Thank you for joining me here! I hope you enjoy this series and I’d love to hear from you about what you are reading these days.
Book #1:
Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix (Length: 182 pages). This is one of the most interesting novels I’ve read in quite a while . . . it’s a horror novel set inside an “Ikea” type superstore. The store in this novel is identical to an IKEA, down to the layout and products. This is not a character-driven book at all, but it’s absolutely propulsive in terms of plot because you HAVE to find out what happens. The first 58% of the book (via my Kindle) was interesting and a fun workplace drama, and then bam! it gets really weird. This is very gory, creepy and odd, but it’s absolutely worth the ride if you’re not too squeamish. I’ll never look at an IKEA the same way again. 😉
Book #2:
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams (Length: 337 pages). This romance novel has been all over the interwebs and in every bookish podcast that I listen to, and it’s absolutely worth the hype! This is more of a literary romance in that it has more heft than most. Populated primarily with Black characters, I actually loved all of them here. Shane and Eva are the central couple, Audre who is Eva’s daughter is fantastic, and I enjoyed the two supporting characters, Belinda and Cece. This is pretty gritty with some triggers you might not expect in a garden-variety romance (violence, drugs) but that’s what elevates this book in my opinion. I enjoyed the fun, snappy dialogue (especially between Eva and Audre), and I really appreciated how the author incorporates her own chronic disability (debilitating migraines) into Eva’s character. This is a VERY open door romance so steer clear if that bothers you. I adored this book and immediately texted my bookish friends upon completing it and urged them to pick up a copy ASAP.
Book #3:
Haven Point by Virginia Hume (Length: 377 pages). I’ve seen this title hyped up in a few places recently so I finally decided to take a look. This is a sweeping family drama, which I typically adore, but I found this novel couldn’t keep my attention focused as it switched perspectives and timelines quite a bit, often without rhyme or reason. It felt like narrative whiplash. I will say the character development is excellent here (primarily of the grandmother and her granddaughter) and the plot keeps moving forward. My favorite parts of the novel were centered at the FourWinds house in Maine. Ultimately this novel felt a bit too long-winded and the ending was anti-climactic. If the author (or editor?) had omitted a good 20% of the middle of the book, it would have been a winner.
Lora Terrill 