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 . . .
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
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 . . . .
I have probably put this on hold at the library only to remove my name when my turn came around over a dozen times. I tend to be a wrongreader when itI have probably put this on hold at the library only to remove my name when my turn came around over a dozen times. I tend to be a wrongreader when it comes to releases that become part of a massive hype train and since I’m an old lady I have to confess that I, Carly was one of my least favorite things to endure when my kids were little. And Sam Puckett????
Seriously? Butter sock? That ish was annoying as hell.
The great news is Jeanette McCurdy thought the show/her character were annoying as all get out as well!
So while I didn’t have the same reaction as someone who grew up as a superfan of McCurdy’s child stardom, I thought this book was very well put together and really provided a lot of insight with regards to coming to terms with an abusive childhood as well as disordered eating and removing toxic people from your life (hopefully on your own and not because they finally kicked the bucket).
I listened to this on audio and it most definitely held my attention so 4 Stars. The hype was pretty real here....more
If you are someone who feels like they are “failing” when Goodreads continually reminds you throughout the year you are behind in your reading challenIf you are someone who feels like they are “failing” when Goodreads continually reminds you throughout the year you are behind in your reading challenge, I highly encourage you to follow my lead and “challenge” yourself to only one book. And if you do so, maybe you kind of guaranty yourself the first thing you pick up in the new year is going to be a winner as well ; )
I really dug Shiner by Amy Jo Burns so when I saw someone I follow on The ‘Gram post about this release I immediately went to the library to put a copy on hold. But typical me, my holds were at max capacity. I took a gamble and headed to NetGalley thinking I had a snowball’s chance, but turns out this was still a Read Now so I snatched it up quick without needing to know anything about it first. I figured if I liked Burns once, there was a good chance I’d like her again.
Turns out I didn’t just like this one – I looooooooved it. At its heart Mercury is a story about the Joseph family (and y’all know how much I dig family stories – truly they are my #1 genre). To make things even better . . .
“They found a body up in the church attic.”
Family drama with a side of murder? Ummmmm, yes please. This came out yesterday and if you like the stuff I like and know how stingy I am with ratings, you should get you a copy. You don’t need to know much more than what I’ve already told you regarding the plot so I’ll let the book itself tell you the rest . . .
Two young women arrived in this town, twenty years apart. The first was named Elise, the second named Marley. They lived in the same house. They loved the same men. They raised their children.
Every Star.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley! ...more
In a sea (*hyuck hyuck*) of modernizations and reimaginings and dime a dozen stories, Whalefall is one that is completely unique. Part Jonah and the WIn a sea (*hyuck hyuck*) of modernizations and reimaginings and dime a dozen stories, Whalefall is one that is completely unique. Part Jonah and the Whale, part lesson on where and who you came from, part making it through the grieving process – it’s a story unlike any other I’ve read.
The premise is that Jay’s father committed suicide via the sea after being diagnosed with an incurable cash of mesothelioma. The two had a very contentious relationship and Jay’s choices in the final years of his father’s life have led to a strain on his ties with the remaining members of the family and the diving community his father was such a part of. Jay decides his shot at redemption is to find Mitt’s skeletal remains in order to give him a proper burial . . . . and then he gets swallowed by a whale . . . .
I noticed on Goodreads this is classified first as a horror and . . . no. I’d call it The Martian for the marine lover. It will blind you with science, but it is written beautifully. It certainly won’t be for everyone, but I’m so glad Shelby put this on my TBR during our weekly phone chat.
And I didn't even know MTV Books was a thing, but I'm here for it....more
If you’re new to my space let me begin with a little recap of my reading style. #1, I hate face covers. #2, I generally don’t read blurbs. I 100% did If you’re new to my space let me begin with a little recap of my reading style. #1, I hate face covers. #2, I generally don’t read blurbs. I 100% did not read a blurb here and was willing to overlook my own opinion about a face cover because ever since I read Luckiest Girl Alive I have been dying to get my hands on a new release by Jessica Knoll.
Which leads to #3, I am an idiot. As soon as I started reading this I was like “hmmmm, they’re straight up naming Florida State as the place where this sorority killer did his killing??? Usually authors tend to name a fictional place.” And then I kept reading and was like “man, this is reading like a true crime story about something that really happened.” BECAUSE IT WAS! Good lord . . . .
If you like serial killer stories and fictionalizations of true crime, this one is not to be missed. It is so quietly powerful with regard to not only the mind of the murderer, but in general with how female victims and witnesses were treated (especially back in the 1970s, but I’m sure still today). And the delivery is matter-of-fact – not preachy or TED talky – it just is what it is. Obviously I had no clue what this was about before (or while) reading, but I was fully invested the entire time.
You know what the problem is with reading REALLY good books? When I’m done the only review I am capable of writing is one that looks like this . . . .You know what the problem is with reading REALLY good books? When I’m done the only review I am capable of writing is one that looks like this . . . .
If you know me you know this new release checks all of my boxes:
1. House cover? Check.
2. Mystery? Check.
3. Family drama? Check.
4. Somebody or other’s book club recommendation that my FOMO won't let me not read? Check.
The story here at its base is one of a missing person. Fifty-something Adam Parson went out for a hike with his son and did not return. Now the only person who might know the answer to where he might be is fourteen year old Eugene . . . who just so happens to be nonverbal.
So as I said above, this one delivered for me in abundance. I was soooooo invested in this family (and Mia’s voice was perfection – complete with the footnotes I just claimed a week or so ago to hate in another book). The missing person aspect had me checking and rechecking how long it had been since Adam was last seen. And the science?????? Oh Angie Kim, you shed so much light on being "nonverbal" to this dumb bunny and you did it in a way that all of your smartypants research didn’t bore me whatsoever.
The easiest recommendation would be to say this is maybe for those of you who loved The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, but I realize that’s probably considered pretty low hanging fruit since it also features a character on the spectrum. It just so happens I really liked that book as well so I don’t feel one bit guilty about making the comparison ; )
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
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
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
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
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
Holy shit – a 5 Star read. This is not a test. Run do not walk to your local library or bookseller next Tuesday. Orrrrrrrrrr maybe only do
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Holy shit – a 5 Star read. This is not a test. Run do not walk to your local library or bookseller next Tuesday. Orrrrrrrrrr maybe only do so if you are a Saturday Night Live superfan? If you’ve been around my crap reviews at all, you should be aware that I am an SNL superfan who not only watches, but has gone on many a deep dive of the processes involved in making the weekly magic happen as well as reading/listening to celebrity memoirs of former cast members when I need something for Nonfiction November, but am too dumb to read most nonfiction. The only thing I have enjoyed more than my weekly hangouts with the Not Ready for Primetime Players for the past 35+ years was when the never disappointing 30 Rock was on the air (which, in case you live under a rock, was a fictionalized behind the scenes action of creating “The Girly Show” – an SNL knockoff). All that being said, Romantic Comedy could have been called “Liz Lemon Finds True Love” and I have no words for how much I loved it.
The first half (46%) is a breakdown of how “The Night Owls” (again *cough SNL cough*) comes together each week in order to appear live on your television. Like I said above, this is the make it or break part that will determine if this is your idea of a good time or not. I was practically crapping myself and most definitely Googled “did Curtis Sittenfeld work at SNL????” because it was so accurate. “Chapter 2” takes place a couple of years later and is epistolary format told via text messages (let me double down on my love and say epistolary when done well is also my jam). Then there’s Chapter 3 and an Epilogue but I ain’t a spoiler, so you’ll have to read it for yourself to find out what happens. Just now that unlike nearly every writer over the course of Covid, Sittenfeld didn’t shit the bed with her take on the pandemic.
The basic premise here is a potential love story revolving around “The Danny Horst Rule” – Danny being a fictionalized version of a The Night Owls writer/actor who somehow bagged an A-List babe who on paper would be considered way out of his league. (see Dan Akroyd/Carrie Fisher; Emma Stone/Dave McCary; Fred Armisen/Elizabeth Moss or Natasha Lyonne; Jason Sudakis/Olivia Wilde; Pete Davidson/pretty much everyone he’s ever fucked if you doubt this is a real-life thing – and note I’m excluding Colin Jost from this answer because he’s just as hot as ScarJo so the only thing that doesn’t add up with the two of them is the number of zeroes in their respective bank accounts.) Romantic Comedy turns the tables by featuring Noah Brewster, a superhot male rock star, possibly falling for the hilarious, but average TNO writer, Sally Milz.
I thought every single second of this was perfection. The only gripe I have is that my request for an early copy sat pending so long before I finally got approved, but since I got my greedy mitts on it a week early all is forgiven.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!!!!!...more
“You know, it’s like that old saying goes. Evil triumphs when good men do nothing, or something along them lines.”
I have been puFLOAT FOR PUB DAY!
“You know, it’s like that old saying goes. Evil triumphs when good men do nothing, or something along them lines.”
I have been putting off writing this review for pert near two months now simply because I can’t find the words to do it justice. I’m also afraid that when this book gets released there will be backlash that David Joy wasn’t the right person to be telling this story. If that’s your opinion, go ahead and preemptively block me because I’m telling you I’m not sure anyone other than David Joy could write this novel. I’m going to go on record and say he’s one of the greatest authors of this generation, right up there with a Dennis Lehane whose latest release I’m currently flying through. And he writes about the South like Lehane writes about Southie. Not only are the people fully fleshed out, but the place itself is a viable character and you can feel his connection to where he’s from . . . warts and all.
Joy’s story of race relations in the present South is one that has its finger directly on the pulse of our nation. This upcoming release tackles the goings on in America more so than any corrupt windbag who sits in the Capital Building or well-intentioned social justice warrioring keyboard commando could dream of doing.
As I said, I don’t really have the words to do this novel justice. Hell, I didn’t even bother writing up a synopsis, so you’ll have to go read the one the publisher provided. All you need to know really is this is part whodunnit/part social commentary and 100% brilliant. Oh, and he also doesn't think his audience is full of dummies either and gladly provides you the who of the dunnit if you just pay attention.
I logged on to Instagram today and saw a post from David Joy (one of only a handful of authors I follow) expressing his appreciation to those who help spread the word about his stuff since you most likely won’t ever see his face on a Times Square billboard and I thought it was about time I got off my butt and typed something. Here it is. Take my opinion with as many grains of salt as you see fit – just know that if you aren’t familiar with me 5 Stars is a mighty feat when it comes to my stingy ass and he generally gets every single one of them.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!...more
I’ll be honest and say Luckiest Girl Alive probably wouldn’t have even made it to my TBR if I hadn’t been scrolling through Netflix (finally learned how to use the TV this year, so yay me) and saw the title/Mila Kunis’ face and thought “was that a book? I think that was a book?” So I went to the library and immediately downloaded the Kindle version – foregoing the movie for the time being.
Maybe it’s because I went into this blind that I thought it was so great? Maybe it’s because I’m prone to dislike things lately and I had low expectations after seeing the aforementioned friend rating? Maybe it’s because I’ve read so many “dark” or “twisty” things that failed to be either dark or twisty? Who knows? All I know is I rarely give 5 Stars and this one is getting all of them.
I’m not going to give much away here since I knew zero before beginning. The only thing I’ll say is this is the story of Ani as we approach her wedding day. Ani is a girl who has finally made it – the body, the boy, the money, the clothes and the lifestyle she has always dreamed of are finally hers. She’s an unlikeable narrator for most – but those tend to be my favorite. And there’s a reason behind her attitude, you’ll just have to read (or watch the upcoming documentary she’ll be featured in) to find out.
So again, loved Ani (and yes her given name of TifAni was barftastic, but that was her thirsty-to-be-rich-and-trendy mother’s fault, not hers). Her voice was so fresh and her story (although one that has been told before) felt completely fresh as well. And when it comes to twists? Oh, I NEVER saw what was coming.
(Oh, and I ended up watching the movie after I finished the book - it was good too and cut out some of the "noise" regarding the teacher I could have lived without in the paper format.)...more
Hide yo kids and hide yo wives ‘cause Kelly (and the Book Boar) is posting not one but TWO Five Star reviews today! Which leads to the question – whatHide yo kids and hide yo wives ‘cause Kelly (and the Book Boar) is posting not one but TWO Five Star reviews today! Which leads to the question – what makes a five star read for you? For me the perfect rating is purely a result of my enjoyment. Trashy romances, chick lit, thrillers, highbrow literature can all earn the coveted full monty if I feel a connection. And a connection to an often unlikeable character who I have very little in common with? Well, that’s like spotting a unicorn.
All This Could Be Different features a twenty-two year old unnamed until the second portion of the book main character who has recently graduated from college and relocated to Milwaukee for a job as an entry level project consultant at a Fortune 500 company. This new job affords Sneha the luxury of being able to send money to her parents as well as recruit a fellow college pal into the company. The story follows our lead while she tries to navigate her way through “adulting” for the first time, while also living with constant reminders of her father’s deportation and trauma from her past – both while things are going well and when her newly formed world begins to fall apart.
As I said above, I didn’t have much in common with this group of characters, but boy oh boy did I find myself invested in their lives. This one won’t be for everyone, but if you give it a go I hope you have the same result as me . . .
The meaning of refrain is split. Doubled. To refrain means to stop, to hold yourself back from something, keep yourself in check. But a refrain also points us to repetition. A song’s refrain, constantly returned to. What is the thing that is remembered because it is constantly returned to? think of the ballerina on a child’s jewelry box. The refrains of our lives are the moments we revolve around, maybe the moments that were stopped too soon, stopped before we were ready, and so we are frozen, pirouetting in time, always thinking on the possibility that might have been. If only. If only....more
First things first, I have no idea how this book got put on my radar. My apologies for whoever out there on the intertubes it was who posted something about it for not giving you credit, but be aware that I truly thank you – and my husband will probably thank you later.
The story here is about Georgia and Alec. He was her BFF's older brother, but the family moved across the pond when they were all still just little chitlins. A canceled flight brings the two together and ends in a one night stand. Or potentially more . . . .
Imma put it right out there and say this was a 5 Star book for me. I am a romance failure for the most part and this one delivered. I actually did a little poking around due to some backlash that I’ll get to in a second and I’m here to tell you I do not share most of the complaints others had – some of which are:
1. She doesn’t recognize him. Uhhhh they last saw each other 13 years ago. That’s not weird. Also not weird to not know every celebrity in the universe. Especially when she admits she doesn’t watch television and he became famous in a very niche genre. I’m telling you I was REAL skurrrred this was going to go in a horrible racial stereotype sort of direction from the little I had heard, but ‘twas not the case.
2. Speaking of race – apparently now the pendulum has swung (swang???) all the way around. Last year there wasn’t enough diversity and inclusion in books written by white authors, now apparently they aren’t allowed to write non-whites period. And don’t get it twisted that I’m undermining Own Voices. Obviously the most important voice to be heard is one who actually knows definitively of what they speak, but whitewashing is waaaaay problematic as well.
3. Her job. Ummmmm, do you know how news pieces like this work? She’s not writing a paragraph puff – she’s conducting some serious investigative journalism for a major news outlet with a result that will be a ginormous spread. Those don’t get written in only a minute or two. And us perverts don’t want to read all of her boring work emails, we just need the acknowledgment that she had to answer some and then get back to the banging!
So there’s my defense of some others’ gripes. That being said, a BBA is never an okay thing and literally having your WRITING PARTNER and allllll yo other author besties blurb your new release pretending like they don’t know you????
I put this book on my TBR simply for the title alone. If you are new here, one of little joys I get out of life is carrying around my own selection ofI put this book on my TBR simply for the title alone. If you are new here, one of little joys I get out of life is carrying around my own selection of “NSFW” book titles and covers so this one automatically hit the sweet spot simply for the outside. Then the Center for Fiction debut novel nominees were announced and – yay me – I already had this on hold at the library. Unfortunately for this novel, I think it has zero chance at winning thanks to said nominations also including the brilliant Nightwalking, but I thought this was great too.
NSFW is the story of a young Harvard grad who, thanks to a fairly healthy dose of nepotism adjacent connections, lands a temp job at the television network XBC. Her own skillset is what gets our unnamed protagonist promoted to an assistant position for one of the major movers and shakers of the network and eventually even allows her to sit in on pitches for new program development. The timeframe is prior to #metoo where office engagement is taken as . . . .
“Little comments, tiny things, nothing really.”
It is a time where compliments should be received with a smile, women expect the worst from other women and apologize for the behaviors of certain men, things sometimes just “go too far” – and we are active participants in our own oppression. So basically, about a decade ago.
I have been an “assistant” since Jesus was in diapers so there might have been a deeper level of appreciation for me that others who have not held this illustrious job title won’t feel. Luckily I have never been sexually harassed or assaulted at work, but boy did the words here still resonate. The dark humored delivery and conversational tone rather than a preachy approach (which would surely get the authored labeled as some sort of shrieking harpy even with the strides that have been made) make the readability factor of this one go straight through the roof. Don’t let the low Goodreads rating fool you, NSFW is whip smart and worth your time.
I want to read the smart, literary fictiony things, but even when I go to check them out from the library my recommendations pop up telling me I should probably just stick to smut making me doubt my capabilities even more. When this year’s list came out a couple of days ago I was so pleased with myself that I had already read one selection (Nightcrawling) and had just downloaded The Trees the day before.
I don’t even know how this book got on my radar, but I do remember the blurb saying it was going to be about solving a string of modern day lynchings. What I definitely did not expect was to want to declare this a winner at just 2% when ol’ Wheat tells all the folks at the backyard BBQ their pool don’t got no water in her ‘cause it “got a crack in the wall from where Mavis Dill fell into the side of it with her fat ass” and Junior Junior offers to rectify that situation by bringing some pigs over and turning it into a pen. By the time I met Ed and Jim from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations this read had my sides hurting from laughing. Who’da thunk it? A hilarious take on lynching. I sure wouldn’t have ever guessed!
But then . . . .
“What are you doing?” “I’m writing their names by hand.” Damon sharpened his pencil over a sheet of white paper. Mama Z pulled the pad toward her and looked at the list. “Why are you doing this?” she asked. “When I write the names they become real, not just statistics. When I write the names they become real again. It’s almost like they get a few more seconds here. Do you know what I mean? I would never be able to make up this many names. The names have to be real. They have to be real. Don’t they?” Mama Z put her hand against the side of Damon face. “Why pencil?” “When I’m done, I’m going to erase every name, set them free.” “Carry on, child,” the old woman said.
That hit just like a gut punch.
Five Stars are becoming rare for me the more I read. Threes are good, Fours are obviously better, but a Five means I pretty much would not change one single word. I would not change one single word here. Read this book.
Kelly (and the Book Boar)
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