This was not my best month. Only 6 books. A total of 2,154 pages. An average of 77 pages a day.
The E.M.M.A. Effect by Lia Riley (287 pages). This was a Valentine’s Day special edition Once Upon a Book Club box. 30 year old Harriett Smythe is a computer genius (but rather a rube at love). She works for a company that is creating cutting edge AI technology called E.M.M.A., short for Empirical Machine for Maximizing Athletes. Basically an AI-powered platform designed to revolutionize athletic performance and well-being. When her boss finds out that her best friend Brooke’s young brother is 25 year old NHL star Gale Knight, Harriett has to ask Gale if he will take part in their beta testing. Turns out that Gale needs Harriett in order to improve his athletic performance, at least according to EMMA. Because matchmaking is just one of the many abilities this system has. Now that they finally have permission from a computer, can Gale and Harriett admit to themselves that they are crazy about each other? It was cute, it was frothy, it was a quick read. I finished in 2 days.
The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman (366 pages). Have you ever wondered about the magical aunts, Franny and Jet, in Practical Magic? Well, this is their story. Born to Susanna Owens (one of the rare Owens women who fled Massachusetts for new sights), Frances, Bridget and their younger brother Vincent (an anomaly in the all female Owens family) grew up in New York City in the 1950’s and 60’s. When Franny turns 17, she receives an invitation from Aunt Isabella. And all 3 children head to Massachusetts for the summer. They all know that they aren’t normal. But they don’t know what magic flows through their veins. It’s the magic of Maria Owens. As all men who love an Owens are cursed, this affects the siblings in different ways. But they live their lives in New York City, leaning on each other. When the unthinkable happens, Franny and Jet find themselves in the ancestral home in Massachusetts, creating a new life there and eventually welcoming Sally and Gillian into their lives. How did I not know about all of these sequels?! I finished in 4 days.
My Plain Jane by the Lady Janies (Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows) (447 pages). Y’all know I love these creative reimaginings. And this is the last one they’ve written! The main characters in this novel? Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë and Alexander Blackwood. Jane is a teacher at the Lowood School for Girls, who eventually leaves to become a governess for the ward of Edward Rochester. Charlotte is one of the students, and one of Jane’s best friends. Alexander is a ghost hunter with the Society for the Relocation of Wayward Spirits, and a seer, meaning he can actually see ghosts. And he thinks that Jane might be one as well. But she’s not- she’s so much more. As the three of them (along with Charlotte’s brother Branwell) join forces, they learn that the Society doesn’t care about the best interests of anyone other than themselves. I finished in 4 days.
The Block Party by Jamie Day (374 pages). Every year, the exclusive Alton Road cul-de-sac in Meadowbrook, Massachusetts, has their annual Memorial Day cookout. But this year, someone is dead before the end of the day. We then go back one year to learn the secrets of the street. Alcoholics, abusive relationships, unhappy marriages, young love, cheaters, stalkers, cyber geniuses and even Only Fans models litter the street. Now one of them is dead. And one of them had the motive. I did not see the murderer OR the murderee coming, which is always good. I finished in 4 days.
The Beach at Summerly by Beatriz Williams (357 pages). May of 1946. The war is over and the summer crowd is finally returning to Winthrop Island. 21 year old local Emilia Winthrop is thrilled that Summerly, summer home to the Peabodys where her father is the caretaker, will be reopened. Shep and Amory Peabody survived the war and are coming home. Along with them is their aunt Olive Rainsford and her children. But Emilia is approached by special agent Sumner Fox to help apprehend a Soviet spy. Aunt Olive. And one night, it all goes down and lives are forever changed. In April of 1954, Emilia is now a doctoral student at Wellesley College. Fox calls and lets her know that Olive has a request for her, a request from behind bars. And once again, lives are forever changed. I don’t normally read a lot of POST war/Cold War historical fiction. So that part was pretty interesting. But honestly, the ending seemed a little rushed. I literally had to reread a chapter because I thought I’d missed something. I finished in 5 days.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (323 pages). If someone wishes you dead, have they actually killed you? 6 years ago, Alicia Berenson killed her husband Gabriel by shooting him in the face several times. From the moment the police arrived, Alicia never spoke another word. The only clue she left was a self portrait entitled Alcestis (a Greek tragedy). After her trial, she is sent to the Grove, a psychiatric hospital. Forensic psychotherapist Theo Faber begins working at the Grove, just so he can work with Alicia. Ever since the trial, he’s been convinced he can help her. But if she won’t talk, can he actually help her? Is Alicia actually guilty? Or is she just crazy? I did NOT see the ending coming at all. And I loved it! I finished in 4 days.
This month’s favorite was…The Silent Patient. Although The Rules of Magic was a very close second.
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