This is my second Alexandra Vasti book, and it delivers fun characters with very compelling chemistry. Earl Crush is about Arthur, a penniless ScottisThis is my second Alexandra Vasti book, and it delivers fun characters with very compelling chemistry. Earl Crush is about Arthur, a penniless Scottish earl who invents in his spare time, and Lydia, who is shy in public but very forthcoming as an author of seditious pamphlets. Arthur and Lydia are great together and the banter really jumps off the page.
The story itself didn't work quite as well for me, though, and the plot felt both unevenly paced and contrived at the same time. There's so much going on in this book, with a plot against the government mixed with espionage mixed with a laundry list of family dynamics. All of that is well and good, but it feels more like window dressing for the romance than a truly thought out story on its own. And then it ends without giving you some real emotional beats! (view spoiler)[You never really get the final interaction between Arthur and his brother, or, more importantly, Lydia and Davis. (hide spoiler)]
I keep reading these books because the chemistry is so good, and maybe that's why I like the Halifax Hellion novellas better. I had similar plot complaints with Ne'er Duke Well. But if that's less important for you and you prefer chemistry to plot, then you will probably enjoy this book just fine.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!...more
Cue the Sun! is an exhaustive and mostly fun ride through the history of reality TV. My favorite parts of the book were the beginning, especially the Cue the Sun! is an exhaustive and mostly fun ride through the history of reality TV. My favorite parts of the book were the beginning, especially the sections about reality on the radio and the transition to early TV. I did learn some new tidbits about contemporary reality TV (like why Big Brother is such a hit in Europe and an afterthought in the US), and I liked the few deep dives that Nussbaum did on Survivor and similarly huge shows.
But the "exhaustive" adjective really does apply here: Nussbaum goes so into detail on all of the people involved in each show that it's easy to get overwhelmed as she jumps from topic to topic. For that reason, the latter half of the book suffers, and it doesn't feel like the book really has a thesis by the time you get to the end. Does it have to have a thesis? No, but ending with The Apprentice would suggest that you need one.
Despite all of this, the subject matter is so fascinating that this is a fun read. I'd recommend it for your next vacation, maybe to put you to sleep on the plane and then to give you conversation topics at the pool.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!...more
This is a solid debut romance, featuring Peter, who grew up in Louisiana but inherits an old dukedom, and Selina, who secretly runs a lending library This is a solid debut romance, featuring Peter, who grew up in Louisiana but inherits an old dukedom, and Selina, who secretly runs a lending library filled with erotica. If that sounds like a mad lib, you're not that far off, but Peter and Selina have great chemistry and the book is genuinely funny—some of the lines made me laugh out loud.
Unfortunately, there's way too much going on, and the plot is all over the place. The first half of the book is a marriage subplot where Selina tries to find Peter a bride, and then the second half is a custody battle alongside bookselling drama. I think all of this overshadowed the characters, and there were way too many extraneous details (like did it even end up mattering that Peter was American, specifically?). The other unfortunate thing is that Peter and Selina met ~3 years before this book was set, and I would have much rather read about their first meeting and why they initially liked each other. It feels like you're dropped in to a romance in progress, and I wanted the beginning of the story.
I will definitely read more Alexandra Vasti in the future! I like her characters. I just want them to have a little more room to breathe.
Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy....more
Emma Lord is my favorite contemporary YA author. Her dialogue is funny, her characters are unique, and I love the relationships between the teenage prEmma Lord is my favorite contemporary YA author. Her dialogue is funny, her characters are unique, and I love the relationships between the teenage protagonists and their parents. While she has some similar themes in each book—and many of the books are set in NYC—I think enjoyment really hinges on how well you connect to the specific cast of characters and their coming-of-age stories.
This book follows best friends Riley and Tom, who have been separated for years before meeting again for a summer in New York. Because their friendship is firmly rooted in the past and there are so many flashbacks, I didn't really fall for this story the way that I wanted to. It's still very funny and sweet with a large supporting cast, and I liked that the protagonist, Riley, strikes out on her own without conventional college plans. But I found myself less interested in Riley and Tom's past, and that dominates a large part of the book. If you want to read about the evolution of a lifelong friendship (and don't mind a lot of descriptive backstory), you'll probably enjoy this more than I did.
If you haven't read any Emma Lord, I loved When You Get the Chance (it made me cry!) and Tweet Cute. I am very excited for her first adult romance to come out next year!
And of course, thanks to the publisher for the review copy....more
I really wanted to like this, but it fell flat for me. It follows former best friends June and Levi as they reconnect after years apart, and the shareI really wanted to like this, but it fell flat for me. It follows former best friends June and Levi as they reconnect after years apart, and the shared history took over the book. While there's certainly a lot of action happening in the present, it keeps getting bogged down by June's explanations of how she used to feel about Levi and if she can allow herself to feel that way again, which is frankly quite boring. The book starts with the assumption that (view spoiler)[these two are already perfect for each other (hide spoiler)], and I don't buy it! There's no time to allow the relationship or the characters to truly develop in a meaningful way. The most fully realized character in the book was June's sister, and she's not even present for the story.
This would work for someone who doesn't mind second chance romance (though I think that's a stretch because they have a limited history in high school), or someone who is more willing to sink into the world of the book without necessarily looking for a strong romance payoff.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!...more
I really enjoyed this book, and it might be my favorite Aaron Falk book yet. I love how each book in this series is set in a different part of AustralI really enjoyed this book, and it might be my favorite Aaron Falk book yet. I love how each book in this series is set in a different part of Australia, and this one reunites Falk with his friend Raco in the wine country. Like The Dry, this case is personal—though this time it's Raco's social circle that is affected. That connection makes the mystery even more heart-wrenching.
The story centers around the disappearance of Kim Gillespie, who leaves her young child at the annual Marralee Valley Festival. No one sees her go. A year on, Falk is visiting Raco during the festival, and there are still questions about Kim's fate. Falk and Raco start digging into the timeline, reconstructing what might have happened to Kim. The answer is slowly revealed over the course of the book. This isn't a Poirot-style whodunnit where there's a smoking gun; there's one key piece of information that is in front of the reader the whole time, and eventually Falk and Raco are able to put it together (though not without some tight and dramatic storytelling at the end).
I thought the mystery in this book was great, though what I particularly loved was the varied and interesting cast of characters in the Marralee Valley. I liked spending more time with Raco and his family, and Falk's investment in the case is believable since it's so personal for his friend. (view spoiler)[I also really liked Falk's eventual relationship (which felt pretty natural) and the fact that he's sticking around with the Raco crew. (hide spoiler)] It seems like a bit much to wish for, but I hope there's another book that centers on Raco and Falk. The personal cases are so much more compelling than the ones where Falk is simply the investigator who gets called in.
I really enjoyed Fable, so I was very excited to get this book on Netgalley. This is Adrienne Young's first adult book, but the core of the story is vI really enjoyed Fable, so I was very excited to get this book on Netgalley. This is Adrienne Young's first adult book, but the core of the story is very YA, and the book seems confused about what it wants to be. Is it a mystery? Magical realism? It doesn't do either well, so I ended up disappointed. You may like this book if you enjoy atmospheric reads. The problem is that there's not much under the surface.
The story takes place on Saoirse Island, which is a magical version of one of the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest. Emory hasn't seen her high school boyfriend in 15 years, and he reappears on Saoirse to bury his mother on the island. Emory's best friend was murdered in high school, and that unsolved crime haunts the island and its inhabitants. When the ex shows up, Emory finally starts trying to solve her best friend's murder. (If you think this sounds like Veronica Mars, you would be right - but with a 15-year-old cold case. The best friend's name is even Lily!)
The problem with this book is that Emory and August (omg), our star-crossed lovers, are both very boring people who have not done anything in the years they've been apart. The most interesting parts of their lives happened to them as teenagers, and since then they've been going through the motions. VERY minor spoilers: (view spoiler)[As adults, they're even incapable of solving the crime. Instead of having Emory and/or August solve any part of the mystery, there are about seven additional perspectives added to the mix to reveal vital pieces of information. (hide spoiler)] This makes the whole thing pretty unsatisfying and makes it feel like a YA book, because the teenage years and memories are the best parts of the story. I'm not sure why the time gap is necessary - it would have been much better as a contemporary teen mystery. Or you could give it a couple years if you wanted a time shift. (Like Veronica Mars!) I don't believe in these characters as thirty-somethings.
I did like the mythology and magic of Saoirse Island, and it only took me a couple days to read this entire book. I wish the magic had been more prevalent and the characters had been stronger. There's some good stuff in here. It just didn't work for me.
I've really enjoyed everything I've read by Jess Kidd, and the writing in this book is beautiful. The two interlocking time periods build on each otheI've really enjoyed everything I've read by Jess Kidd, and the writing in this book is beautiful. The two interlocking time periods build on each other, and the themes of love, loss, and abandonment feel powerful for both main characters. The settings feel very real - the descriptions of life aboard the Batavia are particularly claustrophobic and well done - and the plot is suspenseful, even when you know what's going to happen.
My issue with this book is that the story is so bleak. I had a hard time returning to this, even when I needed to know what happened. I think this would likely work best as a horror read in the fall (when this comes out), though I found the two children's stories to be so sad that it overshadowed everything else about the book. If you're looking for the dark version of The Devil and the Dark Water, you'll enjoy this. And Jess Kidd fans will love the writing, maybe regardless of subject.
Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy!...more
Update from a long-time listener, first-time reader: I enjoyed this place! This book wasn't what I necessarily expected, even based oI love this place
Update from a long-time listener, first-time reader: I enjoyed this place! This book wasn't what I necessarily expected, even based on the blurb. It's an ensemble cast set in a small Texas town, with tensions that build towards the town's annual charity picnic. Most of the book revolves around the main character, Mary Alice Roth, but there are also significant sections dedicated to the young NYC transplant who takes her teaching job, her best friend Ellie, and her son, Michael.
The most successful parts of the book for me were the descriptions of the Texas hill country and small-town life. (If you don't have grackles, your setting is wrong!) I also really liked some of the insights hidden in the writing. The one that will stick with me comes from Michael, who wonders why parents make jokes about their own kids to bond with other adults. I highlighted a few sections that I really liked; the one-liners feel true and pertinent.
I had a more difficult time with the overall structure of the book and the perspective switches, which sometimes threw me off. I think Bobby mentioned that the book started as a screenplay, and it honestly does read like one. I was never really sure why we were spending so much time with Josie, or why the teaching job takes up so much of the first part of the book before melting into the background. I also think the subject matter made it difficult for me (personally) to get into the world. There's so much sadness and regret tied up in the mother/son relationships.
Ultimately, I need the fancast of this book. It would make a fun prestige miniseries....more
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