Fast Five Friday- Lightning Round Reviews

September 4, 2020 milelongtbr 11 Comments

Fast Five Friday

Five books with something in common with a quick blurb about each.

This week the common thread is again, books I’ve read this year and have yet to review.

Lightning Round Reviews.

These are all 2020 reads I enjoyed and recommend adding to your own TBR. Read these five mini reviews to see if the book is a good fit for you!

ONE TO WATCH: This romance novel is perfect for fans of The Bachelor and reality TV. I enjoy neither, yet I LOVED this book. You’ll enjoy taking this journey with Bea and the commentary on inclusivity and being sex-positive and body-positive elevate the book above your average rom-com. The killer fashion & exotic destinations don’t hurt either.

MIDNIGHT AT THE BRIGHT IDEAS BOOKSTORE: (CW: suicide, murder) A mystery set around a bookstore? Count me in! This book is a touch darker than your cozy book for bibliophiles but lighter than your average thriller and with MANY more bookish references. This book takes on a lot, but it’s an enjoyable read as a suicide in the book store where Lydia works causes her to reexamine her past, present, & future.

SORRY I MISSED YOU: Quirky, unique, and hopeful. Three strangers with nothing common move in as tenants in a rental home. When an illegible and cryptic note appears in the mailbox each thinks it’s for them – a ghost from their past coming back to make amends. Or possibly haunt them. Speaking of ghosts, is that what’s causing the strange things happening inside the house? Unlikely friendships form as characters try to unravel the mysteries. It’s funny, heartfelt, cozy, & mysterious; the perfect fall read.

THE OVERDUE LIFE OF AMY BYLER: Amy is a small-town librarian and supermom, but that doesn’t leave her time for much else. When her estranged husband reappears and takes the kids over the summer, she doesn’t know what to do with herself. A trip to NYC could be lifechanging, as she finally has an opportunity to put herself first. This women’s fiction is funny and charming, but it’s the relationships that really shine here.

THE BRIGHT SIDE OF GOING DARK (CW: suicide) Mia is a social media influencer with a perfect life- until it falls apart. Paige is a techie who prefers algorithms to emotions. As multiple storylines intersect 3 women all learn how going out of your comfort zone can change your life for the better.

About Lightning Round Reviews (& free templates!)

September 4, 2020 milelongtbr Leave a Comment

Hi, Bookstagram friends!

I don’t know about you, but sometimes with everything going on day to day reviewing the books we read can fall to the wayside.

Bookstagram is supposed to be fun, but sometimes the pressure to get “caught up” leaves us feeling more pressure than you should.

That’s why I created “lightning round reviews.”

It’s a great way to get a handful of books off your TBR – to be reviewed pile- in this case, and get back to reading and having fun!

I’ve done a couple of these so far and it definitely feels like there’s a load off my mind after posting these mini-reviews for books I’ve read but hadn’t posted reviews for on my Bookstagram.

I’d like to invite all of you to join in this fun book challenge and do a #lightningroundreview post!

Here’s the Deal:

Pick 5 books you’ve read but haven’t reviewed yet. I suppose you can do more or fewer at once, but 5 seems like a good number.
Write a short paragraph telling us about the book & your thoughts. Remember Instagram captions have a character limit of 2200, so this gives you around 400 characters per review!
Get creative with your picture! You can photograph your stack of books, but if you read a lot of ebooks or are doing a book you read a while ago and have since loaned out, returned to the library, or donated this may be hard to do. In that case, I invite you to try to draw your bookstack, make a photo collage, or use one of the 8 templates I’ve made. You can find them at the bottom of this post!
Post your Lightning Round Review to your Bookstagram! Be sure to tag me @milelongtbr so I can see your reviews and share it & use the hashtags! #lightningroundreviews for the reviews and #fastfivefriday if you’re posting your Lightning Round Reviews on a Friday.

Why Do Them:

“Lightning Round Reviews” are a great way to show yourself some grace and get “caught up” with your book reviews.

They’re perfect for books you read months ago that you still would like to review but can’t remember enough details to write a full review.

They’re also good for reviewing popular books- ones that everyone on Bookstagram seems to have already read and been buzzing about. If you don’t feel you have much new to add, a quick blurb is perfect.

It’s also good for books that you may not want to devote a full review post to, whether because they’re outside your typical genre or because they are backlist books that aren’t as popular.

And, of course, it’s a fun challenge and will get a few reviews finished and off your mind so you can get back to reading and having fun with your Bookstagram account!

Templates:

Here is a bookstack template I made for #lightningroundreviews in 8 different color schemes. There’s everything from seasonal color palates, rainbow, monochrome, and ombre; something to go with every stack and asthetic.

I made these for people who would like to participate, but don’t have the physical books they’re reviewing to take a photo of and don’t have the time, tools, or ability to create their own drawing.

Feel free to download the photo of your choice to use for your #lightningroundreviews post!

Once downloaded to your phone it’s easy to add the title to each ‘spine’ with an app like “Text on Photo”

You’re welcome to post the edited version on your Instagram or blog, with credit but please do not use the template for any commercial purposes.

The Less Dead by Denise Mina Review

September 2, 2020 milelongtbr 1 Comment

After enjoying Conviction last year I was eager to read more from Denise Mina. That was my first book from the author, which I selected because it was a Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club Pick.

Unfortunately, The Less Dead did not deliver the exciting thriller I was expecting.

Keep reading this review to see what specifically about The Less Dead didn’t work for me and see if it’s one you want to read or consider skipping.

Synopsis:

The following quote is the promotional blurb for The Less Dead.

“She thought she was finding her birth mother.

Now she’s searching for a killer.

Dr. Margo Dunlop is at a crossroads. Her adoptive mom just passed away, and Margo misses her so much she can’t begin to empty the house—or, it seems, get her brother on the phone. Not to mention she’s newly single, secretly pregnant, and worried about her best friend’s dangerous relationship. In an effort to cheer herself up she goes in search of her birth mother. Instead she finds Nikki, her mother’s sister. Aunt Nikki isn’t what Margo expects, and she brings upsetting news: Margo’s mother is dead. Worse, she was murdered years ago, and her killer is still at large—and sending Nikki threatening letters.

Margo is torn. Should she stay out of this mess, or try to find justice? But then Margo receives a letter, too. Someone out there has been waiting and watching, and in Margo sees the spitting image of her mother…

Darkly funny and deeply affecting, The Less Dead is a sharply modern new thriller from the bestselling author of Conviction, and a surprisingly moving story of daughters and mothers, secrets and choices, and how the search for the truth—and a long-hidden killer—will lead one woman to find herself.“

Analysis:

What worked for me:

Mina attempted to humanize sex workers and show what might lead a person to that kind of life and challenge people’s preconceptions of them.

The final paragraph was strong.

Short chapters made for a quick read.

There was tension in some of the scenes that reengaged my interest.

What didn’t:

The writing. The style was uncomfortably choppy, the transitions between points of view and dialogue were sloppy, the tense changed intermittently.
The characters. They were unlikable, which isn’t necessarily something that makes me dislike a book, especially thrillers. In this case, however, there was too much backstory in some aspects, and yet none of it added up to giving me an understanding of the main character or what would lead her to make many of the choices she did.
The Grit. It’s a thriller, I expected the book to have some dark and difficult elements. In the case of The Less Dead, I found it to be distasteful. Virtually every trigger warning imaginable applies to this book. (See list at end of post.) I feel that Mina took this too far and at points, it seemed that certain elements were added in for shock value rather than to contribute to the plot.
Female friendships. Shockingly, the number one device I have a hard time getting past isn’t the rape, murder, or even the pedophilia. It’s the relationship Margo has with her “best friend” Lilah.In short, it’s a toxic, competitive, and “frenemy”-like dynamic that I simply can’t stand and also has no relevance to the plot.
The Plot. Most of the time I simply wasn’t engaged and interested in what was going on. There was too much extraneous information and storylines which were never resolved. I didn’t like the way Mina chose to end the story.

Takeaway:

Not sure what to say other than that, folks. The “What Didn’t Work” list should speak for itself.

I hate to write negative reviews but have to be transparent about this book, especially if there are other readers out there who enjoyed Conviction and are expecting something similar.

I struggled to finish this book and likely would have DNF’ed it if I were not reading a review copy. Ultimately, I gave the book two stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the advance copy.

Content Warning:

death of parent, abusive relationships, stalking, child abuse and neglect, prostitution, abortion, murder, violence, drug use, mention of suicide, pedophilia, rape, allusions to child pornography, defiling a corpse,

August Reading Wrap-Up

September 1, 2020 milelongtbr Leave a Comment

Hi, guys!

In August I managed to read 10 books. It’s a respectable number, especially considering I fell into a bit of a slump and didn’t open a book for over a week.

Here’s how the titles I read stack up, sorted into books I loved, ones I really enjoyed, and a couple I don’t recommend.

Books I Loved:

1. The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali

The Stationery Shop is a heartbreaking and emotional historical fiction novel that spans decades, generations, and continents. I can’t recommend this book enough – and everyone I’ve talked to who has read it has it on their shortlist for top books of the year as well.

Check out my full review and discussion of the historical events from the book here.

2. The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

The Night Swim is officially my favorite thriller of 2020 so far!

Not only does the book provide two interesting cases to unravel and strong female characters, there is also some important social commentary on the treatment of victims of sexual crimes.

This book was made for audio, so I highly recommend listening to it on Libro.fm. You can go check out my full review of the book here.

3. One to Watch by Kate Stayman- London

One to Watch is said to be the perfect book for reality TV lovers and Bachelor fans, of which I am neither.

Still, I am so glad I read the book for so many reasons. Yes, it is fun and flirty. It’s an enjoyable read. But it’s so much more. This book is body-positive, sex-positive, and the heroine Bea is more focused on herself and career than in finding a man.

That’s refreshing to see in the romance genre, although Bea’s reason for this isn’t quite what I expected. That allowed for some amazingly transformative character growth which elevated this book above everything else in the genre. One to Watch is definitely one to read- ASAP.

Many thanks to Dial Press Trade Paperback and NetGalley for the advance copy

4. Duty of Care by Dr. Dominic Pimenta

Duty of Care is a deeply personal account of Dr Dominic Pimenta, a doctor for the British NHS. Not only was he fighting the virus on the frontlines in intensive care units, he was also a vocal advocate for early lockdowns and taking it upon himself to reach the public through social media and start a charity to help fellow healthcare workers amid the COVID-19 crisis.

I listened to the audiobook format, which was engaging and well-paced. Pimenta does a fantastic job narrating and telling his story.

This book provides a lot of insight into the healthcare profession from a number of perspectives and I highly recommend it, especially as proceeds from the sale of Duty of Care are donated to the HEROES charity Pimenta founded to assist healthcare workers in need. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ALC.

5. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

If you’ve listening to me talk books for long, you’ll know this is one of the top two books I never shut up about.

This was a reread to help boost me out of a reading slump and I’m pleased to say it did the trick.

I highly recommend going into this book without reading much about it- I picked it up only on Reese Witherspoon’s recommendation a few years ago- but go check out my review for more information, including content warnings.

Books I Enjoyed:

6. You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria

You Had Me at Hola about Jasmine, a rising access and Ashton, a star actor who are the cast opposite each other as leads in a telenovela.

Though they keep getting off on the wrong foot, Ashton and Jasmine find that their chemistry and connection may not just be an act.

This book was so much fun to read and also had a number of important things to say about everything from representation and diversity in the workplace, consent, gender roles, and cultural norms.

While there were a lot of great thinking points Alexis Daria managed to keep the book fun and fast-paced, flashing between the actors’ interaction and their characters’ scenes.

Keep in mind that the steam in this book is VERY HIGH, so if that’s not your thing you may find yourself skipping a few pages.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advance copy!

7. Sorry I Missed You by Suzy Krause

After loving Karuse’s debut novel Valencia & Valentine I was eager to read more from her.

I can’t say I loved this book quite as much as V&V, but it was a charming story filled with eccentric characters. I loved the exploration of unlikely friendships, second chances, and the elements of mystery thrown in.

The “ghost” story element is so clever and great food for thought. This is the perfect read for those looking for a light palate-cleansing book to add to the fall TBR.

8. All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny

All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny was an enjoyable listen. I did not immediately realize this was part of a series, but was able to follow along with the story and characters just fine.

I am, however looking forward to looking into Penny’s earlier works in the Gamache series.

The writing was atmospheric and great, slowly building to a wild climax.

If you’re familiar with this series, it’s worth noting that this book takes places in Paris, which was very enjoyable for me, though I understand that is a departure from the rest of the series.

I really enjoyed this thriller and the way the narrator brought the story to life. Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Books I Don’t Recommend:

9. Grown Ups by Emma Jane Unsworth

Grown Ups by Emma Jane Unsworth is a book that explores the toxic and consuming relationship we can have with social media and how that can impact our relationship with ourselves and those around us.

I really wanted to love this character-driven novel centers around Jenny, a 35-year old journalist who is, for lack of a better term, a hot mess. Nothing in her life is going right and most of it is of her own doing, though she lacks the self-awareness to see this.

I appreciate Grown Ups for what it attempted to do, but unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite deliverer for me. This book doesn’t seem ot fit very well in it’s billed genre of women’s fiction- to me, it reads more like a satire piece, though I’m not sure it satisfies there either. There were a number of parts that had me chuckling, but even with my dry sense of humor, I was more annoyed with the character than anything else.

Of course, my opinions don’t mean this won’t be an enjoyable book for you, though I’ve been seeing mainly lukewarm reviews for this book.

Many thanks to Gallery/Scout Press and NetGalley for the advance copy.

10. One Year of Ugly by Caroline Mackenzie

One Year of Ugly by Caroline Mackenzie was an interesting novel, but I’m not sure what it accomplished what it set out to do.

For a White Trinidadian to tell the story of Venezuelan refugees there needs to be a significant amount of research and care put into the writing.

While the premise was promising and there was some good humor, there were some parts handled less than sensitively that took away from the story and added to the problems.

You can read my thoughts on it here, as well as see some other Own Voice Latinx books I recommend.

Many thanks to Simon & Schuster, 37 Ink, and NetGalley for the opportubuty to read this book.

How was your reading month? Did you read any of the same books as me, or are any of these on your TBR for the coming months?

The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali

August 19, 2020 milelongtbr 2 Comments

Last week I read The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali, a novel weaving the history of Iran with a love story that spans decades.

The anniversary of one of the pivitol events is today, 19 August, so first let’s take a look at some of the lesser known history and then read on for a full review of The Stationery Shop.

The History:

The only thing new in the world is the history you don’t know.
Harry S. Truman

This quote is part of the epigraph for The Stationery Shop, which is very fitting considering the history surrounding the story.

On 19 August 1953 in Iran there was a coup overthrowing Prime Minister Mosaddegh, the democratically elected leader of Iran. Close to 300 were killed as a result of the violence that day.

The US CIA would not publicly acknowledge their involvement until 60 years later, after decades of denial. Britain’s MI6 was also involved.

That day’s events were said to have “left a profound and long-lasting legacy” on the country of Iran.

I’ve included some videos that go into more detail about the coup and the political and economical factors which lead to it.

Breaking news in 2013 when US involvement in the coup was confirmed.

This video goes more in-depth about the coup and the political and economical situation that lead up to it.

Synopsis:

For the characters in the book, that fateful day in August 1953 forever changed the course of their lives.

Before: In the months leading up to the coup Roya, a teenage girl living in Theran is dreaming of a bright future. Her father wants her to be independent and educated in a time and place where this is not the norm for women. The Stationery Shop is her refuge, filled with books and kind shopkeeper who always let her sit and read poetry.

Then she meets a boy. Bahman, a boy with high hopes as well, a boy who will change the world. Roya falls in love with him.

Unfortunately, forces beyond their control threaten their blossoming relationship.

Analysis:

This book was absolutely beautiful. It’s drawn comparisons to both Khaled Hosseini’s novels and Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook. While there are certain similarities, The Stationery Shop is something unique and mesmerizing, but just as sure to tug at your heartstrings as those books. Like with A Thousand Splendid Suns I sobbed through the final pages of The Stationery Shop, though the story was not nearly as harrowing.

I loved reading this book for so many reasons. The characters were so enderaring, and I especially loved Roya’s relationship with her father.

The discussion on the treatment of mental health and women’s health issues in Iranian culture was also insightful and important. It’s something that I haven’t seen much about, and I was thankful to see Kamali’s treatment of these subjects.

Takeaway:

The Stationery Shop is a beautiful five-star read. It blurs the lines between the historical fiction, contemporary fiction, and romance genres, making for an unforgettable story that will stay with you.

Content Warning:

miscarriage, death, death of child, mental illness, violent death, abortion,

The Switch by Beth O’Leary Review

August 18, 2020 milelongtbr Leave a Comment

The Switch has been one of my most anticipated book releases of the year, and it’s finially here! Keep reading to see if it lived up to my expectations- and the high standard set by Beth O’Leary’s debut novel The Flatshare.

Synopsis:

The Switch is a charming novel about two women- grandmother and granddaughter who both find themselves in need of a change of scenery.

When Leena is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical from her high-pressure job in London, she decides to go her grandma Eileen’s house in the English countryside for a change of pace.

Eileen, almost 70 and newly single, needs a change of pace as well and decides to switch lives with her granddaughter.

She moves to London and starts online dating while Leena stays in her hometown and tries to mend her relationship with her mother and unplug from her hectic corporate life.

Analysis:

Obviously, there are growing pains as each woman adjusts to her new life, and this provides some great comedy as Elieen learns about dating in the age of technology, and Leena has to learn to live without her devices.

This book was so much more than a cute comedy, though.

In the style I’m coming to expect from Beth, she discusses some darker things; in this case grief and loss.

While the plot of The Switch seems very different from the Flatshare, they are both lovely books with similarities. They explore family relationships, juxtapose serious realities with fun, charming story lines, and have characters you can’t help loving.

Audiobook Review:

This was such an endearing and fun story, and I love the dual narrators who brought the story to life. They did a great job with the characters of Leena and Eileen and kept the pacing of the book consistent.

This book is a great one to listen to on Audio. You can listen on Libro.fm and get a free book for signing up!

Takeaway:

I absolutely adored this book. It’s such a heartwarming read, and offers a much-needed escape and breath of fresh air to your summer TBR. It really is the feel-good book we need right now.

I definitely recommend The Switch- and considering the audiobook format if that’s something you enjoy.

I rated the book four-stars, though looking back I can easily see myself rounding up to five-stars of pure joy.

Many thanks to Macmillian Audio and NetGalley for the advance listening copy.