July 2.0

Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl
Having loved her previous book, Night Film, I was excited to pick up this new YA book by Pessl. And wow, it is a page turner, mixing a mystery of a young man's death along with time travel, or should I say time standing still? Here's the deal: five young adults back from their first year of college, still reeling from the death of their sixth member from their last year in boarding school, are all out carousing one night. On their drunken drive home, they have a scary incident with a tow truck and are run off the road. However, it is more than a 'close call;' it is a snag in time. These five are now stuck in this one day, over and over again, and the only way out is to vote on who should be the one who gets to live. Without consensus, this day replays endlessly so they decide to spend their eternal day trying to figure out how Jim died. Was it really suicide or something more sinister? Your mind will be blown.

The Soul of America: The Battle for our Better Angels by Jon Meacham
If you want to be inspired that our country is not taking a one-way trip to hell, this is the book for you. Meacham explores the different periods in America's history where we had autocrats, demagogues, and conmen leading the way. Each time the goodness in humanity prevailed, whether through politicians who finally stood up for what is right or through the populace's voice demanding a different direction. It is a fascinating listen, though I will say Meacham is not the best narrator; I was thankful he only did the intro and conclusion. And seriously, you can skip the intro and just go straight to the first chapter - you won't miss a thing! This book gave me hope that we will survive the hateful policies and divisiveness that characterize today's politics in America...I wait patiently for the angels to appear.

The Subway Girls by Susie Orman Schnall
I am a bit torn by this book. On one hand, it is an interesting look back at New York City post WWII, as young women attempt to continue marching into the work force following WWII. In 1949, Charlotte wants a career before marriage, is attempting to complete a college degree, and is fighting to be chosen Miss Subways as part of an ad campaign that she believes could help save her father's business. At times, Charlotte is a feminist, and at other times she acquiesces to the rules of the day, making some statements about men and life which made me nauseous, but however made sense historically. However, the story of today (Olivia as an ad campaign exec, trying to win the business of the NYC subway system) is more problematic for me. She waffles between being a badass and being just a wimp; in love with her boss, it colors the story in a frustrating way for me, challenging her ability to be seen as competent employee and to deal with the blatant sexual harassment from another employee. An interesting read, but ultimately too predictable with a lack of characters I could truly cheer for and an abundance of cliched writing that just was not my style. Thanks to Net Galley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Believe Me by J.P. Delaney
Let me preface this review that I really loved the first book by Delaney, The Girl Before. I was excited to pick up the second but that faded quickly. Here's the short preview: British actress in NYC has immigration issues so chooses to work for police to try and entrap a serial killer into confessing. It is a completely implausible plot line - what police department in America, much less NYC, would ever use a psychologically damaged civilian to run a legitimate legal operation? Good grief, I've watched enough Law and Order to know better! Sorry, but this was just a laughable 'thriller.' I like my mysteries clever, twisty, and thought-provoking. Thanks to Net Galley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Double Life by Flynn Berry
This mystery kept me thinking and turning pages for the first half of the book; a young woman continuously searches for clues to her father's existence, the father who murdered her nanny and violently attacked her mother while both children were in the home. Claire is a well-educated doctor who loves her drug-addicted brother and seems to be mildly interested in helping her patients, yet she is obsessed with the idea of finding her father, the only sitting Lord accused of murder, who fled the country years ago. Unfortunately the plot line takes a turn towards the implausible and ridiculous side of things in the last half and at times the constant switching of time periods is hard to follow needing smoother segues. And honestly, the last twenty percent just seemed rushed, as if the author just didn't care about a thoughtful conclusion or was not sure how to wrap it up creatively yet thoughtfully - very disappointing. Thanks to Net Galley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
I read the rave reviews on this one and wondered what the heck I missed?! I did not find it deep, nor powerful, nor profound. I found it to be narcissistic, shallow, and ultimately quite boring. This story follows a year where a young white woman, privileged and entitled, chooses to spend a year in her NYC apartment popping enough pills to put her to sleep for 365 days. Within this year, we see echoes of her past with both parents dying while she is at Columbia University, a sad and pathetic job at an art gallery, hilarious conversations with a complete wackjob of a therapist who hands out drugs like candy, and a cruel and selfish so-called 'friendship' with another messed up young woman. I am sure I was supposed to feel sadness for the tragedies in their lives, but all I felt was contempt. I have read gorgeously sad fiction (we all remember Jude in A Little Life), and witnessed in real life many tragedies; I know what it is like to have my heart pummeled, to weep for the unfairness in life. I just attended a memorial service for a former student, cut down by cancer in the prime of his life; that is true tragedy, not this pathetic young woman's story. This was a total miss for me and a waste of three hours. Thanks to Net Galley for a preview copy in exchange for an honest review, and yes, I am always honest:)

July

The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
The author of the 2017 hit, Final Girls, is back with a new thriller and it is as dark and twisty as his last one. In fact, I liked this one better. This time around, Sager combines every adult's awkward memories about summer camp, and then pumps them full of creepy steroids to make summer camp a bit more 'murderous.' The main character, Emma, is fifteen years past her one and only sleepaway camp experience, and it was a doozy. As a thirteen year old, all of Emma's roommates disappear one night, and they never return; needless to say, that ended her camping week as well as Camp Nightingale itself. Fast forward to today and Emma, now a celebrated artist who consistently paints the missing girls into forest scenes, has been invited back to the newly opened camp in hopes that this return will banish all her ghosts, both literally and figuratively. The plot line skips between Emma's narration from today and her camp weeks, and eventually leads the reader to some fairly dark places. Admittedly, I read tons of mysteries and thrillers and can usually at least narrow it down to a list of whodunnits, but this book had my head reeling, especially with the final twist at the very end. If you're looking for a great summer read that you will not be able to put down, I would definitely recommend this one.

The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz
A woman visits a funeral home to plan her own memorial, and is then found strangled just six hours later; a deliciously clever cast of suspects abound as we see the latest crime-solving duo created by Anthony Horowitz, screenplay writer of BBC's Foyle's War, author of Alex Ryder children's series and the newest Sherlock Holmes books, and author of my favorite mystery of 2017, Magpie Murders. This is the start of a new series for Horowitz, which combines a crusty, socially inept yet brilliant London ex-cop named Hawthorne with writer Anthony Horowitz (yes, one and the same) who Hawthorne wants to write up his life story into true-crime fashion. These two are hilarious, brilliant, and ultimately completely ingenious as we watch the mystery unfold. As with any British caper, red herrings are rife in the scenery and Horowitz uses his own bungling to mirror the reader's confusion as to whodunnit. Another five-star mystery, it is a "can't miss" for your summer reading list.

The Banker's Wife by Cristina Alger
I really enjoyed Alger's first two books (The Darlings and This Was Not the Plan), and her latest is another solid story, with some intriguing twists and interesting characters. Alger heads back to the world of her first book, The Darlings, and in fact, some overlapping characters in the journalists who investigated the SEC schemes of a wealthy well-to-do family. This time around, we have another wealthy NYC family, but this time their hands are in corrupt politics and money laundering (sound like some headlines over the last year??). The story is told through two viewpoints: Marina, the independent, intelligent news reporter who just happens to be engaged to the son whose dad is announcing his candidacy for president, but there's a few skeletons in that dark rich closet; and Annabel, the wife of a young international banker, working in Switzerland and recently killed in a suspicious plane crash. As Alger strings all the pieces together, so do Annabel and Marina in a taut plot line, with some surprising twists that kept me turning the page. Alger is very good at slowly developing characters so be patient - it is worth it.

The Perfect Mother by Aimee Malloy
Wow, this Book of the Month book has sure received a lot of buzz. The fact that Kerry Washington is starring in the movie version of it might have helped a bit. However, it is a pretty decent thriller. Set amongst a group of New York city mothers who have recently given birth and have formed a loose friendship group with one another. When their first night out turns to tragedy and an empty crib is found, an investigation into all the women ensues. Debut author Aimee Malloy has created an eclectic group of mothers: the career woman battling to return to work, a mom who gets overly involved in the police work of the missing baby, a writer with writer's block and sleep deprivation, and a former reality TV star. Sprinkled throughout are the private thoughts of the young mother dealing with relationship betrayal and love issues, adding a whole other twist to the story. It is a good mystery, yet I found myself a bit bothered by the betrayal of new motherhood and the supposed 'craziness' that comes with it. This story seemed to perpetuate some asinine myths about what hormones do to one's brain, as well as the fall out of choosing to end a pregnancy. Perhaps small complaints, but it just did not sit right with me.

Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon by Robert Kurson
As a child of the 60's with a father who worked in the Boeing space program, I was fascinated, along with the rest of the country, with astronauts, the moon, and those humongous rockets out of Cape Canaveral. This new book on the historic first orbit of the moon is a wonderful walk down a lot of exciting memories, but it is also an outstanding reminder of what hope, determination, and plain ole hard work can accomplish. Author Robert Kurson does an admirable research job, filling his book with intriguing facts and tidbits about NASA, the backstories of the three astronauts, and the state of America in 1968 (not good, by the way - we needed this space trip pretty desperately!) This is a fabulous listen, as well as an incredibly inspiring story of what three men did for our country on Christmas Eve in 1968; they raised our spirits, gave us belief in the future, and reminded us about the goodness of America. It is exactly what I needed to hear in these dark days of summer 2018.