About Me

The story behind A Book A Week, and the reader behind the reviews.

It started with a New Year's resolution:
1 book a week, 52 books in a year.
I kept reading, and it grew into something much more.

Back in 2011, I was an avid reader who had somehow lost my way with reading. Between working and being a full-time student, reading for pleasure had slowly fallen by the wayside.

I wanted to change that. So I gave myself a New Year's resolution to read one book every week for a year. I started A Book A Week on January 1, 2012 as a way to hold myself accountable and share what I was reading along the way.

I didn't quite reach my goal that first year, but I kept reading. I kept reviewing. And all these years later, I'm still here, looking forward to whatever book comes next. Some years I crush my goals, some years I don't, but my love for a good book has never wavered.

Line drawing portrait of Ethan

Hi, I'm Ethan

Reader. Blogger.
Book lover.

I'm a lifelong reader with a particular soft spot for mysteries and thrillers. I've always loved the genre, and I credit those stories—the twists, suspense, and need to know what happens next—with keeping me a reader as an adult. My reading has taken me in all kinds of directions since then, but I'll always come back to a good mystery.

I love creepy horror novels. A fascinating work of nonfiction can completely pull me in, too. And I've found plenty of favorites in science fiction, literary fiction, romance, and other genres I might never have picked up when I first started the blog. That's part of the fun. I never quite know what kind of story is going to grab me next.

When I'm not reading or writing reviews, you'll usually find me at home with my husband and our pets. I'm a classically trained musician and composer, an enthusiastic home cook, and a backyard gardener. There's usually a trip to look forward to or some new project that has caught my interest, too.

At the end of the day, I just really love books. There's nothing quite like discovering a story I can't put down or finding an author I can't wait to read again. Even when a book doesn't quite work for me, I still enjoy thinking about why and putting those thoughts into words. That's what keeps me reading, reviewing, and sharing it all here on A Book A Week.

Loose hand-drawn fountain pen illustration

Review Disclaimer

Honest reviews, always.

Some of the books I review are ones I've purchased myself. Others are provided by publishers or authors in exchange for an honest review. Either way, what I write here is always what I really think.

Not every book is going to work for every reader, and that's part of the fun of talking about books. I'll tell you what worked for me, what didn't, and hopefully give you enough to decide whether a book might be right for you.

Good, bad, or somewhere in between, you'll always get my honest take.

Contact

Have a question about the blog, a book you think I should read, or just want to say hello? I'd love to hear from you.

Drop me a note using the form below.

Let's Connect

I'm always happy to hear from readers, publishers, authors, and fellow book lovers.

Review Copies

I'm always open to considering books for review. I read across a pretty wide range of genres, though mysteries and thrillers tend to be particular favorites. If you'd like me to consider a book, send along a little information about it and why you think it might be a good fit for A Book A Week.

Publishers & Authors

Review requests, interviews, features, or something else you have in mind? Send me a note. I'm always happy to hear about new books and opportunities that might be a good fit for the blog.

General Inquiries

Have a question, a recommendation, or just want to talk books? Those messages are welcome, too.

Find Me Elsewhere

Send a Message

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Archive for 2020

The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian

If there is any silver lining to having to spend the majority of my time at home this year, it would have to be having no excuse to not catc...

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Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

Saturday, December 26, 2020

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

I think it is safe to say that for many of us, this Christmas was anything but ordinary. My Christmas traditions usually consist of travelin...

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Fool Me Twice by Jeff Lindsay

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Fool Me Twice by Jeff Lindsay

With just three books to go before completing my goal of reading a book a week this year, I'm finding that the end of this journey is lo...

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Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

Thursday, December 17, 2020

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

"One minute there was a God with the whole world in his hands; the next minute the world was plummeting, ceaselessly, toward an ever-sh...

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Criss Cross by James Patterson

Friday, November 13, 2020

Criss Cross by James Patterson

"Long-buried images of my past rose up, blurry at first, and then gradually coming into focus, all of them deeply disturbing." Rea...

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Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

Sunday, November 8, 2020

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

"Life is not what you think it is. Remember that. Remember me." With the arrival of November comes cooler air, shorter days, and t...

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Rage by Bob Woodward

Monday, October 26, 2020

Rage by Bob Woodward

With the United States Election day only days away, I went into reading Bob Woodward's latest book Rage with a pretty clear idea of what...

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Prey by Michael Crichton

Friday, October 23, 2020

Prey by Michael Crichton

Even if you've never heard of him, you probably have some sort of familiarity with Michael Chrichton's work. His bestselling novel J...

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You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Friday, September 25, 2020

You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Last year I read The Wife Between Us , a twisty thriller that used all the conventions of the genre to string the reader along and play with...

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The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

 "A few glasses of wine and a mystery---very social, but also gory. It is good fun." When you think of a retirement community, wha...

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Love, Zac by Reid Forgrave

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Love, Zac by Reid Forgrave

"The truth is inconvenient. The truth could be painful. This is a game people love. But as a society, we evolve." Football has b...

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Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen

Over the long holiday weekend, I decided to get as much of my last-minute summer reading in as I possibly could. By the time I sat down to w...

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The Shadows by Alex North

Monday, August 31, 2020

The Shadows by Alex North

"Perhaps life was just a matter of doing what you thought was best at the time and then living with the consequences as best you could ...

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Last One Out Shut Off the Lights by Stephanie Soileau

Friday, August 28, 2020

Last One Out Shut Off the Lights by Stephanie Soileau

As Hurricane Laura made landfall on the Louisiana and Texas coasts, I happened to be finishing a collection of short stories that are set la...

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Texas Outlaw by James Patterson

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Texas Outlaw by James Patterson

Back in April, I was just getting used to the idea of working from home and living life in quarantine. I was really taking advantage of all ...

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Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow

"In the end, the courage of women can't be stamped out. And stories--the big ones, the true ones--can be caught but never killed....

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The Gatherings by Jeremy Ray

Thursday, August 13, 2020

The Gatherings by Jeremy Ray

"We came here as individuals, we leave as one." Much of my reading in July was consumed by horror novels. I've always been a...

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The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

Thursday, August 6, 2020

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

"Maybe I shouldn't tell you. Maybe I should just leave the past alone. Let it die with me." The small seaside town of Neapol...

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The Wicked Sister by Karen Dionne

Monday, August 3, 2020

The Wicked Sister by Karen Dionne

"Hope. Such a meager consolation for people who have no way out." A few years ago, Karen Dionne's novel The Marsh King's...

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Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

"Every house has a story. Ours is a ghost story." July has officially become a horror month at my house. I've always been a ...

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The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

"Woe unto them that are with child." The year is 1918. The world is in the throngs of a deadly flu pandemic, overcome by crippli...

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