I would like to thank everyone who got on board with my idea to start a book club for helping me get back into a reading groove after the major slump I was in at the end of last year. The past two years I’ve connected with so many people in real life who also love to read books and now find myself with a contact stream of recommendations. There are clearly worse problems to have.
After all this time I still haven’t learned how to stop buying books when I’ve almost run out of room on my main bookshelf or cut back on the number of library loans I’m requesting, and recently I’ve dipped my toes into the world of ARC’s, so now I’m just screwed. All jokes aside, March was a pretty good reading month for me. The four books I finished were each entertaining in their own ways and there wasn’t a single one in the bunch I wouldn’t recommend to someone.
We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer (Horror/Thriller) – 3.75/5 stars
Recommended for fans of haunted house stories whose fears include finding strange things in the shadows, the sounds an old house makes when it settles, and strangers showing up at your door
Eve and her girlfriend Charlie are in the middle of a house flip in the Pacific Northwest when a man, who claims to have grown up in the house years ago, and his family show up on their doorstep one snowy night. Acquiescent to a fault, Eve lets them in to have a quick look around while Charlie is running errands in town, and from there things only become more strange and unsettling.
The month started off strong with this twist on the classic haunted house story. It is genuinely one of the most unique books I’ve read as far as form and structure, inserting companion materials throughout the book to add intrigue to the main narrative. I devoured this book in a couple days, entirely entranced by the eerie tone and caught up in the puzzles included as part of the story. It wasn’t until after finishing the book I realized just how involved the documents, interviews, etc. spread throughout the chapters can be–I thought I solved most of them, but it turns out I’d only scratched the surface of the interactive parts. Despite how much I love puzzles, I’ve gone back and forth about how much they added to the overall story because they only provided us with small hints and interrupted my reading flow at times.
There were moments I was genuinely freaked out reading this, having been one of those kids that questions if there might be something lurking in a dark corner among the shadows (even as an adult I still feel this way despite how silly it seems). The lore of the house was something I would have liked to know more about, especially given the map in the front of the book with some terrifyingly cryptic notes about how to survive in the labyrinthine house. Throughout the book the house felt like a living, breathing entity of its own and I would have liked to see that explored further. I couldn’t put this book down and it’s worth checking out simply for trying something different.
The Five Year Lie by Sarina Bowen (Thriller) – 3.25/5 stars
For fans of reminiscing about your ex when you’ve had too much to drink, getting weirded out when you know you’re on camera, and being right about your shitty family
Areil’s boyfriend, Drew, disappears without a trace, leaving her with their unborn son and unanswered questions about the man she thought she knew. After a freak glitch sends a text from Drew to Ariel’s phone from five years ago, she starts digging into what happened to him. What she uncovers is a surveillance conspiracy linked to her father’s doorbell security company and even more lies.
This story was an interesting look at how surveillance can be used for dishonorable purposes in our current world where everything seems to be caught on camera. I think I wanted this story to lean more into the thriller and mystery elements instead of the romance between the main characters. I found the tense moments surrounding the investigation into the camera/tech company in this book to be the most engaging, especially with one of the narrator’s connections to said company because it’s run by her family. As a rather nosy person myself, I could relate to Ariel’s desire to investigate some rather fishy happenings.
This was a quick read and for the length of the book it went by really fast for the most part. The pacing really got wonky for me toward the end. I think I could have done without the narrative flipping between five years ago and the present day. A lot could have been accomplished by staying in the present moment and reflecting on the past. I’m not sure the jumping around really added much to the intrigue and at times it got confusing. I did appreciate the humor and the main female character being a badass who can stand on her own. I’d say this one I would categorize as a great beach or vacation read, it’s entertaining yet somewhat predictable in the end.
Beautiful World, Where Are You? by Sally Rooney (Literary Fiction) – 3.5/5 stars
For fans of having hear weekly existential crises, young millennials who wonder if they’ll ever be able to afford a home, and anyone still in the trenches of dating apps
A study in the lives of Alice and Eileen, two college friends on starkly different paths asking themselves the same existential questions about society and relationships. Alice has just met a young factory worker named Felix, forming a tenuous relationship, while Eileen is still in love with her childhood neighbor, Simon. A painstakingly honest look at the worries of many of us that asks if there’s still hope after all.
This is only my second read by Rooney, but I find her books so difficult to review. I can say with conviction this book captures what it’s like to be approaching 30 and feeling like your life lacks direction or isn’t what you imagined it would be. The excitement of your twenties and that first taste of adulthood feel close, yet far away. There’s enough history and distance by your late twenties to look back and wonder how it all could be different or find peace in the simple fact it is what it is.
The character’s rumination on life are honest and heartbreaking, not shying from the sometimes ugly truths of the different types of relationships we have with other people and ourselves. Rooney does a wonderful job highlighting the nuances of these relationships and how fluid they are. She doesn’t hold back from showing the less desirable characteristics people have because we’re all assholes sometimes. I appreciate the simplicity of her writing style, thought at times it teeters on being frustrating. There’s some interesting discussion overall about class, relationships, and society.
Becky Lynch: The Man: Not Your Average Average Girl by Rebecca Quin (Memoir) – 5/5 stars
For fans of always rooting for the underdog, proving people wrong through stubborn determination, and the pageantry that is professional wrestling
Becky Lynch’s inside look into her journey from an awkward kid to a WWE superstar is funny, earnest, and an eye-opening look into professional wrestling. Her memoir details the complex and very real woman behind her in the ring persona. Reading her story was like listening to a best friend tell you a story over drinks after a long day.
This memoir was fantastic. It certainly won’t be for everyone because it is heavy on the wrestling content, but it’s worth picking up even if you know nothing about the WWE. Becky’s writing style is simple and relaxed, making it feel like she’s just another woman struggling to figure it out like the rest of us and doing her best. Following along on her journey of self-discovery from an awkward young lady who feels unremarkable to a still awkward wrestling star made me laugh, cry, and everything in between.
It was interesting getting an inside look at how athletes craft their own personas and the big wigs work on storylines. It pulls back the curtain a bit on that particular part of the entertainment industry. Becky’s story is relatable and a great reminder that you should shoot for the moon when it comes to your dreams. I think a lot of readers can see themselves in her story because she didn’t just get everything she wanted overnight, there were a lot of necessary pit stops in-between.
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