I’m going to start this by borrowing the author’s own words and saying to Chris Whitaker . . .
“Can’t you see how beautiful you make tragedy?”
In my house my husband and I often use the turn of phrase “We Got Shawshanked.” If you are familiar with the film The Shawshank Redemption, you most likely have experienced this yourself. It happens less frequently in the time of streaming services, but occasionally we still flip through channels trying to decide on something to watch and run across that movie. Getting Shawshanked starts off innocently enough. You say “oh this is the scene where _____________ happens – I’ll just watch for a minute.” Then two hours later you realize you completely lost time and ended up watching the entire movie.
That’s what happened with this book. I went in completely blind and I’m not going to provide a summary of any sort to anyone reading this, so go to other reviews and risk being spoiled if you dare. I loved both We Begin at the End and Tall Oaks so when I saw this author had a new release I put my name on the library waiting list. Unfortunately for me (but fortunately for Whitaker and his book sales), it was after Jenna already made it her “Read With” selection so I was about eleventy-seven down the list. Luckily I have a great library system who acquired a trillion more copies of this so my wait was nearly non-existent. Then I realized it was 600 pages long – and if you know me you know I will die on the hill that 350 pages is the magic maximum number for nearly everything out there. But I dove in anyway . . . and then it was midnight, I turned the final page and found myself 100% in a bookhangover and mourning the loss of all of my new best friends.
Not only was this an exception to my “ugh this has too many pages” rule, it was an exception to nearly alllll of my personal tics. I loved the multiple viewpoints, I loved jumping from location to location, I loved the cobwebby storylines that eventually came together, I effing LOOOOOVED the youngsters (and that’s only happened like twice this year), I loved the descriptive prose when it was utilized. Everything. I loved everything about this book. I made half a gazillion notes and highlights, but I still have a feeling that should anyone question me about nuanced plot points or any other details in a week I’ll still be like . . .
Okay, so obviously this is no Pulitzer winner but hell effing Demon Copperhead won that and it was nothing but clichéd Appalachian trauma p
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Okay, so obviously this is no Pulitzer winner but hell effing Demon Copperhead won that and it was nothing but clichéd Appalachian trauma porn so maybe the Pulitzer ain't all it’s cracked up to be. This one is pure poolside fun. Get baked till you're looking like Kramer when he buttered himself like Kenny Roasters and have some fun when . . .
Clare Pooley might just be the gal for you. All of her books sort of follow the same thing – a ragtag bunch of folks finding unlikely friendship and a common cause. The cause this time around is saving the local community center from demolition. The ragtag friend group starts with some senior citizens and the woman who has been hired to run a social club for them. A high schooler, his baby, the kids from the nursery school and a dog eventually get added to the mix to bring on the saccharine sweet feels.
The story here jumps off with the community center van being pulled over by the cops who are looking for one suspect in particular. Nearly every occupant begins confessing to why they are the one the police are looking for – while the actual suspect is making a break for it. Then it does a rewind to introduce you to all of the characters, their backstories and eventually ends back at the beginning.
If you’re a fan of the Thursday Murder Club folks (particularly Elizabeth) and want to have some more fun with geriatrics, but without a body count, this one might work for you.
3.5 Stars and rounding up because it’s nice to smile sometimes : )
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Seriously, though, when I saw this cover I was like what in the effing artificial intelligence generating software is THIS? Which was enough to get me to read the blurb – something that doesn’t often happen.
The story here is about Dolores who discovers her husband’s new “friend” Zoey in the garage. When David moves out for a bit of a trial separation, Dolores maintains custody of Zoey and the two develop an actual sort of friendship of their own that ends up making Dolores come to terms about many things when it comes to her relationship and past.
Okay, I freaking loved this. It won’t be for everyone and if you are a person who doesn’t like things that go unexpectedly darker than you anticipate from the synopsis, you might want to steer clear. I obviously don’t have an issue with most any subject matter as long as the storytelling is quality and a billion bonus points are awarded to books like these that offer maybe a familiar plotline in such a unique manner of delivery. Plus, it’s also sometimes pretty funny . . . .
“What if I fall in love with Zoey?”
“That won’t happen.”
“I’ve fallen in love with less interesting people.”
“Well then I suppose that would certainly be a twist, wouldn’t it?”
Recommended.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more
The story here is about the Larkin family. We start in in the Summer of 1951. Eldest daughter Myra is dabbling with her first taste of freedom as a young teen and is allowed to go to the diner after Sunday mass for a couple of hours before coming home to assist with family chores. On this given Sunday, Myra meets a young man who says his name is Mickey Mantle and that he is a rookie with the New York Yankees who has been sent back down to the minors for the time being. He offers Myra a ride home since it is raining outside and even gives her one of his baseball cards to remember him by . . . . and then that night neighbors down the street are victims of a grisly murder in their own home with the main suspect being a young, male, blonde stranger.
The story is then a SWEEPING narrative spanning sixty years and told by multiple members of the Larkin clan. Hot button headlines of the day are mentioned (such as the assassination attempt on Ronald Regan and Rock Hudson’s AIDS diagnosis), but also there are a couple of near-misses by notorious serial killers. And then. WHOA BOY OH BOY AND THEN! The Larkin mother begins receiving bizarre postcards from the only surviving son of the family, Alec, consisting of simple “hello and goodbye” messages – accompanied by the name and age of a child.
This was perfection. Family saga plus serial killers? Talk about my bucket list dream novel. Every Star.
Endless thanks to Little Brown for a copy in exchange for my honest review. ...more
Per usual I put a hold at the library for Tananarive Due’s newest release without knowing anything about it. I previously read and really dug The BetwPer usual I put a hold at the library for Tananarive Due’s newest release without knowing anything about it. I previously read and really dug The Between, so it was a no-brainer. And let me tell you – this one????
Twelve year old Robbie attempts to defend his sister’s honor after witnessing the neighbor kid trying to get fresh with her, but that is simply something that is not done by a black kid in the South when said neighbor is not only white, but also from a family who kind of owns the town. Robbie finds himself sent to The Reformatory – known for not only its brutality, but also its haints. As Robbie’s sister tries to devise a plan to get Robbie out, he is simply trying to survive.
I don’t have any words for this other than read it. Every Star....more
If you are trash like me, you might be familiar with the term “the sun shines on a dog’s butt every once in a while.” This could also be rephrased as If you are trash like me, you might be familiar with the term “the sun shines on a dog’s butt every once in a while.” This could also be rephrased as occasionally Kelly actually likes something that she has really been anticipating. Oh, but have no fear, friends – I’m still a wrongreader as most of my pals found this to be pretty lackluster. Me, however???
I was really vibulating with the Ira Levin sort of feels I was picking up. Be forewarned, this tale of a couple who inherit a deceased uncle’s $5M fat pad in NYC doesn’t contain many twists or turns, so it’s truly about the connection. I have no idea if the homage to Levin was intentional or not, but I was picking up on the best sort of tasty tidbits from Rosemary’s Baby and (maybe the only decent part at all) from Sliver.
The one thing I found absolutely unnecessary? The time-hop to the narrative in the past. That was 100% a lame distraction simply for “shock and awe” (and very little of that) that could have easily been information revealed while Rosie was digging through the boxes upon boxes in the storage unit to discover the “haunted” past of the historic Windermere. Also? Please don’t name characters “Chad” . . . .
This is the time where half stars would be great because I truly think this falls at 3.5. Buuuuuut, Imma round up because Lisa Unger remains firmly planted on my “don’t care how, I want it now” list and to maybe convince her publisher to not deny me every time I request an ARC since I actually read AND dig her stuff....more
I’m going to steal from Rotten Tomatoes and certify this one as fresh.
When Hannah’s most recent soulmate ghosts her and her BFF gets engage
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I’m going to steal from Rotten Tomatoes and certify this one as fresh.
When Hannah’s most recent soulmate ghosts her and her BFF gets engaged, Hannah takes her obsession with true crime to a whole different level and starts looking for love in all the wrong places. Specifically, as a pen pal with a suspected serial killer who has been charged with murdering four women and dumping their bodies in a ravine. What’s the harm, right? I mean all signs point to a conviction so it’s not like she’s actually at risk of being victim #5. That is until an actual fifth body is found while William is on trial which obviously makes him not guilty, he gets released and is ready for his happily ever after with his new girlfriend. Then it becomes a question of did he or didn’t he . . . or maybe more appropriate, will he or won’t he?
Simply put, this was a lot of fun. From the “Burn Book” style of cover art to the new take on “romance” in your 30s, I had a ball. The whodunit won’t be much of a shocker, but this made for a most enjoyable day out on the deck soaking up some unseasonably warm weather here in flyover country.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review....more
A couple of weeks ago I was chatting it up on my weekly talk with my pal Shelby and she said I had to read this book. I promptly told her say no more A couple of weeks ago I was chatting it up on my weekly talk with my pal Shelby and she said I had to read this book. I promptly told her say no more and managed to multitask and get myself on the library waiting list for it without even disconnecting the call . . .
She didn’t tell me anything at all about the plot – simply said it was a must read. I still have not looked at any blurb or review about this one. I’m just here to tell you she was right. And also? I had some trepidation upon starting because . . .
Those aren’t my favorite stories (either to read OR to watch). I have a tendency to either start screaming (at both book and film versions) “FIND A WEAPON! KILL THAT MOTHEREFFER!!!” or become bored quickly because I am Dug the dog and my attention span wanes when the action all takes place in one room.
I have zero intention of spoiling this for any of you. Just know that about the 50% mark things took a twist and by the time I finished reading on Saturday I wanted to call Shelby right back and be like . . . .
But since I’m a fool as soon as the temperatures went from 30 below to 60 above my TBR got chucked right out the window so I could take a trip to my Summer home . . .
Okay, my IMAGINARY Summer home. But seriously, though, you give me a hint of Spring and I am all about Elin Hilderbrand and Kristan Higgans who are my go-to gals for some beachy good times. I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of this and just took a gander at the blurb now that I’m finished to see exactly what I should/should not be spoiling. I’ll keep the details to myself, but just be forewarned it’s not quite as breezy as the lighthearted synopsis might have you believe and if you are a crier, you best get your Kleenex ready because there’s more to this fake dating trope than meets the eye.
I didn’t realize there would be more than one narrator so that sort of threw me for a loop and it took me a little while to enjoy Lark’s mother. The landlady, though? Oh I want to be her when I grow up. Maybe this wasn’t my favorite Higgans’ story (because I was expecting something much lighter), but she’s still an auto read for me so I’ll happily round up my 3.5 Stars.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Like bajillions of other true crime addicts around the world, the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard is one that is like a trainwreck I couldn’t simply looLike bajillions of other true crime addicts around the world, the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard is one that is like a trainwreck I couldn’t simply look away from. From Mommy Dead and Dearest to binging The Act to reading fictitious takes on Gypsy’s story in novels such as Darling Rose Gold, I have been hooked on this wilder than fiction tale of murder and Munchausen By Proxy for years now. When I saw a book was being released you bet your butt I was the first on the library waiting list. What I didn’t realize this was simply a sampler of around 100 pages – otherwise known as . . . . .
These transcriptions of phone calls from the prison leave nearly all of the story left untold (and would have worked so much better as an audiobook than in hard copy). I 100% anxiously await Gypsy’s full memoir and want to hear her side straight from the horse’s mouth. I will say, the general reaction of “YAAAAAAS QUEEN” by the public upon her release has been more than a little disconcerting to me. Yes, Gypsy-Rose was a victim, but are the same folks who seem to be offended by nearly everything really celebrating murder now? Odd. Also, her Peter Griffin looking husband skeeves me out to the max so it will be interesting to see if he is an opportunist. Let’s face it, Gypsy is an easy mark. She clearly suffers from a severe case of arrested development and dives right into relationships head first looking for her fairy tale. Or is it all an act? She certainly drops her bubbly persona and lets it be known she has some serious sour grapes off of others making money from her tale without her getting a cut (as explained in this book – the public record is free for the taking). The one thing that is certain is she has fully embraced being front and center in the public eye and her millions of new followers on social media. Time will tell if there is to be more than 15 minutes of fame. ...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.
Let’s just be real honest, you have me at hello at the mere mention of a wrong turn taken on a deserted highway and an 18-wheeler barreling down on a Let’s just be real honest, you have me at hello at the mere mention of a wrong turn taken on a deserted highway and an 18-wheeler barreling down on a couple in a book blurb . . . .
Okay so I freaking LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVED The Sun Down Motel by this author – everything from the cover art to the last page. But then I found The Broken Girls to be just okay and didn’t much care for The Book of Cold Cases at all. I fully take the blame, because I wasn’t aware that the supernatural was St. James’ niche and that all of her stories included it. I assumed that I would not be picking up more of stuff, but then I saw this blurb and thought yep – a ghostly thing could absolutely work here. And it did!
Recommended : )
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!...more
Let’s be transparent here - I 100% requested this book from the library simply because I love that bird flip on the front (you’re lucky I loved this sLet’s be transparent here - I 100% requested this book from the library simply because I love that bird flip on the front (you’re lucky I loved this so much, cover artists, because shouldn't it have been a “V” since this took place in London????).
Even though Grace was a Read With Jenna pick I have not seen it making the rounds much on either The ‘Gram or Goodreads so I was able to go in completely blind.
Pretty much right from the start I thought this was the female equivalent of . . . .
(With maybe a little Where’d Ya Go, Bernadette? thrown in for good measure.)
And upon finishing I discovered that film was this book’s inspiration. I’ll be honest and say the all over the place timeline was a hindrance for me at the start and the not knowing what had happened between Grace and her daughter was aggravating until I settled in. That being said, it was miserable and rainy here so I read this in one day. Had I stopped and restarted my rating may have suffered while I tried to reboot my brain and get back in the rhythm of things.
Buuuuuuut that didn’t happen and as a woman of a certain age who always feels like she might be on the cusp of a quality Menty B I found a new best friend in Grace.
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
Here is your friendly reminder that when it comes to a new offering from an author who made your heart crap its pants with their prior releDear Kelly:
Here is your friendly reminder that when it comes to a new offering from an author who made your heart crap its pants with their prior release, don’t forget sometimes . . .
Oh, The Guncle. I mean are there even any words remaining for that piece of feel good perfection? I knew I would be picking up whatever Stephen Rowley was putting down next, but when the comparison was to The Big Chill?????
This was the first time in the history of ever that my library failed me and I wasn’t able to get my hands on a copy immediately upon publication so I did something I NEVER do and ordered the hard copy. And I did it through the Internet Book Store (I know, I know - shame on me, I should have supported a small business, yada, yada, yada) so I could have it delivered to my front door the same day.
And then I read it and . . . well . . . I should have lowered my expectations because I was a little underwhelmed. I loved the premise of having a “funeral” or celebration of life in a time of need rather than when the person has already died and this definitely had the long-time friend reunion-y vibes of The Big Chill. My problem is of multiple aspects (1) I am a well-known wrongreader, (2) I am the reason I can’t have nice things, (3) The Big Chill is maybe my favorite movie of all time and I am CONSTANTLY looking for a book that makes me feel all the things that film makes me feel, and (4) follow ups to really outstanding stories are HARRRRRRRRRD. I loooooooved Jordan, but either didn't connect at all or felt the other characters all fell a little flat and were underdeveloped. I think maybe T.J. Klune is the only who even came close for me with back to back heart exploding hits with Under the Whispering Door that came after the perfect The House in the Cerulean Sea.
As with many romance novels, this entire story wouldn’t even exist had Izzy simply asked Lucas “WTF?!?!?!?!?!” when she caught him mistletoe-ing her friend at the annual Christmas soiree. But, of course that didn’t happen so you get to spend the majority of the novel being frustrated until you get to the big “ohhhhhhhh, so that’s why” at the very end.
The good news is not only is that plot line not a dealbreaker for me but that this also features grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers, a hotel in need of saving, a mission to find the owners of a lost and found Tupperware container of wedding rings and a culmination of events that all ends the following year with the aforementioned holiday event. It’s Hallmarky romance goodness and sweetly delightful. Beth O’Leary knows how to write a feel good story.
Seriously, though, go read other reviews because I have no words. I love Lehane and I stand by my opinion that he is one of the greatest writers of this generation and this is one of his best....more
That was a rhetorical question – I read the book so I’m well aware that there is a monumental moment in the story which takes place in a pool. However, I also didn't just fall off the turnip truck so realistically I know this cover was designed to to sell copies of this new release. And guess what? It worked . . . but mainly because I thought this was going to be a “poolside” summertime read. While My Summer Darlings was a swing and a miss for me, I SERIOUSLY dug The Hunting Wives and thought this fun and flirty cover was surely going to deliver some more over-the-top shenanigans. What I got instead was a story about Kira, who has returned home for the first time in over twenty years in order to attend a former frenemy’s vowel renewal ceremony . . . and potentially figure out what REALLY caused her mother’s death which was ruled suicide all those years ago that was accompanied by a whodunit I sniffed out immediately.
This wasn’t baaaaad per se, it just wasn’t what I was hoping for from this author.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Kelly (and the Book Boar)
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