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:

Read to Death by Terrie Farley Moran (Length: 304 pages). This is another cozy mystery that I picked up at the local library book sale for the bargain price of 50 cents, and it’s worth about that, in my opinion. This particular mystery is the 3rd in a series set in a cafe in Fort Meyers, Florida that is run by two young women (Sassy and Bridgy). Yes, their names are annoying, which happen to match the personalities of their owners. In my humble opinion. The concept here is cute–the cafe is bookish in nature, with tables and menu items named after classic books and authors. The mystery here is WEAK . . . the dead body happens immediately (as appears to be par for the course in these cozy mysteries), but then the rest of the book is taken up by the (boring) inanities of running a cafe, with random excursions by the dynamic duo to “investigate” the mystery. Bridgy also happens to be the main suspect for the murder which is ridiculous. The murder is solved almost by accident at the very end, which is lame. I would recommend skipping this one if you too end up stumbling upon it wherever books are lent or sold.

Book #2:

Twenty-Eight and Half Wishes by Denise Grover Swank (Length: 336 pages).  This was a free Kindle book that I’ve had for awhile, and it’s apparently the first of 9 (!) books in the Rose Gardner series. This novel deals with a 24 year old woman living a VERY sheltered life in a small town. Rose lives with her abusive and overly-religious mother, and in the very beginning of the novel returns to the home they share to find her mother murdered. The novel is about the escapades that follow. I say escapades because much of what transpires after the murder is a bit unbelievable (especially from legal perspective), but this is written well enough that you’ll want to suspend your disbelief and just go along with the ride. I found the character development here to be pretty strong (especially with regard to Rose), the plot is definitely propulsive and you’ll care about Rose sufficiently enough to see what happens to her. I really can’t imagine how this series is extended to 9 entire novels but I will absolutely check out the second book to see where the author takes Rose.

Book #3:

It Ends Wth Us by Colleen Hoover (Length: 381 pages).  This is the book my book club chose to read for the month of October, and while this author isn’t my favorite, her books are generally very easy to read. This one is no exception as the plot is absolutely propulsive, even though you, as the reader, have a very good idea of what will likely happen. The subject matter of this novel is about domestic violence (both psychological and physical) and about the difficulty victims often have with leaving their abuser. The female protagonist, Lily, is relatively well-drawn but I found the side story arc about Lily and Atlas (her childhood love/boyfriend) to be a bit too heavy-handed, especially given their age. I also can’t stand the name Ryle (another character in the book), but that’s just my shallow observation. I really enjoyed the character Alyssa (Lily’s coworker and friend), and found her to be the best part of the book. The author’s tone about the abuse issues was too patronizing to the reader, in my opinion, but I still had a difficult time putting the book down and I’m ultimately glad I finished it. So there’s that. 😉

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:

Feral Creatures by Kira Jane Buxton (Length: 280 pages).   I absolutely hugged this book when I was done because I LOVED it! This is the sequel to Hollow Kingdom (which I reviewed in June of this year) and this is just as good, if not better than the first. Taking over from the ending of the first novel, this novel is written from the point of view of the crow ST (Shit Turd) who is raising the last human on earth post-zombie apocalypse. Just as hysterically funny as the first novel, and is beautifully written. The author has some insightful commentary on the interaction of the animal and human worlds, as well as the degradation of our planet. While I wouldn’t recommend this if you’re easily offended by swear words, I didn’t find the swearing to detract from the writing in any way, and again, I was copying sentences down while reading to share with a like-minded reader friend who also loves clever, laugh-out-loud writing. You won’t regret picking this gem of a novel up!

Book #2:

Lamb by Christopher Moore (Length: 468 pages).  This book was gifted to me by a childhood friend who is pretty religious but who also has a fantastic sense of humor and doesn’t take herself too seriously. This is a clever, well-written novel about the gospel according to Biff, Jesus Christ’s childhood pal. If you are easily offended, do NOT pick this up, but I am not, and I adored this! There is a lot of sarcasm and inappropriate commentary, but this is actually very touching and poignant in parts and I ended up even learning more about the Bible and biblical history than I knew before starting. I’m definitely going to read more by this author.

Book #3:

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes (Length: 801 pages).  I have had this on my Kindle since 2017 and I have no idea why I haven’t read it before this because this is an incredible read! This is a spy thriller set that is mostly set post 9/11 but goes back in time to build the history of a few characters. (There are a few violent scenes but nothing exploitative, in my opinion). The action jumps between NYC, Afghanistan and Turkey, and reminds me of Tom Clancy’s earlier books. The writing quality is excellent with top-notch character development. It is a doorstop of a book (800 pages!) so it’d be fantastic for a long airplane flight because while it’s incredibly lengthy, it’s very propulsive and difficult to put down. I will say the disparate plot threads took a bit to come together (about the halfway point) but once they do, you’ll be hard-pressed to stop reading. Finally, there is a bit of an unbelievable coincidence (regarding the odds of the two major plot points coming together geographically) but if you can set aside your disbelief, you’ll enjoy this one a lot more. The second I finished, I texted my dad because I know he will enjoy this 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:

Mistletoe and Mr. Right by Sarah Morgenthaler (Length: 402 pages). This is the second book in the Moose Springs trilogy (I reviewed Tourist Attraction last time). This time the focus is on Zoe’s best friend, the developer Lana Montgomery and Graham’s pool bar owning friend Rick. The trope is still the same and a bit tired (can’t be together for some BS reason–here, it’s because Lana travels so much for business.) But as with the first, the writing is strong, there are funny and cute side characters (including a costume wearing hedgehog), and the town setting make this worth picking up if you’re in the mood for a light-hearted, breezy romance that’s better written than most.  

Book #2:

The Housewives by Brian Moylan (Length: 294 pages).  This is a pretty specific book for a specific type of reader as it features the “real” story behind the Real Housewives TV franchises. The author writes episode recaps for Vulture Magazine, and I’ve always been a fan of his (often snarky) writing so I was eager to pick this up. I will say there’s not much groundbreaking information here for long-time fans. This is due to no fault of the author’s but is because Bravo threatened all cast members and staff with legal action if they spoke to the author. The author still revealed enough here that makes it interesting reading. (I did skim a few parts, namely the history of reality television.) The best parts of this book are the inside information on how much the housewives are paid (salaries/show vacations/etc) as well as when the author went on “vacation” with OG Vicki Gunvalson. Worth a library checkout if you’re a fan of this franchise.

Book #3:

The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford (Length: 306 pages).  This book has been on my TBR for ages, and after I saw a few friends had read this recently, I picked it up. Wow! I love this book! Toggling between 1986 and 1942-45, this Seattle-based novel about the Japanese internment camps is captivating, and difficult to put down. Told from the perspective of a 12-year old Chinese boy, the author focuses on his friendship with a Japanese girl named Keiko, and then follows Henry’s life at 56 years old after his wife passes. The story is fantastic, the writing is smooth and the character development of Henry is top-notch. This is a must read for fans of historical fiction. (I’m VERY burnt out on World War 2 books but this one is told from such a unique and important perspective that it made the cut for me.)

Book #4:

Enjoy the View by Sarah Morgenthaler (Length: 260 pages).  This is the third book in the Moose Springs trilogy (the first 2 reviewed this month also). It’s the same grumpy mountain man/spunky woman trope as the first two but the majority of the action of this one occurs during a precarious mountain climb on a glacier. This book features Easton Lockett of the first two books (the best friend of Graham and Rick) as well as a famous actress from the lower 48 named River Lane. The writing here is decent, with similar fun dialogue, but as with the first two, the setting is the real winner here. And as with the first two, there’s an adorable animal–here it’s a lovesick marmot. Overall, it’s a fun, mindless read that’s better written than many light romances. I was a bit annoyed with a few typos in the Kindle version so be forewarned if that’s how you also choose to read this book.

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.