Book Lovers by Emily Henry

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

I am guessing, since you're reading this, you are a book lover.  I come from a long line of readers, okay well it's more like a dash but it's there.  My maternal grandparents were big readers so was my mom.  They would often trade books back and forth.  Sometimes they would tuck a note inside for each other.  It was all fun and games until they went off the deep end and started seeing who could write the most creative note, well not write but use the most unusual paper.  When they got down to toilet paper and a leaf, I stopped watching.  They read good stuff. I remember my mom reading Coma by Robin Cook and the always fascinating Jaws.  Who hasn't put "You're gonna need a bigger boat" in their "great sayings" rotation?  Just think without the book Jaws, there would be no movie, no saying, no fantastic score by John Williams and, let's be honest, how else would you see Robert Shaw take out his front tooth?  Books!

I recently read Book Lovers by Emily Henry.  This is the story of a literary agent, Nora, who goes to a small North Carolina town with her sister for a vacation.  Despite the odds Nora bumps into someone she knows from NYC, Charlie, an infuriating editor.  In this romantic comedy their interactions continue as they share their book business talents.

This is a cute, fun story that will transport you to Carolina and melt all your stress.  After liking but not loving Henry's first book, Beach Read, I said I was going to follow her.  So glad I did, as each subsequent book I've liked better than the one before.  This is a bit long at 400 pages but a fun read.  Great for a summer vacation, real or in your head to a small town in North Carolina.

Gum wrapper!  I've been trying to come up with something I'd write a note on if my mom and grandparents were still around.  I'd definitely write on a gum wrapper, not a good kind like Wrigley's or Juicy Fruit (look it up youngsters), but something small like Dentyne or Trident!

The It Girl by Ruth Ware

Hello everyone.  I hope you are doing well in the heat wave that is hitting much of the planet.

There are a few things I have a love-hate relationship with, pancake batter for example.  Oh yes, pancakes and waffles do make their very own delightful food group, absorbing all the sticky goodness of maple syrup.  Ever try and clean dried batter off your counter tops?  I'll make it short, you have two options, move or dynamite.  Disney World is another topic drawing great passion.  While I'm there under their possibly subliminal spell, I'll hand over all my money.  All I care about is one more time on Pirates of the Caribbean, hearing the Yo Ho song and seeing that little guy sitting on the door frame hanging his hairy leg down...you know the one.  Perhaps it's the "ghost host" or hearing the "Welcome to the Walt Disney World monorail" fellow.  I am putty in their hands, poor putty.  I get home and realize I just spent the equivalent of an addition to my house on some moving dolls in a warehouse with a fake front on it.  What about the time I taught my niece how to create a vacuum in her drink straw and dump the contents on the table, but then my sister yelled her head off?  No, sorry, that doesn't work, not love-hate, still totally worth it.

I recently read The IT Girl by Ruth Ware.  I have a love-hate relationship with Ruth Ware's books.  In general, I have loved all her books, with my all-time favorite being The Death of Mrs. Westaway.  However, I really disliked (mom said don't say hate) One by One.  I knew who "did it" in the first ten minutes and the descriptions of snow almost drove me to the booby hatch.  The It Girl, I really enjoyed.  It is the story of a bunch of kids at Oxford and one of them, April, is murdered.  In a dual timeline, we also follow the kids years later. Hannah and Will are expecting their first child.  Hannah was the key witness in convicting Neville of April's murder.  After learning that he has died in prison, she is contacted by a reporter who believes that Neville was innocent.  Hannah becomes obsessed with wonder.  Could she have made a mistake?  She must find out.  This is the story of what happened in the past and Hannah's present-day discovery of the startling truth.

I have heard this called a thriller, fast paced, a quick read.  I don't think it's any of those.  For me, this is a mystery.  There is not much heart pounding, page flipping here.  However, this book is loaded with character development.  You really get to know each person, because of that, the book kept calling me back.  I'd put it down and find myself picking it up just five minutes later, I couldn't resist.  While it could have been a bit shorter than it's more than 400 pages, it somehow is an engrossing read.  If you are a mystery lover, this is a must.  My faith in Ruth Ware restored, I am certainly all in for the next.

Darn, now I want pancakes.

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

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

In the US we are celebrating July 4th.  It's a holiday that often extends around the actual date and has become a popular vacation and family visit time. When I was a kid, we would spend the morning of the 4th watching the men's finals at Wimbledon, which was always held that day.  Then we'd go to my Aunt Mary and Uncle Don's house.  My uncle was on the beach at Normandy on D-Day.  My aunt was amazingly creative. She would decide to reupholster her winged back chair. While I don't think she had any sewing experience, her chair would look like a pro did it.  When she wanted window boxes, she got out the wood and made them herself. She also had amazing doll houses. My aunt and uncle had a big picnic in a great driveway-garage set up, with a makeshift baseball field behind and later a pool.  Okay, it might "sound" weird, but it was summer holiday perfection.  The whole family came, allowing us a day of getting to play with all our cousins.  So fun. Always topped off with sparklers, something my parents would have never allowed.  It was a major part of our summer vacation and I miss it and my aunt and uncle terribly.

I recently read The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager.  This is the story of Casey, who is a popular actress.  She has lost her husband and her grief has driven her to drink.  Her drinking caused her to lose her job, starring in a Broadway show. Casey tries to escape the gossip mill by taking an extended summer vacation at a beautiful lake in Vermont. At her waterfront home, she spends most of her time on the back porch, drinking bourbon and watching people through her binoculars. Specifically, she is watching the fancy house with loads of glass, owned by supermodel Katherine and her tech savvy husband, Tom.  Casey's spying losses it's attraction when Katherine goes missing and she suspects Tom.

This book is quick moving and a true thriller.  This has that, hold your breath, something is about to happen any second feeling.  It is very successful at raising your pulse. It's really amazing the story that Sager weaves with a limited cast and setting.  I think you'll be surprised by the numerous twists.  The author is masterful at making you think you have the story figured out only to slap the back of your hand with a twist that says, "guess again."

A word of warning.  There have been quite a few reviewers either talking the book down or rating it poorly because they don't like the main character.  The issue seems to be they feel that Riley Sager doesn't represent women well, making them drunk, stupid, or gullible.  I almost passed on this book because of those discussions.  Please, PLEASE, don't be led, decide for yourself.  If you are in doubt, don't buy the book but get it from your library.  There are only two sexes, and an unreliable narrator has to be unreliable for a reason. Just do me a favor, forget reviews, judge for yourself.  As a thriller, this ticks all the boxes.

The funny thing about American independence is that now, most Americans feel a respectful link to Great Britian and great affection for the people.