weekend book review | 08.04.17
I have been on an audiobook binge lately. Maybe it's because the Man Friend is out of town. Maybe because I've eaten a straight vegetarian diet for the last week and the noise distracts me from thoughts of eating. I don't know. But my phone has been playing books via the Audible app like crazy.
reliquary by douglas preston and lincoln child
I started Reliquary while traveling to Williamsport last weekend. Needless to say, I finished this audiobook in less than 4 days. New York City has never been at the top of my list of "must go" adventures. Some people are super into it, but I'm not a huge fan of hustle and bustle...or grime. The opening sequence is nothing short of terrifying. While looking for a package of heroin that has been tossed off of a bridge, police divers get tangled in two skeletons. However, the description of the claustrophobic horror that is diving in grimy, icky waters just about did me in.
This novel picks up 18 months after the first (Relic). The genetically altered beast that terrorized the museum still weighs heavily on everyone's mind...particularly when people start missing. Factor in a homeless tribe living beneath the streets (and even below the subways) of New York City and some really nosy rich people with a lot of opinions...and it makes me even less interested in visiting the Big Apple.
The narrator of this book was phenomenal. He slipped in and out of character so well it made it easily to distinguish who was speaking. I also love the author's attention to detail, particularly when it comes to discussing scientific terms and historical data. FYI - if you want to go down a Wikipedia-esque rabbit hole this weekend, look up:
- Track 61 - The defunct private subway line that ran beneath NYC's Waldorf Astoria hotel. It was built with the rich and famous in mind.
- The Underground Homeless - Imagine living under a city. It's straight-up out of some dystopian novel.
the memory box by eva lesko natiello
On occasion, I feel like I *might* be losing my mind. I think I have everything planned out, then I realize I have forgotten about 4 other things. What can I say? It's a gift! However, can you imagine waking up one day, feeling completely normal...then getting gobsmacked and you realize that your life isn't what you thought it was.
Likened to The Girl on the Train, this novel follows Caroline, a seemingly quiet, unassuming suburban housewife with nothing to hide. However, after being a bit piqued over having "only three hits" about her on search engines, she delves in deeper...and discovers secrets that she didn't even realize were hidden. Though the narrative is a bit predictable, listening to this woman turn herself over to madness is almost terrifying. Written in first person, the reader has a front row seat to this woman's steady mental decline. It's incredibly disturbing and it's impossible to ignore.
