Jessi > Recent Status Updates

Re-reading. The “mess of noodles” that is the Iron Tangle might be slightly less confusing this time around.

Translated from Spanish, so far this work is snarky and poignant with a sharp-tongued woman managing high anxiety and a serious lack of motivation.

Likely inspired by Finlay Donovan

Comfort reread :)

I’m slow with short story collections even when I like them.

The final book in the series…

Oops. I picked up book 6 instead of number 5. Pausing.

This is book 4 in the series, and it jumps into the action quicker than book 3 did. It’s the start of a new school year, and the ladies come across another body. After the events of book 3, they’re reluctant to investigate.

A cozy murder mystery. It’s the third in the series. I like the characters and the overall plot, but the story itself is a bit sluggish. The townspeople think one of our main characters not only has a striking resemblance to The Poisoner from decades ago but that she is her.

I really like this series. The author gives us a compelling & eerie look at the dark side of technology and our reliance on it. It takes place in a future that’s just a generation or two away.

The Dark Future series doesn’t need to be read in order, but it does help. They often reference the events or technology in the previous book(s) but don’t generally have spoilers. I haven’t read them in order, but the suggested order is:
The One (2016)
The Passengers (2019) - I haven’t read this yet.
The Minders (2020)
The Marriage Act (2023)
The Family Experiment (2024)

Rereading per my daughter’s request. I bedazzled it this week at a girls’ night, and it’s gorgeous.

I’ve recently read 2 other books by this author. This one doesn’t have the same depth as those but it’s entertaining. It reminds me of the 1980s Goldie Hawn movie Overboard — and even references it! It’s a light read with a somewhat self-obsessed FMC who wakes up from a coma with amnesia.

One POV has to be an unreliable narrator — right?!
Main questions: What happened to her, and what does she do that’s so mysterious?

Very well written with realistic characters and in-depth historical research, but definitely not concise. The novel’s end is in sight - maybe this weekend!

The audio narrator does great accents.

CW: terminal lung cancer.
I think it’ll be a detail that isn’t the main story, but if it’s an ongoing plot point, I might have to take a break from the book. We got news earlier this week in real life that a loved one may be dealing with an all too similar diagnosis, and I really fear they might refuse treatment.

Parts of this are sluggish, but I do enjoy the nightclub scenes. The trailer for the Netflix version seems more like a thriller/mystery, so I’m very curious how well they’ll stick with the original story. Regardless, it has Martin Freeman & Helena Bonham Carter, so I have to guess I’ll enjoy it even if it’s a completely different tale.

There’s a reference to book 1, but so far this would be fine as a standalone.

I think this is the most I’ve enjoyed an installment in this series since Sumi’s story (book 3). The gang is back together!

Happy publication day!