Book Review: "The Secret Lives of Church Ladies" by Deesha Philyaw

Deesha Philyaw's The Secret Lives of Church Ladies is an excellent, powerful short story collection about Black women who follow their own desires.

Full disclosure: I totally thought this was a nonfiction book until a friend read it. I saw it was getting an immense amount of praise but I just figured it was something I probably wouldn't read. But as soon as I found out it was a story collection I jumped on it and boy, am I glad I did! These stories are truly unforgettable.

The nine stories in this collection are sometimes funny, sometimes frank and defiantly sexual, and sometimes poignant. Philyaw’s characters are daring to live their lives the way they want, but it often takes them a while to get there, and it sometimes requires reconciling their religion with their desires.

I seriously loved so many of the stories but my true favorites were: “Instructions for Married Christian Husbands,” a woman’s rules for the men she plans to sleep with; “Not-Daniel,” about a couple who comes together for comfort in the parking lot of the hospice their loved ones are in; “Peach Cobbler,” in which a young woman is determined not to make the same mistakes her mother did; and my absolute favorite, the luminously beautiful, “How to Make Love to a Physicist,” which tells of a woman who must free herself in order to find what she wants.

I devoured this collection in one sitting and was blown away by Philyaw’s talent. The Secret Lives of Church Ladies was really fantastic.

I know when I post about short stories, I hear from a lot of people that they either can’t get into them or have never read any before. Some say they don't want to get invested in characters for such a short amount of time. I used to feel the same way until I discovered that in the right hands, short stories can be just as powerful as full-length novels.

Give short stories a try!

Book Review: "Zara Hossain is Here" by Sabina Khan

Zara Hossain Is Here, Sabina Khan's newest YA novel, is a poignant, powerful story about the racism and prejudice faced by immigrants, even within their own religions and cultures.

“My presentation in class today has reminded me that I exist in a sort of no-man’s-land. I wasn’t born here, but I don’t remember much of Pakistan and I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I still lived there. But I know how a lot of people here feel about immigrants. So...where do I belong?”

As the only Muslim in her conservative Texas Catholic high school, Zara Hossain stands out—and not for the reasons she wants to. Every day she faces abuse—vicious stares and comments about terrorism, especially from football player Tyler Benson and his friends. But when she dares to challenge him in front of his friends, he vandalizes her locker, which sets off a chain of events that leads to tragedy and upheaval.

Zara’s parents contemplate moving back to Pakistan, but that will upend Zara’s life. She won’t be able to get as good of a college education there, and being bisexual, she’ll face even more prejudice from her own people. But how can she stay in the U.S. if her parents go?

I thought Zara Hossain Is Here was a really good, thought-provoking read about an all-too-familiar experience immigrants face. It’s also particularly timely given the recent rise in violence against Asians.

This is the first book of Sabina Khan’s I’ve read, although her first book, The Love and Lives of Rukhsana Ali, is on my TBR as well. I love how she captured both the racial prejudice immigrants face and the judgment faced in their own communities for things like not being “devout enough.”

It was great to be part of the tour for this book. Storygram Tours, IReadYA, and Sabina Khan provided me with complimentary copies of both of Khan's books in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making them available!

Book Review: "The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre" by Robin Talley

A fun, queer, YA rom-com with theater kids performing Les Miserables, plus a theater curse? Sign me up for Robin Talley's The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre!!

The Beaconville High School theater program is well-known. Many of their shows have won awards through the years, and some students have gone on to bigger and better things. But a lot of peculiar things happen during productions, so each year the cast and crew have to follow a lot of superstitions to try and pacify the “theater curse,” and even have counter-curses in case someone slips up.

Melody McIntyre is thrilled to be the stage manager for the spring musical, Les Miserables. She has a terrific crew helping her out, and if the show goes well, she’s hoping it will help her get into a college program to be a professional stage manager one day.

Her friends and fellow crew members have noticed that things seem to go wrong in shows when Melody is in a relationship, and she always seems to be in a relationship. So she vows to swear off dating until the musical is done. And that should be easy—it’s not like she NEEDS to date or anything.

Of course, the last thing she’s counting on is for Odile Rose, the school’s most talented actress (she’s even done a Game of Thrones prequel and is rumored to be doing a Scorsese film) to audition. And more than that, Melody isn't expecting Odile to be funny or sweet or...into her. So now what? The production or her love life? Her college career or a potential relationship?

I was a theater kid way back when it wasn’t really cool to be one, so I really enjoyed The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre. I remember the relationships that cropped up and fizzled out during shows, the feelings of not getting the part you wanted (still bitter), and the rush of performing. And Les Miserables is one of the shows I would kill to be in—even now!

This is the second book of Talley's I've read, and I really enjoy the way she tells a story!

Book Review: "Everything After" by Jill Santopolo

Everything After, the third book by Jill Santopolo, is a beautiful, emotional story about the choices we make and the dreams we choose or choose not to follow, and how those choices shape our lives.

“Choices are made all the time. One choice doesn’t have to define a life.”

Emily is a psychologist at NYU, helping students navigate the things that are troubling them. Although the job weighs on her from time to time, she once was rescued by a psychologist and feels this is her way of paying it forward.

Emily and her husband, Ezra, a pediatric oncologist, have a good, loving marriage. Each draws strength from the other. They’ve finally decided they’re ready to start a family, and neither can wait to be parents.

When tragedy strikes, it reminds Emily of an earlier time in her life, when she was a musician, in love and performing with Rob. But when faced with tragedy and pain, Emily makes the difficult choice to put that side of her life away, and ultimately, that choice leads her down the path her life has taken, to being a psychologist and marrying Ezra.

When Emily hears a familiar voice on the radio, singing about the one that got away, her life is once again upended, and the secrets she’s kept for so long suddenly are revealed. Did she make the right choices years ago? Is she on the right path now? Will she have to abandon some dreams to pursue others?

What I love so much about Santopolo's writing is how she captures emotions of all kinds—love, grief, excitement, pain—and the trajectory of relationships. That talent is on full display here, and I was really moved by Everything After, even when I didn’t necessarily agree with a character’s behavior. (I also loved her first book, The Light We Lost, and enjoyed her second, More Than Words.)

This may be a difficult story for those dealing with or who have dealt with fertility issues, but it’s really a powerful and emotional read.

Book Review: "Astrid Sees All" by Natalie Standiford

Natalie Standiford's new book, Astrid Sees All, is a look back at the decadent club and party scene of 1980s New York City, and one young woman’s search for herself.

It’s 1984. Adrift after college, Phoebe finds herself in NYC, hoping to find something to excite her and help her figure out what she wants from life. After the death of her beloved father, she comes back to the city against her family's wishes and finds an apartment on the Lower East Side with a college acquaintance, Carmen.

Carmen, shrugging off the yoke of a privileged childhood, and Phoebe find themselves in the midst of the wild club scene, where celebrities and junkies mingle. Carmen takes up with a junkie, while Phoebe is still seething about the way she was mistreated by an older man. Phoebe is desperate to make money and finds an opportunity telling fortunes at club parties as “Astrid the Star Girl.”

Drugs and sex and the glamorous life prove too intoxicating to resist, and it’s not long before Phoebe and Carmen’s friendship ends with a betrayal. Both young women hit rock bottom in their own way, but can they find their way and survive despite the chaos of the city, where young women are actually going missing?

I love everything about the 80s and so I really enjoyed the setting of Astrid Sees All. Even though I wasn’t old enough for the party scene at that time, I remember NYC when it was seedy and gritty, and Standiford really captured that so well.

While I didn’t necessarily find the characters sympathetic, I felt the sense of sadness and fear and uncertainty that seemed to exist beneath the surface of the story, the “smile although you’re crying inside” mentality that characterized the atmosphere and the time. It was a really vivid book.

Book Review: "The Road Trip" by Beth O'Leary

Can forced proximity help a former couple recapture the magic or will it just make things worse? This is the question addressed in Beth O'Leary's new book, The Road Trip.

Dylan and Addie were in love. It was an intense relationship, but Dylan’s indecisiveness about his future and his constantly choosing his longtime best friend Marcus, who had wanted nothing more than to break them up from the start, dooms them. But when a betrayal occurs, it shatters everything.

Two years later, they know they’ll see each other at their mutual friend Cherry’s wedding. They've not spoken since the day their relationship ended. But the last thing they’re prepared for is when Dylan accidentally rear-ends the car Addie and her sister are driving to the wedding.

While the logical choice would be to let Dylan and Marcus fend for themselves, they’ll never make it to the wedding on time. So instead Addie and Deb invite them to drive with them to Scotland. In a Mini. Along with another random wedding guest, Rodney. What could go wrong?

Of course, hijinks ensue. And amidst crises and traffic and arguments about the trip playlist, Dylan and Addie realize their feelings for each other haven’t changed no matter how they try to fight them. But are feelings enough to overcome the hurt and guilt and betrayal? Have they changed that much?

The story alternates between present and past, tracing the trajectory of their relationship and what brought them to this point.

I’ve loved Beth O’Leary’s previous books, The Flat Share and The Switch, so much, so I had high hopes for The Road Trip as well. I loved Dylan and Addie and their story, but much like the trip itself, the book took a long while to get going. And honestly, Marcus was one of the most ridiculously insufferable characters and he took up far too much space in the story. But in the end, I still got teary. Lol.

NetGalley and Berkely provided me with a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

The Road Trip publishes 6/1.

Book Review: "The Last Time I Lied" by Riley Sager

Riley Sager's twisty mystery had me HOOKED! Can’t believe I waited so long to read The Last Time I Lied!

“What happened to Vivian, Natalie, and Allison wasn’t an accident. I know because I’m the one who caused it. Although their eventual fate remains a mystery, I’m certain that what happened to those girls is all my fault.”

Fifteen years ago, Emma attended Camp Nightingale. She was assigned to a bunk with three older girls, and found herself drawn to the self-proclaimed leader, Vivian. Cocky and cruel, yet vulnerable, Vivian took Emma under her wing, although no one was ever free from her sudden cruelty.

One night Emma awoke to find Vivian, Allison, and Natalie sneaking out of the cabin. Vivian told Emma she was too young to tag along. That was the last time anyone saw the three girls.

The mystery of their disappearance has haunted Emma since that night. She became an artist, and every painting includes the three girls, hidden beneath the elements Emma creates. Fifteen years later, Emma’s work catches the attention of Franny, the wealthy owner of the camp, and she makes Emma an offer: she’s reopening Camp Nightingale and wants Emma to work there for the summer.

For someone haunted by that one night, this could either be the move that brings closure or destroys her completely. Because there are secrets about that night that Emma has kept bottled up all these years. And she’s not the only one who’s kept secrets. Whose secrets might prove dangerous to a new group of campers or counselors?

It’s funny—summer camp is such a popular setting for horror movies and thrillers, but I went to camp for 10 summers and no one was murdered or attacked or disappeared. Did I miss out? Lol.

As many of you know, I have a tough time with thrillers more often than not because I usually figure everything out before the conclusion. I must say, even though I predicted one thing (although not quite the way it happened), this book kept me guessing, and I had to stay up and finish it. In my mind, you can't beat that!

I've now read three of Sager's books and The Last Time I Lied is definitely my favorite.