And here we are, creeping ever futher into October and cooler days, longer nights, and oodles of reading time! Reading hasn’t been a priority lately, but I’m hoping to shift that soon, so let’s see what I’ve been reading!
–Marissa
Do You See What I See by Peter Swanson is a holiday novella, a mystery of course! Struggling author Nicholas is sent to superstar author Marco’s Cape Cod house to get him on track with his latest manuscript, but oodles of other people are there for the holiday as well, and then… murder! This was easy and short and fun!
Under Story by Chloe Benjamin gave me… super duper mixed feelings. The first half was amazing – the great Antarctic setting, the characters, the aching sadness, we learned all sort of things and I was in awe that Benjamin wove in so much convincing science… but then the second half absolutely faltered for me (I’ve seen this echoed in a LOT of reviews). Made no sense at times, got way science fiction-y for me, and just… lost me and the emotional punch and great setting of the first half. This is an absolutely unique story, beautifully written and I learned a lot, but that second half just… didn’t land. What a bummer!
Brain Damage by Freida McFadden is one of those audiobook listens where you don’t have to think to hard, you don’t have to strain to figure it out, you roll your eyes at the pedestrian language and predictable plot and derpy characters and lack of development, but it’s easy listening and the wee bits we get about recovering from a brain injury was vaguely interesting. I keep giving McFadden a shot because PEOPLE ARE OBSESSED WITH HER BOOKS, and then I kick myself every time one is just… less than eh. (I did laugh when I saw another review say “I got brain damage from reading this book” *gigglesnort*)
Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson is a romance novel for people who love books, bookish people, lit crit, social media, and a swoony love story i.e. ME! Parker Navarro’s first novel was savaged by literary critic Selina Chan, so when is latest work comes out, they have an explosive argument (in public) so of course social media gets involved. I loved the quiet and slow development of their feelings for each other, all the bookish nods and “insider looks”, the complexities of their families and lives to this point, and the final swoony romance between them. This has been touted for months as the romance of the fall, and I can see why – I absolutely loved it!
Swan Song by Charles Spencer was one I knew I had to read (my British heritage, Mum’s love of Diana, my love of all things royal and historical) even though I knew it would be, well, sad. I found Spencer to be a great writer who delves into the genealogy and family history and their growing up in alternating chapters to learning of Diana’s death and his preparation for her funeral. It’s clear just how much he loved, valued and wanted to protect Diana. There are, I’m sure, lots of sensational criticisms of the book, but I personally found this very moving and more than just “skin deep” or a cash in. Mum would have loved it…
