The Mutual Friend: A Novel by Carter Bays

Kindle edition

This is another Real Simple magazine recommendation but I didn't keep the blurb...

I started reading this on June 27 and finished it on July 5.

Some context - Carter Bays is the co-creator of the show How I Met Your Mother. I loved this show and watched it through twice - once live when it was on and once in the last few years with The Husband because he never watched it when it was on. It was really funny the 2nd time too. I didn't know this when I read the book - The Husband told me after he looked up the book.

So, in all honesty, when I started this book, I didn't like it. I thought it was boring, disconnected, and it didn't make any sense. But I kept reading it. I read an article once that advised that if a book doesn't grab you immediately, you shouldn't keep reading it - don't waste your time. I partially agree with this. Why agonize over reading a book you don't like. I've done that a few times. But what if, like with one of my favorite books of all time (Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus by Orson Scott Card), after the first 150-ish pages, it turns out to be your favorite book and you understand then why those first pages need to be the way they are? So, I guess I'm a glutton for punishment for needing to continue with books I initially don't like to "see what happens" and "find out if I like it or not."

At first, I wanted to nudge all of the characters in the book and yell at them to get off of their phones. This phase reminded me of a ballet performed by the San Francisco Ballet a number of years ago about people obsessed with their phones and not paying attention to anything around them. Christopher Wheeldon choreographed "Bound To" and it was amazing! "In this ballet, Wheeldon comments on what happens to us when we’re tucked behind our screens. “It’s a false sense of safety because you’re not actually with someone; the screen is like a shield,” he says. When we let the world rush by unnoticed, “we’re not seeing the beauty in life.” On the flip side, he’s addressing what we can achieve when we’re together—when we see, acknowledge, and interact without any screens to shield us," as written on the SF Ballet website. So yeah, people, set down your phones and take a look around you!

I really wanted to know what was up with the narrator, how things would "click" and make sense and come together to make the book coherent. I wasn't sure that would happen. But it did. I really ended up loving this book (after hating it a little in the beginning). It is a book about people and their lives and things impacting their lives, their wants, desires, careers, social media, phones, attention. So many things. 

The whole time reading the book, there was this narrator that seemed really familiar. It dawned on me as I was very close to finishing the book that the narrator in the book reminded me of the narrator in the movie Stranger that Fiction from 2006 - Will Ferrell, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Queen Latifah, and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Highly recommend this movie.

By the end of this book, I liked it! I really liked it! All of these random vignettes, these random people, these random events, eventually loose their randomness and end up making perfect sense. And ending in a satisfying way.

Post written on July 6, 2023. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

This Close to Okay: A Novel by Leesa Cross-Smith

Kindle edition

This is another recommendation from Real Simple magazine. Here's what the magazine had to say:

"[the book] opens with divorced therapist Tallie Clark driving home from work. She notices a man standing on the edge of a bridge, coaxes him back, then persuades him to have a cup of coffee with her. What happens next makes for a poignant page-turner about perseverance and two broken people who, like all of us at one time or another, just need someone to tell them everything's going to be all right."

Well, this book was close to ok. It wasn't more than ok. It was ok-ok. It felt a little meander-y, a little aimless at times, a little contrived at times, and a little boring at times. I started reading this book on June 16 and finished it on June 26.

I wish the book seemed a little more real, a little more deep, a little more more. I'm not entirely sure why I feel this book is only ok. The Amazon review says "uplifting, cathartic story about chance encounters, hope found in unlikely moments, and the subtle magic of human connection." I definitely didn't feel this was a cathartic, uplifting story. It was a story I was waiting to get that way, but for me it didn't happen. Maybe it will be for you? Only you will know.

 Post written on July 6, 2023. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

Queen Charlotte: Before Bridgerton Came an Epic Love Story by Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes

Kindle edition

I'm a huge fan of Bridgerton and have read all of the Bridgerton books (the main ones that the Netflix series is based on). I'm eagerly awaiting the next edition. Truly can't wait.

I was very excited to watch the Queen Charlotte edition - in fact, I binged it over 2 days. So good! Really loved the flash backs and flash forwards and the richness of the characters.

I got the book version of the show and started reading this on June 16 and finished it on June 26. Love my local library and the fact that I can check out Kindle books! Love it

So, the book pretty much matched the series 100%. I wonder if the book was written at the same time as the script or if the script or book came first. I don't often say that the show/movie edition truly matches the book edition. But this one really did. Having watched the series first, it made the book version all the more colorful and "see-able" since I already visually saw it on my TV. While watching the show I kept thinking about this movie I saw a million years ago (not literally, but it feels like it) in San Francisco at the Bridge Theater on Geary. The movie is called The Madness of King George. It was in 1994 - so not completely a million years ago.

Funny aside... While watching this movie, in a packed theater, my friend and I had the pleasure?? of sitting in front of an alternately housed individual who was also an extremely intoxicated individual. We could smell the alcohol on him. Every 5 seconds he kept laughing out loud (at not-funny parts in the movie), and when we shooshed him, he would shoosh us back and then start laughing again. Pretty hard to concentrate on a movie when you can't hear it. I went out to complain to the manager and then the manager came in and sat next to this individual and every time (and it was a lot of times) that the individual started talking or laughing, the manager would shoosh him and then the individual would shoosh back and start laughing again. So, I don't completely remember this movie because it wasn't the ideal watching scenario. When the movie ended and my friend and I went outside we saw the drunk individual leaned up against a tree on the sidewalk. Peeing. The individual was peeing, not the tree. True story and surprisingly (or not) not the grossest thing I witnessed living in San Francisco.

Ok, so back to the Bridgerton version. So, I thought this story sounded familiar, and, indeed, this Bridgerton King George is the same King George as in the movie The Madness of King George. A brief read of Google results, and my memory was jogged a bit in that the true King George did have some kind of illness, though there is not 100% agreement on what it was that plagued him.

Ok, so really back to the Bridgerton BOOK version. It was really good. Loved the writing, loved the characters. Loved pretty much all of it. It's a fast read (and a fast watch) and won't disappoint.

Post written on July 6, 2023. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

The Exiles: A Novel by Christina Baker Kline

Kindle edition

Another historical fiction here and another Real Simple recommendation.

Real Simple magazine had this to say:

"In the 18th and 19th centuries, British convicts were shipped to Australia, and 25,000 of them were women. Christina Baker Kline's The Exiles imagines the stories of two of them, along with that of an orphaned Aboriginal girl. Celebrating the bonds between women, the novel explores how loves that seem destined for pain might persevere." 

I started this on June 1 and finished it on June 5.

So, generally I really love historical fiction. I have a BA and MA in American History so already love historical stuff (a really technical term, right?). I love the stories of people, learning about experiences people had, seeing all kinds of influences and impacts and results of things. It's fascinating to me. I started college as an art major but couldn't get any art classes my first semester at San Francisco State University as a transfer student from a Community College in Southern California. There were a set of 3 classes I had to take at SF State so I got those out of the way in my first semester there - Geology of California (science), California Cultures (humanities), and History of California (history, duh) with a fabulous professor - Gordon Seely. I'm a native Californian and I learned and discovered so much about our history that I had no idea about. I was hooked. Changed my major and never looked back. So yeah, I like history. I like good history books. History books that are accessible and understandable by everyone. I detest history books that aren't accessible. That you need a translator to help you understand. Ones that are written for those elitist people who want to keep the everyperson out of their genre. Sadly, the book by Ron Chernow "Hamilton" is one of those books. I've been trying to read it for so many years and I just can't. No. Sentences that take a whole page - no. Sentences full of words that no one knows - no. Just write it, just say it, you don't need to make it fancy and unintelligible.

Ok, I'll get off my high horse. I really like historical fiction.

This book started a little slow and then it sucked me in. Many times as I was reading I was shaking my head in disbelief at how human beings were treated. How women were treated. I remember thinking, "where is the humanity?" The conditions seemed deplorable for the incarcerated women. Granted, this is fiction. But it is based in history.

We meet one woman who comes to be jailed for something she literally didn't do. No one would believe her. No one would question the man who gave her the thing that she was accused of stealing. He gave her something else too... Something that would take 9 months to come to fruition. Off to jail she went. Then shipped off to Australia she was. The crossing was also deplorable and the women were subjected to violence from the crew of the ship. Friendships between the female prisoners were forged on the voyage as well, and those are the basis for the rest of the story. There were pockets of humanity in the people that came in and out of the female prisoners lives. 

This book gave the characters depth, believability, and humanity. You could feel their struggle, their pain, their fights for survival. And you could see their successes, their trials and tribulations, their growth, and their value as humans.

I really liked this book. It's different. But I liked it.

Post written on June 30, 2023. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

Oath of Loyalty (A Mitch Rapp Novel Book 21) by Vince Flynn and Kyle Mills

Kindle edition

I tore through another Mitch Rapp book - I started this on May 28 and finished it on June 1.

Seriously, these books are so good. They are uncomfortably and concerningly based around things that seem probable enough to happen. I find myself sometimes wondering if these books give "bad guys" too many ideas on how to bad and nefarious things. Just like sometimes I think that news stories that give all of the details on how a bad thing happened may provide too much of a recipe that other bad people can easily pick up and replicate. Hmmmmm...

This Mitch Rapp installment picks up right after Enemy At The Gates leaves off. The new President comes to believe that Rapp is after him and wishes to kill him. This is far from the truth, at least at the beginning. But due to a loyal new director of the CIA, the President's beliefs are twisted and manipulated in believing that truly Rapp is after him. The First Lady and the former CIA director negotiate a truce for the President and Rapp to abide by. Only, the President doesn't. Uh oh.

So, this is where the shit starts to hit the fan, in typical Mitch Rapp book fashion. A lot of shit goes down. And this time, it involves (sort of) someone other than Rapp. But, of course, Rapp is involved and uses many of his contacts (both legitimate and criminal) to help him figure out his way out of this mess. And, it truly is a mess.

This quote from Rapp in this book literally made me laugh out loud at the absurdity and straight-forwardness of it:

"Then can we just kill him?" Rapp asked. Coleman was quick to answer. "I'll handle it."

Another that seemed so apropos for Rapp:

"It was never too soon to learn that either life kicked the shit out of you, or you kicked the shit out of it."

Seems a pretty good summary of Mitch Rapp's entire life. This was another fast-paced, adrenaline-fueld read. Loved it!

There's one more current book - the 22nd Mitch Rapp book - that I'll move into the queue soon!

Enemy at the Gates (Mitch Rapp Book 20) by Vince Flynn and Kyle Mills

Kindle edition

Another amazing Mitch Rapp adventure, nightmare, thriller. Much like Lee Child (Jack Reacher), Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch), Julia Quinn (Bridgerton), and countless other authors, there is for sure a recipe for Mitch Rapp that is tried and true. It's definitely not broken and definitely doesn't need any fixing.

I started this book on May 26 and finished it on May 28. These Mitch Rapp books are next to impossible for me to put down. I spent a little extra time at the pedicure place "letting my toes dry" while I read more pages. When I got home, I read while I was eating lunch. And I spent some leisure time in the afternoon while The Husband went to Costco laying down reading. I just couldn't stop. Needed to find out what happened.

This is yet another book that could actually be based in reality. Hell, maybe it IS based in some semblance of reality. That is one of the things I like about this series. They don't seem too far fetched. It isn't too much of a stretch of the imagination that these events and interactions could be real. And with this long-running series, I've really gotten to know the characters. They seem real.

So, this book covers what happens between a new US president, the world's first trillionaire, a brilliant scientist, an African war-lord, "The Saudis", the head of the CIA, and Mitch Rapp, among others. The gist, without giving too much away, is that the trillionaire is funding pharmaceutical research being done by the brilliant scientist to create a cure/vaccine for every corona virus, SARS, and the common cold. This scientist is close. Then an African war-lord busts into the scene in Uganda and all hell breaks loose. The trillionaire wants help and asks the US president. By some twist of fate, Mitch Rapp gets involved, and according to the recipe, all hell breaks out. The shit hits the fan. Spy stuff, spy stuff, spy stuff. And poof, the book is over.

It was gripping, thrilling, intriguing. I like that Mitch is getting older - he's not the same 30-something from the earlier books. He's not stuck in a single point of time. These books follow him through his life. As he gets older, he gets more... crotchety (I'm not sure this is the right word). Rather than running toward everything, he's maybe learning to stay out of everything. But let's be real here. This is Mitch Rapp. Has he ever stayed away?

Another thrilling and exciting book! An enthusiastic two thumbs up from me.

The Marriage Portrait: A novel by Maggie O'Farrell

Kindle edition 

Another Real Simple magazine recommendation. Here's what Real Simple had to say:

"...brings to life Lucrezia de' Medici, a free-spirited young duchess in 1550s Florence. She's thrust into a marriage when the groom's intended bride, her older sister, dies suddenly. Her survival depends on whether she produces an heir. This is a riveting tale about one woman's fight for autonomy."

I started this book on my kindle on May 16 and finished it on May 26.

I had mixed feelings about this book. The thing that made me so-so on it was the tense. At times it was as if a narrator was telling the story. At other times it was Lucrezia telling the story. It was a little awkward for me switching between the two.

The overall story was interesting. It seemed to take a little too long to really get to the story. In hindsight, the context and history of Lucrezia was needed, but it could have maybe been hurried up a little. The writing is rich with details and layers. Lots of descriptions of things. I especially liked the scene with the tiger and Lucrezia. It was detailed and vague. It was textured and lovely. I wanted more of it. There were a lot of things that left me longing for more information. Maybe that wanting was the point. So much during this time happened behind closed doors. Information wasn't freely available to Lucrezia, or women in general. Maybe the author was creating that tension in how she wrote this story. It certainly was palpable.

While the ending was dramatic and traumatic (at times), it was mostly (not entirely) satisfying. I wanted more. I was curious about a few things with Lucrezia's sister in law, Elizabetta. What happened with her? What is Lucrezia's husband's past, and what happened with is future? I'd like to have learned more about Lucrezia too. I wonder if after what happened with Lucrezia if her mother had any regrets. Or any of her family.

And very interesting historical fiction book, with lots of positive reviews. While I liked this book, it isn't at the top of my list.

 Post written on May 28. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

The Do-Over by Lynn Painter

Kindle edition

This is a gem from the Real Simple magazine reading recommendation list sort of by mistake and I only just realized it right now! There is another book called the Do-Over by Suzanne Park. This is not that book. Oopsie!

Well - in re-reading the synopsis of the other Do-Over, it sort of sounds similar to this one, but the characters and situation is different. I'll add this other Do-Over to my reading list.

I started this Do-Over (by Lynn Painter) on May 14 and finished it a quick 2 days later on May 16. I really didn't want to put this one down.

This one is about a high-school girl, Emillie, and her bad bad Valentine's Day that, through some crack in reality and time, she gets to live over and over again. Imagine some random smattering of Parent Trap, 13 Going on 30, Groundhog Day, Freaky Friday (you get the idea) and you get this book.

Emilie is dating one of the "popular boys" at school and she is so excited for their first Valentine's Day together. She has it all planned out. You know the saying about the best laid plans... Well, her plans don't go as planned. And something happens so she can relive this day and maybe try and make it right. Except she doesn't know what "right" is. So without fear of the consequences, Emilie tries all sorts of things to make it right. But, perhaps, her thoughts on what is "right" aren't quite... right.

SPOILER ALERT: If you don't wan't to know too many details, STOP READING NOW.

So, on one of the Valentine's Days, Emilie says F#@k it and throws caution (and potential consequences) to the wind and tries something radically different. She puts on some uncharacteristically Emilie leather pants, takes her dad's Porsche (without permission), puts the pedal to the metal (and gets a ticket and the car impounded), says whatever she wants (and confronts the resident mean girls at school), breaks up with her boyfriend over the PA system at school for all to hear, walks out of her science class with her cute lab partner, and goes on to have the time of her life. Consequences be damned.

You know what they say about the best paid plans... Well, this day of consequences ends up... having consequences. Lots of them. And maybe one of them ends up in Emilie's favor.

I LOVED this book. It was heart-breaking, relatable, fun, hilarious, exciting. I highly recommend it.

 Post written on May 25. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

Total Power (Mitch Rapp Book 19) by Vince Flynn and Kyle Mills

Kindle Edition

I'm a total Mitch Rapp fan. I'm always so excited to read the next book to see what Mitch gets into next. And I'm always sad when I finish it so fast and have to wait until who knows when until the next one comes out. I'm (thankfully?) a bit behind on these and there are a few more out currently so I won't have to wait quite so long for the next one.

I started this book on May 7 and finished it on May 11.

I love these books. Some of them seem a little too real and I wonder in the back of my mind if they give bad guys too many ideas of bad things to do. Do bad guys read these books? Maybe.

This one has to do with the power grid in America and a plot to take it down. Not for a day or two. Or even a week or two. But take the whole thing down. Period. For a year or more. This bad person has the knowledge and access to do it. And he's attempting to find the highest bidder (or any bidder) to lend support / take the lead to do this.

In typical government fashion, the red tape, the bureaucracy, the ancient technology, the dispersed systems, the bickering politicians, the too-many-to-number agencies involved all lend to the chaos and inability to really do anything. This seems about right and based in reality.

Enter Mitch Rapp. He can do something. And he does something.

This is a fast read. I usually read before falling asleep, but with any of these books, instead of helping me get to sleep, they amp me up and make me want to read all night to see what happens. I notice I get anxious, my heart-rate increases, I try to read faster and faster to get to the next thing that happens in the book. But I don't care. I love these books.

  Post written on May 25. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

Just Like You: A Novel by Nick Hornby

 

Kindle Edition

Yet another book from my growing list of recommendations from Real Simple magazine. I started this book on May 1 and finished it on May 7.

Real Simple described it as a witty rom-com.

"Lucy is a 40-something white mother of two. Joseph is a 22-year old black aspiring DJ. When they meet at the London butcher shop where Joseph works, they're caught off-guard by their feelings for each other, and nearly as baffled by their awkward courtship as their wide-eyed friends and family are. [This book] is a sweet and funny testament to the wonderful things that happen when you allow yourself to follow your heart."

Yes, that does describe the book in a nutshell. However, I wasn't as enthralled and engrossed in this book as I thought I would be. The writing style seemed disjointed and rather cliché at times. The dialogue felt forced and it was difficult to tell who was saying what.

I thought this would be a fun, witty rom-com, as the Real Simple review said. It fell short and flat for me.

Leaving Isn't the Hardest Thing: Essays by Lauren Hough

 

Kindle Edition

Another from the Real Simple recommendations list (yes, each month I look at the "what we're reading" section in Real Simple magazine and usually pull one or more of the books they recommend into my "to read" list on my phone).

I started this on April 25 and finished it on April 30 - another quick read.

Real Simple said this:

"Lauren Hough has endured more than most of us in 10 lifetimes, and she reels it all... from her globe-trotting childhood in an infamous cult to her time in the U.S. Air Force to her eye-opening experiences as a bouncer and cable installer. Hough bravely and compellingly shares how our search for identity can be searingly awful, wickedly funny, and totally worth it."

I'm not a cult expert or even a cult novice. I know next to nothing about them let alone how to leave them. This book was really interesting. It's presented as a collection of essays, and that presented a few issues for me. Some of the content seemed repetitive and the book itself didn't follow a linear timeline. I guess because - essays. Different and the same topics can be part of more than one essay, and they were. The book still held my interest and had me shaking my head in disbelief in many of the essays. Thinking, "how could that happen?" and "holy shit" multiple times.

The glimpses Hough offers into her experiences in the cult and outside it show aspects of life that most of us haven't even thought about or imagined, let alone lived. That she's been through all of the travails and nightmares this life has brought her is a testament (maybe?) to the human spirit and about how much shit some can endure and still keep forging ahead.

 Post written on May 3. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

Diamond Head: A Novel by Cecily Wong

 

Kindle Edition

I learned of this book in Real Simple magazine and voila! was able to get it without a wait on my kindle from my local library. I started this book on April 17 and finished it on April 21. A quick read.

I really enjoyed the time-skipping aspect of this book and the storytelling. It follows members of several families and tells their stories and how they became intertwined. This is NOT a time-travel book. It looks at each person and shares their story going back in their personal history.

This book is about relationships, choices, family. It spans 1800s China to 1960s Hawaii. There's so much about the book that I enjoyed. However, the ending; I didn't love the ending. It was too abrupt. Maybe I was too invested in the characters, too invested on learning what else would happen. The ending left me wanting more. Maybe that's good? Maybe that was the author's intent? But it was disappointing. 

A short synopsis: Rich man (Frank) "saves" poor girl (Lin); marries her and eventually takes her to Hawaii. They live a lavish life. Before Lin is able to get pregnant, a concubine gives them their first child, a son, Bohai. When in Hawaii, Lin gets pregnant and has a 2nd son. We learn about Frank's and Lin's histories and come to know their two sons as well. Bohai, their first, is a-typical. He comes to marry Amy and they have a daughter, Theresa. The author weaves this concept of how soulmates are linked together by an invisible red string tied to them both. Some people are able to find their soulmate/intended easily, not making any knots (complications) in their string along the way. When a person does make mistakes, make wrong turns with relationships, etc., their strings get knots. With too many knots, it becomes harder and harder to untangle them.

The characters in this book have many knots, many twists, and many turns. The author provides a lot of context about each character and gives detailed insights into their knots, twists, and turns. Maybe too much? For me, no. It is a meandering book that paints a very detailed and personal picture of each of the characters. It definitely pulled me in. As I mentioned before, the ending was disappointing. I wanted more.

Bottom line, I really liked the book and the depth of each of the characters, the vivid pictures, the complicated relationships. I just wanted a better ending (a more satisfying ending).

Post written on April 28. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

Because of Miss Bridgerton: A Bridgerton Prequel by Julia Quinn

 

Kindle Edition

Yes, I jumped on the Bridgerton bandwagon (books and series) and loved every minute of it. I started this book on April 13 and finished it on April 17 and loved every minute of it.

This book introduces us to the generation or two before the family we know from the Netflix series. We meet Billie Bridgerton (the older sister of Edmund of Violet & Edmund Bridgerton). This is her story.

Typical (and I don't mean that negatively) of Julia Quinn's stories, we learn of Billie's life and how she fell in love with, maybe someone unexpected, though not really unexpected all that much.

I loved the opening with Billie and the cat. It was pretty funny and I could totally visualize how it went down. It reminded me a little of one of the old Anne of Green Gables episodes from the PBS version when Anne hurt her ankle (fell into a well, I think?). Regardless, I really love Julia Quinn's writing style, her character development, and the storylines in each of the books.

I got the last 3 Bridgerton books in a combo book on my kindle and was sad when I finished what I thought was the last one. Then realized that the 3rd book in the combo was one I hadn't read yet. Then realized it was the prequel-ish. And now know that there are a treasure trove of other books by Julia Quinn just waiting for me (and you!) to read!

Post written on April 28. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

Spare by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex

 

Hardcover and Kindle edition

I have to admit that I usually don't read books like this. I don't really get excited about pop-culture drama-riddled people/stories. I just don't care. Everyone has drama. Everyone has problems. What makes a "star" any more special than anyone else?

I became interested in this book after seeing Prince Harry's interview on 60 Minutes with Anderson Cooper. All I can say is, holy shit. A lot of shit went down, and continues to go down with Prince Harry and his family. After watching that bit, I decided I wanted to read the book. I got on the wait list for the book from my library - it said it would be a "long wait". I happened to mention it to my friend at work and she just finished the book and said she'd bring it for me to read! Score!

So, I wear glasses. I need them to read. I sometimes pretend that I don't need glasses, then I'm squinting and moving the thing I'm trying to read all around to try and find a distance where I can read it (and often I can't). So, I got the book from my friend at work and tried to start reading it. Even with my glasses, the text looked like ants on the page. I could barely see it. This was also during the time where I was in constant pain and couldn't lay down without excruciating pain. So, it was tough to get into this book because 1 - even with my glasses I couldn't see anything very easily, and 2 - pain. 

I didn't get very far very fast - I started the hardcover version on February 26. But then the Husband and I got new library cards for the new city we live in now (since October 2021) and they have WAY MORE kindle books available to borrow and I got on the list for this one and instead of the "long wait" from the other library, it was like a 2 week wait. So I got it on kindle and could read it comfortably with the big font setting! SCORE! I finished the kindle edition April 13

All I can say is, holy shit. This is some shit. There is so much in this book that had me shaking my head in disbelief, in astonishment. How can people treat each other this way? It's truly unbelievable. And sad. So much drama punctuated by a life that is a spectacle in the most public way.

Post written on April 28. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

It's In His Kiss (Hyacinth's Story) by Julia Quinn

 

Kindle edition

Definitely on the Bridgerton bandwagon - loving every book. I started Hyacinth's story on April 6 and finished it on April 9. Like all of the others in this series, it was a quick read.

Julia Quinn's books definitely have a formula. That's not necessarily a bad thing. If the formula works, don't change it. And this formula definitely works.

Hyacinth, the youngest of the Bridgerton brood, has her moment in this book. Another unexpected (expected) match and a story with lots of twists and turns that I really enjoyed. I love Lady Danbury - she is so witty and sarcastic. She's kind of like the Oracle, the all seeing eye. She know's what's up and things usually end up the way she knew they would. I love that people are afraid of her, including the Bridgerton men. 

Bottom line: if you are a Bridgerton fan, this will not disappoint.

Now, they need to hurry up already and make all of these books into the series. Can't wait for season 3 to drop!

Post written on April 28. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

The Fortunes of Jaded Women: A Novel by Carolyn Huynh

 

Kindle Edition

I learned of this book, The Fortunes of Jaded Women, from Real Simple magazine. Real Simple described it as "fun fiction" about a group of sisters "cursed to live without love, happiness, or sons." I started this on March 24 and finished it on April 6.

The description in Real Simple goes on:

"The bad luck seems to extend to one sister's adult daughters, so she consults her psychic for help. What happens next might finally bring this over-the-top family together."

I agree with their assessment that this story is hilarious and heartwarming.

This is another book with deep character development and descriptions. Much of this book takes place in Orange County, a place I'm familiar with. So it was easy and fun to be able to imagine and "see" the places that were described in the book. Most books that take place in places I'm familiar with really pull me in in a different way than books that don't. 

The sisters and their families in this story are complex, funny, and colorful. I enjoyed learning about them all and how all of the drama came to be and how it played out. A fun read!

Post written on April 28. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell'Antonia

 

Kindle Edition

This is another gem I learned about in Real Simple magazine. Sometimes I think that I don't need that magazine any more, but then I remember that I find a lot of the books I read in the magazine and that I do really enjoy flipping through and reading the magazine. So, it stays.

I started this somewhere around March 7 and finished it on March 24. This one took a little longer for me to read. During this time in March, I was suffering from near constant pain from a back injury and wasn't sleeping much. It was near impossible to get comfortable laying down (which is how I usually read - in bed before going to sleep). This one was a little slow going.

This book follows two sisters, who are sort of estranged, and their dueling family chicken restaurants in a small town in Kansas. One sister is much more cosmopolitan - she moved to New York, was on a talk show, married, kid. The other sister, is more rural - she stayed in Kansas, married, 2 kids, widowed, works in one of the chicken restaurants. This sister had the brilliant idea to apply for a reality TV competition show (something you might find on the Food Network) pitting the 2 chicken restaurants against each other. Sounds like a great, idea, right? Ummmmm, no.

This book follows what happens when the show comes to town. As Real Simple put it, this book is "a delightful look at sibling relationships and the unbreakable bonds of family." Lots of family drama. Lots of secrets. I enjoyed this book.

Post written on April 28. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

On the Way to the Wedding: Bridgerton (Bridgertons Book 8) by Julia Quinn

Kindle Edition

I read the last two Bridgerton books out of order. I thought they went in alpha order with Hyacinth being last, but turns out Gregory's was last. Oh well. I still loved it.

I started this book on February 15 and finished it on February 21. As with all of the other Julia Quinn books, this was a quick read. And, as with books 3-8, I can't wait for them to be added to the Netflix series. Hurry up already, Netflix!

This book follows Gregory in his love journey. Like all of the others, there are twists and turns, follies and missteps.

I can't remember all of the details now (I'm writing this on April 28 though finished the book back in February). I can remember that I liked the book, it was entertaining, and a quick read.

If you've invested in all of these books to this point, you should finish it out.

I can say that I have loved the 2nd epilogues that have been in all of the kindle books. They offer a glimpse of "what's next" for the characters that we love.

 Post written on April 28. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

American Royals: Inheritance (A Prequel Novella) by Katharine McGee

 

Kindle Edition

What if... America lost the revolution and had a monarchy? That's the premise of this book series by Katharine McGee.

I started this on February 12 and finished it 2 short days later on February 14th. Talk about a fast read.

This book started to offer insights into how things came to be in the first book in the series. There's a king of America with three children - Beatrice, Samantha, and Jefferson. All with different (and sometimes) intertwining drama they call their own.

I don't want to give too much away, though read any of the reviews of this book and you'll get them anyway. This is a light-hearted, easy read. It's fun to imagine how things would be different if America was... different. A monarchy. What do you think it would be like? Take a look at some of the other royal families around the world, and you'll have a good idea. 

Navigating, avoiding, and managing the prying eyes of the press. Dealing with competing and often unscrupulous actions of "friends", family members, and random people. Trying to have a private life in the public eye. Living with family knowing you are either the "heir" or "spare", and the list goes on and on - see "Spare" by Prince Harry. Except this is the fictional version.

If you like "Royal" things, you'll like this series.

 Post written on May 3. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

Firefly Lane: A Novel by Kristin Hannah (Book 1 / part 1)

Kindle Edition

In mid-January my hairdresser told me about the Firefly Lane series on Netflix (had never heard about it) and The Husband and I binged it in about 3 or 4 days. It is SOOOO GOOD! I didn't know when we began the series that it was based on 2 books.

I requested the Kindle book from Libby / my public library and started it on February 1 and reluctantly had to put it down on February 12. Not because I finished it. Not because it was bad. But because the first book continues beyond where the series ended. 

It was a major conundrum - finish the book before the series? Or finish the series before the books? Ultimately, I put the book down and wanted to finish the series first. Bummer because we didn't know how long we'd have to wait for the series to come back. 

As I'm writing this months after I finished the book, I can tell you that the series came back in late April and we finished it. So, I'm ready to finish book 1 and now can't get it from the library for a few months. Ugh.

So, the story. It's great. It follows two girls from when they met in middle-ish school throughout their lives. In the series, the adult main characters are played by Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke and their younger selves are played by Alissa Skovbye and Roan Curtis. That's neither here nor there in book-land though. 

The girls grow up in a suburb of Seattle called Snohomish in the late 1960s. They go through the typical things that kids go through - like boys, parent & family drama, school drama, first kisses, first jobs, college, heartache, and more. We see their relationship bloom, ebb, flow, fight, and make up.

The characters are deep and believable, and the story is easy to follow and relatable. It's funny. It's sad. It's deep. It's shallow. Good characters. Good writing. It may have helped that I watched the series first so had visuals to go along with what I was reading in the book. There are some differences between the book and the series. Let's be honest, when isn't there? The differences, so far, aren't that much and aren't detracting from the reading or watching experience.

The cutoff in the series was heart-wrenching. And the series ended satisfactorily. I can't say more.

I'm really looking forward to finishing the first book and reading the second.

The series is worth a watch - just decide if you want to watch or read first. 

 Post written on May 8. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

When He Was Wicked: Bridgerton (Bridgertons, 6) by Julia Quinn

 

Kindle Edition

Here is the 6th installment of the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn. This is the story of Francesca. I started this Kindle book on January 27 and finished it on January 31. Of course, another quick read.

Following the formula that isn't broken, we follow Francesca through her love story or stories... There are many scandalous moments in the book, but that's what makes them so fun to read! I don't want to drop any spoilers so won't say more.

If you like this book series, I'll predict that you will like this one too.

 Post written on May 7. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

To Sir Phillip, With Love: Bridgerton (Bridgertons, 5) by Julia Quinn

 

Kindle Edition

Welcome to Eloise Bridgerton's story! I started the Kindle book on January 24 and finished it on January 27. A super quick read.

After watching the 2 seasons of Bridgerton that are available on Netflix and seeing how the show portrays Eloise as interested in a printer, I was very curious to see how this book would unfold. Was her interested in the printer true to the book or was it a liberty that the show creators took?

Well...... If you don't want a spoiler on that question - stop reading now.

If you don't mind... keep reading.

So, the short answer is... the printer is a creative liberty. Interestingly, how Eloise comes to be with the person she ends up with does align with some aspects of characters in the Netflix series but in a slightly different way. Eloise is a snarky person in the series and in the book. She sort of does what she wants, consequences are inconsequential. I like that about her. She just goes for it if it fancies her.

I did like this story and how Eloise took control of her future. A good and satisfying (and quick) read in the Bridgerton saga.

 Post written on May 7. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

Romancing Mister Bridgerton: (Bridgertons, 4) by Julia Quinn

 

Kindle Edition

I'm on a roll with the Bridgertons. Maybe I'm slightly obsessed? I started on January 17 and finished on January 24.

This is Colin's story, and spoiler alert (not my fault), this is also Penelope's story. We all knew it was coming, especially if you watched the Netflix series.

All I can say is, FINALLY! I like this match. I like the story. I like the "underdog" getting her due. Penelope was persistent and focused on what she wanted and I'm so glad she got it.

 Post written on May 7. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

The Right Swipe: A Novel by Alisha Rai

Kindle Edition

I don't remember how I came to know about this book. It was either a Real Simple recommendation or a random selection from the "available now" list on the Overdrive library app. 

I started reading this one on January 9 and finished on January 17.

This book follows Rhiannon Hunter, founder of a dating app, which she occasionally uses too (for... hooking up!). She meets someone for a hookup and then... can't forget about him.

Add in some business drama, some dating drama, some family drama and, poof!, that's this book. At first I wasn't that into it, but it grew on me and at the end, I did really like it. It's not going to win a Pulitzer or anything, but it was a fun and entertaining read. Especially as my journey to meet my husband involved a variety of online dating apps. Hey - miracles can happen!

The preview for the next book in this series (I didn't know it was a series when I started it) seemed interesting. I haven't added it into my queue. Yet...

 Post written on May 7. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

Tough: My Journey to True Power by Terry Crews

Kindle Edition

I started this Kindle book on January 1, 2023 and finished it on January 7. The Husband asked me to read this book. Many aspects of it resonated with him and he thought this would give me some insights.

I can say that I mostly enjoyed this book. I like Terry Crews and some of the acting roles he's taken, especially on Brooklyn 99. So funny! He seems like a cool dude. And, after reading this book, I learned more about Terry the person and his journey to get where he is today.

Terry Crews has been through some shit. More shit than most people. From childhood through adulthood, he's overcome so many obstacles, both from other people and from himself.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It's amazing that he was able to overcome so much adversity. So much. However, I felt that the book got a little preachy and repetitive at times. If you can overlook that, the message of the book is good. And you'll learn a lot more about Terry Crews. He also may teach you a thing or two that will help you in your life. 

 Post written on May 7. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.