The following review was published or updated in several Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia newspapers and magazines in November and December 2024:

Booking a full year of reading

Review by Tom Mayer

If only us readers could just spend our days … reading. What would a year look like? Here, the editors of Home for the Holidays present their yearlong list of books, culled from the past 12 months of reading and reviewing. A few of the titles you’ll immediately recognize, and you’ll likely have more than few in your own library. But just in case you missed a title or two, we’re showcasing the whole year’s worth of books that we’ve read and reviewed, month by month.

Except for the first title, the list is simply a list. To find the reviews of many of these titles, visit our newspaper parent, The (Athens) News Courier at enewscourier.com — with a slight caveat. Our newspaper webmasters are currently working overtime to improve our content management system, the foundation of any website, and while many of our archives are now found there, it may be a few weeks before everything is fully re-uploaded — including the most recent editions of Limestone Life and Home for the Holidays. For now, though, enjoy our literary stroll through 2024.

And about that first title: Not every college professor can make statistical analysis approachable, let along interesting to their students and the general population, but Athens State University emeritus professor of psychology Mark Durm is not every college professor. After spending nearly five decades teaching thousands of students, the “ol’ psychology professor” decided that he’d best get around to writing the one book out of his nearly 100 published pieces that’s he always wanted to write. Call it a legacy piece, but what it really is is a “best of” Durm’s peer-reviewed, book reviews, non-peer reviewed and magazine articles from his 47 years in higher education.

The result is “Professional Publications of an Ol’ Psychology Professor” (Dorrance) with full previously published articles ranging from studies on the effects of glasses on a child’s self-esteem to his ever-popular parapsychology pieces, Durm presents his internationally recognized efforts with a twist.

“It’s a different kind of book because it doesn’t talk about the research, it presents the research,” the professor says from his second-career office at Durm Properties in Athens, about a half-mile from where he first presented that research in person. “I’ve spent hours on all of these articles, especially in the peer-reviewed journal articles.”

And so, articles on divorce, sex, religion and other topics now populate the pages of Durm’s most recent book in an effort to both continue his teaching and satisfy what has been a lifelong wonderment.

“You know, most people don’t understand statistics, so it’s all in there,” Durm said. “What I’m trying to do is a more critical approach to ‘just don’t believe everything you’re told.’ … It’s things that were in my life that I wanted to see if they were so, by using a psychological analysis.”

And like any good professor, Durm didn’t do that research on his own — or take all of the credit. Among the co-authors of many of his articles in the book were students — many of who he’s lost touch with, but all of whom who he credits by name in his acknowledgements and for each of who, if they look up their ol’ mentor, he has a signed book ready to hand over. For the rest of us, you can find the book at any online bookseller — just as you can with the remainder of our list, presented by the month in which the book was published, read and reviewed.

JANUARY

Unbound (Blackstone) by Christy Healy NG/F

The Devil’s Daughter by Gordon Greisman NG/ARC

FEBRUARY

Almost Surely Dead (Mindy’s Book Studio) by Amina Akhtar NG

The Chaos Agent (Gray Man 13) (Berkley) by Mark Greaney NG

The Lady in Glass and Other Stories (Ace) by Anne Bishop ARC

A Haunting in the Arctic (Berkley paperback) by C.J. Cooke NG

Ghost Island (Berkley) by Max Seeck

MARCH

Hello, Alabama (Arcadia) by Martha Day Zschock

The Unquiet Bones (Montlake) by Loreth Anne White

I am Rome: A novel of Julius Caesar (Ballantine Books by Santiago PosteguilloMarch 5: Murder Road (Berkley) by Simone St. James

The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry (Holiday House) by Anna Rose Johnson

Ferris (Candlewick) by Kate DiCamillo

After Annie (Random House, Feb. 27) by Anna Quindlen

Crocodile Tears Didn't Cause the Flood (Montag Press) by Bradley Sides The #1 Lawyer (Little, Brown and Company) by James Patterson, Nancy Allen

Lilith (Blackstone) by Eric Rickstad

Life: My Story Through History (Harper One) by Pope Francis

APRIL

Matterhorn (Thomas & Mercer) by Christopher Reich

Friends in Napa (Mindy’s Book Studio) by Sheila Yasmin Marikar

City in Ruins (William Morrow) by Don Winslow

The House on Biscayne Bay (Berkley) by Chanel Cleeton

Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week (Peachtree) by Sarah L. Thomson

For Worse (Blackstone) by L.K. Bowen

A Killing on the Hill (Thomas & Mercer) by Robert Dugoini

The Clock Struck Murder (Poisoned Pen Press) by Betty Webb

The Book That Broke the World (Ace) by Mark Lawrence

The Forgetters (Heyday Books) by Greg Sarris

Lost to Dune Road (Thomas & Mercer) by Kara Thomas

Warrior on the Mound (Holiday House/Peachtree) by Sandra Headed

Pictures of Time (Silver Street Media) by David AlexanderBare Knuckle (Blackstone Publishing) by Stayton Bonner

Murder on Demand (Blackstone Publishing) by Al Roker

Home is Where the Bodies Are (Blackstone) by Jeneva Rose

MAY

Matterhorn by Christopher Reich

The Hunter's Daughter (Berkley) by Nicola Solvinic

The House That Horror Built (Berkley) by Christina Henry

In our stars (Berkley) by Jack Campbell

Freeset (book 2) (Blackstone) by Sarina Dahlan

Southern Man (William Morrow) by Greg Iles

Camino Ghosts (Doubleday) by John Grisham

JUNE

Specter of Betrayal by Rick DeStefanis

Lake County (Thomas & Mercer) by Lori Roy

Serendipity (Dutton) by Becky Chalsen

Shelterwood (Ballantine) by Lisa Wingate

The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra’s Needle (Holiday House) by Dan Gutman

Jackpot (Penguin) by Elysa Friedland

The Helper (Blackstone) by M.M. Dewil

Winter Lost (Ace) by Patricia Briggs

Shadow Heart (Blackstone) by Meg Gardiner

Lake Country (Thomas & Mercer) by Lori Roy

The Out-of-Town Lawyer (Blackstone) by Robert Rotten

Love Letter to a Serial Killer (Berkley) by Tasha Coryell

Sentinel Berkley) by Mark Greaney

JULY

Three Kings: Race, Class, and the Barrier-Breaking Rivals Who Redefined Sports and Launched the Modern Olympic Age (Blackstone) by Todd Balf

The Night Ends with Fire (Berkley) by K.X. Song

Echo Road (Montlake) by Melinda Leigh

It’s Elementary (Berkley) by Elise Bryant

You Shouldn’t Be Here (Thomas & Mercer) by Lauren Thoman

Back In Black (Blackstone) edited by Don Bruns

The Recruiter (Blackstone) by Gregg Podolski

AUGUST

You Shouldn’t Be Here (Thomas & Mercer) by Lauren Thoman ARC

Not What She Seems (Thomas & Mercer) by Yasmin Angoe NG

Fatal Intrusion by Jeff Deaver/Isabella Maldonado

Death at Morning House (HARPERTeen) by Maureen Johnson

Fire and Bones (Scribner) by Kathy Reichs

Some Nightmares Are Real (University of Alabama Press) by Kelly Kazoo

The Brothers Kenny (Blackstone) by Adam Mitzner

Blind to Midnight (Blackstone) by Reed Farrel Coleman

The Wayside (Blackstone) by Carolina Wolff

Enemy of the State (Blackstone) by Robert Smartwood

You Will Never Be Me (Berkley) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice (W.W. Norton) by Adam Kirsch

We Love the Nightlife (Berkley) by Rachel Koller Croft

Talking To Strangers (Berkley) by Fiona Barton

An Honorable Assassin (Blackstone) by Steve Hamilton possible interview see email

Dungeon Crawler Carl (1 of 6 but see next two months) (Ace) by Matt Dinniman

SEPTEMBER

Fatal Intrusion (Thomas & Mercer) by Jeffrey Deaver and Isabella Maldonado

When They Last Saw Her (Penguin) by Marcie Rendon

American Ghoul (Blackstone) by Michelle McGill-Vargas

First Do No Harm (Blackstone) by Steve Hamilton

A Quiet Life: A Novel (Arcade) by William Cooper and Michael McKinley

One More From the Top (Mariner) by Emily Layden

No Address (Forefront Books) by Ken Abraham.

Tiger’s Tale (Blackstone) by Colleen Houck

An Academy for Liars (Ace) by Alexis Henderson

Rewitched (Berkley) by Lucy Jane Wood

Gaslight (Blackstone) by Sara Shepard and Miles Joris-Peyrafitte

Counting Miracles (Random House) by Nicholas Sparks

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society (Ace) by C.M. Waggoner

The Hitchcock Hotel (Berkley) by Stephanie Wrobel

In the Garden of Monsters by Crystal King

Carl’s Doomsday Scenario (2 of 6 see next month also) (Ace) by Matt Dinniman

OCTOBER

The Hushed (Blackstone) by K.R. Blair NG

A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer (Berkley) by Maxie Dara

On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice (Norton) by WSJ Weekend review editor Adam Kirsch

Framed (Doubleday) by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey

This Cursed House (Penguin) by Del Sandeen

The Puzzle Box (Random House) by Danielle Trussoni

Two Good Men (Blackstone) by S.E. Redfearn

Dark Space (Blackstone) by Rob Hart and Alex Segura

This Cursed House (Berkley’s open submission)by Del Sandeen

Vindicating Trump (Regnery) by Dinesh D’Souza

The Book of Witching (Berkley) by C.J. Cooke

The World Walk (Skyhorse) by Tom Turcich

The Waiting Game by Michael Connelly  ARC, possible interview see email

Beyond Reasonable Doubt (Thomas & Mercer) by Robert Dugoni

Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook (3 of 6, with bonus material) (Ace) by Matt Dinniman

Frozen Lives (Blackstone) by Jennifer Graeser Fronbush NG

Vincent, Starry Starry Night (Meteor 17 Books) intro by Don McLean

Paris in Winter: An Illustrated Memoir (PowerHouse Books) by David Coggins

NOVEMBER

The Waiting (Little, Brown) by Michael Connelly

The Teller of Small Fortunes (Penguin) by Julie Long

Shadow Lab (Blackstone) by Brendan Deneen

Trial by Ambush (Thomas & Mercer) by Marcia Clark

Devil Take It (Heresy Press) by Daniel Debs Nossiter

SerVant of Earth (Ace) by Sarah Hawley

All the other me (Blackstone) by Jody Holford

The Perfect Marriage (Blackstone reissue re-edit) by Jenny Rose

DECEMBER

Trial By Ambush (Thomas & Mercer) by Marcia Clark

The Close-Up (Gallery Books) by Pip Drysdale

The Silent Watcher (Thomas & Mercer) by Victor Methos

Leviathan (Lividian Trade HC) by Robert McCammon

The Silent Watcher (Thomas & Mercer) by Victor Method

Assume Nothing (Thomas & Mercer) by Joshua Corin

One example link:
https://enewscourier.com/2024/11/29/in-review-booking-a-full-year-of-reading/

For any Hitchcock aficionado like myself, this book is for you! Throughout the novel, there's a feeling of lingering suspense that you always feel whenever you're watching a Hitchcock film and I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. I blame a lot of sleepless nights on staying up to read this book. Looking forward to reading more of Stephanie Wrobel's books!

I tried to read this one around spooky season but couldn’t get into it. I don’t know if it was the writing style but it just wasn’t a favorite.

This was a classic psychological thriller that blends suspense with dark humor. The story revolves around the Hitchcock Hotel, a mysterious and eerie establishment where guests check in to experience a stay inspired by the films of Alfred Hitchcock. The novel explores themes of obsession, trauma, and manipulation, all within a haunting setting that keeps readers on edge. Though occasionally predictable, the book offers plenty of intrigue for those who enjoy tense, atmospheric thrillers.

This was a ton of fun. A very unique man invites his former college friends to his Hitchcock themed hotel for a weekend of “fun”. Plenty of red herrings and surprises here! Made me want to watch more Hitchcock and read more of the authors books.

This book was very clever and spooky but not in a way that actually scared me. I appreciated the writing style and the uniqueness of the story, and it was a great read for Halloween!

Delightful closed door mystery with the added fun of Hitchcock trivia and all the characters you love to hate!

I knew I would love The Hitchcock Hotel as soon as I saw the synopsis. As a Hitchcock fan myself, the easter eggs that are dropped throughout this book are so fun. Add in the fact that this is a locked room mystery, another personal favorite of mine, and this is without a doubt a five-star read. There really are no likable characters in The Hitchcock Hotel. They're all flawed and hiding something, and they're all a little bit the villain. Loved this one so, so much.

This had an interest setup but I realized quickly that this one would be difficult to review if I didn't have an understanding of Hitchcock's work. I understand him only through vague pop culture references but I don't feel informed enough to weigh in on that aspect. Otherwise it seemed like a good, but not exceptionally special novel on it.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

This one was just okay. It has a great premise and there's definitely some suspenseful parts, but the writing really put me off in places and the ending is lackluster. But if you're a fan of Wrobel's other books, don't let this review dissuade you from reading this one too – you'll probably enjoy it a lot more than I did

I’ll be honest I went into this book expecting it to be a horror novel only to be reminded that Hitchcock was the master of mystery and suspense as well. This book is a good old-fashioned locked room mystery with an Alfred Hitchcock spin. Alfred Smettle has always been the weird one in the group, but when he invites his college friends for a vacation at his new B&B they all feel obligated to say yes. From the outside, the weekend looks like a mini-college reunion between a small group of film club friends. Everyone in the group is grown and has lives outside of the small family they formed years ago. Since the hotel is located just outside of town of their old alma mater, they return with a sense of nostalgia and quickly fall back into their old group dynamics. With shifting points of view and a few flashbacks thrown in, we learn why they were all brought together, and what the true purpose of the weekend actually is. The story has heavy noir vibes, with a dash of the game clue, and a setting that feels like it has been taken from the movies. The characters are all a little obnoxious, but with a story like this, I think that it is necessary to keep you guessing. The book was easy to follow with each chapter properly labeled as to whose point of view you are in at that moment. There is a definite cinematic quality to the writing, and you keep turning the pages to keep that going. I think this is a good mystery for the chilly autumn months.

This was the story of an unexpected character death, a mastermind, and a thought-to-be mastermind actually being puppeteered by the real mastermind of it all and showing that the long game is sometimes the sweetest revenge.

Thank you NetGalley for the read!

This was fun but forgettable entertainment.

I enjoyed the nods to Hitchcock and his movies. It’s done well, so you don’t have to be familiar with the movies in order to enjoy the story.

The characters are all unlikable bordering on horrid humans. I wish we’d had at least one likable character to connect with.

Pacing is slowed by lots of backstory and endless internal whining.

Then we have a murder to solve and lots of true confessions and revelations.

What a fun Hitchcock inspired Who Done It! I absolutely loved all the film references throughout the novel. All the characters were messy and had so many secrets. I love that in a who done it. The beginning was a bit slow for me but I absolutely loved the end. I couldn’t believe the killer! What a fun twist!
3.5/5 Stars

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me an arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Hitchcock Hotel is officially my favorite Stephanie Wrobel book to date and I'm not even a Hitchcock fan! I loved the quotes and other things that were all about Hitchcock including what I'm sure is a lot of nods to his movies throughout the book. I initially liked some of the characters, but as the book went on, I realized this “friend” group was not very nice. To each other and their general behavior. The more secrets that were revealed the viler you will think these people are, but man were they entertaining.

The audiobook really makes this story shine, and I loved Michael Crouch, Gail Shalan & Helen Lloyd as the narrators. While there aren’t any fun sound effects or things like that, the way the voices were blended into the experience were fantastic and I can’t imagine reading it would have hit quite the same way. Wrobel really nailed her twists in the book, and I was impressed by so many. Just when you think you know what is coming the tables get turned and it created that 🤯 factor. Even if you’ve never seen a Hitchcock film in your life, I would recommend The Hitchcock Hotel to lovers of twists, mysteries, and bad behavior.

If you are a hitchcock or classic horror fan, this book is for you. If you are aware of hitchcock but not a huge fan, I think the inclusions can be a bit over the top or heavy handed. I mean down to naming the main character Alfred feels a bit much. It starts off slow and has a good climax, which made the structure feel like a hitchcock film.

The mystery itself was pretty good. It made me feel like I was reading one of those older mysteries in the readers digest collection volumes. Sometimes the pacing was a bit wonky but I think it's solid. As with all mystery/thrillers that involve a reunion of friends after many years, you are going to get a good amount of secrets and the book keeps you guessing who is truly the villain.

The Hitchcock Hotel was a fun mystery that took place in a Hitchcock Themed Hotel. Alfred the hotel's owner and Hitchcock super fan has invited his group of 5 college friends for a weekend stay. Everyone is reluctant to join because Alfred was expelled from college and it seems that all friends have some baggage lingering from their time at Reville University. As the weekend starts to unfold we learn more about the backstory of each friend and the hesitance they all have to be around each other. Soon things start to happen at the hotel and it seems like the perfect crime is about to be committed. This book wasn't mind blowing, but it was a fun quick read that I would recommend.

Being a fan of Alfred Hitchcock's movies, I was so excited to get approved for this ARC! I loved the original plot, and the setting was so cool with a creepy locked room vibe. The first half moved a bit slow, but similar to a Hitchcock movie, it was necessary in order to build tension. The second half was filled with so many good twists and turns, most of which really surprised me!

Thank you, @netgalley and @berkleypub, for the #giftedearc!

This was a quick and engaging read from start to finish! I enjoyed that it was multiple POVs and that it slowly unfolds like the murder mysteries that the MC is obsessed with. All the tangled stories are unraveled as all the secrets the characters are hiding are revealed. An enjoyable read.

Do you have a favorite scary movie?⁣
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I have so many - but I will say that The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock is what all of my nightmares are made of. ⁣
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“There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.” —Alfred Hitchcock⁣
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I loooove Hitchcock’s films (aside from that 🐦‍⬛ one, because I am terrified of mass amounts of birds flying at my face) and so I knew I was going to be a big fan right out the gate. The way he gets into your mind is purely frightening. Sometimes what’s actually on screen isn’t even all that terrifying but he always puts that dread in your bones and fear in your pulse… and that’s exactly what @stephaniewrobel has done here.⁣
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Six friends. One Remote Hotel. A Long-Overdue Reunion. The unsettling darkness of the hotel - and the curious cast of characters filled with secrets and lies stranded inside, were insufferably entertaining. The plot steadily filled your veins with apprehension and anticipation, and it was a clever and chilling homage to the genius filmmaker himself.

I was riveted. I was unnerved. And I was anxiously on edge to the very end. ⁣
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And don’t even get me started on those birds… 😳