I love reading. I’m my primary source of relaxation–my TV, or gardening, or knitting. But, for the last few years, I have mostly read books for the library, book club, and books that earned critical recognition. I lost the habit of reading for fun. There are many reasons for this, which deserve a post of their own, but for now, I’ll say I reintroduced frivolous reads this weekend.
On Friday night, I put down the un-frivolous, unread library book everyone has gone on about for almost the last ten years, and opened up my Kindle Unlimited account for work. The first advertising banner I saw at the top said: “BookTok Reads.” Exactly what I hate and precisely what I need. I created three more shelves on Goodreads to keep track of these reads: Bookstagram, BookTok, and Kindle Unlimited.
The Review
I finished my first book, The Housemaid, about five hours after opening Kindle Unlimited.
The Housemaid is fine. On Goodreads, I gave it 2-stars, which means “it was okay.” Millie is young woman with a past. She is desperate for employment, and can’t believe her luck when lands the job as the live-in maid for the Winchesters, a picture-perfect family of incredible means. It does not take Millie long to discover that her job isn’t what it seemed, and neither are the Winchesters.
If you are looking for a compelling psychological thriller, look elsewhere. Despite all the glowing reviews that suggest otherwise, The Housemaid does not have twists and turns. It is incredibly predictable. If you read regularly or have ever seen an episode of Law and Order, you will know how the story ends by the end of the first chapter. If you are looking for a true psychological thriller, check out Lisa Jewell or Gillian Sharp. But! If you are looking for entertainment and a frivolous book to read, it will do.
What’s Next
Low-star review notwithstanding, I’m excited about my frivolous reads! I have a tendency to work until burnout. Giving myself a break with something fun that I normally wouldn’t read will be good for me. I know I sound like a grumbly dowager in most of my book reivews. I am so jaded from reading for a living! I’m going to think about how to reevalute my rating system for these types of books so that I don’t sound so much like Violet Crawley at her finest.
My next book is a “cozy, gentle late-age romance” that is the “perfect autumnal read.” We shall see about that (said in my best dowager voice).
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