2/10/2020 0 Comments Only Lies Remain by Val Collins
Only Lies Remain by Val Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars A page-turner from beginning to end, this quick read is everything you want when you reach for a crime mystery. The characters and situations are relatable, realistic, and well fleshed out. Scenes evoke a myriad of emotions and reactions. Intrigue and surprises at every turn, and an ending not even I could predict. This book is very well written and satisfying. View all my reviews
Many thanks to Book Sirens for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 2 of 5 stars I can understand why people enjoy this book, but I can't fathom why it's getting rave reviews. The writing was palatable and the style in which it was written didn't even bother me, but I didn't love it, it doesn't deserve 4+ stars. Two stars is generous. A quarter of the way through the book and I'm realizing that this is it, this is the story, and I'm disappointed. I've heard it before, numerous times, thousands of variations. I grew up watching VH1 Behind the Music, and all I was seeing here was an ultimate mashup. The overall theme of sex, drugs, and rock and roll has been done, anyone that has seen a documentary on any band formed in the 70s knows exactly how this is going to end. Each character was a bland, cookie cutter facsimile of competing leads, apathetic pragmatists, hot heads, and sleazy outliers. It was the 70s, so of course there are drugs, but the problem with addictions is that they can only end in two ways, through sobering up or in flames. There is true love and one night stands, unrequited love and convenient companionship. All of this bandied about and outlined as an interview, it plays out exactly like any one hour expose on E! Television. It had its moments of humor and some standout lines, but each song was "the one", everyone said something "that really stuck" with whatever person, so many times did Daisy sing "from her gut" it was no wonder why she was high all the time, it had to be painful constantly singing so raw. Cliche is an understatement. This book starts out bland and stays that way, a few mild bumps in the road, but nothing to propel you to the end except for the promise of the last page. View all my reviews
For more insight on how I felt throughout the book, check out my notes at https://www.goodreads.com/notes/40520251-daisy-jones-the-six/14751350-heather-gadd?ref=bsop
Toil & Trouble: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars Brilliant! It was absolutely beautiful. I remember seeing something about it and so I put it on hold at the library. That was awhile ago, so when it popped up in my Kindle, I loved the title but I had no recollection what it was actually about. When I started reading it, it read a lot like fiction, but then when I checked out the author, it all came back to me that it was a memoir and then I was really intrigued. Especially since I had read Running With Scissors years ago and hadn't made the connection that it was the same author. Anyway, throughout the entire book I was just swept up in the storytelling, the imagery of the house and his upbringing, not to mention his abilities. Even if you are a skeptic, which I most certainly am, he still tells a damn good story. So vivid are the details, his humor is dry and sarcastic, I want to go back and read all of his works leading up to this one. Reading this was so much fun and delightful and I wish we were friends because he sounds like he would be so much fun to sit with and chat. Check out my notes for the book for a few of my thoughts throughout the novel. View all my reviews 12/17/2019 1 Comment December 2019 Book Releases
12/12/2019 0 Comments The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
My rating: 2 of 5 stars Dear Ron Charles with the Washington Post, you are quoted saying, "...a long novel that never feels long," in regards to this tome of adjectives that equals 771 pages. You are WRONG. This book feels like EVERY single one of those 700 plus pages, and it didn't need to be this way. This book could have been awesome, and by all accounts of its awards and acclaim, apparently it is, but maybe I'm too stupid to realize its greatness. However, I don't believe I am stupid, or ignorant, or uneducated, but what I do believe is that there is an unnecessary elite that comes with writing a long, drawn out, fatalistic piece that has other authors and critics falling all over themselves to adore. Why? Yes, the story, the bare bones beginning, middle, climax, resolution, it was good, something I would have enjoyed reading, but it was the nonstop depressing rain of descriptions upon descriptions, drawn out conversations that had me screaming in my head, "Just shut up already!" Again, I wonder, as I do with so many other books that I read and come away dissatisfied, yet feeling so strongly, is this the point the author is trying to make, the impact they so desire? Is it the point to elicit such intense feelings, whether it be love or hatred? I don't hate the book, there were parts I enjoyed, characters I loved, in its entirety, it inspired to want to write more on my own, but is it really as great as some would lead you to believe? I don't think so, but again, what do I know, I'm a stay-at-home mom writing reviews in my spare time. View all my reviews 12/12/2019 0 Comments My Favorite Children's Books
A little bit about me, I have five, that's right, FIVE kiddos, so I read A LOT, a lot of board books, Dr. Seuss, Sandra Boynton, Roald Dahl, Beverly Cleary, we have BOXES of books for kids. I got tired of cleaning them all off the floor so I had to start rotating them seasonally. Below I've compiled a list of authors and books that I love reading over and over.
12/10/2019 1 Comment Giveaways!12/9/2019 0 Comments Santa, Baby...12/8/2019 1 Comment Dark Hollows by Steve Frech
Dark Hollows by Steve Frech
My rating: 4 of 5 stars I found Dark Hollows while scrolling through Twitter. The name was the first thing to jump out of me, I’m a huge fan of books that have “dark” and “hollows”, it’s the recipe for a great read. Since it was a NetGalley retweet that had featured this title, I jumped over to see if I could snag it for myself, and I rejoiced when I was approved to read the title. From the beginning, I was in love. Set in a Vermont small town in October with detailed descriptions of an east coast autumn, small town main street, and a bustling coffee shop, it wasn’t long before I was craving a cup of joe and the cozy firepit mentioned early on in the story. Mysteries abound in this tale of a past that has caught up with the future, taunting and threatening to expose horrible truths. A classic battle of conscience, where the truth will set you free, sort of. Murders and kidnappings, sabotage and car crashes, this page-turning thriller has everything to keep you entertained to the very last word. This story flows effortlessly, the transitions between the past and present are innovative and add life to the page. Steve’s writing is like a familiar friend, it’s comfortable in its skin, it’s your favorite sweatshirt, perfectly broken in. He masterfully crafts suspense in a way that is not easy in written form. I couldn’t read it fast enough but was upset when it ended so quickly. What I found especially fun was being able to interact with Steve via Twitter while reading. I enjoy following the authors I read, and am thrilled when they follow back, even more so when they interact with my posts as I always want to discuss the book I am currently reading. I am thankful to have found a community on Twitter where I can share what I’m thinking and sometimes receive feedback and commentary. Reading and reviewing becomes so much more fun when you can build a relationship with readers and writers. View all my reviews
Many thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.
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