thursday night book reviews

Yesterday was weird. The election. The weather. It was just plain weird. 

(however, I think that kind of sums up the entirety of 2016)

Regardless of how anyone voted, I think everyone can say that we're all just tired. This week has just been one big fat pile of tumultuous. All I wanted to do last night was curl up and read yesterday. But instead, I went to a dance class with two coworkers (which was fun). So today, I read...and decided to write about it.

taltos by anne rice

I've gone and done it. After literally months (since August), I have finally finished listening to The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches...and what a disappointment! Instead of focusing on the city of New Orleans and the actual Mayfair family, Rice chose to divert and dedicate an entire novel to the history of the (types of) creature that haunted the family. The story was less thrilling, less creepy, and less interesting.

And then it did what a book should never do: it. just. bloody. stopped. Not a cliffhanger. Not a happy ending. Not a The Sopranos ending. It just sort of faded. While I know that there are several "crossover" novels where the Mayfair family meets with the characters of The Vampire Chronicles fame, this book was my least favorite in the series. I'm glad I finished it, but the ending  was just a bucket of bullshit.

Let's just add this to the list of meh things this week.

crimson shore by douglas preston and lincoln child

This is my bathtub book. Several nights a week, I haul my behind upstair with my book and take a bubble bath (sometimes with wine, sometimes without). It's been one of my favorite downtime activities since I was a little kid. And I've dropped many a book in the tub.

As I've said before, the Pendergast books are legitimately one of my favorite ongoing series. This one is one of the better ones I've read in a while. It combines the intrigue of a missing wine collection (right up my alley!) with the history of a missing 1800's shipwreck and the legend of an escaped-from-Salem witch coven. Throw in a few brutal murders, and you've got the perfect setup for Agent Pendergast.

One of the great things about these novels? While it's helpful to start from the beginning, you aren't missing an extraordinary (or super obvious) amount. Most of the previous stories are nuances and are very subtle.

So there you have it. I'm going to be thoroughly engrossed in my books, hot coffee/tea, and cooking this weekend (OMG THANKSGIVING IS IN TWO WEEKS!). My new Audible book was picked up on the cheap...it's one of the original Erik Larson books! Don't expect to see my face...unless it's makeup-free and surprised to have (grudgingly) been dragged from my self-imposed reading binge and into civilization.

I wish you all a fantastic weekend and a lot of love, positivity, and clarity during the upcoming months. Remember to always be kind.

I'm always on the lookout for new books. Tell me what you're reading by commenting or messaging me directly at amanda@winebooksandwanderlust.com.