Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent

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4 Stars

Shout out to all my homies who have given this many of the Starzzzzzz . . . .



And to you, my dearest Shelby . . . .



Meet Oliver . . . .

“I expected more of a reaction the first time I hit her.”

If you’re absolutely horrible like me when you read that opening line you might have been going . . . .



But by page 10 I knew that Oliver would most definitely not be my new Joe because he escalated the above-quoted situation purrrrrrty hardcore and before he realized that . . . .



As I kept reading, I was like . . . .



Not with the story itself, because not only was it easy to follow, but also because my butt was firmly glued to my chair from cover to cover on this one, but with the categorization of “psychological suspense.” Even the library had this on the recommendation list for the “Shelf of Suspects” challenge. Here’s the deal – THIS IS NOT A THRILLER. <<< See that? Do I need to say it louder? THIS IS NOT A THRILLER!!! If you go in expecting some wild and crazy ride, there is a bigly chance you will be disappointed just like my book bestie was. Unraveling Oliver is a character study – and the best thing is you don’t just learn about Oliver’s history, you learn about pretty much the entire ensemble. And yes there are a bounty of skeletons that end up falling out of various closets, but none of them are of a particularly “thrilling” nature. While the blurb missed the mark as far as how to shelve this book, the comparisons to Ruth Ware as far as story and delivery or Patricia Highsmith as far as the quality of writing are pretty decent. I dug it.

Book #7 in the Winter Reading Challenge because I am an overachiever ; )

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

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4 Stars

“I knew how to die. It was the living that scared me.” 

At a time when cancer stories have become nearly cliché in young adult romance stories, Julie Murphy comes up with a new spin on things. Everything was going great for Alice. She was surviving her freshman year in high school, was the best ballet student in her class, had landed a popular boyfriend . . . but then she saw something that she couldn’t unsee, found out Mr. Perfect was cheating on her with her arch nemesis and as a cherry on the shit sundae she was diagnosed with leukemia. When the chemo stops working and she is faced with the reality that she is going to die, Alice creates a “Just Dying To-Do List” and enlists the help of her former BFF Harvey. The one thing Alice wasn’t prepared for after getting her revenge??? Remission.

It should go without saying that I am an old lady who really digs reading young adult stories. At this point it’s probably safe to officially declare my love for Julie Murphy as well, so let me count the ways:

1. I may love her so much that I subconsciously single-white femaled her because I pulled up her author page and realized I just cut and colored my hair so now we kind of look alike;

2. I love that she writes stories that make me feel like a kid even though I’m an old lady, and I’m really impressed that she makes me feel feelings . . . . .



3. I love that she makes me want to read her stuff simply due to the titles;

4. I love that I loved the first book I read by her (Dumplin’) so much I am interested in reading its sequel and I hardly ever read a sequel . . . .



5. I love that I didn’t know Side Effects May Vary was by the author of Dumplin’, but when I started reading it, I was all like “I KNOW I have read this author before;”

6. I love that Alice was an asshole. Like right away you find out Alice has never watched/ends up hating A Christmas Story so you know she’s going to be awful, and the more you read the more it becomes clear that Alice was an asshole waaaaaaaay before almost dying. That’s real life, though. People – especially hormonal teens – sometimes ARE assholes. I’m tired of reading about perfect “John Greeny” types of adolescents and was happy to suffer through Alice’s most cringey behavior in hopes of her getting a redemption arc at the end so I could be all . . . . .



7. I love that this was a debut novel. Good grief this chick writes readable stuff;

8. I love that this was a different kind of love story . . . .



“I love you. And you know what the feels like? It’s like a fucking cheese grater against my heart.”

9. I love that I read this thing cover-to-cover in a couple of hours because I could not get enough.

In case you can’t tell – it’s A-Okay if none of you love this. I loved it enough for everyone . . . . .

 

Monday, January 29, 2018

13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough


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2 Stars

“What’s the difference between a psychopath and a sociopath?” 

First things first for all of you who have been following along . . . . .



IT’S A MAJOR AWARD! I read the required five selections for the Winter Reading Challenge and since I have no ability to limit myself – especially when it comes to mysteries and thrillers, I have a whole bunch more checked out/on hold at the library.

13 Minutes came on my radar due to a comment my friend Erica left somewhere (maybe Without Merit???? I can’t even remember my children’s birthdays without a reminder pop-up at this point so there’s zero chance I’m going to recall what YA selection we were talking about when this came up). The story here is about “the Barbies” a/k/a The Most Popular Girls In School . . . .



Natasha, Jenny and Hayley used to spend their time handling important issues such as . . . . .



And making sure their classmates always remember who rules the school . . . . .



But when Natasha - the leader of the mean girls - is found in an icy river, everything is turned upside down. Did Natasha attempt suicide? Or did someone try and kill her? If so, who??????

I’m completely baffled that Erica enjoyed this more than me. We must have pulled a real Freaky Friday because normally something like this would be right up my alley and she would be the one to poo-poo it. I guess my main issue was that I’ve read the twist contained in the pages of 13 Minutes a time or twelve before and I’ve read versions of it that were executed way better than this. At minimum, at least those other stories didn’t drag the glaringly obvious “whodunit” out for 100 flipping pages. It probably didn't help that the other book I read by this author kind of blew my mind. So even though this should have been a big winner for me it ended up being just “meh.”

Parental Guidance Warning: All these children do is drugs and have sex . . . .



Book #6 in the library’s Winter Reading Challenge

 

Friday, January 26, 2018

IQ by Joe Ide

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4.5 Stars


“You lucky you got skills, son, ‘cause if you had to survive on your personality you’d be working at the morgue with dead people.”

Remember pretty much every single year last year when it was #oscarssowhite? Books like this serve as a reminder that #literaturesowhite. I.Q. is definitely not a new tale, it’s a twist on something old – Sherlock Holmes in the ‘hood, if you will. However, that little spin is all it took to make everything old seem new again. Well, that and some serious storytelling ability by Joe Ide.

The story here is of “I.Q.” . . .



“Isaiah Quintabe is unlicensed and undaground.” 
 

I.Q. has a bit of a gift . . .



“He couldn’t help seeing what he saw. Things different or things not right or out of place or in place when they shouldn’t be or not in sync with the words that came with them.” 
 

I.Q. has turned this ability into a livelihood. This story focuses on his most recent case . . . .



“The client is Black the Knife … He was in that Nelly, Ludacris, Mystikal, Busta Rhymes generation. He got the houses, the cars, clothing line, his own brand of tequila, his own cologne … Black the Knife’s real name is Calvin Wright. Grew up in Inglewood over by Hollywood Park. Ran with the Damu Bloods before he got into the game. Anthony said somebody tried to cap him at his crib, almost got him too.” 
 

There’s the summary in a nutshell. Someone wants Black the Knife dead and I.Q. will get paid $50K if he can figure out who. When you crack it open you get monster-sized pitbulls and crazed hired assassins and a posse of hangers-on and a jilted ex-wife – a whole slew of potential suspects. In addition, there’s a sort of dual storyline (something that generally annoys me) that explains exactly how I.Q. came to be I.Q. It’s like two amazing books in one. Bonus!



4.5 Stars because this was excellent. Rounded up to a full 5 for Dodson . . . .







Dodson might end up as my favorite character in 2018.



Book #5 in the library Winter Reading Challenge. THE MUG IS MINE!!!! (and I’ll be picking it up after work).



Thursday, January 25, 2018

Roomies by Christina Lauren

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3.5 Stars

“I’ve never done this before. I just know I’m falling for the girl I married.” 

So last week someone clicked the ol’ likey like button on one of my old reviews, and since I am 100% geriatric and suffer from C.R.S. (that’s Can’t Remember Shit for those of you not in the know) I didn’t even know what the heck book it was. When I saw the author I was all “why does that name sound familiar” and then realized that I had this book by the same person checked out from the library . . . . .



You might be asking how I ended up with Roomies – well, I mean aside from the obvious reason . . . . .



Turns out this was one of those spammy things that appear in the middle of the GR feed and make you think one of your friends reviewed it buuuuuuuuuuut nope, it’s just an ad. Apparently it was a pretty effective one too because the pretty pretty shiny shiny cover made me go take a looksee at what it was about. Basically, if you enjoyed this . . . .



And you’re probably all so young you don’t even know WTF that is . . . . .



But if you are old you know what’s up and now you probably want to read it too. Marriage of convenience for a greencard = forced cohabitation and a crash course of get-to-know-you = start to fall in love = some angst about whether it’s real or pretend (and another thing I could have really lived without) = eventual HEA. The female lead was a bit spoiled for my taste (and kind of a creeper with her weird crush on the leading male), but eventually all was forgotten/forgiven because the dang thing was so stinking sweet with some bonus funny ha-ha moments. This is a prime example of why I try not to throw the baby out with the bathwater when it comes to all of an author’s books after reading only one. You never know what might be waiting for you . . . .

“I try to remind myself that this isn’t real – and it certainly isn’t forever – but every time he rolls over in the middle of the night and wakes me up with his hands and his weight over me, it feels more real. Every time he brings me a cup of coffee with his crazy bed head and pillow lines on his face, it feels more real. Every time he holds my jacket for me to slip into before we leave the apartment, and kisses my cheek, it feels more real.”

(^^^So much awwwwwwww, right?)

Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall


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4.5 Stars

“I must be cruel only to be kind / Thus bad begins and worse remains behind.”


When I saw my friend Michelle’s review comparing this to one of my favorites, I went and requested it immediately. I spent the next 24 hours waiting with bated breath to see if I would be approved an early copy while simultaneously trying to lower my expectations. I mean, really, there can only be one You (well, actually there are two and supposedly another in the works and also a television program, but you know what I mean). Ever since Kepnes released her little sleeper and everyone’s favorite psycho book boyfriend into the world others have been trying to follow in her twisted footsteps – and I keep reading them. At this point I figured the comparison is similar to everything being “the next Gone Girl” and once I received my copy I was prepared for disappointment and would deal with Michelle accordingly if I hated it . . . .



Ha! I keeeeed. Don’t be scared, Michelle.

So what was the end result?????



This really is maybe the next You - with one difference: you won’t fall in love with Mike and it’s crystal clear throughout the story that he won’t be getting a happily-ever-after. The story here is of Mike and Verity. Theirs is a classic love story – they met at university and were together for seven years while each became quite the success in their respective industry. Unfortunately Mike engaged in an indiscretion of sorts while living abroad for work. That was when Verity stopped returning his calls and e-mails. Mike is not deterred, however, and knows he can win Verity back once he returns to London. He has the job, the house, the money – all that’s missing is the girl. And so what if she’s engaged to someone else and has invited Mike to the wedding. Mike knows the whole thing is a ruse – a game they play. After all, how can two people who Crave each other so much ever stand to be apart?

Mad props to Araminta Hall for going balls to the wall when it came to Mike. There was not one sentence where I didn’t believe I was in the mind of an absolute nutter. Again, I didn’t “love” Mike like I loved Joe, but boy did I appreciate his crazy effing perspective on things . . . .



Oh, one other note. PLEEEEEEEEAAAAAAASE keep the cover with the eagle on it and ditch that other ugly AF one : )

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick


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4 Stars

Not even February and I’m already behind on 2018’s reviews. Good thing I didn’t tell myself I’d lose weight! The one thing I’ve always told myself is I need to read a Philip K. Dick story. Imagine my surprise when I cued this one up on the ol’ Fiat’s Bluetooth and heard that it was written by Philip K. Dick. I’m not sure one story can be a quantifier for his entire set of works, but in the immortal words of Larry David, this was . . . . .



Whoops. I mean . . . .



Since I listened to it, I don’t have any quotes to provide. I can tell you the story is sort of a “scared straight” type of tale – all about the perils of drug addiction. Our MC, Bob Arctor, is a small-time dealer looking to go big with the new drug of choice known as Substance D. He’s also an undercover agent known as Fred who is trying to bust a small-time dealer looking to go big known as Bob Arctor. Nope, you didn’t read that wrong. You see, one of the side effects of Substance D is that it causes your mind to break from reality. Bob is Bob when he is Bob, but thanks to Bob imbibing in some of his own wares he is also Fred trying to bust Bob when he is Fred. There’s a bevy of supporting characters that make this story more than worth the price of admission added in for good measure. Classified as “Sci-Fi” – a genre I don’t typically steer myself toward – would probably have been the right classification back in 1977 when A Scanner Darkly was originally published. Today? It’s pretty freaking realistic. Aside from the scanner suit, it’s like Philip K. Dick was a real soothsayer with regard to the future of drug use in America.

4 solid stars thanks, in part, to Paul Giamatti on the audio . . . . .



Not interested in reading or listening to the book? Good news! There’s a real trippy film version that’s like live action with a cartoon overlay (wayback machine has teenie bopper Kelly saying just like the A-Ha video!) starring Keanu Reeves . . . .



And an all-star supporting cast . . . .

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Forever My Girl by Heidi McLaughlin


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5 Stars

Yep, I gobbled this up in like twenty-three seconds. You’ll have to excuse the side effects that are occurring thanks to my gluttony . . . .



Like I said yesterday when my turn at the library finally came around: I DON’T EVEN CARE. This was EXACTLY what it was supposed to be. Nicholas Sparks-y and whoopsie baby that dude didn’t know about and second chance romance where the female lead is all . . . . .



And dude is a tattooed superstar musician and thanks to the aforementioned song quote was all like this in my head . . . .



Even though that poor child is like 14 and I’m a granny and I do apologize to his mother for staring at the Google image that popped up of his abdominals for probably longer than is healthy and I will go to confession and say rosaries if need be. And thank the tiny 8 lb. 6 oz. Baby Jeebus he didn’t have to smell like leather and pine and vanilla and cut grass and all the other bullshit NA authors talk about that make me think ewwww, that sounds turrrrrible, but instead just smelled like Burberry cologne and let me tell you that there is a fella around the corner who wears that sometimes and the ventilation system pumps the air from his office straight into my space and errrrrry once in a while it’s like . . . .



But not really because I am not Harvey Weinstein.

Anywho, I do not care if everyone else thinks this is terrible. It probably is. All I know is it is just what I was hoping it would be and by the time (the fucking NINETY PERCENT mark – ouch) when dude was all . . . .

“I don’t know if I can be Liam Paige around you. He doesn’t treat women very well.”

I was . . . . .



EVERY STAR!

ORIGINAL "REVIEW:"

Why yes, I am aware that this is some sappy sapfest which is currently being compared to a Nicholas Sparks type of story. And why yes, I am still going to read it. In my flannel PJs, eating a tub of Ben & Jerry's, watching a snowstorm . . . .

The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani

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3.5 Stars


“The baby is dead.”

I’m not exactly sure how I ended up with this book. I thought it must have been one of the suggestions from the library for the “Shelf of Suspects” challenge, but I just double-checked and it is not. Whatever way I ended up with it, I have to say that is one doozy of an opening line. I also have to say if you’re expecting a story like this . . . .







As I will freely admit I was, you’re not going to find it within the pages of The Perfect Nanny. This was definitely not a thriller. It was a character study. Lucky for me it was a rather good one. The story here is that Myriam has discovered life as a stay-at-home mom isn’t nearly as fulfilling as she always imagined it would be. When an opportunity for Myriam to return to work as an attorney comes up, she is quick to take it. Especially after interviewing Louise – the perfect nanny. What follows is a brief, yet thorough, tale of how Louise went from being practically perfect in every way to murdering the children in her care.



Obviously if you are looking for chills and thrills and twists and turns, this isn’t going to deliver. I’m glad I was able to change my expectations and I have to say it has left me questioning how many other books I would have enjoyed if they had been approached in this manner rather than with all of the rigmarole above. I’m looking at you, Rachel . . . .







Book #4 in the library’s Winter Reading Challenge