And while Tommy Lee Jones specifically is always a delight, I’m talking about the basics – mainly that when dealing with a cat and mouse type of story you have to have the cat making chase. Otherwise things get real dull real quick. Oh and also women who luuuuurrrrrrv their husbands probably don’t even engage in the idea of kissing another feller a day after said husband’s murder. And also again, if you’re that smart you should have known who the bad guy was.
Kudos to Ruth Ware for venturing out of her comfort genre, your mileage may vary with this one....more
I know in the dark recesses of my brain that I’ve probably both read and watched Our Town but it was so long ago I remember zero about it. The great nI know in the dark recesses of my brain that I’ve probably both read and watched Our Town but it was so long ago I remember zero about it. The great news for everyone else who isn’t a ride or die for Thornton Wilder is this story worked out great for me despite not having that emotional connection to its inspiration. Normally I gravitate towards more soap opera style drama in my family dramas but this was quietly wonderful. And because I'm uneducated white trash I'm more than willing to say that when I was reading this my unrefined pop-culture addled brain kept thinking to me it was like if "Baby" Houseman was reminiscing about that unforgettable summer she spent with Johnny Castle . . .
The only other book I’ve read by Patchett was Bel Canto which had some bizarro Stockholm Syndrome-y romance subplot and just was not my idea of a great time. This book had me immediately putting a request in for State of Wonder. I run about 1 out of 10 when it comes to enjoying Reece Witherspoon selections (but the FOMO has me thinking I absolutely need to read most of them). I'm happy to say this was a winner. And the cover is simply lovely . . . despite not featuring a house ; )...more
Here’s another selection with a paltry Goodreads’ rating that I thought was pretty dang decent. The story here is about three lifelong pals
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Here’s another selection with a paltry Goodreads’ rating that I thought was pretty dang decent. The story here is about three lifelong pals on the cusp of growing up. At 15 Xavier, Robert (“Bobcat”) and Charlie are stoked that it’s summer break, that they have their first jobs as lifeguards together and that maybe they are old enough to spread their wings a bit and get out from under their parents’ thumbs. But then the body of a dead young woman is discovered in their upper-class neighborhood and the boys definitely seem to be hiding something. The question left to answer is . . . .
What happened on the greenbelt?
This was a more than satisfactory whodunit for me. The alternating of narrators between the three mothers and the police detective investigating the potential murder and the various backstories and skeletons of all the characters kept me wanting to turn pages. If you like a book that asks “how far would you go to protect your child” or “how well do you know your child?” this will most likely keep your interest as well.
The other day I had just finished a good book (of course I haven’t reviewed it yet, so much luck to you in trying to figure out which one of the 100+ The other day I had just finished a good book (of course I haven’t reviewed it yet, so much luck to you in trying to figure out which one of the 100+ on my “Currently Reading” it was) and I knew the chances of enjoying whatever I picked up next were likely not great. So I did what any sane woman should do in a time of crisis like this and asked myself . . . .
And remembered the she had said Lee Smith was one of her favorite authors so it was probably high time I gave one of her books a chance. The Last Girls was available and the premise of a reunion of sorts of old college pals where they would re-create a trip taken down the Mighty Miss thirty years ago (but in luxury this time around) in order to spread the ashes of one of the gals appealed to me right away. While I generally hate leaving my house, I really somehow dig the idea of one of these leisurely riverboat cruises . . .
This was a winner for me for sure. If you vibed with all things Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood you’ll most likely feel the same about this one.
(I could have lived without the godawful poetry, Anna's draft bodice-ripper and definitely gone without Russell the drunken perv husband's perspective, however. It's called THE LAST GIRLS - we don't need no dang fellers mucking it up. Oh and I didn't even bother reading the bios included at the end of the girls who had been on the first trip, but were somehow not included in the second. Why even waste the extra pages? Why weren't five girls enough for the original float since these non-characters were absolutely not necessary? Why can't books just all be 320 pages???? LOL *sorta* on that last one.)
3.5 and rounding up because . . . well, Dolly....more
When Emma Cline’s The Girls came out it was all the rage (I notice now the Goodreads’ rating has settled in to a more mediocre one so maybe I didn’t rWhen Emma Cline’s The Girls came out it was all the rage (I notice now the Goodreads’ rating has settled in to a more mediocre one so maybe I didn’t read it as wrong as I originally had thought). Now she has released The Guest and it seems there’s a lot of dislike for it so of course I pretty much loved it . . . .
The story here is about Alex. She’s part grifter, part sex worker, part sugar baby. When she finds herself kicked out of her apartment share and actively avoiding “Dom” because baby apparently did a bad bad thing, along came Simon. An invite to spend the summer out at his beach house arrived just at the right time. When Alex commits a party foul she finds herself no longer in Simon’s good graces and instead driven to the train station and provided a ticket. But that’s okay, right? I mean Simon will come to his senses if she just lays low and gives him some space until his big Labor Day shin-dig, right?????
I thought The Guest was such a quiet thrillride. I love an unlikeable character and there weren’t many (any?) redeeming qualities about Alex. Maybe it was simply the perfect timing of Labor Day weekend being upon me when I read this, but whatever it was I had a great time.
(I do hate this cover, though. The pool one is *chef's kiss*)...more
I haven’t read a serial killer story this good since . . . . I don’t even know. Dexter???? This had a perfect page count (THANK YOU, Catherine Ryan Howard for keeping it brief so I never left the edge of my seat), some Gilgo Beach feels, one scary mofo and an ending that had me like . . . .
This bright yellow cover popped up on my feed courtesy of my friend Marty Fried. I took a quick peek at the first sentence of the blurb which called tThis bright yellow cover popped up on my feed courtesy of my friend Marty Fried. I took a quick peek at the first sentence of the blurb which called this Friday Night Lights meets The Lincoln Lawyer and I committed to take this ol’ Ford for a spin. And now that I’m finished I have this to say to Marty . . . .
I talk quite a bit about how I am the spoiler of my own enjoyment quite frequently when it comes to stories involving the law, but I had forgotten how good a courtroom drama could be when done well. The story here is about a patent attorney from Marshall, Texas (Go Mavericks!) who somehow finds himself smack dab in the middle of a murder trial. If it sounds farfetched, have no fear because it doesn’t come off that way at all. You see, attorney Eucher is a well know “local” (that’s local counsel, if you aren’t familiar) who had been recruited to help defend a patent claim for a new rideshare/mapping/taxi app called Medallion . . . . and then stays on when the defendant of that suit finds himself accused of murdering the judge presiding over his case.
The writing is simple and succinct, legalese is explained without being too explain-y, I learned something I didn’t know in that the Eastern District of Texas is the hotbed for patent suits (nearly everything I do involves Patent and Trademark Agreements, but I work on the lender side so I don’t even pay attention to those when putting my stuff together), the realistic approach of simply providing enough reasonable doubt to find the client innocent was a nice change (although the whodunit aspect of this one was more than satisfactory), and maybe most importantly if there were more books featuring Jimmy I would probably break my normal routine and pick them up. This had everything that makes a good series – mainly a cast of unique and likeable characters who all had great chemistry with each other. And who doesn’t want to know more about The Leg or if James does indeed decide to switch things up and become a criminal attorney? ...more
Here’s a little guilty pleasure confessional on this fine Friday morning: I loooooooooove Where the Heart Is. I love Novalee Nation. I love the Wal-MaHere’s a little guilty pleasure confessional on this fine Friday morning: I loooooooooove Where the Heart Is. I love Novalee Nation. I love the Wal-Mart baby. Hell, I love Wal-Mart. I love Forney. I love Sister Husband and her fornicating ways. I love the print version which sits front and center on one of my bookshelves and I the movie too. I’m not a re-reader, but it is a book I have read more than a few times. It just makes me feel good. It’s also the reason I have never read another Billie Letts story until now. (I do own a copy of The Honk and Holler Opening Soon, so one day if I’m bedridden and can’t make it to the library or work the Kindle I might actually open that one.) I state all this knowing full well the reaction from a lot of you might be . . .
Shoot the Moon popped up on a recommendation somewhere (I think maybe the library software this time) and I figured what the hell. Summertime is when I get in the mood for family stuff and chicklit and whathaveyou so I downloaded it immediately without even reading the synopsis. Basically the plot here involves a stranger arriving to town claiming to be the son of a long-ago murdered woman who has always been believed to have been murdered/disposed of as well. As Mark reconnects with a biological family he never even knew about, there’s still a lingering question . . .
This was a little family, a little romance and a little mystery all combined into one. It wasn’t terrible, but it paled in comparison to Where the Heart Is.
If you did like this one, I’d highly recommend Carolina Moonset. ...more
Maggie has been counting down the seconds to the summer of her life – spending three weeks at Camp Rising Star with her BFF Nora. That is, until her mMaggie has been counting down the seconds to the summer of her life – spending three weeks at Camp Rising Star with her BFF Nora. That is, until her mother informs her there has been a change in plans . . . .
Now Maggie is not only stuck across the lake from the camp of her dreams, but also this place is W.E.I.R.D. Absolutely no one allowed out after dark? No mirrors? Mandatory blood draws? Random campers reportedly being sent home with no details provided? And what’s up with Helen, the creepiest camp counselor who is constantly asking to be invited into the cabins?
If you thought the only thing to worry about at the Lake of the Ozarks was the amount of E. Coli in the water, boy were you mistaken!
Man do I love a good middle-grade offering. Being a mother of two (now nearly grown) kids who were not fans of reading (yeah, pretty sure the hospital screwed up twice and sent me home with the wrong babies), I love stories that even my book-hating youngsters might have had a hard time putting down. Middle-grade and YA are definitely Julie Murphy’s forte. Her adult romance novels have flopped for me two times, but she’s never failed me with the younger stuff and I will pick up whatever she releases in those genres. ...more
I just took a second to look at the overall Goodreads’ rating along with my friends’ individual Star reactions to this one and it turns out I’m the naI just took a second to look at the overall Goodreads’ rating along with my friends’ individual Star reactions to this one and it turns out I’m the naysayer of the bunch. You know what that means, right????
Ha! Just kidding. Everyone is aware that I’m usually the wrongreader. The main reason I didn’t vibe with this one was not because it was farfetched – I’m down for some fun with my thrillers – it was a combination of this supposed grifter type of conwoman being so easy to fool and a supposed “zany” thriller that really did not tickle my funny bone after the first couple of chapters.
I’m over 100 reviews behind for the year, so that’s all I have to say. Everyone else really liked it, so it was probably just wrong place/wrong time for me. ...more
I mean, at least he owns the fact that his stuff is all knockoffs at this point, but for the first couple of releases it seemed like he/his PR team were trying to keep that under wraps until they started getting put on blast for being so unoriginal. And don’t even get me started on choosing a pen name that would intentionally lead readers to believe you to be a woman . . . . in a historically male dominated market. That just always felt . . . . well . . . . a bit gross if I’m being honest.
But anyway, now that I’m aware all of Todd’s stuff is going to be a reimagining of something else I look forward to his new releases, add my name to the library waiting list as soon as I hear another is coming out, and know that while they probably aren’t going to knock my socks off they are almost guaranteed to give me a few hours of a good time. Thus was the case with this modernization of Lizzie Borden. Totally satisfactory and I wouldn’t try to steer anyone away from it. ...more
The trope here is a fairly popular one of recent past: A stolen manuscript.
When Athena chokes on a big ol’ faceful of pancake while celebrating her latest literary achievement (this time a Netflix deal) with not-such-a-big-hit-author friend June, she leaves behind her latest novel next to the old fashioned typewriter she has always used to create her magic. With no prospects on the horizon for June and no one to know about her dirty little secret, June stashes the pages in her bag and passes this piece of literary fiction off to her agent as her own. Soon a bidding war for the title is happening and June Hayward is reimaged as “Juniper Song” – but is it because she simply wants a do-over or is this intentional “yellowfacing” in order to appear more in tune with the story of Chinese laborers she is pretending to have written?
Talk about a freaking SMART book. This takes all of the controversies regarding stories like American Dirt and just smacks you in the face with every side of the situation. And for anyone (*cough Remarkably Bright Creature trolls cough*) who thinks I am a wrongreader because I only want books with likeable characters? Number 1, eff off. Number 2, I LOOOOOOOOOOVE books with despicable characters and both June and Athena were truly awful. This release is one that will not only keep you turning pages, but could generate some actual deep conversation instead of just wine swilling at your monthly book club.
The only thing I didn’t love was the “thriller” type of twist at the end. I felt it dumbed this book down and wasn’t necessary. I also thought it had potentially been hinted at that (view spoiler)[Athena maybe had been pulling off a true “yellowface” of her own rather than just being a literary parasite (hide spoiler)] and that would have been a more satisfying ending for me.
I will anxiously await whatever this author comes up with next.
Like this one? You’ll LOVE A Ladder to the Sky....more
Old God’s Time received high marks from a couple of friends (that’s what put it on my radar to begin with), so it may very well work better for you thOld God’s Time received high marks from a couple of friends (that’s what put it on my radar to begin with), so it may very well work better for you than it did for me. I knew going in this was going to be a DARK story (about the sins committed by those who have supposedly been called to a higher power and given the authority to absolve others). I just didn’t know it would take until 40% to actually start making any progress as far as plot. I hate to say it, but if I were a DNF’er, I most likely would have put this aside. The story here is about a retired police officer who receives a knock on his door which makes him take a much unwanted walk down memory lane while dealing with two separate but equally desperate situations in the present. The memories are horrific and brutal and not for sensitive readers, but as I said it took so long to get there that the end result wasn’t totally worth the time invested for me. ...more
The FOMO is 100% to blame for my TBR being completely unmanageable. Each Tuesday when new books are published I am the first one in line banging on thThe FOMO is 100% to blame for my TBR being completely unmanageable. Each Tuesday when new books are published I am the first one in line banging on the library’s double-doors hoping to score every hot release. Sometimes it works, sometimes I stay on the waiting list for perpetuity. Thus was the case with the highly touted Yellowface, so when someone on the ‘Gram posted that they actually preferred this novel I jumped all over it as it was immediately available for my greedy self.
I don’t think I was smart enough for this one. I’m admittedly not a big fan of satiric humor, but this sort of went all over the place from what started with zany slapstick style antics and accidental near overdosing on “allergy pills” to serious subject matter like a MAGA type movement and the fetishizing of Asian women to the aforementioned satire. If this would have been streamlined to around 250-300 pages rather than 400 I think it would have worked better for me. Or maybe . . . .
I mean we’re talking the holy grail of house covers right there, kids. Unfortunately the book itself was mostly a flop for me. The main problem was that this was marketed as a whodunit, but you don’t even get a dead granny until 30%. And granny didn’t even need to be murdered for this story. This one is all about the various skeletons that end up falling out of the cupboards when a group of longtime friends get together for a girls’ trip. Granny provided the chateau and was the catalyst behind certain skeletons, but again, she could have been dead to begin with and the ladies could have been coming together either for her funeral or reading of the will without any of the stabby even occurring. But it is what it is. Take this to the pool for some mindless summertime fun if nothing else. (Just be forewarned that this author comes off as a real Francophile who likes to toss in an obnoxious amount of super basic French words to her narration.)...more
There’s nothing quite like that feeling when you finish a book and think “now what the eff am I going to rThis isn’t going to have a happy ending.
There’s nothing quite like that feeling when you finish a book and think “now what the eff am I going to read after THAT?!?!?!?!” Man, bookhangovers – they are a rarity for me, but last night when I finished up The Searcher that’s exactly how I felt. I had only read (and enjoyed) Tana French once before, but my real life bookpal recommended this one . . . . with trepidation . . . . so I immediately downloaded it from the library. (I ride or die with my book besties because they don’t ever tend to steer me wrong.) I understand her hesitation on telling me about this one, though, because not only is it 450+ pages and she’s well aware I’m a dumb dumb baby who likes my stories wrapped up in about 100 pages less than that, but also because this one is a slow roller. But I’m telling you it was a slow roller in the best possible way for me. The story absorbed me like fog rolling across the backyard on my favorite types of quiet Saturday mornings out on the deck with my cup of Joe. I loved Cal instantly and grew to love him even more as the “why” behind how he had wound up in Ireland after retiring from the police force back in the States was explained. And I love a kid in a book about once a year, so kudos to you little Trey – you done good at making me fall in love with you as well. The mystery here doesn’t even get mentioned until nearly the 100 page mark, so I’m not kidding when I say you need to be patient and just let yourself be sucked in by the atmosphere for a bit. Not to mention, it’s not the most mysterious of mysteries. You KNOW things ain’t gonna end up great, you just have to keep reading for the details.
I vaguely remember this being a bit of a miss when it was released, but again I’m not a Tana French reader historically so I was not trying to compare apples to apples. If I were to compare this to anyone, it would be David Joy – and that’s about the finest compliment I can give an author so it’s getting all the Stars.
Oh, and if you’re wondering what I decided to pick up next I pretty much spun the wheel on my NetGalley backlog and ended up with Best Men. It’s completely different from this, but Max is already charming me. ...more
Ahhhhhh, there’s nothing quite like a book so obviously written for readers. And what better subject matter could there be than a book abou
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Ahhhhhh, there’s nothing quite like a book so obviously written for readers. And what better subject matter could there be than a book about a book? This composite novel allows you to experience Theo from the eyes of The Writer, The Assistant, The Actor, The Artist, The Diver, The Teenager, The Bookseller, The Caretaker, The Coordinator and The Agent. It’s certainly one of the best things to have come out of the pandemic and since I was late to this party and did not have an advanced copy, I am allowed to let the book do the rest of the talking . . . .
Your first read of an extraordinary book is something you can only experience once.
Getting an advance copy felt like someone telling him a secret while still holding a finger to their lips. The experience made more exciting by its exclusivity.
He could feel the story, opening inside him.
Her mother used to tell her that books were like a giant neighborhood where every family was different, and every door was open.
No matter how good a book is, someone will hate it, and they’re likely to tell you. But as long as that book is only in your head, it is still perfect.
I snatched this one up from the library pronto during prom season where people on the Socials are still more than happy to celebrate their childrens’ I snatched this one up from the library pronto during prom season where people on the Socials are still more than happy to celebrate their childrens’ antebellum proms. As the title states, this truly is not okay.
I realize I’m not the target demographic for this YA book, buuuuuuuut that being said, the problems with all of these books with a message is the people who actually neeeeed to read them will be those least likely to ever pick them up. The writing here is definitely for an audience who needs every microagression spelled out for them, which, unfortunately makes the lead Harriet a not-so-likeable character who takes being offended to an entirely different level. In addition, the other characters aren't fleshed out much at all and Harriet shows absolutely no empathy to the idea that anyone else could be dealing with real-life issues of their own. Eventually it is disclosed that Harriet suffers from anger management issues, but the therapy portions of the story leave much to be desired and it was pretty clear Harriet probably needed more than an every once in a while talk session to deal with her problems. As a mom I simply could not get on board with the decision of Harriet not attending her dream college because it only acknowledged its tainted history in 2014 rather than sooner. And the instalove which would result in moving away with a boy immediately after high school graduation after only dating for a few weeks being fully supported by her father made me realize I’m a Boomer who probably should stop reading books for teenagers.
Not to mention nearly all of the dialogue was super cringe like . . . .
Let me unload one piece of baggage before I even begin here. My copy of You Shouldn’t Have Come Here DID NOT include the Colleen Hoover cover blurb. ILet me unload one piece of baggage before I even begin here. My copy of You Shouldn’t Have Come Here DID NOT include the Colleen Hoover cover blurb. If it had, I would hope that I would have been smart enough to avoid this like the plague due the incessant seven year trolling I’ve receive from CoHo’s rabid fanbase. Buuuuuut, since The Perfect Marriage remains on my TBR, there’s a decent chance I still would have read it. Although I didn’t know about the new and improved cover at all, I was immediately confronted with a paragraph on the very first page. And then one by Jennifer Hillier, and Kaira Rouda, and John Marrs and Alex Finlay????? Now that I’m finished I have one question to ask . . . .
For real, though. I mean was this a dare to see how quickly this thing could go viral on TikTok? Are these authors a caliber of likeswappers Goodreads and The ‘Gram have never before seen? Did they all sell their souls????
I picked this up to give Jeneva Rose a second chance after reading One of Us Is Dead - a book that wasn’t terrible for me, just not as over-the-top as it could/should have been when it came to the delivery. I had not known Airbnb “Rooms” was now a thing since I refuse to watch television with commercials, but lemme just say if you’re thinking about staying with a random stranger maybe read this book because obviously this would be a killer’s wet dream. I was hoping for a popcorn thriller and suspension of disbelief was not going to be a problem for me when it came to the story of Grace who rents a room on a ranch in Wyoming from Calvin for ten days. I figured at least one person would wind up dead and I was down for the stabbies. But this was so booooooooooooring. Good lord amighty what a snoozefest.
The stuff that did finally happen was what most people would think was going to happen all along . . . other than the “twist” at the end which was one of those last-pagers that’s just stupid and thrown in as an attempt to shock the reader, but it was all too little too late.
Oh, and to authors who do things like this???
“Finally, a thriller. This one promised a twisty ending I wouldn’t see coming. It seemed every thriller promised that these days, but few actually delivered.”
“When she appeared in the kitchen, I let out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding in. Cliché, I know. But it’s true.”
It doesn’t make you seem clever to be “in on the joke” – it’s simply a confirmation that you don’t write well enough to come up with something other than the worn out lines every other pisspoor Wattpader comes up with.
Kelly (and the Book Boar)
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