I think my love affair with Isabel Dalhousie may be over. Think it's a case where I may have been charmed by her quirks in the past, but in this 9th iI think my love affair with Isabel Dalhousie may be over. Think it's a case where I may have been charmed by her quirks in the past, but in this 9th installment they just all ended up being annoying. Tho always well-intentioned, increasingly it seems she is just not very nice to anyone in her life these days. Also, in the past it seemed at least there was some self-awareness of her own quirks but again that has seemed to slip away in been judge-y and/or passive aggressive.
I have used these books as a literary palate cleanser in the past -- something light, fun, quick. While those elements certainly were still there, I still struggled through this one more than ever.
I read these last two installments as bookends to a vacation/trip to Isabel's hometown of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was nice to finally have the visuals. But again, I think this may be it for me and the series (tho never say never). Tho I will worry about Jamie, Grace, Eddie, and heck even Cat and how they're dealing with Isabel!...more
I wasn't even sure I was going to read this sequel as while I enjoyed 'The Guncle' it just a week bit too adorably saccharine for me (despite it bein I wasn't even sure I was going to read this sequel as while I enjoyed 'The Guncle' it just a week bit too adorably saccharine for me (despite it being a lot about grief too). But given my mental struggles during this bleak 2024 election cycle (pretty devastated re: Biden's first debate performance and the ensuing media frenzy), I thought I needed to pull out some literary big guns to try to right my state of mind.
Initially it was still a struggle and Rowley was not succeeding in cheering me up, sure there were a lot of things that were supposed to being doing that, but I found myself having many of the same eye-roll-y/'oh brother' reactions to the corny-ness of it all, the humor, 'Guncle rules' (and even the phrase 'Guncle' itself) -- tho given that protagonist Patrick's niece and nephew have grown up, thankfully things were a little less cute-sy ... and thankfully his nephew has lost that lisp! So yeah, I was plugging along and it was all enjoyable enough ... but close to the end (maybe 75% through?), Rowley threw in a plot twist that finally knocked down what felt like an impenetrable wall of cynicism and grinch-ness and really won me over in the end. It all was very sweet and tender and satisfying. A lot of credit to Rowley for that, tho I still stand that's it's corny and formulaic (in retrospect, that "twist" probably shouldn't have been a surprise).
So yes, "The Guncle Abroad" did achieve its purpose of giving me something light and fluffy to take my mind off things for about 4 hours when news broke of the assassination attempt on Tr&mp... so I hope Rowley has another book in him... STAT! ...more
A totally spontaneous read as I just stumbled upon Justinian Huang and his debut novel "The Emperor and the Endless Palace" ... and probably not for t A totally spontaneous read as I just stumbled upon Justinian Huang and his debut novel "The Emperor and the Endless Palace" ... and probably not for the totally right reasons as Huang is pretty sexy and pretty gay and is not shy about posting a thirst trap or two on Instagram... but hey, he sold a book to me! :-)
This one was definitely a bit outside my reading box -- think Huang describes it as a romantasy thriller as there are those three genres in the novel (tho thriller definitely pulls up the last descriptor slot by far)... and told via three storylines taking place in China in 4 BC, the titular emperor and endless palace storyline... 18th Century China of an innkeeper and a mysterious visitor (the most fantasy storyline)... and present day USA and Asia (heavy on gay-sian circuit party life). As the opening quote of the novel suggests, there is a reincarnation and eternal love/lust threat that runs through the alternating plot lines.
It was fun to read an all-Asian book, and particularly an all-gay-Asian novel, which I am pretty sure is a first for me. Huang often signs his book with the friendly warning "Gird your loins!" and calls the novel spicy -- and that is certainly the case. Huang comes out of the gate with man-on-man action in each of three opening chapters/timelines, the 4 BC storyline apparently based on a real-life romance between a Chinese emperor and a "courtier." And it gets pretty explicit, even if I happily snickered at some of euphemisms --take for instance this opening salvo "I flipped him face-first onto the mat in my chambers and pounded his pink plum until it was quivering around my happily depleted influence." So that gives you a taste, so to speak, of what you are in for here.
Landing on 4 stars here as while things got pretty darn cheesy at times (a quality that I think is part of the romance genre), this was still a heck of lot of fun and entertaining -- and again, I really enjoyed Huang's bravado and spirit.
A totally sentimental and based on pure emotion 5-star review. I've been reading 'Tales of the City' novels for probably around 30 years and have had A totally sentimental and based on pure emotion 5-star review. I've been reading 'Tales of the City' novels for probably around 30 years and have had so much affection for these characters and these stories that it is always feels like such a gift when Armistead Maupin gives us one more of these novels (and it's really hard to believe it has been 10 years since the last one, 'The Days of Anna Madrigal'!). Much like Maupin himself these days, this novel finds Mona living in England in the 1990s and running a country manor and B&B with her adoptive son. I have to admit I really don't remember if we/readers already knew Mona was doing this in past 'Tales' novels, but honestly it doesn't matter as Maupin just works his magic and serendipity, that nothing is ever a surprise or seems out of place. There's fun new characters and the typical mysteries and odd occurrences with Maupin tackling some serious issues along the way in his own special way.
I can't imagine anyone reading this one standalone and not having any of the history or connection with these characters -- guessing it would all seem pretty silly/trite. But I am fairly confident that anyone who has loved this series as much as I have would not welcome this latest addition. Now to wonder if or when we'll see another, and when/if there is I know I'll be there for it. Tho maybe I'll not have to whip through it so quickly (feels like I read this one in only a few sittings)....more
This is a weird way to start off a book review, but my reading has been pretty hosed the last month or so as my father passed away (at age 92, so not This is a weird way to start off a book review, but my reading has been pretty hosed the last month or so as my father passed away (at age 92, so not a shock ... but it was still a shock), so I have spent the last month or so cross country helping my mom through the paperwork and transition. So yeah, my mind has been frazzled and my normal reading routine akilter. So when I managed to crawl across the finish line of the book I had been reading before all this hit, I struggled what to read next.
But then Elle Cosimano's first Finlay Donovan book came up on Kindle sale. I had been aware of the success of the series and while I am guessing I am not the target audience for this book/series as a middle-aged gay guy, it still seemed like it might fit the bill of what I could handle ... and sure enough, it did in spades. It was light, funny, madcap, quick, entertaining ... sure, not any feat of fine literature, but it kept me flipping pages (or screens!) and easy to pick up if I had to skip a day or two (which has been happening a lot lately). So yes, a bit of good fortune and I am guessing it has to be already optioned for a movie or (limited) series or something -- tho I could never quite figure out the casting, but I am sure it could be a huge hit on the screen as it has been on the page.
Overall, I'll give it an unofficial 3.5 stars just to balance things, it got a bit too madcap at times for me and the jury is still out of how much I actually like Finlay (ha!), but I will give it a Goodreads round-up to 4 stars for being the book I needed in order to keep up with at least some reading during this crazy time. ...more
Ok, so it's going to be pretty weird to write a "Meh!" kind of review for "Big Gay Wedding" on the day the Supreme Court sided with a wedding web desiOk, so it's going to be pretty weird to write a "Meh!" kind of review for "Big Gay Wedding" on the day the Supreme Court sided with a wedding web designer that she has a First Amendment right to not serve LGBTQ clients in her non-existent/purely hypothetical company. But alas, here we are!
So, I came into this one with very tempered expectations -- and it lived up to those expectations. I figured it would be a bit cheesy, over-the-top, cliche/caricature-y and it was, so it is difficult to say I was disappointed or let down by it. While there is a big cast of characters here, the biggest surprise to me was (arguably??) the main character was Chrissy, the quite-uncomfortable-about-all-things-gay mother of one of the grooms. And perhaps even more oddly, she was most well-rounded character and the one I sympathized the most with -- despite her thinking and saying some pretty not so nice things. And I think to say it's no spoiler to say that she ultimately turns the corner on it -- tho for me it was quite whiplash-y/on the proverbial dime.
As far as the other characters go, the grooms Barnett and Ezra (that probably tells you enough right there!) are honestly kind of bland, that is when there not being googly over each other and, of course, just gorgeous. Ezra's family who invade Chrissy's family farm for the titular B.G.W. are I'm guessing the reason for the many "Schitt's Creek" cross-references about this novel, a cartoon-ish, uber-wealthy family (Mom, Dad, crazy sister, and gay son) from NYC learning what life in the country is all about.
This kind of feels like an extension the world & vibe the author Byron Lane's husband, author Steven Rowley created in "The Guncle" (and kind of cute/neat that Rowle's latest novel, "The Celebrants," was published on the same day as this novel), in that there is actually some quite good and moving meditations on grief (Chrissy is a widow) ... while still being generally upbeat and fun, tho like "The Guncle," fair warning that there is some very (very! very!) manipulative use of a dog and another farm animal that was obviously is deeply moving to any animal lover, but again a bit too "left field" for me in this one.
Overall, a 3-star read for me as again, as I think it exactly delivers on its promise/mission statement -- tho again, one that I'm discovering is not in my wheelhouse (tho I still felt like it could have been with a few tweaks)....more
If you follow my reviews, it will likely come as little surprise as I read this one since I had the chance to see Gillian (that's 'G' as in Gilligan, If you follow my reviews, it will likely come as little surprise as I read this one since I had the chance to see Gillian (that's 'G' as in Gilligan, not "Jillian" by the way) Flynn at the 2023 Santa Fe International Literary Festival. We were on the fence about seeing her, as she was there as a "celebration" of the 10th anniversary of 'Gone Girl' (and hasn't published a book since, tho sounds like another book is on the horizon). But we ended up getting a 'Big Stage Pass' which her session was a part of -- and we're certainly glad to have not missed her. Perhaps not terribly surprising if you are familiar with her work, Flynn was engaging and darkly humorous ... in a bit of contrast to the 9:15a session time... it felt like we should have been sharing a bottle of bourbon and a pack of cigarettes with her versus pounding coffees.
Having faint memories of 'Gone Girl' -- all I recall is that it was all pretty f&cked up, but after reading this one I'd be curious how they compare as it's hard to imagine a more f&cked up set of characters and situations than what is in 'Sharp Objects' - yowza! But now having seen her in-person, I can almost picture Flynn slyly grinning as she puts her foot on the gas, repeatedly upping the ick and ugh factor. Now does everything make sense or the story stay on the rails... well, hell no! -- but 'Gone Girl' seemed to have that a similar train-wreck wackiness, but that's part of the "fun" of this one ... tho certainly none of this is "fun" in but unrelentingly sinister and disturbing, so much so that you may feel like you need to take a shower after many of the chapters. Also now looking forward to checking out the 2018 HBO/Max limited series starring Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson.
Overall and unofficially I'd land this at 3.5 stars -- but will do a Goodreads round-up to 4 stars since it was such a guilty pleasure and honestly rebooted my reading a bit, which seemed to be experiencing a bit of drag with too much "serious" literature (and that's not to say/intimate that Flynn doesn't handle some serious physical and psychological issues here)... and also have to give the very fascinating Flynn a goodwill ratings bump as well. ...more
Tough ratings call here as I am a *HHHHUUUUGE* fan of the Netflix series and only coming into this one being quite familiar with the characters and stTough ratings call here as I am a *HHHHUUUUGE* fan of the Netflix series and only coming into this one being quite familiar with the characters and storylines -- so unsurprisingly and not unexpectedly, there was not much new or discover here other than to see the inspiration and very much admire the fine job that was done with the casting and making the graphic novel into a series. I was kind of surprised (and maybe not) that the Volume 1 only covers the first 3 episodes of the 8-episode first season (with at least two more seasons coming).
But much like the series, it is very adorable and heartwarming -- but of all the graphic novels I have read (maybe a dozen??) this one has to have the least amount of text -- so pretty darn great if you are looking to pad up some book/page reading goal counts, ha!
Given all that and while I truly do think it is a fine story and artwork, I am leaning towards probably not continuing on with the book series as I'm guessing Season 1 of the Netflix series likely covers the plot lines of the another volume or two and even less as the series expands on what's in the books. But again, glad and totally satisfied with reading and seeing the genesis of this project from Oseman -- and getting ready to re-watch Season 1 (something I very rarely do given all the streaming TV show options out there these days!) in anticipation of the Season 2 dropping in August of 2023....more
I think the magic spell that Taylor Jenkins Reid has (had?) over me is starting to wear off, feels like I have had diminishing returns reading throughI think the magic spell that Taylor Jenkins Reid has (had?) over me is starting to wear off, feels like I have had diminishing returns reading through Daisy Jones, Malibu Rising, Evelyn Hugo, (in that order) and a big drop-off here with Carrie Soto. There's no denying that this book was still insanely readable and entertaining (tho just enough for me this time around) and given the current overall 4.42 rating and 24k+ ratings (!!!) nothing I say will matter even 1/10 of one iota. TJR is a literary unstoppable locomotive.
The tricky part here is that a big part of this is a sports book with Carrie Soto being a 37-year old professional tennis player returning to the tour to re-claim her Grand Slam record. I just can't imagine folks liking this book without some cursory knowledge and interest in pro tennis (tho again, I'm likely wrong given that average rating and number of reviews). The problem for me is that I know TOO much about tennis as I have been an avid (tho more waning these days) fan of both tours since the Evert / Navratilova / McEnroe / Connors days and a lot of this didn't ring true or accurate for me. I followed the tennis personalities and top players enough that I can't imagine them talking or acting that way (even the bratty ones) and likewise I was nagged by a lot of minutia (i.e., how a match is announced "Game is Soto's".. what??!). I know TJR was not writing this for highly knowledgeable tennis fans and I believe she has confessed to not being one herself (and it kinda shows).
A wider issue I had here and one that I see is gaining traction is TJR's quite clunky handling of non-white, non-heterosexual characters. Now I don't want to be this hyper politically correct "only Hispanic authors can write Hispanic characters" person, but I've read plenty of book where this doesn't even cross my mind (i.e., the other book I was reading at the time from a white female author with two prominent mixed-race Asian male characters) but not quite here. This book has a lot of untranslated Spanish conversation between Carrie and her father-coach that I'm guessing wouldn't fly with a lesser-known author, particularly a non-white one. Carrie's ethnicity really does not seem to have a purpose other than to contrast with her blond/blue-eyed and often beautiful opponents with Carrie described as short(er), more muscular/stocky (to show off my current tennis fandom, I pictured Carrie's physical appearance to be similar to Ons Jabeur -- who granted is Tunisian, but if you know, I think you'd agree!). I truly believe TJR is well-intended, but it is increasingly (awkward) feeling like to me that she works her way through a mental diversity check list (also see: Carrie's African American agent, Carrie's lesbian opponent).
What I liked. It was super fun completely reading this during the 2022 US Open. Despite my very picky quibbles, TJR really does a good job writing tennis matches -- not going crazy with shot-by-shot descriptions and just getting to the gist of the match/result. And it was fun that TJR expanded her universe with nice 'Easter Egg' references or personal connections to her other novels (Daisy, Malibu, and Evelyn). And again, making it pretty darn page turning despite to me her least like-able protagonist and me not being her likely target audience (middle-aged white gay guy).
I'm certainly not ruling out another spin with TJR as her books still are a total guilty pleasure and a perfect summer read. 3.5 stars for the readability and total fun, but a Goodreads round-down to 3 due to those warning signals that are starting to arise. ...more
What a crazy-ass, bat-sh&t novel! Tho the most unsettling part was turning the last page (okay, touch-flipping the screen) to the Acknowledgements to What a crazy-ass, bat-sh&t novel! Tho the most unsettling part was turning the last page (okay, touch-flipping the screen) to the Acknowledgements to read this note from the author:
Characters who look like you, live like you, and love like you belong in books. Our experiences, our communities, our lives with all their richness and depth and souls are the very things stories are made of--and I owe a profound debt of gratitude to those who read this story and told this queer writer in no uncertain terms, You belong in books.
Now that is a truly wonderful sentiment and I wholeheartedly agree, but I am not sure Vernon wrote this after reading his own book. Let's see... unlikeable and incredibly loathsome characters (check!), anonymous sex (check!), drug abuse (check!), alcohol abuse (ok, you get it), physical abuse, mental abuse, psychopathy... I'm sure one can see themselves in the very worst stereotypes of your "tribe"... and yes, I know stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason, but this book once again proves why my gay life will never (ever) be material for a novel, movie, or binged as a limited series on a streaming service. But yeah, this novel isn't LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce material... not that I expected it would be, but again that author note was a tad mind-blowing. :-)
But beyond that, and as I suggested above this is all over-the-top craziness. I am again questioning my tolerance for genre novels these days. I feel like I read and enjoyed plenty of thriller-type novels in my early reading life, but these days I can't quite allow myself to overlook plot holes that you can drive an 18-wheeler though or things like how the protagonist male couple ever ended up together in the first place, let alone insist on referring to each other as "husbands" when they're not married in a post-Obergefell era. I just can't imagine anyone doing that -- heck, we're soon hitting our 8th wedding anniversary and we rarely use/utter the "H" word. So there was a lot things that were hard for me to digest, perhaps my steady diet of literary fiction is to blame?
There is the often overwrought and clunky prose too ("eye bags so large an airline would make her check them" was a particular favorite!) and the greater of sin of having dueling narrators that "sound" the same (a time or two, I had to flip back to the start of the chapter to see if it was Nathan or Oliver).
Despite all this, I have to admit it was still a "fun" and quick read -- it's a hot mess/train wreck, but there's entertainment value in that. It's a rare case where I kind of hate-loved a book and not discouraging my hubby from reading it. An unofficial 2.5 stars with a Goodreads round-down to 2....more
Being a huge fan of Blake Crouch's last two novels, 'Dark Matter' and 'Recursion,' it was pretty much a no-brainer that 'Upgrade' quickly jumped ahead Being a huge fan of Blake Crouch's last two novels, 'Dark Matter' and 'Recursion,' it was pretty much a no-brainer that 'Upgrade' quickly jumped ahead many other books in my virtual TBR pile for the breezy summer read. I noted both of those books were "totally ridiculous" but in the most entertaining and mind-blowing ways and each were Goodreads round-ups to 5 stars. As you have likely already seen, not such the case here. While I will happily admit that this book is still ridiculous and a page-turning (or screen-flipping) roller coaster ride, the tightrope Crouch expertly tight-roped walk for me in the past tilted toward ridiculous "bad" (or at least "not good") this time.
While the appeal of those previous two books (at least of what I can remember -- again, reader amnesia for anything not read in the past week or so) was that it was about ordinary/everyday characters caught in extraordinary circumstances -- and while the circumstances are indeed extraordinary here as well, the genetic mutation/alteration (spoiler alert (not): upgrade!) turned this "every man" into an "extraordinary man" -- and thus can pretty much do these extra-human mental and physical feats which allowed easy (or little) explanation to get out of nearly any situation, so where you protagonist can pretty much do anything - it got a bit too predictable, and definitely eyeroll-y at times. Crouch always asks his readers to stretch their imaginations and what's reality to its breaking point, but again felt like a line was crossed (or broken/snapped) here.
Overall, no regrets for reading it. It was still fun and I whipped through it no time - truly a nice summer read. But grading on the curve and the high-bar I had set for Crouch with this one, have to land at 3 stars this time around. ...more
It's been hard to avoid Emily Henry books if you are on any kind of book/reading social media (and most certainly "Bookstagram"), so as a book lover i It's been hard to avoid Emily Henry books if you are on any kind of book/reading social media (and most certainly "Bookstagram"), so as a book lover it seemed like this was a good one to see what all the fuss was about (and, on a side note, I like this trend of releasing books straight to paperback).
As you can see by my star rating, I am in the minority here (and I'm guessing about Henry, in general) but I am clearly not, as a middle-aged gay male, the target audience for this book. I should clarify further that I am a middle-aged gay male who has *never* watched (nor has any desire to watch) a Hallmark movie. For those unfamiliar with gay subcultures (because I'm such an expert! Not.), the "Hallmark Christmas Movie Gay" is relatively new emerging variant (see also: Disney gays) -- so what I am trying to say, I am sure there are plenty of gay men who would enjoy this a lot more than myself. Also, I should add yet another questionable (misleading-ish) marketing move here with a Casey McQuiston blurb calling it "Schitt's Creek for Book Nerds" -- ummm, I guess if I work on my contortion skills a bit.
I certainly have enjoyed rom-coms on both the screen and page as well as "chick-lit," so it's not like I didn't know what I was getting into here or expecting something different. But it just felt "been there, done that" - surprising, since I haven't read anything close to this type of book in eons. Likewise, I really didn't connect with the main characters or think there was a whole lot of chemistry between the leads. And while I kinda sorta knew that Henry was playing with rom-com tropes here, there was still an overall hokey-ness to it (plot, dialogue, etc.) - but perhaps this is the whole point. Henry is obviously delivering quite well on reader wants and expectations given the popularity of her books -- so again, really don't mind me/this review all that much - just keep scrolling on! :-)
Still a pleasant and entertaining enough read - but a solid middle-of-the-road "liked" it for me. ...more
After reading Taylor Jenkins Reid's two latest novels - 'Daisy Jones' and 'Malibu Rising' - I figured it was time to read the book that got her first After reading Taylor Jenkins Reid's two latest novels - 'Daisy Jones' and 'Malibu Rising' - I figured it was time to read the book that got her first on my radar. Reid has quickly become my 'guilty pleasure' escape and this one helped get me out of a bit of a reading slump and I stand by what I stated in one of my earlier Reid reviews that I really think she is a modern-day Jackie Collins or Sidney Sheldon. This was an easy, breezing, and enjoyable read.
This one seemed a bit hokier and maybe a tad overly melodramatic to me and probably the first time with Reid that I felt something didn't quite work as I felt Monique, Evelyn Hugo's biographer, was a bit flat and the "reveal" re: why she was sought after to be Evelyn Hugo's biographer did not rock my world as I hoped it would.
And while I knew there was a LGBT aspect to this novel (sometimes those Goodreads genre/bookshelves are spoilers!), I did not expect it to be as prominent as it was or that that plot line would be so ummm... interestingly handled. While I think Reid overall presented/played it well, there moments where it felt a bit shaky/uncomfortable, tho as a middle aged gay male, I could never quite put my finger on what made me feel that way.
But still a totally enjoyable read that I powered quickly through. Given my issues, will go with an unofficial 3.5 stars but round it up to a Goodreads 4 stars - optioned by Netflix, it should make a great movie (tho I think a limited series would have been better). ...more
Not sure what is going on. I spent a lot of my younger adult reading years reading mysteries and thrillers and my attempt to read more "entertaining" Not sure what is going on. I spent a lot of my younger adult reading years reading mysteries and thrillers and my attempt to read more "entertaining" books vs. the more serious literary fiction reads that dominate my reading these days, has not really worked out that well.
I thought this would be fun as I am a fan of the Royals, though they certainly test my patience every now and then and while my expectations weren't super high on this one, I still thought it would be charming mystery (can't quite get on board with the "cozy mystery" nomenclature). And it was, at least when Queen Elizabeth was involved, but oddly enough (debatable?) she is almost more of supporting character here - not what one would expect in a proposed series dubbed "Her Majesty the Queen Investigates." Also, questionable is how much she actually is involved in solving the mystery -- tho I have to admit after having so many red-herring characters and theories thrown at me I lost the thread of what the "mystery" was and disappointedly after awhile did not find myself caring about it all that much when it was resolved. Well, at least I think it was resolved?
Again, very much enjoyed the Queen and Prince Philip (RIP) and even Rozie, the Queen's Assistant Private Secretary, who does most of the leg work here - but otherwise felt this one was a lot of missed potential. ...more
First off, thank you to Simon & Schuster for the Advanced Reader's Copy of this book -- tho not sure can really call it "advanced" since I won it hereFirst off, thank you to Simon & Schuster for the Advanced Reader's Copy of this book -- tho not sure can really call it "advanced" since I won it here on Goodreads after its publication date. It was my 3rd Goodreads Giveaway win (currently at a 2.2% "win" rate). So far, I've won one book for each of these past three years, so hoping the trend ends in 2021 and squeak out another book win. :-)
Onto the book! I've made an effort this year to give get out of my usual "literary fiction" lane and read more light and entertaining fiction (especially during the summer - 'beach reads' per se, even tho I am not even remotely close to a beach or water for that matter). In my younger years, I read a steady diet of these type of mystery/thriller-type books ... and they are certainly easy to devour, and that was certainly the case here with Laura Dave's "The Last Thing He Told Me." I am not sure I've read a book faster than this one this year. And it's probably good to have read it fast, as I am sure it really wouldn't hold up to much plot or "reality" scrutiny. I just felt some (most!) of the "detective" work that main character does here and ultimately uncovers was not something the average person could do, particularly in the situation here (husband mysteriously disappearing and leaving you with your onery stepchild.
I know, I know... you have to suspend some disbelief, but given my small sample size of dipping back into this genre this year I just hoped for a little more realism. Maybe my advanced age is making me more cranky about wanting just a little more out of these books. But then there's the not totally satisfactory ending which leaves the reader with more "what about this? what about that?" questions. And oh, don't be fooled by the Sausalito-centric cover, most of the action doesn't even take place there!
3 stars, for liking it enough and for it being what I think it was exactly supposed to be -- a fairly generic mystery/thriller book that has already been optioned to be turned into a perfectly mindless mystery/thriller movie with a likeable leading lady (back in the day, seems like it would have been almost custom-made for Sandra Bullock... speaking of which, where has she gone?) and probably make a lot of money for all involved. ...more
Total guilty pleasure! This is my 2nd Taylor Jenkins Reid book after 'Daisy Jones' - and while this is a vastly different book, one thing I can say fo Total guilty pleasure! This is my 2nd Taylor Jenkins Reid book after 'Daisy Jones' - and while this is a vastly different book, one thing I can say for sure even with this small sample size of 2 is that Reid knows how tell an entertaining and page-turning (or screen-flipping) story. With the current-day portion of the story taking place in the early 1980s, Reid has created a family saga worthy of a the night-time soaps of the era, 'Dallas' and 'Dynasty' ... and even a nod to the novels of Sidney Sheldon and Jackie Collins. It's sex, drugs, and rock and... well, surfing... with non-stop family secrets, rags to riches, betrayals, and brawls filling each page. A welcome breezy summer read and a perfect escape for this primarily "literary fiction" reader and child of the 80s!
First off, 5 stars... no, actually all the stars... for Stacey Abrams, champion of democracy... tho as evident by my rating, perhaps not not champion First off, 5 stars... no, actually all the stars... for Stacey Abrams, champion of democracy... tho as evident by my rating, perhaps not not champion of political/legal thrillers.
It feels like it's been a long time since I read this kind of book after being on a steady diet of the likes of Grisham and Clancy (and many others) in the 1990s (is that when they were all the rage?), so I recall these books call for some suspension of belief. The good guys almost always avoid every bullet fired at them (unlike they're usually anonymous pursuers), get conked on the head and at back at it the next day (or less!) with little physical repercussions (including even a concussion), and easily ditch/evade FBI protection on multiple occasions (including doing so, then flying commercial)!
So yes, I'm willing to play along... to a point... but there is so much ridiculousness in this novel that couldn't even be humored by it. Among the conveniently random skills of our 26-year old (I believe) Supreme Court law clerk protagonist is a 'Queen's Gambit'-like knowledge of chess, 18th century French philosophers, and astronomy... and William Howard Taft.... and, oh she has a photographic memory too! And for the specialties and knowledge bases our heroine Avery is lacking in, fortunately she has a computer hacker and a medical intern roommate to help her out respectively with gaining access to private records and knowing the intricacies of genomes/DNA research and biology. I could go on, but you get the point.
I figured Abrams' success as an author in both fiction (writing romance novels under a pseudonym) and non-fiction, would have translated into something pretty good here -- plus liking her as both a person and political figure (again I am a raging Democrat, so this isn't a Tr&mper hit job), but my antennas should have been raised when she mentioned that this novel had been passed on years ago. While she credited that publishers sudden new-found interest with a plot about a compromised Supreme Court and a corrupt President (hmmm, I wonder why?) for its publication now, my suspicions are that it was more than just that as well as Abrams' increased profile! (Not that there's anything wrong with that!)
Again, all the stars to Ms. Abrams, tho probably passing on her next literary effort at least on the fiction side, or with a bit more due diligence....more
This novel is pretty ridiculous -- and not in the best of ways. I read Sittenfeld's Laura Bush-esque "American Wife" many, many moons ago and rememberThis novel is pretty ridiculous -- and not in the best of ways. I read Sittenfeld's Laura Bush-esque "American Wife" many, many moons ago and remember enjoying not only the voyeuristic, but also the literary, quality to it. I *think* Sittenfeld has the reputation for that, right? But this was just totally cartoonish - perphaps as it claimed to present the "real" Hillary and Bill (and yes, Donald shows up) versus thinly-disguised versions from "Wife."
It just felt like caricatures at best, and cartoons at worst - well except, for Donald (as he pretty much has the caricature/cartoon thing down). Yes, I know this is all alternate history if "Hillary never married Bill?" (spoiler alert: No Chelsea!) with all the artistic license/freedom that allows, but I just wish the central characters felt more like the very public figures we have grown to know over the past several decades.
I guess this is where I confess to being a fan and supporter of Hillary, having read at least one of her memoirs (and even shaking her hand and "chatting" with her at a book signing), but that said, I wasn't looking or expecting an angelic portrayal -- all I was hoping for was it to feel like Hillary or at least a closer approximation. In the acknowledgements. Sittenfeld credits many Clinton memoirs -- and maybe I am missing or misremembering what I have read about them, but it just did not jive with my recollections or experience. I don't recall Hillary being so down on her physical look -- a big motif in the novel and then things get oddly and quite specifically detailed recollections of Hillary and Bill's sex life, the challenges of post-menopausal intercourse, and Hillary's hairy legs -- the legs ending up being a pretty big plot point. I wish I was kidding!
I was honestly looking forward to this book. This alternate take on history could have really been fascinating and serious, but still fun -- and okay, and at times it was both fascinating and fun and i'll confess it was always a page-turner (the reason for my 0.5 unofficial half-star bump up), but for it being sooooo cringe-inducing so often I have to settle at a Goodreads 2 stars, tho it was just shy of a guilty-pleasure "it's so bad it's good" round-up to 3 stars....more
When looking for a new book to hunker down with aa a global pandemic reached the shores of the United States in earnest (Coronavirus, March 2020 if yo When looking for a new book to hunker down with aa a global pandemic reached the shores of the United States in earnest (Coronavirus, March 2020 if you are hopefully reading this in the future), a "delightfully freewheeling romp" seemed definitely in order -- and gladly, Magarita Montimore's "Oona Out of Order" lived up to that billing. I am not a big sci-fi and/or time-travel fan, but this was a great escape from reality -- and really more literary-ish fiction/chick-lit-ish (not a slam!) than any hardcore sci-fi genre -- tho in the author's bio here, it mentions she writes "upmarket fiction" - a phrase I was not familiar with, but apparently meaning "left of center and flirt with multiple genres" (tho I don't think that necessarily captures it either).
I won't say much about the plot (I never try to do here in these "reviews") as a lot of the fun is discovering it for yourself, tho the title is certainly spoiler-ish. Again, I haven't read much time travel-oriented novels, but this seemed fresh, creative, and fun -- with some nice gravitas as well. It flagged ever so slightly as the travel iterations started to pile up, but Montimore wisely started speeding some of the plot up and providing some nice surprises and resolutions in wrapping it up (tho it seems this could be plenty ripe for a sequel or two... or three...).
A quick and pleasant and much needed literary escape! ...more
"This book was ridiculous. Ridiculously fast. Ridiculously entertaining. Ridiculously fun."
That is how I started my review for 'Dark Matter,' my first "This book was ridiculous. Ridiculously fast. Ridiculously entertaining. Ridiculously fun."
That is how I started my review for 'Dark Matter,' my first Blake Crouch read - and it gives me an excellent jumping off point to say his follow-up with 'Recursion' is even MORE ridiculous in the fast, fun, and entertaining department. Crouch is certainly obsessed with quantum physics and alternative timelines/universes, so having read 'Dark Matter' this one seemed a bit more derivative - but it is still incredibly mind-blowing in so many different ways, who cares?! I certainly did not.
And yeah, given the concept hook of the book it gets a bit repetitive at times (think a sci-fi version of 'Groundhog Day' on acid - tho stretching years and sometimes decades), but Crouch does an excellent job of flipping it to a new side/angle to keep things fresh and moving along at breakneck roller coaster speed.
I gave 'Dark Matter' an unofficial 4.5 stars with a Goodreads round-up to 5 stars ... and given that this provided the very same type of adrenaline rush I will do the same here. Definitely the summer blockbuster thriller read for Summer 2019.
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