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 Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix (Length: 410 pages) This is the second book by this author that I’ve read. (I reviewed Horrorstor--his horror novel set in an IKEA a while back). Like that novel, this one is a WILD ride. This is a mystery/thriller/horror novel which features Patricia Campbell, an ordinary housewife in a true crime book club in Charleston, when a charming stranger moves into town. He’s sensitive to sunlight and happens to be on the scene of a few disturbing abductions. Patricia suspects he’s up to no good but he’s so charming that everyone else loves him. There are some very disturbing scenes in this novel, but it’s very well-written and the plot is compulsively readable. All in all, while this is quite odd in terms of content, it’s very memorable and I would recommend if you aren’t squeamish.

Book #2:

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden (Length: 336 pages). I think this is the third psychological thriller by this author that I’ve read, and apparently this one is her most popular. I read this one instead of listening to it as I did with the previous two. The premise of this novel is a young woman named Millie Calloway is grateful to take a job as a live-in maid for a wealthy couple with an odd daughter as Millie was recently released from prison. The set-up is creepy right off the bat, and there’s a big twist halfway through. It’s very predictable if you’ve read any psychological thrillers but I do enjoy this author’s writing and I just enjoyed the ride here.

Book #3:

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (Length: 390 pages). This gorgeous family epic featuring the four Padavano sisters is my book club’s August book. Set in Chicago in the 1960s through the 1980s, this is beautifully written. So well-written that I often stopped to re-read certain phrases. The chapters alternate among 4 main characters, and the 4 sisters are very similar to those in the classic Little Women. I absolutely adore this novel and will remember certain plot points for a long time. I predict this will be in the top 3 books of the year for me for sure!