Friday Fives - Mini Reviews for Books I've Read Recently

 

I'm taking a bit of a break from my usual Friday Linkups to try something a little different.  I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. 

1.  Beach Town by Mary Kay Andrews - This was a fun read about a movie location scout who ends up in a small Florida town for her latest project.  The characters did annoy me at times but the writing style was so engaging that I flew through this one.  I'll definitely try more from this author. My Rating: Liked It!

2.  The Spy Wore Red by Aline, Countess of Romanones - I had to reread this after reading The Princess Spy by Larry Loftis which is about Aline.   While she did change things up and add a little more murder and mayhem the story is still fascinating. This was an entertaining read with an interesting POV into World War II history and is excellent companion read to the Loftis book.  My Rating:  Really Liked It!

3.  The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick - This falls under the category that I can "candy bar books".  It's tasty and fun but there's not much too it.  I love the 1930s glamourous resort setting and both Irene Glasson and Oliver Ward were entertaining and interesting main characters.  The main mystery was well done and kept me hooked while the side mystery was a bit over the top but also entertaining.  Will I remember this in detail in a few months?  No probably not but I will be picking up the next book set in Burning Cove!  My Rating: Really Liked It!

4.  Better Homes and Corpses by Kathleen Bridge - I can never resist a book that involves the main character clearing out a house or doing anything with antiques so I was really looking forward to this book about Interior Designer Meg Barrett helping a friend do the insurance inventory after the Queen Mother of the Hamptons is murdered.  I have mixed feelings.   The mystery is good and the unravelling actually was a surprise which doesn't happen to me very often. However, the second hand embarrassment was HIGH.  Meg never met a branch she couldn't smack into or a rug she couldn't trip over.  She ruins more clothes then a toddler and has more head injuries then Nancy Drew.  The good outweighed the bad so I will read the next book but if you don't love second hand embarrassment I'd give this series a miss.  My Rating:  Liked It 

5.  Taken at Birth by Jane Blasio - This is the story of a woman who discovered she had been a "black market baby" and ended up blowing up the tightly head secret of the Hicks Clinic in a tiny town in North Georgia.  If you aren't familiar with the basics of the Hicks Babies story then I wouldn't recommend starting here.  Either do some serious deep diving online or watch the TLC documentary by the same name.  This is Jane's memoir and a look at how she went about her investigation and how she felt.  It's at times heartbreaking, brutal, and full of hope.  Jane's story is a tough one and she shares some of the personal stories are even tougher.  This isn't a book I would recommend for someone who struggles with infertility, any kind of pregnancy trauma, or adoption. This is a quick read and a fascinating one.  My Rating: Really Liked It!

What have you read lately?