Tag Archives: #bookreviews

Notes on an Execution By Danya Kukafka

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Since 👻 Halloween 🎃 is right around the corner, I figured sharing this book would be *chef’s kiss* for the Halloween theme. Usually, I’m not one to read thriller novels, but this one was fantastic! 

Genre: Thriller 🙂 

Breakdown: Readers will find themselves at the story’s apex and work their way backward. The novel lays out out life of Ansel Packar, a serial killer on death row, told by him and the women who have surrounded his past and present. The storyline begins with the countdown starting at the twelfth hour, where Ansel walks us through the narrative of his thoughts and what it’s like to be on death row. Other characters include his family, work colleagues, and a detective with a connected past to Ansel, which we find out later in the story. 

Read it if: You’d like to keep your lights on at night.

Is it funny: Nope.

The cover: Purple, with an easter egg, quite beautiful.

Do I recommend it: Absolutely, the author made this book such an easy read, so many people I recommend it to tell me that they could not put it down! 

Every turn of the page makes you wonder where this story is leading up to next; it was so good.

What I loved most about this book is that Danya did not throw around fancy words that remove you from the momentum of the story; it was very conversational and intentional, which really held me in. Absolutely a great read; great job Danya!

Rating: 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Sum of Small Things: A Theory of the Aspirational Class by Elizabeth Currid-Halkett

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From breastfeeding etiquette to shopping at Whole Foods, Elizabeth Currid-Halkett writes about the inconspicuous and conspicuous differences in classes one can recognize by observing simple everyday activities.

Genre: Self-help

A colleague of mine amassed a substantial amount of wealth, making it effortless to retire before forty. It got me thinking of what their new life will look like. I’ve always heard how the wealthy take their vacations, shop, and eat, but this time, I wanted to find a book that could tell me more about the differences and similarities between classes in general. This book was a really great start in funding my curiosity. If you rather listen to it, you should try scribd.com

Read it if: You’re up for an entertaining and easy read, filled with neat factoids about classes, happening in real-time.

What’s it about: You’ll learn about the class systems of today and why we do the things we do when it comes to money, class, and status. Elizabeth discusses the aspirational class’s upward mobility to achieve and succeed in everyday social and work life. She does a great job at bringing back historical theorists that discuss the ideas of class and the need to impress or suppress the concept of wealth depending on several geographical, racial, and cultural perspectives.

Is it funny: No, but I find that a non-issue!

The cover: Satisfying to look at, true to the book.

Do I recommend it: I do. I did not expect this book to indulge me the way it did. It was cleverly written and allowed me to see certain examples she used in the book in real-time (cough cough, Whole Foods). Thanks, Elizabeth!

Rating: 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Caviar Dreams Tuna Fish Budget By Margaret Josephs

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Bravo’s Real Housewives of New Jersey, Margaret Josephs, opens up in her tell-all book about business and life.

Find the hard cover or check out the audio version.

Besides being a TV Reality Star, Margaret Josephs is the founder of the Macbeth Collection, Candie Couture, and more.

Genre: Biography

Read it if: You have simple curiosity lurking.

Breakdown: “The Marge,” as she calls herself, describes the less than idealistic mother-daughter relationship she survived and confesses how this role reversal affected her romantic relationships. Margaret also reveals the family-in-business dynamic she’s created.

Check out Margaret’s biography via Bravo here.

Is it funny: It’s not, sadly no. Some of the one-liners were not even close to comical but rather a bit uncomfortable to listen to; I don’t think Margaret needed to say some of them; they sounded forced and used more for added shock-value.

The cover: Fascinating color scheme. Great choices, Margaret!

Do I recommend it: No. This book is an easy read for the beach; if you’re curious about the housewives of New Jersey and want to know a little more about what’s said on the show that the cameras don’t show. I don’t deduce this will alter your perspective of life. While Margaret does give life advice, I didn’t gain valuable insight, personally. The meat of the story (in my opinion) was the infidelity she committed (twice; one which led to her second marriage) and the sexual harassment she faced from previous business partners. Other than that, there was little depth. I was able to relate to the strained relationship she had earlier on in life with her mother, and that was a very vulnerable moment that I did appreciate.

I will note that I enjoyed Margaret’s positive energy she described throughout the hardships she endured. She sounds like a girls girl who would be great to go on vacation with or brunch. Hope this helped you choose your next read. 

Rating: 1 Star⭐️