People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

Hello everyone.  I hope you are staying cool in the soaring temperatures.

When I was a kid, we looked forward to two things, Christmas and vacation.  As really young kids, we would go to "the shore" and visit Cape May, New Jersey.  If you've never been, it's charming without lots of high-rise hotels but smaller family run resorts.  The neighborhoods are close by and filled with Victorian houses.  There is a boardwalk and it was my dad's requirement that we get up every morning at the crack of dawn and ride bicycles.  We even tried a bicycle for two one time, that was a complete disaster!  My aunts, uncles and cousins would also go to Cape May so not only was it a wonderful vacation but nice to spend time together.  As we got to be teenagers, Cape May was too relaxed for us and we all went to Myrtle Beach with lots of miniature golf, amusement parks and t-shirt shops.  The first time I ever played Pac Man was in Myrtle, we had chicken pox in Myrtle, and most notably while walking on the beach right next to me, my sister got pooped squarely on the head by a seagull in Myrtle.  I'm still laughing today.  What?  It's funny!   We were a bit away from our hotel and she had to walk back like that...I may or may have not laughed hysterically the entire way.   Also, on vacation I met some wonderful friends who I am still in contact with to this day...literally decades later.  Vacations are good.

I recently read People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry.  In the past I reviewed Beach Read by the same author.  I acknowledged that it was a romance and in general they aren't my thing (although I've read some great ones).  Beach Read seemed like it was trying to have a more involved story but compared to thrillers it was just too slow for me.  Still, I admitted that I wanted to watch this author as she could make me a romance reader.  I was so anxious to read People We Meet on Vacation to see what Emily Henry had in store for us.  I'm glad I did.  This story is about two friends, Poppy and Alex, who have gone on vacations together for years and about how their friendship has evolved, often because of the time on these trips.  The pacing is far superior to Beach Read and the dialog will have you laughing from beginning to end.  Sometimes sweet, sometimes serious and thoughtful, this book is perfect for your summer trip or anytime you need to brighten your day.  I am thrilled for Henry to have started to really bridge that gap between generalized fiction and romance.  I cannot wait for the next one.

Things to pack: bathing suit, beach towel, sunscreen, People We Meet on Vacation, and if you're my sister...shower cap to wear on the beach...just in case.

56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard

Hello everyone.  I hope your day is wonderful so far. 

The world has changed from the Covid virus. While being necessary to stay home many people have found it annoying.  Hubby and I are homebodies, so it hasn't been very difficult.  Wait, the constant cooking has been trying, worse yet the mountain of dirty dishes eating at home all the time creates.  Given that people have lost everything including people they love, dishpan hands seems like something to celebrate. Everyday I am crushed seeing the news and unendingly grateful for being able to stay home.  

I recently read 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard.  This is the story of two people, Ciara and Oliver, that meet at the very beginning of the pandemic and begin dating. Knowing that a quarantine is coming, and that they enjoy each others company, they decide to move into Oliver's apartment to weather the storm.  Told in differing time periods and from different perspectives the reader is left to answer two questions.  When police discover a single dead body in Oliver's apartment, who is it and what happened.  

Going into this story I was afraid it would concentrate too much on the virus.  To be honest, I've been reading up a storm because I want an escape not a reminder of the real world. However, 56 Days uses the quarantine as a vehicle to throw the characters together, it doesn't dwell on it.  The jumping timelines and narrators didn't bother me, but it rarely does.  If you dislike it, this isn't the book for you.  The story was interesting.  I have a bit of a complaint about the writing.  Some of the sentences just don't make any sense, if they do, they are awkward and have to be deciphered.  I really don't want to have to bring my Little Orphan Annie Decoder Pin to figure out what a book is saying.  Now, this occurred only a couple of times and in the first forty pages or so.  I just wonder why an editor didn't find it a stumbling block while reading too.  While I don't think this author has the smoothest writing style in general, her books are still interesting.  Obviously, I wouldn't want every author to write in the same way so I'll definitely read more Howard books.

Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena

Hello everyone.  I hope your day has been pleasant.

If you had wealthy parents would you consider killing them for their money?  Please note, I'm assuming you would all say no or run along as you have totally creeped me out.  Now, if your parents turned up dead would you throw your siblings under the bus to collect their share of the money? For me...absolutely.  I'll be getting phone calls tomorrow but let it be known that they are all goners!  Time to get even for my parents going with "what the majority wanted" and there being three of them (my sisters are triplets).  What they wanted always won.  Unfair.  So, if it comes down to it, up the river they go.  I'll even put my palms together and repeatedly curl my fingers, with an evil laugh, Disney villain style. Forget pricking your finger on that spinning wheel, you're prison bound! (Sleeping Beauty, must I tell you everything.)

I recently read Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena.  I love that Shari Lapena writes about upstate NY since that is where I grew up.  In this case, the story is about a family that lives in the Hudson Valley.  The very wealthy parents of three children are murdered.  The entire book is about who did it and why.  Lapena is an expert at convincing the reader that someone is guilty only to accomplish the same thing in the next chapter with another person.  A very fun read.  Not really thrillery but a great mystery.  Think the movie Knives Out, but much better.  The book features interesting character development which is revealed slowly, allowing our feelings toward each person to remain fluid.  Compounded with short, cliff hanger chapters and you've got a book that will fly by.  A great one to read on vacation.

By the way, to any reading siblings, expect no cakes with files from me.  You'll be lucky to get a cupcake!

For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing

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

I had some interesting and memorable teachers.  Two high school English teachers come to mind.  I had a sweet little old man that kind of looked like a Bassett Hound (old to me then, he was probably in his late 40's). He used to exaggerate the way words were said, saying at least every syllable, if not more.  Vegetable wasn't vegetable it was "veg-e-ta-ble".  Hey, it kept our attention.  Another English literature teacher was also the drama coach, he was a natural for both and there was no distinction between the two.  I remember reading The Old Man and the Sea, going around the classroom each person reading one sentence.  Then, he had little pieces of wisdom he wanted to impart.  I still remember him telling us that the words "certainly" and "surely" were interchangeable.  He would chant "When I say certainly, you say ..." waiting for us to say "surely".  When the classroom would respond he would jump up and give a kind of high pitched roar.  His feet would literally leave the ground.  Silly as it sounds today, he must have done something right because I still remember what he taught, and him.

I recently read For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing.  This is the story of a fancy private school and the people that teach and learn there.  We follow several people but mostly Teddy, who was recently named Teacher of the Year.  He is very concerned about making his students the best they can be, even those that really rub him the wrong way.  Given that this is a wealthy school, he feels that several of the students have an elitist attitude that they would be better served without.  But what happens when teachers start getting sick, then dropping dead?  

This book is fairly long at over 370 pages and worth every sentence.  As things start going bonkers at this ritzy school you kind of want to give a bit of an evil laugh, it's like stepping back in time and binge watching a wacked version of Knots Landing (a prime time tv show kind of soap opera from 1979-1993).  While you won't find Joan Van Ark here, you will find plenty of twists and turns.  The author tells us pretty early on who is responsible but that just adds to the fun as we get to see that persons planning as well as the ominous results.  This fun and frantic read features short chapters with many ending in questions or cliff hangers.  A perfect summer read.  My favorite of Samantha Downing's so far.

Beware, this may have you digging out your yearbook and giving your teachers a second look.

Such A Quiet Place by Megan Miranda

Hello everyone.  I hope your day has been very nice.

Hubby and I are house people.  We love looking at houses and have owned all different kinds.  We bought our first house the month before we were married with our honeymoon money (yes, I realize I recently told you this...I'm not losing it...well, I am, but I'm just rounding out my story, geez).  When we had a house built, it was lots of fun.  Choosing the lot, then house plan and all the interiors.  It was a lot of firsts for us, including the first time we had a Home Owners Association.  Now if you aren't aware of what that is let me enlighten you.  It is a group that you hand over a bunch of your money to that then turns around and tells you all the stuff you can't do with your own house.  Now, I can support this to a point.  I don't want my neighbor to paint their house hot pink and reduce my value.  However, we received a nasty letter for putting our trash can in the wrong place, on the side of our house.  They wanted it always stored in the back.  In the back?  We had a patio and a lot that sloped away. My trash can would have either have to have been lashed to our house or would have been half way to Georgia with the slightest breeze.  Oh sure, I see you laughing.  It's all fun and games until you have to put your trash can in your garage when it's 195 degrees outside. 

I recently read Such A Quiet Place by Megan Miranda.  I have read this author before and while I liked that book I was disappointed.  It was being sold as a thriller and was much closer to a mystery.  This time, despite the description being thriller, I went into it expecting a mystery.  Ahhh, much better.  This is the story of a neighborhood of just a few houses.  We follow Harper Nash whose husband has left her and her friend Ruby Fletcher has been convicted of murdering two of the neighbors.  When Ruby turns up, after having her conviction overturned and being released from jail, all the residents are on edge.  They fear a killer now is among them.  As we follow the story to find out why Ruby would come back to the scene of the crime, the reader is also urged to discover if she was even guilty in the first place, or had the group of homeowners worked together to send her to prison.  As with most places, we soon discover that everyone has secrets, some worse than others.

Expecting a mystery, I was much happier this time.  I thought perhaps it was a slow read or too wordy but then read a chapter out loud to hubby and discovered it was pretty darn good.  I needed to slow down and just enjoy it.  Pretty soon, I found myself picking it up over and over again...you know, just a chapter here, a few more pages there, maybe hit an even page number before calling it a night.  It was good and I now consider myself a fan.

We've been looking for another house, you know HOA fees are now three hundred dollars a month in some areas! I wonder if they have gold plated trash cans.

The Therapist by B.A. Paris

Hello everyone.  I hope your day is going well.

Suppose you went through the whole process of selling your house, getting a mortgage, packing, moving, getting the utilities turned on, sending out your cute little "we've mooved cards with the cow standing in front of a house" because you found your dream house.  But what would you do if you moved in and something didn't feel right?  You just have that, hair standing up on your arms, feeling that something is off.  It's just in your imagination right, because this is a great house.  Isn't it?

I've discussed several times that years ago (three houses) we had a haunted house.  It started when we purchased the large Victorian which was still divided into apartments.  We were living on the first floor that had been vacant for years.  When we woke up sometimes we would smell vanilla or lemon.  Later we found out we were sleeping in the original kitchen.  A few weeks later our dog would start barking at the ceiling, just in one particular area.  She would walk in circles, staring at the ceiling, growling and barking.  Very odd for a dog that never met anyone she didn't absolutely adore. 

Our neighbors had weird experiences too.  While not so spiritual, still odd.  One time the lady across the street had sent her kids to school and was making coffee, she turned around and there, silently, out of the blue, was standing a man she'd never seen before.  Seems she'd left her kitchen door open with the screen door letting in a pleasant breeze.  Some passerby apparently decided he was a pleasant breeze and wanted to come in for some coffee and a chat.  Not to worry, he left immediately after her request but she must have been terrified. 

I didn't hear your declare yet, what you would do if it was your house.  Would you stick it out?  Are you that brave?  Maybe you would investigate the house's history or just change the locks.  Perhaps you'd invite a medium or burn sage.  Or is it possible that you are just overly tired?

I recently read The Therapist by B.A. Paris.  Alice and Leo find a house in an exclusive, gated neighborhood.  The house is a bargain, something they couldn't usually afford.  They jump at the chance to live in The Circle, the snazzy community their new house is in.  But as Alice gets to know the neighbors she discovers some are nicer than others and when she tries to ask simple questions she finds herself quickly shut down.  Something is going on, and it most definitely concerns her new home.  Then as Leo starts traveling for business, it feels like someone is in the house. Maybe it is her imagination, then again, maybe not. When Alice finds out that something bad happened to Nina, the previous resident and therapist, she becomes obsessed with discovering what The Circle seems to be hiding.

This is a classic psychological thriller.  The tense story leaves the reader wondering who the evil person is and how many people know exactly what is going on.  The book is not too long, just over three hundred pages and uses it's space efficiently, no meandering off the plot.  This shoots straight through so quickly you'll wonder where your day went and how you've flipped so many pages.  This suspenseful read will have you confident you know the ending only to surprise the most seasoned reader.  Fun the whole way.  One of my favorites by Paris.

I dare you to read this and not check your locks before going to bed!

The Stranger in the Mirror by Liv Constantine

Hello everyone.  I hope you're having the best day!

Years ago we were watching some program about people being abducted by aliens.  One man, with some crazy Spock like eyebrows (if that isn't ironic) said he was taken to an alien ship and when he came back he remembered nothing.  He told the interviewer he was not suffering from amnesia but "double amnesia".  This sweet man gave us quite a chuckle and we've remembered his unusual statement.  In fact, it drives my family bonkers when playing Taboo, hubby just says the word "double" and I will respond with "amnesia".

I recently read The Stanger in the Mirror by Liv Constantine.  The author is actually a pen name for two writer sisters, Lynne and Valerie.  I applaud their patience working together. My sisters and I would be in jail as someone wouldn't come out alive. Apparently, the Constantine sisters have a great system going. The Stranger in the Mirror is about Addison, who is about to marry Gabriel.  While both are happy and in love, Addison is worried as she has amnesia.  She has been Addison for just two years and cannot remember her life before that time.  She is afraid she has done something bad, or could have another family and is desperate to not hurt Gabriel.  While he is concerned about what caused Addison to forget her whole life, he is willing to put it behind them and concentrate just on their future.  Hours away, Julian is trying to figure out what happened to his wife, Cassandra.  Naturally, these lives come together like some awkwardly fitting jigsaw puzzle, where you trying to pound pieces to make them fit.  The writing is clean and easy to read. The story moves quickly and confidently.  The twists come often, some you can guess, others are a complete surprise.  This book will make you pay attention to details, have you proclaiming "I knew it" one minute then "Oh my gosh" the next.  It is a wild ride and every bit a thriller. 

Sometime, remind me to tell you about the agreement my siblings have about a late night call and the phrase "bring the shovel."  It's probably best if hubby isn't around.