Book Club May 2020- Conviction

By: Denise Mina
Published Year: 2019
Publisher: Mullholland Books
Pages: 376

Amazon Barnes & Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): A true-crime podcast sets a housewife's present life on a collision course with her secret past.

The day Anna McDonald's quiet, respectable life explodes starts off like all the days before: packing up the kids for school, making breakfast, listening to yet another true crime podcast. Then her husband comes downstairs with an announcement, and Anna is suddenly, shockingly alone.

Reeling and desperate for distraction, Anna returns to the podcast. Other people's problems are much better than one's own--a sunken yacht, a murdered family, a hint of international conspiracy, but this case actually is Anna's problem. She knows one of the victims from an earlier life, a life she's taken great pains to leave behind, and she is convinced that she knows what really happened.

Then an unexpected visitor arrives on her front stoop; a meddling neighbor intervenes; and life as Anna knows it is well and truly over. The devils of her past are awakened--and in hot pursuit. Convinced she has no other options, she goes on the run, and in pursuit of the truth, with a washed-up musician at her side and the podcast as her guide.

What I thought

I don’t think I could give a better summary than the one provided, but basically Anna has a secret past life that is brought to the forefront of her new life when she listens to a true crime podcast.

This was the perfect thriller for the time in which we are living. It’s mysterious but light and unique. Each episode of the podcast is written as part of the story so you can “hear” what each episode is. I have never read a book that has written podcasts in this way before.

As you know, I’m not the bet at writing reviews for mysteries because I am constantly worried about giving too much away. I really liked the way that the story unfolded and found it to be unlike other books that I have read before. I liked the style in which everything was written and the pacing was great.

None of the characters in the book are likeable but they’re aware of this which makes them more tolerable. I don’t mind unlikable characters if there is that self-awareness. Anna even says a few times that she knows she doesn’t come off well and I appreciated that. I also appreciated that this book surprised me. I did not expect the ending. There were bits throughout the book that I was able to predict, but the ending was not one of them. I will always have more respect for a mystery that surprises me.

What Book Club Thought

Everyone really enjoyed this one! While not everyone is typically a thriller/mystery fan, the lightness of this one appealed to everyone. We also laughed when we found out that this was previously a Reese’s Book Club Pick. We’ve consistently had the same taste in books as Reese and, while we’ve enjoyed some of them more than others, we have not had one that we’ve actively disliked. 2/5 of the book club members did guess the ending before it happened, but not 100% of the way in which in played out. Overall, it was a fun and light book that sparked some fun discussion. If you enjoy mysteries and are looking for something lighter that is a bit different from the standards, I recommend checking this one out.

The Love Story of Missy Carmichael

By: Beth Morrey
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: G.P. Putnam and Son’s
Pages: 352

Amazon Barnes & Noble

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Boy meets girl. Girl meets boy. Woman meets dog...

The world has changed around Missy Carmichael. At seventy-nine, she's estranged from her daughter, her son and only grandson live across the world in Australia, and her great love is gone. Missy spends her days with a sip of sherry, scrubbing the kitchen in her big empty house and reliving her past--though it's her mistakes, and secrets, that she allows to shine brightest. The last thing Missy expects is for two perfect strangers and one spirited dog to break through her prickly exterior and show Missy just how much love she still has to give. Filled with wry laughter and deep insights into the stories we tell ourselves, The Love Story of Missy Carmichael shows us it's never too late to teach an old dog new tricks. It's never too late to love.

First Impressions

I loved A Man Called Ove and enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, so when this book was described as being for readers of both of those novels, I was in. The cover is cute, but it doesn’t stand out much. It reminded me a lot of The Story of Arthur Tru Love as well as a lot of other novels about senior citizens. I do like the color of it though.

What I thought

Missy is 79 years old and alone. Until she goes to the park and bumps into Sylvie, Angela, and Otis. Unexpectedly, she beings to grow a new family and learn more about herself than she expected.

I did enjoy the book overall, but I think it’s going to be one of those that I forget about in a month’s time.

I liked Missy and I liked seeing her open up with the help of a dog and some new friends. However, there were a few things going on that I felt like weren’t fully developed and could’ve ultimately been left out. There were also parts that didn’t make much sense until the very end of the story.

The character development was my favorite part of this novel. Missy was great, Angela was dynamic, Sylvie was sweet, and Otis adorable. I also loved Bobby, who was the dog who really helped Missy open up. The fact that an animal can help someone heal so much really warmed my heart. Since this is a story that is centered around a character’s growth and development, this was a strength of this novel. I liked the writing style. Unfortunately, this was another one of those books that didn’t have a driving force behind the story that made me want to continually pick it up. Not to say that I didn’t enjoy reading it! Every time I picked it up I was invested, it was just one that was easy to put down again.

The one part that I really liked about this story was that it showed a different type of love story. I think we often get sucked into flashy love stories because they translate well in novels, but that isn’t how every love story is. There is a line in this that said something along the lines of “we were never fireworks, we were coming home” and that really resonated with me. Even though this was a slow burn of a book, it had a lot of wonderful things to say.

This is one of those books that if someone asks me if they should read it I will wholeheartedly say yes. It was a good book that has a lot of great characters and messages. Like I said above, the problem is that if someone asks me if I have any recommendations for a book to read, I don’t think this one would pop into my mind.

Book Club April 2020- The Authenticity Project

By: Clare Pooley
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Pages: 368

Amazon Barnes & Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): "Everybody lies about their lives. What would happen if you shared the truth?" This is the question that Julian Jessop, an eccentric, seventy-nine-year-old artist, poses within a pale green exercise book that he labels The Authenticity Project, before leaving it behind in Monica's Café. When Monica discovers Julian's abandoned notebook, not only does she add her own story to the book, she is determined to find a way to help Julian feel less lonely.

And so it goes with the others who find the green notebook that will soon contain their deepest selves. It will also knit the group together In Real Life at Monica's Cafe, where they'll discover the thrill and sometime-risk of being completely honest--and, for some, find unexpected love.

With a cast of characters who are by turns quirky and funny, heartbreakingly sad and painfully true-to-life, The Authenticity Project is a novel readers will take to their hearts and read with unabashed pleasure.

What I thought

This month was my book club pick. I read about this book a while ago and immediately knew it would be my choice. It seemed like just the type of book my book club enjoys. In these crazy corona times, we did have a virtual book club.

Monica finds a notebook in her café titled The Authenticity Project. When she opens it up, she reads Julian’s story encouraging the sharing of ones authentic self and then passing the notebook on. This book the finds Hazard and moves onward, touching a bunch of people’s lives and changing them in ways they never saw.

I loved the idea of people’s innermost truths being written into a notebook and then shared with strangers. I am a sucker for fate and serendipity and this book revolves around a lot of that. The characters aren’t necessarily the most likeable of people. They are highly flawed, but for some reason that ended up making me like them. But I could see this turning some people off. There is a lot of character growth though which I always appreciate.

The chapters switch between all of the characters with mostly Monica and Julian being the story tellers. There are different characters added as each new person gets the notebook. Each person is different but they are all struggling with their own inner demons. The changes that happen in their lives just based off of putting their truths out there was touching.

I enjoyed everything about this book. The characters felt so real and I got so invested in their lives. I want to text and check up on them because I feel like they’ve really become a part of my life. This is one of those books that I don’t want to say too much about because I want you to experience it the way I did. Just know that this book is exactly what it says it is. It lived up to my expectations and it is easily one of my favorite books I’ve read this year.

What Book Club Thought

This was a winner! Everyone loved it. A few members had a little bit of a harder time getting into it initially, but in the end everyone really liked it. There was a lot to discuss and we talked a lot about the characters and how we would’ve handled stumbling upon The Authenticity Project. I highly recommend this book as a whole but also as a book club book.

Gorwn-up Pose

By: Sonya Lalli
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 352

Amazon Barnes & Noble

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): A delightfully modern look at what happens for a young woman when tradition, dating, and independence collide, from acclaimed author Sonya Lalli.

Adulting shouldn’t be this hard. Especially in your thirties. Having been pressured by her tight-knit community to get married at a young age to her first serious boyfriend, Anu Desai is now on her own again and feels like she is starting from the beginning.

But Anu doesn’t have time to start over. Telling her parents that she was separating from her husband was the hardest thing she’s ever done—and she’s still dealing with the fallout. She has her young daughter to support and when she invests all of her savings into running her own yoga studio, the feelings of irresponsibility send Anu reeling. She’ll be forced to look inside herself to learn what she truly wants.

First Impressions

I read Lalli’s debut novel, The Arrangement, last year. I remember liking it but not being crazy about it. The story and the cover caught me for sure and I was intrigued. Solid first impression.

What I thought

I really enjoyed this book. There are some problematic storylines/character moments but overall I really enjoyed everything.

Anusha is Canadian-Indian, 30 years old, mother of a 5 year old, and semi-recently separated from her husband Neil. Anusha and Neil got married young and she has only known the life of being a good wife and mother. When she and Neil separate, she realizes it is time to figure out who she is and live her life to find out if she is a grown-up.

I’m going to start with a few of my issues with the book. My first issue is, well, when it’s boiled down to it, Anusha’s immaturity. It causes a lot of problems that I think could rub a lot of people the wrong way. The first is that she goes to take a yoga class at a random studio, and after she takes a one-on-one class, the owner comes in and offers for her to buy the studio and she considers it! Like, she just has the disposable savings that she can just buy a yoga studio with no thought about it whatsoever and doesn’t even consider the fact that she knows nothing about running a business.

A little later in the book, Anusha has a bit of a mental break and literally days after signing the lease on the studio, she buys a one way ticket to London, abandoning her daughter, husband, job, and home without a second thought. She just up and leaves with no idea where she’s going or when she’s coming back. The irresponsibility that stems from her immaturity is just, baffling. Like, I understand being in a position of trying to recapture a youth you’ve never had, but at the same time you need to accept where you are. You can’t just up and leave your child. After talking about this with a few of my friends, I think I was able to forgive and understand Anusha a little more than my friends were able to, so I think this could be a big sticking point for some people when they read this book.

One part that I related to was her separation with Neil. I have been in a very similar position, so I understood a lot of her thoughts and feelings regarding her marriage. I also saw a lot of the flaws in her thinking and her actions. I couldn’t figure out through the entire novel whether or not she and Neil were going to end up back together. Lalli had me guessing until the last pages.

While Anusha could be a very problematic character, Lalli does a great job of having her thought process explained. I felt like I understood where Anusha was coming from with all of her actions (except maybe abandoning her daughter) and that made it easy to relate to her. I also haven’t read a lot of novels about people who are separated from their husbands and what they do during that time, so that was fun to read. If you have gone through a separation or a mid-life crisis, I think you would really enjoy and relate to this book.

More Than Words

By: Jill Santopolo
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: G.P Putnam’s Sons
Pages: 368

Amazon Barnes & Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Nina has always known who she's supposed to be. But is that who she truly is?

Nina Gregory has always been a good daughter. Raised by her father, owner of New York City's glamorous Gregory Hotels, Nina was taught that family, reputation, and legacy are what matter most. And Tim--her devoted boyfriend and best friend since childhood--feels the same. But when Nina's father dies, he leaves behind a secret that shocks Nina to her core. Soon, Nina begins to see the men in her life--her father, her boyfriend, and unexpectedly, her boss, Rafael--in a new light, finding herself caught between the world she loves, and a passion that could upend everything.

First Impressions

This cover is gorgeous! The falling leaves and the silhouette are so perfect and it’s definitely a cover that caught my eye. The summary grabbed me too. I as very excited to read this book when I got it.

What I thought

This was such a thoughtful, well-written book with a romance that really resonated with me at this time in my life.

Nina is the heiress to her family’s hotel fortune. When her father dies, she is going to inherit the business, whether she wants to or not. And at this point it’s pretty much, not. She is dating her lifelong best friend Tim, who is the son of her dad’s best friend and everything her dad wants for her. It’s also what she thought she wanted for herself, until she met Rafael whose campaign she’s writing for in his run for Mayor of New York Ci

I think I’ve mentioned once or twice on the blog that I’m going through a divorce. My ex and I had been together since we were 19, so he was my comfort and everything I had known. Now, I didn’t meet someone while I was with him, but after we had separated I did meet someone who made everything feel different. The feelings that Nina is dealing with I could really relate to. She struggles throughout the novel with whether she should stick with what she knows and what feels comfortable or plunging into the unknown, letting go of what she has always dreamed for herself, and going after what makes her happy.

While there were some predictable plot points, they were well written and handled very realistically. Nina finds out a few secrets about her father after he passes away, and while I wasn’t surprised by what the secrets were, I appreciated how they moved the story forward. I think the reason I enjoyed this book as much as I did is because Nina was so relatable. She wasn’t perfect, but she reacted in a lot of ways similar to how I see myself reacting to those situations.

Her friendships were some of my favorite parts and I wish they had been a little bit of a bigger part, but I also get why they weren’t. Nina had a lot of growth and self-discovery to go through and she needed to do that on her own.

I wouldn’t say this is an un-putdownable book, but the more I talk about it and sit on it, the more I realize how good of a book it was. The writing is great, the characters are likeable even with their flaws, and the story is relatable. I think this is one of those books that the further I get away from reading it, the more it will settle and stay with me. I wish that I had chosen this as a book club book, so if you had a book club I would highly recommend picking this one up. I haven’t read Santopolo’s first book, but this one definitely moved it higher up my to-read list!

Lucky Caller

By: Emma Mills
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co
Pages: 336

Amazon Barnes & Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): When Nina decides to take a radio broadcasting class her senior year, she expects it to be a walk in the park. Instead, it’s a complete disaster.

The members of Nina's haphazardly formed radio team have approximately nothing in common. And to maximize the awkwardness her group includes Jamie, a childhood friend she'd hoped to basically avoid for the rest of her life.

The show is a mess, internet rumors threaten to bring the wrath of two fandoms down on their heads, and to top it all off Nina's family is on the brink of some major upheaval.

Everything feels like it's spiraling out of control―but maybe control is overrated?

First Impressions

I love Mills. I have read all of her novels and greatly enjoyed each one. While I have liked some more than others, I have never been disappointed by one of her books. I will say, I am a little disappointed in the cover of this book. It’s not that it’s not cute, but I liked how unique Mills’ previous covers were but that I knew it was a Mills book just by looking at it.

What I thought

This book was a lot of fun from beginning to end, which is exactly what I’ve come to expect from Mills.

Nina is taking a radio broadcasting class and gets grouped with Jamie, her childhood friend who she has drifted apart from since an 8th grade incident. They start to rebuild their friendship over their 90s themed radio show and attempts to make it more popular.

The funny thing is that while trying to give you guys a little summary I realized that there really isn’t much that happens in this book. But it definitely doesn’t feel like that as you’re reading it. Nina is a fun character to read as she’s comfortable with herself and a bit sarcastic. Her two sisters are also fun and I enjoyed their banter and relationship. Jamie is, of course, totally sweet, and even Nina’s mom and her soon to be stepdad Dan are great.

It’s a very character driven novel and is propelled forward by their relationships and interactions. There is a conflict that occurs with Nina and trying to get her radio host dad to come talk on her high school radio show, but it’s not the focus of the novel.

The interesting thing about the relationship development with Jamie and Nina is that it is built through flashbacks. It’s not always completely clear when they’re happening but I enjoyed them.

This was a fun quick read that put a smile on my face. It’s hard to review because there’s not a lot to it when I break it down, but that didn’t make it any less enjoyable. If you’re looking for a cute YA book with fun characters and solid writing, I would recommend checking this one out. It’s not going to be a standout of Mills’ for me, but it was solid.

The Honey-Don't List

By: Christina Lauren
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 320

Amazon Barnes & Noble

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this book.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Carey Douglas has worked for home remodeling and design gurus Melissa and Rusty Tripp for nearly a decade. A country girl at heart, Carey started in their first store at sixteen, and—more than anyone would suspect—has helped them build an empire. With a new show and a book about to launch, the Tripps are on the verge of superstardom. There’s only one problem: America’s favorite couple can’t stand each other.

James McCann, MIT graduate and engineering genius, was originally hired as a structural engineer, but the job isn’t all he thought it’d be. The last straw? Both he and Carey must go on book tour with the Tripps and keep the wheels from falling off the proverbial bus.

Unfortunately, neither of them is in any position to quit. Carey needs health insurance, and James has been promised the role of a lifetime if he can just keep the couple on track for a few more weeks. While road-tripping with the Tripps up the West Coast, Carey and James vow to work together to keep their bosses’ secrets hidden, and their own jobs secure. But if they stop playing along—and start playing for keeps—they may have the chance to build something beautiful together…

From the “hilariously zany and heartfelt” (Booklist) Christina Lauren comes a romantic comedy that proves if it’s broke, you might as well fix it.

First Impressions

I mean… do I even need to tell you my first impression at this point? It’s a Christina Lauren book. It was added to my to-read list before even reading the summary.

What I thought

While this wasn’t my favorite of their books, it was still a lot of fun.

Carey and James work together for two of the biggest home decorators in the US. Think Chip and Joanna Gaines big. But Melissa and Rusty Tripp’s relationship is not everything it appears to be. They have just written a book on how to have a successful marriage but there is falling apart. Carey has been working for them for 10 years, whereas James is new. They end up forming an unexpected bond when they are forced to babysit the Tripps on their book tour.

The interesting thing about this book is that it has a similar feel to a Liane Moriarty book. It starts with Carey and James being interviewed by the police regarding some event that happened. They then go back to the beginning to talk about how they ended up at this event but it is still interspersed with flash forwards to present day.

While I liked Carey, I felt like this format didn’t work for me to build a romance. I also wasn’t crazy about James and I don’t know if that’s due to the writing style, or if it was just James. I do like this book better than Twice in a Blue Moon, but it didn’t have that Christina Lauren spark that I loved in Josh & Hazel or The Unhoneymooners.

It’s not that it’s bad by any means. I enjoyed the book a lot and flew through it. I think I just automatically compare it to their other books and it falls a little short. It’s a little bit more serious than their previous novels.

I did like that Carey had a lot of layers to her story. I found her relationship with Melissa Tripp to almost be more interesting than the one that developed with James. The history that they had and the dysfunction that it led to was interesting and I would have gladly delved into it more. The relationship between James and Carey seemed like one of convenience and while James was nice enough, he was very vanilla.

While this isn’t one of my favorite Christina Lauren novels, it is still a solid three star read. If you’re looking for a silly or light hearted romance, I would recommend some of their other books, but if you want something with a little bit more weight to it, then you should check this one out. The writing and the characters are still solid and I will definitely continue to read and enjoy all of their books.

Darling Rose Gold

By: Stephanie Wrobel
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Berkley
Pages:

Amazon Barnes & Noble

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this book.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): For the first eighteen years of her life, Rose Gold Watts believed she was seriously ill. She was allergic to everything, used a wheelchair and practically lived at the hospital. Neighbors did all they could, holding fundraisers and offering shoulders to cry on, but no matter how many doctors, tests, or surgeries, no one could figure out what was wrong with Rose Gold.

Turns out her mom, Patty Watts, was just a really good liar.

After serving five years in prison, Patty gets out with nowhere to go and begs her daughter to take her in. The entire community is shocked when Rose Gold says yes.

Patty insists all she wants is to reconcile their differences. She says she's forgiven Rose Gold for turning her in and testifying against her. But Rose Gold knows her mother. Patty Watts always settles a score.

Unfortunately for Patty, Rose Gold is no longer her weak little darling...

And she's waited such a long time for her mother to come home.

First Impressions

The cover is a very pretty color and grabbed my eye. Then you look closer and it’s creepy. I’ve watched a lot of true crime shows and documentaries, so when I read the summary it reminded me of Mommy Dead and Dearest, which piqued my interest further.

What I thought

This book left me feeling so gross.

Rose Gold Watts grew up thinking that she was deathly ill. When she turned 16, she realized that her mother had been poisoning her to make her think that she was sick all along. Patty Watts has been in prison for 5 years, but when she gets out, Rose Gold picks her up and takes her home. Will they be able to put their past behind them? Or will old patterns repeat themselves?

The HBO documentary, Mommy Dead and Dearest, tells the story of a girl who was poisoned by her mother her entire life and made to believe that she was terribly sick but with no diagnosis of everything. She was wheelchair bound, lost her hair, and had a feeding tube. When she was a teenager, she accessed the internet and became suspicious that her mom was poisoning her after talking to her online boyfriend. She plots with her boyfriend to kill her mother, is successful in doing so, and went to prison.

I’m more than a little curious as to how this book has been allowed to be written considering how close it is to the real life story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard. I mean, even with the Rose reference with the name. The only real difference in this book versus the real story is that Patty is alive and Rose Gold gets revenge via other means that aren’t murder.

The story is a little confusing in that the chapters are written not only in alternating perspective, but in alternating timelines. Patty’s chapters are told from present day, whereas Rose Gold’s chapters start a year or so after Patty goes to prison. It adds to the disorientation of what is real and what is a mind game.

I think that the writing is good. The story moved along well and I was interested to see where it was going. There are some parts that seem like they don’t follow the same track and divert unnecessarily, but it always came back.

This book left me feeling so uncomfortable that I couldn’t rate it higher. They are both terrible people and I’m definitely not a “two wrongs make a right” type of person, so a lot of this book didn’t sit well with me. I think people who liked the Mommy Dead and Dearest documentary will enjoy this book. I’m curious to see what Wrobel writes next, because I did like her style.