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bethreadsandnaps's reviews
2313 reviews
The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange
3.75
3.75 stars
Tara is being released from prison after an 18 month stint for drug trafficking. When the detective that was responsible for putting her into jail brings her home to her siblings who are each dealing with their own stuff, she has to re-find her role in the family, find a job, and perhaps at the same time she might even find love.
I thought the first chapter of this book was exquisite. It was obvious that the author did a lot of research into exiting prison. The novel was good, but the sister Geraldine's story line I had some problems with. It was tied up a little too nicely given all that these siblings were each facing. However, the upside to the slightly unrealistic ending is that it is heartwarming.
I enjoyed this one a bit more than Lange's debut WE ARE THE BRENNANS. As something not related, I noticed this one had less Irish-American heritage than WE ARE THE BRENNANS - in the event that's what other readers are looking for. Yes, the last name is Connelly and the mother's stories about them are referenced - that's about all though that comes through as Irish.
Tara is being released from prison after an 18 month stint for drug trafficking. When the detective that was responsible for putting her into jail brings her home to her siblings who are each dealing with their own stuff, she has to re-find her role in the family, find a job, and perhaps at the same time she might even find love.
I thought the first chapter of this book was exquisite. It was obvious that the author did a lot of research into exiting prison. The novel was good, but the sister Geraldine's story line I had some problems with. It was tied up a little too nicely given all that these siblings were each facing. However, the upside to the slightly unrealistic ending is that it is heartwarming.
I enjoyed this one a bit more than Lange's debut WE ARE THE BRENNANS. As something not related, I noticed this one had less Irish-American heritage than WE ARE THE BRENNANS - in the event that's what other readers are looking for. Yes, the last name is Connelly and the mother's stories about them are referenced - that's about all though that comes through as Irish.
Becoming Duchess Goldblatt by Duchess Goldblatt
3.75
3.75 stars
I have never heard of this online persona of Duchess Goldblatt. I stay away from Twitter/X, which I believe was her main platform. I can see how this affirming and kind persona who would interact with her followers became such a hit, as some of her tweets are interspersed throughout the memoir.
The real person behind the persona is a single mother and a bit reclusive, with a mostly remote writing job. I appreciated how she was so vulnerable about her bad mental place throughout this memoir. Being Duchess Goldblatt gave her a creative outlet and some popularity in the online world.
She ends up creating a real life friendship with Lyle Lovett (country singer, was shortly married to Julia Roberts in the 1990s). He ends up being ⅓ of the book, which seems to say a lot about the author that she published so much communication between Lyle Lovett and herself.
The author writes of her father affectionately throughout the memoir. She speaks of her manipulative and dark brother with mental illness a bit. And she doesn’t speak at all about her mother, which was notable with how much was left unsaid. It sounded like a very tough upbringing that was difficult for her to surmount.
I do worry about the mental fragility of the author and her motivation in writing. My assessment is that she has a lot of work to do on her mental health or needs to seek out therapy/meds, and it felt like writing this memoir was a money grab.
This memoir made me think that even when we think we know a celebrity, we only know the persona, not the actual person.
Midnight by Amy McCulloch
I read this one because I gave Breathless 4 stars, and I’m a sucker for a book set on a cruise ship. Also, the Ultimate World Cruise, the TikTok phenomenon, will be in Antarctica in the next week. Serendipitous timing!
Our protagonist Olivia is an actuary (rarely seen job in books, not known for their excitement), and she is working with her boyfriend Aaron on a new project to get a recently deceased artist’s work onto this cruise company’s art auctions. If you haven’t been on a cruise, art auctions are a big deal on cruise ships.
This cruise is going to Antarctica, Olivia is very apprehensive about getting on the ship for a reason that will be revealed. Even worse, Aaron leaves the ship right before it sets sail and doesn’t make it back by the time it leaves!
Unfortunately, this was a standard thriller. A lot of characters with precious little character development and I kept mixing everyone up, it took a long time for the first murder to show up, it didn’t give off the cruise ship vibes.
It DID give off cold, wet vibes, and icebergs/glacial calving were the most educational pieces. Breathless - her previous thriller - had a lot more about mountaineering than this one did about Antarctica.
3.0
I read this one because I gave Breathless 4 stars, and I’m a sucker for a book set on a cruise ship. Also, the Ultimate World Cruise, the TikTok phenomenon, will be in Antarctica in the next week. Serendipitous timing!
Our protagonist Olivia is an actuary (rarely seen job in books, not known for their excitement), and she is working with her boyfriend Aaron on a new project to get a recently deceased artist’s work onto this cruise company’s art auctions. If you haven’t been on a cruise, art auctions are a big deal on cruise ships.
This cruise is going to Antarctica, Olivia is very apprehensive about getting on the ship for a reason that will be revealed. Even worse, Aaron leaves the ship right before it sets sail and doesn’t make it back by the time it leaves!
Unfortunately, this was a standard thriller. A lot of characters with precious little character development and I kept mixing everyone up, it took a long time for the first murder to show up, it didn’t give off the cruise ship vibes.
It DID give off cold, wet vibes, and icebergs/glacial calving were the most educational pieces. Breathless - her previous thriller - had a lot more about mountaineering than this one did about Antarctica.
The Pram by Joe Hill
4.0
This short story had a great setting in Maine with fabulous descriptions. It had a great slow build that I wasn't expecting in a short story. Hill's writing is creepy and detailed, write up my alley. Personally, I wasn't a fan of the ending.
Willy and Marianne are moving from NYC to Maine during COVID after Marianne has a miscarriage. The small town shopkeeper loans Willy a pram to walk his groceries home. And the story builds from there.
Willy and Marianne are moving from NYC to Maine during COVID after Marianne has a miscarriage. The small town shopkeeper loans Willy a pram to walk his groceries home. And the story builds from there.
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
4.25
This is a rollicking ride full of adventure! Our main character is living and working under the pseudonym Evie Porter. She works for "Mr. Smith," a mastermind head criminal - and Evie's exceptionally smart herself. Evie has settled into her latest project Ryan Sumner and is also his girlfriend. But when a woman arrives to town with Evie's real name, Evie realizes that her past will be colliding with her present.
If you want to be on the edge of your seat and go on a thrilling adventure, check this one out. I loved the deliciousness of it. If you only root for good characters, then you might want to sit this one out. There's plenty of morally gray territory in this thriller that some readers might not appreciate. It is a lot of action and a lot of plot, and I would have appreciated someone to bounce the plot off of because I got lost a few times with all the different turns - technology wise and just making sure I understood what was going on.
If you want to be on the edge of your seat and go on a thrilling adventure, check this one out. I loved the deliciousness of it. If you only root for good characters, then you might want to sit this one out. There's plenty of morally gray territory in this thriller that some readers might not appreciate. It is a lot of action and a lot of plot, and I would have appreciated someone to bounce the plot off of because I got lost a few times with all the different turns - technology wise and just making sure I understood what was going on.
Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
3.0
This novel is definitely unique, and I appreciated the premise: a transcriptionist is falling in love with a therapist's client "Big Swiss" (a young woman from Switzerland), and when she runs into her, Big Swiss will change Greta's life.
Hudson, New York must have a population of 20 with 15 of them going to the same therapist OM because Greta overhears OM's clients EVERYWHERE. I'm not sure how OM talks is how a therapist would speak. With so many sessions being transcribed, it didn't quite sound like OM was a therapist. But what do I know?
At first I thought Greta was in her 20s and Big Swiss in her 40s, so I was surprised to find out that my presumption was wrong there with Big Swiss being in her 20s and Greta being in her 40s.
I started out really liking this book, and I found that it wore on me quickly. I'd put it down easily after a chapter or two and then find myself reading two entire other books in the span of being in the middle of this one. So I wouldn't call it propulsive. I'd call it just okay. Others seem to have liked this a smidge more than I did. I think you'll like this one if you like quirk more than I do.
Hudson, New York must have a population of 20 with 15 of them going to the same therapist OM because Greta overhears OM's clients EVERYWHERE. I'm not sure how OM talks is how a therapist would speak. With so many sessions being transcribed, it didn't quite sound like OM was a therapist. But what do I know?
At first I thought Greta was in her 20s and Big Swiss in her 40s, so I was surprised to find out that my presumption was wrong there with Big Swiss being in her 20s and Greta being in her 40s.
I started out really liking this book, and I found that it wore on me quickly. I'd put it down easily after a chapter or two and then find myself reading two entire other books in the span of being in the middle of this one. So I wouldn't call it propulsive. I'd call it just okay. Others seem to have liked this a smidge more than I did. I think you'll like this one if you like quirk more than I do.
Speech Team by Timothy Murphy
4.5
4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this! After hearing several critical reviews, I was apprehensive that this would be for me. But it was!
Our main character Tip was treated horribly by his speech teacher Mr. Gold back in 1987, and he has carried that with him into adulthood. After he finds out that Peter from the speech team committed suicide and cites Mr. Gold as a reason in his suicide letter, Tip gets the rest of the speech team (Nat, Jennifer, and Anthony) to visit him in retirement to tell Mr. Gold how his words affected each of them.
I think this novel will speak to those who carry high school nostalgia and grudges from adolescence with them into adulthood. As the novel unfolds, I found that I could identify with this group of characters more and more. I'm not sure I could "see" their high school friendship, so that part didn't come through as strongly as I wanted to see.
Overall, though, this exceeded my expectations!
I really enjoyed this! After hearing several critical reviews, I was apprehensive that this would be for me. But it was!
Our main character Tip was treated horribly by his speech teacher Mr. Gold back in 1987, and he has carried that with him into adulthood. After he finds out that Peter from the speech team committed suicide and cites Mr. Gold as a reason in his suicide letter, Tip gets the rest of the speech team (Nat, Jennifer, and Anthony) to visit him in retirement to tell Mr. Gold how his words affected each of them.
I think this novel will speak to those who carry high school nostalgia and grudges from adolescence with them into adulthood. As the novel unfolds, I found that I could identify with this group of characters more and more. I'm not sure I could "see" their high school friendship, so that part didn't come through as strongly as I wanted to see.
Overall, though, this exceeded my expectations!
What Really Happens in Vegas: True Stories of the People Who Make Vegas, Vegas by Mark Seal, James Patterson
4.5
I lived in the outskirts of Las Vegas when I was 10 to 13 years old (1988-1991). It was an exciting time to live there, as the Mirage and Excalibur opened when I lived there, and you could still get a $1 breakfast.
I loved learning about the inner workings of modern Vegas from this book. The authors interviewed workers, profiled Steve Wynn (who I didn’t know was the visionary of modern Vegas), and even featured the ad campaign, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” Lots of great info to ingest and an easy, clear read.
Mercury by Amy Jo Burns
4.25
4.25 stars
I enjoyed Amy Jo Burns' sophomore novel MERCURY even more than her debut SHINER!
I would almost describe this novel as a gender reversed HELLO BEAUTIUFL. When Marley moves to the small town of Mercury, Pennsylvania, she changes the lives of the boys in the Joseph family and the mother Elise as well.
I felt for Elise in this novel. She gave herself to the men in her family, both her husband and sons, and she got precious little back in return from her family. I really liked the scenes with Marley and Elise.
This novel is very character-driven, and I really enjoyed that it was. You really got to know the main characters. MERCURY hit close to home, as both sides of my family are from near Pittsburgh, and there were some other parallels. If you're looking for a lot of plot, you may want to consider skipping this one. Even for me, there were some parts that felt repetitive when it went over the same scene from a different perspective. (Most of the book is from Marley's perspective, but toward the end there are a few other perspectives that are added.)
All in all, this is a fabulous book, and I'm so glad to spend time with the characters of Mercury, Pennsylvania.
I enjoyed Amy Jo Burns' sophomore novel MERCURY even more than her debut SHINER!
I would almost describe this novel as a gender reversed HELLO BEAUTIUFL. When Marley moves to the small town of Mercury, Pennsylvania, she changes the lives of the boys in the Joseph family and the mother Elise as well.
I felt for Elise in this novel. She gave herself to the men in her family, both her husband and sons, and she got precious little back in return from her family. I really liked the scenes with Marley and Elise.
This novel is very character-driven, and I really enjoyed that it was. You really got to know the main characters. MERCURY hit close to home, as both sides of my family are from near Pittsburgh, and there were some other parallels. If you're looking for a lot of plot, you may want to consider skipping this one. Even for me, there were some parts that felt repetitive when it went over the same scene from a different perspective. (Most of the book is from Marley's perspective, but toward the end there are a few other perspectives that are added.)
All in all, this is a fabulous book, and I'm so glad to spend time with the characters of Mercury, Pennsylvania.
The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose
4.0
This sequel to THE MAID has Molly still working at the same hotel that she was in the first book - four years later. She’s been promoted and living with her boyfriend Juan.
In this novel an author comes to the hotel to make an announcement. Unfortunately, he falls over dead before the announcement can be made.
Molly and Gran, who is deceased, have an old tie to this author. What I liked are the flashbacks to that time when Molly met the author when she was young as well as Molly and Gran’s interactions from the past.
The ending was a little too sweet for me, but I understand that this is what this series is.
In this novel an author comes to the hotel to make an announcement. Unfortunately, he falls over dead before the announcement can be made.
Molly and Gran, who is deceased, have an old tie to this author. What I liked are the flashbacks to that time when Molly met the author when she was young as well as Molly and Gran’s interactions from the past.
The ending was a little too sweet for me, but I understand that this is what this series is.