Tag Archives: Fiction

Bookish Talk

Read-Along: Appointment in Samarra

11 Comments

I saw this read-along posted on Dolce Bellezza and thought, why not? It’s short and a nice departure from my current reading list. Looks like it’s a joint venture with Wuthering Expectations, a new to me blog.

Here’s a blurb from Appointment in Samarra:

One of the great novels of small-town American life, Appointment in Samarra is John O’Hara’s crowning achievement. In December 1930, just before Christmas, the Gibbsville, Pennsylvania, social circuit is electrified with parties and dances. At the center of the social elite stand Julian and Caroline English. But in one rash moment born inside a highball glass, Julian breaks with polite society and begins a rapid descent toward self-destruction.

Join us? Read and post throughout the month of September using this hashtag: #SamarraInSeptember.

Book Review

Review: In a Dark, Dark Wood

9 Comments

In a Dark, Dark Wood
By Ruth Ware
Gallery/Scout Press, 9781501112331, April 2016, 352pp.

The Short of It:

Not too many twists and not much going on in the woods but I still found myself glued to its pages.

The Rest of It:

Nora receives an invitation to Clare’s hen party, which is essentially a bride’s last hurrah at being single but what Nora can’t understand is why? Why her? She hasn’t seen Clare in ten years and it wasn’t all that great between them when they were last together. But when Nora sees that Nina, a mutual friend was also invited, she reaches out to her and they make a pact to attend together.

This was a quick, page-turner and yes, it’s a little predictable, but it was still enjoyable and Ware is good at stringing you along. Right from the beginning you know as a reader that this hen party is not a good idea. A small group, and some very strong personalities. Add to that a lot of drinking and foolishness and you just know it can’t end well.

Overall, I was very entertained by these characters. Some of their actions seemed a little over-the-top and could have used a bit more explanation but I was happily immersed in the drama of it all. That’s what we all need now. Drama that we can easily pick up and put down and drama that is not our own!

It’s being marketed as a thriller but I’d say it’s pretty mild in that department. It’s just a fun way to spend a lazy afternoon. If you’ve read Ware’s books before, I’d say this is one of the better ones.

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