A local bookshop guide and a pair of reviews on highly buzzed about suspenseful thrillers.
My soon to be twenty one year old sister-in-law spent the last ten days with us as we traipsed through the Bay Area. Her visit made summer feel like the one’s I had as a kid, filled with ice cream consumption and long days under the sun. Of course we had to show her the tourist traps and sweeping views that her southern college town doesn’t offer.
Lucky for me, she initiated visits to all the local bookshops I had been side-eyeing. Together, we browsed the aisles with glee, knowing full well we both had a queue of novels waiting at home. It never hurts to look. What better souvenir to take home than a growing pile of stories?
Here’s a short list of old and new bookshops I highly recommend if you’re in the area:
- Bookshop Santa Cruz, Downtown Santa Cruz – make sure to read the framed newspaper clipping located by the register. It uncovers the charming history of how the owner’s love story and shop came to be. It’ll make any purchase you make with them feel warm and fuzzy.
- Abbot’s Thrift Store, Downtown Felton – I dedicated part of an earlier blog post to my love of this thrift store. Their comprehensive and organized selection puts some bookstores to shame
- Two Birds Bookstore, Capitola/Seabright – the owner’s two adorable dogs, Tio and Marshmallow greet you at the door adding to the coziness of this independent shop. The owner’s are just as friendly! Their unique offerings of Knick knacks make an excellent spot for curated local gifts
- Green Apple Bookshop, San Francisco/Inner Sunset – located in one of my favorite neighborhoods in the city, the small unassuming storefront has shelves stretching on forever like magic. A welcomed and memorable surprise for first timers. Founded in 1967, it’s been repeatedly voted the best bookstore in the Bay Area by SF Weekly and The San Francisco Bay Guardian
For suspense-seekers: A decade after her daughter went missing, a mother finds out the heartbreaking truth behind her child’s disappearance and how the power of closure can both heal old wounds and create new ones.
Lisa Jewell is undoubtedly a compelling writer. The tangled mystery stared off strong. It was a quick and enthralling read until I hit a couple snags towards the middle. I couldn’t ignore the plot holes that pulled me out of the story as quickly as it had sucked me in.
Without giving too much away, I found the character’s half-baked, and the big twist far too unlikely. I also wish the synopsis on the back cover didn’t give away as many poignant details. I found myself hypothesizing way too early on (why I avoid film trailers these days).
I wanted to like this more than I did. Then She was Gone didn’t live up to the expectations of it’s promising introduction. An unsatisfying ending sealed my 2/5 star rating.
2/5 mugs
For fans of Clue: The Guest List kept me up until the wee hours of the morning. The plot is simple: a beautiful young couple weds on a remote island. It has all the ingredients for disaster: An equally adored and envied couple, a mischievous bridal party, family drama and a barrage of secrets that tie them together.
Each chapter is told from a different guests perspective as I teetered between who can and cannot be trusted. The Guest List sunk it’s hooks into me from the very beginning with the atmospheric location and ominous weather playing as important a role as the characters themselves.
The eerily fun novel covers the span of a tense forty-eight hour period, successfully portraying the claustrophobia of the island. I had the role of both a passive reader and an active wedding guest adding to the immersive murder mystery experience- one I haven’t felt since my annual Halloween viewing of Clue.
The non-stop sleuthing made the big reveal worth all the sleepless nights and tired mornings.
5/5 mugs
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