Weekly Reading Thread: August 7-13

Signal Moon by Kate Quinn. This was an Amazon first reads last month. I love her books and this was an interesting little story that has a bit of magical reality when a female British naval officer scanning for Nazi communications gets a signal from an American officer in 2023.
It would have been a stretch to write a full novel around this - but it worked as a short story & I enjoyed it.

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden. This has a really high rating on GR, but I struggled with it. Domestic abuse and coercive control is a hot topic right now in real life and in fiction. The issue I had with this is that it was too over the top. If the perpetrator had been written with more subtlety it would have been more effective - some of it was too ridiculous and it kept taking me out of the story. There was a point that I almost gave up on it...but I had some boring stuff to do so I just left the audiobook on and finished it. The narrator pronouncing groceries as growsh-rees was really annoying me too. I only gave this 3 stars, but I seem to be in the minority when it comes to this one.

Take It Back by Kia Abdullah. This one grabbed me right from the start - so many interesting themes. Set in the UK, a teen girl with facial deformities accuses 4 Muslim classmates of raping her. The woman she reports the rape to at a local sexual assault center is also a Muslim.
It's her vs the boys and it isn't clear who is telling the truth. I thought it was well written and thought provoking and I'll read more by this author. I gave it 5 stars in GR.

I read a good beach read this week: “The Boardwalk Bookshop” by Susan Mallory. Typical “womens’ fiction” about three women who share ownership in a beachfront store, and all have issues to resolve. I did enjoy it, sometimes fluff is just what I need to read!

Thanks for this recommendation!  It sounded interesting so I looked it up on scribd and it is narrated by my favorite narrator, Julia Whelan, so it will be my next listen!

Which band? I thought about Fleetwood Mac.

Two great reads for me !


THE SECRETS OF US (‘21 - READ ‘22) BY LUCINDA BERRY : 4 STARS
DESCRIPTION:  Foster sisters Krystal and Nichole have always been there for each other, so when Nichole is committed to a psychiatric hospital after trying to kill her husband, Krystal drops everything to defend her. Scarred by a hard upbringing, Nichole and Krystal managed to construct comfortable lives for themselves. Krystal became a respected lawyer, and Nichole was happily married to an architect—until Nichole starts raving that her husband isn’t her husband, believing that he’s an imposter.

REVIEW:  First three books by this author for me were Under Her Care (‘22 - 3 Stars), The Best of Friends (‘20 - 4 Stars) and The Perfect Child (‘19 - 4 Stars). Another great read. The plot shows that your past can always come back to haunt you, especially if it’s not fully settled. Great writing and a tale that moves along quickly, never knowing what’s around the next corner. I really enjoyed the “before” sections explaining their childhood situation. I would have liked an additional 50 or so pages showing Krystal and Nichole’s path forward.


TRAPPER ROAD (STILLHOUSE LAKE BK 6) (‘22) BY RACHEL CAINE (Deceased) & CARRIE RYAN : 5 STARS
DESCRIPTION:  Before Rachel Caine passed away in 2020, she had a partial manuscript that she never got to complete. Rachel spoke to her husband, friends and working buddies of her dream to finish the series. Carrie Ryan took the reins to complete this series with Trapper Road. I’m hoping she does Rachel’s series justice.
Gwen Proctor has always been willing to do anything it takes to protect her kids. But there are some things even she can’t protect them from. When a violent incident at Connor’s school brings the press to Gwen’s doorstep, she agrees to take a case out of town hoping to keep her family out of the crushing media spotlight. The case is that of a missing girl, last seen getting into a truck with a stranger before disappearing. Gwen has a reputation for finding those who are lost, but this time something is wrong. Her instincts are off, and every clue she uncovers only raises more doubts, not just about the missing girl and the circumstances of her disappearance, but also about the fragile safety Gwen’s created for her family.

REVIEW:  Previous 5 books I read in the Stillhouse Lake Series are Stillhouse Lake 5 stars, Killman Creek 5 stars, Wolfhunter Lake 4 stars, Bitter Falls 4 stars and Heartbreak Bay 5 stars. Book 6 starts off just as good as all the others. Author Carrie Ryan has the same ability as Rachel Caine to bring you right back into the family. At 25% I’m so happy that Rachel’s characters are so real in Carrie’s mind & writing. Bravo! Lots of action in this book which kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the growth of all the characters. Loved the ending which leads me to believe that Carrie Ryan will be continuing Rachel’s StillHouse Lake Series. I recommend starting this series at the beginning so you can find your connection to all these characters and plots.

I bought The Housemaid b/c of all the buzz around it. (It's self-published and not available at my local library.) I have a bunch of books from the library that I need to read, so I haven't read it yet but maybe I can get to it this week. 

I read Take It Back last year and thought it was sooooo well done. That ending! What a great twist! The author has a new book coming out Sept. 3. Truth Be Told.

I LOVED this book too !  Her second book, Truth be Told, is just as good with some of the same characters.  

She has a new book coming out 9/20/22, Next of Kin which I have already pre-ordered.  

Here’s the description / my review of Truth Be Told…………
DESCRIPTION: Kamran Hadid feels invincible. He attends Hampton school, an elite all-boys boarding school in London, he comes from a wealthy family, and he has a place at Oxford next year. The world is at his feet. And then a night of revelry leads to a drunken encounter and he must ask himself a horrific question. With the help of assault counsellor, Zara Kaleel, Kamran reports the incident in the hopes that will be the end of it. But it’s only the beginning.
REVIEW:  Love when an author quickly reminds you of the main character’s past history. Great writing & handing of a tough subject. This author highlights some very real challenges within families and different traditions that some of us might not be aware of. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with a shocking ending. This would be a GREAT book for a book club read since there is so much to be discussed, especially at the end. You can read this book as a stand-alone novel, but reading her first book will give you more insight into her heritage and career issues.

 I am reading(listening) to a book for a challenge. A book written by a Duo. It is State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny. I am 6 hours from being done. I have to keep reminding myself it is a work of fiction. Or is it...

Last week I finished Watch Out for Her by Samantha M. Bailey. It was recommended by mnmloveli and maryland. It was a good read but left me sad. 4/5 stars.

Now I’m reading The Island by Adrian McKinty which was also recommended here. I’m about 2/3 of the way through and it is BRUTAL and horrifying! But I'm still reading...

Give up now!...lol. I ploughed through to the end and it wasn't worth it. Nothing gets explained or becomes any more clear.


I'll be interested to hear your thoughts.
The plot is also VERY similar to another book that a lot of us have read, that I won't mention because it will give away something major in this book too. Therefore it also felt like a bit of a copy to me.


Thanks, I'll look out for it - although I don't usually like reading books by the same author too close together, especially if I just finished one I realled liked.

I guessed this one right away too. LOL

I listened to the audio book and it was very well done!

Two books for me.
I finally got to Anne Tyler's French Braid. I liked the ending (a lot!), but did not enjoy the rest of the story nearly as much. The characters were just -ugh- to me.

Then I listened to the audio book Acts of Violet by Margarita Montimore. She wrote Oona Out of Order which I absolutely loved. But I definitely can't say the same about this book. First, I have to say it is one of the better narrated books-its narrated my multiple people and the story lends itself to this amazing production as it recreates mystery podcasts very well. But this totally fell flat. I just wanted it to be over so bad.

I have a newly released book-hot off the presses and can't wait to dive in and hopefully come away with a better recommendation next week.

I read Local Woman Missing and loved it! I am reading The Island and so far it's really good! I am listening to That Summer - Jennifer Weiner and really enjoy it too.

I just finished State of Terror by Louise Penny and Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday on audio. Really good book! Last night I finished The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Scwhab. Oh my goodness, I loved it. I only read it at bedtime and a couple of nights I was so tired I couldn't read. On those nights I was disappointed to not read any of the chapters.

So now I am listening to The Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant. Just started it yesterday afternoon late. Not sure how I feel about it yet. Bedside table reading tonight will be Beach Town by Mary Kay Andrews.