My Friday Five...

1.  Flu.  I finally feel better! Its only taken two weeks to get better, but what does that matter, right?  No more coughing, fever, stuffy nose, etc. - Woo hoo!

2.  De-clutter.  I am in the midst of cleaning out my desk and bookshelves - OMG, why do have so many books! My desk is a nightmare. So many piles of papers, notebooks, pens, paperclips, folders, etc. I have no room to write - ack! I will be shredding papers all weekend long.  As for my bookshelves, they are overstuffed with books and its giving me a headache just looking at them. Plus, I keep bumping into the books that stick out (which is all of them!).  I need to get rid of some books or invest in more bookshelves...hmm.........

3.  Books.  Here are some mini-reviews:

I should have DNFed this one.  It started out weak and ended with a whimper.  Such a disappointing read.  This is a story about a young mom who discovers that her husband's family is beyond strange, but that her husband is a complete stranger.  Say what?  Yep, turns out the man she married is in love with his teen-aged niece - Yikes!  Secrets, infidelities, jealousies, and small town dramas erupt throughout this convoluted story about family, love, and loss.  The characters are awful and make caring about them impossible, which means you don't care to find out what will happen to them. All in all, a predictable story that goes nowhere.

A fun and quick read that made for the perfect companion on a rainy day.  Then again, who doesn't love to read a mystery/suspense thriller when they are sick with the flu, right? I know I enjoyed reading about Louise and her latest friend request on FB.  Turns out the "friend" is someone who died when Louise was in high school.  And Louise may or may not have had a hand in the friend's death.  Crazy! Seems that Louise was not a nice teenager - she was a teen bully!  She wanted to fit in with her friends, so she bullied the new girl and played an awful prank on her at the school dance - the same school dance that the girl died at. Ack!!  Fast forward to present day, Louise is now getting messages regarding that "friend" - the horror, the horror! Someone is torturing her about the past and she is starting to freak out!  And that is all I will say.  The story is predictable, but a total treat to read. Its fast-paced, filled with twists and turns, and has some pretty surprising elements.  All in all, I liked Friend Request.  

I debated not reading this one, because its been getting so many rave reviews - and, I tend not to like the "It" book of the moment.  Well, I should have gone with my gut and skipped this one.  The Last Mrs. Parrish is beyond predictable, which makes for a rather lackluster read - ugh! So disappointing. In fact, I can't figure out why everyone seems to love it so much - what did I miss?  This is the story of a woman who basically finagles her way into a rich couple's life in order to usurp the wife.  Except, surprise, the wife figured out what was happening and instead of ousting her nemesis decided to help her.  Of course the nemesis has no idea and believes that she has destroyed the wife's life.  Turns out she is in for an even bigger surprise once she starts her married life to Mr. Right.  Seems that the "Last Mrs. Parrish" may be the real winner in the end.  Sounds like a good story, right? Well it wasn't.  Too cliched, too boring, and too predictable = bad read.

I loved Luckiest Girl Alive, so I was really excited to read Knoll's latest book. Well, I wish I hadn't. Talk about a dud.  A reality show about millennials that turns dark when one of the stars dies.  Told through flashbacks, we get to find out what happened, why it happened, and whodunit.  Except, the more you read, the less you care about any of the characters - they are all liars, cheaters, and backstabbers.  Too many secrets to keep track of and too many obvious story lines to wade through.  This book was annoying, tiresome, and lame.  I should have DNFed it.

I will always read Kinsella, even when the story is not so good.  I can't help it, I love her Shopaholic series so much that I will read anything she writes.  So, I picked up her latest book and found myself underwhelmed by its lackluster drama.  This is the story of Sylvie and Dan - a married couple who find out that they are going to live very long lives.  Too long apparently - seems that decades of marriage is a frightening thought.  The same person, year after year - ack!  Of course, that is their initial reaction and then they realize that they do love each other and they will definitely get through this together.  Sylvie decides they should plan surprises for each other - to keep their marriage from falling into dullsville.  Except, all of the surprises don't turn out that great.  And, Dan is being rather secretive and distant lately. Hmm...seems like he's texting his ex-girlfriend, too.  What' s Sylvie to do?  In typical Kinsella fashion, mixed messages are sent and drama is piled on top of drama with unexpected revelations.  All in all, a mixed bag of a read.



What a waste of a BOTM book! Ugh! Such an awful read. Now, I normally love Sarah Pekkanen's novels, but this one was just not up to scratch.  I know she wrote the book with another author, but regardless, it just wasn't good.  I really wish I had DNFed it.  The story was ridiculous with its revelations  - too predictable!  I found the "wife" to be horribly dull and her story to be flat.  Plus, the abusive husband, rich lifestyle, naive wife, mistress, etc. - too many cliches to count. I would not recommend this book.











4.  TV.  The only show I'm watching is the new season of The X-Files. I can't resist Mulder and Scully - Trust No One.  I tried watching the Housewives, but they are so boring, so I might just skip this season.  I did watch the new Aurora Teagarden movie on Hallmark last Sunday - it was sooo good!! I love trying to figuring out whodunit alongside Ro and her Murders Club members. Can't wait for the next movie!

5.  Music.  I'm listening to the Stranger Things soundtrack, because its all 80s music and who doesn't love Bon Jovi, Cyndi Lauper and Peter Gabriel?

And now, I'm off to continue culling my books. Happy reading!!