When everything in your life is falling part, there is nothing more healing than working in an old bookstore with a handsome but cantankerous man. Or, at least, that’s what makes this specific kind of romance/chick lit novel so much fun. When Thea loses her job and finds out her husband is having an affair with her close friend, she is crushed, but she soon receives notice from a lawyer that a distance uncle has … Read More “The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser” »
This was May’s pick for one of my (two) local book clubs, and while the ending felt a bit rushed, this was a fast-paced, dark thriller that would make a great summer read. When her mother gets a “normal” job in Lake Tahoe and sends Nina to a fancy high school, Nina can imagine a future for herself with a prestigious college degree and a high-paying career. However, everything quickly falls apart when her mother’s … Read More “Pretty Things by Janelle Brown” »
I’ve been struggling getting into short story collections lately — but this one was wonderful and reminded me what I really enjoy about reading short stories. This was a collection of stories that shows the lives of seemingly ordinary people from modern-day China. Really, though, in many of the stories, the characters are so normal, so relatable, you almost forget that they are set within the context of being governed by an authoritarian government until … Read More “Land of Big Numbers by Te-Ping Chen” »
This was a book about every mother’s nightmare, and it definitely hooked me. I didn’t want to put it down until I found out what really happened. The book opens with new mother Shelby Tebow going missing after going on a late run through her suburban neighborhood. Soon after, though, her case is overshadowed by the disappearance of Meredith Dickey and her 6-year-old daughter, Delilah. Eleven years later, Delilah returns, but secrets start to be … Read More “Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica” »
This was a thriller with a lot of great build up, but the potential twists that I thought were coming were more interesting than what really happened. Eva is living with her father and stepmother, helping care for her father suffering from dementia, when they get a phone call asking someone to come pick up her sister from the hospital. But Eva doesn’t have a sister. Except, apparently she does: Nancy, who was 16-years -old … Read More “The Liar’s Daughter by Rona Halsall” »