Last week I expressed my supreme inability to “get it” when it comes to the hype behind Freida McFadden stories, and here I am today with the newest RLast week I expressed my supreme inability to “get it” when it comes to the hype behind Freida McFadden stories, and here I am today with the newest Riley Sager. Once again I find myself looking a little like this upon finishing . . .
Maybe even moreso here because while Freida has her rabid fanbase, she also has a WHOOOOOOLLLLEEEE bunch of haters who are ready to tie her to the stake for being a “copycat” – yet those same people are apparently A-Okay with everything Sager rips off???? Like this new release that was originally maybe called Stranger Things, but without any of the interesting upside-downy bits.
So the story here is about Ethan whose pal Billy went missing from a backyard campout 30 years ago in the middle of the night and was never seen again. Don’t worry about it if you forget that part because you will literally be reminded EVERY. SINGLE. PAGE. In fact, basically that’s all that happens until the big reveal of what actually happened. Sager has been given giant accolades from his fans for delving into a male MC, but since dude had absolutely no personality whatsoever he could have been wallpaper and it wouldn’t have mattered. (Also, don’t forget this was the author who intentionally chose an ambiguous pen name in order to dupe chicks into maybe liking his stuff, so there’s also that.) The big reveal on this one was so underwhelming and the “twist” was dumb. But will I read whatever he releases next summer?
In my world there are two types of books that I consider “coming of age” – the actual coming of age stories such as To Kill a Mockingbird or Boy’s LifIn my world there are two types of books that I consider “coming of age” – the actual coming of age stories such as To Kill a Mockingbird or Boy’s Life or The Body (a/k/a Stand By Me) and then there are ones like this sort of “anti-romance” about first loves that aren’t so lovely, becoming an adult, discovering your own worth, etc. Sally Rooney has made a name for herself delivering this type of novel both in Conversations with Friends as well as Normal People. If you’re like me - anxiously awaiting her upcoming release, maybe Adelaide can tide you over?
Be forewarned, however, if you are a sensitive reader that this story begins with the leading lady having a severe depressive episode and stopping herself mid suicide attempt. If you can handle wallowing in the mire of Adelaide’s toxic relationships, eventually you’ll get to the part where it is realized . . .
Maybe, the darkness isn’t such a bad thing. Maybe it’s a reminder that you’re capable of turning the car around, you know? You’re capable of rerouting from a very dark, scary path back to the light.”
This book is proof of why believing the hype train on social media is not always a great ide
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What in the Tina Belcher did I just read??????
This book is proof of why believing the hype train on social media is not always a great idea for yours truly. Buuuuuuut, the FOMO always wins out so of course I got my name on the library list when I saw this title popping up all over the place around release date.
Basically this is exactly what the gif above states. Some Wattpad caliber erotic friend fiction about Xtina, Britney and JT. And it was turrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrible. I still can’t wrap my brain around who the target audience is, because although it touts itself as being a "coming of age" story - basically it was a porno with zero plot and a plethora of undercarriage-drying sex scenes that appeared to be written by a teenager. Oof. ...more
You see, Anna married “West” as a mutually beneficial convenience for both of them so they could obtain married student housing at college. Years later, (real name) Liam shows up at Anna’s door asking for her to fake wedded bliss one last time in order to fulfill a codicil of grandpappy’s will and be his date for his sister’s weeklong destination wedding to a private island. If they can pull off the illusion she’ll be handsomely rewarded. Oh, and at some point they gonna shut their mouth and run faux Isle Esme me like a river . . . .
Seriously. I do not get it. I’m really not trying to yuck your yum, because these are super easy for my squirrel brain to listen to while I’m getting my walk on, but why does she have such a following? These are not great books. The characters are all idiots, the plots are sort of nonexistent, the “twists” are either entirely predictable or are so lackluster that I could really give an eff by the time they come around. Whatever deal she made in order to get such a hype train behind her stuff was a brilliant business decision.
1.5 Stars. My advice if you haven't yet succumbed to the McFadden rabbit hole and this title is calling to you is to pick up the one by Ruth Ware with the same name and leave this behind....more
When this came out it really made its rounds all over Goodreads and The ‘Gram, but as someone who remains perpetually shocked that so many non-famous When this came out it really made its rounds all over Goodreads and The ‘Gram, but as someone who remains perpetually shocked that so many non-famous people get book deals to write their memoir I avoided it. But now I listen to audiobooks while walking every day and since I’m still more successful at nonfiction over fiction I decided to give it a go.
I had no idea this was considered a YA release – I just thought it was an autobiography and a quick Google said the author is an LGBTQ+ advocate. And while portions of this story might be exactly what some young adults need to read in order to come out/speak up/feel seen/etc. – this was sort of a struggle for me.
To start, Johnson’s middle-class upbringing and completely open and accepting family is one that often is not the norm for so many kids who fear coming out. Then there was the pretty clear-cut case of a Grover Gill schoolyard bully (who is probably serving time as an adult unless he got some serious help, because who the eff kicks the baby teeth out of a dang five year old???) that got morphed into some sort of gay bashing hate crime upon reflection. As a grown female, I really didn’t appreciate labeling football, basketball, baseball and even track “boy sports” – and I’m sure young women actively participating in them would take even more exception with that term. Also, Johnson did NOT invent the term “honeychild.” Nor did they write an original rap for the entire class that went a little something like “listen y’all and you will hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere” unless Johnson's real name is Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Which leads to the most offensive bits of the book. The entire “name trauma” situation???? If you were anywhere near as bright as you claimed to be throughout this entire book HOW IN THE HELL DID YOU NOT KNOW YOUR FAMILY CALLED YOU BY YOUR MIDDLE NAME UNTIL YOU WERE EIGHT YEARS OLD?!?!?!? Ummm, every first day of school your teacher would have taken roll – calling out “George Johnson?” to which you would have responded “Here – but I go by my middle name Matthew.” And how is it TRAUMATIC to have a first name/middle name???? Equating that to a trans person’s dead name? Not cool. Even worse is calling out the dead name of a family member while telling the story of their transition – because apparently it is okay to do so when that person is no longer alive? Or maybe Johnson simply thinks it’s okay as there was also a selection about joining a fraternity (dear youngsters, they aren’t all as accepting as this one apparently was, so be careful if that is the path you choose) and eagerly swapping info that outed others without their consent. That is never okay.
Obviously this was not for me. But I will fight to my last breath for it not to be banned. Fuck those people....more
Like probably everyone else in the universe I picked this up for my “walk ‘n talk” because I wanted alllllllll the deets from Paris herself
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Like probably everyone else in the universe I picked this up for my “walk ‘n talk” because I wanted alllllllll the deets from Paris herself regarding the “school” her parents sent her to (after literally having her kidnapped in the middle of the night). She definitely delivered and massive kudos to her for continuing to use her fame and voice all the way to Capitol Hill to speak out in regards to the abuse that occurs at these places. Also mad props for being a part of the slippery slope which is my addiction to reality television and for the upcoming reboot of the wildly entertaining The Simple Life. I. CANNOT. WAIT.
This memoir proved that despite being born into privilege, Paris does have quite the mind for making money and was smart enough to make HERSELF the “brand.” (And yay for trademarking shit like “that’s hot” or “sliving” so others couldn’t capitalize on her quirk.) That being said, this book also made it clear that Paris is Paris’ #1 fan and most certainly drinks her own Kool Aid thinking she’s some sort of epic DJ who can demand $1,000,000 per outing due to her talent rather than her name and reputation for being a party girl. I mean, get your bag, but also let’s be serious. You ain’t Marshmello – you’re just pushing a button on a laptop.
And as a Housewives (of every city) addict, man did this prove that Kathy holds allllll the keys to the kingdom and no one in the family is willing to say anything against her. Fascinating.
For anyone out there thinking of jumping in and saying “well, why do you keep reading them then, KAREN????” My answer is because for all of the “Unweddings” there is a chance for a Yellowface or Paper Palace or Tom Lake or Romantic Comedy, etc. that I really love. Maybe one day I’ll figure out that the mystery/thrillers Reese chooses aren’t generally my idea of a great time, but she’s just got such a dang trustworthy face that I always believe I’m going to love what she picks.
The story here is about Ellery. Dumped by her husband right before their 20th wedding anniversary, Ellery decides to take their already bought and paid for anniversary trip mainly to make sure he can’t take it with his new girlfriend. Little does she know there will be a luxury wedding taking place at the high-end resort in Big Sur . . . or that she will discover a dead body.
It was 106 degrees outside on Sunday so I took this one to the local pool to get my sunburn on and at first things were going swimmingly (ba dum ching – I’ll be here all week, folks!). Then the wheels sort of fell off and it became an everything but the kitchen sink approach to storytelling with an additional body, a raging storm making emergency access a no-go, totally unnecessary subplot regarding stolen art, another COMPLETELY unnecessary sideplot of a trauma dump from the past and Ellery and a handful of total strangers (any of which could have been a murderer, DUH) becoming immediate besties and deciding to Scooby Doo the crap out of the case all on their own.
I downloaded this audiobook to accompany me on my “Walk ‘n Talks” thinking I was a huge David Chang fan. Turns out? I’m exactly the type of fan he proI downloaded this audiobook to accompany me on my “Walk ‘n Talks” thinking I was a huge David Chang fan. Turns out? I’m exactly the type of fan he probably hates the most – the one who knows him from his “celebrity chef” status. My husband and I discovered this funny, authentic foodie during the pandemic when the only other more pressing issue of the day (aside from remaining healthy, which should really go without saying at this point) was the combo of “what’s for dinner” and “what are we going to watch while eating it?” Well, turns out we watched a lot of cooking/eating shows and since I was able to work from home/get groceries delivered with the press of a button I was willing to cook a lot more than chicken nuggs.
The husband and I quickly agreed that David Chang was one of our favorites – making quick work of Ugly Delicious and The Next Thing You Eat. We were thrilled to have him back on screen with Dave and Chrissy Dine Out (keep your opinions about his co-host to yourself, please, this is just a book review) and currently we watch Dinner Time Live while stuffing our faces.
All that being said, I am obviously a David Chang TELEVISION fan. I appreciate his passion for his art and the amount of namedropping he was willing to do, but other than Anthony Bourdain or Tom Colicchio I rarely had a clue who he was talking about since they were all from the food world. (Batali’s name got brought up, but thankfully only in the form of problematic kitchens. Chang did provide a book title to add to the TBR - Heat by Bill Buford when he worked under Batali – but of course that’s the one book my library system doesn’t have LOL). And other than him morphing ramen for white people twenty years ago from the packets you buy in bulk when you’re broke as a joke into everything from destination dining to a fast-food type of staple at the corner noodle shop, most of his ingredients and dishes went over my head (at least in part because I was listening and not looking at a print version). But more than anything this was waaaaaay too long. Nine hours is a real investment when the whole “plot” is somebody pretty much just talking about their rise to success developing/opening various restaurants and it was hard not to compare it to the brilliance of the backstory and charm of delivery which is Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential. I did appreciate Chang’s openness about his bipolar/depression struggles, but at a risk of offending everyone, a chef with mental health issues also wasn’t a real shocker.
If you enjoy David Chang, you won’t like him any less from reading this . . . but I don’t know that you’ll really get to feel like you know him for anything more than his food either.
I’m sure when most people see a trailer for an upcoming movie that looks good, they simply put it on their radar to either go toStay in the light.
I’m sure when most people see a trailer for an upcoming movie that looks good, they simply put it on their radar to either go to the theater to see it once released or to make sure to diligently Google about when it will be coming to a streaming service. But I’m not most people! I 100% always look to see if said new movie was a book first. Turns out this one was so I put in my library hold.
I’m in. I don’t care if the “wrong turn” results in monsters or inbred cannibals or masked strangers I am always down to clown in an attempt to scare the bejeesus out of myself. And I loved this one! So creepy, such a quick read and such a satisfying ending to wrap things up. I just noticed this is “book #1” – I don’t generally read past the first in a series, but I’m actually considering it this time to see what happens.
Eventually this will come to Paramount or Prime or Netflix or one of the other trillion services that take all my money monthly and I will most definitely be telling my husband . . . .
To think I have requested anywhere I could for an early copy of this only to be denied them all. Somebody was actually looking out for me and I just fTo think I have requested anywhere I could for an early copy of this only to be denied them all. Somebody was actually looking out for me and I just failed to listen. I looooooved Crazy Rich Asians as well as Sex and Vanity, but unfortunately this time around . . .
The leading female is a doormat, the leading male a cuck, the mother is 50 shades of total b*&^% with a heaping helping of internalized racism boiling over at every opportunity. The plot could have been fun (rich people who are actually broke), but the story development was pretty much nonexistent and consisted of over explaining whatever opulence was taking place in the current setting (whether it were designer clothing or five star food or over the top wedding venues or blah blah blah), followed with just a teensie little bit of plot progression, rinse, repeat until you finally get the ending that could have easily been predicted from nearly page one.
(And once again - Dear Authors: Literally 350 pages is generally all you need. Stories like these aren't a real magnum opus.)
I’m going to start this by borrowing the author’s own words and saying to Chris Whitaker . . .
“Can’t you see how beautiful you make tragedy?”
In my house my husband and I often use the turn of phrase “We Got Shawshanked.” If you are familiar with the film The Shawshank Redemption, you most likely have experienced this yourself. It happens less frequently in the time of streaming services, but occasionally we still flip through channels trying to decide on something to watch and run across that movie. Getting Shawshanked starts off innocently enough. You say “oh this is the scene where _____________ happens – I’ll just watch for a minute.” Then two hours later you realize you completely lost time and ended up watching the entire movie.
That’s what happened with this book. I went in completely blind and I’m not going to provide a summary of any sort to anyone reading this, so go to other reviews and risk being spoiled if you dare. I loved both We Begin at the End and Tall Oaks so when I saw this author had a new release I put my name on the library waiting list. Unfortunately for me (but fortunately for Whitaker and his book sales), it was after Jenna already made it her “Read With” selection so I was about eleventy-seven down the list. Luckily I have a great library system who acquired a trillion more copies of this so my wait was nearly non-existent. Then I realized it was 600 pages long – and if you know me you know I will die on the hill that 350 pages is the magic maximum number for nearly everything out there. But I dove in anyway . . . and then it was midnight, I turned the final page and found myself 100% in a bookhangover and mourning the loss of all of my new best friends.
Not only was this an exception to my “ugh this has too many pages” rule, it was an exception to nearly alllll of my personal tics. I loved the multiple viewpoints, I loved jumping from location to location, I loved the cobwebby storylines that eventually came together, I effing LOOOOOVED the youngsters (and that’s only happened like twice this year), I loved the descriptive prose when it was utilized. Everything. I loved everything about this book. I made half a gazillion notes and highlights, but I still have a feeling that should anyone question me about nuanced plot points or any other details in a week I’ll still be like . . .
It’s the opening soirée of The Manor and we begin at the end with a dead body and the exclusive resort burning . . . then immediately shift back to the beginning of this luxurious weekend. Rotating narratives from the owner, hired help, husband, guest, etc. unfold the whodunit along with the lore of “The Birds” who are rumored to hold claim to this land.
It’s summer. It’s a trillion degrees everywhere. Go find a body of water to cool off in and have some fun with this one.
Per usual I went into this one blind (many thankings to my ride or die for letting me know it even existed). I think it’s safe to say I’m officially a Liz Moore superfan. I looooooooved Heft and I never thought I was a reader who could be “triggered” until I read Long Bright River and felt like I had underwent some intensive therapy sessions and came to terms with a whole bunch of unresolved feelings throughout the course of reading that novel. When Shelby told me this new one was out I made sure to get to the library immediately on release day to the first come/first served shelves.
The story here takes place in the dark ages (a/k/a 1975 to all you young’uns) and jumps off with the realization that Barbara is missing from her bunk at Camp Emerson. You then get the entire history of the camp, the campers, the counselors, the owners, etc., etc., etc. There are red herrings and revelations and timehops (which y’all know can really irk me, but not when the storytelling is so well done like it was here). Truly a “dynasty of secrets” that I just now noticed is stated on the book jacket. I had an inkling of some of what was going on with the Van Laar's, but it took a while to get there and didn't lessen my final impression of the book whatsoever.
Yeah, I’m the wrongreader here. I felt absolutely zero connection to Clover and this story. It read like a Ted Talk on how to navigate the grieving process. I was hoping things would pick up in some sort of cutesie “Letters from Juliet” spin when the blast from the past romance angle was brought into the story, but even that fell flat. Glad it worked for so many, but it most definitely was not for me. ...more
Anyone who has ever experienced 9 to 5 life in cube farm hell might be able to relate to Jolene’s passive aggressive email responses which she always writes in white font . . . that is, until the day she forgets to adjust the setting and lets her true feelings fly. Jolene finds herself in a mandatory HR course that will teach her how to behave in the corporate environment, but also comes with an unexpected glitch where she can see EVERYTHING going on by way of the computers. We’re talking not just calendars, but emails and even instant messaging. With rumored “rightsizing” on the horizon, maybe Jolene can use this inside track to become a better version of an employee after all.
Okay, so these hermit-y people with trauma in their past stories might seem like a dime a dozen at this point (I mean I unintentionally found myself listening to one while reading this so they are errrrryyyyywhere), but Jolene’s voice felt so fresh that I really enjoyed this one. I could have lived without Miley the neighbor kid and the drinking issues because they really weren’t necessary whatsoever to me except to add to the page count, but other than that not a whole lot of complaints.
And let me tell you, the Irish authors have it fucking down when it comes to delivering my desired melancholy. The story here is about – you guessed it, Juno and Legs. It’s the 1980s and these two impoverished outsiders growing up in estate housing befriend each other and we follow along until they are adults. It is bleak. There are no happy endings. It was just what I wanted. Even the face cover which I usually can't stand is an exception to the rule here. And the audio? Brilliant. ...more
I’ve said it a billion times that I don’t generally love magical realism . . . unless it’s in the form of a romance story. I was 100% sure this would I’ve said it a billion times that I don’t generally love magical realism . . . unless it’s in the form of a romance story. I was 100% sure this would be for me. The idea of coming home from a girl’s night out to be greeted by a husband you didn’t have when you left the flat – only to be greeted by a NEW husband each time the previous one goes in to the attic to fetch something sounded absolutely delightful. I wasn’t sure if this would be finding Mr. Right by accident or maybe a “one who got away” do-over sort of love connection, but I was certain I was going to love it.
I mean NOTHING happened aside from Lauren sending literally hundreds of dudes back up the ladder. WTF? Where was the plot? The character development? The chemistry? The romance???? I have soooooo many can’t wait to reads that have queued up from the library in the past few days I spent wasting my time waiting for something to happen with this. So disappointing! ...more
When Piglet’s fiancé Kit spills the beans THIRTEEN DAYS before their wedding about a dalliance, the life she has so carefully curated may come crumbliWhen Piglet’s fiancé Kit spills the beans THIRTEEN DAYS before their wedding about a dalliance, the life she has so carefully curated may come crumbling down upon her like a poorly constructed croquembouche. I mean ….
“How do you tell people, when the invitations have been sent, the crème patisserie made, that the fullness of your life has been a pretense, your pleasures, you realise, posture?”
Well if you’re Piglet you lean into two all beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese pickles onions on a sesame seed bun while you figure things out.
This has a terribly low Goodreads rating, but I ate it right up (hyuck hyuck) in one afternoon. The story behind Piglet’s nickname made me have an actual human feeling, the meal prep had me salivating (in both good and pretty-vomity ways, depending on the circumstances). The use of food and manner of eating to differentiate between the two families’ classes brilliant. And the will she or won’t she all the up to the very end was chef’s kiss.
Literary food addiction. What would Dr. Now say????
But seriously though. This thing was making its rounds on The ‘Gram so of course I got big FOMO and requested it immediately from the library. At some point I have to learn there are lots of people who (a) are much kinder than I am, (b) obtain advanced copies and feel obligated to push them to the front and center on/near pub date, and/or (c) are not addicted to all things trash T.V. like myself. This is the story of three ladies who all get taken by “Ethan” – their online boyfriend – back in 2011. While I understand the intertubes and at-home sleuthing weren’t quite what they are today, that actually worked against me feeling for these women. Call me a victim blamer, but JFC at some point even if Ethan weren’t a total fabrication, it was REAL apparent . . . .
Releasing this book THIRTEEN YEARS after the fact certainly did it no favors either. Ethan was a little minnow in comparison to some of the Catfish stories that have been on my boob tube for almost the same amount of time....more
Kelly (and the Book Boar)
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