September Stories (So Far)…

As we begin the slow descent into fall, I’m less filled with weather rage 🙂 and as always, try to keep up with my reading! Here’s what I’ve gotten into lately…

–Marissa

The Hollywood Assistant by May Cobb… I love a dishy “inside Hollywood” story, and this one features Cassidy, a new assistant to power couple Nate and Marisol. But, as Cassidy gets pulled deeper and deeper into their lives (and loves!), secrets and lies and of course, murder, comes to the fore. I really loved the eat-more-popcorn vibe of this suspense novel and found it a little sexy, a little wild as hell, a little unconventional, smart, and a lot of fun. I really loved the “peek behind the curtain” vibe of what it must be like to serve as an assistant in LA. Fun and frothy, I enjoyed this one (and recommend the audiobook, ably narrated by Brittany Wilkerson.

Red River Road by Anna Downes features Kate, who has taken to the road in search of what happened to her “vanlife” sister, Phoebe. Along the way, she bands together with Beth, who is herself on the run from – and for her life. This had a great setting, great atmosphere, but was a slooooow burn, and then had quite the squirrelly ending. This gave me an unsettling vibe throughout, but overall I enjoyed the multiple narrators and overall reveal of the mystery of what happened to Phoebe (though, I admit to some confusion and had to search other reviews to make sure I had it right!).

Entitlement by Rumaan Alam is one of those books you either love… or hate, and unfortunately, I’m not in the love camp. Now, I LOVED Leave the World Behind, so this staccato, kinda ugly story with an unlikeable narrator just wasn’t what I expected. Brooke goes to work for an uber-rich man who is trying to give away his billions before he dies, and starts feeling more and more entitled to what she doesn’t have. It felt choppy, weird, prickly, and cringe, at least in my reading. Overall, it was fine, but never stuck it for me like his previous work. Bummer.

Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? by Nicci French has two timelines… 30 years ago when Charlotte vanished and her neighbor found dead, and present day when a new podcast is trying to uncover the twin mysteries that were never solved. I listened to this one (well narrated!) but found the first half slow and too lengthy, but it picked up once a new lead inspector arrives in the English village of Glensted to find out what really happened all those years ago, and to solve the newest tragedy in town. Needed an edit for sure, but a solid mystery listen from the married writing duo (Nicci Gerard and Sean French).

Welcome to Pawnee by Jim O’Heir (Jerry on Parks & Rec) is just… charming and warm and witty and lovely and even has some behind-the-scenes photos. We learn more about Jim’s road to P&R success, and lots of warm and heartfelt stories about his time on P&R with bits also written by folks like Retta and Chris Pratt. This is obviously geared towards fans of the show, and felt like a true love letter to the little show that could. A quick, easy read for the fans.

Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff is from the new 831 Stories imprint, featuring happy, sexy romance novels that clock in more at fanfic length than novel length (this one, for example, was a mere 176 pages). I liked the fast pace of this one, it was appropriately smexy, but it didn’t rock the world with its character development or highbrow writing, but that’s okay! Short and sweet, and just the right amount of fun.

The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave is the latest from Dave, always a solid women’s fiction writer that I’ve enjoyed in the past, which is why I was so bummed when this one was just meh. Nora, Sam and Tommy’s hotel magnate father has died, but the circumstances are unclear, so Nora and Sam crisscross the country to figure it out, I guess? This was just kind of flat and slow paced and eh, and it took me ages to finish what should be a speedy read. I didn’t dislike it, it just didn’t grab me the way her other titles have, and was super light on the “suspense” part, as its been described. This was just… mid.

What Does It Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella is a heartbreaking one because it very much mirror’s Kinsella’s real life struggle with brain cancer, though in a fictionalized way. I loved the structure of this slim novella (this is a one-sitting read at only 144 pages) from Eve’s inner thoughts, her family processing the news, hospital vibes, and all the feels. Throughout, though, Kinsella makes sure to infuse the story with humor and hope. This is a gem.

Good People: Stories from the Best of Humanity is a compilation of essays (loosely tied together by themed chapters) shared via the social media brand Upworthy. Think of gracious acts from strangers, kindness when its most needed and perhaps most unexpected, and the wisdom and help from one person to the next. This is just a warm hug and makes you remember there is more goodness to humanity that darkness. This is the book form of “when they go low, we go high”. Loved it.

The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood was an audiobook listen, and pulled me in straightaway, though I found the middle went on a bit, but the last third FLEW by! This romance novel sprinkles in some magical realism (she does die on the first few pages, after all!), some serious themes like loneliness and grief, some sexy times, and an ending I couldn’t wait to get to as Delphie dies, has a chance to return to life after a romance quest, and then things get… complicated. I loved the supporting characters around Delphie, the use of many romance tropes in one book, and was rooting for a happy ending. Unique and charming!

The Unwedding by Ally Condie was an audiobook listen and was an atmospheric suspense novel featuring a group of strangers are staying at the same Big Sur resort as a wedding party, only for the groom to be found murdered and a mudslide cutting off the resort from aid. This has a great cast of characters, red herrings, gloomy weather and missing art pieces, lies and deceptions. I enjoyed it!

The Trap by Ava Glass is the third in the “Emma Makepeace” series, and I enjoyed it just as much as the others! This time, Emma is in Edinburgh to help secure the upcoming G7 conference, but Russian assassins are making things… challenging. Emma again has to put herself in harm’s way for His Majesty’s Service, and I was here for the spycraft, setting, quick pace and to spend time with Emma again.

I also read Born a Crime by Trevor Noah after hearing him speak at ALA this summer. Great memoir!