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Wednesday, April 01, 2020
Backlist Hannah Book Just Okay
10:44 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Exhausted from years of trying to have a baby with nothing but heartbreak to show for it, Angie Malone has had enough. Enough of the miscarriages, enough of the failed adoptions, enough of the marriage that has crumbled under the strain. With divorce on the horizon, she moves back to her tiny seaside hometown of West End, Washington. Between all the drama her big, loud Italian clan cooks up and her new task of saving the family's struggling Italian restaurant, Angie should have plenty to focus on besides her crushed dreams.
When Lauren Ribido walks into Angie's life, everything changes. With her world-weary countenance and ill-fitting Salvation Army wardrobe, it's clear the 17-year-old is in need of some TLC. Especially when her alcoholic mother disappears, leaving Lauren to fend for herself. As Angie pours all the love she's been storing up for her own child into this abandoned young woman, she cautions herself against growing too attached. When Lauren announces that she's pregnant, Angie can't help the hope that flutters in her heart. She knows better than to play the "What if" game, but what if Lauren can provide the one thing Angie wants most in the world? How far will Angie go to make that happen? And what of the teenaged mother? What does she want? If their desires conflict, what does that mean for their newly-discovered closeness? What will happen as the two frightened women try to navigate their unknown futures?
I'm a big fan of Kristin Hannah's recent blockbuster novels, The Nightingale and The Great Alone. While waiting for her to produce another stunning masterpiece, I've been making my way through her backlist. I've enjoyed some of these older novels—others, not so much. The Things We Do For Love (2004) falls somewhere in the middle. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. Its premise intrigued me and I was definitely interested to see where the story would go. Unfortunately, although I sympathized with Angie, I didn't really like her. To me, she seemed self-centered, fickle, and short-sighted. This made it tough for me to side with her, while I had no problem rooting for Lauren. This, plus the fact that The Things We Do For Love seemed to ramble on longer than necessary, made the novel less enjoyable than it could have been. In the end, then, I feel a bit ambivalent about this one. Like I said before, I didn't love it, didn't hate it.
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (a handful of F-bombs, plus milder expletives) and sexual content
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of The Things We Do For Love at Target with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
TTT: My Bookish Tells
11:48 AM
With all this self-isolation, I have completely lost track of the days of the week. Other than Sunday, when we now hold worship services in our home instead of at the church building, each day is exactly like the other. Know what I'm talking about? Penn Holderness does:
Needless to say, I'm very proud of myself for remembering that today is Tuesday! Yippee! Time for my favorite weekly meme. If you're not familiar with Top Ten Tuesday, you can educate yourself by clicking on over to That Artsy Reader Girl, where you can get all the info you need. Join in the fun by creating your own list, then hopping around the book blogosphere to view other people's lists. It's an enjoyable way to beat boredom, spread some love, and find more books to read. I'm averaging a book a day right now, so I'm definitely up for new recommendations!
Today's topic is a fun one—Top Ten Signs You're a Book Lover. I couldn't think of anything really unique that marks me as a bibliophile, but here goes:
1. If you don't know me and you've never been to my house, your first clue that I love to read would be my license plate. Above is my current one, but I've also had: BOOKISH, NOZNABK, ADDLED ("She has read too many books and it has addled her brain."), etc.
2. Bookish stuff—Another clue would be my bookish t-shirts (my favorite is for a local indie—it says, "Peace, Love, Books" on the back), mugs, artwork, etc.
3. My blog—I've been posting reviews on my blog since 2006. When I publish, links are also posted to my Facebook and Twitter. I also hand out blog business cards at conferences and bookish events. So, I'd say most people who know me, even a little bit, are aware that I run a book review blog.
4. My home library—My house is full of books. There are overfilled bookcases in our family room, the game room, my bedroom, my husband's office, my daughter's room, etc. My little office nook is crammed full of them (See above. I didn't bother tidying up so you could get a real feel for the bookish chaos—you're welcome!) Several people have told me they've never seen so many books in a building that wasn't a library. LOL. What most people don't know is that the closet in my guest room is also stuffed full of review books in file boxes. Houston, I *may* have a problem!
5. My Goodreads TBR—I've heard other readers lament that they have several hundred "want to read" books listed on GR. I have 5,549 and counting. If that's not a sign that I'm a *little* book crazy, I don't know what is!
6. I have THREE library cards—I'm lucky to live in a place where I have access to two large library systems, so I have cards to both the city and county libraries. I also keep my daughter's county card on hand in case I need to check out more than the allowed 50 books. Yes, it has happened. More than once.
7. I've never met a bookstore I didn't like—Seriously. Be it bright, clean, and modern or musty, dusty, and chaotic, I love me a bookstore. Chances are excellent that I'll come out of any bookstore with at least one treasure.
8. I'm never bored—Unlike most people, I have no problem waiting in airports, doctors' offices, carpool lines, stop-and-go traffic, etc. As long as I have a book nearby (and you better believe I always do), I'm perfectly happy to hang around. Even as a kid, I never needed to be entertained. Having a book in hand means I'm never bored.
9. I don't watch t.v.—Ask me about the hottest show on the small screen and you'll get a blank stare. I rarely watch t.v, at least without a book or cross-stitch project on my lap. The only time you'll really find me paying full attention to the boob tube is when I'm folding laundry and even then, I've started listening to audiobooks instead.
10. Hermione Granger is my spirit animal—Bookish characters (and real people) are my favorite because I just get them!
There you go, ten reasons that make it obvious I'm a little book obsessed. What about you? What are your tells? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on yours.
Happy TTT!
1. If you don't know me and you've never been to my house, your first clue that I love to read would be my license plate. Above is my current one, but I've also had: BOOKISH, NOZNABK, ADDLED ("She has read too many books and it has addled her brain."), etc.
2. Bookish stuff—Another clue would be my bookish t-shirts (my favorite is for a local indie—it says, "Peace, Love, Books" on the back), mugs, artwork, etc.
3. My blog—I've been posting reviews on my blog since 2006. When I publish, links are also posted to my Facebook and Twitter. I also hand out blog business cards at conferences and bookish events. So, I'd say most people who know me, even a little bit, are aware that I run a book review blog.
4. My home library—My house is full of books. There are overfilled bookcases in our family room, the game room, my bedroom, my husband's office, my daughter's room, etc. My little office nook is crammed full of them (See above. I didn't bother tidying up so you could get a real feel for the bookish chaos—you're welcome!) Several people have told me they've never seen so many books in a building that wasn't a library. LOL. What most people don't know is that the closet in my guest room is also stuffed full of review books in file boxes. Houston, I *may* have a problem!
6. I have THREE library cards—I'm lucky to live in a place where I have access to two large library systems, so I have cards to both the city and county libraries. I also keep my daughter's county card on hand in case I need to check out more than the allowed 50 books. Yes, it has happened. More than once.
(my favorite Arizona indie)
7. I've never met a bookstore I didn't like—Seriously. Be it bright, clean, and modern or musty, dusty, and chaotic, I love me a bookstore. Chances are excellent that I'll come out of any bookstore with at least one treasure.
9. I don't watch t.v.—Ask me about the hottest show on the small screen and you'll get a blank stare. I rarely watch t.v, at least without a book or cross-stitch project on my lap. The only time you'll really find me paying full attention to the boob tube is when I'm folding laundry and even then, I've started listening to audiobooks instead.
10. Hermione Granger is my spirit animal—Bookish characters (and real people) are my favorite because I just get them!
There you go, ten reasons that make it obvious I'm a little book obsessed. What about you? What are your tells? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on yours.
Happy TTT!
Monday, March 30, 2020
Despite Adorable Cover Model, Who Rescued Who Just an Okay Read
11:23 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
When Elizabeth Barnes is fired after an off-the-cuff remark brings unexpected embarrassment to the tech company for which she works, the 32-year-old workaholic is at loose ends. She still has a horde of followers on her social media accounts, but with no job, no family left and no true IRL friends, Elizabeth's once-glamorous Silicon Valley life suddenly seems very empty. A surprise phone call from a British uncle she never knew she had comes at just the right time. Not only will a trip across the pond give her a chance to reboot (not to mention fill her feeds with attention-getting travel selfies) and connect with estranged family members, but the sale of her father's land should bring in enough cash to tide her over until she can find new employment.
Although Elizabeth receives a warm welcome in Fargrove, it's immediately apparent that she doesn't belong in the tiny backwater town. Without a reliable Internet connection, she's losing followers by the second. Still, when two intriguing opportunities—a temporary job organizing her uncle's artwork and an adorable puppy who's decided to adopt Elizabeth—land in her lap, Elizabeth finds she can't refuse either. Then there's the stunningly handsome James Holworthy, whose eye she simply must catch... As life in Fargrove teaches her to value a simpler way of being, Elizabeth must decide what she really wants, who she really is, and where she truly belongs.
Even though I'm not a huge animal lover, I really can't resist the sweet pup on the cover of Who Rescued Who by professional dog trainer Victoria Schade. I can't say I loved the novel, but I did very much enjoy gazing at its adorable cover model! I also liked the story's quaint setting as well as the warm-hearted townsfolk who inhabit the small village of Fargrove. For me, the secondary characters way upstaged the heroine and hero, neither of whom I found very appealing. Although Elizabeth does change over the course of the novel, she's still a stuck-up, self-centered brat with whom I never felt much of a connection. Perhaps it's because everything always turns up roses for her that I didn't feel invested in her "plight." James comes off as equally as shallow. Their insta-lovey romance feels forced—Elizabeth's bond with her dog is both more believable and better developed than her relationship with James. Plotwise, there was enough going on in the story to keep me reading, but the tale definitely feels longer than necessary, especially since it offers no real surprises. All in all, then, Who Rescued Who turned out to be just an okay read for me. That gorgeous furball on the cover, though? He/she gets an A+ all the way!
(Readalikes: Reminds me of other novels about unmoored city women finding their place in the back of beyond, although no specific titles are coming to mind. You?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (a handful of F-bombs, plus milder expletives) and sexual content
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Who Rescued Who from the generous folks at Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Saturday, March 28, 2020
Second Appalachian Historical Mystery As Intriguing As First
2:36 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
(Note: Although this review will not contain spoilers for The Hollows, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessor, The Widows. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)
When an elderly woman is hit by a train on an isolated piece of railroad track, Sheriff Lily Ross is called in to investigate. While it's immediately clear that the woman is dead, it's not apparent just what she was doing out in the middle of nowhere in the dead of night, wearing only a flimsy nightgown. Marks on her wrists indicate she had been restrained recently. Was the death a tragic accident caused by a roaming senior citizen with dementia? Suicide? Or did something more sinister occur? Lily doesn't believe the brakeman's tale about a ghost pushing the old lady off a cliff directly into the path of an oncoming train, but she can't shake the feeling that there's more to the incident than meets the eye.
Determined to figure out Jane Doe's identity and the truth behind her death, Lily starts digging. Her probing leads her to a facility deep in the holler. Hiding secrets both old and new, The Hollows asylum may be the key to solving Lily's current mystery as well as answering disturbing questions from the past. In the midst of working the Jane Doe case, Lily's also dealing with the fallout from attempted integration at the mines, an upcoming election that could win her the sheriff's seat in her own right, and a shivery ghost story she's starting to believe in spite of herself. Can Lily close the case? Will she keep her job as sheriff, despite many thinking it's an unsuitable job for a lady? And what about the ghost that haunts the holler? Will it make a believer out of pragmatic Lily Ross?
I enjoyed The Widows—the first installment in Jess Montgomery's historical mystery series featuring Lily Ross—so I was eager to read its sequel, The Hollows. Like its predecessor, the novel features an atmospheric Appalachian setting in an intriguing historical time period. It discusses issues/groups I don't know much about, including prohibition, integration in the mining industry, women's issues in the 1920s, and the Women's Klu Klux Klan. In addition, it brings together a cast of colorful characters, most of whom are likable and fun to read about. Lily is no exception. She's an understated heroine, which makes her all the more alluring. To top it all off, Montgomery writes with assured, engrossing prose. All of these elements come together to make The Hollows another winning historical mystery from Montgomery. You better believe I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment in this enjoyable series.
(Readalikes: The Widows by Jess Montgomery)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, disturbing subject matter, and sexual innuendo
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of The Hollows from the generous folks at St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
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