Tag Archives: books

Dec26

Lil Red’s Book Club: Foe By Iain Reid Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Foe By Iain Reid Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Without giving any spoilers away, as always, we will be discussing a creepy Sci-Fi book called Foe by Iain Reid. It took me a minute to get into Foe, but once I was in, I was one hundred million percent in. This is one of the most unique books that I have ever read and it was thrilling because I have literally never read anything like it before. There wasn’t anything particularly triggering about Foe, so let’s dive right into the synopsis:

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Junior and Hen live on a farm in the not so distant future. Their property is one of the few that hasn’t been taken over by the government and they are completely isolated in a rural setting. Every day for Junior and Hen is just like the day before. They do chores around the home, go to work, eat dinner, and do it all again tomorrow. Then, one day, things change thanks to a visit from an uninvited guest. His name is Terrance and he is a representative of OuterMore.

OuterMore is a high tech branch of the government that focuses on outer space – specifically living there and they are getting close to their goal. So close, in fact, that they are now using a lottery to select people to participate in the Installation. Junior’s name has been chosen, Hen’s hasn’t. During his visit, Terrance assures Junior that nothing is happening just yet and leaves. Over two years goes by until Terrance shows up at their door and let’s the couple know that the Installation is a go. The last thing Junior wants is to participate in this project, but he is left without a choice.

There is much to do to prepare for the Installation and Terrance turns their attic into a space to conduct interviews and takes up the guest room as his own. He wants to observe Junior and Hen’s lives fully because OuterMore has a trick up their sleeves. To help Hen cope with her husband being away for years, they are giving her a replacement. Think of it like a living hologram. He will look and behave exactly like Junior and both Hen and her husband will not be able to tell the difference between the real person and the replacement.

Once again, Junior and Hen are left with no choice but to go along with it. For an entire week, Terrance interviews the couple together and separately. He goes to Junior’s job at a grain mill and does the work for him. In this observation period, Terrance learns the ins and outs of Junior and Hen’s lives to create the perfect replacement while Junior is in space. As the week progresses, Junior grows more and more suspicious of Terrance and is convinced he is lying about the entire thing. But is he really? Read Foe to find out!

Reading Foe was my very first time exploring the world of Sci-Fi. I can’t say that I am interested in this genre, however, the combination of otherworldly technology with the creep factor of a horror book was stunning to read. Iain Reid crafted a delicate dance between the two genres and when they fully collided with the grand reveal, I was simply shook. As you all know, I pride myself on being able to sleuth out a grand reveal before it happens. This time around, though, I was dead wrong and I’m glad for it. The reveal was so shocking, yet so simple and it was absolutely divine.

There are only three characters in Foe (minus a few randoms) and, honestly, none of them are particularly likeable. Junior is fully content in his life, is fine with being an average person, and is slightly needy towards his wife. Hen, on the other hand, is cold and distant. She childishly expects Junior to know what is wrong at all times, but won’t tell him anything and they will go for weeks without talking. All the while, Terrance’s eerie presence lingers around them whether he is in the home or not. His arrival pries apart Junior and Hen’s already broken relationship and the tension created could be cut with a knife.

Despite the characters not being my favorite, I don’t even care. Iain Reid wrote Foe so beautifully that I found myself rooting for Junior and Hen anyways. Throughout the book, I was constantly hoping that their relationship would improve. With every turn of the page, I was willing Terrance to show up again and tell them that Junior’s lottery selection was a mistake. Reid was able to get your hopes up like this, knock it down, and keep you coming back for more. My only regret is that this book wasn’t longer because I couldn’t get enough.

I am going to award Foe with the coveted twenty out of ten star rating. You will never read something that is like this book and, if you do, it won’t be nearly as well done as what Iain Red created. Foe was a masterpiece and is an absolute must read!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec10

Lil Red’s Book Club: Little Cruelties By Liz Nugent Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Little Cruelties By Liz Nugent Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Without giving any spoilers away, as always, we are going to be discussing a thriller by Liz Nugent called Little Cruelties. This book was, hands down, the best one that I have read all year. It was so unlike anything that I have ever read before because this book was told from the perspective of three brothers. Literally all of the books I have read this year came from a female point of view so that in itself was a novelty. Before we begin our book club meeting, I will be placing a trigger warning on Little Cruelties for rape, murder, mental illness, violence, and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

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William, Brian, and Luke Drumm are three brothers from Dublin, Ireland. They were born in quick succession to their mother who is an Irish celebrity and their father, a quiet man who is fifteen years her senior. Throughout the boys’ youth and beyond, the Drumm family would participate in “little cruelties” that would leave the brothers scarred and broken in their own special way. The cruelties that the brothers would dole out to each other was far beyond typical sibling teasing and rivalries. While the father tried the best he could, the cruelties from their mom, Melissa, was in the form of negligence and abuse – particularly towards Luke.

Little Cruelties begins at a funeral for one of the Drumm brothers and explores specific incidents told from their perspective that led to that moment. There is a third of the book dedicated to each sibling and it begins with William, the eldest. William was born knowing he was better than everyone because his mom said as such. He was the clear favorite and was used to getting everything he wanted. This made him a huge success as a film producer but a menace to women who he used and abused.

Despite William’s womanizer ways, he managed to marry a wonderful woman named Susan and had a daughter with her named Daisy. No one would ever go as far as to say he was the world’s greatest dad or husband and spent a majority of his time cheating on his wife. He wasn’t overly concerned about Daisy because her godfather, Uncle Brian, loved spending time with her. William has a sharp tongue, violent temper, and insatiable lust. His comeuppance is swift, to his brother’s delight and that brings us to Luke…

Luke is the youngest of the Drumm brothers and has always been strange. His mother made it obvious that he was less than perfect William and even plain Brian while his dad tried and failed to make Luke feel special. The trauma of his upbringing turned Luke into a religious zealot at a young age and he was convinced he could heal his family through prayer and living a noble life. His mental state has always been questionable but plummeted rapidly when he found fame as a pop singer at just twenty-one years old.

As Luke experienced fame and fortune firsthand, his mental health went into a downward spiral. He began drinking and using drugs heavily, experienced hallucinations, and went from a quiet young man to a violent one. Luke became a liability to his family because there was no telling what he would do and say when he had an episode. His brother, Brian, became his agent and caretaker to keep an eye on him and attempt to keep him on the straight and narrow. It worked sometimes and when it didn’t, the results were catastrophic. To learn more about Luke, you need to know more about Brian whose tale begins after a particularly high note for his youngest brother…

Brian is the middle Drumm brother and is considered the family “loser”. He is of average height, build, and looks and was constantly reminded as such in his youth. While William and Luke both found specific callings in their lives, Brian floated. He ended up in Paris as a teacher and not a good one. His attempt at a career ended up blowing up in his face, leaving him broke and homeless. As Luke toured in Paris, he met his brother there at his lowest and offered him a job. This turned Brian into Luke’s constant caretaker, but an overall good thing for both of them – for a while.

Thanks to Brian’s work as Luke’s agent, he was able to make money and more importantly, connections. He began working with other artists, singers, and activists but his biggest prize was becoming the agent for Daisy. This was an extra special “F you” to William and Susan and Brian orchestrated it to perfection. For all of Brian’s lack of success, one thing he was excellent at was holding a grudge. Little Cruelties begins and ends at a funeral. Which brothers are attending and which one is in the coffin? Read the book to find out!

Little Cruelties was a fascinating, devastating read and I devoured it. As I mentioned before, it was so different from other books I’ve read and Liz Nugent’s writing set the stage beautifully. She created a dark and atmospheric space to read about a family’s demise and I couldn’t stop turning the page to save my own life. Obviously, each brother was SO messed up in their own way but I loved being able to read it in their own words rather than the perspective of a wife or girlfriend.

If you read Little Cruelties, then I am sure you experienced similar sentiments to me about each Drumm boy; A burning dislike of William, sympathy for Luke, and a slightly less than burning dislike of Brian. The only difference between William and Brian was that William was forthright in his awfulness while Brian played his cards close to his chest. Knowing about each of Luke’s siblings and upbringing made him even more tragic and his illness not only understandable but expected.

The plot of Little Cruelties was excellent, yes, but the way it was set up was what made it my favorite book of the year. I thought it was so unique that William, Luke, and Brian’s portion of the book all featured the exact same stories in the exact same order. It was like Liz Nugent was writing you a map to figure out the grand reveal and I did. Every single chapter mixed with a bit of good old fashioned detective work told you everything you needed to know. You just needed to know where to look for it and even though I did tie all of the pieces together, I didn’t even care. Little Cruelties was that good.

Little Cruelties doesn’t deserve a ten out of ten which is why I am rating it with a twenty out of ten stars. This book was haunting and will completely break your heart. If you are up for the ride, then I cannot recommend it enough!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec1

Lil Red’s Book Club: Counting The Cost – A Memoir By Jill Duggar Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Counting The Cost – A Memoir By Jill Duggar Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! I’m sure at one point in all of our lives we were either fascinated, weirded out, or both by the Duggar family. I know it was a combo for me and today, we will be discussing Jill Duggar’s memoir called Counting The Cost in a spoiler free setting. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on this book for sexual and mental abuse and religious trauma. Now, let’s get to it:

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Jill is one of the eldest Duggar daughters and the way she grew up was clearly different than most of us. Some of it had to do with her parents, Jim Bob and Michelle, and some of it had to do with their religious upbringing. The Duggar family belonged to the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), which was ran by a pedophile named Bill Gothard. The teachings of the IBLP were strict and strange. Rather than teaching about their god’s love, the IBLP focused on the wrath of god if a member of the flock were to stray. Straying could mean anything from a female wearing pants to drinking alcohol or not popping out as many children as god would allow.

Due to these teachings, it’s not hard to see why Michelle gave Jim Bob nineteen children in total. As an older daughter in an ever growing brood, Jill had a lot of responsibility and learned how to be a people pleaser from the start. She had “little buddies” AKA young siblings whose care was up to her and had to answer her parents with a “yes or no ma’am or sir”. Jill was the yes-girl in her household and thrived on her parents’ praise, earning her a special nickname of Sweet Jilly Muffin. And, why would Sweet Jilly Muffin do anything to upset her parents much less her lord?

To Jill, their lifestyle seemed normal and anything outside of their home was foreign and scary. That’s not to say that she didn’t enjoy outings with her family and she liked shuttling about with her dad when he ran for state Senator. Jim Bob didn’t win his election, but he gained a reality TV show when a journalist snapped a picture of his huge family. At first, the Duggars appeared in a few hour long documentaries of their lives and then it turned into a full fledged reality show on TLC called X Amount of Kids And Counting. Jim Bob considered this to be their “ministry” and was thrilled to be able to show off his IBLP family on national TV.

Although Jill struggled at first with the camera crew being constantly in her home, she took it in stride because that’s what a good daughter does. While she felt embarrassed in front of the cameras, she loved the perks of travel and big shopping trips to Aldi paid for by TLC. As her family grew and their popularity rose, it felt like the Duggars could do no wrong. But, every family has secrets and the Duggars were harboring a dark one – the fact that some of the daughters were sexually abused by their eldest brother, Josh.

With every scandal that broke about the disgraced brother, the shit would hit the metaphorical fan. The family show was cancelled, but a spin off show was created to focus on the adult Duggars called Jill and Jessa: Counting On. This series covered the new marriage of Jill to her husband Derrick, the birth of their son, and their mission work in El Salvador. In her brand new life, Jill and Derrick realized that something was severely lacking: Money.

Being a new parent and trying to get their own missions off the ground meant that Jill and Derrick needed funds. Oddly enough, they didn’t make a dime from their time on reality TV. Her relationship with her parents became strained and she learned that maybe they weren’t the trustworthy, all knowing people that she thought. The book explores Jill emerging from under Jim Bob and Michelle’s thumb to learn how to be herself. Not Sweet Jilly Muffin but Jill. How did this effect her family relationships? Drastically. So read Counting The Cost to find out more!

There is SO much about the Duggar family that I disagree with, but I am not going to get into that. I will say, that I was very impressed with Jill and have been since watching the documentary on her family called Shiny Happy People. Although this book covered a lot of what was already discussed in the documentary, it was still really good all the same and it was interesting to read Jill’s experience in her own words. As an outsider looking into her family, it’s so easy to see where her trauma came from and I thought she was really brave to come out and talk about it.

Throughout the book, I found myself rooting hard for Jill and it was a joy to read about her finding herself. I was elated when she talked about her choice to wear pants, get a nose piercing, and *gasp* enjoy a cocktail with her husband. I was also so happy to read that she sought out counseling to improve her declining mental health from the strain of her upbringing. Jill showed tremendous courage in her life to make these changes and choose what’s right for her and her family even if it meant sacrificing relationships with them. Counting The Cost was Jill finding her own voice and truth and it was a powerful read.

Counting The Cost isn’t a book of Jill straight up shit talking her family, even if some of them deserve it. It’s a story of a girl whose wings were clipped and how she learned to fly anyway. I am going to rate Counting The Cost with a seven out of ten stars and definitely recommend it if you are just as curious about the Duggar family as I was!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov24

Lil Red’s Book Club: Night Watch By Linda Fairstein Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Night Watch By Linda Fairstein Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Without giving any spoilers away, as always, we will be discussing a thriller by Linda Fairstein called Night Watch. I haven’t had the time to get to the library so the past two book club picks are ones that I got for free from the library several years ago that have just been sitting around my apartment. I knew I’d get around to reading them eventually! Unfortunately, Night Watch really missed the mark for me and before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on it as it deals with rape, murder, and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

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Alex Cooper is so lucky in love. Her beau, Luc, is a restaurateur who lives in a charming village called Mougins in France. Mougins is known for its picturesque views and fine dining – especially the three star rated Lutece, which Luc owns. Alex is supposed to be spending a relaxing vacation with Luc in France, but things go haywire before she’s had time to shake off her jet lag. The day after Luc hosts a lux party where all of the guests are to don white attire, a body is found in a nearby pond. The woman is dressed for Luc’s soiree and she has a waterlogged matchbook from Lutece in her pocket. Oh yeah, and she used to be employed by Luc.

As Luc clears his good name in France, Alex is flown back to New York City after the law firm takes on a big case. A prominent world leader is being accused of rape by a housekeeper at the hotel he stayed at and Alex’s firm is representing the victim. Alex’s mind is anywhere but her work, however. She is worried about Luc and anxious for his arrival in NYC where he will be opening an American branch of Lutece. He is able to make the trip and shortly after he touches down in American soil, another body is found with another Lutece matchbook. This young man happens to be the head waiter that Luc just hired for his New York restaurant.

Alex begins the delicate dance of trying to keep her world together as it comes crashing down around her. The firm fears their client is being less than truthful, her partner is in the middle of an investigation, and she is running out of reasons to believe that Luc has nothing to do with the murders. While Alex is in a constant state of panic, Luc tries to maintain a level head by conducting business for his new restaurant. His investors do not seem like a trustworthy bunch to Alex and her instincts are right. They have plans for Lutece too and it’s not just serving up an excellent meal. Is Luc in way over his head? Or is he the man orchestrating the whole plot? Read Night Watch to find out!

Night Watch was a long read that felt like it went on for forever and ever. The base of the story was interesting enough, but it was the way that it was written that I had a major issue with. There were SO many plots within the main plot that it was a bit difficult to keep track of them all. Although all of them came together in the end, it wasn’t seamless and it felt like Linda Fairstein was grasping at straws to reach a cohesive conclusion. The book didn’t read as effortless, but as multiple ideas thrown together with the hope that it would work out in the end.

Not only was the writing style not my cup of tea, but the key players, Alex and Luc, weren’t the most likeable characters. They were fine, but there wasn’t anything special about them. Their relationship wasn’t this full blown romance and I was more concerned about Alex’s flirtationship with a colleague rather than Alex and Luc. Speaking of her coworkers, Chapman and Mercer, were arguably the best characters in the book. Alex and Luc were doom and gloom to the T while Alex’s detective pals were humorous and light while still taking their job very seriously. I was rooting for them more than anyone else and they weren’t even the main characters!

Overall, I am going to rate Night Watch with a four out of ten stars. Night Watch lacked cohesion in every sense of the word. I saw the book through until the end and it was lackluster at best. This is one that you can definitely skip on!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct21

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Gulf By Rachel Cochran Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Gulf By Rachel Cochran Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Without giving any spoilers away, as always, we will be discussing a slow burn mystery by Rachel Cochran called The Gulf. I can’t say that this was the best book I ever read and at times it felt painfully slow. However, the story line and characters held my interest and it was still pretty good. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on The Gulf for child abuse and general violence. Now, lets get to it:

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It is the 1970s in Parson, Texas and Louisa lives with her girlfriend, Heather, in the town that is currently failing after being ravaged by a hurricane. Despite a lack of resources and money, Louisa loves her hometown although it hasn’t necessarily been kind to her. Lou and her brother, Robby, were dropped off on their Aunt Cece’s doorstep by their neglectful mother over two decades ago. The past has never felt so present to Lou, especially now as she mourns the death of her beloved friend, Miss Kate, and her estranged daughter, Joanna, returns to town to put her mother’s affairs in order.

Lou and Joanna were the best of childhood friends and spent every day in the forest dreaming up stories and acting them out. They were each other’s first kiss and it was completely Joanna’s world – Lou was just living in it and she was happy to. She loved spending time with Miss Kate and Joanna’s other siblings and it was like being a part of the family she always wanted. Then, a drastic turn of events occurred that essentially ruined Lou’s life…

Their all white school found out that Lou and Robby were being raised by a Mexican woman after their mom abandoned them. The kids were forced into attending an integrated school and all of the offers for football scholarships for Robby were off the table. He was then drafted to Vietnam and died there. The only person who knew about Lou and her brother’s living arrangements was Joanna and a flip was switched. Lou hated the girl who she used to love so deeply with an all consuming rage.

Seeing Joanna after all of these years has brought all of Lou’s trauma back to the surface. But, she is in no position to turn down a lucrative job offer which Joanna has for her: Fix up the dilapidated mansion, Parson House, that Miss Kate bought so it can be sold and Lou will get a cut from the profits. The money is enticing, of course, but Lou has other reasons for accepting the job. She believes that Miss Kate’s death wasn’t an accident and that someone with a grudge murdered her. Lou knows that Parson House is the best place to find answers and accepts the job.

As Lou spends her days working and snooping around Parson House, secrets are uncovered that make her second guess everything. Miss Kate was not the mother Lou knew and her troubled son, Seth, had access to a gun. The better part of Parson also despised Miss Kate and her former husband. At this point, anyone and everyone is a suspect in Miss Kate’s murder and it is up to Lou to solve the case. Only then, can she put her past and Parson behind her for good. Whodoneit? Read The Gulf to find out!

There was a lot that I liked about The Gulf and there was a lot that I didn’t. The story line certainly kept me on my toes and it was a delicious twist between the past and present. As you all know, I love a mystery and what originally seemed clear cut was not in the slightest. The stakes felt so much higher when anyone could have been the culprit in Miss Kate’s death. I enjoyed the writing style of Rachel Cochran as well. BUT, The Gulf was a slow moving book and it almost felt like pulling teeth to get to the next twist. At times, it felt like a chore to read it rather than something pleasant.

Despite the plot moving at a snail’s pace, the characters really helped keep the ball rolling. I adored tenacious Lou and it was easy to root for her. Lou’s life was filled with pain and tragedy and I felt for her. You could tell that all she wanted was love and acceptance and that just wasn’t the way things worked out. The supporting cast was also very interesting because all of them had their own memories and versions of traumatic events that happened to Lou. The only catch was that you didn’t know who was lying and it kept me turning the page!

Is The Gulf worth the read? Who’s to say? I liked it, but it wasn’t great. If you like a whodoneit, then I would definitely recommend it. If you like something more fast paced, then you’re not missing out on anything. I am going to rate The Gulf with a six out of ten stars for its creative plot and excellent character development.

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Sep30

Lil Red’s Book Club: We Love To Entertain By Sarah Strohmeyer Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: We Love To Entertain By Sarah Strohmeyer Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Today, we will be discussing a thriller by Sarah Strohmeyer called We Love To Entertain and, as always, no spoilers will be given away. This book was a nice change of pace from the previous ones I just finished by Mary Kubica because it was actually good lol. BURN! Yes, this book was simply riddled with typos to the point of being ridiculous. However, I liked the story line and did not see the grand reveal coming at all. It held my attention to the very end and the same can’t be said for my recent Book Club reads. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on We Love To Entertain for disturbing content and general violence. Now, let’s get to it:

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Erika has been plain unlucky throughout her life and is nothing short of thrilled when she receives an offer for her dream job. She will serve as a personal assistant to sweetheart Holly and hunky Robert – a power couple starring on the popular competitive renovation show, To The Manor Build. Holly and Robert will be transforming a property in Erika’s hometown of Snowden, Vermont and she will be there every step of the way. Yes, the experience is great. But, spending time with the handsome Robert is even better in Erika’s eyes.

For months, Erika has been helping Holly and Robert renovate an expansive mountainside retreat that was seized from the former owner for not paying his taxes. Zeke Strickland, put his heart and soul into his old home to raise his twin boys with his wife. However, after suffering from a traumatic brain injury, their money dried up and Zeke’s injury subjected him to violent rages. It’s no matter to Holly and Robert, though, because they got the property for a song and he is nothing but a blip on their radar. That is, until they begin receiving threatening letters from who they can only assume is Zeke.

Not only are Holly and Robert competing on To The Manor Build, but they are also getting married! They will be livestreaming their wedding and everyone is ecstatic. Well, everyone but Erika anyways. Being the loyal assistant that she is, Erika rolls through the punches of the wedding day and returns to her mother, Kim’s, home in a sour mood. Later that night as Erika pouts in her room, she has an unexpected visitor – Robert. Maybe he realized marrying Holly was a mistake and he is there to profess his love?! Uh… No.

Robert is there to ask Erika to borrow her car so he can take Holly on a surprise honeymoon to Montreal. He says that there are not enough charging stations on the way for his Tesla and she can borrow it in the meantime. Although Holly and Robert just tied the knot – this is no time for a honeymoon. The finale of To The Manor Build is happening in a week and it will be a mad dash to the finish. Robert assures Erika that they will be back before they will be missed, they will be in constant contact, and that Erika will handle herself beautifully. What else can Erika say except “bon voyage”?

The producers of To The Manor Build are very displeased at Robert and Holly for their getaway, but the show must go on. There are decisions that only the newlyweds can make, though, and no one can seem to get in touch with either of them. Erika blows up their phones to no avail and metaphorical fires for the renovation are popping up left and right. As days go by with zero contact, a missing persons report is filed and the law is taking their disappearance seriously. And, it’s not Zeke Strickland who they suspect, but Erika – the lowly assistant with a massive crush on Robert. Will Holly and Robert be found dead or alive? Is Erika guilty of this crime? Read We Love To Entertain to find out!

I thought We Love To Entertain was an insanely creative read. Not only was it suspenseful, but it was also pure fun. As you can guess, To The Manor Build is an HGTV style show and it was amusing to read about the ins and outs of the production, design, and the people assisting in the renovation. I also really enjoyed how after every few chapters, there would be a blog post by Holly or Robert along with comments on Reddit threads from the show’s fans. This book read like reality TV drama and I was so there for it.

Unlike Mary Kubica, who couldn’t craft a likeable character to save her own life, that was not the case whatsoever for Sarah Strohmeyer. I adored her cache of quirky characters and that enhanced my reading experience even more. It was nice to finally form an attachment to the people I was reading about after two duds in a row. I was rooting for Erika, who was so tragically out of her league. I also really liked her mom, Kim, and Kim’s coworker named Doreen who was an absolute hoot. Holly’s mom, Tammy, also played a fantastic role and I loved how her, Kim, and Doreen banded together at the end of the book.

As you all know, I am a big stickler for typos and We Love To Entertain was quite possibly the worst book I have read in that regard. Guys, it was so bad. I’m not talking a handful of errors, I’m talking an error every few pages. This will absolutely effect my star rating, but it didn’t take away from the fact that it was still a good book. We Love To Entertain was fast paced, it was “hand me my popcorn” worthy drama, and it was HGTV from hell happening before your eyes. While I find the amount of typos inexcusable, I was a fan. *shrugs*

I am going to rate We Love To Entertain with a six out of ten stars. If it weren’t for those pesky errors, it would have been a seven and a half, for sure. I still recommend this book, though, and I think you will have a blast reading it like I did!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep22

Lil Red’s Book Club: Don’t You Cry By Mary Kubica Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Don’t You Cry By Mary Kubica Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Without giving any spoilers away, as always, we will be discussing a thriller by Mary Kubica called Don’t You Cry. I was not a huge fan of the last Kubica book I read called Just The Nicest Couple, but I did have one more book by her from the library and decided to give the author another shot. Was I overly impressed with Don’t You Cry? Not especially, but I thought the ending in this super slow burn read was pretty good. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on Don’t You Cry for general violence, abuse, and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

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Quinn and Esther are roommates/BFFS who live in Chicago. They became fast friends and are handling adult life as best as they can while still managing to squeeze in lots of fun. Both girls don’t have a close relationship with their families, but they found family in each other. Quinn and Esther have big plans to hit up a new martini bar in the city, however, Esther feels under the weather and Quinn ends up riding solo. The following morning, Quinn wakes up with a stranger in her bed, a hangover from hell, and her roommate is nowhere to be found.

Normally, Esther sings at a nearby church on Sunday mornings so it’s not strange that she’s gone. What is strange is that the window in Esther’s bedroom is wide open and the screen has been punched out. Why would Esther leave via fire escape when she can safely exit from their own front door? Still, Quinn is not worried. What if Esther was sneaking out to meet a guy and wanted to keep private matters private? In her hungover fugue, Quinn returns to bed and expects to be woken up with coffee and a pastry from her bestie.

Alex is eighteen years old and he lives in Michigan. All of his friends are away at college and he is stuck bussing tables at a lakeside cafe to pay the bills for his alcoholic father. Every day is the same for Alex – walk to work, go through the motions at the cafe, walk home, and find his dad either passed out on the couch or belligerent. Alex resides himself to knowing that this will be the rest of his life until, one day, things change. A stranger appears at the cafe. A lovely young woman whom he gives the nickname of “Pearl” because of a bracelet on her wrist.

Infatuated by this newcomer, Alex hopes for her arrival at the cafe every day and finally works up the nerve to speak to her. They don’t say much, she won’t even tell him her name. All he knows is that he likes her. Across the street from Alex’s dilapidated home is an even more dilapidated home. It has been abandoned for a long time and used to house a family whose young daughter died. Alex doesn’t know why, but he enters the home and who should he find but Pearl living in the ruins.

In Chicago, Quinn is desperately trying to piece the clues together to find her friend. While searching her bedroom, she finds strange notes, ATM receipts for substantial withdrawals, and legal documents confirming a change of name. Did Esther willingly leave on her own? Quinn has a hard time believing that because it’s just not like her. Where would she go, anyways – a small town in Michigan, perhaps? Something isn’t right and the answers lie with Pearl and Pearl alone. Will the mystery be solved before someone gets hurt? Read Don’t You Cry to find out!

I am not sure how I feel about Don’t You Cry. I do know I liked it much better than Just The Nicest Couple, but I don’t think I will read anything else from Mary Kubica after this. Her writing style just doesn’t match what I like. Her writing often times feels like she’s either trying too hard or not trying hard enough. Some of what she writes feels like a teenager wrote it for an English class – complete with the peppering of huge words for brownie points. It’s strange to read books that feel so disjointed with every turn of the page.

Both books I read by Kubica never felt cohesive, partially because she has a real knack for creating characters that are so unlikable. There is nothing special about any of them and it made Don’t You Cry drag on like no other. I did like the ending a lot, even if I figured it out beforehand, but it felt like pulling teeth to get to it. Don’t You Cry featured a plethora of dead end story lines, a somewhat uninspired plot, and a reminder of what a watered down thriller writer that Kubica is. Harsh, yes. But what can ya do?

I am going to rate Don’t You Cry with a five out of five stars. The book in its entirety was a snooze fest, but it had a better ending than Just The Nicest Couple and is why it received one star better. This is a book that you can definitely skip on!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Sep16

Lil Red’s Book Club: Just The Nicest Couple By Mary Kubica Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Just The Nicest Couple By Mary Kubica Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Without giving any spoilers away, as always, we are going to be discussing a thriller by Mary Kubica called Just The Nicest Couple. This book was pretty good, but suffered from a horrible case of an extremely lackluster grand reveal. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on Just The Nicest Couple for murder, violence, and miscarriages. Now, let’s get to it:

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Lily and Christian really are just the nicest couple. They are self proclaimed “math nerds” and Lily is a beloved math teacher at the local high school. This is where she met her good friend, Nina, who is an English teacher and her neurosurgeon husband, Jake. The two couples have shared many an outing together for drinks and dinner and consider themselves to be close friends. But do the couples know each other or even their own partners as much as they think?

Nina and Jake’s marriage is on the rocks because the possessive husband doesn’t like Nina caring for her ailing mother. Meanwhile, Lily and Christian are in a very sensitive situation as Lily is with child and they have suffered many miscarriages before. Both couples are experiencing different changes, but it’s nothing in comparison to how their worlds are about to be turned upside down drastically. One day, Christian returns home to find Lily beside herself and her story drags them into a high stakes game of cat and mouse.

Lily says that she ran into Jake on a hiking trail and he brought her to a secluded area in the woods to look at a mother deer and her babies. Instead of seeing a sweet sight, Jake begins to hurt Lily. To defend herself and her baby, she hits him with a rock again and again and runs away. The only catch? Lily has no idea if she killed him or not. That day, Nina waits up for Jake almost all night and he doesn’t return home. He is nowhere to be found the following day, either, and won’t return any of Nina’s calls or texts.

Nina is not surprised to not hear from Jake as they had a tumultuous fight the day before. She assumes he’s crashing at a hotel blowing off some steam. It isn’t until the hospital Jake works at calls to say that he isn’t shown up for surgeries when she begins to worry. He loves his job even more than he loves her. Lily and Christian determine that there is no possible way Lily could have killed Jake and Lily tiptoes her way around Nina to gain intel and be the “good friend”.

The cops are less than helpful to Nina since Jake is an adult and can disappear if he wants to. So, she takes matters into her own hands and plays detective. It isn’t until a body is found in the woods that Lily and Christian’s panic surges. They have to be one step ahead of the cops’ investigation and Nina’s. As the story continues and Nina’s suspicion of the nice couple intensifies, Nina and Christian are all but ready for the cops to arrive and arrest them. But, what if Lily really didn’t kill Christian after all? And if not, who did? Read Just The Nicest Couple to find out!

Just The Nicest Couple went back and forth from the perspective of Christian and Nina, and you all know how much I love an alternating narrator. I also enjoy a cat and mouse thriller so I thought the story line was an exciting and interesting one. I can’t say that any of the characters were particularly likeable, but I liked the plot and it kept me turning the page at a rapid pace. I finished it in just three sittings!

I was very much into this book until the last fifty or so pages and then it took a drastic turn for the worse. The grand reveal was just so dumb that it completely took away from everything that I had read leading up to it. I was expecting to give Just The Nicest Couple a fairly high star rating and it instantly plummeted. I, myself, did not figure out the reveal because it was just so unlikely and out of left field I didn’t even consider it. A book can be great, but if the ending is terrible then what’s the point?

In terms of writing, Mary Kubica was just alright in my opinion. Her writing style seemed very repetitive and I didn’t like how she used the same word or two so frequently in close proximity to each other. Just The Nicest Couple was also riddled with typos – at least ten and that is unacceptable to me. At times, this made the writing feel juvenile and left me feeling less than impressed. I grabbed another Kubica book from the library when I checked out Just The Nicest Couple, but I don’t think I will read any more after I finish her other book.

I wanted to like Just The Nicest Couple SO badly and was going to rate it highly. However, I can’t overlook such an epic failure of an ending and the massive amount of typos and spelling errors. I am going to rate this book with a four out of ten stars. Give it a read if you want, but it’s one that you’re not going to be missing out on.

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep9

Lil Red’s Book Club: Sacrifice Of The Season By Daryl Parker Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Sacrifice Of The Season By Daryl Parker Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Without giving any spoilers away, as always, we will be discussing Sacrifice Of The Season by Daryl Parker. This book was a gift from Johnny because the author is someone we are very familiar with. Daryl Parker was a former contestant on season two of Top Shot! Lol when we learned he was a novelist, I just had to read whatever it was he created. Surprisingly to both me and Johnny, Sacrifice Of The Season is a full blown fantasy novel! Before we begin our discussion, I will be placing a trigger warning on this read for general violence. Now, let’s get to it:

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John’s beloved Grandpa Jack is dying. He can’t pass away without telling one last story, though, and it is an important one. John’s brother died mysteriously in their youth and Jack claims to know how. He also must leave one final quest to John that he cannot complete himself. To understand fully, Jack needs to tell John about his own strange and fantastical youth. A childhood of adventure, goblins, and unlikely friends. It all began in Cobbs, West Virginia…

Young Jack lived with his entrepreneur father, doting mother, and little sister Abigail in Philadelphia. The patriarch, Thomas, invested in Cobbs as it was an up and coming mining town and it was an offer too good to pass up. So, the family uprooted their life in the city to the frontier town of Cobbs where his father would oversee the mines. Cobbs is nothing like Philadelphia and Jack notices how odd the townsfolk act towards him and Abby. They are rude to the point of being cold to Jack and simply adoring of Abby.

As the family settles into their new lives, Jack adjusts and even makes friends with a boy in the mining camp. He also takes a shine to one of the helpers at the mine, Lucius, who has one blind eye and a horribly disfigured arm. During one of their excursions to ship product, Lucius warns Jack to trust no one in Cobbs. Jack had no idea what this was in reference to, but he was soon to find out.

At the annual harvest celebration in Cobbs, a game called Fox Hunt is played by the children. A name is called and that child is the “fox”. All of the other kids are hounds and they must find the fox. This year, little Abby gets the honor of the fox and beelines for the corn fields to evade the other children. Abby is but five years old and can’t get too far and Jack immediately feels concern when she isn’t found quickly. As the minutes pass by, none of the other kids can find her either. Abby has seemingly disappeared without a trace.

Thomas calls for a search party and a handsome reward for anyone who brings Abby home safely. Jack’s mother is beside herself and he wants to make himself useful by joining the search. But, first, there is someone he must talk to. Someone who knows Cobbs better than anyone and its potentially dark secrets. Lucius. Yes, Lucius knows exactly who or rather what took Abby and he knows first hand the danger she is in because he experienced it himself when he was a boy. Abby is in another world altogether. A world called Lumis.

Lumis is the land of the Ba’ath. They are Mother Nature’s right hand men and women and served as consultants to humans from the beginning of time through their infinite wisdom. As centuries passed, some members of the Ba’ath grew bitter towards mankind who would not take their advice and create great catastrophe. These members formed their own alliance based on the desire to cleanse the human world. They also need help with their bidding and summoned terrible wights as well as transformed children into goblins to assist in the cause.

Lucius explains that Abby is still alive, but she is not herself. To bring her back to Earth as the little girl she once was, the creature who transformed her must be slain. Time is of the essence as the rogue Ba’aths solidify their plans to overtake mankind and are all but ready to perform their spell. Their quest is dangerous and could be an instant death sentence for Jack, Abby, and Lucius. However, they must try. Will Jack and Lucius succeed and save life as they know it? Read Sacrifice Of The Season to find out!

As you can probably tell, this book is definitely not what I would normally read. I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t enjoy it though! In fact, Sacrifice Of The Season was so different than what I read that it had me hooked lol. I couldn’t wait to open it up and continue hearing the tale of the magical and deadly in a small frontier town. Yes, it was far fetched to the point of almost being goofy. But, it was still a good story none of the less.

I was actually fairly impressed with Daryl Parker’s writing chops. He was able to emulate an old mining town perfectly and it felt like I was right there with Jack in Cobbs. Yes, this book was riddled with typos as I expected it to be. BUT, it was still a good story none of the less! If Parker’s writing wasn’t as good as it was, Sacrifice Of The Season could have been a failure of epic proportions. It wasn’t and I’m honestly eager to read the next book of the series.

Part of the success of Parker’s writing was through the characters he created. It was easy to love Jack who was so brave and would have gone to the ends of the Earth to save his sister. He did one better and went into an entirely different dimension! Gruff Lucius was also a very successful character and it was exciting to read every twist and turn of their quest. They were an unlikely pair, but they complimented each other beautifully.

Overall, I am going to award Sacrifice Of The Season with a six out of ten stars. It was much better than just average and I consider it an excellent try at a first novel. If you are looking for a new fantasy read or if you just love the show Top Shot, I’d highly recommend it!

Who is a random author that you love? What is your favorite fantasy novel? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug23

Lil Red’s Book Club: 48 Clues Into The Disappearance Of My Sister By Joyce Carol Oates Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: 48 Clues Into The Disappearance Of My Sister By Joyce Carol Oates Edition

Hello!!! The last few books that we reviewed during Lil Red’s Book Club were massive duds. I didn’t have much hope for 48 Clues Into The Disappearance Of My Sister by Joyce Carol Oates because I was on such an unlucky streak. However, this book exceeded my expectations and then some. It was EXCELLENT and I devoured it in just three sittings. Without giving away any spoilers, as always, we are going to discuss this mystery further. Before we begin, a trigger warning will be placed for violence, disturbing content, and mental illness. Let’s get to it:

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Homely Georgene (G) is nothing like her older sister, Marguerite (M). M is a successful sculptor, she’s beautiful, and has a lust for life. G, on the other hand, is bitter towards everything as she grew up in the shadow of the prettier, more popular sister. April 11th, 1991 is just an ordinary day. M is due to teach at a local college and G will be manning the desk at the post office. Then, G will return to the Tudor mansion she lives in with her father and M to find that her sister is not home.

Concern is immediate as M is nothing if not responsible and prompt. She would never miss classes and scheduled meetings without calling in advance and her colleagues and students are worried from the jump. By the following day, M is still not back and is officially a “missing person”. Leads are scarce with nothing but the path of her heeled boots through the woods to go off of that cut off once a road appears. M has seemingly disappeared without a trace.

Perhaps, the police officers and detectives would have had more to explore if G hadn’t removed M’s calendar and notebooks from her room before their home was searched. As the days since M has gone missing turn to weeks and weeks turn to months, G is even more sick of M than she was when she was still there. Everything is constantly “M, M, M,” even though G is the only remaining daughter. Even in M’s absence, she still is more loved than G.

M and G’s father refuses to give up the hope that M will return one day and goes as far as to hire a very expensive Private Investigator. Meanwhile, G follows other leads like M’s strange colleague at the college, Elke. Elke has all but planted himself into the investigation by alluding that he knows M’s secrets and potentially her whereabouts. But, is Elke just a convenient pawn to play with during a coverup? Did M really just disappear into thin air? That’s for the reader to decide!

48 Clues Into The Disappearance Of My Sister was told entirely from G’s perspective and it was wild. G is so clearly mentally disturbed and is constantly threatening people who upset her with strangulation. It is also hinted that she suffered a mental breakdown in the past after her mother’s death. I honestly had no idea what G was going to do or say next and it kept me turning the page ravenously.

Was G a likeable narrator? No. Not at all. I seriously couldn’t stand her. She was mean and bitter to the point of being cruel. She took delight in other people’s despair and it was almost hard to read. Despite G being a horrible person, Joyce Carol Oates’ writing style kept the book moving forward beautifully. It would have been easy to discard this book fairly quickly because of who G is, but I wouldn’t have dreamed of it because it was so well written. I will definitely be reading more from this author!

If you are a fan of creepy mysteries, then I cannot recommend 48 Clues Into The Disappearance Of My Sister enough. My best advice is to keep an open mind while you read so you can come to a conclusion that you are satisfied with. I will be awarding this book with the coveted ten out of ten stars!

What is your favorite Joyce Carol Oates book? What is your opinion on this book if you have read it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Note that in the following section, I will share who I feel is responsible for M’s disappearance. 48 Clues Into The Disappearance Of My Sister never reveals a straight answer. If you are interested in reading this book, please skip over this!

Because it was up to the reader to solve the mystery of M’s disappearance, I am okay with sharing my opinion even though it is, technically, a spoiler. I am 150% positive that G killed her sister and this entire book seemed like her covering up rather than searching for clues. There are SO many things that G lets slip throughout the book that come up suddenly and aren’t brought up again. However, each and every one of these instances showed guilt to me and I can’t think of any reason why it wasn’t her.

I would definitely consider all of the potential suspects in this book to be Red Herrings. There is not one piece of evidence throughout the book that led me to believe that anyone else could be guilty. I also find it hard to comprehend why M, whose success in the art world has only just begun, would willingly walk away from the life she built. After finishing this book, I wondered if I had my blinders on so much that I was unwilling to accept another solution. However, if you really read it, it will tell you everything you need to know to solve the case.