When I went to add this latest “Walk ‘n Talk” (that’s what I’m calling these from now on) to my Currently Reading, Goodreads gave me a surprise by infWhen I went to add this latest “Walk ‘n Talk” (that’s what I’m calling these from now on) to my Currently Reading, Goodreads gave me a surprise by informing me not only had I marked I had read this 11 years ago, but that I had given it 2 Stars. I have ZERO recollection of ever picking this up, absolutely nothing was familiar about any of the essays, I barely read memoirs to begin with, and really the only thing I found terribly funny that Silverman ever did was . . . .
Was this the Mandela Effect in action? Did future me time travel back and try to prevent present me from listening to a meh selection while torturing myself on my daily lunch hour trek? The world may never know. Anywho, whether it’s present me or the me who apparently read this eleventy twelve years ago, we both stand by the 2 Star rating. I’m all for low brow humor and fart jokes sometimes, but Silverman’s brand of “funny” is truly bottom of the barrel. Be vulgar, be offensive, but be unquestionably brilliant. You know, like Dave Chappelle.
P.S. Please don’t troll me if she’s still “canceled.” I didn’t even like this one....more
Generally reserved for the Third Act break-up/make-up portion of light romance novels, this one takes a deep dive and features it right from the beginning . . . .
The story here is that Iris has moved to New York for a fresh start. With her memories of the romantic comedies her deceased mother loved and a secret family recipe for gelato that was given to her mother ages ago, she goes in search of said gelateria – only to discover the only person in the family who knows said recipe has suffered a stroke and lost his memory. Iris befriends the entire family, but particularly Gio as she helps him experiment with various recipes in hopes of finding the perfect mix.
I have really loved Josie Silver’s stuff in the past, but I just couldn’t get over the entire premise here being based on lies (not only about the gelato recipe, but also about her previous relationship and the weird crap with the uncle not wanting anyone to know about the whopping TWO DAY "romance" he had with Iris’ mother after going on only a couple of dates with his future wife – weird). Not to mention this “gelateria” only serves vanilla? Snore. We live in the land of 31 Flavors, folks, ain’t nobody lining up for just vanilla.
I will give credit where credit is due and the shoutouts to famous NYC rom com locales was great . . . .
This was pretty much a you had me at hello for a couple of reasons . . . .
First, the cover. As much as I despise face covers, I don’t mind this creepy peeper whatsoever. Also, I’m a HUGE fan of authors who stick with the same font/format for their books. I have soooooo many problems recalling names and titles, but I can remember cover art nearly every time.
These bishes were everything I wanted them to be. Like grown up Mean Girls – or even better since they were not only wealthy, but Londoners, a gaggle of Caroline Stanburys . . .
But what is it about you might be asking. Lemme tell you. Tash is trying to navigate her way through balancing motherhood while simultaneously trying to gain a name for herself as a freelance journalist. Her latest story involves looking into a supposed accidental drowning – as requested by the dead girl’s mother. In order to get some free time to work, she enrolls her son in a playgroup containing a group of cliquey, well-to-do mothers. When they take Tash under their wing, she leans right in to keeping up with the Joneses only to discover they knew the deceased as well.
If you like a quality Lifetime Stabby Stab/Desperate Housewives sort of whodunit I’m telling you this is a winner. So satisfying to my little garbage addicted persona! The only complaint????
Come on, authors! You think we’re amateurs? We know all about this stuff – and don’t even get us started on petechiae. Or maybe I should make a note to myself if this is how police investigations/forensic pathology works across the pond and if I ever decide to murder someone, make sure to do it over there ; )...more
Now I am obsessed with all things Saltburn. When I saw a post on The ‘Gram sharing book recs for weirdos like me I was très intéressé. And when not only was The Secret History, but also The Shards included on said list I knew I needed to go the library site immediately and check out the other three.
So here’s number one. This is an oldie from the 1950s, so to say it’s just a TAD more subtle than grave-f*cking would be an understatement. But there are some similarities – mainly in the form of a poor boy being invited to spend the summer at a wealthy schoolmate’s summer home. While there Leo is recruited as the “go-between” or “postman” delivering the letters Marian and Ted write to each other in order to arrange their secret rendezvous behind Marian’s family (and her soon-to-be fiancé’s ) backs.
3.5 Stars - pretty tasty. Just very heavy writing due to its age. ...more
In case you don’t know me and this is popping up randomly on your feed because you are a Seth Rogen superfan, please accept my apology for not LOOOOOVIn case you don’t know me and this is popping up randomly on your feed because you are a Seth Rogen superfan, please accept my apology for not LOOOOOVVVVVVING this one and realize that 3 Stars is a perfectly acceptable rating and one which means I wouldn’t ever attempt to steer people away from reading this book.
(Apologies to those who ARE familiar with me for this next bit.) Late this summer after my time of putzing around in the yard had come to an end I noticed my body was hurting pretty much all the time because all I did was sit around on my fat a$$ and watch trash television once I didn’t have plants to plant and weeds to pull. I decided to blow the decade’s worth of dust off the treadmill and only allow myself to imbibe in my Housewives/1000 pounder/90 Day addiction if I was moving. And oh my god I fucking DESPISE the treadmill so when the temperatures dropped out of the 100s I gave walking outside a whirl - and guess what? Watching the leaves change and the squirrels out squirreling while listening to an audiobook is an easy way to get a shitton more steps in. Buuuuuuut since I live in flyover country I only got about 12 seconds of decent weather before it started raining every day and the wind was blowing 40 mph on the regular – soooooooooooooooooo . . . .
Why not? I could get away from my desk for an hour and be more physically fit? Killing two birds with one stone sounded pretty good to me so I’ve been doing 3 to 3.5 miles every time I'm in the office during my lunch hour. I still don’t have the ability to follow a plot via audiobook, however, and I only go in the office three days a week so memoirs have been a great option. This one took even longer than usual since I’ve had plenty of vacation days, but the comedic essay style meant there wasn’t ever a chance to get lost in what was going on.
Like I said above, I’m not a huge Seth Rogen fan, but turns out he directed a movie I really loved . . .
Oh, I love Alfred Molina!!!! But I only have eyes for horrible reality television so I went to the ol’ Google to see if this series was a book – AND IT WAS! I did the second thing I do best which was to forego all of the advanced copies I have been lucky to receive along with my giant stack of already checked out library books and downloaded this one in order to bump it to the top of Mt. TBR.
I’m so glad I did. This was a good old fashioned murder mystery. Senior citizen Jane was a lifelong resident of Three Pines that no one had anything bad to say about. So how did she end up dead in the forest after being shot with an arrow? Was it simply a hunting accident with a shooter who is scared to come forth and admit to his deadly case of mistaken identity? Or is it worse and it was a murder? Only Chief Inspector Gamache and his crew will be able to tell us the answer.
So like I said, this was a solid murder mystery with some olde timey Hercule Poirot vibes. I had no idea who could have done it and meeting everyone in the community firmly held my interest at a time when my brain has been pretty easy to distract. I’m not a series reader, as you probably know, so I don’t know if I will continue on, but this was a quality stand-alone. ...more
I don’t know how this got on my TBR, but whoever is responsible I say many thankings! I didn’t read much while I was on vacation the last week and a hI don’t know how this got on my TBR, but whoever is responsible I say many thankings! I didn’t read much while I was on vacation the last week and a half, but I picked this up on Festivus and flew right threw it. The premise here is simple: Ellen is a gal after my own heart . . . .
Who has finally managed to snag her dream home (of sorts) after perusing the Zillow for the perfect location. Now she just has to wait out the remodel in order for this to be the family’s forever home. But when an ominous note appears threatening to shatter Ellen’s glass castle, we find out maybe our leading lady isn’t as squeaky clean as she would want us to believe.
Okay, so this was fun. As you probably know, I love trash and reality T.V. and Lifetime Stabbies and this was on the high-end of that particular genre. Loads of fun. ...more
If you are a reader who digs unlikeable characters like I do, boy is he maybe the author for you! This one is all about cancel culture and oh my word . . . .
Boyne's ability to walk the tightrope between hilarious and horrifyingly cringey is simply amazing. I love that he has a backlist for me to go to whenever I’m not sure what I want to read. ...more
I didn’t much care for On a Quiet Street, but generally give authors at least a couple of tries before putting them on the “fool me twice” list. I’m pI didn’t much care for On a Quiet Street, but generally give authors at least a couple of tries before putting them on the “fool me twice” list. I’m pretty sure one of my real-life friends told me to read Such a Good Wife, but the blurb WAS NOT calling out to me so I quickly returned it and went looking for a different option – and thanks to the instant gratification of Hoopla, this was the winner.
And oh what a winner it was! You’ve got a few different narratives going on here. Grace, who lives pretty much as a hermit as much as she can after a near-death escape years before; Kira, whose daughter is currently missing; and Aden, who is presumed simply to be fishing and without cell service, but whose wife has panicked and called Aden back home to help find him.
If you like missing person stories, this one is a winner. Man, what a satisfying reveal of the whodunit! Per usual, I could live without the Epilogue(s), but I realize that’s most likely a me thing.
Pretty much the only thing necessary for me to write here is that this is now BOOK FOUR in the series and I’m still putting my name on the library waiPretty much the only thing necessary for me to write here is that this is now BOOK FOUR in the series and I’m still putting my name on the library waiting list whenever a new one is announced. (If you aren’t familiar with me, I’m generally one and done when it comes to books in a series – even if I like them okay.) The people at Cooper’s Chase are indeed a rare exception to the rule and yesterday this was like catching up with some old friends.
This time around the Thursday Murder Club is tackling a case of a dead acquaintance, a handful of small-time crooks and some missing heroin. And thanks to the local cops being booted off the job when some higher-ups come to town, both Chris and Donna are sort of A-okay with Elizabeth and the gang helping to Nancy Drew this one.
I can’t imagine NOT wanting to continue reading these as long as Richard Osman keeps churning them out. And while I could maybe have done without the page count involving the “catfishing” subplot, at some point you have to introduce the next murder victim so maybe that was the entire point. I enjoyed getting to know a little bit more about Ibrahim’s backstory and the potential for Joyce’s magical meringue to finally snag her a new fella in the future. But I should have known when dealing with octogenarians that eventually we would lose one and oh my god . . . .
My husband was ready to call 911 during the Sunday Funday football games when I started sobbing uncontrollably.
Maybe the best thing of all when it comes to these books is the timing. What a delightful Christmas gift to look forward to every year. Oh, and the fact that I have a little red fox who has come to visit in the woods behind our house since Thanksgiving. I've named him Stephen....more
The title and cover pretty much lay out what this is about. As a woman who has been called a cat hoarder by my own family and who all the s
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The title and cover pretty much lay out what this is about. As a woman who has been called a cat hoarder by my own family and who all the strays know where to go for a bowl of food, this was right up my alley. Very fun. ...more
I snatched this selection by Burroughs when I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to walk to next during my lunch hour/on the weekends. I’ve had much success with his work before, but I have never listened to him. This wasn’t my fave, but it held my attention and that’s pretty much the only thing that I need for an audiobook to be a winner right now. And I listened to it in November, so yay me I'm smart and read nonfiction ; )
(I will say he’s atrocious at accents, so in spite of this being some bleak subject matter anytime he tried to be British or Southern my first inclination was to laugh – which just reaffirms I’m a heartless monster.) ...more
Before I bash this one (just a lil’ bit), can we just take one moment to delight in all that is the perfect Autumn cartoon cover? Soooooo good.
Now forBefore I bash this one (just a lil’ bit), can we just take one moment to delight in all that is the perfect Autumn cartoon cover? Soooooo good.
Now for the bashing. First, Goodreads’ effing LIIIIIIEEEEESSSSSSS that the Kindle version of this is 368 pages. My copy was 441 and lemme tell you the perfect amount of pages for a rom com is 325 and not a paragraph more . . . .
Which leads to the absolute lack of character development whatsoever and a real slog for the first 100+ pages. Really, the only thing I ever got to know about Ari was . . . .
I’m all for sex positivity, but good lord, we’re talking about a grown ass woman and she had no other personality traits than being a bangbot????? Josh’s development wasn’t much better, but at least we got to climb around in his head a wee bit more.
I will continue to read whatever Oprah tells me to because I’ve been drinking that Kool-Aid for so long I’m pretty sure the withdrawal would be absoluI will continue to read whatever Oprah tells me to because I’ve been drinking that Kool-Aid for so long I’m pretty sure the withdrawal would be absolutely KILLER, but when it comes to this one . . . .
Salvage the Bones is a story I’ll never forget and again, I’ll continue to read Ward, but aside from her being really good at words, the story here just was not for me. I’m admittedly a giant dumbdumbbaby and accidentally came across the fact this was a reimagining of Dante’s Inferno after I had already finished reading. Being unfamiliar with the original work (aside from name and the principles of “seven levels”) I can only remark on my issues with this one. Mainly, my complaint is the flow was so lacking. The plot jumped from setting to setting without much character development (truly at the beginning I had assumed Annis was a much younger girl . . . until the sex scenes – which, ummmmm, really? I’m no pearl clutcher, but was it really even necessary?) Also, I’m an idiot so I had to double-check myself more than once that Annis and Arese were the same person and not a typo. But more than anything I’ll blame my wrongreading on the fact that I (a) do not enjoy magical realism and (b) am not a spiritual person. And WTF was the all the bee shit? God I am way to stupid to read this!
While the ending was satisfactory (especially when it came to the relationship between Annis and Aza), really I think a novel about the swamp and those who managed to escape and live there would have been a much bigger success for me....more
I will never not read a book if I know there’s some sort of “Big” or “13 Going On 30” vibes. And the vibes here were vibulating when not only Charlotte wakes up and discovers she’s 30, but due to a kerplunking of noggins while decorating for the prom, her nemesis J. T. Renner has also come along on this strange trip.
I loved every single thing about this. If you have a youngster in your life who likes to read fun, light romances this would definitely be one I’d recommend as a Christmas gift. And if you’re an oldster who likes fun, light romances then it might be a winner for you too. This was my first time with both Amy Lea (I’m so excited I have an ARC of her upcoming release from Berkley) and Mindy Kaling’s book club. So far I’m a fan of both! ...more
I read more than a handful of “haunted house” books this year and almost all were super lackluster. Everything about this one worked – from the setting of my dream home on a private island where I could live out my fantasy hermit lifestyle to the creep factor to the reveal of what was going on. I dug it. Obviously your mileage may vary and that is A-okay. ...more
I will 100% continue to read anything Mhairi McFarlane releases, but this one wasn’t my fave. While I sign up for her stuff because I love the friend I will 100% continue to read anything Mhairi McFarlane releases, but this one wasn’t my fave. While I sign up for her stuff because I love the friend groups and actual plot with a side of romance thrown in, maybe I read this too soon after Mad About You as there were several similarities in the goings on with those two releases.
I did take a looky look at this opening line of Lucky Dogs’ synopsis which was the driving force behind me accepting an advanced copy:
The paths of two women on opposite ends of a high-profile sexual abuse scandal set them on a devastating collision course.
And when I was finished I actually took a gander at the author’s notes as well, which is another thing I hardly do. Unless you have lived under a rock for the past five years, you will automatically recognize this story right down to the shaved head . . . .
What I didn’t realize was this was LITERALLY ripped from the headlines and based the “Black Cube Chronicles” piece in The New Yorker by Ronan Farrow.
I was struggling with the heavy-handed writing throughout (this took me a full five days to read and if you know me you know that never happens), but the fact that this was a story already told (and told and retold) in recent past and yet felt sooooooo disjointed and a slog to get through when dealing with such titillating subject matter is just not something that can be ignored.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
We start off with Lee. She had fulfilled her dream of opening her own restaurant when the pandemic hit. Wrapped up with a real shady business partner Lee has ran across the country and is now homeless for fear that if she is found she’ll be ….
And if you think THAT is far-fetched - well, things haven’t even really gotten started yet.
If you can completely throw any semblance of reality out the window and don’t suffer whiplash due to eleventy twists and turns maybe give this a whirl.
At some point over the summer after having worked a desk job for the past 417 years it started becoming more and more apparent that my body was sort oAt some point over the summer after having worked a desk job for the past 417 years it started becoming more and more apparent that my body was sort of . . . . breaking down, for lack of a better word, due to me being so sedentary during my 9-5:00 – followed by some serious couch potato sessions for the remainder of my evenings (and most of my weekends). My back hurt CONSTANTLY (probably because I have the posture of Quasimodo when at said desk job) and I thought maybe walking a little bit couldn’t hurt.
So I took all of the laundry that was being air-dried off the treadmill, queued up the Real Housewives of [Enter Whichever City You’d Like Because I’m Addicted to Them All] and off I went. And I HAAAAAAAAATED it. Oh lordy be the treadmill walk is the most boringass walk – even with those table flippin’ hoes to entertain me.
When the leaves began changing color and the temperatures finally dropped to the point where my underpants wouldn’t be soaked with all the sweat pouring all the way down from my head to my buttcrack I decided to give walking outside a go. I’m not a big audiobook listener and definitely have some . . . .
tendencies so anything with an actual plot to follow would pretty much be out of the question. And then came Dolly. Songteller was available as instant gratification from Hoopla and once she started talking to me I went from barely making it two miles to easily bumping it up to five. It was like having coffee and catching up with a best friend you hadn’t seen in an age. This covered everything from the coat of many colors to all things Porter Wagner to “Jolene” and Miley to my personal childhood fave . . . .
I grew up with Dolly, I was beyond thrilled to watch my son a few years ago in his high school musical production of 9 to 5 and realized I still want to be her when I grow up when I saw her rocking a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader outfit while performing at halftime on Thanksgiving. Her spirit and generosity makes me want to try and be a better human. What a national treasure. Every Star....more
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