Five Book Reading Wrap-Up For August 2022
Join me for my five-book reading wrap-up! August was a good reading month!
August 2022
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(There is an Amazon link to each book. If you are interested in more information, click on the link. I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click on the link and buy anything at all, I get a percent of the sale at no cost to you...thanks:-)
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Book 1
"The Change"
by Kirsten Miller
I listened on Audible
Fantasy, Mystery, Fiction, Thriller
Good Reads Rating 4.23stars out of five
My Rating is 2.5/5 stars
Here is the Amazon Link
Overview On GoodReads
In the Long Island oceanfront community of Mattauk, three different women discover that midlife changes bring a whole new type of empowerment…
After Nessa James’s husband dies and her twin daughters leave for college, she’s left all alone in a trim white house not far from the ocean. In the quiet of her late forties, the former nurse begins to hear voices. It doesn’t take long for Nessa to realize that the voices calling out to her belong to the dead—a gift she’s inherited from her grandmother, which comes with special responsibilities.
On the cusp of 50, suave advertising director Harriett Osborne has just witnessed the implosion of her lucrative career and her marriage. She hasn’t left her house in months, and from the outside, it appears as if she and her garden have both gone to seed. But Harriett’s life is far from over—in fact, she’s undergone a stunning and very welcome metamorphosis.
Ambitious former executive Jo Levison has spent thirty long years at war with her body. The free-floating rage and hot flashes that arrive with the beginning of menopause feel like the very last straw—until she realizes she has the ability to channel them, and finally comes into her power.
Guided by voices only Nessa can hear, the trio of women discover a teenage girl whose body was abandoned beside a remote beach. The police have written the victim off as a drug-addicted sex worker, but the women refuse to buy into the official narrative. Their investigation into the girl’s murder leads to more bodies, and to the town’s most exclusive and isolated enclave, a world of stupendous wealth where the rules don’t apply. With their newfound powers, Jo, Nessa, and Harriett will take matters into their own hands…
Quote
I don't have a favorite quote.
My Thoughts After I Read the Book
I listened to nearly two hours of this book on Audible. It seemed to be more about hatred of men than anything else. I have every reason to not trust men, but this was over the top. I believe there are good men out there, but the ladies in this book would probably disagree. I could not take the generalized hatred any longer, so I DNF'd it.
Book Trailer/Movie
I could not find anything on a book or movie related to this book.
The 5-star and 1-star reviews I found on Good Reads.
5 Star Review-I"'m not usually into revenge thrillers, but this one was so much fun (with enough rage to cause bush fire). I want to be a super cool witch like Harriett! She is way cooler than any super heroes! Very satisfied."
1 Star Review-"wow. i love girl power as much as the next feminist, but this book is more about hating men and it goes so far as to be ridiculous."
Me-I agree more with the one-star review in that hating men was at the forefront of this book. I did not finish the book, but I hope their hatred toward men became more specific to the men that were evil and less general that all men are bad.
Book 2
"Insomnia"
by Sarah Pinborough
I listened to this one on Audible
Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Audio Book
3.65 stars on Goodreads out of 5stars
I give this book 4.5/5
The Amazon link is below. Just click the photo.
Overview From Good Reads
In this twisty, mind-bending thriller from the bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes, Emma Averell worries that her crippling insomnia is a sign that she’s slowly going insane—like the mother she’s worked so hard to leave in her past.
Emma Averell loves her life—her high-powered legal career, her two beautiful children, and her wonderful stay-at-home husband—but it wasn’t always so perfect. When she was just five years old, Emma and her older sister went into foster care because of a horrific incident with their mother. Her sister can remember a time when their mother was loving and “normal,” but Emma can only remember her as one thing—a monster. And that monster emerged right around their mother’s fortieth birthday, the same age Emma is approaching now.
Emma desperately wants to keep her successful life separate from her past, so she has always hidden her childhood trauma. But then she’s unable to sleep, and now losing time during the day, also one of the first symptoms her mother showed. Is the madness in her blood, just as her mother predicted? Could she end up hurting her family in her foggy, frenetic state? Or is she truly beginning to lose her mind?
Emma Averell loves her life—her high-powered legal career, her two beautiful children, and her wonderful stay-at-home husband—but it wasn’t always so perfect. When she was just five years old, Emma and her older sister went into foster care because of a horrific incident with their mother. Her sister can remember a time when their mother was loving and “normal,” but Emma can only remember her as one thing—a monster. And that monster emerged right around their mother’s fortieth birthday, the same age Emma is approaching now.
Emma desperately wants to keep her successful life separate from her past, so she has always hidden her childhood trauma. But then she’s unable to sleep, and now losing time during the day, also one of the first symptoms her mother showed. Is the madness in her blood, just as her mother predicted? Could she end up hurting her family in her foggy, frenetic state? Or is she truly beginning to lose her mind?
Quote
I don't have a favorite quote.
My Thoughts After Reading the Book
Poor Emma can't sleep. She is up most of the night moving from room to room. Her mother fell into mental illness when Emma was just a child. One of her mother's first symptoms occurred when she was 40, and it was insomnia. Now Ema is turning 40 and is and is struggling with insomnia. Could she be going mad as her mother did? Ema is terrified, her family is worried, and strange things are happening.
I enjoyed this Audible listen. There were twists and turns, and I was convinced I knew what was happening, only to realize I was way off base.
Movie/Book Trailer
I could not find anything on a movie or book trailer for this book.
5-star and 1-star reviews I found on Goodreads.
5-Star Review-"such a great book there's a bit of thriller, horror and even mystery
family secrets, things in the past that are so important to the future
and drama drama drama"
1-Star Review-"Woof, do yourself a favor and skip this one. So boring and repetitive - literally nothing happens for the first 250 pages and the ending is a mess / so anticlimactic. I loved her previous book / Netflix series (Behind Her Eyes) even though the ending veered off course for me a bit but this one was just a total miss from start to finish. Pass!"
Me-I agree more with the 5-star review. She was right in every way.
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Book 3
"The Collective"
by Alison Gaylin
Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Suspense
3.96 stars on Goodreads out of 5 stars
I gave this book a 4/5
Click the photo below to go to Amazon
Book overview as found on GoodReads
Camille Gardner is a grieving—and angry—mother who, five years after her daughter’s death, is still obsessed with the privileged young man she believes to be responsible.
When her rash actions attract the attention of a secret group of women—the collective—Camille is drawn into a dark web where these mothers share their wildly different stories of loss as well as their desire for justice in a world where privilege denies accountability and perpetrators emerge unscathed. Fueled by mutual rage, these women orchestrate their own brand of justice through precise, anonymous, complexly plotted and perfectly executed revenge killings, with individual members completing a specific and integral task in each plan.
As Camille struggles to comprehend whether this is a role-playing exercise or terrifying reality, she must decide if these women are truly avenging angels or monsters. Becoming more deeply enmeshed in the group, Camille learns truths about the collective—and about herself—that she may not be able to survive.
When her rash actions attract the attention of a secret group of women—the collective—Camille is drawn into a dark web where these mothers share their wildly different stories of loss as well as their desire for justice in a world where privilege denies accountability and perpetrators emerge unscathed. Fueled by mutual rage, these women orchestrate their own brand of justice through precise, anonymous, complexly plotted and perfectly executed revenge killings, with individual members completing a specific and integral task in each plan.
As Camille struggles to comprehend whether this is a role-playing exercise or terrifying reality, she must decide if these women are truly avenging angels or monsters. Becoming more deeply enmeshed in the group, Camille learns truths about the collective—and about herself—that she may not be able to survive.
Book Quote
“None of these monsters are evil. It’s the evil of others that makes them powerful. Beaten down by the world, shunned, robbed of what they love, they don’t curl up and die. They don’t apologize. They fight back. They get bigger, stronger, more terrifying. You are a monster. We all are. Be grateful for THAT.”
My Thoughts After Reading the Book
I understand the need for justice to be done, especially since the people who perpetrate crimes seem to go unpunished. I can see why moms seek their own revenge. If it were only that simple.
Here you will find a group of moms whose kids have been taken from them by some sort of criminal activity. The women come together to become The Collective to seek justice for the wrong that has been done. What can go wrong....a lot!
Book Trailer or Movie
I could not find anything on a book trailer or a movie.
A Five and One Star Review as Found on Good Reads
One Star Review- The entire premise of this book is that there are thousands of mothers who are so devastated by the death of their child that they are willing to murder the people whose actions caused those deaths and who were not prosecuted--and, to kill other innocents as a way to keep their members in line. And, I do not believe that most people who have lost a loved one to violence can never find peace until the murderer is dead. I have seen too many pleas by the families of murder victims asking that the convicted killer not be given the death sentence and killed. There is no closure there, only a perpetual cycle of violence.
Me-I agree more with the 5-star review, although I believe everything the one-star reviewer said.
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All Sunshine really wants is one easy-going day. You know, the kind that starts with coffee and a donut (or three) and ends with take-out pizza and a glass of chardonnay (or seven). Turns out, that's about as easy as switching to decaf. (What kind of people do that? And who hurt them?)
Before she can say iced mocha latte, Sunny's got a bar fight gone bad, a teenage daughter hunting a serial killer and, oh yes, the still unresolved mystery of her own abduction years prior. All evidence points to a local distiller, a dangerous bad boy named Levi Ravinder, but Sun knows he's not the villain of her story. Still, perhaps beneath it all, he possesses the keys to her disappearance. At the very least, beneath it all, he possesses a serious set of abs. She's seen it. Once. Accidentally.
Between policing a town her hunky chief deputy calls four cents short of a nickel, that pesky crush she has on Levi which seems to grow exponentially every day, and an irascible raccoon that just doesn't know when to quit, Sunny's life is about to rocket to a whole new level of crazy.
Yep, definitely a good day for chardonnay.
The Five Star Review- "A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones is the second book in the Sunshine Vicram series. This series is a mix of genres as it’s somewhat like a romantic suspense but it also has the feel of a humorous cozy mystery. Regardless of what you want to label it the books are certainly a lot of fun to read."
The One-Star Review-"There is not enough Chardonnay in the world to make this book palatable. The writing is inane and the sexual scenes are entirely too graphic. The leader of my book club recommended this one, hopefully before she read it. Don't waste your time."
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Book 4
"A Good Day For Chardonnay"
by Darynda Jones
Mystery, Romance, Fiction
4.31 stars on GoodReads out of 5 stars.
I gave this one 3/5 stars.
Amazon Link Below, just click on the photo...
Description as Found on GoodReads,
Running a small-town police force in the mountains of New Mexico should be a smooth, carefree kind of job. Sadly, full-time Sheriff--and even fuller-time coffee guzzler--Sunshine Vicram, didn't get that memo.All Sunshine really wants is one easy-going day. You know, the kind that starts with coffee and a donut (or three) and ends with take-out pizza and a glass of chardonnay (or seven). Turns out, that's about as easy as switching to decaf. (What kind of people do that? And who hurt them?)
Before she can say iced mocha latte, Sunny's got a bar fight gone bad, a teenage daughter hunting a serial killer and, oh yes, the still unresolved mystery of her own abduction years prior. All evidence points to a local distiller, a dangerous bad boy named Levi Ravinder, but Sun knows he's not the villain of her story. Still, perhaps beneath it all, he possesses the keys to her disappearance. At the very least, beneath it all, he possesses a serious set of abs. She's seen it. Once. Accidentally.
Between policing a town her hunky chief deputy calls four cents short of a nickel, that pesky crush she has on Levi which seems to grow exponentially every day, and an irascible raccoon that just doesn't know when to quit, Sunny's life is about to rocket to a whole new level of crazy.
Yep, definitely a good day for chardonnay.
A Quote
I don't have a favorite quote.
My Thoughts After Reading the Book
I enjoyed the beginning of this book, so I gave it 3 stars. The book is witty and silly at times, with a bit of romance thrown in, all while the main character enforces the law in her small town.
I liked most of the characters, and the storyline was good, but I think it was too long, and I lost interest.
Book Trailer/Movie
I could not find a book trailer or anything about a movie on this book.
A Five Star and A-One Star Review as Found on GoodReads
The Five Star Review- "A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones is the second book in the Sunshine Vicram series. This series is a mix of genres as it’s somewhat like a romantic suspense but it also has the feel of a humorous cozy mystery. Regardless of what you want to label it the books are certainly a lot of fun to read."
The One-Star Review-"There is not enough Chardonnay in the world to make this book palatable. The writing is inane and the sexual scenes are entirely too graphic. The leader of my book club recommended this one, hopefully before she read it. Don't waste your time."
Me-I agree with the 5-star review in that it was fun initially. I must say I can't remember the sex scenes that the one-star reviewer mentioned. I guess I did not get that far into the book, thankfully. I will stick with 3 stars.
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Book 5
"The Dutch House"
by Ann Patchett
Fiction, Literary Fiction, Adult, Family
4.11 out of 5 stars on Good Reads
I give this book 4.5/5
Click on the photo below to go to amazon.
Book Description found on GoodReads.
At the end of the Second World War, Cyril Conroy combines luck and a single canny investment to begin an enormous real estate empire, propelling his family from poverty to enormous wealth. His first order of business is to buy the Dutch House, a lavish estate in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia. Meant as a surprise for his wife, the house sets in motion the undoing of everyone he loves.
The story is told by Cyril’s son Danny, as he and his older sister, the brilliantly acerbic and self-assured Maeve, are exiled from the house where they grew up by their stepmother. The two wealthy siblings are thrown back into the poverty their parents had escaped from and find that all they have to count on is one another. It is this unshakable bond between them that both saves their lives and thwarts their futures.
Set over the course of five decades, The Dutch House is a dark fairy tale about two smart people who cannot overcome their past. Despite every outward sign of success, Danny and Maeve are only truly comfortable when they’re together. Throughout their lives, they return to the well-worn story of what they’ve lost with humor and rage. But when at last they’re forced to confront the people who left them behind, the relationship between an indulged brother and his ever-protective sister is finally tested.
The story is told by Cyril’s son Danny, as he and his older sister, the brilliantly acerbic and self-assured Maeve, are exiled from the house where they grew up by their stepmother. The two wealthy siblings are thrown back into the poverty their parents had escaped from and find that all they have to count on is one another. It is this unshakable bond between them that both saves their lives and thwarts their futures.
Set over the course of five decades, The Dutch House is a dark fairy tale about two smart people who cannot overcome their past. Despite every outward sign of success, Danny and Maeve are only truly comfortable when they’re together. Throughout their lives, they return to the well-worn story of what they’ve lost with humor and rage. But when at last they’re forced to confront the people who left them behind, the relationship between an indulged brother and his ever-protective sister is finally tested.
Quote
“But we overlay the present onto the past. We look back through the lens of what we know now, so we’re not seeing it as the people we were, we’re seeing it as the people we are, and that means the past has been radically altered.”
My thoughts after reading the book
I read the physical version of this book. After reading the reviews, I wish I would have listened to the audio because Tom Hanks does the narration, which is probably amazing.
This is the story of a dysfunctional family, and it spans over 5 decades. It is also the story of a house or at least what went on in the house.
The story follows Danny and Mauve, a brother and sister who grew up in the Dutch House. The storyline follows them, their distant father, their mother who disappears, and the workers in the house that they have grown very close to. When a new woman enters the story and comes to live in the house the story details how this changes the lives of Danny and Mauve and how this disruption follows them into their future.
Great character development and a great story. I really enjoyed it.
Book Trailer
I could not find an official book trailer or anything related to a movie on this book.
A Five and One Star Review as Found on Amazon
A Five-Star Review- "Ann Patchett is a master storyteller, and she lives up to this reputation with her latest work - The Dutch House. Her writing is superb and the stories she tells invite you in and before you know it, you’ve developed deep relationships with the characters. This is a story about abandonment, love, family, loyalty, loss, and forgiveness. It is also about growing up and letting go of the past."
One-Star Review-"Boring, pointless, dysfunctional. I only finished because I kept waiting for a twist, a point, a plot or someone to redeem themselves. Nope, never happened and it left me upset I wasted so much time reading it."
Me- I agree with the 5-star review in that you do develop a relationship with the characters.
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I would love to know what you are reading. Have you read any of the above books? Did you enjoy them? Please drop me a note in the comment box.
Take care, and happy reading!
KathieyV:-
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