The White Hot started off strong for me and then floundered. Initially, I found the writing biting: when the protagonist explains how her daughter NoeThe White Hot started off strong for me and then floundered. Initially, I found the writing biting: when the protagonist explains how her daughter Noelle sees mom’s downtime (“Sometimes she got the Beats, the Do Not Disturb, and the bathroom lock going all at once. A trifecta.”), I wanted to laugh out loud. But then, things just got slow and weird. And not all that believable. I loved the premise of a temporary runaway mom, but the story didn’t do it for me.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“I had spent two and a half high school years staring at those posters for stretches so infinite time folded in on itself. Wondering what the hell Philly kid had ever peeped a canyon or climbed a mountain? Better to inspire by showing the trek home after a Septa breakdown: When the Bus Doesn’t Show, Make Your Own Path. I would capitalize every imagined word of my slogan, just like the real posters did.”
“someone says you got potential means you ain’t shit at present.”...more
Little Movements tells the story of Layla Smart. Layla is a black dance choreographer who has landed a coveted residency. But once she’s settled in ruLittle Movements tells the story of Layla Smart. Layla is a black dance choreographer who has landed a coveted residency. But once she’s settled in rural New England, far from NYC and her husband, Layla isn’t as sure about the dream she has cashed in all her chips to pursue.
The pacing in Little Movements felt slow to me. I kept waiting for something to happen, but it felt like nothing did (other readers might disagree) until halfway through. I had a hard time caring about Layla or the story.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 2 stars. Not for me. ...more
When I was offered an ARC of The Slip, I hesitated before accepting it. The reviews foretold a slow burn of a story, convoluted and meandering, but thWhen I was offered an ARC of The Slip, I hesitated before accepting it. The reviews foretold a slow burn of a story, convoluted and meandering, but they were largely effusive and convinced this would be a blockbuster devout. So I started The Slip with that in mind, including determination to make it to the second half, where some reviewers said the book picked up momentum. Well? Yes, that’s true. And yes, it’s true that it’s a slow and convoluted read. Sadly, as much as I wanted The Slip to work for me, it didn’t.
1998. Nathaniel Rothstein is having a confusing teenaged summer. Nathaniel is a Jew from the northeast, chubby, socially awkward. He’s living with his aunt and uncle and working at a nursing home. There, Nathaniel meets David Dalice. Quickly, Nathaniel realizes David is who he wants to be. Over the course of the summer, Nathaniel recreates himself more and more in David’s image—which is weird because David is a middle age, Haitian black man, boxer and pretty far off from suburban Jew.
The Slip tells the story of what feels like a million people that are in some way connected to Nathaniel and David. It’s a bit of a mystery, because Nathaniel is missing. And while I really wanted to know what happened to Nathaniel, I could have done without most of the rest. The range of characters is wide and diverse (a queer teenager who is maybe trans, a middle aged mother who operates a phone sex line for extra cash, an outcast female cop, an undocumented young boxer… the list goes on). Some of the characters are easier to connect with than others, but it all felt so slow to me.
For some readers, I’m sure this will be received as the book of the year so many have raved about. For me, it fell flat and painful, despite a true eagerness to feel otherwise.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Favorite quote: “In only eleven weeks, Miriam had learned that her city contained a limitless supply of limited people, enough undesirables loitering on the margins that were they to choose a single spot to congregate, they could form a city of their own.“...more
We Loved to Run is about a college track team. The Poets, at Frost liberal arts college in New England, is comprised of a group of fast women. These wWe Loved to Run is about a college track team. The Poets, at Frost liberal arts college in New England, is comprised of a group of fast women. These women share the highs and lows, alternately loving and competing against each other.
The story is mostly told in the “we,” which took a little getting used to. There are some chapters that focus more on a single woman, and those are told in the third person. In those in between chapters, the reader learns more about Kristin and Danielle. We get bits and pieces about all of them, but we know Kristin and Danielle best.
Fortunately, I think a lot has changed in track and field and most colleges don’t treat their female athletes this way anymore. At Frost, we hear about the weigh-ins, the body fat percentage measurements, the starvation, and the brutal workouts with not enough recovery in between. We read about running with a stress fracture. Running hung over. Running angry and fiercely, and still… how much these young women love running.
We Loved to Run goes deep on eating disorders and sexual assault. This book is heavy reading, but beautifully written. I thought Stephanie Reents described the human condition so well, particularly that of young women who hate their bodies and, at times, themselves.
If you love running, there’s a lot to connect to in this book. And if care about young women, there’s a lot to be sad about in this book. Overall, I really enjoyed it. Recommended. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Some favorite passages: “We spent so much time trying not to think about our bodies that we were always thinking about them. Thinking about how they were not hungry or not injured or not fatter or weaker than the body of some other girl.“
“We shared tampons, the treats our moms sent us, clean socks, joy and shame and deodorant. We were friends like that.”
“We all rolled our eyes internally, and yet when we got going like this, it was a landslide, one girl’s self-criticism setting off another’s, a foot of unstable ground becoming two, then five, then fourteen, rushing down the slope, burying everything beautiful and living in its path. Suddenly, everyone was sucking in their stomachs, eyeing their thighs. Too much here. And here. Not enough there. Oh my god, it was disgusting. Squeezing whatever we could. Pinching. Breasts, bellies, buttocks. If there had been a mirror, it would have been worse. In this mood, it was traumatic to see yourself. It was like looking through the wrong end of binoculars.”
“While Eli was trying out something he actually might want to do someday, she was earning $3.25 an hour as a barista at Boise’s first espresso shop. This is one of the differences between being raised in a fully staffed family versus a single- mom situation.”
“Anyway, it wasn’t her body, per se, that she was so afraid of him seeing, but rather her relationship to her body, which he would see emblazoned across her face.”
“This is the thing that novice runners fail to appreciate: something is always hurting. If Danielle let discomfort—or, worse, real pain—stop her, then she would never run a step. The trick is knowing when you have crossed an invisible line between uncomfortable and serious, between something-to-be-tolerated and something-which-requires-professional-care and worse: rest.”...more
Not Quite Dead Yet is a fast-paced, mystery written with the witty humor I expect from Holly Jackson. Jet Mason has been brutally attacked and left foNot Quite Dead Yet is a fast-paced, mystery written with the witty humor I expect from Holly Jackson. Jet Mason has been brutally attacked and left for dead, but somehow pulls through only to be told that her injuries are certain to kill her in a few short days.
Jet, who feels like her life has been one constant “I’ll finish that later,” decides that with a week left, she must finish something. And thus, Jet embarks on solving her own murder.
Jet is a fun and funny character. I loved reading her thoughts (especially those on children), and her relatively upbeat attitude to solving her own murder. The book has many twists and turns and I very truly didn’t know who the killer was until they were revealed. Despite some of this being quite sad (who wants to fall in love with a protagonist that is going to die?), I found this book a delight to read.
I’ve only read one other Holly Jackson, but I may need to push some others higher up the to-read list. Recommended. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“and she hated when her mom told her to make herself useful. It didn’t make her feel useful; it made her feel small.”
I picked up Canticle because I have a loose connection to the author, Janet Rich Edwards. Canticle takes place in the 13th century, detailing the incrI picked up Canticle because I have a loose connection to the author, Janet Rich Edwards. Canticle takes place in the 13th century, detailing the incredible journey of a young woman, Aleys, turned Friar, then anchorite, then beguine. Prior to reading Canticle, the only one of those 4 things I’d heard of was Friar, but fortunately Edwards does an excellent job of making ancient religious denominations feel accessible. I was worried this might be dense and hard to read, but, while it’s not light reading, the story is smooth.
If you don’t know, an anchorite is a woman who chooses to live in a room attached to a church. Forever. In the room. Aleys chose a room, not much different than a cell, to escape a business marriage arranged by her father. Aleys might also be a saint. Sometimes, her hands vibrate and when Aleys lays them on an injured or ill person, the person is healed. But sometimes the magic leaves her. Even intermittently, the people of her village think Aleys a saint. And so they’ll visit her in the anchor room.
Overall, I enjoyed Canticle. There were a few sections in the middle that I would have liked to speed up, especially some of the weird things with Friar Lukas, but I was able to move through them with ease.
The ending is both devastating and filled with hope. It reminds us that women are strong, fierce and capable.
Recommended. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Favorite quotes: “They think she speaks with God. But really, everyone does. It’s just so hard to hear.”
“Or maybe that’s what makes you a saint: the ability to face the worst and pray, Thy will be done.”...more
Dead Girl Cameo was a unique, little book of poems that I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm not much of a poetry reader, but the topic called to me when I saw sDead Girl Cameo was a unique, little book of poems that I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm not much of a poetry reader, but the topic called to me when I saw some of my favorite female, Black vocal artists were featured. It's short, not always easy to follow, but if you're into the subject matter, I think it will resonate. If you're not, this is not the book for you.
Dead Girl Cameo uses clippings from the headlines about the famous womens' deaths, interviews, and m. mick powell's own prose to tell the 'dead girl's' perspective. I found it interesting and fun, and totally sad. All of these women died young, in a blaze of glory and notoriety, and were victims of a world that gobbled them up.
If you are into the best of Black women in R&B, Whitney Houston, Billie Holiday, Aaliyah, and more, pick up this book. It will only take you an hour or so to read and it will definitely give some food for thought.
Recommended. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Can you come of age at 27? Sure. Cricket does in this sweet, special story of caring for her ailing father.
Cricket is aimless. She hasn’t quite figurCan you come of age at 27? Sure. Cricket does in this sweet, special story of caring for her ailing father.
Cricket is aimless. She hasn’t quite figured out what she wants to be when she grows up. In high school, Cricket’s first boyfriend died in a tragic accident and her life has felt off track since.
In a series of unpredictable decisions, Cricket decides to leave her flighty NYC life behind to become the caretaker for her father, who has Alzheimer’s. In the summer home she loved as a child and teen, but fled after Seth’s death, Cricket reconnects with her father and herself.
Before I Forget, despite the sad storyline of dementia, is a lovely, feel-good read. Cricket is likable and I rooted for her from the very start. And her father Arthur is lovable. Especially when he starts to share unexpected guidance, advice and premonitions.
I loved Before I Forget and highly recommend. 4.5 stars rounded down. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Some great quotes: “Really it was Nina’s decision—she is our family’s de facto leader—but she is skilled at including me without actually expecting anything of me. She has always known how to trick me into thinking I have agency. In that respect, she’s an exemplary older sister.”
“ Everyone’s life looks fun on social media; that’s the sorcery of it. Your soul may be slowly decaying, but there’s a filter for that.”
“‘I was convinced it was my fault. Like I said, guilt is conniving. It befriends your ego and tries to convince you that everything’s about you—the past, the future. But it’s just not true.’”
“‘I realized I only had one life. So why shouldn’t it be the one I actually want?’”
“It’s an interesting idea: the regenerating heart. After all, we do go on, no matter how much we ache with grief. And maybe our hearts don’t ache because they’re scarred or broken or because something is wrong. Maybe they ache because they are regenerating. Like the growth spurts of our youth, they make us quake with change; but once weathered, they leave us stronger and even more ourselves. Not our final selves, or even our improved selves, but just our next selves. After all, we are always between selves. It doesn’t mean we are lost—it means we are growing.” ...more
Boom Town grabbed me from the start. I liked the characters, the story, and the consistent nods to feminism amongst the sex worker industry.
The storyBoom Town grabbed me from the start. I liked the characters, the story, and the consistent nods to feminism amongst the sex worker industry.
The story centers around three erotic dancers, Lyriq, Luck and Charm, all employed—not simultaneously—at Atlanta’s hot strip club, Boom Town. Luck has been missing for some time, and while Lyriq has missed her for the duration, she isn’t prompted to really search for Luck until Charm also goes missing.
In so many ways, this is a story about the power imbalances of working-class Black women and wealthy white men. It is sad, angering, and utterly readable. It’s also extremely sexually graphic.
Overall, I enjoyed Boom Town and flew through it in less than 24 hours. Recommended.
Favorite quotes: “ …lemons-to-lemonader that she was…” “They creeped me the hell out, Bibles did: people shaping their entire existence around a text written at a completely different time in a completely different part of the world just felt weird to me. The Constitution gave me a similar ick.”...more
The Hitchhikers is not for the faint of heart. If you’ve read Chevy Stevens before, you know to expect that. But wow, The Hitchhikers is relentlessly The Hitchhikers is not for the faint of heart. If you’ve read Chevy Stevens before, you know to expect that. But wow, The Hitchhikers is relentlessly violent and painful. The entire time I read, I wondered when the violence would come to an end… brace yourself because it doesn’t till the final pages.
Alice and Tom are a sweet, suburban American couple on a roadtrip in Pacific Northwest Canada to see the Olympics. At a camp, they meet a young couple who call themselves Ocean and Blue. Tom, gregarious and warm, offers them a ride. And things go way south. Ocean and Blue are actually Jenny and Simon, on the run for murdering Jenny’s mother and stepfather. Alice and Tom become held hostage on an epic road trip, which becomes a violent rampage.
This is painful reading from start to finish, with a tiny ray of hope at the end. It’s good, but for me, a little too long on the violence. I debated skipping to the end, but persevered (truly) to the finish. Recommended, but only if you “like” this kind of thing. Trigger warnings for just about everything you can think of.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
Fulfillment is the story of two brothers in middle America: Emmett and Joel. Emmett is solidly working class, his full time job being as a package hanFulfillment is the story of two brothers in middle America: Emmett and Joel. Emmett is solidly working class, his full time job being as a package handler for a behemoth warehouse. Emmett wants to be a screenwriter and has taken modest steps in that direction, but it’s pretty obvious to the reader that it’s likely fruitless. Joel, on the other hand, is a successful author and professor. They’re in their late twenties and back home in Kentucky at the Dream Home, their mother’s house.
I wanted to like this book more than I actually liked it. It’s slow and while dramatic things happen, it also feels like there’s not much story. The characters aren’t particularly likable or tangible, and for me, the story plodded along to almost nowhere. I can see why people might like Fulfillment, especially if they can identify with either Emmett or Joel, but this didn’t work for me.
I was able to power through to the end after a short break. 3 stars. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Racing Uphill is a powerful memoir that details the author Stacia’s journey to an epilepsy and heart condition diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
StacRacing Uphill is a powerful memoir that details the author Stacia’s journey to an epilepsy and heart condition diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
Stacia was in college when her first seizures started interfering with her life. Stacia ran track and was healthy, so she experienced real dissonance at the seizures that left her bruised, banged up, confused, often unable to remember the events that preceded them. Stacia details a level of denial that is impossible to fathom. Stacia wants to be able to keep running, working and remain free of stigma, so she tells herself endless stories and lies to convince herself she is safe and healthy. She’s not. Stacia’s hundreds of seizures a year are “bizarre”, wild and absolutely devastating.
In addition to sharing her personal story, Stacia shares bits of information and medical knowledge about her condition, the types of seizures she has, and medical testing and treatment. I found it all fascinating.
This book is readable, despite the many lows of the story. And ultimately, Stacia leaves the reader with a message of hope.
Recommended. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Colette Marceau is a nonagenarian jewel thief. Colette descends from Robin Hood, taught to steal from the evil rich and redistribute wealth for good—sColette Marceau is a nonagenarian jewel thief. Colette descends from Robin Hood, taught to steal from the evil rich and redistribute wealth for good—specifically to fund the Jewish resistance against the Nazis. As a youth, during World War II, Colette helped the Jewish underground. And now, in her later years, Colette steals from Neo-Nazis to fund a Holocaust remembrance nonprofit. In short, Colette Marceau is a badass protagonist.
Colette is haunted by the ghosts of her past. In this story, Colette and those who love her, work to find answers that have been buried for 76 years. The story is wild, sad, lovely, hard to believe at times, and generally delightful. All with a twist of romance woven in.
Highly recommended. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ...more
I hadn’t heard of Tiffany Jenkins, nor did I read her first book, but A Clean Mess has made me a fan. In this memoir, Jenkins shares the journey of heI hadn’t heard of Tiffany Jenkins, nor did I read her first book, but A Clean Mess has made me a fan. In this memoir, Jenkins shares the journey of her early recovery from addiction, with pieces of her current day marriage crumble woven through. A Clean Mess is an easy read on a tough topic: the chapters are short, flying by with Jenkins’s vulnerable and relatable writing style, while detailing the challenges of reentering society after jail time, living in a halfway house, unexpected pregnancy, and postpartum depression. While Jenkins is a comedian and there is levity in A Clean Mess, I wouldn’t describe it as funny—just smart, occasionally pithy, and extremely down to earth. I really, really liked this book. Highly recommended.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Final Cut is my fourth Olivia Worley book, but sadly, my least favorite. As soon as I started Final Cut, I had the feeling that I had read this story Final Cut is my fourth Olivia Worley book, but sadly, my least favorite. As soon as I started Final Cut, I had the feeling that I had read this story before—I haven’t, the book isn’t published yet, it just felt wholly unoriginal.
Haze Lejeune is a teenage actress. She has been cast in a slasher film. And this is great because Haze is obsessed with slasher films. She has been ever since she learned her father was responsible for the death of five teenagers in a very slasher way.
Once Haze gets on set, scary things start happening. At first, it’s threats. But soon, people are dying. A lot of people. And there is literally no emotion attached to that.
Haze becomes determined to figure out who the killer is, what it has to do with her, and if this all means her father is actually innocent (ie is this new killer the one responsible for the original deaths?).
Fast-paced and easy to read, but overall predictable and not engaging enough for me. Not recommended. I’ve liked Worley’s previous books, so I’ll give future work a shot. ...more
Sisters of Fortune was a delightful read! I wasn't particularly caught by the description, but the exceedingly positive reviews roped me in. Fortune iSisters of Fortune was a delightful read! I wasn't particularly caught by the description, but the exceedingly positive reviews roped me in. Fortune is a Syrian Jew in the heart of a Syrian Jewish community in Brooklyn. She's engaged to Saul Dweck, a white-bread type of guy. Fortune knows she should be thrilled: after all, securing a husband is the big life goal for her and her peers. And yet, the wedding planning feels off.
Fortune's sisters are Nina and Lucy. Nina is older. Still single to the dismay of everyone her. Lucy is younger, but dating already. Although Lucy is still in high school, she's dating a wealthy doctor who at 30-years-old, is deemed an exceptional catch. The story travels between the three sisters' perspectives, inviting the reader into the culture of New Yorker Syrian Jews and I enjoyed every bit. Also, it's VERY funny.
I loved the family dynamics: the parents, the grandmother, the community members. Everyone is so believable. Especially the interactions between the daughters and their mother - they sound like every bickering daughter and mother.
Highly recommended. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Some great quotes:
According to my Sitto, there are only two things in a woman’s life that should never be kept empty: her womb and her freezer.
“Here, Ma. I got it, sit down!” Saul jumps to take the knife from his mother, as if she’s decades beyond her fifty-two years. This is the way the MIL carries herself at all times, as if her undying commitment to her children might break her at any moment. She welcomes the pain. I imagine her saying: “Throw me on the pyre!” “Epidurals are for women who own bread machines!” “Let my tombstone read: Marie ‘I will always get the last word’ Dweck, Beloved Wife, Mother, Grandmother and MIL.”
it’s a custom, which is an explanation—I’ve come to understand—used for an action that makes little sense but carries great significance.
This class is so popular that the entrance is sealed off by a red velvet rope until five minutes before class, when the crowd storms the studio, like thinness is up for grabs and not something you have to sweat to death for.
These Summer Storms is a delightful summer romance with a lot of family drama woven in. Alice Storm is headed to her family's private island for the fThese Summer Storms is a delightful summer romance with a lot of family drama woven in. Alice Storm is headed to her family's private island for the first time in five years. Her father Franklin Storm, the billionaire, world-famous developer of major tech (think along the lines of Steve job), has died in a freak accident. Alice hasn't spoken to Franklin, or her mother or siblings, in that time period. We don't know exactly why (it comes out), but Alice has opted to work as a teacher and string things together like the rest of us.
Upon arriving on Storm Island, the reader immediately gets a sense of why Alice has left. Her mother, Elisabeth, is ice cold. Her siblings are vapid, concerned with the inheritance, and out of touch with reality (with the exception of Alice's youngest sister, Emily, who is a hippie-dippy crystal healer).
Franklin's right-hand man, Jack Dean, arrives on the island with letters for each Storm. Those letters include detailed instructions on how each Storm can become eligible for their inheritance or... how they can abdicate it all.
These Summer Storms is often funny. I loved the characters and the writing style. Despite some really low lows in how the family treats each other, there is a general undercurrent of love. Each sibling gets highlighted at some point, although the story mainly revolves around Alice and her complicated relationships with each family member. And, of course, her falling in love with Jack Dean.
Personally, I loved that this takes place in Rhode Island, my state of residence, and includes some quirky history about Wickford, where I used to live.
My only complaint, yielding this 4 stars instead of 5, is that this book felt longer than necessary. I think 20% could have been cut without any impact to the story. Highly recommended. I will definitely read Sarah MacLean again (she's prolific, but this is my first of her novels!).
Great quote: “Greta did not reply to the obvious swipe at her weight—the Waspy mother’s weapon of choice since Martin Luther took a hammer to a church door.”...more
Loading...
