Mini Book Reviews: March 2024

Disclaimer: I received ARCs of Real Americans and A Fatal Inheritance from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for my honest reviews.

Overall, this was a very satisfying month of reading! I didn't expect to read this many books--A Fatal Inheritance, a NetGalley prerelease, was very interesting. I just couldn't rush through it, wanting to savor all the details. I found some unexpected good reads this month with Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame, Yellowface, and What Happened to Nina? My other NetGalley pre-release, Real Americans, was amazing as well. The only disappointment was The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers. I love a nostalgic look back at the music of the 1970s, but this was not the story I was expecting.

I picked up this one with zero expectations and was blown away. Real Americans  is a family saga told in three parts from the viewpoints of a Chinese American daughter, her son, and her mother. It's about family secrets, sacrifices, and the things parents will do to ensure their children will have a good life. The main characters were all good, ethical people who had to make tough choices. The writing is absolutely beautiful and at times, I had to go back and re-read a sentence just to savor it. I read this one while in California and I kept telling my sister she has to read it when it comes out! This is a book that will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommended! To be released April 30, 2023.

I've been enjoying these retro '60-70s books about bands! The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers put a different spin on the genre, focusing on a ghostwriter who is picked to write a memoir about a reclusive lead singer of a rock band known as much for the off-stage drama as their music. The lead singer is reluctant to tell her story and the drama that ensues from that. There's also a side story about the writer's wild child sister which IMHO did not add any value to the book. Truthfully, the story is kind of a mess. I stuck with it because things started to come together about halfway through. It was interesting learning about how ghostwriting works, but it left me wondering if they really insert themselves into the scene as much as this one did. 

An elderly woman who loves to bake decides to take a chance and audition for British Bakes, a televised baking competition. She keeps her audition a secret, worried about making a fool of herself but scaring her husband so much that she finally tells him. As she progresses through the competition, she culls recipes from her past, which also unearths a deep secret that she hasn't shared with anyone. Quirky characters and crisp dialogue drew me into the story and I couldn't put it down. Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame is such a sweet story but not one bit cloying--just how I like my baked goods! Highly recommended.

A Fatal Inheritance is a deep dive into the hereditary development of cancers. The author was inspired by his own family to research the topic for this book. The evolution of scientific theories regarding the cause of cancer is covered, as well as the treatments that have been developed as a result of this information. I was fascinated by this book! The author does a great job of sharing the material without making it dry or boring. I also liked how he shared the stories of his family members throughout the book, reminding the reader that while this book is about science, it is also very personal and sad. This was a very interesting, well-written book. To be published May 14, 2024.

I started Yellowface last year when it came out and just couldn't get into it. At the urging of my sister, I picked it up again and this time, I couldn't put it down. This is the story of a friendship between 2 young authors, one successful and one struggling. When the opportunity presents itself for the struggling author to obtain a manuscript from the other and call it her own, she jumps on it. She reworks it to fit her style, researching the topic to be able to answer any questions about the origin of the book. But her deception haunts her, social media taunts her, and she struggles to hang on to the success she claimed was hers. This is an amazingly well-written book. The way the plot unfolds is so clever. I sure didn't see that ending coming. Lots of food for thought with this one and I think it will stay with me for a long time.

Believe the hype! This is an unputdownable thriller about the disappearance of a young woman after a weekend hiking with her boyfriend. People are claiming it's based on the Gabby Pinto story, but aside from the basic facts, this story took a very different direction. What Happened to Nina? is not a whodunit type of thriller--the killer is revealed to the reader in the very beginning. The suspense builds around the plot as the girl's parents are on a quest to prove that they know who the killer is and that there is a cover-up to hide the killer's identity. Meanwhile, conspiracy theories are rampant in the court of social media. The tension in the story was palpable!  My only quibble is with the ending--not how I would have liked the story to go--but I was surprised! 

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