The Pink Hotel

by Liska Jacobs

I’m one of those readers who doesn’t search for info about a book prior to starting – and, gasp, generally select books based only on title and cover. That’s what happened with The Pink Hotel when I requested it from Netgalley.  It’s a pretty cover and listed as general fiction. Of course, given my age and memory, I immediately went to Goodreads to add the audio book and braced myself for the worst. At the time I added the book, Goodreads had it rated 3.22 with over 200 ratings as an ARC. Yikes. That’s when I started rethinking my criteria for book selection.

I was pleasantly surprised to realize the earlier reviewers saw the book in a completely different way than I did as a nearing 60’s reader who grew up reading the classics. The Pink Hotel is deeper than you think and deserves a read.

It’s basically a modern day version of The Great Gatsby – a book I loved in high school (and since) based on the deep discussion it evokes. There are rich and poor (always have been), but the obscene wealth and privilege in America 2022 is disgusting. Liska Jacobs wrote a novel where the rich dance and drink and wear designer clothes as the world burns both figuratively and literally. The guests/aka rich refugees are enjoying the life of the wealthy as the hills around the hotel suffer wildfires. The privilege and expectations that they be entertained by the workers who serve them, including fights arranged for their pleasure, while elsewhere the poor are looting, is a shocking view of a lot currently happening in 2022. I can see why some readers didn’t enjoy this book – it’s hard to acknowledge current circumstances. 

Newlyweds Keith and Kit Collins honeymoon well above their means in the opulent Pink Hotel near Beverly Hills. Kit believes this to be an actual honeymoon, but readers learn early that husband Keith is actually there for a job interview, hoping to elevate his status from average to elite by surrounding himself among the rich. It’s clear from the start that Keith is desperate to be accepted by the elite and Kit was selected (at least partly) based on her beauty, a thing other men want.

There is far too much to unpack in a book review, but I can easily say that The Pink Hotel is a thinker. I enjoyed it and truly fear for the current generation. As dogs of the rich are dressed in designer clothing, while schools and libraries fight for funding, we all need to think about choices.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen in advance of the July 19, 2022 release.

Elsewhere

by Alexis Schaitkin

Elsewhere is a thinker. A book you listen to and must digest, and, to be honest, recover from for a day or two. I requested this one based only on the cover, and author Alexis Schaitkin’s debut novel, Saint X, which I loved. Going in cold is the best way to experience this novel.

It is deep. I connected emotionally with the main character Vera as a woman and a mother. I honestly do not want to share anything which may be a spoiler, so I’ll only give you what the publisher shared on Goodreads: “Vera grows up in a small town, removed and isolated, pressed up against the mountains, cloud-covered and damp year-round. This town, fiercely protective, brutal and unforgiving in its adherence to tradition, faces a singular affliction: some mothers vanish, disappearing into the clouds. It is the exquisite pain and intrinsic beauty of their lives; it sets them apart from people elsewhere and gives them meaning.”

The narrator, Ell Potter, was the perfect choice. She has a deep, evocative voice which brought the story to life. She, like the writing, was hypnotic and I was inside the story and could not stop listening.

As a reader I always feel somewhat guilty when I plow through a book in a day. How long did that author sweat to bring this to life, and, poof, in eight hours I’m now waiting for her to write a third book? But, I guess that is also a huge compliment to the author. Read Elsewhere. Read Schaitkin’s Saint X (completely different genre). Join me in waiting for her to pen the next novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen in advance of the June 28, 2022 release.

Just Like Mother

By Anne Heltzel

Full disclosure: I chose this book knowing absolutely nothing about it, but based solely on the cool, creepy cover. It was different. It caught my eye. 

The publisher describes it as “modern gothic” prompting me to find the definition of that phrase. From the internet, I learned it is atmospheric, with mystery and fear, suspense, emotional distress and more. I can agree “Just Like Mother” fits that criteria.

I am a long time fan of writers Ira Levin, Shirley Jackson, Bentley Little, John Saul…..I was raised in the horror genre, so I believe I fit the audience for this novel. 

Listening on audio, I thought narrator Elizabeth Evans did an excellent job voicing the many and varied characters. I began the book late one night in bed and I can say Chapter 1 scared me. The pacing was on point, and while I normally tend to speed up the narration, I listened to this one as delivered.

Without giving away too much, this book details the life of former cult members, cousins who reconnect after decades providing them both with the first real family they’ve known. Much of the book takes place in a remote Catskills estate, a very creepy location well suited to the gothic storytelling intent.

It’s a solid 4 from the point that it kept my interest.  I appreciated the plot and I enjoy horror. If horror and a disturbing story are not your thing, you will not enjoy this read. This book felt like a mixture of Stepford Wives/Rosemary’s Baby with a modern feminist vibe. As an Ira Levin devotee (he wrote both of those books), I did guess the outcome of this one early on. If horror is your thing, give it a go.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for allowing me to listen in advance of the May 17, 2022 release.

The Homewreckers

by Mary Kay Adams

Mary Kay Andrews is a well established author of 26 books and knows her stuff. As an MKA fan, I was psyched to get the newest book, The Homewreckers, on audio as an arc.

As most of her books are, this one will be on everyone’s beach read list. Unlike many of her previous works, however, The Homewreckers is a mixture of genres including mystery, romance, and chick lit combined with the addictive home improvement shows available 24/7 on cable and streaming. The main character, Hattie, a very young widow with skills and a dream, unwillingly ends up as part of a new home improvement tv show which is the bulk of the story, but then throw in a murder mystery to keep things interesting.

As an audio book fan, I enjoyed the narrator Kathleen McInerney and appreciated her ability to voice southern characters without an overwhelming accent.

The only tiny flaw in this book (and many may not consider this a flaw) – the audio book was 14 hours long. Not a normal length for something I’d classify as beach read or romance. I think it could have been just a tad shorter and still have been as good.

Thank you Macmillan Audio, Netgalley and Mary Kay Adams for allowing me to listen to this one in advance of it’s May 3rd release.