6.7.2023 - Drowning

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster for gifting me a copy of TJ Newman's latest thriller - 5 stars for a book you won't be able to put down.

Six minutes after takeoff from Hawaii, Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific Ocean.  During evacuation, an engine explodes and the evacuation is a disaster.  Twelve people inside the plane have to listen to Will, an engineer on board with his daughter, and they shut the exit door.  Then the plane sinks to the bottom and the passengers have only a small air pocket.  The elite rescue teams launch several plans to try and save the passengers, including one led by Will's estranged wife, Chris.

Wow - I could not go to sleep last night until I finished this book.  It is so intense from the very beginning as both the people inside the plane and the rescuers have to figure out how to work together for a successful outcome.  There is so much human emotion here and the fear is palpable.  I was completely impressed with the smartness of this read as well, although the terminology and science is made understandable.  I loved the twists - I just loved this book!  Highly recommended - but maybe not reading for your next flight!

6.6.2023 - Pedro & Daniel

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Recorded Books RB Media for gifting me an audio ARC of this debut book by Federico Erebia and wonderfully narrated by Frankie Corzo and Tim Andrés Pabon - 4 stars!

Daniel and Pedro are Mexican American brothers growing up in Ohio in the 1970s.  Their mother resents that Pedro is darker like his father and that he likes dolls and not sports.  So he gets the brunt of his mother's abuse.  The brothers share a bond that continues throughout their life.

This book is based on the author's own childhood and provides the legacy that Daniel longed for.  It's a story that touches on so many difficult subjects - growing up gay, especially in the 1970s, racism, abuse, the abuses in the Catholic Church.  But it's also a story of loyalty and unbreakable bonds between brothers.  The audiobook was wonderful because there were different narrators for each brother and the spoken Spanish was beautiful.

6.6.2023 - The Celebrants

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by Steven Rowley - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Six friends meet as transfer students to Berkley and form a tight bond. When one of the group dies before graduation, the rest make a pact - they can each summon the group together whenever they need it to have a "living funeral."  That way nothing will be left unsaid and they can know their worth to the group.

This is a wonderful story about friendship, especially those old friends who knew us and loved us when we were not fully formed, who have grown with us even as we grow apart.  I love the idea of making sure nothing is left unsaid, no matter how hard that may be.  All of these characters were wonderful and Rowley brings them to life with his trademark humor and emotion.  Another great read from this author!

6.5.2023 - The Girls of Summer

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this debut book by Katie Bishop and wonderfully narrated by Annabel Scholey - 4 stars!

Rachel is 17 years old and on holiday on an island in Greece.  There she meets Alistair, an older man with whom she quickly becomes obsessed.  She abandons her plans to return home to university and stays working at the bar with a group of friends, who spend their days and nights drinking and going to parties.  In present day, Rachel is married to Tom and they take a holiday on the same island, where a chance meeting with one of the girls from her past reignites her obsession with Alistair and makes her rethink her past recollections of that time.

This was a wonderful debut that explored really tough topics.  I liked the "then" and "now" versions of the story so that we can see what happened and how it affected Rachel in her present life.  This should definitely be a cautionary tale to young women, who can be so vulnerable and find it hard to say no.  Rachel was not a real likable character - her behavior when she was young is understandable, but her experience seemed to keep her in that perpetual state of bad decisions.  Anxious to read more from this author!

6.3.2023 - The Wishing Game

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this wonderful debut novel by Meg Shaffer - 5 magical stars!

Jack Masterson is the author and creator of the Clock Island series of children's books that have a cult-like following.  But he quit writing years ago under mysterious circumstances, and has been living quietly on a small island off the coast of Maine with his illustrator, Hugo.  Out of the blue, Jack announces that he has written a new book and will be having a contest, with the winner receiving the one and only copy.  However, the contestants are picked by invitation only and there are only 4 selected.  One of them is Lucy, who as a child ran away to Clock Island, wishing to be Jack's sidekick.  Now living on the other side of the country, she is barely surviving as a kindergarten aide and desperately wants to adopt Christopher, a little boy at her school who has seen such trauma in his young life.  But she's been told she doesn't have a home or a car and thus isn't eligible to foster or adopt him.  She's hoping that she can win the contest to make her wishes come true.

This was such a fabulous book - I raced through it but didn't want it to end!  It's similar to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory but based around books, which of course is wonderful!  Extra fun is to be had with all the riddles and challenges in the book.  The cast of characters are so incredibly heartwarming, yet they all face real life problems and fears.  Facing your fears is a lesson that Jack has stressed in his books, and he has some of his own fears to conquer.  Highly recommended - would be a great YA book as well.

6.2.2023 - All the Sinners Bleed

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, Flatiron Books and Macmillan Audio for gifting me an audio ARC of the latest thriller by S. A. Cosby and wonderfully narrated by Adam Lazarre-White - 5 stars!

After leaving the FBI, Titus Crowne is back in his hometown in Charon County, Virginia, and has become the county's first Black sheriff.  But a year into his tenure, a school shooting rocks the county.  A beloved teacher is shot down by a Black student, and Titus' white deputies fire a fatal shot.  The investigation uncovers many secrets, including that the student had been abused by the teacher and one suspect is still out there.  

There's a lot of current themes throughout this novel, as well as just a really good thriller/suspense story - racism, abuse, religion, family secrets, as well as views on police and school shootings.  I was pulled into this audiotape and listened every chance I had.  Titus was such a good character - would love to see more of him in another book, please!  

6.1.2023 - My Daughter's Boyfriend

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for gifting me an audio ARC of the latest thriller by a favorite, Daniel Hurst, and wonderfully narrated by Harrie Dobby and Tamsin Kennard - 4 stars!

Ellie is living at home with mom, Dawn, and is not happy at work or socially.  So when she meets handsome Daryl online and they form a quick attachment, she won't let the fact that she's in the UK and he's in America stand in their way.  She convinces Dawn to let her fly to LA to visit and Dawn agrees only if she can go along.  Daryl lives with his dad, Harvey, in a huge house with a pool and both mother and daughter are smitten.  Until Dawn discovers a photograph in the basement that shows Daryl is lying about a missing young woman.

This audiobook kept me on the edge and I liked the alternating viewpoints of both Ellie and Dawn.  Having two different narrators made things easy to differentiate.  While I thought that Dawn was a bit overprotective of her 24-year-old daughter, parents can totally relate with trying to keep their child out of harm.  Another great book by this author and loved the ending!