The Motley Reader

  Ok first, I need to say that this isn't the type of book that I normally read. Second, it has gotten a lot of hype since it was published so that is another reason for me not to have read it. I like mysteries. A little suspense makes for a good story in my opinion. But time travel,"quantum leap" style body snatching, murder and an unexplained setting? Hmmmm, this has all the makings of something that I would not llike to read. And yet.  Here's the description:  . "Evelyn Hardcastle will be murdered at 11:00 pm. There are eight days and eight witnesses for you to inhabit. We will only let you escape once you tell us the name of the killer." See what I mean? This title kept coming up in book discussions so I added it to my TBR list. Then, October came around and well, what better month to read a murder mystery sci-fi suspense novel? Thanks to my local library I was able to get this book and read it without spending any money. However, if I had the chance to ...

  So I'm sure many of you have heard of the movie Fried Green Tomatoes. It came out in 1991 and starred Kathy Bates, Mary Stuart Masterson, Jessica Tandy, and Mary Louise Parker.  I have not seen this movie, but I remember when it came out. I remember thinking it looked interesting. I mean, who doesn't like a good girl's night movie? Flash forward to the present and I found out a few months ago that it was based on a book by Fannie Flagg. I also found out that I had inadvertently picked up another book by this same author. I wrote about my thoughts on the The All Girls Filling Station Last Reunion  a while back. I wasn't overly crazy about that book, and sadly I feel the same about this one. Here's a link to that post:  https://themotleyreader.blogspot.com/2020/06/summer-reading-all-girl-filling.html Ms. Flagg is a good writer. I can tell that much from the two books I've read. She is very capable of telling a good story. Her characters are likable. Her stories ...

Do you have a favorite author? You know what I mean right? You've read all their books. You follow them on social media. You know their birthday, the story behind their writing career, and where they like to vacation. You probably recommend them to everyone even if they don't ask.  Now, what if you found out that your favorite author may have plagiarized their most famous book, which also just happens to be your all time favorite? That is the premise of my most recent read  First Impressions by Charlie Lovett. Before reading this book I had never heard of Charlie Lovett. But as you know, I have been listening to the What Should I Read Next podcast by Anne Bogel. Each episode of this podcast is filled with lots of book talk, including book recommendations. First Impressions has been mentioned by Bogel multiple times on the show. From the description she gives, I was intrigued by the concept so I added it to my Goodreads "Want to Read" list a few weeks ago.  Once the ...

How about this for a tagline? A haunting debut novel set against the background of New York City in the 1920s.... Sounds interesting right? Yeah, I thought so too.  I acquired The Other Typist from a book swap held at a local restaurant where I live. I was taken in by the back cover summary. Words like prohibition, speakeasies, fascination and obsession grabbed me and I was looking forward to when I would have time to fall into this story. It was advertised as a thriller along the same lines as Gone Girl . I've not read Gone Girl , but I am familiar with this genre which is a combination of thriller and suspense. It is most often characterized by a "surprise" or shocking ending. It is the story of Rose Baker a self described dignified lady who works with the police typing criminal interviews. Her life is ordinary and quite normal until another typist named Odalie Lazare is hired. Odalie introduces Rose to a life she has not ever experienced. Rose becomes entranced by Oda...

Summer Reading Continued.... Me Elton John has been on my radar since last year when I read the Julie Andrews biography. Biographies haven't really been something I've gravitated toward until recently. I think the year we did the reading challenge at school got me hooked on biographies. That year, in order to get in as many books as possible I started reading books in the Big Head biography series. If you are unfamiliar with these books, they are a series of biographies written on an elementary grade level. They are called Big Heads because of the caricature of the subject on the front cover. Learn more here:  http://www.whowasbookseries.com/who-was/ Anyhoooo. Back to Elton John. I was never a huge fan. But growing up in the late 70's and then the 80's it's hard not to know who Elton John is or not heard any of his songs. However, his biography is another matter completely. Now I'm going to give you the warnings first. There is interesting language in this book...

What would you do if one day you found out everything you know about your life is wrong? That's the basis for the Fannie Flagg novel The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion. This is the third read from my summer reading list. It's also written by the same author who wrote Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, which was later made into the movie Fried Green Tomatoes. I've not read the book or seen the movie, but I've heard good things. Also the movie stars one of my favorite actresses, Kathy Bates. Anywho, Sookie Poole has just found out a secret about her life. I won't give it away because it would possibly spoil the book. However, this secret is HUGE and it effects her life in ways she never imagined. Half of the book is told every other chapter from Sookie's point of view. There are some good chuckle moments as you see Sookie try to understand this new information about her life and how to move forward living in a very small town where everyon...

"The murderer is with us on the train now....." This classic murder mystery by Agatha Christie was the second choice from my summer reading pile. It was actually my secret favorite from the list of classics I presented to everyone for voting. My summer classic will actually be Jane Eyre as per your votes, but since this was relatively short I thought I'd keep it on the summer pile. It has been many years since I read Agatha Christie, but I still find myself recommending her for those who favor mysteries. My favorite being And Then There Were None.   Like I said in my summer reading post, "You simply cannot go wrong with an Agatha Christie mystery." I whole hardheartedly believe that her mysteries are some of the best out there. Especially for those who like something with a bit more meat than your average cozy mystery. Murder on the Orient Express, is one of her most famous mysteries. It was even made into a movie. Although this recent version wasn't the onl...

No one's ever told Eleanor that life should be better than fine. Meet Eleanor Oliphant: she struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she's thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding unnecessary human contact, where weekends are punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy.... Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is written by Gail Honeyman. It made Reese Witherspoon's book club list. Other than that I have never heard of this author before. This book has been out for awhile and I had heard good things. I don't think I would have chosen it on my own. It's not an outstanding book. It doesn't have a lot of action. It's not overly interesting, or have an intriguing story line. It didn't keep me on the edge of my seat waiting for the big reveal. In fact, there is some revealing information but I had already figured it out by the time it came out. However, I am glad I read ...

Where the Crawdads Sing is the first novel written by Delia Owens. This book was a New York Times best seller and made Reese Witherspoon's book club. Here is the description from the book jacket: For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life-until the unthinkable happens. It is described as "painfully beautiful... At once a murder mystery, a coming of age narrative, and a celebration of nature." And while I agree with that statement comple...

Hello! Time for thoughts from the Motley Reader. You may be wondering why I'm reading or sharing my thoughts on a Christmas book in January. First, this book has been on my TBR list on Goodreads since I first heard about it last year. It got a lot of buzz, so I've been waiting for the right time to read it, as I often do. Side note: If you are not using Goodreads, you need to! (they don't pay me to say that) Second, I requested it from the library back in December and only just last week received it. Since it took me so long to get it I didn't want to turn it down. Before I get to my thoughts on the book I want to just say that I enjoy Christmas books probably more than most people. Or maybe not, who knows? Anyway, I have several Christmas books that I use as part of my Christmas decor every year. I stack them on shelves, or put them in baskets near the tree. Of those, I have favorites that I reread every year even though I almost have them memorized.  There'...

Far beneath the surface of the earth,, upon the shores of the Starless Sea, there is a labyrinthine collection of tunnels and rooms filled with stories..... Sounds lovely doesn't it? Such is the beginning of the summary for The Starless Sea, Erin Morgenstern's long awaited second novel. Morgenstern is the author of The Night Circus, which earned the number one spot on my list of top five books of 2019. Not only was The Night Circus my favorite book of last year, but it also makes the list of my favorite books of all time. Sadly, not only did The Starless Sea not live up to the summary, but it did not live up to my personal expectations from Morgenstern. It was a disappointment to say the least. And it was extremely long, which made for even more disappointment. The story is told in alternating chapters, each from a different point of view. Then there are fairy tales and fables interwoven as well.. That part didn't bother me so much. It is Morgenstern's styl...

Welcome to The Motley Reader! A place for fellow readers to enjoy my thoughts on the books I'm reading. My reading list is very eclectic. One week I may be reading a biography and the next it will be the latest YA fiction. Sometimes I enjoy romance, and sometimes I like a good murder mystery. I never know what type of book I may end up reading. Sometimes what I read is good, and other times not so much. I share my thoughts in the hopes of helping others make good reading choices for themselves. Last year I read 100 books. My original goal was 50 but due to a few interesting circumstances, I exceeded that goal in a big way. One of those circumstances was the March Reading Challenge, an event I participated in at my previous job as a librarian. During this time, the library challenged the students to see how many books they could read during the month of March. I also participated and engaged in a friendly, albeit heated head to head challenge with the other librarian. The othe...