I was in need of a good escape…something funny and endearing…something that would occasionally take my breath away.  And this book provided exactly what I was looking for.  Witty banter, easy to connect with characters, and plenty of opportunities to sigh with content.  Emily Henry is at her best, and I enjoyed every minute of vacation I spent with Poppy and Alex.

 

Alex and Poppy… they are likable, genuine, multi-faceted, and easy to cheer for.  They are complete opposites, yet I found pieces of myself in each of them.  I love that when Poppy can’t quite put into words how she feels, she says something completely offhand like, “You’re so tall.” And Alex just seems to know what’s in her heart.  *Sigh*   

In the midst of enticing vacation jaunts, Henry reminds us that home isn’t always a place.  Home is often the person/people with whom you feel most yourself and fully loved.  

Could a book by Lenny Kravitz about his life be anything but completely authentic and the epitome of cool?  Not in this universe.  I went into this book knowing next to nothing about Lenny’s upbringing.  His early years were bustling with creativity and possibility.  And from early on there was one thing Lenny knew… who he was and who he wasn’t. I was completely intrigued by his ability to stay true to himself and focus on what really mattered no matter what life threw at him.  Like most memoirs, I listened to this one on audiobook, and hearing him tell his story did not disappoint.  

An ominous murder mystery with Greek tragedy adeptly interwoven. 

This was an easy book to get lost in. The short, concise chapters kept the book moving at a perfect pace, and I said “just one more chapter” until I had flown through the book in one sitting. 

Michaelides created the perfect, menacing atmosphere on the Cambridge campus that kept me drawn in and on edge as the murderers were unraveled. He also masterfully utilized Greek tragedy (I mean can anything be more ominous that Greek tragedy?) to deliver an extra punch of foreboding. And as things unfolded, I enjoyed the extra level to the puzzle as it became obvious that while everything was as it seemed, nothing was as it seemed. 

But then, at about the 85% mark, the twist was unveiled, and it just didn’t sit right with me. There wasn’t enough groundwork in place for it to hold true to me. And the loopholes I had overlooked previously became too blaring to ignore any longer. Is it possible to thoroughly enjoy the story while also hating the conclusion? 

The crossovers from The Silent Patient gave an extra layer of drama and intrigue to this novel. I enjoyed tapping back into that same world and seeing connections between these two stories. Michaelides could easily create a third novel with these two intertwined, and I would absolutely be there for it! 

Thank you Alex Michaelides, Celadon Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.

Completely captivating. Tragic and uplifting. Full of fun, sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll.  The buzz has been high on this one…and that actually made me skeptical.  Can I trust all of the hype?  And seriously, can Reid keep producing books that pace with Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo?  My answer is simple and emphatic… YES. YES. YES!    

 

This is a story about strong family bonds, about overcoming old wounds, and about learning to let go of the ideas you thought life should be to accept what you have. It’s also full of celebrities and gossip and drama…much like the perfect gossip rag.  Reid hits the perfect balance of thought provoking and entertaining.  

 

I often take for granted how much life can be lived…and changed… in a mere 24 hours.  This book is set in a dual timeline.  One within 24 hours on August 27, 1983.  The other chronicles the family history of Mick and June’s relationship starting in 1956.  The dual timelines blend seamlessly, and the family history creates the catapult for the transformation that takes place over the 24 hour period on August 27th.  

 

This book took me straight back to my early childhood in the 80s, and I loved every second…from the off the shoulder crop tops to huaraches to Tab to Virginia Slims…. Reid expertly placed cultural references and icons throughout the story to paint a vivid picture of the timeframe and the Malibu shoreline.  

 

The entire cast of characters is so real that I wanted to reach for my phone to Google pictures and more information about them, and they brought out every emotion from empathy (June) to disgust (Mick).  The Riva siblings are intricately woven and deeply complex.  They are authentic, flawed, easy to connect with, and completely loveable.  

 

Nina was my favorite of the cast.  Early on, she was trained to accept whatever life threw at her.  She knew how to withstand and endure, accept and keep going.  Her strength is part grit and part weakness.  I felt deeply connected with her, her inner struggle, and her ultimate evolution. 

 

The writing, the characters, the pacing, the plot…it was all spot on.  Completely perfect.  Some books take hold in your soul.  This one did that for me. 

 

Thank you Taylor Jenkins Reid, Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.

 

Ripped from the headlines…this book is full of scandal and privilege.  Two sisters, Peyton and Skye, are both at midlife crossroads.  Neither are where they expected to be at this point, and both have made grave misjudgments.  

 

What I liked:

*Peyton’s daughter, Max, is smart, quirky, and knows exactly who she is and what she wants.  She’s genuine and relatable.  At 18, she also manages to overcome what the 40 year old adults do not.  She’s a great reminder that we often discount the abilities of the young.  

*The look at parenting and how hard we try to get it right, all the while misjudging and often failing.  

*The easily relatable, a tad dysfunctional, yet completely committed relationship between sisters, Peyton and Skye

*A reminder that what we see on the outside is often very different from the reality of the inside 

*The hideous highlight put on privilege and pretense 

 

 

What didn’t work for me:

*Aside from Max, I didn’t find the other characters well designed or easy to connect with. It was especially hard to feel sorry for utterly vapid Peyton.  

*The constant dialogue that anything can be excused or justified

*The lack of necessary commentary on privilege 

*The depth of superfluous details:  This book is awash in the unnecessary, and it does not add quality or connection to the story.  If anything, the redundancy created a disconnect with the plot and me skip entire sections.  As an example in one scene, Peyton visits her dermatologist.  There was no corner of that office that did not get chronicled along with every inch of the dermatologist’s outfit and face (Her nose melted into her face like Michael Jackson’s.).  The plot was completely derailed and for no value.  Throughout the story, the author left no details to the imagination.

*While Weisberg gives a breadth of focus to the redundant and unnecessary, she completely left me wanting in areas that could have given depth to the characters and story.  I desperately wanted more of Max’s life in Paradise where she finally finds friends that she connected with.  

 

While the premise of this book had much potential, the execution fell flat to me.  The depth of gratuitous details and lack of character development made the book feel like too much vanity and privilege with too little quality and heart. 

 

Thank you Lauren Weisberger, Random House, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.

Greed, white superiority, injustice, and murder.  I knew nothing of this historic tragedy prior to reading this book.  Grann brings the cold blooded, greed fueled murders of Osage Indians to life through his adept and thorough research.  This true crime piece of nonfiction is dense in details and flows slowly.  But ultimately the details, and the book as a whole, are necessary and well honor the Osage by highlighting the tragedy and injustice brought upon them.  

The gritty side of the jazz era and a stubborn, brazen woman!  

 

What worked for me:

*The author gives a clear picture of what it was like to live as a single black woman in the 20s: surviving on pork and beans, constantly darning stockings and dresses, bathing out of a kitchen sink, living in a tenement without heat, making phone calls at the grocery store.  Stubbornness and a willingness to fight to get ahead was necessary.  

*The roaring 20s atmosphere: Denny paints a vivid, enveloping scene of Chicago and the Stroll: the music, the dancing, the glamourous dresses, the illegal boos, the gangsters. I wanted to be in there in the clubs, dressed to the nines, and listening to a burgeoning Louis Armstrong right alongside Honoree.  

 

What didn’t work for me:

*The twist/secret:  It doesn’t make sense, and it’s not necessary to the plot.  I love a good twist, one that isn’t expected and adds a layer of depth to the story that you didn’t know you were longing for. But this twist just didn’t work, and instead of adding to the storyline, it actually muddles it.  

*Too many loose ends that never get wrapped up.  

*The dual timeline:  It felt forced and didn’t flow smoothly.  Sawyer’s story is too complex, too upended, and doesn’t really connect to Honoree’s story or give any extra depth to the plot.  

 

The premise of this story is exceptional.  Unfortunately the execution just didn’t measure up to its potential.  I love the jazz era.  I love a gritty story and a strong female protagonist.  But overall, this novel fell short of what I’d hoped.

 

This is a hard hitting, incredibly dark book with a vitally important message.  It’s easy to blame the victim.  It’s even easier to blame an ugly, unlikeable victim.  And it’s even easier to blame an ugly, unlikable victim that comes from a crippling family.  

 

Morrison’s talent with beautiful prose is obvious, even in this menacing and dour story.  This is a story about the tiresomeness of poverty, about yearning to be loved, and ultimately about human depravity.  There’s little hope to be found in this novel.  And while the message of this book is a necessary one, one that I need to hear, I found it incredibly hard to hear.  Pecola’s story is heart wrenching and ugly.  Just like oppression and racism.   

 

*Rating indicates the importance of this well written story, not the enjoyment of it.  

If you’re in the mood to laugh.  If you love sarcasm.  If you find self-deprecating stories endearing.  If you’re a fan of SNL.  THIS is your next read. (Actually, I strongly recommend listening to this one.  Jost is quite the storyteller.)  

 

This book brought me hours of smiles, laughter, and enjoyment.  I have watched Jost on SNL and found him funny and entertaining.  But he thoroughly charmed me in his memoir.  His stories ranged from outlandish (chapter title: “Okay, So Maybe I’ve $h!t My Pants a Couple Times) to warm (chapter title: Why I Love My Mom) to absolute hysterical (pretty much the whole thing but specifically the chapter: The Time Jimmy Buffett Saved My Life).  And as a bonus, he sprinkles in plenty of anecdotes about SNL and castmates.  

 

Jost is irreverent, authentic, and just plain funny.  I enjoyed every laugh out loud moment.

Captivating, suspenseful, and fast paced.  I didn’t want to put this book down!  This is a story about love, trust, and family perfectly intertwined into a mystery.  

People are deeply complex.  And while you may know someone at their very core…the absolute essence of what makes them who they are, it’s also very possible you don’t have a clue what created that core.  One day Hannah and Owen have a beautiful life together that they both love.  The very next day, he’s gone.  And all he tells her is to protect his daughter, Bailey.  

This was exactly the right book for me at exactly the right time because I loved everything about it--- the love, the mystery, the danger, the bratty teenager, and even the longing I felt as the book ended (so much longing).   The writing kept me captivated as I chased down the truth and became deeply connected to Hannah and Bailey.  The flashbacks gave perspective and depth to all of the relationships and helped to paint a picture of Owen.  The holes in the storyline (ie: a 3-4 year old’s memory being the bedrock for the entire unraveling of the truth) didn’t bother me.  I was so invested in the characters and story itself that I overlooked any improbabilities.  Maybe the most beautiful part of the story was Hannah’s determination to love and sacrifice for her stepdaughter even though Bailey is a quintessentially difficult teenage girl.  

Dave reminds us that people are multi-layered.  And often there is more grey area than the hardline black and white (good and bad) we tend to prefer.  

Thank you Laura Dave, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.