Accelerated Reader: Volume 11
“Delicious!” by Ruth Reichl: 3.25 stars
Meh. I love Reichl’s memoirs (read my reviews of “Garlic and Sapphires” and “Save Me the Plums”) but this just didn’t do it for me. It was almost too neat, too convenient, and frankly I didn’t expect a historical mystery going in (although I didn’t hate it). Basically: a young woman with the most perfect palate to ever exist drops out of school for unknown reasons and begins working at a food magazine. The magazine folds (not a spoiler) and she winds up staying at the office to respond to reader phone calls and letters. Then, she unearths a treasure trove of old letters in the formerly-locked library, leading her to go further and further down the rabbit hold to find the woman who wrote them… Oh, and she has a secret. Because of course she does. (Bookshop | Kindle)
“The Couple Next Door” by Shari Lapena: 2.75 stars
I…did not like this novel very much. The hooks? A couple goes to a dinner party at their next-door neighbors’ house, and when they return, their newborn baby has been abducted. Told through the POV of several characters (many of whom are Unreliable Narrators), there was quite a twist that, frankly, I found utterly implausible. Sorry, it was a miss for me. (Bookshop | Kindle)
“In a Dark, Dark Wood” by Ruth Ware: 3.5 stars
I’m a fan of Ruth Ware’s twisty novels, many of whom also feature an Unreliable Narrator, and while this one was enjoyable, I figured out the twist way too quickly which lessened by enjoyment of the novel. Nora is invited to the bachelorette party of an old friend, with whom she’s lost contact over the years. Although she has no idea why she was invited, she shows up to the party, which is at a huge mansion in the middle of the woods (with no mobile service). The weekend slowly devolves until a tragedy hits. There is plenty of the requisite Creepiness and lots of Suspicious Characters. (Bookshop | Kindle)
“Watch Me Disappear” by Janelle Brown: 3.5 stars
First, every book with a Mysterious Female Protagonist inevitably gets compared to “Gone Girl,” which I find incredibly annoying. Second, this is a book about a Berkeley mom who disappears, and the effect it has on her husband and teenage daughter. Told in alternating POVs between Jonathan, the memoir he’s writing about his wife, and daughter Olive, we learn more about Billie and her background, and her life with Jonathan and Olive. It’s more character-driven than action-packed, but there is definitely a bit of a mystery going on that made me keep reading. (Bookshop | Kindle)
If you click on one of the links in this article and make a purchase, She’s Full of Lit may receive a small commission. It doesn’t add anything to your price — we promise! Thanks so much for your support.
