What Are We Currently Reading?

[Spartan Girl]

For those that loved Madeline Miller's Circe, I'm now reading Children of Jocasta by Natalie Haynes, a retelling of the infamous Oedipus/Antigone tragedies. It's nice to finally get the female perspective of that myth, although knowing how it ends is pretty squicky. Except in this version

its left ambiguous whether Oedipus was actually her son or just a rumor

.

Edited January 26, 2019 by Spartan Girl

[Wiendish Fitch]

On 1/13/2019 at 2:17 PM, truthaboutluv said:

I just completed Where'd You Go, Bernadette? and in general I liked it but some things bothered me. 

  Hide contents

Even though I saw it coming a mile away, I really hated that the writer went the cliche route of having the husband hook up with the administrator and then even worse, saddling him with a kid with her. That woman was annoying as fuck and as messed up as Bernadette was, she, along with her pal Audrey, before Audrey saw the light, lived to judge and attack Bernadette for simply not wanting to deal with them. As an introvert, I've had my share of people like that and it's the most infuriating thing. People who get offended and act like YOU'RE the bitch for simply living your life removed from them. Soon-Li was pathetic as hell and totally did prey on an obviously vulnerable man. Not that Elgie wasn't a dumbass in the situation himself. And I'm definitely not absolving him of not putting up a clear barrier when Soon-Li first drove him to the hotel and came up to his room. All kinds of professional barriers were being crossed there. 

My other main issue with the book is that I felt like it ended with no real acknowledgement of the fact that Bernadette WAS suffering from mental illness. The way the story ended almost seemed to suggest that like her friend stated, she was falling apart simply because she wasn't creating because she's an artist and so needs to create. And I'm not saying that's not true but come on, the woman had multiple miscarriages, her only child almost died and she'd become a borderline shut in. For crying out loud, the woman pretty much shared her, her husband and her child's whole lives to some random virtual stranger that naturally turned out to be a scam. And as she herself admits to Audrey, she definitely would have signed away the Power of Attorney. I mean SERIOUSLY? None of that is healthy, normal, mentally sound behavior. But at the end, all we get is her admitting that they did need to move out of the house and she made some mistakes in her parenting of Bee but nothing about her planning to go to therapy, etc. 

Just finished reading Where'd You Go, Bernadette? too.The book was entertaining but, yeah, it wasn't without flaws. I agree that too many things went unacknowledged. The personalities and motivations of some of the characters gave me whiplash. Overall a decent read, I won't say I regretted reading it. Maybe I'll read more of Maria Semple's stuff, maybe I won't.

[SmithW6079]

I'm reading Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I've never read it before.

[proserpina65]

I'm re-reading The Moonspinners by Mary Stewart.  I'd read it years ago and loved it, and actually bought a copy of it from a used book store.  I recently watched the Hayley Mills movie made from it, and knew that Disney had changed most of the story to suit her age and ingenue persona.  I'm only into chapter 2, but already it's much more sophisticated than the movie (not surprising) and even than I remembered.  It adds something to the story that I've been to Crete, a trip which happened after I'd originally read the book, I think.

[Dandesun]

21 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I'm re-reading The Moonspinners by Mary Stewart.  I'd read it years ago and loved it, and actually bought a copy of it from a used book store.  I recently watched the Hayley Mills movie made from it, and knew that Disney had changed most of the story to suit her age and ingenue persona.  I'm only into chapter 2, but already it's much more sophisticated than the movie (not surprising) and even than I remembered.  It adds something to the story that I've been to Crete, a trip which happened after I'd originally read the book, I think.

I LOVE Mary Stewart. My personal favorite is 'Nine Coaches Waiting' and my copy is raggedy af.

I am currently doing the read-along for the Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger. Currently we're on the second Finishing School book 'Curtsies and Conspiracies' and should be moving onto 'Waistcoats and Weaponry' at the beginning of the week. The Finishing School series (and I love the play on words, the Finishing School is actually a place where girls are taught to be spies and assassins) is definitely more YA but it does fit into the over all world of the Parasol Protectorate. I quite enjoy them all.

[Spartan Girl]

I finally read The Clockmaker's Daughter and I'm starting to feel that Kate Morton follows a pattern: impoverished red-haired heroines, a mysterious murder and/or accidental death, love triangles where the boring bland female gets dispatched in some undeserved way...am I wrong?

[Wiendish Fitch]

Just now, Spartan Girl said:

I finally read The Clockmaker's Daughter and I'm starting to feel that Kate Morton follows a pattern: impoverished red-haired heroines, a mysterious murder and/or accidental death, love triangles where the boring bland female gets dispatched in some undeserved way...am I wrong?

Not at all, and I'm saying this as someone who really likes Kate Morton. She does make compelling stories... at least the ones set in the past (with the exception of The Lake House, the protagonists in the present day are such drips). Morton does have a formula, but at least it's a good one that doesn't piss me off (unlike friggin' Jodi Picoult).

But, yeah, The Clockmaker's Daughter was a bit too cluttered for me. I'm taking an extended Kate Morton sabbatical.

[ursula]

I just finished The Wicked King and The Lost Sisters by Holly Black and now I can't wait for the next book. Before then I read How Long Until Black Future Month? by N K Jemisin. It's a sci-fi/fantasy anthology. A lot of amazing short stories. Anthologies are always a blend of hit or misses, but this one was definitely more hits than miss. I am currently reading Liar by Justine Larbalestier, which is a book that's been on my to-read list for years and I'm finally getting round to. It's surprisingly engrossing.

[MeloraH]

8 hours ago, ursula said:

Before then I read How Long Until Black Future Month? by N K Jemisin. It's a sci-fi/fantasy anthology. A lot of amazing short stories. Anthologies are always a blend of hit or misses, but this one was definitely more hits than miss.

Currently reading this, about halfway through and love it. I just finished "The Evaluators", about a first contact and interaction with a new species that's almost an epistolary story told through log transcripts and emails, and am thoroughly creeped out. I especially love how many layers of meaning every story has.

[cherrypj]

I love N. K. Jemisin. Each book in her Broken Earth series won the Hugo. Amazing.

[Browncoat]

7 hours ago, cherrypj said:

I love N. K. Jemisin. Each book in her Broken Earth series won the Hugo. Amazing.

Those were recently recommended to me, but I haven't gotten to them yet.

[Neko]

Started reading You, by Caroline Kepnes.  I'm already halfway through it.  It's crazy.

Edited February 1, 2019 by Shakma

[Rose Quartz]

On 1/30/2019 at 4:00 PM, proserpina65 said:

I'm re-reading The Moonspinners by Mary Stewart.  I'd read it years ago and loved it, and actually bought a copy of it from a used book store.  I recently watched the Hayley Mills movie made from it, and knew that Disney had changed most of the story to suit her age and ingenue persona.  I'm only into chapter 2, but already it's much more sophisticated than the movie (not surprising) and even than I remembered.  It adds something to the story that I've been to Crete, a trip which happened after I'd originally read the book, I think.

Wow - glad to know I'm not the only one who likes this book!  I think I picked it up at a yard sale or something like that when I was a teen and I still have it and still occasionally re-read it.  All the protagonists are appealing and she does a great job of describing rural Crete before it becomes more modernized.  I should read it again when I have some free time.

[Katy M]

I don't think I've read The Moonspinners, but I love Mary Stewart in general.  

[Black Knight]

I just finished John Carreyrou's Bad Blood, about the fall of Elizabeth Holmes/Theranos. It actually reads rather like a thriller, in that you keep wondering when exactly she's finally going to get caught. She managed to avoid it for many years despite close calls along the way.

(And I just read on Wikipedia that the book is being adapted into a movie with Jennifer Lawrence in the role. Hmmm.)

[Neko]

I finished You, and I'm watching the show on Netflix.

I think I need to take a shower.

[truthaboutluv]

I recently completely You as well and the thing I found most fascinating about it, was the fact that Kepnes made many of the other characters so flawed to where at many points in the story I found myself actually agreeing with Joe's observation of someone and then sort of having to catch myself and remember, "wait he's an unreliable narrator because he's completely fucking batshit crazy". But even with his being batshit fucking crazy and maybe because of it, he wasn't always completely wrong in his observations regarding the other characters. 

Spoiler

The fact is many of these people were unlikeable - the therapist was a cheating, faux pretentious asshole, Peach was a stuck up asshole who was in her own way also creepily obsessed with Beck and Beck was a shallow, narcissistic person who got off on people wanting her. All of that was true. However, for all of their flaws, they didn't deserve to have their paths crossed with a completely delusional obsessive psycho like Joe.  And they also didn't deserve to be brutally murdered, or well in the case of Nicky, go to jail for a crime he didn't commit.

My biggest gripe about the writing, which for the most part I really enjoyed, particularly that it was quick, to the point, with the chapters never more than a few pages long, was the constant graphic sexual talk. I'm no prude by any means but after awhile the constant graphic fantasies about cock this and cum that, etc. became a little gratuitous. 

Edited February 4, 2019 by truthaboutluv

[Neko]

2 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

I recently completely You as well and the thing I found most fascinating about it, was the fact that Kepnes made many of the other characters so flawed to where at many points in the story I found myself actually agreeing with Joe's observation of someone and then sort of having to catch myself and remember, "wait he's an unreliable narrator because he's completely fucking batshit crazy". But even with his being batshit fucking crazy and maybe because of it, he wasn't always completely wrong in his observations regarding the other characters. 

This is what I liked about it, as well.  I don't think I liked a single character in the novel, except for maybe Ethan, but even his relentless positivity would annoy the piss out of me, IRL.

Quote

Spoiler

One thing I thought was interesting was how Beck was really a blank slate for these needy people to project their fantasies onto.  She wasn't that talented, she didn't have that much going for her, but both Joe and Peach treat her like she's the answer to all their problems.  And at the end, she's really a terrible person; that line about wanting her therapist to leave his wife and kids for her, just to prove that she could make someone do that, was messed up.

 

I'm enjoying the show, but it's very different from the book, in a lot of ways.  They made Joe more sympathetic by giving him a troubled neighbor kid to interact with, and his inner monologue isn't nearly as gross and misogynistic as it is in the book.  My guess is that they wanted the character to appeal more to female fans, especially since Penn Badgley was playing him.  Going by Millie Bobbie Brown's Tweets, it seems to be working. ;P

Edited February 4, 2019 by Shakma

[truthaboutluv]

5 minutes ago, Shakma said:

This is what I liked about it, as well.  I don't think I liked a single character in the novel, except for maybe Ethan, but even his relentless positivity would annoy the piss out of me, IRL.

I actually liked the glimpses of Chana and Leah we got because it was clear they were so onto most of Beck's shit and saw right through her. Of course that's probably because their appearance in the story was kept to a minimum, lucky for them. 

 

7 minutes ago, Shakma said:

My guess is that they wanted the character to appeal more to female fans, especially since Penn Badgley was playing him.  Going by Millie Bobbie Brown's Tweets, it seems to be working. ;P

I do like that Penn keeps responding to comments like these on social media by constantly going, "nope, he's a psycho, he's a stalker".

[Neko]

1 hour ago, truthaboutluv said:

I actually liked the glimpses of Chana and Leah we got because it was clear they were so onto most of Beck's shit and saw right through her. Of course that's probably because their appearance in the story was kept to a minimum, lucky for them. 

I also liked Karen Minty, now that I think of it.  She was, "What you see is what you get" kind of girl.

[Black Knight]

I haven't read You yet, and I've only seen the first episode of the TV series so far, but I think I've gathered enough to be able to recommend Raphael Montes's Perfect Days to people who liked You. It's very disturbing and has stuck with me since I read it two years ago.

[Constant Viewer]

On 1/18/2019 at 6:25 PM, HazelEyes4325 said:

A few years ago, I read Margot

Do you remember the author? I can't seem to find it.

[dubbel zout]

I don't know why it took me so long to find this thread! I'm loving all the recommendations.

For everyone who liked The Woman in the Window, the current issue of The New Yorker has an amazing article on the author, A.J. Finn (the alias of Dan Mallory).

I recently reread The 21 Balloons, by William Pène du Bois. It's delightful, and the illustrations (also by the author) are gorgeous.

Finished the All Soul's trilogy and found the last book, especially, kind of a slog. The writing is good, the ideas are good, but it didn't work for me ultimately. I also hated that the male protagonist was super overprotective of the female protagonist, and the author tries to mitigate that by having Diana push back. But Matthew is always right. Ugh.

I'm nearly done with Kory Stamper's Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries, which is about how dictionaries are put together. If you're a word nerd like I am, you'll love it.

[truthaboutluv]

8 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

For everyone who liked The Woman in the Window, the current issue of The New Yorker has an amazing article on the author, A.J. Finn (the alias of Dan Mallory).

Yeah I read it and thought, makes even more sense that he created such a hot mess character like Anna.

[cherrypj]

9 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

Finished the All Soul's trilogy and found the last book, especially, kind of a slog. The writing is good, the ideas are good, but it didn't work for me ultimately. I also hated that the male protagonist was super overprotective of the female protagonist, and the author tries to mitigate that by having Diana push back. But Matthew is always right. Ugh.

The fourth book is even more of a slog. Couldn't get started on it.

[DearEvette]

9 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

For everyone who liked The Woman in the Window, the current issue of The New Yorker has an amazing article on the author, A.J. Finn (the alias of Dan Mallory).

I never read it but my husband did.  I remember listening to him grouse all the way through it grumbling about how derivative it was and he thought the writing pedestrian and he marvelled that the book was so popular.  When he read the New Yorker article he quipped that the article was better written and more interesting than the book. 

[HazelEyes4325]

On 2/6/2019 at 7:35 PM, Constant Viewer said:

Do you remember the author? I can't seem to find it.

The author of Margot is Jillian Cantor.

[GaT]

I just started Summoned To Thirteenth Grave by Darynda Jones, the final book in the Charley Davidson series. I'm actually very nervous about this book & kind of put off reading it because I have a horrible feeling that Darynda Jones is going to really screw this story up. She's made some plot choices in the series that I hate, & IMO really veered away from the original premise of the series, but I kept reading & now, this is the end.

Another thing that bothers me about this series is the lack of the word "the" in the title of some of them. For example, this book is called Summoned To Thirteenth Grave instead of Summoned To The Thirteenth Grave. There's books called The Curse of Tenth Grave, & The Trouble with Twelfth Grave, & The Dirt on Ninth Grave, &  there are others. I once contacted her about this (it really bothers me) & I don't remember her response, but I remember it sounded bitchy & it didn't answer the question. Anyway, it's an annoying naming convention.

EDITED: Well, I finished the book & hate it. I can't believe what she did with a series that had so much promise.

Edited February 11, 2019 by GaT
To add more after I finished

[Neko]

Just read The Paris Wife, by Paula McLain.  It was okay.  I thought Hadley was the biggest pushover to ever exist, but the last quarter of the book was actually kind of heartbreaking, so it wasn't all bad.  I give it a B-.

Edited February 9, 2019 by Shakma

[Danny Franks]

I'm reading Mythos by Stephen Fry. It's his retelling of Greek myth, from the dawn of creation through to the founding of the Olympian Pantheon, and all the stories about them. Told with Stephen Fry's customary wit and warmth, it's a fun read, even with some of the disturbing content that Greek myths have.

[Spartan Girl]

I reread The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton, and maybe I'm still jaded from The Clockmaker's Daughter but...I didn't enjoy it as much as when I first read it. I felt myself having the same issues @Wiendish Fitch had with Little Fires Everywhere. The book

frames it as though Eliza's the victim for giving up her baby (even though she VOLUNTEERED to be the surrogate mother of sorts for Rose) and that she would have been a better match for Rose's husband. I mean, having someone have sex with your husband  to get a baby is pretty messed up, but to be fair artificial insemination wasn't invented back then. And I'm sorry, but Rose was kind of justified in not wanting Eliza around the child since Eliza was clearly having second thoughts. That being said, Eliza was justified in taking the girl when Rose and her husband were killed rather than leave her with the evil aunt and creepy uncle.

[babyhouseman]

On ‎5‎/‎24‎/‎2017 at 8:30 AM, Qoass said:

Actually I kind of hated The Rosie Project because it used that tired theme of a most excellent woman supporting a very flawed man.  I frequently scoff that you'll never see a story in which the man does the same for a woman.  

I just finished The Rosie Project. I got it off an online article about the best romances. I agreed with some of the choices so I thought I'd try this. I didn't care for it and don't want to read the sequels. I realize the main character has autism, but the romance wasn't good, and the subplot of the cheating friend was distracting. 

I'm currently reading, I'll Be There for You, a book about the Friends TV show. Usually, the only nonfiction I read concerns TV shows. 

Edited February 10, 2019 by babyhouseman

[Audpaud]

American Gods by Neil German.  I'm rethinking my love of The Talisman by King/Strain, lol.

[HazelEyes4325]

7 minutes ago, Audpaud said:

American Gods by Neil German.  I'm rethinking my love of The Talisman by King/Strain, lol.

My husband, who normally reads only 1 book a year, plowed through Gaiman's Norse Mythology (and it was the second book of the year for him!).  I'm thinking of getting him a copy of American Gods as I think that might be up his alley.  I read it years ago and really enjoyed it and I think it is probably a good entry book for Gaiman.

[Audpaud]

I'm not sure if it makes a difference Hazel, but this version is "Author's Preferred Text" and has an interesting (2010) forward from Gaiman.

[threebluestars]

Runaway: Diary of a Street Kid by Evelyn Lau

She ran away at age 14, ending up on the streets of Vancouver, involved in drugs and prostitution but kept a diary of her experiences.

[Minneapple]

On 2/6/2019 at 11:06 PM, dubbel zout said:

For everyone who liked The Woman in the Window, the current issue of The New Yorker has an amazing article on the author, A.J. Finn (the alias of Dan Mallory).

I read this article and it frustrated the hell out of me. People work their whole lives to write books, get published, and this guy just lies his way to the top. And no one calls him on it! It's unbelievable.

[Spartan Girl]

Just finished On the Come Up, Angie Thomas' follow-up to The Hate U Give and it was really good!

[PaulaO]

Started Ghosted by Rosie Walsh.  I confess I read about 50 pages, then the ending.  I hated this book.   It's essentially a romance (which I don't like) with a stupid motive. 

Yesterday I read The Silent Patient.  It's billed as a psychological thriller which I normally don't like.  I've read too many of them.  There is a WHOA! twist at the end which I kind of didn't understand.  Does anyone want to discuss this off-line?

[helenamonster]

Just finished: The Outsider by Stephen King. This was my first foray into a King novel, though I've seen a good chunk of his works' film adaptations. I thought it was a very interesting, well-told, and creepy mystery. My only complaint would be that while dramatic irony certainly has its uses, I thought there were certain points where it was just taking the characters too damn long to realize what I, the reader, had already put together. I'm not used to being ahead of the curve on these types of things and it is incredibly frustrating.

I also kind of wish

Spoiler

the ending hadn't been as happy as it was. I like that they found a way to clear Terry Maitland's name without forcing people to buy into the existence of the supernatural, but I was kind of hoping for a more cliffhanger/ambiguous ending where one of the worms from El Cuco had actually found its way into Ralph and that it was implied that the cycle would start all over again. It wasn't that I necessarily wanted anything bad to happen to these characters, but I think I'm just used to horror (especially King horror) ending on a note where just enough is out of place to keep you freaked out after you finish.

Next up: An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.

[ursula]

I just finished reading Six of Crows and the Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. 👍👍

Now I'm about to start the rest of the "Grishaverse" with Shadow and Bone. Hopefully, I haven't spoiled myself by reading the series out of order. 🤞

[peacheslatour]

I've been reading a lot of Barbara Michaels lately. Not very intellectual, I know.

[Neko]

I read See What I Have Done, by Sarah Schmidt, over the last few days.  It's a fictional account of the Lizzie Borden case, and it's written from the POV of four characters.

Spoiler

I thought it was interesting, but having read a lot about the Borden case, I get a little tired of authors making too much of the details, like the spoiled mutton, or the fact that the house was unbearably hot, or the fact that Lizzie addressed her stepmother as "Mrs. Borden".  I can see how these details would add color to a fictionalized account told through Lizzie's POV, but there is something about how the Bordens are written that is over-the-top.  They can't just be a dysfunctional family, they all have to be completely out of their minds, and have nothing but hate, for each other.  In this book, Lizzie even beats herself and kisses Abby on the mouth, for no apparent reason other than to show the reader how crazy she is.  It's a lot of little bizarre details like this that take me right out of the story, because they just don't seem real.

There is also a hitman character who is completely made up by the author and has a few POV chapters, which doesn't add anything to the story.  He is hired by John Morse, Lizzie's uncle, to kill Andrew and Abby, but they're already dead by the time he hides out in the house, ready to do John's dirty work.  Years later, he confronts the sisters, because he thinks he should be paid for the job he never had to do, and then he just disappears from the story.  I did not see the point of that; if they were going for an outsider's perspective, we already had it through Bridget, the maid.  If the hitman wasn't the killer, why include him? 

So, I wasn't exactly taken with this book, but I did like some things about it.  I liked the dreamy writing style, and I liked the chapters from Emma's POV, since she was the most interesting character.  I need to find another good nonfiction book on the Borden case, though, because I've had my fill of fiction.

Edited February 16, 2019 by Shakma

[cherrypj]

2 hours ago, ursula said:

I just finished reading Six of Crows and the Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. 👍👍

I really enjoyed those, too, but haven't picked up any others by Bardugo. 

I just finished The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons. It's good: sprawling, great world-building, includes a map and a glossary (de rigueur for fantasy!), if overhyped. But dammit, it's book one of five, and I broke my rule that I'll not read a series that's not finished. 

[Bunty]

18 minutes ago, Shakma said:

I read See What I Have Done, by Sarah Schmidt, over the last few days.  It's a fictional account of the Lizzie Borden case, and it's written from the POV of four characters.

  Reveal spoiler

I thought it was interesting, but having read a lot about the Borden case, I get a little tired of authors making too much of the details, like the spoiled mutton, or the fact that the house was unbearably hot, or the fact that Lizzie addressed her stepmother as "Mrs. Borden".  I can see how these details would add color to a fictionalized account told through Lizzie's POV, but there is something about how the Bordens are written that is over-the-top.  They can't just be a dysfunctional family, they all have to be completely out of their minds, and have nothing but hate, for each other.  In this book, Lizzie even beats herself and kisses Abby on the mouth, for no apparent reason other than to show the reader how crazy she is.  It's a lot of little bizarre details like this that take me right out of the story, because they just don't seem real.

There is also a hitman character who is completely made up by the author and has a few POV chapters, which doesn't add anything to the story.  He is hired by John Morse, Lizzie's uncle, to kill Andrew and Abby, but they're already dead by the time he hides out in the house, ready to do John's dirty work.  Years later, he confronts the sisters, because he thinks he should be paid for the job he never had to do, and then he just disappears from the story.  I did not see the point of that; if they were going for an outsider's perspective, we already had it through Bridget, the maid.  If the hitman wasn't the killer, why include him? 

So, I wasn't exactly taken with this book, but I did like some things about it.  I liked the dreamy writing style, and I liked the chapters from Emma's POV, since she was the most interesting character.  I need to find another good nonfiction book on the Borden case, though, because I've had my fill of fiction.

You are in luck there is a brand new book on the case out in March.

The Trial of Lizzie Borden

by Cara Robertson

Quote

Lawyer Robertson provides context for a gruesome bit of American mythology, drawing on transcripts from Lizzie Borden's trial, contemporary newspaper accounts, unpublished local accounts, and recently discovered letters from Lizzie herself to capture what the crime looked like at the time

[Neko]

5 hours ago, Bunty said:

You are in luck there is a brand new book on the case out in March.

The Trial of Lizzie Borden

by Cara Robertson

Sounds good.  Thanks for the info. 🙂

[Spartan Girl]

I finished An Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie Obiama and yikes it was depressing.

Now I'm reading The Beast's Heart by Leife Shallcrosse, another Beauty and the Beast retelling.

[truthaboutluv]

I just completed Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson and *sigh* - why oh why do I keep doing this to myself? Time after time I'm disappointed by Young Adult mystery books and I keep falling for the hype.

I tried to ignore all the buzz around the book but the last Young Adult Mystery/Thriller I read was Little Monsters by Kara Thomas, which was amazing. So I thought my luck had changed. Sadly not...

Spoiler

Once again, the biggest fail of these young adult mystery/thrillers, is that they get bogged down by some lame teen romance. And sure enough, that's what happens in this book. The main character is supposed to be this obsessed mystery/true crime buff who comes to the school to solve the big mystery from years before. .But instead her "investigation" is the most half-assed thing ever. Because of course her time gets consumed by the cliche asshole love interest. 

For the love of all that's good, we now exist in the #TimesUp era where we are supposed to be so much more evolved and "woke" and yet Young Adult books are still going with the asshole as the love interest? Seriously? 

And that was the other thing. Stevie claims to be this big mystery buff but yet she does one search for David, realizes it's weird that it's like doesn't exist, finds that strange and also notices that he seems to lie about a lot of seemingly inconsequential things. And the big detective doesn't dig into that to figure what the fuck is going on there. No she decides that she just really wants to bone him. This, despite the fact that they have a total of maybe five conversations. 

At some point in the book, her best female friend seemingly vanishes and then she and Stevie aren't talking for some reason I'm not sure of. Oh and because there aren't enough annoying cliches, you just know the male friend likes her, setting up that eventual triangle in the upcoming sequels. Even though we all know she'll choose the asshole in the end.

The Hayes thing is pulled together in like the last two or three chapters. I could not believe when the ex-girlfriend had to spell it out to Stevie that Hayes didn't write his movie, despite her and Nate both realizing how weird it was he didn't recognize the mall she referenced. Great detective work there. 

And then the ending is Ellie running off to somewhere, still insisting she didn't murder Hayes and wait for it, David's dad is the asshole politician Stevie's parents work for and she hates. Like that is the big cliffhanger. Seriously, who gives a flying fuck?

Edited February 18, 2019 by truthaboutluv

[MissLucas]

On 2/16/2019 at 9:13 PM, ursula said:

I just finished reading Six of Crows and the Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. 👍👍

Now I'm about to start the rest of the "Grishaverse" with Shadow and Bone. Hopefully, I haven't spoiled myself by reading the series out of order. 🤞

You haven't - or at least only a little bit with regards of the survival of some characters. However I think Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom is the stronger series.

[Katy M]

I'm reading 11/22/63 by Stephen King.  I'm not sure why I read so much time travel stuff when I hate time travel.  But, I am loving it.  I really really really need to finish it.