Ghosts of Manhattan

Books I read in October…

October was a busy (and ended on a sad note) month. The good stuff: Boo Bash and Birthday celebration. The bad stuff: My dog, Zeke, died. Also it’s been 1 year since my grandmother passed away. Needless to say- October has a lot going for it; but is tinged with sadness, as well.

Through the good times and sad times- I did find time to read 8 books.

October reads:

The Mermaid Collector by Erika Marks- simply put- it was a great book. Wonderful storyline, interesting characters. And mermaids- beautiful and magical creatures. Here’s the review I posted earlier: The Mermaid Collector. If a story set in a coastal town with hints of magic and intrigue sounds good- read this book.

Ghosts of Manhattan by Douglas Brunt- tale of sex, drugs and Wall Street. Hints of a life-crisis. Nick Farmer is a likeable character- wooed by the money and power of Wall Street in his position as a bond trader at Bear Stearns. The life is getting to Nick, though. Interesting tale of Wall Street life and the choices that people make.  Here is the review of Ghosts of Manhattan that I posted previously.

New Kids on the Block: 5 Brothers and a Million Sisters by Nikki Van Noy- total fangirl moment (fangirl of the late 80’s-early 90’s). This tells the story of the past, present and future of NKOTB. Insightful take on the lives of the group- also with stories from the fans. If you loved (or still) love NKOTB- worth a read. Here is my review of New Kids on the Block: 5 Brothers and a Million Sisters.

Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio. Sarah Jio takes a tale of an event that happened many years apart- a Blackberry Winter (a late spring snowstorm) and creates a story of family, love, heartbreak, sadness, and a mystery with the characters. My review of Blackberry Winter as I previously posted.

The Guest Book by Marybeth Whalen- a story of love, forgiving others, and finding happiness. Touching story about a grown-up woman- her life is not what she thought it would be. And she wonders about the person she spent her childhood trading pictures with; but never met. Would her life be different? A Christian fiction story- interesting and an easy read. Has something for everyone.

Iced by Carol Higgins Clark- Regan is heading to spend Christmas in Aspen. She’s looking forward to skiing, enjoying some down time with family and maybe finding a hunky man. Little does she know she’ll spend more time solving a mystery of art thieves. Light, funny and fluffy.

Decked by Carol Higgins Clark- the first book in the Regan Reilly series. Regan is at a 10 year reunion for her overseas boarding school. While there, she find out that her former roommate was murdered- instead of simply run away as they had all thought. Regan is dying to solve the mystery, but due to travel plans is unable to stay behind in England. However, she need not have worried- the murder clues are following her to her next travel stop.

Laced by Carol Higgins Clark- Regan and Jack are married and celebrating their honeymoon in Ireland. Until a pair of criminals that have been taunting Jack set about to ruin the honeymoon. Will Jack and Regan be able to solve the mystery and enjoy their honeymoon? Another fun and fluffy read- Carol Higgins Clark books are easy reads- not suspenseful like her mother’s, Mary Higgins Clark.

 

Literary Friday ya’ll….

Weekly round-up of the happenings on #literaryfriday.

1. Deep South Magazine and their weekly Literary Friday. Tim Westover chat, The River Witch by Kimberly Brock is now an audiobook, and some news about Scarlett O’Hara. Read on to find out more about #literaryfriday.

2. October is the month for ghost stories- if a good ghost story is your cup of tea- check back to Deep South Mag all during October. You’re in for a spooky treat. For this week’s ghost story- read HERE.

3. If you missed out on the Tim Westover chat- don’t fear! Tim Westover interview is here– along with talk of Auraria– his book that made the Deep South Magazine Fall/Winter Reading List.

4. #fridayreads- what are you reading? Today, I’m at a loss for what to read- however, I can recommend Sarah Jio’s Blackberry Winter, Douglas Brunt Ghosts of Manhattan, Erika Marks The Mermaid Collector. What can you recommend?

5. If you missed my post yesterday about nostalgia and New Kids on the Block, read about New Kids on the Block: 5 brothers and A Million Sisters– scrunchie & NKOTB music not required (but you’ll probably want both after reading).

Happy Reading and have a great weekend!

The Ghosts of Manhattan by Douglas Brunt

Douglas Brunt’s debut novel is about Wall Street and what the life entails (and can cost you).

Meet Nick Farmer. 35 years old. Bond trader at Bear Stearns- a job he tells you he got partly because he played lacrosse in college. Nick’s a good looking man-and appears to have a good life. Clearing 7 figures a year, married, a job that requires him to party, close the deal with trades, and a unlimited access to drugs and alcohol. It’s the ultimate lifestyle for a young man. But Nick’s beginning to realize that the lifestyle is costing him- the partying, the drugs, alcohol- it’s not as easy to bounce back as it was in his 20’s. And it’s costing him in his marriage, as well.

Nick still likes the money- even if it doesn’t like the job or the extra-curricular aspects about the job. As the book progresses, the reader sees that Nick is changing- the hypocrisy is getting to him. Then, an analyst for Bear Stearns tries to tell the management that life is going to get ugly- the financial market is changing and awful things will happen if serious changes do not happen at Bear Stearns. Because Wall Street is about excess and being the life of the party- no one wants to listen. But does Nick? Does Nick leave while the party is still happening or does he wait till the party is way over?

Ghosts of Manhattan is a voyeuristic look into the life of Wall Street and the men of Wall Street. It’s a good book, with a solid storyline.

Recommended.

*Thanks to Touchstone Books for providing a copy of Ghosts of Manhattan by Douglas Brunt for review. The thoughts expressed above are my opinions and review of the book.