Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

What if you knew exactly how long every romantic relationship in your life was going to last? That is what Daphne experiences in Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle. Right before or not long after she meets someone, she finds a small slip of paper with the man's name and a length of time. It might be three weeks, or five months, or one night. She always knows exactly how long it will last. But does knowing change her behavior and possibly the outcome? How would she even know?

This was a sweet book that was just the light read that I needed. It had plenty of heart and a wonderful depth, but it also provided the escape I needed. Daphne is darling, working hard and enjoying the work. She has a sweet old dog who doesn't seem to know he's a dog. And she has parents who are always there for her, even though she's relieved to be living on the other side of Los Angeles from them; close, but not too close. Loveable characters, all. I liked this one.

 It's life, all of it. The only way to get it wrong is to refuse to play.

 

They Never Learn by Layne Fargo

 

Scarlett is an English Literature professor at a small college where some of the male students (and male professors) have trouble with their behavior toward the female students. It's really no different than any other college or university in the country, except at this one, Scarlett makes sure they pay for their crimes. A student at the same college, Carly is thrilled to get out of her abusive father's home and begin her new life. She is thrilled to be taken in by her outgoing roommate Allison, but when Allison is assaulted at a party, Carly is determined to do everything she can to help her friend. No one should be allowed to get away with what he did.

This book was quick, and it grabbed me from the very beginning. I think we have all entertained a revenge fantasy or twenty, and watching Scarlett hold these terrible men accountable and get away with it is absolutely delicious.

He wasn't afraid of me... That was his first mistake.

True justice would have been bolting the fraternity house doors and setting the whole place on fire, burning every one of those boys in their beds.

No wonder he pretends to care so much about his students. We're the only ones still young and foolish enough to fall for his bullshit.

...killing a man is so much more satisfying than fucking a man could ever be.

Tell me those quotes don't make you want to run out and get this book right now! And honestly, you just should. Place the online order (from an independent bookstore if possible) or run out and get your hands on your own copy. I borrowed mine from the library. I really liked this book, and I think you will, too.

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

Imagine your best friend has been brutally murdered and you are discovered covered in blood, hers and your own. And what if you can't remember anything about what happened? Do you believe your friends and family and a whole small town that say you must have done it or do you not?

This is what Lucy is facing. It has been five years since Savannah's tragic death and a popular true crime podcast has decided her unsolved case is the perfect content for their new season. And the podcast's host, Ben, is known for solving mysteries that the police have abandoned. Does Lucy hope he uncovers the truth, or should she be afraid it will condemn her once and for all?

This book was such a quick read and so much fun! The flashbacks to Savannah made me wish she was my best friend. And her grandmother, Beverly, is a national treasure! At eighty years old, she officially has no more fu cares to give and is living her life to the fullest. She is absolutely hilarious, and her granddaughter clearly inherited her stand-out humor and sarcasm.

The mystery at the heart of this story kept me guessing, and the flip flops and twisty turns had me holding on with all I had. And yet, it wasn't dark like so many of these thrillers are. I prefer humor and this book delivered that, lightening the mood just when it was needed. I really liked this book and I think you will, too, SmartGirl!

 

The Only One Left by Riley Sager

"Here we give young women accused of terrible deeds the benefit of the doubt."

We are back with another TikTok recommendation. This one is The Only One Left by Riley Sager. In 1929, within the walls of a mansion on a cliff in Maine, all but one member of the very wealthy Hope family is brutally murdered. Who could it have been except the one remaining family member, a seventeen-year-old girl. Fifty-four years later, when the details of the tragedy have been reduced to a school-yard rhyme, Kit, a caregiver in her late twenties who grew up with those words ringing in her ears, has been called to care for that now seventy-one-year-old survivor. Having been accused of something terrible herself, Kit is determined to find out what really happened to the Hope family.

Oh, boy! This gothic mystery didn't seem quite right for this sizzling time of year, but I pressed on and I'm so happy I did. It took me a couple of chapters to settle into the mood of the book, and it was a little difficult for me to remember at first that the current day was in the early 80s, but once I did, I was invested. There were a couple of twists that I guessed ahead of time, but others that took me completely by surprise. There were details that I clocked as significant, that still didn't add up until Sager was ready for me to know what it all meant. As the pages turned, the story folded in and over on itself in such a satisfying way. I can't remember which creator recommended this book, but I really enjoyed it!

 

What I've Heard- Spare by Prince Harry

Yes, I am a little late to the tea party, but I finally got around to listening to Spare by Prince Harry. Audiobook is my format of choice when it comes to memoirs, especially when they are read by the author. At fifteen hours and thirty-nine minutes, this was a lengthy one, but I really enjoyed it. It was very interesting to learn some of the behind-the-scenes protocols when it comes to the British Royal Family. The idea of needing to make an appointment with your own grandmother and then having that appointment subject to approval by anyone other than her was baffling. It was heartbreaking to learn about the lack of affection with which Harry was raised and hearing his description of the pursuit of the press was immensely frustrating to the point of my own muttering in public. I've mentioned before that I usually listen to audiobooks on my bike rides, so at least there was no one to witness my muttering, but still. 

In his own recollection, Harry takes responsibility for all his naughty behavior over the years. He admits when he was wrong and details his attempts to do better. He does not, however, let any of the false stories about him or his family stand. Encompassing his whole life, he shares his memories as best he can; while admitting there are things he can't recall due to the trauma of the situation. Seeing as this is his memoir, of course we are only hearing his side of the stories, but I found his version very compelling. I highly recommend adding this to your list of audiobooks. 

 

At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities by Heather Webber

I am slowly making my way through some recent BookTok recommendations and this week it was At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities by Heather Webber. Ava is sent from her sheltered homelife in Ohio to a small town on the Alabama coast. Sent by whom? Well, that's the question. An anonymous letter arrives in the mail and the only person Ava can think may have sent it is... no longer with us. Desperate for a change in her life, she decides to follow it. What she discovers is a darling little town full of interesting characters, some of whom may or may not have some sort of magic about them.

I love a little magical realism, and this was very sweet. The writing was a little light and the plot wasn't intellectually challenging, but sometimes that's just what you need. I liked this book and I'd be willing to read more from Webber. Pick it up if you're looking for a light summer story.

 

The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez

 

What does an author do when she nears the end of her life and hasn't been able to finish all the stories in her head? In The Cemetary of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez, Alma is our author in question. She has had a successful, prolific career, but there were just some stories she couldn't finish, and they are driving her mad. Her solution? Move back to her country of origin, the Dominican Republic, and bury them. She builds a most irregular cemetery and creates final resting places for all the books she never wrote. When the stories refuse to rest peacefully, we, as the reader, hear them after all.

This book was interesting and mostly enjoyable. I felt like it became a bit disjointed with all of the intermingled stories and switching of points of view, but perhaps that was the point. This book did one thing that I really don't care for: it had no quotation marks. It was difficult to tell what was narration and what was dialogue. I found myself frequently bouncing back a few lines to clarify who was speaking and which words were actually said out loud. There were beautiful lines of prose, and the stories were compelling. There was plenty of drama from the broad cast of characters. I liked this book, but I didn't love it.

A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll

A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll was another book that I heard great things about on TikTok. It's a graphic horror novel, two genres that I don't usually read, but I thought I'd give it a chance. Luckily, my library had it, so it was easy to pick it up.

Abby is a quiet young woman with no friends and no family until she marries a recent widow and moves in with him and his young daughter. When the daughter admits that she may be seeing the ghost of her mother, Abby confesses to having seen ghosts herself in the past. This sounded like it was going to be really interesting, but it was so choppy and disconnected that I just didn't get it. Maybe that is because I don't usually read graphic novels or maybe it was an intentional storytelling device, but either way, it just didn't make any sense to me. I kept thinking it would all become clear soon, but for me, it didn't. It is highly rated on Goodreads, so maybe it will resonate more with you. For me, it just didn't work.

 

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

 

We all know that books take us on more adventures than we could ever actually experience. We visit different worlds, live through the past and the future, and experience other cultures. It's why we love books. In The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown, Cassie works in a bookstore where she was hired because she was there all the time anyway. When a longtime customer gifts her an unusual book, she can hardly believe where it takes her. Cassie then discovers that her special book is only one in a broad collection of extraordinary books, each with its own peculiar power.

I'd love to tell you more, but I don't want to spoil it for you.

I try not to gush too much in my reviews. And I admit that I have frequently been a little too heavy-handed with my star ratings. And yet, I feel more than comfortable saying that this is the best book I've read so far this year. I love the fantastic characters, even the ones I hate. The concept is most compelling. And the writing is wonderful! Just listen to this sentence:

The basement...was lit by a bare bulb hanging from a wire. The woman pulled the cord to switch it on and the bulb swung gently, the light sloshing back and forth across the floor.

I love the image of light sloshing. Isn't that wonderful?! 

The characters make me wish I could climb into this book and hug them. Well, most of them. There are a couple that I would prefer to strangle, but that's kind of a hug, isn't it? One of my favorite things about this book is the way Brown resolves each of the storylines. It was infinitely satisfying.

I'll resist filling this post with all my favorite bits because you should stop reading my review and just go read the book for yourself. And take a snack. In the words of one character:

"What's better than a good book and a slice of cake?"

The In-Between by Hadley Vlahos

Hadley Vlahos is a nurse and a very popular TikToker, which is how I found her. A hospice nurse, she shares stories of what she's learned from her patients and demystifies the hospice process for her viewers. In The In-Between she writes about her experiences and the patients who have had the most impact on her.

We read about Sandra, the woman who lives in a gorgeous mansion who is dying of breast cancer, and of Albert, the man living in a tent under a bridge with kidney failure. We meet Reggie, a man with liver disease caused by a lifetime of alcohol abuse, and Elizabeth, a young yoga teacher with lung cancer despite never smoking a day in her life. There is a patient with dementia, one with skin cancer, one with heart disease, and two with brain cancer. We meet patients with lots of loving family to care for them and some with only one or none. Some of her patients are happy to receive her help and others don't see the point of her. Some she spends days or weeks caring for, and others only a few hours.

What does a "good death" look like to you? Hadley leads her readers to find those answers for themselves while giving some insight into the process of dying that some people may not have experienced. She's very young for a hospice nurse, a profession that typically attracts nurses looking for a change of pace after years in other nursing fields, but she falls in love with the connections she is able to make with her patients and the good she can do at one of the most important moments of their lives.

This book was very sad. And it was also sweet, and heartwarming, and comforting. Of course I cried. When don't I? But they were good tears. Hadley tells her stories in a very uplifting way that inspires hope. 

 

84, Charing Cross Road

Another in my quest to read short books and feel like I'm making reading progress is 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. An epistolary work of non-fiction, we are invited to read the corospondance between Helene Hanff, a writer in New York City, and Frank Doel, a clerk at an antiquarian bookshop in London. Helene is frequently in need of decent copies of old, out of print books and she develops a friendship with Mr. Doel and many of the other employees in this small bookshop. The book spans twenty years between 1949 and 1969.

I literally read this book in one afternoon. That may not be much of an accomplishment for some, but it was very quick for me. The humor expressed in Ms. Hanff's letters is endearing as are the relationships she develops over the years. This was super quick, and very sweet.

 

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

I went into Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire knowing only that it came highly recommended by someone I follow on social media. And I knew it was short. The last couple of years, I haven't been reading as much as I used to and sometimes a girl just needs to mark a few off the list to get going again. This book is 169 pages and took no time at all to read. Listed as YA Fiction and nominated for Best Fantasy in 2016, I was flipping those pages.

Nancy has been sent away to a boarding school for children who have experienced an unusual circumstance: they all went missing for a time and returned telling outlandish stories or refusing to say where they had been and what had happened to them at all. Nancy's parents hope that she will get the help she needs and go back to the daughter they remember, one who wore colorful clothes and who didn't freeze in place for no discernable reason. Where does Nancy say she was? Well, in the Underworld, of course. At this new school, she meets other children that the world doesn't understand and finds a broad cast of characters who believe her.

I really enjoyed this book. I didn't realize it was YA before I picked it up, and I haven't read as much YA lately, but I really liked it. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your perspective, this is the first in a series that currently has eight installments. I don't usually like to get caught up in a lengthy series, but for this one, I'll at least give it a few more and see how it goes from there. I've already picked up the next one from the library! 

 

Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney

 

Someone I follow on TikTok loved and was frequently recommending Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney. I like to try new things so I thought, why not?

It begins with these three things you should know about the narrator:

1. I'm in a coma

2. My husband doesn't love me anymore.

3. Sometimes I lie.

So, we know going into it that we have an unreliable narrator. Some people love an unreliable narrator, but I'm not usually one of those. I feel like I spend so much time trying to figure out where the lies and secrets are that I miss out on the story. Of course, unraveling the mystery before getting to the end of the book is some people's favorite part of reading, so clearly, it is just personal preference.

In this book, we meet Amber Reynolds who is, as she said, in a coma. The interesting bit is that she can actually hear everything going on around her: the nurses, her husband, her sister. She also has plenty of time to tell the reader about how she got herself into this situation, even if she doesn't exactly remember the most important part of it. The story is told in two timelines, her current coma state, and the before, the few days leading up to the coma. We also read diary entries from 1992.

This book certainly kept my attention, but I wouldn't say it was all good attention. There were some very disturbing scenes, and it is impossible to know whom to trust. However, it did a good job of ending each scene in such a way that it felt nearly impossible to not keep reading. For me, it was okay. I liked that it was a speedy read, but mysteries/psychological thrillers aren't my favorite genre. If you like a twisty, turny tale of family drama and vendettas, you might like this one more than I did. 

Love & Saffron by Kim Fay

 

Love & Saffron by Kim Fay is a sweet little book that the author intended to be read in one sitting. Consisting almost exclusively of letters back and forth between two women of very different circumstances, it is easy to rip through it. Joan is a young, single woman finding her way in the world and Imogen is the married, middle-aged columnist to whom Joan sends what is essentially a fan letter. Along with the letter, she sends a sample of saffron for Imogen to try. Thus begins a pen pal friendship that changes both of their lives.

I didn't quite read this in one sitting, but it was pretty fast for me. I have always had friends of various age groups and so I particularly enjoyed the way the women were able to relate to one another despite their very different lives. Joan is looking down the road at her future and Imogen is looking back, remembering, while also not giving up on a future of her own.

I really liked this darling story and I think you will, too.

The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

 

This month's book club pick is The Spectacular by Fiona Davis. In 2022, we read The Lions of New York, which was very good so I was happy we were revisiting her. Davis sets all her books focused on New York landmarks and this one stars Radio City Music Hall and The Rockettes in 1956. Marion is a dance teacher who still wants more and when she learns about auditions to join the famous Rockettes, she figures she has nothing to lose. Well, except maybe her father's approval. This also happens to be during a streak of bombings all around New York that the police haven't been able to solve.

I enjoyed this book even more than I did our previous choice. Davis does a wonderful job of researching actual events and tying them into her own story that it would be easy to believe it all really happened. The only frustration I had was at the very beginning of the book, the narrator is 36 years older and recalling her time as a dancer. When she mentions that she is 55 years old, it pulled me out of the story because everything up to that point had me believing she was in her 80s. The description makes her sound so old and perhaps it is showing my own advancing age, but 55 doesn't seem all that old to me, especially considering the 55-year-olds that I know.

Otherwise, the characters are compelling, there is both family and societal drama, and it is fun to learn about how such an elite performance group makes the magic happen. I think you'll like this one, SmartGirls!

The Rise of Magicks by Nora Roberts

 

I've just finished reading the third book in the Nora Roberts The One series, The Rise of Magicks. I think I've mentioned before that fantasy isn't really my favorite genre, but this series was easy to read. The characters were compelling enough to keep me turning the pages and I never felt like the story got bogged down with world-building. By the end of this book, I even stopped getting snagged on the superfluous K in the word magick.

I haven't ever read any other Nora Roberts, so I can't say how this compares to her other books, but it was enjoyable enough. If you are a fantasy reader, you might like to give this one a chance. The story wraps up nicely. Love is found, evil is vanquished, families and home are the best place to be. 

Now I'm off to put my nose to the grindstone, or actually, in a book. I have a huge stack that came in at the library all at once! Happy reading, Smart Girls!

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

 

The first book club book of 2024 is The Housemaid by Freida McFadden and it is a great start!

It's always a daunting task to choose the book of the month. There is so much pressure to choose one everyone will like and that will also have enough meat for a good discussion. It was my turn to pick, and I was thrilled to find that I had chosen well.

Millie is a recently released convicted felon in desperate need of a job and a place to live. When she sees the ad for a live-in housekeeper, it seems like the perfect arrangement. She will be well paid and also have a secure, if tiny, small attic bedroom and bathroom all to herself. She will need to cook and clean and babysit a little girl, but she's looking forward to working hard and seeing the results of her efforts.

Nina is the woman who hires Millie. She has been happily married for a decade to a very handsome, very wealthy man who adores her. And yet, something just isn't right. Millie can't put her finger on what seems off, but she needs the job enough to not look too closely. Until she has no other choice...

This book was a quick, enjoyable read. I flipped the pages more quickly than I have in a while. One night it was so compelling that I had to make myself close the book. I like to read in bed before falling asleep, but on this particular night, this book was having the opposite of the desired effect. I could feel my adrenaline rising with each twist and turn and my choices were to put it away or stay up the rest of the night to finish it. I had work in the morning, so it had to wait. 

I'd love to discuss character development and story arc, but I would be a terrible book friend if I gave away any of the secrets. And I would never do that to you, Smart Girls! I'll tell you it was exciting enough that I had to give my husband a play-by-play each day as I read it. There was just too much excitement to keep it to myself! No spoilers, but I'll leave you with this one quote:

I'd say there's at least a twenty-five percent chance she's going to murder me in my sleep if I get this job. But I still want it. 

Of Blood and Bone by Nora Roberts

 

Book two in the series Chronicles of The One by Nora Roberts is Of Blood and Bone. We've jumped ahead in time nearly thirteen years from the end of The One and we see how the survivors of The Doom and the ensuing chaos are managing to rebuild society. We also begin to learn about The One, the savior in this post-apocalyptic world. Like any good fantasy book, our hero is a teenager, this time a girl. Fallon Swift leaves her family on her thirteenth birthday to begin her rigorous magickal, logical, and physical training.

Can we pause here and allow me to rant for a moment? Okay, I don't read a lot of fantasy; a little, but not a lot. I understand there are rules and conventions to the genre, but it makes me twitch a little every time I read the word magick or magickal. I'm sure there is a long-standing tradition for adding that k, but it trips me up and pulls me out of the story a little every time I read it. Okay, rant over. My apologies to all the fantasy fans out there. It's just not my thing.

Often, the second book in a trilogy is a bit of a bridge book: the story needs to move from the interesting part at the beginning (book one) to the interesting part at the end (book three). Book two can be less compelling, but not in this case. I enjoyed reading about Fallon's training and growth from young thirteen-year-old lightly-skilled witch to nearly-adult sixteen-year-old leader and warrior.

We are introduced to more characters (oh, the list grows ever longer), but they continue to add to the story rather than weigh it down. We also see the way power-hungry men have taken advantage of the vacuum of organized government to terrorize and impose their religious fanaticism. They rule with mandatory conversion and attendance to worship services. Public torture and executions are used to rid the world of those they deem evil and to keep everyone else in line.

The battles are laying the groundwork for the coming war. I hope the final book in the series delivers a satisfying end. I'll leave you with this quote that I'm adding to my collection:

Knowledge is a blessing, and a power, and a weapon.

Year One by Nora Roberts

 

WHERE have you been, Smart Girls??

Oh, wait. It was me that was missing in action. I will not insult you by offering a weak excuse for my absence, but please know that I have recommited to sharing the books I read. The last couple of years have been less read-y for me, but I'm hoping that changes as well. All we can do is try.

My first book of 2024 is Year One by Nora Roberts. I've never read a Nora Roberts book before now because I only knew of her as a romance writer and that's not really my jam. When a friend recommended this sci-fi trilogy, I was intrigued. The copyright is dated 2017, but boy was this book about a global plague ahead of its time. Fortunately for us, the pandemic we just endured was not nearly as bad as the one in Roberts' books.

A mysterious flu sweeps the Earth, taking out 80% of the world's population. In its wake, some of the survivors discover new magical abilities. It isn't difficult to imagine the power struggle that ensues.

The cast of characters in this first book is lengthy and I did find myself forgetting who they were and needing to flip back a bit to remember. Max, Lana, Arlys, Fred, Chuck, Poe, Kim, Jonah, Rachel, Will, et cetera, et cetera. 

It's a lot.

I was immediately drawn in by the description of how The Doom, as they call it, makes its way across the globe. The different groups of characters that we watch as they begin their survival is interesting. This being the first in a trilogy, it needed to lay out a lot of information. At times, that became a little tedious for me, and near the end, I wasn't sure I would want to continue the series. Fortunately, the last couple of chapters renewed my interest.

I will give this book a hopeful three stars.

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I hope you're reading something wonderful, Smart Girls. There are so many fantastic books out there!