A Nearly Normal Family: A Novel | 
pickI saw this series on Netflix and when I realized it was a book first, I felt compelled to read the book first (as I always do). The very next day I found it in my local thrift shop! I really enjoyed the story through various viewpoints and the exploration of what a “normal” family is and how we work to preserve that appearance. I also really enjoyed the tension of looking at what you would do for your child. Now to watch the show!
pickBook 221📚 3.8⭐️
The final book of 2023!
Told in 3 parts and a legal thriller I actually enjoyed!
What would you do to protect your family?
Would you lie?
This book also had some ASD representation👍🏻
🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️
Happy New Years Eve friends!!🎆🎇
What is everyone reading tonight?!
so-soI‘m giving this one a So-So. It started off promising, but the further it got the less I cared. The ending felt anticlimactic, like the author thought he was revealing a surprise but I didn‘t get it. Hmm. I‘m definitely not in a great mindset this week, so it‘s totally possible that this is more about that and less about the book. 🤷🏻♀️
I'm nearly 1/4 into January 's #bookspin and liking it a lot. I recently read Netflix is releasing as a limited series in 2023.
@TheAromaofBooks
pickGood courtroom/crime drama that centers on two parents fighting to keep their daughter out of jail. It reminded me a bit of the book Defending Jacob. One of my favorite parts of this read is how the author questions what makes someone a good, believable person.
There were a few twists, and even though I saw them coming they weren't distracting from the story.
#Scarathlon #TeamSlaughter @Clwojick
Another I hope to read this month. I'm pretty sure this family has a #Skeleton or two hidden away in their closets. 😉
#OminousOctober @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks #Scarathlon @Clwojick
pickI enjoyed this Swedish based thriller/courtroom drama in which we meet husband,wife and daughter in three separate parts. The premise is that 18 yr old Stella, comes home after a night out in the early hours. Her father, a pastor in the church, then gives her an alibi for the murder that she is charged with. The use of 3 perspectives allows the plot to be slowly revealed and the final twist is satisfying. Really enjoyed this one.
pickThis worked well for me as an audiobook. It might have been a bit repetitive as a print read since it‘s told from three perspectives, but as I can be a bit distracted when it comes to fictional audiobooks, it didn‘t come off that way to me. I loved the very distinct voices by the three narrators. The audiobook was very compelling and kept me hanging on. I tend not to do well with fiction audiobooks but I enjoyed this one greatly.
Taking a walk and listening to this book that‘s read by Richard Armitage, Georgia Maguire, and Emily Watson. I reckon I wouldn‘t have liked this book if I read it myself. But this audiobook narration is superb. And not just because of Richard Armitage!
pick18 year old Stella has been arrested and is accused of killing her 32 year old lover Chris. Her parents have regrets for not protecting their daughter in the past and the story is told in three parts by Adam, Stella's father, then Stella and her mother. Each person provides key information regarding the murder and history leading up to the event. These parents go to extremes to protect their child. It was an enjoyable audiobook!
pickI really enjoyed this! I loved the three different POVs and how they all called each other into question - a great twist on your standard unreliable narrator. The twist wasn‘t shocking, so this isn‘t a book you read for the plot, but the characters were fascinating. It‘s not often that you find a well-paced thriller with characters that are more engaging than the plot! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #netgalley #sweden
so-so2021 No.5 The great thing about my kindle is that I can identify the exact percentage of a book I have read before it draws me in. With this book it was 60% which I think is way too long hence being only so-so. The storyline was good but I really struggled to connect with any of the characters which made it dragged for me. However I found the ending quite satisfying. ⭐️⭐️ #Booked2021 - translated from language other than my own.
so-soI just could not connect with a character. The story was really good though!
Thanks @thegreensofa for such a fabulous #aussiesecretsanta package! First of all, can we just talk about this wrapping paper? I‘m so in love with it I only unstuck one end and slid the gifts out. Maybe I can use it again!! Love the pen as I have a new planner lined up for January. Great looking books and bookmarks. 😍 You‘re awesome!! Thanks to @thegirlwiththelibrarybag for organising!
Happy early Christmas, Aussies! 🎄
so-soEvery murder case starts with a suspect.
What if the suspect is your daughter?
Would you believe her or the evidence against her?
Wow this dragged!!! I did like how the narration changed during the book . I had to finish it as I did want to know exactly what happened on the night of the murder but there was a lot of unnecessary padding 🥱 🥱
The highlight though .... lots of yummy vegan baking while listening! 😋
pickA good read. Similar to Defending Jacob but told from the point of view of each of the main characters chronologically. One picks up where the previous narrator left off. They do not alternate. It flowed much better than that sounds. I enjoy these Swedish thrillers!
pickI work at a hospital in WA. In the midst of COVID19, life is crazy right now. Because reading restores me, I read a LOT today. And it was all good 🙂.
A Nearly Normal Family deserves the hype it gets. What would you do if your child was accused of murder? What if you thought she was guilty?
Fully Loaded Thrillers is a collection of Blake Crouch‘s short stories. If you haven‘t read him yet, these will whet your appetite.
... see comments...
pickWell damn, I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would. Hearing the story from different character POVs was what kept me reading and I really wasn‘t sure who committed the crime. I did the majority on audio and I liked that there were three different narrators. In the end, the character I didn‘t like in the beginning turned out to be my favorite at the end.
pickGimli is happy to report that this was a pretty good book. The tension was compelling, the characters were flawed but interesting, and the ending was satisfying. Marking this off my #BOTMbacklog and using it for #Sweden in the #ReadingEurope2020 challenge. @Librarybelle @BarbaraTheBibliophage
#catsoflitsy #littenkitten #adventuresofthegmen #literarynames #coppereyes
Next up! Gilbert is making biscuits on my belly; and if you look really close behind him you can catch a glimpse of Gimli as he takes a break from attacking my feet. The book is my June 2019 #BOTM, which has been collecting dust. I'm ready to get started and knock one off my #BOTMbacklog. It will also count as Sweden for #ReadingEurope2020. @BarbaraBB @Librarybelle
#catsoflitsy #littenkitten #adventuresofthegmen #literarynames
pickEighteen year old Stella has been accused of murder. This thriller unfolds slowly at first, gradually building momentum, as we learn about current events and the past first from her father, then Stella, then her mother. I ultimately wasn‘t surprised by the outcome but I couldn‘t put it down. It was interesting to see some of the differences between the justice systems in the US and #Sweden.
#ReadingEurope2020
so-so⭐ ⭐ Almost didn't finish this one. Three narrators tell a story of a murder. For me, there was nobody to root for.
Current reads because I am a hot mess and keep starting books! They are all great so far!! Also dipping into some non fiction is pretty cool! No Summit out of Sight and They Called us Enemy are nonfiction! Which is awesome!
pickI don't always have a positive reading experience with books that have been translated. However, this one was great! I liked way the reader was given the perspectives of each of the family members: father, a pastor-- mother, an attorney -- daughter, rebellious teen accused of a crime. The setting (Finland) really elevated this one for me. It's a family/character study with a courtroom drama at the end. Pick!
Well, my timer messed up, but I added up the little bits and got in a solid 17 1/2 hours this weekend. Pictured is my breakfast (cocoa banana hazelnut smoothie...not very photogenic) and the dishcloth I worked on while listening to the tagged book today. It's been a fun #readathon! Now to bed to try and get enough sleep to be a productive member of society.
#MrBook1inaMillion. #24B4Monday #LitsyPartyofOne
@Andrew65 @MrBook
pickMom‘s a defense lawyer, dad‘s a pastor, and teen is a budding sociopath. Told from those three points of view. Throw in a few jacked up secondary characters and simmer with distrust and betrayal, and the result is an interesting if somewhat predictable stew with the main ingredient being murder. 3/5 ⭐️
🙋♀️ Anyone else? #uncomfortabletruths
pickThoroughly enjoyed this book. I liked the telling three parts...making it a little unclear which narrator is most reliable. I was kept guessing #whodunit right to the end.
In other greatly news... I found my favourite ‘back home‘ butter tarts sold here in the city! Getting cozy with a reading snack could get dangerous 🙄
Sooo @TheSpineView I am literally squealing! You were so thoughtful and generous in sending this swap. I love absolutely everything and really appreciate it too! Now to decide which book to read first during #screamathon they‘re all so interesting! Thank you again 💜. Thanks @4thhouseontheleft for organizing this swap.
pickThis very good murder mystery is written three parts. I was immediately invested in the father/husband‘s perspective (part 1) which made me curious about what the daughter would have to say and then the mother/wife. It‘s even more intriguing to me because I wonder if I‘d have had the same interest if the daughter spoke first.
My best laid plans have been interrupted! Need to read A Nearly Normal Family before Thirteen because the library informs me it‘s due tomorrow and I can‘t renew as others have it on hold. Started this morning and it has drawn me IN!!!🤓
Day 17: A Book of the Month pile #botmbookclubseptphotochallenge
I get so excited when my #BOTM box arrives each month! So excited! It‘s as if I cannot live without those books! Yet all of these remain unread! 😂🤷♀️
If you do Book of the Month, are good at staying on top of actually reading them?
pickI don‘t know what it is, but every book I‘ve read recently has gone like this:
1. Start reading, I‘m kinda bored
2. The thought of not finishing a book makes me itchy, so I keep going.
3. BOOM! Hit me with the twisty plot!
4. Okay, I‘m hooked.
🤷♀️😂
Starting this one today for #popsugarreadingchallenge. I have high hopes!
It so frequently takes tragedy or catastrophe for people to come together and be united, for us to truly stop what we‘re doing and devote ourselves to one another. In misfortune we rediscover each other and become aware of what it means to be a human among other humans. In sorrow, we need each other more than ever 👟🚲🔪
Got this today! @aroc #LMPBC I've been wanting to read this one - thanks @Lovesbooks87 !
You're up next @Honeybeegirl
Is there really such a thing as a "normal" family?? I think every family has a little dysfunction! Or maybe that's just something I tell myself... and my kids.. anyway.. it is starting to feel like fall, time to switch to a nice cab for my reading beverage. ??oh and I'm enjoying this book. ?
Starting this one today on this beautiful day! There's a wonderful breeze but it reminds me of fall. I'm not ready for that!! I hope I enjoy this book! Did you like it?
Wild Saturday night...I ordered a new vacuum! Decided to treat myself now that I‘m constantly cleaning up after two cats. Oh, and only 60 pages left in this book. I can‘t predict how it‘ll end.
pickI had difficulty at the beginning of this book but when it switched points of view I was riveted. Definitely recommend if you like murder mysteries and being on the edge of your reading chair 😉
