More April Reading

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier
After enjoying Hillier's previous book, Jar of Hearts, I was looking forward to her latest thriller; it did not disappoint. Once again taking place in my back yard of Seattle, Marin's four year old son disappears at Pike Place Market, an iconic Seattle location. One year later, we see the fallout of this tragic event, and we also see the clues start to unwind as we are introduced to Marin's husband, his lover, Marin's best friend, as well as a private investigator looking into her son's disappearance. I turned pages quickly, having to wait until the very end to see whodunnit - well done! My one and only complaint is...why does everyone have to be rich? It just got a little annoying to hear about the fancy house, expensive car, successful business, etc. It might have added more depth to story if somewhere there was a little struggle? But overall, very solid mystery.

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
HOW have I missed reading this book for all these years?? This classic has always been an intention, but with all the time on my hands, it was time to finally dive into this 600 page classic. It involves two best friends, Johnny and Owen, following their lives from childhood to adulthood, the tragedy of a mother's death, the pains of being 'different,' school life that is uproariously funny as well as heartbreaking, and threads that tie together throughout. It was everything I wanted it to be: beautifully written, a compelling plot line, rich deep characters, pathos and humor, and literally, the most perfect ending ever. If you have never read this one, it is the perfect time to pick it up:)

Victim 2117  (Dept. Q #8) by Jussi Adler-Olsen
If you like the Scandinavian mysteries, this series is a perfect fit - and if you don't like super dark and gruesome (as they often are), even a better fit. Adler-Olsen is a Danish writer who has created a highly compelling group of detectives in Dept. Q in Copenhagen. In particular, the relationship between the lead detective, Carl Morck and his Iraqi sidekick Assad, is priceless, hilarious, heartbreaking, and heartwarming. While it is fun to start at the beginning of this series, it really is not necessary. And if you like to listen to books, it's a fantastic narrator - highly recommend if you're looking for a page turning mystery.

The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez
I keep grabbing romantic comedies during quarantine, thinking I will be lightly entertained and forced to forget about all the terrible headlines each day. However, I also keep forgetting these kind of books rather make me gag. Buuuuuut, if you like this kind, this one is entertaining. Sloan is still grieving her fiance's death, Jason is a famous rock star, yeah they meet under funny circumstances and try to figure it out. Gag worthy for me but others seem to love it:)

The Burning by Laura Bates
The world of social media has created a window into everyone's private lives so what happens when a teenager's life is turned upside down through lies, bullying, and doctored videos? This young adult novel explores this world through Anna, a young British teen forced to move to Scotland when her school life in Birmingham becomes untenable. As she deals with her father's recent death and trying to adjust to a new school, Anna's past not only finds her, but the past of the small Scottish village and its witch trials do as well. This is a powerful story of a life that rolls out of a teenager's control, the scary power of social media, and a woman's ability to fight back. Loved it!

Pretty Things by Janelle Brown
This was a tough one for me. It is the story of two women, Nina and Vanessa, a grifter named Michael, and a long con game. And I do mean looooong. As in 496 pages long. On one hand, the writing is fantastic: deep character development, beautiful syntax, thoughtful themes of privilege and destiny. On the other hand, it was about 150 pages too long for me, with too many extraneous details and a great deal of repetition (due to both women telling their side of events). Ultimately, I saw through the con before I was supposed to so it also wasn't much of a thriller to me. I know many people have loved this book, but the length just wasn't worth the underwhelming feelings I had when I turned the final page.