Stephany Writes

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (10.30.23)

The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Library • YA/Mystery • 2022

Short synopsis: When one of the most popular girls in school, Brooke Donovan, is found dead, all signs point to her boyfriend. But Alice Ogilvie doesn’t believe it, and she’s going to try to find out the real culprit, just like she’s a character in an Agatha Christie novel. 

The premise of this book is a little silly, but I do love a good teenage mystery novel. Teens solving crimes that professional detectives cannot! You really have to suspend your belief with some of the plot points and characters, but overall, this was a fun novel. The crux of the novel is this new friendship forming between Alice and one of her classmates, Iris Adams, and I really loved how their relationship developed and deepened. Some of the novel was a little over-the-top, but it didn’t bug me too much. It’s not a novel I’m going to recommend to everyone but if you’ve read and loved the Truly Devious series, give this one a try!

When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O’Neal (★★★★☆)

Print • Library • Contemporary Fiction • 2019

Short synopsis: For the last decade, Kit Bianci has believed her sister died in a terrorist train crash. But then she sees her on the news, very much alive and living in New Zealand. So she books a flight to Auckland, determined to find her sister.

We picked this book for our October book club, and I was unsure if I would enjoy it. I told myself I only had to give it 100 pages and if I wasn’t feeling it, I could abandon it. Boy oh boy was I wrong! I flew through this book and enjoyed it immensely. It was a book that was so easy to read and I was just so invested in all of the characters and their lives. I wanted to know how everything would come together! While I thought the ending was a little rushed and everything tied up a bit too neatly (hence the 4-star rating), I still think the author did a great job with this novel. It also really made me want to book a trip to New Zealand right away!

If We’re Being Honest by Cat Shook (★★★★☆)

Print • Library • Contemporary Fiction • 2023

Short synopsis: “Gerry Williams’s funeral was a shit show.” So begins the story of a family grieving the loss of the patriarch of their family and reeling from a revelation during the eulogy. 

I do not know how this book came onto my radar (Lisa, maybe it was you?), but I’m glad it did because I really enjoyed this novel! It doesn’t have a very high Goodreads rating (3.5 stars), so I didn’t have very high hopes. I love family stories like this, though, and I thought the way the author discussed grief and loss to be utter perfection. We follow this family in the week after the funeral, as they are all grieving the loss of Gerry in a multitude of ways. There’s the way Ellen, his wife, is handling it. The way his kids are handling it. And the way his grandkids are handling it. There are also a range of interpersonal issues happening around their grief. There was a coming out plotline that I thought was so beautifully written. What I really loved, and what I think the author captured perfectly, was this subplot of one of Gerry’s daughters going on a date with someone she met. She kept harping (silently) about all these little things she didn’t like about her date—he wore too much cologne, for instance—and wondering if those are dealbreakers. And I find myself always doing the exact same thing when I’m on a first date with someone. It’s all those little things that turn me off immediately, and I have to remind myself to slow my roll and give them a chance. It wasn’t the point of the book, of course, but it was just so perfectly written that I couldn’t help but feel a kindredness with the author. All in all, this book was a good one. Am I going to remember I read it in a few months? Probably not. But it was a fine read that kept my attention.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (10.23.23)

Happy Monday, friends! I am pleased to report that my LASIK procedure went splendidly – no complications at all! I will have a full report on Wednesday, but just wanted to share that good news. Yay! Now, let’s dive into some recent reads:

America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie (★★★★☆)

This book is a chonker at 580 pages, and it took me over two weeks to read it. Normally, I don’t love reading such a long book but there was just something about settling in to read a fictionalized retelling of a president’s daughter’s life that appealed to me. This book is about Martha Jefferson Randolph, Thomas Jefferson’s eldest daughter. The book kicks off in May of 1782 when Martha is 9 years old and they have to flee their home at Monticello during the Revolutionary War. From there, we follow Martha throughout her life and heavens, is it a brutal one. She grieves the loss of her mother just months after leaving Monticello in 1782, spends her most formative years in France with her father who has been appointed as Minister to France, gets married young and has ELEVEN BABIES, and deals with so much abuse and neglect from her husband. And then, we can’t forget, she witnesses her father having a love affair with Sally Hemings—an enslaved girl who is the same age as her.

I can’t imagine all the research and interviews that went into crafting this book. It is so well-researched and nuanced. It’s a hard thing, writing about a white woman who believed in abolition but also enslaved people of her own. It’s a hard thing to read, but I think the authors did an excellent job of creating a nuanced picture of a complicated woman’s life. If you’re up for a nearly 600-page book about a historical figure, this one is definitely worth your while. (library paperback, 2016)

Drowning by T.J. Newman (★★★★★)

T.J. Newman is such an electric writer. I will read everything she writes forevermore. This novel is about a commercial plane that crashes into the ocean and the amazing rescue effort that takes place. T.J. Newman has a way of creating characters that are so easy to root for and crafting a propulsive plot that keeps me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. This novel was an adventure and the way she writes reminds me a lot of Andy Weir—this novel had a lot of technical elements that went over my head, but that was okay because I could understand the heart of the novel and the rescue attempt that was happening. If you have flight anxiety, her novels are probably not for you, but I find them to be incredibly written. I’m ready for this book and her previous novel, Falling, to be movies! (library hardcover, 2023)

Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon (★★★★☆)

Chandler Cohen has just had the worst sex of her life with a man she met at a bookstore bar… only to find out that he’s her next ghostwriting client. Finn Walsh is an actor who starred in the cult favorite werewolf teen drama, The Nocturnals, and is now ready to write a book about his experience. Over the next few months, the two of them will be traveling together to various comic-cons around the country and working together to write this book. And when Finn finds out that their night together was very unsatisfying to Chandler, he’s horrified and wants to do better. So they strike up a deal: When they’re not writing or at cons together, Chandler will teach him the art of true satisfaction.

This book was steamy, steamy and I loved it. I really enjoyed how sex-positive this book was and how open the two of them were with each other, both in the bedroom and out of it. The book also touched on mental health, including  OCD, which I found really well done. At times, the writing felt a little elementary (a lot of telling, not showing) but all in all, a book I really enjoyed. (library e-book, 2023)

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (10.11.23)

Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb (★★★★☆)

Brendan Slocumb is making a name for himself in the subgenre of musical literary thrillers. Super-niche, right? But somehow, it works. These are not fast-paced, page-turny thrillers, but rather more of a slow burn. This book is all about a man named Frederick Delaney. He’s one of the greatest musical composers of the twentieth century, but there’s a discovery that could lead to two people unearth the true secret of his greatness: All of his works were actually composed by a young Black woman whose name has been lost to history. This book is about the love of music, the way Black people’s contribution to music is often erased, and corruption. I listened to the audiobook, which was expertly narrated, and those last few hours of the book were incredible. I couldn’t stop listening! A fantastic book with a well-paced plot, vibrant characters, and a satisfying conclusion. (library audiobook, 2023)

Queen of Thieves by Beezy Marsh (★★☆☆☆)

This book has a pretty low Goodreads rating (3.49) so I didn’t have high hopes for it. I tried reading it as a print book, but I found the writing to be a bit cheesy and elementary, so I decided to listen to the audiobook. Sometimes, a book that’s not well-written comes off better in audio form! Unfortunately, this is not the case for this book. It’s 1946 in London and the city is trying to rebuild itself after the Blitz. It’s a tough time with food rations and few job prospects, which is why many Londoners seek “unseemly” professions like thieving. The best thieves are under the wing of Alice Diamond, dubbed “the Queen of Thieves.” Her all-female gang of thieves is the scourge of high-end stores throughout London, and when Alice takes a young, pregnant girl named Nell under her wing, Alice thinks she’s found a new right-hand woman. But is she? While I appreciated learning about this time and place in history, I just found this book to be rather boring. It should be exciting, right? Female thieves! London in the ’40s! But no, it wasn’t well-written and the plot was meandering. I’d skip this one. (library audiobook, 2023)

Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas (★★★☆☆)

Ahh… this book. It was a nice, easy read but I finished it feeling a bit unsatisfied. It follows the story of Kathleen and Devon. Kathleen’s husband of three days was unexpectedly killed in an accident and in turn, it gives his cousin, Devon, the earldom and ensuing estate. He doesn’t want this responsibility—nor to be saddled with his cousin’s three young sisters and his widow. Not to mention, his cousin was in massive debt that Devon is now forced to deal with. And then, as these romances are wont to do, the more time Devon and Kathleen spend with each other, the more they realize their deep feelings for one another. This was a fine romance, but I found Devon to be particularly churlish and demanding. He was just an asshole, not a rake with a heart of gold. Eh. I’ll probably keep reading the series when I need a palate cleanser, knowing I’m not going to get much depth from the books. (library e-book, 2015)

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (9.22.23)

Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan (★★★★☆)

I had very low expectations of this novel. I DNF-ed Monaghan’s debut, Nora Goes Off Script, because I didn’t love the writing and hadn’t heard rave reviews about this one. But you know what? This romance really, really worked for me! It’s about Sam who is engaged and comes back to her family’s summer house with her fiancee, Jack, to tour a wedding venue. It’s there that Sam comes face-to-face with her past, and her first love, Wyatt. The memories of their love story come flooding back to Sam and she starts to question if she really wants to marry Jack and really wants the life she would have with him. This is a very popular trope in these romance novels—second-chance romance—and it’s one I tend to really like. I mean, Sweet Home Alabama isn’t one of my favorite rom-coms for nothing! I loved the beachy setting and Sam’s sweet relationship with her younger sister. I loved how this story was so much bigger than the relationship; it was also about Sam and what she wanted and how she was letting herself think small because she was afraid of getting hurt. It’s not a perfect book, but it was one I really enjoyed. (paperback, 2023)

Last Girl Ghosted by Lisa Unger (★★☆☆☆)

Lisa Unger is a cult favorite in my book club, and she’s a local author, which is pretty cool. But, oof, this book was not very good at all. It’s about a girl named Wren Greenwood (yep) who matches with a very cute guy on a dating app. Sparks fly during their first date and they quickly fall into a relationship. But then, suddenly, he’s gone. What happened? Did she share too much too soon? It’s an interesting premise, especially bringing online dating into the equation of a thriller. But ultimately, the execution just wasn’t there. The twists and turns weren’t surprising at all, and the ending dragged on and on and on. It was also hard to understand why Wren was so in love with this man, as the author didn’t give us too many details about the man she was dating. I was skimming the pages at the end. And also, the writing was just bad. I haven’t read a Lisa Unger book in a while, but I don’t remember the writing being so bad. She tried so hard to be literary and provoking but didn’t need to be. I don’t read thrillers for the prose; I read them because I love a propulsive story. (hardcover, 2021)

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant (★★☆☆☆)

I need to stop reading books written by white cishet guys. Honestly. This book offered nothing for me. Is it because I’m already good at rethinking and considering all sides of an issue? (This is an Enneagram 9 to a tee!) Is it because I’m not afraid of admitting when I’m wrong and reframing the way I think? Is this book just for over-confident white men who need to learn how to consider other perspectives? I don’t know. But I didn’t get anything useful out of this book. I just found the advice to be rather elementary and trite. I mean, YMMV. The book somehow has a 4.23 rating on Goodreads, so many people are getting useful advice from it. And that’s awesome! The message is a good one, and I hope it helps a lot of people. It just wasn’t for me. (hardcover, 2021)

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (9.11.23)

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim (★★★★☆)

Mia’s father is missing. He took her younger brother, Eugene, to the park, and only Eugene returned, bloody and in a panic. Eugene is disabled, however, and cannot speak so the mystery remains: Is Mia’s father alive and hurt in the park? Did a freak accident happen and he’s dead? Did he just take up and leave his whole family and life? That’s the mystery at the heart of this novel, but this novel is not a mystery. It’s a complex family story about racial identity (Mia is Korean-American with a white father and a Korean mother), the disability community and how we treat those who are so-called “nonverbal,” the theory of happiness, and being the sibling of a disabled child. Kim sets this story in the summer of 2020, and the pandemic is a full-fledged character in the novel. For me, I liked the way different parts of the pandemic were included in the story, but YMMV. There were times when I found that Kim got a little bogged down in the details of the story she was trying to tell, but mostly, I was in awe of how she weaved so many complex plotlines so effortlessly. I loved this story and this family. I ached for them as they tried to find out what happened to their father. And I love the emphasis on the disability community, specifically the nonverbal community, and how all of us can be doing so much better by them. A novel I certainly recommend! (hardcover from Book of the Month, 2023)

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (★★★★★)

I reread this beloved classic with a whole bunch of other bloggers, and it was such a delightful time! I originally read this book for the first time in 2018 and I was astonished at how much I forgot in just five short years (or long? I mean, there was a whole pandemic in the middle of those years). Francie Nolan is such a beloved character to me, though, and I enjoyed following along on her journey from a young girl living in poverty with her parents and younger brother to a young woman on her way to college with a sweet beau by her side. This book remains one of my all-time favorites. (paperback, 1943)

Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone (★★★★☆)

Ariel Pryce and her husband are newly married, and she joins him on a business trip to Lisbon. But the first morning they’re there, Ariel wakes up alone. Her husband is gone. There’s no note and he’s not answering his phone. What happened to him? And what will Ariel have to do to get him back? This thriller was a good one, and I found myself on the edge of my seat as I tried to figure out exactly what was going on. I liked all the twists and turns the book took and thought the final reveal to be so satisfying. However, I want to give a trigger warning that there is so much violence against women and sexual assault in this novel (including an on-page rape scene). All in all, a decent thriller that I would recommend if the trigger warnings aren’t dealbreakers for you. (library audiobook, 2022)

What are you reading?