The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 2,920 
|
Post by The Great Carpezio on Jul 3, 2023 21:59:22 GMT
Hello readers!
I don't seem to know what day it is, so this is late--again.
What did you read this week? I read:
🟣 Poverty, By America
Matthew Desmond
Nonfiction/politics/sociology/history/economics
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I think this should be mandatory reading for anyone who adds their opinion about poverty/why people are poor/what we should do about it. It is a short, very accessible book. Yes, there are many of the author’s opinions included, but it is also well-researched and backs up his observations. I think I highlighted more in this book than just about any other one I have read non-academically. His basic assertion is that we make the poor in America poor in three main ways: First, we exploit them by restricting their choice and power in the labor, financial and housing markets. We drive down wages why forcing them to pay more to access housing and credit/cash.(120)
Second, we “prioritize the subsidization of affluence over the alleviation of poverty” (120). Without raising the deficit, the US could end poverty by cracking down on corporations and families that cheat on their taxes. (120)
Finally, we create exclusive communities. He asserts that “wealth traps breed poverty traps.” (121) Highly recommend
🟣 Kingdom of Shadow and Light (Darkfever #11)
Karen Marie Moning
Dystopian fantasy/Fae/Dark Romance/Series
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
I have really enjoyed this series over the last 10 years. I looked back and I started this when my boys were 5 years old (it was already on book #6 or so). This was the last of the series, and it just didn’t hit the marks for me. It did tie everything up, but it felt like I knew where everything was going from the start. This was my least favorite of the series, but it was “fine.”
🟣 The Ritual
Shantel Tessier
Dark Academia/Spicy/Adult
⭐️⭐️
Nah. Not my thing. This has a ton of trigger warnings and it is 18+ for sure—and that is OK. I was warned. I wasn’t as much “appalled” as I was just like, rolling my eyes and didn’t give a shit about the characters or plot line–at all. Different things float people’s boats. This did not float mine. It was over 600 pages too. I skimmed a lot of it since I have a hard time DNFing a book I paid for (luckily I didn’t pay much for it.) Another spicy flop from a Tik Tok favorite.
|
|
gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,742
|
Post by gottapeanow on Jul 3, 2023 22:16:58 GMT
Two for me this week. 1. Adelaide by Wheeler. A bit far-fetched (Adelaide's friends are like, perfect. So perfect.) Her boyfriend is not nice, but is he really abusive? More like "He's just not that into you." An important look at mental health. 4/5 stars 2. Mad Honey by Picoult. The pros: Decent plot that kept going. The cons: I know I'm not alone here, but I felt like I was getting a biology lesson. No thanks. Also, please don't include Every. Single. Hot-Button. Issue. on the planet.  So annoying. Finally, the ending was rushed and unsatisfying, and how Lily actually died didn't work for me either. Next! 2.5 stars. I only have one library book out currently, so I hope to have time to read Covenant of Water. I ended up buying it. I also bought Demon Copperhead and really want to dive into that as well. Lisa |
|
|
|
Post by cadoodlebug on Jul 3, 2023 22:21:20 GMT
Last week I finished Drowning by T J Newman. The first few chapters were rough but then it evened out and I really liked it. The rescue was the highlight of the book. I can’t wait to see a movie made about it. 5/5 stars
Next, I finished My Wife is Missing by D J Palmer. Ugh. Too long, too boring and a twist that ticked me off in the end. One of the main characters suffers from insomnia but if she had read this book, she would have been cured. The author went on and on about the insomnia ad nauseum. My apologies if any else loved this book. 2/5 stars
Now I'm just getting into Cross Down: An Alex Cross & John Sampson Thriller by James Patterson.
|
|
|
|
Post by mnmloveli on Jul 3, 2023 23:38:09 GMT
One miss and one great one ! THE NICE GUY (‘23 - 3 STARS) BY SARAH A. DENZIL & SL HARKER DESCRIPTION: Laura thought she’d found the one nice guy in New York City. When Ethan saves her from a crushing crowd on Brooklyn Bridge, their connection is dazzling. Worthy of a heat-filled passionate night. Laura falls pregnant from their one-night stand—a miracle considering her past fertility issues. Ethan is attentive and wonderful at first. She hopes he will be the kind of father she’d always wanted for herself. Until his attentiveness turns to obsession. His questions become demands. Why didn’t she answer her phone or respond to his messages? Why won’t she move in with him and his rich mother? Soon Laura realises the father of her child is a controlling sociopath. And there’s no telling the lengths Ethan will go to in order to keep baby Christopher for himself. Laura will stop at nothing to save her baby boy. REVIEW: Pre-ordered for $.99 since I love Sarah Denzil but never heard of SL Harker. A favorite author of mine. Previous books were The Stranger in Our House (‘23 - 4 Stars), FInd Her (‘22 - 5 Stars), My Perfect Daughter (‘22 - 5 Stars), The Housemaid (‘21 - READ ‘22 - 4 Stars), Little One (‘21 - 4 Stars), The Liar’s Sister (‘19 - Read ‘21 - 4 Stars); Only Daughter ('19 - 4 Stars); Silent Child ('17 - 3 Stars); and a series One for Sorrow, Two for Joy and Three for a Girl (5, 4 & 4 Stars). The description of this book was a little deceiving since Laura knew BEFORE she found out she was pregnant that this guy was a NUT! She should have ran the other way. Typical story line which is VERY unusual for Mrs. Denzil; possibly the influence of Ms. Harker as a co-author is the part I don’t like. The first 50-60% of the story I dragged myself through hoping it would get better. It did have more action the last part which got it 3 stars but just OK for me. I would not recommend if you have something else to read. I won’t be reading any more books written by or with SL Harker. THE WISHING GAME (‘23 - 5 STARS) BY MEG SHAFFER DESCRIPTION : Make a wish. . . .Lucy Hart knows better than anyone what it’s like to grow up without parents who loved her. In a childhood marked by neglect and loneliness, Lucy found her solace in books, namely the Clock Island series by Jack Masterson. Now a twenty-six-year-old teacher’s aide, she is able to share her love of reading with bright, young students, especially seven-year-old Christopher Lamb, who was left orphaned after the tragic death of his parents. Lucy would give anything to adopt Christopher, but even the idea of becoming a family seems like an impossible dream without proper funds and stability. But be careful what you wish for. . . .Just when Lucy is about to give up, Jack Masterson announces he’s finally written a new book. Even better, he’s holding a contest at his home on the real Clock Island, and Lucy is one of the four lucky contestants chosen to compete to win the one and only copy. For Lucy, the chance of winning the most sought-after book in the world means everything to her and Christopher. But first she must contend with ruthless book collectors, wily opponents, and the distractingly handsome (and grumpy) Hugo Reese, the illustrator of the Clock Island books. Meanwhile, Jack “the Mastermind” Masterson is plotting the ultimate twist ending that could change all their lives forever. REVIEW : Debut book by this author. hutchfan “stunning novel; easy 5 stars”, “I was hooked from the beginning, cried sad tears, cried happy tears and loved the characters”. Her review and book description grabbed my attention. pjaye tried to read the following week and said “I DNF at 30%”, writing didn't grab her at all; “odd characters saying weird things written in a juvenile voice; felt like I was reading a children's book”. Let’s see where I land. Part fairy tale, part mystery, part life lessons, part dreamer; and that’s in the first 20%. Can’t wait to see where this goes. I’m not a “riddle” person but I’m sure enjoying “watching” the contestants figure it out. Found my reading speed slowing down because I didn’t want this book to end. Our childhoods can help create our destination in life. Stirred various emotions in my heart and I will never forget this book. Happy 4th of July to all ! |
|
|
|
Post by peano on Jul 4, 2023 0:10:25 GMT
Finished The House in the Pines, fiction I picked up at Costco on a whim, since I usually read non-fiction. The main story was just meh, and I figured out the shocker at the end, but the author did include some Guatemalan history and culture as she is part Guatemalan. I found that compelling.
Picked up a used book from The Strand on a trip to NYC, The Bonjour Effect. Two French Canadian journalists move to France for a year with their twin daughters. They write about the way the French language has shaped French culture. I'm digesting it slowly and finding it quite interesting.
|
|
hutchfan
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,103
|
Post by hutchfan on Jul 4, 2023 3:44:19 GMT
One miss and one great one ! THE NICE GUY (‘23 - 3 STARS) BY SARAH A. DENZIL & SL HARKER DESCRIPTION: Laura thought she’d found the one nice guy in New York City. When Ethan saves her from a crushing crowd on Brooklyn Bridge, their connection is dazzling. Worthy of a heat-filled passionate night. Laura falls pregnant from their one-night stand—a miracle considering her past fertility issues. Ethan is attentive and wonderful at first. She hopes he will be the kind of father she’d always wanted for herself. Until his attentiveness turns to obsession. His questions become demands. Why didn’t she answer her phone or respond to his messages? Why won’t she move in with him and his rich mother? Soon Laura realises the father of her child is a controlling sociopath. And there’s no telling the lengths Ethan will go to in order to keep baby Christopher for himself. Laura will stop at nothing to save her baby boy. REVIEW: Pre-ordered for $.99 since I love Sarah Denzil but never heard of SL Harker. A favorite author of mine. Previous books were The Stranger in Our House (‘23 - 4 Stars), FInd Her (‘22 - 5 Stars), My Perfect Daughter (‘22 - 5 Stars), The Housemaid (‘21 - READ ‘22 - 4 Stars), Little One (‘21 - 4 Stars), The Liar’s Sister (‘19 - Read ‘21 - 4 Stars); Only Daughter ('19 - 4 Stars); Silent Child ('17 - 3 Stars); and a series One for Sorrow, Two for Joy and Three for a Girl (5, 4 & 4 Stars). The description of this book was a little deceiving since Laura knew BEFORE she found out she was pregnant that this guy was a NUT! She should have ran the other way. Typical story line which is VERY unusual for Mrs. Denzil; possibly the influence of Ms. Harker as a co-author is the part I don’t like. The first 50-60% of the story I dragged myself through hoping it would get better. It did have more action the last part which got it 3 stars but just OK for me. I would not recommend if you have something else to read. I won’t be reading any more books written by or with SL Harker. THE WISHING GAME (‘23 - 5 STARS) BY MEG SHAFFER DESCRIPTION : Make a wish. . . .Lucy Hart knows better than anyone what it’s like to grow up without parents who loved her. In a childhood marked by neglect and loneliness, Lucy found her solace in books, namely the Clock Island series by Jack Masterson. Now a twenty-six-year-old teacher’s aide, she is able to share her love of reading with bright, young students, especially seven-year-old Christopher Lamb, who was left orphaned after the tragic death of his parents. Lucy would give anything to adopt Christopher, but even the idea of becoming a family seems like an impossible dream without proper funds and stability. But be careful what you wish for. . . .Just when Lucy is about to give up, Jack Masterson announces he’s finally written a new book. Even better, he’s holding a contest at his home on the real Clock Island, and Lucy is one of the four lucky contestants chosen to compete to win the one and only copy. For Lucy, the chance of winning the most sought-after book in the world means everything to her and Christopher. But first she must contend with ruthless book collectors, wily opponents, and the distractingly handsome (and grumpy) Hugo Reese, the illustrator of the Clock Island books. Meanwhile, Jack “the Mastermind” Masterson is plotting the ultimate twist ending that could change all their lives forever. REVIEW : Debut book by this author. hutchfan “stunning novel; easy 5 stars”, “I was hooked from the beginning, cried sad tears, cried happy tears and loved the characters”. Her review and book description grabbed my attention. pjaye tried to read the following week and said “I DNF at 30%”, writing didn't grab her at all; “odd characters saying weird things written in a juvenile voice; felt like I was reading a children's book”. Let’s see where I land. Part fairy tale, part mystery, part life lessons, part dreamer; and that’s in the first 20%. Can’t wait to see where this goes. I’m not a “riddle” person but I’m sure enjoying “watching” the contestants figure it out. Found my reading speed slowing down because I didn’t want this book to end. Our childhoods can help create our destination in life. Stirred various emotions in my heart and I will never forget this book. Happy 4th of July to all ! I love your review of The Wishing Game! I didn't want it to end either. My husband bought me a signed edition by Meg for my bookshelf. (I always try to find a signed edition if I love a book.) |
|
hutchfan
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,103
|
Post by hutchfan on Jul 4, 2023 4:00:53 GMT
I read The Postmistress Of Paris by Meg Waite Clayton.
Wealthy beautiful Nanee was born with a spirit of adventure. For her, learning to fly is freedom. When German tanks roll across the border and into Paris, this woman with an adorable dog and a generous heart joins the Resistance. Known as the Postmistress because she delivers information to those in hiding, Nanee uses her charms and skill to house the hunted and deliver them to safety.
Photographer Edouard Moss has escaped Germany with his young daughter only to be interned in a French labor camp. His life collides with Nanee's in this sweeping tale of romance and danger set in a world aflame with personal and political passion.
Inspired by the real life Chicago heiress Mary Jane Gold, who worked with American journalist Varian Fry to smuggle artists and intellectuals out of France, The Postmistress Of Paris is the haunting story of an indomitable woman whose strength, bravery, and love is a beacon of hope in a time of terror.
Another excellent book full of fascinating characters, strength, courage, struggles and love. 4 stars for me.
|
|
|
|
Post by refugeepea on Jul 4, 2023 4:22:43 GMT
I will try to catch up from when I last participated.
Under an Outlaw Moon
Dietrich Kalteis Under an Outlaw Moon is based on the true story of Depression-era bank robbers Bennie and Stella Mae Dickson. Three stars.
The Royals Next Door
Karina Halle Piper Evans: elementary school teacher by day--avid romance reader and anonymous podcaster by night. Royals try to hide out on a Canadian island where she lives. Romance ensues. I've tried doing fluff with it being summer, wanting something light, but this was painful. I really should stop trying with this genre. Two stars.
Educated
Tara Westover Four or five stars. I can't decide. I live near the area where she grew up. That's not a super common location for book settings. It was so so so so hard to read at times. The lengths her family went to, to prove that they did the right thing. God was blessing them! Like she said in the beginning, it wasn't about Mormonism, but there were some issues she had I could relate to. She was definitely raised in a very orthodox, not even close to the mainstream teachings.
The Girls of August
Anne Rivers Siddons Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why did I finish? Four friends meet at a beach house every year. One friend dies. The three remaining friends decide they should invite the new wife of the widower who is almost twenty years younger than them.
Finding Jake
Bryan Reardon A school shooting. There's only one student missing; the main character's son. The book goes between past and present not knowing if Jake is a victim or perpetrator. Three stars
No Way Back
Andrew Gross A chance meeting with a stranger in a hotel ends in a shocking murder. Wendy Gould is an average mom--and the only witness. Nanny Lauritzia Velez knows a shocking secret that could prove to be deadly. Both of their lives in danger, this unlikely pair must work together against a network of dangerous men who want nothing more than to see them dead. Even for a thriller, it was hard to suspend disbelief in many parts. Two stars.
The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls
Anton DiSclafani It is 1930, the midst of the Great Depression. After her mysterious role in a family tragedy, passionate, strong-willed Thea Atwell, age fifteen, has been cast out of her Florida home, exiled to an equestrienne boarding school for Southern debutantes. The premise sounded very interesting, but the conclusions that the main character came to DECADES after this time in her life......maddening. Two stars
Trigger warning; there are depictions of sexual abuse
Who Is Maud Dixon?
Alexandra Andrews Florence Darrow is a small-town striver who believes that she's destined to become a celebrated writer. When she stumbles into the opportunity to become the assistant to "Maud Dixon," a celebrated-but anonymous-novelist (think: Elena Ferrante), she believes that the universe is finally providing her big chance.
I have learned I get irrationally angry with books that have zero characters with any redeeming qualities. Florence is EXTREMELY entitled and it was very hard for me to like her in any way. Two stars
The Hazel Wood
Melissa Albert Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get
This is young adult fantasy. Not my typical genre pick. I don't regret reading it, but don't want to continue on with the series. Three stars.
|
|
Mystie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,299
|
Post by Mystie on Jul 4, 2023 4:23:43 GMT
I've been reading quite a bit the past couple of weeks. Our summer heat and humidity finally arrived and while some people read more in the winter, I definitely read more in the summer. A few of the best lately:
King: A Life by Jonathan Eig. I was really interested in reading a Martin Luther King biography several years ago, and was surprised to find that there were no recent general bios written. There were books on specific parts of his work, but nothing general. So I was really glad to spot this book shortly after it was released in May. The author was able to access the recently declassified FBI surveillance documents on King, and unreleased recorded memories from King's father and wife, and also interview many people who'd known and worked with King. He presented a man who was deeply flawed but astoundingly courageous. I really had to stop and think about a lot of things, not just about Dr. King, but about the times he lived in and the times we're living in now. I recommend the book--it's lengthy, but the writing style is easy to follow and engaging.
How To Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix. I really like this author. I read his book about the Southern book club/vampire hunters (I'm too tired to look up the title) in 2020 and it was so much fun to read a book that completely pulled me out of the shitshow that was 2020. 😆 Then a year or two later I read The Final Girls Support Group (I think that was more or less the title) and I liked it less, mostly because I'm not a horror movie fan so I missed a lot of the inside jokes and the tropes. Plus, it was gruesome. But it was well-written. So I picked up his latest book and really enjoyed it, too. It's horror with humor, which sometimes works and sometimes not. It ran a bit long. But I love an author who can pull you right into the story and keep you there in that world, and Hendrix is good at it. Plus, there is always real emotion behind the story--in this case, how do we handle grief and change and the end of our childhood homes and beliefs? I liked that.
In the Upper Country by Kai Thomas. This novel tells the story of a young Black woman in a Canadian settlement of runaway slaves in the 1850s. A newly arrived elderly slave shoots and kills the bounty hunter who has tracked her down, and the young woman, who writes for the community paper, goes to the local jail to get the old woman's story. But the old woman demands a story from her in return. As the women tell each other stories of their lives, the reader learns of the intertwined lives of African-Americans and the indigenous people of America and Canada, and of the connections between the two women. This is an ambitious book, and the story is told in multiple voices, which could get confusing in an audiobook version. It's a little bit convoluted and I lost the plot at the end a bit. I still recommend it, because the writing style was beautiful and the stories were compelling and thought-provoking. The author is a Black Canadian man, and I hope to read more books from him. (This is his first.)
Murder at Little Minton by Karen Baugh Menuhin. Sometimes I really need to comfort-read British mysteries in the vein of Agatha Christie. This is an author who came up in my Kindle Unlimited search with a mystery that takes place in a British village in the 1920s, with an elderly lady sleuth. A lot of the Kindle Unlimited books are not so great. This one is not perfect and I suspect it is self-published, but it was somehow heart-warming and just what I wanted. I looked for more, but this is the first in the series and it came out just a couple of months ago.
Menuhin also has a previous series that also takes place in the 1920s, about a young former WW I flying ace named Heathcliff Lennox, who holes up in his family estate to heal from the war, and who inadvertently becomes a sleuth. He's a cross between Peter Wimsey and Bertie Wooster. I started reading that series and I'm four books in. The first two are pretty solid, the next two less so, and I'm taking a break before I try another one. The author needs an editor for grammar, punctuation and style errors. But there's something endearing about the books. The first one in that series is Murder at Melrose Court.
|
|
|
|
Post by lainey on Jul 4, 2023 12:07:47 GMT
Just one for me this week.
Other Women by Emma Flint 5 stars. A fictional retelling of a real life murder case from the 1920s.
Beatrice Cade is 37 when she meets married man Thomas Ryan, they begin an affair and Beatrice falls pregnant. This novel tells the story from the womens point of view, how women who had 'fallen' were treated by society and how the blame for ruining a man's life was always laid at their feet.
I had one DNF The Silence Project by Carole Hailey. I actually read quite a lot of this before I gave up, the premise is interesting but the writing is repetitive and dull.
I'm just over halfway through The Third Wife by Lisa Jewell. I have such a love/hate relationship with her novels.
|
|
|
|
Post by pjaye on Jul 4, 2023 12:17:46 GMT
I finished The Last to Disappear by Jo Spain.
Mainly set in Finland, Vicky a British girl was working at a winter resort, when her frozen body is pulled out of the lake, Her brother Alex goes to retrieve her body and gets involved with the investigation of his sister's murder and also the disappearance of two other women.
A solid mystery with a few surprises, and I liked the unusual setting and learning a bit about the country & reindeer (according to my DNA the Saami people of Finland are my ancient ancestors on my maternal side)
3 stars
Now I'm reading The Good, the Bad and the History by Jodi Taylor which is book 14 of The Chronicles of St Mary's.
An annual indulgence. Set in the future where time travel is possible and the 'historians' go back in time to important historical events to doument what really happened.
I always enjoy these and usually give them 4 stars.
And I went to see The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry at the cinema today and it was really good and very true to the book, and it still made me cry.
|
|
|
|
Post by refugeepea on Jul 4, 2023 12:26:20 GMT
Another spicy flop from a Tik Tok favorite. I've been listening to a podcast what should I read next and I was expecting The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls to be excellent, but no.
Next, I finished My Wife is Missing by D J Palmer. Ugh. Too long, too boring and a twist that ticked me off in the end. One of the main characters suffers from insomnia but if she had read this book, she would have been cured. I just tried reading a book about people who meet at a North Carolina horse farm because of a hurricane evacuation in Florida. I felt like I was reading an encyclopedia about the differences between different horse competitions. Very dry.
|
|
|
|
Post by epeanymous on Jul 4, 2023 13:51:04 GMT
Hello readers! I don't seem to know what day it is, so this is late--again. What did you read this week? I read: 🟣 Poverty, By AmericaMatthew Desmond Nonfiction/politics/sociology/history/economics ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I think this should be mandatory reading for anyone who adds their opinion about poverty/why people are poor/what we should do about it. It is a short, very accessible book. Yes, there are many of the author’s opinions included, but it is also well-researched and backs up his observations. I think I highlighted more in this book than just about any other one I have read non-academically. His basic assertion is that we make the poor in America poor in three main ways: First, we exploit them by restricting their choice and power in the labor, financial and housing markets. We drive down wages why forcing them to pay more to access housing and credit/cash.(120) Second, we “prioritize the subsidization of affluence over the alleviation of poverty” (120). Without raising the deficit, the US could end poverty by cracking down on corporations and families that cheat on their taxes. (120) Finally, we create exclusive communities. He asserts that “wealth traps breed poverty traps.” (121) Highly recommend I bought this and am looking forward to it! |
|
|
|
Post by epeanymous on Jul 4, 2023 13:52:21 GMT
Finished The House in the Pines, fiction I picked up at Costco on a whim, since I usually read non-fiction. The main story was just meh, and I figured out the shocker at the end, but the author did include some Guatemalan history and culture as she is part Guatemalan. I found that compelling. This is squarely in my genre and looked really good, and I was disappointed  . |
|
gina
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,211
|
Post by gina on Jul 4, 2023 14:03:00 GMT
Two Freida McFadden books for me! While none have been 5 star reads, they are fast and quite entertaining. Thanks to whichever Pea it was who turned me on to her about 6 weeks ago. Do Not Disturb by Freida McFadden. 3.3 / 5I saw another reviewer coin this "The Woman in the Window meets The Bates motel" and yes, that is certainly true. The story opens with Quinn standing over her husband's bloody body as she's getting ready to make a run for it. We know she killed him but we don't know exactly why or if/when she'll get caught... She stays in a motel along the way and gets stuck by a snowstorm. The owner of the motel, Nick, is kind, but has a disturbing backstory and his bed-ridden wife Rosalie is constantly watching the motel from her bedroom window. There's an eccentric older woman who lives there (the only other guest) and now you have the cast of characters as the cops and Quinn's family get closer to finding her... I have a love/hate relationship with this author. I obviously like her, because I've read about 5 of her books in the last few months (and am currently reading another now!) However, I have yet to give one 5 stars. They are fast-paced, twisty and fun, but there is always one too many "ah ha!" moments at the end which leaves me rolling my eyes and thinking "C'mon man... so close!" Do Not Disturb did this yet again, but I'm not giving up on this author quite yet. - - - The Inmate by Freida McFadden. 4 / 5First of all, you are going to have to suspend belief in order to get into this book: "None of the staff at the prison knows Brooke has already broken the rules. Nobody knows about her intimate connection to Shane Nelson, one of the penitentiary’s most notorious and dangerous inmates." Um, background check? lol How is nobody putting this together? Anyhow, once you get past that and the fact that the main character, Brooke Sullivan who is the new nurse practitioner at a men’s maximum-security prison, is a complete and utter numbskull (seriously, she makes THEE flakiest, silliest choices throughout the entire book), the storyline was pretty decent with a few little twists I actually enjoyed this time. Scream fans... you will LOVE this! All in all, probably one of my top-most Freida McFadden books thus far. She isn't a 5-star author for me but she's great for a fast-paced, quick 4-star thriller. Good cast of characters with this one. - - - I am currently 60% done with The Housemaid by the same author as well as Her Last Breath by Linda Castillo. It's a series of Amish-based murders I started reading years ago and really enjoyed. This is book 5. |
|
|
|
Post by epeanymous on Jul 4, 2023 14:08:15 GMT
Two books this week:
Zero Days, by Ruth Ware. Ruth Ware is one of those authors I started reading a while ago and read everything she writes even if the books are uneven. This was a woman-on-the-run book -- the premise is that a married couple whose career is testing business security (she breaks in physically, he hacks into the computer system) is penetrating a business when the wife gets caught and the husband turns up dead. She is the main suspect, and has to evade police while trying to figure out who killed her husband and framed her. The actually mystery isn't great -- there are too few characters in the book for there to be a lot of suspense about that -- but I enjoyed reading her exploits and how she would extract herself from each situation.
The Whispers, by Ashley Audrain. This sort of mystery/suspense -- a 10-year-old boy ends up in a coma, and the book is about how he ends up there. Four main narrators -- his career-driven mother; a perfect stay-at-home mom with a troubled marriage; the treating doctor, who wants to have children but repeatedly miscarries; and an elderly neighbor whose family has an unclear past. This is definitely a dark-suburbia book -- all of the women's lives look perfect from the outside, but all of them are for various reasons unhappy or even miserable -- and everyone makes decisions that make their lives worse. The writing in the book is good, and/but I left it depressed.
|
|
|
|
Post by birukitty on Jul 4, 2023 21:14:31 GMT
Almost 3 for me this week. I'll be finished with the third book tonight. Here's what I read:
Ten Green Bottles: The True Story of One's Family's Journey from War Torn Austria to the Ghettos of Shanghai by Vivian Jeanette Kaplan This was a non-fiction book that I chose because I wanted to learn more about what it was like for one family who was lucky enough to escape WWII Austria and get out in time. The country who accepted them was Shanghai. It was interesting to read about what it was like for them. A very good book that read like a historical fiction novel-not dry at all. I gave it 4 stars.
Daughters of the Occupation by Shelly Sanders I found this book on the shelf at my local library and didn't expect much at all. There are so many WWII historical fiction books out right now, some good, some not so good. But this one surprised me. It was about Latvia and what happened to the Jewish people there during WWII. First the Russians invaded, then the Nazis came, then the Nazis left and the Russians came back. I was surprised to see it was published last year because it has a duel time format (not seen as much lately as it was in the past few years where it was really popular) but overlooking that it was a very good book. I like learning about other parts of the world and what happened during the war. I gave this book 5 stars.
The King's Pleasure by Alison Weir Alison Weir is one of my favorite authors when it comes to all things Tudor. I have read many of her non-fiction and historical fiction books including each of her historical fiction books about Henry the VIII's wives. Now she has just published a historical fiction book of King Henry VIII. This is a huge book! 593 pages in the hardcover which is what I got from my local public library. I've had such fun reading it. A lot of it was repetitive for me but that's okay-it's complicated history. I've got about 80 pages to go and so far I think it'll easily be a 5 star read for me.
|
|
.
