Mattia Goddard
Talk about the dark side of social media -and then some. Not only did I enjoy this read but it seriously pulled me in- I wanted to know how her social media stalker was going to reveal herself and how bad that was going to be. Turns out- pretty bad. The main character is super unlikeable in a WOW sort of way. But the husband's narrations are compelling and honest and I really enjoyed his parts. What is particularly great about this book is how of-the-moment the subject matter is- which makes for sharp writing in my opinion.
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.
I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this one last night and oh my was it worth it. I enjoyed every page of this book. This book feels original with a main character I was actually rooting for. How unusual is that? I loved how this story was revealed and at 287 pages it moves quickly without sacrificing character development. I'm impressed. Stan Lee trusted her and I see why. She's an excellent storyteller.
Another great book by Peter Swanson. I particularly enjoy his character building in this one and the situations the protagonist finds himself in. A bookstore owner in Maine dies under suspicious circumstances, his son is swarmed by two women whose motives are unclear- One with a hardcore backstory. Domestic suspense readers will enjoy this one. He really sticks the ending which is, of course, so satisfying.
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.
Just finished this during my FULL DAY at LaGuardia. This book started out strong. For the most part I enjoyed it and I'll watch the Netflix movie just to see what Denzel and Julia manage to do with it- But man this book leaves you hanging- and after making the reader do some serious phrasing and adjective somersaults.
This book shot out the gate at a solid 4. At some point about a hundred pages in I realized there was lots of narrative, and almost no dialogue. That old writing adage “show, don't tell” - alas, this one is all tell, no show. Then, three fourths in, we get to the legal case, which is absolutely impossible with zero evidence but anyway, and the book slows to a crawl. I almost didn't finish it. I did skip ahead then force myself to go back. But damn this book started out fantastic then died a painful slow awful death in my arms. The last 30 pages took me 3 days to read. I could say so much more but I won't.
I don't know why it took me until 2022 to find this book. It was written in 2015 but nonetheless a timely story. I finished this book at midnight, went to bed thinking about it and woke up to think about it some more. First, I loved Ani's inner monologue. Her acidic wit was spot on- especially the description of women in New York. So many truths, painful but perfect. Second, it turned out that I was reading a whole different book than I thought I was- and that was really interesting. Great story and it went deep. I felt empathy for Ani and I don't think there's a teenage girl alive, particularly those of us who are now grown, who can't relate to her life. It was that well done.
The author made the character of Evelyn Hugo surprisingly likable in my opinion. I found myself rooting for her and caring about her and her people. Well, most of her people. The writing is nothing to rave about but the characters are pretty great. I enjoyed the world building of Old Hollywood, the Studio system and how she addressed the hidden homosexuality that today is no big deal but back then was considered deviant and criminal. I had a few knocks regarding the modern day piece of the story and I figured out the way “her life intersects with Monique's own in tragic and irreversible ways” just as soon as that plot point appeared. I felt like there were some definite plot conveniences and some pieces felt contrived- but that is to be expected in this type of read. Just do yourself a favor and gloss over those bits. Enjoy the story of a Hollywood icon and her loves and losses. It was a low stakes read for me which made for an easy Mother's Day afternoon.
“The world doesn't give you things, you take things.” AMEN to that right there. Best line in the whole book.
oh man did I enjoy this read. It was not easy, not joyful, quite unrelenting in its awfulness and sadness. I loved the way this writer unspooled his life and the life of his father. Wow what a mess they are. His story telling is devoid of emotion and has not filler or fluff. You get the raw, real pain of homelessness and the cascade of decisions and opportunities made and lost that have brought them to the various stages they find themselves in. If you know Boston, definitely read this book. If you're interested in homelessness, the how, the why and the mechanics of it in an urban setting- definitely pick this book up. I learned a lot and I work in the legal field where housing crises are common and help is always needed. This book is a revelation. I loved it on many levels.
This is my third Swanson book and my favorite of his. The characters are well developed and interesting. I actually wanted to know what they were going to do next. I did not feel that way about Every Vow You Break. He did a solid job of building suspense. Every chapter ends with something important or stressful. Then the next chapter picks up a different character's POV or jumps back in time. In a good way. The ending haunted me, so much so that I dreamt about it. I love/hate the ending.
Our book club enjoyed this light fare. Historical fiction meets murder mystery with a whimsical retelling of Agatha Christie's missing 13 days back in 1926. It takes a minute to warm up to the narration by the home wrecker but eventually we come to understand her motivation. The writing in this book had a soothing effect on all of us. We recommend it! And thank you @kellyccall for my signed copy.
It's been a long time since I've read a book this savage, this pained and frankly this compelling. It was perfection. Gritty southern noir. I loved every word of it. Those of us who know Virginia will revel in the familiar locales. Those of us who love a good crime novel will be thrilled with the story and the perfect plotting. 10 out of 10. Highly recommend.
I liked this book in the sense that I really wanted to know what was going to happen next- so I kept picking it up. That's always a good sign. There was a solid push and pull of not knowing what was going on. Our MC did not know where the truth was and all of that felt realistic and urgent. However, her internal monologue got old. She cried quite a bit which I know is normal but it got boring, as did all the descriptions of her grief reactions. Enough already we get it! At some point though I realized we had not met very many characters and the pages were dwindling. I figured out who the bad guy was and I wished it was someone else because the choice was quite the stereotype- thus the 3 stars-good plotting, mostly good character development, until the end. That's all I'll say so as not to spoil. I enjoyed this story for its originality and fast pace.
I had the best time reading this locked Island whodunnit. The only thing that would've made it better is a July release date and me reading it on a sunny beach. I loved the back stories for all the women. Their narratives were well fleshed out and made me care -for the most part- about their stories. I'm partial to a high body count and this one delivers. My only real beef is the title. Don't blame the ladies in this one. It's the men that are terrible in this tale. 4 stars. Compulsive read but save it for the beach if you can.
I gave this one 4 stars because it was compulsively readable. I read it in 2 days, could keep the characters apart, really liked the detective character, sort of saw the ending coming but not entirely and all around enjoyed all the subplots in this story. My only criticism is I saw the editor didn't catch that she referred to the fish as halibut in one spot then salmon 4 pages later. Yes, it's a piece of easy reading fluff but trust me, it's some fun, escapist, entertaining fluff- set in the Hamptons- so that's an added bonus.
Finished this sweet book today. I see why it's on week 7 of the NYTimes bestseller list. Good story, great characters and a feel good message. Not my usual dark and twisty fare- a delightful change for me. I recommend this one as a good palate cleanser when you've had enough blood and guts and torment and terror.
And cue the movie. This one has Hollywood written all over it. Vivid characters, powerful emotions that had me teary a few times. Having gone to college in Richmond, I loved the setting. I found the plot to be complex but easy to comprehend and the characters' ex-con street cred and criminal capabilities were frankly fascinating and like nothing I had read before. They consistently outflanked their enemy with their street smarts and I loved every bit of it. Great read. Highly entertaining. And such a satisfying ending. Now I need to go pick up Blacktop Wasteland. I'm a fan.
