Category: books and reading

Title: Happiness Falls

Author: Angie Kim

Genre: literary fiction

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I read Miracle Creek a couple of years ago after hearing what an amazing book it was. And I definitely thought it was great. It featured an autistic boy, so I was surprised this book also did. Not only does Eugene have autism, but he also has Angelman Syndrome and cannot communicate in any way. The story begins with Eugene running home unattended by his father after they go for a walk.

Eugene would never be left alone due to his neurodivergence. His family loves him and protects him, but his father is nowhere to be found. What unravels as the family tries to find their patriarch is an epic secret. I have a neurodivergent nephew who can barely communicate. And, much like Eugene, he would never be left alone to find his way home after a walk. Watching my family protect my nephew, support him, and love him, is very much reflected in this book. I also related to the main character, Mia, very much. Our personalities are similar.

I read this book in two days and absolutely loved it. One of the best I’ve read this year. This might be due to a bias that I related to the story so much, but that’s the beauty of reading. Being seen.

Title: Mothered

Author: Zoje Stage

Genre: thriller

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I read Baby Teeth when it came out and was blown away. It was in my top 10 reads of the year. When Wonderland came out, I was excited to revisit Stage’s writing but found that one a bit flat. Now that Mothered is here, I’m sad to say this one also didn’t work for me at all.

The story follows Grace, who is trying to survive the pandemic with her newly moved-in mother. They never got along when Grace was young, but her mother is there to help financially, while hairdresser Grace is out of work. Part of the story is simply Grace’s nightmares. They are jarring at times because they happen in the middle of a chapter with no warning, so it’s hard to tell if what is happening is real or not. But Stage relies too heavily on those dreams to supplement the weak plot. I was bummed this one wasn’t all that great.

Title: Good Girls Don’t Die

Author: Christina Henry

Genre: thriller

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I’ve only read one book by Christina Henry, Horseman, and thought it was great. I know her books are usually retellings of familiar stories, and I expected this one to be the same. Although it wasn’t, I still thought it was great. I was hooked from the first chapter. This story wasn’t like anything I’ve read before, either.

We first meet Celia who has no memory of who she is. Several chapters are devoted to her story. We move to Allie, trapped in a cabin in the middle of nowhere with her friends when things begin to go wrong. Several chapters of her story follow. Finally, we meet Maggie, kidnapped and plunked into a survival situation. Her chapters come next. Three women. Three stories. Only one way out. This book was so much fun to read. I had no idea what was happening in each one, much like the women, and following their situations was captivating. I loved this book.

Title: The Unquiet Bones

Author: Loreth Anne White

Genre: thriller

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I’m a fan of White’s and have read several of her books including Beneath Devil’s Bridge, A Dark Lure, In the Dark, and The Lucky Ones, and am always excited to read a new one. However, this one fell flat for me. The main character and plot were fine, but this book had way too much going on in the background that was totally unnecessary.

As a book editor, I always suggest that characters move the plot forward and consolidate characters when possible. This book had so many characters and some of them had nicknames that were not at all needed. The main character had a backstory that was fine, but then there was this random character who was thrown in as a previous love interest that served no purpose. The plot is about a murder and who did it, which is nothing new, but the plot twist at the end was ridiculous and felt shoe-horned in. I’m not going to give up on White, but this one didn’t work for me.

Title: Homegrown: Timothy McVeigh and the Rise of Right-Wing Extremism

Author: Jeffrey Toobin

Genre: NF

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I grew up in Oklahoma City and know exactly where I was the moment I heard about the bombing. It was my freshman year at Oklahoma State, and the radio on my alarm clock woke me up. I heard a reporter talking about “multiple casualties” and thought there had been a car crash. As I listened further, it became clear that something catastrophic had happened. Turning on the television, I was immediately transported into chaos.

I’ve watched many documentaries about McVeigh and the bombing, but this was the first book I had ever read. I am a fan of Toobin’s writing, namely his book about OJ Simpson, and knew this one would be well-researched. Not only does Toobin trace McVeigh’s childhood, time in the military, and role in the bombing, that’s just the first 30% of the book. The investigation, trial, and impact make up the bulk of the book. I was captivated by this book, especially since the story is already so familiar to me.

Title: The Hacienda

Author: Isabel Cañas

Genre: Horror

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book

I accidentally got this book from Book of the Month Club, even though I had it from NetGalley. Oops! In any case, I don’t regret having two copies of this one because it was a lot of creepy fun. It reminded me a lot of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier but in Mexico in the 1800s.

The main character, Beatriz, marries this guy she barely knows simply to be able to provide for her family. Once she gets to his hacienda, she immediately feels things aren’t right. His sister is very rude and crazy things happen, mostly during the night, but also during the day, which leads Beatriz to become ungrounded.

She reaches out to the local priests to do an exorcism, which doesn’t work, but one father, Andres, has some other ideas of how to help. This book was a lot of fun, beautifully written, and a great take on the haunted house story. I definitely recommend this one!

Title: The Writing Retreat

Author: Julia Bartz

Genre: Thriller

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

This book is just bonkers, and I absolutely loved it. It’s one that just could never happen, but it was so much fun to discover who was on what side, the secrets each character was hiding, and to see how everything came together. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this as much as I did.

The main character, Alex, is chosen to go on a writer’s retreat with her favorite author. Ultimately, the writer who has produced the best book will get it published. Then Alex’s frenemy shows up. Then mysterious things start happening, then everything falls apart. This book has a great plot but also has an excellent atmosphere. The house the writers are staying in is very creepy, and then the snow hits leaving them isolated. As the book progresses, the craziness ramps up, and I couldn’t read fast enough. What a fun ride!