TBT Review: “Sliver of Truth” Review

sliver of truthTitle: A Sliver of Truth

Author: Lisa Unger

Genre: Thriller, suspense

Publish Date: January 29, 2013

Pages: 368

Rating: 3 stars

In “Beautiful Lies,” Ridley Jones stepped off a street corner and into an abyss of violence, deception, and fear. Now, she is just trying to get on with her life when another seemingly mundane act–picking up some prints at a photo lab–sends her on a mission to find a ghost from her past. A figure of the same man appears in too many pictures she’s taken in the last year, lurking just far enough away to make identification impossible. But, she is not the only one who wants to know who the man is, and soon finds herself in the middle of a deeper investigation and unsure who to trust.

The only thing Ridley knows for sure is that she has to get to the truth about herself and her past if she is ever going to find her way home. Continue reading “TBT Review: “Sliver of Truth” Review”

A Heartfelt I’m Sorry

Traditional gender stereotypes somehow missed our house in that I enjoy thrilling, scary, drama, blood and guts, violent movies and my husband…not so much. He prefers rom coms…hands down every day. So how do we handle television viewing? Compromise, with a happy medium, is the key. We meet in the middle with comedies. We’ve binged such titles as “Grace and Frankie,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Community,” “Space Force,” “30 Rock,” “Working Moms,” to name a few. This past weekend we were flipping thru Netflix to see if something peaked our interest and lo and behold we discovered a surprising winner in “I’m Sorry.”

The two-season series (thankfully renewed for a third season) was a gem of a find. “I’m Sorry” is the semi-autobiographical brainchild of Andrea Savage, a comedic actress, writer and I believe stand-up comic as well. The series showcases her life with her lawyer husband, Mike, (Tom Everett Scott) and kindergarten-age daughter, Amelia. Her parents are a hoot and a holler played by Kathy Baker and Martin Mull. One of the first scenes hooking us in was actually within the opening credit when Andrea is driving and eating…what she’s eating out of the bowl we are still not totally sure. I think it is oatmeal but it could be some pasta, maybe?

‘THE’ Talks

We never watched a show where parents had to unexpectedly explain such heavy-duty topics to offspring so young. There’s racial diversity. There’s the mention of a euphemism for lady parts (“front tushy”), which prompts a discussion about where babies come from. And shortly on the heels of that fun topic: the difference between sex to procreate and sex for plain ole enjoyment. The language can be four-letter rated and raunchy but it flows and very much tied to the characters who utter the words. One of the funniest bits centers around the couple’s fascination with the Next Door app. We can totally relate. It seems like every day there’s a notification about a missing dog, buy or adopt a kitten, a break-in of a car left unlocked…you get the picture.

On a personal style level, I found Andrea Savage far ahead of the curve. The first season of the series was filmed sometime in 2017 to air in 2018 or there about. Throughout the 10 episodes in that season and bridging over into season 2, our funny mom is modelling, most days, a perfect front tuck, which is complimented with rolled/cuffed jeans and either short booties or white sneakers. As an aside, my husband doesn’t get this current front tuck trend and likes to utter some choice words about the ‘look.’ He actually had to eat some words because Andrea totally pulls it off.

For sure looking forward to seeing in the third season, where the Warren-Harris family takes us on their journey through life in LA.

 

 

“Of Literature and Lattes” Review

Book Title: Of Literature and LattesLit and latte

Author:  Katherine Reay

Genre: Contemporary fiction

Published Date: May 12, 2020

Pages: 336 pages

Rating:  3 stars

I’m beginning to think I should really make a note when I add a selection to “Want to Read” within Good Reads of how the book arrived on the list. I suspect “Of Literature and Lattes” was on a summer reading list…a light read. I heard about Katherine Reay’s other novel, “The Printed Letter Bookshop” set in Winsome, Illinois, but going against my usual penchant for reading in chronological order I picked up the latest first. Continue reading ““Of Literature and Lattes” Review”

TBT Review: The Night Watch

Book Title: The Night Watch

Author: Sarah Waters

Genre: Historical fiction

Published Date: September 27, 2006

This #TBT review was originally posted on February 28, 2008 and was read for a number of reading challenges: Chunkster (554 pages), A to Z Authors (W);   Themed Challenge, and 101 Books in 1,001 Days. Continue reading “TBT Review: The Night Watch”

Knowing More than Just Three

tell me three thingsBook Title: Tell Me Three Things Review

Author: Julie Buxbaum

Genres:  YA, Contemporary Fiction

Pub Date: 4/5/16

4 STARS

Everything about Jessie is wrong. At least, that’s what it feels like during her first week of junior year at her new ultra-intimidating prep school in Los Angeles. Just when she’s thinking about hightailing it back to Chicago, she gets an email from a person calling themselves Somebody/Nobody (SN for short), offering to help her navigate the wilds of Wood Valley High School. Is it an elaborate hoax? Or can she rely on SN for some much-needed help? Continue reading “Knowing More than Just Three”

#TBT Review: Sherlock in Love

TBT reviewBook Title: Sherlock in Love

Author: Sena Jeter Naslund

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery

Published Date: May 8, 2001

Rating: 4 stars

 

This #TBT review was originally posted on January 13, 2008 and was read for a number of reading challenges: A to Z Titles (N), Themed, Back to History and 101 Books in 1,001 Days. Continue reading “#TBT Review: Sherlock in Love”

#TBT Review: Night Fall

TBT reviewBook Title: Night Fall

Author: Nelson DeMille

Genre: Suspense, Thriller, Mystery

Published Date: November 1, 2004

Rating: 3 stars, disappointing

This #TBT review was originally posted on January 20, 2008 and was read for a number of reading challenges: Chunkster, A to Z Titles (N), 101 Books in 1,001 Days. Continue reading “#TBT Review: Night Fall”