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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
I don't know. This book has a weak narrative and strange pace. It doesn't seem to be going anywhere until the last three chapters, and then it seems really rushed. So,there's not a great sense of buildup of story consequence. It keeps going and going like the Energizer bunny until it runs out of steam. Plus, the whole book club concept seems way more gimmicky than need-be. It offers the setting, but that setting could essentially be anything and the book would end up exactly the same...which is fine, but far from something I'd consider worthwhile. Take that as you will.
emotional
funny
medium-paced
This book was such a fun read, we follow best friends Annie and Sarah who together come up with a quick money scheme to help them with being able to afford treatments for Annie's son and Sarah to be able to afford IVF again so she can become a mother.
Together they come up with creating a face cream which they can charge for thousands of dollars and sell to the rich ladies of La Jolla and the little book club is the perfect place to start. The problem is Annie the chemist wants to find that something special to add to the cream to make the woman feel like it's working and come back for repeat orders, the problem is that special ingredient is oh so illegal and could end up being a risk that could end everything.
We follow their journey in showing that woman will do whatever it takes to provide for their family, in this comedy, contemporary with a bit of mystery and suspense with a almost Robin Hood re-telling of stealing from the rich to help the poor. It was an easy read for me and enjoyed the journey from start to finish and how the 2 best friends overcome everything.
Together they come up with creating a face cream which they can charge for thousands of dollars and sell to the rich ladies of La Jolla and the little book club is the perfect place to start. The problem is Annie the chemist wants to find that something special to add to the cream to make the woman feel like it's working and come back for repeat orders, the problem is that special ingredient is oh so illegal and could end up being a risk that could end everything.
We follow their journey in showing that woman will do whatever it takes to provide for their family, in this comedy, contemporary with a bit of mystery and suspense with a almost Robin Hood re-telling of stealing from the rich to help the poor. It was an easy read for me and enjoyed the journey from start to finish and how the 2 best friends overcome everything.
I would rate this witty and thoroughly delightful story 5 PLUS STARS because of the amazing talent of the audible book narrator, Katherine Kellgren. I was there in the kitchen with Annie eating ice cream. I was sitting on a stark white, frightfully expensive couch drinking white wine and gossiping with Sarah and the La Jolla Ladies.
The is the perfect, funny, light weekend read that leaves you smiling.
The is the perfect, funny, light weekend read that leaves you smiling.
This book was overall a quick and fun read. As someone who has been the Annie in more than one friendship, I really enjoyed the friendship between Sarah and Annie (even if it did sometimes lean into cliche'). The writing is fun and kept my attention; I started it on my lunch break and finished that evening.
A few things that I didn't love:
The treatment of OCD in this book is frustrating. The author seems to rely only on stereotypes instead of doing even a modicum of research into what this disorder actually is. I'm hardly an expert, but a summer psych class taught me that it's not just "give him cleaning projects and he's fine".
A few things that I didn't love:
The treatment of OCD in this book is frustrating. The author seems to rely only on stereotypes instead of doing even a modicum of research into what this disorder actually is. I'm hardly an expert, but a summer psych class taught me that it's not just "give him cleaning projects and he's fine".
Spoiler
The other thing that was in the back of my mind as I read this book was that the author didn't seem very aware of any racial elements. First, there are a few ham-fisted scenes when Annie is trying to get more cocaine. And then, while I was happy on a personal level that the women ultimately triumphed, I struggled to enjoy their victory given the current climate surrounding drugs, namely, that middle-class white women are going to marijuana yoga classes, but a black person will go to jail for a dime-sized amount of pot. I'm not sure how I would want the author to address this, but I would have appreciated some awareness.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 but rounding up. Listened on audible so it was a nice listen while working.
A fun, light read with a bit more substance than most "beach reads." As someone who has worked in La Jolla, I can say that the characterizations were spot on and very funny!
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
When Annie's son suddenly needs expensive therapy, she hatches a plan. With the help of her stunning best friend, she targets the wealthy women of La Jolla. They sell face cream for an exorbitant price. Only Annie knows about the secret ingredient keeps the customers wanting more.
Annie and Sarah are similar to Robin Hood- they are only taking advantage of the extremely wealthy and their vanity.
Crimes Against a Book Club has very real characters dealing with problems that are real- A boss who takes all the credit and expects sacrifice without complaint. A husband who puts his work first. A brother just out of rehab. A friend group that has suddenly ostracized a member and she doesn't even know why. A woman getting over being left by her husband for a much younger woman. A couple that has faced financial difficulty and now lives next door to the overbearing and controlling mother-in-law. A husband who doesn't approve of her desire to rejoin the work force. An octagenarian who has figured out where the majority of her fortune will go after her death, but needs to find the relative who will take care of her prized pooches.
I loved how Kathy Cooperman started each chapter with a small blurb about a character, a book, and how that book made them feel or think.
I recommend this book. It is a fast, fun read that really makes you think about what women do to remain "attractive" in the eyes of society. It also is a great story about friendship.
This was a very silly book but there was a sense of fun in the array of characters - the author wrote wittily, very tongue-in-cheek, about different societal 'classes'. The plot was ridiculous and utterly impossible to believe.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No