Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson (★★☆☆☆)
Print • Library • Contemporary Fiction • 2022
I loved Kevin Wilson’s previous novel, Nothing to See Here, so I was excited to pick up his newest release. This story is about Frankie and Zeke who are trying to figure out how to fill the time in a long summer break. Both are artists in their own way, and on a whim, they put together a poster with an enigmatic phrase and start hanging up copies of this poster all around town. This causes a widespread panic and everyone wants to know who is behind these posters. For me, this story didn’t have the same magic as Nothing to See Here. The characters weren’t as well-developed as I would have liked (and read way younger than they actually were). The story wasn’t very thrilling, but more meandering and pointless at times. It just didn’t really work for me, which makes me sad!
Unmasked by the Marquess by Cat Sebastian (★★★★☆)
E-Book • Owned (Amazon) • Historical Romance • 2018
There was a lot to love about this book, most especially the introduction of a nonbinary character in historical romance! It’s rare to read about nonbinary characters anywhere, most of all in historical romance, and the addition was truly delightful. It made me wonder what it must have been like to be nonbinary at this point in history when there was no label or way of life to hold on to. Charity has been masquerading as Mr. Robert Selby for many years now. First, she did it to gain entrance to Cambridge so she could attend school and then, she continued living as a man because it’s what felt right and normal to her. And then there’s the Marquess of Pembroke. Alistair has been a reclusive for many years and it’s not until he meets Selby that he finally finds something worth coming out from his hermit ways for. I loved the way the relationship between Charity and Alistair grew over the course of this book, and I have to say, I was really curious as to how Sebastian was going to give them their happy ending. It seemed impossible! And that, my friends, is the sign of a fantastic romance novel. (Open-door romance.)
Note: I use the pronouns she/her and the character’s given name, as that is how they were referred to in the book.
The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain (★★★★☆)
Audiobook • Libby • Contemporary/Historical Fiction • 2022
This is our January book club pick, and it’s definitely a book that was written for book clubs. It’s rife with plot points that will be great for discussion. It’s one of those historical fiction novels that jumps back and forth between the past and the present. In the present, we meet Kayla who is a recent widow, having lost her husband in a freak accident while he was working on their home—the home they had been building together in a remote area. Days before she is going to move into her new home with her 3-year-old daughter, a woman comes into Kayla’s work to give her a scary warning about moving in. In the past storyline, we meet Ellie who is 20 years old and has decided to join the Summer Community Organization and Political Education (SCOPE). She’s a young girl living in the South in the 1960s, so obviously, her family and community are not very happy about this decision, but she goes against their wishes to join an organization she deeply cares about. Of course, as with all of these books, both storylines come together near the end. I found it to be a fascinating and propulsive read and I think we’ll have a lot to discuss at book club! There was a lot that happened in this book that was fairly predictable and I felt like things went a little off the rails near the end, but overall, I found it to be a fascinating look at what college students were doing at this pivotal time in history, right before the Voting Rights Act was signed into law. There are tons of trigger warnings for this book (Ellie’s chapters were hard to read for obvious reasons), so take care if you decide to pick this one up. But I definitely think it’s worth a read.
What are you reading?
I just finished the Kevin Wilson book too and pretty much felt the same way! I really liked Nothing to See Here, so I guess I had high expectations, but The Time to Panic was just okay. The good thing was that it was only a six hour audiobook rather than the 10 or so that is a normal length so at least I did not spend too much time listening to it. (how’s that for a poor review? — “at least it wasn’t longer”)
I am currently reading The Escape Artist, a non-fiction about a prisoner in Auschwitz who escapes and tries to warn everybody that Auschwitz is not a work camp or a relaxing vacation, but a death camp. However, people do not listen or believe or want to believe! It is of course difficult to read some of it but has been very educational and interesting so far.
Haha, I love a good spicy review like that! A 6-hour audiobook is such a dream… I can knock one of those out in a few days. But yeah, this one just felt like a let-down after I loved Nothing to See Here so much!
The Escape Artist sounds brutal. What a brave soul.
Oh no, neither you or Kyria liked Wilson’s newest book! Ahhh! That is my book club selection for 2023, although the club does vote on it, and I personally did not vote for it (I voted to Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro). So if it’s not a hit, at least it was a group decision to read it. I would feel bad if I picked a dud – I feel less bad when it’s something we voted on! My 2 wing seems to be showing in this comment! ha! I’m a total 1w2.
I am reading “The Four Treasures of the Sky” which is historical fiction set on the west coast in the late 1800s. It talks about the Chinese Exclusion policy – we didn’t allow any Chinese immigrants for a period of time and then treated those of Chinese descent absolutely horribly. 🙁 It’s a sad read but gives me Mulan vibes as the main character is a female that pretends to be a boy so she has more employment options, etc. I am really liking it so far! Next I will read “Tell Me Everything” which is non-fiction about a woman who seems to have a face that results in people confessing things to her. She ends up working as a PI. I have heard it mentioned on several podcasts so decided to check it out.
My little Enneagram 9 soul gets VERY bothered when my book club doesn’t like a book I’ve suggested. I feel like I’ve wasted everyone’s time, hahaha. Thankfully, 2022 was a great year for suggesting good books that everyone loved so I hope we can bring that same energy into 2023! Hopefully, you and your book club enjoy it more than we did!
I liked Nothing To See Here, but I didn’t LOVE it. I think I’ll pass on the other one! I’m reading a book called Home of the Floating Lily and it’s really lovely – it’s short stories, about Bangladeshi immigrants and their life in Canada.
Yeah, I don’t think Now Is the Time to Panic is one I’d recommend. It was fine (and it’s short, so at least there’s that), but there are much better books to spend your reading time with!
Of these, I’ve only read the Chamberlain. I think it was a mistake that I picked it up — I thought I was going to be reading a thriller called The Last House on Needless Street (at least, I think that was the mix up). And while I found it well-researched and well-written, I just didn’t connect with the story. (Especially because I kept thinking it was a thriller, and it certainly had thriller-esque elements) but it wasn’t a thriller.) I was much more invested in the story line in the past than the one in the present, as well. You are so right that this seems like the perfect book club book.
We all agreed that we could have done without the present storyline. It didn’t seem necessary! The past storyline was so interesting, and I would have liked a few chapters at the end to learn how the MC ended up in California and built a life there on her own.
I really loved Nothing to See Here. And usually when I love a book, I want to read everything else the author wrote, but for some reason, I don’t feel that way about Kevin Wilson. I think it’s just that that book felt so special to me that I can’t see how anything else he writes could be as good.
Currently reading: My Plain Jane – calling it a Jane Eyre re-telling would be selling it short. A biography of the Brontes, and Any Other Family by Eleanor Brown.
Nothing to See Here was just so, so good. And I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did! But it was sensational. I concur with your opinion to stay away!
My Plain Jane has been on my TBR for a long, long time!