Review: The Eden Test

The Eden Test by Adam Sternbergh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an advanced copy of The Eden Test by Adam Sternbergh from Flatiron Books via NetGalley.

I didn't know much about The Eden Test when I received a copy.  I didn't know it would be about a woman from Wisconsin who ends up in New York City.  Pure coincidence I'm sure.  I didn't know how much I would love reading about New York City and comparing myself to the characters.  Am I like that too now?  I didn't know how much it would be in my wheelhouse.  Troubled couple goes on a retreat to better their relationship.  They have to answer one question each day.  I couldn't wait for each question.  I'm not even in a relationship, and I want to go to there! All the Biblical symbolism around Eden is very clever.  There are several layers to this story, and I don't want to spoil any of them.  Be prepared for dark.  More importantly, what would you do for the person you love?

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Review: The Death of Mrs. Westaway

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Death of Mrs. Westaway is my favorite novel by Ruth Ware so far!  I am working my way through her books in order, so I reserve the right to amend that statement in the future.  This book has a bit of a gothic feel to it.  I saw it was compared to Rebecca, one of my favorite books of all time, and I think the comparison is on point.  Very different storylines but a similar aesthetic feel.  

I loved the incorporation of tarot into the storyline.  Whether you believe in such things or not, the cards do have a way of helping you focus on answers you already know intuitively and want confirmed.  It made me want to go get a reading even though she basically tells you it's bunk.  Still fun.  

Bonus points for the mockingbirds.  So creepy!

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Review: A History of What Comes Next

A History of What Comes Next by Sylvain Neuvel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A History of What Comes Next is the first book in the Take Them to the Stars series by Sylvain Neuvel.  You will definitely want to read it first because there is a lot going on, and you will want all the backstory!

Imagine there is a lineage of women whose purpose is to try to get humanity into space.  It's almost a biological imperative and yet, they don't really know where it comes from because much of their knowledge was lost.  They've been rebuilding it over generations.  This pursuit requires great sacrifice and sometimes terrible choices.  You can't help but hope all the sacrifice isn't for nothing.

Imagine there is a lineage of men whose purpose is to track down and kill those women.  Maybe you don't have to imagine too hard.  Women have been oppressed throughout history and often through violent means.   The question is why?

Bonus points for highlighting the sacrifices dogs (and other animals) made for the space program.  They don't get enough recognition.         

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Review: A Scandal in Brooklyn

A Scandal in Brooklyn by Lauren Wilkinson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Scandal in Brooklyn is a short story by Lauren Wilkinson available through Amazon Original Stories.    I thought it would be Sherlock Holmes but was pleasantly surprised to find the "detective" is Irene Adler.  She never got enough storyline for me in the original books.  Since it is so short, I don't want to give much more away.  I'll say that it reads like a contemporary Sherlock Holmes-type story with a Watson-esque character narrating.  Sometimes you just want to read a classic locked room mystery, and this fits the bill.

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Review: Cold, Cold Bones

Cold, Cold Bones by Kathy Reichs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an advanced reader's copy of Cold, Cold Bones, the 21st book in the Temperance Brennan series, by Kathy Reichs from Scribner via NetGalley.  

If you were going to start the series anywhere else but at the beginning, I would say this is a good place for it.  For one, I think the books just keep getting better and better.  But also, this storyline pulls in many old cases so you'd get some background without having to do all the reading if you don't want to make a 21 book investment.  

With these books, I don't like to give much plot away.  We finally get more time with Katy, Tempe's daughter.  There's going to be a lot to unpack there in the future.  It is also a great opportunity to bring awareness to the struggles of returning veterans.  I appreciate that Tempe's approach to the whole situation isn't perfect from the get-go, but she learns from her mistakes as we all should.  

Bonus points: As always, for Birdie.  I don't know how the science will manage it, but I need Birdie to always be.  Now that I know Birdie's TV and movie preferences, I feel attached more than ever.  

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Review: The Cool Side of My Pillow: A Book of Essays

The Cool Side of My Pillow: A Book of Essays by Bruce Campbell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm the type of person who will watch pretty much anything if there is a chance to see even a cameo of Bruce Campbell.  To said cameo, I will inevitably yell, "BRRRRUUUUUUUUCE!!!!!" at the top of my lungs and sit there with a stupid grin on my face until a few minutes after he has left the scream.  If he shows up again, see above.  That is also how I felt while reading The Cool Side of My Pillow: A Book of Essays by Bruce Campbell.  

This book is exactly what it says it is in the title, a book of essays...by Bruce Campbell.  While there are autobiographical elements, it is not an autobiography per se nor it is really a memoir except that it references memories.  If you are looking for more life/career details, read one of his other books.  They are also very good.

My main takeaway from this is that Bruce Campbell and I share similar opinions on many topics.    Maybe I have watched him on screen so much that he now lives rent-free in my brain.  No matter.  Some of the things we have in common:

-Midwestern upbringings

-We are both treehuggers.

-COVID-19 made us both wonder why we were doing so many dishes.  The answer is in this book.

-We both love to walk while being stuck in a world that caters to cars.

-Central Park is always a new experience no matter how many times you go.

-The perks of being a lefty.

-You can keep your background noise and your salt.

Bonus points: I have a friend who bikes Moab enough that I will tell him to keep an eye out for a stranded Bruce Campbell in the future.  We can't be having that happen again.  

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Review: Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to the audiobook version of Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle written and read by Emily and Amelia Nagoski because that's what was available at my library.  It is the kind of book I would buy though so I could reference it again and again plus I would like access to the worksheets that are mentioned for the audiobook but not available through the library loan.  All of that said, whether you listen to or read it, there is valuable information for women in this book.  While other people may find the advice helpful, the Nagoskis are upfront that they wrote this for a specific audience because that was the audience the science they referenced used.  The biases of scientific research studies is a whole other book.    

I found the informal, conversational style of writing engaging and felt it makes the science feel accessible.  The examples given are simple enough that you don't have to wonder how you will try to make this work in your own life.  This book is not going to solve your problems.  Your life isn't going to be magically better for reading it but maybe it will suck just a little less for the effort.  

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Review: An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good

An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good is the first collection of short stories in the Elderly Lady series by Helene Tursten.  I would probably read the books in order because the short stories seem to build on one another.  Each story could be read on its own, but it is much more enjoyable when you have all the references.  Although the title and the cover would lead you to believe this is a set of cozy mysteries, you would be surprised.  In my case, I was quite delighted by Maud which says a whole lot about me.  Maybe not all good.  I do however hope to one day live rent-free in a place a little too big for myself while randomly sojourning to exotic places and not taking crap from anyone.  

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Review: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure:  I received an advanced reader's copy of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin from Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group via NetGalley.  

Even if I hadn't received an advanced copy, I would have read this book.  Just from the description alone, I knew I was really going to love it or be terribly disappointed.  I was not terribly disappointed.  In fact, this may be my favorite book I've read this year.  The gaming world is the backdrop story, but it is really more about relationships.  One might even say it is about love, and maybe it is, but not in the way you'd think.  I delighted in being with these characters as they grow up.  I sobbed a couple of times.  I also had to stop and game sometimes.  

As a gamer, I loved all the gaming references.  Sadie, especially, plays many of my favorite games.  Shout out to Harvest Moon!  Even the fictional games mentioned had me wanting to get my hands on them.  I might finally have to break down and buy Animal Crossing, a couple years too late.

Bonus points:  I was in the Metropolitan Museum of Art gift shop today and saw a pillow with the Strawberry Thief on it.  That got me gushing about this book.  

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Review: Some Things I Still Can't Tell You: Poems

Some Things I Still Can't Tell You: Poems by Misha Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Those who know me know that I've participated in every Greatest International Scavenger Hunt (GISH) since 2015.  Clearly, I would follow Misha Collins to the ends of the Earth in order to spread compassion, creativity, and weirdness.  It comes as no surprise then that I would buy a copy of Some Things I Still Can't Tell You: Poems by Misha Collins.  Heck, I've used some of these poems for GISH items.  You don't have to be a fan to enjoy the poems.  They have a broad appeal.  There is humor, love, melancholy, humanity, and some weirdness.  I was surprised at the number of references to running.  "I AM THE RUNNING" may be my new running mantra. Black Cat and Leg Wrestlers are two of my favorites.  Leg Wrestlers encapsulates exactly how I felt trying to share a twin bed with a boyfriend in college.   Black Cat is a cautionary tale (tail?).

Short enough to read in one sitting but also possible to savor over a prolonged period of time.  

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