Reading Doldrums

I’m reading every day like usual, but not getting through books as quickly as I typically do, but here’s what I’ve been reading…

–Marissa

Really Good Actually by Monica Heisey is sort of a post-divorce Bridget Jones – Maggie is trying to find herself, a new love, and a new life after her marriage ends at the age of 29. This has a super casual, funny tone to it, and though there are times to want to smack Maggie around, ultimately you are rooting for her to get her shit together and start over as we follow her first year of single life.

The Measure by Nikki Erlick was an audiobook listen for me, and I was struck by two things throughout: how much of a “COVID” book this is without mentioning COVID, and how much it reminded me of the passenger’s stories throughout Dear Edward, a fantastic novel. This was thought-provoking and hopefully, sad and frustrating in equal measure. I can’t wait to discuss it in our book discussion group this month!

What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall is a dark suspense novel. We’ve got three little girls who believe in magic in the woods, a stabbing, a serial killer, a flash forward and a lot of confusion and secrets and deception about what really happened all those years ago. I was continually intrigued by this novel, but I found that it took me foreeeeever to finish, and by reading it in fits and starts, I lost some of the thrust of the reveals. Very atmospheric, though!

The Reunion by Kayla Olson was a fun audiobook listen that felt like a “behind the scenes” of a successful TV series rebooting after 20 years (was totally picturing Gilmore Girls or Buffy the whole time!) and the costars who always had a “will they, won’t they” relationship. This was fun and frothy, but ultimately won’t be memorable (but that’s okay!).

Stone Cold Fox by Rachel Koller Croft is a hard one to categorize – part women’s fiction, part suspense, part unlikable narrator – this novel is about Bea, who is determined to marry herself into one of the country’s wealthiest families, by any means necessary. She gets the guy easily enough, but has a hard time with his (female) best friend, and their cat and mouse drives the novel, as well as flashbacks to her upbringing by a mother similar to herself. Bea isn’t a likeable character, but she’s fascinating to follow. If you dig an Anna Delvey or Elizabeth Holmes story, this is for you!