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Published on Leave a comment on The Favorites
The Favorites Book Cover The Favorites
Layne Fargo
Fiction
Random House
January 14, 2025
Hardcover/Audio
449
Purchased/Libro-fm

She might not have a famous name, funding, or her family’s support, but Katarina Shaw has always known that she was destined to become an Olympic skater. When she meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system, their instant connection makes them a formidable duo on the ice. Clinging to skating—and each other—to escape their turbulent lives, Kat and Heath go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers, captivating the world with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style, and rollercoaster relationship. Until a shocking incident at the Olympic Games brings their partnership to a sudden end.

As the ten-year anniversary of their final skate approaches, an unauthorized documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha, claiming to uncover the "real story" through interviews with their closest friends and fiercest rivals. Kat wants nothing to do with the documentary. But she can't stand the thought of someone else defining her legacy either. So, after a decade of silence, she's telling her story: from the childhood tragedies that created her all-consuming bond with Heath to the clash of desires that tore them apart. Sensational rumors have haunted their every step for years, but the truth may be even more shocking than the headlines.

My review:

There was a lot of buzz about this author's last work, which I really liked but didn't love. This one I loved! I must start by saying I am an ice skating fan. For those who remember Torvil and Dean (a British ice dance pair), I traveled many hours to see them perform live back in the day. So this book already had me hooked with the ice dancing aspect. While I don't think you have to be a skating fan, I can't answer wether this will appeal to you if you don't have some interest in the sport. There have been so many stellar reviews of this I can't imagine they are all from skating fans. And of course this is definitely not just about skating. It's filled with relationship drama, not just romantic but familial, friendship, and coaching. One of my favorite parts is between the chapters there is commentary from different people involved in the documentary being made about Shaw and Rocha (sports writers, judges, coaches, etc.). The audio production was fantastic, as these were all narrated by separate voices (Jonny Weir was fantastic!). Emotions ran high, there were many edge of your seat moments during competitions, and it definitely focused on the determination needed to excel in a sport at the highest level. I loved that Kat was a kick butt female stopping at nothing to achieve her dream!

I think this will appeal to all readers because of the tense competitive nature of these characters, and the drama that ensues. Anyone who was hooked on watching the Tanya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan scandal play out is a sure bet to be a fan!

Published on Leave a comment on Three Days In June
Three Days in June Book Cover Three Days in June
Anne Tyler
Fiction
Random House
February 11, 2025
E-book
177
Publisher via NetGalley

Gail Baines is having a bad day. To start, she loses her job—or quits, depending on whom you ask. Tomorrow her daughter, Debbie, is getting married, and she hasn’t even been invited to the spa day organized by the mother of the groom. Then, Gail’s ex-husband, Max, arrives unannounced on her doorstep, carrying a cat, without a place to stay, and without even a suit.

But the true crisis lands when Debbie shares with her parents a secret she has just learned about her husband to be. It will not only throw the wedding into question but also stir up Gail and Max’s past.

Told with deep sensitivity and a tart sense of humor, full of the joys and heartbreaks of love and marriage and family life, Three Days in June is a triumph, and gives us the perennially bestselling, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer at the height of her powers

My review:

Let me start by saying that I would likely read the phone book if this lady wrote it (and yes, I'm dating myself saying that, but I digress)! Tyler is a master at immersing you into her characters lives, even if only for a brief time. In the case of this book, we follow Gail the day before, the day of, and the day after her daughter's wedding. As is usually the case with a wedding, there is a lot of drama surrounding the event, but in this case it's compounded by several factors. Her ex shows up with a cat (and no suit or place to stay), she has been shunned for a job promotion because she lacks "people skills", and her daughter drops some concerning news regarding her future son-in-law. What's a Mom to do? I just loved this character driven study into Gail's thoughts and actions for this short slice of her life (with some musings on her past included). Her ex husband was also a great character and I loved the way they interacted (him being laid back, her being the consummate worrier). And let's not forget how things play out just as you suspected with the cat! I loved the emotions this brought up, it was funny at times, but then melancholy, it felt like you were having a friend relate to you what was going on in her life. The fact that the protagonist was a sixty year old woman was icing on the cake, I love reading stories with women of my age!

As is the case with most of this author's work, you're not going to get a whole lot of plot with this story, but what you will get is a satisfying look into the thoughts and feelings of a mother, soon to be a mother-in-law. I will pick up anything this author writes, and I eagerly wait for what's next!

Published on Leave a comment on Beautiful Ugly
Beautiful Ugly Book Cover Beautiful Ugly
Alice Feeney
Fiction
Flatiron Books
January 14, 2025
Hardcover/Audio
320
Purchased/NetGalley

Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life.

Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared.

A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible – a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.

My review:

This author does such a great job with creating atmosphere in her books. My all time favorite Rock Paper Scissors involved a desolate creepy cabin during a snowstorm. This book offers an isolated island off the Scottish coast that while beautiful, has this sense of foreboding doom. A writer whose wife disappeared one year ago, goes to this place to try to get his creative mojo back Once there, he thinks he is seeing his wife. Obviously this involves an unreliable narrator (is it really her?), but also the island people are strange. You can just feel that something is not right, but you would probably be remiss to try to figure out the twists and turns that Feeney is so well known for. I listened to this one on audio, and the experience highlighted the story even more for me. If you are an audiobook listener, I would suggest this as the media to consume this book, it gave it an even more tense atmosphere.

In true fashion for this author, she has created a tense, mood heavy story with odd characters and the constant sense that something sinister is coming. The ending was one of the strangest I have read in a thriller, but I was here for the creep factor. Another winner form Ms. Feeney.

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Published on 2 Comments on Best Books of 2024

It's that time of year to wrap up my reading journey for 2024. I read 288 books this past year, and these were my books that received 5 stars! I then break it down to my top 5.

This is pretty close to my usual percentage of 5% of my reads are 5 stars (yes, I'm very stingy 🙂

Here are the top 5 out of the 16 above. The first four were easy to pick, the last one was a toss up between The Maiden and the one I chose ( in other words that one could have been number five on any given day).

#5 The Borrowed Live of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston

I ultimately decided on this one because it is very uplifting and I think we're going to need that in the next few years. Plus it has an old man, and as you'll see going forward, I have certain subjects that I gravitate to often.

#4 The Family Experiment by John Marrs

This author made my 5 star reads in 2023 with The One, and I continue to be impressed with his speculative fiction (which is different than sci fi, which doesn't always hit for me). The subject in this one that grabbed me was reality tv and AI children.

#3 After Annie by Anna Quindlen

A character study of a family and close friend to a woman who dies unexpectedly. Don't expect much plot, and it's not as sad as it sounds, but it's a beautiful exploration of family bonds and found family.

#2 The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

My historical fiction pick, this was so captivating! About a midwife back in the late 1700's (midwife would be the favorite subject here), who has to defend a woman who was abused. Not such an easy task back in that time. This book had one of the best husbands I've ever encountered!

And the #1 pick goes to............

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

I love me some snarkiness and revenge in a book, and this one did not disappoint. After Lula gets books banned from the local library, the daughter of the librarian replaces the insides of all the books in Lula's little free library with banned books. What happens when the townspeople get more than what the cover title says, and how people's perceptions and preconceived notions can sometimes change. This book didn't get enough love in the book community, but I absolutely loved it! I know lots of my book club friends read my blog, we have to put this one on the list for next year. I think it will make for a good discussion.

And there you have it, another year in the books (pun intended). Did any of these catch your eye, or have you read them?

On to 2025, lots of great released coming out starting next week!

Published on Leave a comment on The Family Experiment
The Family Experiment Book Cover The Family Experiment
John Marrs
Fiction
Hanover Square Press
July 9, 2024
Hardcover/Audio
384
Purchased/Library

Some families are virtually perfect…

The world's population is soaring, creating overcrowded cities and an economic crisis. And in the UK, the breaking point has arrived. A growing number of people can no longer afford to start families, let alone raise them.

But for those desperate to experience parenthood, there is an alternative. For a monthly subscription fee, clients can create a virtual child from scratch who they can access via the metaverse and a VR headset. To launch this new initiative, the company behind Virtual Children has created a reality TV show called The Substitute. It will follow ten couples as they raise a Virtual Child from birth to the age of eighteen but in a condensed nine-month time period. The prize: the right to keep their virtual child, or risk it all for the chance of a real baby…

Set in the same universe as John Marrs's bestselling novel The One and The Marriage Act, The Family Experiment is a dark and twisted thriller about the ultimate Tamagotchi—a virtual baby.

My review:

I love a good speculative fiction story, and does this author ever deliver! His book The One made my favorite books list last year, and this one is set in the same universe (along with The Passengers and The Marriage Act, which I have yet to read). I'm not a fantasy reader because the world is just not something that I can relate to, but these stories are more believable to me. This one deals with AI generated babies that can be rented. When the parent puts on a virtual reality headset and a hepatic suit, they can have the full child experience without the prohibitive cost of raising an actual child. After this trend takes off, a reality tv show is created where five couples and a single dad raise their AI children within a condensed time frame (it takes nine months for the child to go from newborn to 18 years). Viewers vote with red and black hearts on how they feel the parents are doing and people are voted off. The winner gets to either keep their virtual child, or be given enough money to afford to raise a biological child. Doesn't that sound intriguing? It did take a while at the beginning to remember who was who since there are a lot of characters introduced, but I found as the story went on it was not an issue for me. Each couple was uniquely different, and so was their style of parenting. The book included news segments and forum remarks from the viewers, and these were such a great addition to the story! And of course what would reality tv be without a bit of manipulation behind the scenes? As always, lots of social commentary to discuss, and this keeps you thinking about it well after turning the last page.

Such a great social commentary combining parenting and reality television. I'm definitely on the Marrs hype train and look forward to not only what comes next, but his backlist titles.

Published on Leave a comment on Worst Case Scenario
Worst Case Scenario Book Cover Worst Case Scenario
T J Newman
Fiction
Little, Brown and Company
August 13, 2024
Advance Listener Copy
336
Free from publisher via NetGalley

When a pilot suffers a heart attack at 35,000 feet, a commercial airliner filled with passengers crashes into a nuclear power plant in the small town of Waketa, Minnesota, which becomes ground zero for a catastrophic national crisis with global implications.

The International Nuclear Event Scale tracks nuclear disasters. It has seven levels. Level 7 is a Major Accident, with only two on record: Fukushima and Chernobyl. There has never been a Level 8. Until now.

In this heart-stopping thriller, ordinary people—power plant employees, firefighters, teachers, families, neighbors, and friends— are thrust into an extraordinary situation as they face the ultimate test of their lives. It will take the combined courage, ingenuity, and determination of a brave few to save not only their community and loved ones, but the fate of humanity at large.

My review:

I am in awe at this author's ability to have your heart pounding within the first few sentences of a book! This is the third book I've read by this flight attendant turned author, and they have all been stellar! While the first two took place primarily on an airplane, this one is more what happens after an airplane crashes....into a nuclear power plant!! Be sure to catch the author's note with how she came up with the story, fascinating look into airline pilot thoughts. This book was consumed in almost one sitting, I was that invested in what was going to happen. There were two plots going on simultaneously, one at the scene of the crash, and the other at a bridge where one of the plane's wings landed upon impact. Both were super compelling and fast paced. I learned something about nuclear power plants, but it wasn't written in a way that was text book-y. If it sounds like this is only a plot driven story, the characters were so well done! There are quite a lot of them, but you will definitely know who is who by the end. Not only did I experience the pulse pounding emotion, but I also cried at a point toward the end (if you read it, you'll know!).

If you are looking for an edge of your seat, adrenaline inducing thriller, that also has great characters and people who rally during the worst of scenarios (see what I did there?), pick this one up. At this point I'm ready to read the phone book if it's written by this author!

I listened to this book on audio, and I highly recommend that format if that is a format you like. The narrator was phenomenal! He added drama and emotion to the scenes and characters, and I will seek out other books he narrates in the future.

Published on Leave a comment on The Same Bright Stars
The Same Bright Stars Book Cover The Same Bright Stars
Ethan Joella
Fiction
Simon and Schuster
July 2, 2024
Hardcover/Audio
304
Purchased/Library

Three generations of Schmidts have run their family’s beachfront restaurant, and Jack has been at the helm since his father's death. He puts the demands of the restaurant above all else, with a string of failed relationships, no hobbies, and no days off as proof of his commitment to the place. He can’t remember the last time he sat on the beach or enjoyed a moment to himself.

Meanwhile, the DelDine group has been snapping up beloved eateries along this stretch of coast, and it is pursuing Jack with a very generous offer to take Schmidt’s off his hands. Jack craves companionship and maybe even a family. He wonders whether closing the door on the restaurant might open a window for him—but who would he be without Schmidt’s, and can he trust DelDine’s claims that it will continue to employ his staff and honor his family’s legacy?

My review:

This is what i would call a quiet book that packs a punch. Definitely a character driven story, it follows a man who runs a restaurant that has been in his family for decades. His whole life is tied up in this venture, and as the story opens he starts to question if this is enough? Does he want and deserve more out of his life? I loved the characters in this story! From the friends, to the employees and loyal customers, it encompasses a lot of different pieces that show the inner turmoils not always visible on the surface. The found family aspect is one that I thoroughly enjoy in novels, and this one had that in spades. The beach setting was of special significance since I also live in a beach city, and could relate to the tourist season aspects of business.

This is a book that will have you rooting for the characters to find their happy ever after! Wonderfully written and highly memorable, this is a book that has earned a bunch of bright stars. If you like thoughtful character based stories, don't sleep on this one!

Published on Leave a comment on Swan Song
Swan Song Book Cover Swan Song
Nantucket #4
Elin Hilderbrand
Little, Brown and Company
June 11, 2024
Hardcover/Audio
384
Purchased/Library

In the grand finale of "queen of the beach read" Elin Hilderbrand's beloved Nantucket novels, there's a new couple in town... and they instantly shake things up. Amid the extravagant parties on land and sea, there's trouble on the island, forcing Chief of Police Ed Kapanesh to postpone his retirement and changing the fabric of life on the picturesque island forever...

After thirty-five years serving as the Chief of Police on the island of Nantucket, Ed Kapenash's heart can no longer take the stress. But his plans to retire are thwarted when, with only three days left to serve, he receives a phone call. A 22-million-dollar summer home, recently purchased by the flashy new couple in town, the Richardsons, has burned to the ground. The Richardsons are far from hurt—in fact, they're out on the water, throwing a lavish party on their yacht—but when news of the fire reaches them, they discover that their personal assistant has vanished. The Chief is well-acquainted with the Richardsons, and his daughter is best friends with the now-missing girl, leaving him no choice but to postpone his retirement and take on the double case.

On a small island like Nantucket, the Richardsons shook things up from the second they stepped on to the scene, throwing luxurious parties and doing whatever they could to gain admittance to the coveted lunches at the Field & Oar Club (with increasing desperation). They instantly captured the attention of local real estate agent Fast Eddie, and the town gossip Blond Sharon, both dealing with their own personal dramas. Blond Sharon is going through a divorce, and in order to avoid becoming a cliché, she's enrolled in a creative writing class, putting her natural affinity for scandal towards a more noble purpose. To solve the case of the fire and track down his daughter's best friend, the Chief will have to string together the pieces of the lives of all of these characters and more, rallying his strength for his final act of service to the tight-knit community he knows and loves.

The last of Elin Hilderbrand's bestselling Nantucket novels, Swan Song is a propulsive medley of glittering gatherings, sun-soaked drama, wisdom and heart, featuring the return of some of her most beloved characters, including, most importantly, the beautiful and timeless island of Nantucket itself.

My review:

Was this truly worthy of 5 stars? Objectively maybe not (although it would easily make 4), but it's the last of the Nantucket novels (oh please let Elin hate semi retiring, and have her return in a few years!)! So for nostalgia sake, this is me saying congratulations on decades of summer beach read novels, and all the stars are deserved for the entertainment they have provided! While almost all of the author's previous books have been set on Nantucket, this one is listed as #4 because that is how many Chief Ed Kapanesh has been in. My favorite thing about these novels is how familiar you get with a place you have never visited (but do these novels ever make you want to!). It's so fun when the characters head to local bars and restaurants that you have read about as though they are in your own neighborhood, and you can pop on down anytime. At the end of her book The Five Star Hotel there is a great guide curated by Elin with all the places to stay/visit/eat at. This book had intrigue, mystery, people with questionable motives, and much more. The last chapter is particularly poignant for those who have read most of Elin's novels, there are tons of past characters mentioned! I listened to this on audio, and Elin narrates the last chapter herself, which darn near brought a tear to my eyes! Speaking of the ending, it is a bit ambiguous, and I can't wait to hear what others think about it?

One of the queens of the beach reads is putting away her pen (although word has it she is working on a boarding school series with her daughter, I'm not big on young adult so I'll have to evaluate before reading). The title aptly says it all, this is the swan song for the Nantucket stories 🙁 Your final

Published on Leave a comment on One Perfect Couple
One Perfect Couple Book Cover One Perfect Couple
Ruth Ware
Fiction
Simon and Schuster
May 21, 2024
Hardcover/Library
400
Purchased/Library audio

Lyla is in a bit of a rut. Her post-doctoral research has fizzled out, she’s pretty sure they won’t extend her contract, and things with her boyfriend, Nico, an aspiring actor, aren’t going great. When the opportunity arises for Nico to join the cast of a new reality TV show, The Perfect Couple, she decides to try out with him. A whirlwind audition process later, Lyla finds herself whisked off to a tropical paradise with Nico, boating through the Indian Ocean towards Ever After Island, where the two of them will compete against four other couples—Bayer and Angel, Dan and Santana, Joel and Romi, and Conor and Zana—in order to win a cash prize.

But not long after they arrive on the deserted island, things start to go wrong. After the first challenge leaves everyone rattled and angry, an overnight storm takes matters from bad to worse. Cut off from the mainland by miles of ocean, deprived of their phones, and unable to contact the crew that brought them there, the group must band together for survival. As tensions run high and fresh water runs low, Lyla finds that this game show is all too real—and the stakes are life or death.

My review:

I confess that I have never watched Survivor, not even one episode. But that certainly doesn't stop me from enjoying survivalist stories, this one included. This one takes off fairly quickly, just a small bit of backstory before we are on the island and the competition has begun. What starts as a game turns in a different direction when a storm erupts essentially cutting the couples off from communication and supplies. Add to that, someone among them is not what they seem, and you have the makings of a tense, exciting thriller! I loved the pacing, the writing, and the character set up. Even when I thought I had things figured out, I was sure that I was probably wrong in my hunch, so was waiting for the twist to fall. I really don't have any quibbles with this one, although the number of times we heard about how thirsty they were got a little tiresome. As with most thrillers, it probably didn't have anything that will make it stand out a few years from now (the only way a thriller earns five stars from me), but I very much enjoyed my time while listening.

A fast paced survivor story that will be perfect if you are a fan of the show, or these types of stories. Fast paced and intense, I think this will be the perfect summer read if you're tired of true beach reads.

Published on Leave a comment on The Rom-Commers
The Rom-Commers Book Cover The Rom-Commers
Katherine Center
Fiction
St. Martin's Press
June 11, 2024
Hardcover/Audio
336
Purchased/NetGalley

Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies―good ones! That win contests! But she’s also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates―The Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!―it’s a break too big to pass up.

Emma’s younger sister steps in for caretaking duties, and Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime. But what is it they say? Don’t meet your heroes? Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone―much less “a failed, nobody screenwriter.” Worse, the romantic comedy he’s written is so terrible it might actually bring on the apocalypse. Plus! He doesn’t even care about the script―it’s just a means to get a different one green-lit. Oh, and he thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme.

But Emma’s not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself. She will convince him that love stories matter―even if she has to kiss him senseless to do it. But . . . what if that kiss is accidentally amazing? What if real life turns out to be so much . . . more real than fiction? What if the love story they’re writing breaks all Emma’s rules―and comes true?

My review:

How fitting that a writer of rom-coms would aptly title her book The Rom-Commers! This was such a sweet (no spicy scenes....not my thing) story about a very headstrong woman willing to take on the task of helping a famous screenwriter fix (or completely overhaul) his latest rom-com. The issues lie in the fact that said writer has no interest in working on a rewrite since he doesn't believe in love, and our woman protagonist has had an infatuation with this man and his work for a vey long time. The way they interact and work through their problems in at the heart of the book. However, there are some side issues that really worked for me as well. Emma's dad has a chronic condition causing him to need round the clock care, and her guilt over having to leave him in the care of her sister while she jets off to LA take their tole in more ways than one. Charlie also has some health issues that are at the crux of the quintessential romance third act conflict. I really loved how strong Emma remained throughout the process. She clearly believes in her ability, and wanted to see it to completion. My only quibble would be that I questioned why she would be such a huge fan of Charlie's work when she is really only interested in rom-coms? Just a bit of a stumbling block that was easy to overlook once the story got rolling.

Great characters with witty banter, and some deeper issues also explored, made this a really enjoyable read. This will be a perfect book for your summer vacation if you like a bit more depth than just a fluffy love story.