This one appears to be a major hit with most readers so take my average rating with a grain of salt. I’m going to blame my somewhat wrongread here on This one appears to be a major hit with most readers so take my average rating with a grain of salt. I’m going to blame my somewhat wrongread here on the fact that my husband and I are currently making our way through the Hulu version of Mr. and Ms. Smith and the plot here was very much . . .
With a “Mr. Smith” providing the “Hihi” types of instructions for various missions to our leading lady and a timehoppy sort of narrative that went back and not only explained some of those tasks, but also came full circle with some of the marks.
This was a perfectly enjoyable read – actually better than most of Reese’s selections. Keep this on your TBR/your name on the library list if it’s already there. ...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
If you could please stop being so cute and coming off as such a nice, friendly person to make it easier for me to avoid your teDear Reese Witherspoon:
If you could please stop being so cute and coming off as such a nice, friendly person to make it easier for me to avoid your terrible book club selections I would really appreciate it. If you can’t do that, then when it comes to the options you select for us to read, I’m telling you . . . . .
So thanks to my mad girl crush on Reese that I’ve had since I was a child and she starred in The Man in the Moon, I can’t resist her siren’s song and her (nearly always) awful book choices. In all honesty, I live in perpetual fear that I will miss out on another Paper Palace which earned a rare 5 Star from me and was one of the best things I read that year. Buuuuuuuuut, most of the time they are pretty crappy and this was no exception.
Obviously The House in the Pines was a had me at hello since it featured not only a house on the cover, but also a house in the name. How could I not immediately want it, right? Then I started reading it and not only do we have a triple whammy of an unreliable narrator (she’s an insomniac . . . because she’s going through Klonopin withdrawal . . . . and she’s boozing to take the edge off/help her go night-night). Again . . . .
Can we just be DONE with the unreliable drunk woman in the window of the train across the street crap at this point? It is suuuuuuuuuuch a dead horse that has been beaten to a pulp.
So anyway, said Girl on the Klonopin is returning to her home town to do some Scooby Doo-ing in regards to a death that was ruled accidental, but which looks very similar to her BFF’s accidental death back in the day – and the kicker is the same feller was present at both of them. For some reason our little boozehound believes this dude will now be coming for her . . . . even though he has made no contact ever . . . .
I knew was the twist was going to be at around the 40% mark – which would maybe be good for me in a thriller since I’m a pretty good Velma myself – but unfortunately it was due to all of the filler rather than any red herrings. The entire storyline regarding the father’s book and everything in Guatemala added absolutely nothing to this book and could have/should have been left on the cutting room floor. Less is almost always more, authors.
At this point I think it’s safe to say I’ll read anything that even hints to having some sort of “cultish” mindset attached to it. The twists and revelations here weren’t anything I couldn’t’ see coming, but it was a satisfactory read and, unfortunately, the big law firm stuff regarding being top dog one day only to quite possibly sink right back to the bottom of the barrel should your productivity fall off was pretty much spot on....more
Selections like Counterfeit are the reason why. Now don’t get it twisted and think this is some Pulitzer caliber lifechanger of a story because it most assuredly is not. What it ended up being, however, is exactly what I was hoping when it was first announced by Reese over on the ‘Gram.
The story here is all about a criminal mastermind who deals strictly in . . . . .
And I was like STAHP. IT. Oh how I love a handbag. Since I am poor I have even purchased MANY a phony myself. I just never bought any that were such good fakes they could be returned to Neiman Marcus for cash dollahs granting myself a lifestyle which I truly deserve of jetsetting around the globe and having a nanny to care for my heathen two year old. Ava and Winnie sure figure out how to corner the market here, though. That is, until the reader comes upon the story which is being narrated by Ava while she’s spilling her guts to the detective who has sniffed out the scheme.
This is what I call a summer read. Pure fun that had me channeling my inner Carrie Bradshaw . . . .
What if they all said no? Who would order their bosses’ lunches and consolidate their receipts and set up their car service? Who would tell them whWhat if they all said no? Who would order their bosses’ lunches and consolidate their receipts and set up their car service? Who would tell them what it meant when someone put a googly-eyed emoji in an email, or help them type out the long response to said email since they still used the pecking method? Who would roll their calls and book their flights and send birthday presents to everyone in their lives because assistants were the only ones who remembered the dates? What kind of damage could they do?
Cate, Olivia, Max and Lauren are all ride-or-die type of besties who also all happen to work as assistants of some sort. Whether it’s a publishing mogul, a news anchor, a washed-up actor or a screenwriter they have one thing in common: they are treated less than everyone else they work with. From watching others get promoted while stagnating in the same position to being sexually harassed these four friends finally decide they are fed up and start a blog called Twentysomething where they and others can share their horror stories anonymously (yeah I know, we’ll get there in a second). They will be known only by names like “The Emotional One” - “because men don’t have emotions, only women do. Men are just passionate” or “The Bossy One. For obvious reasons” or “The Aggressive One” - “if I were a man, I’d just be getting shit done” or “The Bitchy One” - “a woman is a bitch. A man is just opinionated.”
Alright, so aside from the fact that anything that starts off as “anonymous” is 100% guaranteed to blow up in the most viral form possible and out everyone involved (which is why this gets Four Stars rather than the full monty), I thought Smile and Look Pretty was an absolutely whipsmart, relevant and timely debut. Maybe it’s because I have been an “assistant” since Jesus was a toddler myself, but I found every single one of these ladies relatable and likeable. They are gals I would pick to associate with . . . . and I don’t like anybody! And I too have been a coffee fetcher, but after I said my piece about that menial task . . . .
The grand opening of the newest branch of “Home” – an exclusive getaway for the rich and famous – that ends up with a body count.
Sounds okay, right? Like a yummy trashy mindless sort of vacation from your problems? Yeah. Well, it sucked. It lost me immediately when the “island” this new supposedly fabulous resort was set on was off the coast of Jolly Ol’ England. WTF? It never stops being winter here. I wanted a sweet escape to the tropics. But setting aside, notes to myself included . . . .
“Meh. Who cares? All of these people can get killed at this point”
and
“Lame”
and
“Snore. This could have been pizzagate – not this boring shit”
and
“Duuuuuuummmmmmmb”
and
“So stupid”
Obviously your mileage may vary. The cover sucked me in, but I thought the content was just turrrrrrrible (™Sir Charles Barkley).
ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!...more
I have tried to quit her, but I just cannnnnnn’t *insert sadface* because even though several of her choices have missed the mark for me, my brain keeps telling me there’s always that next Paper Palace coming up soon.
Lucky is a grifter by trade who has been left penniless and on the lam by her boyfriend/partner in crime thanks to a Ponzi scheme gone wrong. And to make matters worse, she’s sitting on the winning ticket for a $390 million lottery that she can’t claim. The story follows Lucky on her journey to try and clear her name.
So, this one wasn't terrible and I’m most definitely capable of leaving all semblance of reality at the door in order to have a good time . . . . to an extent. But when you are literally America’s Most Wanted with your face plastered all over the national news and you go to effing San Quentin prison to visit your incarcerated Pops??? That right there kids is what we call . . . .
I also was expecting more "grit lit" vibes and less of the feel good variety. However, it was still a quick read and I found myself really enjoying the “before” segments. Soooooo, will I finally be able to stop myself from requesting all of these selections to my already overwhelming TBR????
Her book club selections will be the death of me! I think I’ve washed my hands of her recommendations and then she drops a 5 Star bomb like The Paper Palace and I can’t stop myself from clicking “request” at the library.
So this is a story about the longest con in the history of cons where some broad befriends a rich bitch in order to steal her husband. Rather than simply gussying herself up and putting her puss on a platter, though, she opts to present herself as a non-threatening homely uggo and eventually become his secretary (JFC why?????) to win “her man” and get the lifestyle she feels she deserves. And also tie herself down via a “whoopsie” pregnancy because yay babies (????). The only thing I can say about this is . . . .
My notes consist of things like “this is turrrrible” and “good lord” and “will it ever get better?” Liv Constantine’s style reminds me of that old campfire game where one person tells the first sentence of a story and then everyone takes a turn doing the same. Like the previous selection by them, this one seemed to have no real direction and they just tried to one up each other every other chapter (or however they write) until the big twist. It was a total snoozefest, waaaaaaay too long and absolutely stupid. This is two days and two Reese’s picks in a row that I’m 1 Starring. Will I ever be able to climb out of this rabbit hole???? Will this book slump ever end???? Will it stop being 75 degrees in December???? Maybe that’s the problem . . . . .
Well then this most definitely is NOT the story for you. You see, you have to believe that two lifelong friends who go on an annual trip to some exotic locale have killed and disposed of not one but TWO rapey fellas and gotten away with it on back-to-back vacays.
Are you still with me? It’s A-okay to know We Were Never Here is going to be above your limitations. But if you’re like me sometimes and you are well aware that the thing you might need most in your life is a little . . . .
You might be able to force your brain to just go with it. If you can do that I think you’ll find Emily and Kristen’s long strange trip to be a hell of a fun time. Not to mention the very last page . . . .
After attempting to swear off Reese's Book Club picks, this was my second winner in a row. I think it's safe to say I'm officially back on the auto request bandwagon for her choices....more
After having a fail with everyone else’s summer fave Seven Days In June I had sworn myself off of Reese’s Book Club picks. I thought I could easily paAfter having a fail with everyone else’s summer fave Seven Days In June I had sworn myself off of Reese’s Book Club picks. I thought I could easily pass up The Paper Palace after taking a gander at the blurb that talked about how these two married people snuck out of a family dinner while on vacation to bang because no thank you very much. But then people were commenting that it was disturbing and well . . . . .
It don’t take much more than a house on the cover or the word “disturbing” to make your girl interested again.
As for the content? Yes, disturbing is an accurate word. I am not one who wants a sensitivity reader or trigger warnings so I am not going to spoil the contents contained within this book’s pages by saying anything aside from if you don’t like dark, then stay the hell away. All you need to know about this one going in is it the story of Elle and Jonas who have been friends most of their lives, spending their summers together vacationing with their families in Cape Cod. This book is all about secrets of the past and what they can do to a person. As far as I’m concerned it proves once again that . . . . .
“Unhappy people are always more interesting.”
This book sucked me in immediately and never let me go. There is such a fine line between tragedy and tragiporn or melodrama and “drama llama” and this book is a prime example of how it’s done. All the Stars. Damn you, Reese!
One question that is completely not important, but driving me crazy: Do people in the Northeast use the term “jacket potato”?????? I had never heard it used in an American novel before....more
Seems once again I’m a bit of a wrongreader here and didn’t fall over myself about this recent Reese’s Book Club selection like all the other2.5 Stars
Seems once again I’m a bit of a wrongreader here and didn’t fall over myself about this recent Reese’s Book Club selection like all the other horny housewives did. Mainly due to the fact that you can’t write about stupid shit such as clothing like this . . . .
Draped in a long-sleeve paisley maxidress plunging to her navel (vintage Dior) and shoulder-skimming beaded earrings (Nairobi street market) …
In suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuch detail, but then gloss over the “before” section where two high schoolers meet, bang for a week in a drug addled and self-harm stupor and yet have hardly any pages written about all that.
So the story here is Eva and Shane met as mentioned directly above and then 15 years went by without them ever speaking. It’s hinted that he “broke a promise” which, of course, takes an eternity to ever get around to disclosing and winds up being a trope contained in approximately 112% of all romance novels that could have been wrapped up had the two main characters taken Khalid’s sage advice of . . . .
But I digress and back to the plot. Eva and Shane have both grown up to be successful writers. He’s a Colson Whitehead literary sort, she writes “supermarket checkout porn.” They wind up at a black author book convention where the reader learns that they have both spent their careers writing about the other and eventually they commence the re-banging. Then stuff and things happen and in the end it was just aiiiiiight for me.
I think I need to lower my expectations or fight the FOMO when it comes to Reese’s picks. While I really loved Such a Fun Age, most of her choices seem to miss the mark a bit for me. Most likely because when I see the words “Book Club” my brain wants to go in that Colson Whitehead type of direction or at least be a story that makes you think about things like social issues, race, wealth, bias, etc. all wrapped up in an easy-to-read format as with Such a Fun Age. I read a lot of smut and included in that has been a handful of literary porn too. At the end of the day this was simply a romance that could have used A LOT more pages to fill in the details in what became a very disjointed now/then narrative for me.
Having a “Bookstagram” account has been so much fun for me. All books, all the time and very little drama llama B.S. But then there’s the dark underbeHaving a “Bookstagram” account has been so much fun for me. All books, all the time and very little drama llama B.S. But then there’s the dark underbelly no one talks about . . . .
My debilitating condition is not helped by things like Reese’s Book Club or Read With Jenna or Book of the Month either. Much like Pokemon, I gotta catch read ‘em all! And sometimes they aren’t winners. Don’t get me wrong, the pages turned quickly enough on this one, but the premise (and I’m going to try my best to not present any spoilsies) that a husband leaves his life, his wife, his daughter and only a note to “Protect Her” was maybe just a weeeeeeee too Lifetime Television for Women for me. As the story developed, it became even more farfetched that this particular gentleman would have even put himself in such a potentially high-profile position he did to begin with and, well . . . .
I actually just got scolded (lightheartedly) by one of my real-life friends for being such an easy sell when it comes to house covers. My defense???? But this had a houseBOAT on the cover. And then I promptly read How Lucky which also had a house on the cover and requested The Perfect Family on NetGalley because it had a house on the cover. It’s a sickness.
Everyone else seems to really love this one. I’ll gladly take the wrongreader title with my mediocre rating....more
I don’t know about the rest of you, but around the holidays I am all in for family drama . . . . of the fictional variety. When I saw this book was abI don’t know about the rest of you, but around the holidays I am all in for family drama . . . . of the fictional variety. When I saw this book was about a family with the jumping off point being a horrible accident I was all in. That cover didn’t hurt things either. But then . . . .
I ended up spoiling myself a little bit and taking a gander at other reviews because I was just not feeling this one at all. Apparently the author was inspired by telenovelas, but sadly I think most of us weren’t in on the gag. While this does get over the top with affairs and tumors and divorce and frozen embroyos and kleptomania and secret business endeavors, unfortunately it was a total snoozefest with stilted dialogue and characters who I never connected to (because there were a shitton of them and a grand total of zero had any sort of depth or development). And at around the 65% mark boy oh boy did the title become appropriate. So. Much. Weather . . . .
The dismal 3.24 rating here does not lie, my friends. I hate to hand out 1 Stars, but my reactions are based purely on my enjoyment level and this was the literary equivalent of a root canal. Curse you Reese Witherspoon and your damn book club that I can’t seem to quit! ...more
Or in this case the answer is yes. And maybe it’s because I didn’t start actively disliking the main character here until I was about halfway through with the book.
In case the title didn’t tip you off, the story here is of Lakshmi who spends her days going to various women of stature’s homes in order to . . . .
After escaping an abusive marriage, Lakshmi has made a name for herself as a henna artist . . . . as well as doing other things that I will not spoil because that reveal was what really hooked me into the story. On the verge of fully owning a home outright and potentially becoming a marriage arranger due to her contacts and insight, Lakshmi gets thrown a curveball when her ex-husband shows up with a 13-year old sister she never even knew she had in tow.
Okay so again I’m not going to spoil anything but I was not a super fan of Lakshmi. Her victim mentality really started to grate – especially with some of the choices she was making. The feminist equal rights attitude combined with 1950s in India timeline also didn’t read real authentic, but this was a Reese’s Book Club selection so I can sort of give that a pass due to the fact she always picks female-centric stories containing characters with strong voices. This ended up as about a 3.5 for me. It kept my interest, but I pretty much wanted to punch everybody in the face : ) ...more
There’s a solid chance this is going to be an unpopular opinion, but I don’t really care. It was literally 20 below and snowed for a solid 18 hours wh There’s a solid chance this is going to be an unpopular opinion, but I don’t really care. It was literally 20 below and snowed for a solid 18 hours when I read this, so my disappointment is a pretty palpable thing. The story here is about a former sanatorium in the Alps which has been remodeled into a luxury hotel. Elin is supposed to be attending her brother’s engagement party, but bad weather and a little case of a dead body puts a damper on the celebration and with no ability for the police to make it to their location, she must brush off her detective skills despite currently being on leave.
I’m not going to waste much time on this – mainly because we are experiencing rolling blackouts where I live and I’ll have to murder someone myself if I type a bunch of words only to lose them. Okay, so in theory this should have been great. I mean just look at that cover. I will definitely buy this for my shelves when I see it in the bargain bins. The synopsis was everything that appealed to me too. So what went wrong? Well, to begin with, if you’ve ever seen this movie . . . .
I was just bitching like two seconds ago in another review that blurbs comparing a book to others generally miss the mark, but True Grit meets The CruI was just bitching like two seconds ago in another review that blurbs comparing a book to others generally miss the mark, but True Grit meets The Crucible????
I also keep seeing this book referred to as “dystopian.” To all of you who used that phrase, allow me to quote my former beau Inigo Montoya and state . . . .
The first effing line of the book (which was a good ‘un) is . . .
In the year of our Lord 1894, I became an outlaw
I guess if painted with a reeeeeaaaaaal broad brush you wouldn’t get thrown in the stocks for using that term (unless you’re a woman in this novel, then you definitely would get strung up for basically anything, you witchy bitches), but I would call this a “reimagining.” The time is real, the place was real, the outlaws were real, exiling/offing barren women as worthless was more than likely real, hell even some of the characters were real – there’s just been some creative license taken with regard to their individual backstories.
This is the story of Ada, a midwife in training, who gets labeled a witch and sent to the nunnery for failing to produce offspring which her in-laws require in order for Ada to remain married to their son. Ever hopeful for more of a future, Ada ends up being shipped to the Hole in the Wall Gang and taken in by their leader, The Kid. It is there she meets a rabble-rousing band of misfits who have found solidarity and kinship after being ousted from their respective homes. Barren women, gender binary, homosexual, mentally ill – so many various personalities all accepting of one another and each other’s differences. Sounds like a utopia, huh? Well, unfortunately there’s also shoot-em-ups and lawmen who ain’t so keen on these outlaws stealing from folks, so there’s some action to be had as well.
As far as creativity goes, I would easily give this all the stars. I really think I just don’t like Westerns all that much, so my entertainment level hovered at 3 Stars throughout. Per usual, I suck turtles . . . .
I mean, unless the only requirement is to show a wedding from another country/culture. I guess if that’s the criteria then good job, Kirkus, you really nailed it!
I don’t have a whole lot to say about this one. I picked it up because it was one of Reece’s book club books and although I knew I wanted to start a new book, I also knew I would totally be hooked on Steve Kornacki’s khakis the entire time I was reading so it had to be light. Reece’s books seem to be a lot like her – pleasant and easy to be around. They are also female-centric and deliver some sort of social message without beating you over the head about it which I absolutely can get on board with.
The story here is about a young woman named Afi who finds herself in an arranged marriage to a man who doesn’t even show up for the wedding. Over time, their relationship improves and she begins to fall in love with him – which opens a whole other can of worms regarding commitment and fidelity and what is acceptable to Afi when it comes to her marriage. I was fascinated by the potential book club discussions regarding cheating. Particularly, who most would view as the “homewrecker” – the husband’s “baby mama” or Afi herself?
When I first heard the plot of this book was about a young black woman being confronted bFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
When I first heard the plot of this book was about a young black woman being confronted by a security guard due to him believing she may be a kidnapper I immediately dismissed the idea of reading it because I thought “that is stupid – most people would just assume she was the nanny.” And then I realized I either had to read it or drink a gallon of poison because did my brain say that due to my subconscious already having that information? Or was it due to me having some sort of implicit bias that would automatically categorize a 20-something black woman as some sort of hired help (that’s where the poison comes in)? And would I feel that way about young women of any color who were accompanying a child of a different race? What if it were a 30-something? Or a 40-something? What if it were a man? What if I’m not “woke”?!?!?!?! (Just kidding – I am well aware that I am not woke *sad face emoji*)
Anyway, that’s the type of things this book makes you think of. Hot button topics like race and socioeconomic status and perception and appearance vs. reality are all tackled within the pages, but not done so in a heavy-handed manner. You see the goings on from each character’s individual perspective – including all of their biases. And those characters are all flawed. From the vapid Alix (I’m not even going to address the stupid pronunciation of her name), to Emira and her state of arrested development, to their male counterparts, to their friend groups. It was a real thinker (but again delivered with humor) that one minute had me “aww how cute-ing” a scene (for those interested I’m referring to the Kelley and Emira exchange on the bus where he declares her to be his girlfriend), that by the end of the book had me wanting to grab that poison again because “holy hell that was maybe not so cute after all.”
Reese’s Hello Sunshine Book Club has been a fairly consistent deliverer of what I like to call “Saturday Reads.” They have kept me not only interested but also invested and are light enough to get through in an afternoon. Such a Fun Age would easily be another 4 Star selection, if not for the addition of Briar bumping it up to the full monty. If you know me you know that . . . .
[image]
(Probably not someone who should have had a couple of my own, huh? Hindsight is 20/20 and I like mine okay since I have molded them into mini-assholes much like myself, but other people’s kids? Blech.)
Anyway, every couple of years a kid comes along that I’d like to meet. The last one I can remember is Frank and now there’s Briar. Not only did her description conjure up an angelface like . . . .
Kelly (and the Book Boar)
>
Books:
hello-sunshine-selection
(19)
Loading...
