LaurelLit.com
Writer, Reader, English Teacher
My favorite genres are contemporary romance, women's fiction, suspense, and psychological thrillers. I mostly read books on my kindle, and I listen to audio books every morning when I go for my run.
I do NOT love star ratings for novels. For each book review, I give background, my thoughts, and if I would recommend it. Full disclosure: if I'm not into a book, I don't finish it. Since I review books I finish, most of them will be positive.
Reading New Boy, a modern Othello, was disturbing yet enthralling. I felt like I was in a speeding vehicle as it barreled down the road. I wanted to hit the brakes but knew the inevitable crash was coming. Yet, I couldn’t stop reading, even as I knew the ending would be tragic. It left me feeling extremely unsettled, but in a good way. Author Tracy Chevalier set the story in a 1970s schoolyard playground, and that was …
About a year ago, I took part in a virtual seminar in thriller writing that was led by Hank Phillippi Ryan. Even though I was experiencing side-effects from my second Covid shot, I got a huge amount out of the workshop and was very impressed with Phillippi Ryan's expertise and ability. I immediately looked up her novels. (I confess, I hadn't been familiar with her work before that point.) I chose to read Trust Me, which apparently was her first stand-alone novel. She's released …
Necessary People, by Anna Pitoniak, is, among other things, about the dynamics of female friendship. But it’s the toxic type of female friendship, the type you definitely want to stay away from. Violet is not wealthy but she’s ambitious, and when she meets Stella, who seems to have it all, she is drawn into a shiny new world of wealth and opportunity. Soon, Violet must make a choice. Does she become someone she doesn’t like or even recognize, in order to achieve Stella’s level of glamor and …
The Partner Track, by Helen Wan, was released back in 2013. Unfortunately, it reads like it was written today; I doubt Asian-Americans have experienced much improvement when it comes to workplace discrimination. The good news is, a Netflix series based on the novel is currently in production. I am eagerly waiting for the premiere. The novel was great, and I expect the TV version will be as well. The story is about Ingrid Yung, an Asian American woman striving to become the first woman of …
The Husbands, is Chandler Baker's second novel, coming after her best-selling The Whisper Network. Both novels explore female friendships and power dynamics. (Especially when it comes to women in positions of power.) But while The Whisper Network explores the corporate world, The Husbands is set in a gated community, where men are turned in Stepford husbands. Poor Nora Spangler is struggling. She's three months pregnant with her second child, and she still …
