I didn’t have anything queued up to listen to while walking this weekend and thought what the hell – let me hang out with my old pals Stephanie and Lula. If you’re familiar with this series, you know there’s not ever going to be much change to the formula. You have skips that outsmart the gal pals, at least one blown up vehicle, Stephanie gets tased, Lula or Grandma accidentally pop off a couple of rounds from their handguns, Uncle Salvador’s Buick makes an appearance, Ranger says “Babe” a lot, Stephanie’s mom is sneaky drinking hooch and ironing her anxieties away, MEATLOAF, POT ROAST, CLUCK IN A BUCKET AND PINNEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE!, there’s a mystery to solve, Stephanie gets kidnapped, Ranger or Joe (or both save the day) and we get the set up for the next . . .
Highlights for this one include a Freudian slip by Stephanie regarding her real age and Lula’s tig ol’ bitties making an appearance where a comparison of her nipples to . . . .
Literally made me LOL so hard this man who was out watering his flowers while I was walking by seemed like he might have been a little afraid of me. Whoops!
These books are my comfort food – and now that I’m dabbling in audio I will definitely continue listening. But I HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE the change in format with regard to the titles starting with “Fortune and Glory.” I have an entire shelf that ranges from One for the Money all the way up to this one because the numerical names were “a real pip” as Grandma Mazur would say. I have hunted those hardbacks down in bargain bins and thrift stores for over a decade – but I won’t be adding the rest because the aesthetics are no longer there. Bummer....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
Was this book even remotely as charming and wonderful as the first? Absolutely not. Would I still read 8,000 versions of whatever The Guncle might be Was this book even remotely as charming and wonderful as the first? Absolutely not. Would I still read 8,000 versions of whatever The Guncle might be up to next?
This is a prime example of why I rarely read sequels. It’s hard to capture that lightning in a bottle twice – ESPECIALLY when the story features children. In round two of Patrick and the kids, said kids are getting to be in that not-quite-so-lovable stage of pre-teenery and, let’s just be honest, as a mom I’m telling you it’s not a cute time. Gunc is once again in charge of Maisie and Grant while their (now twice) absentee father is preparing for his nuptials – which Maisie especially has no intention of letting happen. The trio spend a few weeks gallivanting around the most tourist guide-book types of European hotspots as they count down to the big day and The Guncle finds himself battling to be the favorite with the introduction of a new “Launt” (lesbian aunt). The dad jokes still abound, but somehow the quips aren’t quite as quippy. The good news is, if Rowley is going to keep up with this series there’s a good chance #3 could redeem itself with Patrick back on his side of the pond and in love. Until then I will anxiously await the film version of the original.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley! ...more
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
Maggie’s marriage is ending only six hundred and eight days after it began (despite being together nearly a decade) . . .
In the movies, you are Diane Lane, or Keaton, or possibly Kruger, a beautiful middle-aged Diane who is her own boss and knows about the good kind of white wine. Usually, you do not continue living with your ex for weeks because you can’t make the rent on your dusty one-bedroom apartment alone. Generally, you are not a glorified research assistant and an advertising copywriter, respectively, whose most important shared financial asset is your one friend who always gets free phones from work. Certainly, you are not supposed to be twenty-eight years old and actively planning a birthday party with the dress code “Jimmy Buffett sluts.”
Looking for love in all the wrong places, continually texting and calling her ex because he said they should keep in touch (and he has their cat Janet, after all) and alienating herself from her friend group for being such a Debbie Downer, she’s having more than a bit of a struggle handling things . . .
From the rating alone, it’s obvious this was NOT for everyone, but oh how I loved it. There’s nothing like making an imperfect fictional friend and this was another example of a “romdramedy” that had me laughing out loud one minute and “bless your heart”-ing Maggie the next.
Oh and if the gifs didn’t clue you in, if you enjoyed Fleabag there’s a solid chance you’ll like this too. ...more
Ahhhh, back with my besties at Cooper’s Chase. The fact that I’ve continued to book 3 in this series really says it all since I’m pretty mu
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Ahhhh, back with my besties at Cooper’s Chase. The fact that I’ve continued to book 3 in this series really says it all since I’m pretty much deathly allergic to most things that aren’t one and done. This time around the gang is looking into the mysterious death of a television news reporter who was hot on the case of a money laundering scheme when she got offed. Of course there’s more to THAT story than meets the eye, not to mention the additional goings on – some of which involve being “reacquainted” with a former KGB member from the past and a giant Viking from the present, an inmate whose incarceration was due to the members of the Murder Club in a previous instalment, a handsome nightly news host and a handful of canoodling partners. I can’t imagine not picking up whatever else Richard Osman lays down when it comes to these folks. While I could live without the romantic couplings, Joyce’s diary entries more than turn whatever frown I may have while reading those bits upside down. 4 Stars – now stop denying me these ARCs!
The most efficient way to lose yourself is to idolize somebody else.
Fan Club turned out to be an exception to just about every “rule” I have when The most efficient way to lose yourself is to idolize somebody else.
Fan Club turned out to be an exception to just about every “rule” I have when it comes to books.
1. I hate face covers, but immediately fell in love with this one. 2. I was denied an ARC (which happens frequently, I’m not butthurt), but rather than waiting to see what my friends thought I asked the library to purchase a copy pronto months before its scheduled publication date. 3. I 100% knew what the climax was going to be nearly from page 1, but I gave zero shits and never wanted to put it down. 4. And more stuff that I’ll get to in a second.
I’m going to be honest and say that I wasn’t sure if this was going to end up being a 1 Star or a 5 Star nearly the entire time I was reading it. The premise here is that an underemployed millennial finds friends and fellowship with a gaggle of other gals due to their shared superfan status of America’s biggest pop princess. The inspiration behind the superstar was crystal clear – and even included her former fiancé . . . .
But eventually it became clear that Erin Mayer did what Community did best and “took everything and shoved it up its own ass.” I’m glad I was finally smart enough to get it instead of ruining my own good time with my stupidity. I also really dug the writing, which, once again, was not my usual cup of tea. You know that meme about vegans????
That’s how I feel about authors who have MFAs. While this particular author doesn’t have a full bio on her Goodreads page, I would be very surprised if she didn’t have a degree to brag about. Usually that pretentious sort of elaborate, purple, word vomit is an instant turn off, but Mayer somehow pulled me in.
Then there was the fandom itself. My brain kept telling me it was so farfetched . . . Until Taylor Swift released her 10 minute “All Too Well” re-recording and video and yep, if she ever dated Jake Gyllenhaal again this most definitely could happen. And all I have to say about that is . . . .
This one is so late because there’s nothing really to say aside from I loved everything about it.
It’s the following Thursday and the residents of Coopers Chase not only will have to deal with the man who died twice per the title, but also . . . .
“So you are now being hunted by the New York mafia and by a Colombian drug cartel?”
“Never rains but it pours, eh, darling?”
Not to mention the twenty million pounds of diamonds!
At the 9% mark I had already made a notation to myself questioning if it was wrong to decide this latest installment was 5 Star worthy. But in my defense . . . .
He finds a lovely independent bookshop where no one minds if you sit in an armchair and read for an hour. Of course, he buys the book he has been reading. It is called You and is about a psychopath called Joe, for whom Ibrahim has a great deal of sympathy.
I mean a Joe shoutout???? Get outta here! Talk about instalove.
Simply put, this series is just a rip roaring good time. The characters and story arc both have found their groove and the culmination of events was a pure chef’s kiss . . . .
Richard Osman has created an exception to my personal rule of not truly enjoying reading past book #1 in a series. I’m here for the long haul. And to Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron . . . .
I think maybe my literary viewpoint isn’t quite expansive enough, because when I see the term “noir” my brain instantly conjures up the lik
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I think maybe my literary viewpoint isn’t quite expansive enough, because when I see the term “noir” my brain instantly conjures up the likes of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler – private dicks and femme fatales. Velvet Was the Night read more like a telenovela to me. In fact, it seemed that the author might have been thinking along those lines as well although the "review" she wrote here says otherwise.
Mousey leading lady Maite loves stopping at the local newsstand each week to pick up the latest copy of her favorite serial Secret Romance. When her neighbor asks Maite to watch her cat and then never returns Maite finds herself leading a lifestyle mimicking that of her stories – intrigue, spies, guerrillas, romance – you name it. Half of the story is told from Maite’s perspective, the other half from Elvis, a member of a group known as the Hawks who has been tasked with trying to track down the neighbour Lenora as well, but for a very different reason.
I loved Mexican Gothic and after being denied an early copy of this release made sure I was the first on the library waiting list. I’m truly bummed I didn’t connect with this story like I had hoped. I think a lot of the blame can be placed on my unfamiliarity with the history surrounding the plot. I had never heard of the Dirty War before and was unable to feel any sort of emotional connection with the characters due to that fact. The slow pacing didn’t help either as there was no sense of urgency like there needed to be with a story driven by a “beat the clock” type of scenario. I was also REALLY missing the atmospheric quality that was the driving force behind Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s previous novel. I will most definitely be checking out more of this author’s stuff in the future, but this was a bit of a miss for me. That cover tho????? I typically HATE face covers, but this one is perfection.
I mean come on. TWENTY-FOUR of these? That’s 24 times where Stephanie didn’t know whether she should bang Joe or Ranger. 24 times (minimum) where her car got totalled. 24 possible times Stephanie was kidnapped. 24 times Lula wore spandex and sequins. 24(million) FTAs who got away. Where Grandma Mazur shot her gun. Where Ma had to take a before noon trip to the liquor cabinet above the stove. And on and on and on. But you know what? These are just what I need when I can’t seem to manage doing much else. They only take a couple of hours to read, they require no operational brain cells and the past couple have even been decent for me like the first ones in the series.
This time around Stephanie, Lula, Morelli – and Diesel, he’s always a nice add-in – are battling zombies. Yeah, you heard me right. Brains are getting stolen all over town from the cemetery to the morgue and one of Steph’s skips may be involved. It was 4 Star fun. ...more
I know Goodreads gets a lot of flak from readers and authors alike, but this is a place where I met a person who became a real-life bestie and where II know Goodreads gets a lot of flak from readers and authors alike, but this is a place where I met a person who became a real-life bestie and where I’ve connected with dozens of others who I truly consider buddies despite the fact that we most likely will never meet in real life. I have no recollection of how Jan B came to be my friend, but she has been a treasured addition ever since the day it happened. Not only do we share the same opinions on most of our reading selections, but she steers me towards books I would have never heard of otherwise sometimes too. That was the case here.
I really should have not enjoyed this book. Infidelity is a plot device that just never seems to work out well for me. This one featured not only a couple whose relationship began with the two of them cheating, but also a question of whether the second wife was engaging in new dalliances, along with the husband thinking the grass may have been greener in his previous life and considering a potential affair back with wife number one too.
And Audra, the second wife???? Oh my lord if I ever had to experience her in a not fictional setting my reaction would probably be this at best . . . .
Yet somehow she will go down in the history books as one of my most favorite characters of all time. Oh my god her free association type of ramble speech was so delightful – despite the fact that she would clearly be an energy vampire to an introvert like me.
This was another story that didn’t have a super clear conflict/resolution type of approach but more of just being a fly on the wall of an upper-middle class couple trying to raise a special needs child while keeping their shit together. I ended up with ZERO highlights simply due to the fact that I was not willing to pause my reading even for one second in order to make any sort of notation. Also, the fact that nearly the entire thing had me in stitches so the end result would have ended up with me being sued for copyright infringement when I offered practically the entire book up as an example of why I loved it so much.
I’m already on the waiting list for this author’s new release and I will certainly be picking up Single, Carefree, Mellow as well. This one gets every star.
When recent Harvard law school grad Alex lands a job as a first year associate at Manhattan’s most prestigious law firm Klasko & Fitch, she’s well awaWhen recent Harvard law school grad Alex lands a job as a first year associate at Manhattan’s most prestigious law firm Klasko & Fitch, she’s well aware of the sacrifices she’ll have to make for the first few years until she catches the eyes of the Management Committee. As long as she steers clear of the “boys’ club” that is mergers and acquisitions, she should be able to retain some semblance of a personal life. The draw of big name clients, the competition within the new class and FOMO in general can be a powerful force, however, so when Alex is reassigned from her meager lease review tasks in the real estate group to being served a bigger slice of the pie in M&A she can’t resist.
Okay, normally books about lawyers or containing legal subject matter are just not my idea of a good time. I tend to be unable to suspend my disbelief enough to simply appreciate them for their entertainment value and can’t help but pick apart all of the inaccuracies. But this one?????????
I never read Sweetbitter which is mentioned in the blurb, but I was totally in the mood for something over-the-top like the other mentioned novel The Firm and was prepared for murderous partners and other bullshittery when I started this one. What I wasn’t expecting was how realistic this one came across. I didn’t have to use my imagination much to follow along with the plotline, which is actually quite terrifying.
That being said, please take my rating with a truckload of salt. The Boys’ Club may have only worked so well for me due to the fact that I actually work in the boys’ club every day as my 9-5 (minus all of the coke snorting). BigLaw is definitely a thing, M&A absolutely consists of men who could also be in J. Crew catalogs, the more “deal toys” you have on your shelves/window ledge the more powerful everyone will believe you to be, the tell-all blog exists (but is called Above the Law rather than the fictional Below the Belt) and the entire thing????? Oh so highly entertaining. I loved this freaking book and it did not lose my attention for even a second. It was so believable and now and it is very apparent that this author knows what the fuck she’s talking about.
Again, YMMV. It might only truly work this well for others who walk the pencil skirt shuffle every day. I’m giving it all the stars. ...more
But seriously, this is the story of almost 40 Solène who takes her 12-year old daughter and a group of said daughter’s pals to an “August Moon” concert at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and ends up having an unexpected reaction to one of the boy band’s members . . . .
Pure escapism. And while I don’t personally find Harry physically attractive, I do have to admit after watching him host Saturday Night Live that he is certainly quite charming . . . .
Having just read a book about a school shooting the day before I was totally in need of some brain candy. This was everything I wanted it to be. It was sexy and steamy (just the right amount of steam too, not too much oversharing about all the bits and bobs) and did not end up with some ridiculous never-could-happen happily ever after – or even worse a surprise baby *vomits forever*.
May/Decembers aren't typically my jam, but there was just something about the delivery of this one - and not just the fact that it was muy caliente. Both of the characters were intelligent and well adjusted and went into their first "lunch" without romanticizing things. There was no glossing over the fact that they would draw attention - and not just because he was an international sensation. People in their lives had opinions and weren't afraid to share them. Some were valid, some were of the "people in glass houses" variety, some I would have simply told to go suck a turtle and continued boffing Zayn Malik Harry . . . . or Hayes - same diff. What I'm saying is there was more to this than simply hiding the salami. I almost want to give it all the Stars . . . .
In case I haven’t beaten the dead horse enough, let me remind you that I’m not a series rFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
In case I haven’t beaten the dead horse enough, let me remind you that I’m not a series reader. Truth be told, this could go down as Exhibit A for the reason. This story could have easily been wrapped up in one book, but unfortunately when I got the first one I didn’t realize it was going to end in a mothereffing CLIFFHANGER so it was too late for me to backpeddle and I got sucked into number two. That one was just as I expected it would be – a filler book. And then there’s the finale. You’re already roped into finding out the conclusion of what happened with the dead hubby and making sure everyone gets their “happily for nows” so there’s no escaping it. Especially when it’s G.D. October and looks like this outside . . . .
It’s not easy to be a fat gay boy in Clover City, Texas, but with the help of supporting parents, an excellent grammy and his twin sister Clementine, Waylan has managed to make it all the way to the end of his senior year. He’s counting down the days when he can shake the dust off from this one horse town and become “Full Waylan” in Austin. But then a video he makes of himself doing a fake audition for a Ru Paul’s Drag Race sort of show gets spread around the school and Waylan discovers he can no longer simply fade into the woodwork for the last few weeks of school – he’s also been nominated for the prom court . . . . in the QUEEN category. There’s only one thing he can do . . . .
If you are familiar with me you know I don’t usually read past the first book in a series. I’m so glad I made an exception to my own rule this go around. This was the perfect send off to a group of kids who I have grown to love over the past several years and fans of the series will love “seeing” all of the familiar faces from the past one last time. And of course no visit to Clover City could be complete without a trip to the Hideaway . . . .
At this point I think it’s fairly safe to say Julie Murphy is YA royalty. She just gets it. It helps that she looks like she’s about 15 herself (ha-ha), but she’s also the bees knees when it comes to writing books about inclusivity that are just matter-of-fact and without some superbadawful things having to happen to the characters. In a year where still so many high school seniors were denied the right of passage which is prom due to ongoing Covid restrictions, she has provided the next best thing in this fictionalized version.
First, let me say I was so sad to hear of Rachel Caine's passing. She was most definitely a catalyst that revived my book reading addiction with her CFirst, let me say I was so sad to hear of Rachel Caine's passing. She was most definitely a catalyst that revived my book reading addiction with her Chicago Vampire series back when all of us horny middle-aged moms were bookswapping like crazies in order to fill our perverted fetishy minds.
I decided to break my own standing policy regarding reading past #1 in a series pretty much out of pure curiosity of exactly how this one could continue back when it was offered as a "Read Now" over on NetGalley. In case you aren't familiar, the Stillhouse Lake books begin with the female lead discovering her husband is a serial killer (so good, right?). I was terrified this was going to go in the direction of the "Garage Sale Mysteries" or "Aurora Teagarden" - which, truly no judgment here because I effing loooooooove those little pieces of brain candy. However, if these had started off pretty awesome only to turn into a Hallmark Murders and Mysteries would have made your girl like . . . .
Luckily that wasn't the case and the lead had become a legit investigator that justified her sleuthing. Absolutely no regrets spending a day on this one.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!...more
Are y’all superfans enough to get that reference or did I just waste a crapton of my time making this gif for no reason????
Whatever. Worth it! Especially if it might mean I get an advance copy of the next book too : )
When I “wished” for this over on NetGalley, I figured I was doing so along with twelve gazillion others and never expected to get an early shot at this latest release in the You franchise. Then I had one of those seriously first worldy sorts of moments where I wanted to message the powers that be and tell them . . . .
Not because I think I’m important but because I admitted loving Joe back when it was still a taboo thing to do. I mean, unless Kepnes really shit the bed there’s slim to nil chance that I wouldn’t kinda love this. And then?????
I knew this was going to be a winner immediately when the format returned to the second person narration as was found in the original. The first book followed “You” after Joe set his sights on his dreamgirl – culminating in the realization that maybe their relationship wasn’t just meant to be. But then he found “Love” and although there were some bumps in the road, things were going as well as can be expected with our favorite antihero right up until the very end. This time around Joe just wants to find the one. And it appears he has – he just has to be patient and make sure they are on the same page so no more incidents occur. It’s a shame everybody and their brother in the small town of “Cedar Cove” seems to be trying to cockblock him!
Some things you should know about this book. It is not a standalone. You absolutely have to read the others and be willing to commit to the crazy one hundred percent. If that’s not your bag, I get it because I’m not a fan of reading a series either. This one is an exception to the rule and in an even rarer turn of events if you follow me here you’ll have noticed I did a re-read of numbers 1 and 2 to catch up with my old pal because I love him that much. Also note this is a sloooooooooooooooooooooow roller. Good, bad or indifferent - You has become a television series and since I believe things are all caught up now (sorry – not a T.V. watcher – Penn Badgley makes a hot Joe, but hour long fictional programs bore me when I can read an entire book in a few), this definitely gives the impression that it is now being written for an instant morph into weekly episodes with multiple “a ha” and “WTF?!?!?” moments throughout the novel to drive the action. It may not be for everyone, but if you are a freak in the sheets there’s a solid chance that you love being stuck in Joe’s head and don’t mind just meandering along through his days with him until you get to the big reveals. And if you truly “get” Joe, you’ll find yourself continually amused with the dark humor contained within these pages. You’ll also find an ending that leaves you thirrrrrrrrrrrsty for the final installment in the series and once again falling to your knees at the altar of the Kepnes because she is such a delightful weirdo!
Take my rating with a grain – or a bucket – of salt. I could give it 4 rather than 5, but fuck it. I’m here for the long haul and I love every G.D. second of it. From the LOLing at completely inappropriate circumstances to the shouting out loud and startling my children with “I’VE READ THAT!” when he references books such as Last Night at the Lobster or Fashion Victim. Joe is my person . . . .
“What kind of man are you going to be when you grow up?” “What do you want me to be?” Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
“What kind of man are you going to be when you grow up?” “What do you want me to be?” Agnes thought for a moment. “Peaceful.” She pushed at his wet hair again. “Less worried-looking.”
I picked up Shuggie Bain simply due to the fact that it made it here . . . .
If you know me, you know I’m not much for smarty books and tend to lean toward the porny and the stabby. I have no idea why the Booker Prize became selections I started choosing. I just know that it happened years ago, I certainly don’t feel compelled to read all of them, but that getting through a handful has pretty much become my . . . .
(See that? Smort. Moby Dick references and errrrythang.)
Anyway, I didn’t know anything about this book before beginning aside from the fact that I wasn’t super keen on the cover and that it had a lot of pages so if I hated it, I was going to be in the slog for more than a minute.
Imagine my surprise when I found my “child of the year” recipient. (Again, if you know me, you know I kind of avoid children characters like the plague because children are assholes.) From the author notes at the end, it appears this was inspired by his own life story, but if you’re like me and don’t usually read those notes, you’d never know that. All you need to know is this is the story of Shuggie’s upbringing by a barely functioning alcoholic mother living on the dole in government housing. If you’re not a fan of accents, this may be a slog because dialogue is written as would be spoken by the heavily accented. And if you prefer your novels on the lighter/happier side of life, you probably better steer clear of this one because it might make you want to . . . .
(You just might have to wait your turn if Shuggie’s mom is already in there.)
But if you have a solid stockpile of Kleenex and the ability to wade through some serious misery, you’ll also find a surprising amount of love and acceptance . . . . .
“If I were you, I would keep dancing.” “I can’t.” The tears were coming. “You know they only win if you let them.” “I can’t.” His arms and fingers were still outstretched and frozen, like a dead tree. “Don’t give them the satisfaction.”
And the most delightful little boy . . . .
Shuggie heard the nurse say to a male attendant that she thought for sure Agnes was a working girl. “She is not,” said Shuggie, quite proudly. “My mother has never worked a day in her life. She’s far too good-looking for that.”...more
But for realsies, between the fact that I’m a Boomer who does not enjoy any of the things and that all the hipsters on the Instagram were loving this - not to mention a face cover (that somehow I kind of enjoyed this time because . . . . fickle?????), I thought my chances of this being a success for me were slim to nill. Buuuuuuuuuuut, EV.ER.Y.THANG. kind of worked with this one. Ella Berman’s voice is fresh. Her plot? Timely, but in like the best way imaginable because despite being a seriously #metoo sort of tale, it all happens before the movement was even conceived. Not to mention the leading lady Grace herself. Oh state of arrested development, you are kind of my jam. And everyone in her life assuming she’s in this state due to being an entitled asshole former child star rather than being someone with some actual superbadawful reasons was sort of squickily delicious (and yes I know how horribly creepy and terrible that makes me – I sometimes like to read disturbing stuff, just go with it). And also that nothing with regard to said superbadawful was laid out in detail for titillation or emotional manipulation, but disclosed just enough to make you sympathize with this poor girl . . . .
“I’m happy the dog chased the cat that chased the rat.”
So am I Jake! So. Am. I.
I am super late to the Elin Hilderbrand party and am pretty sure this is only the third book of hers that I’ve read. I started with the first book in the “Paradise” series due to its timely release date during a Snowpocalypse when I wanted nothing else but to escape to a place like St. John. Oh wait, immediate edit because this is my fourth book of hers. DUH I read the other “Summer” book which is the entire reason this one pinged my radar. I assumed this book would be some sort of spinoff of that one and didn’t bother reading the blurb at all – just immediately added myself to the loooooooooong library wait list.
So it wasn’t any sort of a spinoff at all, but an “inspired by” type of selection instead where Mallory and Jake meet every Labor Day for . . . . you guessed it, twenty-eight summers in the fashion of . . . .
Which is 100% an exception to the rule when it comes to me not seeking out stories about cheating and/or cheaters. Sometimes it happens, sometimes I even give it a pass if the fictional circumstances are good enough, but it’s not usually my cuppa. Except when it’s Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn. Or now Jake and Mallory. Oh my glob did I love this book. It even made me cry my own actual human tears despite being told at the very beginning what the ending was going to be. And speaking of the ending. The actual very last page ending?????
I don’t know if everyone will love this as much as I did, but the nostalgia factor of Same Time Next Year combined with just a solid good tale regarding these characters and how their lives changed over the decades (with ZERO of the “tragiporn” elements I was so afraid were going to get thrown in) was just what I needed to sink into as an escape. Not to mention the “What Are We Talking About In ____?” chapter openings. My lack of television viewing was very apparent because I recognized hardly any of the character names (aside from people who I feel are my kinfolk at this point like the Bluths and the Sopranos), but I could sing all of the songs referenced and luckily I knew almost all of the actual newsworthy names and events. It was a little bit of a bummer to see how many things are still being discussed and how many years later those discussions have continued with little to no change, but at this point I think we all need to be slapped in the face with our complacency.
Elin Hilderbrand, you get all of the stars. It was a billion and a half degrees where I live on Saturday and I was stuck sweating my fat a$$ off at baseball games all dang day. The break in the weather and this book all queued up and ready to go on Sunday was a perfect way to end the weekend. I cannot wait for your next release. ...more
Kelly (and the Book Boar)
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