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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Showing posts with label Psychological Thriller. Show all posts

The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen

Monday, August 3, 2026

The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen

Riley is desperate for a job. Living out of her car, she answers an ad seeking a live-in caregiver for an elderly widow. The house she arriv...

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The Break-Up Retreat by Camilla Sten

Monday, July 6, 2026

The Break-Up Retreat by Camilla Sten

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Darkrooms by Rebecca Hannigan

Friday, January 23, 2026

Darkrooms by Rebecca Hannigan

For twenty years, Deedee has lived in the shadow of her kid sister’s disappearance. It was a summer night in 1999 when her nine-year-old sis...

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My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney

The best thrillers hook you from the very first page, setting up a situation so tantalizing you can’t help but keep reading. That’s long bee...

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The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose

Sunday, December 28, 2025

The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose

I’m ending my reading year with a book that’s been on my radar since it was released earlier this year. Jeneva Rose's  The Perfect Marri...

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We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

Friday, December 26, 2025

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

When Charlie and Eve stumble upon an old house full of character in a perfectly picturesque neighborhood—at a reasonable price, no less—they...

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Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham

Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham

Claire hasn’t exactly been avoiding home, but she hasn’t made any effort to return either. For years, work gave her an excuse, but now she’s...

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Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell

Friday, August 8, 2025

Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell

It just isn’t summer reading without a twisty thriller that keeps you turning pages long past bedtime. While I’ve read my fair share of grea...

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The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen

Sarah Pekkanen has carved out quite the niche for herself, reliably releasing a new standalone popcorn thriller each August. I first discove...

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The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose

Monday, August 4, 2025

The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose

From the outside, Sarah and Adam appear to have a perfect marriage. She’s a high-powered attorney in D.C. with an unbroken winning streak. H...

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The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline

I first discovered Lisa Scottoline’s writing with her 2019 novel Someone Knows , a suburban thriller rich with emotion and deeply drawn char...

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The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir

Friday, July 11, 2025

The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir

There's something wrong with Iðunn. At least, that’s what she thinks. How else can she explain the way she sleeps soundly every night, o...

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The Housemaid is Watching by Freida McFadden

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

The Housemaid is Watching by Freida McFadden

The blistering heat of a Texas summer is officially upon us, and the only way I’ve learned to cope, short of staying inside, is to escape to...

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Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

Monday, April 22, 2024

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

For years, Sally Hepworth was an author whose name I was familiar with, yet I had never taken the plunge into her works. That changed last y...

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My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon

Monday, October 9, 2023

My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon

Jennifer McMahon belongs to the category of countless other storytellers whom I've been aware of for years but have never actually read....

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Verity by Colleen Hoover

Friday, May 19, 2023

Verity by Colleen Hoover

"I think the idea of me is better than the reality of me." Colleen Hoover is another one of those authors I've always been awa...

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With My Little Eye by Joshilyn Jackson

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

With My Little Eye by Joshilyn Jackson

Fame can be a fickle thing. There are pros and cons to anything in life, but celebrities see these different poles at the most extreme. On o...

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Mothered by Zoje Stage

Friday, March 3, 2023

Mothered by Zoje Stage

Like many of us during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, author Zoje Stage found herself isolated at home, waiting for the world to...

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The Push by Ashley Audrain

Monday, September 12, 2022

The Push by Ashley Audrain

I have a habit of rushing to buy the book everyone is reading and buzzing about, then ignoring it for so long that the hype has completely d...

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Stay Awake by Megan Goldin

Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin

It finally happened. After nearly 3 years of dodging the proverbial bullet, I finally tested positive for COVID-19 last week. It took me abo...

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