It's nearly impossible to imagine what it might be like to walk in Amanda Knox's shoes, but her new book "Free: My Search for Meaning" is certainly a It's nearly impossible to imagine what it might be like to walk in Amanda Knox's shoes, but her new book "Free: My Search for Meaning" is certainly a good place to start.
Knox goes into some detail about the crime that unfortunately made her famous—the murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher while they both studied in Italy as college students—but that's not what the book is primarily about. Knox spends most of the time reckoning with the realities of prison, unwanted (and unwarranted) fame, and the continuing attempt to reclaim her truth and her life. It's brutally honest, moving, hard to relate to, but ultimately enlightening and inspiring. I'm totally baffled by people convinced of Amanda's guilt; Rudy Guede 100% murdered Meredith, and there's evidence to prove it! So why are there people who don't even KNOW his name, but DO know of and blame Amanda Knox?! If that question interest you—or you're one of those people!—you should pick this one up and be prepared to do some introspection.
The most inspiring part of this book to me, surprisingly, centered around her experience in prison. In this early section of the book, Amanda ruminates on the idea of freedom, and what it can mean to live a meaningful life regardless of your physical circumstances. She emphasizes that freedom can sometimes be more of an idea than a condition, and acceptance and purpose can exist even in the most traditionally un-free-seeming situations. And in fact, she confesses that she at times felt more of a prisoner once she was released because of all the media attention on her. She comes to the conclusion that she can't really win in the court of public opinion, and there comes a point where she shouldn't really try. All she can do is continue speaking the truth, and speaking out against the injustice that she faced to try to bring attention and hope to those in the same situation.
Amanda also spends a lot of time detailing the evolving relationship between her and her one-time prosecutor, and her drive to understand him and reconcile their adversarial positions. She accepts that though she may not ever get him to admit he was wrong or declare her innocence, she can meet him where he is and lead with empathy for his position. Empathy seems to be a main driver of mosts of her actions and interactions, and this informs her worldview and what she tries to communicate to us throughout this book.
So even though Amanda Knox's life has been extraordinary, her book "Free" tells a supremely human story full of heartbreak and healing. I really felt that I got to know her through this book, and I highly recommended giving it a read if you're at all interested in themes of wrongful conviction, trial by media, human connection, overcoming trauma and redemption. And a lot of other things too. 4.5/5 stars and a lot to unpack.
[Thanks for NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advance reader copy of this book!]...more
This was a kind of intense and apocalyptic read, so be prepared before you pick this one up to dive into some dark themes.
It does take a while to getThis was a kind of intense and apocalyptic read, so be prepared before you pick this one up to dive into some dark themes.
It does take a while to get to Harari's examination of how AI might change the world as we know it—and how it differs from any other communication/information dissemination tool that preceded it—but I appreciated how deeply he explores the history of information and how it's been shared over the course of human history. And I was especially interested in the more political chapters, in which he discusses how different systems of government use (and hide) information according to their goals. Ultimately, information on its own is kind of meaningless; we think "more" information is always a societal good, but in reality the way it's framed, shared, and interpreted has everything to do with what it actually means. And traditionally, those manipulations have always been done by humans, and for better or worse we could come to understand (even if we don't agree with) the thought behind them.
This is why AI�"alien" rather than "artificial" intelligence, in Harari's lexicon—is so potentially transformative; because it is the first tool that actually has the capacity to make decisions about how to share information without the impetus of a human. It might even generate information on its own! The printing press can't print newspapers by itself, and so relies on human inputs to generate any impact. But how can we really know what AI will be capable of in the next 5 years even? Social media algorithms are a great illustration of this danger: given a goal of driving more engagement, these AIs push radical and often hateful content because it captures more attention and thus spurs more hate. It's toxic for our society, and it's scary to think of even just that technology continuing to spiral beyond human control. And that's not even accounting for what's coming.
Sorry for the doom and gloominess, but this one really freaked me out. Hopefully the powers that be are asking the right questions and setting up the right guardrails, but I'm not feeling too confident in this moment... ...more
"From Here to the Great Unknown" was an honest and interesting read, but the narrative was quite disjointed at times. I wish the book had gone deeper "From Here to the Great Unknown" was an honest and interesting read, but the narrative was quite disjointed at times. I wish the book had gone deeper into some of Lisa Marie's relationships, which I think would've painted a clearer picture of how she related to people in her future. For example, the relationship between Lisa Marie and Priscilla was obviously really fraught, but I felt like we got more of an accounting of both of their actions rather than an exploration of their impact? And of course, Lisa Marie's relationship with Elvis was in a way the center of this book, but it weirdly felt like Lisa Marie didn't do much examination of how this relationship both shaped and damaged her.
Unfortunately I do think this lack of depth affected my connection to the book, as I didn't really come away feeling like I knew who Lisa Marie Presley was. To be fair, she acknowledged in the book that she herself really didn't know who she was, so maybe that *is* the takeaway? And her daughter Riley Keough did a really fantastic job at filling in some of the gaps, and I really really appreciated the insight and color that she added to the story. This is probably why the second half of the book actually resonated with me more; because Riley Keough was doing most of the storytelling, it felt more introspective and analytical rather than a simple rehashing of what happened.
Though this wasn't the most coherent telling of a life story, it was clear how much fame and tragedy drove Lisa Marie's life and choices. It was tough to read about her struggles, but I definitely appreciate the vulnerability it takes to even pursue a memoir like this when you've lived your whole life in the spotlight....more
"Julie Chan is Dead" was fast-paced and very easy to read, and would be a great choice for anyone looking for a popcorn thriller with a bit of a crazy"Julie Chan is Dead" was fast-paced and very easy to read, and would be a great choice for anyone looking for a popcorn thriller with a bit of a crazy edge.
The premise of this book sounded unique and intriguing—a woman finds her mega-successful influencer twin sister dead and decides to take over her life—and as a twin sister myself I was itching to dive in. And unraveling Chloe's secrets was enough to keep me hooked! But as Julie got deeper into the mystery of her sister's life, the plot started unraveling for me too.
It was fun to explore the idea of toxic influencer culture, and the book definitely had a lot to say about it, but there was some literal craziness that was too much for me to buy into. This craziness itself I think is part of that exploration, but I think I can appreciate while also not totally loving it. Some of that is surely personal preference, though, and I know others will enjoy the twists here! I prefer clever-but-realistic thrillers, and this one dips a toe into otherworldly, unguessable territory. To each their own!
I was also somewhat unsatisfied with the ending, though I will say the wrap-up could've been MUCH worse so kudos for not entirely letting us down. So it's a middle-of-the-road three stars from me; I enjoyed the ride, but it was a little too all over the place for me to merit more stars.
[Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance reader copy of this book!]...more
Though it took me a while to get through, I ended up really enjoying "Murder at Gulls Nest"! I related to our protagonist (and former nun) Nora, who wThough it took me a while to get through, I ended up really enjoying "Murder at Gulls Nest"! I related to our protagonist (and former nun) Nora, who was thoughtful, interesting, and didn't make exceedingly dumb decisions like other mystery main characters tend to do in order to heighten the tension. The progress of her investigation into the disappearance of her friend Frieda—and the subsequent murders of several residents at Gulls Nest—did drag on a bit, and I think that slow pacing hampered my overall enjoyment and desire to keep picking up the book. I was pulled in every time I opened it, but once I put it down I was never really itching to pick it back up again.
I also thought the revelation of the murderer came a bit too suddenly, without enough clues for the reader to make a good guess about what was really going on. And there were other moments where Nora would seem kind of stalled in her progress, then to suddenly just figure something out or confront someone without much context for the reader about how she got there. This type of uneven pacing was a recurrent theme in the construction of the story, and knocked off a few stars for me.
But still, the setting was cozy and mysterious, the characters were intriguing, and their relationships were appropriately tangled to keep my interest throughout. 3.5/5 stars from me!
[Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance reader copy of this book!] ...more
This was a really lovely read about a simultaneously remarkable and relatable life. Kelly Bishop was always unapologetically herself, and I really enjThis was a really lovely read about a simultaneously remarkable and relatable life. Kelly Bishop was always unapologetically herself, and I really enjoyed learning about how that attitude shaped her life and her success. If you enjoyed Gilmore Girls you will absolutely appreciate this memoir, but I think anyone can benefit from spending some time with Kelly Bishop—especially via the audiobook!
I had a really good time with "The Wedding People," and the relatable and human characters at its center. The plot didn't necessarily move all that quI had a really good time with "The Wedding People," and the relatable and human characters at its center. The plot didn't necessarily move all that quickly (or much at all), but honestly I think that worked in a book like this that was primarily focused on character development. All the main characters well multi-faceted and well fleshed out, and I appreciated getting to know them all on a deeper level. People are frequently more complicated than we give them credit for, and it's a good reminder not to assume anything about the inner workings of people's lives and minds.
"The Wedding People" was at times both funny and sad, but I appreciated it ending on a hopeful and encouraging note. You'll probably see where this one's headed from a mile away, but enjoy the ride because it's a sweet one. ...more
"You Are Fatally Invited" has a description that immediately called to me—a locked-room mystery with a faceless host who might be killing off guests o"You Are Fatally Invited" has a description that immediately called to me—a locked-room mystery with a faceless host who might be killing off guests one by one? WHERE DO I SIGN UP.
The book's construction was brilliant, using a multiple-POV structure that elevated the intrigue of every character and made guessing both fun and challenging. As the stakes rose, the flow of information kept pace to make puzzling things out more and more possible. And the reveals at the end were appropriately twisty and shocking; you might have to suspend a little bit of disbelief about how it's all possible, but trust me that it is entirely worth it!
There were a lot of characters, and it was hard at times to keep everything straight as I raced through the pages... but I honestly didn't really want to slow down for a minute to catch my breath. The pace, story, and characters were that good. This was a perfect thriller adventure, with a great balance between complexity and figure-out-ability. And this being a debut, I absolutely cannot WAIT to see what Ande Pliego does next! 4.5/5 stars, rounded up.
[Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for an advance reader copy of this book!]...more
I know we're supposed to not judge a book by its cover, but COME ON. <3
"The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year" was a super quick, super cute read thatI know we're supposed to not judge a book by its cover, but COME ON. <3
"The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year" was a super quick, super cute read that was the perfect blend between mystery and romance. This seems like a fairly common/obvious genre combo, but once I started thinking about it I actually don't know that I've heard of another successful book that utilizes both? Or I've certainly never read it. BUT NOW I WANT TO.
Ok so I said "perfect blend" but I actually could've had a littleeeee more mystery and less romance... but that's just me and my year-round spooky vibe. The romance was a little cheesy at times (and the male main character was a little over the top with his heart eyes), but don't think too hard about it and you'll have fun. And the mystery was both puzzling and intriguing enough to sustain my interest throughout the book.
I'd recommend waiting until the holiday season to pick this one up for absolute maximum vibes—so sorry if you didn't get to it in 2024—so put it on your list and start counting down the days til next Christmas! 4.5 stars, rounded down for Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ ugh. ...more
So I fear I have another new favorite author to add to my list!?!? Sorry bank account, we've found one more auto-buy.
I adored Emilia Hart's debut noveSo I fear I have another new favorite author to add to my list!?!? Sorry bank account, we've found one more auto-buy.
I adored Emilia Hart's debut novel, "Weyward," and was so excited to get my hands on her next title. And "The Sirens" absolutely lived up to my expectations and then some!
First, Hart's characters are so layered and real. Even when they're going through hell, I enjoy the experience of being in their heads because they are so relatable and raw. She also sets a really fantastic, atmospheric scene in this book; both the past and present timelines felt appropriately eerie, and that effort really sucked me into the story itself.
There's a good bit of the supernatural/mystical here, so be prepared to buy in if you pick this up. I promise you, it's well worth it! And yessss, you will definitely also find female rage in these pages—it's tough to read at times, but there's a lot of catharsis in it too.
Five wonderful stars.
[Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance reader copy of this book!]...more
"Cackle" sounded like it was going to be so cute and charming and lightly spooky, but I just found it to be SUCH a slog to get through. The plot (??) "Cackle" sounded like it was going to be so cute and charming and lightly spooky, but I just found it to be SUCH a slog to get through. The plot (??) moved painfully slowly, and nothing really happened for a majority of the book even though you knew exactly where it was going from probably the 15% mark. And it took way too long to introduce Ralph, who ended up being the best character.
I know you think you want to read it, but save yourself the trouble, pet. You know this story already. ...more
Because "Listen for the Lie" centers on a podcast investigation, I highly recommend the audio version of this read! The podcast snippets add a lot to Because "Listen for the Lie" centers on a podcast investigation, I highly recommend the audio version of this read! The podcast snippets add a lot to the experience, not only because there's a little jingle to introduce them. :)
Even beyond the audio flair, I really enjoyed the story and the way it was constructed. The characters were interesting (especially our protagonist Lucy, who was flawed but also funny and relatable), the pace was lightning fast, and the end reveal was surprising but also satisfying. Sure, I had to suspend a little disbelief; but I literally finished the book in a single day so interpret that information as you will.
Finally, a much-discussed book this year that actually does live up to the hype! ...more
The brilliant title alone honestly merits giving this one a try. This one was WILD AND CRAZY but in the best way for a memoir!
I highly recommend listThe brilliant title alone honestly merits giving this one a try. This one was WILD AND CRAZY but in the best way for a memoir!
I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version of "Dinner for Vampires," which is read by the author and lends such levity to an insane story. She also does great voices for some of the characters (and names them cleverly for what I assume are legal reasons), which made for a really engaging listening experience—I suppose we might expect this from an actress, but it still surprised and delighted me! I could NOT stop listening.
I've never actually watched "One Tree Hill," the show for which Bethany Joy Lenz is known, so don't hesitate if you're not already familiar with her or her work; she actually doesn't go too much behind-the-scenes of the show, as it's clear that the isolation of her cult life impacted her connections to the show and her coworkers. You won't necessarily be dazzled by her life as a TV star, but you'll absolutely be blown away by her storytelling, her honesty, and her bravery.
It can be hard to relate at times to the seriousness of Lenz's religious convictions, but it's easy and sad to see how effectively she was manipulated and taken advantage of as a vulnerable girl who just wanted a place to belong. Lenz doesn't shy away from showcasing her own failings and questionable decision-making, but she certainly paints a clear picture of how anyone can be pulled into a warped reality without realizing it. But even though she has to really claw her way out of cult life, and loses almost everything she has, Lenz still ends with a message of hope that escape is always possible and support is out there.
It's scary stuff, but an important read for sure. You can't always support others at the expense of yourself, or you might end up losing sight of what makes you, you [yes, I'm speaking about Lenz's dream of making it on Broadway :'( ]. ...more
I very recently finished Riley Sager's "The Only One Left," and I think it spoiled me a little bit because I found this one to be just ok. I was reallI very recently finished Riley Sager's "The Only One Left," and I think it spoiled me a little bit because I found this one to be just ok. I was really excited for the setting as an Upper West Side dweller myself, and I love a niche claustrophobic apartment complex setting. But despite that intriguing setting—as well as the intriguing set up of apartment sitters going missing—there were definitely a few problems.
First, I found the protagonist Jules to be on the annoying side. Her troubles were tough for sure, but her inner monologues got a bit preachy at times and that's just not what I'm looking for in a thriller. She also, in pretty classic thriller fashion, made some dumb decisions that made it kind of hard to root for her the whole time.
Second, I felt like the actual mystery took a whileeee to really get going! Even as the page count kept going up, the plot throughout the middle just stalled out and spun in circles rather than progressing in meaningful or helpful directions.
And my third and final gripe is actually a very particular one to me, and probably shouldn't be counted against the book generally. Though the twist ending was a solid surprise and the time jumps turned out to be pretty effectively crafted, the reveal was of a nature that freaks me out so much that it unfortunately wrecked the story for me. I'll put a spoiler in a second if you're itching to know, but I want to reiterate that this likely wouldn't be a problem for every reader and definitely isn't an inhibitor to others enjoying the book! But (view spoiler)[body horror (specifically of a medical nature), which in this case takes the form of a secret organ harvesting operation run out of the Bartholomew, is just one of those things that I cannot stomach in any form. It might even be a stretch to call this body horror actually? But it feels like that to me so I'm counting it because I'M SQUEAMISH ABOUT IT OK. (hide spoiler)]
So this wasn't a favorite of my or even my favorite Riley Sager read, but it's a well-constructed book with a satisfying ending. I see why others enjoy it, and if you're a thriller lover without my specific squeamishness you'll probably have fun with it too!...more
This is my first read by Alex Finlay, and I'm surprised I've taken so long to pick up one of his books because this one was a fun ride. It took me a bThis is my first read by Alex Finlay, and I'm surprised I've taken so long to pick up one of his books because this one was a fun ride. It took me a bit to get a handle on all the characters/families, but once I did I was hooked. The plot was lightning fast, and the short chapters and quick developments kept me furiously flipping the [kindle] pages. Seriously, I finished about 85% of the book in a single sitting. You will not be bored.
The book focuses more on the titular parents versus their missing kids, and I honestly actually didn't mind this approach. Teen thrillers definitely have their moments, but I appreciated the parents' more mature struggles being the lens through which the search was conducted. With this approach, the book moved out of popcorn thriller territory and dipped a toe into the more human drama space. Even if that drama wasn't always related to the central mystery, it still captured and held my interest throughout.
That said, I do wish the book had bit more character development; I think the sheer number of characters made this a challenge, and since we spent most of our time with the parents (and Agent Keller) we *barely* got to know the kids. This lack of depth made the ending/reveals weaker, because we weren't actually invested enough in the students' backstories and their relationships to be hung up on how their fates shook out. It's not like the book has a bloated page count, so I think much more attention could've been given to the students' stories to lend the ending some more punch. Without that investment, the conclusion felt somewhat rushed and unsatisfying.
So that lack of depth at the end knocked off a couple stars for me, but "Parents' Weekend" is still a solid thriller that kept me engaged the whole time. I'm sure I'll reach for another Alex Finlay after this!
[Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for an advance reader copy of this book!]...more
I have definitely found myself in a thriller slump recently. I've been hating every single one I picked up, and began to seriously wonder if the problI have definitely found myself in a thriller slump recently. I've been hating every single one I picked up, and began to seriously wonder if the problem was becoming me. Is this it for me and thrillers?! Have we finally seen too much of each other?!!?
In walks Riley Sager, a hero who saved me from myself and my panicked thoughts with this lovely novel! There's nothing like a creepy children's rhyme about a small-town murder to really set the scene, and as soon as I read that I knew I'd finally come home to the types of thrillers I'd been missing so dearly.
This one was creepy but fun, had a lot to puzzle out, kept the twists coming, and wrapped up in a really satisfying way. It had a slowly tilting house for goodness sake. It's not that serious, but it's a fun ride and a perfect choice for your spooky season tbr!...more
This was a super cute read, and Vera Wong is an absolutely superb protagonist, but it didn't totally read like a mystery? It honestly felt more like rThis was a super cute read, and Vera Wong is an absolutely superb protagonist, but it didn't totally read like a mystery? It honestly felt more like regular fiction, as the mystery of who killed Marshall essentially took a back seat to the human drama surrounding all the characters, their relationships with each other, and their past struggles with our victim.
Though I did like our main cast of characters quite a lot, I also found them a littleeee bit unbelievable... Vera is supposed to be somewhat outrageous, but the others made some really weird decisions and their dialogue sometimes felt unrealistic and stilted. And while the beginning and the end of the book were strong and well-paced, the middle dragged just a bit as we trudged through everyone's backstories.
Despite its flaws, I enjoyed this read and would recommend it if you're in the mood for something light and feel-good that's very slightly mysterious to keep you on your toes. ...more
Ok so hear me out: is Freida McFadden is the most overrated modern thriller author publishing today?
The first dud of hers I read, "One by One," I thouOk so hear me out: is Freida McFadden is the most overrated modern thriller author publishing today?
The first dud of hers I read, "One by One," I thought might just be a fluke. So I turned to one of her more popular/recent/lauded books, "Never Lie," and thought surely this would show me what I'd been missing. And instead, I found a MESS.
Because this book uses one of my most despised techniques: the entire (present) storyline is told from a first-person POV, but then when we get to the end we find out that (view spoiler)[the narrator was actually the culprit, and had all the information she'd been feigning ignorance about the whole time!!!! When you know this, it turns out, the entire book you just read actually makes no sense. Because WHY was she, in her first-person POV, acting like she'd never been to the house before and was scared of it? Like Adrienne Hale was a stranger? LIKE SHE KNEW NOTHING?!? If this book had been in the third person—or even in first person but with a reason for the narrator to lie to us, a technique that exists!!—it would be different because we wouldn't have been flat out lied to for no reason. (hide spoiler)] Plot holes abound, and I'm so tired of authors essentially duping their readers with nonsense and getting away with it just because the twist has good shock value. THINK, PEOPLE!!!! Because when that twist also essentially negates the entirety of the narration that came before, my time has been totally wasted and no twist is worth that.
I also thought that the storytelling was just tooooo on the nose... like, beyond just giving us hints about what the possible twists could be, McFadden led us TOO obviously down a path so we knew we were being mislead. That's lazy writing in my opinion... I want to draw the wrong conclusion but FEEL like I'm figuring stuff out, only to be blindsided by other important stuff that I'd overlooked or ignored. THAT is the stuff that good twists are made of. And, critically, they have to make logical sense.
Now I will say, in a different context these twists *could've* been great... they were just spoiled by bad construction/contextualization that made them nonsensical. And I did find the past storyline involving Dr. Adrienne Hale to actually be quite interesting/creepy, and I honestly thought that narrative alone might've made a better book. But as it is, this book is an incoherent mess that made me furious when I reached the end.
Keep in mind that I'm definitely the outlier with this opinion; so if you love Freida McFadden or are intrigued by this story (or both!), then I hope you love this one!!! But so far, despite the insane hype, she is just not doing it for me....more
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