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:

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Length: 365 pages).   I realize this novel has been EVERYWHERE, but honestly, it’s for good reason. I found it to be an enjoyable story which is focused on the four adult children of a very famous rock star (Mick Riva). All four of the children are actually likeable, which I didn’t expect. The setting is gorgeous Malibu in the 1960s-1980s, and TJR features Los Angeles and California like no other author I know–the setting is almost another character. The structure of the novel is interesting with each hour of a 12-hour day before and during the end of a famous end of summer party at the oldest daughter’s cliffside beach house. This isn’t perfect, by any means, but if you’re a fan of TJR, you’ll enjoy this as much as I did. Perfect travel read! 

Book #2:

The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler (Length: 418 pages).  This is such a cute book. I believe it was an Amazon free monthly Kindle book choice, and it’s a surprisingly well-written romance. Set in the town of Moose Springs, Alaska, this is the first book in a series (there are 3 books so far). The plot is forward-moving, but the character development is a bit sparse. The female protagonist (Zoey) is a bit weak for my liking, in terms of her personality, but overall, I found myself rooting for her and her romantic interest Graham. The setting of Moose Springs is the best part, along with its residents both human and animal. (Jake the blind border collie and Ulysses the town moose are adorable). I will absolutely read more of this series when I’m in the mood for more light-hearted literary fare.

Book #3:

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave (Length: 316 pages).  As I’ve mentioned here previously, I’m pretty picky about psychological thrillers so I was nervous to pick up this very popular book. I was pleasantly surprised about this one. In terms of writing quality and character development, this is really well done! The plot is inherently propulsive since right out the gate the wife receives a note from her newlywed husband to “protect her”, meaning his stepdaughter Bailey. He disappears and the rest of the novel is about the wife figuring out where he went, with the assistance of the surly teen girl. The WHY of his disappearance will require you to suspend your disbelief a bit (it certainly made me roll my eyes a few times) but if you’re willing to do that, it’s quite a fun ride. I definitely recommend this if you’re in the mood for a psychological thriller that is free of violence, but heavy on plot.

Book #4:

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (Length: 336 pages).  I’ve had this title on my bookshelf for over a decade, and thought it was about time that I picked it up. I’m so glad I did as I adore this book. A group of international visitors to an unnamed Latin American country (likely Peru) is held hostage for months in the country’s vice presidential residence. The purpose of the gathering was to celebrate the birthday of a wealthy Japanese businessman who was lured to the party by the promise of hearing his favorite opera singer sing for the group. This is very character AND plot-driven, and the writing is gorgeous here. This was very reminiscent of A Gentleman in Moscow, to me, thanks to the entire novel taking place in a singular location. I read this is one day, and it will be in my top 10 favorite books for sure.

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:

Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix (Length: 182 pages).   This is one of the most interesting novels I’ve read in quite a while . . . it’s a horror novel set inside an “Ikea” type superstore. The store in this novel is identical to an IKEA, down to the layout and products. This is not a character-driven book at all, but it’s absolutely propulsive in terms of plot because you HAVE to find out what happens. The first 58% of the book (via my Kindle) was interesting and a fun workplace drama, and then bam! it gets really weird. This is very gory, creepy and odd, but it’s absolutely worth the ride if you’re not too squeamish. I’ll never look at an IKEA the same way again. 😉

Book #2:

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams (Length: 337 pages).  This romance novel has been all over the interwebs and in every bookish podcast that I listen to, and it’s absolutely worth the hype! This is more of a literary romance in that it has more heft than most. Populated primarily with Black characters, I actually loved all of them here. Shane and Eva are the central couple, Audre who is Eva’s daughter is fantastic, and I enjoyed the two supporting characters, Belinda and Cece. This is pretty gritty with some triggers you might not expect in a garden-variety romance (violence, drugs) but that’s what elevates this book in my opinion. I enjoyed the fun, snappy dialogue (especially between Eva and Audre), and I really appreciated how the author incorporates her own chronic disability (debilitating migraines) into Eva’s character. This is a VERY open door romance so steer clear if that bothers you. I adored this book and immediately texted my bookish friends upon completing it and urged them to pick up a copy ASAP.

Book #3:

Haven Point by Virginia Hume (Length: 377 pages).  I’ve seen this title hyped up in a few places recently so I finally decided to take a look. This is a sweeping family drama, which I typically adore, but I found this novel couldn’t keep my attention focused as it switched perspectives and timelines quite a bit, often without rhyme or reason. It felt like narrative whiplash. I will say the character development is excellent here (primarily of the grandmother and her granddaughter) and the plot keeps moving forward. My favorite parts of the novel were centered at the FourWinds house in Maine. Ultimately this novel felt a bit too long-winded and the ending was anti-climactic. If the author (or editor?) had omitted a good 20% of the middle of the book, it would have been a winner.

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:

Falling by TJ Newman (Length: 303 pages).   What a ride! This thriller was penned by a flight attendant who wrote it from the jump seat on red-eye cross-country flights. Mostly set on an airplane, a pilot is ordered to crash the plane or his family (wife and two children) will be killed. This is propulsive, on the edge of your seat writing, but the quality of the writing doesn’t suffer a bit here . . . it’s very vivid with dialogue that continually flows. I couldn’t put this one down and give it two thumbs up! (Just don’t read it while on a flight.)

Book #2:

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (Length: 646 pages). This is a fantastic historical fiction novel about codebreakers stationed at Bletchley Park outside London during World War 2. A sweeping plot with excellent character development makes this my favorite historical fiction pick in years. The author focuses on three women, all who are loosely based on real women, and while I wasn’t equally enamored with all three, none are unlikeable or annoying, and are fully human. I adored this book, and couldn’t wait to pick it up and continue reading, which is a good sign for me. It will make a great travel book as it’s a whopper–over 600 pages long. Not a page is wasted here, and be sure to read the author’s note at the end.

Book #3:

The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn (Length: 319 pages).  I’m conflicted about this thriller. It’s gotten a lot of good press, and I love any novel set on a college campus (who doesn’t?). This particular novel is set in Wesleyan, with two main characters who are entirely UNlikeable (they’re textbook narcissists), but the plot is definitely interesting enough to keep you reading. Set at a college reunion, the majority of the novel is comprised of flashbacks to the lives and interactions amongst the girls who all lived in the same college dorm. The thriller part (set at the reunion itself) isn’t as dark and twisty as advertised, and I found myself enjoying the flashbacks more than the thriller portion of the novel. However, the final twist is not what I was expecting, so that’s a huge plus for me. I will say the ending is a bit too pat, but on the whole it’s worth a library check out if you are like me and enjoy a college campus novel.

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 Sixth Wedding by Elin Hilderbrand (Length: 76 pages).   This is a short story sequel to the author’s novel 28 Summers (previously reviewed May 2021). I’m not sure this was a necessary sequel for her to write, but it was an semi-enjoyable, quick read. The plot essentially focuses on Mallory’s brother Cooper wanting a “re do” of that fateful summer 28 years ago. He believes that summer is the reason he’s married five times. This seems a bit like an outline for a future book that needs to be fleshed out a bit more, and quite frankly the ending sucks. I wouldn’t waste any money purchasing it, but if you were a fan of the previous book (like I am), it is worth a library read to find out what happens to the characters.

Book #2:

The Arrangement by Robyn Harding (Length: 353 pages). This novel has an intriguing set-up with a sugar daddy and his “baby” in New York City. The sugar daddy ends up dead and the baby is suspect #1. Zero characters in this book are people you’d genuinely like in real life, so if that bugs you, skip this book. That doesn’t bother me, and I enjoyed both the plot and the setting in this “fluff” novel. This is definitely a page-turner, but without great writing. Therefore, I’d recommend as a library check out only.

Book #3:

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy (Length: 278 pages).  Whoa. This is INTENSE. Apparently this is part of a new breed of novel called an “eco” novel. Focusing on an Irish/Australian woman who travels via a fishing boat to follow the alleged last flight of Arctic Terns before their extinction. This is set in the very near future, after climate change wreaks its havoc, killing off most of the animals on earth. The main character has extreme mental health issues, the causes of which are gradually revealed as you read further. This is a VERY sad novel but it’s also beautifully written. I couldn’t stop reading it, even when it was tough to read, mostly because I wanted to see if the narrator makes it to the end. This has been named a “best book” by many podcasters and bloggers and I’d definitely recommend it as well.

Thank you for joining me here!   I typically post a few times per month but as I was on vacation for most of this month, I didn’t have a chance to post. Oddly enough, I also didn’t read as much as I typically do on vacation, so this month’s a bit shorter than other months. On the flip side, I really enjoyed most of what I did get a chance to read. Enjoy!

Book #1:

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (Length: 293 pages).  OMG. I LOVE this book! It’s been on a library hold forever for me, and it was absolutely worth the months of waiting, and it definitely meets the hype! This is a fantasy fiction novel about Linus Baker who is a caseworker tasked with visiting an island orphanage filled with children with “magical” abilities to be sure they’re properly cared for. From Chauncey the amorphous blob whose dream is to be a bellhop to 6-year-old Lucy, the AntiChrist, the character development here is stellar. There are several LOL moments, but overall this is a very touching, compassionate portrayal of children (and people) who are “other” and how the world needs to do better. I appreciated how a few of the main characters being queer is 100% normalized here as well. This is a must read!

Book #2:

The Princess Bride by William Goldman (Length: 465 pages). I finally read this–after loving the movie for so many years. I will say I found the structure of the novel to be very interesting, with lots of funny asides and footnotes. This novel is based on the fake Morgenstern fairy tale but just with the “good stuff” (ie, pirates, sword-fighting, princess rescue etc). The writing is excellent here but I found it drags on way too long . . . I can absolutely see why this is a cult classic novel, but 100 pages less would’ve made it perfect for me.

Book #3:

Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez (Length: 299 pages).  This is the third book in The Friend Zone trilogy. I loved (and reviewed) the first two, but this may be my favorite of the group so far. The premise here is similar to the first two–angst-filled potential romance between a female You-Tuber who thinks she may have ALS in the future and the hunky attorney Adrian (from Book 2). Again, the two protagonists just need to have a freaking conversation to resolve any and all misunderstandings, but then there would be no basis for a romance novel. I did adore the banter between the pair (this is what Jimenez excels at) and her writing style is continually excellent. Worth a read, and it’s perfect for summer travel.  

Book #4:

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell (Length: 320 pages). This is such a good historical fiction novel, and absolutely worthy of the hype, but I found it takes a while to get there. (The last quarter of the novel is where I truly became interested). I was an English major with an emphasis on Shakespeare, so I especially enjoyed and appreciated the author’s research of William Shakespeare’s personal and family life, especially his married life with wife Agnes and his three children (Susanna, and twins Judith and Hamnet). You know from the beginning that Hamnet eventually dies and that the play Hamlet is based on Hamnet’s death (allegedly). This is a very sad and melancholy novel, with lots of death (due to the plague and hard life in general). It’s incredibly interesting that the author goes the entire novel without referring to William Shakespeare by his name, but instead refers to him as the husband of Agnes, father of Hamnet, etc. This is a gorgeously-written and memorable novel (you’ll never forget the details) but be forewarned that it’s very intense. I adored the last chapter–what a way to tie everything together!

Book #5:

The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris (Length: 369 pages).  I’m in awe that this brilliant, sweeping novel is the debut of this author. This is set in the South immediately after the Civil War concludes and is about what happens to the slaves after they are freed by the Union soldiers. This novel focuses on a landowner George, his wife Isabelle and their son Caleb. (Their son is why this novel is characterized as an LGBTQ read). George befriends two freed slaves Prentiss and Landry. The writing is absolutely beautiful, the character development is masterful and the plot is compulsively readable. There is some violence so be warned of that. Overall, this is a well-written novel that you will always remember.  

Book #6:

Better Luck Next Time by Julie Claiborne Johnson (Length: 284 pages). I was so intrigued with the premise of this historical fiction novel set in Reno in 1938, on a dude ranch for wealthy divorcees who needed a place to stay to earn the 6-week residence required for divorce in those days. This is told from the perspective of 25-year old Ward, a Yale college drop-out who is working on the ranch just to pass time before he decides what to do with the rest of his life. The writing is strong, but while the beginning is interesting, the middle lagged quite a bit for me. I will say the (sort of surprise) ending tied it all together quite well, so I found it to be worth the read (at least a library check out). Just don’t expect to truly care about any of the characters (all of whom are remarkably vacuous) and instead, read for the interesting premise and setting.

Book #7:

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Length: 389 pages).  Given how much I adore this author’s novel Circe, I had a feeling I’d love this first novel of hers just as much. I was correct! I’m still not a huge Greek mythology fan, generally speaking, but this author has a gift for managing to make mythology so accessible as well as propulsively readable. This novel shares the beautiful love story between Achilles and his childhood friend/companion, Patroclus, as well as the story of the build up to the great Trojan War (to “rescue” Helen). Her writing makes this very hard to put down, and was a novel I was always thinking about when I wasn’t actually reading it. (Which I love!) This will absolutely make my top ten novels of 2021.

Book #8:

The Flat Share by Beth O’Leary (Length: 336 pages). I loved this novel! It’s a rom-com but very well-written with a surprising amount of depth. The premise is simple: Tiffy and Leon share a flat (and its only bed) in the heart of London, but don’t lay eyes on one another for months thanks to their opposite work (and weekend) schedules). I will say I found it to be a bit of a slow start, but once the plotline deepens, it is difficult to put down. I appreciated the storylines of Leon’s brother being wrongfully imprisoned (with Leon working to get him released) as well as Leon’s work as a hospice nurse. There is a storyline about some pretty severe emotional abuse so be aware of that if it’s an issue for you. The main characters are all likeable here, and all are sufficiently quirky to keep them interesting, and I genuinely cared what happened to all of them. A two thumbs up for me!