The Gilmore Guide to Books

Connecting Books and Readers One Review at a Time

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Reviews
    • Reviews by Author
    • Reviews by Title
    • Reviews by Genre
  • Podcast
  • Policies
    • Review Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Policy

January Reading Wrap-Up

January 31, 2022

january

What to say about January? A month that went so fast, but didn’t seem to move at all. With subzero temperatures and a broken supply chain that left Costco with no Diet Coke (I can go without my meds, but no Diet Coke is a bridge too far). Those are the lows, but the important news is that January was an outstanding month for reading. Of the 14 books I read 9 were 4 stars or ... Read More...

6 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: dystopia, literary, mini-reviews, mystery, thriller, true crime

Gilmore Guide: 2022 Update

January 3, 2022

Gilmore Guide

  Happy New Year from the Gilmore Guide to Books! I’m starting 2022 off a bit differently—no book review yet (but plenty to come!). I’ve been remiss about keeping everyone up-to-date about what’s happening so decided the new year was the best time for a quick, but important update. And it’s not about the fact that I’m still growing out my formerly brunette hair color. ... Read More...

15 Comments
Filed Under: Feature, Reading Tagged: books, podcasts

My 8 Best Books of 2021

December 27, 2021

  Best is a big word, especially these days when words that have been a part of the lexicon for lifetimes feel as if they’re losing their meaning. The first that comes to mind is “normal”. There is nothing normal about our weather, our politics, America.  There’s a COVID vaccine and a booster, but the virus has remained a partisan issue. Which is to say I went to the ... Read More...

8 Comments
Filed Under: Feature, Reading Tagged: book clubs, favorite books, literary, racism

My 6 Favorite Debuts of 2021

December 20, 2021

debut

  Happy Monday and welcome to my first yearend best-of lists. Today is a favorite category: best debuts. Finding new authors is one of my greatest reading pleasures and 2021 proved to be a very good year. Of all my reading, 38% was debut authors and of those debuts I rated 36% 3.5 stars or higher, with 3.5 being my baseline for a book I’d recommend to others. Finally, of ... Read More...

6 Comments
Filed Under: Feature, Reading Tagged: book clubs, childhood, debut, favorite books, historical fiction, literary, mystery

2021 Underrated Gems

December 15, 2021

underrated

Every year I read books I loved, but that seemed to go under-the-radar for most people. Yes, reading is a very personal endeavor and what is 5 stars for me may not be 5 stars for you, but I’ve got 7 underrated gems I read this year that I’m almost evangelical about—I loved them that much. So, I’m spreading that love in the hopes that you might discover your next great read ... Read More...

10 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: book clubs, coming-of-age, favorite books, literary, marriage

November Reading Wrap-Up

December 2, 2021

november

Goodbye, November, hello, December! Did anyone else find November to be a rather placid month? It went a bit faster, but as I age I always think that. I just can’t remember anything extra good or bad that happened—which is great, right? My reading felt the same way as I bounced between thrillers and literary fiction. A lot of enjoyable reading, but very little that wowed ... Read More...

11 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: memoir, mini-reviews

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • …
  • 61
  • Next Page »
  • Bluesky
  • Email
  • Goodreads
  • Instagram
  • Substack

Save time and subscribe via email

No time to keep checking for new reviews? Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email. No spam!

Bookshop

Currently Reading

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
by Emily Nagoski
The Dutch House
The Dutch House
by Ann Patchett
Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me
Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me
by Adrienne Brodeur

goodreads.com

Affiliate Disclosure

I’m an affiliate for Bookshop. If you click on a link that takes you to their site and make a purchase I’ll earn a small fee, which goes towards the costs of maintaining this site. Your support is appreciated. Thank you!

Archives

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.

Theme Design By Studio Mommy · Copyright © 2026

Copyright © 2026 · Beyond Madison Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in