We are kicking off the Book-a-Day Countdown to 2026! To see all the prompts, check out this post.
The Prompt: The Mid-Run Pivot.
The Definition: A book that totally shifted gears when I least expected it. You know that feeling when you’re 5 miles in, feeling a certain pace, and suddenly the route (or the weather) changes on you? This book did exactly that.
The Book:
Julie Chan is Dead
by Liann Zhang
My Rating:
Why it fits: I went into this thinking it was going to be a cozy mystery, mainly because the cover vibe is so similar to the cozies I’ve been reading.. but about halfway through, it took a hard turn into a ridiculous spiral and cult-ish. While I didn’t get to kick this countdown off with a book I loved – this book did have quite a few Bookstagrammers loving it due to the underlying messages that influencer culture can be so toxic.