The Beautiful Strangers

A Review of The Beautiful Strangers by Camille Di Maio 

Historical fiction that includes a beautiful setting, a ghost, and Marilyn Monroe? Yes, please!

The Beautiful Strangers is an easy-breezy read that is just what I needed while being bogged down by a bunch of nonfiction. This fictional take on Hotel del Coronado during the filming of Some Like It Hot is a nice escape read.

I followed a young woman breaking free from the family mold to try something for herself - also on her grandfather's orders. He wants her to find "the beautiful stranger" at this historic hotel. She lands a job at the hotel, impresses the right person quickly, and winds up being a waitress for the stars of the film.

However, along with the pop culturish setting and characters, you also meet the ghost of the hotel and hear her story as it is interwoven between the chapters. There is a reason that she is intertwined with our main character - and while you may guess it early on, it does not take away from the reading experience.

Add in some romance and you have a nice little read for spring break of summer vacation. Guess what else? This book is currently FREE on Kindle Unlimited or just $4.99 for regular Kindle subscribers.

Thanks to the author and Netgalley for providing me with this copy to read and review.

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.