Mattia Goddard
My local library had this book on display and it had been recommended to me by my daughter, so I happily picked it up. Well, I read it in two days and I loved it. Profoundly loved it. Having aging parents, I could relate to some thing on literally every page of this book. It helps that he is a deft and quick-witted writer, at times self-deprecating, other times angry, but always brutally honest with himself and thus the reader. Of course, it doesn't hurt his storytelling that his mother was one hell of a woman: a trailblazer in her small part of the world. An educator, a survivor, and a bit of a rabble rouser on everything from politics, the changes in education, to the goings on at her local Jewish community center. There is heartbreak on display here and it is palpable, but there's also catharsis, and those of us eyeing our own Tashas of our worlds, can relate and boy oh boy can we appreciate his thoughts, his words, and all he shared here. I highly recommend this short 200ish page read. 5/5
I've been around this genre a little too long for this one. Yes, well written, great back story set in Louisiana- in a town whose pride is in being the crawfish capitol- with all the great small town character that implies. The issue I have is that with a finite cast of characters the reader easily figures out what the protagonist cannot. And speaking of the protagonist- she is quite the flawed character, which is not a bad thing, it's actually a solid layer, just reader beware. This serial killer story is messy. While I easily figured out who the bad guy was, I really felt the characters as the writer drew them. In particular, the teenage victims. They jumped off the page.
This book was fun and a great escapist kickoff to my year in books. It has a great time skewering the rich celebrities at its core and I'm here for it. Fame has become absurd. This book takes that reality and looks at what famous people get away with through an upstairs downstairs lens. It also reveals what the rich and powerful do to get to the top and stay there. I liked the cast of characters. Not LIKED liked - but enjoyed their backstories. Well done by this husband wife writing duo. My second from them. They definitely choose of-the-moment plot points and very timely stories.
This book had an interesting premise but as you can imagine, there's only so much excitement and bad stuff and then internally monologuing about bad stuff that can happen in a car. During a car ride. There was some definite filler in the form of our MC second guessing herself and constantly considering her gut instinct- we get it! Something's off! Also way too much coincidence for them to end up in the situation they were in. Plus I found 2 typos toward the end. Ugh. Last book of the year. Good to read during our shockingly cold weather but ended up lacking in content and smart decisions.
My non-fiction November read. This book is a gem. I already loved his acting and his docuseries Searching for Italy. This book absolutely solidified my admiration and affection for Stanley Tucci. What an interesting guy- such a colorful family - both the one that he came from and the one he's created. He takes us through growing up in New York and his mother's incredible cooking prowess. He talks about his classic film Big Night that is an absolute culinary feast. He takes us to movie sets and through Covid. Then right at the end he takes us through his almost unbearable health scare. What a story! All of it. Just so good. Plus recipes sprinkled throughout! Chef's Kiss Stanley. Truly.
This book was not what I expected- not a great super sleuthy murdery story. It was way more Devil Wears Prada but with legit fashion insider details. I loved reading about their magazine work and shoot prep and especially Fashion Week in Paris. Plus all the fashion nonsense that we all see on the runway. I found this to be an entertaining and interesting read. Seriously, I saw it at the library and judged it by its cover. Glad I did.
This book was unputdownable. Is that even a word? Told from 13 year old Cassie's perspective in 1983, her narration of that bygone era is pitch perfect. The characters all have surprising depth and the mystery in the story is truly creepy. No wonder this book has sold millions of copies. It is that good. Highly recommend.
I've been meaning to read this book for a long time and then when I picked it up, I read it in less than 24 hours. It was a real page turner. I enjoyed these characters and all of the different POVs. It has flavors of a modern Jane Eyre, which, I definitely appreciate. If you pick up this one, you won't be disappointed.
This one is whip-smart and fast paced. I read it in two days, and I thoroughly enjoyed the characters -of which there are many – teachers, students, over bearing ruthless parents. I had no difficulty keeping them straight in my head. Having raised teenagers and managed the stressors of college applications/admissions, plus having worked in a private school- the dialogue, internal narratives, and characterizations all feel authentic. Definitely recommend
This is one of those books that sticks with you. So many small character traits and quirks that give them all such depth. It's really something how she's built complex mysteries into and around a very rich set of characters. A novel that's also several mysteries in one. Thankfully our hero Jackson Brodie susses it all out, well mostly anyhow, and the tying up of each bit is quite satisfying.
The myriad characters, the twisty plot- another brilliant read from Michael Robotham. This is the third of his books that I've read and all are 5 star reads for me. Normally I don't go in for the persecuted heroine, but this was unlike any I've read before. I put this book down only to go to work and cook dinner. I stayed up way too late the last 2 nights reading this. It's that good. Highly recommend.
I picked this book for our October book club and oh boy did it not disappoint. It was a delight. Can I call it delicious? Can a book be delicious? His language, his wording is something to behold. I loved reading this book and I savored it. This paragraph is an example of Bradbury's beautiful writing. “She is immortal. She has a son. Your son, too! But what father ever really believes it? He carries no burden, he feels no pain. What man, like woman, lies down in darkness, and gets up with child? Oh, what strange wonderful clocks women are. They nest in Time. They make the flesh that holds fast and binds eternity. They live inside the gift, know power, accept, and need not mention it. Why speak of time when you are Time, and shape the universal moments, as they pass, into warmth and action? How men envy and often hate these warm clocks, these wives, who know they will live forever.“
It's a short book, if you've never read it, treat yourself to this classic this spooky season.
This one has too many internal monologues that I did not enjoy. Women making stupid decisions and talking us through their not good thought processes. Needed to redline edit those parts. Plus the ending romanticizes red flag bad behavior. Not good. Solid premise but the story didn't have enough layers for me.
I enjoyed this but boy was it a tough read at times. The protagonist was deeply flawed and gave me The Girl on the Train vibes. By that I mean, the character not the plot. The mystery was short and quick and actually, as I think about it, not much of a mystery. It was good but not at all the norm for this genre. It is actually more of a character study in -well, I can't say because I don't want to give it away.
It has taken me some time to figure out what I wanted to say about this book. It came out 5 years ago so I'm definitely behind on this one. I see why it was an international bestseller. It is compulsive reading, keeping you guessing the entire time. Mind games, manipulation and an ending that defies all convention. I saw another review that said Sarah (the author) slaps you in the face. That is accurate. 5 stars because I had no idea what was going on and I loved it.
This book rocked my world. It's a 5 star read for me but it is not for everyone. Winner of Japan's Grand Prix Award for Crime Fiction, there is nothing conventional about this story. Reader beware- there are details on hacking up a corpse, misogyny in the Japanese workplace, women in dead end factory jobs, awful marriages, prostitution, the yakuza, loan sharking, rape, murder and the spiraling unintended consequences of some very ordinary women. This was my first foray into Japanese crime writing and I cannot remember who recommended this one to me, but I am so glad I read this.
I gave this book 3 stars because it moved so fast and kept my interest- I read it in 3 days. That also gets to my main criticism though- I moved lightning fast because the writing was fairly basic. No big words are going to trip you up in this one and I hate to admit it but rather juvenile dialogue. Some not subtle hints were dropped so when the last twist hit, I was not surprised. I liked the premise and ONE character, but I thought the idea of a Steve Jobs-esque man falling for a 20 year old who gives him rules to follow really strained reality. I mean give me a break- no sex kitten is that irresistible... no ex-wife would put up with that BS in the work place.
This book was a blast. I loved the murderous protagonist- a real femme fatale. It's fast and furious with a slew of interesting, flawed characters- that are all somehow well drawn and were thankfully easy for me to tell apart while I plowed through this book. Phewfff that was a run on! But I meant all of it- fun, fun read- but don't take the lesson in this one. Don't kill the men in your life who just never learn.
I started this book last year after the 20th anniversary and had to put it down. It's a tough read. I picked it back up a few days ago as a promise to myself to finish it before the date came again. Everyone remembers where they were the day the planes hit. This book tells you the story of what it was like for the people who were actually there. The people who descended 80+ floors before the collapse, and seeing firefighters going up. The airline employee who got the call from Todd Breamer on flight 93. Then his widow who explained the employee calling with Todd's message and final words, “Let's roll.” The people on Air Force One with President Bush, the firefighters who survived the collapse because they were in a stairwell. The capture and death of Bin Laden a decade later. It's all here and it is an astonishing collection. It is fascinating and devastating. It makes you proud to be an American. If you want to know what it was really like- pick up this book. Take your time with it. It's masterful. 5⭐️
This was an easy read. I was not blown away and I did think it stretched the bounds of plausibility but I liked the main character enough to want to find out if she emerged unscathed. Her chapters opened with interesting stats which I enjoyed- tidbits that loosely related to what she was going through and reflected her personality as an analyst. Fun read, nothing too deep or earth shattering- just a bit of suspense- and quite a few well drawn women, causing and solving all kinds of problems- not in equal measure.
I read this quickly because I was so sure that the plot would pick up on the next page. Ok, maybe the next page... it did not. Well, the book picked up in the last 20 pages but only after I slogged through giant paragraphs of description of her mother and the games they'd play, their childhood, reminiscings of that one terrible night. I found myself skimming early on- bad sign. The premise of this story held so much promise -but how can I suspend disbelief about a woman raised by a spy who doesn't know what her husband is planning?!? Give me a break. For such a “brilliant” main character she sure was blind or naive or both. Ugh. Do not recommend.
I continue to wallow in my favorite genre- domestic suspense-and the other day I finished this delight. I loved this therapist-turned-consultant-because-she-lost-her-license character. The writers should consider writing other books with her as their Main Character. She's that compelling. There's a lot going on in this book and I liked all of it. The more of this genre that I read, the more I want complicated plots and characters whose pasts weave together in uncomfortable ways. I figured out a few things in this one, not early, just right on time- which is nice. The protagonist was a bit on the goody-goody two shoes side for me but otherwise this one was a solid, fun and super fast read. Highly recommend.
