Hi Bookstackers!
Yup this roundup was super delayed, but oh well! I read 10 books since I last posted this and I’m excited to share brief reviews with you! Lots of smaller tidbits in here as well. Thanks for reading!
Including some discount codes below! You can lock in a paid subscription for $20/yr or $3.50/mo. Deal ends on Friday! If you’re a student, I always have a 50% discount code running. Founding members get a free book from me!
Student discount code (50% off)
Thank you paid subscribers for supporting my work! I can hardly believe there’s almost 200 of you now! You can see all posts included in your paid subscription here! I also include paid portions of free posts. Including a few recent posts below.
Book club is going so well! We read Whistler by Ann Patchett in July are reading Lovers XXX by Allie Rowbottom for August! Allie was kind enough to gift 5 copies of her book for a giveaway which I sent out last week. You can still join for discussion on Whistler here! Vote on September’s book by Friday! (we need a tie breaker!)
Vote on September's Book Club Pick
P.S. - Thinking about doing a giveaway for…every book club month…thoughts?
Genre: Non-fiction
Premise: A how-to on grassroots campaigning for political elections on local to national levels; meant to serve as a guide. It’s very liberal!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Brief Review: Let me first commend Ben Wikler for his approach to write this book with much humor woven in. As a non-history lover, I tend to struggle with non-fiction and educational books, but read them "for my own good". Most are fact and stat heavy, and tend to be quite dry. What Wikler has done is a breath of fresh air. This book felt like having a discussion with my friend - plenty of puns, jokes, and quick-witted humor - with lots of deep thoughts and facts. The book was much more engaging and interesting, without sacrificing any of the important takeaways. Why are more nonfiction books not written like this? I finished reading and actually felt ENERGIZED!
With most books of this nature, I don't typically agree with every point made, but appreciate hearing the thought and reasoning behind the points. That makes for a better, well rounded mind. I did really find a lot of Wikler's points to be innovative, however. I really loved the emphasis on local communities - it seems that often in these larger elections, local races get overlooked. I learned SO much about Wisconsin's political history which I found fascinating! Overall, this was a very well researched and organized book that actually made me feel inspired to get involved in the upcoming elections. I can't say that is a common outcome of prior books I've read on similar topics.
Genre: Literary fiction/Thriller (sort of)
Premise: When Clarice dumps her boyfriend P.T., he spirals into an obsessive, deranged ex-boyfriend who will not leave Clarice alone. Years later while living in LA, Clarice thinks she spots P.T. at a bar. In an effort to confirm her suspicions, Clarice assumes a similar “stalker” role.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Brief Review: This is less of a thriller, and more of deep dive into the psychological impacts of emotional abuse. I was so impressed with this book and loved it! It’s short at 200 pages and paced really well. Highly recommend! See my longer review of Nerve Damage here!
Genre: Fiction
Premise: Daphne Fuller is a 53 year old woman who accidentally runs into her former stepfather, Eddie Triplett, who her mom was married to for about a year and divorced from when Daphne was 12. This is a story about connection and love.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Brief Review: Sometimes a hype book is WORTH the hype! I can see why some may not have loved this, but there were elements of the story that really hit home for me, and so I connected deeply with it. Ann Patchett has such a way with storytelling, with the simplest most human stories. Check out the book club posts, and it may convince you to read!
Genre: Literary fiction
Premise: Astrid is obsessed with a Russian American novelist Sofiya Sova whose life has similar parallels to her own. Reeling from a difficult breakup, Astrid meets with a fellow Sofiya Sonva fan, Elijah, on Hinge. When she starts to encapsulate a Sova novel plot in her own life, Elijah cuts things off with Astrid.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Brief Review: This was such a fun, funky read! It was such an authentic examination of “figuring life out”, while remaining interesting and humorous. The “obsessions” in the book are so real and relatable (even if we don’t say it out loud). What I loved about this book is the deviation from a standard coming of age story, and a typical female protagonist navigating life in her 20s. It’s quirky, it may not be for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoyed! See my longer review of The Obsessed here!
Genre: Literary fiction
Premise: A mother and daughter venture on a roadtrip in Italy.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Brief Review: This book wasn't for me, but I suspect that many others will enjoy (maybe the more English major types who will hone in on the prose). Although I tend to like books with poetic prose and character driven storylines, Beginning Middle End felt too slow for me and I struggled to stay engaged. Although I don't need to connect with characters to enjoy a book, I didn't feel any emotional connection with the characters and it did hinder my reading experience.
Genre: Suspense/thriller (with some sci-fi/paranormal elements)
Premise: A decades old mystery resurfaces when a home health nurse takes a live in position to care for a woman who hasn’t left her home in decades.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Brief Review: The Women in White had all of the makings of a good thriller: suspense, intrigue, pacing, twists, and character development. The dual timeline and multiple POVs added a lot of depth to the story, and I didn't find it confusing to keep track even though there was a lot of switching. There was constant momentum in the book. I also really liked the sci-fi element, where it was a little otherworldly. I also didn't guess the big "twist" at the end, which sealed the deal for me!
Genre: Suspense/thriller
Premise: Bella and her daughter Tilly live in a small Australian town, having fled from a life where a large fire took their family. Then Jake Evans, the accused arsonist of the deadly fire, is released from prison with one goal in mind: find Bella and Tilly.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Brief Review: What an incredible Australian thriller from Louise Jordan! Reckonings had all of the makings of a good suspense thriller: intrigue, pacing, character development, and twists. The shifting of timelines and character POVs also kept the storyline exciting and the pacing quick. The story never felt dull, and the plot had constant momentum that kept my curiosity churning. While reading, I had a few questions and wasn't convinced on some of the plot lines, but that's because Louise hoodwinked me with some incredible twists at the end! I love when there twists that I don't even see coming!
Genre: Literary fiction
Premise: Katie is a recent college graduate who is estranged from her mom and struggling to pay her rent. But her new boyfriend is generous and seems to help her out quite a bit, even if he seems controlling at times. When Katie joins her boyfriend for vacation at his parents lake house, she develops a unique bond with his family cat.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Brief Review: WHAT A FUN BOOK!!!! Wow!! This was not at all what I expected. This is really a story about Katie’s broken relationship with her mother, and how the cat fills that void left from her mother. This is such an interesting coming of age story, told in a unique way! The 20s are a TOUGH decade! Highly recommend this one!
Genre: Sci-fi
Premise: A thrilling story about the Neanderthal race that has been recreated from DNA and introduced on a nature reserve where they are being studied by scientists.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Brief Review: LOVED THIS!!! This was such an interesting story! It’s kind of a quieter one, and split between many chapters and POVs. I had to read slowly in the beginning trying to absorb what was going on, but there is so much packed in this novel. It delves into the ethics of science and advancements, climate change, exploitation…so much exploration of ethics and morality. The book essentially attempts to answer the question on what it means to be human? Highly recommend this one!!
Genre: Literary fiction
Premise: Tania and Margot are best friends - basically sisters - until Tania tells Margot one day that she no longer wants to be friends, and actually wants to “unknow” her.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Brief Review: If you’ve ever outgrown a long term friendship, this might be for you. This is kind of a messy novel because, breakups usually aren’t clean. You kind of witness Tania’s mental state demise as she navigates what it means to detach herself from her person. I was really engaged for the first 100 pages and then the novel slowed; I could have done without some of the middle plot, but I overall still enjoyed!
Why am I currently reading 5 books right now? I DON’T KNOW! It’s always tricky balancing the archive dates with Net Galley so that’s currently the pattern I’m in. But I am PUMPED for some of these ARCs! I think I may need to write a full review for Life of M….
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