THE SEQUEL
Jean Hanff Korelitz
Let me just spoil the whole thing for you…THE SEQUEL is not as good as THE PLOT, it’s not as good as everyone is saying it is, and it’s not as good as you want it to be. It is, however, good.
Anna is now a widow. Her late husband was a notorious author whose fame was tarnished by talk of plagiarism. But Anna ended all the rumors when she buried her husband last year. She doesn’t have much to prove to anyone but herself. She decides to publish her own book one day, because how hard can it be?
When the book is published with overwhelming success, she find herself in a curious situation that goes beyond what her next book should be about. She again has a situation to take care of. She again has a rumor to bury, and again she must prove to herself that she is the writer of her own story.
The reason why you are seeing it on everyone’s Fall to read list is because it is about the publishing industry and people in the publishing industry love nothing more than a self-indulgent bookish book.
Now I didn’t say that the book was bad, I gave it four stars. I listened to the audiobook, and it’s narrated by Julia Whelan. Whelan is nothing if not superb and she handles the material like the professional narrator she is.
I thought THE PLOT was more imaginative and that might be because it was to me. I had not read a book like it. It felt original but assuredly it was inspired by something that had come before it, I simply had not read it yet.
Jordan Harper said, and Jean Hanff Korelitz seconded “Everything is a sequel…” Essentially there are no “new” ideas. It’s the best line in the book and it is parroted itself. It is a sequel.
Should you pre-order it, reserve it at the library, put a hold on it on Libby…yes!
Should you tell your friends about it…you’ll have to let me know!
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy!
Out next Tuesday, October 1, 2024.
Let’s talk about it in the comments!
THE SEQUEL…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For this title, I recommend:
Cien por Ciento
2021 Bonarda from Mendoza, Argentina
If you liked this review…you might like:
The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
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THE NEXT MRS. PARRISH
Liv Constantine
THE NEXT MRS. PARRISH is the third installment in Liv Constantine’s bestselling series. I recommend you start at the beginning with THE LAST MRS. PARRISH and you could probably skip the prequel that’s all about Amber’s backstory. But why would you want to?
It’s all good fun!
It seemed from our last time with the Parrish wives that Amber had won, well kind of. She got the man and the house and the fancy gowns and even fancier places to go in them. But we all know who the real winner was.
Left wondering if Daphne would ever get her revenge and this book, THE NEXT MRS. PARRISH is as close to that as we’re going to get, for now.
Seven years later and I still like the original installment in this series the best. I have a lot of fun with these characters and this series is one of my favorites. I can never guess where Constantine is going to go with her storylines, and I enjoy the mystery as much as I enjoy the intrigue.
Bringing a new character to the group was a great way to keep the original parts of the story while introducing a new character to bring in new life. And give us someone else to either align with or root against. Similar to bringing in a new housewife on Bravo’s Real Housewives series, bringing in a new character also provides a plethora of new dynamics to work with.
I liked this installment and had a lot of fun with it.
Thanks to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Ballantine | Bantam for the advanced copy and the opportunity to provide feedback!
THE NEXT MRS. PARRISH…⭐⭐⭐
Lifetime Movie Club
FINLAY DONOVAN ROLLS THE DICE
Elle Cosimano
The Finlay Donovan series is one of the few series I follow. I feel like I have made friends with the characters and come to love them over the years. Have you started The Finlay Donovan Series yet?
What are you waiting for?
FINLAY DONOVAN JUMPS THE GUNS stars Finlay Donovan and a handful of characters we’ve come to know. Finlay is a suspense novelist who somehow always ends up in more trouble than the characters who star in her books.
Which is saying a lot.
Finlay, Vero, Steven, the kids, and a few other characters make their way to Atlantic City to solve a crime only to uncover another one. They make a bet and put it all on the line. Will their wagers pay off or will they end up broke and desperate, out of options?
I love this series and I think it only gets better with time. Finlay is a lovable character and I enjoy the relationship between her and the other characters in the book. The writing is cozy and the way everything gets wrapped up every time is even cozier.
The storyline is admittedly ridiculous, and it only gets more so over time. I’m here for the vibes and the fun and I’m looking forward to finding out what trouble Donovan gets into next. Pro tip: Don’t start here start at the first book in the series.
FINLAY DONOVAN ROLLS THE DICE comes out today!
Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for the advanced copies! It was a pleasure!
FINLAY DONOVAN ROLLS THE DICE…⭐⭐⭐
