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Ohio by Stephen Markley

August 24, 2018

ohio

I don’t focus on writing negative reviews, but at the same time, when a new novel is getting a lot of hype, my reading friends want to know what I think about it. In this case the novel is Stephen Markley’s debut, Ohio. If all you need is a one sentence opinion then here you go: The novel is a grim mash-up of the plot from 13 Reasons Why and the setting of Hillbilly Elegy and ... Read More...

18 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: contemporary life, Simon & Schuster, social issues, teen years

Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win

August 3, 2018

charlotte

It didn’t matter that she wasn’t the most creative thinker or the most analytical person in the room: When she was presented with a problem, Charlotte Walsh could always fix it. Because I started the week with one strong woman (two actually) I thought I’d go all in and review another intense read about another determined woman. Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win  is by Jo Piazza, ... Read More...

2 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, contemporary life, marriage, politics, Simon & Schuster, social issues, women

When Life Gives You Lululemons

June 4, 2018

life

Just when you thought The Devil Wears Prada series was finished, author Lauren Weisberger is back. Previously, she visited Andi in her new incarnation as a magazine editor in Revenge Wears Prada (which I liked, not loved).  Now, in When Life Gives You Lululemons, it is the snarky fashionista Emily who takes center stage. Which, if you ask her, is exactly as it should be.  At ... Read More...

2 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: chick lit, fashion, Manhattan, Simon & Schuster

The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll

May 16, 2018

favorite

There is a book for every mood and sometimes, your subconscious knows what you need better than your thinking mind. I had no idea how hungry I was for flat-out over-the-top drama until I finished Jessica Knoll’s newest novel, The Favorite Sister. I was drawn to the book by its premise—a reality TV show about a group of high achieving, self-made, female millennials whose life ... Read More...

6 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: contemporary life, mystery, New York City, pop culture, satire, Simon & Schuster, women

It’s Not You, It’s Me: Laura & Emma

March 21, 2018

Me

The whole point of this feature is that it’s for books that did not come together for me, but this is one of the first times I’m doubting myself, because two of the bloggers I know and trust loved Laura & Emma. I did not. I didn’t even like it. I disliked it, but gladly admit that maybe I was in the wrong mood for the novel and am wrong in my assessment. In that spirit, ... Read More...

9 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: debut, literary, New York City, relationships, Simon & Schuster

Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday

February 14, 2018

asymmetry

  Asymmetry is a novel split into three separate and seemingly unrelated parts. I know, sounds like short stories, but there is supposed to be a thread connecting the three. The question is whether I was able to find it or not. The first section is Folly, wherein 27-year-old Alice meets Pulitzer Prize winning author, Ezra Blazer, in Central Park. They talk and after ... Read More...

7 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: contemporary fiction, debut, family, Iraq, literary, Manhattan, relationships, Simon & Schuster

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