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:
The Galveston Diet by Dr Mary Claire Haver (Length: 272 pages) I checked this book out of the library because I follow this doctor on Instagram, and she’s well-regarded in her field (menopause). This is a practical guide on navigating through menopause, so obviously this is targeted toward a very specific audience. I read some excellent tips that I bookmarked for my own purposes, and I recommended this book to a few of my girlfriends. It’s very well-written, not alarmist in nature and is packed with excellent tips, especially with regard to the optimal nutrition that will help mitigate menopausal symptoms.
Book #2:
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn (Length: 365 pages). I’ve had this on my TBR for ages, and I regret waiting so long to pick it up as this will absolutely make my Top 10 books of this year. Featuring 4 women “of a certain age” who go on a cruise sponsored by the spy agency from which they’ve all recently been retired from, this is the Golden Girls, but trained assassins when they discover someone wants them dead. The assassinations and murders aren’t gory at all, but they do occur here. The plot is propulsive, and I love all of the details about the places they travel to during the novel. I absolutely will keep reading books by this author–perhaps her Veronica Speedwell series?
Book #3:
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling (Length: 318 pages). This is the first in a series, and it’s very appropriate for October reading as it’s set in a small town during a Halloween festival. The main plot is about a coven of 3 witches (all related) who must deal with an ancient curse that affects them and their town. The central romance is cheesy but cute (very closed door). The tone here is young adult, and while the writing is decent, it’s one of those silly books that makes you feel a little bit dumber for having read it . . . it’s a total brain break. I did like the central characters sufficiently that I purchased the sequel on a Kindle Daily Deal but I likely won’t rush to read it, until I’m ready for another mindless, fun read.
Book #4:
The Book Club Hotel by Sarah Morgan (Length: 368 pages). I’ve read (and enjoyed) this author before, so when I learned about the premise (a book club-themed charming hotel) I gave it a try. The central story is cute, but the writing here is VERY basic–so much so that I was distracted by the writing and didn’t get absorbed by the story itself. The dialogue could’ve been more sharply drawn, and the writing style more elevated. Where this novel shines is in the details of the setting and of the characters themselves, and I’d absolutely visit a charming, book club hotel with my own girlfriends one day. I’d give this 2 out of 5 stars.
Lora Terrill 