True crime is not a go-to genre for me, but I couldn't resist the hype surrounding McNamara's posthumous book about the Golden State Killer. I listened to this on audio, and maybe I should have sat down to read it, but I felt kind of glazed over by the umpteenth description of another horrifying murder. To her credit, it was not gratuitous in the gory details, it was more nuanced in trying to figure out the patterns and mindset of the killer. What I found compelling was Michelle talking about her own life, how she became interested in true crime and the fascinating beginnings of DNA testing and prosecuting criminals.
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My kids and I adore Telgemeier's books, and somehow I hadn't got 'round to reading Drama. My daughter has been enjoying her graphic novels of The Baby-Sitters Club , so I got her Drama and promptly stole it after she was done. It's another adorable, relatable coming of age story with an LGBTQ character and it was done really well, even if it felt a little predictable.
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Talk about a page turner! I burned through this in two days, staying up into the wee hours because I HAD to know how this crazy story story would end. The setup, a story of a teenage girl on a reality tv show with her holier than thou conservative religious family gets pregnant, reeled me in with delicious schadenfreude. Full disclosure, I am not a religious person. (I can see how it can be a force for good, but seems to do more of the opposite.) To quote one of the characters:
"They've infected the country with a special brand of intolerance that masquerades as religion."
This book absolutely addresses the current hypocrisy of some christian religions head on and I found it a very satisfying read, one that makes you think about consumerism, race, misogyny, and religious freedom. Essie and Liberty are heroes you will root for until the bitter end. It was pretty easy to guess Essie's terrible secret, and it ended pretty much how I thought it would. But it was a fun ride and I highly recommend it for an un-put-downable summer read!
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Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the complimentary digital review copy!
This was a slow burn of a novel, that centered mostly on each character's internal life and struggles. The missing bracelet at the beginning of the novel had me intrigued. Was it truly missing? Was it an attempt to replace the maid, or does it have value? What kind of value? The hint of a secret between Lina and her brother in law Qiang is also hinted at in the very first pages. Then the bulk of the book delves into the past and the lives led by each of the characters up until the present day, full of immersive detail while examining contrasting themes of those with money and power, and those without. Who has more freedom or happiness, really?
The narrative lingered a bit longer than I would have liked with expats Lina and Wei's history, ostensibly the main characters. I found Sunny the maid's story much more interesting, and would have liked to spend more time with her and Little Cao, the Zhen's surprisingly multifaceted driver. Perhaps because she was the working class observer, the more relatable character in the beginning. Though, overall, I was impressed with Tan's ability to create an entire cast of characters that I was rooting for, major flaws and all. The various relationship dynamics were very compelling, even some of the briefest interactions were the most impactful, as with the tenuous father daughter connection between Karen and Wei.
"Why do our minds fixate on the kinds of love we're not getting instead of the kinds of love we are? We expect it to be the thing we want it to be. And we're blind to every other form of it."
In the end, the secrets and realizations that are made gave it a highly satisfying ending with a lot of food for thought about family, loyalty, freedom and finding a place in the world. I would highly recommend this as a read alike for another summer debut, A Place for Us with very similar themes on family, choices and culture.
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The buzz around this book (which was significant) described it as a Grey's Anatomy in novel form, but I never got into that show, so I put it on the back burner for awhile. I'm glad I finally picked it up, as it was a super fast summer read. I got a bit of a Liane Moriarty vibe in the beginning as the story is set up from the lens of mommy culture. The dynamic and contrast between Zaide and Emma as doctors and mothers, as well as the dynamic between their patients, or parents of their young patients, that they interact with at school and the country club is rife with potential conflict - and craziness ensues. The flashbacks to when the pair were in medical school together was also a fascinating glimpse into doctor culture, which was my favorite part of this reading experience. The romantic drama was kind of easy to tease out, but came to a pretty shocking and satisfying conclusion.
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I've seen so many of Colgan's books on social media, and especially on my library shelves in either summer or winter, so I figured it was time to give her novels a try. This was a cozy read with great British humor and wit, and a story that is somewhat predictable, but with a few surprises up it's sleeve that I didn't see coming. I for sure will read more of her work when looking for a comfort read.
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Straight up romance reads are not my usual go-to, but I think I need to make more space for a few in my reading life - especially those with an empowered female lead. This particular romance also shed light on the inner workings of an adult woman with high functioning autism, WRITTEN by an adult woman with high functioning autism. It was compelling, so adorable and, yes, STEAMY. Fair warning if that's not your thing. I found it highly entertaining and, ultimately, I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic between the characters in this gender reversed Pretty Woman like story.
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Jumping on the bandwagon, because I was so excited for the film and it did not disappoint, neither did the book! I had put it off for a long time, because reviews are definitely mixed. I LOVED the prologue of this book, as I am a sucker for some sweet, sweet schadenfreude and was hooked. After the initial window into Nick's family life at a young age, it took me a little bit to get into a rhythm of the story with so very many family members and connections to puzzle out. But once his unwitting girlfriend Rachel joins him in Singapore I felt like it picked up steam. I loved being on this ridiculous roller coaster with her and seeing the sights through her eyes. I loved all of the hilarious and lack of self-awareness juxtapositions of these crazy rich characters and found Kwan's footnotes about this society fascinating. That he grew up in this bubble then moved to Texas, giving him perspective and an outsider's view, is also fascinating. I totally have wanderlust and want to go to Singapore now!
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Reading a Hilderbrand novel every summer is a favorite tradition of mine and, as always, this was the perfect immersive Nantucket experience in book form, with another cast of vivid characters that interconnect in an utterly seamless way. I love feeling like I'm getting to know all of the people on the island and I thought it was fun that she took a crack at a mystery. I was guessing until the shocking and unsettling end. She left some room for future hi jinks, in which I hope she indulges. Her work is often considered fluff, but I find that she is masterful at creating atmosphere (expertly setting a scene and putting Nantucket on many a reader's bucket list) and character development. Her novels all seem to have a large cast of characters, but I never find this to be unwieldy. As soon as a name is mentioned, I know who she’s talking about because in a few paragraphs she can give even the smallest bit player unique traits and a rich, memorable back story. If it wasn't immediately clear, I just love her work and look forward to every winter and summer for a fix!
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I gobbled up this story about a woman navigating her life after a tragic accident in record time. Some of the characters felt hyperbolic: it was clear how we were to feel about her overbearing mother and fiancé Chip, a total cad. There were quite a few side plots, but all were rather thoughtful and engrossing. There are very similar themes, and I would definitely suggest How to Walk away for fans of Me Before You.
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