What Lies Between Us by John Marrs

Five much-deserved stars.

This might be the most perfect psychological/domestic thriller I've ever read. Let me tell you why.

What Lies Between Us is the story of Maggie and Nina, a mother and daughter whose lives are so intricately intertwined that it's hard to know where one begins and the other one ends. But as cliche as that sounds, this story is nothing of the sort. These two women are so vastly different and yet so similar that from one paragraph to the next you will find yourself rooting for one and then the other. The character development is divine.

Narrated in alternating chapters by Nina and Maggie, we are privy to each woman's life 25 years ago, when Nina was 14, and today when their dysfunctional relationship has reached its apex. Marrs begins the story with Maggie in her room on the top floor of the family home, where she has been chained and unable to escape for two years, ostensibly to punish her for something she did to her daughter many years ago. We aren't told what, exactly, and that's a big part of the allure of this book.

But it's not all. Marrs is striking in his ability to delve deep inside Nina's head, as both a teenager and an adult who comes to believe has had everything she ever wanted taken away from her through no fault of her own. She is passionate, obstinate and willing to do anything it takes to get what she wants and right the wrongs of long ago.

Bit by bit we learn about the mother/daughter relationship and how it became so inflamed. Marrs teases us with little pieces of the story here and there, never giving up too much so as to keep us guessing just a bit before dropping the next bombshell. And there are so many bombshells.

Yes, I had put some of the pieces of the puzzle together long before the truth was revealed, but this was one of the few books where I really didn't mind. I relished not knowing for sure and the way in which Marrs gave hints as to his characters' true intentions.

Everything about this novel is new and refreshing. What Lies Between Us sucks you in on page one and doesn't spit you out until that final scene of utmost perfection. I do feel like I've been through the wringer with this one, but that doesn't mean I won't go back and reread those last couple of chapters to experience again the perfect ending.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. See this review on Goodreads.

The Light in the Hallway by Amanda Prowse

I chose to read this beautifully written novel a month after I lost my mom to dementia. That's perhaps not the best timing on my part because the book opens with Nick losing his wife to cancer following a long battle with the disease. Prowse deftly maneuvers the emotions of watching someone close to you die: the pain, the grief, the rage and the guilt are written with such expertise as to ensure you'll need a box of tissues near you as you read.

When Kerry dies, Nick is left alone to see their son off to college, a son who refuses at first to acknowledge his mother's death. Soon, though, Olly experiences the entire range of emotions and Nick finds himself comforting a boy who is at odds with himself and his feelings.

The remainder of the book delves into moving on and beginning to find pleasure and happiness again. Nick finds a new friend and has to deal with his sister-in-law's and son's feelings about that. Prowse expertly writes Nick's character as a man who is both sympathetic but firm. I love how he handled all of the issues that were thrown at him.

Interspersed in the modern-day story are tales of Nick, Eric and Alex during the summer of 1992 when the three friends truly became best buds. I loved those stories so much that I found myself eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Prowse tidies things up nicely at the end for us. I'm not always a fan of that, but given the heartwrenching and emotionally draining beginning of the Light in the Hallway, I was happy to see where she went with the final chapter of the book.

Four well-deserved stars to this great read.

Many thanks for Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Read this review on Goodreads.

Little House on the Wasteland By Laura Ingalls-Wei

It's not often that I refer to a post-apocalyptic book as a "joy" to read because, well, the subject matter usually isn't that joyful, but it's the perfect descriptor here. Little House on the Wasteland is the story of Laura and her family and their desire to find some semblance of peace at a time when it's every man for himself.

We aren't privy to the year this story takes place or what caused the Great Bust that pulled the U.S. apart financially and physically, but we do know one thing: a plague (or "ague" as our characters refer to it) has wreaked havoc on the world and the things we take for granted in 2020 are no longer available. There is no electricity. No running water. No cars, trucks, buses, manufacturing, restaurants, newspapers. Even buildings and roads have gone by the wayside. It is what it is.

But you have little Laura, her two sisters and ma and pa eking out an existence in what was once Wisconsin. Until they can't any longer. And that's when they take to the (former) road in search of a new life in the wastelands, what once was the midwest.

This is the story of that journey and the trials and tribulations the family faces on that long trip. They must take shelter in places you and I wouldn't dream of. They must stand up to villains and those exhibiting signs of the illness. They must make friends with those they might not otherwise interact with and trust in people who might otherwise be untrustworthy.

When I call this story a joy, I mean that while the subject matter is tough and heavy and mostly not pretty, the writing is simply superb. The story elements are a delight and the character development deep and most worthy of something with the "Laura Ingalls" name attached. Our storyteller's cleverness with spelling and pronunciation made me laugh out loud at times, and I adored the song choices that dotted the pages of this read. I'd love to see a sequel.

Many thanks to Reedsy/Discovery for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Little House on the Wasteland is available here. See this review on Goodreads.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

If nothing else, this book is un-put-downable. Because--and this is no spoiler--we need to know what really happened and why Alicia won't talk.

Beyond the extraordinary plot, Michaelides really has a gift for developing the characters in the Silent Patient. Do we like or dislike Alicia? Depends on the day, I guess. Do we like Theo? And what about Elif, who's periphery character fascinated me.

There is a twist, of course, and it's a good one that I wasn't able to figure out until about 30 pages until the end. That's great news because I hate when it's given away too far in advance. It's how I was able to finish the book in three sittings (reading typically puts me to sleep, what can I say?).

Five stars to a well-written and conceived novel. So much fun! Find the Silent Patient here.

Good Talk by Mira Jacob

From the publisher: Mira Jacob's touching, often humorous, and utterly unique graphic memoir takes readers on her journey as a first-generation American. At an increasingly fraught time for immigrants and their families, Good Talk delves into the difficult conversations about race, sex, love, and family that seem to be unavoidable these days.

Inspired by her popular BuzzFeed piece "37 Difficult Questions from My Mixed-Raced Son," here are Jacob's responses to her six-year-old, Zakir, who asks if the new president hates brown boys like him; uncomfortable relationship advice from her parents, who came to the United States from India one month into their arranged marriage; and the imaginary therapy sessions she has with celebrities from Bill Murray to Madonna. Jacob also investigates her own past, from her memories of being the only non-white fifth grader to win a Daughters of the American Revolution essay contest to how it felt to be a brown-skinned New Yorker on 9/11. As earnest and moving as they are sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, these are the stories that have formed one American life.

I have to say, I couldn't put it down. I wasn't sure how I would like a graphic novel, although I had read a shorter one before. Turns out, I'm a huge fan! Or maybe it was just such a great book that I wasn't bothered by the art (nah, I loved the art!).

I was so intrigued by Mira's life (she's too dark, what??), particularly the interactions with her mother- and father-in-law during the 2016 election. And while I loved the Mira/Jed interactions, it was her conversations with Z that really grabbed me. I want to meet this kid!

I was so enthralled with this memoir that I sat and read it in two hours. Think I'll pick it back up and go through it for the art this time. You can pick up this book here.

side note - I had the good fortune of meeting and chatting with Ms. Jacob last year and I just loved her. She'd make a great dinner guest!

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

4.5 stars rounded up

Let me start by saying that in my book, Margaret Atwood can do no wrong. I've been a fan for decades, and that's not going to change anytime soon. I tend to love everything she puts her name to.

That said, there are a few problems with the Testaments. Others have said because of two of the three narrators, this book reads like a YA dystopian novel. I get that. And for that reason, this book doesn't have the heft that the Handmaid's Tale had.

We already know that Gilead is an abominable place to live, with a theocratic, misogynistic regime. So Atwood could either choose to further that story or take us into the future, to the end of the story, if you will. She chose the latter. And the story has a satisfying end, although I think I would have enjoyed learning more about how the men in power may have met their demise.

I think this series needs two more books. I'd like to read the story of how Gilead was formed. We get a bit of that in the TV show but aren't privy to it in the books.

I'd also like a book to bridge the gap between the Handmaid's Tale and the Testaments. Fifteen years have passed since "Baby Nicole" was smuggled from Gilead. I need to know what has happened since that time. You don't get many answers to that in this book.

I loved the Testaments, but others may be disappointed because it doesn't read like its predecessor. My only hope is that there is more to come.

See review on Goodreads and Amazon.

Last Couple Standing by Matthew Norman

Still not sure if this is a three-star or four-star book. The premise threw me off and was hard to get beyond. I'll be back with a full review.

Full review:

Three and a half stars, rounded down.

The writing in this book is fantastic, and for that reason alone it deserves three stars. It's the story that threw me for a loop because honestly, it's a subject that I really don't care for. I know there are a lot of people who have "relaxed" marriages or relaxed rules about marriage but that's just not my deal and I have a hard time sympathizing with couples who have problems following that decision.

The characters were well developed and likable even, though I absolutely found myself liking Mitch more than his wife, Jessica. And there wasn't a lot to like in the other characters, honestly, because they played such a small role, other than to refer to them as the "Core Four" more than once, which grated on my nerves.

And that bartender? OMG are you kidding? His whole story was absolutely unbelievable. You'll need some suspension of disbelief on this guy for sure. (The end of this book was absolutely absurd...every single bit of it, and it lost a star for that.)

All in all a decent read. If you like chick lit and/or you don't mind reading about open marriages, you'll probably love this. It just wasn't for me so much.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Killing the Girl by Elizabeth Hill

From the publisher: A perfect life, a perfect love – and a perfect murder.

For over forty years Carol Cage has been living as a recluse in her mansion, Oaktree House. Fear is her constant companion. She’s been keeping a secret – and it’s about to be unearthed.

When she receives a compulsory purchase order for her home, she knows that everyone is going to find out what she did to survive her darkest weeks in 1970. She writes her confession so that we can understand what happened because she wasn’t the only one living a lie. The events that turned her fairy-tale life into a living hell were not all they seemed.

She’s determined not to pay for the mistakes of others; if she has to face justice, then they will too.

Carol Cage has a terrible secret … and she’s about to exact retribution on everyone who had abandoned her.

My review:

"Maybe we all need an unattainable lover to keep us tortured but alive."

This is the story of Carol (the girl), a naive teenager who in 1970 falls in love for the first time with an older playboy. Obsessed with Frankie, Carol goes out of her way to impress him and show him she's worthy of his love. Even after she learns of his reprehensible behavior, Carol willingly remains in Frankie's clutches. That bodes well for Frankie, for a time, because what's most important to him is money, and with Carol by his side, he can weasel his way into her newfound inheritance.

Forty years later, Carol tells her story in the form of a diary, a confession she expects to be read when her home is torn down to make way for new roads. When Oaktree House comes down, so too will Carol's decades-long charade.

Killing the Girl is about lies and their consequences. It is about deep, dark secrets, murder and coverups, family and the relationships that feel like family. It is about defining happiness when we have no idea what is most important in life.

With a small-town backdrop and rich, fully-developed characters, Elizabeth Hill weaves a tale that is impossible to stop thinking about long after the story is done. Five well-deserved stars for Killing the Girl.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and BookSirens for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.


Killing the Girl by Elizabeth Hill was published April 14, 2019. Available here.

Who doesn't love books?

Did you know that more than 675 million print books were sold in the U.S. in 2018? U.S. book publishing is a $25.82 billion industry, and 65 percent of U.S. consumers read at least one book a year.

But for those of us who prefer fewer numbers, here's a stat for you: I LOVE books! What's not to like about opening a new book? The sound of a new spine cracking, the smell of newly-printed pages, the knowledge that this book will consume your free time for the next day, week, month. Even e-books hold a special place in our hearts, with the ability to take and read them anywhere, highlight special words or passages, write notes in the "margins" and easily refer back to whenever we feel the need.

My favorite genres are psychological thrillers, apocalyptic and dystopian, but often I find myself reading book club favs, the occasional memoir/biography and classics. My very favorite books include To Kill a Mockingbird, anything by Margaret Atwood and the Harry Potter series, to name a few. 

I've chosen to start this blog as a place to park my reviews and share notes on books in general. And my hope is that one or two of you will enjoy my musings enough to pick up a book or three as a result.

I review Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) for NetGalley, BookSirens and Reedsy. I also review at Goodreads, Amazon and now and then on Barnes and Noble.

Thanks for popping in and enjoy!