Blue Book Reviews

Lara Love Hardin recounts her slide from soccer mom to opioid addict to jailhouse shot caller and her unlikely comeback as a highly successful ghostwriter in this harrowing, hilarious, no-holds-barred memoir.

In this book, Hardin recounts her descent from respected soccer mom to opioid addict, committing crimes to feed her habit. She discusses frankly how her addiction not only impacted her life, but the lives of her children. It is easy to judge Hardin for thinking her addiction was hidden from her family. Her addiction leaves her blind to the risk to her family as she commits crime after crime to feed her growing habit.

Eventually, Hardin is caught, and she goes to jail. It is in jail that this story becomes interesting, a story of strength and resilience. She shows strength in beating her addiction for herself and her children and resilience in jumping through all the loopholes put in place by an unsympathetic system once she is on probation.

In reading her story, one may think that if Hardin can succeed after jail time, any one can and those that don’t succeed are either lazy or born criminals. Hardin herself address that, making it clear that although she struggled, she had it easier than most. She is a well-educated with a talent for writing and a support system that helped her succeed. This in no way diminishes her many accomplishments. If only the other women she encountered in jail had a similar support system, perhaps more of them would succeed out in society like Hardin.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book is scheduled to be published on August 1, 2023.

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Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kyoko is a young woman driven by the desire to avenge the death of her mother by killing the man she blames for driving her mother to her death. Daniel is her clueless quarry, a once celebrated violinist who nowadays is only invited to play music for the terminally ill. However, Kyoko’s plan goes awry from the beginning and what follows is a black comedy the confronts whiteness, Asian femininity, and anti-Asian racism.

This is not a “happy” book. The three main characters are dealing with heavy issues, from chronic illness to depression to immense anger and grief. At first, it is hard to feel sympathetic towards a couple of the characters. While you eventually see the redemption of one character, it is hard to read another character destroy one life after another with little care other than his own selfish needs.

What this book is is beautifully written. The writing kept me reading even when I wasn’t so sure I wanted to continue on with these characters. It is character driven, so don’t expect a lot of action like a thriller. The ending felt a bit rushed and I wish it had been drawn out a bit more. That being said, Katherine Min was an excellent writer and I appreciate her daughter fighting to get this novel published posthumously.

I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to read a piece of fiction that has a different plot and tackles issues that aren’t normally seen in your more popular books.

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the opportunity to read the ARC of this book. The book will be published on January 30, 2024.

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Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

When a spy is stranded on a dead planet with her mortal enemy, she must figure out how to survive before she can uncover the conspiracy that landed them both there in the first place.

When I saw this book called a “space opera”, I must say I was doubtful that I would enjoy it. I imagined a huge book that overwhelmed me with the large number of characters and several competing plot lines. I am so happy that I took the chance on this book, because I was so wrong.

This book has a focused plot, smooth pacing, and great character development. I enjoyed that, although there was a slight romance between the two main characters, the romance did not change the essence of their characters. The plot touches on the unintended consequences of technological advancements, consequences that impact not only the environment, but humanity itself. I did not see the plot twists coming and the ending was satisfying, but left the door open for a second book.

This book is the first in an expected duet. I highly recommend this book to anyone willing to try out a sci fi book. Thanks to Net Galley and Orbit Books for providing a review copy to me in exchange for my honest review.

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Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The year is 2025, and a mysterious virus has broken out in Scotland – a lethal illness that seems to affect only men. When Dr. Amanda MacLean reports this phenomenon, she is dismissed as hysterical. By the time her warning is heeded, it is too late. The virus becomes a global pandemic – and a political one. The victims are all men. The world becomes alien – a women’s world.

I read this book just after going through the pandemic, so premise that seemed a bit far-fetched a couple of years ago seems so much more plausible now.

The plot deals with a virus that is 90% fatal to men and what would become of the world if most men died. Could humanity continue with women filling in roles previously occupied by men? I will say that I had expected an ending where the surviving men “saved the day” and was pleasantly surprised that it was a much different ending.

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Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐