Book Bites (Expanded Edition): Aftertaste

Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle
My rating: 1.5 of 5 stars

THIS REVIEW INCLUDES SPOILERS

Aftertaste is a novel that feels like it wants to be a short story. Konstantin, following the death of his father, discovers he can “taste” ghosts, and by cooking their meals, can temporarily bring them back. The setup is delightful. Mouth-watering food writing abounds.

Aftertaste’s problem is that the book is over-written.

K-Pop Demon Hunters Sequel

 Netflix, I'll take that pitch meeting now.

Instead of killing demons with infectious pop music, we'll simply explain the underlying causes of the Boer War or the secret genius of They Might Be Giants lyrics until the demons get bored and go away.

The Tracklist includes: "Shh, Jeopardy is On," "You know, this used to be cool," and "Why do my knees hurt?"

Book Bites (Expanded Edition): I Know How This Ends

I Know How This Ends by Holly Smale
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I Know How This Ends is a sharp, funny romp through the spacetime-continuum. Smale takes what is fast becoming a tired trope (lovelorn Margot sometimes slips through time and peeks at her own romantic future) and, through craft and narrative voice, spins a delightful tale. Margot, done with dating after a brutal breakup, is ready to swear off men when a vision of the future entices her to accept a date she otherwise wouldn't. From there, it doesn't take clairvoyance to see exactly where the narrative is going, but, as in life, it's not the destination but the journey. 

Book Bites: The Evening Shades

The Evening Shades by Lee Martin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The short, short version is that the Evening Shades is a stellar sequel undone only by its even more stellar original.

The Evening Shades is a quiet yet powerful story of dignity and picking up the pieces of a shattered life. Martin's prose is spare and beautiful; he captures the settings and people of American Midwest in a way that is absolutely true. It is a delight for the reader to walk among them. The story of unlikely love between Henry Dees and Edith Green, both outcasts, is sweet but not saccharine, simple and lovely in a way that reminds of Kent Haruf. The major knock against The Evening Shades is that it doesn't quite reach the heights or create a the same tension of its superlative predecessor, The Bright Forever. There are also some minor issues with pacing; once the plot 'happens,' it happens quickly. Anyone seeking a literary page-turner, though, will find a lot to like in The Evening Shades.

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