Tag: book-review

November 2024–Part One

November 18, 2024

Book #93:

The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore (Length: 384 pages).  This first book in a series of rom-coms went viral on TikTok, and since I was in the mood for a “cozy” rom-com, I picked it up. Set in Dream Harbor, a small town in New England, this novel features Jeanie, the brand-new owner of the Pumpkin Spice Cafe and Logan, a quiet, handsome bearded farmer. One might suspect nothing bad or stressful happens in a cafe with this name, and one would be correct . . . this is cute, charming and nothing too deep or particularly well-written. It’s a great palate-cleanser between meatier reads, however, so it does the trick. 3.5 stars.

Book #94:

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer (Length: 320 pages). WHOA. This mystery/thriller is very creepy and unsettling, and downright scary in parts. The premise is a woman answers her door, and a family is standing there. The father talks their way inside, saying he just wants to show his family his former childhood home, and things go downhill from there. There is a bit of an unreliable narrator here (which isn’t my favorite trope) but I enjoyed this novel, overall. There a few “articles” that appear every few chapters which provide some needed background (not sure how these would play out in an audio version, however). There are a few surprise twists, and I definitely found it to be scary. Don’t read this one if you’re home alone at night! 4 stars for this fun read!

Book #95:

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See (Length: 400 pages).  This historical fiction novel is based on the lives of haenyo, the female divers who supported their families while the fathers took care of children in Korea in the early 20th century. The main historical event in this book is the horrific Bukchon Massacre which occurred on 4/3/49 where up to 80K Koreans were killed. The sections on diving are absolutely fascinating, and the female friendship at the center is fully drawn. This is dark, sad and very well-written. 4 stars from me.

Book #96:

Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand (Length: 272 pages).  I’m a bit burned out on Hilderbrand but I’ve heard this series is her best, and I like that it’s set in the wintertime on Nantucket Island. This is the first in the series and it centers on the Quinn family. The book starts with a bunch of drama right off the bat, with wife #2 leaving the family patriarch, Kelley, and each of Kelley’s adult children (and wife #1) all have their own issues going on. But nothing is super serious, and Hilderbrand’s writing style is top-notch here: smooth, well-written, propulsive plot and fun character interactions. Because it’s the first in a series it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but I’m not sure I’ll keep reading any further. 3.5 stars from me.

Book #97:

The Deaf GIrl by Abigail Heringer (Length: 240). This is a memoir written by the first deaf contestant on the Bachelor show, with a cochlear implant. I have a loved one who has recently started wearing such an implant, so I picked this one up with the intention to learn a bit more about the realities of hearing-impaired and deaf people’s lives who choose this device. To that end, this book is worth reading. The writing is (understandably) juvenile given it’s not the author’s job, but I learned quite a bit and would absolutely recommend if you, like me, want a firsthand account of how this device can impact one’s hearing and life.

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.