Reading Recap

 The Frozen River

I FINALLY finished The Frozen River but it took me downloading it on Audible to get 'er done.  During the school year I feel like I physically don't have the energy to read at night (when I have the time) and end up falling asleep after like a page or two. hahaha. 

That said - don't let the fact that it took me MONTHS to read this book deter you because I LOVED IT!  I love historical fiction, love a midwife story, and LOVE a whodunnit and this was all of those rolled into one with an amazing female character at the center of it all which I LOVED! If you listen on audible be sure to listen to the author's notes at the end because that provided a lot of insight and background knowledge that I had no idea about.  

"The Frozen River is a 2023 historical fiction thriller by Ariel Lawhon following Martha Ballard, an 18th-century midwife in Maine, as she leverages her standing as a medical professional to investigate two crimes: a murder and a rape. This book is the sixth of Lawhon’s historical fiction novels, all of which center on notable female protagonists. Lawhon is known for writing “biographical fiction” that adheres closely to the truth of her heroines’ lives, but The Frozen River breaks this trend in that it is highly conjectural. Many of the key plot points of the book are entirely fabricated. Using Martha Ballard’s life, as recorded in her journal, and the biography written by Laura Thatcher Ulrich—A Midwife’s Tale (1990)—as loose guidelines, Lawhon explores themes of Puritan Shame Culture and Gender Oppression, The Courtroom as a Theatrical Spectacle, and Familial Loyalty in the Face of Suspicion."

Your Little Lies

I love a Sue Fortin book and this was no exception.  It gripped me right from the beginning and I'm pretty certain I listened to it in a day.  I felt like the premise was unique and it was easy to follow without being obvious in the plot.  If you love a thriller you'll love this!

"Hannah, Jasper, and their seven-year-old daughter Pia moved to the exclusive gated neighborhood of Silverbanks. Their new home has direct access to the beach and is part of a community and all of the activities it provides. After she meets an outgoing neighbor on the beach, Annabelle, she is sure she has made a friend in the area. Hannah had some trauma in her background that she refuses to talk about with anyone, including Jasper, but her past comes back when at a neighborhood barbecue she realizes that their next door neighbor, Bryan, was a part of her secret past. He later privately acknowledges their past connection, when she was known as Laurel, but he assures her that he will not reveal her secret. Soon it becomes clear that someone else knows her secret and is going to make her pay for it."

The Third Gilmore Girl

If you've followed me for any length of time you know I'm a HUGE Gilmore Girls fan.  I started watching it when I was pregnant with Luke and I've watched the series through at least once a year since then.  I love the actresses and actors in the show, I love the writing, I love Stars Hollow... I love it all.  When The Third Gilmore Girl came across my social media feed I immediately downloaded it and listened.  I knew none of Kelly Bishop's backstory - none at all - and LOVED. hearing (in her own voice) all of the details of A Chorus Line and Broadway and her early career.  I will say that the part of her memoir where she talked about her abortion made me super sad - I felt like it was flippant and made me sad for Kelly and her husband.  It was very clear that Kelly wasn't in any of this for the money or fame but for a true love of her art which was admirable and I think shows when you watch her on screen.  If you loved Gilmore Girls I definitely recommend the read/listen - Kelly's story is super special and her relationship with her husband was inspiring - overall it was a great book and I'm glad she shared her story.

"Kelly Bishop’s long, storied career has been defined by landmark achievements, from winning a Tony Award for her turn in the original Broadway cast of A Chorus Line to her memorable performance as Jennifer Grey’s mother in Dirty Dancing. But it is probably her iconic role as matriarch Emily in the modern classic Gilmore Girls that cemented her legacy.

Now, Bishop reflects on her remarkable life and looks towards the future with The Third Gilmore Girl. She shares some of her greatest stories and the life lessons she’s learned on her journey. From her early transition from dance to drama, to marrying young to a compulsive gambler, to the losses and achievements she experienced—among them marching for women’s rights and losing her second husband to cancer—Bishop offers a rich, genuine celebration of her life.

Full of witty insights and featuring a special collection of personal and professional photographs, The Third Gilmore Girl is a warm, unapologetic, and spirited memoir from a woman who has left indelible impressions on her audiences for decades and has no plans on slowing down."

The Boyfriend

I LOVED this book! I'm a sucker for a backstory flashback and this book was written in alternating present-day Sydney and flashback-Tom chapters which I loved.  I love it when you're listening to the past parts and pieces of the present parts start to click into place.  I honestly didn't see the ending coming and felt myself thinking about the book and characters in between the times I was reading it.  

"Sydney Shaw, like every single woman in New York, has terrible luck with dating. She’s seen it men who lie in their dating profile, men who stick her with the dinner bill, and worst of all, men who can't shut up about their mothers. But finally, she hits the jackpot.

Her new boyfriend is utterly perfect. He's charming, handsome, and works as a doctor at  local hospital. Sydney is swept off her feet.

Then the brutal murder of a young woman―the latest in a string of deaths across the coast―confounds police. The primary suspect? A mystery man who dates his victims before he kills them.

Sydney should feel safe. After all, she is dating the guy of her dreams. But she can’t shake her own suspicions that the perfect man may not be as perfect as he seems. Because someone is watching her every move, and if she doesn’t get to the truth, she’ll be the killer’s next victim...

A dark story about obsession and the things we’ll do for love, #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden proves that crimes of passion are often the bloodiest…"

A Good Girls Guide To Murder

Luke and I listened to this book on our way to and from Louisiana back in February and loved every minute of it on Audible. It's definitely YA and had me rolling my eyes at parts but the story was fun to listen to and the characters were great.  Listening with Luke gave us some good spots to pause and talk (moms, you know what I'm talking about) and it's the first book in series so I'm sure we'll be back to listen to more.  

"Everyone in Fairview knows the story.

Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.

But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer?

Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn't want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger."