Verity by Colleen Hoover

Verity
by Colleen Hoover

Published: 2018
Publisher: Independently published
Paperback: 331
Rating: 5
Thriller, Mystery, Romance | Goodreads | Website

First sentence(s):
I hear the crack of his skull before the spattering of blood reaches me.

Zombie sighting:
Most of the time, I cry in my shower and stare at my computer screen like a zombie, wondering how so many other authors can promote their books with so much confidence.
-chapter 4, page 41

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.

Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity's recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen's feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife's words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.

My two-bits:

Pleasantly surprised with the way this book played with its characters. I was torn on who to side with. Perfectly creepy and haunting in some parts.

~*~
* part of ibc book club (here)

The Remaking by Clay McLeod Chapman

The Remaking
by Clay McLeod Chapman

Published: 2019
Publisher: Quirk Books
Hardback: 320
Rating: 4
Horror, Witches, Ghosts | Goodreads | Website

First sentence(s):
These woods whisper.

Zombie sighting:
Did anyone hear that? Her tummy? It must have sounded like a monster to everyone else, like a zombie clawing its way out from the ground.
-chapter 4, page 58

Inspired by a true story, this supernatural thriller for fans of horror and true crime follows a tale as it evolves every twenty years—with terrifying results.

Ella Louise has lived in the woods surrounding Pilot’s Creek, Virginia, for nearly a decade. Publicly, she and her daughter Jessica are shunned by their upper-crust family and the Pilot’s Creek residents. Privately, desperate townspeople visit her apothecary for a cure to what ails them—until Ella Louise is blamed for the death of a prominent customer. Accused of witchcraft, both mother and daughter are burned at the stake in the middle of the night. Ella Louise’s burial site is never found, but the little girl has the most famous grave in the South: a steel-reinforced coffin surrounded by a fence of interconnected white crosses.

Their story will take the shape of an urban legend as it’s told around a campfire by a man forever marked by his boyhood encounters with Jessica. Decades later, a boy at that campfire will cast Amber Pendleton as Jessica in a ’70s horror movie inspired by the Witch Girl of Pilot’s Creek. Amber’s experiences on that set and its meta-remake in the ’90s will ripple through pop culture, ruining her life and career after she becomes the target of a witch hunt. Amber’s best chance to break the cycle of horror comes when a true-crime investigator tracks her down to interview her for his popular podcast. But will this final act of storytelling redeem her—or will it bring the story full circle, ready to be told once again? And again. And again…

My two-bits:

Loved the elements of films, film-making and podcasts facilitating this horror story of witches and ghosts.

The story within a story within a story also draws you in.

~*~
* part of Fraterfest (here)

Prospects of a Woman by Wendy Voorsanger

Prospects of a Woman
by Wendy Voorsanger

Published: 2020
Publisher: She Writes Press
Paperback: 352
Rating: 5
Historical, Western, California, Gold Rush
Goodreads (see giveaway offer: Oct 1-30, 2020) | Website | Excerpt

First sentence(s):
The river ran angry that day, with water raging loud at the sun for burning it off the peaceful granite slopes of the High Sierra.

Elisabeth Parker comes to California from Massachusetts in 1849 with her new husband, Nate, to reunite with her father, who’s struck gold on the American River. But she soon realizes her husband is not the man she thought—and neither is her father, who abandons them shortly after they arrive. As Nate struggles with his sexuality, Elisabeth is forced to confront her preconceived notions of family, love, and opportunity. She finds comfort in corresponding with her childhood friend back home, writer Louisa May Alcott, and spending time in the company of a mysterious Californio. Armed with Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self-Reliance, she sets out to determine her role in building the West, even as she comes to terms with the sacrifices she must make to achieve independence and happiness. A gripping and illuminating window into life in the Old West, Prospects of a Woman is the story of one woman’s passionate quest to carve out a place for herself in the liberal and bewildering society that emerged during the California gold rush frenzy.

My two-bits:

Loved learning about Northern California gold rush history with this woman's perspective. The protagonist had such determination and grit to withstand the trials, tribulations and loneliness of living out in the west in an up and coming small town.

In addition, there's a good dose of nature, romance and books that kept me hooked to the end.

~*~
* review copy courtesy of book tour

My Calamity Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows

My Calamity Jane
by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows
narrated by Sophie Amoss

Published: 2020
Publisher: HarperTeen
Hardback: 544
Rating: 5
Historical, Western, Humor, Werewolves | Goodreads | Website
Travel destinations: Cincinnati, Ohio; Deadwood, South Dakota; Denver, Colorado

The Lady Janies series:
My Lady Jane
My Plain Jane
My Calamity Jane

First sentence(s):
Listen up, y'all. We're gonna tell you the story of Calamity Jane.

Welcome to 1876 and a rootin’-tootin’ America bursting with gunslingers, outlaws, and garou.

JANE (a genuine hero-eene)

Calamity’s her name, and garou hunting’s her game—when she’s not starring in Wild Bill’s Traveling Show, that is. She reckons that if a girl wants to be a legend, she should just go ahead and be one.

FRANK (*wolf whistle*)
Frank “the Pistol Prince” Butler is the Wild West’s #1 bachelor. He’s also the best sharpshooter on both sides of the Mississippi, but he’s about to meet his match...

ANNIE (get your gun!)
Annie Oakley (yep, that Annie) is lookin’ for a job, not a romance, but she can’t deny there’s something about Frank she likes. Really likes. Still, she’s pretty sure that anything he can do, she can do better.

A HAIRY SITUATION
After a garou hunt goes south and Jane finds a suspicious-like bite on her arm, she turns tail for Deadwood, where there’s been talk of a garou cure. But things ain’t always what they seem—meaning the gang better hightail it after her before they’re a day late and a Jane short.

My two-bits:

Rip roarin' fun adventure tellin' in this tale. Loved this kinda historical fiction mashup up with paranormal activity.

Also, liked learning about life in a wild west traveling show like this one.

~*~
* LOL - sparks joy moment in chapter 13
* Listened to audiobook version.
* part of Armchair Autumn Travel (here)
* part of Fraterfest (here)

Unbury Carol by Josh Malerman

Unbury Carol
by Josh Malerman
narrated by Dan John Miller

Published: 2018
Publisher: Del Rey
Hardback: 367
Rating: 5
Horror, Paranormal, Western | Goodreads

First sentence(s):
Harrows, situated at the northeast point of the Trail, savored its distance from the meat of the rabid road.

Carol Evers is a woman with a dark secret. She has died many times . . . but her many deaths are not final: They are comas, a waking slumber indistinguishable from death, each lasting days.

Only two people know of Carol’s eerie condition. One is her husband, Dwight, who married Carol for her fortune, and—when she lapses into another coma—plots to seize it by proclaiming her dead and quickly burying her . . . alive. The other is her lost love, the infamous outlaw James Moxie. When word of Carol’s dreadful fate reaches him, Moxie rides the Trail again to save his beloved from an early, unnatural grave.

And all the while, awake and aware, Carol fights to free herself from the crippling darkness that binds her—summoning her own fierce will to survive. As the players in this drama of life and death fight to decide her fate, Carol must in the end battle to save herself.

My two-bits:

Hit all the great spots for that western vibe of the good, bad, ugly and damsel in distress.

~*~
* Listened to audiobook version.
* part of Fraterfest (here)

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires
by Grady Hendrix
narrated by Bahni Turpin

Published: 2020
Publisher: Quirk Books
Hardback: 404
Rating: 5
Horror, Vampires | Goodreads | Website

First sentence(s):
This story ends in blood.

Zombie sighting:
You just want to give me a bunch of pills and make me a zombie.
-chapter 25

Patricia Campbell had always planned for a big life, but after giving up her career as a nurse to marry an ambitious doctor and become a mother, Patricia's life has never felt smaller. The days are long, her kids are ungrateful, her husband is distant, and her to-do list is never really done. The one thing she has to look forward to is her book club, a group of Charleston mothers united only by their love for true-crime and suspenseful fiction. In these meetings, they're more likely to discuss the FBI's recent siege of Waco as much as the ups and downs of marriage and motherhood.

But when an artistic and sensitive stranger moves into the neighborhood, the book club's meetings turn into speculation about the newcomer. Patricia is initially attracted to him, but when some local children go missing, she starts to suspect the newcomer is involved. She begins her own investigation, assuming that he's a Jeffrey Dahmer or Ted Bundy. What she uncovers is far more terrifying, and soon she—and her book club—are the only people standing between the monster they've invited into their homes and their unsuspecting community.

My two-bits:

Loved this book club and its penchant for true crime. The interplay of reality and vampires was great food for thought.
~*~
* Listened to audiobook version.
* part of ibc book club (here)
* part of Fraterfest (here)

Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez

Furia
by Yamile Saied Méndez
narrated by Sol Madariaga

Published: 2020
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Hardback: 368
Rating: 5
YA, Sports, Soccer, South America, Argentina | Goodreads | Website

First sentence(s):
Lies have short legs.

In Rosario, Argentina, Camila Hassan lives a double life.

At home, she is a careful daughter, living within her mother’s narrow expectations, in her rising-soccer-star brother’s shadow, and under the abusive rule of her short-tempered father.

On the field, she is La Furia, a powerhouse of skill and talent. When her team qualifies for the South American tournament, Camila gets the chance to see just how far those talents can take her. In her wildest dreams, she’d get an athletic scholarship to a North American university.

But the path ahead isn’t easy. Her parents don’t know about her passion. They wouldn’t allow a girl to play fútbol—and she needs their permission to go any farther. And the boy she once loved is back in town. Since he left, Diego has become an international star, playing in Italy for the renowned team Juventus. Camila doesn’t have time to be distracted by her feelings for him. Things aren’t the same as when he left: she has her own passions and ambitions now, and La Furia cannot be denied. As her life becomes more complicated, Camila is forced to face her secrets and make her way in a world with no place for the dreams and ambition of a girl like her.

Filled with authentic details and the textures of day-to-day life in Argentina, heart-soaring romance, and breathless action on the pitch, Furia is the story of a girl’s journey to make her life her own.

My two-bits:

Empowering. Loved the passion this protagonist has to motivate towards her dreams and desires. Wonderful "Go Girl!" story.

~*~
* Listened to audiobook version.
* part of Armchair Autumn Travel (here)
* part of Reese's Book Club 2020 (here)

Why Karen Carpenter Matters by Karen Tongson

Why Karen Carpenter Matters
by Karen Tongson

Published: 2019
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Paperback: 138
Rating: 5
Biography, Memoir, Essay, Music | Goodreads

First sentence(s):
Unlike many other young icons of rock and pop lost to overdoses under dramatic circumstances, from Janis Joplin to Jimi Hendrix to Jim Morrison, Karen Carpenter faded out slowly, just like the music she and her brother, Richard, were known for making together as the Carpenters.

In the '60s and '70s, America's music scene was marked by raucous excess, reflected in the tragic overdoses of young superstars such as Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. At the same time, the uplifting harmonies and sunny lyrics that propelled Karen Carpenter and her brother, Richard, to international fame belied a different sort of tragedy—the underconsumption that led to Karen's death at age thirty-two from the effects of an eating disorder.

In Why Karen Carpenter Matters, Karen Tongson (whose Filipino musician parents named her after the pop icon) interweaves the story of the singer’s rise to fame with her own trans-Pacific journey between the Philippines—where imitations of American pop styles flourished—and Karen Carpenter’s home ground of Southern California. Tongson reveals why the Carpenters' chart-topping, seemingly whitewashed musical fantasies of "normal love" can now have profound significance for her—as well as for other people of color, LGBT+ communities, and anyone outside the mainstream culture usually associated with Karen Carpenter’s legacy. This hybrid of memoir and biography excavates the destructive perfectionism at the root of the Carpenters’ sound, while finding the beauty in the singer's all too brief life.

My two-bits:

While it was fascinating to get some details about Karen Carpenter, the celebrity's influence on the author and Filipinos kept me engaged to the end.


~*~
* part of October Filipino American Month

* part of Filipino Reading Challenge (here)

Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby

Blacktop Wasteland
by S.A. Cosby
narrated by Adam Lazarre-White

Published: 2020
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Hardback: 304
Rating: 5
Mystery, Thriller, Noir | Goodreads
Travel destination: Virginia

Zombie sighting:
A few patients tethered to IV's were moving past the staff like forlorn zombies.
-chapter 33

First sentence(s):
Beauregard through the night sky looked like a painting.

Beauregard “Bug” Montage is an honest mechanic, a loving husband, and a hard-working dad. Bug knows there’s no future in the man he used to be: known from the hills of North Carolina to the beaches of Florida as the best wheelman on the East Coast.

He thought he'd left all that behind him, but as his carefully built new life begins to crumble, he finds himself drawn inexorably back into a world of blood and bullets. When a smooth-talking former associate comes calling with a can't-miss jewelry store heist, Bug feels he has no choice but to get back in the driver's seat. And Bug is at his best where the scent of gasoline mixes with the smell of fear.

Haunted by the ghost of who he used to be and the father who disappeared when he needed him most, Bug must find a way to navigate this blacktop wasteland... or die trying.

My two-bits:

Cars, heists, bad guys, good guys...

Great wild ride with this gritty contemporary story with a noir vibe and thrilling car chase scenes.

~*~
* Listened to audiobook version.

* part of Armchair Autumn Travel (here)

* part of part of Summertime time (here)

The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen

The Snow Leopard
by Peter Matthiessen

Published: 2008
Publisher: Penguin Books
Paperback: 336
Rating: 5
Memoir, Travel, Nepal | Goodreads
Travel destination: Nepal

First sentence(s):
In late September of 1973, I set out with GS on a journey to the Crystal Mountain, walking west under Annapurna and north along the Kali Gandaki River, then west and north again, around the Dhaulagiri peaks and accross the Kanjiroba two hundred and fifty miles or more to the Land of Dolpo, on the Tibetan Plateau.

When Matthiessen went to Nepal to study the Himalayan blue sheep and, possibly, to glimpse the rare and beautiful snow leopard, he undertook his five-week trek as winter snows were sweeping into the high passes.

My two-bits:

With all the trials and tribulations undergone including some life and death situations in this travel adventure, a lot of growth and introspection were the benefits.

Weekly feels posted on Sunday posts:
co-read with Naida at the the bookworm

Aug 17-23: Prologue & chapter 1
I got halfway through the introduction and decided to stop as it was getting too spoilery for me. I will get back to it later along with the acknowledgments which was also part of the front matter of the book.

Enjoying the details of the trek and learning about the various members of the party and how they function.

Aug 24-30: chapter 2
Importance of a good comfortable pair of hiking boots made an impression. Similar to what I found when I read Wild by Cheryl Strayed.

Love his writing style. Felt the cold, danger and beauty of the Himalayas as the search for the Blue Sheep and Snow Leopard continue.

"I am here to be here, like these rocks and sky and snow, like this hail that is falling down out of the sun." -page 108

Liked the reference and thoughts about the Yeti.

Aug 31-Sep 6: chapter 3
Meditation and expectations.

Sep 7-13: chapter 4 & wrap-up
Final thoughts and observations by the author of the place and people left me ready for a new outlook on future travel adventures.
~*~
* part of Armchair Autumn Travel (here)

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner

The Jane Austen Society
by Natalie Jenner
narrated by Richard Armitage :-)

Published: 2020
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: Historical, Romance, Jane Austen theme
Hardback: 309
Rating: 5
Goodreads | Website | Book Playlist (Spotify)

First sentence(s):
He lay back on the low stone wall, knees pulled up, and stretched out his spine against the rock.

Just after the Second World War, in the small English village of Chawton, an unusual but like-minded group of people band together to attempt something remarkable.

One hundred and fifty years ago, Chawton was the final home of Jane Austen, one of England's finest novelists. Now it's home to a few distant relatives and their diminishing estate. With the last bit of Austen's legacy threatened, a group of disparate individuals come together to preserve both Jane Austen's home and her legacy. These people—a laborer, a young widow, the local doctor, and a movie star, among others—could not be more different and yet they are united in their love for the works and words of Austen. As each of them endures their own quiet struggle with loss and trauma, some from the recent war, others from more distant tragedies, they rally together to create the Jane Austen Society.

My two-bits:

Wonderfully weaves in Jane Austen novels themes, observations and fan geeking.

So cool to read about dudes reading Austen and adoring characters.

Loved the fun facts about things Jane and her books.

~*~
* Listened to audiobook version.

* part of ibc book club (here)

* part of the Goodreads Austenesque Lovers TBR Challenge 2020 (here)

Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner

Big Summer
by Jennifer Weiner
narrated by Danielle Macdonald

Published: 2020
Publisher: Atria Books
Hardback: 368
Rating: 5
Chick-lit, Mystery | Goodreads
Website

First sentence(s):
By the second week of September, the outer Cape was practically deserted.

Zombie sighting:
All of these people taking bites out of what was left of her after she couldn't defend herself like a bunch of zombies eating her corpse. -chapter 20

Six years after the fight that ended their friendship, Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh walks back into her life, looking as lovely and successful as ever, with a massive favor to ask. Daphne hasn’t spoken one word to Drue in all this time—she doesn’t even hate-follow her ex-best friend on social media—so when Drue asks if she will be her maid-of-honor at the society wedding of the summer, Daphne is rightfully speechless.

Drue was always the one who had everything—except the ability to hold onto friends. Meanwhile, Daphne’s no longer the same self-effacing sidekick she was back in high school. She’s built a life that she loves, including a growing career as a plus-size Instagram influencer. Letting glamorous, seductive Drue back into her life is risky, but it comes with an invitation to spend a weekend in a waterfront Cape Cod mansion. When Drue begs and pleads and dangles the prospect of cute single guys, Daphne finds herself powerless as ever to resist her friend’s siren song.

My two-bits:

Interesting how this took a turn from what I was expecting. Pulls in the modern day social media influences and its effects in our lives.

~*~
* Listened to audiobook version.

* Filipino fried chicken mentioned -chapter 8

* part of Summertime time (schedule)

Don't F*** This Up!: How To Get What You Want In Life by Fred Stuvek, Jr.

Don't F*** This Up!: How To Get What You Want In Life
by Fred Stuvek, Jr.

Published: 2020
Publisher: Triumvirate Press
Genre: Self-Help
Paperback: 186
Rating: 5
Goodreads | Website

series:
It Starts With You: Turn Your Goals Into Success
Don't F*** This Up!: How To Get What You Want In Life

First sentence(s):
The single most important quality for achieving any degree of success and happiness is belief.

The margin of error is shrinking. Don't F*** This Up.

Has the new normal just f***ed up your future? Did you get your degree in the mail instead of crossing a stage? You're not alone. You did everything you were supposed to do. You worked hard, got the grades, and you're ready to start your next phase of life.

Then the floor caved in. Thanks to a global pandemic, you're entering adulthood, your new career, your college career, or the workforce during record unemployment, a terrifying economy, and social guidelines that have all but eliminated life as you knew it. Like it or not, this is your sink or swim moment.

If having a strategy was important before, now, it's critical. The choices you make and the practices you adopt right now are going to shape not only your career, but every other aspect of your life as well. It's a lot to wrap your head around, and frankly, many people are going to screw it up.

To be among the few who rise you need to:

Harness certain proven principles
Adopt high standards and become disciplined
Learn how to focus on goal setting
Develop and improve essential relationships
Establish a high level of personal integrity through the right actions and attitude
Develop the resilience and grit to overcome adversity
If you’re looking for career advice, this is not the book for you. This book is a series of life lessons that lifted generations of Americans through hard times. Some of the lessons will be hard to hear. You will have to take responsibility for your actions and choices; to work for what you want. Are you up to the challenge?

My two-bits:

Great guide to some of the basic tips in life to set yourself up for success.

I liked how this was clear and concise with each chapter ending with the main points to remember.

~*~
* review copy courtesy of blog tour

One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

One to Watch
by Kate Stayman-Londo
narrated by Kristen Sieh

Published: 2020
Publisher: Dial Press Trade Paperback
Paperback: 432
Rating: 5
Chick-lit | Goodreads | Website

First sentence(s):
The flea market at Clignancourt was at the far northern edge of the city, a few blocks past the final stop on the number 4 Métro, where the Parisian architecture are more simple, more—mundane a reminder that not all of the city was steeped in centuries of history and romance.

Bea Schumacher is a devastatingly stylish plus-size fashion blogger who has amazing friends, a devoted family, legions of Insta followers—and a massively broken heart. Like the rest of America, Bea indulges in her weekly obsession: the hit reality show Main Squeeze. The fantasy dates! The kiss-off rejections! The surprising amount of guys named Chad! But Bea is sick and tired of the lack of body diversity on the show. Since when is being a size zero a prerequisite for getting engaged on television?

Just when Bea has sworn off dating altogether, she gets an intriguing call: Main Squeeze wants her to be its next star, surrounded by men vying for her affections. Bea agrees, on one condition—under no circumstances will she actually fall in love. She’s in this to supercharge her career, subvert harmful beauty standards, inspire women across America, and get a free hot air balloon ride. That’s it.

But when the cameras start rolling, Bea realizes things are more complicated than she anticipated. She’s in a whirlwind of sumptuous couture, Internet culture wars, sexy suitors, and an opportunity (or two, or five) to find messy, real-life love in the midst of a made-for-TV fairy tale. In this joyful, wickedly observant debut, Bea has to decide whether it might just be worth trusting these men—and herself—for a chance to live happily ever after.

My two-bits:

Loved the behind-the-scenes of a reality tv show. The twist of having a plus-size contestant made this one intriguing.

Romance, beauty standards and following your heart made this a fun read.

~*~


* Listened to audiobook version.

* part of Summertime time (schedule)

Don’t Send Flowers by Martin Solares

Don’t Send Flowers
by Martin Solares

Published: 2018
Publisher: Grove Press, Black Cat
Paperback: 442
Rating: 5
Mystery, Crime, Mexico | Goodreads

First sentence(s):
He told them there was someone who could find the girl: an ex-cop.

Zombie sighting:
He pictured a small, smelly bathroom; a cheap blanket; nights spent on a cot, catching a few winks here and there—always at the beck and call of the residents and their stuck-up kids, afraid some burglar might take advantage if he nodded off—that zombie state where you can't think clearly, which steals one day after another until the end.
-page 247

From a writer whose work has been praised by Junot Diaz as "Latin American fiction at its pulpy phantasmagorical finest," Don't Send Flowers is a riveting novel centered on Carlos Trevino, a retired police detective in northern Mexico who has to go up against the corruption and widespread violence that caused him to leave the force, when he's hired by a wealthy businessman to find his missing daughter.

A seventeen-year-old girl has disappeared after a fight with her boyfriend that was interrupted by armed men, leaving the boyfriend on life support and the girl an apparent kidnap victim. It's a common occurrence in the region—prime narco territory—but the girl's parents are rich and powerful, and determined to find their daughter at any cost. When they call upon Carlos Trevino, he tracks the missing heiress north to the town of La Eternidad, on the Gulf of Mexico not far from the U.S. border—all while constantly attempting to evade detection by La Eternidad's chief of police, Commander Margarito Gonzalez, who is in the pockets of the cartels and has a score to settle with Trevino.

My two-bits:

Sketchy characters, corruption and loyalties. And yet, one who gets the job done despite the pickles he finds himself in.

~*~
* part of Books, Inc. Foreign Intrigue Book Club (here)

* part of Summertime time (schedule)

My Summer of Love and Misfortune by Lindsay Wong

My Summer of Love and Misfortune
by Lindsay Wong
narrated by Nancy Wu

Published: 2020
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Hardback: 384
Rating: 5
YA, China, Beijing | Goodreads | Website


First sentence(s):
I, Iris Wang, was born to be unlucky.

Zombie sighting:
I see my mom stiffen like a zombie. -chapter 7

Iris Wang is having a bit of a rough start to her summer: Her boyfriend cheated on her, she didn’t get into any colleges, and she has no idea who she is or what she wants to do with her life. She’s always felt torn about being Chinese-American, feeling neither Chinese nor American enough to claim either identity. She’s just a sad pizza combo from Domino’s, as far as she’s concerned.

In an attempt to snap her out of her funk, Iris’s parents send her away to visit family in Beijing, with the hopes that Iris would “reconnect with her culture” and “find herself.” Iris resents the condescension, but even she admits that this might be a good opportunity to hit the reset button on the apocalyptic disaster that has become her life.

With this trip, Iris expects to eat a few dumplings, meet some family, and visit a tourist hotspot or two. Instead, she gets swept up in the ridiculous, opulent world of Beijing’s wealthy elite, leading her to unexpected and extraordinary discoveries about her family, her future, and herself.

My two-bits:

Oh, a young spoiled hot mess gets sent off to family in Beijing, China. Although this protagonist coming of age was painful to read, (bit cringe-y at times) it was wonderful to see the transformation.

Enjoyed the comments and observations of this American Chinese experience as well as sights, sounds and traditions of the place.

Loved how the concept of family and its ways were presented.

Got a kick out of the references to the chinese zodiac animals and how they interconnect (or not so much).

~*~
* Listened to audiobook version.

* part of Summertime time ( schedule )

The Burning Island by Hester Young

The Burning Island
by Hester Young
narrated by January LaVoy

Published: 2019
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Hardback: 416
Rating: 5
Mystery, Paranormal | Goodreads | Website
Island: Hawaii

Charlie Cates series:
The Gates of Evangeline
The Shimmering Road
The Burning island

First sentence(s):
In the dream, I wear his eyes like a pair of sunglasses.

Journalist Charlie Cates has always believed in facts, in what can be proved--her career depends on it. Which is why she has never truly accepted the supernatural visions that guide her to children in danger. After her work on a high-profile missing-child case brings unwanted fame, she reluctantly flees to the lush Big Island of Hawaii with her best friend, Rae. Determined to avoid her disturbing visions, Charlie begins writing what seems to be a harmless interview of a prominent volcanologist, Victor Nakagawa. But her hopes for a peaceful vacation are soon dashed by haunting dreams of a local girl who went missing six weeks earlier.

In the small and sleepy town of Kalo Valley, Charlie and Rae come to realize that even paradise has its ugly secrets, and the Nakagawa family is no exception. In order to find the missing teenager and stop a dangerous predator from striking again, Charlie is forced to embrace the gift she has always tried to conceal. Meanwhile, someone is watching her every move, and the closer Charlie gets to the truth, the more distant her chances of ever leaving the island alive.

My two-bits:

It was refreshing for me to read this mystery where the sleuth is a journalist with "special skills" and not a detective.

This story pulls you into the island, island folklore, island living and locals.

Teen drama and weird family dynamics swirl to a satisfying ending.

~*~
* Listened to audiobook version.

* Mr. Darcy mentioned in Chapter 7.


* part of Summertime time ( schedule )

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

The Guest List
by Lucy Foley
narrated by Jot Davies, Chloe Massey, Olivia Dowd, Aoife McMahon, Sarah Ovens, Rich Keeble

Published: 2020
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Hardback: 320
Rating: 5
Goodreads
Island: off the coast of Ireland

First sentence(s):
The lights go out.

On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom a rising television star. The bride
a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine in a remote location. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?

My two-bits:

Multiple points of view of unreliable and unlikable characters in a wedding celebration setting make this an intrigueing read.

There is a tinge of Irish folklore and hints of a haunted isle that create a creepy vibe.

~*~
* Listened to audiobook version.

* part of Reese's Book Club 2020 (here)

* part of Summertime time ( schedule )

Death in Provence by Serena Kent

Death in Provence
by Sarah Kent
narrated by Antonia Beamish

Published: 2019
Publisher: Harper
Genre: Mystery, France
Hardback: 368
Rating: 5
Goodreads

Penelope Kite Mysteries series:
Death in Provence
Death in Avignon

First sentence(s):
In early spring, everything had been so different.

It’s love at first sight when Penelope Kite sees Le Chant d’Eau—The Song of Water—the stone farmhouse tucked high in the hills above the Luberon valley, complete with a garden, swimming pool, and sweeping mountain vistas. For years, Penelope put her unfaithful ex-husband and her ungrateful stepchildren first. Since taking early retirement from her job in forensics at the Home Office in England, she’s been an unpaid babysitter and chauffeur for her grandchildren. Now, she’s going to start living for herself. Though her dream house needs major renovations, Penelope impulsively buys the property and moves to St. Merlot.

But Penelope’s daydreams of an adventurous life in Provence didn’t include finding a corpse floating face down in her swimming pool. The discovery of the dead man plunges her headlong into a Provençal stew of intrigue and lingering resentments simmering beneath the deceptively sunny village. Having worked in the forensics office, Penelope knows a thing or two about murder investigations. To find answers, she must carefully navigate between her seemingly ubiquitous, supercilious (and enviably chic) estate agent, the disdainful chief of police, and the devilishly handsome mayor—even as she finds herself tempted by all the delicacies the region has to offer. Thank goodness her old friend Frankie is just a flight away... and that Penelope is not quite as naïve as her new neighbors in St. Merlot believe.

My two-bits:

Quite a welcoming party, indeed, for an English Expat lady moving into a small town in Provence. It took awhile to warm up to Penelope as well as the serious bunch of members in this small town community. However, in the end I got caught into caring.

~*~
* cute reference to Duran Duran by Frankie character ;-)

* Listened to audiobook version.

* part of Paris in July (here)

Picnic in Provence by Elizabeth Bard

Picnic in Provence
A Memoir with Recipes
by Elizabeth Bard
narrated by author

Published: 2015
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Genre: Memoir, France, Recipes
Hardback: 384
Rating: 5
Goodreads | Website

First sentence(s):
I don't, as a rule, introduce myself to cows.

Ten years ago, New Yorker Elizabeth Bard followed a handsome Frenchman up a spiral staircase to a love nest in the heart of Paris. Now, with a baby on the way and the world's flakiest croissant around the corner, Elizabeth is sure she's found her "forever place." But life has other plans.

On a last romantic jaunt before the baby arrives, the couple take a trip to the tiny Provencal village of Céreste. A chance encounter leads them to the wartime home of a famous poet, a tale of a buried manuscript and a garden full of heirloom roses. Under the spell of the house and its unique history, in less time than it takes to flip a crepe, Elizabeth and Gwendal decide to move-lock, stock and Le Creuset-to the French countryside.

When the couple and their newborn son arrive in Provence, they discover a land of blue skies, lavender fields and peaches that taste like sunshine. Seduced by the local ingredients, they begin a new adventure as culinary entrepreneurs, starting their own artisanal ice cream shop and experimenting with flavors like saffron, sheep's milk yogurt and fruity olive oil.

Filled with enticing recipes for stuffed zucchini flowers, fig tart and honey & thyme ice cream, Picnic in Provence is the story of everything that happens after the happily ever after: an American learning the tricks of French motherhood, a family finding a new professional passion, and a cook's initiation into classic Provencal cuisine. With wit, humor and scoop of wild strawberry sorbet, Bard reminds us that life-in and out of the kitchen-is a rendez-vous with the unexpected.

My two-bits:

This story tells the tale of the transition of big city Paris to small town Provence living. Also, the trials and tribulations of starting a small business, ice cream.

Peek into the french culture and family essence are captured well.

Loved the food focus with its descriptions, bit of history and recipes.

~*~
* Listened to audiobook version.

* part of Paris in July (here)