While I connected with the struggle of coming out, it's now 2024, and I found it hard to believe that a man in his 30s who works in Hollywood would still be closeted. Additionally, I wasn't particularly satisfied with the resolution to the mystery, which I sometimes found illogical. I was also unclear about the chapters that began like a screenplay featuring our protagonist; that aspect was never explained. Despite that, I still enjoyed the ride.

As a Gen X gay man, I found myself a bit confused by the pronouns & gender references, as well as some of the terminology—like “xe.“ I must have missed the memo on that one! While it may not be the most crucial part of the story, it did occasionally distract me and take away from my overall enjoyment.
Yeah, I know, soon I'll be yelling at clouds.
But if you can stick with the story until the end, the resolution is absolutely worth the journey!

This was a fun, scary and thrilling trilogy that I truly enjoyed.
But with that ending, I'm going to need this to be a tetralogy.
Thank you for your consideration.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Another page-turner from Blake Crouch!
Now on to Book #3 to see how it all ends!

With short, compact chapters, Helen Phillips constructs a world in the not too distant future where the ecosystem is collapsing&consumerism is rampant. AI robots called Hums advertise products to humans while also serving an unseen government.We meet unemployed May, who undergoes a face-altering surgery that will pay her enough to take her family to a Garden of Eden-style vacation.
A quick&tense read w/ an abrupt ending that I'm not sure I loved.

While the early chapters discuss UFOs and the closing chapter reveals a jaw-dropping explanation of the Roswell Incident, this book delves into more than just that.

With access to declassified info & interviews with those who were present at Area 51, Annie Jacobson provides a fascinating & detailed account of our government‘s efforts to conduct top-secret experiments in the realm of espionage & military warfare.

A shocking and fascinating read.

A bizarre and creepy tale that has many twists and turns. I thought this was going to be about some kind of home invasion, but it was so much more than that.
A very enjoyable and compelling page-turner!

If you‘re “A FAAAAANNN!!!” of Mommie Dearest, Joan Crawford or behind-the-scenes tell all books…this one has all those elements! A fun and quick read about what went on behind the scenes of this camp classic that was released back in 1981.

While it‘s not perfect, some of the stories tend to get repeated thus giving the impression the author might have been getting paid by the word, it still made for a very entertaining read.

The best part of the book is the beginning where it takes place on the plane..this is where Newman is in her element. The rest of the story, about a small town with one-dimensional characters trying to avert the meltdown of their nuclear power plant, feels melodramatic, silly and wholly preposterous.

(Note: I lost both my mom and my aunt within a two week period while reading this, so this could have impacted my review, but I doubt it.)

I was at risk for losing my Gay card for having not read this yet!

Christina Crawford‘s controversial bestseller opened the world‘s eyes to child abuse in general, and child abuse at the hands of a revered movie star & monster, Joan Crawford, in particular.

I loved the letters from Joan and encounters with her famous friends, but too much of the book is taken up by adult Christina‘s whining that Mommie wouldn‘t send her money or not enough.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
A truly chilling story as told from the perspective of an 8 year old girl. Everything was moving along nicely until the ending. An ending where I felt that the author didn‘t really stick the landing. That said, I loved reading this fast paced story at night to up the spooky quotient.

While not as riveting as "Nuclear War", Annie Jacobsen brings us her exhaustive and thorough research into top secret programs that were set up and funded by the CIA, the US military and other government intelligence agencies. Through declassified documents and interviews with these individuals, she paints a compelling and objective portrait with jaw-dropping accounts that makes one question (including this skeptic) the limit of our abilities.

I've read Blake's newer books yet never got around to this trilogy.
Here we find another compelling page-turner about a Secret Service agent sent to a small town to investigate the disappearance of two other agents. I have mixed feelings about the ending of book #1, yet not enough to diminish the enjoyment I experienced while reading it.
If you are a fan of Twin Peaks (a show that heavily inspired this trilogy), you'll enjoy this.

Are you feeling stressed by today's political climate? Then have I the book for you! Escape into a hypothetical scenario of nuclear war!
What I assumed would be a book as dry as radioactive concrete debris was actually a propulsive and engaging minute-by-minute scary AF timeline about how 12,000 years of civilization can be wiped away in just mere hours.

"Humanity is just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation."

That was one weird story.
I found the alternate timelines a bit challenging but that didn‘t stop me from wanting to get to the resolution at the end. An ending, weird as it is, that only Paul Tremblay could pull off.

A compelling and creative take on what it means to be human as seen through the eyes of a female robot who finds herself in an abusive relationship. I found the ending to be a bit underwhelming.
That said, I'd be lying if said I wasn't hoping for a murderous robot rampage when I was only 25 pages in.

I never expected a laugh out loud satire from one of my favorite authors, but here we are! It reminded me of the Bluth Family from Arrested Development…but British! Political viewpoints aside, Boyne has crafted a searing and hysterical take down of cancel culture and our obsession, dare I say addiction, to social media.
Loved it!

With alternating chapters on the private life of Lana Turner and the Los Angeles mobster scene, this was a compelling page turner about one of Hollywood‘s most infamous killings.
Author Casey Sherman doesn‘t dive into all the minutiae, but rather hits all the highlights of this particular period.
Despite some typos, this is a must read for fans of classic Hollywood and 1940-50‘s Los Angeles.

More like 3.5 stars.
I loved the concept of an American couple buying an old home in Italy on the cheap as so many fantasize about, including me!
This story though, will give you pause before making that leap.

Didn‘t fully love the supernatural element of it as it felt a bit hokey and the ending resulted in some eye rolling. Also, his physical descriptions of the locations as our characters make their way were a bit confusing.

Happy Publication Day for Paul Tremblay!
Love the red page edges!

Here‘s Hazel making her Litsy debut! It looks like she and Hera got caught plotting something.

This is a fun James Bond-style spoof about a hapless guy who gets caught up in the world of supervillains when his estranged Uncle, a supervillain himself, suddenly dies. Lots of fun set-pieces, sentient creatures and clever nods to spy thrillers.

Happy Publication Day!
#stephenking

In posing the question "What will you do with the time you have left?", TJ Klune gives us another funny and heartwarming story about life, loss, grief and tea.
I laughed, I cried....I appreciated life just a little bit more.
But not tea..it's like warm water with yard clippings...I'm more of a coffee kinda guy.

Turns out "Tom Lake" isn't a person, but a place. Was I the only one who initially thought that?

The story is about a woman reminiscing with her grown daughters about her past experiences in summer stock theater and her romance with a fellow actor who went on to become a famous movie star. The plot moves slowly, with the narrative switching back and forth between the past and present.

Not exactly a page-turner, but a sweet and nostalgic tale.

Definitely read this book before you read The Hunter otherwise you will already know the answer to this story's central mystery and a revelation about a particular character will be spoiled.
In other words, don't do what I did!
Despite that, this story, in the words of Trey Reddy, was simply "Grand".

I just finished reading my first book by Tana French, and I loved it! Even though it's the second book in the "Cal Hooper" series, I had no trouble following the story. It takes place in a small, peaceful village in Ireland, and the way French writes really draws you in. The murder mystery is exciting, and the characters are all really interesting. A great read!

Another page-turner from Simone St. James that did not disappoint.
Someone is killing hitchhikers along a road called Atticus Line.
A newlywed couple passing through town, with baggage of their own, are drawn into the mystery.

While I‘m not sure I loved the reveal, I was definitely entertained!

Just a fantastic story populated with wonderful characters (Nurse Ratched!…although not THAT Nurse Ratched) set in what feels like a not too distant future where machines run the world and humans don‘t.
A story about the meaning of family and the love that binds us all.
My first book by TJ Klune…but definitely not my last!

While it starts off as a mystery when a skeleton is found in a well in 1972, we flash back to the 1930's in a small town in PA.. There, in the poor section of town, immigrant Jews & African Americans live side by side & work together to hatch an escape plan when a young black boy is unjustly sent away to a reformatory.
Beautifully told story with an array of diverse and interesting characters that beautifully unfolds into a compelling narrative.

If you are looking for a story that will scare you and make you laugh,look no further!
Margaret has been living in a haunted house for 4 years now and every September is when things get really crazy. Her nonchalant and dry comments towards her "pranksters" and their hijinx is the highlight of this story for me. But if all that weren't enough, her daughter is coming back into town to look for her father (an abusive alcoholic) who has gone missing.

Blacklisted actor Paul Robeson summed it up best in a letter he wrote to Charlie: "...fascists everywhere hated you for your anti-Nazi film, The Great Dictator. Well, Hitler and his gang are gone, but Chaplin and his art lives on! And your name will be honored --yes, here in America, too --long after McCarthy and his kind are buried in oblivion.".

Indeed.

I just can't.
I've checked this out twice from the library, once because I ran out of time and the second time to pick up where I left off.
I made it 58% through and if I've come this far and STILL don't care, I think that's a sign.
I don't know who is who.
I don't understand their relationships.
And I'm bored.
And I didn't find it particularly scary either.
Basta!

I really enjoyed her previous books but this one just wasn't for me.
Started off strong and then it felt like a hodgepodge of genres, stories within stories, time jumps and plot twists that just didn't do it for me.
Just left me confused and annoyed.
Next!

Think a book about American right-wing fascism is going to be boring…think again. Rachel Maddow highlights the Nazi propaganda campaign that took place right here in America. Along the way we meet the far-right US citizens and politicians who colluded with the Nazis with the aim of overthrowing the US government and the brave individuals who did everything they could to stop them.

Good thing nothing like that can happen today, right?

Inspired by the death of her great Uncle at the Dozier School for Boys back in the 1930s, Tananarive Due delivers a gripping and harrowing tale of survival in the face of extreme adversity and cruelty.

Set in the 1950‘s, this is a propulsive page turner that combines engrossing drama and the supernatural while shedding light on the system of dehumanization that, as evidenced by our current prison system, sadly exists to this very day.

I almost gave up on this book during the first few chapters because the story seemed so preposterous.
Glad I stuck with it though as this book gave me some serious whiplash with its various plot twists.
All is not what it seems!

My final book for 2023. Only completed 60% of my Goodreads 2023 Reading Challenge. ‘Twas a crazy year!

Happy New Year everyone!

A very compelling and meta look at the publishing industry, race and identity from the perspective of a struggling author. An author who is accused of stealing the work of her late friend. Towards the end, the tone of the book shifts in a way I was not expecting.
If you like books about books, this is definitely one for you.

3.5 rounded up to 4.

With her job on hold and word from her brother that "Mom seems off", Samantha Montogomery decides to pay mom a visit to see what exactly is going on.

This is my first book by T. Kingfisher and while this is a horror story, the horror is offset by the wisecracking Samantha and her wry personality which I truly enjoyed. While it does get a bit silly at times, it was an engrossing and imaginative tale.

Could not put this down! Very unsettling psychological horror about a family who takes in their dying matriarch. The ending, which I will not spoil, wasn't what I wanted nor what I expected...and that's a GOOD thing!
This book really resonated with me as my mother moved in with us a few months ago.

And she brought a pretty stone with her.

S.A. Cosby has become a "must buy" author for me.
This time around a former FBI agent turned small-town sheriff must track down a serial killer that lives in their midst.
I love Cosby's "take no BS" protagonists who, like in his previous books, usually has to battle with the local racist Neanderthals. In this day and age, those confrontations are very cathartic and satisfying.
A gritty, violent and propulsive page turner!

Who would have thought a 640 page book about evil apples would be this entertaining? Well, it was!
At first I thought this seemed a tad corny, but then Wendig quickly pulls you into the lives of various characters in this small rural town. It‘s gruesome and gory at times, but never dull.
Coincidentally, while reading I got a shipment of Harry & David apples.
I never eat apples.
Yet I was compelled to do so.
They were delicious.
I need MORE!!!!

If you are looking for a spooky short story collection for the Halloween season, look no further.
Writer/Director Jordan Peele has collected 19 short stories from black authors you might already know & some you don‘t.
While some are better than others,you‘ll definitely be entertained...and a little creeped out.
I mean…that book cover!

Some standouts for me:
Reckless Eyballing
The Rider
A Bird Sings by the Etching Tree
Dark Home
An American Fable

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

There is a lot going on in this book which at times made the story feel convoluted, but never dull.

With a past and present story structure, this tale examines mother-daughter relationships, sibling relationships, toxic relationships, friendships, a missing black girl, ghosts and a creepy haunted house.
And trauma. Lots of trauma.

I told you it was a lot.

If you are looking for a Stephen King novel that does not have a supernatural element to it...this would be a good pick.
Random people are disappearing and King's beloved investigator Holly Gibney is back on the case.
While the time jumps were a bit confusing at times and the ending was a tad unsatisfying, this was a compelling (and slightly stomach churning) read.

Really enjoyed this little novella narrated by a lovable yet hungry mountain lion who is forced out of his home in the hills of L.A....or as he calls it "ellay".
Funny and whimsical observations about the people he encounters that will make you smile and perhaps shed a tear or two.

Ugh! Strange syntax by our hero, characters in blackface, endless and confusing descriptions about sleeper cells, the inner workings of Luna and a computer named Mike, all of which leads up to a revolution which I assume happens. Made it to 40%, but just didn't care enough to find out if they were successful or not. I guess this reader is a harsh reviewer.

I almost read this before a recent flight but decided against it…glad I did!

T.J. Newman wastes no time in this high octane thriller and follow up to “Falling”, about a commercial airliner that ditches in the Pacific Ocean.

You‘ll want to finish this page turner in one sitting.

Heeere's HOLLY!
Happy Publication Day!

“On Tuesday, Adelaide Henry had been a farmer. On Wednesday, she became a fugitive.”

Adelaide Henry sets out to escape her past in rural Montana in 1915. But she's not traveling alone.

Victor LaValle has written another page turner with this Lovecraftian female driven tale that grabs you from page one and doesn't let go.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

REBECCA meets THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER in this twisty whodunnit from Riley Sager. Just when you think you've figured it all out, Sager hits you with another WTF plot twist.
While some of those twists gave me some pause, this is still a highly enjoyable read!