Do You Mind If I Cancel by Gary Janetti

Do You Mind If I Cancel? by Gary Janetti

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love Gary Janetti's Instagram page and looked forward to more of his humor in this memoir/collection of essays. The humor carries through and I really enjoyed it. I started out listening to the audio book and do not recommend that. Gary is the narrator and I just couldn't stand his monotone cadence. Halfway through, I switched to the Kindle version and realized I much preferred reading his words myself.

Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow

Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Whoa. I don't even know where to start. This was so illuminating and shocking. Ronan's investigative journalism is top notch and this reads like a spy novel. I listened to the audio version and could have done with out the random music interludes and Ronan's attempts at different accents, but still, it was intriguing and so often, I just couldn't believe what I was hearing. I kept thinking about tangled webs. It's crazy how everything is connected among those in power.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read part of this on my Kindle, but listened to most of it on Audible. I enjoyed both formats. The story is told alternately between a psychotherapist, Theo, and his (silent) patient's diary, so his parts are read by a man, and the diary is read by a woman. The writing is great and I don't want to say much more for fear of giving anything away. I look forward to more from this author.

*** POSSIBLE SPOILERS ***

Debbie, if there's any chance you're going to read this book, stop reading now.



Stop.  Stop now, I tell you!



Okay, you've been warned.

Here I go....

I'm glad I didn't read any reviews of this book before I picked it up.  As I read the reviews after the fact, people say things about the "big twist" and the "twists and turns" in the book.  Reading that kind of review, even if it doesn't tell me what the twist is, builds anticipation, so I'm just waiting for "the thing" to happen, and when it does, I'm often disappointed. 

Even though this is called a "psychological thriller," it's really not that.  I was glad to hear an interview with the author at the end of the audiobook where he says other people put that term on the book.  He was surprised by the word "thriller."  He thinks of it as a slow, suspenseful story.  The lady doing the interview points out that there's a real richness to the characters and their lives.  I agree with that.  It's not so much a thriller--there are no jump-out-of-your-seat moments, that I usually associate with thrillers.  Instead, it's more clever and I found myself grinning when all was revealed.  The author said he had Alfred Hitchcock in mind as he was writing it, and I can see that. 

And now a word about potential spoilers.  As you see, I didn't really give away any plot points here.  However,  I've written before about inadvertently spoiling something for my sister, hence my warning to her above. 

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read through some of the negative reviews on Amazon and Goodreads and agree with a lot of them, particularly about the writing style, the plot holes, and the romance. Still, I was engaged the whole time and ultimately didn't feel disappointed.  I LOVE the cover.  I also enjoyed the audio version (I alternated between the book and the Audible--I often read along as I listened to the Audible because I liked to hear how the Yoruban words were pronounced.  It was actually sometimes important to see the words on the page while listening to the audio because in the book, the author often puts the characters' inner thoughts into italics.  When you listen to the audio, it sounds like those words are being spoken.  Overall, I enjoyed it.

You Can't Touch My Hair by Phoebe Robinson

You Can't Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain by Phoebe Robinson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I listened to the audio version of this book and wish that I had read it instead. Phoebe has great insights and there were many times I was nodding along with her or thinking, "Exactly!" I could quite often relate to her tales of being the only black person in the room and how you navigate those situations. What I didn't enjoy about the audio version though, was her extensive use of slang...particularly all the "hashtag this" and "hashtag that"and the "bee tee dubbbbs." It's one thing to read "hot af" and another to hear "hot aaa effff," constantly. I also recognize that this could be an age thing. Still, I think it's a great book and a worthwhile read. I'll probably read it again at some point to confirm that I'd enjoy the written form over the audio.

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Hungry Heart by Jennifer Weiner

Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing by Jennifer Weiner

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listened to the audio version of this book, read by Jennifer Weiner, and really enjoyed it. It was interesting to hear essays about her childhood, college years, and early 20s, and her family, and see how those pieces of herself fit into her books Good in Bed and In Her Shoes. I was particularly moved by the essays about her father, her miscarriage, her pets. She has a couple of chapters about tweets she shared--one was interesting, but the other was all about The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. On the audio version, each tweet is introduced by a birdie tweet sound, and in The Bachelor chapter, it was quite annoying. I follow her on Twitter and find her Bachelor tweets annoying there too. But beyond that, I found the rest funny, honest, sad, cute, and/or charming (especially the parts concerning her Nanna).

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