Month: February 2022

Book Review: Gretchen by Shannon Kirk

Gretchen
Author: Shannon Kirk

Published: July 23, 2019
353 Pages

Reviewed By: Kim
Kim’s Rating: 4 stars

Book Description:

The new tenants have a terrible secret. So do the landlord and his daughter…

Ever since Lucy was two, she’s been on the run alongside her mother. She’s never understood the reason for a lifetime of paranoia, aliases, and lies. All she understands are the rules: never lock eyes with strangers, never let down your guard, and always be ready to move on.

Finally, after thirteen years and eleven states, their next hideaway seems perfect. An isolated, fortresslike place in the New Hampshire woods is the new home they share with its owner, a gentlemanly pianist, and his lonely daughter, Gretchen. She’s Lucy’s age and soon becomes Lucy’s first real friend.

But Gretchen and her father have secrets of their own—and an obsession with puzzles that draws Lucy into a terrifying new game of hide-and-seek. Lucy’s dark past is about to come calling. And this time, for her and her mother in the house on the hill, it might be too late to run.

Kim’s Review:

Dang, what a ride! Just when I thought I knew what this book was about, it took a left turn into crazyville in the middle of the nut festival!! And it was so nice to read a book where the teenager isn’t a complete idiot. I like Lucy, she seems mature and has a good head on her shoulders. Gretchen was just terrifying from the very beginning. I half expected a violent outburst from the moment she appeared! This book is the definition of slow burn. Sometimes it felt a little too slow for how much it had going on. That’s why I gave 4 stars instead of 5. I was surprised that so much could happen all within one story. But I liked the way Kirk wrote and she tied everything up in a neat little bow by the end and I was very happy! Definitely a good read for people who like psychological thrillers with many twists and turns!

Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK

Short Story Sunday: Slow Burner by Laura Lippman


Slow Burner
Series: Hush Collection

Hush, a collection of six stories, ranging from political mysteries to psychological thrillers, in which deception can be a matter of life and death. Each piece can be read or listened to in one truly chilling sitting.

Author: Laura Lippman
Published: July 30, 2020
46 minute read/ 33 Pages

Reviewed By: Jessica
Date Read: October 29, 2021
Jessica’s Rating: 3.5 stars

Book Description:

A woman watches her marriage implode over text message and decides that ignorance is not bliss in this bitterly satisfying short mystery by the New York Times bestselling author of Lady in the Lake.

Liz Kelsey promised herself she’d never again spy on her feckless husband, Phil. But then she discovers a string of suggestive texts on his secret burner phone. Even worse, he’s flirting with the woman who shook their unstable marriage once before. But knowledge is power. What’s more dangerous—what Liz knows or what Phil doesn’t know?

Jessica’s Review:

I found most of this short story annoying with Liz reading her husband’s texts to another woman. He may not be having a physical affair, but he is still having an affair: Scumbag!!! The texts were annoying for me but then we get to the ending of this short story…. and YES!!! That’s all I can say with this one.  It’s short, so give it a quick read or listen!

Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK

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Audiobook Review: If You Ask Me by Betty White

If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t)
Author: Betty White
Narrator: Betty White
Published: May 3, 2011
Audiobook

Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: January 31- February 1, 2022
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars     

Book Description:

It-girl Betty White delivers a hilarious, slyly profound take on love, life, celebrity, and everything in between.

Drawing from a lifetime of lessons learned, seven-time Emmy winner Betty White’s wit and wisdom take center stage as she tackles topics like friendship, romantic love, aging, television, fans, love for animals, and the brave new world of celebrity. If You Ask Me mixes her thoughtful observations with humorous stories from a seven- decade career in Hollywood. Longtime fans and new fans alike will relish Betty’s candid take on everything from her rumored crush on Robert Redford (true) to her beauty regimen (“I have no idea what color my hair is and I never intend to find out”) to the Facebook campaign that helped persuade her to host Saturday Night Live despite her having declined the hosting job three times already.

Featuring all-new material, with a focus on the past fifteen years of her life, If You Ask Me is funny, sweet, and to the point-just like Betty White.

Jessica’s Review:

Everyone loves Betty White, and when we lost her on December 31, 2021 the whole world mourned her.  Betty White is/was/ and will continue to be a figure that everyone loves.  This memoir was written in 2011 and focuses on those recent years. We seem to already know everything about her, but you could still learn something about her. 

She also narrated her memoir herself and I couldn’t help but smile as I listened to her memoir with fondness.  She really loved what she did (she kept herself extremely busy), animals, and her husband Allen.  Listening to some parts were bittersweet with her recent death. I loved hearing the part where she mentioned that whenever she gets to Heaven that Allen and her parents will be waiting for her… BUT they would have to get past all her beloved pets, which she goes on to name. 

She talks about her previous well-known shows: The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Golden Girls, and Hot in Cleveland along with several recent at the time movies she filmed. While listening you feel like you get to know her more. Her personality and who she was really shined in the audiobook. 

Though you may not really learn anything new about her reading/listening to this memoir, it is still a fun read with a very beloved lady.

If You Ask Me is recommended!

Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK

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