Tag Archives: Favorites

Book Review

Review: Extinction

5 Comments

Extinction

Extinction
By Douglas Preston
Forge, 9780765317704, April 2024, 384 pp.

The Short of It:

Gripping and impossible to put down.

The Rest of It:

The Erebus Resort is a “real deal” experience to behold. Millions have been poured into de-extincting woolly mammoths, giant ground sloths and more and those with some money to spare, can enter the park and experience these beautiful, amazing creatures. Creatures that have been modified to exclude their violent tendencies.

BUT, big but, in the opening pages two guests go missing and the evidence left behind hints at a very alarming type of kill. One of these guests happens to be the son of a billionaire so once word gets out, the resort is overrun with the media and yes, the father of the missing man with all his overblown bluster to hinder the search.

Agent Frances Cash partners with county sheriff James Colcord to track down the perpetrators and it’s non-stop action from page one. It’s clear very early on that something is strange about Erebus and that the staff might be hiding something. As Cash and Colcord getting closer and closer to the truth, things really ramp up and it’s survival of the fittest. Literally. Surviving in those Colorado Rockies requires a certain kind of physique and many are not up for the task.

Think The Island of Dr. Moreau. There is a lot of science. Science which is terrifyingly realistic. I am a long-time fan of Preston and Child books such as Relic and The Cabinet of Curiosities but I was curious to read Preston’s latest even without the inclusion of his writing partner, Child. Let me tell you, it holds up.

The camaraderie between Agent Cash and Colcord is admirable and enjoyable as they solve the case. The description of Erebus and the creatures living within it put you right there on the valley floor. It’s NOT for the faint of heart. There are some pretty graphic descriptions of what goes on. That said, get ready for a wild ride because once you pick it up, you will read it straight through.

Highly recommend.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

Book Review

Review: Tom Lake

6 Comments

Tom Lake

Tom Lake
By Ann Patchett
Published by Harper,9780063327528, August 2023, 320pp

The Short of It:

Tom Lake will capture your heart.

The Rest of It:

In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family’s orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew. ~ Indiebound

Oh, how I  loved this one. It starts off a little slow but once you get into it, it’s very hard to put down. The family dynamic has a very strong pull. These sisters, sharing their stories, their hopes and dreams while working in the orchard will absolutely capture your heart. And their mother, Lara and how she chooses to share snippets of her wildly exciting times as an actress will satisfy any theater kid at heart.

I won’t lie though. It’s not all fun and games. As glamorous as being a lead in a show is, in this case a summer production of Our Town, it has its drawbacks as well. For one, Lara’s infatuation with Peter Duke has her throwing all caution to the wind. A young girl, so in love, is bound to find heartache. No?

As Lara shares bits of that summer with her girls, they begin to put things together and although they thought they knew their mother quite well, they realize that she is her own person and perhaps not everything is to be shared.

I was a theater kid in high school and of course, both my kids went down that same path so it was no surprise how much I enjoyed Tom Lake. You don’t have to be a die hard theater kid to love this story though. It’s about love, the importance of family, the friends we cherished as young adults, and how a life comes to be. Sometimes not exactly as we imagined it but sweet, nonetheless.

Do yourself a favor and find a copy of this book.

Source: Purchased
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.