Mattia Goddard

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.

I love a good well written back story and this book delivers exactly that. Great tie up.

Atmospheric and sad but such a great thriller. Three POVs, a detective I really liked and some good complex mysteries-yes plural mysteries - for the reader to sort out. Almost 5 stars. Definitely recommend.

I really enjoyed this domestic thriller. It had great characters, differing POV story telling -which I love and a fast moving plot. Plus a good amount of unexpected twists.

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.

a really excellent but atypical police procedural. I loved the complexities of this book. great tie up on the very last page!

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters, a NYTimes Notable Book of the Year is not my usual pick but wow am I glad I read it. It took me a while to figure out what was was going on but once I did I fell in love with these women. The writing is smart but also painful, witty then devastating. So culturally of the moment but absolutely genuine. I loved it.

This book is 200 pages of train wreck perfection. I could not tear my eyes away from these characters and their petty thoughts and high school dramatics. It opens in spring of 1992, the year I graduated from high school. The height of Bill Clinton's Gennifer Flowers accusations and post-Anita Hill hearings. The first page took me right back to those days. If you're looking for a short fast wild read and you remember high school pre-internet, pre-cell phones- get this one from the library- it's there. This was published way back in 1998 and while the politicians are old and Some are out of power- the stories of these characters are as prevalent then as they are now. HIGHLY recommend. This author is new to me and now I've just added five more of Perrotta's books to my pile...

Banned Book Prompt- my choice was Looking for Alaska. I am not the target audience for this story but I'm certain my 13 year old self would've thoroughly enjoyed it . This is quite the cautionary tale. The underage drinking, the dangerous consequences, the complicated pranks- it ends quite unglamorously- and that is something our teens need to read and hopefully think about. If you have a teenager- give them this book.

This book is brutal and I could not put it down. Talk about nailing the internal narrative of a high school student. Set right before cell phones became ubiquitous. They still used the hallway payphone. Ah, simpler times! I loved getting to know these characters all through Lee's eyes- and the writer took her time with it. This book is often described as the female Catcher in the Rye. This is so much better. And the criticism I so often saw about this book is that nothing happens. Well- 4 years of boarding school is what happened. Yes, Lee was often ridiculous in her fears and made bizarre assumptions, but everyone can relate to what the reader knows is her social anxiety. We can all relate to that high school crush that literally consumed your every waking moment. Her thoughts on her teachers and parents were so painfully accurate. This book has some cringey moments but man did I love it.

BIrd by Bird has been on my radar for years and I am so glad I finally picked this book up. This is the 25th anniversary of its publication, and her advice about life and writing is as relevant today as it was when she first wrote them.

If you watched Ted Lasso and you remember when he said “Bird by Bird” but you didn't know what it meant- here you go. It's from Anne Lamont's famed book and that story is worth the read. Plus so much more.

She packs in so much wit and wisdom I plan to go back through my copy with a highlighter. It's that kind of read. And I'm not usually one for those kinds of books.

I enjoyed this trip to France. Some circumstances were a tad farfetched but an enjoyable read nonetheless.

I loved the mystery of this book. I remember my mother scoffing and saying she'd never read it because it defames the church. I laughed because it was a work of fiction and a well done, well researched piece at that. Brilliantly thought out. Nothing to get worked up over.

I read this for book club and enjoyed it. I felt sorry for Hemingway's first wife. I found his lifestyle to be unseemly and unsurprisingly, his behavior doomed their marriage.

such a delightful but often emotional read. stayed with me for years.

I picked this one up upon my daughter's recommendation. She read it in grad school recently and extolled the virtues of its stark, descriptive prose. It is 55 pages and yet tells an absolutely devastating story of forbidden love. I haven't seen the movie- of course I will now, having read this incredible work. I had an ulterior motive- I also knew it would fit one of my #52booksin52weeks prompts- Under 200 pages- check. brilliant, powerful storytelling- check. This is the gold standard of short stories.

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.

This book was so much fun. And it was obviously a compulsive read because I started it yesterday and here we are. This is why I read domestic thrillers. Give me a great set up of lies and drama and let's watch it all unravel. Also though I want it all to make sense at the end- which this one does in all the right ways- Highly recommend!

This book wrecked me. I remember crying the entire last chapter but also loving the ending. Read it if you haven't. It is masterful.

This book has stayed with me over the years and I find myself telling people tidbits out of it with regularity. I personally do safety things out of habit that I read in this book a decade ago- when I'm on a plane, in a hotel, in a movie theater– that's how profound her research is. This book is a must read for anyone. Full stop. I just bought a copy of it to reread recently. This time I will read it slowly and soak up all of the incredible information she has amassed from all the people she interviewed.

Another good Jessica Knoll read. I'm a big fan of Luckiest Girl Alive and this one has similar whip smart internal narratives. Each of the successful women portrayed on the reality tv show are well developed so I could tell them apart and I could visualize them on their tv sets living out their made up tv drama. I'm no fan of reality tv so this is not my usual fodder- but toss in a dead body- a murdered dead body- and then I'm interested. I did not see the ending coming or the various secrets the women were hiding so in the domestic suspense category that's a definite win. Good read, mines some topics about the lengths we go to for success and fame and when it all backfires, who comes out looking good and who looks bad. It's all about who can spin it best. We live in a screwed up world.

I enjoyed the protagonist's past story woven into the new mystery patient's story. Complicated and interesting wrap up. Glad I read this, strong story- still love Something in the Water more though.

Book club pick. not my usual read. I enjoyed it. especially the description of the desolation.

This book was a breath of fresh air. I laughed out loud repeatedly. I felt like Seth Rogen was talking to me the same way his dialogue unspools in his films. No filter, no edit just straight talk and wow does he cover some topics. There are several famous people in this book that he straight up wrecks. To be fair- sounds like they deserved it. There were so many song and movie references that I knew and loved that I had such a good time reading about Seth's life. This was a blast.

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.