The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson -- 448 pages

Lights. Camera. Lies. 18-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished and young Bel was the only witness, but she has no memory of it. Rachel is gone, long presumed dead, and Bel wishes everyone would just move on.

But the case is dragged up from the past when the Price family agree to a true crime documentary. Bel can’t wait for filming to end, for life to go back to normal. And then the impossible happens. Rachel Price reappears, and life will never be normal again.

Rachel has an unbelievable story about what happened to her. Unbelievable, because Bel isn’t sure it’s real. If Rachel is lying, then where has she been all this time? And – could she be dangerous? With the cameras still rolling, Bel must uncover the truth about her mother, and find out why Rachel Price really came back from the dead . . .

Bad Man by Dathan Auerbach

 

Bad Man by Dathan Auerbach, 387 pages, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Eric disappeared when he was three years old. Ben looked away for only a second at the grocery store, but that was all it took. His brother was gone. Vanished into the sticky air of the Florida Panhandle.

Five years later, Ben is still looking for his brother. Still searching, while his stepmother sits and waits and whispers for Eric, refusing to leave the house that Ben's father can no longer afford. Now twenty and desperate for work, Ben takes a job on the night stock crew at the only place that will have him: the store that blinked Eric out of existence.

Ben can feel there's something wrong there. With the people. With his boss. With the graffitied baler that shudders and groans and beckons. But he's in the right place. He knows the store has much to show him, so he keeps searching. Except Ben misses the most important thing of all.

That he should have stopped looking.

Another read for my horror book club, I loved this book. This author seems to be very polarizing, but I've loved both of his releases and I think they have a very real type of horror/unease in them. Some stuff I had to stretch my reality a bit, but for the most part I loved the book and am excited to discuss it with my group!

Sicilian Splendors by John Keahey

Sicilian Splendors: Discovering the Secret Places That Speak to the Heart by John Keahey --304 pages

The author is a retired journalist from the U.S. who spends several months a year exploring Sicily, and this is his second book on the island. Several small towns and villages are described along with the history of the island and its relationship with mainland Italy. The main focus of the book is the people who have their own culture, but are welcoming to tourists and recent immigrants from Africa. The author provides very useful information for those planning a trip to the region. 

Same Time Next Year by Tessa Bailey

Same Time Next Year by Tessa Bailey -- 144 pages

Adored by all, Britta is an ambitious waitress working at Sluggers. The popular bar holds a special place in her heart and is a regular hangout for the Bridgeport Bandits, the local hockey club. With a half brother on the team, Britta has a strict no-dating policy for hockey boys. But she does have a soft spot for one particular player.

A beast on the ice, Sumner Mayfield is on the brink of breaking into the NHL. But time’s running out. With his work visa about to expire, Sumner’s only chance to stay in Bridgeport is to marry an American—and get a green card. Otherwise, it’s back to Canada for the defenseman.

On New Year’s Eve, the team begs Britta to marry Sumner that very night. Sum is embarrassed yet hopeful—he’s desperately in love. But Britta balks at first. Until something about Sumner’s soulful brown eyes makes her reconsider…

The Boss Project by Vi Keeland

The Boss Project by Vi Keeland -- 351 pages

The first time I met Merrick Crawford was during my job interview. Well, technically, I’d met him twenty minutes earlier when he’d barged into a fitting room a few doors down from my appointment. I yelled. He yelled. After an argument I proceeded to smash the door into the gorgeous jerk, trying to yank it shut. As you might imagine, I was freaked out when I discovered that the rude guy was my potential new boss. Yet he didn’t seem to recognize me. Or so I thought… Until we wound up bickering again during my interview and he told me to go sniff my armpit.

Okay, so maybe I hadn’t exactly been changing when he walked in on me. In my defense, I’d been stuck on a hot train for two hours and wanted to make sure I didn’t smell. I obviously didn’t expect to get the job. But somehow an invitation to a second interview arrived in my inbox. Before I left, I asked to see Merrick. I needed to know why I was even in consideration after our disastrous start.

Turned out, Merrick only wanted to hire me because I was the least competent candidate. It seemed his board was making him fill the position, against his wishes. I didn’t really want to work in a place where my boss expected me to fail. But I figured maybe I’d enjoy proving him wrong. It was a little thing I dubbed the boss project. What I wasn’t prepared for was that there would be other things I’d enjoy doing to Merrick Crawford. Getting involved with the boss wasn’t the smartest choice. But you know what they say about choices: Some we regret, some we are proud of. I just had no idea where this one was going to land.

The Stranger In the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom

 

The Stranger In the Lifeboat   271 pages

Adrift in a raft after a deadly ship explosion, ten people struggle for survival at sea. Three days pass. Short on water, food and hope, they spot a man floating in the waves. They pull him in. “Thank the Lord we found you,” a passenger says. “I am the Lord,” the man whispers. 

This was a quick read with short chapters. It kept my interest though it isn't the genre I usually read. The ending was explained well and it was satisfying. I recommend it whether you are religious or not.

Hailstones and Halibut Bones, Mary O'Neill | 59 pages

For colors dance,

And colors sing,

And colors laugh,

And colors cry - 

Turn off the light

And colors die,

And they make you feel

Every feeling there is,

From the grumpiest grump

To the fizziest fizz.

First published in 1961, this is a collection of poems inspired by colors. Each begins with the question, "What is (gray, yellow, red, etc)?" O'Neill then responds with a variety of abstract and concrete answers. We used this as a prompt at my poetry workshop to inspire patrons writing their own color poems.

The meter and rhyme patterns can be clunky, which isn't my favorite, but I enjoyed this collection overall.