The Lying Game by Ruth Ware is the story of friends who've agreed to keep secrets (and tell lies) throughout their friendship reuniting once more. You see, as friends at a boarding school, these four girls engaged in a literal Lying Game. There were rules, and the basic premise was the more well-told lies, the better. When a friend calls on her old friends, they reunite to figure out what's happened. This means that they remember old times, and as you can imagine, some of the lies that they told along the way. In addition to the lies, someone seems to be out to get the girls. They suspect this might be someone from those old lies, and they are concerned about their safety. This was a book that had some good thrills, but ultimately I struggled. As might imagine, a group of girls who have built a friendship on lies and the deceit of others have some ish they're navigating. For me, the twists just weren't twisty enough (if that makes sense) because of the premise it was all built upon. Y'all, I wanted to be captivated by this, and the premise made me think I would, but it just didn't fully meet my expectations.
Read this book if - You are all about the lies and the deceit. You want to see the past coming back to haunt those in the present.
The Glittering Hour by Iona Grey was a book I had the chance to review and share for a blog tour. Check out my stop here!
Read this book if - You want a book that explores the choices we make. You want a book that delves into love on many levels.
The God Game by Danny Tobey was a dark and twisted look via a virtual world that becomes reality. Charlie and his technology loving friends (The Vindicators) find their way to the G.O.D. Game. It appears to involve an AI-based character named God. Things seem innocent and fun enough, as they opt in, but things quickly go in a very different direction. The game knows the Vindicators darkest secrets and deepest desires. In the name of the game and in exchange for real life outcomes, the games puts challenges in front of players with high risk and a potential high reward. This book is full of all the ethical dilemmas as each character has to decide how they're going to play the game. What is worth doing if there's a personal reward? Is it worth hurting someone else for the gain of you, especially if they never know? Y'all this had the best and darkest dystopian and Black Mirror-esque vibes. There was so much happening as each character made choices in the game that had some real outcomes. I was captivated by this one throughout. This is a book that raises real questions about how we engage with technology, what we're willing to do to get ahead, as well as how we're willing to ignore consequences. This kept me reading late into the night (and during the day) as I had to what was going to happen in the game next. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the early look at this January 2020 release. This is one that you're going to want to say yes to, so you can go through all the twisty thrills in this game. Also, selfishly I need people to read it because I want to talk about all the drama and all that went down.
Read this book if - You want something that looks at the dark side of technology. You want a thriller built on ethical dilemmas, on ethical dilemmas, on ethical dilemmas.
F*ck No!: How to Stop Saying Yes When You Can't, You Shouldn't, or You Just Don't Want To by Sarah Knight is the fifth installment of the author's No F*cks Given guide series. I will say that her books are best read together as a collection. This is my fourth in the series (as I haven't yet read the fourth book), and it's definitely most effective when you have an understanding of her approach and angle. This book hones in on the practice of saying no. It's something that's covered in previous installments, so this is really a deep dive into that specific concept. The book walks through different scenarios where a no might be needed, as well as different ways to deliver that no. I took a few good nuggets of this one given I can definitely struggle with giving a no, and these can couple well with reflections the author has offered in her previous books. Again, before you read this, I would recommend reading at least the first two of her books to get a good foundational understanding of what she's advocating for in your life. Oh, and this is a short read, so if you need a quick injection of how to put less yes and more balance in your life, this may be the read for you. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this end of December 2019 release.
Read this book if - You're looking to put more no into your life. You like your self-help with lots of swearing and sarcasm.
Until next time!
