sarahthegaymer's Reviews (305)

Ok, so maybe this is an unpopular opinion here, but the more I sit with it, the more I really, really enjoy the Finlay Donovan Series. 

I really enjoyed the first in the series, but was a little more harsh on the second, but I've come back around with the third to decide that I do actually love these books and plan on seeing it through til the end. 

Here's the thing, these aren't meant to be strait-laced and serious. They're meant to be light-hearted, silly, and maybe even a little stupid. If you come into them with that mindset, you're set. If you come into them putting too much expectation on the storyline and how everything realistically or logistically works out, you're going to be disappointed. Maybe it's because they remind me of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich which is another love it or hate it series. I'm not sure. But I stan Finlay, most definitely. 

Seeing as this is the third book in the series, it's hard to go into too much detail without spoiling somethings but I'll give you the break down. 

We're following up on some of the trouble Finlay and Vero got themselves into during Book #2, which to be honest, I completely forgot about until I started reading. The first chapter has me busting a gut when her son crawls under the bathroom stall of a man who is trying to do his business and starts to have a meltdown. I was gagging at the thought of her crawling around on the bathroom floor of a department store. 

We follow them to a seminar that the local law enforcement is hosting in order for them to do some 'detective' work. They find themselves in a few pickles but they come out on the other side. 

Let me be perfectly clear when I tell you that Finlay's ex-husband is a f*cking DISGRACE. Like, the audacity of that man. Ew. I can't..I just cannot. 

I love the friendship that she's made with Vero because I too know the value of having a really good girlfriend that you can count on no matter what. Granted my friends and I live rather uneventful lives that don't involve possible jail time - you get it. 

I know there are a bunch of negatives that a lot of people could point out but again, that's not what I'm here for. I'm here to tell you that this can be a really enjoyable time away from a lot of the other heavier subject matters I read and I always look forward to breaking some of that up with a stupid, silly little novel. Finlay fits that bill for me. 

Judging how this book ended and the title of book #4, I'm anxious to see what they get into next! 

This was recommended by a BookTuber that I've recently started watching and something I decided to listen to while I was doing some random things around the house. 

Maybe it was because I wasn't paying that much attention but I felt like this was way above my head and I didn't really understand what was happening. 

One minute he was talking about being compassionate because you don't really know what anyone is going through - and then he was talking about people who owned SUV's or something rudely and I just don't understand..why? 

I don't really have an opinion on this either way - so it's a 3-star right in the middle for me. Would I give it another go if I could focus, maybe? But probably not as it wasn't that impressionable.

 

"Those We Thought We Knew" by David Joy was our October Book Club pick and the summary and premise sounded incredibly interesting. Unfortunately, this just ended up being an overall "OK" book in my opinion.

 

We're following Toya Gardner, a young Black woman who is visiting her Grandmother in a small, mostly white, Appalachian town and is convinced that she can change the world, little by little. She comes here to tip the scales and make the white people see that whether they know it or not, they all might inherently be a little racist. We're also focusing on an additional newcomer to town, though this guy (He is so unimportant I forgot his name..Bill, maybe?) comes with a white hood and robe in his car, a handgun, and a list of local, high-level officials that might be part of something even bigger. Inevitably, tragedy strikes the town on two separate occasions, and we're left trying to figure out who did it, why they did it, and if the two tragedies are related.

 

Personally, I think that one of the only good things to come out of this book was that it opened the doorway to some difficult conversations that need to be had from time to time. Our book club in particularly was really able to discuss some of the things that were brought to attention here on a level that we might not have been able to otherwise.  However, on the opposite side of that, I don't know if a white, male author is the target person to write this book - especially when talking about the Black experience. I even checked the acknowledgements and did a little research to see if the author chose to work with a Black author to correctly portray that experience and to me it appears he did not. One member of my book club, however, did mention that while they agree with me, they also hoped that by a white author choosing to write about difficult topics, that maybe other white American's would pick this book up and be able to see something differently - and for that I can agree it might be a good thing.

 

I would add that while this book does have a tragedy that takes place and turns into a sort of mystery; you can see whodunit 3,000 miles away so if you're looking for an enjoyable and suspenseful mystery, this is not the book for you. There are probably 3-5 characters that are mentioned throughout that are absolutely pointless - they are basically there to attempt to throw you off and take up space.

 

I will say that Curtis - while not an unlikely important character - is a hoot. I chuckled a lot reading his sections and when I heard them on Audio I laughed even harder.

 

I really enjoyed the Toya's Grandma - she was a strong woman and I loved the the way that she fiercely protected her family. There really is nothing like a Grandmother's love.

 

The lady cop - whose name I can't remember - was also pretty cool and I'd have to say I'm happy with how things wrapped up on her end.

 

One final thing that I'm still trying to decide if I enjoyed or not was the ending of the book overall. I don't really feel that there was justice for all of the things that happened and I don't like that it was left sort of open subjectively that you have to determine how you feel or what you 'think' might have actually happened in those last few scenes. But, on the same point, a lot of times in these situations there isn't justice so maybe that was the point? I don't know but I'm not sure I'm satisfied with it.

 

Overall, just a book that I anticipated being really intriguing but left me a little flat. I don't know that I'll pick up any more of his books unless someone can really, really convince me otherwise. 

4.5 ⭐️
Let me start this off by saying, this was really, REALLY close to 5 Stars.  And as you’ll see, my reason for not giving it that other half is mostly personal reasons. 

This book was recommended to by a worker at a local bookstore and I immediately snagged it up because she seemed so excited by it. It took me quite a few months to get into it, but once I started see some hype about it, I was eager to dive in.  📖 

Based loosely around King Arthur and the Round Table, this modern fairytale puts a unique spin on a classic. From bloodlines, to outsiders, to magic - fantasy lovers will fall in love with this story! 🔮🛡🗡

Bree Matthews, the leading character; experiences a beautiful coming of age story. Without giving too much away, watching her deal with grief in a way that some can relate is very powerful and well written. It’s also important to note that we get to see her grow; mentally, emotionally, and physically as a strong black woman. As she leans on the support of friends - new and old, this is a crucial story like for young females to see. 💎

The supporting characters - a love interest, the mysterious but loyal foe turned friend, a best friend, and those just trying to help all play a crucial role in helping Bree develop into a person she - and the reader - can be proud of. 

For me, personally; the book did start off a little slow and a bit confusing. As someone that is not familiar with King Arthur, Camelot, or The Round Table; I was incredibly confused at times and had to double and triple read some things. 😬 Once the story finally started to progress and things were explained in a bit more detail; it all started to come together in a nice little bow. 🎀(This is my reason for not giving 5 Stars.)

Finally, the only thing I truly didn’t like about the book to be perfectly honest, was the ending. It felt a bit rushed and open ended - I do realize there is a sequel in the works, but still..this is a sore point for me. 

Tracy Deonn does a wonderful job at explaining grief in a way that even someone who has not experienced loss can relate. She also is great and creating a unique, busy, and fairly easy to follow storyline. 

So all in all, I would highly recommend this story to anyone who loves a good fantasy, likes magic, and is looking for an all in all good read. If you’re someone who prefers thing a little more in the realistic side or is looking for a bit and steamy romance, I’d say this isn’t the one for you!

Smalltime by Russell Shorto

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 


Maybe I’m a little biased because I love history, met the author, AND love history surrounding my hometown (and places near the Burgh) - but this book for sure is a 5 ⭐️ read! I’ll keep this review short and sweet, as I feel it’s necessary to read it for yourself to get the full feel and story. 

This Memoir is about the mob life in Johnstown, PA, told by the Grandson of one of the men in charge. Through accurate historical research, the story unfolds on what times where like for “The Greatest Generation”. Through numbers running, money, sex, and even a murder - this tell-all is an exciting page turner! 

I loved how Russell Shorto approaches the topic in a way that keeps things accurate, but explains the historical importance and tells the story in terms anyone can understand. His retelling is gripping, at times comical, and ends emotionally. 

The ONLY downfall for me was due to traditional Sicilian naming; a lot of names overlap in the book and sometimes I was a bit confused as to who I was reading about! 

I’m looking forward to grabbing some of this author’s other works, as well as looking up some more mob stories!