Book Club April 2021- The Office of Historical Corrections

By: Danielle Evans
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Pages: 269

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Our book club has only done short stories (that I can remember) once before, so Stephanie decided it could be interesting to try them again. This book has also been listed for a few awards and Steph also felt it would be a good way to add diversity to our list.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Danielle Evans is widely acclaimed for her blisteringly smart voice and x-ray insights into complex human relationships. With The Office of Historical Corrections, Evans zooms in on particular moments and relationships in her characters' lives in a way that allows them to speak to larger issues of race, culture, and history. She introduces us to Black and multiracial characters who are experiencing the universal confusions of lust and love, and getting walloped by grief—all while exploring how history haunts us, personally and collectively. Ultimately, she provokes us to think about the truths of American history—about who gets to tell them, and the cost of setting the record straight.

In "Boys Go to Jupiter," a white college student tries to reinvent herself after a photo of her in a Confederate-flag bikini goes viral. In "Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain," a photojournalist is forced to confront her own losses while attending an old friend's unexpectedly dramatic wedding. And in the eye-opening title novella, a black scholar from Washington, DC, is drawn into a complex historical mystery that spans generations and puts her job, her love life, and her oldest friendship at risk.

What I thought

Let me preface this by saying, I am very much not a short story person.

This collection of short stories, plus a longer novella, all center around black characters and, therefore, black experiences. While I appreciated the perspective, and even enjoyed a handful of the stories, overall I would not have continued this book had it not been for book club.

Mostly, like I mentioned, this is because of my dislike of short stories. I find that a lot of the time they just end with no real closure. Otherwise, I get attached to a character and it’s over too quickly, left wanting more. This one had more stories where I felt like I was missing something.

The biggest issue I had was with the novella. It was the last story in the book and the story that the book was named for. Part of my issue was I didn’t realize how much longer the final story in the book was going to be, so I went into it expecting it to be another short story. The other issue I had was that it not only seemed like a pointless story to me, but the end left such a bad taste in my mouth.

I understand that these stories are meant to be hard to swallow, but I usually do much better with that when it feels like there’s a point. What was the lesson I was supposed to learn? Maybe the point is that life isn’t supposed to be easy to swallow and there isn’t always a point, but I read to learn and I didn’t feel like any of these stories helped me do that.

What Book Club Thought

Seems like we were all pretty much on the same page with this one. There were one or two stories that we all enjoyed but the rest of them we didn’t care for. It did lead to some good discussion, so I guess in the end that means it’s a good book club book choice? Ultimately, not our kind of book. I think (obviously) that this book will work well for others but, not so much for us.

What the Devil Knows (Sebastian St. Cyr #16)

By: C.S. Harris
Published Year: 2021
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 336

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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): It's October 1814. The war with France is finally over and Europe's diplomats are convening in Vienna for a conference that will put their world back together. With peace finally at hand, London suddenly finds itself in the grip of a series of heinous murders eerily similar to the Ratcliffe Highway murders of three years before.

In 1811, two entire families were viciously murdered in their homes. A suspect--a young seaman named John Williams--was arrested. But before he could be brought to trial, Williams hanged himself in his cell. The murders ceased, and London slowly began to breathe easier. But when the lead investigator, Sir Edwin Pym, is killed in the same brutal way three years later and others possibly connected to the original case meet violent ends, the city is paralyzed with terror once more.

Was the wrong man arrested for the murders? Bow Street magistrate Sir Henry Lovejoy turns to his friend Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, for assistance. Pym's colleagues are convinced his manner of death is a coincidence, but Sebastian has his doubts. The more he looks into the three-year-old murders, the more certain he becomes that the hapless John Williams was not the real killer. Which begs the question--who was and why are they dead set on killing again?

First Impressions

I really like the red of this cover after the last few have been black and white and grey. I was excited to receive this book for review because I do enjoy this series.

What I thought

I was a little nervous about reading this book since I had been a bit bored by the last one in the series. However, I liked this one significantly more, so that was a pleasant surprise.

Sebastian St Cyr Vicsount Devlin has gotten himself involved in another murder. This time, they’re connected to a previous violent series of murder that occurred 3 years prior. The Ratcliffe Highway murders were violent and scared everyone in the area at the time. Now there are two new murders that resemble the old ones, there is doubt that the man who was accused of being a murderer (and died) was truly the murderer.

I don’t know if it was the fact that the murder in this story was a bit more gruesome and therefore exciting, or the fact that there was a bit more backstory about Sebastian’s family as well as some storyline with Hero and Jarvis.

I do appreciate that I can never quite figure out the mysteries from these stories. I don’t know if it’s because they occur in the early 1800s or the millions of names, but I wasn’t able to guess how this one would turn out. I thought it was interesting to find out how some of the taverns and brew houses worked back in 1814.

This book seemed to move a little quicker than the last one which I also appreciated it. similar to the other books in the series, this could be read as a standalone. However, it does have a little bit of backstory that I think is going to end up being essential to understanding certain events in the future.

This was a solid addition to the Sebastian St Cyr series. I liked the mystery storyline and I liked the secondary stories. I found the pacing of this one to work much better and I do like that it set up for some potential in future. I’d probably rank it closer to a 3.5, especially since the last one was a solid 3 for me.

The Wedding Party (Wedding Date #3)

By: Jasmine Guillory
Published Year: 2019
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 351

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Maddie and Theo have two things in common:

1. Alexa is their best friend

2. They hate each other

After an “Oops, we made a mistake” kiss, neither one can stop thinking about the other. With Alexa’s wedding rapidly approaching, Maddie and Theo both share bridal party responsibilities that require more interaction with each other than they’re comfortable with. Underneath the sharp barbs they toss at each other is a simmering attraction that won’t fade. It builds until they find themselves sneaking off together to release some tension when Alexa isn’t looking.

But as with any engagement with a nemesis, there are unspoken rules that must be abided by. First and foremost, don’t fall in love.

First Impression

This cover is everything. Bright pink and gold glitter? Sold. It also is the 3rd book in the Wedding Date romance series and I loved the first two books, so that’s a solid first impression. However, I actually had read the fourth before reading the third one and that one was terrible, so I was a bit more apprehensive about this one.

What I thought

I am so glad that my friend Carly convinced me to give this series another chance.

Maddie and Theo are both Alexa’s best friends. Alexa is the OG protagonist from book 1. They dislike each other immensely because Maddie thinks Theo is a pretentious asshole and Theo thinks Maddie is a self-absorbed bitch. But that doesn’t seem to cancel out the pure physical connection that they have. They decide to have a physical relationship that will end when Alexa and Drew get married. Rules are set, but rules are always meant to be broken.

I loved Maddie and Theo. I also loved that this book started during scenes that happened in book one. It was a really fun overlap and I liked seeing Alexa and Drew again so early. I also am a big fan of hate to love tropes and fake dating tropes and this was almost a mixture of both. Maddie and Theo hid their relationship (that wasn’t really a relationship) from everyone. That made the banter extra fun. Also, their relationship is kind of my perfect relationship. Hanging out on the couch without any of the pretensions of having to go on dates and go to events together? Yes please.

My one issue with these books, and maybe it will become something that I can turn into enjoyment now that I’ve noticed it, is Guillory’s food obsession and repetition. I really started to notice it in the fourth book, Royal Holiday and it stuck out to me in this book as well. In Royal Holiday she mentioned “scones” so many times that I kept a tally (you can read my full review here). This book the only food that Theo and Maddie ever ate was pizza. To the point that there’s one scene where they even make an excuse to not order tacos and instead, end up ordering more pizza.

I did like that the conflict (because there’s always a conflict) came later in the book and was resolved relatively quickly.

This was the perfect like read that I needed. I had a smile on my face pretty much the entire time I read it. I enjoyed it significantly more than Royal Holiday and just as much as the first two books. It also made me look forward to reading the other books in the series again. I’m hoping Royal Holiday was a bit of a blip and the other books are just as enjoyable as this one.

Who Speaks for the Damned (Sebastian St. Cyr #15)

By: C.S. Harris
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Berkley Books
Pages: 336

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

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): It's June 1814, and the royal families of Austria, Russia, and the German states have gathered in London at the Prince Regent's invitation to celebrate the defeat of Napoléon and the restoration of monarchical control throughout Europe. But the festive atmosphere is marred one warm summer evening by the brutal murder of a disgraced British nobleman long thought dead.

Eighteen years before, Nicholas Hayes, the third son of the late Earl of Seaford, was accused of killing a beautiful young French émigré and transported to Botany Bay for life. Even before his conviction, Hayes had been disowned by his father. Few in London were surprised when they heard the ne'er-do-well had died in New South Wales in 1799. But those reports were obviously wrong. Recently Hayes returned to London with a mysterious young boy in tow--a child who vanishes shortly after Nicholas's body is discovered.

Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is drawn into the investigation by his valet, Jules Calhoun. With Calhoun's help, Sebastian begins to piece together the shattered life of the late Earl's ill-fated youngest son. Why did Nicholas risk his life and freedom by returning to England? And why did he bring the now-missing young boy with him? Several nervous Londoners had reason to fear that Nicholas Hayes had returned to kill them. One of them might have decided to kill him first.

First Impression

If you’re an OG reader, this series is the first one I was sent for review. Since then, I have received the newest book in the season, until 2020. I think that is got lost in the COVID void, so when I was sent the 16th book (released in 2021), they also included this one to read. I was excited because it had felt weird to not read it last year. I will continue to stand by the fact that these covers look like something supernatural should be happening, but I do like how they all go together.

What I thought

In this novel, an Earl’s son is found dead. However, this Earl’s son was believed dead for years when he was sent away to work and never return after he was accused of murdering a French noblewoman. Devlin (Sebastian St. Cyr.. whichever of his million names we are currently choosing to use) is intrigued because why would a man who was wanted and sentenced to death if he ever returned to England, return to England? Only to be murdered?

While I did still enjoy this story, it wasn’t my favorite that I’ve read so far. The mystery itself was interesting but overall a bit boring. There was not much going on in regards to side storylines. In fact, this story might be the most murder-centric one that I’ve read.

Sometimes I do feel like these stories can have too much going on in terms of storylines which can be confusing and then make me frustrated because I just want to solve the mystery. But this one almost went too far in the opposite direction. I still like Sebastian/Devlin and that he wants to figure out what is going on, but this book had zero character growth and could 100% be a standalone.

Unfortunately, I don’t have much to say without giving the mystery away. I liked the mystery, don’t get me wrong. But I don’t feel like I needed to read this one before moving forward with the series. It’s an enjoyable mystery story on its own, but when I compare it to the others it’s not one of my favorites.

Rent A Boyfriend

By: Gloria Chao
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 400

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Chloe Wang is nervous to introduce her parents to her boyfriend, because the truth is, she hasn’t met him yet either. She hired him from Rent for Your ’Rents, a company specializing in providing fake boyfriends trained to impress even the most traditional Asian parents.

Drew Chan’s passion is art, but after his parents cut him off for dropping out of college to pursue his dreams, he became a Rent for Your ’Rents employee to keep a roof over his head. Luckily, learning protocols like “Type C parents prefer quiet, kind, zero-PDA gestures” comes naturally to him.

When Chloe rents Drew, the mission is simple: convince her parents fake Drew is worthy of their approval so they’ll stop pressuring her to accept a proposal from Hongbo, the wealthiest (and slimiest) young bachelor in their tight-knit Asian American community.

But when Chloe starts to fall for the real Drew—who, unlike his fake persona, is definitely not ’rent-worthy—her carefully curated life begins to unravel. Can she figure out what she wants before she loses everything?

First Impressions

I saw the cover of this book on Twitter and immediately had to go check it out, so I’d say that’s a solid first impression. I then read the summary and immediately was in. A rent a boyfriend who ends up becoming a real boyfriend? I’m a total sucker for those kinds of stories.

What I thought

While I liked this book as a whole, it did seem a bit long and could’ve had bits removed and still been just as good.

When Chloe/Jing Jing goes home for Thanksgiving, she decides to rent a boyfriend from Rent for Your Rents in order to stop them from trying to set her up with terrible Hongbo. Drew/Andrew is the boyfriend rental who is supporting himself after he dropped out of college to pursue his passion of being an artist. They realize that there is a real connection there and the lines between what’s fake and what’s real become blurred.

I was a little bit surprised that the book started with Chloe (who goes by her Chinese name of Jing Jing when with her parents) picking up Drew (who goes by Andrew when on a job) right before meeting her family. I didn’t know how the book was going to go on when we were already starting with the rental. I will say that it did keep moving, since Chloe ended up needing to rent Drew again for Christmas, but in that sense it felt a little bit repetitive.

What I found really fascinating is that this storyline is based off of real life situations that occur in China. Apparently, it’s not uncommon for women to rent fake boyfriends over Chinese New Year to appease their families for whatever reason. Having not come from that kind of culture or familial pressure, I was a bit shocked that this happened in real life. It just seems like it would cause so many complications! I know that there are families that aren’t accepting of the way their children live their lives, but it was sad to me it has to go this far.

In the story, I hated Chloe’s parents. I didn’t find any of their behaviors to be excusable and there wasn’t anything redeeming about them. They kept claiming that what they were doing was because they loved her but it just came off emotionally and verbally abusive and I wanted nothing more than for her to cut herself off from her family and never talk to them again. As I’m writing this, I realize this is my biggest issue with this book. I worry that young adults will read it and think that it’s ok that their parents talk to them or manipulate them in these kinds of ways because “they love them.” It’s not ok. None of their behaviors are ok.

The redeeming part of this book was Chloe and Drew. I loved how they supported each other and accepted each other as the person who they truly were and wanted to be. They didn’t immediately fall in love, but there was an immediate connection. I enjoyed watching them work through issues together and could see them making it for the long haul.

It’s a very cute concept and I liked the cultural aspects that were included in this book with this type of storyline. I also liked the two main characters but couldn’t stand her parents. Also, by starting with the rental and then having a second rental it seemed a bit repetitive and I do feel like the tory could’ve been a little bit shorter. Overall, if it sounds interesting to you, I’d read it, but otherwise it’s going to be one I forget about shortly.

Book Club March 2021- The Midnight Library

By: Matt Haig
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Viking
Pages: 288

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?”

A dazzling novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived, from the internationally bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive and How To Stop Time.

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?

What I thought

This month was picked by me. I had a friend who told me about this book and how much she enjoyed it and then after that it won Goodreads Choice for Best Fiction in 2020. Add that to the fact that the summary is right up my alley and I didn’t need any more convincing to pick this for book club.

Nora dies. Or well, she sort of dies. She ends up in the Midnight Library which is a place of possibility between life and death where every book there is a book of what your life could have been if you had made a different choice. Nora has to decide which life is the best fit for her, before all those possibilities are gone.

I am such a sucker for multiverse storylines. I love the idea of there being a different Lindsey on a different world who studied abroad in London, who went to NYU for grad school, who decided to live in a different apartment. So many endless possibilities of where your life could have ended up.

Haig does a wonderful job of dealing with this thought process. I liked Nora and watching her try on different lives. It’s one of those books that I don’t want to say too much about it because I don’t want to give anything away. What I can say is that while this book isn’t earth shattering and unpredictable, it deals with life and philosophy in a wonderful and beautiful way.

I don’t completely understand how this book got so hyped up though. It is a very well written book with a message I enjoyed, but I feel like I’ve read similar books that I’ve enjoyed just as much. I’m not saying it’s not a very good book, I’m just curious what it is about this one versus some of the others in a similar vein that caused this one to take off.

What Book Club Thought

Yay! Everybody enjoyed this one! And there was still enough to talk about because of the content, so it didn’t make it boring. We had some interesting discussions about what we thought was going to happen versus what did, how we would have felt like or done in her situation. I would definitely recommend this book, both as an individual read and as one for a book club. I will definitely look into more of Haig’s books in the future.

Back of Beyond (Highway Quartet 1)

By: CJ Box
Published Year: 2011
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Pages: 372

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Cody Hoyt, while a brilliant cop, is an alcoholic struggling with two months of sobriety when his mentor and AA sponsor Hank Winters is found burned to death in a remote mountain cabin. At first it looks like the suicide of a man who's fallen off the wagon, but Cody knows Hank better than that. Sober for fourteen years, Hank took pride in his hard-won sobriety and never hesitated to drop whatever he was doing to talk Cody off a ledge. When Cody takes a closer look at the scene of his friend's death, it becomes apparent that foul play is at hand. After years of bad behavior with his department, he's in no position to be investigating a homicide, but this man was a friend and Cody's determined to find his killer.

When clues found at the scene link the murderer to an outfitter leading tourists on a multi-day wilderness horseback trip into the remote corners of Yellowstone National Park—a pack trip that includes his son Justin—Cody is desperate to get on their trail and stop the killer before the group heads into the wild. Among the tourists is fourteen-year-old Gracie Sullivan, an awkward but intelligent loner who begins to suspect that someone in their party is dangerous.

In a fatal cat and mouse game, where it becomes apparent the murderer is somehow aware of Cody's every move, Cody treks into the wilderness to stop a killer hell bent on ruining the only thing in his life he cares about.

First Impressions

Over my winter break I watched the first 5 episodes of the show Big Sky and loved it. I saw that it was based off of a novel so I immediately looked it up. Then discovered that it was actually based off of the second book in a series, so I decided to read the first book. I don’t know if this would have grabbed me based off of the cover, but I tend to avoid the books that have a giant male author’s name splashed across the cover.

What I thought

Well… I devoured that one.

Cody Hoyt is an alcoholic detective. When he discovers that his sponsor is dead, he is convinced that it is a murder and not an accidental death like his partner believes. When he discovers that the last website visited was for a back county wilderness trip, Cody decides that the killer must be on that trip.

I pretty much had a slow day and read this book instead. But, to say that it held my attention for an entire day to read it speaks volumes. I usually judge a mystery by my ability to figure out who did it and this one I only figured out about half of what was going on which I say is a win.

Hoyt is rough around the edge and I really enjoyed it. It definitely helps that he is just naturally gifted as a detective. If he wasn’t good at his job, he would have become very annoying. It also helped that he had a good heart, made obvious by the care that he has for his son.

The setting for this book was also intriguing. I haven’t read a book that took place in Montana/Wyoming before. The rough and tumble wild west was its own character and it brought a lot to this story. Once the tour group came into the story, it really started to pick up and I was completely sucked in. Even though there were a ton of characters, they were all made to be individuals and I wanted to learn more about all of them.

Admittedly, I was a bit worried that based off of what I had seen on the show and the description of the book it would be a bit graphic and violent. However, I would say that the Robert Galbraith novels are much more graphic and violent than this one. Not to say that it doesn’t have some violent scenes (one guy gets shot in the knee which is still making me cringe), but overall it wasn’t bad.

This was a solid mystery with a strong protagonist. I want to follow him on more cases, which I feel makes this book a success. It had me sucked in pretty quickly and by the end I couldn’t put it down. Is it an earth shatters twist the likes of which you’ve never seen? No. But it will keep you entertained and guessing the whole way.

Mind the Gap Dash & Lily

By: Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Alfred A Knopf Books
Pages: 256

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Dash and Lily were feeling closer than ever...it's just too bad they're now an ocean apart. After Dash gets accepted to Oxford University and Lily stays in New York to take care of her dogwalking business, the devoted couple are struggling to make a long distance relationship work. And when Dash breaks the news that he won't be coming home for Christmas, Lily makes a decision: if Dash can't come to her, she'll join him in London. It's a perfect romantic gesture...that spins out of Lily's control. Soon Dash and Lily are feeling more of a gap between them, even though they're in the same city. Will London bring them together again--or will it be their undoing?

First Impressions

This is the 3rd (and latest) installment in the Dash and Lily series. If you haven’t read my reviews on the other books, you can read the first one here and the second one here. While I haven’t loved the other two books, they were both cute and entertaining and I definitely wanted to finish the series and find out what happened. I do love the cover and the fact that it takes place in London helped.

What I thought

We meet up with Dash and Lily another year later, this time with Dash in England during his first year at Oxford and Lily taking a gap year before deciding what to do with her life. When Dash decides to spend Christmas in London, Lily decides to tak her hard earned dog walking and business money to surprise him with a visit. Except it doesn’t go exactly as planned.

Lily hasn’t always been my favorite character and she definitely got on my nerves in this story. She immediately takes a dislike to Dash’s grandma for literally no reason and is seriously considering moving to England to attend a one year dog school that she learned about online. Dash is also disenchanted with Oxford and depressed and therefore, not doing anything about it.

I felt like in this book Dash is and has been growing whereas Lily is the one who seems immature. She isn’t confronting any of her issues, refuses to look at any other perspectives, and pretty much believes she’s the only one who knows what’s right for anyone. She did make some growth as the book went on, thanks to Dash. Otherwise she would’ve been completely intolerable. Although, if I had to hear the word “dogprenour” one more time I was going to chuck the book across the room.

Dash is struggling with a lot. And it was hard for me to not get mad at him because I would have loved to live in England and gone to Oxford. But, I know that it’s not for everyone so I tried to set my own wants and needs aside. I was so happy that Dash finally has a decent family member as well.

One difference between this one and the others is that it really didn’t revolve around Dash and Lily as a couple. Yes, there were moments here and there where that was central to the story and even the fact that he lived in England was a driving force behind some of the conflict, but mostly it was about Dash and Lily separately. They were both trying to figure out what they want in life and where they want their lives to go.

I think overall, I enjoyed this series. Dash and Lily aren’t my favorite individuals, but as a couple they usually seem to work. I do prefer the Netflix series to the books and am looking forward to seeing how books 2 and 3 are adapted. I would still recommend watching Dash and Lily over reading them, but they are all around 200-250 pages so they’re pretty quick to get through.