Reviews – Page 9 – Books Dani Likes

The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan

Good day to you Kittens! This week I have for you pure delight in the form of a book. There are certain books that, when you read them, you know are written by a person for whom books bring great joy. Everything that I have ever read by Jenny Colgan brings this feeling to mind. She loves books and she loves people who love books. Her books tend to revolve around female characters and they typically end up being love stories. For those of you who might not be into that kind of thing, let me be clear, there’s more to each story than a romance. I would argue that Colgan’s stories are more about women finding themselves than they are about women finding a man. For these stories, the men are just window dressing. “The Bookshop on the Shore” is a follow up to Colgan’s 2016 release, “The Bookshop on the Corner”. A word to the wise, when you are looking for these books just keep in mind that Colgan’s U.K. Editions sometimes have slightly different titles and they have drastically different covers. “The Bookshop on the Shore” is out today!

Title: The Bookshop on the Shore

Author: Jenny Colgan

Author website: https://www.jennycolgan.com/

Publisher: William Morrow

Publish date: June 25, 2019

ISBN: 9780062913555

Buy the Book: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

The Bookshop on the Shore continues the story of Nina Redmond, a Librarian we met in The Bookshop on the Corner. Colgan returns to the town of Kirrinfief in Scotland, but this time the story focuses on a young woman named Zoe. Zoe is a single mom to an adorable boy named Hari. She is struggling to make ends meet in London as Hari’s deadbeat dad continues to come up with excuses for why he can’t help take care of his son, why he can’t tell his family about Hari, and why they can’t make their relationship work for Hari’s sake. At the end of her rope and unable to afford her rent, Zoe accepts a job offer in Kirrinfief. She will be acting as au pair to a well-established, though mysterious, family while also assisting Nina with the book van. Zoe has experience working with children and loves books…plus, she’s desperate, so this has to work out.

So, of course, it doesn’t work out at all. The children of the Urquart family are little hellions. She is not their first au pair and they want her gone. Their mother has left them and their father is absolutely no help at all and the housekeeper isn’t go to throw Zoe any bones. The one redeeming factor was supposed to be helping Nina with the book ban, but the citizens of Kirrinfief don’t know what they want in a book and they don’t want anything Zoe suggests for them. Hari’s father is still falling down on his responsibilities. Zoe’s at her limits and then, things get even worse.

This book is Jenny Colgan as her readers have come to expect. There’s humor, there’s romance, there’s plenty of unexpected mayhem caused by the very nature of the Scottish weather and people. Zoe is definitely given the fish out of water treatment by the locals. Colgan conveys some of the struggle of being a single parent, particularly to a child with some peculiarities with beautiful poignancy while not weighing the story down too much. Zoe’s life is hard and it wouldn’t be a stretch to understand how she could give up on herself and her dreams, but you know that she will always keep fighting for Hari. This story is about a mother’s unfailing love for her child and the strength of that same women when life throws everything it’s got at her.

The writing is clean and precise. The colloquialisms are easy to gather from context (at least they were for this American reader) and the interspersed cultural details about Scotland and it’s traditions will inspire readers to want to learn more. This book is an easy read. It doesn’t hit the reader over the head with the romance, and in fact I consider that the least important element to the story. Zoe is a triumph who will inspire so many people to get back up when life has bowled them over. This book was lovely while still dealing with the harsh realities many women face when it comes to motherhood and making a living.

Disclaimer: I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

lemonade_icon 4 glasses of lemonade= a book you could recommend to a book group or anybody who reads. You might find controversial subject matter, but it is handled delicately.

I really went back and forth on whether to give this one the full 5 glasses of lemonade rating, but I held back for one reason: the story delves into mental health with both adults and children. For that reason, the book might need a trigger warning for some readers, especially those who are sensitive to the idea of medicating young children for mental health purposes. In general, I feel that I can recommend anything Jenny Colgan writes to any reader I come across who just needs a boost.

The Killer Across the Table by John Douglas

Hello Kittens! We’re going dark with this week’s review. John Douglas is the author or contributing author on over a dozen books dealing with the lives of serial killers and the FBI profiling teams that hunt them. He has done in-depth personal research on serial killers and their motivations as a former FBI Profiler. He worked with others to create the Crime Classification Manual that is used by law enforcement professionals as one of many tools in the fight to understand how serial killers think and act and how to stop them. “The Killer Across the Table” is another addition by Douglas to the field. While it is labeled as true crime, it doesn’t necessarily fit the mold for the genre. Douglas introduces the reader to 4 in-depth profiles of serial killers spanning several decades, but brings in stories from dozens more cases as support material throughout. This is a dark, disturbing read and I would recommend reading it in a bright happy place. These stories are real and they will turn your stomach.

Title: The Killer Across the Table

Author: John Douglas, Mark Olshaker

Author website: http://mindhuntersinc.com/

Publisher: Dey Street Books (HarperCollins)

Publish date: May 7, 2019

ISBN: 9780062910639

Buy the Book: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

“The Killer Across the Table” is a deep dive by author John Douglas (with an assist in writing from Mark Olshaker) into his career working as an FBI profiler focused on serial killers. This book focuses intently on 4 specific serial killers and their victims with detailed descriptions of Douglas’ interactions with the murderers. In the process of telling these stories, Douglas takes the reader through the development of criminal profiling and how it has been applied in other cases since its inception.

My first impressions of “The Killer Across the Table” were that the writing was clear. It will get a little more polish before it goes to print, but the authors convey their points succinctly. It also lists two authors but is written with one distinct voice, which is not always easy to do, especially in non-fiction.

The stories are pulled from personal experience and evidence and there are numerous direct quotes from the serial killers themselves, which lend authoritative weight to the narrative. I also think the content would make good source material for anyone preparing to write a serial killer based thriller or mystery. It puts me in mind of the television show “Criminal Minds” but the authors actually helped inspire the Netflix show “Mindhunter”.

At times, it can feel like you are reading a best-selling thriller, but then the horror sinks into your soul, because all of this is real. It actually happened and is likely to happen again. At times I had to stop reading and go think some happy thoughts. These are truly unpleasant stories, but they are told with professionalism.

The author(s) comes down somewhat strongly on those who believe in the rehabilitative potential of these killers, dismissing their professional appraisals as naive, at best. It conveys the divide between law enforcement’s perceptions versus the mental health community’s, which is an important aspect to consider that is often overlooked.

The conclusion reads like a lollipop at the end of a painful doctor visit. These stories fascinate people, but Douglas does an excellent job of helping to explain why we are drawn to these horrific tales. It is an unexpectedly profound soliloquy on the human condition.

Criticisms: There is a story that seems to go nowhere regarding the Atlanta child killer. As far as I can recall they never circle around to clear that one up. Douglas frequently introduces additional stories in the middle of the larger narrative about these serial killers, and if the reader doesn’t pay close attention, it can feel disorienting.

My rating:

1 glass of lemonade= a book that can only be recommended to someone whose reading taste you know well, like a best friend. There may be a fair amount of curse words, spicy sex scenes, or potentially morally repugnant behavior. This does not mean that the book is bad, just that the audience might be a little more limited.

As a Librarian, this one would be tough to recommend, mostly because of the graphic descriptions. I would probably only be able to recommend this one in the context of a reader who was looking for true crime or source material to write their own thriller. However, with the rise in popularity of true crime murder-based content (think: television shows like Mindhunter, Criminal Minds, Making a Murderer or podcasts like My Favorite Murder and Serial.) this book could definitely be included in the context of a true crime book display.

Disclaimer: I was granted early access to this title from the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation that I would provide an honest review of the material.

Leave No Trace by Mindy Mejia

Hello Kittens! I’ve got a great backlist title for you today. It’s going to appeal to fans of non-traditional thrillers and all the “city folk” who get freaked out just thinking about going into the woods. “Leave no trace” is a well-known concept when it comes to responsibly interacting with the great outdoors. The main idea is that whatever you bring with you must also leave with you so that you leave no trace that you were ever there. Letting nature remain undisturbed by your unnatural presence. This was an impulse grab at the library for me. I read an excerpt of the first few chapters quite a while ago on BookishFirst, but I wasn’t a winner in that drawing so I kind of moved on and forgot about this title. Too many books, too little time. I’m glad I found the time for this one and I hope you will clear a little time and space in your TBR for it.

Some of you may be thinking to yourself, “Hey Dani! You haven’t posted anything in a really long time. Aren’t you going to explain why?” To which I reply, “Nope. We’re just going to gloss over it and all move on with our lives. Enjoy the review darlin’.”

Title: Leave No Trace

Author: Mindy Mejia

Author website: https://mindymejia.com/

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Publish date: September 4, 2018

ISBN: 9781501177361

Buy the Book: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Lucas Blackthorn and his father Josiah disappeared in the wilds of Minnesota over a decade ago. They vanished without a trace from a camping trip and were never heard from again…until now. Lucas is discovered in a town not far from where he and his father originally disappeared. Josiah is nowhere to be found and Lucas won’t speak to anyone, not even to explain what happened to him and where his father is. The justice system delivers the uncommunicative Lucas to a local mental health facility where the Senior Psychiatrist for the facility makes a bold decision to pair a relatively inexperienced speech therapist with this challenging patient. Maya Stark has a history of her own and isn’t overly sure about this whole plan, especially not when her first encounter with Lucas results in Maya unconscious on the floor and Lucas attempting the first of many escapes.

This story kept me mesmerized for all 319 pages. The reader knows very little about either Lucas or Maya in the beginning of the story, but there are hints at darker pasts for both of them. Lucas comes across unhinged and extremely dangerous. He attempts to escape multiple times and always seems to be trying to return to the woods. The reader is left asking again and again, if he wanted to be in the woods so badly, why did he come out? He’s completely disconnected with modern society and doesn’t understand most of what is happening to him in the mental health system.

Maya, on the other hand, knows the system inside and out. She was a patient before she went to school for speech therapy, and her history with the facility is a persistent teaser throughout the first half of the book. As Maya struggles to acclimate to her new role and to this challenging patient, she also has to confront the decisions that led her to this point and the past that is still influencing her daily interactions. Maya’s character is well-developed and intriguing.

The book will have the reader fascinated by the inner workings of the mental health system and the courageous, hopeful, and sometimes disappointing staff who work within it. While the social commentary isn’t laid on too thick, the point is made well that the pipeline between the judicial system, the mental health system, and a successful re-entry into society is riddled with holes and switchbacks. Mejia paints a rich cast of characters, both patients and staff, and challenges the reader to not accept the first version of a story as the only version of the story.

It takes a lot to surprise me with a mystery, but this one got me. There are great twists throughout, and the final one is gut wrenching. You won’t be sure who to root for, if anyone, but the ending was extremely satisfying. There’s nothing like a story that wraps itself in a perfect little bow at the end. Sometimes a person just gets tired of cliffhangers.

Disclaimer: None needed. This was a library find and I fully encourage you to go pick up a copy from your local library too.

My rating:

lemonade_icon 4 glasses of lemonade= a book you could recommend to a book group or anybody who reads. You might find controversial subject matter, but it is handled delicately.

I don’t recall any curse words in this one. There are a couple of homicides, drug use, and an attempted rape, so it won’t be everyone’s glass of lemonade. Still, it’s a good addition to the genre and the underlying themes of the mental health system should keep a book group going for a while.

The Other Woman by Sandie Jones

Salutations Kittens! I’ve got a real treat for you this week with Sandie Jones’ The Other Woman, which takes a new look at the doomed relationship suspense trope. As the main character deals with a devious future mother-in-law, readers will cringe through every marriage rite-of-passage in this gripping read. I loved this title because I really couldn’t figure out these characters and there were several sub-plots that added complexity to the story and kept me guessing. This title had a little violence and a curse or two, but overall, I think this is a title that is going to be getting a lot of attention (it would make a great movie) and could be pretty widely recommended.

Title: The Other Woman

Author: Sandie Jones

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publish date: August 21, 2018

ISBN: 9781250191984

Buy the Book: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Meet Emily. Emily is a young professional living and working in London. She’s had a lot of jobs over the years, but has finally found something that she loves in recruiting. As she is finishing up a particularly useless professional conference, she escapes to a nearby bar and runs into an intriguing man named Adam. At first she thinks he’s a rude, entitled jerk, but he works to redeem himself and ends up calling her a few days later.

The relationship proceeds smoothly from there and Emily starts thinking about Adam’s long-term potential. She is so excited when Adam takes her to meet his mom, Pammie. Emily stresses over what to wear and she and Adam have a little tiff on the drive over, so her nerves are at a high when she finally meets his mother. Pammie seems like a dream. She is so kind, but every now and again, she says something a little off and Emily can’t quite figure her out. As time goes on Emily begins to question whether Pammie is really as excited for their relationship as she wants everyone to believe. For instance, why does Pammie show Emily a photo album that includes a picture of Adam’s last serious girlfriend in it? That was an accident, right?

That is only the beginning. Emily starts to think that all of the disasters and fights that she and Adam go through have Pammie at the heart of them. He just can’t see his mother the same way that Emily does. As the relationship progresses, Emily becomes increasingly suspicious of Adam’s mother. Can Emily claim her rightful place in his life when his mother is constantly intervening? Who will win the battle for his heart and what will be lost in the ensuing war between the women.

I thought that I knew where this title was going, but I fully admit that the ending through me for a loop. I spent some time frustrated with character of Emily, because she started off as such an independent and seemingly tough cookie but then she crumbles in the face of Adam’s misdeeds and flippant treatment of her feelings. I don’t particularly enjoy reading about weak female characters, but Emily’s back and forth with forgiveness and paranoia was definitely draining at times. I found myself wondering, “Why doesn’t she just leave? He can’t be worth all that.” For the record, I stand by that sentiment. If you’re reading this and a man treats you the way Adam treats Emily, leave him.

I appreciated the number of subplots that acted as red herrings. It seems like in the current suspense climate, you can’t assume that someone is dead just because everyone believes they’re dead, and I admit to wondering if that was the scenario with this title or a while. I usually obsess over all of the possible ways that a story could end if such-and-such character wanted revenge for something or if there’s someone from the protagonist’s past who changed their name. With this story, I suspected everyone. Pammie, James, Charlote, and even Emily’s good friend Seb. I also loved that the reader’s first exposure to the story is that very creepy prologue. I assumed when I got to the end of the story that it would circle back around to that moment exactly, but in fact it references a moment about ¾ of the way through the book, so that plot point might not have the oomph that it might have otherwise.

Overall, the story is one that I think most suspense fans will enjoy. I’ll be recommending it to patrons once our library gets a copy in.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher through BookishFirst in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

lemonade_icon 4 glasses of lemonade= a book you could recommend to a book group or anybody who reads. You might find controversial subject matter, but it is handled delicately.

Our House by Louise Candlish

Hello Kittens! I have an intriguing read for you from British author Louise Candlish this week. Our House is Candlish’s 13^th novel and it comes out in just under two weeks. I’ll admit that I struggled with this one originally. In fact, I became frustrated with the characters halfway through and took a break to read The Broken Girls. I came back to it and am really glad that I stuck with it until the end. I changed my mind to such an extent that I just put another of Candlish’s titles on my TBR list.

Title: Our House

Author: Louise Candlish

Author website: http://www.louisecandlish.com/

Publisher: Berkley

Publish date: August 7, 2018

ISBN: 9780451489111

Buy the Book: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Fiona and Bram Lawson are living an enviable life in a posh neighborhood in London with their two sons, Harry and Leo. At least, that’s how it appears to outsiders. But, of course, there’s more to this couple than meets the eye. Bram is a mild alcoholic with a roving eye and a moral compass that can’t seem to find true north. When Fiona finally kicks him out, allowing for a generous custody arrangement known as a bird’s nest, she puts the last bit of trust she can muster in Bram to the test. As she returns home from a weekend away and discovers a family moving in to her house, she cannot wrap her mind around how a mistake like this could have been made. As she learns about the real depth of Bram’s betrayal of her family, she depends on family and neighbors to see her through the most difficult struggle of her life. It’s easy to see this story as a condemnation of Bram, but nearly every character in this story ends up being severely flawed in one way or another.

The story begins at the end, just as Fiona begins to unravel schemes that have been building for months, and we spend the next 400 or so pages figuring it out with her. The story alternates between Fiona’s and Bram’s perspectives in the present day and the past. One unique feature that I really enjoyed was that the present-day Fiona is telling her side of the story on a popular podcast called The Victim, and the reader gets to experience the transcripts and online reactions to Fiona’s story as it is told. This was the first story that I’ve seen take the phenomena around real-life suspense stories like Making and Murderer and Serial (plus so many others) and run with it. It was charming and added a new dimension to the story, because you got to see a fictional audience reacting to the story, asking some of the same questions that I was as a reader.

I struggled a little with maintaining a suspension of disbelief in the middle of the story as Bram’s actions grow more despicable and desperate, while Fiona seems to be far too forgiving. I do not generally like stories that present women as weak and overly trusting of loathsome men for the sake of “love”, as I think it normalizes that cycles of violence that so many women find themselves trapped in in real life, but this book was an exception. Before all is said and done, Fiona finds her strength, albeit in less-than-ideal ways. The ending redeemed this storyline for me, and I’ll be trying additional titles from Candlish in the future. If you like suspense and some really vile characters, give this one a try.

Disclaimer: I received this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

lemonade_icon 4 glasses of lemonade= a book you could recommend to a book group or anybody who reads. You might find controversial subject matter, but it is handled delicately.

The main thing that stops this one from the coveted fifth glass of lemonade is the presence of some cursing and the death of a child.