Hello!
In October 2016, when I started a little blog called ItsBookTalk on WordPress, I had no idea it would eventually lead me here. Back then, there was no newsletter, no podcast, no interviews, no book coaching. I was a mom with one kid off to college and desperate to find a creative outlet for myself. If it could involve books all the better. On a whim I decided to combine my love of talking about books with writing about them on the off chance I'd connect with other readers who were doing the same thing. And wow that’s exactly what happened! Ten years later and the experiences I’ve had and the friendships formed with people I’ve never met in person but consider “my people”—all built around books— is one of the biggest highlights of my life!
Recently, I’ve been going back and reading some of my early reviews. Although my Wordpress blog no longer exists, I kept all of my old reviews and it’s been enjoyable to see how much has changed—and how much hasn’t. My writing has evolved, but I still talk about books in the same style that I wrote about them ten years ago.
Today, I thought it would be fun to share three of those reviews exactly as I wrote them back then. No editing, no rewriting, just a little time capsule from the first year of ItsBookTalk.
The three books couldn’t be more different: one is a sweeping historical novel, one is a riveting memoir that reminded me of the tv show Homeland, and one is a mystery/thriller that completely blew me away. And all three have something else in common—they’re books I now want to read again. One of them feels especially timely because I had the chance to meet the author a couple of weeks ago and finally get my copy signed which immediately made me want to experience the story all over again.
Sometimes a great book is even better the second time around. I’m looking forward to finding out if that’s true with these three…
Daisy in Chains by Sharon Bolton
My review posted September 23, 2016
I love the publisher’s blurb for this story because it teases just enough of the story to draw you in but really gives nothing away as there’s so much more to this puzzle of a story. This is my second stand alone Sharon Bolton book after reading all the books in the Lacey Flint series and I have to say she keeps getting better. I started this book in the morning and finished that night pretty much neglecting everything else for the entire day. The characters, plot and pacing were top notch.
To give a short synopsis, Hamish Wolfe, charismatic and handsome surgeon is in prison for the murder of 3 women all of whom he has denied killing. Maggie Rose is a lawyer and true crime author who becomes increasingly involved with Hamish’s case. She’s helped other murderers get their convictions overturned, the question becomes will she help Hamish? And if she does can she keep her objectivity despite his charm and good looks? To add more conflict to the mix, Maggie is becoming friends with Detective Pete Weston, the man who broke the case against Hamish and who’s still convinced of his guilt. Add to this mix the groupies who are obsessed with the case (and with Hammish himself ) and you’ve got even more questionable characters. If it sounds like an intriguing puzzle, it is!
Puzzling plot, intriguing characters, fast pace. Clear your calendar for this one, you won't want to put it down!
Why I'd love to reread this - I gave this 5 stars the first time I read it but I have no memory of what happened in the story. Rereading my thoughts has me super curious about if he truly is innocent or if he’s conning everyone. Another reason I want to reread this- I find the state of new release thrillers these days to be subpar. I remember Sharon Bolton writing complex plots that didn’t hinge on ridiculous twists and that feels very refreshing to me.
American Radical by Tamer Elnoury with Kevin Maurer
My review
This is one of those books that happened to catch my eye as it has two of my favorite buzzwords in it...undercover and FBI...In short, I loved it! Not only is it the most fascinating book I've read in a long time, it's also a very uniquely written memoir in that it reads like a page turning novel. In fact, it very much reads like an episode of Homeland. There were times I had to remind myself the difference is that this story is actually true which in my opinion made it all the more terrifying.
As stated in the blurb, Tamer is a pseudonym for an undercover counterterrorism agent in the FBI. I thought he did a fantastic job sharing as many details as he could about the world of an undercover agent, how they train, how they live their "legends," and the extreme emotional/psychological stress it takes on their psyches. Especially when dealing with the warped and twisted minds of the radical Islamic terrorists he worked to bring down in this story. I appreciated how well he explained who these terrorists were, where they came from and how they came to believe what they do. I hung on every word as he described conversations in which the terrorists laid out detailed plans to kill as many Americans as possible...it was scary to read and I don't think most of us understand what is happening in our own country on a daily basis.
The first person narrative structure of the story worked brilliantly in that I felt like I was a fly on the wall watching each scene unfold. The pace was steady, although I will say I thought it dragged a little in the middle, but the last third made up for it and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out how it was all going to unfold. I love the way the authors created such a suspenseful storyline while also providing behind the scenes details of the operations. I've been recommending this book to many friends, especially those who love the tv show Homeland. If you enjoy pageturners that are timely, current, and so relevant to our world right now I encourage you to give this a try!
Why I’d like to reread this - As the 25th anniversary of 9/11 is approaching I’ve started thinking about some of the nonfiction books I read in the years after that horrific day- like many of you I'm sure, I can remember exactly what I was doing and where I was when the surreal breaking news scenes came on our tv. This book, in particular, never got the buzz I think it deserved. I think I would appreciate it even more on a reread. Also, RIP Homeland, I loved that show and I feel like viewers were left hanging.
A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams
My review posted October 2016
If you’re looking for an absolute perfect summer read, look no further than A Hundred Summers! The cover and title are fantastic and the story inside makes for a pageturning read that encompasses just enough drama and suspense, not to mention a love triangle filled with betrayal. What more could you ask for summertime reading? I loved it so much it’ll make my top 10 reads of 2016. The funny thing is I had started the story a couple other times and it didn’t initially grab me. I’m SO glad the last time I picked it up I decided to keep going because once I really connected with Lily, Nick and Budgie I couldn’t put this down. This is a novel that does a bit of character set up in the beginning so don’t despair and give up, it will quickly pick up.
The story is told in alternating timelines of Lily and Nick’s past and the present which is 1938. Set in an oceanfront community along the coast of Rhode Island with a country club setting, cocktails, the beach…what did I tell you…summertime perfection! Along the way there is much angst, betrayal and intrigue that occurs between Lily, Nick (Lily’s great love), and his new wife Budgie…who just so happens to be Lily’s former best friend. You just know there’s going to be a LOT of drama, right? It all plays out in a spellbinding story, filled with multi-dimensional characters and an action packed ending that I absolutely loved.
Why I’d like to reread this - Two weeks ago, I pulled my print copy of A Hundred Summers off of my 5 star bookshelf at home and took it with me to see Beatriz in person for a Prosecco & Prose event at one of our local independent bookstores, Gramercy Books. Although she was there to promote her new book, When You Loved Me (full disclosure, I tried this on audio and didn’t finish it- more details in my next behind the scenes audio podcast), A Hundred Summers is the one I HAD to get signed. During the evening, Beatriz was such a wonderful storyteller and at the end when I asked her to sign my copy of AHS she said so many people have brought her copies of it and she loved seeing the enthusiasm for what she considers her breakout novel. I had such a fun evening that night that I totally forgot to take any pictures which now I'm bummed about. Also, I have no memory of this being a love triangle story so that alone makes me want to reread it!
I’d love to know if you’ve ever gone back and reread one of your longtime favorites.
Or do you have books in mind that you know you’ll reread someday?
Fiction writers, are you interested in learning about my book coaching services? Click here or the button below for information. I’d love to hear about your novel!
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