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Librarian's Next ChapterReading whatever I want to read
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The Wheel of Titles did well this spin. I loved this book. I did not want to put it down. I want to know what happens next, even though I am a firm believer that every story does not need to become a series. Five stars. Well, now that I have that out of my system I can tell you more about Didn’t You Used to be Queenie B by Terri-Lynne Defino. As an avid watcher of all types of food competition shows, just reading the blurb about this book had me hooked. What I did not expect were the honest and raw portrayals of addiction, recovery, and the wide swath of fall-out that accompanies both of those things separately and together. Gale, our protagonist, has settled into an uneasy recovery. A tragedy has launched him onto this path, and he has not forgiven himself for being a survivor where his friend Sean was not. He enjoys his work as a chef, the only place where he can lose himself, and has secret aspirations but little confidence to act upon them. Queenie B, after fame, fortune, addiction, and a rather nasty fall from grace, has reinvented herself as Regina. She becomes invisible, hiding in plain sight. When her world and Gale’s collide, they recognize each other as kindred souls and when Gale gets a chance to seize a dream, they collaborate. The character development in this novel was so real I felt as though it could be a memoir. Various threads of the plot were both resolved and unresolved, reflecting the complexity of life, experience, and relationships. This read was much more than I anticipated. Thank you to NetGalley for the Advance Reader’s Copy. 
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Confessions:
Though perhaps not as deep in poverty as Anna, most of us live outside the world of the jet-set elites. We wonder at their privileged existence and imagine what our own lives might be like given the advantages of money and status. Anna is given a peek at this world via her tutoring jobs and the opportunity to immerse herself when one of her students talks her parents into having Anna tutor over Christmas break. Once inside this world, Anna’s moral lines begin to blur as she wants to reinvent herself. Wandering down this path of deception, her true friends are left behind and we readers are left to wonder if Anna will succeed in her charade or will it all end rather badly. I enjoyed this book and felt that the characters were fleshed out fully. It resonated well in that there are no entirely happy endings, life is, after all, quite messy. A solid 4.5 star read. Thank you to NetGalley for the preview copy.  The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood was exactly the book I needed after a very deep and emotional last read. Olive's missteps and blunders endeared her to me. Who hasn't made a bad decision with unforeseen mortifying consequences? Though Olive is portrayed as someone with a lack of confidence, her quick wit and pointed barbs rounded out her character nicely. Her friends were good ancillary characters, but were not fleshed out enough to understand some of their actions. Adam was a bit of a mystery, but as Olive chipped away at his facade his motivations slowly came into focus. The ending wrapped up a bit tidily for my taste, life is messy so too should it’s written reflection. Conclusion notwithstanding, I thoroughly enjoyed this read.  When reading novels-in-verse by Rex Ogle, I have come to expect the truth. Ogle includes life’s small triumphs along with the raw emotions of life on the edge of poverty. His newest book did not disappoint. The main characters, carved out of cloth I’ve seen over the years as a teacher, were so realistically portrayed that I felt I knew them. The dynamics of their friendship had me talking to the pages as I read them, a sign that I was truly invested in the outcome of the story. Ancillary characters were also well fleshed out, adding nuance and depth to the story. I do not want to say much more, no spoilers from me. Just know that I had to process the book for almost a week prior to writing a review. Added thanks to NetGalley for the electronic preview copy.  I’ve been struggling with writing a review for this novel. I’m not sure why as I eagerly anticipated it and read it in two days. Haymitch is a complex character and after the Hunger Games trilogy I was left with many questions: How did he win his games? Why was Katniss his bet when he liked Peeta? Did he recognize echoes of himself in Katniss? The story answered so many questions, provided background and insight into many of the things I liked in the original trilogy. I love how the past, present, and future are artfully woven together through characters rather than a timeline of events. However, I felt that the author’s quotations from Edgar Allan Poe, though seminal to the story (and a lovely reference to the time before Panem), interrupted the flow of the story. This could be due to the fact that I have read many of his works on my own, and had to use a different voice in my head to get through those parts, a gear shift so to speak, or it could be that the quotations seemed to be hammering home the reference with more force than was necessary. Perhaps the author employed this literary device for those who are not familiar with the works of Poe, giving them a base from which to build understanding. The story had several twists and turns, some expected, some not and was overall a wonderful read. If you enjoyed The Hunger Games trilogy and/or The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, put this on your reading list. If you have not read those titles, I would recommend doing so before tackling this one, you'll not regret it.  |
About meI am a newly retired middle school librarian who is experiencing the joy of reading books written for an older audience and sharing my thoughts. Archives
April 2025
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