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Welcome to Brandy’s Bookshelf! Wondering what to read? Need a book recommendation from our favorite lady in the know? That’s right, Brandy’s Bookshelf will keep you up to date with good reads and book suggestions that can expand your personal library or lead you on a new literary adventure!
From Here to the Great Unknown
by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough
I was only three years old when Elvis died, so I never understood the impact of his death on our society. On a whim, I grabbed this audiobook which is narrated by Riley Keough, Lisa Marie’s daughter, and Julia Roberts. To say this is a great audiobook is an understatement. You are also treated to clips of interviews with Lisa Marie Presley, which are haunting.
I was truly moved by this story of loss and heartache. Riley did a great job honoring her beloved mother by giving us Lisa Marie’s tragic truth. Lisa Marie thought that the only person who ever loved her (besides her children) was her daddy. This book was not a positive portrayal of her mother, Priscilla Presley. It was fascinating to see how the mother/daughter relationship played out. Lisa Marie was daddy’s little girl, and it was heartbreaking to hear to her words from the grave about his death.
The tragedy this family has suffered has been tremendous. Lisa Marie died before she finished this book, so we hear more from Riley. I was entranced by Lisa Marie’s story. The marriages to Danny Keough, Michael Jackson, Nicholas Cage, and Michael Lockwood were explored in depth, and I was shocked how honest she was about the relationships. Nothing was off the table apparently. She talks about her drug and alcohol abuse, Scientology, having an abortion, being sexually assaulted from one of Priscilla’s boyfriends, racing golf carts at Graceland, and being dragged away screaming from her dad’s body. It’s gut wrenching and raw and brutal.
But it’s also beautiful. This book is full of love stories. All different kinds of love and the pain that comes with intense love. The honesty in this book will blow you away. The love between Danny Keough and Lisa Marie was unfailing and never ending, even when she was married to other people.
Riley Keough is a talented writer and actress, and if you didn’t watch her in Daisy Jones and the Six, you are missing out.
Be ready to cry, laugh and discover the true life of the strong, loving, brilliant woman that was Lisa Marie Presley. Riley Keough has written a love letter to her mom and it is from the heart. This is a brilliant discovery of Lisa Marie's life. I loved this book!
The Author’s Guide to Murder
by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willis, and Karen White
The Friends of the Mt. Pleasant Library had the pleasure to host “Team W” on Saturday, Nov. 9th on their national book tour of The Author’s Guide to Murder. Here’s my review of their hilarious new book.
Here’s an idea for a plot: What if three authors write a book about three authors writing a book? What if the book is set in a drafty Scottish castle with a long, unsolved murder mystery surrounding a rakish laird with a reputation for being a prolific, if slightly kinky, womanizer? What if the book starts with an actual dead body in said castle? And what if we throw in a sheep because, why not? Oh, yes, this cozy mystery is a parody of a cozy mystery, and it is FUN!
I think that books that poke fun of themselves are hilarious and The Author’s Guide to Murder does this exceptionally well. Let’s meet the three suspects….um…..authors. First, we have Kat de Noir, who writes erotica with werebears! (What’s a werebear? You’re just dying to find out, aren’t you?!) Then we have Cassie Pringle (her husband is Chip, I kid you not), a Southern mom of six who writes multiple cozy mystery series, and lastly, we have Emma Endicott, a New England blue blood whose old money has long since run out. Emma writes critically acclaimed historical fiction that sits on your coffee table for six months. The three authors “claim” to be best friends and just want their publisher to pay for a girls’ publicity tour to cover their bar bills. Sounds plausible right? But everything is not as it seems in Castle Kinloch.
The book alternates between viewpoints of the three female authors. We are also privy to excerpts of the interrogation of all the authors by Detective Chief Inspector Euan McIntosh (swooning over here). The interrogation interviews are hilarious, as Inspector McIntosh doesn’t quite know how to handle fiction writers! The women claim to be best friends writing a book together, but the authors’ stories about how they knew the victim don’t quite add up, and the detective is getting increasingly suspicious. Why did the authors really come to Castle Kinloch? What really happened the night of the murder? What are pantaboots? Pants or boots?
The Author’s Guide to Murder is a lighthearted read, but also serves up a side of serious topics. It’s a great blend of cozy-ish mystery, romance, and classic whodunnit in one fun, little package. From the remote Scottish setting to the laugh-out-loud humor, this satirical tale of the literary world kept me flying through the pages. The fact that it not only centered around three authors collaborating on a novel but was also *written* by three authors collaborating on a novel was well-played in itself!
If you are in the mood for sharp wit, cheeky humor, and a well-crafted murder mystery that keeps you up until the wee hours, then I cannot recommend The Author’s Guide to Murder more highly.
The Whisper Man by Alex North
Since Halloween is this week, I wanted to celebrate the holiday with a creepy book and boy did I pick a winner with The Whisper Man by Alex North.
“If you’re lonely, sad, and blue, the Whisper Man will come for you.”
This is Alex North's debut novel and what a great job he has done! Dripping with atmosphere, it is a disturbing story of the Whisper Man, who over 20 years ago kidnapped and murdered five local boys in the small village of Featherbank. Frank Carter is the Whisper Man, who’s currently in prison for life. Despite the emotional cost, Detective Pete Willis, who captured Carter twenty years ago, visits him in prison in hopes of finding the body of his last victim. Carter does his best Hannibal Lector impression by teasing Pete with obscure clues. Everyone thought that time of horror was over, but in the present, a troubled, 6 year old boy has gone missing. Detective Amanda Beck is heading the desperate hunt to locate him, but there are eerie hints of the original Whisper Man. Did Frank Carter have an unknown accomplice or is this a copycat crime?
A grief burdened author, Tom Kennedy, is stumbling through the wreckage of his life after the devastating sudden death of his beloved wife, Rebecca. It was Rebecca that was the closest to their sensitive 7 year old son, Jake. Tom has struggled to connect with his vulnerable and creative son, a boy with imaginary friends and an outsider status. One of the things I loved about this book was seeing the effort Tom put into his relationship with Jake, even while he was battling his grief. Jake is a sweetheart, but a little bit scary, too. Imagine a combination of The Sixth Sense’s Cole and The Ring’s Aidan. Jake has quite the imagination–but is that all it is? (Insert spooky ghost sounds here)
Tom relocates them to Featherbank, with every hope that a new beginning is what they both need to come to terms with the loss of Rebecca. But one day, Tom overhears Jake talking in two distinct voices. He’s concerned because Jake’s imaginary friend has always been a silent partner. When Jake tells him that the other voice was “the boy in the floor,” we are well into Creepy Town. Then, when Jake starts hearing whispering, the sort of whispering reported by children two decades back, it goes from weird to let’s get the heck out of Dodge.
The Whisper Man is a first-rate, engaging, scary thriller with heart! The writing is compelling, and hooks the reader immediately with its themes of fathers and their challenging relationships with their sons and grief and loss, set amid a background of a child killer running rampant in the town. The characters come to life, as can be seen with Tom trying so hard with Jake, making errors of judgment, and slowly becoming aware of just how much Jake is like him. This is a fantastic read, with some very surprising twists thrown in. You will want to figure this mystery out right along with these memorable characters, even though it may well scare the bejesus out of you. Oh, and that last line of the book instantly took me to the final clip of the 1999 cult classic, The Blair Witch Project. Don’t forget to sleep with the lights on!
The House on Tradd Street by Karen White
On Saturday, November 9th, the Friends of the Mt. Pleasant Library will welcome Team W, which consists of authors Karen White, Beatrix Williams, and Lauren Willig. So, my first book review will be of Karen White's The House on Tradd Street, which is book #1 in a series. The thing I love about this series is that it is set in Charleston, SC. Melanie Middleton is our main character, and she's a realtor whose specialty is selling historical houses. Melanie, however, does not like these old houses because she has always had the unwanted ability to see ghosts…that's right y'all! GHOSTS! Now can you imagine how many ghosts there are around historical places like Charleston? A lot! But when a client dies and surprises Melanie by leaving her his entire estate, Melanie is forced to live in the old house and work on restoring it while doing her best to ignore the spirits she feels around the house. She has also been tasked by the previous owner to find out the truth behind his mother's disappearance years ago, hoping to clear her name. A local mystery writer, Jack Trenholm, who's as handsome as he is insistent that her house is the setting for his next book, joins Melanie's team working on the house and begins to help - and annoy - her as she searches for answers. Even though this book has ghosts, I would consider it a cozy mystery that is PG-13. It is not scary or gory at all. It is actually quite funny in parts as Melanie is full of snark, humor, and is extremely quirky. Her love of spreadsheets is second only to her utter devotion to sugar in all forms. I would classify this book as part mystery, part ghost story, part comedy, and part romance with a southern setting rich with historical details. After I finished the series, I took a trip with my sister to visit the real Tradd Street. I highly recommend this series and the trip to Charleston! Go visit the NEW Mt. Pleasant Library to grab a copy and get a ticket to see Karen in person! It's also available on Libby in audiobook format.
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