The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews

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

Well, I can't say anything sarcastic about my husband.  A huge arrangement of flowers just arrived.  This weekend is our anniversary.  We had the sweetest wedding.  It was in upstate New York, in a tiny white church from the 1800's.  Then our reception was in a hotel near my dad's office.   Besides ballrooms, the hotel has a pretty restaurant on the banks of a river. Every year we would all go there for lunch at the holidays.  Of course, the restaurant would be packed with his coworkers and my dad would be so proud as my mom and us four girls were shown to our table.  He kept pointing to us, talking to people as we went by...he actually claimed us as his daughters. Pretty good for a guy that really wanted a son.  Anyway, our reception was at that hotel.  We had a sit-down dinner, open bar, live jazz band, the works. Best of all we had our loved ones, so many of which are now gone.  Sadly, this weekend also is the anniversary of my mother's death.  It's always an odd time, both happy and terribly sad. As always, when there is something sad or housework I want to procrastinate on, I read.  I've been reading lots!

I recently read The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews.  I've read and reviewed books by this author before, The Santa Suit just a few months ago.  Usually, I get her holiday books.  I'm always stressed, they look smaller, like a quick read, and they always have very festive holiday covers.  While I'm not normally one of those people that buys books based on covers, I do allow myself to be a bit sucked in at Christmas.  It's actually become a tradition.  While the holiday books are always wonderful, I wasn't sure about a 400+ page novel.

The Homewreckers was charming.  The story is about Hattie, who restores houses in Savannah.  She is convinced to star in a tv show, sharing her contractor abilities with the world.  The project is plagued by disaster after disaster, but when questions arise about a beloved teacher's disappearance years ago and how it might be tied to her new restoration, things get really troubling. This book has something for everyone, a romance, old houses, and a mystery. 

A word about the writing, it is very nice.  I have a pet peeve when someone describes xyz happening.  Then someone walks up, and they tell every detail of xyz again.  The two chapters later someone asks when happened and xyz gets explained in detail for a third time.  Mary Kay Andrews does NOT do that.  When an opportunity exists for an author to describe a series of events multiple times and they don't, I feel like they really respect their readers time which I appreciate.

This book, while not tense like my adored thrillers, is a very pleasant read. It would be great on a vacation or as a gift for someone buying a new house or moving to Savannah, or for any day of the week with a "d" in it.  With a tag line of "Love, murder, and faulty wiring," how could it not be fun? 

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

Hello everyone.  I hope your week is going well.

I'm not sure if it's done in Europe but in the US some of us put things on our refrigerators.  Some sleek kitchens would rather turn out Spaghetti Os laced with corn dogs, rather than junk up their perfectly coiffed room.  Then there are those of us with families or just stuff to remember.  In our house, tacked to the fridge with magnets you'll find drawings, take-out menus, coupons, notes and my all-time favorite declarations from my husband.  If my hubby admits I was right about something, I grab the closest piece of paper (usually the back of some envelope) and write "April was right about XXXX and I was wrong." then I draw a line for his signature.  Oh yes, laugh as you want, but I get him to sign and date that baby.  Then up on the fridge it goes, for anyone who comes to our house to admire in all it's "I was right he was wrong" glory.  Before you all jump in, yes, I know, most people put their children's drawings on their fridge.  We don't have kids; husbands can be close at times. 

I recently read Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak. This is a new author for me, so I was super curious.  This thriller is about a young woman, Mallory, who takes a job as a live-in babysitter for Teddy.  She is given a private little guest cottage to stay in, beautifully outfitted.  Mallory is happy, her life is stable, enjoyable and she loves little five-year-old Teddy.  Teddy loves to draw pictures and often gives them to his beloved new pal, Mallory.  She, of course, is honored and is happy to be so included until the drawings change.  Suddenly the art becomes more advanced than a five-year-old could create and they are increasingly dark in feel and content.  When Mallory tells a few people in town, she is surprised to hear that there is a local legend of an unsolved murder that took place in the very cabin she is staying in. This becomes even more alarming as Teddy draws a dead woman being dragged through the woods to be buried. 

This thriller does double duty as a ghost story, revealing itself slowly, allowing the creep factor and tension to grow.  The story was a quick read.  I received it Tuesday and had it completed by Friday.  I feel like I hardly spent any time reading it, yet hubby said I constantly had my nose shoved in the book.  It felt effortless, fast and to the point.  No meandering here.  In addition, this is silly but that paper that the book is printed on is thick.  It also has lots of Teddy's drawings.  I think that paper had to be thick to support the ink of the drawings, to prevent warping.  In any case, you read thirty pages and you can see a hunk of the book has passed by, making you feel like you've made real progress.  Now I'm sad it's over and have a bit of book hangover.  I will definitely put Jason Rekulak on my "buy" list for the future.

Next time hubby laughs at my fridge declarations, I'll tell him it could be worse, at least they aren't murderous drawings.

The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon

Hello everyone.  I hope your day has been great.

I have to tell you about my grandfather on my mother's side.  My grandmother was wonderful, but she deserves her own telling, so I'll do that later.  My grandfather was a boisterous yet humble person.  He was tall and thin and had pretty blue eyes, the only in our family.  As a child he moved from a town with about ten houses in PA to the bustling area of upstate NY.  I'm laughing because where I grew up was a small town but compared to PA, I'm sure it was very metropolitan.  It was certainly important industry wise, which is why many came there.  My grandparents owned a small grocery store when he was pulled into World War II.  He was put in the Navy on an LST, that's one of those boats that the back opens to deliver tanks, etc.  He was a cook.  Not by trade, they trained him.  When he went home it was a big deal to have served.  In fact, my grandfather became mayor.  Instead of telling you more I'll just say he was a really good person that everyone liked, and he liked everyone.  He even liked my husband when hubby complained about the potholes and asked him to use his influence to get them fixed.

I recently read The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon. I've also read The Drowning Kind and The Invited by the same author and enjoyed them greatly. In this story we are treated to a look at 1978, a family living in Vermont, a grandmother and two of her grandchildren Eric and Violet.  They live near a grand house affectionately called The Inn.  This is a place that takes care of people with mental health issues.  It is very exclusive and very successful.  The grandmother, Dr. Helen Hildreth, is the genius that runs the facility.  One day the doctor brings home a young mute girl to join their small family.  She thinks the interaction with her grandchildren will help bring young Iris out of her shell and aid in her healing.  Soon Iris becomes a vibrant part of the family that the grandchildren now consider their sister.  

The story also features 2019 where young women are disappearing.  A famous celebrity "monster hunter" is on the trail, since each missing woman reports seeing a monster before vanishing.  Soon she suspects the worst, that her sister is somehow wrapped up in these tragedies.  Yet, all is not as simple as it appears.  Secrets that have been long hidden are painfully recovered.

This book was a quick read.  The two timelines played off each other perfectly, driving the story forward.  If you are a fan of McMahon, you will recognize her "to the point" yet involved, storytelling. As always, the book leaves the reader satisfied at least until the next title is released.  Highly enjoyable.

I guess I'll still lay claim to my grandfather, even though he was a big old troublemaker, disregard that he said the same thing about me!

Playing With Myself by Randy Rainbow

Hello everyone.  I hope your day is going well.

Today's book deals with several sensitive topics, the author does this with heart and comedy.  If you are politically driven, don't like a raunchy laugh or are easily offended, perhaps skip this review.  I promise to have a delicious thriller up next. 

I recently read Playing with Myself by Randy Rainbow.  Randy is a popular personality on YouTube.  He does parody videos with rewritten songs generally from Broadway shows.  He is enormously gifted and if you have a sense of humor, he will brighten your day.  I gave my speech about politics because once Trump became President, his administration was the subject of many videos.  I thought this book would be about how Randy makes those videos, using a green and a computer, and it is, but there is much more substance, which surprised and delighted me.  The book tells the story of when he was a child, figuring out he was gay, eventually telling his parents.  He encounters plenty of mean kids in school, as we all do.  Randy talks about wanting to be a performer but almost falling into his current career.  There are loads of sarcasm, profanity, laughs galore and even a few tears. If you're interested in the people he's met and has worked with, the author does not hold back, naming them all specifically.  He has charming stories about Carol Burnett, who I'm so happy to say is actually due the adoration I've had for her for years.  You'll read about Stephen Sondheim, Steve Martin, Patti LuPone...the list of his admirers is endless and the stories amazing.  Best of all, the reader is treated to a peek into Randy's relationship with his mother, which will make you choked up and smile at the same time. This is a feel-good book you'll be glad you read.

If reading nonfiction isn't your thing, I get it, in general it isn't mine.  At the least do yourself a favor, put away your political affiliation, pull on your big boy/girl pants, and go look up Randy Rainbow on YouTube.  You will be amazed at his talent.

Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough

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

Am I having a fantastic day? Oh gosh, thanks for asking, it's okay.  I'm tired.  I'm always tired. Why?  Because I am a bad sleeper.  There is one person to blame for that and it's not me, it is my mother.  Oh yes, my mother was a saint in most ways except when it came to naps...she insisted on them when I was a kid.  I was the only one of all my friends who had to come inside from playing to take a nap.  I would be over at Laurie's house, playing jump rope with several of the neighborhood girls and my mother would open the door and start yelling, "April, come home, it's time for your nap."  First of all, when you are eight, nothing gets you labeled faster than being called home for any reason other than dinner.  Secondly, I missed out.  Not only did I have to slunk home but I was forced to lie in bed. With the windows open on the glorious play outside kind of day, I had to listen to all my friends continue to have a blast...without me.  It was torture.  Whenever my husband says anything about a nap, to this day, I shoot him a dirty look.  In addition, now I'm a bad sleeper at night.  I hate sleeping and have seen every TV show on at 3 or 4 AM, in fact, I have most of them memorized.  All because of being called home for naps.  

I recently read Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough.  This book was so good, I don't even want to waste the time to tell you what it's about, just go buy it. If you enjoyed Behind Her Eyes, this is even better. Okay, for those wanting a bit more, this is the story of Emma.  Emma is a divorce attorney up for partnership at her firm.  She supports her family, her husband stays home taking care of the house and kids.  Emma is counting down the days to her fortieth birthday, because that's when her mother went mad.  Not just a little crazy, like I'll eat my chicken nuggets with no barbeque sauce crazy, but locked away crazy.  Mom's break with reality started when she couldn't sleep just prior to her birthday, now Emma can't sleep.  No matter what she tries, tea, pills, sleep eludes her.  As the days tick by Emma doubts her sanity, is she sleep deprived or worse.  After all, her mother always told Emma they were exactly alike.

I just don't want to tell you about this book.  It is so good and I would be crushed if I ruined it for you.  In fact, I've got it set aside for hubby to read and it's driving me crazy not talking about it.  Just trust me, if you like thrillers, boy are you in for a wild ride.  This book will keep you up all night in the best way (reading....I mean reading). Let's be honest, you can only watch Frasier reruns so many times.

The Resting Place by Camilla Sten

Hello everyone.  I hope you are well.

Spring has sprung here.  I lied, spring has gotten drunk, suffered the hangover, and is resting quietly in a dark room, we have moved right on to summer.  I totally object.  I need at least three months without running heat or air conditioning. Someone ought to call mother nature and tell her that running both the heat and the air conditioning in the same month is unfair.  It plays havoc with my sinus and checkbook.  Why can't it just be pleasant?  While I'm on my soap box and giving my megaphone a workout, I just ordered groceries.  I'm not going to say I passed out, but a bit of hyperventilating was definitely in order, butter is now $7.36 here, lest you think I'm trying to buy an entire cow, no, that is just for one pound.  If you've never made butter, let me flex my housewife muscles, (stop laughing) I've made butter.  Yes, from scratch.  You put heavy cream in a container and shake it.  That's it.  What on earth could make that simple product be over seven bucks?  Honestly.  By the way, we only shook it the first time, every time after we threw the cream in the food processor, pressed the button and viola ...butter.  None of this has anything to do with a book except that relief from my personal butter crisis and the world's bad news has been to read.

I recently read The Resting Place by Camilla Sten.  She is the author of The Lost Village, which I enjoyed. The Resting Place, set in Sweden, follows Eleanor who has face blindness.  One night when going to visit her grandmother, she walks in on her granny, Vivianne, being murdered.  Due to Eleanor being unable to recognize faces she cannot identify the killer, not even their gender.  Eleanor is shocked to find she has inherited a mansion in the country, that she never knew existed and has been empty for the last fifty years.  This massive house comes with acreage, stables, outbuildings, the works.  Eleanor, her boyfriend, aunt, and a lawyer visit the house to inventory all the belongings.  Things start going wrong, odd parts of the house discovered, things are not as they appear.  A snowstorm blows in making roads impassable and being outside for even a minute dangerous. As secrets are revealed the need to run, the urge to leave, is imperative but impossible. 

This story was very entertaining, and I flew through this book.  I very much liked the last Sten book, but this was even better.  The plot was much stronger and the characters were fewer and more well defined.  I loved that nothing could be trusted in this multi-level story.  This was a good time from page one until the very end.

Treat yourself and go get this book, heck it's almost cheaper than butter!

Nine Lives by Peter Swanson

Hello everyone.  I hope your day has been wonderful.

You'll have to excuse any misspelled words or typos; my hands are frozen.  In the land of housewifery all is not well.  Our hot water heater has a bunch of corrosion on the pipe that exits, bringing steaming hot water to the house...too hot if I'm being honest.  Fortunately, hubby noticed the pipe's decline while spraying for bugs, another wonderful house duty, luckily not mine.  Anyway, getting a plumber in this small town has been like getting a book from Dan Brown, difficult.  They are all so busy, even the guy we always use.  Although hubby swears it isn't necessary, I have been curtailing my use of hot water. Washing dishes in frigid winter water has left me feeling like I have been paddling a boat with my hands in the artic. Yes, we have a fantastic dish washer but some things I don't trust to its practically acid like soap and blasting spray (that's a compliment not a complaint).  Plumbing has nothing to do with today's book, but I just knew you would want to know every single detail about things going on in our basement. Yes, I'm being sarcastic, no I haven't lost all of my mind but I'm working on it, thanks for asking.

I recently read Nine Lives by Peter Swanson. This is the story of nine people who are strangers from all over the country.  Each of these characters receives an envelope with no return address, inside is a piece of paper with a list of nine names, nothing else.  Each recipient has the unfortunate surprise of finding themselves on the list.  Several discard it as junk mail.  Some people think it's a joke.  It becomes clear that the list is trouble once people on the list start being murdered, one by one the list is getting smaller as the FBI races to track down and protect the remaining survivors.

This book is exactly what a thriller should be, full of anticipation, dread, curiosity, and page flipping fun.  This is aided by the fact that this book is told in a unique way.  It is told by a countdown.  Yep, when the next chapter comes you know that someone else will be dead as we count down from the nine strangers. Further, the major twist is something I've never seen done before and I read a ton of thrillers.  Order take-out and ditch Netflix, this book will hold your attention all night.

An evil thought: if you have a book club reading this, it would be so creepy to send them each an anonymous single sheet of paper with all their names on it.