Crown Publishing provided an early galley for review.
When a book is about music, whether fiction or nonfiction, I definitely am interested. That's whaCrown Publishing provided an early galley for review.
When a book is about music, whether fiction or nonfiction, I definitely am interested. That's what drew me to this novel.
Right off the bat, I like the touch of the chapter titles being song titles. It can always give me an insight into an author by the titles chosen. They can't be random; they have to be meaningful. Some are existing songs while some are songs written by the character Joe in the novel. So, in this instance, it is different from any usage of this technique that I have encountered before. There is a link on the book's website to a Spotify playlist of the real-world tracks.
Brickley has penned a character-driven tale here; it is about the relationships between Percy and those in her life (friends, coworkers, boyfriends) over the course of the first decade of the new millennium. It is also about Percy finding herself, her place in the changing world. The narrative is a reflective mirror of the times with plenty of familiar sign posts and sounds along the way.
A quick online search revealed the author's website which includes Brickley's brief bio. It isn't hard to see that Deep Cuts has some semi-autobiographical elements to it (she and Percy moved through similar locations and careers at similar times). This appears to be very much a "write what you know" scenario (something we always talk about in the monthly writing group I moderate)....more
Dey Street Books provided an early galley for review.
The cover of this one looked enticing and grabbed my attention. As the turn of the millennium wasDey Street Books provided an early galley for review.
The cover of this one looked enticing and grabbed my attention. As the turn of the millennium was approaching, I remember distinctly reviewing my company's software products to see if there would be an issue for our customers when the calendars rolled over to year 2000. I also remember that New Year's Eve as we watched other countries around the world hit midnight before the East Coast did, breathing a sigh of relief as each one passed with no evident disaster.
Despite the age-gap between myself and the author (in 1999, I could have easily had a daughter who was eleven), I can certainly connect to many of her views in her ten essays. I too admit to being an owner of Smash Mouth's Astro Lounge CD after all. And I see how most recent current events (the end of 2024) would make one nostalgic for their youth. Only for me, it would bounce two decades prior (1977 to 1986).
Shade certainly was thorough with her research. Even having lived through these times, there were several things that had flown beyond my radar. It was enlightening to have some things put into context with others....more
Dey Street Books provided an early galley for review.
While I am certainly familiar with Swift's albums over the years (I was intrigued right from her Dey Street Books provided an early galley for review.
While I am certainly familiar with Swift's albums over the years (I was intrigued right from her debut), I would in no way consider myself a Swiftie. As for Sheffield's work, I have read a number of his books over the years so I consider him an entertaining author. The combination was enough for me to check this one out.
From the book it is clear that Sheffield is a huge fan as well as someone who has interacted with Swift many times over her career. He demonstrates his knowledge of her work as he walks readers through each of her albums with extra focus on several of his favorite tracks. We also get the biographical information, for those of us readers who are not up on all the details.
In the end, this book gave me a very strong urge to revisit her catalog myself with a much sharper ear....more
Victory Editing provided an early galley for review.
When a writer mentions my favorite artist ever (Prince) in his opening paragraph, I know I'm in goVictory Editing provided an early galley for review.
When a writer mentions my favorite artist ever (Prince) in his opening paragraph, I know I'm in good hands as a reader. In fact, all of his music references throughout the novel (summarized nicely as a playlist in the back of the book) very much hit home for me. Clearly I'm of the age for the audience of this novel.
Hailey quickly pulled me into his story about aging and coping as Funk gets drawn into Ronnie Slater's latest endeavor. Here we have two male characters in their middle age, slowly realizing that the world has changed from their younger days and wrestling with their own morality. As an older reader, this one definitely hit more than it would for me decades ago.
For a story that covers a very short narrative time period (four days total), sometimes the reader needs to accept the terms for the story for things to move along properly. Should certain characters be questioning things more? Absolutely. Should other characters not put up with the behavior and attitude given to them? Yes. But in the end the story still works out well, the themes explored and the message delivered. I am willing to make a few minor accommodations as long as the book is entertaining me, as this one most certainly did.
If there were ever a sequel, I'll definitely put it on my reading list....more
I recently heard about this title from a video on the Casually Comics on YouTube. This comic was by creators who I have enjoyed in the past (from theiI recently heard about this title from a video on the Casually Comics on YouTube. This comic was by creators who I have enjoyed in the past (from their work at DC Comics and other places) and sounded like something I might want to check out.
The story starts out in Vietnam in 1972 with an issue that would be right at home in any of the war comics that came out in the 1960's and 1970's. It very much has the mix of grime, violent reality with the fantastical. I can see the inspiration from old series like G.I. Robot here.
Then things jump to present day, and we're introduced to the residents of a small Indiana town. We feel the drama of the lives of Muddy Davis and his new neighbors, the Munn family. Johns and Frank really infuse that realism in their words and art. It is a solid experience.
Of course, being the first arc, we do not get all of the answers. We get a full story that could stand on its own as-is, but it definitely part of something bigger. These creators and others are setting up their own interconnected comic book universe after all....more
Penguin Group Putnam provided an early galley for review.
The allure of a story set in New York City is something I simply cannot resist. Combine it wiPenguin Group Putnam provided an early galley for review.
The allure of a story set in New York City is something I simply cannot resist. Combine it with an interesting, character-driven story and I'm ready to be entertained. That is certainly what is presented here in Finger's second novel.
The story moves along quickly, thanks in part to snappy yet natural dialogue. These were very honest, very believable characters. I felt comfortable jumping right into their world.
The dual narratives (1992 and 2022) can prove to be tricky. I get invested in one only to have the next chapter jump to the other. Part of me wants to read the chapters out of order just to stick to the time periods, but that's not what the author intended at all. Honoring the presentation is important.
All in all, a wonderful story about life, living and aging....more
America Fantastica, the latest from Tim O'Brien, will be published October 24, 2023. Mariner Books, a Harper Collins imprint, provided an early galleyAmerica Fantastica, the latest from Tim O'Brien, will be published October 24, 2023. Mariner Books, a Harper Collins imprint, provided an early galley for review.
While look through titles for upcoming ordering, the cover of this one jumped right out at me. Then the description was equally intriguing. I put it on my list to check out.
The story is contemporary with a backdrop of familiar current events at the time of writing. O'Brien uses the narrative parts to provide a bit of commentary on the state of those affairs here in the States as he discusses the grip mythomania (an abnormal or pathological tendency to exaggerate or tell lies) on our nation. The underlying themes of lies and truth are weaved throughout this novel.
The cast of characters, which swells right out of the gate, is varied and highlights the darker, morally questionable approaches to getting by in challenging situations. We're talking some truly ruthless people for fittingly ruthless time. On occasion, I found it difficult to keep track of everyone without a score card. O'Brien's dialogue reminds me of films by the Coen Brothers or Quentin Tarantino - where everyone is snappish and sarcastic.
At times, I felt this one didn't work for me but pressed on. In the end, I'm glad I did. This is one of those tales that will have you thinking about in the back of your mind long after you've finished the final page....more
Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson's Creek: How 7 Teen Shows Transformed Television will be published on June 27, 2023. Running Press provided an early galleyFreaks, Gleeks, and Dawson's Creek: How 7 Teen Shows Transformed Television will be published on June 27, 2023. Running Press provided an early galley for review.
Of the seven shows discussed by Glassman, I was a fan and avid watcher of four of them. The other three I was tangentially familiar, at best, before reading her book. Still, I was curious to see how she would weave them all together to present her theories as proposed in the book's overview.
Well...the first chapter on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air came across as a bit flat for me. It is the lone pure sitcom of the group (though it did have some "special episodes" in its run too). Granted, I might have gotten more out of this had I not read The Fresh Prince Project by Chris Palmer earlier this year. The details here were mostly a recap of what that earlier book presented in greater depth. I hoped that the rest of the book would be a bit more enlightening.
The chapter on My So-Called Life intrigued me enough to see if I could find it streaming somewhere. It sounds like a lot of care was put into that short-run show. In many ways, it reminded me of Freaks and Geeks, another short run show profiled in the book which I absolutely loved (in part, because the latter was a period piece which mirrored my own growing up in the late 70's and early 80's). Glassman did also remind me how much I loved Dawson's Creek, a show which I own entirely on DVD. I might need to rewatch that one again after this.
In the end, I was hoping for some kind of closing argument or at least a prominent through-line within the chapters to help support the thesis posed in the introduction. Unfortunately, we do not get much of one - barely three pages tacked on to the last chapter. As such, the book comes across as overviews and highlights of seven shows that, I suspect, the author really enjoyed during the 1990's and 2000's. Which is not a bad thing. I think it is just a missed opportunity is all.
Still, I would recommend this book to folks who are fans of the shows covered....more
None of This Would Have Happened if Prince Were Alive, the debut novel by Carolyn Prusa, releases on November 22 of 2022. Atria Books provied an earlyNone of This Would Have Happened if Prince Were Alive, the debut novel by Carolyn Prusa, releases on November 22 of 2022. Atria Books provied an early galley for review.
I have been devoted to Prince since 1981. I remember the day vividly when the news broke that he had passed on April 21, 2016. I was devastated, and I still feel that loss over six years later. So, no surprise, the title of this book immediately captured my full attention. I needed to read this one.
While Prince does get mentioned a few times over the course of 330+ pages (just over a half dozen instances, including song references), it is only in a very general sense. It is not overly critical to the tale, but it does add some familiar color to which I can relate. I appreciated that. It's something I could see myself doing in my own writing.
The book is really about a mother on the edge, trying to juggle everything and everybody in the midst of a natural disaster. Sticking with a Prince theme, "Let's Go Crazy" would be an apropos song to describe it. Throughout, there are numerous flashbacks that fill the reader in on Ramona's life before the harried events of the two-day present. As a writer myself, I noticed a few tricks that Prusa used in how the flashbacks were conveyed (sort of a way to put her own signature on them). Some of the flashbacks dropped in more seamlessly than others. As for the present day plot, it does not run an expected course which adds to the tension and stakes. The ending felt mostly resolved though open for potential further exploration of the characters if the author desired.
In the end, this was a quick and easy read. For those looking for something that moves with a general-friendly plot, this would qualify....more
The It Girl, the latest novel from New York Times bestselling author Ruth Ware, comes out on July 12, 2022. Galley Books provided me an early copy in The It Girl, the latest novel from New York Times bestselling author Ruth Ware, comes out on July 12, 2022. Galley Books provided me an early copy in exchange for this review.
We read Ware's Turn of the Key for our book club at the library last year. I had chosen that one because it was a contemporary thriller. Having enjoyed it, seeing this upcoming release quickly garnered my interest.
Ware has a knack of putting twists in her tales, something fairly common with the thriller/mystery genre. What I like about her work in particular is that she is very good at leaving breadcrumbs throughout the story so that when the revelation finally comes it is not out of leftfield. She clearly worked to get a conclusion that is logical and satisfying.
The book is written in a flip-flopping style of before and after. The before, told in past tense, sets up the backstory; the after, told in present tense, deals with the fallout. It is an effective narrative style that works well for this kind of tale. I particularly enjoyed the before chapters as they dealt with the characters as university students at Oxford.
I can see The It Girl turning up on a lot of summer and fall reading lists....more
This novel is scheduled for publication on July 12 of 2022. Harlequin Trade Publishing provided me an early galley to read in exchange for an honest rThis novel is scheduled for publication on July 12 of 2022. Harlequin Trade Publishing provided me an early galley to read in exchange for an honest review.
As a music fanatic, I really appreciated the author's various references to new-wave and alternative bands and songs. It gives the whole novel a built-in sort of soundtrack.
I have always had a fascination with New York City, starting from when I was a kid reading comic books and watching TV and movies. It always seemed like a vibrant, mythical place. The author captures that element of energy and mystery here. In my early 20's, I got the opportunity to visit the city a couple times and would always be open for returns there again.
What drew me into this book was the concept of these "shortcuts" in the city. They start out as a very mysterious, almost mystical concept that moves the story quickly from contemporary urban fiction into one that is fantastical. I think the idea is very genius and thus an intriguing foundation upon which to build the story of the characters involved.
Just as the shortcuts tend to leave the passers-through a bit disoriented, there were places in the narration where I as a reader felt that way. I am not sure that was the author's intention. That feeling seemed to pass as the story got back into the groove once more. Things really pick up when Jean and her various acquaintances band together to attempt to make everything right. The ending of the story seemed to pull together very quickly; I almost would have preferred some trimming of the earlier chapters to give the ending some space to breathe....more
This book will be released everywhere on April 26, 2022. Knopf Doubleday Publishing allowed me an early galley in exchange for an honest review.
Two thThis book will be released everywhere on April 26, 2022. Knopf Doubleday Publishing allowed me an early galley in exchange for an honest review.
Two things attracted me to this title as a possible read. First, the cover was very appealing. Second, the title evoked such a very specific imagery. Marrying ketchups is something restaurants do all the time - to combine what remains in some bottles to fill others back up. That phrase, that symbolism, is a perfect thematic metaphor for what the tale is about.
This story is very character driven, and author Jennifer Close does a great job developing her cast into a flowing familial quilt. She presents a family in transition, adjusting to the loss of its patriarch and a world full of change and uncertainty. On that latter point, it captured well that feeling so many had around 2016/2017 when the book is set.
One challenge, though, for any story is the anchoring of it to very specific times and events. On one hand, it can create a touchstone for those reading it (as it did for me). On the flip side, it can end up dating the book as the years move on and the reading encounters get further from that point. Another challenge is when there are political references - again important for this story. They are part of the background mostly, but they could alienate some readers (depending upon their viewpoint). In the past half dozen years, we've come to realize how polarized our society is. A bold choice by the author to address some of these things. I will give her extra props for the musical references from Gretchen's part of the story; I had to smile every time the name of her band was mentioned (pop culture fans like myself will get a tickle from that).
Overall, I enjoyed the story a lot. I was very happy to spend some time with the Sullivans and to get to know their family and lives....more