Sunday, January 24, 2016

Remember Me This Way by Sabine Durrant

My rating: 3.5

A year after her husband Zach's death, Lizzie is haunted by him. In this psychological thriller, you don't know if Zach is haunting Lizzie to teach her a lesson or if he is really alive.


While this isn't the best psychological thriller that I have read, it was an enjoyable read.

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

The Girl Who Chased The Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

My rating: 3.2

Emily Benedict has come to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother's life. But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew, she realizes that mysteries aren't solved in Mullaby, they're a way of life. 


This was a light easy read with a predictable story but it was cute and I enjoyed the characters.


Monday, January 18, 2016

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

My rating: 1.5

This is about the twenty four year marriage of Lotto and Mathilde. Every story has two sides. Every relationship has two perspectives...and this book has people who either love it or hate it.

Just like The Monsters of Templeton Groff's writing is so unique that you aren't sure if you want to hang in there but, I was reassured that this book was worth it. Did I mention that this book has people who love it or hate it? A close girlfriend, who usually has the same taste in books as me, said that this book might be amongst her all time favorites.  For me, I can't express deeply enough how much I wish I could have the time back that I wasted reading this.


The writing is pretentious (you shouldn't constantly NOTICE the writing), the characters are dispiscable and I don't have anything positive to say other than, save your time and don't read this. My rating is giving Groff credit for her amazing writing ability. I just wish she had characters and a story to go along with it.



Tuesday, January 12, 2016

This is Your Life, Harriet Chance! by Jonathan Evison

My rating: 4.8

This book bounces around in time throughout Harriet Chance's life with an unknown narrator (ala the TV Show "This Is Your Life") from when she is a baby to 79 and at many points in between. It continually returns to present day, when Harriet is 79 years old. This is a beautiful blend of realizing that you shouldn't be too troubled over anything in life as most of it is inconsequential. This book captures how life can be about secrets, disappointments and learning to come to terms with your past.


This is a light easy read and yet it also has so much depth that I think may be lost on anyone who hasn't lived a lot of years/experiences. There were so many passages in this book that stood out for me. There are several 'surprises' so I recommend not reading too much about this book but simply jumping in and enjoying. The audio version was narrated beautifully.

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

My rating: 4.7

Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice" of Kinnakee, Kansas.” She survived—and her testimony convicted her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, as the killer. Twenty-five years later, the Kill Club—a secret secret society obsessed with notorious crimes—locates Libby and pumps her for details. They hope to discover proof that may free Ben. Libby hopes to turn a profit off her tragic history.


True to Flynn's style, this book was very uncomfortable for me in all of the dysfunction. It flashes back and forth in time from pre-murder to modern day....closing in on the actual murder. I wasn't sure how I felt till the end and realized that, I loved it including all of it's warped twisted portrayal of every character.

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indriðason

My rating: 4.4

This is the 2nd book in this murder mystery series. When a skeleton is discovered half-buried in a construction site outside of Reykjavík, Inspector Erlendur finds himself knee-deep in both a crime scene and an archeological dig. Bone by bone, the body is unearthed, and the brutalizing history of a family who lived near the building site comes to light along with it.

As Erlendur tries to crack this cold case, he must also save his drug-addicted daughter Eva Lind from self destruction.


This is an enjoyable read but, I may have read it too close on the heels to the first book as I think I need a break from this series for a while.  Also, like the first book which I enjoyed, I found that the ending wasn't memorable and didn't stay with me.