Hello Stranger by Lisa Kleypas
I had a long drive when I went on my latest backpacking trip, so I picked up some books on tape to help me through it. The one I ended up listening to was Hello Stranger (2018) by Lisa Kleypas. I’ve read a number of Kleypas’s books and knew what to expect. On the whole, this one was a good distraction while driving. The characters were likable, but I never got too attached. Part of this may be because it was on tape. I think I take […]
The State of Affairs by Esther Perel
I first heard Esther Perel when she was a guest on Dan Savage’s relationship podcast. She’s been a therapist for many years and has distinctive ideas regarding romantic relationships and infidelity. Apparently, there was so much interest in the chapter on affairs in her first book, Mating in Captivity (2009), that she decided to write a second book entirely on that subject. When I saw this book, The State of Affairs, on NPR’s List of Best Books of 2017, I decided to put it on my list. I found it […]
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
After coming across Big Little Lies back in 2015, I’ve read most if not all of Liane Moriarty’s books. When I saw that Moriarty had written a new novel, Nine Perfect Strangers (2018), I immediately got myself on the wait list. Like her other books, I found this one very readable and interesting. I was happy to see Moriarty switch up her format a little bit and not lead with a mysterious “big event” and then show what lead up to it. Moriarty did a good job in creating […]
Intercepted by Alexa Martin
I was heading out on another backpacking trip and needed some tent reading that I would find both entertaining and not scary/disturbing. Romances usually do the trick, and I found one from NPR’s Best Books of 2018 List. NPR recommended Intercepted (2018) by Alexa Martin as a fun, sporty romance involving football. Marlee Harper is the long-time girlfriend of star receiver, Chris Alexander of the Denver Mustangs. She’s been with him for about ten years, since high school. But when she catches him cheating on her–again–she dumps him […]
It Happened One Wedding by Julie James
I needed a break from serious reading, so I picked up It Happened One Wedding (2014) by Julie James. I’d enjoyed some other books by James, and this one was available now at the library. Unfortunately, it wasn’t my favorite of her books. There was nothing especially wrong with it. The characters were likable, and the story line was fine. There just wasn’t much excitement, and my whole experience was rather bland. Sidney Sinclair recently moved back to Chicago after a painful breakup with her fiancé. She is a […]
Still Life by Louise Penny
I’d seen recommendations for new books by Louise Penny popping up all over the place. I was interested in reading them, but I thought it best that I begin at the beginning. So, I picked up Still Life (2005), the first book in Penny’s prolific Inspector Gamache series. And I found Still Life to be a very pleasant murder mystery. I’d like to read the entire series, but there are so many books, it will take me awhile to get to all of them. An elderly woman is shot […]
