By Any Other Name

 

“By Any Other Name” by Jodi Picoult
Published by Ballantine Books / Random House
 
I’m a huge Jodi Picoult fan but was actually apprehensive to read this one.  I don’t like Shakespeare and, honestly, have a hard time reading his work.  Knowing the legitimacy of his writings was the focus of this book made me nervous but very interested as well.  I should have just trusted Jodi because I thought it was great.  I initially had a hard time getting into the storyline taking place in the 1500s but once I did, it was smooth sailing.  I actually ended up enjoying the older timeline more than the current one, which is the complete opposite of what I expected.  I definitely recommend this historical fiction whether you’re a Shakespeare fan or not.  It’s two storylines, each with a little romance and strong female leads, with his writings tying the two together.
 
Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books/Random House for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.
 
Finished 8/28/24 – 4/5 stars
 
#byanyothername #jodipicoult #ballantinebooks #randomhouse #netgalley #2024reads #genxreads

Only Say Good Things

 “Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself” by Crystal Hefner
Published by Grand Central Publishing Audiobooks
 
It’s a life I could never imagine for myself or, God forbid, my daughters.  If people want to flaunt their bodies and/or and be photographed nude, more power to them for their self-love and confidence (if that’s why they are doing it).  But for sex to be an unpleasant job rather than an intimate moment between two people is something I don’t understand.  To have your freedom of choices taken away and live under the thumb of a powerful narcissist is something I wouldn’t do. But listening to Crystal tell her story, I completely understand how young women could be swept into it and feel that they can’t get out.  And you feel ALL the emotions, good and bad, while reading it.  This book isn’t for everyone, but personally, I appreciated her honesty and vulnerability in telling her story and hope that it helped her further heal, find her self-worth, and become a stronger woman.
 
Finished 8/23/24 – 3.5/5 stars
 
#onlysaygoodthings #crystalhefner #grandcentralpublishing #2024reads #lynnsbookreviews #genxreads

City of Secrets

“City of Secrets” by P.J. Tracy
Published by Minotaur Books
 
This is the 4^th book in a series that I haven’t read.  When I was given the book, I was told it was a “standalone installment” so I accepted it.  I need to be upfront and tell you that I disagree with that and only recommend this book if you have read the other books in the series.  Whereas I thought the storyline and mystery were good, without all the backstories that were alluded to, it’s easy to feel a little lost while reading.  I also had an issue keeping all the characters straight.  I felt like everyone had at least 2 names they went by – sometimes it was just their first name, sometimes it was their last name, and other times it was a nickname.  Maybe if I’d read the other 3 books I would know the characters better to more easily go from one name to another but as a person thrown into an existing series with many characters, it was hard to keep track.  These are the issues that make it only an OK read rather than a really good read for me personally.  I’m sure others that have been following the series have much higher praise because again, the storyline and mystery were good.  It’s piqued my interest enough that I will be putting the 1^st in the series on my TBR to give the series a proper try.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.
 
Finished 8/19/24 – 3/5 stars
 
#cityofsecrets #pjtracy #minotaurbooks #netgalley #2024reads #lynnsbookreviews #genxreads
 

The Way I Heard It

 “The Way I Heard It” by Mike Rowe
Published by Simon & Schuster
 
I saw Mike Rowe and knew I wanted to listen to it.  I assumed it would be a memoir and although there are many pieces of his life mixed in, I wouldn’t call it a memoir.  Instead, it is made up of lots of little stories about people that are either well known or something they’ve created or done is well known.  The fun part is that he doesn’t reveal who he’s talking about until the very end of each story so it’s like a guessing game.  Some I could figure out before it was revealed but others were a complete surprise.  Granted, if you listen to his podcast, you’ll probably know all of them because apparently, he’s pulled the stories from there and wrote them into a book.  I’m sure if you read the book yourself his wit and charm would still come through but listening to his voice on the audio book just made it even more enjoyable.  I could listen to him talk all day.
 
Finished 8/16/24 – 3/5 stars
 
#thewayiheardit #mikerowe #simonandschuster #2024reads #genxreads #lynnsbookreviews

A Star for Mrs. Blake

 

“A Star for Mrs. Blake” by April Smith
Published by Alfred A Knopf (2014)
 
I enjoy historical fiction but find it extra enjoyable when I learn about something new while reading it.  I was unaware that congress funded pilgrimages of Gold Star Mothers who lost sons during WWI to visit their graves.  This is the story of one of those trips across the ocean in 1931 to see where in France their sons died and to visit the American cemetery where their sons were laid to rest.  Personally, I would have preferred more storyline of the sons themselves via a dual timeline.  It was still a good read, but this was 100% focused on the mothers.
 
Finished 8/13/24 – 3/5 stars

 #astarformrsblake #aprilsmith #alfredaknoff #2024reads #lynnsbookreviews #bookstagram

What the Dead Know

 

“What the Dead Know:  Leaning About Life as a New York City Death Investigator” By Barbara Butcher
Published by Simon and Schuster Audio
 
This book might not be for everyone but if you enjoy true crime and/or watching shows like Bones and CSI, you’ll enjoy this one.  The author was an investigator in NYC’s medical examiner’s office and this is her story as to how she became an investigator, stories of certain deaths she investigated, her 9/11 experience, and the toll working in the field for over 20 years took on her mental state.  I found it quite interesting and enjoyable to listen to.
 
Personal bonus for me – both John Grisham and Patricia Cornwell are mentioned towards the end of this book.  Those are the authors of 2 books (A Time to Kill and Postmortem, respectively) that kick started my reading journey in the early 90s as a young adult. I don’t read their books as often anymore, but they definitely made a positive impact early on so it was nice to hear their names mentioned.
 
Finished 8/8/24 – 4/5 stars
 
#whatthedeadknow #barbarabutcher #simonandschuster #lynnsbookreviews #2024reads #genxreads

House of Glass

“House of Glass” by Sarah Pekkanen
Published by St. Martin’s Press
 
This is the 4^th book by this author that I’ve read.  The other 3 were all 4 stars but this is a definite 5 star read.  In this book, an attorney is appointed by the court to determine who should have custody of a young girl whose parents are divorcing.  What makes the decision more complex is that the girl’s nanny recently died by falling through her bedroom window – was it an accident or was she pushed, and if so, by who? That unknown will keep you apprehensive the majority of the time.  You just never know who can be trusted in each situation, so danger seems to be lurking around every corner.  It may have kept my heart rate up, but I really enjoyed this book from start to finish.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.
 
Finished 8/2/24 - 5/5 stars  (publication date is 8/6/24)
 
#houseofglass #sarahpekkanen #stmartinspress #netgalley #5starreads #2024reads #lynnsbookreviews #genxreads #bookstagram