How To Stop Time by Matt Haig

Rating: 3.0

Tom has a dangerous secret. He may look like an ordinary 41-year-old, but owing to a rare condition, he's been alive for centuries. Tom has lived history--performing with Shakespeare, exploring the high seas with Captain Cook, and sharing cocktails with Fitzgerald. Now, he just wants an ordinary life. Not aging sounds like a great problem to have but, when people start noticing, it is time to move.

This flashes back and forth in time showing us the many lives that Tom has lived.  While this started off as enjoyable it quickly felt like a forced history lesson and it dragged (maybe how Tom felt living so long). A better time travel book would be The Time Traveler's Wife

Our Kind of Cruelty by Arminta Hall

My Rating: 3.5

After a brutal childhood, Mike has met the love of his life in Verity. V taught him about love, and in return, Mike has dedicated his life to making her happy. He’s found the perfect home, the perfect job, he’s sculpted himself into the physical ideal V has always wanted. He knows they’ll be blissfully happy together.

It doesn’t matter that she hasn’t been returning his emails or phone calls. It doesn’t matter that she says she’s marrying Angus. It’s all just part of the secret game they used to play. If Mike watches V closely, he’ll see the signs. If he keeps track of her every move he’ll know just when to come to her rescue.

Despite having some slower sections, I felt that this was a page turner so, why didn't I rate it higher?  The ending drove me as crazy as Mike! I have so many questions. I don't like books that tie up in a neat bow but, I truly didn't know what to think at the end and that frustrated me.  No matter who was in on what, this was about a lot of craziness.Don't read this if you think there is a big reveal or surprise as there is not.

Us Against You by Fredrick Backman

My Rating:4.9

This is a continuation of Beartown's hockey team vs the neighboring town of Hed's hockey team as well as the other residents of this remote Swedish town. This is about so much more than hockey.

Backman's simple sentence structure is so powerful. In my opinion, you have to read the 1st book in this series which is Beartown in order to understand Us Against You. 

The Name of the Wind by Philip Rothfuss

My rating: 5.0

This flashes back and forth in time between modern day when Kvothe is an innkeeper and back to his youth. He recalls how he grew up with amazing loving parents in a troupe and how they were family who fostered him to grow into the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen.

What an amazing writer. This reminded me of a much more mature version of Harry Potter with less magic. The back story on the gods was a bit tiresome (picture reading about Greek Gods) but I loved the rest and will definitely be reading the other books in this series.

The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner

My Rating: 4.2

A young mother disappears leaving behind her husband and four year old daughter. Detective Sergeant D. D. Warren senses something off about the picture of wholesome normality the couple worked so hard to create. On the surface, Jason and Sandra Jones are like any other hardworking young couple raising a four-year-old child. But it is just under the surface that things grew murky.

I am enjoying this series but this wasn't my favorite of the four I have read so far. Still, I will keep reading to see what else unfolds in this twisted, thriller, series.

Anatomy Of A Scandal by Sarah Vaughan

My rating: 4.7

James is a member of Parliament and seems to have an idyllic marriage until James confesses to his wife Sophie that he has had a five month long affair with Olivia, a co-worker. He ended it so why is he confessing? As she is reeling and trying to process this he admits to the reason why he told her....the newspaper scandal rags have found out and it is all going to be in morning paper. Then things get unspeakably worse as Olivia says she was raped.

This is not really a suspenseful beach thriller but more of a serious court drama. I listened to the audio version and it was brilliant in the unfolding of what happened, capturing the voices and keeping me on the edge of my seat. I felt so uncomfortable for Sophie, Olivia and Kate so have to say that the author did a fabulous job. 

Hide by Lisa Gardner

My rating: 4.7

From the first book in this series Alone, Bobby Dodge returns in this edge of your seat thriller. On the grounds of an abandoned Massachusetts mental hospital, in an underground chamber they make the gruesome discovery of six mummified corpses.

Annabelle Granger has been in hiding for as long as she can remember. Now one of the body unearthed from the chamber is wearing a necklace bearing Annabelle’s name, and the danger is too close to escape.

I listened to the audio version and it kept me on the edge of my seat. After Alone, I understood a lot of these characters and also enjoyed the new characters of Annabelle and her dog Bella. I will definitely be reading more in this addictive series.

Alone by Lisa Gardner

My rating: 4.1

Massachusetts State Trooper Bobby Dodge watches a tense hostage standoff unfold through the scope of his sniper rifle and when the man appears to be going to shoot his wife, Bobby fires. This is Catherine Gagnon's husband that Bobby just killed. Her father-in-law, the powerful Judge Gagnon, blames Catherine for his son’s death . . . and for the series of unexplained illnesses that have sent her own young son repeatedly to the hospital.

This is the first book in the series but you don't have to read them in order (this wasn't the first one that I read in the series). While this wasn't as good as Find Her, it was still very enjoyable and now that I am reading more in the series it helps me to understand that Gardner was building the back-story. 

The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz

My rating: 5.0

This book makes the groundbreaking claim that more, not less, dietary fat—including saturated fat—is what leads to better health and wellness. Science shows that we have been needlessly avoiding meat, cheese, whole milk, and eggs for decades and that we can now, guilt-free, welcome these delicious foods back into our lives.

We have all read studies or seen documentaries that tell us how being vegetarian or vegan leads to better health, lower cancer rates, etc. and it has even caused many of us to change how we eat. Nina Teicholz read all these studies (not just the summary conclusions) to understand them. In this book, she sheds a new light on so many studies and whether the conclusions that were drawn were accurate. I got sick from my diet (vegan and high carbs) and healed with protein and fat.  Now I understand why.

The Gift by Louise Jensen

My Rating: 1.5

Jenna gets a heart transplant from a girl named Callie. Jenna meets Callie's family and becomes obsessed with knowing how Callie died. Jenna experiences Cellular Memory where she has flashes of Callie's memories.

This was a promising idea for a story and it fell completely and utterly flat.  The author trying to infuse suspense was horrifically painful drawn out dribble. Jenna making so many ludicrous decisions as well as pushing everyone away was so irritating and caused me to not like the character. By the end, I was very ready to be done with this. Definitely do NOT recommend.

The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness

Rating: 4.9

George finds a giant white crane in his back yard with an arrow through it's wing. In the cold winter blue moonlight, George helps the bird and watches as it flies off not realizing that his life is transformed. The next day, Kimoko walks into his print shop and this is the beginning of a magical, romantic and unexpected journey.

I loved George, Kimoko and even George's socially challenged daughter Amanda.  This captured my heart. The magical realism parts were a bit much for my taste but Ness' writing is so gorgeous that it kept me reading till the last page. I didn't want this to end. This is a unique novel and won't be for everyone but for those who enjoy amazing writing you will be enthralled.

Find Her by Lisa Gardner

Rating: 4.8

It is 5 years since Flora was kidnapped from a Spring Break vacation in Florida and held for 452 days. She was captive in a pine box and brutalized. When Detective D.D. Warren is called to the scene of a crime with a dead man and a girl who is naked an in handcuffs, she pieces together that not only is the naked handcuffed girl Flora but, Flora has had similar encounters with 3 others.  Is Flora vigilante or victim?

Another suspend reality and enjoy the ride type of thriller. This had me up way too late turning the pages to find out what happened. 

Bookmarks Magazine - July/August 2019

What better way to relax after my trip to China than coming home to a Bookmarks Magazine (although it would been amazing to have on the plane ride!)

    
I don't normally like short stories but for some reason this one called to me:



I don't know if I am still jetlagged or if this issue didn't have near as many good books in it but not a lot called my name. I will be putting this edition in my suitcase to go over again.If you get Bookmarks, let me know which ones you think I missed that I should add!

Every Note Played by Lisa Genova

My rating: 4.9

An accomplished concert pianist, Richard is dealing with ALS. She knows the details of the disease and takes us through the grueling daily challenges of living with ALS that most of us probably never thought about. His ex-wife Karina becomes his reluctant caretaker. You not only understand ALS and the deterioration but, you understand Richard and Karina's marriage and each of their roles in it's demise.

This was sad but it didn't feel depressing as it was so real and honest. I felt like I would know what it would be like to have ALS or the emtions of caring for someone with ALS. Genova is a truly gifted author and she uses her knowledge or neuroscience in a way to educate without lecturing. I think this was even better than her previous book Still Alice. She is a true talent at adeptly handling difficult topics..

The Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

My rating: 3.6

TifAni went to prestigious Bradley School and endured a shocking, public humiliation that left her desperate to reinvent herself. She now has a glamorous job, expensive wardrobe, and handsome blue blood fiancé. She has worked hard to achieve what she has and you find out what has driven her through various flash backs.

This is a hard one for me to review. The first 1/3 of the book was not enjoyable at all - Ani is a superficial conniving woman that was so manipulative it set my teeth on edge. Then there is a big reveal that was so horrific and reeled me in and got me to see Ani in a different light. Then things were a bit more entertaining but still dragged till the next big reveal. Then things flowed a bit better and then wrapped up. This had enough that I kept reading and don't regret it but can't say this is a must read. For me, two contrived "big incidents" don't make up for completely unlikable characters and a poor story line.