October 2024–Part Two

October 31, 2024

Book #90:

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (Length: 496 pages). This is an intense fantasy novel about 8 of the main secret societies at Yale. There is lots of black magic and violence, some necromancy and very little character development, but it’s a wild and fun ride. I think it’s well-written, the plot is interesting (a bit slow to start but once it gets going it’s hard to put down) and the action is a bit stress-inducing. You do have to read the sequel I think (which I have, and plan to review in the future) to get a solid resolution. I’ll give this one a solid 4 stars.

Book #91:

Only Say Good Things by Crystal Hefner (Length: 240 pages). I listened to this memoir on audio and it’s really good! The ghost writer is Lara Love Hardin, the author of The Many Lives of Mama Love (which I really enjoyed) so this memoir is very well-written. This memoir was recommended by a book podcaster who equated it with Jessica Simpson’s equally good memoir, and I’d say that comparison is very apt. I couldn’t stop listening to this once I started it. Crystal doesn’t sugarcoat her own mistakes and failings or her bad decisions, and I found her candor to be refreshing. I was fascinated to learn even more about Hugh Hefner and his narcissism (horrible man!) and I enjoyed learning more about the inner workings of the Playboy Mansion. This is absolutely worth a listen!

Book #92:

What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan (Length: 336 pages). Despite the dumbest cover ever, I really enjoyed this mystery! It’s a fun, fast read and is about Simon and Nina, a young couple who have been together for most of their high school years and are now in college. Nina has disappeared, per the title, and this mystery of her disappearance is told from the viewpoints of the parents of both Nina and Simon as well as the detective assigned to investigate what happened. This is not a whodunit as the killer is revealed early on, but it’s still a wild and pulse-pounding read, with a few surprising twists I enjoyed. 4 stars from me!

October 2024–Part One

October 17, 2024

Book #87:

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell (Length: 356 pages). This is a literary fiction and is based on the real life duchess Lucrezia de’ Medici who lived in Florence in 1550s and died a year after being married at age 16 to the young duke Alonso. There is a sense of mounting dread throughout this quick read as the reader knows the real-life person this character is based on was found dead, and Lucrezia speaks of her own fear that she will die at the hands of her new husband. This is accessible literary fiction, and much like the author’s Hamnet, no words are wasted here. I adore this book and definitely recommend!

Book #88:

A Million Junes by Emily Henry (Length: 398 pages). This is a YA magical realism novel written by one of my favorite authors, published in 2017. This novel is about the 18-year-old June O’Donnell whose family has had a century’s long feud with the Angert family. This feud was over land, a suspected murder of a family member and an angry ghost who has cursed both families. Enter 21-year-old Saul Angert who returns to town, and instant chemistry between June and Saul ensues. The premise here is a bit cheesy but the two things Emily Henry excels at as a writer in her popular adult novels are present here: detailed character development and clever, snappy dialogue. I am not a huge fan of YA novels but I am a fan of Emily Henry, so this was a worthwhile read of her backlist for me. 4 stars.

Book #89:

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth (Length: 361 pages). Miss Fairchild takes in 3 foster kids–Jessica, Alicia and Norah. This mystery novel is told in dueling timelines, past and present, and when a set of baby bones is discovered under the former foster home decades later, everyone comes together again. I’ve been a Sally Hepworth fan for years, and I’ve read everything she’s written. This, her most recent novel, is a huge miss for me, unfortunately. While the plot is propulsive, the writing style here is juvenile, and there are some very basic errors throughout in the e-book (ie, “piece of mind” instead of “peace of mind”) and they are super distracting. The story itself is entertaining, but the writing is honestly not worth suffering through. I’d recommend skipping this one. 2.25 stars.

September 2024–Part Two

September 30, 2024

Book #82:

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (Length: 420 pages). I really enjoyed this historical fiction novel, and I generally don’t enjoy historical fiction. This novel is set during a six-month period in 1790 on the Kennebec River, and features a midwife, Martha Ballard, who has the real-life distinction of having delivered over 1,000 babies with not one mother lost in childbirth. I really loved this book. It’s immersive, beautifully told (aside from a few annoying grammatical errors such as “Breech” of contract) so the terrible editing aside, it’s a 5-star read. When I think about the book when I’m not reading it, that’s a great sign!  

Book #83:

Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf (Length: 406 pages). I listened to this one on audio while doing puzzles and it was super easy to listen to, with decent audio production. This story features three 12-year-old girls who are by a railroad track late at night during a slumber party. One girl is brutally stabbed. The central mystery is who did it . . . was it the victim’s bullies, the town ghost who some claim to see around? This was a fun listen, and was harder to figure out the solution than many mysteries, which I appreciate. A solid 3.5 star read from me.

Book #84:

Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey (Length: 331 pages). Tis the Season for some witchy reads. I listened to this one and found the audio production to be good. The story itself was darker than I expected from the title. Ivy Gamble is a private investigator who is hired to solve a murder that occurred at the Osthorne Academy of Young Mages, a magical school of sorts where her estranged twin, Tabitha, teaches. The investigation that follows is well-plotted, as is the underlying mystery. Ivy herself is NOT a likeable character but the plot is propulsive, and this is an enjoyable read/listen. I enjoy campus novels and a bit of magic so those two things outweighed annoying Ivy.

Book #85:

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (Length: 594 pages). This LONG book is super-fascinating and an enjoyable read. This is the first in a series (up to 5 books so far) and there’s a TV show based on these books, which I just started and I’m enjoying so far. The premise is Diana Bishop is a scholar (and a witch) and she finds a magical manuscript in Oxford’s famed Bodeleian Library. This discovery prompts an onslaught of magical creatures (other witches, demons and one very handsome vampire genealogist, Matthew Clairmont). 5 stars from me, but I DO think this could have been shorter. The ending isn’t a cliffhanger but definitely prompts you to want to pick up the next book in the series. (This reminds me a bit of the Outlander series in that regard).

Book #86:

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker (Length: 369 pages). I adored his most recent book (All the Colors of the Dark, reviewed in July), so I was excited to grab this back-list novel by this talented author from the library. This novel is also very well-written and features a young protagonist here too. Duchess Radley, a 13-year-old who fancies herself an outlaw, and her young brother Robin live in Cape Haven, CA with their troubled single mother, Star. Star lost her younger sister in a tragic accident when they were growing up in the same town, and this loss has shaped Star’s life as well as the lives of her children and the townspeople. This novel features complicated characters and is quite dark in places, so it’s an intense read. But it’s so very worth it. I appreciated that the length of this novel isn’t as daunting as the author’s more recent read. A solid 5 stars from me.

September 2024–Part One

September 14, 2024

Book #78:

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (Length: 334 pages). This is a wonderful, sweet book, perfect for fall! This novel features a young witch who has been orphaned and raised by another (emotionally distant) witch and is now looking for a witchy community. She’s hired to tutor a trio of child witches who live on a sprawling estate outside of London. I adore the dialogue, ALL of the characters and the side romance story (one open door scene so this is definitely for adults and not kids). I fell in love with this memorable read and immediately texted my college-age daughter to read ASAP.

Book #79:

Storyteller by Dave Grohl (Length: 429 pages). This is a memoir written by Nirvana drummer, Foofighters frontman. It’s very well-written and I was captivated by his story from the very first page. It “seems” like he’s such a kind, genuine man, and this memoir is very well-written, thoughtful and truly a memoir to enjoy, even for a non-fan like me. It’s that interesting. Having said this . . . literally the day after I finished this, the news came out about Mr Grohl admitting to fathering a daughter out of wedlock, which is definitely counter to the persona that he seemed to put forth in this memoir. I immediately stuck a “Free” Post-It on the book and left it in my office kitchen for some unsuspecting sucker. Too bad–I was almost a fan of the man.

Book #80:

 You, With a View by Jessica Joyce (Length: 378 pages). This is an enemies to lovers romance with a bit more depth than most novels (my favorite!). Two high-school rivals, Noelle and Theo, come together as young adults when they realize their grandparents had dated in college A road trip ensues (the best part of this novel!) when they trek with Theo’s grandfather Paul from Yosemite to Death Valley to Zion to Bryce Canyon to Sedona. This is a bit slow to start (at least the first 20%) but I kept with it and I’m glad I did as it’s aa fun read. This is well-written, great character development and all 3 main characters are truly easy to like (especially Grandpa Paul). A solid 4 star rom-com.

Book #81:

Not a Sound by Heather Gudenkauf (Length: 285 pages). I am back to doing puzzles in my spare time so I’m listening to more audiobooks. I’ve read a few by this author, and when I saw the famous Julia Whalen narrated this one, I snapped it up from my library. This is a fun thriller about a sexual assault nurse, Amelia, who tragically loses her hearing after a horrible collision involving herself and a SA patient. A few years later, Amelia is now a recovering alcoholic (due to the trauma), trying to put her life back together. No husband, no RN job and very little contact with her beloved stepdaughter, Amelia is kayaking on the river and discovers the body of a former RN colleague in the river. She tries to solve the mystery with the assistance of her trusty service dog sidekick, Stitch. While I figured out the killer in the first 25% of this novel (a bummer!) I still found the ride to the end to be enjoyable, and a mindless, easy listen. 3.5 stars for the story and 5 stars for the audio production of this one!

August 2024–Part Two

September 1, 2024

Book #74:

Ready or Not by Cara Bastone (Length: 373 pages). I listened to this on audio as it was recommended to read it this way. It’s definitely a “produced” audiobook so if the voice of the narrator annoys you in the first 5 minutes, read it in print instead. I pushed through as the premise is interesting: the protagonist, Eve Hatch, finds out she’s pregnant as the result of a one-night stand in New York City, and the father is a bartender at a local bar. This was an easy, breezy, fast read that I truly enjoyed listening to. (If you are struggling with fertility, however, I’d advise skipping this one as there may be some triggers here). I really enjoyed Eve, and I was rooting for her. The side characters are even better here, and this romance is more memorable than most. 4 solid stars from me.  

Book #75:

The Pursuit of Endurance by Jennifer Pharr Davis (Length: 316 pages). This non-fiction book was mentioned in the last Appalachian Trail book I read (and reviewed in July) so I picked it up from the library. The author herself has set a FKT (fastest known time) record for the Appalachian Trail in the past, and has interviewed other record setters (and breakers) about what makes them tick. She explores what is resilience and how are endurance records able to be set. And what body types, sex and ages comprise the optimal endurance athletes? (The answers may surprise you). This is very well-written and researched and I enjoyed the various accounts of these amazing hikers. This isn’t a day-to-day account of the FKTs but it’s more about how they are achieved, so it’s an excellent companion piece to those books.

Book #76:

 Diavola by Jennifer Thorne (Length: 296 pages). I love scary books and this one is truly the scariest horror book I’ve read so far. This is Gothic (my favorite!) in town and is about a young woman, Anna Pace, who joins her family for a vacation in Italy in a rented villa that turns out to be truly haunted. This is so well-written, WAY too descriptive in places and is truly terrifying. There’s no body gore but the hauntings are well-rendered and I kept thinking about this novel when I wasn’t reading it. The marketing blurbs say it’s humorous but while there are moments of levity and some funny lines of dialogue, I wouldn’t agree with that characterization. This is straight up horror and it’s a true 5 star read for me. Let me know if you read or have read this one and if you agree!

Book #77:

Lucky Me by Rich Paul(Length: 247 pages). This is a truly inspiring memoir by the founder of Klutch Sports Group, whose first client was LeBron James. Rich Paul came up in Cleveland, and this is an account of what he dealt with as a child and as an adult in the streets. This memoir is raw, gritty and tough to read in parts but it’s very worth it. For most of us, we will realize we have had it EASY and have nothing to complain about. I also came away from this read with a great appreciation of Paul’s tenacity, determination and drive. This is an excellent read and would make an excellent gift for any sports fans (and anyone from Cleveland).