Here’s the next batch… let’s go!
–Marissa
The We Do Not Care Club Handbook by Melani Sanders was just a fun read – I’ve been following Sanders and her WDNCC on Instagram for a while, and her unique voice comes through on the page here to, as she talks about woman who just don’t care because we’re in perimenopause, menopause or postmenopause. Nothing earth-shattering here, but how refreshing that this topic is being discussed more and more, since HALF THE WORLD goes through it.
Dandelion is Dead by Rosie Storey doesn’t bury the lede… Poppy’s sister Dandelion is indeed dead, and Poppy is still greatly grieving her loss. Using her sister’s phone, she connects with a man on a dating app that Dandelion had matched with, and they form a bond, despite the deceit it’s built on. This is less a romance or thriller, and more just a book about complicated grief, sisterly bonds, with a romance as a secondary character, since quiet Poppy and vivacious Dandelion (who is still SUCH a character in the book) are the central relationship on the page. I liked this unique story!
The Tragedy of True Crime by John J. Lennon has been on a lot of fall “best of” lists, since Lennon, who is incarcerated for murder and then become a prison journalist, writes with a first-person account of the prison system, and tells the life stories of four different men who are in prison with him (including the most high profile, Robert Chambers). I read this in fits and starts, and found it sad, fascinating, and immersive. A hard read, but an important one.
Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston is one I’ve been looking forward to, after her fabulous First Lie Wins. This was another swift thriller, in which two woman work together to swap lives for 12 hours to bring down a man who’s made both their lives hell… until this take a turn and he ends up murdered. Now, these two women have to figure out who to trust to keep their alibis airtight. I tore through this one on our reading weekend, and had a ball reading it!
All the Little Houses by May Cobb was another thriller winner for me – I’ve loved Cobb since I first read The Hunting Wives. We have multiple narrators of a wealthy town in Texas, with the obligatory mean girl teenage daughter, a dynasty family obsessed with appearance, a low-born outcast, tangled relationships, crushes, accidents… and a death. I love a story of secrets and grudges filled with fun characters, and this knocked it out of the park. I heard a rumor about a sequel, and I can’t wait!
My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney was a read on our most recent “reading weekend” away (Airbnb, dogs, snacks, nothing but reading!), and I tore through it – Feeney has made a return after the disastrous (to me, anyway), Beautiful Ugly. This psychological thriller has a woman returning to her home after a run only to find her husband and another woman, who claims to be his wife. This kicks off a wild ride of deception, mystery, twisted identities and a lotta secrets in a sleepy down in south England. I love an unreliable narrator tale and twisty tales, and this one delivered!
Wintering by Katherine May is a perennial read for me, but this time, I decided to try it on audiobook, and it still delights, inspires, and comforts me. I love this book so much.
Eleanor by Alice Loxton is a nonfiction work whereas Loxton decides to retrace the steps (literally, on foot!) of the funeral cortege of Eleanor, wife of Edward I (aka Longshanks, aka Hammer of the Scots), who was devastated by her loss and ordered a dozen Eleanor crosses be erected where they stopped. Only two survive, but this was an interesting ramble along, especially since I’ve gone SUPER deep into learning about the Plantagenets this year!
stubbornsunshine.com 