Book Review: Daisy Jones & The Six: A Novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid-Women's Fiction

Hello dear Readers,

My book review of Daisy Jones & The Six: A Novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Title: Daisy Jones & The Six: A Novel

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Women's Fiction

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Publication Date: March 5, 2019

Language: English

Hardcover: 368 pages
Meet the Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

Everyone knows DAISY JONES & THE SIX, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock ’n’ roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.

My Thoughts

I have read a few other Taylor Jenkins Reid's books, and I know she is a great writer. Had all the intention to read Daisy Jones and The Six, actually last year, but as often happens, other books got on the way. I finally read Daisy Jones. Took me less than three days and OMG, loved it. 

I know this is a well known book in the book community. Book of the Year at Book of The Month. I had seen and read nothing but great things about it. Not much else I can say that has not been already said. I loved how fast it reads, how every character has the chance to tell their stories, and that unexpected narrator. A pleasant surprise.

Really enjoyed Daisy Jones and the Author, as always, very different from her other books, but the great writing and stories never stops.

Wendy

Book Review: Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow-Espionage/True Crime

Hello dear Readers,

Below my book review of Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow.

Title: Catch and Kill

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Espionage/True Crime

Author: Ronan Farrow

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: October 15, 2019

Language: English

Hardcover: 464 pages
Meet the Author: Ronan Farrow
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

In this instant New York Times bestselling account of violence and espionage, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Ronan Farrow exposes serial abusers and a cabal of powerful interests hell-bent on covering up the truth, at any cost.

In 2017, a routine network television investigation led Ronan Farrow to a story only whispered about: one of Hollywood's most powerful producers was a predator, protected by fear, wealth, and a conspiracy of silence. As Farrow drew closer to the truth, shadowy operatives, from high-priced lawyers to elite war-hardened spies, mounted a secret campaign of intimidation, threatening his career, following his every move, and weaponizing an account of abuse in his own family.

All the while, Farrow and his producer faced a degree of resistance they could not explain -- until now. And a trail of clues revealed corruption and cover-ups from Hollywood to Washington and beyond.

This is the untold story of the exotic tactics of surveillance and intimidation deployed by wealthy and connected men to threaten journalists, evade accountability, and silence victims of abuse. And it's the story of the women who risked everything to expose the truth and spark a global movement.

Both a spy thriller and a meticulous work of investigative journalism, Catch and Kill breaks devastating new stories about the rampant abuse of power and sheds far-reaching light on investigations that shook our culture.

My Thoughts

I had seen this book around the Bookstagram community for months but still, it took me all this time to pick it up, better late than never. I am so glad I did.

I can say, this is the best book I have read this year, so far. I did both, listened to the audiobook and read my physical copy. The audiobook is a gem, narrated by the Author. Amazing.

After an extensive and exhausting investigative work, Ronan Farrow presents us with Catch and Kill, the result of his findings mostly on Harvey Weinstein, but also other TV executives and TV personalities. Investigation on sexual assault, abuse of power, and the culture of silence surrounding Hollywood and that industry in general. 

Catch and Kill is such a fantastic read. You can see all the research and effort the Author put on his investigation, resulting in a very honest and transparent account of events, a very eye-opening book.

I could not put it down. The small chapters make it a fast read. I just wanted to keep reading. Granted, the subject in question is one big reason to keep you interested but also the passion the author put on telling the story, translating so many stories into paper. 

I recommend this book 100%. Very relevant in this period of time we are leaving. A must read. 

Wendy

Book Review: Pretty Things: A Novel by Janelle Brown-Mystery/Thriller/Women's Fiction

Hello dear Readers,

My book review of Pretty Things: A Novel by Janelle Brown.

Title: Pretty Things: A Novel

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Women's Fiction

Author: Janelle Brown

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Publication Date: April 21, 2020

Language: English

Hardcover: 496 Pages
Meet the Author: Janelle Brown
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

Two wildly different women—one a grifter, the other an heiress—are brought together by the scam of a lifetime in a page-turner from the New York Times bestselling author of Watch Me Disappear.

“Pretty Things is awesome. Simple as that. I loved every page. Janelle Brown is your new must-read author.”—Harlan Coben, New York Times bestselling author of Run Away

Nina once bought into the idea that her fancy liberal arts degree would lead to a fulfilling career. When that dream crashed, she turned to stealing from rich kids in L.A. alongside her wily Irish boyfriend, Lachlan. Nina learned from the best: Her mother was the original con artist, hustling to give her daughter a decent childhood despite their wayward life. But when her mom gets sick, Nina puts everything on the line to help her, even if it means running her most audacious, dangerous scam yet.

Vanessa is a privileged young heiress who wanted to make her mark in the world. Instead she becomes an Instagram influencer—traveling the globe, receiving free clothes and products, and posing for pictures in exotic locales. But behind the covetable façade is a life marked by tragedy. After a broken engagement, Vanessa retreats to her family’s sprawling mountain estate, Stonehaven: a mansion of dark secrets not just from Vanessa’s past, but from that of a lost and troubled girl named Nina.

Nina’s, Vanessa’s, and Lachlan’s paths collide here, on the cold shores of Lake Tahoe, where their intertwined lives give way to a winter of aspiration and desire, duplicity and revenge.

This dazzling, twisty, mesmerizing novel showcases acclaimed author Janelle Brown at her best, as two brilliant, damaged women try to survive the greatest game of deceit and destruction they will ever play.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed Pretty Things. It was a fast read for me. Liked the two view point, and how both characters, Vanessa and Nina, very different ones but nonetheless connected throughout the whole story. 

Also liked the unexpected twists, and how all the elements for a great thriller are present. Janelle's writing style is very unique and enjoyable, and will definitely be checking out her previous work. 

Thank you Random House and Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wendy