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NOW ENTERING ADDAMSVILLE by Francesca Zappia

October 24, 2019

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When the Addamsville high school janitor is killed in a suspicious house fire, Zora Novak is the prime suspect in the arson. After all, she has a history of being in the wrong place at the wrong time when it comes to fire, and the Novak family is not exactly beloved by the rest of the citizens of Addamsville. What no one else knows is that Zora can see ghosts and hunts demons called firestarters. With the whole town turning against her, Zora begins looking for the real killer, who is likely connected to a string of deadly fires that struck Addamsville thirty years earlier. Zora’s investigation, with help from her cousin Artemis, is complicated when the crew of a ghost-hunting television show arrives in town.

If you are like me and prefer your ghost stories to fall more into the category of creepy and atmospheric than outright horror, then you will likely enjoy Zappia’s latest novel. Zappia does an excellent job of establishing the world and lore of Addmasville. From the descriptions of the small midwestern town and its history of the paranormal, to Zora’s own family history of a missing mother and an ability to see ghosts. Zora’s propensity to get in trouble while trying to secretly fight monsters will likely remind many readers of a certain Vampire Slayer. Zora is a compelling main character who is resourceful, snarky and surrounded by an interesting cast of secondary characters, including her cousin and older sister, who are also willing to jump in a fight Addamsville’s ghosts and demons. The plot moves quickly, and with plenty of descriptions of abandoned mines, cemetery’s and old houses, Now Entering Addamsville is the perfect read for the Halloween season. Now Entering Addamsville has a satisfying conclusion, but Zappia leaves enough of loose ends that there is plenty of material for a sequel, and I am eager for the chance to return to Addamsville.

A creepy Halloween read perfect for fans of Stranger Things, Supernatural, or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

10/19 Caitlin Brisson

NOW ENTERING ADDAMSVILLE by Francesca Zappia. Greenwillow Books (October 1, 2019). ISBN 9780062935274. 368 p.

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1 Comment | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction, Horror | Tagged: Young Adult | Permalink
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ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS by Jami Attenberg

October 23, 2019

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Victor Tuchman is the family patriarch at the center of this swirling dervish of a novel. Victor is at the end of his life; the novel unfolds on the day he has his fatal heart attack.

The quandary here is that Victor was a criminal in his business life, and a tyrant in his personal life. His wife Barbra, pacing the hospital halls, is counting her steps and recounting their dysfunctional life together. Alex, his daughter, an attorney in Chicago, flies to New Orleans, not for her final goodbye, but to cajole her mother into spilling the beans about her father’s criminality. Gary, his son, is in Los Angeles and deliberately misses his flight, unwilling to say goodbye, understandable as he rehashes his life with the abusive man lying in that hospital bed. Gary’s wife, Twyla does visit, her mind wandering through her Southern upbringing and her disastrous, shocking affair.

Attenberg is a master of subtlety as she divulges everyone’s thoughts, including the one-off characters like the clerk at a CVS and the coroner. The unusual twist here is that the reader learns all their stories, while the characters do not.

Verdict: Contemporary family sagas don’t get much better than this, and should appeal to fans of The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen or Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan.

©Library Journal, 2019

10/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS by Jami Attenberg. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (October 22, 2019). ISBN 978-0544824256. 304p.

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2 Comments | Book Reviews, Fiction | Tagged: Book Discussion, Family Saga, Literary | Permalink
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THE NIGHT FIRE by Michael Connelly

October 22, 2019

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A Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch Novel, Book 2

From the publisher:

PEOPLE Best Books of Fall 2019

“A darkly thrilling tale of survival and obsession. Lisa Unger never disappoints.” —Riley Sager, bestselling author of Lock Every Door

Even good people are drawn to do evil things…

Twelve-year-old Rain Winter narrowly escaped an abduction while walking to a friend’s house. Her two best friends, Tess and Hank, were not as lucky. Tess never came home, and Hank was held in captivity before managing to escape. Their abductor was sent to prison but years later was released. Then someone delivered real justice—and killed him in cold blood.

Now Rain is living the perfect suburban life, her dark childhood buried deep. She spends her days as a stay-at-home mom, having put aside her career as a hard-hitting journalist to care for her infant daughter. But when another brutal murderer who escaped justice is found dead, Rain is unexpectedly drawn into the case. Eerie similarities to the murder of her friends’ abductor force Rain to revisit memories she’s worked hard to leave behind. Is there a vigilante at work? Who is the next target? Why can’t Rain just let it go?

Introducing one of the most compelling and original killers in crime fiction today, Lisa Unger takes readers deep inside the minds of both perpetrator and victim, blurring the lines between right and wrong, crime and justice, and showing that sometimes people deserve what comes to them.

Connelly keeps cranking out these exceedingly well-written police procedurals. When the publicity comes out introducing a new series, inevitably he manages to tie his characters together. Renée Ballard was supposed to have her own series, as was Mickey Haller, the “Lincoln Lawyer.” All three are tied together in this new book.

Ballard and Bosch have an interesting dynamic. He’s old school, retired LAPD; she’s LAPD but on the late show, the graveyard shift, where she works alone, and that’s how she likes it. Ballard has a terrific back story, and while Connelly includes enough here to keep a first-time reader up to date, these books are best read in order. No, you don’t have to start with the first Bosch book, but maybe with a couple of those, then the Lincoln Lawyer, then The Late Show, Dark Sacred Night, then this one. I don’t feel the least bit guilty telling anyone to read at least half a dozen Connelly books because they are that good. I would read them all over again if I could. I love his characters, his writing style, and his stories. Just read them and say thank you. And if you haven’t watched Bosch on Amazon Prime, do yourself a favor and do so immediately! Start with Season 1.

This time out, Bosch is helping Mickey Haller get his murder defendant acquitted, which pisses off Ballard. See, all together now. It also pisses off the detectives who were on the case. But of course, Bosch is on to something. Hooking up with Ballard to work another cold case may actually help with the new murder investigation. Lots of personalities clashing, political shenanigans within the police force, some good, some bad. Somehow different murders in different states and timelines are solved, and I bought all of it. Even the cliffhanger ending, or maybe especially the ending; I can’t wait for the next Ballard & Bosch book. The master proves his worth once again.

10/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE NIGHT FIRE by Michael Connelly. Little, Brown and Company (October 22, 2019). ISBN 978-0316485616. 416p.

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TWICE IN A BLUE MOON by Christina Lauren

October 21, 2019

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During a two-week trip to London eighteen-year-old Tate Jones falls hard for Sam Brandis. Her first love is all-consuming and Tate finds herself confiding in Sam and telling him a secret she has had to keep her entire life. When Sam betrays her trust and reveals her secret to the tabloids, Tate is heartbroken, and her life is forever changed. Fourteen years later Tate is a successful actress who has just booked the role of a lifetime. When she arrives on set, however, she discovers that the screenwriter of her new movie is none other than Sam. With a two month shoot ahead of her, Tate is now forced to confront her first love and his betrayal.

Christina Lauren (the pen name of writing duo Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings) is the author of some of my favorite contemporary romances. “Twice in a Blue Moon,” however, is a departure from their recent romantic comedies, such as “The Unhoneymooners” and “Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating,” and takes a more melancholy and at times serious tone. One of the main flaws with this book is that I never really felt the chemistry between Tate and Sam. Character development is something Christina Lauren usually excels at, so this was a disappointment. Their two-week romance in London feels rushed but I was willing to look past that because it was first love and a teenage romance.

Unfortunately, even once they are reunited as adults their relationship does not feel entirely fleshed out. Tate forgives Sam very quickly when it felt like a lot more time needed to be spent talking about his betrayal and their past. Sam’s character and personality are also never fully developed, his motives often remaining a mystery. In fact, his grandparent’s love story, which the screenplay he wrote is based on, often seemed more interesting than him and Tate. The final two-thirds of the book take place on a film set, and while this setting could have been interesting it also never felt fully realized like writing about Hollywood and the movie business was outside of the authors’ comfort zone.

While “Twice in a Blue Moon” is a perfectly fine second chance romance, for me it did not live up to the highs set by Christina Lauren’s previous works.

10/19 Caitlin Brisson

TWICE IN A BLUE MOON by Christina Lauren. Gallery Books (October 22, 2019). ISBN 9781982135706. 368 p.

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MY DRUNK KITCHEN HOLIDAYS! by Hannah Hart

October 20, 2019

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How to Savor and Celebrate the Year: A Cookbook

From the publisher:

New York Times bestselling author and Food Network star Hannah Hart is back with her biggest book ever: a humorous holiday cookbook celebrating year-round festivities with food, drink, and friends.

In a world where everyone is looking for some good news and something to celebrate, Hannah Hart is there with almost fifty ideas, arranged into twelve months of themes and recipes for how to celebrate with family and friends.

A collection of recipes, activities, and suggestions about hilarious and joyous ways to celebrate with family, friends, pets, and your entire community, My Drunk Kitchen Holidays! will commemorate holidays from Valentine’s Day to Graduation, Pride Month and International Left-Handers’ Day (really!). The book will culminate with the fall holidays that get much deserved attention: recipes for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and a celebration of Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Christmas that is festive, inclusive, and incredibly hilarious.

As soon as I saw that Hart had a new book coming out, I requested it from the publisher. If you are not familiar, she has a cooking/comedy YouTube channel at MyHarto that my daughter had told me about several years ago. Sort of like Drunk History, but with cooking. She also has a Facebook page. Well, she’s all over social media. The woman is smart and funny and she knows how to cook. Forbes did a profile of her, How Do You Describe Hannah Hart’s Career? It’s Complicated and said this:

How do you sum up someone who’s a YouTuber, podcaster, author, television personality, LGBT rights advocate, “influencer,” the fiancé of one of 2019’s 30 Under 30, and all-around person-on-the-internet…Whatever Hannah Hart makes, regardless of what form it takes, is always kind, comedic, conscious and occasionally culinary. So keep watching, because perfection is pointless, and the best conversations happen in the kitchen – with or without alcohol.

So this is her latest creation, a cookbook that covers holidays throughout the year, and the table of contents goes month by month. So January has New Year’s Day, Trivia Day (1/4,) Play God Day (1/9,) and Vision Board Day: Second Saturday of the Month. Some holidays you know, and many you may never have heard of. And some missing holidays as well – no Ides of March, and probably the biggest surprise, no Christmas. Although Cookie Day (12/4,) includes a recipe for Christmas cookies, so no worries. But December has Hanukkah (!), Winter Solstice (12/21,) and Champagne Day (12/31,) which I believe most of us call New Year’s Eve. There are holidays for everyone, like Walking Day (first Wednesday of April,) Be A Millionaire Day (5/20,) Lipstick Day (7/29,) and Cheese Pizza Day (9/5.)

November is taken up by Thanksgiving, which includes recipes for “Garlic-Ass Mashed Potatoes,” “A Great Gravy,” “Black Olive Stuffing,” and what I thought would be the ubiquitous “Green Bean Casserole,” but instead, was green bean casserole made from scratch. You know, fresh green beans, cremini mushrooms, heavy cream, etc. The thing is that the recipes are real, and the directions easy to follow and usually funny. For instance, in the green bean casserole, step 4:

Next sauté your cremini mushrooms in olive oil. If you’re feeling ambitious and want to play with texture, you can cook the mushrooms on one side and then the other. This is a marvelously ambitious task and no one will notice, but I noticed, and now I am praising your for it–WELL DONE!

There are also lots of stories scattered throughout the book that usually tie into the holidays, and are always fun reading. So this is not a cookbook for serious cooks, but if you know a serious cook who you think should lighten up a bit, then this is the book to buy for them. It is a conversation starter for sure, so a good, albeit not too big, coffee table book. Finally, this book is all about pride, from the rainbow sweater Hart wears on the cover to the rainbow border on the back cover to the stories inside. Great pictures, too, always a plus. Bottom line: this is a terrific gift book and a fun cookbook.

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10/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

MY DRUNK KITCHEN HOLIDAYS! by Hannah Hart. Plume (October 22, 2019). ISBN 978-0525541431. 224p.

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FINDING CHRISTMAS by Karen Schaler

October 19, 2019

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From the publisher:

From the writer of the Netflix sensation, A Christmas Prince, and Christmas Camp, the Hallmark movie and novel, comes a heartwarming new Christmas story, Finding Christmas, showing how sometimes the detour in your journey is the path to true love.

With all the glittering decorations, twinkling lights, snow angels, gingerbread men and mistletoe, Christmas is Emmie’s first love.

This year, she can’t wait to share her favorite Christmas traditions with her boyfriend, Grant. She thinks he’s “the one.” So when Grant’s hectic work schedule has him more “Bah Humbug” than “Ho, Ho, Ho,” Emmie creates a holiday-themed scavenger hunt to help him find his Christmas spirit. At the end of the journey, Grant will arrive at the charming town of Christmas Point where she’s planned a romantic weekend filled with holiday activities.

But Emmie’s plan backfires when a mix-up has the wrong guy following her clues! Sam, a best-selling mystery writer, thinks Emmie’s clever Christmas riddles are from his agent, who is trying to help him get over his epic writer’s block.

When he arrives at Christmas Point and finds the stunned Emmie, he immediately feels she’s someone special, but she can’t see beyond the fact that the wrong guy has shown up. Inspired by the small, charming town, Sam decides to stay and convinces Emmie to join him in a little holiday fun while she waits for Grant.

When Grant finally shows up, Emmie is disappointed to discover he’s not enjoying the activities she planned and can’t help wonder if he’s really the one for her. She also can’t get Sam out of her mind and all the great times they had together. With Christmas coming fast, Emmie will need the magic of the season to help steer her in the direction of true love…

I enjoyed the Netflix movie, “A Christmas Prince,” mostly because it felt new and more modern than the typical Hallmark channel Christmas romance movies. I haven’t seen “Christmas Camp” because I have been very turned off by how crappy the Hallmark movies have been this past year. It feels like since they started pushing a new movie every week, the quality, which let’s face it, was never great, has gotten even worse. I just couldn’t watch them anymore. But if I find the Christmas Camp movie, I’ll give it a try. Probably. Maybe. Who knows.

This book. I started reading it and put it down. A couple of times. The first five chapters or so are basically descriptions of Christmas decorations and I got bored. Fast. But I persevered because I kept hearing about this book (good publicity department!) Once the scavenger hunt kicked in, the story started progressing. It was entirely predictable, a generic Christmas romance, which I dont mind at all. I stuck it out for the happily ever after. Mostly because of what’s been going on in the news this week. I really, really needed a break, an entertaining read that required little to no thinking whatsoever. This book worked beautifully for my escape from reality, if only for one night.

I loved the meta touches – Emmie and her friend talk about watching “A Christmas Prince” and “Christmas Camp.” Cute, and it worked. Sam and Emmie were mostly developed characters, Grant nothing but a caricature of the overworked, ambitious lawyer.

If you, too, want a fast, easy read to escape your reality, give this book a try. There is no sex, and barely any kissing either, so suitable for a Hallmark movie. Which I’m guessing is where it’s headed.

10/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

FINDING CHRISTMAS by Karen Schaler. William Morrow Paperbacks (October 15, 2019). ISBN 978-0062883711. 384p.

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SUMMER OF ’69 by Elin Hilderbrand

October 18, 2019

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From the publisher:

The #1 New York Times Bestseller

Four siblings experience the drama, intrigue, and upheaval of a summer when everything changed, in New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand’s first historical novel

Welcome to the most tumultuous summer of the twentieth century. It’s 1969, and for the Levin family, the times they are a-changing. Every year the children have looked forward to spending the summer at their grandmother’s historic home in downtown Nantucket. But like so much else in America, nothing is the same: Blair, the oldest sister, is marooned in Boston, pregnant with twins and unable to travel. Middle sister Kirby, caught up in the thrilling vortex of civil rights protests and determined to be independent, takes a summer job on Martha’s Vineyard. Only-son Tiger is an infantry soldier, recently deployed to Vietnam. Thirteen-year-old Jessie suddenly feels like an only child, marooned in the house with her out-of-touch grandmother and her worried mother, each of them hiding a troubling secret. As the summer heats up, Ted Kennedy sinks a car in Chappaquiddick, man flies to the moon, and Jessie and her family experience their own dramatic upheavals along with the rest of the country.

In her first historical novel, rich with the details of an era that shaped both a nation and an island thirty miles out to sea, Elin Hilderbrand once again earns her title as queen of the summer novel.

I was ten years old during the summer of 1969, just a few years younger than the youngest sibling in this story. I remember a lot about what was happening then.

I was a big reader, including newspapers; we got the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Newsday, and I read them all cover to cover. I never had enough reading materials. My parents were not readers and back then books were a special occasion gift. My mom would take me to the library once a week, wait outside in her car, so I always felt rushed, not to mention that the library limited the number of books I was allowed to borrow. I don’t recall exactly, but it was something like 3-5 books at a time. I could read that many children’s books in a day. When I ran out of children’s books, the librarian let me borrow adult books. I read everything I could get my hands on.

I knew about Vietnam and it scared me. I don’t really remember Chappaquidick, but I definitely remember the man walking on the moon. All that comes up during the Summer of ’69, wrapped up in a family that lived through it all.

While the publisher notes that this is Hilderbrand’s first historical novel, the rest is pure Hilderbrand. She is known for fabulous beach reads, and this certainly fits the bill. The family, Nantucket, the romance, the squabbling, it’s all here. I was immediately caught up in the story and these characters, and she does a really good job making them all come to life.

There are deeper issues woven throughout the story; racism, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, suicide, and more all come to light, making this a very satisfying read. Lots for book groups to discuss for sure. I really enjoyed this book, though it was more nostalgic than historical for me.

10/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

SUMMER OF ’69 by Elin Hilderbrand. Random House (June 18, 2019). ISBN 978-0525510871. 384p.

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A HANDFUL OF STARS by Helene Saucedo

October 17, 2019

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A Palmistry Guidebook and Hand-Printing Kit

From the publisher:

“In Handful of Stars, the hand becomes an exquisite map . . . wise, trusted, and uniquely our own. Beautiful and mysterious.”—Kim Krans, artist and author of the New York Times bestseller The Wild Unknown Tarot, The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit, and The Wild Unknown Journal

Packaged in a deluxe keepsake box, Handful of Stars by hand analyst Helene Saucedo is a beautifully illustrated, step-by-step guide to the ancient art of palmistry with a novel twist.

Preprinted perforated sheets designed by Saucedo especially for the book—along with a a nontoxic ink pad, ink roller, and gel pen—enable readers to create a palm print and record notations on a single sheet of paper.

Informative and entertaining, this unique volume appeals to novice hand analysts and makes a great gift for inquisitive minds of all ages.

This is a fun gift book, and the holidays will be here before you know it. Costco has out their Christmas trees, toys, and food gifts, etc. It’s happening, people!

So I’m not really a new-age kind of person, but I thought this book was interesting. Apparently, palmistry is more than just looking at your life-line or heart-line. You start with your hand analysis.

I learned that my hand flexibility relates to my level of adaptability and flexibility in my career and relationships. My hand showed that I am somewhat flexible, and I would say that’s probably right. Next up was thrumb size. I didn’t know that size matters <cough.> Using the scale presented in the book, I have a large thumb. It says that people with large thumbs are “determined go-getters who don’t take no for an answer. They’re ambitious and energetic with high standards.” I would say that is fairly accurate.

Next up was using the thumb to determine the balance of logic and willpower. My thumb has a larger top, which indicates logic. It says I’m “a planner, a person who makes choices based on calculated measures. This person may tend to overthink or overanalyze a situation.” So more logic (top half) than will (bottom half.) I am definitely a planner, but I’m not sure that I would say I overthink or overanalyze things.

Then it was time for “Thumb and Personality Type.” Based on the information provided, I am an extrovert, “a person who is excited to engage with others and is at ease in groups.” Nailed it.

There are lots more things to look at before you even get to the lines on your hands, and this book clearly explains what to look for and what it all means. If you’ve ever had an interest in palmistry, or are just curious, this is an excellent place to start. The book comes in a box with everything you need to figure all this out. The illustrations are clear and made this novice feel like a pro. I think teens and young adults would love this, and I had fun with it, too.

10/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

A HANDFUL OF STARS by Helene Saucedo. Harper Design (October 15, 2019). ISBN 978-0062899361. 80p.

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THE NUGGET by P.T. Deutermann

October 16, 2019

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World War II Navy Series, Book 6

is a retired Captain of the U.S. Navy who has found a brilliant second career as an accomplished author. Many of the books he has had published concern action by the Navy in different areas and also various periods. He also has a set of equally well written novels that do not concern the military, which are just as engrossing as the military novels. All in all, a man with a superb background and obviously a gift for telling a story, keeping his readers pinned to the book, and assuring his place as a writer in constant demand.

The Nugget is a story set during a period beginning with the outbreak of World War II for the United States. Bobby Steele is a graduate of Annapolis, the U.S. naval academy. He has had a two-year assignment, after which he is sent to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii where he is assigned to an aircraft carrier. We meet him as he is awakened from a sleep aboard a ship by the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and with this is run full tilt into high action.

Deutermann describes the first days of the war in the Pacific against the Japanese and the first victory against them at Midway. Bobby Steele plays his role in much of the action that actually took place during the first several years of the war. He is shot down twice, rescued each time, but eventually ends up in the Philippines. It is there that Bobby and the copilot that flew with him unable to return to U.S. forces work with the Philippine resistance forces against their Japanese invaders.

The Nugget is a book that successfully keeps the reader glued to a plot involving plenty of hair raising action with the incredible dangers of war, making sure that the reader must finish the book before attempting to go to sleep. A definite five star novel for an author who has plenty of them to his credit, with the certainty that more will follow.

10/19 Paul Lane

THE NUGGET by P.T. Deutermann. St. Martin’s Press (October 8, 2019). ISBN 978-1250205889. 320p.

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IN HER SIGHTS by Katie Ruggle

October 15, 2019

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Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters, Book 1

From the publisher:

Five bounty-hunting sisters
Deep in the heart of the Rockies
Fighting to save each other
…and the men who steal their hearts

Bounty hunter Molly Pax fought hard for everything she has, turning the bail recovery business she shares with her sisters into an unqualified success. So when their sticky-fingered mother jumps bail and puts the childhood home up as collateral, Molly’s horrified. To make matters worse, every two-bit criminal in the Rockies now sees her family’s misfortune as their next big break.

She needs help, stat.

Enter rival bounty hunter John Carmondy: six feet of pure trouble, with a cocky grin to match. John’s the most cheerfully, annoyingly gorgeous frenemy Molly’s ever had the pleasure of defeating…and he may be her only hope of making it out of this mess alive.

Ruggle writes good romantic suspense, which I don’t always love because it often feels like the mystery was an afterthought. Not the case here, however. This introduction to a new series revolves around four sisters who all live together and run a bounty hunting business together. The romance in this story revolves around the eldest sister, Molly, and one of their competitors, John.

Molly’s sisters all realize that John has a major crush on Molly, but she is oblivious. Molly is working hard to keep the business going and their lives afloat, after their mother almost lost their house. That mother is quite an unusual character; I’ve seen cats that are better mothers. In fact, most cats are better mothers. She’s been in and out of jail and marriages, is completely self serving, and uninterested and uncaring about her daughters. It would be sad except the girls are doing fine despite their mother. Until she steals a very valuable necklace and puts them all in danger.

There were a few minor plot points that didn’t make sense to me but why quibble when a story is as fast moving and well written as this one. One of the mysteries is solved by the end, but the other is a cliff hanger, leaving me waiting impatiently for the next book in the series. Risk it All comes out 12/31/19. Guess what I’ll be doing this New Year’s Eve!

10/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

IN HER SIGHTS by Katie Ruggle. Sourcebooks Casablanca (March 26, 2019). ISBN 978-1492662495. 384p.