The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas

Amy  

romance

Lina needs to find a date to accompany her at her sister’s wedding in Spain.  She can’t show up alone because her ex-boyfriend is the groom’s brother and he is now engaged.  Since she’s not had any relationships since the breakup and is desperate to appear happy to her concerned family, she agrees to let her most annoying coworker, Aaron, pretend to be her boyfriend at the wedding. He’s attractive but they do not get along.

I read The Spanish Love Deception because it was the Goodreads Choice 2021 Winner for Debut Novel. While the novel did, eventually win me over, I did consider not finishing it at one point. Therefore, I disagree with this award achievement.  The characters never felt real. They were caricatures of people. Lina was so incredibly out of touch.  She was ridiculously not self-aware.  Aaron was strongly lacking in social skills and personality. He was like a robot. (Lina even referred to him as Mr. Robot sometimes, after I wrote that sentence!) I felt that the characters were built to fit into the story rather than the story built around realistic characters.  While I often enjoy romance novels, I rarely like them when you know the first two characters you meet are the ones who will end up together.   

Despite the contrived nature of the story and the fact that I really didn’t like the characters, they finally started developing interesting back stories. And then I wanted to watch the wedding weekend play out. By then I was about 2/3 of the way through and caught in the romance. So, I guess I jumped on the story train at some point. I ended up liking the book. But I would never have picked Elena Armas' novel as the Best Debut Novel in 2021. Not even close.  Aaron’s personality never did make sense (because he had to be crowbarred in to fit the narrative) and the Armas re-used the same adjectives throughout the story. 

The audiobook narrator was Scarlette Hayes. She was a great voice actor but didn’t have much of a vocal repertoire. She was good with Spanish.  I’ll give her an A-.

   

Ain't Burned All The Bright by Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin

 Lynnie

contemporary fiction, young adult, graphic novel

 

I finished Ain't Burned All the Bright a couple days ago- it's very short- but I am struggling how to review it, or categorize it, or truly say much at all other than that it is a brilliant work of contemporary art.

Words by Jason Reynolds and artwork by Jason Griffin have come together to create a very visceral experience of what it is like to be a young black person in American in 2020- with the compounding tragedies of COVID, the murder of George Floyd and so much more through the metaphor of breath- though we all know that for George Floyd and COVID, the need to breathe is so much more than a metaphor.

It is a powerful look at family and reality and, the truth is, there is nothing I can say that will do it justice or at least, do it the justice that can be done by experiencing it yourself. The poetry of Reynolds combined with the artwork of Griffin are a powerful combination that should not be missed.

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain

Amy  

memoir

In his book, Anthony Bourdain shared how food became important in his life, behind-the-curtain information about the food industry and its major players during his time as a chef, his aspirations and philosophies, and his career steps, hurdles, and accomplishments.

After watching a documentary about him that was made after his death, I decided I should read his book, Kitchen Confidential, because it had been a successful book and I thought it would be interesting to understand how he catapulted his career into the public eye.

Bourdain had the gift of gab. He was charming, funny, no-nonsense, and good at writing with a phenomenal use of adjectives. He described many of the people he worked with and for, deriding those people who caused grief but also praising those who deserved it.  He alluded to his personal life but never discussed it in great detail. He casually mentioned a girlfriend here, a wife there (and even used her first name a handful of times), but there were no stories specifically about his romantic relationships. Rather, this book was about his working relationships. He was honest with his drug usage struggles. And he was also open about his own poor choices made along the way.

He had such a fun sense of humor that sometimes I would laugh out loud. Other times, he described something so incredibly gross that I was cringing and hoping to get through it quickly. He provided frank advice to home cooks about how to affordably furnish their kitchen and which foods to avoid. He also admitted many truths about the restaurant industry that were valuable to know. I found him incredibly likable and witty. It’s no wonder he had a successful celebrity career. Near the end of this book is a chapter about his week in Japan where he served as a consultant at a sister restaurant, and it is easy to see that he developed his love of traveling and experiencing new things at that time.

However, about halfway through the novel, I had trouble believing I’d be able to get through another 3-1/2 hours of listening to these food- and restaurant-related stories. I mean, I’m just not that into cooking and I felt that I’d gotten the point. I wasn’t sure I really cared enough to hear more of the same about the people with whom he worked. But, after persevering until the end, I can say that I did enjoy his sections exuberantly describing his dining experiences in Japan as well as his “graduation speech” for would-be chefs. I have gained a huge appreciation for restaurant workers. The way Bourdain made it sound, I can’t believe so many people have chosen to work in restaurant kitchens around the world. It’s a ton of work with long, difficult, stressful hours (if you’re working in a good restaurant). I’m just grateful there are people who love cooking since I am a person who loves eating but does not love cooking.

Anthony Bourdain himself narrated the audiobook and he was fantastic.  I normally love authors narrating their own books but Bourdain’s flair was evident. He’s a wonderful story teller. He obviously gets an A+!

   

The No-Show by Beth O'Leary

Amy   

Lynnie

 

contemporary fiction

 

In The No-Show, Siobhan, Miranda, and Jane are all dating the same man, Joseph Carter. They don’t know about each other. But it’s obvious that Joseph has let them all down, at least once, by being a no-show for a scheduled date. Siobhan thinks he’s perfect for regular hook-ups. Miranda thinks he’s the perfect boyfriend. And Jane doesn’t consider their weekly book discussions to be dates but she’s slowly falling in love with him despite vowing to stay away from men.

Amy's Review

I loved this heartwarming novel! Beth O’Leary has written her best novel yet! After loving The Flatshare, I had not liked the next two novels she wrote as much. So I hesitated to read this one but I’m so glad I did! Switching between the three women’s viewpoints, we learn more about each of the characters and their relationship with Joseph. Most of the characters had some mystery in their past that made me want to keep reading. And my heart went out to all of them. Some of the characters’ lives were complicated and compelling. They were all very different people and their stories kept me interested. And there were twists! I appreciated the crafting of the novel very much. The pacing was terrific and I could hardly put it down near the end. Although I wish it had ended before the very last chapter, it did hold some closure.

The story spotlights mental illness and support, romantic relationships and friendships, communication, and second chances. And, yes, I think this one qualifies as a beach read.

There were four audiobook narrators. Each of the women was voiced by a different actor: Evanna Lynch (Siobhan), Heather Long (Miranda), Kathryn Drysdale (Jane). As an ensemble, they were fantastic. All three were terrific voice actors and had great vocal repertoires. Each was perfect for their role. The fourth narrator, Luke Thompson, didn’t come in until the last fifteen minutes but did a nice job too. I really enjoyed listening to them tell me the story. I also must shout out to the production team on the tinny quality of the voices on the other end of phone calls! Perfect! I don’t believe I’ve ever given an ensemble an A+ before today. Well done!

Lynnie's Review

If I hadn't enjoyed Beth O'Leary's other books so much (The Flatshare, The Road Trip, and The Switch), I'm not sure I would have kept reading this one if I'm honest, but I had faith that she would bring it all around in the end and I was not disappointed. So- spoiler alert- there is a happy ending in your future if you pick up The No-Show.

That said, I was very frustrated at the beginning of this book. I found it very difficult to like some of the characters no matter how charming O'Leary wrote them because some of their choices were simply frustrating to read about. I wanted to like them, but I found myself rolling my eyes & hoping they would just pull themselves together. There were a few connections I was able to piece together earlier than they were revealed; there are enough breadcrumbs in the story if you're looking for them, but I found it frustrating none-the-less.

All that to say, it's still a very enjoyable book, once again in the weekend escape/beach read category, as I think all of O'Leary's books should be shelved. It's hard to say too much without giving the plot or surprise away, but I will say that if you've enjoyed her other books, you'll enjoy this one as well. Just stick with it if you're frustrated at the beginning- she pulls it all together, I promise.

Letter to a Stranger: Essays to the Ones Who Haunt Us, Edited by Colleen Kinder

Lynnie

 

anthology

 

I have to admit, this is a strange book to review. Letter to a Stranger is a really interesting idea- Colleen Kinder has gathered a collection of letters written to  strangers who had an impact on the writers' lives in some way. But, like any collection of stories or essays, the results are mixed; some of the letters are funny, some are profound, some are sad, but I found most to be so vague that I read through them wondering what the writer's point was in writing it at all. The 3 stars is for those letters that left me wondering about the relationships or the moments in the letters that did resonate. Sadly though, most of the letters didn't interest me or move me in any way, but I hope the writers got something out of the exercise and perhaps some people reading these letters recognized something of themselves in the pages as well. 

 

Sadly as a reader, I was underwhelmed.

 

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker

Amy  

mystery

Walk is the town sheriff of his small home town community. When he was a teen, his best friend, Vincent, was sent to jail for the murder of a local girl.  That girl’s sister has grown up to have a lot of issues with drugs and she is not doing a great job parenting her 13yo daughter, Duchess, and 5yo son, Robin.  Walk has always kept an eye on Duchess and Robin, understanding the difficulty of their circumstances. However, tragedy strikes Duchess’ family shortly after Vincent is released from his 30-year prison term and Walk finds himself fighting for Duchess, Vincent, and himself.

I needed an adjustment period to get used to Chris Whitaker’s writing style. He employed brief, blunt sentences that sometimes really needed more of a preamble or explanation or complete sentence structure.  I often had to re-read sentences and sections trying to follow their meaning. But his characters were terrific. I respected Walk right from the beginning.  He was kind, patient, and was the sort of guy who did what needed to be done. And my heart went out to Duchess, trying to do her best and be everything to her brother. Damaged characters filled the pages. Almost everyone was guilty of something.

The mystery Walk attempted to solve held my curiosity and I wanted to keep reading to make sure Duchess and Robin would be okay. Aside from my problem with Whitaker’s writing style, I appreciated the crafting of the story itself. The sequence of events was done very well. While some mysteries were predictable there were still a few surprises at the end. This was both a tragic tale and a heartwarming tale in some ways. Mostly, though, it was sad. Thankfully, there was hope. I will say that I don’t really like the title, We Begin at the End, though. It’s based on a character’s comment but I don’t feel it makes sense as a title for the novel.

  

   

Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber

Amy   
Lynnie

magical realism

After her grandmother dies in her small Alabama town of Wicklow, Anna Kate is willed to manage the diner, famous for its blackbird pies which bring the customers messages from their deceased loved ones overnight. Small town life is an adjustment for Anna Kate--navigating all the personalities as well as her own family history minefield. Natalie, a recent young widow, is handling motherhood as best she can after moving back to her family property while she gets her life back together. But Natalie has to make peace with her domineering mother who was the main reason Natalie left in the first place. Of a similar age, the two young women are destined to get to know each other with their shared family animosities and traumas.

Amy's Review

I fell in love with Anna Kate and Natalie as well as several other characters in this sweet novel. It's about family, forgiveness, independence, self-determination, memories, and love. There is character growth, romance, supportive relationships evolving after previous hardships, and a lot of heart. The story moved me to tears at times. I was very satisfied with this one. Heather Webber's magical realism was perfectly done. I also liked the way she didn't have to spell everything out for the reader but gave sufficient information for us to tease out some conclusions on our own. If you like Sarah Addison Allen novels, I think you'll really enjoy Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe. I cannot think of any reason to hold back on giving this novel 5 stars. It held my attention, was a great story, had fun characters, and was well written. I loved it! 

There were three audiobook narrators. Stephanie Willis performs the part of Anna Kate. Bethany Lind voices Natalie. Nicholas Techosky narrates the voice of a reporter who is writing an article about Wicklow and the blackbirds. I was really impressed by both Stephanie and Bethany. Both have a good repertoire of voices and were terrific voice actors. I'm giving them both very solid As. Nicholas was good but has such a small role in the novel and the production of his audio sounded a bit tinny. Therefore, I'll give him a B+.

Lynnie's Review

Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe was an utter delight from beginning to end. Once again I read part of it and listened to part of it during a road trip and enjoyed both experiences immensely. I may have enjoyed the audio book more actually because the voice acting of the main characters, Anna Kate and Natalie was so spot on it truly made the book come alive for me (which is what an audio book should do!).

There were times listening to the audio book that I laughed out loud, particularly at the secondary characters who were so charming & guileless as their intentions were right out in the open for everyone to see. The only reason I'm giving it four hearts instead of five is because everything happens exactly the way you expect that it will in this book- but seriously we ALL would be disappointed, angry even, if it didn't.

It's just a lovely story, filled with magical realism that will bring a smile to your face. It's absolutely perfect for a weekend getaway or any other time you need a little escape from reality. If you're looking for a pick-me-up in your next novel, look no further than this one.

   

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

Amy  

historical fiction

In Oxford, England around the turn of the 20^th century, Esme’s father is part of a team writing a new dictionary. During her childhood, her widower father allows Esme to spend much of her time with him at his workplace where the dictionary words, definitions, and usages are written on slips of paper and stored in small cubbyholes. Esme dreams to work on the dictionary too.  She has been collecting and hiding some of the slips of paper that have gotten lost or left behind since childhood and, as an adult, realizes that there are many words and definitions that are specific to women’s points of view which are not being captured by the men writing the dictionary. She purposefully expands her collection of words which she calls The Dictionary of Lost Words. Meanwhile, her life continues as life does with unexpected relationships, influences, and experiences.

I had never stopped to think of the process by which the first dictionaries were written—the research and word collection processes were larger than I’d realized and involved teams of people. The dictionary written about in this novel, the Oxford English Dictionary, took seven decades to complete. This aspect of the story was fascinating at the beginning. And Esme, herself, was an alluring character given her intelligence, background, and future possibilities. I also found many of the other characters worthy of admiration.

However, this was a slow-paced novel overall. Sections were, sadly, boring. The romances and “bad guys” that Esme encountered were so chaste, mild, and anticlimactic that I’m not sure why Pip Williams even bothered including them in the story. I mean, Esme’s experiences seemed very authentic and common for most people, but not necessarily worthy of being written about in a novel.  Even though her mother died when she was young, Esme had a very loving father and godmother and, overall, had everything she needed. I, therefore, found myself wondering what the hype was all about with this novel. Yes, Esme had a few bad experiences, but nothing out of the ordinary. Aside from the dictionary aspect, it was a mundane story.

The narrator of the audiobook, Pippa Bennett-Warner, did a terrific job.  She had a variety of voices and accents and was a great voice actor. However, she did not pause between section breaks in the novel, frequently leaving me stuck in the prior scene and having to mentally catch up.  Therefore, I’ll give her an A-.