Disclaimer: I received ARCs of The Three Lives of Cate Kay, All the Water in the World, and Good Dirt from Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for my honest reviews. This post contains affiliate links.
Oh my goodness! Such a great month of reading for me. I love when I have some good new releases that I can recommend--my favorite was Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson. If you read her last book, Black Cake, you know what a good writer she is. Cross My Heart was a really fun thriller and I couldn't put it down. Liane Moriarity never disappoints and Here One Moment is ready for Nicole Kidman to make into a mini-series. You really can't go wrong with any of the books I'm sharing this month. I'd love to hear your thoughts!
I do enjoy an apocalyptic thriller and All the Water in the World, taking place in a flooded future, had me turning the pages. Told in alternating narratives between The World Before and The World As It Is by Nonie, a young girl running for safety with her sister, her father, and a friend, Keller; and the past, where Nonie, Bix, and her parents were living in a NYC museum before they fled in a canoe on the Hudson river for higher ground. Climate change has taken its toll. The world is flooded by torrential rains and 'hypercanes' which have left every man to fend for himself. The author is a gifted storyteller, writing a tense narrative that kept me glued to the pages. My only complaint was that the ending felt rushed.
Similar to the author's previous novel Black Cake, Good Dirt is a multigenerational drama. This book centers on a jar, made by an enslaved ancestor, which reminds the family of the past struggles and how far they have come. When an attempted theft of the jar occurs, with a subsequent murder, the only witness is Ebby, who struggles to process the loss of her brother. It doesn't help that hers is the only black family in this very wealthy area. Fast forward to the present and Ebby's left at the altar by her fiancé, who hails from a prominent white family. The focus is once again on Ebby and she travels to a small inn in France to heal her wounds. What followed had me turning the pages, eager for what would happen next. What a read!
In the middle of a routine flight, an elderly woman begins to roam the aisle, touching her brooch. 'I expect...," she begins and predicts the time and manner of death for every passenger on the flight. If you knew you were going to die, would you change your life? The narrative alternates perspectives between the so-called 'death lady' and the several passengers who were predicted to die in the near future. Their stories are interesting, as is the story of the elderly woman, but for me the book began to drag as it went on. I found myself skimming through the elderly woman's backstory in particular. But by the end of Here One Moment, the story came together. I am so glad I stuck with it! I can't help but wonder--will Nicole Kidman make this one into a Hulu series?
Brooke Shields pens her third memoir, sharing her experiences and thoughts on aging. She's only a few years younger than me and I was interested in reading her perspective. I mean, she's Brooke freaking Shields! Do you remember the Calvin Klein ads when she proclaimed 'Nothing comes between me and my Calvins?' Well, she has a lot to say about growing older. For the most part, she comes across as a regular person, which amazes me, considering the life she's led. The narrative is written in a conversational style, which is a nice touch, except that she's that friend who talks your ear off. She tends to go off on tangents and I kept wanting to cut her off. There's nothing earth-shattering here, just an effort to make the reader feel that they are not alone on this journey.
Sweet, naive Rosie, who tells everyone she sees the world through 'Rosie colored glasses', is fresh off of a devastating breakup after her boyfriend finds her in a wedding dress she bought for herself and as a recent recipient of a heart transplant. She suspects that the husband of her donor is a famous author and she connects with him through a donor website. As they exchange messages, Rosie starts to think maybe he's the one. She learns that he lives in her town and begins to stalk him. Oh, Rosie! I wanted to reach through the pages and shake her. Meanwhile, through her investigations, Rosie learns that maybe her author is not who he seems. Cross My Heart was a fun, twisty thriller that I could not put down!
Having read the Laurie Frankel's This is How it Always Is, I knew that this one was going to be interesting. It took me a few pages to get into this one, but once I settled in, I didn't want to put it down. Family Family is a story of adoption. It's difficult to share much of the plot without spoiling it for the reader because you really need to read this to watch it unfold. The main character, India, is a famous actress and the mother of adopted twins. When she criticizes her new movie about adoption in the press, the paparazzi swarm, and her past comes back to haunt her. The author deftly navigates through the potential landmines to share a story about love and family and begs the question--what makes a family? Loved this one! It would be a great book club selection.
How was your month of reading? Do you have any recommendations for me? What's your favorite genre? I do love literary fiction, but enjoy a good thriller too!
I'm linking up with My First 5k and More, Running with Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Run with Pugs, and Zenaida for Fit Five Friday! I'm also excited to join Farrah for My Month is Booked! Check out the newest link-up: Share Your Shelf with Slices of Life, Memphis Bridges, Overflowing with Thankfulness, and The Other Side of the Road.
Haha, your Brooke Shields review gave me a good laugh! A friend who talks your ear off—so true! 🤣 We all know someone like that—equal parts fascinating and exasperating. Still, it definitely makes me want to read her book!
ReplyDeleteThe idea of someone telling you exactly when and how you'll die... yikes! I don’t think I’d want to know. But you’re right—it would make an incredible mini-series!
Brooke narrates her audiobook and I think that would be a fascinating listen!
DeleteI haven't read Black Cake yet so this is prompting me to get it on my holds list. I didn't love the last couple of Moriarty books but have heard a lot of good things about this one so I plan to check it out. I have the Cate Kay one on hold, too! So many books to read, not enough time! I read a lot this month since I was recovering from surgery, one of which was The Covenant of Water which is 775 pages so more like 2-3 books! I really liked it but know it was not successful for many. I also read and loved Sipsworth which is a slim, heartwarming novel that got a lot of buzz on podcasts last year. I also read a couple of really great non-fiction reads - The Story of a Heart (trigger warning as it's about a heart transplant from one 9yo to another but was a fascinating read about organ transplant) and The End of the Hour (memoir about a therapist going to intense therapy for trauma). The best light read was Summer Fridays! My fave genres are probably literary fiction followed by contemporary fiction and memoir! But I read all over the place. I don't read many thrillers because they make me too anxious much of the time and I rarely read sci fi but am reading one right now (The Other Valley).
ReplyDeleteI don't know what it is with long books, but I usually get antsy with them! So I tend to stay away. Thanks for the recommendations--I'm off to check them out. I hadn't heard of Sipsworth but I just put it on hold at the library.
DeleteOh, I loved Black Cake. I will definitely read Good Dirt.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed Hear One Minute. I thought it was an interesting contrast to The Measure.
You will love Good Dirt!
DeleteI usually love Moriarity’s books but I agree this one kind of dragged on. Not my favorite. I was wondering about the Brooke Shields book too
ReplyDeleteIt got a little long. That's been my complaint about a lot of books lately.
DeleteI loved Black Cake! Thanks for putting Good Dirt on my radar.
ReplyDeleteYou will love it!
DeleteI loved Black Cake so I need to read this one and a few of the others. Thanks for the recommendations.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy!! let me know what you think!
DeleteI read the Liane Moriarty- I enjoyed it. I've enjoyed all her books, some more than others. This one wasn't my favorite, but I still thought it was very good.
ReplyDeleteIt must be very hard to age when the biggest thing you're known for is your looks. I mean, it's hard enough for normal people! I would be interested to hear Brooke's take on it- but not sure if I'm interested enough to read the entire book with all its tangents!
I think you did a good job of interpreting my review! :p
DeleteI have Good Dirt to read this month so I didn't read that bit too closely. A nice lot of books for January!
ReplyDeleteThank you! i hope you enjoy Good Dirt!
DeleteLove this list! I am currently reading Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange and it's good but it's a slower read for me.
ReplyDeleteDid you read his first book, There there? A lot of the characters reappear in Wandering Stars--it helped with context.
DeleteI always look forward to seeing what you’ve read! I’m adding All the Water in the World, Good Dirt, and Family Family to my list! Here One Moment is somewhat reminding me of The Measure (I’m not sure if I’d want to know in either case, but for planning purposes, maybe it’d be better..who knows!).
DeleteI’ve been having a harder time finishing longer books lately unless they’re audiobooks (definitely makes me hate my commute less, hehe). My attention span is not what it once was!
I have yet to try an audiobook. i much prefer reading to listening!
DeleteIt does sound like you had a great reading month! I think I started that Moriarty book but didn't finish it... now it sounds like maybe I just should have skipped ahead a bit?
ReplyDeleteOr skipped it entirely :p. It needed some editing, I think.
DeleteI started reading Family Family, but set it aside as I could not get into it. Maybe I will pick it back up. I'd like to read Brooke Shields book. The documentary about her was good, and somehow she seems relatable. I can't remember if it was Netflix or Hulu. I usually love Lianne Moriarity's books but haven't read this one yet. It's an interesting premise.
ReplyDeleteIt took me a while to get into Family Family but once I did, the book just flowed. I'm not sure why it got off to such a bumpy start.
DeleteSo many reads here I want to add to my TBR list. I'm really interested in the Brooke Shields one
ReplyDeleteVisiting today from Farrah's
Thank you for checking out my reviews! Let me know what you think of Brooke's book.
DeleteI added the Brooke Shields book and Here One Moment. I discovered All the Water in the World was already on my list.
ReplyDeleteLet me know what you think!
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