Review: The 20th Victim

The 20th Victim by James Patterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The 20th Victim is the 20th book in the Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.  I don't recommend starting the series here.  One of the best parts of this series is getting to know the members of the Women's Murder Club.  I suggest starting from the beginning.  A 20 book commitment seems like a lot, but I swear the books are quick reading.  

I found the cases in this one not as compelling as usual, but there was some major character development.  There was some shocking, emotional news.  Some moral conundrums.  Joe steps into the spotlight for a change.  I also really appreciated the brief but poignant note about the important relationship between a woman and her dog.  Lindsay and I feel very similarly about that.  

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Review: Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema

Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema by Lindy West
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure:  I received a copy of Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema by Lindy West from Hachette Books via NetGalley in exchange for possibly writing a review.

If you are the person who has to provide snarky running commentary while watching a movie, Lindy West gets you.  Lindy West rewatched some of the most popular films and provides a hilarious recap of each, rating them against the "best movie ever," The Fugitive.  I've seen most of the movies she covers and yet, she points out things that I don't even remember.  It almost made me want to rewatch them, but I've already got enough to watch.  Thanks, Lindy, for doing the work so I don't have to.  Lindy does an excellent job of capturing that love/hate feeling you can have with movies.  "This is so implausible, and yet, I LOVE it!"  Want to have a laugh over some of the most popular films of all time?  Get this book!

This book was written so recently it includes commentary on the COVID-19 pandemic and current American politics.  If you want to avoid those topics, this is not a good book for you. 

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Review: Hollywood Yesterday: A Hollywood Alphabet Series Thriller

Hollywood Yesterday: A Hollywood Alphabet Series Thriller by M.Z. Kelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hollywood Yesterday is the 25th book in the Hollywood Alphabet Series by M.Z. Kelly. You can start the series here because there is a summary in the beginning that will bring you up to speed. However, you may not be as invested in the outcome if you do it that way.

For those of us who have been reading the whole series, we are getting close to the resolution we are waiting for. And dare I say, this might be one of the best books in the series. There is a horrific crime to be solved, carefully balanced with the end game storyline that has carried through the series. There is also some humor but not so absurd as to detract from the seriousness of the rest of the book. I'm looking forward to the last book, and the answers we've all been waiting for!

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Review: The Library of the Unwritten

The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Library of the Unwritten is the first book in the Hell's Library series by A.J. Hackwith.

I wasn't sure what to expect from a book about a library of unwritten stories located in Hell. It had never even occurred to me that Hell would have a library or that all the those potential stories in the world might be waiting somewhere. Heroic librarians, demons, literary duels, a quest, and a little bit of mystery make this quite an epic tale. I recommend this to book lovers, those of us who would fight tooth and nail to preserve literature in all its forms.

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