Tag: Hadleybooks

Daisy Jones & The Six

February 19, 2024

Do you enjoy reading about sex, drugs, and rock & Roll, do you enjoy reading about bands in the 60’s? Well, I have a book for you!! “Daisy Jones and the Six “written by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It is a story of the struggles of an up-and-coming band in the 1960s.

Daisy Jones dreamed of becoming a singer and the Dunne brothers dreamed of creating a world-famous band. So when their manager was looking for someone to do a duet with them and he heard Daisy Jones perform he knew she had something special. When Daisy Jones and the Dunne brothers band finally joined forces they created magic and quickly shot to the top of the charts.

This story is loosely based on the creation of the Fleetwood band, an American-British band formed in 1967. And the ups and downs of their success.

I enjoyed this book very much. Taylor Jenkins Reid does a great job of depicting the lives of musicians and the challenges that they face in the industry. By creating characters that might have that rough and tough, rock and roll persona but at the same time have a down-to-earth side, Taylor was able to show what goes on behind the scenes and the dynamic that the different bandmates have with each other both professionally and personally. It was a really sweet story of what was, what is, and what it could have continued to be!

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves reading about the music industry!

Twisted Hate

October 13, 2023

Romance, Drama, and Revenge are three themes that have come to my mind after reading “Twisted Hate” ~ Ana Huang. This is not your average best friend-brother troop.

Since Jules Ambrose met her college roommate Ava Chen’s brother Josh, they seemed to be budding heads. Both believed they knew what was right for Ava. They never thought they would find themselves working for the same clinic and starting a wild affair. An affair that consisted of wild sex, lies, and sneaking around behind not just Ava’s back but around each other as well.

I got to be honest Josh has been my least favorite male character in this series so far. However, I am a sucker for the best friend brother troop. and the sweet, sweet revenge that took place in this book, it was well worth it.

I took great sympathy and liking to Jules. Her growth from wanting to deal with the past on her own, to telling the full truth to Josh. It was growth from putting her traumatic past behind her and to really diving full force into her furture.

Although this book has been my least favorite of the series so far. I still enjoyed the storyline. The way that Ana brings all the characters together at the end, reminds me of an episode of Friends. Just maybe a little bit more PG 13.

Husband Material

February 24, 2023

Love, Weddings and Commitment are three words that come to my mind after reading “Husband Material” written by Alexis Hall, a conclusion to the Boyfriend Material Series.

With several weddings to attend in short amount of time, one Luc’s best friend and another Luc’s ex boyfriend’s, it has left Luc and Oliver thinking about their future together as a couple. And that brings up whether they are both willing to commit to marriage or just being together as a couple.

If I am being honest, I enjoyed “Boyfriend Material” more than “Husband Material” I felt has if it was a bit too long for what needed to be done. There were some parts that were reparative and unnecessary, but it was still a sweet ending to a love story I have been committed to.

All Good People Here

October 20, 2022

Infuriating, determination and captivating are three words that come to mind after reading “All Good People Here” written by Ashley Flowers. Ashley Flowers has an incredible way of telling true crime stories with her popular podcasts Crime Junkie and with this fictional novel.

I have been hooked on Crime Junkie for a while now and look forward to a new episode every Monday morning and I know that I am not the only one.

Which makes me ask the question:

what makes humans so captivated with true crime? According to an article published 2021 on “The University of Law” blog it states:

“True crime gives an insight into our culture and norms as well as our anxieties and values.”(https://www.law.ac.uk/resources/blog/why-we-love-true-crime).

  I get invested in the human aspect in of these cases. What brings people to commit these crimes and how can so many of these cases go unsolved. In all these cases what part does the media play in all of this?

From the mid 90’s with the first high profile case of OJ Simpson vs. The People of California, or my first ever case that I remember “Casey Anthony vs. the State of Florida.” I remember being glued to the tv from the beginning to the end of the case. Being incredibly disappointed with the outcome. Now I’ll admit it, I had my judgement of Casey before the trial even began and I still believe that she is guilty beyond belief. However, I know now that not all cases are all clear cut and open and shut cases. There is always more to the story than what is being shown on the news. I still think about how this little 3 year old girl would be a young teenager today and there is still no justice for little Caylee and we just have to be ok with that.

The media has had the important responsible to bring the world facts but these cases. However, I believe the media has become irresponsible with these times of cases. Only highlighting one side of the story. A lot of times with cases media painting the suspect has some sort of celebrity and “throwing them in the slammer” before a fair trial is even given. Sometimes even forgetting who the real victim is by the time everything is said and done.

However, Ashley Flowers and all people at Audio Chuck Production, has a real gift of telling these stories with an unbiased mind. Laying out all the facts of the stories on both sides of the aisle. Treating both the victim and the suspects has real human beings. Without ever forgetting who the real victim is. She interviews people connected to the cases that the police have never even thought about talking to. And she tries and sometimes succeeds in getting true justice for these families that have been through hell and back!

And she does just that in “All Good People Here” where the main character Margot moves back home to help with her haling uncle. And starts investigating a case of a missing little girl a town over. Her mission is to connect it to another missing girl case from when she was a child. A girl she considered her best friend. As she sets off trying to connect this puzzle, she reconnects with people from her past and soon realizes that this little town holds more secrets than she original thought. Even secrets in her family.

This story is a powerful and insight story of a story of a missing little girl isn’t always an open and shut case.

Sources:

[Website] Schmidt-Petersen, J. (2021). Why are we so obsessed with true crime. https://www.law.ac.uk/resources/blog/why-we-love-true-crime/#:~:text=True%20crime%20gives%20an%20insight,is%20a%20common%20psychological%20trait%E2%80%9D.