Tag Archives: star rating

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.

 

Aug19

Lil Red’s Book Club: Mothered By Zoje Stage Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Mothered By Zoje Stage 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 horror novel by Zoje Stage called Mothered. When I first started this book, I was LOVING it. However, I was so ready for it to be over about halfway through. You can be the judge if this sounds like something for you because it was not it for me at all. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on Mothered for murder, violence, disturbing content, and cruelty to animals. Now, let’s get to it:

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The COVID-19 pandemic has just hit Pittsburgh and Grace is very down on her luck. She bought her own house a few months back and now she is out of a job as the hair salon she has worked at her entire adult life closes its doors. To add salt to the wound, Grace decides to take her estranged and newly widowed mother, Jackie, up on the offer of moving in and helping with the bills.

Grace has no fond memories of Jackie. Her childhood was spent as the primary caretaker for her twin sister, Hope, who had cerebral palsy while her mom worked multiple jobs to keep a roof over their heads. Grace was an afterthought and Hope reigned supreme in their tiny kingdom. And, after Hope’s death, Grace and her mother barely spoke and they both went their separate ways as soon as Grace turned eighteen.

Although being stuck in the house with Jackie as the pandemic rages on is not an ideal situation, Grace sees its potential merits in bringing them closer together. And, for a few days, it’s not so bad. Grace and Jackie spend their time watching Schitt’s Creek and true crime shows. They even visit Hope’s grave together. Then, the nightmares come.

Every night after the first few days of Jackie’s arrival, Grace is plagued by nightmares. More like night terrors, actually. Many of them bring her back to her childhood with Hope and her absent mom. Others come straight out of a Stephen King book and leave Grace in a cold sweat. Her days are now spent exhausted from lack of good sleep and her paranoia grows that there’s something wrong with her mom. Maybe she is even the one causing the nightmares.

As days at home turn into weeks after Grace and Jackie have a COVID exposure, both mother and daughter begin to take a turn. While Jackie becomes cruel and delirious, Grace can no longer tell the difference between her dreams and real life. But, that is nothing compared to the nightmarish reality that she will soon face. What happens to Grace and Jackie? Read Mothered to find out!

I wanted to like Mothered so badly. I really enjoyed Zoje Stage’s writing style and even though I started turning on this book about halfway through, it was still effortless to turn the pages because it was well written. The story line was interesting and I like books that are set during the pandemic. However, it became so focused on dreams and not the time spent when Grace was awake. It was literally just her sleeping for a majority of the second half and that’s pretty boring. Also, how many times can the “it was all just a dream” psych out be used in a book? It was fine the first few times, then it was excessive.

In terms of characters, I did like Grace for a bit, but she quickly became dull. I didn’t like Jackie right from the jump and that opinion didn’t change. You would think two very mentally unstable people stuck in a house together would have created more tension, but it just wasn’t there. The only character I really enjoyed was Miguel, Grace’s BFF. He was adorable and fun and I would love to have him as a bestie too!

Since finishing Mothered, I have read several reviews from other readers and their sentiments were very similar to my own. While some people loved this read, a majority of them felt that it was lackluster aside from Stage’s writing. I am going to give Mothered a three out of ten stars. I’d like to read Zoje Stage’s other books, but Mothered wasn’t the best introduction to her work and I wouldn’t recommend reading it.

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

Jul21

Lil Red’s Book Club: You Know Her By Meagan Jennett Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: You Know Her By Meagan Jennett Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! We will go back to all of the date night vibes tomorrow because I just have to talk about the book I finished. Today, we will be discussing a fantastic thriller by Meagan Jennett called You Know Her – without giving any spoilers away, of course. Before we begin, I am placing a MASSIVE TRIGGER WARNING on this book for extremely disturbing content, assault in all forms, murder, and gruesome violence. If this isn’t for you, please skip this post! Now, let’s get to it:

Screenshot 2023-07-19 at 05-42-58 Sarah Mushenheim (@lifewithlilred94) • Instagram photos and videos

Sophie works as a bartender in a small town where everyone knows everyone. Despite this, she has no positive relationships in her life – especially with men. After years and years of working in the restaurant industry and tending bar, Sophie is fed up. “You would be prettier if you smiled”. “You’re cutting me off? You’re a bitch.” and so on and so forth. Normally, Sophie can grin and bear it. Everything changes on New Year’s Eve, however.

After a shift that has dragged with no end in sight, the only thing that Sophie is looking forward to is a glass of wine. A nice glass of wine from a two hundred dollar bottle that she sold to a newly engaged couple. As she closes down the bar, a “friend of the owner” named Mark comes stumbling in drunk as can be. He has been hassling Sophie all night, went to another bar, and wants one more drink.

Against her better judgement, Sophie pours a drink and agrees to give him a ride home. She leaves Mark to polishing glasses while she has a cigarette and returns to find him with her bottle of wine in hand and the remnants dribbling down his chin. Sophie has had enough. And, when Mark gets way too friendly in the car with her, she snaps. Mark is every man who has ever cat called her, groped her, and told her to smile – and she kills him.

Nora is soon to be detective and is shadowing Detective Murph until the switch happens. When Mark’s body is found, there is no usable evidence, no good leads, and the case grows cold. As the police force grasps at straws, Sophie is hard at work. After taking Mark’s life, she realizes that she quite enjoys murder and is good at it. Now, it’s time to make men pay. It could be anyone, it could be everyone. All Sophie knows is that she knows her perfect victim when she sees him.

As Sophie’s body count rises, she develops a friendship with Nora. Not out of the goodness of her heart, though. Rather, to get close to the case and keep the police blindsided to the idea that it could be a woman killing all of these men. Nora senses something off about Sophie, but tells herself that she’s just an intense person. She’s also new in this town and not in a position to say no to a friend.

Bodies are turning up constantly at this point and the police are none the wiser to Sophie’s killing spree. All the while, Nora’s instincts that the killer could be a woman is laughed off in the boy’s club of the police. It is up to her to go with her gut and solve the case herself. Can she crack it before it’s too late? Or will Sophie simply vanish into the wind? Read You Know Her to find out!

You Know Her was one of my favorite books that I have read in a long while and was such an interesting take on serial killers. This is the first time that I have ever read anything from the perspective of a woman killer. I completely disagree with everything Sophie stands for. Having said that, a resounding theme in the book is that “you know her”. Not a killer, but a woman who has been assaulted at the hands of a man. This is the driving force underneath the story itself and it’s one hundred percent true.

This book flip flopped between Sophie and Nora, which is something that I always like. I also really enjoyed Meagan Jennett’s writing style. She had a remarkable way with words and a picture was painted with every sentence. At some points, it almost felt like reading poetry and was such a juxtaposition to the horror of the plot. So many parts of this book stood out to me and I have never read anything like it before.

You Know Her featured a unique plot as well as a great supporting cast. Nora’s sensitivity and thoughtfulness paired with Murph’s old man hilarity were like a salve to Sophie’s darkness. Despite all of Sophie’s flaws, Jennett still managed to invoke a feeling of sympathy for her. Moments where she spoke of her grandma were tender and full of love. This begs the question of the person she could have been rather than the killer who will forever be infamous in her small town.

I am going to award You Know Her with the coveted ten out of ten stars. This was Meagan Jennett’s first novel and she knocked it out of the park. I am very much looking forward to reading whatever she writes next!

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

Jul3

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Twenty By Sam Holland Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Twenty By Sam Holland Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to the return of Lil Red’s Book Club!! It has been over two months since our last book club review as my life was crazy and I had no free time to read. But now I’m back, baby, and we are going to start things up with a bang. Today, we will be discussing The Twenty by Sam Holland. Before we go any further, a MASSIVE TRIGGER WARNING will be placed on this book and it is not for the faint of heart. The TW is for gruesome violence, murder, assault and abuse in all forms, cruelty to animals, and severe mental health disorders. Still interested in finding out more in a spoiler free setting? Let’s get to it:

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Head detective Adam Bishop lives a lonely life and we find our lead character at the bar, once again, drinking his sorrows. His bender is cut short, however, by his second in command, Jamie, informing him that bodies have been found. This sobers Adam up immediately and they head to the scene, a desolate wasteland of abandoned construction projects. This location is now home to the homeless, years of discarded trash, and five bodies.

The scene bustles to life with techs, cops, and detectives who are confident that they have found the dumping grounds of a serial killer. And, this serial killer likes to keep count. Upon closer inspection around the bodies, Roman numerals from sixteen to twelve are found spray painted by the unofficial graves. An image from the scene is reported on the news where one of the numerals is just barely visible. But, the fleeting glimpse of it by Dr. Romilly Cole as she settles in for the night means everything to her.

Romilly Cole is the daughter of the infamous serial killer, Dr. Elijah Cole, and is none other than Adam’s ex-wife. At eleven years old, she turned her father into the police and the world wasn’t ready for what was hidden away in his work shed on the edge of their property. It was hell on Earth for four women who he murdered and one who made it out alive. Only Romilly and the cops working the scene will know that Roman numerals from twenty to seventeen were scratched on the side post of the shed door.

After the realization dawns on Rom that this can only be the workings of her incarcerated father, she calls Adam. His response? Not the one she was looking for and he shrugs it off without a second thought. His marriage to Rom didn’t end on the best of terms and any interaction with her is salt in his wounds, especially now that she is living with her new boyfriend. He also has more pressing issues to tend to, as he is the head investigator on his first serial killer case.

The leads from the burial site are slim and, as more bodies marked with numerals are found, the team is further stumped. The victims have been killed in the most gruesome of manners and the crime scenes continue to tell them nothing. Whoever this killer is, is very good. It isn’t until Rom receives mail from her father requesting her to visit, that Adam puts his pride aside to consider that she might have been right this whole time.

Yes, Rom’s father is in jail, but that doesn’t mean he can’t find someone else to do his bidding. With prison guards wrapped around his finger, “fans” of his, and former patients that were saved through his expertise – anyone could be his “helper”. But who? The clock is ticking as the body count starting with Elijah’s four murders continues to work its way down. Adam, Jamie, and Romilly need to solve this case and fast because one of their own could be next. Will the killer reach their goal of twenty murders? Read The Twenty to find out!

Oh. My. GAWD. was this book insane. The Twenty was, honestly, one of the most harrowing, disturbing thrillers that I have ever read. It was disgusting, terrifying, and completely unputdownable. Every page turned was one step closer to answers or another death and I devoured it in four or so sittings. Obviously, everything the killer did was horrid, but the dream team of Adam, Jamie, and Rom were SO likeable that one more page turned into fifty every time.

The Twenty was written exactly how I like it. Short chapters of at maximum four pages. Multiple narrators between Adam, Jamie, Rom, and the killer. And, it toggled between past and present with the childhood of both Adam and Elijah Cole examined. The case in this book was urgent and I could literally feel that urgency pouring out of every single page. Nay, every single sentence. With every passing minute, another murder could take place and I was so far on the edge of my seat that I almost fell off!

As you all know, I love to play detective when I read. I figured out the first grand reveal of the killer’s identity with time to spare and it STILL left me shocked. Don’t get complacent, though, if you figure it out too… This book delivered a one two punch of grand reveals and I never saw the second one coming in a million years. I had tunnel vision of only finding out who the killer was and was blindsided by the fact that there could be another twist. As I said before, it was INSANE.

Although The Twenty was very difficult to read, I still have to award it with the coveted ten out of ten stars. I have never read anything like it and am very eager to read Sam Holland’s first novel, The Echo Man, as the case was referenced in The Twenty. A trip to the library ASAP? Definitely!

What book are you currently reading? Who has read some good thrillers recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr24

Lil Red’s Book Club: Our Missing Hearts By Celeste Ng Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Our Missing Hearts By Celeste Ng Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Today, we will be discussing one of the best books that I have read in a good long while called Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng. And, as always, no spoilers will be given away! Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning for violence, assault, hate crimes, and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

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Bird is a twelve year old, Chinese American boy who lives with his father in a shabby dorm room on the college campus where his dad works in the library. Things didn’t always used to be like that, though. Bird and his parents used to live in a wonderful home when his dad was teaching at Harvard. Everything went upside down when Bird’s mom left several years ago, seemingly with no reason whatsoever.

Bird lives in a strange time and was born after The Crisis. This period refers to a time in America where everything was plunged into despair: Financial ruin, sickness plaguing the country, and protests, bombings, and attacks happening daily. It wasn’t long for America to find a scapegoat and the blame for the country’s demise fell on the Chinese. Once fingers began to point, the solution was to form PACT or the Protection of American Culture and Traditions.

PACT let it be known that it wasn’t a crime to be of a different race. However, if you were displaying any type of “unpatriotic” behavior (speaking a foreign language, for example) or criticizing PACT, it was grounds to have your children removed from the home or being thrown in jail. Neighbors were encouraged to report any of these unAmerican acts and anyone who looked different knew it was best to keep their head down or risk being battered on the streets.

Some people were brave enough to speak out against PACT and their inspiration drew from an unlikely source. A line from a poem written by Bird’s mom. Her book of poetry had all but been forgotten, but the line of “our missing hearts” reverberated with the families whose children were taken away. Soon, clever displays of protest began to appear everywhere featuring the phrase “our missing hearts”: trees wrapped in red yard with dolls that looked like children hanging from it, ice sculptures of children melting in the sun, and an entire street painted red. Did Bird’s mom leave the family to begin this revolution?

After receiving a letter from his mom with nothing but a drawing of cats, Bird can’t stop thinking about her. And, eventually, he figures out the clue of the drawing to lead him back to his mom in New York City. Bird learns that his mom has been laying low in an abandoned house and she has something big planned. Thanks to her network of librarians, parents, and trusted strangers, Bird’s mom has spent every minute since she left home tracking down the missing hearts. And, with her grand finale, she hopes that everyone will listen to their stories and remember them in their own hearts. Will Bird’s family finally be reunited? Will the world of PACT crumble and fall? Read Our Missing Hearts to find out!

Reading Our Missing Hearts was equal parts heartwarming, moving, and terrifying. Obviously, The Crisis drew inspirations from the Covid-19 pandemic and it was all but too easy to imagine the world that Celeste Ng created once The Crisis had passed. I can think of several examples of hatred that mimics PACT closely in America right off the top of my head. And, how many cases of missing children are we all aware about? Too many to count. It was scary to read about this world that felt so relatable and close, but the hope that Ng instilled in every page kept me rooting for better days ahead for Bird and everyone in this world.

Our Missing Hearts moved me so deeply and Celeste Ng has such an amazing way with words. I could tell that she selected her words and phrases with so much care and it was almost like reading poetry on every page. Each character in this book was cultivated with love and they were beautiful; Bird’s studious father who breaks down words to their original roots, his fiery, passionate mother, and Bird himself – curious and strong despite living in a world that hates people who look like him. It was impossible to not fall in love with all of them and it made every setback feel like a stab in the heart.

I truly could not put Our Missing Hearts down to save my own life and now that I am done with it, I want to read it again! Things have sucked in my world due to personal reasons and this book reminded me to continue to be brave. It encouraged me to be strong like Bird and his family. And it offered the push that everyone can use every now and then to continue to be a voice for those on the side of injustice. Our Missing Hearts showcased the power of words and every single one of us has that power to use our voice to help the silenced. In Our Missing Hearts’ case, all it took was one simple phrase.

I cannot recommend Our Missing Hearts enough and will be awarding it with the coveted ten out of ten stars. It was absolutely perfect and I guess I have to read Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng ASAP!

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

Apr13

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Club By Ellery Lloyd Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Club By Ellery Lloyd 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 Ellery Lloyd called The Club. I have been nursing this book for a while because I haven’t had much free time to read and I was very happy to be done with it; Partially because it took so long and partially because it wasn’t my favorite book in the world. It definitely fell under the “pretty good” but not great category! Before we begin, I will be placing a big fat trigger warning on The Club for murder, violence, and rape. Now, let’s get to it:

Screenshot 2023-04-12 at 06-48-24 Sarah Mushenheim (@lifewithlilred94) • Instagram photos and videos

The Home clubs are a celebrity’s playground with ultra lux resorts in locations ranging from London to Italy and Manhattan. There is an insanely high membership fee and with that comes the privilege of privacy. No cell phones are allowed on Home properties so the members have no fear of paparazzi or unflattering photos and have the freedom to do what they want when they want. The Home clubs have been in the Groom family for a long time and was passed down to the eldest, Ned, after his grandpa’s death. After a fire burned down the original location, Ned began expanding his empire to what it is today and did it almost all by himself with minimal help from his younger brother, Adam.

Now, Ned is preparing to launch the most ambitious Home club yet; Island Home. Yeah, he bought an entire island for his new resort and the caveat is that it can only be accessed when low tide reveals a causeway from the mainland to the island. Ned is a loud, brash man that can be difficult on a good day to work with, but his staff remains ever faithful. To assist him, there is his loyal PA named Nikki and the Hospitality Manager, Annie. A new staff member named Jess has also been welcomed aboard as the Head of Housekeeping. Before the weekend long launch party begins, it is anarchy on the island as everyone works diligently to turn Island Home into the best one ever.

By the time the rich and famous arrive on the island, it is perfect with huge cabins, a spa, gym, underwater restaurant, and private screening room just to name a couple of the many accommodations. Before a big launch, Ned likes to invite his chosen few to a feast to catch up, eat, drink, and be merry. The night, however, takes a drastic turn when Ned announces that there will eventually be a package waiting in the room of four of his most wealthy, celebrated guests. The packages will arrive at different times and each member is very anxious to find out what it could be. And, what it is is something that they would never expect.

The first package delivered is to a Jackson Crane – well known actor and husband to model and humanitarian, Georgia. After the dinner party, Jackson returns to his cabin to find a memory stick and a demand for an exorbitant amount of money for his yearly membership fee. And, one by one, the other three of the chosen receive their “gift” too. These memory sticks reveal the deepest, darkest, career destroying secrets of each member and all of the recordings were done in their rooms of various Home resorts. The asking fee to keep their secrets at bay is astronomical and even with all of their wealth combined, eventually the well would run dry. Essentially, Ned now owns them.

Other than Ned, Annie, Adam, and the chosen, no one on the island knows that they are constantly being recorded and continue to go about their weekend at Island Home. And why would they suspect anything, anyways? The whole point of Home clubs is to not be constantly recorded. As the celebrities enjoy and the staff caters to their every need, plots of murder begin to form and not just from the guests being blackmailed. It turns out that high ranking members in the Home hierarchy have secrets too. Nikki, Annie, and Jess all have a past that directly correlates themselves with guests on the island and have vengeance on the mind as well.

The grand finale of the Island Home launch party is an immersive theater event that will take the members around the island and back to the Manor to party. To keep everyone’s identity a secret as they wander the grounds and for the name of theater, everyone is required to wear a cloak and mask. It is the ideal scenario for revenge to be exacted and as the night plays out, several people meet their demise. What will become of the blackmailed guests of Island Home and the man who grew wealthy from their secrets? Read The Club to find out!

There were several things about The Club that I enjoyed. I thought that the plot was very interesting and loved the idea of these “private” places where celebrities could let their hair down for good or bad. I admit that I am a sucker for all things lux so I also really liked to read about all of the clothes, accommodations, and locations being described in the book. However, there was something about The Club that just didn’t connect with me no matter how hard I tried to make it happen.

The Club is told from the perspective of Jess, Nikki, Annie, and Adam and you all know I love a multiple narrator book. The problem was that I couldn’t stand any of them! Literally none of the key or supporting players in The Club were likeable in the slightest and it made for a very dry and stilted read. For the most part, I liked the ideas of each individual chapter but I couldn’t get into the characters as they spoke their piece. Not only that, but this book’s grand reveal left a lot to be desired and each twist and turn could be easily guessed before it happened. While nothing pleases me more than getting reveals right, I like to be surprised even more than that.

I feel very torn about The Club because the idea of the book was a winner but the execution just wasn’t there for me. Overall, I am going to give it a four out of ten stars. If this review sounds interesting to you, give it a try because it was still kind of fun. If not, you can most definitely skip on this book!

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

Apr1

Lil Red’s Book Club: We Were Never Here By Andrea Bartz Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: We Were Never Here By Andrea Bartz 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 Andrea Bartz called We Were Never Here. Was it the best book I ever read? No. But it was pretty good and a nice change of pace after reading the sweetly sentimental A Man Called Ove. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on We Were Never Here for violence and murder, sexual assault, abuse in all forms, and harm to an animal. Now, let’s get to it:

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Kristen and Emily. Emily and Kristen. Kremily for short. They have been inseparable besties since college and are still going strong over a decade later. While Emily resides in Wisconsin, Kristen moved to Australia for work but they talk all day every day and take a best friends trip once a year. During their travels, they explore locations that are outside of the norm of Paris and London. They much prefer locations like Uganda, Vietnam, and Laos to name a few.

Every trip that they have had left Kristen and Emily giddy and the travel bug continued to bite, until something bad happened in Cambodia last year. What should have been an awesome one night stand for Emily with a handsome stranger went horribly wrong and ended in his murder when Kristen arrived on scene. Panicked and in a foreign country, the best friends put their heads together to dispose of the body, get back to their respective homes, and put the whole thing behind them.

It took a lot of work for Emily to get back to a good place and where she is still isn’t great but better. In fact, she has even got back into the dating scene by going out with the adorable Aaron. She had Kristen to thank for getting her through the toughest time of her life and being strong for the both of them. And, finally, the fear of being caught dwindled into an annoying thought that would sometimes pop up in the back of her head.

Despite what happened in Cambodia, the girls still take their annual best friends trip and find themselves in Chile. The getaway has been amazing and Emily truly believes that her and Kristen are closer than ever and completely made it through their shared horrors. Until the last night of their vacation. In a terrible instance of lightening striking twice, they find themselves in an eerily similar situation to Cambodia. This time, Kristen was the victim and her attacker was dead well before Emily burst through the door.

Emily and Kristen were on a massive time crunch before returning to their homes and had to hastily bury the body in a shallow grave in a remote farming community. Understandably, Emily is freaking out because there is no way they are going to be able to get away with murder twice. Kristen, on the other hand, is acting strange. Really strange. As if nothing happened at all and that everything is A-okay.

Unsettled by her friend’s far from normal reaction, Emily begins to pull away from Kristen and, for once, the distance between them feels like a good thing. Emily continues to avoid until it becomes impossible because Kristen shows up at her front door, claiming to be “over” Australia. Once Kristen is home, she begins popping up everywhere to the point of being stalkery; Emily’s favorite yoga studio, brunch with her boyfriend, even her therapist’s office.

Desperate to get away from Kristen but afraid to say so, Emily agrees to a birthday weekend at the lake house belonging to Kristen’s grandparents. Still wary, Emily decides to do some good old fashioned snooping and is shocked from her findings; Kristen’s childhood best friend committed suicide two weeks after Kristen’s parents died in a house fire. Is Kristen literally the most unlucky person on planet Earth or were three deaths in one month the result of something more sinister?

The walls are closing in on Emily from all sides because the backpacker they disposed of in Chile has been found and a handsome reward is offered for information. She no longer trusts Kristen and for good reason – five people are dead and they might all be at her hands. All Emily knows is that she is not safe and neither is her new beau. Will Emily get to the bottom of Kristen’s dark past once and for all? And will the girls get away with murder twice? Read We Were Never Here to find out!

As I said, We Were Never Here definitely fell into the “just okay” category for me. It was good, but not great. It was also incredibly easy to figure out every major twist and turn, which is both a blessing and a curse. I like the feeling of being right, but I like being surprised by grand reveals much more! Despite consistently knowing where this book was going, I still considered it to be unputdownable and finished it in a matter of four sittings. Perhaps not so much for the plot as much as Andrea Bartz’s writing style being very similar to Rachel Hawkins, an author who I really enjoy.

As far as characters go, I honestly didn’t care much for Emily, Kristen, or any of the supporting characters for that matter. Kristen and Emily were truly Yin and Yang. Kristen was bubbly, vivacious, and strong. Emily was anxious, fumbling, and weak in comparison. Both of the girls remained the same throughout the duration of the book and it bored me. There was no real character development and that was another reason why it was easy to figure We Were Never Here out; Nothing Emily or Kristen did surprised me.

I’ll be the first to admit that the plot of this story is one of the more far fetched ones that I have read and that’s fine. The crazy plot wasn’t supported with major shocks, though, and I never felt like there was a definite climax or resolution. We Were Never Here fired on all cylinders until it was over and it made the read less fulfilling. I wouldn’t recommend this book unless it was a palette cleanser read, but I would read more by Andrea Bartz because she does show promise as an author I could get into.

Overall, I am going to rate We Were Never Here with a four and a half out of ten stars. This is a book that you can definitely skip on if you are looking for something better than just “pretty good”!

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

Mar27

Lil Red’s Book Club: A Man Called Ove By Fredrik Backman Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: A Man Called Ove By Fredrik Backman Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Without giving any spoilers away, as per ushe, we will be discussing Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove. I am genuinely unsure as to why I haven’t read this book until now and am kicking myself in the butt for it because it was SO good. This bittersweet tale made me laugh, cry, and fall in love with the old curmudgeon and the people who consistently bothered him. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning for terminal illness, suicide attempts, and miscarriages. Now, let’s get started:

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Widower Ove lives in a tidy development of row houses and is convinced that he is surrounded by idiots. There is a right and wrong way to do things and rules to follow, according to Ove, and if you can’t do that… Well, you’re the one in the wrong. Ove lived a life of hardship and tragedy and losing his beloved wife, Sonja, was the final straw. Forced into retirement with not even his job to keep him occupied and an empty house, Ove is ready to die and be reunited with the only person who he loved and who saw him fully and completely. If only his neighbors would leave him in peace, he would have been with Sonja days ago.

The disturbances begin with the arrival of Ove’s new neighbors “The Pregnant One” and “The Lanky One” or Parvaneh and Patrick, respectively. With two little girls in tow, they moved into the development with a bang by destroying Ove’s flowerbeds and mail box. Every suicide attempt is foiled by Parvaneh’s impeccable timing with requests to borrow tools, needing a ride, or delivering a meal to his doorstep. It’s not like Ove hates the new family, but he doesn’t like them very much. However, the new couple and their little girls take a shine to him.

Every day, Ove prepares himself to die and every day he holds off because of a new way that he has been bothered. There’s the mangy cat he begrudgingly became the owner of, his neighborhood that he closely monitors, his annoying neighbors, and an evil man who drives a Skoda. And, of course, Parvaneh and her family won’t leave him alone to the point where the unthinkable happens; He begins to grow fond of them too.

Bold, sweet, pregnant Parvaneh is quite possibly the only person in the world who refuses to let Ove speak out of line and scolds him when he is being rude. She quickly becomes friends with other people in the neighborhood and before you know it, Ove’s house feels like a hotel with people and the cat coming in and out. Parvaneh fills Ove’s life with new people and projects and he doesn’t have the time to die anymore… There is a war coming.

Anita and Rune were Ove and Sonja’s best friends and neighbors. Anita and Sonja got on like two peas in a pod and Rune and Ove enjoyed tinkering in the shed together in silence. No one knows exactly how the feud between Rune and Ove began, but two close friends turned into bitter rivals seemingly over night. It’s a mystery the last time Ove spoke to Rune and he had no idea until Anita knocked on his door that he has Alzheimer’s. It turns out the evil man in the Skoda who can’t follow rules is there to take Rune into a home claiming that Anita no longer can care for him herself.

Ove knows what must be done and him and his new friends form a task force to keep Rune at home. He even finds it somewhere in his heart to forgive. Ove is not the same man who was ready and willing to die every day because he finally found other people to live for. What will become of Ove and his companions who brought him back to life? Read A Man Called Ove to find out!

Saying that I loved A Man Called Ove is a severe understatement and I think that every single person should read this book. There were no twists and turns in A Man Called Ove and it was very easy to see where the story was going. This was just fine with me because the book was about the journey more than the ending. The journey of a man who was ready to die that learned how to smile again thanks to people who he used to find bothersome.

There were plenty of parts in A Man Called Ove that made me incredibly sad, but so many more that were absolutely joyous. Maybe not in as boisterous of a way as the darling Parvaneh – just in a way that was simply Ove. This book was like a textbook of how Ove became who he is and you learn that he is not a bitter old man like people believe. He is a man who bad things happened to, a man who likes things just so, and a man who still has some fight in him yet.

Other than the evil man in the Skoda, you will be enamored with the zany cast of players who weave their way into Ove’s life. People who he never would have associated with before he began seeing the world differently. Each person sees Ove so very differently than he sees himself and through their infernal pestering, he learns to accept company from someone who isn’t Sonja. Ove still misses his beloved more than words can say, but his new friends and perspective gave him a new lease on life, which he rolled his eyes and took.

I couldn’t imagine awarding A Man Called Ove with anything less than ten out of ten stars. If you are late to the party on reading this book like I was, READ IT IMMEDIATELY. Now, I am all set to see A Man Called Otto with America’s sweetheart, Tom Hanks! 😀

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