Stephanie
Written on Jun 9, 2019
I have to admit I was a bit confused when I started reading Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. I was expecting more of a linear biography but it's more a collection of stories.
The formatting truly didn't detract from the book one bit! There is so much raw emotion and honesty in this book. It's amazing how much life experience these two have to share....and are willing to share.
Their passion and personalities definitely shine through on the page. I was pissed off and terrified during the photo shoot, cried with Karen (audio version) as she did a live reading about her relationship with her sister, and felt complete helplessness learning what loving and caring for someone with Alzheimer's is like for family caregivers.
While it wasn't quite the book I expected it to be, it is definitely a book that I will probably listen to over and over when I need to be reminded that we are all human, we all make mistakes, and those mistakes don't define us forever.
I've become a little leery of the Woman's Murder Club. The 19th Abduction by Maxine Paetro and James Patterson was okay. Frankly I feel like we don't really spend any time with the characters anymore. It is all 100% plot driven, which isn't a bad thing, but it isn't my thing.
Basically, I feel like the Women's Murder Club is the book equivalent of a certain fast driving family unit movie franchise. I'm always entertained but the story doesn't stick with me past the time spent reading. I don't really care about the characters anymore and I've stopped expecting to be blown away by them.
I also need to remind myself that these are books that are best borrowed from the library and save my $15.
Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep is the first book I've ever read by this author. I really enjoyed it! It was light hearted enough that I didn't get overly wrapped up in it but also involved enough that I didn't want to set it aside.
I loved the paranormal elements to this story and really felt that they blended seamlessly into the storyline. The world of Cloudburst Falls doesn't seem any different from our current day so when the mention of monsters came about I had to readjust my thinking.
I really enjoyed the story and the banter. When I listen to audiobooks though I catch phrases being used over and over and over again. I don't catch it as often as when I'm reading but hearing it out loud seems to make more of an impact. In this particular instance it was that people "snarked" a lot. I didn't even know that was a verb! :)
Regardless I really enjoyed this book and I'm glad to have a new YA series to dive into.