sfbookgirl's reviews
412 reviews

Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland

Go to review page

emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Looking for a fun, beach-side read? Look no further as Last Summer at the Golden Hotel is perfect for readers looking to vacation in the Catskills. I really enjoyed this read for its Jewish references, family drama, and juicy secrets. The book revolves around the Goldman and Weingold families who own the Golden Hotel in the Catskills. Unfortunately, the once-glamorous resort is not what it used to be, and the two families are forced together again to decide the fate of the hotel that has been around for generations. 
 
While I’ve never been to the Catskills, Elyssa Friedland painted a picture that depicts the beautiful scenery and the history that the Golden Hotel showcases. Be warned: there are quite a few characters, but by page 150, I was able to wrap my head around all of them. All I could think about while reading the novel were Mrs. Maisel’s family vacations in the Catskills and Last Summer at the Golden Hotel mirrors the atmosphere showcased in Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. 
Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

Go to review page

dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

While this widely popular thriller wasn’t for me, I still enjoyed it for its quick pacing. Shelby Tebow is the first to go missing. Then, Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter Delilah disappear. 11 years later, Delilah returns, and the town is back attempting to figure out what happened to Shelby, Meredith, and Delilah, and if these incidents are related. 
 
Overall, Local Woman Missing was just OK. Many reviewers have raved about it, but I found some of the scenes were a bit overwhelming for me content-wise, and I wasn’t the biggest fan of the gruesome details. This, in combination with the fact that I have read a lot of thrillers as of late, may be why I didn’t really enjoy this one as much as other readers. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

Go to review page

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Seven Days in June…more like One Day in June. I read Tia Williams' novel in one day and loved every page. The prose is phenomenal, the character development is astounding, and that heated tension is fire. Erotica writer The book revolves around two characters: Eva Mery, an erotica writer, and Shane Hall, a prolific award-winning literary author. While their love story that occurred 15 years ago was short, it was one for the ages. In present-day New York City, Eva and Shane cross paths again and find that their connection is still ever-present. 
 
Eva and Shane’s complicated, yet beautiful love is real and heartbreaking. I really appreciated the author’s decision to highlight Eva’s chronic, invisible illness, the celebration of Black History, and motherhood. Yes, Seven Days in June is a love story, but it also is a story of hardship, pain, and community. One billion stars for Williams' novel. Put this on your list immediately! 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Falling by T.J. Newman

Go to review page

adventurous dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I finished Falling a few nights ago and thought, wow, this would make a great movie. Low and behold, Universal Pictures won the rights to the book…before the book was even published! Falling is best described as Speed at 35,000 feet. Once in the air, Bill, the pilot of flight 416 receives a call from an unknown caller with the message that his family has been kidnapped. In order for his family to remain alive, Bill must crash the plane. This quick, enthralling thriller consists of what Bill chooses to pursue during his 5-hour flight to avoid the death of his family, or the death of 140 passengers. 
 
T. J. Newman is a debut author, but has 12 years of experience in the air as a flight attendant. The descriptions are incredibly accurate (or at least seem to be…I’m not a flight attendant) and the thriller’s plot is easy to plow through in less than a day. While reading Falling had me on the edge of my seat, I also learned quite a bit about the role of a flight attendant and the skill set that the profession requires. If you’re looking for a page-turning thriller, check out Falling by T. J. Newman! 
 
Oh, and apparently there is a sequel?! 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I picked up One Last Stop in November of last year after reading The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and found that One Last Stop, in some ways, cheapened the magical elements of Addie LaRue. I picked it up again this month after One Last Stop was published and I still felt the same way. The book is about a 22-year-old named August who meets Jane on the Q subway line in New York City. But August soon discovers that Jane can’t leave the Q train (she is literally stuck in time) and August looks for ways to keep her love for Jane alive. 
 
While the references to the 1970s, breakfast diners, and New York City were fabulous, what fell short for me was the characters. I wasn’t the biggest fan of August and found her to be naive and one-sided. Yeah, a lot of 22-year-old girls are naive about love and lust...I get it, but I just wish August was a little smarter. Additionally, a line in the book claims that Asian people don’t experience racism anymore in America…which is just…incredibly false. This would have been a great opportunity to educate white readers about racism in America. There are definitely quite a few mixed reviews about One Last Stop, but I encourage you to read it to develop your own opinions about McQuiston’s newest installment. 
 
Content warnings: sexual content, racism, death, grief, car accident, homophobia, cursing 
 
Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advance e-copy! 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I’ve been on a big thriller kick these days, and found A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder to be a perfect summer read that kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat. Geared towards both young adult and adult readers, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is a fun read that isn’t too gory, nor is it too simple with an easy-to-predict storyline. 
 
Five years ago, Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh. But main character and high school student Pip is convinced that Sal is innocent. Using her senior capstone project as her platform, Pip reexamines the murder case on her own terms. This one also include a murder map (I love a good murder map), great text and phone conversations, and documents that make you feel like you are working alongside Pip. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is one that you should pick up if you are looking for something quick and fun. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Rock the Boat by Beck Dorey-Stein

Go to review page

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.5

After reading Beck Dorey-Stein’s FROM THE CORNER OF THE OVAL, I knew I had to get my hand’s on a copy of Dorey-Stein’s first fiction title. It unfortunately was a bit too wordy for my tastes and lacked enough dialogue to keep the book progressing at a consistent pace, but it’s a fun read that will make you feel like you’re right along the coast with the book’s main character, Kate Campbell. 
 
After Kate’s perfect boyfriend breaks up with her, Kate is forced to move back in with her parents in the coastal town of Sea Point. There, Kate reconnects with a few of her high school friends and learns about the value of friendship, family, and community. I’d agree with other early reviewers in that there were quite a few characters that were difficult to keep track of and Kate, the main character, was difficult to like, but nevertheless, I enjoyed spending time with these characters in a beachy setting. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Page-turner alert! I couldn’t put this one down. But did I like it? Eh, sure. Set in Sausalito, California, Hannah Hall receives a note one day from her husband Owen with the words “protect her.” Hannah assumes that this is in reference to Owen’s daughter Bailey, but Hannah is panicked that something happened to Owen. After a bit of digging, Hannah realizes that Owen wasn’t who he said he is…and Bailey may be the key to understanding why Owen disappeared. 
 
I enjoyed The Last Thing He Told Me for it’s incredible-pacing. I read this book cover-to-cover so quickly and this is one aspect of reading that I really enjoy. Despite this, the book fell short in a number of other areas including Bay Area inaccuracies and a let-down of an ending. The story in some ways felt unfinished and I was left wanting more. Marketed as a thriller, I desired a more shocking twist or an unexpected ending. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed reading the book for its quick pacing and homage to the Bay Area. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a fun one and a perfect Halloweeeeen read. Part of me wishes I had saved it to read for spooky season, but maybe I’ll refer back to it when October rolls around. The book is about stay-at-home mom Patricia Campbell who spontaneously joins a book club that exclusively reads mysteries and thrillers. When several children on the other side of town go missing, Patricia puts her detective cap on and uses her knowledge from her thriller reads to solve the case. And what is with her next-door neighbor James Harris?…His white van gives off very creepy vibes. 
 
This horror novel, although also quite comedic, took me a hundred or so pages to get into. But once I was more familiar with the character’s names and neighborhood antics, I couldn’t stop turning pages. Because the clues are given to the reader at the beginning of the story, the book is more of an “I’m just along for the ride” experience. And while there is quite a bit of gore, I didn’t find the book to be incredibly scary. If you are looking for books to read this Halloween (I know, it’s a little early), then consider adding this one to your list.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Every Day Is a Gift: A Memoir by Tammy Duckworth

Go to review page

challenging informative medium-paced

5.0

Tammy Duckworth, a US senator serving the state of Illinois, is a retired Army National Guard lieutenant. Duckworth’s memoir tells the story of her childhood, immigrating to the United States with practically no money, going to college to earn both her BA and her PhD, joining the Army, and her tragic shootdown that caused her to lose both of her legs in Iraq. I was truly taken aback by how much I enjoyed reading Duckworth’s memoir. Her story kept me turning pages and I finished the book cover-to-cover in two days. 
 
Truth be told, I am not well-versed in Army terminology or structure, but Duckworth provided me with a better understanding of how her sector of the Army operates. Reading about her experiences in Southeast Asia as a child, and later in Hawaii working two jobs as a sixteen-year-old in poverty, was incredibly eye-opening and made me realize how fortunate I am to live the life I have. Duckworth is the true definition of badass, and I am so glad I took the time to read her memoir.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings