When I'm Dead is a fantastic book focused on a small town murder and string of missing girls in the town of Black Harbor where Rowan Winthorp is the medical examiner. This is the third book in the Black Harbor series, but it can definitely be read as a stand alone like I did. I fully enjoyed this book and I think I might backtrack to books one and two! 

As the story begins, Rowan Winthorp must investigate the death of her daughter's best friend. Mere hours later, Rowan's own daughter goes missing. The story follows the investigation so we get the intensity and intrigue of a police procedural without the (in my opinion) annoying perspective of a cop narrator. 

I loved how this book took us through the emotions of a terrified mother, the multiple suspects, and truly reasonable red herrings. Did this book reinvent the wheel? No, but I had a heck of a time. I highly recommend the fantastic full cast audiobook. 

If Dolly writes it, I'm going to read it. I placed a hold for this audiobook immediately when I heard about it, and while I'm glad I did and Dolly did a great job narrating (along with others who have been important to her fashion and style) I think a hybrid read would have been more ideal. I'm sure I missed out on a lot by not having the pictures in the print or electronic book form. 

Even if you think you're not a fashion or style buff, this is worth the quick read if you admire Dolly. I learned more about her and no surprise, love her more than ever. 

Whew, this was a weird one. The Amazing Grace Adams was going really well for me until the final 20%. In a nutshell, this is a book about a middle aged woman whose life is falling apart. Her husband has left, her teenage daughter is as moody as you'd expect, and her career is not flourishing. Told in alternating timelines that gradually meet, we learn about the emotional devastating and life changing events that have led Grace to this point. 

It was all endearing until the final quarter, when the plot kicked into gear and I just didn't know why the eff any of the choices were happening. It didn't seem believable to Grace's character up until that point and ultimately ended with the most unsatisfying, disconcerting ending I've ever experienced in this style of lit fic. 

I guess this explains why I haven't been seeing this one around, but in case you haven't heard here it is. 

Big Gay Wedding is a must read! I cannot believe I'm not seeing more buzz around this book. It is certainly one of my top uplifting reads this year (you know I usually like 'em dark and twisted) and it is solidly in my top ten audiobooks of the year. This is so well narrated, which is quite a feat when you are writing about Southern folks. A half baked, not just right Southern accent is not going to work for me!  Noah Galvin is an extremely talented narrator who brought this cast of characters to life in a way that made me laugh so loud my family asked questions and had me crying at the most tender parts. 

The title says it all for the plot, but there's really so much more to it than that. Barnett is returning to his small town to tell his widowed mother that he's engaged to be married. His fiance is wonderful, but is certainly from a different world and a much more supportive family. While this book ends in happiness and cheer, it is full of dark and realistic content about homophobia and unaccepting family members. There were parts that made me incredibly angry and heartbroken, but there were also parts that I laughed so hard I was grateful I wasn't drinking anything. 

When it comes down to it, this is a book about a mother and a son finding their way to what unconditional love means. When you throw in a hilarious, whip smart grandfather, a truly devious Catholic minister, as well as love and criticism for small towns, this book is a recipe for a big hearted good time. 

Robin Butler and Freya West are back in the second book of this police procedural series. Police procedurals are not by bag, but I'm enjoying this series. With the small exception in this book of a chapter that criticizes someone who is less than supportive of police and police spending, I enjoyed this book immensely. With some tie in to the first book, this book focused on two murder investigations and continued to develop the connection between Butler and West while they also developed interpersonal connections outside of their work partnership. 

I think a frequent mystery reader will guess some or all of the solutions in this story, but I also think it's likely that you'll still enjoy it even if you do. The flawed man that is Robin Butler really speaks to me, and while I don't relate to Freya I enjoy her character and I can't wait to see what happens in book 3. 

I found The Future to be on the disappointing side of average. I had high hopes for an adult dystopian novel, as this is certainly getting it's share of buzz around the internet. Alas, I found this book to be a jumbled hodgepodge of characters with not enough depth and development of each as a result of the long cast list. I also found the plot to be murky at best until the end, and then it was too little too late. Of note, there are references to Black folks and discrimination that are just tossed out like a little piece of candy with no follow up or attention paid. It felt disrespectful to me, like a nod towards diversity without meaningful inclusion or exploration. I will keep looking for an adult dystopian novel that really speaks to me. 

Eff Justin Timberlake. 

Britney is amazing. 

Pet by Catherine Chidgey blew me away. This strange little novel is set in New Zealand in 1984 and 2014. Justine is 12 years old in 1984 and like almost every kid in her class, she's fixated on their new, beautiful teacher Mrs. Price. All of the students vie to be the teacher's pet, both for the attention and the benefits that go with it. But the plot begins when things start to go missing and it becomes clear there is a thief in the class. 

This story focuses on themes of young friendship, trust, obsession, and alludes to the power of the patriarchy, Catholicism, and race in New Zealand some forty years ago. Chidgey's writing is absolutely dexterous as she writes from the perspective of a twelve year old and presents an entirely adult novel that gripped me from beginning to end. 

Throughout reading, I kept thinking Pet was giving me everything I wanted but didn't get from The Van Apfel Girls are Gone. Truly this is weird, unsettling book and if you like a genre bender, put it at the top of your list! 

This Tender Land is a saga about four orphans told from the point of view of 12 year old Odie. Odie has been at a Native American residential school since his father's death, despite not being Native American. Along with his brother Albert, he experiences mistreatment and abuse at the school particularly from one teacher named DiMarco. When something unthinkable happens to Odie, the four have to escape and run as fast as they can. 

The novel is told in six parts, each with a distinct setting but the character growth and found family permeates the whole. In a strange way, this book reminded me of Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy but in all the best ways. There was a saga of broken and abused children finding love and security through almost insurmountable challenges, an over the top element, and beautiful prose about the land. This Tender Land had more nuanced characters than POT and no casual racism. 

This is a long book, but it reads smoothly and didn't feel like a slog. The audiobook is exceptional, which I alternated to when I was doing things so I could stay in this wonderful story. Highly recommend.