It’s been hard to write when *waves arms at general state of the world* and, despite — well, let’s face it, because of that, I’ve been reading as per usual.
Over the weekend I finished books 107 and 108 of the year, both from NetGalley. I may or may not have forgotten I was granted these advance reader copies because I have had so little luck on NetGalley in the past. But of all the books they haven’t granted me, I’m so glad for these two! Not only were they great reads, look how pretty they are together 💙
In the Blink of an Eye, by Jo Callaghan – I loved this! Great combo of police procedural and tech-y what-ifs. It reminded me a lot of a fun, yet sadly little watched, tv show from a few years back with its combo of street smarts and IT. Kat Frank is a wonderfully flawed heroine and the rest of the characters on the team are well drawn, also. I can definitely imagine seeing this story on the screen, and want to read more of the FPU’s crime solving. I was very surprised to read that Jo Callaghan is a debut novelist! Her dayjob involves researching how AI will affect the future workforce, and she did a fantastic job translating that into a fun read. Look for it January 19, 2023!
The Soulmate, by Sally Hepworth – I read a lot of white lady thrillers and this is one of the best I have read in eons. I love a good unreliable narrator, and there’s so much to question in The Soulmate as the knots and tangles of this tale become unraveled. That’s about all I can say without spoiling one of the most fun parts of the story. What a dang gem. Fun fact: the first NetGalley book for which I was ever approved was by the same author! You can check out The Younger Wife now, and The Soulmate is due April 4, 2023.
I’m also in the midst of two classic novels. One I picked up from the paperback library at my soon-to-be-former dayjob (more on that later. Unless you’re on Instagram)…. so I need to get it done sooner vs. later! Quick Curtain was written in 1934, “the golden age of murder” — novels, that is — but it just proves that actors… never change. I have already laughed a LOT over some of the descriptions of the people and their foibles.
The Street was the first book written by a Black author to sell over one million copies, in 1946, and, wow, it is easy to see why. The story of a recently singled mother trying to survive in NYC, it’s about so much more than just Lutie Johnson. There is one page in particular, not too far in, where Lutie is trying to decide how and how much to explain racism to her young son, and it’s so beautifully poignant — and angering when you think about just how far we haven’t come. It’s just so well written, so evocative, and because of that, I just want to savor it and only read it when I can completely focus.
Keep reading!
Ann Davis-Rowe 
Loved this. And you’re ahead of me. This year and all that thisness has screwed up my flow.
I have THE STREET in my TBR pile. I’ll move it up. Thank you.
We are all on our own paths, so we can’t be behind (: Do! It’s so lovely — tough, but well done.