Monday, August 29, 2022

Mini Book Reviews: August 2022

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This was the month of slow, satisfying books. All the books I read were beautifully written, which meant I needed to take my time and savor the prose. So how did I read so many this month? Being stuck on the couch with Covid for a week, that's how. There aren't any quick reads here, but a lot of these books were so immersive that I couldn't put them down. My favorite? Hands down, it was The Displacements, an adrenaline-pumping disaster book, which kept me up late at night because I didn't want to stop.


A young mom, married to a successful surgeon, gives it all away to join an old acquaintance on an international counterfeit handbag scheme. That's the basic premise of this whirlwind story. I had high hopes for Counterfeit one but it fell flat for me. I couldn't get past the mom just dropping everything to jet across the world and not tell her husband what she was doing! If she had just put all that energy into her son, maybe he wouldn't be so difficult...just speculating. I didn't like any of the characters and had to suspend disbelief to finish the book. I did find the information about the counterfeit handbag operations very interesting, though! Who knew so much work went into making fake designer purses? 


The Dead Romantics may be the most intelligent, yet quirky romance I've ever read! A young ghostwriter, fresh from a breakup with her story-stealing boyfriend and frustrated with her editor who won't give her an extension on her current book, returns home to help her family plan her father's funeral. The family owns a funeral home, so easy-peasy, right? It's never easy returning home and revisiting old ghosts--or finding new ones, as she has the ability to communicate with them. This ghost is someone special and well...I won't ruin it for you! My only complaint is that some of the dialogue drags on and slows the pace of the story. Stick with it, though, for the sweet story and happy ending.


I was so intrigued by the premise of Any Other Family--a young mother, who has given up her 4 children for adoption to 3 sets of parents, determined to keep the siblings connected by forming a 'family'. When she finds out she's expecting again, the group puts pressure on one of the families to adopt the new baby. The mother resists, and a search for the new parents begins. This one gave me a lot to think about. I certainly respect the desire to have the siblings in contact. Not sure how I feel about the parents forming a 'family'--and as the story unfolds, the bonds are shown to be fragile indeed. I didn't really care for any of the adults in the book--they were pretty self-absorbed and indulgent. The reader never gets to meet the birth mom, which I think was a wise decision by the author. The focus was placed on the families and how they deal with being adoptive parents. 

The Latecomer
tells the story of triplets, born to a wealthy, narcissistic father and a simpering mother. When it is time to leave for college, the triplets go their own way, all on their own journies, without each other. Their mother, struggling with the empty nest and her philandering husband, decides to use the last embryo from the IVF that produced the triplets. As you can imagine, the triplets wanted nothing to do with her. I was so intrigued by this plot and I wasn't disappointed. However, it is a slowly-paced book, and took me about 100 pages to finally find a rhythm. I almost gave up, but I am so glad I didn't. The author has a unique writing style that takes a little getting used to. Great character development and a satisfying ending made it worth it!

First of all: never judge a book by its cover. Vladimir is the story of an aging college professor who lusts after a young, handsome visiting professor. Her husband, another college professor, is under investigation for allegations of inappropriate sexual relationships with students in the past. Oh, but the couple had an 'agreement' about extra-marital relationships. The story unfolds slowly, building to a climax (see what I did there?) that had me chuckling to myself. This wasn't the book I expected. I was expecting trashy affairs, sordid passages, and steamy sex. Instead, I read a very literary novel, but I wasn't disappointed. I leave this book feeling empathy for the narrator, who struggles with aging and how others see her as well as how she sees herself.

What if you lost everything? I can't stop thinking about this book! After the world's first Category 6 hurricane completely wipes Miami and Houston off the map, a very privileged family ends up in a FEMA shelter, where the mother has to figure out how to put all the pieces back together. Meanwhile, there's all this drama in the camp, coalitions being formed, a con-man posing as an insurance agent, drug pedaling...just like the real world. The Displacements was unputdownable and also a warning that as these events become more common, this could happen to any of us. The writing is great--it's clear that the author did his homework--and not at all preachy. I can completely see this being adapted to the big screen. Highly recommended.


What a tough read, but an ultimately rewarding memoir. The author, a promising young figure skater with Olympic dreams, slides into a world of drug abuse, crime, and prostitution, all while maintaining straight As at Cornell. Eventually, her life catches up with her and she ends up in jail. Corrections in Ink isn't an easy read by any means and reading about her drug-fueled escapades became so uncomfortable for me that I almost put it down. I'm so glad I didn't. Once she's clean, working on redemption and survival in the prison system, I found the book easier to read. Maybe it felt more hopeful. While she was imprisoned, the author learned a lot about the prison system. I won't tell you how it ends, but I can share that she used that knowledge for good. A truly remarkable book. 



What did you read this month? Do you like disaster stories? Have you ever bought a book because of the cover and was surprised by the story? Do you enjoy memoirs? 

I'm linking up with Kim and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics.





19 comments :

  1. Wow, The Displacements sounds good- I'm not sure if I want to read it or not, being in the middle of hurricane season right now. Actually all these books sound great (other than Counterfeit.) The premise behind The Latecomer sounds fascinating. Now I'm kind of hoping I'll get Covid so I can stay home and read for a week! (JUST KIDDING, universe- just kidding.)

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    1. Oh, but I understand your sentiment, in some sick kind of way!

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  2. I love these... I can't tell you how many I've put on my to-read list because of your recommendations.

    My blog post today has some recent reads

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  3. Lots of interesting ones there! I was considering Counterfeit but yours isn't the first meh review I've read of it! The last one appeals most although drug-fuelled excess isn't that interesting to read about, the rest of it sounds interesting.

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    1. Corrections in Ink is such a good book. She drags you through the muck and as painful as it is, it really was worth it.

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  4. Admittedly I do often pick a book by it' cover and I would have picked counterfeit but now I would not. The displacemements sounds really interesting. Thanks for the great reviews

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  5. This is a surprise that I haven't read any of yours, but admittedly I've read some trash this month. It's summer/. No rules. Good time to catch up too

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    1. I hoped for one trashy book but no, I had to pick a literary book with a naked man on the cover.

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  6. The Dead Romantics sounds really interesting! I haven't read a romance book in a while so I am long overdue.

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  7. Wow, that's quite a mix of reads! Glad you were able to keep yourself entertained while dealing with Covid.

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  8. I just finished a book last night so I need to find a new one to start...maybe I'll read the Displacements! Thanks for all these reviews and I hope you are feeling better!

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  9. Ha, somehow your post didn't pop up in my reader. I'm glad I checked!
    Oh yes, I love disaster stories. "Displacements" would be a great script for a film.
    I love that you don't give up easily. Slogging through 100 pages until a book picks up the pace can be rewarding!

    You mentioned that your recovery is slower than you like - are you already back to running?

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  10. I love the range in the genres you read! The Displacements sounds like it needs to be my next read. Thanks as always for the great suggestions!

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