November 2021 – Brooke & Binding

Billy Summers by Stephen King

My Rating: 5 Stars

Here’s why!

I am really starting to love Stephen King. (I know, get with the program!) I picked up his newest release this summer on a family vacation and am very thankful to now own my first Stephen King novel.

Billy Summers is an ex-Marine sniper whose is now a hitman, but he has one stipulation: is the person he killing a bad guy? With one last job to go, Billy finds himself digging deeper and deeper into the details of who, what, when, where, and why unlike every before. And the biggest question is: has he gone too far? What will be brought up will affect him unlike ever before in this epic Stephen King novel.

***

The first half of this book was pretty easy to read, but there was a chunk in the middle that I was like “where is the rest of this book going to go? What’s happening now?” But I kept chugging along, trusting King, and he tied it all up so well at the end. I think I am learning that with these massive/chunkier books of his, even if the story feels like it is beginning to wander, I can trust he will find his way back and it will make sense!

I am giving this book 5 Stars because of the storytelling, the characters, and the fact that it’s well-crafted Stephen King. I honestly have not gone wrong yet with one of his and I am thankful I have so many left I can check out!

I grew to really enjoy the character of Billy Summers and I think you will, too! Give it a try today!

HAPPY READING 🙂

Genre: Fiction/Crime/Suspense/Action/Mystery/Adult

He Started It by Samantha Downing

My Rating: 3 Stars

Here’s why

I thoroughly enjoyed Samantha Downing’s previous novel, My Lovely Wife, and I know this book was published earlier this year – with an even NEWER book published this summer, too! – so I am trying to catch up on her publications when I can!

Twenty years ago, three siblings went on a road trip that changed their lives. Now, after their Grandfather has passed, his final request for his grandchildren is for them to relive this trip, spread his ashes at the last location, and they will be able to receive their inheritance. But these siblings have a few secrets, not only with each other, but with their spouses that have decided to join them on the trip. The only rules to get the inheritance are 1) Don’t go to jail and 2) Finish the entire trip with all the same stops, which will be tracked by a GPS. But can these siblings put the past behind them and work together for everyone to benefit, or will these secrets creep up and affect their future?

***

I feel like Samantha Downing has a lot of potential as a thriller writer, but I think this book needed a bit more thinking through to make it more cohesive.

The characters of the novel include: Eddie, the eldest sibling, and his wife, Krista; Beth, the second oldest, and her husband, Felix; and Portia, the youngest sibling. Each person has a specific role to play and each have secrets to hide, which make the story interesting. There were a few moments where I was completely shocked by a character’s actions, and one time I even gasped out loud!

I am giving this book 3/5 Stars mostly because of the ending. I did read the ending pretty late in the evening, but I had to go back and reread what had happened because everything escalated really quickly and then BAM, the book was over. I literally turned the last page and saw the Author’s Note, not even realizing that was the conclusion. I can see why Downing wanted to do this specific “mid-action” ending, but I think there was too much information laid out in the last 2-3 pages for the reader to comprehend, process, and accept, before the cliff-hanger ending.

I am still interesting in reading her newest novel, For Your Own Good, because she does have a unique writing style that I like, but I hope that the conclusion of this one is a bit more solid. Down below is my review for her debut novel, My Lovely Wife.

HAPPY READING 🙂

My Lovely Wife review: https://brookeandbinding.wordpress.com/2019/12/03/my-lovely-wife-by-samantha-downing/

Genre: Thriller/Mystery/Suspense

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

My Rating: 5 Stars

Here’s why

I have read quite a few Liane Moriarty books and I will say, this one felt like I was reading one of her earlier works, which I loved! Thanks Book of the Month for having this as an Add-On option!

The Delaney family are well-known in their community as the tennis family. Owners of a tennis school, this family are as intense off the court as they are on it, but Stan and Joy have recently retired and they can’t figure out what to do with all their spare time. Their four adult children – Amy, Logan, Troy, and Brooke – have lives of their own, but still try to check in on their parents when they get a chance; however, one night a young woman shows up at their parents door, bleeding after a fight with her boyfriend and Stan and Joy feel like they have something – someone – to look after again. But when Joy goes missing and the young woman is gone as well, the family start to wonder what has happened to their mother/wife, and if any foul play was involved.

***

Like I said previously, I have read quite a few Liane Moriarty novels and this one was really fun to read! I did not like Nine Perfect Strangers – her most recent novel besides this one – so I was hoping this one would feel more like a “classic Moriarty novel” instead of whatever Nine Perfect Strangers was, and it did!

At first I wasn’t sure about the tennis element of the story at first, but I actually really enjoyed it! It was a fun world to get to know a bit more and how each character interacts with the sport, too.They all had their own issues on top of their mother/wife missing, which made them more complex and interesting to read.

I am giving this book 5/5 Stars because of the creativity in the storyline, the complexity of the characters, and my overall enjoyment while reading it. The thing I did not like in this book was actually the ending! I feel like it could’ve ended 40-50 pages sooner than it does and would’ve been great. The last few chapters just felt unnecessary and kind of like an afterthought.

If you would like to read a Liane Moriarty novel but haven’t yet, you really can’t go wrong! Here are a few I have reviewed for you to check out down below!

HAPPY READING 🙂

Nine Perfect Strangers review: https://brookeandbinding.wordpress.com/2018/12/08/nine-perfect-strangers-by-liane-moriarty/

The Husband’s Secret review: https://brookeandbinding.wordpress.com/2018/03/29/the-husbands-secret-by-liane-moriarty/

What Alice Forgot review: https://brookeandbinding.wordpress.com/2020/05/01/what-alice-forgot-by-liane-moriarty/

Genre: Adult Fiction/Mystery/Contemporary/Suspense

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

My Rating: 5 Stars

Here’s why!

This is my second novel by Anthony Doerr and I am hooked. What a master at his craft!

Cloud Cuckoo Land connects three timelines and different characters through one Ancient Greek story: Anna in Constantinople, Zeno in twentieth-century Idaho, and Konstance in the future on a space ship called Argos. The story that connects them all is called “Cloud Cuckoo Land”, and though this story, and its origin, each character finds fulfillment, gains understanding about the world around them, and is a vital player in the story’s survival.

***

This book is so hard to try and sum up in just a few sentences!

The way Doerr has constructed and crafted this novel is not confusing at all, but very straight forward, directional, and is laid out in a way that makes it easy for the reader to digest and comprehend. The other novel I have read of his, All the Light We Cannot See, is somewhat similar in style, but less complex; however, it still is comparable in its craftsmanship and excellence.

I am giving this book 5/5 Stars because of this attention to detail, the fine-tuned storytelling, the character development, and the way each of these timelines connect to the other. This is a pretty massive book, 622 pages, and you might wonder how everything relates or why a certain character is important, but hold fast and keep going! It is all worth it – at least I think so.

If you have not read one of Anthony Doerr’s books before, you are in for a treat! Give them a go and I promise you won’t be disappointed. (Also, I will link my review for All the Light We Cannot See down below for a comparison!)

HAPPY READING 🙂

All the Light We Cannot See review: https://brookeandbinding.wordpress.com/2021/02/02/all-the-light-we-cannot-see-by-anthony-doerr/

Genre: Historical Fiction/Fantasy/Literary Fiction/Books About Books