Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Release Date - June 1, 2021 

Publisher Website - Penguin Random House Canada
Publisher Social Media - Twitter

Pages - 384 pages
My Rating - 4/5

**purchased**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Malibu: August 1983. It's the day of Nina Riva's annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over--especially as the offspring of the legendary singer Mick Riva.

The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud--because it is long past time for him to confess something to the brother from whom he's been inseparable since birth.

Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can't stop thinking about promised she'll be there.

And Kit has a couple secrets of her own--including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.

By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family's generations will all come bubbling to the surface.

Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them . . . and what they will leave behind. 

Taylor Jenkins Reid's books transport you. She made us desparate to watch Evelyn Hugo on the big screen and yearn to listen to Daisy Jones and the Six's greatest hits. In Malibu Rising she once again spins a tale of fame but instead focuses on the bonds of family and the thrill of the surf.

Malibu Rising is like a warm summer day spent at the beach. You can almost taste the salt water, and smell coconut scented sunscreen while reading this book. Malibu, and it's waves, become a character in the book and the setting is just as important as the plot in this case. She brings Malibu to life so vividly that you can picture it even if you've never been there.

Capturing a particular time period seems to be a talent this author has. It is part of what transports you into the world of the novel and makes it feel all the more authentic. This book focuses on the 1980s and you definitely get that vibe. The neon colours, the teased hair, and fashion are just some of the callbacks to that time. There are little things, like Nina's sexed up ad campaign and calendar, that are so clearly of that time period.  

Fans of this author's previous books may have spotted a familiar name in the synopsis. Yes, it is THAT Mick Rivera. If you thought he was an asshole in The Seven Husband's of Evelyn Hugo just wait until you see what else he got up to. He is easily the worst and yet I was still strangely captivated by him. The magnetic pull he is referenced as having works on readers too, apparently.

Much more interesting (and sympathetic), are his children. Nina, in particular, made my heart ache for many reasons but I loved all of the Rivera children. They are all scarred by the events that have touched them. Their fiercely close bond is the heart of this novel that revolves around family, trauma, forgiveness, and hope. These kids had to grow up much faster than they needed to and that is something that is woven deep into all aspects of who these characters are and who they want to become.

The infamous Rivera party is as ridiculous as you hope it will be going in. It is indeed the stuff of legend and you can see how it became this out of control thing from its humble beginnings. The chapters with the party shenanigans are funny, dizzying, and the perfect build up to the emotional and cathartic end section.

The emotional payoff comes from the ending like so many of Taylor Jenkins Reid's other novels. It is that ending that makes the entire journey for me and I definitely found myself sobbing through parts of it. 

Taylor Jenkins Reid has once again slayed me with her ability to make you fall into the story. I cannot wait to follow her into the 90s (where I assume she is headed with her next book) and am breathlessly awaiting to discover what exactly that will look like.

Best of 2019 - Book Edition

As the year comes to a close it is once again time to reflect back on the books I read and highlight a few that I particularly enjoyed reading this year.

My reading suffered this year. I did not read nearly as many books as I hoped to. I am resolving to fix this in 2020. I did manage to read some pretty awesome books this year though.

Here are my top ten reads of this year (in no particular order). They each link to my review (where one has been written and posted) if you want to see exactly why I loved them.


1 Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

2 Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

3 Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

4 Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

5 The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

6 Transcend/Epoch by Jewel E Ann

7 Chase Darkness With Me by Billy Jensen

8 The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

9 American Royals by Katharine McGee

10 A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer


This list, obviously, includes books released this year and some that were not. My only criteria was that they had to be books I read this past year.

Do you agree with any of the books on list? Feel there is a book I missed this year that I should make a priority to read in 2019? Let me know in the comments.

Best Reads Of 2019 .... So Far

We are quickly approaching the midway point of the year and that means checking in on my reading progress and the books that have stood out so far.

I am always amazed at how fast the year is going whenever I decide to write one of these posts. It seems like it is flying by in particular this year.

I have not read nearly as much as I wanted to. I am already 8 books behind in my Goodreads challenge. I am hoping to refocus my attention on reading and the blog and making some progress this summer.

Taking a look at what books I have read this year has made me realize that I have become quite good at picking books that will appeal to me. I feel like my reading is made all the richer as a result. I still stray outside my comfort zone (especially if friends recommend a book) but feel like I genuinely know what books I will and will not enjoy. This has made picking my ten favourites even more difficult.

Here, in no particular order, are the ten books that have stood out to me during the first half of the year;

1. Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

2. Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

3. Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

4. The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg

5. A Curse So Dark And Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

6. You'd Be Mine by Erin Hahn

7. Top Secret by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy

8. Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins

9. 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne

10. Chase Darkness With Me by Billy Jensen

All of the above books are linked to my reviews so you can discover exactly why they made my list if you so choose. Chase Darkness With Me is not currently reviewed so there is no link for that, but expect a review closer to release date.

I will be curious to see which books make it on to my year end list as the year continues! What book makes your own best of 2019 (at least so far) list? Let me know in the comments!

Daisy Jones And The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Daisy Jones And The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Release Date - March 5, 2019
Publisher Website - Penguin RandomHouse  

Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages -  368 pages
My Rating - 5/5
**purchased**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock and roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice. 

Daisy Jones and the Six is the type of book you devour in one sitting. It's a beautifully written book that will make your heart ache. It packs the same lyrical beauty and intensity that a song does. It is so vividly written, and packed with so much emotion that it will leave you breathless.

Daisy Jones is the type of character that is unforgettable. She easily steals a little piece of your heart. Her wild flower child vibe, sense of self worth, and drive make her one of the most interesting characters I've encountered. The book tells you that everyone fell a little in love with Daisy and the reader instantly is able to discern why.  One of Reid's talents is crafting characters and that is on full display with Daisy.

Billy Dunne is another character who sees to leap off the page. All of the members of The Six feel incredibly developed but I felt that Billy (and Daisy) are the ones that shine. Billy could have been a caricature of a character. He's a man who turns to his vices to deal with the stress put on him. He feels broken inside and does his best to make it match on the outside. He's a much more developed and interesting version of this character who has been done many times before. His demons are many and the portrayal of his addiction feels pitch perfect.

The creative energy that ignites when Daisy and Billy meet is electric. It is the proverbial lightening in a bottle. That spark feeds into all aspects of their relationship. It is at times antagonistic and at other times they are so in sync with one another that it hurts. It's a palpable energy that leaves the reader, and the rest of the band, feeling like they've been left in the wake of an earthquake.

The relationships between the band members are just important to the story as the one that exists between Billy and Daisy. This feels like a true ensemble piece where each of the characters adds something vital to the story being told. It is a story of the rise and fall of a band and that requires all of the members. Their dynamics are a large part of what pushes the story forward. It's more of a character driven story than a plot driven one and those characters are used to their fullest impact.

While I was reading I had to keep reminding myself that this band never actually existed. I wasn't going to be able to listen to these incredibly sounding songs no matter how badly I wished I could. Part of the power of Taylor Jenkins Reid's writing is entrancing you so fully that you believe every word that is being spun. You're captivated by this fictional band and so in love with their story that you forget over and over again that none of it is real. The choice to write this as an oral history where each of the band members tells their story adds to this as well as creating a really interesting commentary on memory. Events are remembered differently by different band members, and pieces of the story are only held by certain people. It makes for a vastly more interesting read because the truth is probably somewhere in the middle a lot of the time.

Music is such a large part of the story being told that it was necessary to have the songs feel as authentic as possible. They had to fit within the story and the reader had to be able to feel them. They're integral to the story and many of the important scenes are back dropped with the creation of one of the songs. They are woven into the plot so expertly that it only adds to the realism of the story. Reading the song lyrics at the end of the novel only deepened my appreciation for this book and Taylor Jenkins Reid's talent. So much of this book hung on her nailing those songs and she did just that.

Daisy Jones and the Six is a love letter to so many things. It's a love letter to creative passion and the way it can command your soul. It's a love letter to music and the power it has to invoke feelings from us so effortlessly. It's a love letter to love itself and its messy, complicated nature. It's a book that works itself into your very being the same way a really great song does. It is the kind of book that lingers. I won't forget Daisy Jones and the Six. I'll be thinking about their story for a long time. It is a raw, richly woven story that I cannot recommend enough.

Waiting On Wednesday ... Daisy Jones and The Six

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick is Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Here is the Goodreads synopsis 

In 1979, Daisy Jones and The Six split up. Together, they had redefined the 70’s music scene, creating an iconic sound that rocked the world. Apart, they baffled a world that had hung on their every verse.

This book is an attempt to piece together a clear portrait of the band’s rise to fame and their abrupt and infamous split. The following oral history is a compilation of interviews, emails, transcripts, and lyrics, all pertaining to the personal and professional lives of the members of the band The Six and singer Daisy Jones.

While I have aimed for a comprehensive and exhaustive approach, I must acknowledge that full and complete accounts from all parties involved has proved impossible. Some people were easier to track down than others, some were more willing to talk than others, and some, unfortunately, have passed on.

All of which is to say that while this is the first and only authorised account from all represented perspectives, it should be noted that, in matters both big and small, reasonable people disagree.

The truth often lies, unclaimed, in the middle.

Taylor Jenkins Reid's last book had plenty of buzz so I was immediately intrigued when I read the synopsis for this.

I love that this is basically a biography of a fictional band and I am so here for that premise. I hope it is as good as I am imagining it to be.

It releases next March so there is a bit of a wait but it gives me time to read The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo first!

Expected release date - March 7, 2019