🟣 :::READING THREAD::: Week of August 25th

On another thread, there was a post about Verity and how people just couldn't stand it. I decided to go ahead and get it to see where all the hate was coming from. I actually enjoyed it and would give it 3 stars. it was a light easy read and I finished in a couple of days.

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.

Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity's recollection of the night her family was forever altered.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents could devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen's feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife's words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue loving her.

I've started My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante, I'm thinking it's going to be a DNF. I'm not getting it's best book of the century status at this point.

I just finished a book less than an hour ago, and it was wonderful.

The Lion Women of Tehran
Spans 70 decades of the enduring friendship of two Iranian women and a pivotal event that changes both their lives forever. A feminist story of their strength and perseverance. This is focused on both plot and characters, and you feel like you know all the characters. I will probably add it to my fave reads of the year. 5/5 stars

Assassins Anonymous
As the title indicates, this is based on the 12-step program but for assassins. Somehow, the execution fell short. But I kept reading. A couple of decent twists. This read sort of like a violent YA book. If I sound confused, I am. 3/5 stars.

Up next:
The Family Experiment by Marrs or Things Don't Break on Their Own.

Lisa

I just finished All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker. I don't usually give books 5 stars but this one is getting all 5!

I just finished Look Closer by David Ellis.  I would give it 4 stars.  A lot of twists and turns.


Simon and Vicky couldn’t seem more normal: a wealthy Chicago couple, he a respected law professor, she an advocate for domestic violence victims. A stable, if unexciting marriage. But one thing’s for sure: absolutely nothing is what it seems. The pair are far from normal, and one of them just may be a killer.



When the body of a beautiful socialite is found hanging in a mansion in a nearby suburb, Simon and Vicky’s secrets begin to unravel. A secret whirlwind affair. A twenty-million-dollar trust fund about to come due. A decades-long grudge and obsession with revenge. These are just a few of the lies that make up the complex web... and they will have devastating consequences. And while both Vicky and Simon are liars, just who exactly is conning who? Part Gone Girl and part Strangers on a Train, Look Closer is a wild rollercoaster of a read that will have you questioning everything you think you know.

I read a few this week because my husband was still out of town, and I'm still off work.

Washington Black by Esi Edugyan. I picked up this one only because it was published in August, which was a prompt for this month in my book group. It ended up being pretty good, although horrifying and sad. It was about a slave on a sugar plantation in Barbados. It starts when he was 10 or so, and was the story of his life until adulthood as a free man. It was the usual story about slavery with the difference being that it was not set in the American south. As I said, depressing.  

Living Dead in Texas by Charlaine Harris. This is book #2 in the Sookie Stackhouse series. How many of you have read any of these? I needed a book set in Texas (book group prompt again, lol) so I googled. The little blurb I read about this one talked about murder so I didn't read much more, just checked it out. Well... hahaha. It's vampires! And other oddities! and vampires are integrated into ordinary life! lol. I kept thinking "what the heck am I reading?" I do like vampires though so it wasn't bad. I've put a hold on the first book in the series just to see if there's more explanation about how we got here from there. lol 

Play Date by Alex Dahl. A woman allows her 6-year-old daughter to go home from school with a friend, then friend's mom calls to ask if she can sleep over, girl's mom goes over to the house with her daughter's overnight things, has a nice chat with mom, sees the girls playing, says goodbye to her daughter. Then the next day the house is empty and the daughter is gone, friend is gone, friend's mother is gone. For me this one lagged, and I wasn't really enjoying reading it. Except that it takes place in Norway which is different. I ended up reading about half, then skipped to the end. Then I read backwards from the last chapter until I got to where I understood the whole story. That still left about 1/3 of the book that I didn't need to read. 

Glory in Death by J.D. Robb. 2nd in the "...in Death" series about NYC detective Eve Dallas. This is the series I started years ago and just did not like at all. And this time I'm loving it! lol. Very quick read, not at all high literature, and I'm having a good time. Starting on book #3 soon. 

I finished Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros. It was an almost 29 hour audiobook. Whew! It was OK, probably 3.5 stars. I liked Forth Wing better (the first in the series).

I just got this from the library and will report back!

You said that the Unger book wouldn't work for you at bedtime.... do you mean because it's scary? If so, I'm off to put it on hold! (but I'll read it in the light of day)

I felt the same as you about Lula Dean's. I finished it last week. 


I am normally a one book at a time reader but I have two going because one is more of a learning book. 

Relinquished by Gretchen Sisson. The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood. 
(As an adoptee and an adoptive mom I feel I'm constantly processing adoption and how it relates me and my world. This book is just another step in that processing.)

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. It's the story of a boy growing up in Appalachia. I have been on a journey to read more about Appalachia since moving to East TN. 

I finally finished The God of the Woods by Liz Moore and gave it 5 stars.

I’ve just started Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo (another longish listen) and I’m enjoying it so far.

Have a great long weekend all! 🥰

I can't remember if I posted this bc it was an ARC but... 4 Stars for Devils Island by Midge Raymond & John Yunker. I enjoy stories of survival in the wilderness, and TV shows like Survivor, Naked & Afraid, Alone, etc. I also would love to visit Australia (esp Uluru) or Tasmania, but I hate bugs, so... I will travel via books. The premise interested me: 6 couples sign up for a tour through the Tasmanian wild - two estranged American friends plus 2 married Aussie couples. Guided by Kerry, whose passion was working with the endangered Tasmanian Devils, and Bryan, the couples are dropped off and start their trek, which has been carefully set up with checkpoints and stopping points along the way. This isn't really a survival trek, but more of a guided tour thru a very rural island. But the weather quickly turns sinister with a horrendous storm, and one of the guests has an agenda for revenge... so the story quicky turns into a cat and mouse game the guests arent even aware they are a part of,

I really enjoyed learning about some of the history of the island as well as the animals. I didnt realize a disesese plagues the devils, which is incredibly sad. and I didn't realize there were other animals (such as the Tasmanian tiger) that have been extinct due to humans settling in Australia.

The story was entertaining and flowed, but I was confused by the end and some other events in the story I felt I really had to suspend disbelief. But I read for entertainment and this was an entertaining read! I appreciate NetGalley for the advanced copy. I believe this book will be published in Sept 2024.

I also just finished Hera by Jennifer Saint. 4 Stars. Hera is often vilified in Greek mythology - and she won't be any different in this retelling - she is a jealous and vindictive biatch, especially towards Zeus, his lovers (consentual and non-consentual) and their children. But this retelling at least explains how she felt she was supposed to be *more*, more than just a wife and a queen and the Goddess over marriage. She frequently punished Zeus' mistresses/victims and their children, even though it he was the philanderer, sexual predator and rapist. What I love is how Saint gathers (almost) all the myths that center around the main character, and weave them into a long, continous tale, which helps the reader understand how many lives are touched, how many myths are woven together. Greek Mythology often has 1-2 versions of the same tale, and I love how Saint picks a version that grows a connection (ie, Hera is the grandmother of many of Greek Mythology's most famous and feared monsters).

What REALLY intrigued me was the way the book ended. How the Greek Gods became.... legends and myths, not really in control or feared (or revered) as they once were. How they sort of just drifted away from "all powerful" to... meh. All that fighting, all that scheming... kind of for naught.

What a GREAT friend/loved one you are !  I’ll surely take a look !

Enjoy your Labor Day Weekend !

3/4 the way through First Lie Wins. So far, really good. Definitely an engaging thriller. Now to see how it ends.