In The Tall Grass

Supremely weird and creepy - this father son duo certainly know how to scare readers in a matter of no time at all. Even though this is a novella - it really packs a punch with it's unique and chilling vibes. When a brother and sister hear a child scream for help they immediately pull their car over and look to see where it's coming from. It's coming from this sea of grass but they can't determine where in the grass the kid is. They take off into the field and within no time they terrifyingly lost in the grass. How did they lose each other and where is that kid? Sublimely creepy.

Be a Work in Progress

I grabbed this book on a whim and I am so glad I did! It's a little motivational book filled with short inspirational phrases and is filled with amazing accompanying illustrations. A few of the phrases are mash up of familiar quotes but on the whole these are fun and fresh. I can hardly believe that big beefcake Cena wrote them (I shouldn't be surprised he has kids books out as well). I like this book so much that after I return it to the library I'm going to buy my own personal copy. It's fun to flip through and perfect to have on the coffee table to use as a conversation starter or as inspiration. The illustrations are whimsical and fun and the book is very motivational. Very pleasantly surprised by this!!

The Boys in the Boat

I've read about the 1936 Berlin Olympics with Jesse Owens and Louis Zamperini but I was wholly unfamiliar with the rowing team To be frank, I didn't know a lick about rowing before reading this either. In my mind rowing was an elite sport that only rich Ivy League frat boys participated in. After reading this I learned that I was half right on that assumption but that rowing is so much more than that. Nine working class college boys spend their summers working so they can afford to go college and row. There are no such things as athletic scholarships during the depression. All of these boys have a passion and a fire - but it isn't until they come together and look past their differences that they understand all they can accomplish. Utterly inspiring. 

People We Meet on Vacation

The second I saw Emily Henry was coming out with a new book I knew I had to own it. And boy, she did not disappoint!! People We Meet on Vacation is a love letter/tribute to When Harry Met Sally (which makes me love it even a teensy bit more). It's the story of two friends, Poppy and Alex, and the summers they share. These oddballs met in college and were instantly best friends. They get each other's jokes and mannerisms; they just make sense together. Poppy is more than a little bit in love with him (a fact she will hardly admit to herself) but she's not willing to risk her friendship with Alex. She NEEDS him in her life - even if that's just as a friend. Since college they've always gone on a summer trip together - many years, that's the only time they see each other since Poppy moved to New York City and he stayed in Ohio. The story alternates between all their previous trips all the way up to the current summer. The banter between the two is electric and laugh out loud funny. You can also cut the sexual tension with a knife. This is the book of the summer!

The Firekeeper's Daughter

I can't stop thinking about this book. the raw, emotional authenticity of it is jaw dropping. It's 2003 and Daunis is torn between two worlds; her tribal heritage on her father and brother's side and her prim, wealthy and white, mother's side. Her father's family took her under their wings even though her father died when she was seven and her mother raises her. Daunis never feels Indian enough or white enough - she is in between. Bad things come in threes and after her Uncle's death and her grandmother's decline she's waiting for the other shoe to drop. When it finally does it is even worse than she expected, Daunis' life will never be the same. How can she go on? And can she get involved and maybe help her community? Or will her involvement bring scrutiny to her heritage and her elders? This book is long and there are a few trigger warnings you should look up (I don't want to spoil too much) - but it is ABSOLUTELY WORTH YOUR TIME! I love that this Indigenous author sprinkled traditions, phrases, words, and experiences throughout this book. It's authentic and eye opening - I learned so much. I vague-booked this review because I don't want to spoil anything - just READ IT!!

Joyland

First off - the narrator was fantastic - I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. Secondly - I love Stephen King and I really enjoyed that he tied a coming of age story, with crime noir, and a touch of the supernatural. It hit all the right notes. It's the mid 1970s and when Devin Jones takes a summer job at Joyland, an East Coast amusement park - he doesn't realize how much his life is about to change. He's a college student going through his first real heartbreak and a change of scenery is just the ticket. The fortune teller tries to warn him of a shadow and of two kids, but nobody believes that old fraud - especially not Devin. Devin immerses himself with the carnie lingo, new friends, and the stories about a "haunted" ride where a young woman was killed a few years prior. This is a summer he will never forget. Classic - Stephen King - a must read for all. 

Built to Fail

From start to finish this book was a wild ride. Not only did it discuss the birth of Blockbuster and its inevitable downfall - it also discussed the video rental industry as a whole. Like many the nostalgia factor is high when thinking back to the days when going to the video store was the highlight of your weekend. Alan Payne has an inside view of Blockbuster - he managed a video rental competitor for years before become a franchisee owner of multiple blockbusters. In fact - he owned the last remaining blockbusters in 2018. He chronicles the failures of the company, the big misses, and all the ways in which they could have adapted and evolved. They had an opportunity to buy Netflix in it's infancy and laughed it out of the board room, they had opportunities to merge with Redbox and get in on the action but didn't act until it was years too late, they ended late fees which was horrible for keeping their stock on the shelves. So many horrible decisions sealed their fate. Utterly fascinating.