In homage to “Darkly Dreaming Dexter” I have lovingly been referring to Augusten Burroughs as “Darkly Delightful David” for years since I have enjoyedIn homage to “Darkly Dreaming Dexter” I have lovingly been referring to Augusten Burroughs as “Darkly Delightful David” for years since I have enjoyed his memoirs nearly as much as my one true love, David Sedaris. While Burroughs has always leaned waaaaaay more into the macabre memories of his coming of age and adulthood than Sedaris, he has done so often in a laugh out loud way that makes you feel like (even more of) a terrible person.
This time around he tackles his childhood – back when his parents were still together, in a VERY dysfunctional marriage, and before he went to live with his mother’s shrink. Much like Sedaris’ Happy Go Lucky this one delves into true darkness – including alcoholism, untreated mental illness(es), and domestic violence to name a few. And then there’s this hinting around nearly at the end that maybe his father was, if not a serial killer, potentially at least a murderer of one person that has become a reoccurring dream for Augusten.
I was really ready to pan this one . . . but then at the end Burroughs explained it was sort of a “modern art project” for him so take my rating with a grain of salt. I’m giving this 2.5 Stars and rounding down for the audio version because I absolutely HATED all of the interludes of sound and music that, unfortunately, were 100% Burroughs’ own idea. He also includes four songs at the end and I really didn’t like the Patty Smith one . . .
(But how absolutely kick-ass is it that he could just call PATTY SMITH up and say, “hey, wanna write me a song for this audiobook thing I’m doing?”)...more
Ooooof. This is a hard one. It had all sorts of swooney Ryan Goslingy types of dialogue to make a romantic heart go pitter-pat and while I knoooooooooOoooof. This is a hard one. It had all sorts of swooney Ryan Goslingy types of dialogue to make a romantic heart go pitter-pat and while I knooooooooooooooooow romance books aren’t steeped in reality, the plotline was sort of problematic for me.
I set aside the fact that most workplaces have anti-fraternization rules and simply went along with that trope for the sake of . . .
But this idea that the boy your entire family has blamed for your sister’s death for well over a decade somehow coinky-dinkily becomes not only your co-worker in a REAL niche profession of screenwriting, that also happens to be 100% across the country from where you grew up and then also can somehow become your love interest was a lot for my logical non-romantic brain. Also, I’m in a current phase where I prefer fade-to-black smexuals so all the dirty talk did absolutely nothing for either me or my lady garden.
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
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
Like bajillions of other true crime addicts around the world, the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard is one that is like a trainwreck I couldn’t simply looLike bajillions of other true crime addicts around the world, the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard is one that is like a trainwreck I couldn’t simply look away from. From Mommy Dead and Dearest to binging The Act to reading fictitious takes on Gypsy’s story in novels such as Darling Rose Gold, I have been hooked on this wilder than fiction tale of murder and Munchausen By Proxy for years now. When I saw a book was being released you bet your butt I was the first on the library waiting list. What I didn’t realize this was simply a sampler of around 100 pages – otherwise known as . . . . .
These transcriptions of phone calls from the prison leave nearly all of the story left untold (and would have worked so much better as an audiobook than in hard copy). I 100% anxiously await Gypsy’s full memoir and want to hear her side straight from the horse’s mouth. I will say, the general reaction of “YAAAAAAS QUEEN” by the public upon her release has been more than a little disconcerting to me. Yes, Gypsy-Rose was a victim, but are the same folks who seem to be offended by nearly everything really celebrating murder now? Odd. Also, her Peter Griffin looking husband skeeves me out to the max so it will be interesting to see if he is an opportunist. Let’s face it, Gypsy is an easy mark. She clearly suffers from a severe case of arrested development and dives right into relationships head first looking for her fairy tale. Or is it all an act? She certainly drops her bubbly persona and lets it be known she has some serious sour grapes off of others making money from her tale without her getting a cut (as explained in this book – the public record is free for the taking). The one thing that is certain is she has fully embraced being front and center in the public eye and her millions of new followers on social media. Time will tell if there is to be more than 15 minutes of fame. ...more
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
Thank goodness! Sally Hepworth has been a go-to for me when I want a solid family drama with a side of mystery type of read, but I found Th
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Thank goodness! Sally Hepworth has been a go-to for me when I want a solid family drama with a side of mystery type of read, but I found The Soulmate to be a real stinker. Luckily that was a one-off and this tale of a body discovered buried under a house, three (now grown) foster sisters and . . . .
Had me flying through the pages. Per usual some of the “mysterious” elements are fairly predictable, but once again Hepworth provides a real whammy of an ending.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley! ...more
Once again, I pretty much went into this one blind. Jennifer McMahon is an author who I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up to begin with and what
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Once again, I pretty much went into this one blind. Jennifer McMahon is an author who I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up to begin with and what I had seen was that people said this was scary and un-put-down-able. I am happy to report that FINALLY in a sea of spooky season specific reads I finally came across a couple of winners this weekend.
The story here (in case you are a person who wants a synopsis) is that Alison has always kept her mother at arm’s length since she moved out of the family home. Mavis was a woman who Alison would have considered a pretty good mom – until her father committed suicide and Mavis fell into a downward spiral of alcohol abuse with a hefty side of emotional and physical child abuse to Alison and her brother Ben to boot. Now Alison has received a call that her mother is dying of pancreatic cancer with only a few weeks to live. Her last request? To spend her remaining days with Alison and her family. But something is off about Mavis. Is it simply the combo of medication and cancer or is it something else?
Okay, this was IT when it comes to Halloween (and so many extra props for this creepy creep taking place in December when the fam has been decking the halls - be still my Christmas lovin' heart!!!). Really my only complaint was the very ending. If you are a freak and watch endless amounts of paranormal shows that “twist” wasn’t twisty whatsoever.
Still, HIGHLY recommended and a 4.5 that I am rounding up because FINALLY a f*^%ing Halloween success!...more
Are you looking to brighten? Tighten? Lighten? Whiten? Do you need to firm up? Plump up? Lift up? Do you wish to glow? To glisten? Then Treatment™ migAre you looking to brighten? Tighten? Lighten? Whiten? Do you need to firm up? Plump up? Lift up? Do you wish to glow? To glisten? Then Treatment™ might be for you.*
*Don’t take Treatment if you are allergic to Treatment. Side effects may include numbness, burning, cracking mirrors, lost time, missing words, delusions of grandeur, suicidal ideations, hallucinations, jellyfish, going the way of the roses or Tom Cruise.
Mona Awad’s latest release is a warning to all about the quest to find the fountain of youth. It is part . . .
It’s batshit crazy which I think just has to be expected from this author and it is a case where I truly wish there were half stars on Goodreads. I’m giving this one 3.5 and rounding down because, while I’m in for a ride on the crazy train, at some point I was also ready to get off and this one probably went about 100 pages too long for me.
If you previously were a fan of Chuck Palahniuk who has been disappointed in his past few offerings, maybe give Mona Award’s stuff a spin. She’s nucking futs. ...more
The husband was out of town last week so I was perusing the 50,000,000 streaming services we subscribe to for something brainless and fun and cutesie The husband was out of town last week so I was perusing the 50,000,000 streaming services we subscribe to for something brainless and fun and cutesie to maybe watch. I ran across this title and was almost positive it was a book first and turns out I was right. So then I do what I do and I didn’t watch the movie, but instead immediately went to the library to download a copy to read instead.
Now that I’m finished I’m seeing the Goodreads’ rating sits at 2.85?!?!?!?
I’m wondering if maybe Grant Ginder was simply ahead of his time because stories about dysfunction junction starring not the nicest people in the world have become sort of the rage. And these people weren’t even that bad once you got to know them a little. (Except for Mark. He was a real twat.) After being trolled incessantly for daring to not love all the things about Remarkably Bright Creatures - Cameron in particular – it was nice to read a story where the attitudes/behaviors/choices of each character were explained and everyone ended up with a believable redemption arc.
I liked this one enough for several of you who didn’t ; ) I hope the film version is just as good. ...more
Before I talk about how much I disliked this book, let me start with saying I freaking loooooooooved The Husbands, so still give Chandler Baker some oBefore I talk about how much I disliked this book, let me start with saying I freaking loooooooooved The Husbands, so still give Chandler Baker some of your money. And if you are looking for a book about bloodsucking children for the spooky season, I highly encourage you all to check out The Lesser Dead.
To say Cutting Teeth was one of my most anticipated Fall reads would be an understatement. As I said above, I was looking forward to whatever Baker was going to come up with next after her revamp of a Stepford Wives story and when I saw this was about some bloodthirsty four year olds at the local preschool I was all in. That’s before I knew it was actually going to be A LOT of “mommy” talk about how haaarrrrrrrrrd it is to be a mom and judging of the “right” type of parenting and quite a bit of man bashing thrown in to boot and there is maybe nothing as mind numbing as people who only talk about their children nonstop . . .
No, ma’am. It is 100% NOT okay to simply regurgitate the younger ginger Murdaugh son’s sordid history into your page count when everyone in the G.D. universe was tuned in to that trainwreck for the past couple of years. Talk about lazy. This is only getting 2 Stars for the ending. ...more
I don’t know about you, but when I see a cartoony cover like this my mind goes exactly where the people are – relaxing on a beach (or in my case out oI don’t know about you, but when I see a cartoony cover like this my mind goes exactly where the people are – relaxing on a beach (or in my case out on the deck) and losing myself for a couple of hours in an easy reader sort of light romcom. I’m not usually a blurb reader so I 100% judge a book by its cover the majority of the time. This was an exception to the rule, however, since it was an Amazon First Read. The blurb sounded super light and just what I was trying to stack the TBR up with for once the weather started cooperating.
Girl gets dream job, girl has blow-up/breakdown that gets not only caught on film but posted online, girl gets mandatory leave of absence that takes her back to her deceased brother’s beach house where she will have a forced cohabitation trope with his best pal that you know will lead to schmexing, a break up of sorts and then a happily for now.
I was all in. Until it was also about child abuse (both physical and neglect) and PTSD and never-ending grief and alcohol abuse and on and on and on. Don’t put all this sort of trauma in my beach read. I don’t avoid heavy books, but I sure as shit don’t put a cartoon cover on the front of them.
Lily has spent her whole life trying to keep her mother as calm as possible. While her brother, sister and even father are the ones to put her on edge – triggering both emotional and physical outbursts – it is Lily’s job to maintain peace. She’s done everything from taste testing the three-day-old-expired juice mother prefers to dying her hair and wearing colored contacts to appear as Asian as possible in an attempt to keep her sated. Now only eight weeks before the term will begin at Oxford, Lily is counting down to her getaway. But Lily’s starting to have some breaks from reality and flashbacks from a past she’s not sure are from her own life . . . .
This one gets all of its points for being unique. Once again I’m not loving the comparison to My Dark Vanessa being thrown out (I’m assuming at this point Vanessa is the new Gone Girl from the Window of the Train), but if you’re talking in generalities only maybe Bad Fruit passes the sniff test (hyuck hyuck). Don’t go in expecting some thrilling thrillride – however, if you want a sleeper of a literary domestic this one may be up your alley.
3.5 Stars
Merged review:
Really the only thing you need to know before picking up Bad Fruit is . . . .
Lily has spent her whole life trying to keep her mother as calm as possible. While her brother, sister and even father are the ones to put her on edge – triggering both emotional and physical outbursts – it is Lily’s job to maintain peace. She’s done everything from taste testing the three-day-old-expired juice mother prefers to dying her hair and wearing colored contacts to appear as Asian as possible in an attempt to keep her sated. Now only eight weeks before the term will begin at Oxford, Lily is counting down to her getaway. But Lily’s starting to have some breaks from reality and flashbacks from a past she’s not sure are from her own life . . . .
This one gets all of its points for being unique. Once again I’m not loving the comparison to My Dark Vanessa being thrown out (I’m assuming at this point Vanessa is the new Gone Girl from the Window of the Train), but if you’re talking in generalities only maybe Bad Fruit passes the sniff test (hyuck hyuck). Don’t go in expecting some thrilling thrillride – however, if you want a sleeper of a literary domestic this one may be up your alley.
As much as it physically pains me to do so, I’m going to have to agree with my pal Dan 2.0 when it comes to Tiffany McDaniel’s style . . . it’s probabAs much as it physically pains me to do so, I’m going to have to agree with my pal Dan 2.0 when it comes to Tiffany McDaniel’s style . . . it’s probably not for me. I looooooooooved Betty and agree that there is an excellent story within the pages of this latest release regarding a series of prostitutes who are found in Chillicothe, Ohio (inspired by the true tale of the “Chillichothe Six”). Unfortunately, it was so mired in the purple prose that I could not feel all of the feels that I was supposed to be feeling. I have actively avoided The Summer that Melted Everything for fear of being a wrongreader and I will probably continue to do so for the foreseeable future since the main complaint was regarding how it too was overwritten.
Also, I already dislike a face cover, but if you're going to commit to one at least get it right. One sister lipsticked her TOP lip, the other the BOTTOM. Stuff like that drives me batshit.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
A novel about the “long-lasting cognitive effects of traumatic overwhelm. It’s a comedy.”
Here’s another new voice and another ARC I was lucky enouA novel about the “long-lasting cognitive effects of traumatic overwhelm. It’s a comedy.”
Here’s another new voice and another ARC I was lucky enough to receive from the publisher but failed to ever pick up. Then it was announced as a contender for the Center for Fiction’s Debut of the Year and that was finally enough to get my ass in gear.
Post-Traumatic is, you guessed it, about a woman who has some severe PTSD stemming from an abusive childhood. The book follows Vivian along as she attempts to overcome her past in order to be a functioning adult in the present. It’s heartbreaking at times and also brutally and darkly funny . . .
“White people loved this book . . .”
“How is it?”
“Well, I was kind of into parts of it but then the narrator said something like ‘The worst thing about child abuse is empathizing with your abuser’ and I got annoyed. I’m like, no. The worst part about child abuse is being the only girl in your kindergarten class with HPV.”
This one won’t be for everyone. You have to be okay with a broken person and truly bleak subject matter. It definitely comes off as a debut at times when Johnson veers away from her characters’ voices and leans into the territory of . . . .
She’s a 10 4, but she reads ARCs for books that won’t be released until 2023 rather than the billion that have already been published and remain unreaShe’s a 10 4, but she reads ARCs for books that won’t be released until 2023 rather than the billion that have already been published and remain unread on her Kindle . . . .
Yeah, that’s pretty much what happened. Shelby sent me a text that Mothered was a Read Now on NetGalley and I snatched it up lickity split before the offer expired. I didn’t intend to read it right away due to that FEBRUARY pub date, but since I looooooved Baby Teeth this sucker just kept screaming to me . . . .
After reading Zoje Stage’s take on a “bad seed” devil child, I couldn’t wait to see what she had to offer when it came to mommas.
A note to anyone who found the pandemic extremely traumatizing: this is NOT a book for you. It takes place in the height of panic where lockdown restrictions are just easing up a titch, but well before the vaccine was invented. You literally get locked in with Grace and her mother Jackie. Claustrophobic is a very apt description of how this book reads. It won’t be for everyone, but man oh man this was a slow burn of psychological fuck-up-edry that I read cover to cover one night after work.
Once again I broke my own rule of not reading the author note and took a gander at this one. I am so sorry for the author’s loss, but holy moly do I appreciate a brain that can turn the grieving process into something so delicious. I also couldn’t imagine quarantining in total isolation. While I tout my hermitlike lifestyle on the regular, at least I have other people who live in my house with me and who I like to talk to every once in awhile ; ) ...more
Notes on an Execution is another “Blame It On Bookstagram” selection, but one that ended up being a great rShe was just a girl. You were only you.
Notes on an Execution is another “Blame It On Bookstagram” selection, but one that ended up being a great read so all those book pictures really paid off ha-ha. To be honest, despite this recent release being featured in photos all across the ‘Gram, I was able to restrain myself for a change for quite a while before adding my name to the library request list. The cover didn’t really appeal to me and the title had me thinking this was going to be some sort of tragiporn death row tale that I simply wasn’t in the mood for. When I finally decided to look it up over here on Goodreads I noticed a BUNCH of my pals had read it and nearly all with high marks (and we’re some picky so-and-sos).
This one is billed as a literary thriller and I would say that’s a fitting description. The story begins with the countdown to suspected serial killer Ansel Packer’s execution. With 12 hours to go, you hear Ansel’s tale (and his firm belief that he absolutely will not be dying today) told via Ansel himself, as well as his mother’s story, his wife’s (through his ex-sister-in-law) and the detective who has put her own career in jeopardy in order to bring justice to these victims.
I don’t have much to say aside from everybody else was right. This was a great book. The content is not for those easily triggered, but gory details are for the most part spared for the rest of you who can deal with dark content. If you know me, you know I’m A-okay with stories that are all about chills and thrills without a lot of depth. This was a nice twist on the classic serial killer story that contained many layers to the onion. One that really makes you think about nature vs. nurture and will make the reader sympathetic to every one of the characters involved.
“Family secrets are the very worst kind, aren’t they?”
I’m going to be 100% honest and say that I put this aside before even beginning it after see“Family secrets are the very worst kind, aren’t they?”
I’m going to be 100% honest and say that I put this aside before even beginning it after seeing some not so stellar reviews from friends whose opinions I really trust. I think I would have been a naysayer myself had I not taken that hiatus because my brain would not stop going to the most obvious place . . . .
But then I remembered Megan Abbott does not tend to go to the most obvious place – or if she does she makes you work for it first – and she’s all about keeping you guessing on what the actual eff is going on. She also doesn’t shy away from the squick factor, so consider yourself warned. Oh yes this is an author truly after Mitchell’s heart and the story of the Durant sisters was one that wet his whistle.
Dara and Marie run the ballet school their mother formed with the help of former star pupil and Dara’s husband Charlie. The entire year’s worth of work culminates in the annual performance of The Nutracker and everyone is lazer focused on its success. But when a fire breaks out damaging the building the trio find themselves not only stressed with the inconvenience of repairs but also stressed with introduction of a new player in their tightly woven lives.
As I said, this was a mixed bag for my pals so I have no clue if it will be a winner for you. But with the combo of . . . .
Here it is: I am not a big fan of stories written in verse.
Good news is, that’s the only negative thing I have to say. I don’t pick up a lot of middle-grade stuff, but if I were a teacher Starfish would be mandatory reading (along with Wonder). This little book did not pull the punches with regard to the feelings that come from being bullied (both outside of the house and inside of the house) simply for looking different. Bullies should read it because they are bullies and they need to see what their words and actions can do to a person and fat kids (and yes I use the word fat. I am fat. I embrace it.) should read it to help find their voice and rid themselves of the shame they should never feel about something so superficial as looks. And of course it ends with a lovely message . . . .
I deserve to be seen. To be noticed. To be heard. To be treated like a human.
I starfish. There’s plenty of room for each and every one of us in the world.
This book is specifically geared toward children dealing with body image issues, but those words above could be about anyone . . . .
Kelly (and the Book Boar)
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