Yay! I'm out of my reading funk! (For now...) The fall was a little rough for me reading-wise, and I couldn't even tell you why. But happy to report that I got back on track for the end of the year, even if I didn't reach my yearly reading goal.
Genre: A Social Commentary mis-marketed as a Thriller
Rating: ⭐️⭐️ & a half
Format: Paperback
Quick Synopsis: As a teenager, Ani is just trying to fit in with the popular kids at a prestigious private school, thereby igniting a sequence of events that lead to some horrifying experiences. Years later, Ani considers sharing her side of the story, but at what cost?
Quick Review: Another book mis-marketed. While some graphic and horrible events take place, this book is not a thriller - definitely not the next Gone Girl. The book alternates between Ani’s rocky high school experience and her perfectly crafted life as a magazine writer. I wasn’t fully engaged in the first half of the book, but the story really picked up when the documentary finally begins to film, albeit I wish I didn’t have to wait 200 pages. I also wasn’t quite a fan of the writing style - admittedly, I skimmed over some non-dialogue sections in those first 200 pages. I wish we could have spent more pages on the discourse around the tragic events rather than irrelevant commentary about her social life.
Who Should Read This: Anyone who likes unsettling social commentaries. Anyone who wants to watch the movie. Anyone who likes reading unlikable narrators.
Genre: Holiday Romance
My Reviews: Read It and Eat Blog Post, Goodreads, Instagram
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: Hardcover
Quick Synopsis: With only twelve days to Christmas, a holiday mishap forces identical twins, Charlie and Cass to swap lives, each on an unexpected journey to personal and professional fulfillment along the way!
Quick Review: A Hallmark Christmas movie meets The Great British Baking Show (and sprinkle in some classic Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen movies) in this cozy holiday romance. And I loved it! As with most Hallmark Christmas movies, I could see from the first two chapters exactly how the switch would play out, but there’s a reason we watch these movies over and over and it’s the same reason I liked The Holiday Swap - comfort food, if you will! This was the perfect book for a #ReadItAndEat blog post too (click here)!
Who Should Read This: Anyone who can't get enough Hallmark Christmas movies. Anyone who has a sourdough starter. Anyone who just wants a Happily Ever After ending!
Genre: Thriller
My Reviews: Goodreads
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: Hardcover
Quick Synopsis: Then: Alice is a pretty young thing who winds up a little bit too close with her step-father after her mother’s death. Now: Harry returns to his hometown after his father’s suspicious death, with some strange, but not entirely unwelcome feelings, for his step-mother, Alice.
Quick Review: When I first read the synopsis years ago, I was hesitant that this would be more character focused and less about the thrill. I wasn't particularly interested in the trope. I sensed this wouldn’t be my favorite Peter Swanson book. My instincts were right. But Peter Swanson is one of my favorite authors - he can end a story line half way through the book, and then pick up new ones, all without feeling unresolved or disjointed. He’s so great at weaving storylines together throughout and changing point of views on the spot. This one got a bit weird but there seemed to be a bigger message in the book. I wouldn’t let this one deter you from reading his other books!
Who Should Read This: Anyone who needs a quick mystery to read. Anyone who likes their mysteries a bit more on the social commentary side. All of the Peter Swanson fans.
Genre: Locked-Room Thriller
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: Audiobook
Quick Synopsis: Erin and Danny run a remote and rustic ski chalet in the French Alps - this week’s guests a group of ten coworkers from a tech start-up. When an avalanche strands her inside with the guests, survival extends beyond just the elements, as they start to get ominously picked off… one by one.
Quick Review: The book started out in a tizzy - twelve personalities to keep track of, all under the same roof and in the same scenes. I thought it was going to be a nightmare to keep track of them all, but the author does a good job reminding you who was who and crafts two very distinct narrators who alternate chapters throughout the book. The action is like building up a snowball, if you will. And once that snowball turns into an avalanche, it really takes off. I loved the locked-room mystery aspect - who can you trust, who has a motive, who has an alibi? The characters made me think - what would I do if I was in this situation?
Who Should Read This: Anyone who dreams of skiing in the Alps. Anyone who wants a modern day Agatha Christie. Anyone who thinks Riley Sager books are a bit much for them.
Genre: Locked-Room Thriller
My Reviews: Goodreads
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: Paperback, Audiobook
Quick Synopsis: Self-made billionaire, Dava Shastri plans to leak news of her death a day early, so she can bask in the glory of her life and legacy as written in her obituaries. But as the news spreads, her four adult children are forced to grapple with all the secrets Dava’s “death” uncovers.
Quick Review: After reading the synopsis, which also stated it’d be “chock full of humor,” I was excited to see a bunch of scrambling chickens with their heads cut off. I loved the idea of this book. But unfortunately, it wasn’t as outlandish as I had hoped. This book was a study on how Dava’s decisions, for better or for worse, impacted her foundation, her family, and herself. It was interesting to see how her grandchildren viewed her foundation, and on the flip side how much thought Dava put into her choices. This grandiose life legacy trope definitely had the vibes of both Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones, but I didn’t think Dava Shastri had as many intricacies or as much star power as either of those. I think if Dava had been taken in a more outrageous and satirical tone, it would be more memorable for me.
Who Should Read This: Anyone who likes flawed main characters. Anyone who likes Desperate Housewives. Anyone who is a self-made billionaire.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
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