May was a busy reading month 'round these parts, let's get right to it:
In case you missed it:
(28) Friend Request by Laura Marshall (2017, 385 pages) (psychological thriller). Audiobook. Louise just got a friend request. Except it's from Maria Weston, a high school friend (sort of?) who died under mysterious circumstances. Whoever is behind long-dead Maria's social media account is threatening to expose Louise's most dangerous and horrific secret, the one terrible night all those years ago that changed everything. And Louise will do anything--anything--to keep that from happening. A reasonably entertaining crime thriller, not bad, not life-changing.
(29) How I Lost You by Jenny Blackhurst (2014, 352 pages) (domestic crime/mystery) Audiobook. Though she has no memory of it, Susan Webster--now Emma Cartwright--was told by her husband, doctors, and police that she smothered her twelve-week-old son while in the throes of postpartum depression. Recently released from the psychiatric institute where she has been since, she has received an envelope addressed to her old name containing the photo of a three-year-old boy. Suddenly she is questioning everything she believes about the incident, including whether or not she can trust her husband, doctor, and friends. I definitely put this one in the category of good and entertaining but not life-changing, more than suitable for beaches, planes, etc.
(30) The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie (1936, 267 pages) (crime/mystery). Paper book + re-read. This is such a classic & re-reading Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson earlier this year reminded me of it, so I decided to dig it out. A serial killer is working their way through the alphabet in the UK -- first Mrs. Ascher in Andover, then Betty Barnard in Bexhill, then Carmichael Clarke in Churston -- and leaving cocky, taunting clues in the newspaper for our hero Hercules Poirot. A classic for a reason!
(31) No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood (2021, 210 pages) (literary fiction). Paper book. You guys, I sobbed. It's categorized as literary fiction but it was very very strongly inspired by real-life events in Lockwood's and her families' lives. You will cackle, weep, and sigh with intimate recognition of our post-modern Extremely Online existence. You will sob and cheer at the deep humanity that perseveres nonetheless. Reviews called it "genre-defying" and "a book that readers like a prose poem" (fitting, as Lockwood is a poet by trade). This maybe my #justtrustme recommendation for this year.
(32) The Murder of Roger Akroyd by Agatha Christie (1926, 288 pages) (crime/mystery). Paper book + re-read. This one is definitely up there with my all-time favorite Agatha Christie novels! Another I hadn't read in years so I decided to revisit it. Renowned detective Hercule Poirot has moved into the neighborhood next door to the good doctor, who recounts Poirot's attempt to solve the eponymous murder in the first person--a murder that, on the face of it, seems impossible. I don't know if Agatha Christie invented the crime novel with a twist, but she's certainly one of the OGs of the art form.
(33) The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager (2018, 371 pages) (crime/mystery/thriller). Audiobook. The Riley Sager back catalog exploration continues! Rising New York art scene star Emma hasn't been back to Camp Nightingale since the night her three cabin mates slipped silently out of the cabin in the middle of the night and disappeared forever. When the wealthy camp owner invites her to return to the newly-reopened camp as a painting instructor, Emma wonders if it could be a chance to figure out what really happened that night. The more she learns, though, the more she wonders how reliable her memories really are, and whether continuing to pursue closure is such a great idea.
(34) Lock Every Door by Riley Sager (2019, 400 pages) (crime/mystery/thriller). Audiobook. More Riley! After a horrendous and sudden breakup, Jules Larsen has found herself both near-destitute and in desperate need of housing. Luckily, the Bartholomew--a splendid and mysterious Manhattan high rise--is seeking paid apartment sitters. The terms are strange (no visitors, no nights away, absolutely no disturbing the rich and famous residents), but beggars can't be choosers and Jules signs on the dotted light. When a fellow apartment sitter warns her that the Bartholomew may not be what it seems and then mysteriously disappears, Jules goes on a quest to uncover what's really going on. I have to say this wasn't my favorite Riley Sager thus far. The premise felt a bit less believable than her other work, and the conclusion was equally outlandish.
(34) Lock Every Door by Riley Sager (2019, 400 pages) (crime/mystery/thriller). Audiobook. More Riley! After a horrendous and sudden breakup, Jules Larsen has found herself both near-destitute and in desperate need of housing. Luckily, the Bartholomew--a splendid and mysterious Manhattan high rise--is seeking paid apartment sitters. The terms are strange (no visitors, no nights away, absolutely no disturbing the rich and famous residents), but beggars can't be choosers and Jules signs on the dotted light. When a fellow apartment sitter warns her that the Bartholomew may not be what it seems and then mysteriously disappears, Jules goes on a quest to uncover what's really going on. I have to say this wasn't my favorite Riley Sager thus far. The premise felt a bit less believable than her other work, and the conclusion was equally outlandish.
(35) Run Like A Pro (Even If You’re Slow): Elite Tools and Tips for Runners at Every Level by Ben Rosario and Matt Fitzgerald (2022, 320 pages) (nonfiction, running). Paper book. This book is such a great concept! Fitzgerald opens with two facts: (1) After decades of research and experience, both exercise scientists and coaches know what works in terms of faster, stronger, more resilient middle- and long-distance runners, and (2) recreational runners, by and large, do almost the opposite on nearly every count. Why is that? And what should we be doing instead? Put simply, Fitzgerald's argument is that if we mere mortals want to get faster at the 5K or marathon or whatever, we need to train like the pros do--not in terms of the specifics (he's not suggesting we should be running 100+ mile weeks) but in terms of general principles that apply to all of us. I really appreciated how grounded and smart this book was, how engaging all the stories and examples were, and how it brought me back to a lot of basics that I know but definitely tend to stray away from from time to time.
(36) Survive the Night by Riley Sager (2021, 384 pages) (crime/mystery/thriller). Audio book. Man that Riley's prolific. Still working my way through. In this one, set in 1991, two strangers meet at the campus ride board and arrange to share the long ride back to Ohio. The driver: Josh, purportedly headed home to care for his sick father. The passenger: Charlie, desperate for time away after her best friend was recently murdered by the Campus Killer. But as the hours pass, Charlie becomes more and more suspicious of Josh and his story. With no way to escape or call for help and no way to be sure whether her nagging fears are legitimate or just her traumatized imagination running wild, she has no choice but to ride the situation out. One of my favorite of Riley Sager's so far!
No comments:
Post a Comment