettling.

At times, it reminded me of Stephen King’s It, mixed with the sinister atmosphere of The Haunting of Hill House. But Henry gives the haunted house story her own disturbing twist.

And what makes this more than just another creepy house story is the family drama woven through it. Beneath the supernatural horror is a complicated mother-daughter relationship and the effects of childhood trauma.

This was such a good blend of horror, suspense, and family drama. I’m definitely reading more Christina Henry! 🖤
𝐐𝐎𝐓𝐃: Do you enjoy haunted house stories, or are they a little too creepy for you? 👻
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#thrillerbooks #spookyreads #theplacewheretheyburiedyourheart by @authorchristinahenry taken in Chicago, Illinois by @bookish_chris

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21 hours ago

Book #61 for 2026
The Women in White
by Sarah Pekkanen

Creepy 1960s experiments, four missing women, and a decades-old mystery? Yes, please.

In 1964, four college women disappear while participating in experiments involving ESP and paranormal abilities. Sixty years later, caregiver Riley Bell begins uncovering her elderly client Betty’s connection to what happened.

I loved reading about those creepy 1960s experiments. They made me wonder how much research like this actually happened, and I ended up going down some interesting Google rabbit holes. As the story went back and forth between the past and present, I kept trying to figure out how it all fit together.

I also loved that beneath all the mystery was a story about four women whose friendships became as important than the experiments. And after finally figuring out what happened all those years ago, I found the ending incredibly satisfying.

#QOTD: Do you like a little paranormal mixed into your thrillers, or do you prefer them to stay realistic?
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#spookyreads #psychologicalthrillers #thewomeninwhite taken in Washington, DC by @bookish_chris

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2 days ago

Book #60 for 2026
The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman

I love reading Alice Hoffman in the fall, and The Witches of Cambridge had me from page one. I’ve read two of her other books, but this one is my new favorite. It’s the kind of book that reminds me why I love reading so much. The history, the women, the friendships. I was completely drawn into their world and could not put it down.

The story moves between two timelines, following Cambridge’s first witch during the time of Cotton Mather and a group of women at Radcliffe College in the early 1950s. What struck me most was how similar their struggles were, even centuries apart. Different times, but so many of the same restrictions on women trying to make decisions about their own lives.

The historical fiction was so well done. I kept finding myself down Google rabbit holes, looking up things I hadn’t known or had never thought to question. I love when a novel makes me that curious. And the mystery surrounding the disappearing women gave me even more reason to keep turning the pages.

Despite everything these women faced, this story felt empowering. I loved their determination to shape their own futures and the complicated friendship between Ava and Lauren.

Such a beautiful tribute to women, their resilience, and the ways they show up for one another. This one gave me plenty to think about, and I’m so glad I picked it up. 🍂
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#readwithjenna #mysterybooks #thewitchesofcambridge by #alicehoffman fallreads taken in Cambridge, Massachusetts by @bookish_chris

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7 days ago

Book #59 for 2026
The Unknown
by Riley Sager

Riley Sager is BACK. I tried saving this for cooler fall weather, but clearly patience isn’t my thing.

A group of actors heads to an island in a Vermont lake to film a movie about women who disappeared there 100 years ago. They stay in the original cabins, and then history starts repeating itself. 👀

This one hooked me right away. A creepy island, dark secrets, a séance, and enough supernatural weirdness to keep me wondering what on earth was going on. Every time I thought I had it figured out, I had to rethink everything. And those final twists were so good.

I’ve read all 10 of his books, and this felt like the Riley Sager I’ve been missing. It reminded me of Lock Every Door and Home Before Dark, two of my favorites.

Creepy, witchy, and such a fun way to kick off spooky reading season. 🍂🔮
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#bookish #bookstagram #bookofthemonth #botm thrillerbooks theunknown by rilesager taken in Lake Willoughby, Vermont by @bookish_chris

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9 days ago

September wrap-up 🍂

September flew by, but looking back at this stack, I managed to read 9 books! A little suspense, some family drama, a few familiar faces, and even a grave robber. Quite the mix this month which is the way I like it. 😂

Big Little Truths was such a fun reunion with old friends, and The Three Graces of Pearl Street just fed my soul. Very different reads, but both gave me plenty to love.

Now I’m ready to jump into all those spooky reads I’ve been saving! 🍁🎃📚

What was your favorite September read?

#bookwrapup #septemberreads #bookstagram #bookish by @bookish_chris

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15 days ago

Book #58 for 2026
big • little • truths
by Liane Moriarty

It’s been over a decade since Big Little Lies, and cracking open this sequel felt like a reunion with old friends. This was over much too quickly and it was such a delicious, fun sequel. I was sneaking in chapters every chance I could get over the weekend. Sure, there’s a juicy mystery at the heart of it all, but honestly, my favorite part was catching up with these women and seeing what life has tossed them ten years later. They’re deep in that sandwich generation, juggling teenagers, aging parents, and all the life curveballs that come with getting older. Health scares, marriage drama, friendship ups and downs; it’s all here, and it felt so relatable.

I also loved all the little secrets that come with a small beachside suburban community, but the teenagers’ points of view were the scene-stealers for me. Now they’re the ones in the interrogation room, and their views on the world and their parents had me laughing out loud many times.

Moriarty has a way of putting into words the things we’re all thinking but would never say out loud. Her dialogue feels so real, and she makes me laugh. Even when there’s a mystery to solve, I’m just as interested in what her characters will say next. That’s why I keep coming back to her books.

I first read Big Little Lies over a decade ago (and yes, I binged the series too), so getting to revisit these characters after all this time was such a treat.
PS, the audio is superb, too! 🎧
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#bookstagram #biglittlelies #biglittletruths #reesewitherspoonbookclub taken in Sydney by @bookish_chris

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16 days ago

Book #57 for 2026
The Thoroughbreds
by Elin Hilderbrand & Shelby Cunningham

I love a good fall read, and this cover has fall written all over it. Being back at Tiffin Academy gave me a little of that cozy Gilmore Girls feeling, only with a lot more drama.

This is the second and final book in the series, and I definitely recommend reading The Academy first. Many of the students and faculty return, and the story jumps right back into their messy lives.

Honestly, I think I liked being back at Tiffin Academy more than I liked the actual story. Some of the drama felt a little too high school, even for a book about high school students, and a few of the adults were fairly predictable.

There were still plenty of entertaining moments, and I liked getting some closure with these characters. I’m glad I finished the series, but the fall setting may have been the real star for me.
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#bookish #bookishchris #bookstagram #booklover by @bookish_chris

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21 days ago

Book #56 for 2026
The Three Graces of Pearl Street
by Elizabeth Wellington Rollins

Why aren’t more people talking about this book?! My sister-in-law recommended this one and it totally snuck up on me. I went in with zero expectations and before I knew it, I was completely wrapped up in the lives of these three women.

Three generations of Italian-American Catholic raised women, ages 96, 62, and 27, are brought back under one roof by very different circumstances. Their shared name also connects them: Graziella, passed down through the generations. Told through each of their own point of views, Graziella, Grace and Ella felt so real to me. They’ve made mistakes, hurt each other and held onto things too long. But little by little, you see the small shifts that happen in families. Old hurts begin to soften, new connections form, and they start finding their way back to one another.

And then there is the food. Graziella is always in the kitchen, feeding anyone who walks through the door, and I spent half the book craving pasta and garlic bread. Cooking is just what she does. She feeds people, takes care of them, and somehow always seems to know exactly what they need.

This was heartfelt, emotional, uplifting, and just a beautiful story about family, forgiveness, and the complicated ways we love each other.

If I could sum it up in one sentence: This was a book I didn’t know I needed, but it definitely fed my soul. ❤️
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#bookish #bookishchris #bookstagram #booklover taken in Brooklyn, New York by @bookish_chris

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23 days ago

Book #55 for 2026
Kin
by Tayari Jones

Happy Friday!

I finally picked up my first Tayari Jones novel, and wow, her writing is just beautiful.

Niecy and Annie are “cradle friends” growing up motherless in Honeysuckle, Louisiana. Niecy is orphaned as a baby and raised by her aunt, while Annie is abandoned by her mother and raised by her grandmother. Their childhood experiences bind them together, even as their adult lives take them in very different directions.

Set in the Jim Crow South of the 1950s and ‘60s, this is a powerful story about friendship, racism, class, found family, and whether kin is defined by blood or by the people who choose to love us.

One thing I really loved was how Jones explores motherhood and all the women who step up to fill that role. Sometimes it’s a mom or an aunt, and sometimes it’s someone you never saw coming who decides to care for you.

These characters felt so real, I had to keep reminding myself this was fiction. Annie and Niecy’s bond is fierce and also beautiful, but fair warning: this is not a light read. There’s heartbreak, abandonment and injustice. More than anything, though, I kept coming back to the title. Maybe that’s what family really comes down to: having someone to claim as your own who claims you right back.
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#bookish #bookishchris #bookstagram #booklover taken in Atlanta, Georgia by @bookish_chris

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a month ago

Book #54 for 2026
The Amateur
by Chris Bohjalian

How to sum this up quickly? Wealthy people behaving badly in a beautiful, picture-perfect Westchester suburb. This story gave me such 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 & 𝐍𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐬 vibes, except it’s 1978.

Mira is a young golf prodigy whose personal life is an absolute mess. She’s talented, smart, angry, self-destructive, having affairs with much older married men, and about to head off to Yale. Then, during a practice round of golf, she hits a shot that kills a golf caddy.
An accident, or was there more to it?

This is suspenseful, but I found it more fascinating as a character study. Mira was frustrating and hard to like at times, but I also wanted to understand her. There’s a lot of trauma behind her choices, along with some serious daddy issues. And since it’s 1978, there’s definitely a double standard. Mira is judged for behavior that the men around her seem to get away with.

Bohjalian really knows how to write women who are smart and talented but also make an absolute mess of their lives. Mira reminded me a little of Cassie in The Flight Attendant that way.

I flew through this one, and I especially liked how it ended.
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#bookish #bookishchris #bookstagram #booklover taken in Westchester, New York by @bookish_chris

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a month ago

Book #53 for 2026
Summer’s Never Over
by Darby Bozeman

I finally finished this one on my girls’ trip, and the pool made a pretty perfect backdrop. 💦

Five years ago, a fire at Dread’s Cove summer camp ended in tragedy when one of the counselors died. Now, the camp is reopening for the first time since the fire.

The book toggles between those two summers, both told from Greer’s perspective. Once a camp counselor and now the camp owner, Greer is finally trying to figure out what really happened that night.

There’s plenty of summer camp nostalgia, but these old friendships come with a lot of dark secrets.

I enjoyed this one, though it took me a while to get into. I found myself picking it up and putting it down, and I think it would have been better about 50 pages shorter.

The ending has some good twists, but I would say it felt like a steady read rather than one I couldn’t put down.
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#bookish #bookishchris #bookstagram #booklover taken in Blairsville, Georgia by @bookish_chris

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a month ago

Book #52 for 2026
𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 by Gabrielle Zevin

I bought this through BOTM when it came out and first tried to read it in 2022. Then again in 2023…and now it’s 2026. Determined to tackle my ever-growing TBR stack this year, I finally doubled down and finished it. 🙌

This one had a bit of a slow start for me, and I think it will resonate more if you love gaming or enjoy the idea of escaping into a virtual world.

What kept me reading was Sadie and Sam’s complicated friendship and creative partnership spanning nearly thirty years, along with Sam’s roommate, Marx. I loved the supporting characters and the themes of friendship, ambition, jealousy, grief, and the people who come in and out of our lives.

Ultimately, I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either. I completely understand why it resonated with so many readers. It’s a great story at its core. That’s the fun of reading, though. We all have the stories we gravitate toward, and this one just wasn’t quite mine.
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#bookish #bookishchris #bookstagram #booklover taken in Los Angeles, California by @bookish_chris

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a month ago