Book Review: Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

-
Image
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman  opens with the people at an apartment viewing being taken hostage after a bank robber fails at trying to rob a bank.  I was extremely excited to read Anxious People and got the ebook on sale. However, I never got around to reading the book   until one of my book clubs decided to discuss it for the month of June. I am saddened to say that I was extremely disappointed in the story as it wasn't what I was expecting. First and foremost, I found the book to be too long and thought it could have easily been shortened without it affecting the story. Additionally, I struggled with finishing it because it was painfully slow and boring. I found myself wondering if the author was ever going to get to the big reveal. It seriously felt like required reading for school, and if I wasn't reading Anxious People for book club, I wouldn't have finished the book. There was so much hype about this novel, and I'm not quite sure why. It just wasn't for m...
Post a Comment

Book Review: Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger

-

book review christmas presents lisa unger

Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger is a novella expected to be published on October 24, 2023 by Penzler Publishers.  Madeline Martin is the owner of a thriving business, a bookstore.  When author and podcaster Harley Granger stops by her store, Madeline is starstruck.  However, bad memories are dredged up for Madeline by the author when he mentions that he is reopening a cold case that she survived.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penzler Publishers, for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Lisa Unger's novella, Christmas Presents.  As a recent fan of the author, I knew I wanted to read her latest without even reading the synopsis, so I requested to read this novella and was ecstatic when I was approved to receive a copy for free in exchange for my honest review.

This novella falls into the mystery, thriller, and suspense genre but has a little romance and intrigue to it.  Despite the genre, it even put me in the Christmas mood since it takes place during the holiday.  It's the perfect book for those who love this genre and want a holiday read.

From the get go, I narrowed the killer down to two different people.  As the storyline progressed, I did start to second guess myself and wondered if the narrator was unreliable.  When the murderer was revealed, I was glad it was who it was . . . you're not going to get any spoilers from me.  I will say that for all intent and purposes, Christmas Presents had a happy ending, and Lisa Unger did a nice job wrapping it up.

The story was told from alternating timelines.  I don't always like it when an author does this because it can feel disjointed.  However, Lisa Unger did a fabulous job with it because it had me on the edge of my seat wondering what really happened.  It really helped move the story along.

Five out of five stars is what I gave Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger.  Don't miss out on this fantastic novella . . . pre-order it today.  You won't be sorry.

 

Follow Us On Social Media

https://www.facebook.com/runningbibliophile/https://www.instagram.com/therunningbibliophile/https://www.pinterest.com/therunningbibliophile/youtube the running bibliophile

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Book Review: The Dare by Natasha Preston

-
Image
The Dare by Natasha Preston is a young adult horror novel about Marley and her friends Atlas, Lucia, and Jesse are seniors in high school.  The senior pranks are fun and lighthearted until Rhett starts doling out dares that are more serious.  Will Marley and her friends survive? A huge thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy of The Dare  by Natasha Preston.  The last book I read by this author was so well written, I knew I wanted to give her latest story a try. The first thing I noticed about the story is it's reminiscent of R.L. Stine's Fear Street series, which brought back all the feels from my childhood.  Pretty quickly, the storyline shifts and is eerily similar to the movie I Know What You Did Last Summer .  It's at this point that I became disappointed with the book and almost stopped reading it.   Additionally, there were other parts t hat reminded me of The Secret Diaries by Janice Harrell.  So, overall, The Dare wasn't ...
Read more

Book Review: The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia

-
Image
The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia is about two women from Madison who are completely different from one another and are on an airplane bound for Denver, Colorado. Jasmine is a waitress and is escaping an abusive relationship. Stephanie is a news director for a local news station headed to a news conference. Friends and family of both women receive texts that they've met a man named Trent. Then, both women disappear. Panic starts to set in with loved ones. Who is Trent, and what has he done to them? I'd like to thank NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) that they sent to me for free in exchange for my honest review. The synopsis of The Business Trip intrigued me, and I was excited to dive into the book. The story hooked me from the very beginning. I was rooting for Jasmine to escape her boyfriend and live happily ever after. I was also rooting for Stephanie to find the happiness she was looking for. Then, the book took a very disturbing turn, and I ended up loathing J...
Read more

Book Review: Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich

-
Image
Book Review: Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich  is the latest installment in the Stephanie Plum book series and opens with Joe Morelli asking Stephanie to dog sit his dog Bob while he is out of town testifying at a trial.  The typical chaos ensues when Stephanie has to bring Bob along to apprehend all of her FTAs and has her asking herself if she wants to be married. Each book in this series typically follows the same formula and is wrapped up in a neat, tidy bow at the end.  It's because of this that I enjoy the series . . . I always know that Stephanie is going to get herself into some sort of trouble and need Ranger or Morelli to help her, and the bad guy is always caught.  Sometimes, I just need something familiar and predictable to read.  And, I don't mean that in a bad way either because it allows me to escape reality and gives me a few chuckles along the way.  It's like the ...
Read more