The Radium Girls by Kate Moore Review
March 23, 2026 | 5 Stars, Book Reviews
During World War One, many young women found themselves in a unique job. It was simple enough, painting dials on clock but what made it unusual was that the substance used to do this was radium. Since it’s discovery by the Curies at the beginning of the twentieth century, the worldwide public has been fascinated by the substance and the public’s hunger for it has fueled companies to put in everything.
I don’t often write reviews on nonfiction books. For the most part, if they are well researched and written I give them either a 4 or 5 stars and then move it. But, for this book I couldn’t just do that. I needed to speak on this and particularly on the women whose story is told.
I had heard of the radium girls before I picked up this book but my knowledge was extremely limited and, with it being Women’s History Month, I decided to give this book a go.
And I’m happy I did.
From the start, Kate Moore makes sure that the women’s stories are told. This might seem obvious but Ms. Moore makes sure you truly come to know the women at the center of this horrible tragedy. You learn about their families, their dreams, and the strength that carried through their illnesses and lengthy court battles. For that, I can not praise Ms. Moore enough. I felt like I grew to know the women and that is the real strength of the book.
Yes, it is well written and one can tell that Ms. Moore was extremely thorough in her research. But the fact that she brought these women to life and didn’t merely mark them off as simply names on the page is what made this book stand out. I’m sure there are other texts discussing this particular event in history but I highly doubt any of them will get you as close as this one to understanding the women.
This story is painful to read, especially the farther you go but it is well worth it. It is thanks to the radium girls that we have more protections for workers. They ensured that their suffering was not done in silence and something positive would come out of all the pain and hardship they endured.
In a world where there seems to be less and less positive stories, I would highly recommend you pick up The Radium Girls, if nothing more than to honor the women whose impact in history is still felt to this day.
A resounding 5 out of 5 stars
Hello fellow readers! Somehow we have already made it to the spring of 2026 and with it, my new TBR for the season. Now while I am very much a mood reader, I find that during the spring I tend to catch up on the books that don’t fit into those other seasonal moods (i.e. wintry, snowy thrillers in the winter, horror/mystery/thrillers during the fall, etc.). As you will see, I have a little bit of everything on this list.
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy – A selection for my book club, this historical fiction takes place in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. It follows Cushla, a teacher, who begins a secret affair with an older, married man. As she falls deeper into her illicit affair, the father of one of her students is savagely beaten, setting into motion a series of events that will change Cushla’s life forever. The premise sounds thrilling and I’m looking forward picking it up.
Towards the Horizon by Gabrielle McMaster – I’m a known Titanic lover and I’m always on the hunt for a new novel centered on this tragedy. I don’t know much about this book except that it falls a female designer who boards the ill-fated ship and that is enough for me!
Hot Wax by M. L. Rio – When she was a child, Suzanne joined her father, an aspiring musician, on an ill-fated music tour that changed everything. Now, decades later, Suzanne’s father is dead and leaves everything, including his prized car, to her. As Suzanne embarks on a road trip of her own, memories of the past come flickering back as well as the memory of a horrible act of violence that sealed Suzanne’s future. I’m a huge fan of Ms. Rio’s writing and If We Were Villains is my favorite dark academia novel. I can’t wait to see what she does with this story.
The Girl on the Platform by Ellie Midwood – My favorite historical fiction writer, Ellie Midwood, has been popping out books like crazy these last few years and I’m desperate to catch up. This World War Two novel shares the true story of Libby and Harro who snuck out German war secrets to the Soviet Union. In this game of cat and mouse, can the couple stay one step ahead of the German authorities or will it all come crashing down?
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid – In the summer of 1980 Joan Goodwin decides she is going to be an astronaut and becomes one of NASA’s first female scientists to join its space shuttle program. As Joan works her way to what she has always wanted, she finds herself attracted to one of her female scientists, Vanessa. But as they speed towards disaster, will their relationship last? I’ve really enjoyed Ms. Reid’s books and after the rave reviews Atmosphere received last year I’m excited to see how it ranks compared to her other books.
It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica – Courtney has joined her sister and her family for a peaceful vacation at their cottage. The trip starts off well but when Courtney discovers her sister and brother-in-law are dead and her young niece missing, Courtney finds her entire world flipped upside down. Besides this basic summary I don’t know much else about this book but it seems like the type of thriller I’ll get through quickly. And I think it takes place in Wisconsin so added bonus!
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh – For whatever reason, spring seems to be the season where I tend to pick up some unusual or weird books. Last year it was Bunny by Mona Awad and this year it will be this strange tale. Centering on a woman who decides to sleep a year in her life, this offbeat tale will be one I suspect I’ll either love or hate. Hopefully it will be a new favorite.
The Listeners by Maggie Stielvater – A carryover from last season’s TBR, this story focuses on a hotel where the staff spy on Nazi diplomats to get war secrets.
Seduction Theory by Emily Adrian – My final pick is a newer release that centers on a couple, both college professors, who become entangled in a student’s dark web of blackmail. This has received a lot of mixed reviews but I have heard of some positive things. We shall see what side I end up on as I am hoping to grab this one soon.
Hello fellow readers! Welcome to the Winter 2025/2026 Wrap-Up. I typically read quite a few books during this season so let’s get into all of them.
If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia -2025 was my Gilmore Girls year. I watched the show for the first time and became OBSESSED with it. I had hardly finished the series before I heard about this romance that takes place in 1997. Taking place in a small town, big city girl Michelle arrives to temporarily take over running an inn that is owned by her parents. Unfortunately, her mother has just passed and Michelle’s father can’t handle running the place in wake of his wife’s death. Michelle has hardly taken over the inn before she meets the handsome single father next door, thus embarking on a fun, cozy adventure. This was a solid romance book that would have scored a perfect five stars with me if it was shorter. At almost 500 pages, I felt that the story was stretched out way too long and could have been wrapped up way earlier.
The Christmas Cure by Kristine Winters – Perhaps my favorite seasonal favorite of the season, this romance also takes place in a small town when ER physician Libby returns home to be at her sister’s wedding. But when a freak accident causes Libby to travel back in time to last Christmas she must decide if she wants to repeat the past or forge a whole new identity. From the summary, this book is very similar plot wise to In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren but I actually found myself preferring this book instead. Considering I have barely heard anyone discuss this book this season I would say this is an underrated gem and should be on your reading list next holiday season.
A Winter in New York by Josie Silver – An unfortunate DNF, I didn’t get too far into this wintry romance before I decided not to continue. The vibes weren’t right and I didn’t become invested in the characters at all.
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys – With the end of the holidays I decided to shift gears to historical fiction. A reading goal of mine for 2026 is to get back in historical fiction. To get this started I decided to pick this World War Two story from Ruta Sepetys. I previously read I Must Betray You from this author which I enjoyed and this one seemed to be right up my ally. Following the perspectives of four characters, the reader witnesses the end of the war through these various characters’ eyes as they attempt to flee the advancing Red Army, ending up on the ill-fated Wilhelm Gustloff. 
A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall – Turning back to thrillers, Kate Alice Marshall has become an author I look out for. This 2025 novel centers around a woman who joins her fiancé in visiting his family at their secluded winter home. But the longer she stays the more she begins to think she has been there before. This was a fairly run of the mill thriller that I don’t have much else to say.
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon – One of my anticipated reads of this year was this historical fiction/mystery that everyone seems to have picked up within the last year. Set in the years after the American Revolution, the reader follows Martha Ballard, a midwife who believes the suspicious death of one of the town’s doctors isn’t a coincidence. Inspired by a true story, this was an interesting story to follow but I believe there wasn’t much of a mystery aspect to the story. It is more of a historical fiction that anything else which is fine but I thought I was misled about it.
Voices in the Snow by Darcy Coates – Last winter I read my first Darcy Coates, Dead of Winter. I loved it and included it in my top 10 best books of 2025 so I was eager to return to her this winter season. This book, the first in a series, follows Clare who, while driving through a snowstorm, gets into an accident. She is saved by a handsome stranger who brings her to his family’s secluded home but as Clare begins to recover she begins seeing strange monsters and begins to wonder what her savior is hiding. This was a very readable thriller that had me hooked. I will be picking up book two.
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell – My second DNF of the season. This historical retelling of the relationship between William Shakespeare and his wife had me struggling from almost the first chapter. The writing style wasn’t really my taste and after reading three chapters I was thoroughly confused. Maybe the film adaptation will be a bit easier to follow.
Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks – Winter was a big season of romance for me and the next one to fall into that category is Morbidly Yours. Taking place in Galway, we follow a funeral director and a spunky American illustrator who try to be just friends but end up being much more. I don’t have a whole lot to say about this book. It was cute, had some fun stuff in it but overall not overly impressive.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid – My third DNF of the season was this psychological horror by Iain Reid. It centers on an unnamed female narrator who is thinking of ending her relationship with her boyfriend. But instead of actually doing that she joins him on a road trip to meet his parents. I can’t say what else happens as I couldn’t read more after that. Most of the story is dialogue between the narrator and the boyfriend, none of which is actually interesting and page turning worthy. I tried to watch the movie, thinking it would be easier, but I gave up on that as well. Just not the story for me.
Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano – Moving on to a book that met my expectations. Finlay Donovan is back in this fourth installment and while I won’t reveal anything about the plot to avoid spoilers, I will say that if you were iffy about continuing with the story after the slightly disappointing book three I am here to say you should continue you. Book four felt like a call back to the first two books in the series and the antics Finlay and Vero find themselves in are hilarious. It takes the place as my highest rated book of 2026 so far at 4.5 stars.
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy – Another goal I have for 2026 is to read more classics. Aiding in this is a classics book club I joined back in the fall that meets once a quarter and for the winter season they chose this adventure novel. To be completely honest, I had never heard of this book until it was chosen for the book club and, quite frankly, I can see why. The story moves slow, the characters are hardly interesting, and I lost interest in a lot spots (not to mention some of the antisemitic parts). That being said, quite a few of the people in my book club enjoyed it so perhaps I’m not the best person to listen to on this but all I can say is I’m not interested in continuing on with the other books.
What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon – Needing something a bit lighter I returned to romance. Taking place in Amsterdam we fall a couple who enter a fake marriage to keep her in the country and allowing him to inherit a family property. While I don’t necessarily have an issue with this trope, I do have an issue with a couple who sucks at communication. So many of the issues the main characters deal with could be fixed with basic communication and that really hurt to the story to me. I would definitely skip this one and find another one where the love interests know how to express their concerns and feelings.
The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood – My final book from the winter season is this cute and sweet romance that follows Delphie, a woman who ends up in the afterlife and falls madly in love with a stranger. But when he is sent back to Earth, Delphie makes a deal that allows her to return to Earth for ten days in hopes of finding the handsome stranger. While the concept is not new, Ms. Greenwood was able to breath fresh life into the story and make it highly enjoyable. The ending got a bit messy for my taste but I would still recommend this one if you love a feel good romance.
Delphie can not believe her situation. One minute she was eating a hamburger and the next she wakes up to find herself no longer in earth but in the afterlife, with only an overly peppy guardian at her side. Delphie is seconds away from a nervous breakdown when she meets another new arrival, a dashing man that Delphie finds herself instantly falling for. But when a clerical error sends this man back to earth, Delphie makes a deal. Give her 10 days to find the mystery man and have him kiss her. If she succeeds, she can stay on earth. If not, she’ll return to the afterlife. As Delphie sets out on her conquest, she discovers that some things are worth fighting for.
Finlay Donovan is back! And this time she might just be in over her head.
It is January, 1945 and the Red Army is quickly advancing into German territories. Millions of refugees are fleeing across Prussia, hoping to get on a ship that will sail them to safety. Among them are a Lithuanian nurse, a Prussian soldier with an important mission, and a Polish pregnant girl. Soon their paths cross and they find themselves relying on one another to survive.
What is it about? Ewan and Jess have bought what they believe is their perfect home. But after three weeks, the couple, along with their daughter Maggie, escape the home in the middle of the night and never return. Ewan writes a book and for the next twenty-five years, Maggie is constantly asked, what was it like to live in a haunted house? Maggie never knows how to answer because she doesn’t believe the house was ever haunted, just an easy cash grab for her father. But now, Ewan has passed away and to Maggie’s surprise he has left the home in her name. Maggie travels there to prove once and for all that the house isn’t haunted. But when things begin to happen that Maggie can’t explain and memories of her childhood come trickling back, she is forced to ask a question of her own, is the home actually haunted?
What is it about? Teddy is an English teacher at a prestigious school where the standards are high but Teddy’s are impossible to meet. He doesn’t like many of his students but in particular he can’t stand Zach. But Teddy can’t deal with him right now. After a student’s mother dies during a school function it’s all hands on deck in trying to catch the killer. But Teddy isn’t the type to sit idly by. He has his own plan. Unfortunately for him, so does Zach in this game of cat and mouse.
What is it about? Hal and Margaret have saved their whole lives to buy a dream family home and they might have just found it. It’s an old Victorian home that is being sold for a killer price, mainly because there might have been a few killers who once called the place home. Despite its creepy history, Hal and Margaret soldier on and purchase the home. There is just one tiny problem…ghosts also like to call this place home. While most can be handled, a darker spirit lurks in the basement but as long as Hal and Margaret keep him there they’ll be fine. But when Hal goes missing and the couple’s daughter makes it her mission to find him, Margaret will have to keep up the facade by herself.
What is it about? In a world where humans and vampyrs live side by side detective Barbara Atkins is called to a small, isolated Alaskan town after a boy is found dead with his throat ripped out. But this isn’t your standard murder investigation. Barbara is part of a special unit that deals exclusively with vampyrs and potential crimes they might commit. In a town like Deadhart, Alaska, the locals immediately believe the vampyrs are involved but Barbara isn’t as convinced. As she begins to investigate the town’s dark past, she discovers that some monsters are humans.