Today I’m linking up once again for #Collaboreads! You can read more about the link up here, but the basic synopsis is that you read a book based on that month’s criteria, and then write a review about it! They have even created a mnemonic to review the book. It’s amazing, and I hope you join in with us!

This month’s criteria: A Foodie Book.

Book I Chose: The Never-Open Desert Diner.

Synopsis: Ben Jones lives a quiet, hardscrabble life, working as a trucker on Route 117, a little-traveled road in a remote region of the Utah desert which serves as a haven for fugitives and others looking to hide from the world. For many of the desert s inhabitants, Ben’s visits are their only contact with the outside world, and the only landmark worth noting is a once-famous roadside diner that hasn’t opened in years. Ben’s routine is turned upside down when he stumbles across a beautiful woman named Claire playing a cello in an abandoned housing development. He can tell that she’s fleeing something in her past a dark secret that pushed her to the end of the earth but despite his better judgment he is inexorably drawn to her. As Ben and Claire fall in love, specters from her past begin to resurface, with serious and life-threatening consequences not only for them both, but for others who have made this desert their sanctuary. Dangerous men come looking for her, and as they turn Route 117 upside down in their search, the long-buried secrets of those who’ve laid claim to this desert come to light, bringing Ben and the other locals into deadly conflict with Claire’s pursuers. Ultimately, the answers they all seek are connected to the desert’s greatest mystery what really happened all those years ago at the never-open desert diner? In this unforgettable story of love and loss, Ben learns the enduring truth that some violent crimes renew themselves across generations.

Ok, granted this doesn’t really fall into the “foodie” category, but it does have a food-ish word in the title, so I’m counting it anyway. And in the interest of full disclosure, I got this book for free from Blogging for Books, but all opinions are my own!

Alright. So, as I stated, I received this book to review, and I wasn’t really sure what to expect. It looked interesting, so I decided to give it a try. And y’all. I loved it. I don’t think the above synopsis (from Goodreads) really quite captures what the book is about, but it sure tried.

RIVETING.

What part of the book could you NOT get enough of? Just… everything! It wasn’t particularly a fast-moving book, but I still found it fascinating and riveting and could not put it down. I think it just portrayed, well, what it means to be human, so well, and that’s why I loved it. The choices we make, the losses we experience, it’s all a part of humanity, and shapes us into who we are.

ELEMENTS.

How did you relate to/care for the characters? What’s your thought on the plot line and twists and turns? I really liked Ben. He’s a lonely bachelor truck-driver, and I could just tell that even though life has given him a hard time, he still has this love in him that he’s trying to show in his own way, by caring for the people along route 117. I also loved old, grouchy Walt Butterfield, the owner of the diner in the title. His story line broke my heart into a million pieces. The actual twist was a bit strange to me, but the characters and the scenery made it so I didn’t even care. I needed to know what was going to happen. I needed to know how these lonely desert dwellers would make it through.

ASSOCIATE.

What other books are like this one? If none, did it remind you of a particular TV or movie with it’s themes and characters? Hm, I’m not sure I really thought of any other books or shows while I read this book, but one reason I think I found it so fascinating is that it took place in Utah, my home state. And not only does it take place in Utah, but it takes place in the town of Price and the surrounding desert area. My father-in-law is from Price, so I have spent quite a bit of time in that small town and could picture it as I was reading, so it had a little extra meaning to me.

DESIGN.

You know you judged this book by the cover. What did you think of it? How did it relate to the contents of the novel? And the font and layout of the pages? I liked the cover. It shows a matchbook with the diner’s name, but mostly I loved the colors. The black, because this is kind of a dark and lonesome story, but also the beautiful colors of a desert sunset, which is mentioned several times throughout the book.

STARS.

How many out of five do you give this book? Would you recommend this book to a friend? I gave this book 4 stars. This story kept me reading from the get-go, had relatable and likable characters, and broke my heart, while offering a glimpse of hope. I would definitely recommend it, on the caveat that it’s not really the most uplifting book in the world. It’s rather gritty, without being crass or too disturbing. It’s just real.

 For Next Month:

December’s criteria is A Familiar Title. So grab one of your favorites, and then share it with us next month! We’ll link up on December 28th. Please join us!