Mary Kay Andrews is BACK!
After being a little disappointed with The High Tide Club last year, I was a little nervous about what to expect from Sunset Beach, but I went ahead and requested a copy from the publisher anyway and I'm so glad I did!
Sunset Beach is classic Andrews - fun, fast-paced and full of heart. And as with almost every Mary Kay Andrews book I've ever read, as soon as I finished reading it I was ready to start renovating and redecorating my house.
If you haven't yet had the pleasure of reading anything by Mary Kay Andrews, this is a good book tot start with. It tells the story of Drue Campbell and her mess of a life. She's moved to St. Petersburg, FL to work in her daddy's law office where she has to contend with her former best friend/new stepmother AND solve a decade's-old mystery.
As always, the characters are over the top, yet believable and the setting is a character of its own. This is my top recommendation for a poolside/beach read for summer 2019.
Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
The Invited
I used to read a lot of horror but I got away from it at some point in the last 15 years or so and I've only recently started really reading it again. It's weird - I pretty much hate horror movies - that feeling of dread when you just know a jump-scare is coming is the worst to me. And yet, that same sense of creeping dread in a really good scary book is the best! Like I said, weird.
The Invited, by Jennifer McMahon is, in my opinion, a really good scary book and it was pretty much the perfect story to get me back into horror. It's a classic ghost story with an excellent twist and I had a hard time putting it down.
Creeping sense of impending doom throughout the book? Check. Well-written characters that you occasionally want to throttle, but mostly want to root for? Check. Excellent setting and original plot? Check and check.
Fans of Stephen King will like this one, I think. I certainly did and he's in my top 3 authors of all time. Now that I've read The Invited, I have big plans to check out McMahon's other works. Who knows? Maybe she's top 3 material as well.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The Invited, by Jennifer McMahon is, in my opinion, a really good scary book and it was pretty much the perfect story to get me back into horror. It's a classic ghost story with an excellent twist and I had a hard time putting it down.
Creeping sense of impending doom throughout the book? Check. Well-written characters that you occasionally want to throttle, but mostly want to root for? Check. Excellent setting and original plot? Check and check.
Fans of Stephen King will like this one, I think. I certainly did and he's in my top 3 authors of all time. Now that I've read The Invited, I have big plans to check out McMahon's other works. Who knows? Maybe she's top 3 material as well.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Friday, April 19, 2019
The Stranger Beside Me
My obsession with true crime continues! I was so excited to get my hands on Ann Rule's classic The Stranger Beside Me from my local library.
Holy crap, y'all. It's so good. As someone who listens to true crime podcasts and watches true crime documentaries a lot, I thought I had a good grasp of Ted Bundy and his evil ways, but I was wrong. This book is so packed with information that I had no idea about. I think I drove my husband nuts the whole time I was reading it with all my little bits of information I just had to randomly pass along. For instance, here's a conversation we recently had:
Husband: Hon? What are we having for dinner tonight?
Me: I don't know yet. Did you know that Ted Bundy got married literally during one of his murder trials? Like he and his fiance figured out this archaic Florida law and just did it in front of everyone. Isn't that crazy? Who does that? Ugh. He was such a psycho.
Husband: Um, that's nice? Seriously, are we not eating tonight?
Me: I'm getting to it! And did you know he used to walk Ann Rule to her car after late night shifts at this crisis center place they worked at because "there are a lot of bad guys out there?!?!?!" Seriously, can you even imagine?
Husband: sigh
I couldn't help it though, it's one of those books you just want to talk about with everyone. And I did eventually make dinner.
Anyone interested in the genre needs to pick this book up. Told from Rule's unique perspective as a friend and former co-worker of Bundy's, it's just an amazing, chilling read. I recommend making sure you're getting the newest edition so you don't miss out on all the forwards and afterwards Rule added over the years after Bundy's conviction and execution.
Holy crap, y'all. It's so good. As someone who listens to true crime podcasts and watches true crime documentaries a lot, I thought I had a good grasp of Ted Bundy and his evil ways, but I was wrong. This book is so packed with information that I had no idea about. I think I drove my husband nuts the whole time I was reading it with all my little bits of information I just had to randomly pass along. For instance, here's a conversation we recently had:
Husband: Hon? What are we having for dinner tonight?
Me: I don't know yet. Did you know that Ted Bundy got married literally during one of his murder trials? Like he and his fiance figured out this archaic Florida law and just did it in front of everyone. Isn't that crazy? Who does that? Ugh. He was such a psycho.
Husband: Um, that's nice? Seriously, are we not eating tonight?
Me: I'm getting to it! And did you know he used to walk Ann Rule to her car after late night shifts at this crisis center place they worked at because "there are a lot of bad guys out there?!?!?!" Seriously, can you even imagine?
Husband: sigh
I couldn't help it though, it's one of those books you just want to talk about with everyone. And I did eventually make dinner.
Anyone interested in the genre needs to pick this book up. Told from Rule's unique perspective as a friend and former co-worker of Bundy's, it's just an amazing, chilling read. I recommend making sure you're getting the newest edition so you don't miss out on all the forwards and afterwards Rule added over the years after Bundy's conviction and execution.
Young Jane Young
Young Jane Young is the second book I've read by Gabrielle Zevin (the first was The Storied Life of AJ Fikry, which was also amazing) and once again I am blown away. I loved this novel so, so much.
At one page in, I was hooked. Rachel's voice was so engaging and the character so well-written, I could hear her voice in my head. And as the narration transitioned to other characters, their voices were alive as well.
Some books you can't put down once you start reading them, and this was definitely one of those books. I simultaneously found myself staying up past bedtime to read just one more chapter and at the same time, trying to make the book last because I knew I would be so sad to leave these characters when it was over.
Young Jane Young is a story of mothers and daughters, of scandal and bullying, mistakes and redemption and really strong women. My only complaint is that it wasn't longer. The ending is very abrupt and somewhat ambiguous and yet, it works.
As always, I'm not giving away details, just trust me when I tell you if you like excellent story-telling, you have to read this book. And if you haven't already read The Storied Life of AJ Fikry, pick that one up too. Along with a box of tissues.
At one page in, I was hooked. Rachel's voice was so engaging and the character so well-written, I could hear her voice in my head. And as the narration transitioned to other characters, their voices were alive as well.
Some books you can't put down once you start reading them, and this was definitely one of those books. I simultaneously found myself staying up past bedtime to read just one more chapter and at the same time, trying to make the book last because I knew I would be so sad to leave these characters when it was over.
Young Jane Young is a story of mothers and daughters, of scandal and bullying, mistakes and redemption and really strong women. My only complaint is that it wasn't longer. The ending is very abrupt and somewhat ambiguous and yet, it works.
As always, I'm not giving away details, just trust me when I tell you if you like excellent story-telling, you have to read this book. And if you haven't already read The Storied Life of AJ Fikry, pick that one up too. Along with a box of tissues.
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