Weekly Reading Thread: March 12-18

I don't think I've posted in at least a month, maybe more.

Just life and working lots. I'm not complaining, though.

Forgive me if I repeated any.

Racing the Light by Robert Crais (Elvis Cole and Joe Pike). This continues the series and is typical of Crais and nicely done. 4/5 stars.

The Net Beneath Us by Dunbar. Not much happened in this one. Very character-driven. 3/5

Desert Star by Michael Connelly (Bosch and Ballard). This continues the series. Didn't really like where Bosch's character is going. The book was excellent. 5/5 stars.

The Widow by Rouda. I loved Best Day Ever. This was meh. I forgot I read another one by her and only gave that 3 stars too. I will probably not read her books in the future. 3/5 stars.

Stealing by Verble. Serious TW for child SA. That was very difficult to read. A solid read about a young half-Cherokee girl who was sent to a boarding school in the 50s after her mom died and dad was arrested. A needed topic. 4/5 stars.

Currently reading Our Missing Hearts by Ng. I didn't have high expectations but am enjoying this much more than I thought I would. I'm a little more than halfway done.

Lisa

In the last couple weeks I've read

A Billion Years: My Escape from a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology by Mike Rinder. Some of you might remember Mike from "Scientology and the Aftermath," the show he did with Leah Remini a few years ago on A&E. I have a real fascination with Scientology, and I really like Mike, so I was excited to read this. It didn't disappoint--it was well-written and had a lot of interesting information. Mike was 52 when he got out, he's had to build a whole new life for himself and I admire him for that.

Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty by Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe. I really wanted to like this--I like Anderson Cooper and I know he has really grappled with grief and reassessing his life after his mother Gloria Vanderbilt died a few years ago. He says in the book that he was never really interested in his Vanderbilt heritage, it wasn't part of his life, so this is an attempt to tell the story of some of the more famous Vanderbilts and set them against some of the major themes of American history. It wasn't really successful, in my opinion. There are many books about the Vanderbilts, and frankly they were not interesting people apart from being obscenely wealthy.

The Murder at Redmire Hall and The Royal Baths Murder by J.R Ellis. I've been working my way through this police procedural series that takes place in Yorkshire. It's just okay--I'm mainly reading it because it's available on Kindle Unlimited. There are definitely things to like, but the writing and plotting could be stronger.

One For the Blackbird, One For the Crow by Olivia Hawker. A Pea mentioned this book last week, so I decided to read it since, again, it was available through KU. I definitely liked it. I've read the author's first book The Ragged Edge of Night and I liked that, too. The author in both books has pulled real stories and real people from her family's history and then tried to shoehorn them into a fictional world. It doesn't 100% work in either book, but she's a good enough writer that she still makes it worth reading. My main complaint about this book was that the female main character, a 13-year-old girl named Beulah, had zero faults and an otherworldliness that served as an awkward plot device. But the setting, the other characters, and the exploration of our relationship to death and the natural world as humans were all done well. I'd recommend it to historical fiction lovers.

I have had more books this year that I just really don’t like than I think I have had in my life so far. I started Our Missing Hearts and didn’t finish it. I just finished The Paris Hotel and it took me awhile to get into it but I did finish it. I am listening to The School for Good Mothers but so far don’t like it and don’t know if I will continue. I just started reading Fairy Tale by Stephen King on my kindle and so far it is engaging.

It's been a while since I posted here too. Just haven't read anything worth recommending. But... I am reading The Chain and it is very gripping. Can't wait to see how it ends!

I read The Last Flight by Julie Clark.
A chance meeting in an airport bar brings her together with a woman whose circumstances seem equally dire. Together they make a last-minute decision to switch tickets―Claire taking Eva’s flight to Oakland, and Eva traveling to Puerto Rico as Claire. They believe the swap will give each of them the head start they need to begin again somewhere far away. But when the flight to Puerto Rico goes down, Claire realizes it’s no longer a head start but a new life.

I liked it so much I read another book by the same author titled The Lies I Tell.

They were both really good. Lots of twists and turns.

I couldn't get into The School for Good Mothers either.

I loved the first one in this series, but for some reason couldn't get into the second one. I think it might have been because I had a couple of books checked out that I REALLY wanted to read so they were on my mind when I tried to start the 2nd. I am going to go back to it though.

I’ve read one really good book about the Vanderbilts-The Last Castle: The Epic Story of Love, Loss, and American Royalty in the Nation's Largest Home by Denise Kiernan.  I agree that the Vanderbilts were pretty boring people in general, but I think George and Edith Vanderbilt were an exception. George had an incredible vision for the home he wanted to build, Biltmore, and he spared no expense in seeking out the finest artisans from around the world to construct and decorate his home. Edith genuinely cared about the people of Asheville and tirelessly promoted and supported its artisans and other industries. The book not only follows the lives of George and Edith, but it also tells the story of many of the artisans who worked on the house. It would definitely make my list of top fifty books I have read.

MOTHERED (MAR 23 - 2 STARS) BY ZOJE STAGE
DESCRIPTION: Grace isn’t exactly thrilled when her newly widowed mother, Jackie, asks to move in with her. They’ve never had a great relationship, and Grace likes her space—especially now that she’s stuck at home during a pandemic. Then again, she needs help with the mortgage after losing her job. And maybe it’ll be a chance for them to bond—or at least give each other a hand. Good intentions turn bad soon after Jackie moves in. Old wounds fester; new ones open. Grace starts having nightmares about her disabled twin sister, who died when they were kids. And Jackie discovers that Grace secretly catfishes people online—a hobby Jackie thinks is unforgivable.

REVIEW:
I ready two of this author’s books back to back; Baby Teeth (‘18 - Read ‘21 - 5 Stars) and then since I loved it so much I read Getaway (‘21 - Read ‘21 - 4 Stars). I also tried Wonderland (‘20 - Read ‘21) but didn’t like it at all; very strange; 2 Stars.
At 20%, being bored and uninterested so far, I checked the reviews for this book and they’re all over the place; I can see why. The weird dreams are getting annoying; you get taken-in and then bam - it wasn’t real. At 40% there is still no plot or purpose. Crazy book, like a descent into madness, with no entertainment value at all for me.



DON’T GO DOWN THERE (MAR ‘23 - 169 PGS - 4 STARS) BY KIERSTEN MODGLIN
DESCRIPTION: Spencer Edwards has a beautiful wife, two perfect children, and a sinister secret locked in his basemen. When Andi Edwards discovers her husband isn’t where he’s supposed to be and isn’t answering her calls or texts, a flurry of scenarios races through her mind. The truth, she soon finds out, is so much worse than she could’ve imagined.

REVIEW:
First two books by this author for me were The Family Secret (‘23 - 4 Stars even though a slightly shorter book @282 pages) and The Reunion (‘21 - Read’23 - 4 Stars). I grabbed this book quickly not realizing it’s only 169 pages.  Oh well, I need to start checking page counts before I start a book!!! This book was entertaining - like a Lifetime movie, if that’s your thing. I liked it. I admit I did LOVE the twist at the end.



THE KIND WORTH SAVING. (BK 2of2 HENRY KIMBALL) (MAR ‘23 - 4 STARS) BY PETER SWANSON
DESCRIPTION :
There was always something slightly dangerous about Joan. So, when she turns up at private inves­tigator Henry Kimball’s office asking him to investigate her husband, he can’t help feeling ill at ease. Just the sight of her stirs up a chilling memory: He knew Joan in his previous life as a high school English teacher, when he was at the center of a tragedy. Now Joan needs his help in proving that her husband is cheating. But what should be a simple case of infidelity becomes much more complicated when Kimball finds two bodies in an uninhabited suburban home with a FOR SALE sign out front. Suddenly it feels like the past is repeating itself, and Henry must go back to one of the worst days of his life to uncover the truth. Is it possible that Joan knows something about that day, something she’s hidden all these years? Could there still be a killer out there, someone who believes they have gotten away with murder? Henry is determined to find out, enlisting help from his old nemesis Lily Kintner.

REVIEW :
First 4 books by this author for me were Nine Lives (‘22 - 4 Stars), Every Vow You Break (‘21 - 4 Stars), Before She Knew Him (‘19 - 5 Stars) and The Kind Worth Killing (‘15 - Read ‘18 - 4 Stars). Very consistent author.  I just loved how this author writes. He always tricks me some how. I loved how he connected book 1&2; very original for me. Even though 8 years since book 1, (5 years for me) it worked for me. Obsession, grudges, the past intruding on the present all worked so well. This author is always good at character development, keeping you glued to the pages with their backstories and connections. I loved how the main character, Henry Kimball, kept inventing himself and pushing on. I hope this series does not end and we get to find out what is next for this character & Lily too !



GONE AGAIN (MAR ‘23 - 239 Pages - 4 STARS) by Minka Kent
DESCRIPTION: On her fortieth birthday, Celia Guest has reason to celebrate. She has a loving marriage, a beautiful Connecticut home, and treasured friends. Celia has everything she’s ever wanted. But among the cards and well-wishes, she discovers a disturbing note: You don’t deserve any of this. Who could be so cruel, so resentful, so…knowing? Then, in the early morning hours, Celia vanishes without a trace. As suspicions and concerns rise among Celia’s friends, her sister Genevieve, with whom she shares a fractured and troubling bond, starts to piece together a shattered life that Celia fled from once before. As a foundation of lies begins to crumble, a terrifying childhood secret Celia thought was dead and buried comes to light.

REVIEW:
Previous books by this author were Unmissing (‘22 - 3 Stars), The Watcher Girl (‘21 - 3 Stars) which was a spin-off of The Memory Watcher (‘20 - 4 stars), When I Was You (‘20 - 4 Stars) and The Thinnest Air (‘18 - 3 Stars).
TRIGGER WARNING : If you don’t like religious extremists, skip this one. I always enjoy this author’s writing. I like the plot of surviving a troubled upbringing and getting the past lies resolved. Even though a shorter book, definitely entertained me from the very beginning to the very end.


HAPPY READING !

I really like David Baldacci, how did you like this one? I haven't read it yet.

$3.99 for Kindle version right now.  Thanks for the rec!

www.amazon.com/Chain-Adrian-McKinty-ebook/dp/B07K6HCYPY/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1678835173&sr=8-1

If you haven’t read The Island by this same author (Adrian McKinty), I liked it even more than The Chain.  Not currently on sale, but definitely put on your TBR List.

I read The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post, by Allison Pataki.

I loved this book! 5/5

I knew nothing about the life of the Post cereal heiress. Its a novel, based on facts. So good!