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ClareR (5686 KP) rated The Hard Crowd: Essays 2000-2020 in Books

Apr 18, 2021

The Hard Crowd is a collection of essays about culture and politics. I had read Rachel Kushner's novel The Mars Room and loved it (even went on to buy it for a friend), so I was intrigued to read this collection. There really is a mix here - something for everyone.
The opening essay about Kushner’s participation in an illegal motorbike race on the Baja Peninsula was probably my favourite - it sounded terrifying and exciting all at once. She does seem to like anything to do with motors, as a later essay showed. This one wasn’t really for me, but this is a collection where there is something for everyone. The chapter on wild cat strikes was interesting, as were the ones where she describes her formative years in her hometown and the music concerts she went to (loved these too). The last essay in the book played out as though it was on a film in my head.
The essay about prison reform was really thought provoking, as was that of when Kushner visited a Palestinian refugee camp. I could easily have read more of this one - no matter how saddening it ultimately was.
Rachel Kushner really can write. As she did in The Mars Room, each of these essays really evoked a time and place and made this book pretty hard to put down.
Many thanks to Jonathan Cape for inviting me to read this via NetGalley.

Kudos

Kristina (502 KP) rated If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood in Books

Dec 7, 2020

This story was heartbreaking and maddening, horrific and unbelievable, sad and disturbing. I don't usually read books that are based on real events - something about knowing it's true turns me off, but I wanted to give this a try. It's still not something I found particularly enthralling, but it was definitely an interesting read.
Honestly, I can't decide who I despise more, Shelly or Dave! Both did horrendous things, but Dave's obvious disregard for what happened, turning a blind eye to what he witnessed and *still* insisting that there was no abuse, denying that there could have been anything wrong happening while being a partial participant, his refusal to face the facts seriously pissed me off. As for Shelly, how a person can do such things to another human being, let alone her own children, baffles me and makes me sick. Spout off as much as you want about her having a mental illness, I don't care, what she did was disgusting and I don't think she'll spend nearly enough years in prison. My heart goes out to the sisters. I dealt with abuse from my mother when I was young, but certainly not to this degree, and I can't imagine how painful it was for them (not just physically, but mentally and emotionally). The ending, knowing that each woman was healing and moving on, creating their own happiness, put a big smile on my face!

Kudos

Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Stillhouse Lake in Books

Oct 8, 2019

Stillhouse Lake

Rachel Caine | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry

8.3

(3 Ratings)

Book Rating

Really good

Contains spoilers, click to show

Gina Royal is the definition of average—a shy Midwestern housewife with a happy marriage and two adorable children. But when a car accident reveals her husband’s secret life as a serial killer, she must remake herself as Gwen Proctor—the ultimate warrior mom.

With her ex now in prison, Gwen has finally found refuge in a new home on remote Stillhouse Lake. Though still the target of stalkers and Internet trolls who think she had something to do with her husband’s crimes, Gwen dares to think her kids can finally grow up in peace.

But just when she’s starting to feel at ease in her new identity, a body turns up in the lake—and threatening letters start arriving from an all-too-familiar address. Gwen Proctor must keep friends close and enemies at bay to avoid being exposed—or watch her kids fall victim to a killer who takes pleasure in tormenting her. One thing is certain: she’s learned how to fight evil. And she’ll never stop.

<strong>Brilliant</strong>

This was a little something different from Rachel came and I loved it! If Bihar one small but bare was how much she kept repeatedly saying she was in hiding and some bits I thought were unnecessary. But saying that it was a really good book.
I was genuinely sickened by her husband and enjoyed the suspension. Although I did call Sam's role!

Kudos

Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Desire Unchained (Demonica #2) in Books

Aug 26, 2019 (Updated Sep 3, 2019)

Since I enjoyed Pleasure Unbound so much I thought I'd go straight into book 2 and read Shade's (Eidolon's brothers) story.

My hours at work have doubled recently so I'm not getting as much reading time in so it's taken me a while to finish this but I enjoyed it as much as the previous.

I grew to like Shade quite a lot in the first, he was very protective of his family and I was interested in who was going to be that special woman in his life. Once again, though, it isn't straight forward. Runa despises him after what ended up happening to her but you could see a connection still there between them as they share their prison cell.

I was very intrigued as to who had taken Shade, Runa and whoever else was in that cellar, hostage and the answer blew me away. I was not expecting that. They escape but not before getting mated and then the journey of their relationship really plays out.

The story arc that started in the first with Gem and Kynan continues in this one. It ratcheted up a few notches and I am interested to see where that goes. And of course, I want to see who the special lady is that brings Wraith to his knees.

Ordered book 3 and 4 so I can finish the series but not arrived yet. Can't wait to read more!