We may have been given complimentary copies and/or access for review purposes to any books, products, and/or any other visual or audio media mentioned below. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.
Books: For the Record & Crimes That Inspired Agatha Christie
Me- For the Record by Emma Lord is a second-chance romance between a former pop star and a former pop rocker whose on-stage rivalry dominated the headlines, though their offstage chemistry only caused them pain.
Unfortunately, this book fell completely flat for me. The main characters, Mackenzie and Sam, were bland and underdeveloped. Each of them was dealing with personal issues that should have been compelling. However, these storylines had so little depth that I just didn't feel invested in them. As for the side characters, they had so little personality and made such little impact that I didn't care about them at all.
The romance began instantaneously– there was no buildup, tension, or progression. From the first chapter, Mackenzie and Sam were already obsessively lusting after each other. Obviously, they had spent a lot of time together in the past, so it made sense that there was already some level of attraction and pent-up feelings. That said, first of all, they hadn't seen each other in two years, so I found it unrealistic that they just picked up exactly where they left off. Additionally, as readers, we didn't see any of their past together, so it felt disconcerting to read such intense inner monologues about their feelings right off the bat. As time went on, the two of them shared a few sweet moments, but for the most part, I didn't enjoy this couple together, largely because their interactions felt so unnatural.
This brings me to my biggest issue with this book: the writing. Although I hesitate to use the word "cringey" because cringe is both extremely subjective and, in my opinion, often used to condemn people for being themselves. However, in this case, it's simply the most appropriate word. The dialogue in particular felt strange and unnatural, and the characters' inner thoughts sounded as if they were coming from teenagers rather than adults in their late 20s or early 30s. From the cheesy wordplay relating to the characters' last names of Waters and Blaze to Sam's frequent use of the nickname "Sparkles" for Mackenzie, I found it difficult to take any part of this book seriously.
I've loved some of Emma Lord's young adult romances in the past, but this is her second adult romance, and both let me down. I may have to accept that her writing style for adult romance simply doesn't work for me. While I'm sure this book would be a cute and entertaining time for some people, I personally didn't enjoy it at all
Mom - Today, I recommend Crimes That Inspired Agatha Christie by Jonathan Oates and Anna-Lena Berg. Although Agatha Christie never admitted to incorporating details from real-life crimes into her novels, cross-referencing notorious crimes of her day with the plots of her written work indicates that she often drew inspiration from them. However, to do this on one's own would be quite time-consuming because the prolific author wrote 66 novels alone, not to mention her short story collections and plays.
Luckily, the authors of this engrossing book have done the work for you. This comprehensive book not only provides detailed information regarding true crimes of her day that relate to Christie's writing, but also examines exactly which of her novels, stories, or plays they relate to and specifically how. A bibliography of sources is also conveniently located after each crime discussed, rather than at the end of the book, making it easy to look into the matter further if you are interested.
In addition to incorporating elements of true crimes into her writing, Christie often had her characters mention some of the real crimes and/or criminals of her day. This book also thoroughly details these mentions. Whether you are a true crime fan, an Agatha Christie fan, or both, you will want to read this extremely fascinating book
Movie: Janis Ian: Breaking Silence
Janis Ian: Breaking Silence is a captivating documentary that chronicles the life and career of singer Janis Ian. Her inspiring journey has included bursting onto the scene as a young teenager and tackling taboo (at least at the time) subjects like interracial relationships in her songs. She is also known for her activism, and although she was not one of the earliest artists to come out as bisexual, she did so in 1993 and, since then, has been a very active advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
Much of Ian's story is told through her own words or the words of her friends, family and/or colleagues. It's definitely an inspiration not only to aspiring singers but to anyone trying to find the courage to stand up for what they believe in.
And that's our view. For the Record was published in August. Crimes That Inspired Agatha Christie was published on November 30. Janis Ian: Breaking Silence is available on DVD for purchase or rental digitally.
Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.
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