Today I felt something I haven’t felt in a long time.
Ready for it?
I felt the urge to write.
My last post was in 2021. It’s been 4 years since I wrote anything for Birdie Bookworm. I’ve missed this community but for a long time, I stopped reading. I burnt out. I was pushing so hard for Birdie Bookworm that my favorite pastime felt more like a chore. The following years were a book drought. It wasn’t until 2024 that I found myself back in my grove.
Last year I hit 104.
I’m proud of that.
Today I’m scrolling TikTok, because I’ve been over there too, and I’m sad. I’m sad about losing community again, among other things. Following content creators to other apps led me to my own creative space here, and I was hit with the strongest urge to hold on to you.
Seriously, I miss you…
I’m not going to make any promises to myself about this. If this is my only post, okay. If it’s not, even better. If I post once a month, kudos to me! Burnout is not an option.
Which brings me to this! My first post in 4 years!
Playing Catch Up, has been sitting in my drafts for a long time. I started it, and then I lost interest again. Times were rough, and my energy was taken in other ways, but today I’m going to see it through.
I’ve read a lot of books since 2021, and not all of them deserve my opinions. THESE do.
Here are my favorites from the last 4 years.
The Whisper Man by Alex North
Thriller
Celadon Books | June 9, 2020
About the Book:
After the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy believes a fresh start will help him and his young son Jake heal. A new beginning, a new house, a new town. Featherbank.
But the town has a dark past. Twenty years ago, a serial killer abducted and murdered five residents. Until Frank Carter was finally caught, he was nicknamed “The Whisper Man,” for he would lure his victims out by whispering at their windows at night.
Just as Tom and Jake settle into their new home, a young boy vanishes. His disappearance bears an unnerving resemblance to Frank Carter’s crimes, reigniting old rumors that he preyed with an accomplice. Now, detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis must find the boy before it is too late, even if that means Pete has to revisit his great foe in prison: The Whisper Man.
And then Jake begins acting strangely. He hears a whispering at his window…
The Whisper Man was a sneak attack. An accident, but not a mistake, if you will. It was a purchase on a whim, dabbling in reading again in 2022. I thought a thriller would suck me out of my reading funk, and I liked the sinister simplicity of the cover.
Within those pages, though, I was blown away by the creep factor, and the surprise twists and turns. I can’t say I figured this one out completely, which is a win. Even more than that, I was left thinking about it long after I finished. Even two years later, I think about it. This is the first and only book I’ve ever read by Alex North, but it’s highly recommended.
Vanishing Girls by Lisa Regan
Josie Quinn Series
Mystery/Thriller
Grand Central Publishing | November 26, 2019
About the Book:
Detective Josie Quinn desperately chases a killer hidden within her close-knit town before they claim another victim.
The little girl curled into a tiny ball as the chamber grew colder around her. “Please,” she whispered, rocking back and forth. “I want to go home.”
When Isabelle Coleman, a blonde, beautiful young girl goes missing, everyone from the small town of Denton joins the search. They can find no trace of the town’s darling, but Detective Josie Quinn finds another girl they didn’t even know was missing.
Mute and unresponsive, it’s clear this mysterious girl has been damaged beyond repair. All Josie can get from her is the name of a third girl and a flash of a neon tongue piercing that matches Isabelle’s.
The race is on to find Isabelle alive, and Josie fears there may be other girls in terrible danger. When the trail leads her to a cold case labeled a hoax by authorities, Josie begins to wonder is there anyone left she can trust?
Someone in this close-knit town is committing unspeakable crimes. Can Josie catch the killer before another victim loses their life?
After the success of Whisper Man, I continued searching for thrillers. What I wanted was specific. I wanted a long series with an FMC detective, and I wanted it to be serious, serial, and with a dash of heat. I wanted something similar to mashing teenage Nancy Drew with adult Eve Dallas.
I found Detective Josie Quinn, and I’m now approximately 18 books in and thrilled with these thrillers! Josie Quinn not only fights sex trafficking and serial killers, but she also single-handedly saved my passion for reading. All hail Josie Quinn!
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
Romantic Comedy
Atria Books | September 7, 2021
About the Book:
Dev Deshpande has always believed in fairy tales. So it’s no wonder then that he’s spent his career crafting them on the long-running reality dating show Ever After. As the most successful producer in the franchise’s history, Dev always scripts the perfect love story for his contestants, even as his own love life crashes and burns. But then the show casts disgraced tech wunderkind Charlie Winshaw as its star.
Charlie is far from the romantic Prince Charming Ever After expects. He doesn’t believe in true love, and only agreed to the show as a last-ditch effort to rehabilitate his image. In front of the cameras, he’s a stiff, anxious mess with no idea how to date twenty women on national television. Behind the scenes, he’s cold, awkward, and emotionally closed-off.
As Dev fights to get Charlie to connect with the contestants on a whirlwind, worldwide tour, they begin to open up to each other, and Charlie realizes he has better chemistry with Dev than with any of his female co-stars. But even reality TV has a script, and in order to find to happily ever after, they’ll have to reconsider whose love story gets told.
The Charm Offensive shocked me!
There have only been a few times I went into a book believing I was going to get a light, airy, read and my world flipped upside down. Reality TV is the most addictive and problematic thing to happen to television, and man did this leave me with some deep thoughts.
The premise is set in the world of a Bachelor-type reality show, but statistically, it is impossible that some of the contestants and the prizes, because are prizes, were all hetero. Impossible. It does make you think about the level of orchestration that must go into a show like this. Also, the mental health discussion around how production gets that level of emotion. The manipulation…
Excellent book.
Okay, this isn’t all of them. I have more, but I won’t drag this out. Instead –
Stay tuned for part two!
Birdie Bookworm 
Birdie!! It’s so good to hear from you! I hope you are doing well! 😊 I completely get you on burnout, I’ve had to cut down on publishing posts because I just didn’t feel like it. It’s good to recognize and listen to your body when it needs the rest! Look forward to any further posts you publish, no pressure! 😁
LikeLike
Oh man, blogging alone and trying to keep up with content multiple times a week, watching your views… I realized reading felt more like work. I’m not even going to accept ARCs, at least at first. BUT, writing and seeing my blogging friends feels so good! I’ve really missed you all!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad you were able to take a step back and evaluate the things that were causing you stress. It’s good to see you back! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great reviews, Birdie! The Josie Quinn series sounds really good! Are you still reading the Eve Dallas series?
Welcome back…however often you post!
LikeLike
I haven’t read an Eve Dallas book in years. I was addicted though, I’ve read about 30 of them. I think youd like Josie Quinn! I got a friend of mine addicted to them.
LikeLiked by 1 person