booklistqueen's reviews
634 reviews

Twenty-five years ago, Malcolm Gladwell topped the bestseller list with The Tipping Point, analyzing the science of viral trends. Now, Gladwell revisits his bestseller to reframe the lessons for the modern day. Gladwell expands his focus to look at the dark side of contagious phenomena using his trademark mix of fascinating anecdotes and social science.

I just adore anything Malcolm Gladwell writes and will listen to any audiobook he narrates. Returning to the same topic as his bestseller, The Tipping Point, Gladwell takes on a dark twist to the topic, showing the dangers when individuals try social engineering using the science of virality. Explaining social phenomenon with fascinating real-world examples, Gladwell always makes you think deeper. Using the opioid epidemic, Gladwell highlights how small changes can have large, often unintended, consequences. 

Erik Larson delves into the six months between Abraham Lincoln's election and the first shots fired on Fort Sumter to start the Civil War. In a period of betrayal, error, and miscommunication, Larson focuses on the stories of four individuals: Sumter's commander caught between sympathy to the South and loyalty to the Union; a bloodthirsty radical promoting secession at every turn; the wife of a local planter who is conflicted about marriage and slavery; and in the thick of it all, is Abraham Lincoln, desperately trying to avert a war.

The Demon of Unrest is a detailed look at the months leading up to the Civil War that is perfect for fans of Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals. I don't often read history books but, when I do, I love when they can captivate my attention. I enjoyed Larson's narrow focus on the lead-up to the war because it really helped place this large world event into perspective. If you don't mind a long read, The Demon of Unrest manages to be extremely informative while also keeping my attention. 

To avoid a layoff, Katie accepts an offer from her co-worker Cole to fly out to Key West and create a promotional video for the United States Coast Guard featuring rescue swimmer Hutch. The catch: Hutch is Cole's estranged brother and Katie lied about knowing how to swim. Soon Katie finds herself falling head over heels for the handsome Coast Guardsmen, his massive Great Dane, and his charming aunt. Now Katie must decide how far she'll go to save her job as she finds herself caught between two feuding brothers.

There's no other way to say it, The Love Haters is sappy beyond belief. The entire first half is spent on Katie drooling over Hutch that you are so grateful when some conflict finally arrives. From there, the story settles into your standard cheesy romantic comedy (with no steam) that at least has some plot to move it along. Although Center tries to add nuance by discussing body image issues, it never gets the full emotional kick that highlighted some of her better books.

Author Grady Green calls his wife to share his exciting news. But while on the phone, he can hear her slam on the brakes. Her car is found parked on the edge of a cliff with her phone in the seat but she is gone. A year later, a grieving Grady wracked by insomnia visits a small Scottish island to try to start writing again and bring himself back to life. Except he thinks he sees a woman on the island who looks exactly like his missing wife.

Although I generally enjoy thrillers with unreliable narrators, Beautiful Ugly suffered from an overcomplicated plot without any likable characters. Despite its decent ending twist, the story was completely inconceivable and the characters didn't draw you in. On the bright side, the audiobook production for Beautiful Ugly was top-notch. With A-list actors Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton narrating, the audiobook incorporated just the right amount of music and sound effects to enhance the story without overpowering it. 

When a government minister is accused of rape, a courtroom drama ensues. Sophie Whitehouse knows her charming successful husband James isn't perfect. While she's disappointed in his affair, she doesn't think he's capable of rape. On the flip side, Kate, the lawyer in charge of prosecuting the crime, is convinced beyond out a shadow of a doubt that James is guilty. 

Sarah Vaughan drops you into an intense courtroom drama with complicated female characters. Kate's drive for justice made her an excellent character. However, I found Sophie most fascinating as she had to decide whether to stick by her husband or not. Though I would not have made the choices Sophie did, I liked how Vaughan showed her history to help you see why she did. With a great conclusion, Anatomy of a Scandal was a great legal thriller to read, however, I almost hate to admit it but I enjoyed the miniseries even more than the book. 

Instead of asking What's wrong with you?, we should be asking What happened to you? Oprah Winfrey teams up with neuroscientist Bruce D. Perry to discuss how understanding the trauma faced at a young age can impact behaviors now. By understanding past experiences, we can shift our viewpoint and see a clear path to healing.

What Happened to You? is a fascinating look at the long-lasting effects of childhood trauma. Bruce Perry does a great job explaining the science and the research that Oprah Winfrey helps illustrate with emotional stories. Audiobook listeners, be aware that Oprah talks faster than normal and the clips from her show are even faster still. 

Just before the start of his fourth year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter gets to attend the Quidditch World Cup with his best friends Ron and Hermione. But dark wizards mar the happy event. This year at Hogwarts, the school is competing against two other magic schools in the Triwizard Tournament. When Harry is unexpectedly selected as school champion, he'll have to navigate the three difficult tasks against much older students if he wants to win.

The longest book in the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is my favorite by far. I like seeing Harry, Ron, and Hermione start to grow up. The fourth book marks the transition from childhood to teenagers as they are introduced to the greater plots of the adult wizarding world. With great twists and an epic ending, the story impressively keeps you gripped despite its length. 

Every summer, Belly and her brother Steven stay at a beach house owned by her mom's best friend Susannah. While Belly's mom and Susannah catch up, Belly tries to tag along with Steven and Susannah's boys, Conrad and Jeremiah, who are the brother figures and childhood crushes of her life. Now Belly is 16, the gap between her and the boys doesn't seem so wide and everything changes in this teenage summer drama.

With the adaptation of The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy into a tv show, I think (or hope) the series took the basic idea and refined it into something less shallow. While accurate to some 16-year-olds, Belly was the most immature character which didn't make for a delightful read. To make matters worse, I listened to the audiobook and struggled to keep everything straight since the narrative kept flashing back to previous summers. I also didn't get the appeal of the brooding Conrad and the entire book felt like a trainwreck. 

Five days ago, a rage epidemic began sweeping across the United States. Suddenly groups of people are murdering others for no discernible reason. When Jack hears his name called out over the radio, his only choice is to take his wife and kids and run. What do you do when lawlessness reigns and you don't know who to trust or where to run?

When I saw Blake Crouch had a new thriller, I jumped at the chance to read an advanced copy. Only to discover that I was fooled by the marketing for a re-release. Run is far from new; it's Crouch's debut novel and it shows. This survivalist story was a pure-action thriller that rushes you through a brutal apocalyptic world at a breakneck pace. Who needs character development or good dialogue anyway?

As a teen, Emma dreams of escaping her family's New England bookstore and her high school boyfriend Jesse gives her that chance. Together they go to college in California and travel the world. When Jesse disappears in a helicopter accident on their first wedding anniversary, a heartbroken Emma moves back home, finding comfort in the life she was so desperate to escape. Just as Emma finally opens herself to love again, getting engaged to Sam, an old friend, Jesse is found alive. Now Emma must choose between her husband and her fiancé as she ponders who she is and who she wants to be.

One True Loves takes a cheesy premise and gives you a heartfelt read that will give you all the feelings. I love how Emma learns to accept that her grief has changed her and she can't be the person she was before. I thought Jesse and Sam were excellently portrayed in all their complex reality. It was fun to read one of Taylor Jenkins Reid's early works and see the hints of the excellent writing that will lead to her future success.