I read books. Sometimes, I tell you about them. My sister says I do your Book Club work for you…that may be true!
Clearly, husband is having a mid-life crisis either bought on or aggravated by, his wife’s depression, his lackluster career and personal relationships, and changes to his comfortable political-socioeconomic landscape. Whyte rage, stage 1. 😒 Except our good ol’boy feels the vibes and decides to disrupt the status quo.
The story revolves around D-list actor groom and his bride to be, who is seemingly over the moon excited to meet her life’s goal of landing the town ‘catch’. 🙄 They’ve decided to be married on a remote Irish island…
While helping a friend, Robinson discovers a new drug being pushed in his adopted town and decides to confront the drug dealers and run them out of town. 🤔 Is that what y’all do in Boston? 🙄
Cons: None for me except I didn’t know this was a second book in a series and I would have liked to have read the first book beforehand! 🤦🏾♀️ You don’t have to
Sandra and Victor are married living in his hometown where he is a well liked politician and coddled son of rich parents. One night, after a party, Victor dies in a car accident while Sandra is driving.
Suddenly the babysitter disappears and the police strongly suspect her or her husband may have played a role. As Selenas life continues to unravel, she discovers she may be stronger than she thinks.
The story follows aging actress Meredith White. She has the world in the palm of her hand when her Director husband decides to leave her for a young, up and coming actress.
The book is a collection of longish, short stories with very little in common besides the overwhelming creepiness of each.
There are plenty of scenes between the two pf them to keep you interested and as always Brown almost has you thinking it wont happen for them, right up until it does.
In Anita’s world vampires and werewolves rule the day…well, night 🙄 and exist legally. So, its a problem when someone decides to start targeting vampires and killing them.
The books are full of plots and twists: political scheming, mass murders (maybe a bit triggering in current times, but really done well), revenge, backstabbing, beautifully described fictional locations and big action scenes and cliffhangers.
The story is about a group of friends that while on a hunting trip, angers a strong spirit. It takes a while but, the spirit comes looking for them to exact her vengeance.
One day, one of Regina’s previous clients, Robert, a magician who Regina got acquitted for murder against his rich wife, shows up in Robin’s office and wants help patenting a magic trick.
The tension between Peach and Natalie set the right tone and I liked watching the romance unfold between the two of them. I also enjoyed how the author addressed Natalie’s grief around the loss of her mother and boyfriend. Natalie was a fairly complex character
Ledge knows how unforgiving Penton can be. He’s had his own run-ins with the corrupt law and Ardens father. He decides to help with the refurbish job, mostly to keep an eye on her, and pow-chica-pow-wow: thinly veiled innuendos, steamy close calls, sexual tension and we are off to the Sandra Brown races!!
Not one character is shamed or written to be better than another. I suppose we learn, no matter your choice, loveless or abusive marriage, mistress or childless wife, independent , single woman, it all comes with its burden to bare.
It was quick, beautiful, sad read and I enjoyed it very much. This would definitely be a great story for a book club to deep dive themes of class, familial obligation, the role of young women in underdeveloped country’s and voting reform…
Even with its flaws, its a page turner and a quick read. The drama is nonstop and that keeps it interesting. If you like twists and turns, reading about busy bodies in action, narcissist and thier wives, with a side plot of possible vampire children, read this.
The Institute reminds me of Firestarter, which I read as a kid. I remember being terrified bad doctors would come thief my sister and I if they found out we were smart. 🤦🏾♀️🤣😂 The climatic ending is great as well, complete with suspense, action magic, and violence. #ClassicKing Everyone gets what they deserves and the telling is gratifying.
If you allow yourself to be distracted by Siri gone wild, ghosts, strange men, mean maids and angry teenagers the ending is a nice twist on events.
“Your lot in life is dictated by a comprehensive test given at age 10. Score high and you move on to the next level. Fail or score low, your education stops and you end up living in the slums, impoverished for life…”
“The gangster has killed Eddie’s partner, threatens Eddie’s family, straps a bomb to his chest and forces him into the courtroom. If Eddie doesn’t get the guy off, all is lost.”
EJD writes a mean sex scene. You shall be satiated in that regard…eventually. And the concept of getting an arguably behind the scenes perspective of the logistics involved in an erotic one night stand is intriguing.
Very interesting way to tell an old story of teenage pregnancy. I also liked the middle/upper class representation of blackness. Not all blackness is earmarked by poverty and lack.
I must say, between Queenie, Eleanor and Autumn from Speaking of Summer – I liked Eleanor best.
A.I. is a audio only book narrated by Regina Hall and Mindy Kaling. And with those two on deck combined with Cole, who typically writes historical romances, A.I. is part comedy, sci-fi, thriller, and romance.
One day, while struggling to complete her exercise on the communities suicide stairs, she meets a man in a black hat. He offers to change her life forever, and does. Pretty much overnight, she becomes the smart, attractive, popular girl the popular guy is interested in.
Interesting take on zombies and you don’t have to wait for the action to begin. It starts right away and there is plenty of fighting, screaming, scrambling and dying going on from start to finish.
The thriller/who-dun-it twist is about Lowen trying to understand how Verity ended up paralyzed and how the children were involved. Was the husband at fault? Really a great story with several twists, right up to the end.
The descriptions around characters, food, action scenes and locations: all beautiful beyond reproach. The imagery WILL transport you to the marketplace, the fights on the countryside and onto the castle grounds. The book cover itself is a work of art. We get to understand more about the Maji and their complicated history. Major uptick in action from the first novel.
The story begins following Clara and Luke, a young couple sharing a flat. Luke doesn’t come home one night and, having a reputation of a being a philanderer, his friends assume he’s on a binge and will return when he’s ready. After a couple of nights, Clara is not convinced thats true
The parents of the victim paint him to be the perfect son and husband. We determine pretty quickly from the wife, he was just the opposite. As a matter of fact, most of the characters are hiding imperfections behind their public personas.
As readers, we know theres a serial killer on the jury. It’s interesting following Eddie as he figures it out and then, as he finds out that others aren’t what they seem. Again, not just a courtroom drama! Definitely a thriller with a murder mystery twist.
I love the way the author writes dialogues between the characters, perfectly capturing the nuisances of southern conversation. Which is to say, the ability of saying one thing but meaning the opposite.
#InterestingRead My greatest desire as a reader is to be grabbed at sentence one and taken on a long roller coaster ride of a story. In every practical sense, Imaginary Friend delivers, tenfold.
Unlike Queenie, I actually like Autumn and don’t find her to be a self hating, self-sabotaging, casually racist, insufferable psycho slut. Both books tell a story of young black women dealing with trauma in a world that doesn’t allow them to acknowledge that trauma.
Christians versus Muslims, monsters versus monster hunters and monster hunters against Christians. Of course we have appearances from our old villain, Hugo Vox. Good thing there’s a sexy sniper chic as a co-star this episode and we (including Joe!) can all be distracted by her.
This woman has a beyond twisted mind and writes a mean psychological thriller. I’ve only read two of her books but her habit is to grab your attention early, then proceed to throw everything and the kitchen sink at you as you speed to the climax. This book followed that formula with great return.
With 21 stories and forwards by King, this is a pretty big short story collection. All the stories are interesting in that weird King way that he makes ordinary people deal with extraordinary phenomena.
….it’s sold as a view into choosing family over everything but, I’m not sure that’s what it is. It’s a story about siblings. About how in some families, for any or whatever reason, one child can be cherished or valued over another and, how that preference, can be detrimental to the preferred child as well as the one(s) not preferred.
In comparison to JC, which was focused more on the clans using brute force to win territory, War is more about the long game. Each clan attempts to use covert political strategy to gain leverage, causing some pointed collateral damage
…,what’s a Ledger book without an over the top secret society, richer than God, meaner than the devil and crazier than a bedbug?! Maberry writes evil really well. The characters here have the audacity to expect honor amongst thieves! They call themselves the Seven Kings…
It’s kind of sex, drugs, rock and roll…and shoot-outs, in a book. This should be a movie.
Most notable is the relationship Hen develops with Matthew, the suspected murderer next door. Even in his own insanity, he is honest with her. The eventual trust built between the two will captivate you. It’s almost a love story. Almost.
I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the main character, Grace. She’s written as one of those damsels in constant distress always seeking a savior, and that grates my nerves. She bucks up soon enough, if only in her own way,
Alicia loves Gabriel, and is devoted to him, their life and convincing him she is fine. No spoilers, but eventually Alicia shoots Gabriel and ends up in a psych ward, not speaking and regarded as a lost cause.
The writer, Barbie Wilde plays the only female Cinnabite in the Hellraiser movies. As I’m a fan of all things horror and Hellraiser is a cult fav, I was super excited to dig in.
It’s not the typical psychological thriller where the turnaround is overhanded. It’s actually quite subtle but, months later, you’ll still be wondering about it all.
Cyrus Jakoby and his sidekick Otto have healed from their physical wounds, but, continue to be batshit crazy otherwise. They’ve vigorously pushed forward with their plans of ‘thinning out the herd’ (Thanos, anyone?) by killing ‘mud people’ through maximizing on genetically engineered diseases.
Watchers is one of his most loved books and his personal favorite. Originally published in 1987, over 30 years ago, I have been pleasantly surprised at its relevance to modern day. Themes of Christian beliefs versus scientific advancement for the ‘greater good’, moral superiority and love – all play out in a story about a dog and his chosen family.
She’s Reading Now 