The Woman in the Mirror

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250230065

The Woman in the Mirror
by: Rebecca James

What an excellent gothic thriller. I love any story where the house has its own personality and Winterbourne Hall was a very creepy character. Some parts of this book were a little rushed and unbelievable, but that happens with a somewhat supernatural mystery.
I loved how this book flipped between past and present. It was just enough to keep me on my toes but not too much to confuse me. And there was an appropriate amount of interesting characters.
I both sympathized with and found myself frustrated by Alice AND Rachel and was thoroughly creeped out by the twins.
The ending was perfect. Wrapped up nicely with suspense and answers. I’d highly recommend this to any gothic thrillers/mystery lovers and fans of the English countryside and historical fiction. An excellent read.

Follow Me

Follow Me

by: Kathleen Barber

Wow. What an incredible ride! I gobbled this book up- couldn’t read it fast enough- couldn’t get enough of it.

Audrey is an irritating, self-obsessed main character who’s uncomfortably relatable for anyone buried deep in this social-media-driven world. Her actions were, at times, infuriating yet genuine in the strangest, most shallow way. The mystery behind her friend Cat’s “secret” kept me guessing and the “Him” chapters were perfectly creepy & disturbing.

I’d definitely recommend this book to all the social media junkies, sorority girls, and fans of Netflix’s YOU.

https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/follow-me-kathleen-barber/1132189215?ean=9781982101985

The Authenticity Project

The Authenticity Project

by: Clare Pooley

Release: February 4, 2020

A really sweet book with lots of great characters - guaranteed to find someone/something to relate to. It’s a light-hearted quick read, with just enough depth to keep it interesting and mature. The London neighborhoods are cute and the sense of community is warm & inviting.

I’d recommend it to anyone struggling with their identity or in need of a quick pick-me-up read, social media junkies, and romance fans.

The Truants

The Truants

by: Kate Weinberg

Release: January 28, 2020

This book was a slow burn.

Absolutely beautifully written and so often I lost myself in the scenery and the details of the moody campus and the Norfolk shore, but then I’d set it down in boredom.

Jess’ coming-of-age story on a college campus under the tutelage of a professor & author she idolized was an intriguing concept and I was initially sucked in. And I absolutely fell in love with her roommate Georgie and their mismatched, fast friendship. But some of the “shockers” seemed pretty obvious to me, took a really long time to get to, and weren’t really that exciting at all.

This book had so many great things going for it, that it was almost too much to tackle. As slow as it felt, all the minor topics kind of jumbled my mind on what was important. Jess’ demons were addressed, as were Georgie’s and Lorna’s, but I’m not sure the issues went deep enough and I was left feeling frustrated by what was neatly wrapped up and what was pushed aside.

This one’s hard to rate for me. It was genuinely beautiful and incredibly well-written, but just not as exciting as I’d hoped.

I will certainly read more from this author.

I’d recommend it to anyone who loves college campuses, coming-of-age, and Agatha Christie. If you’re hoping for the described “tragedy that strikes the group” to really wake the book up, I don’t think it will, but it’s still all interesting and worth digging into.

Trigger warning: suicide.

Travel Reading

Big Little Lies heading to San Francisco with Erik.

The Perfect Stranger and holiday travel home.

Monica Nolan’s Career Girl Series on a trip to Maine with mom & dad.

Library Woes

The only one I completed was Ask Again, Yes
(five stars, btw)

Am I the only one who excitedly puts library books on hold

then runs down to get them right away when available

then doesn’t read them before needing to return them?

In my defense, I have 100+ unread books in my apartment. I don’t need to be getting library books at all. But I also don’t like to spend money on new books, so when I see one that sparks my interest, I run out and put it on hold only to feel uninterested or rushed when I finally get it. So far, I’ve gotten 3 large stacks of library books and only read one each time. I’d like to make it a goal to read them, but I also want to conquer the books in my home, so.........

I had a friend over last night who told me she’d wanted to read a book so badly she actually requested that her library buy it. Twice now she’s put it on hold, picked it up, and returned it before reading it.

Which answers my own questions: no, I’m not the only one. But why does this happen? Why does my “book mood” change so frequently that a book I couldn’t wait to get my hands on 2 weeks ago suddenly doesn’t interest me?

Does anyone also feel “too pressured” to read their library books. I literally read at least a book a week. There’s no reason for my to feel bothered by a 2-week library deadline, but here I am, taking back another stacks of books I had on hold and didn’t read.

Good Girls Lie

Good Girls Lie

by: J.T. Ellison
⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book disappointed me.

It started off so strong - an all girls boarding school with secret societies and a tainted past set in the mountains... what else could I want? But once the new girl gained popularity (a montage I could totally see playing out in my head like a movie scene) it slowed way down and got kind of boring.

The writing style was beautiful, though, with a lot of incredibly detailed scenes that sucked me right into the energy of the Goode School, but I felt like the twists were predictable, pretty anti-climactic, and overall unbelievable. The book just seemed to drag on once the murder/suicide/accident finally happened. And I didn’t really care for any of the characters - spoiled rich girls, creepy handymen, and overindulgent adults... hard to sympathize with.

I also felt like it flipped between narrators far too often and I found myself confused as to who was talking and what they were talking about with all the overly-vague suspense.

As far as thrillers go, it’s got the right setting and the right feel to be an enjoyable read, but it just didn’t do it for me.

Also: major trigger warnings for teen suicide.

Followers

Followers

by: Megan Angelo

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“People spoke of the way things were when the old phones were still around: whole waiting rooms, whole planes, whole parties full of people with their heads bent chin to chest staring at oblongs of blue light, as still and as oblivious to their surroundings as of a gas leak had put them to sleep.”

Oh my goodness! This book was amazing! A creepy look at the potential future of our social media obsessed world where people will do just about anything for instant fame and a “following.”

Not only does this book feel uncomfortably accurate, it’s also beautifully written. Example: on ballet classes “Marlow never really like the dancing but loved posing information with the others she love the tiny hair of the shared breath they took just before they started moving the synchronize bunk of their point shoes as they finished a combination.”

The characters weren’t necessarily likable, but held true to our current era of worshiping people who truly don’t deserve our attention. As much as I shook my head at all the characters poor choices, I also nodded and felt myself drawn to & interested in their fame a whole lot more than one should.

The dual time was really interesting. As I watched Marlow discover her past, I watched that past unfold in real time through Orla and Floss. Such a uniquely presented story/prediction of the path our society is stumbling down.

I personally predict: this is THE BOOK for 2020. It’s an entirely distinctive novel with an alluring aesthetic that will creep right under your skin like the “devices” of the future.

I’d recommend this to any social media addicts or those trying to be instafamous or twitterfamous or a youtube sensation. I’d recommend this to anyone struggling with anger issues, body image issues, or who they’re going to be when they “grow up.” I’d recommend this to all the pop culture lovers or reality tv junkies and fans of syfy (strangely enough). Just pick it up. Read it. And thank me later.

I Found You

This was my 10th book of 2019.

I Found You

by: Lisa Jewell

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one was good. A few unexpected twists. Very fast paced, too, which I liked. The ending dragged, though. The outcome was obvious, but dragged for quite a few chapters and I wanted it to just be over. An easy read, though. Very quick-witted with *mostly* likable characters- Alice was hilarious. The wife and her neediness toward her husband’s friend was incredibly awkward to me, but I suppose a 21-year-old bride with a missing husband would be understandably needy. I’d recommend.

Wasted Pretty

I always have kindle books on my iPad for backup incase I read all the books I bring on a trip - this trip, I had 3 “real books” and Wasted Pretty downloaded. It wasn’t great, but free is free.

Thanks, Prime Reading.

Wasted Pretty

by: Jamie Beth Cohen

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I liked the idea of this book, but it fell short.

The whole set-in-the-90s part excited me. It was unnecessary, but I liked all the references.

I also really didn’t understand Alice’s parents or brother. They were all genuinely horrible. As the child of a mother who put me on wild diets, I wasn’t totally surprised, but it was still sad to read. And the dad seemed like such a shady, sketchy asshole going out drinking with creepy baseball players and hating teenage soccer players and chastising his daughter. I mean, when she’s groped by an old man and he accused her of being drunk (at 17-years-old). The brother was frustrating because everyone worshipped him but I never saw what was so worshipable - he just seemed overbearing and into himself.

I can’t say I was a fan of the love story, either - 90s or not, she was still a minor and it still wasn’t appropriate, even if she thought he was the “hottest guy ever.” And I don’t believe a college guy in a rock band would fall for a moody teenage girl who shows up crying all the time.

The way Alice came and went from her house at all hours was silly to me, too. I mean, it happens, but she just seemed to have no direction or discipline and she didn’t make great choices with her freedom so I had a hard time sympathizing with her when I was supposed to.

I love the best friend, though: Meredith. She’s a great character.

“I guess we all need a crazy-bitch who’s a little bit drunk and a little bit hopped up on diet pills in our corner.”

Like I said, great concepts, not necessarily executed well. I felt like quite a few things were left unexplained and unfinished, but I didn’t *hate* it.

I’d recommend Wasted Pretty to anyone into teen drama, family drama, music lovers, forbidden love, and coming-of-age stories.

https://www.amazon.com/Wasted-Pretty-Jamie-Beth-Cohen-ebook/dp/B07R9QJR66/ref=sr_1_1?crid=29APOV7Q3CPTS&keywords=wasted+pretty+jamie+beth+cohen&qid=1574385070&sprefix=Wasted+pretty%2Caps%2C202&sr=8-1

Twenty-One Truths About Love

Twenty-One Truths About Love

by: Matthew Dicks

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“To Do

Don’t ever die.

Read faster.”

This book, written entirely in the form of lists, was very interesting and refreshing. Daniel was, at times, infuriating.

His lists were:

- sometimes silly

- sometimes emotional

- sometimes useless

- often hilarious.

10. “We lie to the people we love the most to protect them from the worst parts of ourselves, which is true but also f*cking bullsh*t.” - 21 Truths About Love list

I will say that I hope my husband never lies to me as much as Daniel lies to Jill about their finances, but I do hope my husband follows his dream like Daniel with his bookshop.

“Bookshop” = quaint, privately owned

“Bookstore” = corporate, soulless - Important note in language list

Also, as a woman with a former partner who’s deceased, I hope I’m sensitive to the mention of said partner in future relationships as I often found myself feeling sad for Daniel and his struggle to cope with his wife’s dead first husband. Which leads me to the fact that this book had a lot of deep topics- very impressive for a book made up of only lists.

* “When your wife dies, people look at the space where she used to be instead of at you.” - Three hours with Bill Donovan list

I am thoughroughly impressed with Matthew Dick’s writing style. This book is a quick read while maintaining both humor and heartbreak.

I’d recommend this book to:

- anyone “starting over”

- anyone following their dream

- anyone starting a family

- anyone who’s lost a partner

- anyone in love with someone who’s lost a partner

- anyone who loves lists.