Search Results for: Last chance library

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (10.30.24)

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose (★★☆☆☆)

Print • Owned (indie bookstore) • Mystery • 2023

Short synopsis: When an acclaimed author dies at the Regency Grand Hotel, it’s up to a fastidious maid to uncover the truth.

Oh, I just really didn’t like this novel. A part of me is wondering if we even need the continuation of this series. (And there’s a third book coming out!) Everything I adored about Molly in the first book just felt trite and over-the-top in this novel. The novel dipped back and forth in time: present day where an author dies at an event at the hotel Molly works at, and then the past where Molly is a child and her grandma is working as a maid for a very rich family. This rich family felt like caricatures. They had no nuance to them and I struggle to understand where all of their money came from because the main occupation of the husband in this family is not one that lends itself to incredible wealth. Like, they had a whole room of silver! That kind of wealthy. All in all, this was a rather lackluster mystery, which is such a disappointment since the first book was one of my favorite reads of the year.

The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce (★★★★☆)

Print • Owned (Barnes & Noble) • Contemporary Romance • 2024

Short synopsis: Estranged exes Georgia and Eli must stick close together to save their best friend’s wedding after a string of disasters in this swoony and steamy second-chance romance.

I adored Jessica Joyce’s first novel, You with a View, and I was happy to get my hands on her second novel. While I didn’t love it as much as YWAV, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The FMC, Georgia, was a tough character to like at times, and I struggled to feel invested in her. She is someone who has a hard time asking for help and depending on people, and that has led her to doing everything for everyone else to keep their love and attention. (She is very much an unhealthy Enneagram 2, I think.) Eli, on the other hand, is a man who has missed out on a lot in life because of his addiction to work and success. Both of them have a lot of work to do on themselves (and they do–by the end of the novel, both of them are in therapy!) but they also find themselves drawn back together while trying to make sure their best friend’s wedding goes off without a hitch. I loved their sweet second-chance romance and they way they slowly but surely found their way back to each other. Also, I really loved the way the author took us on a journey of their past relationship without delving into past-and-present chapters. It was nestled into the story in a very natural way, and it was so refreshingly different than other books I’ve been reading lately. This was a wonderful romance and after two great books, Jessica Joyce has become an autobuy author for me!

Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Library • Mystery • 2024

Short synopsis: Finlay Donovan and her nanny Vero head to Atlantic City for a rescue mission that quickly spirals out of control. When a loan shark they’re trying to negotiate with turns up dead, the duo must dodge police, exes, and family while searching for Vero’s boyfriend and stolen car.

I was looking for a light-hearted audiobook to listen to right after dealing with the hurricane madness, and the fourth book in the Finlay Donovan series was exactly what I needed! Are these books realistic in any way? Absolutely not. But are they fun to read? They sure are. I always love the ride-or-die friendship between Finlay and Vero, and the budding relationship between Finlay and her hot detective was icing on the cake. I found the mystery at the heart of this novel fairly easy to follow along with and it came to a very satisfying conclusion. I will also say that I gasped out loud at the last sentence of the book so needless to say, I need the fifth book to come out soon. (Okay, I checked: book five comes out in March!)

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Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (9.16.24)

At First Spite by Olivia Dade (★★★★★)

Print • Library • Contemporary Romance • 2024

Short synopsis: After her fiancé ends their engagement, Athena Greydon moves into the narrow Spite House she bought for him, only to find herself living next to the very man who convinced her fiancé to leave her—Matthew, her fiancé’s brother. While she initially plots petty revenge, her growing attraction to Matthew complicates her plans.

Oh my goodness, I just loved this sweet romance! It reminded me of an Abby Jimenez novel as it dealt with some heavy themes (including depression) but also had such a sweet love story at the center of the novel. I truly couldn’t get enough of Athena and Matthew. They had an instant chemistry that crackled off the pages. Athena battles depression in this novel and the author described her mental illness with such a deft hand that I found myself tearing up for Athena. She’s a woman in her 30s who has struggled to find where she fits, especially as it relates to her career, and it really touched me. I will say that I didn’t love the petty revenge part of the novel (I just honestly can’t with adults being petty like that, it drives me crazy), but others may find it hysterical. YMMV! All in all, though, this was a delightful romance!

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (★★★★★)

Print • Book of the Month • Mystery • 2024

Short synopsis: In August 1975, 13-year-old Barbara Van Laar vanishes from her family’s summer camp, mirroring her brother’s disappearance 14 years earlier. As a frantic search begins, the story unravels the dark secrets of the Van Laar family and the community intertwined with their legacy.

Everyone is raving about this novel, so I went into it with high expectations. Good news: It did not disappoint! I was enthralled with it from the first pages until the end, and I loved every minute I spent with this book. It may be a contender for my overall favorite book of the year! This story had a lot of people to keep track of and a lot of intermingling storylines and while sometimes I had to reorient myself with who I was reading about (is this the counselor or the mom or the investigator?!), it didn’t really detract from my enjoyment of the book. The last 150 pages I read in a single day, using every little break I could to sit down and read a few pages. I even came home from the gym and plopped right down on my couch to finish the book because I had to know how it all turned out. I think Liz Moore is incredibly skilled at writing these complex mysteries, making you care so much for characters and sit with a nearly 500-page book that you can’t put down! I loved the setting, the characters, the overall plot… everything about this book was perfection!

A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Library • Mystery • 2023

Short synopsis: Charlotte Holmes is offered a chance to reclaim a normal life by recovering a lost dossier for the crown. However, her mission aboard the RMS Provence is complicated by a murder, forcing her to avoid detection to keep her secret identity intact.

This is the seventh book in the Lady Holmes mystery series where Sherry Thomas reimagines Sherlock Holmes as a woman. I didn’t even realize she had released two more books in the series until someone on my Goodreads timeline reviewed this book. What a delightful discovery! I always enjoy my time with Charlotte and her people, and this one was especially fun as it took place on a ship and involved Charlotte donning a disguise to avoid detection. I found it difficult to keep track of all the different characters, which may have been due to the audiobook and not paying attention as closely as I should have. Eventually, though, I started to make sense of who was who and why they were important to the story. All in all, it was another great novel in this continuing series and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book!

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Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (7.29.24)

Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg (★★★★★)

Audiobook • Library • Nonfiction • 2024

Short synopsis: Supercommunicators are people who can steer a conversation to a successful conclusion. They are able to talk about difficult topics without giving offense. They know how to make others feel at ease and share what they think. They’re brilliant facilitators and decision-guiders. In this groundbreaking book, Charles Duhigg unravels the secrets of the supercommunicators to reveal the art – and the science – of successful communication. Above all, he reveals the techniques we can all master to successfully connect with others, however tricky the circumstances.

Man, I loved this book. Communication is something that is a huge struggle for me. Sometimes it feels like my brain just completely shuts off when I’m trying to make conversation with people, especially strangers. I wrack my brain for questions to ask people and usually nothing comes to mind. In this book, Charles Duhigg combines real-life examples of people getting others to listen to them (everything from a CIA operative to members of a jury) with statistics and helpful advice on how to be better at steering a conversation. One of the main takeaways I got from this book is how to ask better questions. Rather than asking, “What do you do for work?” ask, “What’s your favorite thing about your job?” Or rather than asking, “How are you?” ask, “What’s something that made you smile today?” Also, supercommunicators are not only great listeners but also share about their lives to build an honest connection with people. I think what I learned the most about supercommunicators is that they are people who are genuinely curious about the world and the people around them and have a kind, empathetic nature to them. While I don’t think I’ll become a supercommunicator now that I’ve read this book (that’s just not my personality—social anxiety makes it very hard to be as open as I want to be!), I do think it’s given me some good tips and tricks to take with me into the real world.

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez (★★★★★)

E-Book • Library • Contemporary Romance • 2022

Short synopsis: Alexis Montgomery, an doctor in line to become the next chief of emergency surgery, finds her world turned upside down after meeting Daniel Grant. He lives in a small town three hours from where she lives, but in the one night they spend together, they have undeniable chemistry. Torn between her family’s expectations to become a world-renowned surgeon and the joy she finds with Daniel in his tight-knit town, Alexis faces a difficult choice between her old life and a new, simpler happiness.

This is the first book in Abby Jimenez’s Part of Your World series and the last one I read (I read them out of order and I don’t think that mattered much). I loved it. I think I would put this one smack dab in the middle (Yours Truly will forever be my favorite since one of the characters had social anxiety). There are triggers to be aware of in this book, specifically intimate partner violence, so please be mindful of that. I think the way Jimenez portrayed IPV was really well done and got to the heart of why it can be so hard for people to leave a relationship. I also just really, really loved the chemistry between Daniel and Alexis. They were so damn cute together and I got a little annoyed at the way Alexis continued to push Daniel away because she was so tied to her life at her hospital. And maybe that’s because I’ve seen how happy they are together in the subsequent books in the series, so I just wanted her to grab that happy ending as soon as possible! The way everything unfolded in the end, though, was perfect and made the most sense for the two of them. Anyway, Abby Jimenez is back in my good graces (I hated her first series, The Friend Zone, and had sworn off her books until everyone started raving about this series) and is probably an auto-buy author for me now.

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden (★★★★☆)

Print • Owned (book swap) • Thriller • 2022

Short synopsis: In this psychological thriller, a woman named Millie takes a job with the affluent Winchester family, hoping for a fresh start and a chance to reinvent herself. But the more she gets to know about the Winchesters, the more unsettled she becomes. Why does her small attic room only lock from the outside? And why are there scratches on the doorframe?

The Housemaid is a thriller that’s been everywhere and it has a super high Goodreads rating (4.3 with over a million ratings!) I was excited to finally dive in, but I have to be honest: I was very ready to abandon this book after the first 50 pages because it made me feel so icky. The way Mrs. Winchester treated Millie was so abhorrent that it just didn’t make me feel good. But I kept pushing through because so many people raved about this book and I had to know what the hype was about. And oh boy… did I discover it. By the time to first big twist comes around, I was completely sucked in and couldn’t put this thriller down for anything. It was sensational! I understand now why it’s such a highly rated book, and I’m glad I finally gave it a chance.

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Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (4.15.24)

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (★★★★☆)

Print • Owned (Amazon) • Contemporary Fiction • 2022

Short synopsis: Tova is a 70-something woman who has been working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, doing basic maintenance tasks. She befriends all of the animals, but is specifically drawn to Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus.

This book has been recommended to me over and over again, and sometimes when that happens, I become stubborn and refuse to read it because the hype is too much. Once the fervor for this book died down, I decided to give it a chance and I’m so glad I did! This book was exceptional. It was sweet and heartwarming, and I completely fell in love with Marcellus. (There are chapters interspersed through the novel with his thoughts, which is a little weird at first but I grew to love his perspective so much.) Tova was such a wonderful character, too, and so easy to root for. I wanted good things for her always. This is largely a character-driven novel so it could feel slow and meandering at times, but it’s the perfect book for people who do love a character-driven story.

White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color by Ruby Hamad (★★★★★)

Audiobook • Library • Nonfiction (Social Justice) • 2020

Short synopsis: This explosive book of history and cultural criticism argues that white feminism has been a weapon of white supremacy and patriarchy deployed against Black and Indigenous women and all colonized women. Hamad starts from the slave era—when white women fought in court to keep “ownership” of their slaves—through the centuries of colonialism—when they offered a soft face for brutal tactics—to the modern workplace.

This book is not an easy read and it is not for white women who get their feelings hurt easily. I have come to a place in my anti-racism journey when I want to be challenged and I want to listen to how women of color feel about the way white feminism has halted their progress. This book talks about all sorts of different aspects of white feminism that have centered white feelings rather than listening to what women of color have been saying for generations. Hamad talks frankly about the ways white women slaveholders had an active role in punishing their enslaved people, the way women politicians of color have endured so much more vitriol than their white counterparts, and all the times white women have called the police on Black people who are just trying to live their lives (BBQ Becky, anyone?). It is an outstanding book and I am so glad I read it.

About That Night by Julie James (★★★★☆)

E-Book • Owned (Amazon) • Contemporary Romance • 2012

Short synopsis: Rylann has just moved back to Chicago, accepting a job offer to become an Assistant U.S. Attorney, after her long-term relationship ended. The last thing she expects is to come face-to-face with the man who stood her up nine years ago—and he’s the defendant in her case.

This is a reread for me, as I’m slowly working my way through all of Julie James’ romances again. I love her writing style and the way she writes her characters, and rereading her books has been so much fun. This one was no exception; it was smart, funny, and super sexy. I loved the banter between Rylann and Kyle, and the sweet way they began falling in love. Are there some jokes and slightly misogynistic comments that haven’t aged well in the 12 years since this book was published? Oh, yes. But all in all, I still loved this book and enjoyed my time with it.

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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.

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