Ashley
BLUF: Satisfying wrap up to a trilogy. (Not a standalone.)
I was provided a copy of this book from netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review
The concept of this series is amazing. Jane Spears, a former spy, assassin, and master sergeant, is a mind runner. She enters the minds of victims and criminals in order to gain information needed in the real world. It's an emotional job and coming out of a run creates uncertainty in the runner about what is real and what was in the mind. As if this isn't stressful enough, Jane is being swept into a royal wedding – her wedding – to a man whose wealth and social status intimidates her.
I saw this book and its' description on NetGalley and I just had to read it. I didn't realize this was a trilogy until reading the “Acknowledgements” section at the end (d'oh!).
The relationships in this book are well done, and as complicated as they are in life. The only relationship I thought was off was the one between Jane and Dash. I don't understand their relationship at all, which leads me to believe that there are some major events I missed from the first two books.
The mind running performed in this book is (what I assume) a continuation from the second book. It's entertaining, but there are no new cases introduced, criminals put away, or cases solved.
Overall, this book is the completion to a trilogy, not the standalone I mistook it for. It seems to wrap up the series in a fulfilling way, but I couldn't fall in love with the action or characters without reading the first two books.
BLUF: Quick paced thriller that will hook you from the start, but may leave you with questions in the end.
I was provided a copy of this book from netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review
This book will hook you from the first page and not let you go until you finish. Truly. It's the first book I have read in a long time that keeps me interested and wanting more. Despite being exhausted, I just had to finish the last 20% of the book last night. I couldn't bring myself to put this book down.
Someone to Save You begins with our protagonist, Sam Becker, being drawn to a potential suicide – a mother who intends to kill herself and her children by placing their car on the train tracks and waiting to be struck by the next train. What starts as an appreciation for Sam's heroic actions soon takes a sick twist by opening wounds in Sam's past and plunging Sam into a living nightmare.
I really enjoyed this book. It's fast paced and kept me thinking about what I had read so far. Throughout this book, I had suspicions about characters, but could never finger one person or another as the culprit. There was never enough reason to blame one person over another.
I also adored the relationships between the characters in this book. I thought these were well done and believable, although the relationship between Sam and his wife was lacking.
My only issue with this book is that the end leaves the readers with questions. I am able to find reasoning for the destruction of the Ainsley family and of Miles. It shows a pattern of insanity the intense destruction our villain enacts against those who cross him. What I don't understand is how Jody fits into this novel. I understand her desire to help Sam and the Ainsley family is a reaction of anger against Vincent for murdering Mel, but her assistance at the end of the novel doesn't make any sense. It implies that she started the fire at the facility which could mean a) she exacted revenge for Mel's death or b) she was in on it. A) doesn't make sense considering that Anna overheard the bad guys talking about starting the fire and evacuating so... what gives? We will never know. Additionally, like others, I find it to believe that somebody would care about ruining Marcus' life for over fifteen years. That said, I wouldn't let these questions stop you from picking up this book.
BLUF: Ties up The Poet (Jack McEvoy Book #1)
The Narrows follows detective Hieronymus Bosch as he tries to uncover the truth about his late friend's heart attack. His late friend, Terry, is a sea charter captain who, in his spare time, helps other agencies solve cases pro bono. In order to solve Terry's death, Bosch must first determine whether Terry came too close to one of the killers in his files or if his death is closer to home.
Let me preface, this is only the third Michael Connelly story I have read. I started with The Poet and then read The Black Echo. Maybe it's a coincidence, but all three books go the same way: Main Character comes into knowledge about a case, Main Character forces way into investigation, FBI tries to block main character from investigation, Main Character has relations with FBI Detective which, oh, by the way, gains him access to the case, FBI Detective ends relations, Case ends.
The problem I have with these stories is that I cannot emotionally connect with the characters. Bosch is a notorious pain in the ass that doesn't care about anybody but himself and, somehow, gets the girl anyways. The girl then, at the end of the book, abruptly ends the relationship as if there was no meaning to it at all. In this book, they have relations once and then they pretend like nothing ever happens. Um, what? Does this happen in real life?
The detective story itself is fine. The book pieces the clues together in a way that keeps you entertained, but not enthralled. This isn't a thriller; it won't hook you into the story. It simply provides a resolution to The Poet.
BLUF: YA is not my thing. (Reader beware: This book includes supernatural elements.)
John Wayne Cleaver is a 15-year-old destined to be a serial killer, but he's trying to stall his fate. Well, sort of. John Wayne has rules for himself, similar to Dexter, but he's willing to break them in order to take care of the serial killer who is treading on his home turf. Will John Wayne be able to manage his temptations in order to allow the police to capture the serial killer, or will he take the case into his own hands?
I chose this book because of its' title and cover. I didn't realize it was a YA novel until about halfway through the book (Yes, I am THAT slow at putting things together).
I found John Wayne to be interesting concept, but the teenager had insight far past his age. He acted in ways that I wouldn't imagine a teen to act in - even a sociopathic one. For example, at one point John Wayne tells off a bully in a way that is so wordy and reflective for a boy his age (or even an adult) that it's difficult to find his character as realistic. On top of this, John Wayne's mother seems pretty immature, which causes John Wayne to seem even more unrealistic.
That said, I can't push too hard against the realism of the story – it has supernatural elements. This is another aspect that caught me by surprise. It's not necessarily a bad turn, but if you are looking for something more realistic, you may want to steer clear.
BLUF: I'm not a fan of this book, but will likely read the next one anyways.
Cormoran Strike and his steady sidekick are back! After solving the Lula Landry case, Strike has become quite famous. On the plus side, the fame has resolved all traces of the debts Strike used to have. On the flip side, it's a complete bore working for the rich and entitled. When the eccentric wife of a narcissistic artist comes in, urging Strike to help recover her husband from wherever he is pouting, Strike takes the case simply to shake the boredom. As always, the case isn't as easy as it seems.
I just couldn't get into this one. The case was intriguing, but all the characters were written to be awful. I'm certain this is a play on reality or a critic of the publishing industry or elitist groups, but I didn't find it appealing, insightful, or interesting. I will likely find my way into the third book when it comes out, but I'm hoping for something more.
BLUF: I didn't find the main character appealing.
I feel guilty writing reviews of books that were written in the late ‘80s, early ‘90s. It was a whole different world back then. I would love to get into some of these popular author's books, but they seem to be mostly in series from this time and I just don't know where to start.
Rules of Prey follows “maddog”, a serial rapist/murderer who is obsessive about leaving no traces at his crime scenes with the exception to his own notes – each of which lists a rule that he keeps in order to ensure he doesn't get caught. Lucas Davenport, a playboy detective, will do anything to catch this killer – including feeding lies to the media, setting up unsuspecting victims, and withholding information from his station.
Rules of Prey introduces us to the murderer from the beginning. There isn't any mystery in who he is or his motives, but rather, when the police will uncover these truths. He's described as highly intelligent, but never shows this trait. Rather he is a player who enjoys the game he creates between him and the police.
Another individual described as intelligent is Lucas Davenport. I'm not buying it. I know it's indicative of the times, but I just can't respect a man who uses women as if they aren't worth anything ESPECIALLY a man who chooses to act this way after finding out one of the women, who he actually likes as a person, is pregnant. Talk about chauvinistic.. but hey, he only sleeps with smart women – maybe he hopes they'll rub off on him.
“You know enough of [the women that I have dated] to see the pattern,” he said. “I don't go out with dummies.”
BLUF: More writing than action. Good story, good writing, but unsatisfying ending.
The Cuckoo's Calling revolves around recently heartbroken Cormoran Strike. Down on his luck, and his funds, he is less than thrilled when the temp agency sends him a new, wannabe P.I. receptionist, Robin Ellacot. Lucky for him, he has a new client who is willing to pay Cormoran much more than he's worth in exchange for investigating a clear, and well-publicized suicide. Cormoran, against his better judgment and morals, takes on this case and soon discovers that things aren't what they seem.
There is little action in this book – it's all words. For me, that wasn't a problem at all. I love the way Rowling writes. The downside for me is that I'm not familiar with British English. I had to look up A LOT of words..
Another aspect of the book that presents an issue to the reader is the ending. It leaves more questions than answers.
BLUF: Humorous insight into another's profession and/or the difficult years of being an intern/resident.
Let me start out with acknowledging that the author isn't always truthful in his accounts and has a history of embellishing his stories with events that didn't actually happen. If you're looking for an accurate account, this may bother you and you may want to research the author and his controversy before cracking this book open. If you're okay with the idea that this account may not be entirely truthful, you're in for a treat.
I didn't know anything about this book when I picked it. It was simply one of the new books on my OverDrive library, described as being a humorous account of a doctor's resident years. Well, this book is exactly that.
We follow Matt McCarthy through his first years on the job at a training hospital. As expected, there are many ups and downs in this novel, from interactions with patients and other residents to the trauma that a patient's death causes to the insecurity one feels being new in a field that requires experience.
It's amazing how well the writer can take an everyday life story and transform it into something captivating. This book is an emotional and entertaining read.
BLUF: Stereotypical detective story.
In hindsight...
I'm not sure if it's funny, or sad, but little more than a month later, I am having problems remembering what I enjoyed about this book.
The Black Echo follows detective Harry Bosch, a former tunnel rat, whose partner is more interested in selling real estate than solving crimes. This doesn't bother Bosch, who is your stereotypical lone cop that doesn't play well with others or follow the rules. Bosch takes a cut and dry overdose and delves into the possibility of murder. For me, it was too far fetched that this detective would have pushed to research a death that was seemingly straightforward, but it plays into his stubborn nature and, as it turns out, the death was not as obvious as it seemed. To make it more interesting, his department has surveillance on him due to his questionable methods and, of course, his blatant disregard for authority.
I have this bad habit of researching a character that I cannot place and turning to Wikipedia or an online blog in order to figure out their role. Well, Wikipedia gave away the ending for me, which greatly took away from the story. Because of this, it was difficult for me to take the relationships as the author intended.
That said, I found this novel intriguing and easy to follow. Bosch is your typical, arrogant detective who is better than everybody else and a hell of a lot smarter. He works through the case, opening more doors than he closes, and ends up discovering the truth, even though it is a surprise to the readers.
While I wouldn't call this novel suspenseful, I was pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns of the story and enjoyed this novel very much. It's the classic detective novel I was looking for and I couldn't put the novel down until I finished it.
BLUF: Good concept, but the relationship is overly idealistic and keeps the reader at an arm's distance.
In hindsight...
I chose this book to fulfill the “classic romance” portion of my 2015 reading challenge. I don't really know what a classic romance is, but most books on the classic romance list were published in the 1900s or before – something I knew I wouldn't be able to finish – so, alas, I chose this classic.
Let's start with the bad: The relationship held by the main characters is insanely unrealistic. Their entire relationship is without conflict and is overly endearing. This is primarily because the book doesn't give you the opportunity to truly know the characters. Like another reviewer explained, you read about what they do, but aren't privy to how they feel. Also, there is too much sex considering how impersonal their relationship reads. It's not appealing.
The idea that Henry completely (and easily) drops his current relationship for Clare is hard to believe. Actually, everything surrounding that aspect of the book was hard to believe. From the ex's friend discussing and becoming friends with Clare to the suicide as a result of Henry leaving this woman. It should have been better explained.
Now with the good: Having read the reviews prior to the book, I entertained lowered expectations. So, feel free to take my review with a grain of salt.
I really enjoyed the concept behind this book as well as the execution. It didn't bother me that the book jumped in time. Actually, I enjoyed this style and cannot imagine any other style to be as effective. As another reader so finely put it, this novel is science fiction marketed as fiction to attract more readers and, guess what? It works.
I know this sounds ridiculous but I enjoyed that there were characters in the story that knew Henry's secret and that there was a medial research aspect entertained. It made the concept of time travel more real to me. (That said, I am able to suspend my disbelief easier than others.)
The end was heart wrenching. Truly. It was worthwhile and a large portion of why I voted three stars instead of two.
BLUF: Don't start the series with this book.
In hindsight...
This is the first Shakespeare book I read in the series due to it fitting a reading challenge I was participating in. I wouldn't advise reading this out of series.
Essentially, our heroine, Lily Bard, revisits her hometown in order to participate in her sister's wedding. Two things scar what should be a joyous time: Lily has not been home since she was raped/tortured seven years ago and there has been a murder that shakes her quiet hometown.
Okay, I admit, claiming murder is a gross underestimation of the true action that occurs in this book. Like all good murder mysteries, this murder unwraps itself into something much more sinister and intriguing. This story kept me guessing until the end – a perfect mix of suspense and foreshadowing that keeps the reader guessing.
The problem for me with this book was that Lily seemed very cold and antisocial. It's easy to attribute this to her incident in this town, but it makes it very hard to feel any sort of attachment to Lily if this is the first book you pick up in the series. I felt very detached and apathetic toward Lily..
In the end, this is an okay standalone, but I feel like I would hold an entirely different perspective (and rating) if I had read this series in order.
BLUF: I didn't see it coming!
I feel quite opposite from other readers. I thought the story was just okay, but the ending was great.
Our main character, Zoe, is a resident in training at a psych ward, who needs quite a bit of psychological help herself. She's imperfect, impractical, and, well, human. It's not so much her story that is interesting in this book as much as it is the hospital and their patients. Zoe's patient Sofia, a ruthless killer, may be set free if Zoe cannot determine a convincing reason against it!
As we delve more into Zoe's subconscious to find the truth about her childhood, we also take steps to uncover the motives behind Sofia's murders. As promised, the story ends with a twist that will (hopefully) catch you as surprised as I was.
I received this book through GoodRead's First Reads Program
BLUF: Great story with a poor ending.
The premise of this book is pretty simple. Wife goes missing. Husband didn't do it. Police think he did. It's an irresistible storyline.
Which is why you will keep reading even after you realize that the husband is a dope, the wife is likeable but socially ridiculous, and that the story continues despite having nothing interesting to share...
...but then there is a twist. It's wonderful. Even though you don't care about the players, you cannot put this book down. Sorry for the cliche, but it's like watching a car wreck - you just cannot look away, for better or worse.
Which is fortunate because, while it gets better, the ending is not satisfying.
The reason I marked this as a recommended title is because I couldn't stop talking to people about this book after the twist. I rarely share like this.
BLUF: I am non-religious (agnostic), but I enjoy and recommend this book.
This is My Body is a memoir. There are two story lines in this book. One is a preparation for an Ironman event; the other is an overview of Ragan's life. A forewarning: I'm not going to do this book any justice with this overview because it's deeper than these words can really explain.
In preparation for the event, we train with Ragan and feel with him the connection of mind, body, and soul. The dedication that goes into training and preparing for such an event is intense and, through Ragan, we are able to share this experience even if we aren't looking to experience it ourselves.
In the memoir portion of the book, we travel with Ragan through his life - from college to marriage, from being misguided to spiritually whole, from views on the church to where his view differ, from marital problems to the bliss of new life, etc. Like I said, I'm not giving this book the words it earns..
Being non-religious, I was worried that the religious aspect of this book would be obtrusively dominant in this memoir. Well.. It's not. Religion is a very important part of a person's life, yes, but Ragan details his thoughts in a conversational way. He doesn't push his views on the readers – he explains his life and how he became the man he is today.
Ragan has faults, rants, and hypocritical thoughts like the rest of us. I'm not going to tell you this book affected me religiously and it's not necessarily inspiring, but this book, Ragan's life and writing, is enjoyable. It's nice to see life through another's eyes, especially when it is as well written as This is My Body is. The story lines are intermingled, but flow well together. If you're questioning whether you should read this or not, I would recommend you pick it up.
**I received this book free as a part of GoodRead's First Reads program.”
BLUF: Slow, but steady read. Good for those (like me) who naturally suspend their disbelief.
Meet Charlie, “Bird”. Bird is a poor excuse for a husband, but didn't deserve the loss of his wife and his daughter to a serial killer. After the death of his family, Bird left the NYPD for freelance detective work. Well, sort of. The book starts with Bird acting as a bounty hunter to pass the time, but he is soon wrapped into a case to find a missing woman as a favor to an old PD friend.
What should be a simple case soon becomes more complicated. As the bodies start piling up around the missing woman case, Bird also has to deal with the return of his wife and daughter's killer. Obsessively, Bird seeks to trap his family's killers. The hunt is on.
This book starts rather gruesomely, with the detailed killings of our main character's wife and child. A lot of people are not going to be interested in reading such details, but, for the rest of us, the morbid curiosity is all we need to get sucked into this book.
The first case is slow and not very entertaining. Bird travels to a town where nobody wants to deal with him. The case isn't very interesting and the effort the “bad guys” put into inconveniencing Bird is bizarre and excessive. The case has an enjoyable ending and I would have felt comfortable ending the book right then.
After the first case and a call from the killer himself/herself, Bird gets renewed motivation to track down his family's killer. Along the way, Bird finds himself dragged into gang turf wars, frozen out of the FBI's investigation, and in the arms of a new lover. This case is more enjoyable, but not necessarily “realistic”.
This book contained little things that I felt were truly unrealistic. At one point, the police act on Bird's tip without any real question or further proof. Quick friendships with gang leads, welcoming into the FBI investigation, even if informally, and friends who would drop anything to fly to where you are and wreak havoc is a bit.. far-fetched for me.
All-in-all, I enjoyed this book and will revisited the series at some point in the future.
BLUF: This book contains well-built characters and a walk through a fantasy world consisting of characters that represent the embodiments of human characteristics. It is bit gloomy at times, but I enjoyed this book.
The Darkness of the Womb weaves our reality with the Internal Landscape, the reality we enter before and after life. In our reality, Marigold and Jeff are down on their luck. Actually, they are barely scraping by on Jeff's salary. Jeff tries hard at work, but his supervisors are out to make the lives of their subordinates miserable. Marigold is unfortunately unemployed and very fortunately pregnant. Jeff and her have been trying, unsuccessfully, for children for a while now. Little do they know, their son wants to be miscarried. It is up to them to venture in the Internal Landscape to save him from himself and bring him into their world.
The Reality
My complaint about the day-to-day portion of this story is that it is filled with negative emotions/occurrences. These correspond with the story and are absolutely supposed to be there, but, as a reader, I don't like to feel depressed by reality. Let's just say that I prefer my reality to be written a little less realistically.
Putting that aside, I enjoyed the main characters here. The more the story uncovers about the lives and characteristics that create the characters, the more you enjoy them. They were real people (well built) and I connected with them quickly. Steve becomes the main character in this realm. He's an odd duck, but very likable.
The Internal Landscape
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the fantasy portion. (Fantasy is far from my preferred genre.) Knight's personification of instinct, logic, purpose, love, and lust is brilliant. The conflicts and confusion between these characters will keep you entertained and intrigued.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It leaves you wondering, “What's next?” without feeling robbed of an ending. (AKA, It's tied up nicely, but leaves room for a sequel.)
BLUF: Try reading the first chapter. If you can get through the lecture without finding it tedious, you may enjoy this book. If you can't, well, it doesn't get any better from there.
I think this book...
...has few similarities with the movie.
This is actually a good thing. There is a scene or two that is similar from the movie, but that's it.
... is fine to read as a standalone.
You don't need to read the first book in order to understand this book.
...is descriptive, but not about things we care about.
Lost World is filled primarily with the long-winded lectures/rambles by one of the main characters Malcolm.
... is lacking a good story line.
You start with the character introductions. Then it moves to a character getting lost/stuck/needing help on an island.One story line turns into a rescue mission. The rescue mission falls apart when said character ends up not wanting to be rescued from the island. They seem to hang out a bit, in awe naturally, of what is going on around them, but don't seem to care much about leaving the island.You have another story line develop around a group of people who tracked the above character to the island, and seem interested in collecting dinosaur eggs for some reason. These characters are presumed to be the bad guys, but they don't interact enough with their counterparts to really add to the story.
...is lacking normal character emotions?
There is some awe and some fear in the book, but not as much as I would expect. This may be my apathy for the book talking though.
BLUF: Skip this series. If you do choose to read this story, don't expect it to be anything like the Hunger Games.
Pros
- Good idea for a story
- Poor execution of the story
- Characters have no depth
- Characters use works like “shuck” in place of f... (I'm not a fan of slang as is)
- Characters suddenly and miraculously know solutions to their problems, without any sort of struggle or lead up to the realization
- The book drags
- The book ends in a cliffhanger
BLUF: I would not recommend this book simply because it is monotonous; however, I enjoyed the (fictional or not) insight into a country much different than our own.
“Ga thought about reminding the dear leader that they lived in a land where people had been trained to accept any reality presented to them. He considered sharing how there was only one penalty, the ultimate one, for questioning reality. How a citizen could fall into great jeopardy for simply noticing that realities had changed.”
BLUF: Great book. Great standalone. The story is not suspenseful for the most part, but it is captivating. I highly recommend.
While solving a case regarding endangered species, Forrest Ranger Joe Pickett receives news that they found a girl badly beaten on the side of the highway. They aren't sure, but she resembles his daughter. Joe takes us on a journey to find out what happened to the girl and the endangered species.
Really, the summary does not give this book any justice. CJ Box hooks readers from the start and does not let go. By weaving the multiple vantages into one story, CJ Box will leave you on the edge of your seat. Unfortunately, I cannot say much about this book without giving anything away! Characters are realistic, writing is wonderful, storyline draws you in, and this can be read as a standalone. Only thing I had a problem with in this book is that I don't know Western terms – but there were few are far between.
I will definitely be reading more from CJ Box!
I received this book as part of GoodRead's First Read program
BLUF: Good guide for those looking for or starting their first job. For those on the job a year or more, you will get a few great tips, but this is a guide, not a self-improvement book.
Pros
- Few great tips including: importance of organization, setting priorities, and managing expectations; phone/email etiquette; research expectations; and FIO (figure it out).
- Her writing is easy to read and she uses personal experience for examples.
- Great foundation for those new to having a career to build from.
- Written with the assumption you are going to be an assistant or secretary.
- Few bad tips including: Knowing your supervisor's friends and favorite restaurants; solving office politics by simply ignoring your frustrations and continuing on in a miserable environment as if it wasn't; telling your coworkers and customers about your next dream job when you're still at your current employer; and showing up first and leaving last aka, revolving around your boss' schedule (Okay advice, but my job is to be efficient. Should I feel obligated to come in at 8:30 like my boss? No, I'm going to kick butt at 6:00. Also, dedicating time off the clock to your employer will often get you in trouble).
- All advice centers on the author. This means that there is a strong chance it's not applicable to you. For example, telling night owls to wake up early because it works for the author is rather counterproductive for the night owls.
- Has a section on how to deal with a difficult boss, but doesn't actually give you any good advice! This would have been the most beneficial section to those of us a year or two into our first jobs
- The last sections on how to schedule your social skills and other personal, non work related was halfbaked.
BLUF: Great book, I highly recommend this to those who want to learn about habits and/or their own (and spouse's) habit tendencies. 4.5 stars.
This book covers everything you want to know about habits, including the importance of monitoring, the problems with rewards, and (of course) how to make habits work for you.
–
“From what I've observed, our Tendencies are hard wired, and while they can be offset to some degree, they can't be changed.” “Yet whatever our Tendency, with greater experience and wisdom, we can learn to counterbalance its negative aspects.”
BLUF: Not amazing, but not bad - this book is somewhere in the middle. It can be read as a standalone.
Private London follows two detectives: Kirsty Webb, who works for the police, and Dan Carter, who works for Private's London branch. Kirsty Webb is working to find a serial killer who preys on young women. Dan Carter's current assignments is to watch over and protect the daughter of a wealthy businessman – but when she is abducted, he is in a race against time to save her before she becomes the next victim.
The synopsis wants you to believe that Hannah's abduction could be related to the serial killer, but we are brought into the book so quickly that any notion that these events are connected only lasts briefly. Instead of intertwined cases, these cases are pretty separate. The only work mixture between the two ex-lovers is that the police are working the abduction case at the same time as Dan Carter and consider him to be a suspect. This is a shame as the main characters could be better explored against each other in a connected case more than they were explored working the separate cases. (Come to think of it, Kirsty did not have much interaction with anyone anyways.)There is not much to say about Dan Carter's case. Everything went smoothly. The reader is able to figure out the obvious parts, but there is a tangent that very few readers would have guessed.It was nice to see Kirsty's world, but the case that she was working on was half-baked and had an unsatisfying ending. She had a few emotional moments, but seemed otherwise apathetic. How else could you be satisfied, as a policeman, letting the killer run free and avoiding justice?
Private London has a slow start, but it grew on me. Like the first book in the series, there are an excessive amount of arbitrary chapters. (One conversation spanned over two chapters despite there being no break in conversation!) Unlike the first book, there is not an overwhelming amount of characters. In the end, I found the book amusing and a very quick read.