Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore: A Bright Idea Indeed

    My book club members and I agreed that this was such a clever story. None of us could come up with another book that felt similar to this one. Matthew Sullivan didn't just write a mystery, but created fun puzzles and plot twists that I did not see coming.

    Lydia is the main character of Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore. She works as a bookseller at, you guessed it, The Bright Ideas Bookstore in Denver, CO. She has a special place in her heart for the customers she has affectionately named the Bookfrogs. Men who are usually down and out in life, and spend their time in the quiet nooks of the store. When one of these Bookfrogs unexpectedly hangs himself  (not a spoiler) so that Lydia finds him at closing time, it sets her reluctantly on a trail of puzzles that also makes her revisit her past. Soon she realizes there may be more to this Bookfrog than anyone gave him credit for.

    What is so great about this story is that you think you know what's happening, but Sullivan completely takes you by surprise, and he doesn't do this just once, but multiple times! Also, our book club decided that this book contains one of the best red herrings any of us has ever read! I want to say so much more but I don't want to give anything away!

    Lydia's character was relatable and empathetic, but also damaged. In fact, pretty much every character in this story is very damaged, one way or another. Damaged, flawed, and/or quirky. But it all lends itself to really great storytelling.

    My only complaint here was that the ending seemed a little rushed and also weird. You'll have to read it for yourself. Overall, it was a satisfying ending, but the epilogue made me go, "huh?" I think you'll know what I mean when you get there because my book club members agreed.

    This was one I definitely didn't want to put down! I would almost say it's as much of a thriller as it is a mystery. If you're in the mood for a mystery, this one will not disappoint!

4/5 Stars

   

Castle of Water is a Breath of Fresh Air

    This book was truly just what the title of this post says. It was the book I didn't know I wanted. It was so good. Sidenote: I listened to the audiobook and it made a fantastic audiobook! I always do something else while I listen to audiobooks (cook, clean, fold laundry, etc.) and let me tell you, I was finding all kinds of things to clean around here just to have an excuse to listen to this book.

    Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge is about Barry and Sophie. Two very different people who find themselves stranded on a small deserted island together after their plane goes down. They have one thing in common: survival.

    Something I really liked about this book was the point of view. The third person omniscient narrator really stood out to me. Perhaps it was because of the chapters here and there about Barry and Sophie's pasts or the people and circumstances that led up to the crash. It was such an interesting way to tell a story.

    I also liked how realistic the author made everything on the island to be. Making one of the main characters an architect was such a brilliant idea. And can we talk about Barry's contacts? How many desert island movies have we've seen where a character can't survive because they lost their contact lenses? Um, none! Nobody writes that into a story even though it's the truth! I AM BLIND WITHOUT MY CONTACTS. I would surely die if I had to survive on an island without them. I also loved the lengths each character went to for each other's birthdays. So creative and slightly Gilligan's Island, but still believable!

    I just totally fell in love with these characters, their relationship, and even the island itself. The only thing I didn't like, I can't talk about here without spoilers, but I seriously just sat on my couch with my jaw dropped for 15 minutes straight listening to it. Please, do yourself a favor and pick up this book!

5/5 Stars