Vacation Reads

Everything I've read in the past two weeks

I have been on the absolutely gorgeous beach in Mozambique for almost two weeks, it’s beautiful and unspoiled and there is very minimal wifi and cell reception. (I don’t presume that any one pays enough attention to notice, but my typically frequent instagram stories have been a no go.) I’ve been spending time writing my memoir and another fiction book and also a lot of time reading. It’s hot and sometimes I cannot sleep at night so I read and read and read. If you, dear reader, are also a book reader- or if your new years resolution is to read more- I’ve compiled a list of everything I’ve read these past two weeks. I’d typically include hyperlinks for your ease but, unfortunately, the wifi barely allows me to upload these letters to you as text. If you have trouble finding something online (which should be easy as I’ve read everything on min kindle oasis), please email me or dm me on instagram and I will get to it as quickly as I can. Also thank you to everyone who recommended these books to me! I enjoyed them all!

Without further ado!

The Work Wife by Allison B. Hart

I really enjoyed this Hollywood novel, told from three women’s perspective, about one day in LA during the #MeToo era. Holly is the wife of a billionaire studio owner, director, and producer nicknamed the King of Hollywood. She’s hosting a thinly veiled baby2baby benefit party and has also become one of the top #MeToo advocates, using her influence to coerce studios into pledging to hire 50% women and people of color. Phoebe is the long estranged college best friend of Ted, Holly’s husband and the Kind of Hollywood, she was his right hand woman and the executive producer of the first two films that started his empire. She’s back in town with a film she’s finished, 30 years after she began to create it, trying to find a distributor. Finally, Zanne (pronounced like “Zuhh-ann) is the acting chief of staff for Holly and Ted’s massive personal staff the day of the benefit. It’s a fun book, though some of the content is heavy (there are no graphic SA scenes but there is frequent mention of SA) and I enjoyed it because I (mostly) found myself understanding all three main character’s perspectives.

4.5/5 stars

How to I Un-Remember This? By Danny Pelligrino

I’m actually about half way through this memoir in essay form. I don’t listen to Danny’s podcast or follow him on instagram (sorry Danny! I’ll give both a try after reading) so I don’t know if the stories are repetitive for regular followers of Danny’s work but I am finding them fun and charming. So far, most of his tales focus on growing up in the closet in a working class part of Ohio (Danny’s sexuality, of course, isn’t the focus of every story but it’s a theme of his experiences) and its a funny, light, easy read. I love all of the pop culture references. As I write personal essays, when I read these types of books I can’t help thinking of them a little more critically (I should do more of this, I should avoid doing this in my own work) and I do wish that every essay didn’t have a moral spelled out for the reader. To me, not every story needs a message and not every message needs to be fully explained for the reader to understand it.

3.5/5 stars

The Maid by Nita Prose

This thriller-lite (its not scary or psychological) is told for the perspective of an Autistic coded maid named Molly working at a 5 star hotel in (I think, I don’t believe it explicitly says) New York City. Molly finds a famous Master of the Universe real estate tycoon and regular guest of the hotel dead in the presidential suite and finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. It’s a satisfying, fun story and I found Molly very likable. I don’t want to ruin the plot but if you liked Big Little Lies and other mystery books without the fear factor, I think you’ll enjoy this one as well.

4.5/5 stars

Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

In an upper middle class suburb, a new mother goes missing. Two weeks later, while the town is still reeling, a well liked doula and her six year old daughter disappear. Eleven years after that, the daughter is found. Told in both present day and in the months and days leading up to this disappearance, this thriller isn’t too psychologically torturous and the ending is satisfying. It’s one of the better thrillers I’ve read recently and a welcome break from the “evil man hiding in plain site as a wealthy, hot, charismatic businessman while his wife is locked in the attic (or basement)” trope that, for me, is a bit over done.

4/5 stars

Where We Belong by Emily Giffin

I’ve enjoyed Emily’s books for at least a decade and I hadn’t read this one yet. It’s about Miriam, a successful NYC based television producer who had a child when she was 18 who she gave up for adoption and about Kirby, Miriam’s 18 year old biological daughter who arrives at Miram’s door only a few weeks after her 18th birthday. I thought it was sweet, if a bit light on plot, and enjoyable. There’s a bit of romance but family dynamics and relationships are the subject. If you like Giffin’s other work you’ll enjoy this one as well.

4/5 stars

How to Kill Your Best Friend by Lexie Elliott

Another thriller! (I love a thriller on the beach) about a college swim team who return to a secluded beach resort under unfortunate circumstances. One of their own went for an out of character night swim in a dangerous cove and never returned. The woman’s best friends reunite at the resort she owned, the same locale as the ill fated night swim, for her funeral. But bad things start happening and they end up scared for their lives. I really liked reading this one on the beach and I loved that the men were secondary characters in the story. It’s fun and twisty and the ending managed to catch me by surprise.

4/5 stars

Do Not Disturb by Frieda McFadden

A woman goes on the run after killing her abusive husband and finds herself staying at a run down, roadside motel. There is a charismatic owner and his wife, who never leaves the second floor of their home behind the motel. A former fortune teller, a sister on the hunt for the missing murderess! It’s enjoyable but the pacing is imperfect and there are a few too many red herrings where the ultimate ending feels far fetched- even by thriller standards.

3/5 stars

The Nanny Chronicles of Hollywood by Julie Swales and Stella Reid

This is a book by a Hollywood nanny and nanny placement agent that tells the anonymized stories of three nannies to celebrities. I think it’s an older book and I found that many of the demands, perils, and possible scandals of the job (that the book relies upon) are common knowledge. It’s also possible that I only thought that because, while I’ve never been an LA girl, New York and LA have similar nanny cultures. This felt a bit dated but was still a fun read, if you love hearing about rich people you’ll probably like this.

3/5 stars

Good in Bed by Jennifer Wiener

This novel, staring a plus sized newspaper reporter who dreams of a career as a screenwriter, opens when the heroine’s deadbeat ex-boyfriend lands a job at a Cosmopolitan-esque magazine (titled Moxie, no less!) where he writes a column offering women a male perspective on dating. His first article? “Loving a Larger Woman”. The book is old— I think it said I was reading the 20th anniversary edition and some of the language isn’t as careful to be politically correct as most would be today. I wasn’t bothered by this and didn’t find it offensive, just of it’s time. (Though I could see some readers cringing a few times) I actually really loved this fun, empowering, wild story that has New York and Hollywood glamour in the mix. If you remember Bergdorf Blondes, it sort of reminded me of that but with a more ‘normal girl’ main character. Honestly, I really recommend it.

4.5/5 stars

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

One last thriller! A young former foster child on the run becomes a dog walker in a wealthy Birmingham, Alabama neighborhood that has been recently struck by tragedy when two best friends and neighbors, one the founder of a $500 Million corporation that sells home goods, drowned in a lake. The main character falls quickly in love with one of the widowers but, like in all thrillers, nothing is what it seems. I enjoyed the sorority girl dynamics and the writing style. The plot is a bit predictable but the story’s well told.

4/5 starts

If You Tell by Gregg Olsen

This is a non-fiction, true crime book about a woman named Shelly who is cruel and beyond abusive. She has three daughters and various friends who move into their home who she also abuses. It’s horrifying and I think if you like true crime you’ll enjoy it. For me, it boarders on torture porn and I didn’t love the author’s writing style (though it was by no means bad)

2.5/5 stars

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

I loved this (very popular, I think) book about a female chemist in the 1960s who reluctantly becomes a television chef. It’s charming and fun. There are many elements of surrealism and some suspended disbelief needed (but what novel doesn’t require a little suspension of disbelief?) And the content is at times heavy (several sexual assault scenes) but I found it heartwarming and emotionally true to life.

5/5 stars

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

This is a novel about two childhood friends who reunited as students at MIT and Harvard and work together to create a video game that becomes a sensation, filling their lives with money and fame and success and complication. I am not a video game person (aside from an embarrassing candy crush habit) but this isn’t a novel about video games, it’s a novel about the complexities of friendship, family, wealth, academia, and aspiration. It’s beautifully written and you can feel Zevin’s soul in the pages. I found some of the passages that take place inside video games difficult to get through but I really loved it. It’s great writing.

5/5 stars

I know it’s a bit different than a lot of my usual content but I hope you enjoyed it not the less. If you enjoy Moxie, please please share this email or consider becoming a paid subscriber. The majority of my income comes from this publication and your support is invaluable to me!

All my love,

Hannah Stella

PS: between writing this and when my wifi kicked back on enough to send it, I finished Danny Pelligrino’s book (my feelings stand) and began Crying in H Mart which I can already guarantee is well worth a read.