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 . . .
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
The story here is about the Larkin family. We start in in the Summer of 1951. Eldest daughter Myra is dabbling with her first taste of freedom as a young teen and is allowed to go to the diner after Sunday mass for a couple of hours before coming home to assist with family chores. On this given Sunday, Myra meets a young man who says his name is Mickey Mantle and that he is a rookie with the New York Yankees who has been sent back down to the minors for the time being. He offers Myra a ride home since it is raining outside and even gives her one of his baseball cards to remember him by . . . . and then that night neighbors down the street are victims of a grisly murder in their own home with the main suspect being a young, male, blonde stranger.
The story is then a SWEEPING narrative spanning sixty years and told by multiple members of the Larkin clan. Hot button headlines of the day are mentioned (such as the assassination attempt on Ronald Regan and Rock Hudson’s AIDS diagnosis), but also there are a couple of near-misses by notorious serial killers. And then. WHOA BOY OH BOY AND THEN! The Larkin mother begins receiving bizarre postcards from the only surviving son of the family, Alec, consisting of simple “hello and goodbye” messages – accompanied by the name and age of a child.
This was perfection. Family saga plus serial killers? Talk about my bucket list dream novel. Every Star.
Endless thanks to Little Brown for a copy in exchange for my honest review. ...more
Per usual I put a hold at the library for Tananarive Due’s newest release without knowing anything about it. I previously read and really dug The BetwPer usual I put a hold at the library for Tananarive Due’s newest release without knowing anything about it. I previously read and really dug The Between, so it was a no-brainer. And let me tell you – this one????
Twelve year old Robbie attempts to defend his sister’s honor after witnessing the neighbor kid trying to get fresh with her, but that is simply something that is not done by a black kid in the South when said neighbor is not only white, but also from a family who kind of owns the town. Robbie finds himself sent to The Reformatory – known for not only its brutality, but also its haints. As Robbie’s sister tries to devise a plan to get Robbie out, he is simply trying to survive.
I don’t have any words for this other than read it. Every Star....more
If you are a reader who digs unlikeable characters like I do, boy is he maybe the author for you! This one is all about cancel culture and oh my word . . . .
Boyne's ability to walk the tightrope between hilarious and horrifyingly cringey is simply amazing. I love that he has a backlist for me to go to whenever I’m not sure what I want to read. ...more
For the first 2/3 of this novel I was feeling my most recent favorite vibes while living in Irina’s world – those that remind m
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OH. MY. GOD.
For the first 2/3 of this novel I was feeling my most recent favorite vibes while living in Irina’s world – those that remind me of Fleabag. But then things got nutty. American Psycho but make her a hot ginger who instead of working on Wall Street makes her living via fetish kink photography.
Obviously from the two references above, this sucker is for those who like things dark. Don’t read it if you are of a sensitive nature. There’s your warning. For those of you who like a whole lot of fuck-up-ed-ness in your fiction? This one is worthy of all the hot button marketing terminology: fresh, original, edgy, riveting, twisted, page-turner, you name it.
Eliza Clark, you are a fucking GIFT. I can’t wait to read more of what you come up with.
I was all prepared to say I have such a better result with the Read With Jenna selections than I do with America’s Darling, Reese . . . and
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I was all prepared to say I have such a better result with the Read With Jenna selections than I do with America’s Darling, Reese . . . and then this one came along.
Chain Gang All-Stars tackles the penal system the same way S.A. Cosby tackled homophobia in Razorblade Tears . . . with a lot of gore and a heavy-handed Ted Talk sort of delivery. Per usual, the people who need a lesson on how unjust the American justice system can be will 100% be the people who would never even consider reading this. For me dystopia stories just aren’t really my jam to begin with and since I’m an old lady this had a been there/done that vibe a la the afore-giffed Mad Max, Gladiator, The Running Man, The Hunger Games, etc., etc., etc. but this one was somehow extremely boring.
Oh, and I HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE bajillions of footnotes. (Because I am stupid and a wrongreader. There, save your breath folks. I trolled myself so you don’t have to.) ...more
I haven’t read a serial killer story this good since . . . . I don’t even know. Dexter???? This had a perfect page count (THANK YOU, Catherine Ryan Howard for keeping it brief so I never left the edge of my seat), some Gilgo Beach feels, one scary mofo and an ending that had me like . . . .
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
Old God’s Time received high marks from a couple of friends (that’s what put it on my radar to begin with), so it may very well work better for you thOld God’s Time received high marks from a couple of friends (that’s what put it on my radar to begin with), so it may very well work better for you than it did for me. I knew going in this was going to be a DARK story (about the sins committed by those who have supposedly been called to a higher power and given the authority to absolve others). I just didn’t know it would take until 40% to actually start making any progress as far as plot. I hate to say it, but if I were a DNF’er, I most likely would have put this aside. The story here is about a retired police officer who receives a knock on his door which makes him take a much unwanted walk down memory lane while dealing with two separate but equally desperate situations in the present. The memories are horrific and brutal and not for sensitive readers, but as I said it took so long to get there that the end result wasn’t totally worth the time invested for me. ...more
Talk about cover love. Y’all know I dig houses, but winding roads and small bodies of water are quickly becoming a can’t resist situation for me too. Talk about cover love. Y’all know I dig houses, but winding roads and small bodies of water are quickly becoming a can’t resist situation for me too. And a story about a missing girl from years past, the discovery of a body and potentially two new missing girls??? You know what that amounts to . . .
I wish I would have had an easier time with this one. If you know me you know I get through a book in about a day or day and a half. This took FIVE. There is an excellent story here - it just got buried in a super murky back and forth timeline and characters with very similar voices. If you are patient the payoff is definitely worth the wait, but I also would completely understand those who DNF doing so here.
3.5 and I’m rounding up even though my brain is trying to convince me to round down by reminding me how much I struggled to make progress despite reading whenever I had a free moment.
ARC received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
CONTENT WARNING: I'm not a person who needs trigger/content warnings, but for those who do please note (view spoiler)[there are some very detailed dog fighting scenes that are seriously disturbing. (hide spoiler)]
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
In case you are new here with me, I have a diagnosis of chronic C.R.S. disease (that’s can’t remember $hit, if you aren’t familiar with the term). It In case you are new here with me, I have a diagnosis of chronic C.R.S. disease (that’s can’t remember $hit, if you aren’t familiar with the term). It is a fairly non-debilitating condition that makes you question things like “did this book get put on my TBR after watching The Florida Project and The Motel Kids of Orange County or was it already there and it’s simply a coincidence that they kind of brought the same vibes???”
Lullabies for Little Criminals is Baby’s story – and boy is it a bleak one. Born to a couple of 15-year olds and raised solely by her father after her mother died when she was only a baby, Baby’s life is certainly no fairytale. Her father is a part-time drug addict, full-time untreated mental illness suffer who bounces her from long-stay hotels to cheap roach trap apartments to foster care and group homes when necessary. The story follows Baby from 12 to 13 as she strays further away from “normal” and gets involved with a pimp, starts turning tricks and doing drugs.
As I said, B.L.E.A.K., but the delivery is not of the tragiporn variety – in fact it’s so matter-of-fact and observational in style that I only kept turning pages because I wanted to see what was coming next, not because I was so emotionally invested. Maybe it was because the two films referenced above made me cry the ugly cry so hard that I just didn’t have anything more in the tank to give, or maybe the lack of a cohesive storyline was the issue. Who knows? ...more
In case any of you are like me after finishing the absolutely unnecessary The Family Remains and were doubting Lisa Jewell, along comes None Of This IIn case any of you are like me after finishing the absolutely unnecessary The Family Remains and were doubting Lisa Jewell, along comes None Of This Is True and Ms. Jewell declaring . . . .
The story here is about Josie. She already has it in her head that she wants to make some changes in her life, so when she accidentally meets her “birthday twin” at a restaurant where they are both celebrating their 45th, discovers said birthday twin Alix has a podcast and suggests she be the subject for the next set of installments.
You may be thinking you know where this is heading and it’s another dime or dozen stalker situation, but oh would you be wrong! My oh my do I appreciate a quality unreliable narrator and this book has one of the best. And just look at all those houses on the cover!!!!!!! I loved it.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley! ...more
The Virgin Suicides meets Bunny. If that sounds like your idea of a good time you should check this one out - otherwis"You girls sure are creepy."
The Virgin Suicides meets Bunny. If that sounds like your idea of a good time you should check this one out - otherwise steer clear. A new take on the missing girl story told via a combo of the Greek chorus as children and individual narratives as adults. This is a time where the purple writing really worked for me …..
Imagine for a second there is inside you something like a soul. This soul is like a bowl of still water. It sits, a clean and precious thing, balanced in your chest. The water is cool. Holy. It is entirely itself. It is like water before water was a word. Now, imagine a syringe. The vial is brown and, as you look at it, you realize it is full of human shit, the tiniest, foulest amount. And imagine this needle being pressed, slowly, into the skin of your sternum, injected, as you watch helplessly, into this bowl of balanced water. How quickly it spreads and stinks and fouls this cleanest thing at your center. And in seconds the bowl is ruined. And you look at the bowl and feel terrible you were unable to protect it, this precious and fragile and perfect thing. And you recognize the life’s work it will take to wash and repair the bowl, and it is not fair, because it is not you who dirtied it. So you tip the bowl over and it breaks. You pretend it does not exist.
But then there are times when a feeling crawls across you. The feeling is all the sadder and truer because you cannot name it. You can live a happy enough life with a broken bowl inside you. But you will always be wanting, a feeling as keen and common to you now as thirst.
I’m going with 3.5 Stars because it seems that’s my go-to in 2023 when I come across something fresh but can’t say I looooooved it. Personal growth that I’m only talking about how much I hate this cover and not deducting points for it ; )
EDIT: Because the blurb calls this "The Virgin Suicides meets The Florida Project" (which I had not watched prior to today). That's accurate as far as the "Greek chorus" portion which is what is only witnessed through the childrens' eyes. The Florida Project is quite possibly one of the best films I've ever seen and a real punch in the throat if you are capable of watching truly depressing shit in your free time....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
Okay, this book doesn’t come out until July, but guess what? That is pool season, homies, and I am telling you THIS is what I’m talking abo
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Okay, this book doesn’t come out until July, but guess what? That is pool season, homies, and I am telling you THIS is what I’m talking about when it comes to poolside reads. If escapism in the form of tainted love is your jam, Wes and Ivy will deliver in spades.
I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Samantha Downing’s My Lovely Wife back in the day and have happily stalked followed along on this author’s journey as she went from a serial killing spouse, to family fuckery to her take on dark academia to this “love” story. I’m a forever fan and will read WHATEVER she releases. Sooooooo many Stars!!!!
Did I just read this nearly 750 page book in two days? Tell me you’re crazy without telling me you’re crazy. In my defense, I didn’t realize how long Did I just read this nearly 750 page book in two days? Tell me you’re crazy without telling me you’re crazy. In my defense, I didn’t realize how long this was before I requested it from the library. I simply saw B.E.E. had a new release and Mitchell said he would hurt me if I didn’t get it immediately. I think I was like a billion and a half down the wait list too, but ended up getting this within a week of asking for it so I think it’s safe to say others either were intimidated by the sheer volume or realized pretty darn quickly this wasn’t for them and returned it. And to whoever you are I say THANK YOU for letting me get my grubby little mitts on it post haste.
Now on to the book. Simply put, this is about . . . .
“the memories I had of the Trawler and more specifically of Robert Mallory.”
Written as a nonfiction narrative, this one is for the Bret Easton Ellis superfan. I mean, if you ever wanted to crawl around inside this fella’s brain, The Shards is the one for you! After finishing I did a Google to see what was said about this “true story” before it was released and I am amazed at how many people were duped. Dear Dummies: YOU LITERALLY HAVE A COMPUTER ATTACHED TO YOUR HAND ALMOST ALL THE TIME. It’s not hard to find out these cases didn’t actually happen. Not to mention he is an author who previously wrote a “true story” about fucking vampires. And also . . .
I was a storyteller and I liked decorating an otherwise mundane incident that maybe contained one or two facts that made it initially interesting to be retold in the first place but not really, but adding a detail or two that elevated the story into something legitimately interesting to the listener and gave it humor or surprise or shock, and this came naturally to me. These weren’t lies exactly – I just preferred the exaggerated version.
I just found out this was initially released as a serial story – new entries were written every two weeks and read by Ellis himself on his podcast. My first reaction to that? Oh yeah, I would have read the crap out of this as a serial. Followed immediately by, ewwwww, B.E.E. even YOU have a podcast?
With that knowledge now is the time to disclose that while I’m the first to say “don’t you have an editor?!?!?!?!” – on this occasion I’m giving a pass – because there literally was no editor nor any intention that this would be released as a physical book when it was initially created.
But I wasn’t kidding when I said this is for the superfan. Basically it reads like a high school journal written by someone with extreme literary chops and covers Bret Easton Ellis’ senior year at Buckley in 1981. Ellis more than dabbles in sex (both of the hetero and nonhetero varieties) and drugs, works on his debut novel Less Than Zero, finds himself a member of the “me too” movement nearly 40 years prior to its time and develops a bit of an obsession with the new boy in school who he believes might just be a serial killer. Oh, and also? It is QUINTESSENTIALLY 1980s. We’re talking popped collars, Topsiders, ray bans and a detailing of every single song that was playing at any moment throughout his days. It certainly is not a book for everyone, but it was most definitely for me. All the Stars.
Whistling tunes we hide in the dunes by the seaside . . . . ...more
Seeing the paltry 3.26 (!!!!) Goodreads’ rating after taking a looky-look at the synopsis of this one I was sure everyone was just being a hater. BuuuSeeing the paltry 3.26 (!!!!) Goodreads’ rating after taking a looky-look at the synopsis of this one I was sure everyone was just being a hater. Buuuuuuuut now that I’ve read it and am only awarding 3 Stars myself, I get how it came to be.
The problem here is that are actually TWO potentially really solid (talking 4 Star minimum) stories in Sedating Elaine. The first would be the one that coincides with the title. Dear Frances finds herself with vivacious rebound girl Elaine – who, can I just say from the description was 100% . . . .
Frances owes a significant amount of money to her weed dealer so she bites the bullet and asks the wealthy Elaine to move in with her in order to ask her for the dough rather than a loanshark. Immediately upon cohabitation, Frances comes to realize there’s no way she can keep up with Elaine (and that’s in generic energy levels, actual physical activities such as running or her sexual appetite). How to solve the problem? A little sedation and a truly laugh-out-loudable dark comedy.
The other half of the novel is a maudlin tale of Elaine’s inability to move past traumas (sad ones, but thankfully not anything sexual or abusive) that happened when she was a child. She spends as much time as she can at the restaurant job she loves – but is unwilling (or feels undeserving) of moving beyond basic KP duties. She has no real friends (although well liked by her co-workers) and spends all of her time alone except when she is engaging in meaningless sex until she meets the too-goo-to-be-true Adrienne. The writing in this portion is hauntingly beautiful at times.
The problem lies that these two stories do not comingle well. Good news is this was Dawn Winter’s debut novel and she has proven to have some quality writing chops. I’ll definitely be looking for what she comes up with next.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review....more
For years I’ve referred to Matthew Quick as Matthew Quirk – unintentionally to start (I am the girl who thought Riley Sager was a female for like fourFor years I’ve referred to Matthew Quick as Matthew Quirk – unintentionally to start (I am the girl who thought Riley Sager was a female for like four books, after all) – and then on purpose because he does tend to lean into the quirky when it comes to his characters and/or plotlines.
The story here is about Lucas. Lucas has been struggling through the grieving process after losing his wife to a mass shooting at the local movie house. Lucas was deemed a hero, but all he knows is he didn’t save 17 people and thank heavens his beloved wife still visits him in her angel form. In an attempt to make his way out of the darkness, he writes his former Jungian analyst Karl, cohabitates with his deceased wife’s best friend and offers his back yard as shelter to Eli, a young man who has been ostracized due to his relationship with the shooter.
But Lucas and Eli have a plan to fix the town . . .
“You didn’t say you wanted them to star in a monster movie about the shooting that killed all of their loved ones.”
“It’s a metaphor that’s designed to heal!”
As I said, Matthew Quirk. This is a dark novel written by an author experiencing one of the darkest times of his life. But as Florence and her Machine so eloquently stated . . . .
Kelly (and the Book Boar)
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