A running ranking of the books that I have reviewed this year, updated and reranked after each book that I finish.

★★★☆☆ When a "rogue black hole" leaves Earth less than a month before annihilation, two men travel by RV from Maine to Washington to complete one final task.

★★★★☆ An 89-year-old Swedish man narrates as we sail along this sad journey focused on the challenges and indignities encountered at the end of life.

★★★★☆ A snake-handling drifter crosses paths with a soldier recently back from Vietnam; together they help his family escape an abusive situation.

★★★★★ A "tradwife" and Instagram influencer has cultivated a seemingly idyllic life for herself and family, but it's all upended when she wakes up one day in 1805.

★★★★☆ A man returns home to Potsdam, NY to care for his father after a stroke, forcing him to confront past demons that led to his abrupt departure.

★★★★★ A moving generational novel that authentically captures a litany of life moments, from the highs of true love to the challenges of addiction.

★★★★☆ A heist/hostage situation at an elite restaurant is the vehicle for this novel to explore marriage and parenting as much as the heist.

★★★★☆ A short story collection masquerading as a novel, it follows the exploits of a family who consistently find themselves on the fringe of honest society.

A running tally of the books that I have reviewed this year, updated and reranked after each book that I finish. Explore the latest reviews and discover hidden gems with insights from BarlinsBooks, your literary companion for top new releases.

★★★★★ An innovative character study in which an aging woman's life story is revealed through the letters she writes and receives from a myriad of people.

★★★★★ A small town, a love triangle, a murder, and a trial form the foundation of this twisty, emotional novel set in mid-1900s England.

★★★★★ Filled with tragedy, perseverance, and love, the novel focuses on the fictional first women in the NASA space program in the early 1980s.

★★★★★ Goo's sweet time travel tale sees a 17-year-old from 2025 transported back to 1995 to try to help her own mother win homecoming queen.

★★★★★ Edgy, violent, and dark, Cosby's latest sees a successful money manager sucked into working for a sadistic gang in order to save his brother.

★★★★★ When a woman washes ashore on a remote island, the lone family living there nurses her back to health. But both parties have secrets...

★★★★★ A mother debates what to name her son, and her three choices create three parallel timelines in this mature and solidly composed debut.

★★★★★ A short read that explores the all-encompassing experience of young love and how it is put in perspective upon reflection later in life.

★★★★☆ A portrait of Gen Y from the perspective of a couple who "came of age with the internet" and spend their days seeking happiness, mostly without success.

★★★★★ Nearly twenty-five years after a home invader destroyed their lives, a couple reunites to provide victim personal statements at his trial.