Tag: fiction

Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel

Book Summary.

LISTEN TO YOUR SISTER Neena Viel Viel is my new favorite author, talk me out of it! What parts of us step out when we step into the role of someone else and where do all of those fractured versions of our selves go? I can’t be me and you at the same time. And I will win every time. Calla is tired. And you would be too. She is now guardian to her younger brother after being persuaded to by her older brother. It was the best and only thing she could do at the time. But her brother is causing trouble and has made it harder on her than he should. And she has her own life to handle, which unfortunately has taken a backseat with her brother at the wheel. Now her brother is in trouble and they have to flee the city. Try as she must Calla just can’t seem to meet every one of her needs with her one and only self. And all those other selves end up being absolute nightmares.

• Lets be Friends on Goodreads

The Review.

I loved every part of this bumpy ride. It was not only entertaining from start to finish but there was a HUGE nugget of commentary right in the middle. You can read it at either level or take them both on as I did. Either way it is an ensured good time. I gave it five stars. I recommend it to readers who like to talk about the reality of our nightmares. Who like to know more about why we do the things we do even though we know it’s bad. And all of the things we do in the name of good that end up doing us harm. What a great debut! Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press | St. Martin’s Griffin for the advanced copies! LISTEN TO YOUR SISTER…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Screen Pairing

Queen and Slim (2019) Thriller/Drama

The Coffee that gets me through each book: Tarrazzu Costa Rican Blend

Book Pairing

If you liked this review…you might like: No Road Home by John Fram

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall

Book Summary.

A KILLING COLD

Kate Alice Marshall

There is something about this place, something about him. Something about the way he makes her feel.

They fell in love in an instant. His family would take more work. She hasn’t met them yet. They are a part of the infamous Dalton family. Rich beyond measure and she is due to meet them over an extended family getaway.

She’ll have to impress, she’ll have to win them over. She’ll have to be quick on her feet and effortless with retorts.

The week will feel endless. The wind, will feel like A KILLING COLD. By the end of her time there she will figure out what she liked about him in the first place. By the end of her there she will know more than she ever wanted to.

• Lets be Friends on Goodreads

The Review.

I like Kate Alice Marshall and I like this book. It feels like a classic but in a good way. It was a great way to spend time on those cold winter mornings. Atmospheric and chilling.

The story didn’t feel incredibly new, it didn’t feel entirely surprising. It felt like coming home, something dependable. Something you know will hit every time. It will be amongst books that I revisit from time to time and especially when the days are short and the to do list is long.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy!

A KILLING COLD…⭐️⭐️⭐️

Penitence by Kristin Koval

Book Summary.

PENITENCE Kristin Koval “We’re only as sick as our secrets.” AA It is far more important for you to know who you are, the secrets you keep, the actuality of your intentions than whatever it is other people think they know of you. There is only one mind you can make up, only one reality you must lay down with every night, only one viewpoint you will take with you to the grave. If life were a movie there would be only one angle, only one shot. PENITENCE is about a family. Upended and torn apart in the dark recesses of one night. They will never be the same again once the sun rises. I left the summary pretty vague as I feel the more I leave for you will mean you will have more when you pick up the book. Which you definitely should, pick it up, that is.

• Lets be Friends on Goodreads

The Review.

The writing is thoughtful and the questions asked are amazing, the emotions felt were completely and layered. I was left at several points in the material to ponder how I felt. To reassess my judgments and to reevaluate where I stand. The predicament our characters face is not one you would want to face in real life. One of the most important ways we grow when we read is that we are given the opportunity to experience life in someone else’s shoes without having to put them on. We are given the benefit of empathy for what the characters in the book are going through. And it reminds us that everyone whether loudly and publicly or quietly and internally, is facing battles that are not always visible from the outside. I enjoyed this book immensely and I am blown away that this was a debut novel. Thanks to Netgalley and Celadon Books for the advanced copy! PENITENCE…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Screen Pairing

Juror #2 (2024) Movie Drama

The Coffee that gets me through each book: Tarrazzu Costa Rican Blend

Book Pairing

If you liked this review…you might like: Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney