Lets start with the miss:

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides.

Like so many others, I read The Silent Patient. Until I started really listening to several book blogs, I had no idea that that was a controversial book. Some think it’s the best thriller ever written and some think it’s the worst (people get pretty heated up about this topic…spicy opinions in the words of the Currently Reading Podcast). Looking at my Good Reads I rated it ⭐⭐⭐. I neither loved it or hated it according to my notes…I liked it.

When I was approved by the publisher (via NetGalley) to listen to The Maidens, I was looking forward to it.

So why the miss?

I honestly can’t tell you what this book is about. A girl is murdered (no spoilers, that’s in the jacket copy).

At 45% listened…nothing had happened.

I was listening to this alone (meaning no kid distractions) and for good lengths of time. Each time I started listening I couldn’t recall anything that had happened…because nothing did. I know some books are plot driven, some character driven. Well, I kept waiting for a plot pick up and it didn’t happen. I kept waiting to care about the characters and that didn’t happen.

I’m sorry, but by 45% I was done.

This was a DNF for me.

Now the hit:

The Editor by Steven Rowley.

This had been on my kindle for a while (a daily deal I believe). One of my favorite authors, Sally Hepworth, posted that she would be interviewing Mr. Rowley on March 26th for his new release The Guncle (and yes, I registered for the free online event). I remembered that I had The Editor and dove in.

I was pleasantly surprised that Jackie Kennedy was a more minor character/plot line (I thought that was THE story). This was more about relationships and particularly mother/son relationships.

One scene I highlighted on my kindle. It was about older gay men/couples and how it was a rare site…how AIDS killed a generation of gay men. The passage reminded me of a good book I had read by Abraham Verghese called My Own Country: One Doctors Story. A book about a doctor treating AIDS patients in the early days, heartbreaking.

I love when one book causes you to think about another one you enjoyed.

There was a lot in this book to like.

The plot moved along, I laughed and I also felt the hurt of the characters.

The Editor ⭐⭐⭐⭐