Thought Corridor

Brokeula by Michael J. Seidlinger Michael J. Seidlinger's book was a fun take on the vampire genre. Our central character James is a vampire who quickly discovers that immortality has its drawbacks and the biggest of those is being broke so he thinks of a get rich quick scheme that's Multi Level Marketing (appropriately bloodsucking as schemes go) .  As a book it's on the shorter side but is a well written comedic novella with a few critiques on capitalism along the way. Some themes could have been explored in more detail and maybe the characters could have been fleshed out a little more but overall it's a fun read and it does handle the surreal subject matter well and I enjoyed it.   Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC. It will be published on published July 7, 2026. . 

 Hell to Pay Oceans Eight meets Six of Crows in this supernatural heist thriller with jaw-dropping plot twists  by Lora Beth Johnson This was the first heist type book I have read in a long time and I really enjoyed it. The premise of this book had me hooked from the get go and once I started it I finished it quickly. The book revolves around a gang of thieves who are going to steal a soul from the afterlife. It is a very enjoyable supernatural story and I really liked the characters. I'm a fan of any story involving a found family and this book has that as we see how the crew interact with each other and grow those bonds. It has drama and chaos and a sprinkling of madness and it's a very enjoyable read.  Thank you to the publishers, and to Netgalley for this ARC, 

 The Gray Sheep The Lochsmith Book I  by S. M. Somerset This book is the first in what will be a trilogy and it does a great job of setting up the characters and the world. The book is beautifully written and I liked the historical setting. The main character  Cosette  was likable and felt real and I was invested in her.  However my main complaint about this book is that at times it was a bit too slow and things did not feel to be progressing maybe it would have benefitted from another character's POV.  The book does end on a cliffhanger but that is to somewhat to be expected as it is the first book in a trilogy.  Thank you to the publishers and to Netgalley for this ARC. 

 Because I Killed Him by Edith Birde This note from the publisher is what drew me into this book. They state that this book is a '...sweeping, character-driven novel set in a bright, deadly world inspired by the glamour and decadence of the 1920s Jazz Age...written for readers who enjoy flawed, morally complex characters, lethal power struggles, dangerous alliances, forbidden relationships, found family, and a plot that unravels like a mystery'. That tikced a lot of boxes for me.   This is one of the longest books I have read in a while and because to read something over 800 pages is a huge time commitment I need the book to be epic. Because I killed Him is a great book but it misses the mark just a bit for me to give it a full five stars. I really liked  the characters and there is lot of world building that is very well done but I wanted more details on the world outside (but I assume that is to come in the sequel).  Without giving any spoilers this is a slow ...

   Terror From America by Terry Golway I am a huge Sherlock Holmes fan so as soon as I saw this book I knew I had to read it. It's set later in the Holmes cannon than I usually read when I look for new stories to read but I did enjoy it. In this book Holmes is investigating bombings in New York and while there is called upon to solve the murder of two diplomats. I always tend to read Holmes stories that heavily involve Doctor Watson and in this novel Holmes does leave Watson behind to investigate the bombings in London while he himself is in New York and I must admit that I missed them working more closely together. Despite that it is a well researched novel and is well written. Well worth a read.  Thank you to the publishers and to Netgalley for this ARC. 

Before We Collide by Kate Dylan I really enjoyed the unique magic system in this book as it’s not like anything I’ve read before. I haven’t read any of Kate Dylan’s earlier works, but this one does stand well on its own though I suspect I might have enjoyed it even more as a direct sequel. As others have mentioned, the explanation of the magic system felt a bit oversimplified, but perhaps that was intentional. It didn’t bother me too much though I would have liked a bit more depth.  I liked Raya and Ezzo as characters, but since I hadn’t read the previous book they were entirely new to me. I think I might have connected with them more if I’d read their earlier story but as this was marketed as a standalone I expected to get a full sense of who they are and their motivations without prior knowledge.  Thanks to NetGalley and Hodderscape for the ARC.