"Some People Believe That Freedom Is Every Person's Right, But I Have Had To Fight For Mine. And It's Been a Long And Difficult Battle"

I admit to being an incredibly impulsive buyer of books. I still love going to bookstores. I do buy some books online, since some of the ones on my list are a bit difficult to find, but there's something about strolling around the tables and bookcases of books and being able to look at the covers, read the back and/or jacket, and flip through the actual book that I don't think is easily replaced by just looking at something online. Plus I'm impatient. I want to walk out of a store with a book in hand and getting it going as soon as I get home.

So I think it's physically impossible for me to leave a store with less than 3 books. So I've done some impulse buying and have a big ol' stack to get through. And most of them are not ones from my lists. So I took a quick break from the lists to read Sleep Tight by Rachel Abbott.

The book was actually on a list I pinned on Pinterest of 2014 must read books. And I literally read it in a week. I'm such a sucker for whodoneit books, especially when they're from the perspective of the detectives/investigators (I swear I have reconsidered career paths to change to be a detective. But that doesn't work without the whole actually becoming a police officer, which is definitely not for me). The book is about the disappearance of Olivia Brookes and her 3 children. There is an initial chapter about an incident 2 years prior to her disappearance where her husband, Robert, disappeared with the children only to be found at their normal family vacation spot, with Robert telling the police that he had told her where he was going and claiming that she forgot. So right off the bat, there is clearly something not going well with their marriage, but initially it's hard to tell who is the troubled one, the husband or wife. So 2 years later, now it's Robert who is the one dealing with his spouse's and his children's disappearance.

The book was a fine, quick read. It felt very similar to Gone Girl, with different chapters/sections of the book being written from the perspective of the husband and the wife, but in this case, additional chapters from the police and even the wife's friend. And even the storyline of the disappearing wife, suspected husband, and layers of marital discord weaved in was sooo very similar; I actually had to go back to my Pinterest list to see if it was a list of "If You Like Gone Girl, You Like These Books". It also reminded me of books I've read by Tana French, but with less psychological depth to the characters. Overall, a satisfying summer mystery book. I would consider going back to Rachel Abbott if I was looking for another similar whodoneit.

Next up in Ironweed by William Kennedy. I have absolutely no idea what this book is about other than the 4 sentence summary on the back of the book. I'd like to say that because it's a short-ish looking book that I'll be able to get through it quickly, but Lord knows that I've been deceived a lot, especially recently (I'm looking at you Gertrude Stein). But I'm looking forward to continued lazy weekend afternoons, lounging in the summer sun, absorbed in some good reads. It's been pretty damn perfect for it so far!