The Running Bibliophile

Happiness Falls  by Angie Kim is a story about a bi-racial Korean-American family whose patriarch goes missing.  Told from twenty year old Mia's perspective, she's not initially concerned when her younger brother Eugene comes home without their father.  As minutes and hours tick away, the entire family finally realizes is something most be horribly wrong for the father and husband not to be home yet. This novel was selected by my book club for our June 2024 discussion.  I hadn't heard of this book or author before, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoy a good mystery and the synopsis intrigued me. "Meh" is my overall thought of Happiness Falls because I didn't particularly like the main character, Mia.  She seemed awfully self absorbed and unobservant, especially when it came to her younger brother, Eugene.   Eugene is non-speaking and was diagnosed by doctors to being autistic and having a rare disease called Angelman Disease.  T here is ...

Book Review: Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich is the latest installment in the long-running and beloved Stephanie Plum series, and it opens with Joe Morelli asking Stephanie to dog-sit his famously quirky dog, Bob, while he’s out of town testifying at a trial. As expected, things quickly spiral into chaos when Stephanie has to bring Bob along while attempting to apprehend her usual lineup of FTAs. Between chasing fugitives, dodging danger, and juggling her complicated personal life, Stephanie also finds herself seriously questioning whether marriage is something she truly wants. Each book in the Stephanie Plum series tends to follow a familiar and comforting formula, with everything wrapped up in a neat, tidy bow by the end. That predictability is actually one of the main reasons I keep coming back to these books. I always know Stephanie will get herself into trouble, Ranger or Morelli will step in to help,...

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt tells the unlikely but heartwarming story of an octopus named Marcellus and a human, Tova Sullivan, forming an extraordinary friendship. I had the pleasure of reading it as part of my book club’s September discussion, and it quickly became a story I couldn’t stop thinking about. To be honest, I really didn't have any interest in reading this book despite hearing rave reviews about it on Facebook.  There was so much hype about it, and I'm usually disappointed in books that are over-hyped.   Additionally, I just couldn't get past knowing that part of it was told from the perspective of an octopus ... I don't know why it bothered me since Charlotte's Web by E.B. White was told from a pig's perspective, and I loved that book as a child.  However, I had my own preconceived ideas about the book, and I am so glad that I put those ideas aside and gave it a chance.   Told from three different perspectives, the author does...

The Museum of Lost and Found by Leila Sales is a novel for middle grade children about friendships and how they change.  When Vanessa loses her friendship with Bailey, she's understandably upset and seeks understanding on what she did wrong.  In the process, Vanessa discovers an abandoned museum and ends up making new friends. A big thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Museum of Lost and Found by Leila Sales.  I was excited to be approved to receive this book for free in exchange for my honest review. Leila Sales does an amazing job of telling a story about friendships and how they can fall apart, especially in the transition between elementary school and middle school.  At that age, it can feel like the end of the world, and it can be difficult to figure out what went wrong.  The author explores this situation in a gentle way that can encourage children to take the initiative to have a conversation with their former friend and te...

Book Review: Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan is a story told from alternating perspectives of Oliva and Lily.  Olivia's son Asher is dating Lily.  When Lily dies, Asher is put on trial for her murder.  What motive could Asher possibly have?  And, did he really do it? This novel was chosen by the book club I belong to for our April 2023 discussion.  I'd heard mainly good things about the book, but I also heard negative things as well.  Not really knowing much about either author, I wasn't sure if I'd like Mad Honey .  I am so glad that I bought and read the book, and I'll tell you why below. I love that this was a mystery told from two different characters perspectives and the fact that the reader definitely doesn't know whether Asher murdered Lily or not until the very end.  I did have suspicions that it was someone else like Asher's friend Dirk from the hockey team....

The Devil Wears Prada  by Lauren Weisberger follows recent college graduate Andrea “Andy” Sachs as she moves to New York City with her best friend Lily, determined to break into the competitive world of publishing. After blanketing the city with her résumé and facing rejection after rejection, Andy finally lands what many consider the opportunity of a lifetime: a job “a million girls would die for” as the junior personal assistant to the formidable Miranda Priestly, editor-in-chief of the fictional high-fashion magazine Runway. What begins as a stepping stone into the publishing industry quickly spirals into a demanding, all-consuming role that tests Andy’s ambition, integrity, and relationships. As she becomes more entrenched in the glamorous yet cutthroat world of fashion, her personal life begins to unravel, leaving her to question how much she’s willing to sacrifice for her career. When The Devil Wears Prada hit theaters, I knew I had to see it, and I wasn’t disappo...

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell  opens in 1850 with Adam Ewing, a notary, is traveling home to California on a ship. Then, in 1931, Robert Frobisher, a composer, orchestrates a way into a sickly maestro's home. After that in the 1970's, Luisa Rey, a journalist stumbles across a story that threatens her life. Present Day, a Korean super state has overtaken England. Post-apocalyptic Iron Age, the last days of Earth on Hawaii. Then, we go back in time in reverse order, finding that all the characters are connected and intertwined. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell was a book selection for the first book club I ever joined. It isn't a book that I would've ever picked up to read on my own. I loved the concept of the story when I read the synopsis and was looking forward to reading it. Typically, I don't mind when a book jumps from one time period to the next, but with Cloud Atlas I did mind. It took away from the overall story line and made it very choppy. It fe...

Looking at the cover of Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, I didn’t have especially high expectations going in since it had a similar look and feel to the covers of Emily Giffin novels. There was also the fact that many of the people I knew who were raving about Me Before You tend to have very different reading tastes than I do. The emotional journey you take with the characters is a difficult one because the story centers around Will Traynor, a man who becomes a quadriplegic after a devastating accident. Struggling to cope with how drastically his life has changed, Will falls into a deep depression and no longer wishes to live. Louisa Clark is hired by Will’s parents to serve as his day-to-day caregiver and companion in the hope that she can help change his mind about assisted suicide. At first, Louisa has no idea about Will’s plans until she overhears his mother discussing it with Will’s sister. Determined to help, Louisa begins researching activities and experiences that might give...