Fiction/Nonfiction Quick Reviews

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood (2023)

Mallory is done playing chess, until she agrees to play in one last tournament and ends up being the current world champion.  Now she finds herself being pulled back into the world she believes ruined her family and also falling in love a bit with her competitor.  I've been wanting to read the beloved Ali Hazelwood for awhile, and unfortunately I don't think this was the best book for me to start with.  Although the main characters are out of high school, they are young enough for me to deem this YA, which I really don't read too much anymore.  That itself is not necessarily a problem, but when I start disliking the characters because of their over-the-top drama and nonsensical actions, it is.  YA characters for me can be simultaneously immature and too mature, if that makes sense?  Mallory is one of those people who makes her entire personality taking care of her family (whether they ask her to or not).  I think she goes overboard with it.  And Nolan, I just didn't get him.  I guess he thinks his feelings are obvious, but he just came off as weird, even a little creepy and stalkerish.  I didn't get the chemistry between the two.  I don't play chess, but I did enjoy the chess talk - it's really amazing how much skill and knowledge goes into a game.  The side characters added some needed levity to this story.  I do want to read more from this author, so for now I'll give this one 3 stars. 

 

Being Henry: The Fonz... and Beyond by Henry Winkler (2023)

 

In Being Henry, actor/producer/director/writer Henry Winkler talks about his at times difficult childhood, his rise to fame playing a very recognizable character, and his years spent trying to distinguish himself in Hollywood.  I think most of us probably have heard of Henry Winkler, or at least his most famous role, the Fonz on the hit show Happy Days.  I'm not sure why this memoir never crossed my radar, but I'm glad I found it while perusing Libby one day to find an audiobook for my afternoon walks!  As always, I love when a memoir is read by the author - Winkler's voice and cadence are so recognizable and distinct, and it really helps bring his own story to life.  Winkler is honest, humble, charming, vulnerable, and funny.  He doesn't shy away from the difficult parts of his life, talking openly about his dyslexia and his troubled relationship with his parents.  He also happily talks about such things as his almost 5-decade long marriage and his children (his wife even narrates some of it!).  I think at times the self-deprecation went a little too far, and the stream of consciousness narrative, while it makes you feel as if you are having a genuine conversation with Winkler, at times was a little jarring as it bounced from topic to topic.  But overall, I think this memoir proves that Winkler is one of those rare Hollywood gems, talented enough to hang with the best but also genuinely excited and happy to be there.  4 stars

 

* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.