Book #52:
If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy (Length: 316 pages). This rom-com features a plus-size shoe designer who goes on a Bachelor style reality TV show as a contestant (thanks to her stepmother creator). The writing is solid here, the chemistry is believable, and the shoe angle is fun (as a HUGE shoe lover here). I enjoyed the descriptions of the shoes she designed and wore as well as the insight into what goes into the design of a shoe. This is a frothy, fun summer read. Closed door too if that’s important to you.
Book #53:
Annie Bot by Sierra Greer (Length: 238 pages). I’ve been hearing about this book everywhere, and it’s got a very unusual premise (and narrator) so I was excited to grab it from the library. The narrator is Annie who is a Cuddle Bunny, a sex robot whose owner has switched her to autodidactic mode (meaning she can learn from her environment and build on that with her programming). This is a perfect commentary about the growing incel culture plus AI in pop-culture and media. It’s an easy, very quick read, very open door and has a faster moving plot than you’d think. There are a few twists and turns I didn’t predict, and there are some deeper themes throughout that are worth examining (and discussing–this would be a fun book club book).
Book #54:
The Fury by Alex Michaelides (Length: 295 pages). I chose this book as one of my Book-of-the-Month options but then put it aside after hearing it’s very polarizing amongst readers. I enjoyed his book The Silent Patient, unlike many others, so ultimately, I decided to pick it up and give it a try for the first 25 pages. I was instantly sucked in. This is a slow-build thriller focused on a former movie star, Lana, and her entourage, who all gather on her tiny Greek island. A murder occurs right away, and the middle part of the novel contains flashback sequences. The resolution of the murder occupies the last part of the book. There is an unreliable narrator, and NO ONE is likeable here. I found the second half to be much faster paced (and more enjoyable) than the first half. I enjoyed this overall. 3.25 stars.
Book #55:
Lovers & Liars by Amanda Eyre Ward (Length: 277 pages). I thought this was a combination of women’s fiction and rom-com (ie, a rom-com with more depth). It got off to a SLOW start for me, but I gave it some time/pages and I’m glad I did. The focus is on the 3 Peacock sisters: Emma, who is happily married but in secret debt due to a MLM; Cleo, an unhappy NYC lawyer with an unemployed boy-toy boyfriend; and Sylvie, who is a widow living in Miami, and is getting remarried to a man named Simon, at his ancestral castle, Mumberton. I really enjoyed learning about the castle and its history and there are some cute side characters. The depth in this novel is due to the semi-traumatic childhood, due to the sisters’ narcissistic mom, Donna. Overall, I enjoyed this perfect beach read and would give it a solid 4 stars.
Lora Terrill 