Slade House by David Mitchell

My rating: 1.0

Despite David Mitchell's wonderfully readable writing style, this was another book that is just not for me. A couple reasons were:

• Each chapter read like a short story and I don't generally like short stories;
• He would start using 'magical terms, phrases and references that you didn't know what they meant.  If you hung in there long enough he would explain them but, he did this all too frequently for my taste
• The characters felt very fluffy and superficial. If this was supposed to be scary, I felt it was more silly and childish with the characters

All in all, I am happy to let this go and move on to other books.

H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald

My rating: 1.0

Desite some beautifully written passages, this "Misery Memoir" just didn't grab me. Rather than continue to struggle through it, I decided to move on to other books.

The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell

My rating: 3.1

Rose Baker is an orphaned young woman working for her bread as a typist in a police precinct on the lower East Side. When Odalie begins work at the precinct Rose finds herself falling under the new typist's spell. As the two girls' friendship blossoms and they flit between the sparkling underworld of speakeasies by night, and their work at the precinct by day, it is not long before Rose's fascination for her new colleague turns to obsession.

The author does a great job of foreshadowing so you know there is a twist waiting for you long before you get there....although I wasn't quite sure what the twist meant and reading others interpretations see it can mean a couple of different ways. Maybe this was too long as the story line and characters seemed to drag. If this had been a little more condensed it would have flowed better for me.

Sweetheart by Chelsea Cain

My rating: 4.8

This is the 2nd book in the Chelsea Cain series. This is a fun serial murder book (ok, I can't believe I just typed that lol!) It has good characters and plot and is so twisted you want to keep turning the pages.

This second book explores other murders while continuing to delve deeper into the very bizarre relationship between Detective Archie Sheridan and the serial killer Gretchen Lowell.  I will probably take a break from this series for a bit but will read more in the future.

Bookmarks Magazine - Mar/Apr

I just got my latest Bookmarks Magazine - and unfortunately I am slammed with work.  I did manage to make the time to glance through it this morning over a cup of coffee and here are the reads that jumped out at me that I am going to put in my queue: (all book covers are clickable and take you to Amazon....but I found all the books at my online library)

This one is out of my comfort zone but, the review was so intriguing I added it to my library queue.

      

 Let me know what books you have in your queue (whether from Bookmarks or some other source)

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

My rating: 2.5

In the early 60's, Eileen works in a boys prison by day and takes care of her drunken father at night. This book was very depressing and all of the characters were pitiable and despicable and the plot drags. It is definitely a character focused book.  At 80% of the way in there was a twist that could have possibly redeemed the book but, alas, it didn't. This would have worked better as a short story as it definitely dragged.

Heartsick by Chelsea Cain

My rating: 4.8

When this book opened, I didn't think I was going to enjoy it.  I thought this was going to be a formula serial murder book. I am so happy to say that I was wrong. This novel is extremely well written with characters that have depth and a plot that has twists to mention it is set in fabulous Portland Oregon. 

Two years ago, Gretchen Lowell kidnapped Detective Archie Sheridan and tortured him for ten days, but instead of killing him, she mysteriously decided to let him go. She turned herself in, and now Gretchen has been locked away for the rest of her life.  This book opens on the scene of 

I have heard this described as the next "Silence of the Lambs" and I can understand the comparison. It kept me glued to every word till the end...and then I immediately checked out the second book in the series to devour.

The Girl With A Clock For A Heart by Peter Swanson

My rating: 3.5

George knows his first love/college sweetheart Liane is trouble but when she reappears in his life, he still can't say no. 

Every decision George makes you are screaming "Noooooooooooooo!" at him and yet, I went along with him every step of the way. It was a fun ride.

I don't like books that are tied up in a neat bow but, at the end, I definitely want more closure.  This book reminded me of Swanson's newer book The Kind Worth Killing. Both books are optioned for movies, I think you can tell that The Kind Worth Killing was a higher caliber book.

The House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

My rating: 1.5

This was a more challenging read than I am up for right now...and maybe ever. This is called an 'interactive' book.  Some pages have one paragraph.  Some pages have one word. Some are written upside down. Some are written in columns. There are LONG footnotes that go on for pages. It is said that if Blair Witch project was a book, this would be it.

Despite this being very well written, my brain just was not up for a piece of work that is challenging.  You can see by the reviews that people either love or hate this but, since I didn't finish it, I can't way.  Let me know if you read it what you thought.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.