Recently, I discovered Blood and Water on Netflix. And whew, I may get why the whole school setting can be a good thing.
Set in Cape Town, South Africa, the series follows Puleng, a young girl whose parents still celebrate the birthday of her missing sister, Phumelele, 17 years after she was kidnapped at birth. Puleng and her brother have lived with her ghost, always competing against her and its a battle they’ll never win.
When the show opens, her parents are breaking up and when her father is thrown into the media spotlight as a human trafficker, and possibly the reason her sister disappeared, Puleng’s life at school goes off the rails… but, here’s where it gets interesting — Puleng meets a girl called Fikile at a party and becomes convinced she is her long lost sister.
And so she begins to infiltrate Fikile’s life, following her to an elite school, with her rich friends (who all have their own issues) and into their lives. Their relationship veers between antagonistic and friendly, and even manipulative as they both get caught up in cliques and the things that usually happen with a group of friends with big personalities, conflicting personalities — and in the middle of it all, Puleng still desperately wants to find her sister, wants to bring her family back together.
It’s filled with tension, and I will admit it could have been at least an episode shorter even at 6 episodes, when the teenage angst and machinations get a bit too much. But damn, I couldn’t stop watching.
In other news, work has been stressing me out, and I should be reading Boyfriend Material, but am I doing that? No, instead, I keep checking my email during my reading time and I need to shut that down, don’t I?
This month will end soon, right?
Until then at least, here’s what’s distracting me
We Begin at the End
We Begin at the End is a powerful novel about absolute love and the lengths we will go to keep our family safe. This is a story about good and evil and how life is lived somewhere in between.
‘YOU CAN’T SAVE SOMEONE THAT DOESN’T WANT TO BE SAVED . . .’
Thirty years ago, Vincent King became a killer.
Now, he’s been released from prison and is back in his hometown of Cape Haven, California. Not everyone is pleased to see him. Like Star Radley, his ex-girlfriend, and sister of the girl he killed.
Duchess Radley, Star’s thirteen-year-old daughter, is part-carer, part-protector to her younger brother, Robin – and to her deeply troubled mother. But in trying to protect Star, Duchess inadvertently sets off a chain of events that will have tragic consequences not only for her family, but also the whole town.
Murder, revenge, retribution.
How far can we run from the past when the past seems doomed to repeat itself?
This blurb is actually confusing and interesting at the same time — why does it start with Vincent, and then focuses on Duchess, a 13 year old? Is Duchess part of the murder, revenge and retribution bit? And yet, this is all about the past repeating itself — see, it’s all confusing and interesting at the same time.
Parachutes
Speak enters the world of Gossip Girl in this modern immigrant story from New York Times bestselling author Kelly Yang about two girls navigating wealth, power, friendship, and trauma.
They’re called parachutes: teenagers dropped off to live in private homes and study in the US while their wealthy parents remain in Asia. Claire Wang never thought she’d be one of them, until her parents pluck her from her privileged life in Shanghai and enroll her at a high school in California. Suddenly she finds herself living in a stranger’s house, with no one to tell her what to do for the first time in her life. She soon embraces her newfound freedom, especially when the hottest and most eligible parachute, Jay, asks her out.
Dani De La Cruz, Claire’s new host sister, couldn’t be less thrilled that her mom rented out a room to Claire. An academic and debate-team star, Dani is determined to earn her way into Yale, even if it means competing with privileged kids who are buying their way to the top. When her debate coach starts working with her privately, Dani’s game plan veers unexpectedly off course.
Desperately trying to avoid each other under the same roof, Dani and Claire find themselves on a collision course, intertwining in deeper and more complicated ways, as they grapple with life-altering experiences. Award-winning author Kelly Yang weaves together an unforgettable modern immigrant story about love, trauma, family, corruption, and the power of speaking out.
The relationship between Dani and Claire sounds complex and intense — understatement much? What happens between Dani and her debate coach? The possible relationship between Claire and Jay sounds more promising, though I am saying that without any details about it.
Sister Dear
Beauty. Wealth. Success.
She’s got it all.
And it all should’ve been mine.
When Eleanor Hardwicke’s beloved father dies, her world is further shattered by a gut-wrenching secret: the man she’s grieving isn’t really her dad. Eleanor was the product of an affair and her biological father is still out there, living blissfully with the family he chose. With her personal life spiraling, a desperate Eleanor seeks him out, leading her to uncover another branch on her family tree—an infuriatingly enviable half sister.
Perfectly perfect Victoria has everything Eleanor could ever dream of. Loving childhood, luxury home, devoted husband. All of it stolen from Eleanor, who plans to take it back. After all, good sisters are supposed to share. And quiet little Eleanor has been waiting far too long for her turn to play.
Perfectly perfect Victoria, huh? Mind you, that is less murderous than everything Eleanor has planned for her. Is it grief that drives her mad? Also, she scares the crap out of me.
Party of Two
A chance meeting with a handsome stranger turns into a whirlwind affair that gets everyone talking.
Dating is the last thing on Olivia Monroe’s mind when she moves to LA to start her own law firm. But when she meets a gorgeous man at a hotel bar and they spend the entire night flirting, she discovers too late that he is none other than hotshot junior senator Max Powell. Olivia has zero interest in dating a politician, but when a cake arrives at her office with the cutest message, she can’t resist–it is chocolate cake, after all.
Olivia is surprised to find that Max is sweet, funny, and noble–not just some privileged white politician she assumed him to be. Because of Max’s high-profile job, they start seeing each other secretly, which leads to clandestine dates and silly disguises. But when they finally go public, the intense media scrutiny means people are now digging up her rocky past and criticizing her job, even her suitability as a trophy girlfriend. Olivia knows what she has with Max is something special, but is it strong enough to survive the heat of the spotlight?
Politics and falling in love? This sounds gorgeous and Olivia and Max, I want to draw hearts around them. Of course, the media happens.
The Wife Upstairs
A delicious twist on a Gothic classic, The Wife Upstairs pairs Southern charm with atmospheric domestic suspense, perfect for fans of B.A. Paris and Megan Miranda.
Meet Jane. Newly arrived to Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates––a gated community full of McMansions, shiny SUVs, and bored housewives. The kind of place where no one will notice if Jane lifts the discarded tchotchkes and jewelry off the side tables of her well-heeled clients. Where no one will think to ask if Jane is her real name.
But her luck changes when she meets Eddie Rochester. Recently widowed, Eddie is Thornfield Estates’ most mysterious resident. His wife, Bea, drowned in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies lost to the deep. Jane can’t help but see an opportunity in Eddie––not only is he rich, brooding, and handsome, he could also offer her the kind of protection she’s always yearned for.
Yet as Jane and Eddie fall for each other, Jane is increasingly haunted by the legend of Bea, an ambitious beauty with a rags-to-riches origin story, who launched a wildly successful southern lifestyle brand. How can she, plain Jane, ever measure up? And can she win Eddie’s heart before her past––or his––catches up to her?
With delicious suspense, incisive wit, and a fresh, feminist sensibility, The Wife Upstairs flips the script on a timeless tale of forbidden romance, ill-advised attraction, and a wife who just won’t stay buried. In this vivid reimagining of one of literature’s most twisted love triangles, which Mrs. Rochester will get her happy ending?
A Jane Eyre Retelling. I know I read that book, but for the life of me I can’t remember what it is about. It was high school, and by then I suspect I just wanted to know enough to get through whatever text I had going. BUT this sounds exciting, and Jane’s past? Feminist sensibility? I can definitely get behind that!
That’s it for this week! What’s going on your TBR?
Although I didn’t really love the last Guillory book I read, Party of Two does sound cute!
What was the last one you read?? Tell me more!
I saw that Rachel Hawkins wrote an thriller, and it makes me want to start reading thrillers. I am really interested to see what she does in the genre.
Oooh, until your comment I hadn’t thought to check out her other work!
Sorry your work has been so stressful. Fingers crossed this week is better! Hang in there. 🙂
Thank you — and I am, oh I so am!
Ooooh Blood and Water sounds good. I’ve seen it appear now and then on Netflix but I’ll put it on my list. The never ending list…
Stephanie @ Bookfever
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I like the sound of The Wife Upstairs but doesn’t it sound ripe for an unplanned, unnecessary dog death? There’s just something about Jane walking dogs. I really enjoyed Dear Sister and hope you do too! I hope work evens out soon!
I just finished reading Party of Two and loved it. It’s really cute and made me laugh out loud a few times, which is always nice. I’m sorry to hear that work has been stressful. I hope things things get less stressful for you soon.