My Week in Books // 6-2-21

This week was a little quieter in my reading life as I was super busy helping a friend with her son’s graduation. Also, it was the last week of school here and we all know how jam-packed that week is! I have a couple weeks left and then my daughter’s dance recital will be over…then it will finally feel like summer has begun!

Are you out of school yet where you live?

*** Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

Eleven years ago, Meredith and Delilah go missing. Meredith is found dead shortly after. but no one has seen or heard from six-year-old Delilah since.

This is the first book I’ve read by Kubica and I was immediately wrapped up in the tale she weaved. There are multiple narrarators that push the story along. It was fun to try to figure out what happened and I was kept guessing right up until the end.

As is the case with a lot of mystery/thrillers, I found the resolution a little underwhelming, keeping this from being a full-blown 5-star read. However, it didn’t detract from my overall satisfaction and I’d still highly recommend adding it to your summer reading list!

*** That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea by Marc Randolph

If you head into this book expecting a similar experience as Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight, you’ll be disappointed. If you head into expecting more of a memoir/autobiography, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Listen, Shoe Dog is the gold standard in the business memoir category, but somehow I still really appreciated Randolph’s recollection of Netflix’s beginnings. Many reviewers have said that Randolph comes across as egotistical and money-obsessed; I didn’t get those vibes at all. I loved hearing how he and his partner, Reed Hastings, came up with the idea of Netflix, the hurdles they had to overcome to start the company, and the obstacles they continued to face for the first couple of years.

In places, it was a bit clunky, but I’m always intrigued with start-ups and business-minded books because it’s a skillset that I do not have. I also love reading about smart, successful people.

(#partner #freebooks: All books noted by asterisks (***) indicate I received the book for free from the publisher, the author, or another promotional company to review. All opinions are my own.)