Lora Terrill

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.

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:

Walking With Sam by Andrew McCarthy (Length: 257 pages) This is a non-fiction book by the Brat Pack author who walked the Camino de Santiago with his 19-year-old son Sam. I listened to this on audio as it’s narrated by McCarthy and it’s an excellent listening experience. Walking from Portugal to Spain, the duo followed the path of pilgrims to the shrine of the apostle James in Galicia, Spain. This book was so fun to follow along with their 500-mile, 5-week journey and I appreciated all of the little details, such as where they chose to stay, what they ate, and who they met along the way. This is a bucket list hike for me but the odds are slim I’ll ever be able to walk this road, so I very much enjoyed listening to others who have been lucky enough to do so.

Book #2:

Don’t Forget to Write by Sara Goodman Confino (Length: 334 pages). Set in 1960s Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore, Marilyn is sent to stay with her great aunt Ada, a 70-year-old Jewish matchmaker with a sharp tongue and a huge heart, after Marilyn crashed through a stained-glass window with the rabbi’s son during synagogue. While this is considered a punishment by her parents, Marilyn ends up finding herself and learning more about her great aunt’s incredible life. This is SO good! The character development is top-notch, and the dialogue is sparkling. This is a bit slow to start but keep with it as you’ll be so glad you did. The ending is perfection!

Book #3:

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (Length: 305 pages). Long walks must be a theme with me this month as this account of a walk on the Appalachian Trail written by the amazing Bill Bryson was such a fun read. I actually thought I had already read this, having enjoyed many of Bryson’s other books but when I realized I hadn’t, I tore through this in a matter of hours. I’ve been obsessed with this historic trail and this is one of the better accounts I’ve read, thanks to Bryson’s wit, and love of history and the environment. The pacing is perfect, and his ton is spot on. Definitely pick this one up if you are a fan of walking books.

Book #4:

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (Length: 530 pages). WOW. This incredible book has been on my TBR for way too long and I’m so glad I finally read it. It isn’t what I thought it would be like, and that’s a good thing. It’s even better! This is magical realism, set at the turn of the 19th century, and follows a circus that travels around the world. The first words, “The circus arrives without warning” set the tone and I was hooked. I will say, the first 10% of the book is a bit slow as it’s setting the scene but stick with it and enjoy the gorgeous and captivating ride. The words on the page are lyrical and the plot is propulsive, and I enjoyed every minute, especially the resolution. This is a book that I’ll remember forever, and it will possibly be on my top 10 books I’ve ever read.

Book #5:

I Hope This Finds You Well by Kate Baer (Length:96 pages). This is a slim, beautifully written volume of poetry that I very much enjoyed reading. The author picked out various words from Internet “troll” comments left on her social media to recreate words of beauty from words of ignorance and hate. This is a delightful book and it’s a keeper as I’ll want to turn back to it again and again. This would make a great little gift for someone in your life, even if they’re not poetry fans. 5/5 stars!

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:

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez (Length: 417 pages) I adore this author and I was very excited to get my hands on this one via my Book of the Month subscription. This is a semi-sequel to her previous rom-com novel A Part of this World but since this newer novel just features the couple from the first novel in the series tangentially, you’re not missing anything by reading this one first. I LOVE this book! This features two ER doctors and the fake-dating trope, which I sort of enjoy. There’s a rescue dog (always!), a looming kidney transplant, goofy family members and a swearing bird. There are LOL funny lines, per usual, and the romance itself is well-constructed with characters you’ll root for. There is a tiny bit of open-door romance in one scene but it’s pretty tame overall, again, consistent with what readers expect from this author. I gave it 5 stars, as did my 18-year-old (very discerning reader) daughter.

Book #2:

Paris: the Memoir by Paris Hilton (Length: 334 pages). I was pleasantly surprised by this memoir. I picked it up because I had read that she made some pretty shocking allegations about some schools for troubling teens (“Boot camps”) that she spent several traumatic years of her teen years in. As a result of this horrific abuse she has become a leader in urging Congress to shut these places down, which is very admirable. I’m also impressed by the writing quality here (no ghostwriter that I could find) which goes right to her playing into a type (blond bimbo with a baby voice) to earn millions of dollars when she’s actually a genius with marketing and tech . . . brilliant! Her writing is introspective and insightful, and while I found it a bit wordy in places, I’m glad I read it and I won’t look at her the same way again.

Book #3:

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf (Length: 352 pages). I enjoyed this mystery quite a bit. It’s well-constructed and well-written. The main plot involves a true-crime author finishing up a manuscript in a remote farmhouse during a snowstorm when she comes across a young child collapsed in her driveway. (I did figure out the central mystery early on, but I wanted to keep reading to its resolution so that didn’t deter me from finishing this). The subject matter here is pretty intense (children abused/abducted) so reader beware, however any mentions aren’t gratuitous or especially detailed. I absolutely will read more by this author, as apparently, she’s quite prolific AND beloved, always a great combination for me.

Book #4:

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams (Length: 350 pages). This rom-com has a more interesting premise than most, which prompted me to pick it up next. This is the first in a series and features a Major League Baseball player, Gavin Scott, who is trying to win his wife Thea back by joining a “bromance” book club comprised of stereotypically tough guys who dissect Regency era romances for tips on strengthening their romantic relationships. There are LOL funny one-liners throughout, and while the central romance/plot is a bit cheesy, it’s decently written and you want the characters to end up together. (The E-book has some very annoying typos, just a heads up). I’d give it 3.5 stars so it’s good enough that I’ll keep reading in the series as they become available at the library.

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:

Joyland by Stephen King (Length: 224 pages) This is a special “Hard Case” novel in a mystery series which features several different mystery authors. This particular novel is set in 1973 in the small North Carolina town of Heaven’s Bay, where a small amusement park named Joyland operates each summer. A college student Devin Jones gets his first job there and discovers that one of the horror house rides was the site of where a young woman was murdered years earlier. This is part mystery, part coming of age, and I absolutely love this novel! This is Stephen King at his best . . . there’s no gore here, just a deftly drawn mystery with memorable characters, great dialogue and a propulsive plot. Five stars from me!

Book #2:

Blue Hawaiian by Carla Luna (Length: 300 pages). This is a rom-com set in Hawaii, featuring the trope of two former lovers being thrown together because both are a part of a wedding party. The dialogue is a bit cheesy here but the reason to read this one is because it’s a virtual tour through Maui . . . lots of destinations are mentioned (such as the Road to Hana) as well as fun details such as the tropical foods, so it’s a cute, mindless vacation read. I won’t remember it in a few months but that’s okay. It IS the first of a “Blackwood Cellars” trilogy so if that interests you, pick this one up.