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emilyisoverbooked
“Technology sucks, kid. Always best to go old school.”
Whew what a ride! Things We Do in the Dark is a compelling, dark, and haunting thriller. When Paris’ celebrity husband, Jimmy Peralta, is found dead in the bathtub and Paris is next to him holding a straight razor, it’s not looking good for her. Especially when he’s thirty years her elder and worth a LOT of money. But with a past she doesn’t want to come to light, Paris is more nervous about media attention than murder convictions. Told from dual perspectives, this story goes between past and present to wind the whole twisty tale together. While I was questioning what really happened to Jimmy for the whole book, there was so much else unfolding and a couple other big twists. I did find those on the easier side to guess, but the story was so engaging that I wanted to keep reading to find out if I was right and see what else happened. The subject matter of this book is dark, so definitely look up trigger warnings.
Thanks to Minotaur books for the copy of this ARC.
Whew what a ride! Things We Do in the Dark is a compelling, dark, and haunting thriller. When Paris’ celebrity husband, Jimmy Peralta, is found dead in the bathtub and Paris is next to him holding a straight razor, it’s not looking good for her. Especially when he’s thirty years her elder and worth a LOT of money. But with a past she doesn’t want to come to light, Paris is more nervous about media attention than murder convictions. Told from dual perspectives, this story goes between past and present to wind the whole twisty tale together. While I was questioning what really happened to Jimmy for the whole book, there was so much else unfolding and a couple other big twists. I did find those on the easier side to guess, but the story was so engaging that I wanted to keep reading to find out if I was right and see what else happened. The subject matter of this book is dark, so definitely look up trigger warnings.
Thanks to Minotaur books for the copy of this ARC.
Thank you to Anchor Books for the gifted copy of The Violin Conspiracy.
“Second, he learned that doing what you loved may not be enough, that all the passion and perseverance that roared like blood within you could be trumped by factors that you could never control—factors like the color of your skin, or the shape of your eyes, or the sound of your voice.”
A masterful mystery from Brendan Slocumb that will hook you from page one.
Ray is a Black violinist with no formal training, gifted a very special violin by his beloved Grandma Nora. He is sweet, determined, and inspirational: a perfect main character and underdog to cheer for throughout the book.
And he does need cheering. He is lonely and has had a rough road, as his prized violin creates lawsuits among greedy family and entitled descendants of enslavers, and is stolen while he prepares for the Tchaikovsky Competition. As a Black man in America, Ray also experiences many, many acts of racism throughout the book that left me feeling horrified and nauseous at the pervasiveness of racism in every aspect of his life. Ray’s rough road is made better by only few people in his life, who cheer him on as he becomes a world-famous violinist and attempts to raise ransom money for the return of his violin. As Ray navigates the world of classical music, where people of color are not always openly welcomed, you will wonder WHO STOLE THE VIOLIN?? And also receive a lot of insight into racism in the music world, the fallout of slaves not being able to easily keep records/documentation, and the hope that can be found in a place where hopelessness comes more easily.
“Second, he learned that doing what you loved may not be enough, that all the passion and perseverance that roared like blood within you could be trumped by factors that you could never control—factors like the color of your skin, or the shape of your eyes, or the sound of your voice.”
A masterful mystery from Brendan Slocumb that will hook you from page one.
Ray is a Black violinist with no formal training, gifted a very special violin by his beloved Grandma Nora. He is sweet, determined, and inspirational: a perfect main character and underdog to cheer for throughout the book.
And he does need cheering. He is lonely and has had a rough road, as his prized violin creates lawsuits among greedy family and entitled descendants of enslavers, and is stolen while he prepares for the Tchaikovsky Competition. As a Black man in America, Ray also experiences many, many acts of racism throughout the book that left me feeling horrified and nauseous at the pervasiveness of racism in every aspect of his life. Ray’s rough road is made better by only few people in his life, who cheer him on as he becomes a world-famous violinist and attempts to raise ransom money for the return of his violin. As Ray navigates the world of classical music, where people of color are not always openly welcomed, you will wonder WHO STOLE THE VIOLIN?? And also receive a lot of insight into racism in the music world, the fallout of slaves not being able to easily keep records/documentation, and the hope that can be found in a place where hopelessness comes more easily.
Thanks to Penguin Random House - Dutton for the gifted copy of this book.
Don’t let this cutesy illustrated cover fool you! Nothing But the Truth is a feminist anthem of the #MeToo movement in Hollywood, featuring an MC who works in a publicity company and has experienced advancements from the CEO. Unable to tell anything but the truth on her birthday, Lucy finds that she’s finally being who she wants to be and is standing up for herself as a woman who deserves more instead of pretending that everything is fine. This was a unique fiction read with a minor romance storyline and perfect for a good story about female empowerment.
Don’t let this cutesy illustrated cover fool you! Nothing But the Truth is a feminist anthem of the #MeToo movement in Hollywood, featuring an MC who works in a publicity company and has experienced advancements from the CEO. Unable to tell anything but the truth on her birthday, Lucy finds that she’s finally being who she wants to be and is standing up for herself as a woman who deserves more instead of pretending that everything is fine. This was a unique fiction read with a minor romance storyline and perfect for a good story about female empowerment.
4.5 stars
Thank you to Knopf for the gifted ARC.
“What is a game?” Marx said. “It’s tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. It’s the possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption. The idea that if you keep playing, you could win. No loss is permanent, because nothing is permanent, ever.”
Gabrielle Zevin blew me out of the water with her beautiful writing style in Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. While there is a focus on video games, this is absolutely still a book to read if you’re not a gamer. I was fully immersed into this story through the friendships and deep emotions over the course of a journey with hardship, pain, success, vulnerability, grief, and rebirth. While this novel is slow-paced, it’s perfect for savoring such an incredible story. There were some parts that could have been edited down in my opinion (some of the beginning background info and the game immersion toward the end), but everything else in this book was absolute perfection.
Thank you to Knopf for the gifted ARC.
“What is a game?” Marx said. “It’s tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. It’s the possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption. The idea that if you keep playing, you could win. No loss is permanent, because nothing is permanent, ever.”
Gabrielle Zevin blew me out of the water with her beautiful writing style in Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. While there is a focus on video games, this is absolutely still a book to read if you’re not a gamer. I was fully immersed into this story through the friendships and deep emotions over the course of a journey with hardship, pain, success, vulnerability, grief, and rebirth. While this novel is slow-paced, it’s perfect for savoring such an incredible story. There were some parts that could have been edited down in my opinion (some of the beginning background info and the game immersion toward the end), but everything else in this book was absolute perfection.
3.5 stars
Gifted: Thank you to Books Forward and Forever Pub for the copy of this book!
Two things happened when I read this book:
(1) Whiplash
(2) Devastation.
Amelia Henley perfectly nailed the sad romance vibes in this book, and I was very invested in the lives of Adam and Anna as they met and fell in love and then struggled through their marriage. I really enjoy when romance books aren't all happy and fluffy, and are more on the realistic side of how people grow and change and make bad decisions or experience life-changing events. I am also a huge neuroscience nerd, so the scientific aspect in the second half of the book was a win for me. I think this is a great read for anyone who enjoyed All Your Perfects or The Two Lives of Lydia Bird.
Gifted: Thank you to Books Forward and Forever Pub for the copy of this book!
Two things happened when I read this book:
(1) Whiplash
(2) Devastation.
Amelia Henley perfectly nailed the sad romance vibes in this book, and I was very invested in the lives of Adam and Anna as they met and fell in love and then struggled through their marriage. I really enjoy when romance books aren't all happy and fluffy, and are more on the realistic side of how people grow and change and make bad decisions or experience life-changing events. I am also a huge neuroscience nerd, so the scientific aspect in the second half of the book was a win for me. I think this is a great read for anyone who enjoyed All Your Perfects or The Two Lives of Lydia Bird.
