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books_baking_brews's reviews
230 reviews
Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage
3.0
Y'all this book is something. This will definitely not be everyone's cup of tea. It was not really mine. Seven-year-old Hanna does not talk by choice. She loves her Daddy so much but really has it out for her Mom, and she would really prefer if her mom was not in the picture. That's basically the plot. As the book progresses, Hanna's aggression toward her mother increases. The book is told from the alternating points of view of Hanna and her mother, Suzette. Hanna was a weird mix of child and adult. For instance, a pre-verbal Hanna decides that she is not going to talk to aggravate her mother but on the other hand she believes in little make believe creatures who live under her bed. Maybe all children are like this, I have no idea; but the contrast was kind of startling. At first I was annoyed because the book didn't explain at the beginning why Hanna hates her mother so much, but by the end it started to become clearer that maybe Suzette wasn't merely a long-suffering mother. This book did pick up towards the end, and Stage definitely left the ending open for a sequel. For me, I think it would have been better if the book had just gone full tilt horror.
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
4.0
I made the unfortunate mistake of reading this book over a couple of nights. Some of the scenes made for restless sleeping. I had to go check my closet at one point. McNamara's writing is great, I'm only giving this 4 stars because of the somewhat jumpy nature of the narrative. I cannot imagine distilling the sheer amount of information produced from tracking the Golden State Killer into a readable story, and I had been warned about the disjointed narrative but it still made for a somewhat confusing read and was not my favorite. I think my favorite part of the book was actually the beginning where the author describes her relationship with her mother and how she got started in true crime. It's stunning to think of how close she came to seeing this to an end; she was certainly on the right path. I wish I'd saved it for a creepy October read but it was a great read nonetheless which really captured some of the fear California residents were experiencing at that time.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
5.0
I really had no idea what this book what about, although I heard it was kind of soap-operesque. So I just did not expect to like this book as much as I did. There was definitely drama, in fact there was all the things (abuse, bullying, petitions, i.e., a soap opera!). The story centers around three women in a tiny beach community: newcomer Jane, forthright Madeline, and beautiful Celeste. The three all parents to kindergartners and you would not believe (or maybe you would because you have kids and this seems like a slightly fictionalized account of many a school) the shenanigans that happen because of parents, school politics, bullying children, and family dynamics. Tensions are running high and everything comes to a head at the school trivia night social/fundraiser. The book was funny, sad, heartfelt, and yes, full of drama and I loved every minute of it. I can't wait to go watch the show now.
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
5.0
"Survival is insufficient."
I really enjoyed this book. Set both before and after a flu wipes out 90 percent of the population, it mostly follows a group of traveling actors and musicians who perform plays in different towns they come upon. There are time jumps in this novel but they're done extremely well and never seem jarring. I actually read this book while waiting in an airport for four hours and I can't think of a better setting. I am definitely interested in picking up some of Mandel's other works. I can see why this book has won all the things and been on all the lists. Reading Station Eleven was effortless and I'm sort of hoping it gets made into a movie.
I really enjoyed this book. Set both before and after a flu wipes out 90 percent of the population, it mostly follows a group of traveling actors and musicians who perform plays in different towns they come upon. There are time jumps in this novel but they're done extremely well and never seem jarring. I actually read this book while waiting in an airport for four hours and I can't think of a better setting. I am definitely interested in picking up some of Mandel's other works. I can see why this book has won all the things and been on all the lists. Reading Station Eleven was effortless and I'm sort of hoping it gets made into a movie.
The Good Luck Charm by Helena Hunting
3.0
This is what I call a popcorn book. It's the kind of book where you can devour a whole bunch of it but still feel like you need some substance later. That's not a bad thing. Sometimes you need to sit down, grab a glass of wine, eat popcorn for dinner and take a break. This is a second chance modern romance. Eight years ago Ethan broke Lilah's heart when he unceremoniously broke up with her over the phone to pursue his NHL career. Now he's back. I'm not a huge fan of second chance romances to begin with and at times Lilah caves way too much for my liking, add in an unbelievable coincidence at the end and this book was just okay for me. I would say this was heavily leaning toward 2.5 stars, it's not that it was horrible I just didn't like any of the characters that much. This was a Goodreads giveaway, and I do love romances so I was a bit disappointed I didn't like it more.