Book Review: Daisy Jones and the Six

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

If you have not heard of Daisy Jones and the Six, get ready because this book/band is about to be everywhere! For all of you who loved Almost Famous and Behind the Music, this is a book that you are going to devour.

Daisy Jones and the Six is a fictional rock documentary transcript (in novel form) about a famous 70s socialite singer who joins up with an on-the-rise rock band (The Six) and whose joint venture implodes just as it begins.

While there are things I didn't love about the novel (such as the chemistry between several of the characters), I could not stop reading this book once I started. It really does read just as if you are reading the transcript of a documentary like Behind the Music. I am still trying to figure out how the author was able to write in a way that seems just like an extended interview involving all the band members and those who interacted with them during their heyday.

Daisy Jones is a hot mess. It is clear she is hot - beautiful and talent wise. But, she is also a clear stereotype of the 70s drug and alcohol abuse in the rock/club scene. But, even while she is high as a kite, she manages to hold her own in the record studio and on stage. However, she does not know a thing about how to hold her own in relationships.

The Six is a mix of men and one woman who you get to know just as well. Some characters shine and others fizzle. But, you leave the book feeling like you got to know the inner gossip within a real rock band. And, then you remember, it is fiction.

All in all, it was a super fun read. I highly expect to see this one end up in people's spring break bags and summer beach bags for good reason. You know - sex, drugs, and rock and roll. It is an escape into music, pop culture, and romantic relationships - all in a format that works extremely well for beach reading.

Plus, Random House has a Daisy Jones and the Six Spotify playlist that was so fun to listen to as I read. I highly recommend this free playlist as you read along.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy! Daisy and the Six was released today. Go ahead and pick it up or add it to your library hold list. This is one you're going to want to read.

Book Review: The Secrets of Paper and Ink

The Secrets of Paper and Ink by Lindsay Harrel

Recently, I read the novel The Secrets of Paper and Ink by Lindsay Harrel. While it is not a book I would recommend to everyone, it is a book that stands well on its own.

This novel follows a woman named Sophia dealing with the feelings of relief and guilt she has after her fiance passes away. As a counselor herself, she beats herself up for falling for a man who manipulated her and abused her. Then, she struggles with all the feelings that are brought to the surface upon his death. So many feelings that she has to put her counseling career on pause. During her required vacation, she heads to England where she lives above a bookshop and works there in exchange for rent.

While there, she befriends the owner, a woman named Ginny who has also been hurt by the man she loves. The two women bond over their different, yet similar heartbreaks. Additionally, Sophia becomes enthralled with an old journal she finds.

The journal is what really makes this novel stand out. You get a story within a story - and you get to move across vastly different time periods. This is the kind of stuff I love. While the twist involving the journal was obvious from the very beginning, it was still a nice way to weave the stories together.

Here's my only negative. This is a work of Christian fiction. As a Christian, I grow tired of reading fiction that has to so explicitly spell out a salvation (finding Jesus) message. While I understand the point is to try to share this message with others who may not be Christians, I don't think that is the book's audience. So, it seems overdone to me.

Overall, it was a pleasant read. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy to read and review! This book is currently on sale.