The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

It's hard to believe, but this week teachers go back to school!  As such, this is my last review under my summer horror theme.  My sister was sure I would like it and loaned it to me.

I loved it!  So much so I'm putting it on our new wish list as soon as I get done writing this review. 

The story is told in alternating viewpoints of Vivian in 1982 and her niece Carly in 2017.  Vivian, the troublemaker daughter of her mother's two, takes off from Illinois for New York City to become an actress, but hitchhiking gets her to upstate NY instead.  She takes a night shift desk job at a run down motel.  In November of 1982, she vanishes without a trace, leaving her purse and car behind.  The small police force does a compulsory brief search, but it fizzles and Vivian is forgotten by the locals.  

In 2017, Vivian's sister dies of cancer.  Carly decides to take a break from college and see if she can find out anything about what happened to her aunt Viv, who no one wants to talk about.  She drives to Fell, NY and finds the land that time forgot, including the barely standing but still open motel, now owned by the original owner's son.  

OK, so this is definitely sounding like the set up for a Nancy Drew style whodunit, and it totally is, but the Sun Down Motel is haunted, and not by Viv.  Assorted ghosts of those who have died in the sketchy motel make their displeasure and unrest known.

I don't want to spoil any more!  This was a great read, that held my interest to stay up and finish it!  Hopefully I can get this on an order in the near future!

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand

This was the Teachers and Friends Book Club selection for July.  If you've read any of my reviews for Book Club choices, you know we try to match characters/settings to our meeting location.  Originally the plan was to do a "beachy read" and meet on the beach.  But, that week turned out to be oppressively hot and humid, so others asked we postpone.  Our meeting is tonight at Oak Beach Grill, so at least we got the "beach" part in even though it's raining.  

I'll be the first to admit, when this came I kinda eye rolled.  I just knew this wasn't going to be my cup of tea.  It looked romancey and "girl reinvents herself"ish.  However, the cover flap blurb said one of our main characters is the hotel's resident ghost, so I figured I'd try to get through it.

I was so very wrong.  I loved this book.

The titular hotel has been in disrepair for some time. Once a grand vacation spot, a fire in the 1920s left it damaged and supposedly (actually) haunted.  A series of owners, less invested than the last, have left the property in ruins.  Until a British billionaire decides to make it his pet project.  He hires a local woman, most recently a restaurant manager fresh off a bad breakup, to manage with the goal of an elusive 5 star review from a social media influencer.  

This was both funny and heartwarming (especially as Grace the ghost learns modern colloquialisms).  From a giant pitbull to a child chess prodigy to a rich kid turned maid to a show tune signing gay bellman, I smiled way more than I thought I would, and did not roll my eyes once. This was Fawlty Towers meets The Birdcage meets Clue. 

I'll be adding this to our collection when we return!

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin Craig

This is review 2 for today.  Please read review 1 for context first.

I actually started this in January and tried again in April.  I got a quarter of the way in before I gave up.  I just could not get into it.  I put it aside for my summer reading theme.

I got a little over halfway before I stopped.  I just do not understand what is happening, where, or why.  I get the premise: wealthy, somewhat royal widower (all daughters) remarries and new wife is preggo with a boy.  Resentment galore.  4 of the 12 girls have passed away, but the most recent has led at least two of the remaining sisters to question if it was murder. K.  But then add in strange deities (wondering if this is the start of something like an in-universe series), odd customs, sea worship, and a magic passageway to a fancy cotillion ball. Too weird for me to try to make sense.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

I have two reviews to post this afternoon, and unfortunately neither is positive.  In addition, this makes three books in a row I've declined to finish.

I do require myself to at least TRY to finish a book, but I am also a big proponent of putting a book down when it just isn't for you.  This will be review 1 of 2 today.

I wanted to like this.  It is an indigenous ghost story.  It starts with the family dog dying suspiciously.  Nope, that's an immediate no reading any further.   

Sorry.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

White Smoke by Tiffany Jackson

Nope, nope, nope, nope.

There are few things that bother me enough to put a book down.  Bugs, specifically bed bugs, are at the top of that list.

I got 24 pages in before I had to stop reading this.  The main character seems to have had an incident with bed bugs and has a phobia of them.  They are mentioned egregiously in the first two chapters.  Noping right on out of this.

Sorry.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.  

The Cloisters by Katy Hayes

The Canadian Wildfire Smoke is really bothersome this morning!  Figured it was a good morning to get a review up. 

The Cloisters was recommended to me by Mr. Winters.  A young art history major intends to intern at the Met in NYC, but her mentor is going on sabbatical.  Another high-up in the museum overhears and takes her on at The Cloisters, a niche medieval themed location known for its expansive gardens.  Her task is to help director Patrick prepare a presentation on fortune-telling.  She's partnered with Rachel, a rather wealthy woman who is focused on tarot cards.  We learn Rachel is having relations with both Patrick and the garden keeper Leo (who is stealing artifacts and selling them, along with the psychedelic plants from his garden).  Ann finds she is quite good at deciphering codes, which makes her a desirable asset.

Now, this is a mystery in DaVinci Code style, with some Harry Potter thrown in.  I too love medieval art and tarot, so this was a pleasure to read, BUT I figured out the whodunit pretty early.  I think anyone who likes a good murder-mystery, the arts, history, or magic will enjoy.     

I'll be adding this to the collection when we get back.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

Bridge of Souls by Victoria Schwab

Happy Summer!  

This year my summer reading theme is horror/paranormal.  

First up, Bridge of Souls by Victoria Schwab.

This was donated to WHHS as part of the large donation facilitated by our Rotary Club and Scholastic.

I did not know this was book #3 in a series until a bit in.  I could still follow, but some background info was lacking.  I also didn't realize it was written by VE Schwab, who wrote Addie LaRue, which I reviewed here previously.  Schwab uses VE for adult books and Victoria for YA.  Upon opening, the font is ginormous.  And the content is definitely middle grade, but was still enjoyable as an adult and would be for high school.  There are a ton of Harry Potter references, and honestly some would be lost on a reader who has not either read or watched the HP movies (I gave up on the movies after Azkaban, so not positive on if they're sufficient reference material). 

In short, Cassidy Blake survived a near-death experience, and now can see ghosts.  She helps those stuck in-between life and the afterlife move on.  Her sidekick Jacob is a ghost himself.  The story takes place in New Orleans, which is on my bucket list to visit someday.  

This is a superfast read (it would be a novella if not for the big font).  I do think one should read #1 and #2 first before this one, which I'll be adding to our wish list shortly. 

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.