Book Review- Dave Barry's Best. State. Ever.

Thank You to Penguin Group Putnam for providing me with an advanced copy of Dave Barry's Best.State.Ever., in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT- In his latest non-fiction book, Best.State.Ever., humorist Dave Barry's takes us on a tour of Florida, and gives his many reasons that his home state is the "Best State Ever".

LIKE- Dave Barry is preaching to the choir, I absolutely adore Florida, and would love to live there one day. I'm a fan of Barry's sarcasm and found his romp through Florida to be hilarious. Tears streaming my cheeks/ nearly spitting up my coffee = funny. 

Barry visited many of my favorite places, such as Gatorland and the Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaid Show. If you've not seen the mermaids, book your trip now. They epitomize all that is fabulous and kitschy about Florida. Barry also spent an evening in Cassadaga, a town know for its high number of psychics. It's a bizarre chapter. I've not visited Key West, but Barry has convinced me to add it to my bucket list. It seems like mayhem happens in Key West. I'm game. 

I commiserated with Barry's need to defend his state. Coming from California, I find myself quite frequently mounting a defense of not just my state, but my love of living in Los Angeles. I get very defensive over the state and city that I love. I get it Barry. It's frustrating when your home is constantly being put down. I'm sure who gets more hate, Florida or California...but I understand your frustration.

DISLIKE- Best.State.Ever was over before it began. Way too short! I know there is much more weird and wonderful Florida places that Barry could have added to this book. C'mon Barry, time for another road trip and a sequel. Please?

RECOMMEND- Absolutely! If you love Florida, this is a must read. If you think you hate Florida, please allow Barry to convince you otherwise. Best.State.Ever. is hilarious and throughly entertaining. I read it in a single afternoon and was left wanting more.

Book Review- Emma Cline's The Girls

Thank You to Random House for providing me with an advanced copy of Emma Cline's novel, The Girls, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT - Set in the late 60's in Northern California, The Girls, follows protagonist Evie Boyd, a teenager from a privileged background, who befriends a group of free-spirited girls involved in a local cult. Evie is charmed by an older girl, Suzanne and soon falls prey to the charasmatic cult-leader, Russell. Stealing to help the impoverished cult members becomes part of Evie's routine, but quickly things escalate, and Evie realizes that the cult is involved in more dangerous crimes. Will Evie be able to escape the cult or will the cult become part of her permanent identity?

LIKE- A story of a Charles Manson-esque cult? Emma Cline, you have my attention! The Girls is dark, creepy, and a complete page turner. Evie is a believable, if not frustrating protagonist. Her initial fascination with the cult is quickly eclipsed by her desperate need to fit in and be accepted. It's like watching a horror movie and wanting to yell at the protagonist for walking into a dark cellar. Although this drove me nuts about Evie, it was also masterfully written by Cline. I liked how Cline set the story in the late 60's, her rich details transported me to the era.

DISLIKE- I was a little disappointed with the ending. I'm not sure what I was anticipating or how I would have written it differently, but there was an odd tone shift. The intensity of the story dropped and the ending didn't feel as threatening as I would have expected the situation to play out. The tone didn't match the story, but the story made logical sense. I liked how the ending fed into the overall theme of how the cult affected Evie's life.

RECOMMEND- Yes! The Girls is a page-turner and Cline is a wonderful storyteller. The Girls is atmospheric, unsettling, and populated with vivid characters that you won't soon forget.

Book Review - Taylor Larsen's Stranger, Father, Beloved

Thank You to Gallery Books for providing me with an advanced copy of Taylor Larsen's novel, Stranger, Father, Beloved, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT - Michael is a married university professor with mental health issues. He notices his wife, Nancy, speaking with a stranger at a party, and becomes convinced that she has married the wrong man. Michael decides to befriend the stranger, and hatches a plan to allow the stranger to replace his role as husband to Nancy and father to his children, Ryan and Max. 

LIKE - Stranger, Father, Beloved is off-beat and bizarre in the best possible sense. Michael, with his mental issues and unusual sense of both self and the world around him, is a compelling main character. I had no idea where the story was heading or what Michael might do, and this kept me on edge. Tension runs high in Larsen's story. The concept is intriguing. I've read plenty of stories of characters undergoing a midlife crisis, but none where the character tries to remove themselves from their own lives by finding a replacement. It's unsettling.

DISLIKE- I'm not sure that this counts as a dislike, but I was drawn to Stranger, Father, Beloved, because of the comparisons to my favorite author, Tom Perrotta. I did not find that Stranger, Father, Beloved was similar to Perrotta's Little Children. Perrotta has a knack for finding uncomfortable humor in dark moments, where Larsen's story lacked this element. I was enthralled with Larsen's story, but I don't think that the comparison rang true.

RECOMMEND- Yes. Stranger, Father, Beloved was an unusual and uncomfortable journey that I won't soon forget. If you're looking to be ripped from your comfort zone, look no further than Larsen.