Welcome to Litsy!

Books & food & more
1. Arrival of bookmail from @ImperfectCJ
2. Reading while munching on “potato munchers”
3. My library had a promotion where you got a sticker for checking out ten items
4. Lunch at a Mexican restaurant with one friend where I ran into another friend
5. Our team came in second place at Pride Trivia then we came outside and saw a Tesla truck
#5joysfriday

This book grabbed me and didn‘t let go until I finished. It takes place during Hurricane Harvey when a family takes refuge in one house. Bodies start turning up and the only explanation is that one of them is the killer. This book was so good and I read it in one day. This is a debut novel oand I definitely plan to read future books from this author.

The plot and ending were a bit far fetched for me. Quick read.

This debut novel ups the ante on a locked room mystery with the dramatic backdrop of Hurricane Harvey! Single mom Jia doesn‘t want to shelter with her sister & brother-in-law‘s family but has no other options. With ominous messages coming from her ex, the story offers flashes back to the past giving important backstory. Smells and tastes leap off the page— but the inconsistent pacing and lack of open communication make this frustrating at times.

A strong debut but there was some inconsistency in the writing - generally, it was really easy reading but Parekh would throw in words here & there that didn't seem to suit (like arrhythmic to describe a pounding heart.) But she really shines with how she sets a scene, creating such a strong atmosphere, I kept looking out the window expecting to see rain.

Just missed my last #JoyousJanuary goal by 50 pages with this! There‘s always next month.

I really liked this. There were also flashbacks to what led Jia to her divorce, Ishaan‘s issues at school, and other things going on with Jia. I did find the storm/”current day” scenes more interesting than the flashbacks, but the flashbacks were needed to figure out what was going on. There were times I wasn‘t a fan of Jia; she did some stupid things. I almost rated it a bit lower, but the end brought the rating back up for me.

Hurricane Harvey, an intergenerational Indian family, and a locked door mystery all rolled into one? Sign me up! This debut had a fresh and interesting take on this mystery format and I enjoyed it, though it was a little uneven in places. This was a great read for a stormy night and I look forward to more from Parekh. Releases January 16th. #BookspinBingo #netgalleygroup @TheAromaofBooks @AllDebooks

I couldn‘t stand Jia. She was a selfish, immature character and I could rant a long time about all the things she did. But honestly, every character was insufferable and I don‘t have time to rant about each one.

As for the plot, this is the second book in a matter of months that I‘ve read that centers around a locked room mystery. Judging from both, it‘s clear they‘re not for me.

#arc