BEA 2014: All the Adventures, Pt. I

BEA 2014: All the Adventures, Pt. I

Jun 7, 2014

I texted Kelly (Belle of the Literati) and Betty (Book Rock Betty) earlier this year about being interested in going to BEA, but it was so early that no one really had their plans figured out yet. Betty wasn't sure if she wanted to go because she's pregnant with Baby Betty #3 (YAY!), and Kelly didn't know where work was going to take her. When Kelly got an incredible job opportunity in San Diego, I figured chances were good that BEA just wasn't going to happen for us. 

And then... I got a text from Betty asking if I was for sure not attending. I told her that I was still open to going if we could figure everything out, but it was almost May at that point so we were running out of time. After a crazy week, we made the final decision: WE WERE GOING TO BEA.

BEA was only two weeks away at that point, so it was time to get my butt in gear. I spent a few days binge reading all the BEA advice and planning posts that I could find. Y'all, those are intimidating! As helpful as some of the advice was, it also made me feel so unprepared. But, since I love organizing, I threw myself into creating a BEA calendar and ended up with a color-coded spreadsheet that was a thing of beauty.

Finally, BEA week was upon me. I packed on Monday (excited much?) and managed to make it through my one workday. And then it was time...

WEDNESDAY

Airport selfies + judgy onlookers

Nick dropped me off at the airport, and I made it through security and to my gate pretty quickly. Since I was one of the few people already there, I obviously had to document my excitement about finally heading to BEA with a selfie. Come on, y'all.

My flight was mostly uneventful - although the grandma in the seat next to me kept falling asleep and leaning over into my area. PERSONAL SPACE, YO. She did have a Kindle though, so I gave her a few points for reading a book when she wasn't napping because it meant she didn't try to talk to me. That's reading time, obviously. My book of choice was a re-read of Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers!

Airport pickup! | Photo from Betty

I flew into Newark Airport and had my car service waiting for me: Betty + Mr. Betty! Yep, that's right. They dropped off the babies beforehand and then picked me up as soon as I landed. Mr. Betty was kind enough to drive us to Javits to get our badges and then dropped us off right outside our hotel. It was a good thing, too, because traffic was crazy that afternoon. Betty and I checked in and then proceeded to verify the cleanliness of the hotel room. 

No bed bugs here!

And by that I mean: Betty checked for bed bugs. She scared the crap out of me with that post she wrote a few days before BEA, so I was only too happy to let her make sure there weren't any critters hiding out in our room. Although we had a king-size bed, I realized just how different it is to stay in the city. We barely had room for all our (*cough*Betty's*cough*) bags! 

Once we freshened up, it was time to head to the Teen Author Carnival at the Jefferson Market Library.

Headed to Teen Author Carnival | Photo from Betty

When we got there, we almost immediately met Wendy (Books Scents), CeCe (CeCe Reads) and Danielle (Love at First Page). Then, we spotted Gaby (Queen Ella Bee Reads) and tried to distract her from the serious business of selling books. Betty introduced me to Jeremy and Jeffrey who were so nice, and then it was supposed to be time for the first panel. But... we talked too long, went in a little late and there were no chairs left. Instead of standing for an hour, we just sat outside the room, talked and waited for the next panel to begin.

We then sat in on the "Us vs. Them" panel with authors Lenore Appelhans, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Julie Kagawa, Claire Legrand and Cara Lynn Shultz. I've actually never read anything by any of these authors (I know, I know) so it was really great to hear them introduce themselves and their books. I ended up buying only two books after to get them signed - The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand and Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor. I didn't hear Kara speak, but I knew I wanted her book after scoping it out beforehand. I didn't take any pictures with the authors because, as you'll soon realize, I'm hopeless when it comes to remembering to take any pictures. I thought about buying more books, but I kept reminding myself that I was about to get more than enough at BEA.

We made it back to the lobby, and I finally got to meet Elena (Novel Sounds), Katelyn (Tales of Books and Bands) and Alexa (Alexa Loves Books)! I didn't manage to take a picture with Elena (see what I mean?), but she did take this great picture on Alexa's phone. 

Finally meeting these two lovelies! | Photo from Alexa

We got a late but delicious dinner at Chipotle, which is where I got to meet Lauren (Love Is Not a Triangle). I was starving at that point, so I'm sure we had great conversations but I was too busy stuffing myself with the best guacamole in the entire world to remember. I think we talked a little about our plans for the next day, which is when Betty and I realized we had a lot of work to do once we got back to the hotel.

Curbside selfie + cab snagging skills! | Photo from Betty

We said our goodbyes, and Alexa proved she's a real New Yorker by catching us a cab and sending us on our way. Such excellent service - if only we'd had her around every other time we needed to get a ride! Once back in our room, Betty and I got to work. We talked, laughed, stayed up SO late and got ready for the next morning. 

THURSDAY

Betty and I got ourselves out of bed, ready for the day, grabbed some breakfast and headed off in search of the mysterious BEA shuttle. Our hotel was not close to a route, despite being listed as one of the hotels that was serviced by a shuttle, and we were flustered by the time we figured out where we were supposed to go. Thankfully, the shuttle pulled up not long after we got to the right stop, and we made it to Javits after the doors opened. Honestly, that was perfect for me because I had no desire to sit in a line before the day even started.

Betty and I intended to book rock the BEA floor together, but we realized we'd have to split up not long after we got there. In fact, I barely saw Betty during the day! We had totally different books on our radars, and there was no way we could stick together and get them all. Betty was off to wait in line for a signing that started at 10, and I headed to the Adult BEA Editors' Buzz panel to hear from the authors.

There were seven adult titles being featured, two non-fiction and five fiction. I prioritized the panel because I was really interested in a number of buzz titles and wanted to hear the authors talk about their books. At first, I almost felt like I was wasting time. The panel was an hour long, and you could hear all of the activity from the floor behind you. It felt a little bit like I was missing out on all the excitement! However, as I listened to the authors, I became totally focused and found myself really looking forward to reading their books. I was able to grab a copy of Neverhome by Laird Hunt (one of the buzz books) right before the panel and then Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (another buzz book) right after it ended. 

They announced a drop for We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas at the end of the panel (also a buzz title), so I then made my way out onto the floor to grab that one. Honestly, the rest of the day was a total blur. I only wanted one book from an autographing area signing that day - Liar, Temptress, Solider, Spy by Karen Abbott - and actually got to start that line. This non-fiction title was one of my most-desired books from BEA. It's about four women who went undercover during the Civil War!

Almost every other book that I got on Thursday came from galley drops, and I ended up being really glad I'd made a general schedule beforehand. I'd gone through what books were expected to be at BEA and made a list of everything that interested me. I noted signings or drop times for books where that information had been released, but I filled in what I didn't know once I was there and was able to ask about each booth's schedule.

The only other big line I waited in on Thursday was for the Throne of Glass tote at the Bloomsbury booth. I was in line with Octavia (Read Sleep Repeat), Nikki (There Were Books Involved) and Jennifer (Live to Read Love to Read), so it was fun to pass the time chatting with them. Finally, the tote was mine! I was so proud of myself for only getting two totes at BEA, and they were (in my opinion) the best ones there.

Bloomsbury tote + Quirk Books tote

I took zero pictures from the floor, which is evidence of my compete absentmindedness. I mean, y'all, I got to meet some awesome bloggers and authors during the day! Alas, those memories live only in my mind... You'll have to check out my BEA 2014: All the Books post (coming soon) to see what other books I snagged. I know I met Jamie (Perpetual Page-Turner) and Steph and Kat (Cuddlebuggery) on the floor, but my mind is blanking on others because I DIDN'T TAKE PICURES. Fail. Either way, it was so fun to meet these ladies in person!

As we neared the end of the day, I noticed the line for The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness. I haven't read this series, but I know how much Cassie (Books With Cass) loves it. I was missing her and hated that she wasn't able to be there, so I hopped in the line, and texted her to find out if she would get a book personalized to Cass or Cassie. She answered Cassie and asked why. Knowing patience isn't her strong suit and how she hates surprises... I made her wait about five minutes before replying with this picture:

Yay book surprises!

I was so excited that I was able to get her a little something, especially since BookCon turned into such a disaster. Not long after this, it was finally time to call it a day. Betty and I grabbed our bags and went out to the shuttles. But, knowing how far the drop off was from our hotel, we talked about how we really just wanted to be taken right to our door (especially with all those books in our bags). So, we decided to get a different ride back. There were no cabs to be found, and we were desperate enough to pay a car service at that point. Despite being expensive, it was the best ride of the whole trip.

Before I left for BEA, I had asked Kelly to send me a few videos that I could surprise Betty with while we were together. She recorded one that I could play to tell Betty to hurry up and finish getting ready so we could get out the door, and the other video warned Betty not to talk to strangers or let weird men carry her bag. Needless to say, we enjoyed sending Kelly this ambiguous picture:

Thanks for getting our bags, stranger!

It was really just the driver, but Kelly had a minor freakout thinking we were letting some random creeper take our stuff. Silly Kelly! Traffic was bad, so we weren't in our hotel long before it was time to leave again. We spent forever in rush hour traffic trying to find an available cab to take us where we needed to be so that we could check "see a show on Broadway" off our BEA to do lists!

Scoping out books makes you hungry! | Photo from Betty

After finally making it over there, we ate a delicious dinner at the Playwright Tavern. We pretty much picked it because it was right by the Winter Garden Theatre, the show was starting soon and our stomachs were threatening to revolt if we didn't put food in them soon. Thankfully, our meal was great and then we walked over to the main event: ROCKY!

Ready for Rocky!

I had no idea before experiencing BEA just how much I'd want to just sit and be entertained in the evening, so I'm glad I had Betty there to steer us in this direction. She'd scoped out shows beforehand and was psyched to find Rocky on Broadway. I've seen the movie once or twice, but Betty has major levels of love for this story. Before we took our seats, we made friends with the merchandise guy and Betty (accidentally but with my encouragement) bought a Rocky hoodie and t-shirt... Don't worry, I talked her out of the keychain.

We were both worried it would be cheesy, but we had nothing to fear. The show was really amazing! The music was good, the sets were really cool, the acting was great... and the final fight scene was EPIC. Part of the audience went up on stage and the boxing ring came out into the theater so that people were surrounding it like at a real boxing match. I've never seen anything like it at a play before, and I'm so glad we saw the show for that moment alone.

We cabbed it back to the hotel but stopped at a drugstore across the street first because we needed some sugar. A crazy dude dressed like Elvis and a drunk guy talking about the Rangers led to me lecturing Betty about not being so friendly to strangers, but I really needed Kelly there to say it with Sicilian sass. We finally made it back to our room, sent Kelly videos about our escapades and proceeded to stay up until two in the morning perfecting our schedules. No regrets, even if I was a walking zombie the next day.

BEA 2014: All the Adventures, Pt. II 

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A Delicate, Dangerous Dance

A Delicate, Dangerous Dance

Jun 6, 2014

The Girls at the Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine

Release Date: June 3, 2014
Publisher: Simon & Schuster | Atria
Pages: 288 pages
Source & Format: NetGalley; e-ARC
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary (from Goodreads)

From award-winning author Genevieve Valentine, a "gorgeous and bewitching" (Scott Westerfeld) reimagining of the fairytale of the Twelve Dancing Princesses as flappers during the Roaring Twenties in Manhattan.

Jo, the firstborn, "The General" to her eleven sisters, is the only thing the Hamilton girls have in place of a mother. She is the one who taught them how to dance, the one who gives the signal each night, as they slip out of the confines of their father's townhouse to await the cabs that will take them to the speakeasy. Together they elude their distant and controlling father, until the day he decides to marry them all off. 

The girls, meanwhile, continue to dance, from Salon Renaud to the Swan and, finally, the Kingfisher, the club they come to call home. They dance until one night when they are caught in a raid, separated, and Jo is thrust face-to-face with someone from her past: a bootlegger named Tom whom she hasn't seen in almost ten years. Suddenly Jo must weigh in the balance not only the demands of her father and eleven sisters, but those she must make of herself.

Thoughts on The Girls at the Kingfisher Club

I fell in love with this cover from the moment I spotted it on NetGalley. I got the Jazz Age vibe immediately, and I can never resist a good historical fiction book set during that time period. I was also excited when I learned that it was retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses fairy tale. I haven't actually read the fairy tale before, but I am familiar with it because of a YA retelling that I read back in 2011 (Entwined by Heather Dixon).

In The Girls at the Kingfisher Club, Jo is the oldest of twelve daughters. The family is not a happy one. The father only ever wanted a son - forcing his wife to repeatedly churn out child after child in the hopes that one would finally be a boy. Alas, it was not to be, and his children are a daily reminder of his wish that never came true. His wife, the girls' mother, passed away years ago, so he's now left in a home with twelve daughters. They're all kept upstairs, out of sight, and forced to live on very little.

Because they represent his shame, he doesn't allow them to go out in public either. He never wants the world to know just how many girls he has, and they become like prisoners in their own home. But they have one small, secret freedom - almost every night they wait for word from Jo, whom they call The General, and then they pile into cabs for a night out dancing in the speakeasies of Manhattan.

It's a delicate, dangerous freedom because they know they could be discovered at any moment. But they come alive in the nighttime revelry. Their loneliness and hurt disappear for a few moments, and they are transformed into the stars of the dance floor. Only Jo holds herself aloof - responsible for their safety but also striving to bring them joy. She knows how much dancing means to them all. When she learns that her father is planning to marry them all off, it's finally time to decide if she and her sisters are willing to fight for their freedom.

I think this book's strongest element was the setting. The Jazz Age just came alive in Valentine's words, and I could completely picture the girls, the men, the secret clubs and the after hours escapades. I wasn't sure how the Twelve Dancing Princesses would translate in 1920s Manhattan, but it worked beautifully. The secret, sinister aspect of the story worked really well within the setting since keeping the law from finding out what was going on behind closed doors was so crucial in that time period.

"Wild things, these girls; wild for dancing. They could go all night without sitting, grabbing at champagne between songs, running to the throng at the table and saying something that made them all laugh, light and low together like parts of a chorus."

While I loved the girls' relationships with each other, you don't find out a whole lot about each character. With so many sisters, I can understand why it would be difficult to fully flesh out each one within the story, but I did wish that they'd been a little more developed. I cared most for the oldest girls, and I know that's because the story focused a little more on them. I didn't get any of them confused, but I wasn't completely invested in every single sister.

As for the father, my one complaint with the book was that I didn't completely understand the motivation to lock up his daughters. He wanted a son and was embarrassed by just how many daughters his wife had birthed, but I didn't expect the story to have that kind of dark and sinister tone to it. He seemed like such a villain, and there was never really a moment where I understood his actions completely.

A lot happens near the end of the book, which made it feel a tiny bit rushed right there in those final pages. However, I still really enjoyed the book and thought the ending was satisfying. The time period and setting were the most enchanting part of the book, but I also appreciated the sisters and the way they looked out for one another. I didn't completely connect to the characters - the one element that would have made me really fall in love with this book - but I found it to be an entertaining and enjoyable read.

So Quotable

"She falls in love every night for a while. Then she learns that if you're quiet, they talk, and you can find something to dislike about anyone."

*I received a copy of this book from Atria in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way for my review.

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May 2014: On My Shelves + Recap

May 2014: On My Shelves + Recap

Jun 4, 2014

via Vineyard Vines

The big event in May? BEA! I can't believe that it arrived and that it's already over. I had so much fun, and I'm already missing the amazing bloggers that I got to spend time with while I was there. I'm working on two BEA-related posts right now - a recap and a look at all the books I grabbed while I was there. Those should (hopefully) be up this week!

So, you'll have to tide yourself over with this look at what happened on my blog and what books I bought or got for review in May. I read a few books that I really loved this past month, and I was proud of myself for reading stuff that I'd bought recently. Yay for not letting them sit on my TBR for ages! I'm now ready to welcome the warm summer weather with open arms... bring on reading at the pool on the weekend!

Books Read

64. Taking Flight - Erin Brown

65. Snow in May - Kseniya Melnick

66. A Mad, Wicked Folly - Sharon Biggs Waller

67. Bittersweet - Miranda Beverley-Whittemore

68. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon

69. To All the Boys I've Loved Before - Jenny Han

70. What I Thought Was True - Huntley Fitzpatrick
71. 'Til the Well Runs Dry - Lauren Francis-Sharma
72. The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair - Joël Dicker
73. The Girls at the Kingfisher Club - Genevieve Valentine
74. Grave Mercy - Robin LaFevers

On My Shelves
not including BEA haul (coming soon!)

New Editions of Old Favorites: Emily of New Moon, Emily Climbs and Emily's Quest by L.M. Montgomery

Bought or Borrowed for Shelves: The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand  and Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor (both signed at Teen Author Carnival!), Nantucket Red by Leila Howland (thanks Cassie!), Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr and The One and Only by Emily Giffin

Bought or Free for Kindle: When Love Calls by Lorna Seilstad, If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin, Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry, It Had to be You by Susan May Warren, Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers and Just One Night by Gayle Forman

Hard Copies for Review: The Ways of the Dead by Neely Tucker (Thanks Penguin!) and Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer (Thanks Bethany House!)

E-Books for Review: Six Feet Over It by Jennifer Longo, A Triple Knot by Emma Campion and Captured by Love by Jody Hedlund, Adrenaline Crush by Laurie Boyle Crompton, The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry and The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer Smith

On My Blog

I reviewed: Taking Flight by Erin Brown, Snow in May by Kseniya Melnik, Bittersweet by Miranda Beverley-Whittemore, Carney's House Party and Winona's Pony Cart by Maud Hart Lovelace, The Thousand Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham and 'Til the Well Runs Dry by Lauren Francis-Sharma

I listed the top ten: Covers I'd Frame As Art, Books I Almost Didn't Read, YA Female Friendships and Things On My BEA List

I discussed: My Book Blogging To Do List Printable and Going to Book Expo America

I featured: So Obsessed With: Spring 2014 Edition, Series Speed Date: Daughter of Smoke and Bone Series, Consider This Classic: Rachel Recommends

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Where Ya Headed?

Where Ya Headed?

Jun 3, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Every week they post a new topic/top ten list and invite everyone to share their own answers. I'm so obsessed with lists - so it makes perfect sense that I'd love this feature!

This is one of my favorite Top Ten Tuesday topics - all about beach reads! I've had so much fun with this topic the last two years (2012 | 2013), and I decided to continue the tradition. I'm still doing themed "bags," but I mixed it up by sorting based on your destination. Whether you're staying close to home or headed somewhere nice, here's what I'd read at each place! These books are all from my TBR, so you're really getting to see what I'd pick for the different locations.

Top Ten Books In My Beach Summer Bags

When I'm at the beach, I usually want to read something light and fun. With so many people around me, I want a story that's engaging enough to hold my interest but also easily set aside if I need to take a quick swim, pause for a chat or just go for a walk. The One and Only by Emily Giffin and Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland are two I'd be most likely to pack with me on this trip!

find that loot: tote | sunglasses | hair spray | swimsuit

Oh, I love visiting the mountains in the summer. It's usually a little cooler at the higher altitude, which is such a relief since it can get so hot in Georgia. I gravitate toward towards quieter, more thoughtful reads when I take a trip like this since it's just me, my book and nature. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson and Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein seem to fit that bill! 

find that loot: shoes | blanket | tote | mug

If you're going to the lake, you're either sitting on the dock or out on a boat. If I'm on the dock, I want a read that's a combination of what I'd take to the beach and what I'd take to the mountains: maybe historical and contemporary combined, so Ember Island by Kimberley Freeman first comes to mind. And out on the boat? If I've got time to read, I want something creative and unique like Not A Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis.

find that loot: towel | water bottle | pouch | sunglasses | headband

Who says you can't have a staycation? It's so nice to escape to the front porch in the summer. You get to enjoy the gorgeous weather and hot sun while still having easy access to air conditioning. I'm not going to lie, I most love looking at magazines when I'm sitting on my porch or in the backyard and Darling Magazine is my new favorite. And if I pause to read? A moving, evocative story that I can slowly savor while my nails dry would do the trick, so I'm thinking All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr works. 

find that loot: hat | mason jar | bug spray | tote | nail polish

Okay, so you're headed to the neighborhood pool. If it's anything like mine, it will probably be really busy and have lots of kids running around. While that's so fun for them, it's not always the best for reading. I try to grab books that are fast-paced and will capture my attention so that I'm not distracted by everything going on around me. I think More Like Her by Liza Palmer and Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor would make the cut!

find that loot: snack | sunscreen | flip flops | tote

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Unearthing Old Secrets

Unearthing Old Secrets

Jun 2, 2014

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker

Release Date: May 27, 2014
Publisher: Penguin
Pages: 656 pages
Source & Format: Publisher; Paperback
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary (from Goodreads)

August 30, 1975: the day fifteen-year-old Nola Kellergan is glimpsed fleeing through the woods before she disappears; the day Somerset, New Hampshire, lost its innocence.

Thirty-three years later, Marcus Goldman, a successful young novelist, visits Somerset to see his mentor, Harry Quebert, one of America’s most respected writers, and to find a cure for his writer’s block as his publisher’s deadline looms. But Marcus’s plans are violently upended when Harry is suddenly and sensationally implicated in the cold-case murder of Nola Kellergan—whom, he admits, he had an affair with. As the national media convicts Harry, Marcus launches his own investigation, following a trail of clues through his mentor’s books, the backwoods and isolated beaches of New Hampshire, and the hidden history of Somerset’s citizens and the man they hold most dear. To save Harry, his writing career, and eventually even himself, Marcus must answer three questions, all of which are mysteriously connected: Who killed Nola Kellergan? What happened one misty morning in Somerset in the summer of 1975? And how do you write a successful and true novel?

Thoughts on The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair

While I occasionally read literary thrillers, I debated whether or not I wanted to read The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair when I was approached about reviewing it. Clocking in at over 600 pages, I wasn't sure if the summary had me intrigued enough to commit to a book that was that long.

Then, I read some of the hype it's gotten worldwide. Originally published in French, The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair has sold over 2 million copies in Europe, won three literary prizes in France and has received a ton of international praise. To be honest, I decided to give the book a shot based on the hype alone. Unfortunately, in this case, I didn't feel that the book lived up to my expectations. There were three things that kept me from truly enjoying this story:

The Case

Here's the premise: A fifteen-year-old girl, Nola Kellergan, is seen fleeing through the woods in Somerset, New Hampshire, and then mysteriously disappears. Thirty-three years later, Marcus Goldman, a young novelist who's already written one book to great acclaim, goes to visit his mentor, Harry Quebert, in Somerset. He's hoping that Harry, a celebrated author, will be able to help him overcome his writer's block. And then comes the twist Marcus doesn't see coming: Nola Kellergan is found buried in Harry's backyard. Marcus sets out to clear his mentor's name and begins a journey that will leave him questioning everything and everyone around him. In the process, Marcus realizes he has everything he needs to write his next book - telling the truth about Harry Quebert and Nola Kellergan.

The premise and case was intriguing - I really did want to know what happened to Nola! Typically, the thrillers I read are fast paced, tightly plotted and hinge on an element of mystery and surprise. Unfortunately, The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair is filled with info dumps. Within the first 100 pages alone, Marcus shares a lot of his personal history, despite it having almost no relevance on anything else that happens in the book. Unfortunately, the tendency to just dump a huge chunk of information on the reader continues throughout the rest of the book. The seemed to be no concept of "show, don't tell." There are some random moments (basically flashbacks) where you lose Marcus as the narrator, but almost the entire book is Marcus just telling you everything that has happened to him in his life, in his conversations with Harry and in his investigation.

The case itself was interesting, but it truly wasn't the focus of the book. It read more like Marcus' story. If the case had been in the spotlight, I think I would have enjoyed this book more. I wanted to find out more about Nola, that fateful day in 1975 and the secrets in Somerset and see less of Marcus in everything. Also, while it won't happen with every reader, I did guess the guilty party within the first 100 pages and was somewhat disappointed when I got to the end and realized I really had figured out the ending so early on.

I think the case was secondary to the concept in this book, which brings me to the second reason I struggled with The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair.

The Concept

The book within a book concept felt like a gimmick the entire time I was reading. Each chapter begins with a piece of writing advice that Harry gives Marcus, and it felt like a really awkward way to open each chapter. The book opens with Harry telling Marcus how important it is to use the first chapter to capture the reader's interest. This was a pattern throughout the book - advice on having a twist before the twist appears, discussing the way to close a story as the book nears the end, etc.

There are also excerpts from Harry's "bestseller" throughout the book, and I had a hard time suspending my disbelief that his book would have had any cultural impact. The excerpts were so poorly written, and I'd never pick up the book (if it was real) if I'd only read those quotes from it.

Furthermore, I found it hard to believe that Marcus would be so involved in the investigation. I can't imagine any police officer, sheriff's department, or investigator who would allow an author to be so tied to the case. Marcus was given an unbelievable amount of access to information during an

I found these elements distracting - it took away from the mystery and made Marcus' book the heart of the novel. In many ways, the book didn't read like a thriller. Parts of the book seemed too self-referential, but not in a fun or clever way. The tone made it seem too serious, too pretentious, so I was never able to connect to the concept. I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be a sort of ironic, intentional nod to the reader. Either way, it really didn't work for me.

The Characters

This book was originally written in French and was translated into English. I spent a majority of the time wondering if there was just too much lost in translation. The dialogue was incredibly stilted - it rarely reminded me of actual conversations or the way real people talk. Also, if you pulled out a passage from the book and blacked out the names, I likely couldn't tell you who was speaking because most of the characters sounded the same to me.

And the characters speaking and writing these lines? They're almost interchangeable for one another - like stock characters just filling a role. You've got the stereotypical Jewish mother who just wants her son to meet a nice girl, the local waitress wondering when a man will take her out of this town, the small-town cop who potentially jeopardized the investigation, the demanding publisher of questionable morals threatening to sue if Marcus doesn't meet his deadline... I could go on, but needless to say, these characters didn't seem like real people.

Unfortunately, The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair just didn't work for me. Personally, I wouldn't likely recommend this book. I would, however, encourage readers to do their own research on the book. Read a small sample to find out if the writing style is right for you! If you're intrigued early on, you'll likely enjoy much of what follows. I also don't read many literary thrillers, so there's a good chance I just wasn't the right reader for this book.

So Quotable

"Writing a book is like loving someone. It can be very painful."

*I received a copy of this book from Penguin in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way for my review.

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