Stephany Writes

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (6.17.24)

Go as a River by Shelley Read (★★★★★)

Print • Library • Historical Fiction • 2023

Short synopsis: A heart-wrenching coming-of-age story that combines unforgettable characters with a breathtaking natural setting. It is a sweeping story of one young woman’s survival and becoming, of the deepest mysteries of love, truth, and fate.

This was the kind of book I started and told myself, “Just give it 50 pages. If you’re not sucked in, you can abandon it.” I’m not exactly sure how it made its way onto my Goodreads TBR, but I think a rave review from Lisa made me add it. I should have known that Lisa never lets me down! This book was exceptional. It was well-written and emotional and I felt like I was sitting right there next to Victoria as she told me her life story. It’s a story filled with ups and downs, heartbreaks and moments of beauty, and I was enthralled from beginning to end. I found myself wrapped up in Victoria’s character and wanted only good things for her in a life that’s not always destined for good things. It’s a story about resilience, about love, about loss, and about what can happen when you let people in. I loved this story so much.

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera (★★★★★)

Audiobook • Library • Thriller • 2024

Short synopsis: Five years ago, Lucy’s best friend Savvy was brutally murdered and ever since then, Lucy has been the prime suspect of the crime. After all, she was found wandering the streets covered in Savvy’s blood with no memory of what had happened. With no evidence to convict her, Lucy has moved on with her life as best she can. But then a popular true crime podcast decides to investigate the murder and Lucy is drawn back into her past.

Another book rec from a friend! This one was from Kim and when she recommended listening to the audiobook, I immediately placed a hold request at my library. This was a phenomenal thriller and I definitely think it should be listened to because the way the podcast is incorporated into the narration is *chef’s kiss*. I loved the way we started the story knowing just as much about what happened as Lucy did, but as Lucy started to regain her memory, so do we learn more about what happened the night Savvy died. This book is also hysterical. I can’t remember the last time I actually laughed out loud during a thriller! But this one got me a few times because Lucy has some good zingers throughout the novel. There’s a really important message throughout this book, and it’s hard to say what that message is without spoiling things, but I will say that I wholly appreciated what Tintera had to say about this issue, and it made the whole reveal at the end make so much sense. This is one of the best thrillers I’ve read and I can give it my full endorsement!

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano (★★★★☆)

Print • Library • Mystery • 2023

Short synopsis: Finlay Donovan is back, and this time she owes a favor to the Russian mob. The plan is simple: Find a contract killer before the cops do. But what if the contract killer is a cop? That’s how she finds herself at a citizen’s police academy (run none other by hot cop Nick) with her best friend Vero, trying to keep up with all of the seminars and workshops while also rooting out the dirty cop.

This is the third book in the Finlay Donovan series, so I don’t want to say too much about the plot since these books should be read in order. What I will say is that this book was so much fun and I loved getting back in the wild and wacky world of single mom/novelist/reluctant hit woman Finlay Donovan. Yes, you have to suspend your belief with these novels but I think if you go into these books with an open mind and know you’re just there to have a good time, you’ll enjoy these books. I found it hard to figure out who the contract killer could be among the array of cops, but loved how it was all revealed at the end. So satisfying!

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (6.10.24)

Hi, friends! I want to direct you to NGS’ blog today, as I was lucky enough to guest post for her 20th Blogiversary. I talked about what it’s like to be a 30-something single, so I hope you hop on over there to read it, and then subscribe to Engie’s blog because she’s a gem!

Zorrie by Laird Hunt (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Library • Historical Fiction • 2021

Short synopsis: Spanning an entire lifetime, a life convulsed and transformed by the events of the 20th century, Zorrie offers an intimate portrait of the life of one tenacious woman who experiences love, loss, and new beginnings.

I heard about this book on Currently Reading, and Meredith talked about how it was a quiet, slow, contemplative novel. There’s not much plot; it’s just about one woman’s life in the mid-20th century. I was looking for a quick audiobook to listen to right before I left for vacation and this one was just 4.5 hours—perfect! I really enjoyed this novel and I think listening to it on audiobook was the perfect way for me to consume it. There was a lot to dig into in this book (at one point, Zorrie finds work at a radium processing plant and it’s very interesting to see the way that job reverberates throughout her life), and I really enjoyed Zorrie’s character. She was a sympathetic character to root for. This book won’t change your life, but it’s a pleasant way to spend a few hours.

Planes, Trains, and All the Feels by Livy Hart (★★★★★)

E-book • Library • Contemporary Romance • 2023

Short synopsis: When Cassidy gets stranded at an airport in what feels like the middle of nowhere, she never dreams that she’s going to end up sharing a rental car with her nemesis, Luke. They met in the airport parking garage when he stole her spot and then found themselves seated near each other on the plane, and they can’t stop bickering with each other. But then they get stranded when their plane has to make an unscheduled landing and with only one rental car available and no flights leaving for their destination anytime soon… it seems like the only option is to road trip together. 

Gosh, I really loved this romance! The enemies-to-lovers trope will always be one of my favorites, and I really love the way the author brought these two people together and helped them break down their walls with each other. There were some crazy twists and turns this book took that I was not expecting, but it all worked to bring these characters closer together, so I was okay with them! The novel’s dark moment felt really true and authentic, not shoved in just to create some drama. It made sense with everything the author had been building up to, and the way everything resolved was so sweet. I loved these two characters a whole lot and when I finished the novel, I wanted to start it all over again because I didn’t want to let Cassidy and Luke go!

Love Irresistibly by Julie James (★★★★☆)

E-Book • Owned (Amazon) • Contemporary Romance • 2013

Short synopsis: Cade Morgan, assistant U.S. attorney, needs the help of Brooke Parker, general counsel for an upscale restaurant group. In order to take down a corrupt politician, he needs to bug a table at one of Brooke’s restaurants. While they work together on this sting operation, sparks fly.

This is a reread for me, as I’m working my way through Julie James’ backlist for the second or third time. I love her books! This book was fun, sexy, and heartfelt. She really played with this idea of being someone “married” to their job and if they can really have it all: the career and the relationships? Not just romantic relationships, either, because Brooke started to notice how her friendships started to take a huge backseat to her career. I love the way Cade and Brooke learned to care for one another and how doing so allowed them to reevaluate their own priorities and figure out what really mattered. It was a fun romance!

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (5.28.24)

Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Library • Thriller • 2021

Short synopsis: The Tuesday after Easter, the Mertons are found brutally murdered in their home. Their three adult children are devastated. Or are they? They all stand to inherit millions, and none of them were particularly close to their parents. Did one of them snap?

This was a decent thriller with lots of interesting twists and turns. I love the trope of wealthy people behaving badly, and this one had it in droves. There were the parents who weren’t particularly nice to their children, and their children who had every reason to hate their parents. I enjoyed getting to know the three children and their significant others. I thought Lapena did a great job at developing well-rounded characters who all had motive to kill. I’ll admit that my mind kept going back and forth on who I thought did it! I don’t think the ending was quite as satisfying as I would have hoped, but it made sense. Pick this one up if you need a quick, easy thriller to speed through!

How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly (★★★☆☆)

Print • Owned (Amazon) • Contemporary Sapphic Romance • 2024

Short synopsis: Julie Parker is in her first year as head coach of a high school women’s basketball team, when she discovers that her childhood role model NCAA basketball star Elle Cochrane is the foster parent for one of her athletes. When Julie persuades Elle to become her assistant coach, the two of them grow closer.

I am a diehard Anita Kelly fan and purchased this book almost as soon as I heard it was published. I cracked it open, confident that I was going to have another five-star read on my hands. When the book began, I continued to feel that way. I loved Julie and Elle’s rapport and I loved getting to see my favorite characters from Kelly’s other books. But as the book progressed, I found myself a little bored. I never really felt the chemistry between Julie and Elle, and I never truly felt connected to Elle. What I liked about this novel was the exploration of Julie’s sexuality. She’s thirty and has yet to have any sort of romantic relationship. She knows that she likes women but wonders if she’s asexual. Part of this novel involves Julie exploring her sexuality with Elle—someone who has more experience and is a safe person to be with. And while those scenes were crucial to the growth of Julie and Elle’s relationship, I found myself skimming them more often than not to get to the next scene. There just wasn’t anything there for me to grasp onto and enjoy, and I was just a little weary of the slow-burn aspect of their romance. All in all, this was a disappointment from a romance author I normally adore.

A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie (★★★★☆)

Print • Owned (Amazon) • Mystery • 1950

Short synopsis: The villagers of Chipping Cleghorn, including Jane Marple who is staying nearby, are agog with curiosity over an advertisement in the local gazette which reads: ‘A murder is announced and will take place on Friday October 29th, at Little Paddocks at 6.30 p.m.’ Unable to resist the mysterious invitation, a crowd gathers at Little Paddocks at the appointed time when, without warning, the lights go out and a shot is fired…

This was my first Miss Marple mystery and while I think I prefer Hercule Poirot (maybe because he reminds me of my beloved Armand Gamache!) to Marple, this was a very enjoyable mystery. One of things I really need to start doing when I start these mysteries is keep a character bible. So many characters get introduced at the beginning (in this book and the other two Poirot books I read!) and it’s hard to keep track of who’s who. Eventually, I settled into the story and when the murderer is finally announced, it was so completely different than anything I could have thought of! It was brilliant. This book shows why Agatha Christie stands at the top of the mystery genre. She gives you little nuggets of information that you could use to solve the mystery but you don’t know how important those nuggets are until it’s all revealed at the end.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (5.15.24)

Knockout by Sarah MacLean (★★★★☆)

E-Book • Library • Historical Romance • 2023

Short synopsis: Lady Imogen Loveless has a penchant for science experiments and explosives… making her quite peculiar among the London set. Detective Inspector Thomas Peck is a buttoned-up man of the law who constantly finds Imogen at his crime scenes. When Imogen’s brother enlists Tommy’s help to keep an eye on Imogen and make sure she doesn’t get into any more trouble, he doesn’t realize he’s being drawn into her web of chaos.

I have been waiting for Imogen’s book (Knockout is the third book in MacLean’s Hell’s Belles series), and it did not disappoint! Imogen is known for her carefully placed explosives, and getting into her scientist mind (during a time when women weren’t allowed to be engaged in such thinking!) was fascinating. I also really loved the dichotomy between chaotic Imogen and buttoned-up Tommy. A true opposites-attract moment! This is an open-door romance but it isn’t too steamy, and I just love the way MacLean creates characters who are so lively and easy to root for. It was a wonderfully sweet love story with some badass women at the center.

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir (★★★★★)

Audiobook • Library • YA • 2022

Short synopsis: Salahudin and Noor are more than best friends—they’re family. Until The Fight threatens to ruin everything they hold dear. Now, as Sal tries to run his family’s motel on his own and Noor tries to find her escape hatch from her wrathful uncle, their friendship is put to the ultimate test.

I loved this book and I also hated this book for the way it made me feel. This book is not an easy read and there are trigger warnings on trigger warnings, so it’s probably not the best book for this highly sensitive reader, but with a 4.5 star rating on Goodreads, I had to find out why everyone loved it so much. Noor and Sal were such amazing characters. They felt full and real and authentic, and I was rooting for them the whole time. I could only listen to an hour of the audiobook per day because I was so distraught by what was happening to them that I just wanted them to have a happy ending. This is not an easy book to read, but it was well worth my time and I’m glad I gave it a chance. (But whew, I am ready for something much more lighthearted next!)

Victim by Andrew Boryga (★★★★☆)

Print • Library • Contemporary Fiction • 2024

Short synopsis: Javier Perez is a hustler from a family of hustlers. As a college student, Javi embellishes his life story until there’s not even a kernel of truth left. Soon after graduating, a viral essay transforms Javi from a writer on the rise to a journalist at a legendary magazine where the editors applaud his “unique perspective.” But when those who know him best find out the game he’s playing, will it all come crumbling down on him?

What a wild ride! There were times when I just felt such a sweet adoration for Javi and times when I wanted to knock him upside the head because, what are you thinking, my dude?! This book is a satire, a look at the world of trauma porn, especially as it relates to people of color and the stories that can go viral. Javi knows what sells: trauma, sob stories, police brutality. So what if it isn’t fully his story? What are a few little lies in the grand scheme of things? This is also a book about power and how intoxicating it can be to be at the top, to get the likes and the retweets and the army of defenders. I wish I could have gotten a bit more of a nuanced look at Javi as a character—it felt like there was a wall between him and us, and I think I would have enjoyed the story a lot more if I felt a deeper connection to him. However, this was Boryga’s debut and what an impressive one it was. I’m excited to see what he does next.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (5.8.24)

The Eighth Detective by Alex Pavesi (★★☆☆☆)

Audiobook • Library • Mystery • 2020

Short synopsis: Many years ago, Grant McAllister calculated the rules for a mystery novel. He worked out the different orders and possibilities of a mystery, and published seven perfect detective stories into a book. These days, he lives a quiet, isolated life on a remote Mediterranean island… until he’s visited by an editor named Julia who wishes to republish his book and wants to revisit these old stories with him. But Julia starts to notice the inconsistencies in the novel, and she’s on a mission to figure out what’s going on.

This was a tough novel for me, and maybe that’s because I don’t really like short stories. This book was a collection of short stories – seven quick mysteries – and I found it hard to get fully invested in the story. I also found all of the mysteries to be quite underwhelming and with very dissatisfying endings, which tempered my enjoyment. While I liked the bigger overarching plot of the novel, involving Julia and Grant as they discuss each short story and talk about the mechanics of them, I wanted a bit more of them and their dynamic, and less of these really underwhelming mysteries. There’s a twist at the end that was quite interesting, I’ll admit, but by that point, I was just done with the novel and wanted it to be over. So, unfortunately, this wasn’t a hit for me but if you are someone who likes short stories, you may enjoy this book!

The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley (★★☆☆☆)

Print • Library • Contemporary Fiction • 2023

Short synopsis: When 21-year-old Tanner starts working as a live-in caretaker for Louise, neither is happy about the arrangement and both spend time ignoring each other. It isn’t until Louise shows up in Tanner’s room at 1 a.m. one night, insisting they need to leave, that Tanner realizes she’s not living with a typical elderly woman.

Oh, I really did want to like this book but it just wasn’t for me. This was our April pick for book club and most of my friends enjoyed it for what it is: a cheesy, relatively brainless read. But I was left wanting more. I didn’t find either Tanner or Louise particularly likable, and I think the author sacrificed character development for making a big “GOTCHA!” at the end of the novel. I didn’t really see the growth of their relationship, either, to understand how they became multigenerational friends. And there were so many twists and turns at the end… it felt overly dramatic and unrealistic. Unfortunately, not a book I’m rushing out to recommend.

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham (★★★☆☆)

Print • Owned (Book of the Month) • Thriller • 2022

Short synopsis: Chloe was 12 years old when teenage girls in her town started to go missing… and her father was arrested for their murders. Twenty years later, she’s a psychologist in Baton Rouge, engaged and planning a beautiful wedding. And then it starts happening again. A girl is missing… then another one and another one. These cases seem eerily similar to the ones her father was convicted of. Is there a copycat serial killer out there?

This book has gotten a lot of accolades and won some sort of popularity award through Book of the Month, so I got it for free from them. I was excited to dive in—I’m not a super critical reader of thrillers. I like them to be appropriately spooky with some twists and turns that make sense. I don’t necessarily need to root for the main character, but I want to understand them. In this novel, I could not get past the massive ethical violations of Chloe who is a licensed psychologist and involved in some very problematic behaviors (like prescribing Xanax to her fiancee that she picks up at the pharmacy herself and hides from him…) The overall mystery was an interesting one and I did appreciate the twists and turns the novel took, but there were so many plot holes that were never addressed and I just found it really hard to root for or understand Chloe. She’s a psychologist who needs to find a new line of work and get herself to therapy ASAP.

What are you reading?