Tag Archive for: Stand-Alone

,

Review: Rock Paper Scissors

Review: Rock Paper ScissorsTitle: Rock Paper Scissors
Author: Alice Feeney
Genre(s): Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 304
Source: Library
For: Personal Interest
Rating:
Sexual Content: 0.5 Flames

Goodreads Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis

Things have been wrong with Mr. and Mrs. Wright for a long time. When Adam and Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. Every anniversary the couple exchanges traditional gifts--paper, cotton, pottery, tin--and each year Adam's wife writes him a letter that she never lets him read. Until now. Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget.

My Thoughts

I love thrillers. Love them. When I read the synopsis of ROCK PAPER SCISSORS, I knew I had to read it. I especially had to read it when I found out that Adam Wright has prosopagnosia or face blindness.

Like Adam, my husband has face blindness. He doesn’t recognize people when he looks at their face. He uses their voice, hair, mannerisms, and other features to help him recognize them. Unlike Adam, he does recognize facial expressions and facial features while he’s looking at them, but he can’t recall what he saw when he looks away.

I really liked the premise of ROCK PAPER SCISSORS. I liked the alternating POVs and I liked reading the secret letters from Adam’s wife. The story was suspenseful from the get-go and I wanted to keep reading so I knew what was going on, what was going to happen, and how it would all come together in the end.

The scariest haunted houses are always the ones in which you are the ghost.

As I read the story, I figured out some of the mystery. I didn’t figure out everything … and I was a little disappointed in the ending. Only a little disappointed, though, because I thought it was kind of confusing. If Alice Feeney had stopped it one chapter sooner, I think the ending would’ve been better. Maybe, I’m wrong and I missed the point of the last chapter. If you’ve read ROCK PAPER SCISSORS and you disagree, please tell my why.

Even though I was slightly disappointed, I still had fun reading ROCK PAPER SCISSORS. I stayed up way too late one night feeling the suspense and not being able to put the book down. Needless to say, I’ll look into Alice Feeney’s other books.

Have you read ROCK PAPER SCISSORS? If so, what did you think?

/8 Comments/by

Review: The Magnolia Palace

Review: The Magnolia PalaceTitle: The Magnolia Palace
Author: Fiona Davis
Genre(s): Historical Fiction
Pages: 368
Source: Own
For: Book of the Month
Rating:
Sexual Content: 0.5 Flames

Goodreads Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis

THE MAGNOLIA PALACE tells the story of two women separated by nearly 50 years. 21-year-old Lillian Carter stumbles upon an employment opportunity, but the longer she works as a private secretary to the imperious and demanding Helen Frick, the more deeply her life gets intertwined with that of the family, pulling her into a tangled web of romantic trysts, stolen jewels, and family drama that runs so deep, the stakes just may be life or death. Her life falls apart as a looming scandal leaves her entirely without a safe haven. When 18-year-old English model Veronica Weber is dismissed from the Vogue shoot taking place at the Frick mansion, she chances upon a series of hidden messages: messages that lead her on a hunt that could finally reveal the truth behind a decades-old murder in the infamous Frick family.

My Thoughts

I received THE MAGNOLIA PALACE as my January book from Book of the Month. I’ve been excited to read it ever since I read the synopsis and I’m happy to report that I wasn’t disappointed.

I was hooked on THE MAGNOLIA PALACE from the get-go. I adored it from start to finish. When I’d put the book down, I’d keep thinking about it and I’d want to pick it right back up again. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.

I really loved the dual timeline. I thought it was the perfect vehicle for the story, especially with the mystery aspect of it. I was more invested in Lillian’s story than Veronica’s. I didn’t dislike Veronica or anything; I was just more interested in the 1919 time period than the 1966 one.

The rich think they’re protected, that they have magical powers, when in fact they’re only mortals, like the rest of us. Bodies break down, betray you. People you love die. Children die.

I had no idea that Henry Clay Frick, his daughter, and the Frick Collection were real as I read the story. I didn’t even know that Lillian was based on a model from the 1900’s. I loved reading the author’s note and finding out that Fiona Davis mixed non-fiction with fiction to create the magnificent story that is THE MAGNOLIA PALACE. I don’t know what historians or relatives of the Frick family and the model would think about Fiona Davis’ fiction, but I thought it made for a compelling read.

Ever since I finished reading THE MAGNOLIA PALACE at 2am, I’ve been trying to decide if I want to rate it 4 or 5 stars. I finally settled on 4.5 stars, which might change. One thing is for sure, I’m definitely going to be checking out more of Fiona Davis’ books.

Have you read THE MAGNOLIA PALACE? If so, what did you think?

Trigger Warning

There is a trigger warning for death of a parent.

/6 Comments/by

Review: Anxious People

Review: Anxious PeopleTitle: Anxious People
Genre(s): Contemporary
Pages: 346
Source: Library
For: Trim Your TBR Challenge
Rating:
Sexual Content: 0 Flames

Goodreads Amazon

There's a trigger warning for this book. See Trigger Warning section at end of review for more details.
Goodreads Synopsis

A poignant, charming novel about a crime that never took place, a would-be bank robber who disappears into thin air, and eight extremely anxious strangers who find they have more in common than they ever imagined. Humorous, compassionate, and wise, ANXIOUS PEOPLE is an ingeniously constructed story about the enduring power of friendship, forgiveness, and hope--the things that save us, even in the most anxious of times.

My Thoughts

I’ve never been interested in reading Fredrik Backman’s books. They sounded boring to me. Then my IRL book club read ANXIOUS PEOPLE back in September and the discussion sounded interesting. Fortunately, I didn’t pay attention too much so I wouldn’t be spoiled because I decided to add it to my Unofficial Trim Challenge list and its number was chosen for January.

Some of us never manage to get the chaos under control, so our lives simply carry on, the world spinning through space at two million miles an hour while we bounce about on its surface like so many lost socks.

I’m so glad I decided to act opposite of my initial inclination and read ANXIOUS PEOPLE. I absolutely adored this book. I was giggling from the outset and I was hooked from the first time I sat down on Monday and started to read the book. I loved how it was written, that we got the story in parts. It reminded me a lot of TRULY MADLY GUILTY by Liane Moriarty (but better executed). I wanted to keep reading so I could figure out how everything would play out.

After I finished reading ANXIOUS PEOPLE, I felt almost spiritually moved and like Backman had spoken to me through his characters on a deep personal level. Backman made me feel a gambit of emotions for every single character, including the grumpy know-it-all who thrived on causing conflict. It made me love every single one of them. He even made me have feelings for bridges.

I’ll definitely look into Frederik Backman’s other books now and see if I like any of them as much as ANXIOUS PEOPLE. It was such a treat to read.

Have you read ANXIOUS PEOPLE? If so, what did you think about it?

Trigger Warning

There is a trigger warning for suicide and suicidal ideation.

/8 Comments/by