Happy spring!
Lady Boss**
So after two books and almost 2k pages of enough internalized misogyny to make Phyllis Schlafly blush, with stories chock full of men and women who will literally hump anyone and anything, Jackie Collins suddenly decides to make Lucky purchase a movie studio…in order to get rid of casting couches and male dominance in favor of female-driven movies that are less horny. What?
Whatever. I’ll still keep reading this garbage.
The Hunting Party***
I was prepared to write about this being a decent read. I liked it way more than The Guest List. But then the killer is revealed and their motivations are garbage at best and problematic at worse and it soured me on the whole thing. Lucy Foley’s books have a low ceiling that she can’t help but hit. She’s a talented writer but she writes the ugliest endings.
Flux****
On the surface, this is a twisty time travel mystery. But on a deeper level, it’s a greater exploration of Asian identity and the power of family throughout generations. A confidently written debut work of high quality.
The Cutie****
This early period Donald Westlake quickie is one of the best things Hard Case Crime has ever republished. A fun story of a gangster-turned-detective who is dealing with his past to help his lady friend in the present despite signs that he should be. An excellent ending, very noir. I loved it.
The Boy With the Faster Brain*****
A beautiful story and excellent resource for kids with ADHD and their parents.
The Widening Gyre****
The only Spenser book I thought was worth much, mostly because there’s not as much Spenser smarminess and he shows a humane side to dealing with this case in a way I found endearing.
