Much like other immensely popular things, I choose not to believe the hype about Delia Owens debut fiction effort, Where the Crawdads Sing. This usually means I’ll never check these things out (here’s looking at you Harry Potter), or I will check them out many moons later. I realize the 2018 wasn’t all that long ago, but really got me interested in reading this bestseller was the film adaptation involvement of excellent actor, Harris Dickinson. With that being said, I was still really hesitant to read this book about a swamp hick.
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Book Review: Ragdoll by Daniel Cole
If this title of this crime thriller seems familiar, it’s probably because I wrote a review about the show a short while ago! While watching that six-part saga, I learned that it was based off a book series and knew I had to get my hands on Daniel Cole’s work ASAP. Thus, here is my review of the novel, Ragdoll.
Read moreBook Review: The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
After enjoying Grady Hendrix’s latest novel, The Final Girl Support Group, I knew I needed to check out more of his work. Luckily, my local library had another one of his novels in stock! After reading The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, Hendrix has definitely earned himself a spot on my favorite authors list.
Read moreTruth Be Told Season 2
The first season of Truth Be Told ended up pleasantly surprising me with how mysterious it was, so I was relatively excited to catch the new season. They took it in the direction of an anthology, with a new mystery that Poppy gets herself entangled with this season.
While last season saw an intense story involving the Cave family, this season focuses on a long friendship between Poppy and now worldwide influencer, Micah Keith. Poppy and Micah grew up together and helped each other survive, with each woman finding immense success as adults. Micah published a book about her time living on the streets and all other sorts of hardships that come along with that. After leaving an exhibit honoring the book an the work she now does at a facility called Shelter, the group head back to her husband’s loft to find him dead.
From there, Micah asks for Poppy’s help, and thus, Poppy has her next podcast topic! There was another guy found dead with Micah’s husband, Josh, so the question is were they lovers? Nope. Answered pretty quickly that it was his son that Micah never knew about. While I thought that would have been an interesting take, the twists and turns this season takes really took me on a journey. They find their next suspect in Micha’s assistant, but that theory is put to rest when a Shelter employee, Holt, kills him. From there, Poppy learns that Holt and Micah are lovers and that they lived together on the streets. Well, I’d agree with Poppy in that it makes Micah look pretty dang guilty.
In the end, some gang is fairly involved, too, but the reveal kind of reminded me a little of Legally Blonde. You’ll have to watch to see what I mean. I suppose when that reveal happened it made sense, and it was perfectly satisfying. What really beefed things up this season, just like last season, was the personal lives of these people. It turns out Micah’s book was made up of stories that belonged to the life of another friend, Rose. Yikes! Before all that gets revealed though, Poppy must also come forward about the abuse she suffered at the hands of Miss Shirley, who watched Poppy while her father was in prison. This eats away at her father, but it gets turned up to eleven when Poppy questions whether or not he’s her real father. She thinks she gets an answer, but at the end we find out he’s not, and burns the evidence to prove otherwise. Poor Poppy also gets served divorce papers, too!
All in all, it was another compelling story. Kate Hudson was actually pretty dang good as Micah, and as always, Octavia Spencer is magnetic in this role, just like all her others. I know this show already got picked up for another season, so I’ll be interested to see if any new characters carry over and what kind of mystery Poppy will get wrapped up in next. Great thriller if you’ve got the time!
Long Movie Weekend
You know, for getting another long weekend for the end of the year, I didn’t really out-do myself. Kind of disappointing, but I’m sure with the Sundance Film Festival hitting at the end of the month, I’ll more than make up for it.
Read moreBook Review: The Survivors by Jane Harper
The Dry was a book that changed my life, so it’s no surprise I immediately picked up Jane Harper’s latest novel, The Survivors, when I saw it on the shelf at my local library.
Read moreOnly Murders in the Building
Okay, let me preface this review by saying there will be spoilers! I think I’m pretty late to the party for this original Hulu comedy, Only Murders in the Building, so I don’t know that I’ll be spoiling it for many people, but still, you’ve been warned.
Read moreBook Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
It’s felt like it’s been a while since I wrote a book review, but I promise I’m reading! In fact, I’ve just finished the young adult novel, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. It reminded me a bit of Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver, but you’ll have to read to find out why I think that. In the meantime, here’s my high level review of the novel.
Read moreBook Review: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
I’ve been trying to get my hands on The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides at my local library since its release in 2019, and I’ve got to say, it was worth the wait!
Read moreConcert Review: Here Come the Mummies
Truthfully, seeing Here Come the Mummies again at the House of Blues near me was one of the concerts I was really looking forward to last year until COVID put life and live music on hold. Sure, their Halloween livestream was awesome, but I really wanted to be in the room with the band and feed off of their insane energy. Well, I just got that chance last night!
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