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eyreibreathe's reviews
369 reviews
Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
4.5 stars...
I have a confession, you guys. This book sat in my TBR stacks for a year and a half before I finally read it. Someone please tell me I'm not the only one who has done this. I think what makes it worse is the fact that it's a follow-up book... and I adored Beartown. Well, I finally picked up Us Against You, and as always, Fredrik Backman pierced me with his incredible writing. He has such a feel for human nature, and his writing manages to be poignant without trying too hard. A simple sentence can take my breath away or reduce me to tears. This book gave me all the feels! Another thing that always strikes me about Backman is that his characters have such depth and richness to them. It's a mark of a great writer when a reader can find himself/herself falling in love and becoming emotionally invested in certain characters (ahem, Benji). I feel like I'm still trying to collect all my thoughts and feelings on this book a couple days after I've finished it, and I think it's going to be one I continue living in for a good while longer.
I have a confession, you guys. This book sat in my TBR stacks for a year and a half before I finally read it. Someone please tell me I'm not the only one who has done this. I think what makes it worse is the fact that it's a follow-up book... and I adored Beartown. Well, I finally picked up Us Against You, and as always, Fredrik Backman pierced me with his incredible writing. He has such a feel for human nature, and his writing manages to be poignant without trying too hard. A simple sentence can take my breath away or reduce me to tears. This book gave me all the feels! Another thing that always strikes me about Backman is that his characters have such depth and richness to them. It's a mark of a great writer when a reader can find himself/herself falling in love and becoming emotionally invested in certain characters (ahem, Benji). I feel like I'm still trying to collect all my thoughts and feelings on this book a couple days after I've finished it, and I think it's going to be one I continue living in for a good while longer.
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
5.0
I have a beef to pick with this book. It was so addicting, so unputdownably good that I blazed through it before (what was supposed to be) my next read had time to arrive on my doorstep. Dang it, Sun Down, you left me in a lurch.
The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
4.0
Rachel Krall hosts the ultra-popular true crime podcast Guilty or Not Guilty. For season three, she travels to the small coastal town of Neapolis to cover a rape trial - the town's 18-year-old star athlete has been accused of raping a high school student. After a pitstop en route, Rachel discovers a note on her windshield addressed to her. This in itself is more than a little unnerving, but even more disturbing is what she finds in the letter itself from listener Hannah. Twenty-five years ago, in the same little town of Neapolis, Hannah's older sister died a tragic and unexpected death. A drowning, it was said...but Hannah knows better, and now she's begging Rachel to solve the case of what happened all those years ago. Past and present collide as Rachel delves into the evils of Neapolis in The Night Swim.
This book took a little time for me to get into, but once I did, I was can't-put-it down fully invested. I really liked how it involved two narrators and two cases that shared parallels. Through Rachel, we experience the present-day rape trial, and through Hannah's letters, we go back in time and slowly learn what happened to her sister. For anyone who is a fellow HSP, I will say that there were times I struggled with the narrative. Hearing details of rape and brutality and seeing the effects upon their victims was heartrending. It's also the mark of a good writer that I felt these emotions so acutely. As far as the whodunnit in the book, I did figure it out pretty early on, but I don't feel like it was obvious, so it should come as a surprise for many readers. This was a gripping read. If you like podcasts, a true crime feel, courtroom dramas, and thrillers, this book should definitely be on your radar.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book took a little time for me to get into, but once I did, I was can't-put-it down fully invested. I really liked how it involved two narrators and two cases that shared parallels. Through Rachel, we experience the present-day rape trial, and through Hannah's letters, we go back in time and slowly learn what happened to her sister. For anyone who is a fellow HSP, I will say that there were times I struggled with the narrative. Hearing details of rape and brutality and seeing the effects upon their victims was heartrending. It's also the mark of a good writer that I felt these emotions so acutely. As far as the whodunnit in the book, I did figure it out pretty early on, but I don't feel like it was obvious, so it should come as a surprise for many readers. This was a gripping read. If you like podcasts, a true crime feel, courtroom dramas, and thrillers, this book should definitely be on your radar.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Someone We Know by Shari Lapena
4.0
After a few heavier reads, I'd been craving what I think of as a "lighter thriller" - that is, a thriller that doesn't move at a breakneck pace or feature overly disturbing content. I picked up Shari Lapena's latest book, Someone We Know, thinking it would be just the thing. Happily, it was.
There's something so cozy to me about Shari Lapena's books. I think part of it is the fact that she writes domestic thrillers, so we get to see all the little quirks in personality in the key players. I felt that was especially true here since it's a neighborhood mystery. I did find it a bit predictable, but to be honest, that's what I wanted for this particular read, and I think that actually added to the cozy factor. It was a case of the right read at the right time, and that's always a good thing.
There's something so cozy to me about Shari Lapena's books. I think part of it is the fact that she writes domestic thrillers, so we get to see all the little quirks in personality in the key players. I felt that was especially true here since it's a neighborhood mystery. I did find it a bit predictable, but to be honest, that's what I wanted for this particular read, and I think that actually added to the cozy factor. It was a case of the right read at the right time, and that's always a good thing.