Readers, it was good while it lasted. I'd been running ahead of the game for my 2017 reading challenge (you can follow along with me on GoodReads.com, if you fancy). But recently, with the holiday, a new fascination with podcasts (Lore is my current obsession, but I've also been listening to The Black Tapes, The Bright Sessions, and Alice Isn't Dead, all of which I highly recommend) which have replaced my normal audiobooks while I commute, and a number of hit-or-miss attempts at getting into new books... Well, I've fallen behind a bit, and my reading list for November feels a little pitiful compared to my usual. Ah well, in any case, here's what I've been reading...
Sleeping Beauties, by Stephen King & Owen King. This first father/son King collaboration is an eerie, chilling tale. The women of the world are falling asleep only to begin to hibernate, shrouded in cocoons. Attempts to wake the women result in...dangerous consequences. After a few days, even the last few holdouts are dropping off, leaving the men to fend for themselves. But what is actually happening to the women as they sleep? And what has caused the phenomenon? And finally, what of the rumors of a woman at the Dooling Women's Prison who can sleep and wake again without any of the effects of the Aurora phenomenon? Fascinating and goosebump-inducing.
Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore, by Matthew J. Sullivan. The dynamite debut was one of the most compelling, surprising novels I've read in some time. Lydia Smith works as a bookseller, a custodian both of the written word and also the Book Frogs, the lost and lonely regulars who are a fixture of the shop. When one of the Book Frogs, a troubled young man named Joey, commits suicide in the bookstore just before closing one night, he leaves Lydia (his favorite of the staff) with a clue as to what might have prompted his early exit. The clue is a picture of Lydia as a child, and the past it brings back is fraught with long-suppressed memories of a trauma that made national headlines. Lydia is left with only one choice: to finally deal with the demons of her past in hopes of finding an answer to Joey's troubling end. I loved the language, the pacing, the story--this novel was perfection.
The Last Mrs. Parrish, by Liv Constantine. Like twisted psychological thrillers that keep you guessing every step of the way? Me, too! In which case, this needs to be on your list of books to read ASAP. Amber Pearson knows exactly what she wants and will do anything and everything to get it. The problem? She wants someone else's life, specifically that of Daphne Parrish, the perfect wife, perfect mother, and perfect socialite of the elite Bishops Harbor, CT. The best part of the package, though, is Daphne's devastatingly handsome (and super-rich) husband, Jackson. Amber begins to insinuate herself into the Parrish's life, preying on Daphne's sympathy and graciousness, soon becoming her most trusted confidante. But everyone has secrets, even the most perfect of people, which may just ruin everything for Amber. This was a great page-turner, it kept me guessing right to the end--very satisfying!
The Double Bind, by Christopher Bohjalian. This is my book club's selection for our December meeting. A single encounter can change a person's life, for good or ill. For Laurel Eastbrook, a violent attack during a bike ride along rural roads during her college years is such a defining moment. She goes on to become a social worker, working with the homeless, and retreats into her photography. Then she meets Bobbie Crocker, a homeless man with a history of mental illness and a box of photos he won't let anyone else see. When Bobbie dies, Laurel discovers a secret that takes her far from her small, safe lift. Speaking of twists? This is masterfully plotted.
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