This week's basics. #6: Hot take

Recent reads, a summery treat, a new pizza joint, bball and Dark Matter.

Hey, friends! Welcome to this week’s basics. This week I’m coming in with what may perhaps be a HOT TAKE on an upcoming book. Don’t worry I’m not here to yuck on something you may enjoy. I share with the hopes that I can open the door to further discourse and help adjust some expectations. I hope you enjoy! Don’t forget to check out my June Prediction and May Recap podcast episodes that dropped this week as well.

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Recent Reads

I listened to I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue (gifted by Harper Audio). This is a debut, recommended by a trusted source, so I went in fairly blind. To be honest the little bit of the synopsis I read lead me to believe that this would be a fun lighthearted read. I should have known that this would be more than meets the eye as my trusted sources know I don’t typically fair well with lighthearted reads.

This story really snuck its way into my heart and reminds readers that you truly never know what other people are going through. Jolene and her office mates are more than meet the eye. If you’re a reader than enjoys a story with all the feels and perhaps enjoys watching reruns of the Office or read and enjoyed Anxious People by Frederick Backman, then perhaps give this debut a chance.

As far as Jolene is concerned, her interactions with her colleagues should start and end with her official duties as an admin for Supershops, Inc. Unfortunately, her irritating, incompetent coworkers don't seem to understand the importance of boundaries. Her secret to survival? She vents her grievances in petty email postscripts, then changes the text color to white so no one can see. That is until one of her secret messages is exposed. Her punishment: sensitivity training (led by the suspiciously friendly HR guy, Cliff) and rigorous email restrictions.

When an IT mix-up grants her access to her entire department's private emails and DMs, Jolene knows she should report it, but who could resist reading what their coworkers are really saying? And when she discovers layoffs are coming, she realizes this might just be the key to saving her job. The plan is simple: gain her boss's favor, convince HR she's Supershops material, and beat out the competition.

But as Jolene is drawn further into her coworkers' private worlds and realizes they are each keeping secrets, her carefully constructed walls begin to crumble--especially around Cliff, who she definitely cannot have feelings for. Eventually she will need to decide if she's ready to leave the comfort of her cubicle, even if that means coming clean to her colleagues.

Crackling with laugh-out-loud dialogue and relatable observations, I Hope This Finds You Well is a fresh and surprisingly tender comedy about loneliness and love beyond our computer screens. This sparkling debut novel will open your heart to the everyday eccentricities of work culture and the undeniable human connection that comes along with it.

I also read and listened to God of the Woods by Liz Moore (July 2), thanks to PRH audio and Riverhead Books.

I’ll start off by saying that I’m currently in the minority with early reviews. Goodreads currently has 380 ratings with an average star rating of 4.42 stars. I’m not in the five star camp but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t recommend it to the right reader. I’m still processing my thoughts on it and haven’t firmly landed on a star rating. I think that’s for a few reasons but most importantly let’s talk briefly about what didn’t work for me.

The novel is 500 pages and while I enjoyed the narration (Saskia Maarleveld), I found myself very happy to have my kindle to follow along with. There are multiple timelines and quite the cast of characters so it takes time to get a handle on everything.

While I enjoyed the storytelling and setting, I did find myself needing more plot momentum. This 500 page story felt long indeed. This is where I want the reader to understand that this is NOT a thriller. I would classify this as a literary suspense. I don’t mind a literary suspense and slow burn if the payoff is worth it. In this case, I found it to fall short.

Looking back at her last novel, Long Bright River, I think I had a deeper emotional connection to the story. I just didn’t quite have the investment in these characters this go around.

As reviews continue to trickle in for this July release, I’ll be curious to see where readers land. I would love to discuss it with you, when and if you decide to pick it up.

When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide.

Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn't just any thirteen-year-old: she's the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region's residents. And this isn't the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara's older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.

As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore's multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore's most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.

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Things I Tried

On a whim, I grabbed a bag of the Twizzlers (Pink Lemonade) Filled Twists on my last Target run. What’s a Target run without at least five items in your basket that you never intended on purchasing?!

I love the filled SweeTart ropes and figured I’d give these a whirl. They’re soft and sweet and addicting! I won’t hesitate adding these to my basket in the future.

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What I Watched

Exciting times for the Dallas Mavericks and we haven’t missed a game! It’s all the more exciting when it’s a local team. Go Sports!

My husband and I are also watching Dark Matter, which was adapted from one of our favorite books by Blake Crouch. It’s been a few years since we read it and I remember it being mind-boggling but it has still been a tad confusing watching it. Maybe if it had been a more recent read we would have settled into the story a little quicker. It’s not blowing our socks off quite yet but we haven’t thrown in the towel. Episodes drop weekly too, otherwise I think we would have already finished.

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What I Ate

Hideaway Pizza recently opened up a location near us so we had to give it a try. The restaurant originates from Oklahoma so OU fans were raving about it. The menu consists of pizzas, pastas, grinders, salads - all the usual fare you find at a pizza joint.

My absolute favorite is their Margarita pizza. It has an olive oil and garlic glaze, mozzarella, roma tomatoes, parmesan herb shake and fresh basil. The pizzas are cooked to the perfect temperature. I hate an undercooked pizza. Blah.

I’m drooling just thinking and writing about it. Be sure to stop in if you’re in Oklahoma, Arkansas or Texas.

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Life Lately

This bathroom renovation project is going to be the death of me. Never again! Way too many decisions to be made by two adults who are have decision paralysis. They haven’t even started demo yet. We have one week until we leave for the lake and I’m in panic mode. SOS!

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Thanks for taking the time to catch up on the basics. Let me know if you share any similar recent reads, finds or anything else you’ve enjoyed lately.

Until next time.

xoxo Basic B

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