Review: Hex

Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was in the mood for something creepy and/or spooky, and the English version of Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt really hit the spot.  The Dutch version is different from the English version and has a different ending.  That I happen to be planning a trip through the area where the English book is set is just a coincidence, right?  If you read all the way beyond the end, the author will even give you directions to find the "town."  Maybe I will.

Reading this reminded me of The Lottery by Shirley Jackson.  A town is, or thinks it is, cursed by a witch.  That mindset leads the citizens to engage in all sorts of behaviors to protect themselves and their town.  Is the witch really evil?  I will leave it up to you to decide.  Whether she is or not, she's definitely a creeper.  This is one of those stories where you never know what might be lurking in the dark or around the corner.  Could be nothing or could be your worst nightmare.  If you like those videos that have you look at a benign scene and then something horrifying pops out at you and makes you jump, I recommend this book to you.

View all my reviews

Review: Peril in High Heels

Peril in High Heels by Gemma Halliday
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Peril in High Heels is the 11th book in the High Heels Mysteries series by Gemma Halliday.  This could probably be put in the "cozy mystery" genre.  You could start the series here, but reading some of the previous books will give you a much better sense of these characters and certainly the eccentricities of some of the supporting characters.  

Even though I'm not really into shoes or fashion, I enjoy this series because it is light and funny (even though it includes murder).  In this book, the LA natives get plunked down on a film set in a small town in rural Canada.  it was a nice change of scenery.  It also touches on the sexism in the film industry, which will come as no surprise.  I liked the focus on Maddie and Dana.  Who doesn't want to spend a weekend with just their best friend?  Ok, maybe not if the weekend turns out like the one in this book.

View all my reviews

Review: Broken

Broken by Jenny Lawson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to Henry Holt & Company for sending me a copy of Broken (in the best possible way) by Jenny Lawson via Netgalley.  

I love Jenny Lawson and if we both didn't have such an aversion to people, I would want us to be friends.  Broken is more like a collection of essays even though there are threads that may link the chapters.  Some are hilarious.  Some are serious.  Some take you deep into mental health issues.  Some are just crazy adventures, usually with animals.  I found myself highlighting almost every passage, so I had to stop.  What good are highlights if they cover the whole book????  

I found her letter to her health insurance company especially poignant because it encapsulated all my feelings about health care in the United States.  It's infuriating.  But of course, my favorite stories are about Jenny and animals.  When it comes to animal rescue, I have found my kindred spirit in Jenny.  I too have rescued a rat, and not even a nice feeder rat, but a street rat in an unfortunate predicament.  Also, I would like Jenny to name all my pets because she does come up with the best names.  

If you need a laugh, read this book!   

View all my reviews

Review: Foe

Foe by Iain Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Foe by Iain Reid is not your typical science fiction.  With the exception of a few reminders, you could almost forget for a while that it is set in the future or an alternate universe.  Oddly, this story felt very familiar to me, but I couldn't quite place why.  I've never read it before and yet, I feel like I've seen something like it on TV or in a movie.  I'm pretty sure this hasn't been adapted into a TV or movie yet, so I don't know where that feeling comes from.  

This is one of those books that the less you know going in, the better.  Take it on faith that the writing is engaging and moves along quickly.  I had trouble putting it down.  If you like a puzzle, you'll almost assuredly like this.

Bonus points for Junior (one of the main characters) for saving the chickens.  That's my kind of hero. 

View all my reviews

Review: Confessions of a Pagan Nun

Confessions of a Pagan Nun by Kate Horsley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

March seemed a fitting month to read a book about Ireland after watching Wild Mountain Thyme and The Secret of Roan Innish.  So, I finally read Confessions of a Pagan Nun by Kate Horsley.  My friend, Teresa, recommended this book to me ages ago.  So long ago, I forgot why she told me to read it.  But I bought it then, and it has been waiting on my Kindle for the perfect moment.  The writings of a pagan Irish Catholic nun seemed the perfect counter to St. Patrick's Day.  

Let me focus on one important point.  I didn't really pay attention to it when I started reading, but the full title of this book is Confessions of a Pagan Nun: A Novel.  A Novel.  As I was reading, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was nonfiction.  I couldn't shake the feeling so much so that I had to look it up.  Goodreads said it was fiction.  Surely, that was wrong.  Historical fiction. Ok maybe more specific but still wrong.  Nope, the Internet swears this book is fiction, historical fiction.  Still, it reads as true.  I talked to Teresa about this after finishing.  She had a similar experience.  Let me know if you did too.  For science...

It's not a very long book, but it feels weighty, important.  In a short span, we cover topics like the conversions of pagans to Christianity and the evolution of patriarchy in a society.  Coincidence that those happen at the same time?   This is a beautiful book but not a happy one.  Life is suffering, and this illustrates that well.  At the same time, it leaves you with just a glimmer of hope.  If you remain true to yourself, maybe, just maybe, it is worth it.  

View all my reviews

Review: Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior

Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior by Leonard Mlodinow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic started, Coursera offered hundreds of really great courses for free.  I took many of them, but the one that really stuck with me was about social psychology.  Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior by Leonard Mlodinow is the perfect companion to that course.  Many of the examples are the same or similar to ones that I learned about in class.  However, revisiting them helped to reinforce the lessons.  The writing is engaging, and the science is accessible to everyone.  

If you want to keep believing in free will, don't read this book.  The main takeaway for me is from birth, nature and nurture play a role in shaping who you are to the point that even when you think you are making a choice or decision without any bias, you aren't.  That's how our brains work.  If you are interested in social psychology, the human brain, and/or what makes you tick, you should definitely read this book. 

View all my reviews