Two mini-reviews to finish up the year!

Sleeping Arrangements by Madeleine Wickham. Finished 12-24-15, rating 3/5, Romance (I guess), pub. 2008

Unabridged audio read by Katherine Kellgren. 7 hours

Chloe needs a holiday. She’s sick of making wedding dresses, her partner Philip has troubles at work, the whole family wants a break. Her wealthy friend Gerard has offered the loan of his luxury villa in Spain – perfect.

Hugh is not a happy man. His immaculate wife Amanda seems more interested in her new kitchen than in him, and he works so hard to pay for it, he barely has time for his children. Maybe he’ll have a chance to bond with them on holiday. His old friend Gerard has lent them a luxury villa in Spain – perfect.

Both families arrive at the villa and realise the awful truth – Gerard has double-booked. What no-one else realises is that Chloe and Hugh have a history, and as tensions rise within the two families, old passions resurface. It seems that Gerard’s ‘accidental’ double booking may not be an accident after all…  from Goodreads

I picked this up at the library thinking it would be something light and romantic to listen to when decorating and wrapping for Christmas.  I had no idea that Madeleine Wickham and Sophie Kinsella were the same person!  Now I’ve read one book by each of the pen names and I think I can mark her off my list.

There wasn’t anything romantic about this one.  Two couples with kids end up staying at the same Spanish villa and none of them are all that likeable.  And then there’s cheating which doesn’t make any of them more likeable.  By the end they’ve turned into new and improved characters, I guess, but I didn’t really buy it.

The Accidental Bestseller by Wendy Wax. Finished 12-27-15, rating 3.5/5, fiction, 419 pages, pub. 2009

Once upon a time four aspiring authors met at their very first writers’ conference. Ten years later they’re still friends, survivors of the ultra-competitive New York publishing world. Mallory St. James is a workaholic whose bestsellers support a lavish lifestyle. Tanya Mason is a single mother juggling two jobs, two kids, and too many deadlines. Faye Truett is the wife of a famous televangelist and the author of inspirational romances: no one would ever guess her explosive secret. Kendall Aims’s once-promising career is on the skids-and so is her marriage. Her sales are dismal, her new editor detests her work-and her husband is cheating. Barely able to think, let alone meet her final deadline, Kendall holes up in a mountain cabin to confront a blank page and a blanker future. But her friends won’t let her face this trial alone. Together they collaborate on a novel using their own lives as fodder, assuming no one will ever discover the truth behind their words.  from Goodreads

I breezed through the second half of this novel in one day, not only because I wanted to finish before the end of the year, but because I really wanted to know what was going to happen. I was totally caught up in the story, so why only a 3.5 rating? The first half was all over the place with too many characters trying hard to make me care in only a few pages before moving on to someone else.  That first half was really slow going for me.

It’s a story about the publishing business, sure to appeal to readers and writers alike, and also the friendship between four women who supported each other through tough times.  It was solid and I’d happily read another by this author.

The Stranger. Finished 8-25-15, rating 3.5/5, thriller, pub. 2015

Unabridged audio read by George Newbern. 10 hours.

The Stranger appears out of nowhere, perhaps in a bar, or a parking lot, or at the grocery store. His identity is unknown. His motives are unclear. His information is undeniable. Then he whispers a few words in your ear and disappears, leaving you picking up the pieces of your shattered world.

Adam Price has a lot to lose: a comfortable marriage to a beautiful woman, two wonderful sons, and all the trappings of the American Dream: a big house, a good job, a seemingly perfect life.

Then he runs into the Stranger. When he learns a devastating secret about his wife, Corinne, he confronts her, and the mirage of perfection disappears as if it never existed at all. Soon Adam finds himself tangled in something far darker than even Corinne’s deception, and realizes that if he doesn’t make exactly the right moves, the conspiracy he’s stumbled into will not only ruin lives—it will end them      from Goodreads

It’s no secret that I’m a huge Harlan Coben fan.  He is a master of fast paced thrillers filled with quick wit and sharp dialogue.  The storylines always seem to have an element ripped from the headlines; in this case the ruse of the Stranger and his band of merry tech (wo)men seems to mirror the hilarity/debacle of the recent Ashley Madison hack.  Coben always has  a relatable hero and a common entry into the cat and mouse game his stories share.  This was not a favorite of mine for reasons I’ll go into next, but it’s solid and satisfying which is something I can always count on with Coben.

How frightening would t be if someone showed up out of nowhere and revealed a terrible secret held by someone you love?  Depending on the nature of the secret it would probably be devastating.  The Stranger has a small group who use the internet to track down secrets people didn’t even know were there and then they blackmail them.  Pay up or a loved one hears the news.  When Adam confronts his wife with what he found out she mysteriously disappears, leaving Adam to ask the wrong questions and make a few missteps.  His perfect life in the ‘burbs is threatened but he fears there’s more at stake.

I liked the idea of this one, but it went in so many different directions that it really felt pretty flimsy when it all came together.  Even Adam felt flimsy to me and he was supposed to be a sympathetic character!  The end was a surprise that I mostly liked so that helped end on a high note.  With all of the possibilities of the Stranger I was expecting more.

The Hard Way. Finished 4-26-15, rating 3.5/5, thriller, pub. 2006

Unabridged audio read by Dick Hill.  12 hours.

Jack Reacher series #10  (Killing Floor) (Die Trying) (Tripwire) (Running Blind) (Echo Burning) (Without Fail) (Persuader) (The Enemy) (One Shot)

Jack Reacher was alone, the way he liked it, soaking up the hot, electric New York City night, watching a man cross the street to a parked Mercedes and drive it away. The car contained one million dollars in ransom money. And Edward Lane, the man who paid it, will pay even more to get his family back. Lane runs a highly illegal soldiers-for-hire operation. He will use any amount of money and any tool to find his beautiful wife and child. And then he’ll turn Jack Reacher loose with a vengeance–because Reacher is the best man hunter in the world.

 

from Goodreads 

The last one was one of my favorites of the series so maybe that’s why this one fell a little short with me.  Reacher was still his ex-military, loner with a taste for justice self, but the focus this time around was fully centered on the kidnapping and while that was fine, it didn’t really elevate it above any other thriller.  Well, except for Reacher, he always elevates the story I suppose.  I just wanted more of him and his vigilante ways.  It goes without saying that he was able to convince a woman to sleep with him (I feel like every Reacher book should start with a disclaimer telling women reading the book not to try this at home – Do Not Sleep With Drifters Especially Ones With A Menacing Presence And No One To Vouch For Their Character). Anyway, the mystery part of the book was fine, with an interesting ending location, but it only left me wanting to read the next one since I didn’t quite get my fill of the badass Reacher that I’ve come to love.

So, how many of you are Reacher fans?  Are you obsessed with reading them in order like I am?

As You Wish. Finished audio 3-12-15, rating 3.5/5, memoir, pub. 2014

Unabridged audio read by Cary Elwes, Christopher Guest, Carol Kane, Norman Lear, Rob Reiner, Chris Sarandon, Andy Scheinman, Wallace Shawn, Robin Wright.

From actor Cary Elwes, who played the iconic role of Westley in The Princess Bride, comes a first-person account and behind-the-scenes look at the making of the cult classic film filled with never-before-told stories and interviews with costars Robin Wright, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, and Mandy Patinkin, as well as author and screenwriter William Goldman, producer Norman Lear, and director Rob Reiner.

The Princess Bride has been a family favorite for close to three decades. Ranked by the American Film Institute as one of the top 100 Greatest Love Stories and by the Writers Guild of America as one of the top 100 screenplays of all time, The Princess Bride will continue to resonate with audiences for years to come.

Cary Elwes was inspired to share his memories and give fans an unprecedented look into the creation of the film while participating in the twenty-fifth anniversary cast reunion. In As You Wish he has created an enchanting experience; in addition to interviews with his fellow cast mates, there are plenty of set secrets and backstage stories.

With a foreword by Rob Reiner, As You Wish is a must-have for all fans of this beloved film.

from Goodreads

My husband loves The Princess Bride (most people do) and he regaled me with stories from the book since he listened to it first.  I think because of the fact that he loved it so much, my expectations were just a bit too high.  There are excellent stories here, but I also found much of the storytelling repetitive.

The listening experience was great.  Cary’s charm came though loud and clear and it felt like I was listening to him sitting around reminiscing about his first summer at camp with kids who became like family (well, except that one of the campers drank beer and wine and liquor pretty much constantly).  It was nice and there was not a bad word to be found. It was refreshing.  Actors and others associated with the movie also came in to read their contributions to the book.  Seriously, Rob Reiner seemed liked the only person that was capable of pulling this off. I have newfound respect for him.

As for the movie making stories, any fan of the movie or even of the movie-making business, is going to love them.  I was cleaning out a cabinet after Jason had gone ga-ga over the book and he was thrilled that I pulled out an actual VHS tape of  The Princess Bride, which is funny because it’s these VHS tapes that Elwes credits with success of the film.  Needless to say Jason found our long-forgotten VHS player and watched it 😉  I admit that I’m tempted to do the same.

This is a fun listen for fans.

The Imopostor’s Daughter. Finished 10-25-14, 3.5/5 stars, Graphic Memoir, 247 pages, pub. 2009

Laurie Sandell grew up in awe (and sometimes in terror) of her larger-than-life father, who told jaw-dropping tales of a privileged childhood in Buenos Aires, academic triumphs, heroism during Vietnam, friendships with Kissinger and the Pope. As a young woman, Laurie unconsciously mirrors her dad, trying on several outsized personalities (Tokyo stripper, lesbian seductress, Ambien addict). Later, she lucks into the perfect job–interviewing celebrities for a top women’s magazine. Growing up with her extraordinary father has given Laurie a knack for relating to the stars. But while researching an article on her dad’s life, she makes an astonishing discovery: he’s not the man he says he is–not even close. Now, Laurie begins to puzzle together three decades of lies and the splintered person that resulted from them–herself.

from Goodreads

I’ve read a few graphic memoirs over the years and while they are not my favorite medium I find them a good change of pace and a chance to read a memoir I never would have taken the time for otherwise.  I liked this presentation, thick pages and fun, colorful illustrations.  A memoir is unlikely to be written unless there something out of the ordinary and in this case that something was Laurie’s father.

Laurie’s father was a liar/hot head/bully/thief and as Laurie became old enough to understand that he wasn’t the multi-diploma, Green Beret, spy that she thought he was her life fell apart.  As most young adults with Daddy issues she tried some ill-advised activities until she started to take charge of her life.

I didn’t love Laurie, mainly because I didn’t understand her need to ‘out’ her father in a story so publicly.  I became engrossed in her story but never warmed up to her (at least the graphic her) so this book was both good and bad for me.

I bought this one with my own money.

Fourth Down and Out. Finished 11-4-14, rating 3.5/5, mystery, 256 pages, pub. 2014

The job seems easy enough at first for private investigator Andy Hayes: save his client’s reputation by retrieving a laptop and erasing a troublesome video from its hard drive. But that’s before someone breaks into Andy’s apartment in Columbus; before someone else, armed with a shotgun, relieves him of the laptop; and before the FBI suddenly shows up on his doorstep asking questions.

Soon, there’s a growing list of people with a claim on the computer, all of them with secrets they don’t want uncovered. When one of those people ends up dead, Andy has his hands full convincing authorities he’s not responsible, while trying to figure out who is—and who’s got the laptop—before someone else dies. Soon the trail leads to the last place Andy wants to go: back to Ohio State University, where few have forgiven him for a mistake he made two decades earlier in his days as the Buckeyes’ star quarterback.

from Goodreads

It’s Rivalry Week here in Ohio.  We play that team Up North this Saturday so I thought it would be a good time to review this book about an ex-Ohio State quarterback.  Ohio State is a big school, when I was in the early 1990’s there were around 60,000 students on the Columbus campus.  Never a dull moment, especially on Game Day.  Football is king even when we had an excellent basketball team.  In 1995 as I was finishing up my student teaching I was out one night with a friend when she introduced me to Kirk Herbstreit and if football is king, quarterbacks are super-sized kings.  (And for those of you who are College Game Day watchers, yes Kirk is really that good-looking in person)  So, it’s obvious why this mystery set in Columbus appealed to me.

Andy did something bad and now years later, even after serving his time, Columbus still hates him (why he is stayed in Columbus is still a mystery).  He does some PI work to make ends meet and withstands the comments and glares from those who still recognize him.  When he takes a small job and agrees to wipe a laptop clean he becomes the target of violence and theft and not one to let things go he starts his own investigation that leads to more questions and danger.  He isn’t a particularly skilled PI but he gets the job done.

This is perfect for Columbus residents and college football fans.  The mystery itself becomes a little convoluted but the setting of Columbus is spot on and I loved revisiting the city I lived in 4+ years.  Especially notable is the German Village bookstore, The Book Loft that has 32 rooms of books in every nook and cranny and is a must visit if you are ever in the area.  I loved the nod to Ohio State football history in the naming of the main character and his dog.  Seriously how cute is the name Hopalong for a dog?

Author Welsh-Huggins is a long-time AP reporter and this is his first book and the beginning of a series about Andy.  I’m looking forward to seeing what Andy (and Columbus) is up to next.

Go Bucks!

Roadside Crosses. Finished 8-26-14, rating 3.75/5, mystery, pub. 2009

Unabridged audio 16 hours. Read by Michele Pawk.

Book 2 of the Kathryn Dance series. (Book 1)

Kathryn Dance, kinesics expert with the California Bureau of Investigation, made her first appearance in the Lincoln Rhyme series (Cold Moon) and then started her own series with The Sleeping Doll.  She is caught up in a string of nasty crimes that culminate with roadside crosses being left before the crime is committed nearby.  It all seems to stem from a blog post and the comments section. (Oh, to have such power!)  As she tries to track down all those who made a comment blaming a maybe innocent teen, she spends less time reading body language and more time relying on help from tech experts.  I think that’s what made this less enjoyable than the other two books with Dance.  This became a good mystery, but little to set it apart from other good mysteries.

This book was interesting from a blogger’s perspective since it showcased blogs, websites, social media and virtual gaming.  Deaver likes to educate on a given topic and when this was written in 2009 it probably was more cutting edge than today.  Still, for those three people still offline, this would be eye-opening.  It is a cautionary tale about how much of our lives and ourselves we put online for the world (strangers whose motives we don’t know) to see.  The longer I blog and comment the less I am aware of the lurking evil so this was a nice refresher for me 🙂

I like Dance and will read her next book, but I hope she uses more of her skills in reading people.

This was from my personal library.

The Lemon Orchard. Finished 9-15-14, rating 3.5/5, fiction, pub. 2013

Unabridged audio read by Blair Brown. Approximately 8.5 hours.

In the five years since Julia last visited her aunt and uncle’s home in Malibu, her life has been turned upside down by her daughter’s death. She expects to find nothing more than peace and solitude as she house-sits with only her dog, Bonnie, for company. But she finds herself drawn to the handsome man who oversees the lemon orchard. Roberto expertly tends the trees, using the money to support his extended Mexican family. What connection could these two people share? The answer comes as Roberto reveals the heartbreaking story of his own loss—a pain Julia knows all too well, but for one striking difference: Roberto’s daughter was lost but never found. And despite the odds he cannot bear to give up hope.

from Goodreads

Julia lost her daughter and her estranged husband in one instant and the grief is still fresh after five years.  As she and her dog Bonnie start to heal in Malibu it is the lemon orchard’s manager that provide’s a connection to her daughter and the bond between Julia and Roberto is the heart of the story.  As Julia tries to help Roberto find peace she also comes closer to peace herself.

I liked this gentle love story and the setting of Malibu, but I found the illegal/undocumented immigrant aspect to be somewhat overdone.  Roberto’s story of crossing the border would have been enough to tell of the horror and heartbreak, but it seemed to go further than that at times. It also had a few extra perspectives in the story, family friend Lion the most prevalent and the most head-scratching. Julia and Roberto were the only stories I wanted even though Lion was a likeable enough guy.  I still liked the novel and Julia and Roberto and I loved the end.

A must read for those who are interested in the border immigrant story.

I won this from Elyse at Pop Culture Nerd last year.