Litsy

Wife | Meg Wolitzer

pan

I was so disappointed after all the praises to this book. Totally mediocre and wearying book about practically nothing. Characters were unlikable people, their behavior was stupid and incomprehensible...

57 likes1 stack add

EadieB

The Plot | Jean Hanff Korelitz

pick

#MarvellousMarch2024 #ThePlot #JeanHanffKorelitz #BookSpinBingo #SeriesLove2024

Jean Hanff Korelitz‘s The Plot is a psychologically suspenseful novel about a story too good not to steal, and the writer who steals it. Jacob Finch Bonner was once a promising young novelist with a respectably published first book.

DieAReader, Andrew65, TheSpineView, TheAromaofBooks

EadieB Today, he‘s teaching in a third-rate MFA program and struggling to maintain what‘s left of his self-respect; he hasn‘t written—let alone published—anything decent in years. When Evan Parker, his most arrogant student, announces he doesn‘t need Jake‘s help because the plot of his book in progress is a sure thing, 3w

EadieB Jake is prepared to dismiss the boast as typical amateur narcissism. But then . . . he hears the plot. Jake returns to the downward trajectory of his own career and braces himself for the supernova publication of Evan Parker‘s first novel: but it never comes. When he discovers that his former student has died, presumably without ever completing his book, 3w

EadieB Jake does what any self-respecting writer would do with a story like that—a story that absolutely needs to be told. In a few short years, all of Evan Parker‘s predictions have come true, but Jake is the author enjoying the wave. He is wealthy, famous, praised and read all over the world. But at the height of his glorious new life, an e-mail arrives, the first salvo in a terrifying, anonymous campaign: You are a thief, it says. 3w

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EadieB As Jake struggles to understand his antagonist and hide the truth from his readers and his publishers, he begins to learn more about his late student, and what he discovers both amazes and terrifies him. Who was Evan Parker, and how did he get the idea for his “sure thing” of a novel? What is the real story behind the plot, and who stole it from whom? 3w

EadieB This is a slow burn of a unique story. The plot has many twists and turns which kept me reading until the very end of the book. It is a psychological thriller about an author who dies and his plot is stolen by his teacher. The book is an instant success. An email arrives and says, “You are a thief.” If you like books about a successful plot that is stolen then you will love this book. 3w

EadieB Read it for yourself and see how he handles the accusation. 3w

TheSpineView Sounds good!🤩📖📚 3w

Bluebird Sound intriguing! Stacked! 2w

DieAReader 🥳Cool! 2w

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2w

58 likes2 stack adds10 comments

alecia3dixie

The Busy Body | Kemper Donovan

so-so

I really loved the dynamic between the two main characters. The way they got along, I really liked. The mystery aspect was very okayish. I guessed pretty much the whole thing. But the romance was just very dull. No build-up at all, just boom bam. Also, there were some fatphobic comments I did not appreciate. 3/5

9 likes

vivastory

Wild Nights! | Joyce Carol Oates

Wild Nights is JC Oates' collection of stories on the final days of five American authors (Poe, Dickinson, Samuel Clemens, Henry James & Hemingway). Oates frequently explores the disparity between the public perception & the real life of the author (esp in the case of Clemens & Hemingway where they are performing the parts of Twain & Papa in public). There is also a great deal of ambiguity in each story. The first one, Poe Posthumous could (CONT)

vivastory be interpreted as a science experiment gone horribly wrong. One could also make a compelling argument that the entire story is imagined by Poe as he died from rabies. Then there is the very uncomfortable story about Twain. The collection has a fantastic preface by Oates, which is a sort of essay on the art of the short story. I loved this imaginative collection & agree with the NPR quote on the back, “The triumphant paradox here is that (CONT) (edited) 3w

vivastory in their dying Oates brings these writers ferociously back to life.“ 3w

Tkimsal Oates is sometimes challenging but, for me, always worth the effort! 3w

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vivastory @Tkimsal I haven't read her novels, but I love her short stories. 3w

LeahBergen Well, this sounds interesting! 3w

Hooked_on_books What @LeahBergen said! 3w

Branwen Okay, Joyce Carol Oates is usually such a hit or miss with me - but your review really makes me want to check this one out! 2w

vivastory @Branwen I've only read her stories which I've had a lot of luck with. Her story The Doll-Master has stuck with me years after reading it. It's one of the creepiest I've read. I also really liked the anthology she edited American Gothic 2w

62 likes4 stack adds8 comments

Abailliekaras

The Busy Body | Kemper Donovan

pick

A really fun murder mystery, with a knowing wink to Agatha Christie and the genre. I loved the tone, sense of humour and contemporary references, not least Dorothy who is a failed presidential candidate, leaving the reader to guess who inspired her character. I found it hard to believe she would investigate the murders & I‘m still curious about the bodyguard but otherwise a light, engaging read with setting, twists & elements of classic crime.

CarolynM I‘ve just bought a copy of this. Glad to see you enjoyed it. I‘m looking forward to reading it even more now🙂 3w

Abailliekaras @CarolynM let me know what you think! 3w

24 likes1 stack add2 comments

Marquis784

The Girl who Could Breathe Under Water: A Novel | Erin Bartels

pick

Kendra is a successful author under pressure to finish her latest book which is being translated into German. She convinces her editor that she will be more productive if she returns to Hidden Lake, Michigan to the cabin she recently inherited from her grandfather. The return brings mixed feelings and unanswered questions as she revisits memories from her past. Trigger warning topics:child abuse, drug and alcohol use and resulting tragedies.

keepingupwiththepenguins

The Busy Body | Kemper Donovan

pick

The Busy Body is a solid locked-room mystery with plenty of suspects, a couple of good twists, and very evocative prose. Donovan even leaves a nice little thread dangling for the next book in the series without leaving this one feeling unfinished, a very tricky balance to achieve. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/the-busy-body-kemper-donovan/

47 likes1 stack add

MatchlessMarie

Business or Pleasure | Rachel Lynn Solomon

This section was so relatable to the millennial experience 🥺

Catsandbooks As a millennial myself, this feels so accurate 🙃 2mo

33 likes1 comment

MatchlessMarie

Business or Pleasure | Rachel Lynn Solomon

What are the odds… I finally started this one and didn‘t realize there was a leap day reference in it 😆

monalyisha I think to determine the odds correctly, you have to divide by 4…but not if it‘s also divisible by 100 but *definitely* do so if it‘s divisible by 400. Or something like that. 😆 2mo

44 likes1 comment

Dollycas

The Last Word | Gerri Lewis

pick

The author's attention to detail, her realistic characters, an unusual theme, the hint of romance, humor in all the right places, and a top-notch mystery made for a very entertaining read.

READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE - https://wp.me/p27gOm-Pid

3 likes

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