My Favorite Book of August 2024: Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

“My Google search history alone was probably enough to put me on a government watch list. I wrote suspense novels about murders like this. I’d searched every possible way to kill someone. With every conceivable kind of weapon.”
― Elle Cosimano, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

Title: Finlay Donovan is Killing It

Author: Elle Cosimano

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publication Date: February 2, 2021

Goodreads Synopsis:

Finlay Donovan is killing it . . . except, she’s really not. She’s a stressed-out single-mom of two and struggling novelist, Finlay’s life is in the new book she promised her literary agent isn’t written, her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her, and this morning she had to send her four-year-old to school with hair duct-taped to her head after an incident with scissors.

When Finlay is overheard discussing the plot of her new suspense novel with her agent over lunch, she’s mistaken for a contract killer, and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet . . . Soon, Finlay discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart, as she becomes tangled in a real-life murder investigation.

Fast-paced, deliciously witty, and wholeheartedly authentic in depicting the frustrations and triumphs of motherhood in all its messiness, hilarity, and heartfelt moment, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is the first in a brilliant new series from YA Edgar Award nominee Elle Cosimano.

My Thoughts:

I was going through a bit of a reading slump early in the summer, and this book was exactly what I needed to get out of it. It’s not deeply meaningful or realistic, but it was so much fun, I didn’t want to put it down. The twists and turns are so crazy, you never know what will happen next. Finlay Donovan is a great character and I can’t wait to read more books in the series.

September 1, 2024

My Favorite Read of May 2024

“For the sake of trust building, the third chapter will follow the second. But then we will jump directly to chapter five, do you understand? No chapter four. Why? Because sometimes things don’t go like they should.”
― Allie Brosh, Solutions and Other Problems

Title: Solutions and Other Problems

Author; Allie Brosh

Publisher: Gallery Books

Publication Date: September 22, 2020

Goodreads Synopsis:

Allie Brosh returns with a new collection of comedic, autobiographical, and illustrated essays.

Solutions and Other Problems includes humorous stories from Allie Brosh’s childhood; the adventures of her very bad animals; merciless dissection of her own character flaws; incisive essays on grief, loneliness, and powerlessness; as well as reflections on the absurdity of modern life.

My Thoughts:

This is a different pick for me. Most of my picks are novels or traditional memoirs. But, this was a fun read that dealt with heavy topics. The format made it a really quick read. I would recommend it for anyone who likes Jenny Lawson’s writng.

June 1, 2024

My favorite read of 2023

I posted my top 23 books of 2023 last week, but I left out my overall favorite, so it could get it’s own post. The Very Secret Society of Witches was a perfect blend of heart and humor. Every single character in this book is delightful and intriquing in their own way. There’s a feeling of hope and the value of small changes.

You can see my original review here.

January 21, 2024

My Favorite Read of August 2023

Goodreads Synopsis:

Put the kettle on, there’s a mystery brewing…
Tea-shop owner. Matchmaker. Detective?

Sixty-year-old self-proclaimed tea expert Vera Wong enjoys nothing more than sipping a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy ‘detective’ work on the internet (AKA checking up on her son to see if he’s dating anybody yet).

But when Vera wakes up one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop, it’s going to take more than a strong Longjing to fix things. Knowing she’ll do a better job than the police possibly could – because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands – Vera decides it’s down to her to catch the killer.

Nobody spills the tea like this amateur sleuth.

Reasons I loved this book:

It’s hilarious!
Despite her flaws, you can’t help loving Vera
The suspects are all likable, and the murder victim is deplorable
Delicious food and tea descriptions
Found family

September 1, 2023

Middle Grade Book of the week: The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey

Summary

Mr. Wolf is tired of always being the bad guy and decides to make a change. He recruits Mr. Shark, Mr. Snake and Mr. Piranha for a mission to rescue 200 dogs from a pound. But it’s not as easy as he thinks. The public thinks of them as the bad guys, not heroes. The other bad guys aren’t as enthusiastic about the change, and Mr. Snake keeps trying to eat Mr. Piranha.

My Thoughts

I love this entire series. Going in, I picked this out expecting it to be like other graphic novels such a Captain Underpants or Dogman. All three series are funny and appealing to kids. However, I think Bad Guys has more adult appeal. The humor is a little more subtle, and the characters are more complex. Even though I was reading it with a student because I thought they’d like it, I found myself wanting to continue reading on my own.

September 26, 2022

My Favorite Read of April 2022

I’ve been waiting for this one. I finished reading it on April 2, but already knew it was going to be my favorite read of the month. It’s not just my favorite read for April, it’s one of my favorite reads ever.

Goodreads Synopsis

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace Price from his own funeral, Wallace suspects he really might be dead.

Instead of leading him directly to the afterlife, the reaper takes him to a small village. On the outskirts, off the path through the woods, tucked between mountains, is a particular tea shop, run by a man named Hugo. Hugo is the tea shop’s owner to locals and the ferryman to souls who need to cross over.

But Wallace isn’t ready to abandon the life he barely lived. With Hugo’s help he finally starts to learn about all the things he missed in life.

When the Manager, a curious and powerful being, arrives at the tea shop and gives Wallace one week to cross over, Wallace sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

Under the Whispering Door is a contemporary fantasy about a ghost who refuses to cross over and the ferryman he falls in love with.

Things I loved about this book

Original concept: I loved this interpretation of the afterlife, where people are given time on Earth to adapt to being dead before crossing over
The characters: There are so many great, diverse characters in this book.
The message: the story has a great message about how to live your life and what really matters
Humor: When I read the description of this book, I had no idea how funny it would be. Not many books make me both laugh and cry, and this one did

May 1, 2022