The Vanishing Half

 

“The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett
Published by Riverhead Books
Finished 7/31/23 – 3/5 stars
 
I wanted to really love this book, but it just fell a little flat for me.  Racism plays a huge part in this book, sometimes thought provoking, other times it felt like it could be offensive to people of color. The storyline was interesting, but truly not a page turner and I didn’t love any of characters.  Overall, it was just OK.  Apparently, my opinion is not the norm though because it has received plenty of good reviews over the last couple years.
 
#TheVanishingHalf
#BritBennett
#RiverheadBooks
#2023Reads
#LynnsBookReviews

Gone Tonight

 

“Gone Tonight” by Sarah Pekkaren
Published by St. Martin’s Press
Finished 7/22/23 – 4/5 stars
 
All Ruth ever told her daughter, Catherine, of her past was that she left home as a teenager when pregnant with her, never contacting her family again.  But when Ruth starts showing signs of Alzhimers, Catherine decides now is the time to secretly dig into her mother’s past.  What she finds makes her wonder if she ever really knew her mother at all.  Sometimes it’s best to let the past lay burried in the past.
 
I really enjoyed this book and the way it was written in alternating points of view.  Many chapters would end wanting you to read “just one more chapter”.  You really won’t want to put it down, especially the second half.  The only issue I have is that one small part of the storyline is very similar to another book/movie.  One of the characters does call out the fact that they’d seen it in a movie before but as someone who has seen that movie a couple times, it felt very unoriginal.
 
This book comes out 8/1.  Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for gifting me with an advanced copy to read and provide an honest review.  I really enjoyed it.
 
#GoneTonight
#SarahPekkaren
#StMartinsPress
#NetGalley
#2023Reads
#LynnsBookReviews

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane

 
“The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane” by Lisa See
Published by Scribner
Finished 7/18/23 – 3/5 stars
 
I really enjoyed the story and learning about the mountain tribes in China with their traditions and way of life.  What I didn’t enjoy is all the specifics regarding tea.  There were multiple times where I found myself skimming through paragraphs because there were just too many tea facts that I had no desire to learn.  I understand that some of it was important to the story, but only to a certain extent.  I also wish the story would have continued a little longer rather than the abrupt way it ended.  Other than that, I think it was a good book….just not as good as some of her other ones.
 
#TheTeaGirlofHummingbirdLane
#LisaSee
#Scribner
#2023Reads
#LynnsBookReviews

The Alice Network

 
“The Alice Network” by Kate Quinn
Published by William Morrow
Finished 7/8/23 – 4/5 stars
 
If you read this book, and I sincerely hope that you do, you must also read the author’s notes afterward to find out just how much truth this historical fiction is based on.  I’ve now read two books centered on the female spy networks during WWI and WWII (this one being the best) and am very intrigued.  I need to find a non-fiction written in English to enjoy and find out more.  These women truly put their lives on the line every day, making strides to defeat the Germans.  I’m glad their stories are being told, even through works of fiction.
 
#TheAliceNetwork
#KateQuinn
#WilliamMorrow
#2023Reads
#LynnsBookReviews

The Lying Game

 

“The Lying Game” by Ruth Ware
Published by Scout Press
Finished 7/6/23 – 4/5 stars
 
Another good one from Ruth Ware!  It will keep you guessing up until the end.  You won’t necessarily like all the characters because some are kind of toxic, but you’ll enjoy the story.  I found that it does leave you with some unanswered questions about the past, but that’s OK.  You don’t always need a story to be fully buttoned up because sometimes that will just ruin and ending.
 
#TheLyingGame
#RuthWare
#ScoutPress
#2023Reads
#LynnsBookReviews

Born a Crime

 

“Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood” by Trevor Noah
Published by Spiegel & Grau
Finished 7/4/23 – 3/5 stars
 
Although I’ve never watched a full episode of his Talk show, I’ve watched many clips on YouTube of the show and his behind-the-scenes pieces.  Through those I became a fan of him as a person.  One of my favorite things about this book is that it never touches on his current fame.  There is no bragging about his current lifestyle or accomplishments.  The stories are all about his life growing up in South Africa and the obstacles he had to either over come or simply live with.  He truly didn’t have a group he fully belonged to whether due to race, language, or class.  He was an outcast in many ways but found his way to success. 
 
Although I highly recommend it, the reason this is just a 3 star book for me is because I thought it was a little repetitive at times and that it bounced around a lot.  I just feel like the stories could have been pieced together differently for a better flow.
 
#BornACrime
#TrevorNoah
#Spiegel&Grau
#2023Reads
#LynnsBookReviews

The Lost Girls of Paris

 

“The Lost Girls of Paris” by Pam Jenoff
Published by Park Row Books
Finished 7/2/23 – 3/5 stars
 
This is a historical fiction about female secret agents tasked with getting communications in and out of France during WWII.  I think the concept of the story was great, but I found the actual storyline lacking.  I would have preferred more about the women and what they had to overcome and less about Grace (a woman in NY in 1946) and Eleanor (the leader of the women).  Actually, it could have completely eliminated the Grace storyline, keeping it in 1944, and I think I would have enjoyed it more.  Don’t get me wrong…. I did enjoy it.  I just think it could have been better.
 
#TheLostGirlsofParis
#PamJenoff
#ParkRowBooks
#2023Reads
#LynnsBookReviews