The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden

Hello everyone.  I hope you are having a great day.

I cannot believe next week is Christmas.  I am just about ready for the 4th of July celebration.  How did it get to be the end of the year? It is funny how you sit in grade school looking at the clock waiting for the school day to end and each minute seems to take forever.  Now years slip by in what seems like a week.  The weather here is 70 one minute and 28 the next.  It is headache inducing if not completely aggravating. At least the furnace gets a periodic break.  I bring up weather, yes weather, no we are not on a blind date...stop rolling your eyes.  Anyway, I bring up weather because one of my sisters is ....butt deep in the white stuff.  Okay, not really, that is an exaggeration, but her area of upstate New York has been getting snow pretty consistently.  (Remember we get hurricanes. I'd rather have the snow.) I keep looking at the traffic cameras in her area.  The hills (we don't have any) are white with snow.  Occasionally it piles up on the roads.  It brings back childhood memories of this time of year so clearly that I feel as if I clicked my heels three times I might be returned to that time. Endearing and painful at the same time. It makes me very aware of how so many people dislike the holidays, feel lonely or sad.  What has been lost or never had is thrown in our faces at every turn. I understand. In those moments, I have been turning to books.  I hope you can do the same.

I recently read The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden.  If she sounds familiar Freida McFadden is the author of many books. The Housemaid series was very popular several years ago.  In this story, the reader follows Sydney, a young woman trying to navigate the New York City dating scene in pursuit of true love. After meeting a man through a dating app, she experiences a disastrous date. Discouraged, Sydney finally hits the jackpot.  She meets someone wonderful.  He is kind, sweet and smart.  He is a doctor who is gentle with her when she has physical issues.  He may be perfect, until, of course, doubt seeps in. Sydney's friend and neighbor was viciously murdered.  The friend was dating a mystery man, all she would say about him is that he is a doctor.  What are the odds in a city the size of New York that they could possibly be the same man?

This book is a suspenseful thriller.  You will think you have it figured out repeatedly, I assure you that you are wrong. The final jaw dropping twist, was a satisfying end to this easy reading, fast paced, oh so enjoyable story.  Nothing but fun for those that enjoy thrillers.

In case we don't see each other again before the Christmas, let me give my speech.  What?  You are busy.  I may forget to post.  I might get wrapped up in sobbing to hubby about how much my mom loved A Charlie Brown Christmas or about how much I love the music. So...I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas, and if you don't celebrate then a wonderful whatever you do value.  I wish you all a fun season, full of love and laughter.  No matter what country you are in, what you believe, your political views, let us take a brief moment and just appreciate each other...everywhere.  I appreciate all of you.  Oh, and my biggest wish is for world peace...just like a beauty pageant contestant! (You're picturing them now, aren't you?  In the swimsuit competition, too.  Stop it.  It is Christmas!)

I really wanted to say I wish for you a moment of peace away from the kids and the dog (who most likely barged into the bathroom), an unburned turkey, and a great hidden stash of chocolate....but I didn't want to break the mood.

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak

Hello everyone.  I hope you are having a great day.

I've talked about our wedding before, how we only took a few days for a honeymoon and ending up at the Train Station (hotel) in Scranton, PA.  (it is better than it sounds). I regret not having taken hubby to the Concord Resort in the Catskills which has since been torn down.  We recently looked into the possibility of moving to my hometown.  Yes, I realize hubby, the eternal southerner, would freak out. Anyway, we were shocked to find out many of the places of my childhood have been torn down.  The Concord was bad enough, but that Kmart I worked at as a kid, gone.  The computer company my dad worked at, gone.  Even the Friendlys has been torn down.  Who tears down a Friendlys?  I can see tearing down the brussels sprout store but an ice cream place...please!  Sit down, it gets worse. Oh yes, the unimaginable.  Something I will never forgive the city planners for.  They tore down the hotel where our wedding reception was held.  It was on a river, with beautiful views.  It had a large dining room with a glass wall looking out over the water.  It had several ballrooms, hotel rooms, etc.  They bulldozed it to...wait for it...they took away those pretty views to build....an Aldi.  Yes, you read that correctly, an Aldi, small grocery store.  I'm all for cheap cheese and a 79 cent can of green beans but come on.  It makes no sense, and I am extremely angry.  How can I relive my wedding now? Talk about me feeling about a hundred and forty years old.

I recently read The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak.  If the author looks familiar, he wrote the popular Hidden Pictures, which I enjoyed. This time we are following a father, Frank, who is has just been contacted by his estranged daughter, Maggie.  She has informed him that she is getting married and would like him to participate. Frank discovers that the wedding is being held at the secluded private camp-like estate of a tech billionaire.  Maggie is marrying his son.  While hoping for a loving in-law family for his daughter, filled with security, Frank starts to question what he is being told. His future son-in-law wants nothing to do with his future wife's family. Why is Frank being asked to sign a Nondisclosure Agreement as a requirement of being allowed to attend the festivities?  Why are his hosts either missing or evasive? Not only are things not what they seem but something is very wrong.  Frank is certain that Maggie knows what is going on, but she insists all is well.  Does he investigate more and risk losing his daughter again, or sit idly by?

This book is quite the thriller, fast paced with frequent reveals and twists.  We are propelled forward, anxious to find out exactly what is happening.  We are given several possibilities, but the reader ends up siding with Frank and his need to know the absolute truth. The writing is descriptive enough to put you at the destination wedding but not too much as to be annoying.  Despite the many bizarre questions being asked about this wedding, all is told by the end, leaving the reader satisfied.  Engaging and very fun.  

We Three Queens by Rhys Bowen

Hello everyone.  I hope you are having a great day.

If you are in the United States you are likely preparing for Thanksgiving.  Is it me or are you seeing a lot of people making lasagna?  I used to see it at Christmas, but this year the dish seems to have turned up early.  It makes sense.  People have guests and they want something that can feed a crowd and be made ahead.  Not knowing if my niece and nephew would eat ricotta cheese, I made huge trays of baked ziti for nights before a holiday.  Of course, hubby probably likes the ziti better as I don't mess with the lasagna noodles.  I refuse to use the no-bake kind.  I want to know how much moisture will be in my final dish without having to guesstimate how much the pasta will soak up.  Anyway, it is always traumatic with the cooked noodles, I put them on an oiled cookie sheet to cool down and insure they don't stick together.  Only problem is then they are slippery.  Noodles hanging from any part of my body, including my head is not outside the realm of possibility.  The walls are definitely in danger, if not from them squirming out of my hand but from me chucking pasta at the walls out of frustration. Ah, nothing like the holidays.  You should see me when the cookie scoop gets stuck!  On a brighter, less housewifey note, hubby has been reading up a storm, more than me actually.  Here are his thoughts on a series he is totally into.

I recently read We Three Queens by Rhys Bowen. This 1936 historic fiction tells the story of a couple, Georgie and Darcy, tasked with hiding Wallis Simpson in their home.  Darcy is friends with King Edward and has been asked to house Wallis while Edward figures out what to do about their scandalous love.  The problem is, Georgie and Darcy do not own their home.  The owner of their "estate" decided to participate in the making of a movie about Henry the Eighth and Anne Boleyn and a film crew now rambles about the grounds.  Keeping Wallis hidden is getting to be quite the trick, especially combined with Georgie and Darcy caring for their newborn.  Difficult enough? Nope.  One of the film crew is murdered on the grounds, adding a whodunit to the mix. Chaos ensues.

Once again, Georgie, the star of Bowen's Royal Spyness series, weaves her way through a colorful cast of characters. The pacing was good, along with an atmosphere that allowed you to feel the foggy November chill as you flipped the pages. This installment of the series works well as a stand-alone or an additional volume following Georgie. Highly enjoyable. 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the early peek.

Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams

Hello everyone.  I hope you are having a great day.

Well, the elections here are over.  While not discussing the outcome, I could not be happier that the process has ended.  Last time we met, I chronicled the depth of my family being literally harassed by both sides of our political system.  On the last day before voting, we received 35 phone calls.  Yes, you read that correctly, THIRTY-FIVE phone calls, and that is just on the land line.  Then there were the cell calls and endless texts. The night into morning of the election...we received a text from a presidential campaign at 3:45 in the morning.  It was telling us to get up that the polls here opened at 6.  Talk about intrusive and presumptuous.  Next, we received texts repeatedly throughout the day, again from a presidential campaign, with our name, address, polling place, and hours.  Wanting to know when we were going to vote.  Would we be walking, driving, or carpooling?  Could we bring a friend? Before you say it, yes, I know this is public record but the fact they a party would look it up and coordinate it with my cell phone is just poking their nose in my business.  Then we received one of those letters in the mail that you likely saw on the news.  It had our name, address (obviously since it was mail), and those of our neighbors, and which elections we voted in and those we didn't and the same voting record for our neighbors.  It then threatened to tell them our record if we didn't vote and tell our friends and family.  Anybody that thought it was not threatening needs to learn to read.  It was like some movie with bumbling people running around, only sped up, with the phone constantly ringing on the land line, cell phone, texts, and mail flying up in the air.  Phew. To all of those in politics, I am an adult.  I am fully capable of making my own decisions.  I really don't need your party shoved down my throat.  Despite whom you preferred in the election, this behavior was coming from both sides.  Something needs to change. To be honest, my only escape has been reading, same with hubby.  He's been reading up a storm, including Beatriz Williams, one of his favorites.  He wants to recommend a book to you that will transport you away from your troubles.

I recently read Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams.  This is a story about loyalty, to country and to family. Ruth is working in a fashion house in New York.  She receives a postcard from her sister, Iris.  Iris is decidedly cheerful, unusual since the last time they spoke, many years ago, they had a falling out.  Making things more suspicious, Iris and family, including American diplomate husband, are in Russia. Alarm bells start going off for Ruth, as she realizes something is very wrong.  Ruth soon finds herself posing as the wife of Sumner Fox, a counterintelligence officer in an effort to get behind the iron curtain and into Moscow to save her sister.

This book is high on character development and, of course, plot.  Well-paced and as you might suspect given the topic, there is lots of suspense.  Interesting and enjoyable throughout, we are rewarded with a satisfying end.  If you like spy thrillers, definitely worth your time.

Like Mother, Like Mother by Susan Rieger

Hello everyone.  I hope you are well.

Everybody should be able to be proud of their country.  Certainly, we all disagree with things our country does, or its policies.  Rightfully so, those disagreements make us think, ponder, and wonder if there could be a better way.  We grow as a species because of learning from each other, nicely not with violence.  That being said, right now it is agony being in the United States.  Now before you Americans get on your soap box telling me if I don't like it to get out, put on your big girl panties and hold on. I am talking about our upcoming Presidential election.  If you live in Europe, Asia, Canada...anywhere else...kiss your phone and computer for me.  I am being driven MAD, yes mad I tell you, because of political ads. We are the only remaining house with a land line phone, political parties call it repeatedly...the phone is ringing at this very moment.  Not politics this time, someone trying to get my Medicare card information to steal.  You can't get Medicare until you are in your mid 60's of which I am not.  Anyway, now not only are they calling the one land line in existence in the entire United States (the rest probably cancelled due to telemarketing calls)...now they are calling our cell phone!  Not only calls but endless texts. I try my best not to comment on politics, to be honest, it isn't fun like books. I just can't stand it anymore!  I can't read because of all the dag gum calls!!!  Last week, between telemarketing and political calls, we had 24 calls in one day.  TWENTY-FOUR. I swear to you I'm going to vote for Daffy Duck, just end it already.  Stop calling and texting me.  Don't get me started about YouTube ads, all politics and they won't let you skip them.  It is so bad I'm starting to look forward to the Walmart ad with the little claymation animals dancing to Le Freak by Chic (look it up, disco, 70's). Then there is all the stuff in the mail, so much I could wallpaper my bathroom (which might be where it all deserves to be).  Ugh, I need to calm down.  We need to talk about a book.

I recently read Like Mother, Like Mother by Susan Rieger.  This is a story about families.  Specifically, we follow Zelda, Lila and Grace.  Zelda is the grandmother who has an abusive husband. We learn about Zelda's past, including that her husband has had Zelda hauled off to an asylum. He tells their children the difficult news, later following up with the fact that she has died there. We also encounter Zelda's daughter, Lila, grown up and a woman with power.  She runs a major newspaper in Washington. Married to her work, Lila's children and husband suffer. Finally, we follow Lila's daughter Grace.  Grace resents her mother's career and the attention that it stole from her. There is a bit of a mystery that, once answered, really emphasizes the practices and traits that are passed down.  Are those actions repeated from generation to generation or purposefully changed?

I read books of all kinds but primarily thrillers.  Sadly, although my favorite to purchase and read, thriller stories become hard for me to remember.  Ultimately, most years my favorite book is not a thriller but something far more character driven.  Like Mother, Like Mother may be my favorite for the year.  The writing is wonderful, telling the story fully but without dwelling on the unnecessary. The characters, well, I don't think I'll ever forget them.  If you can finish this book without shedding sad and happy tears, then you have far more control than I do.  Enthralling from beginning to end, I loved every second.

Many, MANY, thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.  You made my reading year!

We've also been getting final expense insurance calls (always fun), home improvement calls (I tell them I want to build a moat and fill it with sharks), and calls wanting to give me a legal referral for the car accident that they KNOW I've had in the last two years (I tell them I ran over a telemarketer).  To those that do the job of a telemarketer, I'm sorry, but the do not call list exists for a reason!  My sanity!

PS.  There are NO telemarketing calls in Like Mother, Like Mother.  Thankfully.

PPS.  I am laughing my butt off.  While waiting for hubby to read this and double check that I only messed up a few words (my usual), I got another telemarketing call. They wanted to know if I ever thought of writing and publishing a book.  They offered to do it through Amazon and could give me a $90,000 advance.  When I told them to send the contract to my attorney, they hung up.  Gosh, I wonder why!  Getting deep around here!

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

Hello everyone. I hope your day has been fun.

A few years ago, we were driving to Florida. Naturally, I am an impatient traveler. What did you expect?    I think I begin asking the "Are we there yet?" question incessantly after being in the car for thirty minutes.  Don't get me wrong, I love exploring, driving around.  The highway, however, like 95, is a snoozefest once you can get over that whole "taking your life in your hands" part.  If you are not on the east coast, it is high on traffic and low on scenery. Obviously, the solution is to read.  Which I do, often in the car.  That's when it happened.  I made a huge mistake.  I read a few sentences to my husband.  That was all I intended, just the brief part that had some sort of importance to him.  Instead, he uttered that word I may now count as a curse word...."Continue."  He wanted me to read him my book, out loud.  All the way to Florida.  In case you don't know, that is like eleven hours from here. I relented since he was driving and ended up reading Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. It is a wonderfully imaginative book, but if you read it out loud you will realize how many funky made-up names there are for things.  Names you must say over and over...AND OVER.  I personally blame Gregory Maguire for my inability to ever move to Spain.  I could never learn adequate Spanish as he broke my tongue, and I simply cannot roll a single "R."  So, years have passed, we were doing something around the house last week, and I made the same fatal mistake.  I read the beginning of the latest Riley Sager book out loud.  I was trying to illustrate how captivating he can be. Hubby agreed and uttered that word...."Continue."  Yesterday...well this morning at 1 AM I finished reading him the book.  Yes, 1 AM, he said he couldn't wait until this morning.

I recently read Middle of the Night by Riley Sager.  This is the story of Ethan Marsh, who moves back into his childhood home after his parents retire and move away. Ethan is having a difficult time sleeping.  Not only is he separated from his wife, whom he adores, but this is the thirty-year anniversary of the disappearance of Billy Barringer.  Ethan and Billy were best friends.  When they were ten, they were sleeping in a tent in Ethan's backyard.  Ethan awoke to find the tent slashed open and Billy gone.  As Ethan and the few neighbors that are left on Hemlock Circle try to go on with their lives, it is evident something is amiss.  Ethan needs to discover what happened to his best friend, Billy, and why.  Told in true Riley Sager form, most chapters end on a twist.  They alternate from the present and the day when Billy actually disappeared.  Both race to the end to reveal all, intersecting with several last-minute satisfying twists. My husband and I had so many theories, changing them almost daily.  Hubby did successfully guess a tiny piece of what happened but only after 340 of the 365 pages. Very fun and fast paced, exactly what Riley Sager lovers have come to expect.

To Riley Sager, more please, next time I'll read to myself!

The Helsinki Affair by Anna Pitoniak

Hello everyone. I hope you're having a great day.

We've been meeting this way for over five years now; we're getting close right? I feel like I must confide in you something extremely personal.  My husband and his friend "B" won World War II.  They played army in hubby's backyard.  Two little boys with those green plastic soldiers, the pooled pad attached to their feet, knowing both of them ...covered in dirt, trying to free those occupied by the Nazis.  Today, when they are on the phone, look out.  Talk of the past is flying by at lightning speed.  Everything was at one time a Caroll's Restaurant or some kind of obscure burger barn.  Every stop light on every single street (and they lived in a large beach city) is someone's corner, Edgar's corner, Bobby Sherman's corner, Romper Room's Corner. They know every owner and their house on their side of town, when it was painted, and when the trash cans are rolled to the curb.  If someone from the family worked in the garage on 17th Street...well, that was an extra hour of chat. One of the topics that frequently seems to come up is those darn little green men, soldiers, Martians would be more interesting.  I wonder if that is why hubby loves spy books so much.  He's grabbed a couple of mine.  Here is one he smuggled out of my tbr.

I recently read The Helsinki Affair by Anna Pitoniak. While the title evokes images of a snow ensconced covered landscape, this novel is not set entirely in Finland, however, and begins on a hot day in Rome. There, a nervous Russian Citizen tries to warn those within the U.S. Embassy about a pending event. The man’s information leads diplomat and spy Amanda to uncover a much larger global conspiracy.  She and her coworkers disguise, surveil, and deduce their way to the truth. But a name within a dead politician’s notes may lead Amanda to places she and her family don’t want to go.  

The story moves along, the characters are realistic, and there seems to be hazard at every turn. What more could a spy novel ask for?

Honestly, I try my best NOT to listen to hubby's conversations.  How many decades can one person hear about The Sea Shanty for?