Funny Friday

We’re taking a break from book humor this Friday. How about some COVID-19 humor instead?

WWW Wednesday: July 29, 2020

WWW Wednesday is hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

What did you recently finish reading?

Baking Me Crazy (Donner Bakery #1) by Karla Sorensen. This ended up being 3 stars for me. There were many things I liked about it, but the way the main character reacted to things really rubbed me the wrong way.

Outsider (Kate Burkholder #12) by Linda Castillo. This was another solid installment of the series. I’m looking forward to the next one!

What are you currently reading?

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. I haven’t had a lot of time to read over the past couple days so I’m not very far in yet, but so far I’m loving it.

What do you think you’ll read next?

I just got This is How I Lied by Heather Gudenkauf from the library.

What are you reading?

Books I’ve Read with the Highest Average Ratings on Goodreads

Last week I took a look at the lowest average rated books on my Read shelf on Goodreads and compared them to my own reviews. This week I decided to take a look at the books from my Read shelf with the highest average rating. I usually disagree with hype, so I’m actually really surprised that I rated most of these highly, as well.

1.  A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) by Sarah J. Maas
Goodreads Rating: 4.64 Stars
My Rating:  3.5 Stars

2. Awaken by Priscilla Shirer
Goodreads Rating: 4.62 Stars
My Rating: 4 Stars

3. An Echo in the Darkness (Mark of the Lion #2) by Francine Rivers
Goodreads Rating: 4.62 Stars
My Rating: 3 Stars

4. Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo
Goodreads Rating: 4.6 Stars
My Rating: 4.5 Stars

5. Fallen Crest Forever (Fallen Crest High #7) by Tijan
Goodreads Rating: 4.58
My Rating: 3.5 Stars

6. A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion #1) by Francine Rivers
Goodreads Rating: 4.56 Stars
My Rating: 5 Stars
(*Note this is one of the few books I rated 5 stars from my pre-blogging days)

7.  Gemina (Illuminae #2) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Goodreads Rating: 4.51 Stars
My Rating: 4 Stars

8. The Crushing Depths (Coastal Guardians #2) by Dani Pettrey
Goodreads Rating: 4.50 Stars
My Rating: 4 Stars

9. Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon
Goodreads Rating: 4.50 Stars
My Rating: 4 Stars

10. Oblivion (Lux #1.5) by Jennifer L Armentrout
Goodreads Rating: 4.50 Stars
My Rating: 4 Stars

11. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
Goodreads Rating: 4.50 Stars
My Rating: 4 Stars

Review: Louisiana Lucky by Julie Pennell

Synopsis from Goodreads:

From the critically acclaimed author of The Young Wives Club, a “heartwarming story about friendship, heartache, and self-discovery” (Karen White, New York Times bestselling author), comes a charming novel reminiscent of the works of Mary Alice Monroe and Kristy Woodson Harvey, about three sisters who win a huge lottery prize and learn what it truly means to be lucky.

Lexi, Callie, and Hanna Breaux grew up in small-town Louisiana, and have always struggled to make ends meet. For years, they’ve been playing the lottery, fantasizing about how much better life would be if they had the money.

For Lexi, it means the perfect wedding; for Callie, it means having the courage to go after her career dreams; and for Hanna, it means buying a house that isn’t falling apart and sending her bullied son to private school. When the incredible happens and the Breaux sisters hit it big—$204 million dollars big—all their dreams come true. Or so they think. Because it’s actually not a cliché—money isn’t the answer to everything, and it often comes with problems of its own.

Heartfelt, engaging, and featuring characters you’ll root for from the first moment you meet them, Louisiana Lucky is a satisfying page-turner from a rising star in women’s fiction.

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley. It does not impact my review. 

Louisiana Lucky publishes August 4, 2020. 

Who hasn’t fantasized about winning the lottery? Would you quit your job? Buy a new house? Give yourself a makeover? Plan yourself the most over the top wedding the town has ever seen? For sisters Hanna, Callie, and Lexi, these fantasies becomes reality when they win a $204 million jackpot. The story follows the three sisters as they deal with the joys and the pitfalls of receiving a windfall of cash. Each chapter switches between POVs and I really enjoyed all of them. Though I often found myself frustrated with them, I thought all of the main characters were likable and I was rooting for them to make smart choices.

Despite meeting with a financial planner who warns them not to spend too much too fast, only one of the sisters takes the advice. Callie keeps her job as a journalist for the local paper, where she’s worked with her best friend/long time crush since she graduated college. It’s only after the handsome, charming local tv news anchor takes an interest in her that she uses her new found wealth to give herself a makeover so she can be the type of woman she thinks will keep his attention. He also encourages her to get out of print media and join him on tv. He seems a little too good to be true and while he didn’t really do anything that hinted he was after her money, it did seem a little suspicious that it was at the press conference where she was announced as a millionaire that he approached her.

Hanna and Callie both went a little more crazy with the money than Callie did. Lexi was planning a small and intimate wedding with her fiance, but now she can afford the best of everything. When Seth’s mother, who Lexi has never felt accepted by, joins the wedding planning, things get even more over the top and Seth isn’t thrilled about it. Hanna is tired of all the repairs her husband’s old family home needs and she has her eye on a million dollar listing, instead. And a new car and wardrobe that will help her fit in with the snooty mothers at her children’s new private school.

All three sisters continue to throw money at their problems, but they come to realize that money may not solve everything quite as easily as they expected. Even though the direction of the plot seemed a little obvious, I felt invested in all of the sisters and wanted to see how they handled things. The story is very character-driven and because of that, the pace could feel a little slow at times. However, I was completely addicted to the book and never wanted to put it down. There was one aspect I have a bit of a complaint about, though. While there was a lot of character development for the sisters, I would’ve liked to see more development for the other people in their lives. There are quick mentions of Hanna’s son being bullied, her husband, Tom, having abandonment issues, Lexi’s fiance’s dysfunctional relationship with his parents, Callie’s close friendship with Garrett, and the growing relationship between Callie and her new boyfriend, Wynn. I wanted to know more about all of these things and get to know all the characters surrounding the sisters a little better.

Overall, I really enjoyed Louisiana Lucky. Lately I find myself struggling with books that fall under the Women’s Fiction umbrella, but I did not have that problem at all while reading this book. I was drawn in by that beautiful cover, but it was the character-driven, addictive writing that kept me hooked. I was a fan of Pennell’s debut book, The Young Wives Club, and I’ve been eagerly awaiting her follow up. With Louisiana Lucky, she’s proven she definitely deserves a spot on my author auto-read list.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars

Streaming Saturday: The Baby-Sitters Club

We all love books here, but I thought I might start dedicating some posts on Saturdays to highlight one of my other loves – TV!

What I’m watching

 

The Baby-Sitters Club on Netflix. The show is based on the book series of the same name, focusing on a group of young girls who start their own babysitting service. There is currently one season with ten episodes available. 

Why I’m Watching

If there is one thing that defined much of my childhood, it’s The Baby-Sitters Club books. I remember one summer walking to our small town library every day and checking out multiple BSC books at a time. Or going to Walden’s Books in the mall and using allowance money to purchase as many as I could. There are over 100 books in the series, as well as multiple Super Specials, which ignited my love of the Multiple 1st Person POV. 

While I am, obviously, much older than the target audience for the show, I knew I had to watch it. And it’s adorable! Not every episode is a winner and they get a little too social justice warrior-y for me at times, but it was enjoyable and filled me with so much nostalgia. I thought the casting was on point for most of the characters and it was fun to see Alicia Silverstone and Marc Evan Jackson as some of the parents. 

Watch If You Like…

I don’t watch enough teeny-bopper shows to be able to list similar shows, but you should definitely give this one a try if you read and loved the books as a kid, like I did. 

What are you streaming right now?

Funny Friday

We’re taking a break from book humor this Friday. How about some COVID-19 humor instead?

WWW Wednesday: July 22, 2020

WWW Wednesday is hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

What did you recently finish reading?

Nothing recently. Preparing for my move took up all of my brain space.

What are you currently reading?

Baking Me Crazy (Donner Bakery #1) by Karla Sorensen. The concept is a little cheesy, but this is cute so far. I also like the disability rep.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Outsider (Kate Burkholder #12) by Linda Castillo. I decided to treat myself for making it through my move and bought a hardcover copy of this. I usually get to see Castillo on book tour every year and get my copy signed, but this year was just a virtual event. I’m holding out hope she’ll be back next summer and I can get this signed then.

What are you reading?

Books I’ve Read with the Lowest Average Ratings on Goodreads

I wasn’t really interested in this week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic, so I though I’d make up my own. I decided to take a look at the lowest average rated books on my Read shelf on Goodreads and see how they compared to my own reviews.

1. Sociable by Rebecca Harrington
Goodreads Rating: 2.35 Stars
My Rating: 2. Stars

2. Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa De La Cruz
Goodreads Rating: 2.67 Stars
My Rating: 3 Stars

3. The Bridal Party by J G Murray
Goodreads Rating: 2.92 Stars
My Rating: 2 Stars

4. The DNA of You and Me by Andrea Rothman
Goodreads Rating: 2.94 Stars
My Rating: 1 Star

5. Sorority by Genevieve Sly Crane
Goodreads Rating: 2.94 Stars
My Rating: 3 Stars

6. After Dead by Charlaine Harris
Goodreads Rating: 2.96 Stars
My Rating: 2 Stars

7. Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead
Goodreads Rating: 3.03 Stars
My Rating: 3 Stars

8. The Singles by Meredith Goldstein
Goodreads Rating: 3.03 Stars
My Rating: 4 Stars

9. The Regulars by Georgia Clark
Goodreads Rating: 3.06 Stars
My Rating: 2.5 Stars

10. The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll
Goodreads Rating: 3.09 Stars
My Rating: 2 Stars

Review: The Wife Who Knew Too Much by Michele Campbell

Synopsis from Goodreads:

From Michele Campbell, the bestselling author of It’s Always the Husband comes a new blockbuster thriller in The Wife Who Knew Too Much.

Tabitha Girard had her heart broken years ago by Connor Ford. He was preppy and handsome. She was a pool girl at his country club. Their affair should have been a summer fling. But it meant everything to Tabitha.

Years later, Connor comes back into Tabitha’s life—older, richer, and desperately unhappy. He married for money, a wealthy, neurotic, controlling woman whom he never loved. He has always loved Tabitha.

When Connor’s wife Nina takes her own life, he’s free. He can finally be with Tabitha. Nina’s home, Windswept, can be theirs. It seems to be a perfect ending to a fairy tale romance that began so many years ago. But then, Tabitha finds a diary. “I’m writing this to raise an alarm in the event of my untimely death,” it begins. “If I die unexpectedly, it was foul play, and Connor was behind it. Connor—and her.”

Who is Connor Ford? Why did he marry Nina? Is Tabitha his true love, or a convenient affair? As the police investigate Nina’s death, is she a convenient suspect?

As Tabitha is drawn deeper into the dark glamour of a life she is ill-prepared for, it becomes clear to her that what a wife knows can kill her.

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley. It does not impact my review.

The Wife Who Knew Too Much publishes July 28, 2020.

I really enjoyed Michele Campbell’s last book, A Stranger on the Beach, so I was pretty excited to get my hands on The Wife Who Knew Too Much. While the story didn’t go quite the way I had expected, it still had that addictive writing that kept me completely hooked.

In the beginning, we get both Nina and Tabitha’s POV. I liked the flashbacks to how both of their relationships started with Connor and then to the events leading up to Nina’s death. I kind of wished Nina didn’t die so soon because I wanted to spend more time with her. I liked that both women seemed sympathetic, but also a little untrustworthy. It kept me on my toes and I liked that.

The story didn’t quite unfold in the way I thought it would. The synopsis mentions Tabitha finding Nina’s diary warning of her untimely death, but that doesn’t actually happen to about the 80% mark. The book was a lot less gothic, claustrophobic drama than I expected. There was perhaps a little too much time spent of Tabitha just doing whatever Connor told her and not being nearly as suspicious as she should be. I also came up with my theory pretty early on in the story, which ended up being correct. Thankfully, the writing was still really addictive and compelling and I couldn’t stop reading it.

Overall, I enjoyed The Wife Who Knew Too Much. I really enjoyed the writing and the multiple POVs and timelines. The ending went in a slightly different direction than I was expecting, which disappointed me, but I don’t think most readers will be upset by it. If you’ve enjoyed Campbell’s other books, I definitely recommend this one. I look forward to whatever she writes next.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 3.5 Stars

Funny Friday

We’re taking a break from book humor this Friday. How about some COVID-19 humor instead?