REVIEW Nobody's Girl by Virginia Giuffre

 

This posthumously published memoir presents us with a reckoning of trauma and sexual abuse that started when Ms. Giuffre was living with her father and ended with her being caught in one of the biggest sex trafficking rings that we are aware of - the one run by convicted pedophiles and traffickers Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Ms. Giuffre reportedly died by suicide just prior to the memoir being published. 

The first half of the memoir details Giuffre's sexual abuse, first at the hands of her father and a family friend, and then at the hands of Epstein and Maxwell, who she meets after fleeing from her home and becoming employed at Mar-a-Lago, of all places. TRIGGER WARNING: this part of the book is horrific and discusses sexual abuse, so tread with caution.

Giuffre is able to escape from Epstein and Maxwell. She marries, has three children and relocates to live in Australia with her husband, their family and his parents. But Epstein and Maxwell's acts are still an insidious part of her life, even as she has seemingly moved onto another life. Giuffre, to her credit, feels called to hold her abusers accountable for what they did to her and to hundreds of other CHILDREN by testifying in court cases, giving interviews and filing lawsuits. 

I was hesitant to read this book because of the content, frankly but I ended up drawn into the book. I read it in two days.  It is a compelling tale of a young woman who is calling out her abusers and how wealthy, powerful people consistently use their privilege to avoid compliance with the law and hurt the children around them. Undoubtedly, Giuffre is brave for the steps that she took in advocating for herself and other trafficking victims and in writing this memoir, but I can't help but wonder at what cost. While writing seems to have arced towards redemption, her death makes me question whether it was truly therapeutic and helpful for her. This shouldn't detract from you reading this memoir - it is an important and well written one, albeit a hard one to read at times.

Definitely read this, but make sure to take care of yourself at the same time. 

REVIEW: Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

 

This was a really interesting and much more emotionally trying book then I realized it would be when I selected it, but I'm so glad that I did. 

The main character is Lily Hu, a 17 year old girl growing up in 1950's San Francisco Chinatown. She's trying to navigate her romantic feelings for classmate Kathleen Miller and the expectation that she be a good "Chinese girl." In the 1950's being a lesbian and Chinese made people targets of homophobia and discrimination based upon a fear of Communism. However, Lily seems to have found a haven at a lesbian bar called The Telegraph Club. This novel explores Lily's struggles in navigating her coming of age and her identity.

Lily was such an interesting and authentic character.  And boy does she have a lot going on. She has to hide a major part of her identity while also fearing that her family will be deported as a result of the Red Scare, which was in full swing at this time. I loved that she was willing to take realistic risks and the novel offers an intimate look into the lives of people that lived during this time.  The city of San Francisco also plays a large role in this novel and Lo does a tremendous job of situating us in the city itself. 

The relationship between Kathleen and Lily is also pretty realistic. They're both pretty hesitant at first even though its obvious that they are both queer and attracted to one another.  They don't know how to talk about what and how they're feeling because at the time there wasn't really any language to talk about that. 

Malinda Lo did extensive research before writing this novel and lists her sources. Definitely read the Author's note - it's at the end of the novel but I would recommend reading it first so that you can set the novel in it's appropriate historical context. 

LOVED this novel and would highly recommend. 

Links I love

 

I'm still trying to kick this lung issue I have.  UGH, the flu really did a number on me.

• How fan fiction went mainstream.
• On writing about the American rural area.
• What is the best literary film adaptation in the last 50 years?
• Can you grow orange trees indoors?
• The tragic real life inspiration behind Interview with a Vampire.
• The best sci fi movies of the 90's.
• The new Hunger Games Trailer is here.
• Have we been reading Toni Morrison all wrong?
• Why traffic lights are red, yellow and green.
• Songs written by Bruce Springsteen that you didn't know were written by him,.
• 8 books written about characters seeking connection.
• Here's an article about the habits of super readers.
• There's a Fantasy and dark lit bookstore opening in Salem, MA and here's the kickstarter for it.
• An interview with Elizabeth Banks where she talks about the books that have shaped her. 
• Here are the winners for the 2026 Whiting Award for Emerging. 
• This novel on motherhood looks interesting.
• Bob Odenkirk talks about a near death experience.
• New film highlights skiing in Tuckerman's Ravine. 
• I'm a huge true crime fan. Here are this month's new true crime novels. 
• The top ten cities for coffee - in the US.
• 5 locations where tourists outnumber locals. 

I'm currently reading Nobody's Girl by Virginia Jiuffre and listening to Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey. 

Please visit my Pangobooks store!

REVIEW Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

 

I would describe this novel as a unique take on a love story - but not romance - set in the world of video game design. It's about two childhood friends who become legendary game designers after attending college in Cambridge, MA in the late 90's. 

Sadie and Sam, the main characters, meet for the first time at 11 years old in the game room of a children's hospital in Los Angeles.  Sadie is there because her older sister has cancer and Sam is there because he was in a horrific and tragic car accident that crushed his leg. Almost silently, they bond over Super Mario Brothers, the game that Sam is playing when Sadie first encounters him. Because Sam has emotionally shut down - he hasn't really talked since he got there - the nurses are thrilled that Sadie has gotten him to come out of his shell and ask Sadie to keep visiting with him. Sadie's mother proposes that she use the hours towards her bat mitzvah community service requirement and so Sadie agrees, all the while sneakily getting the nurses to sign off on her hours, which they willingly do. WHile it is transactional, it's also genuine - Sadie is fond of Sam. The storyline spans over 30 years of Sadie and Sam's life and a continent as well, going from California, to college in Massachusetts and back and includes periods of estrangement and closeness. 

This is an intricate novel about male-female  friendship and stories - Sam and Sadie create elaborate video games with intricate stories as we read about their story.  I loved the development of the characters and the relationship between Sam and Sadie, which is also very much a character in the novel.  I also appreciated themes and discussions surrounding cultural appropriation (one of the games they create and develop is called Ichigo, based upon The Great Wave of Kanagawa and yet neither Sadie nor Sam are Japanese). 

I loved this book.  Add it to your library - it's well worth it. 

This book satisfied the Popsugar prompt of a platonic friendship between a guy and girl. 

REVIEW A Court of Silver Flames by Rebecca Maas

 

I needed to get in gear since there are a few new ACOTAR books coming in soon and now I'm up to date. This is the (so far) last book in the popular series by Sarah Maas that has been published and is one of, if not the, best in the series so far.

Nesta is one of the most self destructive and self-loathing characters I've ever met.  She has refused to live with the rest of the "family" (i.e. the inner circle), instead living in a filthy hovel, drinking herself into the ground every night and sleeping with whatever male seems to wander by.  Her self-hatred is through the roof.  She's a character that I thought honestly fitting of the "c" word - nasty all around but particularly to the people that love her and are trying to help her (her sisters in particular).  There were times that I have wanted to reach through the pages, grab her and tell her off. However, in this doorstop novel, I grew to have some more respect for Nesta (actually a great deal), although I cannot say that I like her (I have a hard time getting past the nastiness). She has some major trauma and guilt, both of which she became able to channel into helping other women around her, which really struck a cord with me. Nesta's transformation was quite believable.

The vast majority of this book was spent watching Nesta train with the other women.  That's fine, but be prepared, there are a lot.  I enjoyed the moments that she was working in the library better, but the other montages certainly didn't turn me off. The training, and also meditation, were used as ways to process trauma.  There is a lot about violence towards women in this novel so if that's an issue for you, I would stay away from it. 

I really enjoyed this novel - it's thought provoking and potentially healing, certainly empowering. I am excited to see what happens next and, even though I certainly don't like Nesta, enjoyed getting to see her evolve. 

Links I love

 

I hope that everyone had a good week.  I ended up improving and then feeling worse yesterday - I had to get a chest x ray and luckily it's not pneumonia but I definitely have bronchitis or something.  I'm on a Z-Pac. This has been a long road to recovery.

1. What happens to unsold Girl Scout cookies (didn't even believe that was a thing)?
2. Five expansive horror tales set in New York. 
3. More teens are getting hooked on gambling. 
4. Updates on the wonderful Carli Lloyd, formerly of the USWMNT.
5. What does nitpicking really mean?
6. Should judicial evaluations be made public?
7. How the horrors of dating can lay the groundwork for a good thriler.
8. Some revolutionary stories about and by Arab women. 
9. The best historical fiction books of the century so far. 
10. Some songs that Dolly Parton wrote, that you didn't know she wrote. 
11. Your sarcasm is showing and its history is pretty violent. 
12. Wellness hangouts are the new happy hour. 
13. Indie booksellers name the top books of 2025. 
14. Overrated fantasy novels and what to read next. 
15. 5 Classic novels that almost had different endings. 
16. Some of the best small press books of spring, 2026.
17. Ten fictional professors ranked by plausibility.
18. ALA fights against book banning bill.
19. Need more whimsy in your life? Start letter writing.
20. I could always use help with this.
21. The best horror movies from the 1990's.

Also, THIS!! This was amazing on so many levels and was SO COOL TO WATCH!!!  I was in second grade when The Challenger disaster happened and I'm not going to lie, I totally was on edge until everything was all clear - God Bless our astronauts.

I'm looking for a few new podcasts to listen to - what is everyone enjoying?  I'm currently reading Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin and listening to Not Quite Dead (which has a really great premise).  

Please feel free to visit my Pangobooks store!

REVIEW The Academy by Elin

 

I needed something a bit more fun and a novel by an author that I have enjoyed in the past so I picked this novel.  Cunningham and one of her brothers attended a boarding school instead of public school and Hilderbrand was fascinated by the culture surrounding these settings, so together, they decided to write this book. The book follows students and their teachers at fictional Tiffin Academy, a school in Western Massachusetts and begins on move in day when the community finds that their ranking has jumped approximately 17 spots to number 2 on the rankings list. And to make matters more dramatic, there's a new app that outs people's secrets, which is in addition to the normal drama at any school.

There is a lot going on in this book - there are a lot of characters with a lot of backstory and I had to remind myself to be patient and let the authors pull everything together. It's a typical Hilderbrand book in that it shifts between perspectives, sometimes very, very quickly (which I don't mind at all since it keeps things interesting). I felt that I was there in the setting with the characters experiencing what they were experiencing as they experienced it and the book itself is very, very fast paced so it moved.  I finished it very quickly. I loved that it felt like a Hilderbrand book as I'm generally a fan of hers. 

There is one major thing that I was not a fan of: there is one story line that was begun and wasn't resolved.  I think that this is a two book series so I'm truly hoping that the next book reveals it because I'll be super upset if it isn't. 

Generally solid.