THE DOORMAN is my first read by Chris Pavone, but so many people loved his last book, Two Nights in Lisbon, so I knew that I wanted to give this authoTHE DOORMAN is my first read by Chris Pavone, but so many people loved his last book, Two Nights in Lisbon, so I knew that I wanted to give this author a try and I'm so happy that I did!
The story mainly takes place at the Bohemia, one of New York City’s most exclusive buildings. Our protagonist is doorman Chicky Diaz and he stands at the threshold between its elite residents and the chaos of the streets. Inside, lives unravel—Emily Longworth, trapped in a loveless marriage bound by an ironclad prenup, and Julian Sonnenberg, facing a failing career, a crumbling marriage, and a life-threatening diagnosis. But as protests rage outside and tensions rise within, Chicky faces his own crisis—tonight, for the first time in thirty years, he’s carrying a gun, and before his shift ends, someone will die.
This book is a lottttttttt! I ventured into this story via audiobook and I highly recommend that route. Chris Pavone delivers a gripping thriller where class divides run deep and power is wielded through wealth. With a very well drawn-out cast spanning all socioeconomic backgrounds, Pavone masterfully blends suspense with social commentary. So many moving parts and thoroughly a political thriller. Trigger warnings as it really dives into the juxtaposition of what is going on in American politics right now. Fast-paced and thought provoking, THE DOORMAN will captivate fans of Harlan Coben and John Grisham. ...more
Do not go into Velvet Was The Night thinking that you'll be getting the gothic horror and magic of Mexican Gothic, because you'll be disappointed.Do not go into Velvet Was The Night thinking that you'll be getting the gothic horror and magic of Mexican Gothic, because you'll be disappointed. Taking place in 1970s Mexico, we follow two central characters—Elvis and Maite. Elvis is a criminal, growing up in a life of crime with regret. His life started out with chaos and he just couldn't overcome his environment. Elvis struggles with accepting his past at times, but also enlists to join the Hawks, a group of individuals tied to organized crime and government corruption with just as dark pasts as Elvis. At the same time, we are introduced to 30 year old secretary Maite. Maite seems to live a pretty straightedge life of work and romance stories. However, Maite gets more than what she bargained for after helping out her neighbor and cat sitting while she is away. As Maite starts diving deeper into a world she has never seen before, the two main characters' roles in the polticial uprising of 1970s Mexico begin to intertwine.
One aspect I love of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's storytelling previously was her ability to slowly build the atmospheric undertones around the plot. While she does do that in Velvet Was The Night, it falls a bit flat for me because the pay off isn't some dark, magical, sinister turn. I enjoyed the political historic content in this book, but ultimately was expecting something a bit different. Kudos to the author for being able to pivot and still provide an engaging story, but I'll make sure to go in with different expectations going forward. I will probably have an unpopular opinion, but please note that I still enjoyed the story for what it was! 3 stars isn't a negative review. I will still pick up anything Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes, and I think this book will be favorably reviewed by those who want something a bit more realistic and less fantasy. ...more
Girl in the Rearview Mirror is a domestic/family drama with a political thriller flair. This book's slowburning build-up really didn't amount to tGirl in the Rearview Mirror is a domestic/family drama with a political thriller flair. This book's slowburning build-up really didn't amount to the amount of action I was expecting. The characters weren't likable and the plot wasn't anything super original. It's definitely a good beach read, but it just wasn't for me. ...more
What makes Empty Hearts so intriguing to me is that it talks about an upcoming soon-to-be-seen future for what our society may amount to. Donald TWhat makes Empty Hearts so intriguing to me is that it talks about an upcoming soon-to-be-seen future for what our society may amount to. Donald Trump's presidency is over, and Brexit has been completed, but now, we have France leaving the European Union (as the book describes, Frexit). The global economy is widely uncertain—where those who are wealthy, keep getting richer, but the middle class's economic stability is basically in shambles. Germany is in a political nightmare—with violence conflicts and a totalitarian-populist movement growing within the country. Nobody watches live television or looks at their smartphone without a reason, because society is constantly becoming more corrupt and dark.
Britta, her husband Richard, and her daughter live a very easy life compared to those of their friends and peers. Britta works at a clinic that specializes in suicide prevention, but is also secretly working at a lucrative underground black market company, known as The Bridge. The Bridge is a collective, that is basically the mastermind behind suicide bombing attempts by terrorist organizations and has become the leader in any focused terror plots in the current society. When a suicide bomber attack is shown on television, Britta is stunned that this attack was not part of The Bridge's operation. As Britta and her employee, Babak, investigate this suicide bombing attempt, they realize that there's a rival terror organization growing within Germany, known as the Empty Hearts. The Empty Hearts organization is vastly growing and they are coming for The Bridge.
Doesn't Empty Hearts just sound completely dark, twisted, and weirdly possible? This story definitely triggered me multiple times, because ever since Donald Trump won the 2016 Presidential Election, I have been curious about the global economy. Empty Hearts elaborates on that curiosity and turns the world upside down. Peripherally, Empty Hearts is a dystopian political thriller, but at it's core is a family-drama. This novel is dark, original, and highly organized.
If you're looking for a quick read thats different, Empty Hearts might be the book for you. At times, I felt that the writing was too dry, and not emotionally driven enough for my liking (hellloooo, we are in a combative dystopian future!), but this could've been because of the book's translation from German to English. I'm excited to see Juli Zeh's upcoming Empty Hearts reach the United States audience!...more
“When I sat with Putin in meetings, he looked more like one of those guys on the subway who imperiously spread their legs wide, encroaching on everyon“When I sat with Putin in meetings, he looked more like one of those guys on the subway who imperiously spread their legs wide, encroaching on everyone else’s space, as if to say, ‘I take what I want,’ and ‘I have so little respect for you that I’m going to act like I’m lounging at home in my bathrobe.’ They call it ‘manspreading.’ That was Putin.” LOL sorry but this is hilariously accurate.
Hillary Rodham Clinton's What Happened is a brilliantly written, deeply honest, humbling account of her upbringing, family life, and of course - her 2016 run for President. I will keep my review short and as objective as possible, as I do not want to be attacked by trolls (which is also covered explicitly in an entire section of this memoir), nor do I want my review to be baiting to anyone politically. Coming into this with an open mind, Hillary takes accountability for her mishaps in the election; how the media and the press, along with Russian intelligence and Wikileaks helped shape Donald Trump into being the 45th President of the United States. I thoroughly enjoyed Hillary's candor in regards to how they campaigned in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. She also dives into the Flint, Michigan water crisis and other varying social controversies taking place in modern day America. I thoroughly enjoyed that the book was broken up into distinct sections, where for the most part could be read at its own pace, and not consecutively. It was refreshing to see her own up to campaign oversights while also being vulnerable like a normal human being. The media has portrayed her to be robotic and unsympathetic to the average American. After reading What Happened, they couldn't be further from the truth....more