10.6.2021 - Fan Fiction

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio and St Martin's Press for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this mem-noir by Brent Spiner, or to those who live on another galaxy, Data from Star Trek.  5 absolutely hilarious stars for the most purely entertaining book I've read in a long time.  However, the audiobook is an absolute must -  once I started listening, I couldn't switch over to the digital copy because the narration made the book.

It's 1991 and the height of Star Trek The Next Generation, when Brent Spiner starts receiving death threats from an obsessed fan.  He has to gather Paramount Security, LAPD and even the FBI to help investigate the situation.  This is a look into the fandom world and how it can affect the actors.

While my husband loved the original Star Trek, we raised our boys on all of the Star Trek franchises to come - in the 1990s, it was about the only safe, family oriented, show with good values on TV and we couldn't get enough.  My boys dressed as Star Trek characters every Halloween (Data, Warf and Spock) and our first email addresses were all Star Trek related.  So this book satisfied all my Trek love.  However, even someone not obsessed with Star Trek would love this book - it is absolutely hilarious.  I listened to it while running errands and kept laughing out loud - it is just too good.  Brent narrates the book with the help of all his TNG castmates which of course made it all that much better.

Do not miss this book - so hilarious!  I hope this is not the last book Brent Spiner will write!

10.6.2021 - Sleepless

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and  Flatiron Books for gifting me an ARC of the sophomore book by Romy Hausmann.  This author's debut novel, Dear Child, was an absolute 5 star read for me; I'm giving this book 3.5 stars rounded up for the beautiful writing.  Thanks for including me on the blog tour for this book!

Nadja was convicted of a crime when she was just a child.  Out of jail now, she leads a quiet life with a job she likes and a new friend, Laura.  When Laura asks Nadja's help in covering up a crime, things go very wrong.  

That's enough information to hook you into this book and I loved that plot synopsis.  The writing is again wonderful and very atmospheric.  It's creepy because you see that things just aren't going to end well.  My biggest issue was just that it was confusing - the timeline switched often, there were letters being written in between chapters that didn't seem to fit in while reading, and I had issues keeping up with the characters.  Don't let that discourage you though - Romy Hausmann is such a gifted writer that I kept reading and loved the twists and turns, cat and mouse games within this book.

10.5.2021 - Heard it in a Love Song

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both the audio and digital ARCs of the latest story by Tracey Garvis Graves - 4 stars!

Layla and Josh are both fresh out of broken relationships.  Layla was married to Liam for 10 years - he had never put her first, didn't encourage her dream of playing in a band, and they had very different ideas about money.  Now divorced, Layla is working as an elementary music teacher when she meets Josh, the dad of a kindergartner.  Josh is in the process of a divorce from Kimmy, his high school sweetheart, and navigating shared parenting.  Is it the right time for a new relationship?  Is this a rebound?  

I really liked this story.  Each of the characters felt real and relatable as they got their feet back underneath them after heartbreak.  It was more of a story of second chances, being true to oneself, and being ready for a real relationship rather than just a soppy romance novel, which I loved!  Great supporting cast of characters including Norton!  

10.5.2021 - The Book of Magic

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for gifting me a digital ARC of the final book in the Practical Magic series by the wonderful Alice Hoffman - 5 magical stars!

The Owens family has been under a 300-year curse - do not fall in love.  Those who have have suffered the consequences but everything is about to change.  When the youngest of the Owens family has her loved one at death's door, the entire family rallies to find a cure for the curse.  This generation has had the Owens' family magic kept from them but all is going to be revealed as they race together to end the madness of not being able to fall in love.  Sacrifices will be made but "everything worthwhile is dangerous."

How can you not love a book with this for its first sentence:  Some stories begin at the beginning and others begin at the end, but all the best stories begin in a library.  Sigh.  It was so wonderful to slip back into the Owens world with this book, as much as I hated to see this series come to an end.  I would definitely recommend reading the entire series but there's enough info here to read it as a stand alone if you must - and you must read it because Alice Hoffman - enough said.  The ending was perfect - a wonderful wrap up to this series.  

10.3.2021 - Invisible Child - Poverty, Survival & Hope in an American City

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for gifting me a digital ARC of this unforgettable story by Andrea Elliott - 5 stars.

Dasani Coates was born into a life of poverty, drug abuse and neglect, even with married parents with the best of intentions.  As the almost-oldest, Dasani had to take on the role of parent to her 7 siblings from a very early age.  The author, NY Times writer and Pulitzer Prize winner, entrenched herself into this family's life for over a decade and was witness to the homeless crisis and fear of child protection agencies endured by so many.  When Dasani is finally accepted into a boarding school in PA, her life seems nothing but bright.  But the transition to become what was expected of her by the school meant leaving herself and her family behind.

This is an eye-opening look into how quickly people can get into no-win situations with bureaucracies that are supposed to help them.  While not dismissing parental responsibility, this book will make you look at those slippery slopes of homelessness for so many with long-reaching pasts of poverty.  But there is also hope - Dasani has teachers, administrators, counselors who do their best to help her succeed.  My family has visited Hershey Park in PA and seen the school on the hill - this is also a fascinating look into that amazing situation that has the potential to turn around lives.

This is a must-read book - don't miss it!

10.2.2021 - All the Right Mistakes

Many thanks to NetGalley and Orange Sky Audio for gifting me this audiobook by Laura Jamison, narrated perfectly by Aimee Barrett - 4 stars for an enjoyable book with lots of life lessons.

Five best friends who met while attending Dartmouth University twenty years ago.  They all took different paths and had different issues, from stay-at-home mom to infertility to marriage issues - mostly focused on the work-life balance in whatever shape that took.  When one of the friends, Heather, decides to write a book about the mistakes each of her friends made under the guise of mentoring younger women, it causes a terrible rift in their friendship.  

These are all privileged women but it shows that life holds back no punches no matter the privilege.  We are all faced with adversity in one form or another, and how we choose to handle it is what makes the difference.  I enjoyed listening to this book and quickly got into the lives and issues each of the women faced.  Friendship and second chances are key here.

10.1.2021 - Nanny Needed

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bantam Books/Random House Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Georgina Cross - 4.5 stars.  If you love Servant on Apple TV, you'll love this book for the same creepy vibes!

Sarah and Jonathan are living in NYC, both working at the same restaurant, just scraping by and trying to save money for a wedding.  Sarah sees a notice posted in their building for a couple that is looking for a nanny; she thinks she can do that during the day and waitress at night.  When she goes for the interview, the family lives in a gorgeous penthouse apartment on the Upper West Side.  The mother, Collette Bird, is gorgeous and feels like she could become a friend.  Sarah happily accepts the job and big salary, signing the required NDA without hesitation.  But soon she learns that things aren't what they seem in the penthouse apartment.

Enough said - you just need to read this one to feel all the craziness.  I raced through the book to see how it was all going to end and loved the twist ending.  You may have to suspend belief a bit but isn't that what reading is all about - an escape from reality?  Don't miss this one!