Well this was tough to put down. I flew through the audiobook in a few days and found myself picking it up every chance I had.
Our MC, Rachel Krall, hosts a true crime podcast that we get to hear full episodes of, as well as letters sent to her by a mysterious listener. I can't recommend the audiobook enough -- it was a great listening experience.
With Rachel covering a rape trial for her podcast, the author covers some heavy topics in this book. Although some chapters were tough to listen to, Goldin treated the content with the care and empathy it deserves.
In spite of the heavy subject matter, this book didn't feel heavy to me -- it was an engaging and enlightening read. If Megan Goldin comes out with a sequel covering a new season of Rachel's podcast, I'd definitely pick it up.
There are a couple of authors I've been wanting to read a 3rd book from, including Lucy Foley. 3 books is a good sweet spot for me to know how I feel about their work.
This book was kinda eh for me. I like Lucy Foley's writing style, but the pacing sometimes feels clunky, like pushing a car up a hill. That was the case here, although the ending really brought everything together.
Idk if I'll read more from her but am glad to have read it and am looking forward to a few other 3rd book reads.
I enjoyed this overall.
Likes:
- Incredible friend group / found family
- Excellent vibes. Emily Henry has a way of capturing the feeling of a moment, which is everything. An east coast summer vacation has never held any appeal for me, but I found myself wanting to visit Maine in the summer next year.
Dislikes:
- Conversations that needed to be had were too drawn out. Would've liked the book better if it were about 50 pages shorter.
- The main relationship felt like it needed some time to ripen on the vine. I would've loved a different ending, but won't spoil anything here.
- Immaturity. These characters just turned 30, but for the most part acted like they were still in their early 20's.
I absolutely loved this book! It was completely fresh and original, and a quick light read. One thing I love about reading fiction is that I always take away a new perspective from the characters. I was impressed by Nikki's ability to stand up for her beliefs despite the very loud voices of family and a community that often didn't agree with her. Her example helped those around her become more confident in themselves as well, and I loved learning from her, too.
Loved the writing. I really did enjoy this one, but it was held up by 2 things: it was too long and by the time I got to the last 20%, I was so confused by all the details that I was just waiting to get to the end. A strong ending overall, though.
So I've read a lot of Taylor Jenkins Reid this year. This wasn't my favorite of hers, but I loved the multiverse theory and enjoyed seeing the parallel versions of Hannah's life play out. The best thing about this book is that while I didn't necessarily love it, it pulled me out of a reading slump and got me back into a solid reading routine. I'm grateful for that.
This was great! Loved the format and I hope it inspires more writers to try it out.
My only complaint is that it was a bit lengthy. Definitely pick up a physical copy — there are a lot of characters and special formatting so this wouldn’t be as enjoyable as an audiobook.
Oh boy, this was a wild ride! After 2 kinda meh reads, Dial A for Aunties was such a blast.
If you can imagine the most wild and chaotic mish mosh of Weekend at Bernie's and Crazy Rich Asians, you have this book. Seriously, I couldn't stop laughing the whole time.
Were some parts over the top? Yes, absolutely. Were some parts a little try-hard? Yes, I'll give you that. Did I care? Not at all. Not when I'm having this much fun.
I'm thrilled to hear the book is being made into a movie for Netflix and am so excited to watch the four Aunties and Meddy on screen. As I was reading, I thought, this really would make a hilarious movie.
If you need a laugh or lighthearted read to cheer you up, this is the one. You won't regret it.
I love Josie Silver. For the past 2 years, one of her books has been my last-read of the year.
This was my least favorite of the three, but it was filled with her characteristic warmth and humor, which made for a very cozy read. I love that while all of her books are romances, they're unpredictable and about so much more than just falling in love -- her characters always experience some sort of catharsis and self-discovery along their journey.
I'll continue to read whatever she writes!
