Review: Listen to Me

Listen to Me by Tess Gerritsen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an advanced copy of Listen to Me, the 13th book in the Rizzoli & Isles series, by Tess Gerritsen from Ballantine Books via NetGalley.

I was so excited to have a new Rizzoli & Isles book!  I've read all the books, I've watched all the episodes of the TV show, I missed these characters.  It was so wonderful to have them back, and to have Angela, Rizzoli's mom, take a more prominent role.  She could almost have her own spin-off after this book.  Catching up with our favorite characters is great, but we came here for what Rizzoli & Isles do best, crime-solving.  There's plenty of that to go around.  Be ready for some twists and turns.  Not everyone is as they seem.  

I hope we won't have to wait so long for the next one.  

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Review: Brat: An '80s Story

Brat: An '80s Story by Andrew McCarthy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listened to the audiobook version of Brat: An '80s Story written and read by Andrew McCarthy because, let's be honest, I had a huge crush on him in his heyday and wanted to hear his voice again.  Consider that also a disclaimer that this might not be an unbiased review.  While Brat is mostly focused on his years in front of the camera, there is a bit about his childhood and some references to his more recent work.  If you are looking for his whole life story though, this isn't it.  

It's funny he chose to call this book Brat.  In my memory, he was Brat Pack adjacent but never a true member of the pack.  He even addresses that in the book.  My memory isn't so bad.  But the thing that drew most young women to him, the sensitive poet type, is exactly the thing that probably also earned him the reputation of being insular and aloof and kept him out of the "in" crowd.  I remember reading those rumors in teen magazines.  He was supposedly a brat in a different sense.  Hearing him tell his story, there is probably a shred of truth to it but also a host of complicated life events that made him that way.  While I miss seeing him in front of the camera, he seems to have found the place he wants to be, and that's fantastic.  It was a nice trip down memory lane.   

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Review: The Fran Lebowitz Reader

The Fran Lebowitz Reader by Fran Lebowitz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I purchased a copy of The Fran Lebowitz Reader when I saw her in-person being interviewed by Martin Scorsese.  She signed my copy which makes it extra special, but I listened to the audiobook because the print in the book is so small.  The Reader is a collection of articles/essays that Fran wrote in her 20s and 30s.  The Reader was compiled in her 40s.  She's now in her 70s.  Some of the language and humor may be a bit dated, but I feel like Fran wouldn't care if you were offended.  She is unapologetic about her opinions.  Since she isn't on social media and not really creating new material, she can't really be cancelled anyway.  While I don't always agree with her (example: animals.  Fran and I do not agree at all on animals), I find as I get older I am probably more like her than not when it comes to my opinion of people.  If you enjoyed Pretend It's a City, have lived in or visited New York City, or ever muttered some phrase like "get off my lawn," you too may enjoy The Fran Lebowitz Reader.  

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Review: The Maze

The Maze by Nelson DeMille
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure:  I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from Scribner of The Maze, the eighth book in the John Corey series, by Nelson DeMille.  I planned to read it either way.  You could read this book as a standalone but there is much mention of things that happen in previous books.  This felt like a bit of a departure from the previous books simply because it is not about John taking on some Big Bad.  But the bad guys in this are still bad.  It isn't that much of a departure.  It also ties up some loose ends from previous books in case you are wondering about his tangled web of relationships.

These books are not for everyone.  If you like your protagonists to be politically correct, that's not John Corey.  John Corey is a former NYPD officer and talks like one.  That might be triggering for some people.  John Corey reminds me a lot of my father.  He is rough around the edges, vengeful, full of hubris, and prone to saying offensive things wittingly and unwittingly; but at the same time, he's got a strong sense of duty and justice and is ultimately on the side of good.  He tells terrible jokes that you sometimes will laugh at anyway.  He loves women even his his approach is antiquated.  He's complicated and human, which I think makes him a compelling character even if I don't always like him.

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Review: No Walls and the Recurring Dream

No Walls and the Recurring Dream by Ani DiFranco
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to the audiobook version of No Walls and the Recurring Dream written and read by Ani DiFranco.  It was worth listening to to hear Ani read lyrics sometimes in a way that only she can.  Isn't that why we listen to her music?  If you don't listen to her music, you can still read the book.  Maybe it will inspire you to listen to her music.  She's had a somewhat unconventional life.  Like her life, this memoir meanders.  It doesn't always feel linear. It is also just a snapshot of her early life.  If you want to know Ani's thoughts on parenthood, you'll have to wait for a future book.  

As in life and her music, she doesn't shy away from politics or talking about uncomfortable things.  Her discussion of abortion feels especially poignant in June 2022.  I was excited to hear her talk of her time at the New School.  I walk by there and wonder what it is like.  Now, I know (sort of). I also appreciate that she acknowledges she is continuing to grow and evolve.  Sometimes we say things because we believe those things in the moment and later learn we no longer do.  It takes a lot to change your mind and apologize or recognize you might not have been right about something.  I don't think people give her enough credit for that.  She certainly deserves more credit for her advocacy on behalf of marginalized groups but also for CREATING a record label to make a space for voices we need to hear in the world.  Hell yeah.  

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Review: The Archive of the Forgotten

The Archive of the Forgotten by A.J. Hackwith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Archive of the Forgotten is the second book in the Hell's Library series by A.J. Hackwith.  I would definitely recommend reading the books in order because the second book is built upon the foundation of the first.  You'd just end up wanting to go back and read it anyway.  

Like the first book, this story is highly imaginative and unique.  You never quite know where you are going next.  It reminds me a little bit of Alice in Wonderland if Alice was a librarian and Wonderland was Hell. These are epic tales with heroes and damsels, quite literally.  And while it might sound amazing to spend eternity caring for a very cool library, it is still Hell.  We aren't talking sunshine and rainbows.  You never feel entirely safe.     

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Review: Jane of Battery Park

Jane of Battery Park by Jaye Viner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I bought a copy of Jane of Battery Park by Jaye Viner after hearing her read an excerpt from it at WisCon this year.  The book is billed as a romance, which isn't my cup of tea usually, BUT Jaye had me at "There's a cult..." It is really more than a romance.  It's a romance in the way The Hunger Games is a romance.  I'd call it a dystopian, romantic thriller.  I'm also a sucker for epistolary story-telling, so the news/magazine articles that provide background info were fun for me.  I hope Jaye does a prequel just about the Vanguard.  I need to know more!  

Bonus points for gathering creative inspiration from a spider.  Extra points for having a land acknowledgement!  I think that is the first time I've seen it done in a book.  

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Review: Nine Bar Blues

Nine Bar Blues by Sheree Renée Thomas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nine Bar Blues is a collection of short stories written by Sheree Renee Thomas.  I'll admit I bought the book after hearing Sheree read part of the first story, Ancestries, at WisCon this year where she was a Guest of Honor.  This is the kind of book that would be excellent in audiobook form as well.  These stories feel like Sheree is preserving the oral storytelling tradition in written form. The writing is so beautiful and lyrical that it is almost at its best when you can hear the rhythm of the stories.  Don't get the wrong idea though.  While beautiful, these stories can be very dark and haunting.  These are like the original fairytales.  There might not be a happy ending, but you sure do learn a lot about life.

Bonus points for an amazing cover!

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