meghan_readsbooks's reviews
961 reviews

Thank you for the wonderful chance to read and review Great Circle from Maggie Shipstead. I have read her earlier books, which I enjoyed, but this... was superior and epic. I admit that the publisher/editor note at the beginning of the ARC about it being a truly excellent book was intimidating but also exciting as I am not sure I have seen a note like that before.


Though at times I do not like multiple perspective, multiple timeline stories, this one works so well because it is about the blending of the stories, of showing thoughtful parallels and yet also individual stories that were complete and satisfying. I am a fan of literary fiction and epic stories and this book just nails all of the best parts of literary fiction and epic journeys in books.

I love stories that focus on blurring, even fictional blurring, of lines between reality and arts (e.g., movies) and that focus on strong, complex, and confident women. I also loved that the story included a sibling focus in the earlier storyline with Marian and her brother James as I find sibling relationships filled with important nuance and complexity that I connect with. The connections that Hadley explored in her storyline, and how it brought development and growth, it felt so intense and vivid at times.

I saw another review that said rare is a book that makes you want to both keep reading and yet stop to take a breath and to also look up details and information to explore the book more in depth. I have to agree, this book kept unfolding and developing and expanding in good ways and the story is worth staying with, even for those who do not like longer books or multiple timelines. I also found that the focus on circles, closing them, expanding them, completing them and how this theme was drawn out to be rewarding, philosophical, and though provoking.

There was care and love for characters and their stories, this stood out to me and I appreciate reading a book in which the author seems to know and want to share her characters, and their voices, with the reader. This, and excellent detail and literary prose, stood out for me and make me enthused to share this book with others when it comes out. This is a book I will reread again soon as I want to go back with this appreciation in hand, talk about it with others, and share it in book club.

"Everything is in the before moment. That's where life is richest, in that moment of possibility and anti-say it, the audience screamed at the screen-pation. ... And then the ball finds its slot and the story ends even as it begins." (Dream Girls, Laura Lippman)
Thank you William Morrow and Custom House and NetGalley for providing access to Laura Lippman's new book Dream Girls for review. This was a great thriller and the ending, yes!! The almost tongue in cheek play on the idea in the quote above about anticipation, well done. I can feel who how Ms. Lippman was indeed waiting for the ball to find its slot with her plot and her resolution.

I am almost never fully satisfied by the end of a thriller and yet this one was just right, I really appreciated how Ms. Lippman took the reader on a complicated story, at times with shifting tone and focus, and generated some uncertainty in the reader about what kind of person Gerry Andersen really was and if how he viewed himself was really accurate (was he really a good man?), and then had such a delightful and insightful end that, for me, explained all of this. I appreciate the intentionality of the story and the creativity, and I think delight, Ms. Lippman showed in writing and sharing this story.

PLOT: Gerry Andersen, famous writer, is forced to consider his past relationships, his most famous character, and if he is losing his mind after an accident leaves him in the hands of a possibly manipulative nurse (themes of Misery are intentional and well respected, especially with a theme about books and movies and reality vs fiction woven into the plot.... it works!). Is he losing his mind, being gaslit, or is someone trying to hurt him and exact revenge for something he may or may not have done? Is he trying to create a past that misrepresents who he really is and was?

THOUGHTS: There is a lot to enjoy about this thriller, even horror, book. First, Ms. Lippman has a strong focus on intentionally creating confusion, I felt as unsure and even scared once or twice, about what was happening to Gerry... there is a create theme of anticipation and I just love how Ms. Lippman takes this seemingly small part of a memory, a former friendship, and then perhaps makes the whole plot about that theme.

Second, I love when writers weave in connections, purposefully, to other books and movies and shows a respect for her idea, plot, and the broader genres she is examining. In some ways Gerry is doing this work for her via his role as author, teacher, and of course protagonist and I appreciate those moments of connection to real world books, movies, and culture.

Third, I respect a slow burn that is also somehow a fast read. The book is atmospheric, at times does play with tone and style and I think intentionally makes you question if Gerry's own ideas about himself are really fair to others in his life... He seems unaware of the harm he has perhaps created, thinking himself a good man or just someone who can and does move on with his life... and yet, it seems it is this thinking and his past that are keeping him from now moving on after his accident. This is thought provoking as is the idea that a theme was how Gerry didn't want to write his memoirs and yet... this book becomes in a way his memoir. That was well done as well.

Fourth, as noted above, I loved the end. It made me smile and then sit back and say how interesting and I like how the end tackles some of what might be a criticism of the book (shifting tone, confusion or seeming inconsistencies with how Gerry is portrayed, moving alliances or sympathies) and makes it all work. It was rewarding to the reader and also respectful of the reader who might have been wondering about some of these aspects of the writing and the plot.

I think this is a great book for mystery lovers and worthy of thought provoking discussions in book clubs. I hope people appreciate the writing and plot development, how Ms. Lippman is playing with themes a bit, and that the plot is worth the time.

Wow, this was a fun listen/read, I appreciate the chance to listen to this atypical thriller (that's a good thing!) from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media. You Can Never Tell worked really well as an audiobook for me, the narration was well done and I like the mixing in of true crime information and how that part of the writing related to the narrative and plot. I am often drawn to listen to thrillers as I find it really fun to get caught up in the twists and turns during my commute and this one was really fun, particularly because it offered the insight that you know upfront something is not alright with the neighbors and then we learn more and more about that, along with a lot of complexity with Kacy's background (kacy is the protagonist). It really does get into the vibe that you don't know who your neighbors are and harkens back to all of the statements you often hear when a serial killer/murderer is caught: they seemed so nice, they were normal, good neighbors.... I guess you can never tell.

This was the fun twisty thriller that I enjoy listening to and even if I had moments of disbelief (would I have trusted Lena so easily after being so burned by a "friend" so recently... maybe, we tend to be trusting social creatures...?), I am willing to say this was a fun audiobook and one I recommend. I think this would also be a fun read for true crime/mystery book clubs in particular as it is a welcome change in how a serial killer story is told.

Thanks again for the chance to listen to this audiobook!

What a great introduction to a series, I am impressed by the plot and character development, I see strong potential here for a series I will return to and look forward to. The plot was immediately engaging, even breath taking at times with the pace and intrigue, and I found the relationship between the main characters to be realistic and incredibly well written. I appreciated the action and pacing along with excellent writing and style. I greatly appreciate this new series from Zoe Sharp and appreciate the copy from NetGalley and Bookoutoure. I look forward to the next book and hope it is published soon!

I requested this book as it was recommended for fans of Kendra Elliot and I really enjoy her books and I am so glad it was recommended to this fan base, the suggestion makes a lot of sense!

recommended for mystery and thriller fans, my mystery book club will be hearing about this as one of my selections at our October book picking party.

I was completely delighted and engaged by this wonderful debut. The story of Molly as a hotel maid who perceives and interacts with the world through what I consider a neurodiverse lens is well executed and the plot that has her inadvertently involved in a murder mystery and related crimes unfolds effectively and clearly.

Ms.Prose presents us with a character who loves, truly loves, her job as a maid; the job is appealing for how organized it is, the focus on cleanliness and organization and precision, and how it allows Molly unexpected chances to observe human behavior.

Early in the story, just as we sense that Molly is someone who sees more and understands more than most realize, the plot moves into a focus on murder and crime: Molly discovers the body of a regular, and seemingly important and powerful, client in his hotel room. Was he murdered? Why? What secrets are lurking within the hotel rooms? What truths might Molly be unwittingly a part of through inadvertent chance encounters? Does Molly have a secret too? Ms. Prose moves us through a thoughtful, subtly funny, and highly engaging narrative that leads to answers to these questions, though I found myself still having more and more questions about what else Molly has seen.

Overall, The Maid from Nita Prose was for me a strong mix of character study within a strong, well developed and efficient plot; I loved how genuine Molly the maid was, how Ms. Prose avoided making her a caricature or stereotype of neurodiverse people and instead presented me with a character who was logical, straightforward, but also nurturing and compassionate in her own way. In a way this story became a coming of age story, filled with character growth and triumphs, and a space for a genuinely fun and charismatic and unforgettable character to take hold my heart.

Overall, The Maid from Nita Prose was for me a strong mix of character study within a strong, well developed and efficient plot; I loved how genuine Molly the maid was, how Ms. Prose avoided making her a caricature or stereotype of neurodiverse people and instead presented me with a character who was logical, straightforward, but also nurturing and compassionate in her own way. I found the points about how women like Molly can be seen as/treated as invisible, both in terms of her job and how she interacts with the world, were particularly thoughtful as Ms. Prose makes it clear that Molly is anything but invisible, she sees and understands human behavior with particular insight and understanding and is written as vivid and passionate person. I also loved the mystery/crime story, it was an efficiently told story that had some additional points about other ways we treat/make people feel invisible (abuse, treatment of immigrants), I found the weaving in of the mystery with this theme of how we see and treat people as important and effective.

I highly recommend this book for fans of Eleanor Oliphant and Bernadette (where'd you go Bernadette?) and found some charming comparisons to Finlay Donovan in terms of inadvertent and accidental involvement in crime. I think this would be a wonderful book for many book clubs, readers who like strong female protagonists and quirky voices. and for fans of contemporary fiction and mysteries.

I loved Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (thank you NetGalley and Doubleday for this book and for supporting the publication of this amazingly insightful, humorous, and charming novel). I finished this book last night and miss being in the vibrant world and voices in this novel.

What a deceptively smart, witty, and wonderful book, I am all in for Elizabeth Zott as one of my new favorite protagonists, along with her wonderful friends (I love a book with such well developed., vibrant supporting characters, worthy of their own book particularly Harriet). I appreciate that I went into this book thinking it would be a light, charming story about a quirky woman and ended up with so much more, I loved the depth of how intelligent Elizabeth was, that she was seen as worthy for her brain but at times also her physical strength (rowing), the very clear and very real (still) experiences with misogyny in the workplace/academic spaces, and simply how this book took it's time, went at a pace that just let the story unfold in a way that felt like this is how life feels, things happen and people come in, and out, of lives. I also appreciate how Elizabeth found people who understood her, who were real and interested in who she was and in her talents, and that her daughter Mad was given a strong voice, not just written as a background child character but as a relevant voice, a character that is written with respect for how amazing young people are (similar to Bee in Where'd you go Bernadette). Finally, I also liked that this book had scientific details, depth with stories and nuance with work and rowing and cooking and simply daily lives; I never felt short changed reading this book and felt that Ms. Garmus showed a lot of respect for her characters and for readers by writing with such detail and affection for all of the voices she has created.

This is such a valuable book as it covers so many discussion worthy themes. This is surely going to be a popular book club choice for a while, I will be recommending it to my reading groups and also to my women's book club at work (very relevant there). I can't wait for the next book from Ms. Garmus.

I will share my genuine joy and love for this book and Bonnie Garmus's amazing characters in many places:
where to find my review around publication date:
https://www.dont-stop-reading.com/
https://www.instagram.com/pageus_of_books/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/131395833-meghan-pageus
amazon
B&N
https://twitter.com/PageUs_Meghan
and this one will be listed on some of my lists as a bookshop.org affiliate

What an impressive debut, I was truly fascinated by how Charmaine Wilkerson approached this complex family drama. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the chance to read and reflect on Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson.

I was impressed by how this book used the idea of a cake recipe, a family tradition/history surrounding this cake (And a cultural tradition as well) to unveil a generational family drama. I was surprised, in a good way, by the tension and suspense around a family mystery and intrigued by the unfolding of the stories from different perspectives and timelines. I appreciated how the author chose to let the story unfold in small stories, memories, and through the story of this cake/the recipe, it was clever and engaging. I am not sure if I have quite read a family drama like this one and I admire the thoughtful elegance in how this story conveys interesting ideas about identity, culture, race, and family.

My one quibble likely stems from my having to read this over several days and in short chunks, ( work/sickness, life got in the way) as I found it hard to keep track at times of characters and timelines. I think this book would have been more powerful for me if I had the time to read it in a shorter amount of time; this is no fault of the book or author and more a tip for future readers! Others of course may like to savor the short chapters and how this story is told.

I look forward to more from Ms. Wilkerson, it is exciting to read such a powerful and thoughtfully written debut. I can see this being a popular book for readers and book groups, especially those seeking to talk about race and culture and identity.

I enjoyed aspects of this book and feel it worked well as an audiobook, the narration was strong and I appreciate that work of the voice actor. Overall though this was just alright for me, I would recommend it for general thriller lovers and those looking for a quick thriller audiobook
Three big comments.
1. this was a story filled with characters that just were not likable, even mean spirited for no strong reason, and for the indeed poor decision making shown. I am not sure if the characters were really reckless as much as they were selfish and fairly short sighted.
2. Language... I love a bad word, really I do and I use them often but oddly the use of swear words was heavy at times and felt forced, not needed and really not how even unlikable characters would talk.
3. The ending, some of it worked for me but the epilogue.. not sure if it worked or if the ending should have been a bit earlier for more pow.