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:

Happy Place by Emily Henry (Length: 395 pages) This is the fourth rom-com that I’ve read by this author. It’s my second favorite (after Book Lovers). The premise is that Harriet and Wyn have been together for 8 years since they met in college. They break up but pretend to still be together for one last vacation with their college friend group. I found this novel a bit slow to start, and the not talking about WHY they broke up trope is in full swing here, but Henry’s snappy dialogue is here along with a cute setting (a small beach town in Maine) and those two things redeemed this novel for me. And, the chemistry between Harriet and Wyn is fantastic. I will read anything Henry writes going forward, of course, and I give her latest 4.5 out of 5 stars. It should go without saying that this is a perfect beach read.

Book #2:

The Guncle by Steven Rowley (Length: 336 pages). It’s only May and this will be on my top 5 of the year 2023. It’s THAT good! This VERY funny novel about a gay uncle who cares for his niece and nephew for a summer while his brother, their father, is in rehab is absolutely fantastic. Set in Palm Springs, I adored every detail from the Guncle’s caftans, his house, his throuple neighbors J.E.D. and I laughed out loud in several places. (He tells his niece he doesn’t eat bacon because pigs are our friends, and we don’t eat our friends. His niece replies, we do if they taste like bacon). The dialogue is snappy, the plot developments are heartwarming, the pacing is perfect (where I couldn’t wait to pick it up again) and I adore all of the characters the author introduced. This is truly memorable and I may even treat myself to a re-read, which I never do. Please pick this gem of a novel up! 

Book #3:

Local Woman Missing  by Mary Kubica (Length: 353 pages). I listened to this thriller on my commute and WOW–it’s intense! The first chapter is pretty harrowing and involves a young child being held captive for several years, but once that chapter ends, it’s not quite as scary to listen to so push through because the payoff is worth it. The pacing is excellent and I enjoyed the narrator’s voice. The twists and turns are many, and it’s semi-believable but overall a really fun psychological thriller. I can’t say much more because it will ruin the surprises in store here. You can’t go wrong with this one.

Book #4:

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel (Length: 274 pages). This is an interesting mix of a dystopian, pandemic and time travel novel. It’s very well-written on the whole (I enjoyed the author’s Station Eleven), but it’s a bit odd. There are a handful of disparate storylines in the first 50% that don’t seemingly have anything to do with each other, but right at the halfway mark (when the author develops the moon colonies storyline) it gets way more interesting. It’s not my favorite novel I’ve ever read because it just is plain weird but I do understand why it has such a cult following. I will say it’s a memorable read and I won’t forget the various plot lines and characters, but I perhaps wasn’t in the best headspace to be reading this type of novel because of the concentration it likely requires.

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 Yoga Store Murder by Dan Morse (Length: 384 pages) This is an excellent true crime novel published in 2013 (ie, it may be a bit more difficult to find online). The crime concerns the incredibly brutal murder of a Lululemon employee Jana Murray along with the aggravated assault of her coworker. The author covers the murder, the investigation and ultimately covers the trial. This book was recommended by one of my favorite podcasters, Meredith of Currently Reading as her favorite true crime book ever written. I do agree that it’s an excellent non-fiction account of a crime, written in an engaging narrative format. I grew up reading trade paperbacks by Ann Rule and this reminds me of her books, with the level of detail of everyone concerned. I figured out the killer immediately and I’m sure you will too, but this isn’t a mystery, it’s a humanizing account of a tragic murder, and of everyone who was affected by this homicide. I absolutely recommend this one!

Book #2:

The Wife Upstairs by Frieda McFadden (Length: 422 pages).  This is my third audiobook by this author–I didn’t realize she’s so prolific, but now that I’ve discovered these easy to listen to psychological/mystery thrillers, I can’t stop downloading them for my daily commute. These are mindless entertainment in my opinion; easy to stop and restart without losing the thread of the plot. The premise of this book is a bit unbelievable in that the protagonist, Sylvie Robinson, is hired to essentially hang out with a wife with a TBI (Victoria Barnett) all day in a beautiful home in a more isolated part of upstate New York. This absolutely has Colleen Hoover’s Verity vibes (as well as the classic novel Rebecca), so there’s nothing original about it. Sylvie even reads Victoria’s diary so we, the reader, also hear from Victoria as the story progresses. This is VERY formulaic and the “twists” are ridiculously easy to figure out, but again, it’s a fun ride and I listened to the end. I did read that this author is a practicing physician who specializes in brain injuries which explains a lot of this. On the whole I do recommend this if you’re looking for an easy to listen to (or read) thriller but don’t expect more than a 3 star experience.

Book #3:

Meet Me in Paradise  by Libby Hubscher (Length: 350 pages). I heard that this rom-com is well-written and it will make you cry. I do agree that it’s well-written and the characters are memorable. The premise is that Marin flies to a small island in the Caribbean called Saba, to meet her sister Sadie who was missed their flight and was supposed to catch the next flight. Sadie ultimately doesn’t join Marin, so Marin is “forced” to let go and have fun, and not be the protective older sister she’s always been post their mom’s tragic death when they were in high school. I loved the descriptions of the island and its inhabitants. The romance central to this novel is a bit rushed so the chemistry between Marin and her lover isn’t really developed in a way that hooks the reader in (ie, don’t read this for the romance), but it’s more about the relationship between the two sisters. I do enjoy a good cry once in a while, and this one delivered on that. Overall I’d give this a 3.5 stars.

Book #4:

The Perfect Son by Freida McFadden (Length: 373 pages) This book is considered by many of this author’s fans to be one of the best she’s written, so again, I downloaded this from my local library to listen to. It’s very easy to follow and the premise is fascinating. A suburban mom, Erika, has suspected her teenage son Liam is a sociopath based on his behaviors since he was 4 years old. The pacing in this psychological thriller is excellent, and the author maintains the tension of the plot throughout. The action is believable, and the characters are interesting, so all of these factors made this one of my favorites of her novels. I did figure out the “twist” almost immediately, but I enjoyed the entire ride. Definitely check this one out! I’ve already recommended it to a friend who devours audiobooks, and I can’t wait to hear what she thinks too.

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:

Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn (Length: 366 pages) This is the third novel I’ve read by this author, and while I really enjoyed her other two I’ve read (Love Lettering and Love at First), this novel, her most recent release, is my favorite. This is a rom-com featuring Georgie who returns to her small hometown to help her pregnant BFF prepare for labor, and to visit her hippie parents (so cute!). She is also home to figure out what’s next for her career as she’s recently been laid off from her job as a personal assistant to a successful director in Hollywood. There’s a cute stranger, a VERY cute pittie rescue pup and Georgie’s quirky parents who all make this novel heartwarming in fun. There’s a storyline arc re: Georgie and her BFF’s “fic” notebook from high school that is a bit annoying and immature but overall, I really enjoyed this sweet novel. Give it a try–you won’t regret it!

Book #2:

Spare by Prince Harry (Length: 409 pages).  Full disclosure–I’m a fan of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and always have been. That said, I really thought this book was well-written (he had a ghost writer co-write with him, of course) in the sense that he was able to convey his perspective about how the horrible British press/ghouls affected first his mother’s life and now his and his wife’s. For those people who think he and Meghan are fame-seekers, maybe reading this book will create some empathy for what they’ve been through (and are still going through). They’re damned if they cooperate and they’re damned if they don’t. I read this in print but I wish I would’ve held out for the audiobook as I’ve heard his narration is excellent. A must read even if you aren’t a fan of the Royal Family (I’m not–just of Prince Harry and Princess Diana.)

Book #3:

Me Talk Pretty One Day  by David Sedaris (Length: 288 pages). I listened to this on audio because I enjoy listening to his narration. His tone is very cranky and persnickety, and he has a very dark sense of humor. There were a few chapters where I laughed out loud, especially the one on the pets he and his family had when he was a child. I did enjoy his previous book of essays, Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls a bit more but this was still a great listen during my commute and during hikes, because the essays make it easy to pick back up again without losing the thread of the plot. I’ll keep checking out his other books of essays for sure.

Book #4:

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth (Length: 331 pages) I’m a big fan of this author, and while I’d consider her novels “popcorn thrillers”, I think her writing is so good that the term is selling her novels a bit short. Sally actually calls this particular novel, her most recent, a “murderous love story” and it really is. This thriller begins with Pippa Wright watching her husband Gabe fail to stop a woman from falling to her death off the cliff behind their home. (Gabe has developed a reputation as an “angel” for preventing a few suicide attempts from this same cliff). This novel is a journey into the intricacies of mental illness (ADHD, postpartum depression, etc) as well as family life. This is very well-written, per usual, and it’s a FAST read! I read this in one afternoon. I think it’s a perfect vacation read as it’s not too heavy and it’s easy to come back to and pick up the plot if you need to stop reading.

Book #5

Fairy Tale  by Stephen King (Length: 607 pages) I LOVE this book! What a fun read! This is a fantasy adventure novel that isn’t horror at all. There are a few monsters of a sort, but the main story is about 17-year-old Charlie Reade who lives outside of Chicago in modern day. He discovers another world beneath our world that is populated by many characters based on traditional fairy tales, of the Grimm variety, not the Disney variety. This was difficult for me to put down, even at 600 pages, so that’s something. The plot is a bit slow to get going but I enjoyed the build-up to Charlie’s ultimate entrance into the Empis world. There are a few action bits that are stressful to read but the world building that Stephen King accomplishes in this novel is truly amazing. I loved every minute and I would love to see this on TV as a series. This is 5 stars from me. I’m going to loan it to my dad, who is a voracious reader as well, and I’m curious if he will enjoy it as much as I did.

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:

Scandalized by Ivy Owens (Length: 319 pages) I am a fan of the Christina Lauren rom-com writing duo and Ivy Owens is the pseudonym of one half of the duo–Lauren Billings. This is a VERY open door romance (ie, stay FAR away if you are easily offended) and features the trope of a celebrity dating a “regular” person. In this case, it’s Alex Kim, a British TV star and Georgia Ross, a journalist. Their chemistry leaps off the page and it’s actually a semi-believable pairing thanks to them previously knowing one another in high school. This is a very spicy, fun read!

Book #2:

The One by John Marrs (Length: 448 pages). This is dystopian/science fiction about a DNA “match” service connecting 2 people in the world via their DNA. Any gender, age, geographical location can be matched, regardless of their current marital status. This obviously results in some broken relationships while people decide to follow their scientific match. The author follows 5 different people in the UK, and this novel is their individual stories. One of the people happens to be a serial killer. The plot is creepy, entirely propulsive, and is very unique. However, I found the dialogue to be a bit clunky and emotionally stilted. Overall this works and is fun to read, but don’t expect a masterpiece.

Book #3:

The Age of Miracles  by Karen Thompson Walker (Length: 304 pages). I’ve had this book on my bookshelves for awhile and decided to take it with me on vacation. I opened it on the airplane and 100 pages later I finally looked up from the book . . . it sucks you in that quickly! This is climate fiction and is told from the point of view of an adult woman looking back to when she was 11 years old in a Southern California town. One day the earth starts “slowing” and the days gradually get longer. Birds start dropping out of the sky (due to gravity being disrupted due to the earth’s rotation slowing), crops start dying, and people begin to go a bit mad. This is VERY well-written, the plot is propulsive and I really enjoyed the perspective of an adult looking back through her pre-teen eyes. While this is a bit sad, it’s so well done that I think it’s a must read! It’s also very quick to read so if you’re looking for a short but sweet novel, this may be the ticket.

Book #4:

The Measure by Nikki Erlick (Length: 368 pages) This novel is classified as literary fiction and magic realism by the publisher and I’d have to agree. I did enjoy the unique premise where everyone 22 and older on Earth simultaneously receives the same indestructible wooden box with a piece of string. The length of the string is different for each recipient, but the meaning is the same–it determines exactly how much longer you will live. Some people decide to open their boxes immediately and others don’t want to know. The writing is a bit clunky in places (yet oddly really well done in others) and the plot holes are so big you can drive a semi through them (ie, what about babies and children who die early, and why 22 years of age) but I did really enjoy the author’s development of the main characters. There are some love stories throughout (which are slow to begin and then we suddenly speed forward several years a few times). I had to keep reading to find out what ultimately happens. On the whole, I’d give this 3.5 stars for its entertainment value. It’s a great book club choice as you can all discuss whether YOU’D open your box.

Book #5:

One by One by Freida McFadden (Length: 295 pages) I listened to this one–the second audiobook by this author–and it was just as bingeable as the one I reviewed last month. The narrator (Alyson Krawchuk) didn’t annoy me, and it was VERY easy to listen to. The basic plot of this book is that three couples head to a remote fishing/hiking resort, and get lost on the way. While walking around, hopelessly lost, one by one, something nefarious happens to each of them. This is a bit cheesy for sure (in tone and in plot) but there is a double twist that I didn’t see coming. I actually listened to the last 3 hours of this on the tail end of an 18 mile hike out of the Grand Canyon, and it was the PERFECT distraction for my pain and exhaustion. 😉

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 Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams (Length: 322 pages) This romantic comedy is closed door, super cute and features the friends to lovers trope. Here, it’s an NFL QB and his ballet teacher BFF from high school who have been madly in love with one another IN SECRET for years. Yes, it’s totally unbelievable but because this is so well-written, with characters who have actual depth (my sweet spot for rom coms!) this actually works very well here. This will be one of my top ten books of the year for sure. A great vacation read.

Book #2:

Babel by R.F. Kuang (Length: 557 pages). Another B.O.T.M. (Book of the Month) pick that I’m VERY happy I picked. This is literary fiction (ie, you must have all brain cells operating while reading) set in 1800s Oxford England. A bit of magical realism featuring translators of foreign languages mingles with a historical thriller which grapples with colonialism, racism and the meaning of language all told via the magic of “silver working.” Essentially this is the manipulation of silver bars which power society for the benefit of the wealthy class. This is very well-written, obviously, and is very deep (ie, the brain must be turned ON to understand this). There are lots of footnotes so I don’t see how this works well on audio but the footnotes aren’t 100% necessary for the book so perhaps the audio (all 23 hours of it!) works sufficiently well? I found the plot to be propulsive and very memorable, and while it’s not a fun popcorn book, I’m very glad I spent the time and brainpower to read this book. It gave me a lot to think about and I will remember this in several years.

Book #3:

No Visible Bruises by Rachel Louise Snyder (Length: 336 pages). I wish this would be assigned reading for every college freshman, but given the way this country is heading in its book-banning frenzy, that will NEVER happen. As the subtitle indicates, what we don’t know about domestic violence can kill us. I’m very familiar with the crime of domestic violence given my past and current career and even I learned quite a bit about this epidemic. This is not a dry academic treatise thanks to the author’s inclusion of many accounts by victims and perpetrators of domestic violence. The tone isn’t that of a lecture but instead is a very thought-provoking exploration of what we as a society MUST know about domestic violence. The scale and escalation of this horrible crime is frightening but this book truly empowers us to try to halt its progress if we decide to care. And, I really hope we do. A must read!

Book #4:

Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister (Length: 386 pages) This EXCELLENT mystery is my book club’s pick for next month but I just couldn’t wait to read it. The structure of this is totally unique . . . a mother looks out her front window and sees her son commit a murder and wonders what she could have done to prevent it. The next day she wakes up and it’s actually the day PRIOR to the murder, and the following day she jumps back into town even further. The construction of this novel really works, it’s very well-written, the plot absolutely makes this book impossible to put down and the central mystery is believable. I will say that there are lots of clues throughout that make this solvable before you finish, but I just enjoyed the ride and enjoyed the resolution. This is like a puzzle that you don’t want to finish because you’re enjoying the process of completing it. A great vacation read!

Book #5:

The Secret Book & Scone Society by Ellery Adams (Length: 322 pages) . I listened to this on audio and it’s adorable! I don’t recall how it came onto my TBR but I saw that it was available from my library and that it’s the first book in a series so I tried it. I knew it would be a winner 10 minutes in, which is the best feeling. This is a cozy murder mystery set in the fictional town (I assume?) of Miracle Springs, North Carolina, and it features a group of 4 women who ultimately form a book club and secret murder solving club while enjoying the baked goods of one of the women. There are a few murders which need to be solved but this is primarily a book about friendship. Yes, it’s a bit cheesy but it’s a true cozy mystery and if you’re in the mood for that type of book this will fit the bill. All of the 4 main characters have depth thanks to their backstories, so you quickly come to care about them. The central mystery is not deep or difficult, a la the cozy, but it works here. I will absolutely continue on with the series, most likely in audio since this is so easy to follow and listen to. Let me know if you will too!