Friday, April 22, 2022

The Lost Lights of St Kilda

Tell me a story... about an island cut off from the world 


 The Lost Lights of St Kilda by Elizabeth Gifford

Publication date: March 5, 2020

Date read: April 17, 2022


When Fred Lawson takes a research position on the isolated island of St Kilda for the summer of 1927, he doesn’t know that he will be joining the last community to ever live there; the island will be evacuated only three years later. When Fred is later captured by the Germans during the Second World War, he looks back on his time on the island, thinking about the girl he left behind. 

I listened to the audiobook, read by Fiona McNeill, Geoffrey Newland, and Diane Brooks.

This story was so sweet. I loved the main characters of Fred and Chrissy and hearing about their lives on the island. I had never heard of St Kilda before reading this, and I really liked the decision to have one main character be an island native and one be an outsider. It gave great perspective to the story. 

I also really liked that, while this was a love story between two people, it was even more a story about the place. It read like a love letter to this island and its way of life. The writing was beautiful but not overdone. I’ll definitely be checking out more from this author in the future. 

The audiobook was very well put together, and I thought the voice actors did incredible jobs. I really felt like I was there with them. 

This is not a plot-heavy book, but if you like learning about a place and people from a historical fiction novel, I highly recommend this one. A beautiful story that made me want to learn more about this island and the people who called it home. 

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Trigger warning: imprisonment, war, torture (mentioned), sexual assault, death, violence

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book 

Happy-Go-Lucky

 Tell me a story... that’ll make me laugh 


Happy-Go-Lucky by David Sedaris

Expected publication date: May 31, 2022

Date read: April 9, 2022


In a more serious tone than in some of his earlier collections - but still with his own brand of humor - Sedaris tackles the issues of the past few years, from the pandemic, to the death of his father. 

This is the first book by David Sedaris that I haven’t listened to the audiobook of (which he always reads himself). I still enjoyed this collection, but it’s not the same as hearing him read his stories. (I wasn’t about to pass up a Sedaris advanced copy, though!) 

I also need to note, before I get into the stories themselves, that the cover of this book is horribly perfect. The old-timey clown picture is unsettling, but it kind of works, and was obviously done on purpose, because that’s who Sedaris is. But my reaction upon first seeing the cover on NetGalley was “No way, I’m not going to read a book with that creepy clo… oh, it’s David Sedaris! Yes please!” I mean, the cover definitely got my attention. 

Now, I adore David Sedaris. I think his books - especially his earlier collections - are wonderful. Whenever someone asks me about trying out audiobooks for the first time, I recommend Me Talk Pretty One Day as a great choice. This collection still contains his trademark humor and wonderful tales about his family (Amy makes a lot of appearances in this one), but the topics are overall much more serious. There are a few essays dealing with his ailing/dying father, a few with the COVID pandemic, and a lot about just getting older. It’s still an enjoyable collection of personal essays, but I definitely wouldn’t recommend starting here if you’ve never read his books before. Because despite the title, this is not a happy book. 

It must also be said, in case you’re unfamiliar with Sedaris, that his humor is not for everyone (although is any comedian’s humor really appealing to all audiences?) Sedaris is very politically liberal, and not afraid to mention politics in his work, although none of the essays are purely political pieces. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, as I have enjoyed all of Sedaris’s work up to this point. I like how he can make me laugh even when discussing serious topics; I found “Unbuttoned” - about his father’s illness - particularly funny. Not a great starting point if you’ve never read Sedaris before, but definitely one to check out if you’re already a fan. If you’re looking for a better place to start, pick up Me Talk Pretty One Day or When You Are Engulfed in Flames, on audiobook if possible. 

Rating: 4/5 stars

Trigger warning: mentions of death/illness of a parent, suicide, sexual assault, prostitution, physical assault, depression, mental illness, and drug use

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. 

Thursday, April 21, 2022

Two Truths and a Lie

 Tell me a story... where you don’t know who to trust 


Two Truths and a Lie by April Henry

Expected publication date: May 24, 2022

Date read: March 30, 2022


On their way to a theater competition, a group of teenagers and their chaperone are stranded in an unexpected blizzard, finding shelter in a run-down motel. Their fellow guests at the motel include another group of teens on their way to a robotics competition, a few adult males, each traveling alone, the motel owner, and a caretaker. While the teenagers decide to play “Two Truths and a Lie” to pass the time, Nell pulls a slip of paper that reads: “I like to watch people die” and “I’ve lost count of how many people I’ve killed”. The kids assume it’s a prank, until bad things start to happen. When a student disappears, the motel guests have to work together to figure out what’s happening, before it’s too late for everyone. 

I unintentionally read two locked-room stuck-in-a-blizzard mysteries back to back, which might have affected my feelings for this one (the second of the two). That being said, I did enjoy this one. 

I really liked Nell, our main protagonist. The characters that were supposed to be unlikable were loathsome. We get a lot of love-obsessed teenagers for main characters, but this book is written for a teen audience. None of the characters were too annoying about it, just a few moments that had me (not a teenager) rolling my eyes  

My biggest complaint also has to do with one of the things that I liked best about this book, and I’ll do my best to keep it as spoiler-free as possible. Up until the half-way point of this book, it was unclear if we were dealing with a ghost story or a murder mystery. I loved the way that both scenarios seemed possible for a good way into the book. My biggest complaint is that the way that it didn’t end up going, wasn’t as wrapped up as I wish it had been; it left a few unanswered questions. I also didn’t love the epilogue - I don’t mind stories getting wrapped up in neat little bows, if it’s done well. This one kind of reminded me of the cards you get at the end of teen rom-coms that tell you what happened to each character. But again, I’m not a teenager, and I don’t think that most readers of the target audience will mind this trope. 

Overall, I actually liked this book quite a bit. The plot moved fast and I loved that I didn’t know where it was going. It’s a fast, fun read and I think teen mystery fans will really enjoy this one. 

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Trigger warning: Murder, hanging, death by fire, human trafficking, gore, drugging someone against their will

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.



Maybe Once, Maybe Twice

  Tell me a story... about figuring out your own happiness Maybe Once, Maybe Twice by Alison Rose Greenberg Publication date: October 3, 202...