Ashley
BLUF: Bossypants is a light, amusing read, but I would have been disappointed if I had bought the book instead of borrowed it.
Bossypants is essentially the ramblings of Tina Fey. This is mostly a benefit as the book reads like you're in a conversation with her. There are instances where I think she purposely made the writing seem awkward or went on a tangent with the humor, but it's exactly what you would expect from the author. (That said, the thing I found most interesting about the book was realizing that Donald Glover worked on 30 Rock.)
There is a downfall if you choose to buy/rent this electronically. All of the asterisks throughout the book correlate with a long list of “footnotes” at the end of the e-book. Even knowing this from the beginning, taking the time to read the correlating asterisk isn't worth it. I guess this doesn't really matter, but they seem amusing.
BLUF: Leave it and please.. don't make this the first Dean Koontz book you read.
Here's the deal. Right now, I spend way too much time at my in-laws' house. Love them dearly, but they never stop arguing, complaining, criticizing, and/or freaking out. I cannot stand it. I listened to By the Light of the Moon as an audiobook; there was over an hour of incessant arguing between the two main characters. It's not the books fault, and I'm sure under other circumstances or for other people this came across as amusing banter, but it drove me up the wall.
The rest of the book was entertaining, but I was disappointed. Dean Koontz was my favorite author during my teen years. I read nothing but his books and even chose this book for the 2015 reading challenge titled “A book from your favorite author that you haven't read yet”. I did not connect with the main characters. I found the female to be rude and absurd and the male to over-think situations and ramble too much about his philosophies on life. I'm sure this happens in real life, but these are not people I'm used or would enjoy (and they aren't my in-laws, so I don't have to).
There are twists in the book, but only one or two of them caught my interest. I'm sorry to say this book just didn't do anything for me.
BLUF: Don't read if you're looking for a thriller. Do read if you're looking for a new series to delve into. It's OK as a standalone, but best for those wanting a new series. (Although, I hear it gets pretty sexual later in the series..)
Brief Synopsis: Guilty Pleasures revolves around animator (raiser of the dead) Anita Blake. Anita does not deal with vampires. In fact, she has killed a couple in the past and, currently, would rather have nothing to do with them. Unfortunately for her, the vampires are looking to hire her to solve a crime the police aren't interested in. (See, Vampires aren't fully accepted at this time. Not quite second class citizens, but not first class citizens either.) While Anita refuses, the vampires counter with an offer she cannot resist. (Spoiler alert, part of that offer is “do or die”.) Anita is not the woman to half-ass her work assignments, but is this a crime she can solve?
I enjoyed this book, which is weird because, thinking back on the book, there wasn't very much action in the book. I listened to the unabridged audio version and the speaker is, by far, the best audiobook speaker I have listened to. She changes the tone for each character and maintains a consistent tempo/volume. (She does tend to make all female parts sounds somewhat the same, with the exception of the main two or three females in the book. It didn't bother me, but I feel compelled to be honest.)
The background takes about a third of the book to set. This is mostly unideal but, knowing that this is the start of a series, it's to be expected. I didn't pay much attention to how the characters were built, but felt they were given personalities and written consistently. I enjoyed the character interactions and adored the main character. She is the strong female character I look forward to having in the books I read. I may have connected a bit too much as she can be sarcastic and easily amused.
Two thirds of the way in this book, they kept bringing up new characters. My memory is not that great so I ended up Wikipedia-ing these characters to help remember who they are and why I should already know them. I should have known better, but I truly didn't expect any of these characters to be the killer... I thought I might as well quit reading at that point – after all, I knew who the culprit was, what else was there to the book?
Here's the truth. Knowing who committed these crimes does not take away the climax. The book isn't truly about finding the killer, but as an introduction to the series. It took me until the end to realize this because I was so fixed on figuring out whodunit! This was genius on the author's part. It keeps the reader thoroughly entertained while establishing the back stories to the series.
Genre: Contemporary Satire
BLUF: Good writing, interesting story, but I don't like the genre. If you're into these types of stories, don't let my inability to get past the genre cloud your decision to read this book.
Dan Wilson is a good man who has been worn down by movement to be “Politically Correct”. He never had high goals and is content being a strong, mid-level manager. Dan feels of little to no value to the world, as his employer not only fails to appreciate his good leadership, but also disciplines him for not praising his poor. On top of being undervalued at work, Dan is fighting against charges that he had participated in a hate crime. He didn't. The case is ridiculous. Yet, Dan is just one of “too many white men” and he is set up to be an example against all the other white men. Dan takes us through the ups and downs of the weeks from after the incident through the trial, including his whirlwind romance.
If you like satire, you will enjoy this book. If you like realistic stories, you will enjoy this book. Personally, I enjoy satire and I enjoyed the overall story, but I do not like how realistic this story is. When I say that, I mean that I don't like stories that travel through day-to-day experiences. (I use books to avoid reality.) Because of this, the story dragged for me.
Oh. I'm a little “innocent” when it comes to cursing and offensive language. Dan Wilson's woman is ball of offensiveness.
So, for me, the story could be slow/mundane at times and Dan's woman is offensive, but I enjoyed the overall concept. Like I said, it's not my genre.
BLUF: While I did not like this book, I am likely to read the next in the series at some point in the distant future.
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“We have been sort of working together,” I admitted, “outside of the investigation.” Over margaritas, I explained how we had originally gotten together. How we had come upon this case, trying to solve it, sharing what we knew freelance. How it had become a sort of bond. How things had just gotten a bit deeper. Jill arched her eyebrows. “I assume you're sharing all this with the investigation?”.
BLUF: The poet has a slow start, but the wait is well worth it.
Jack McEvoy is a news reporter who has a plum job. He is able to make his own hours and chase his own stories. The topic? Death. Mostly, recent murders. The Poet begins with Jack McEvoy being informed that his brother had committed suicide. This news hits Jack hard; Jack cannot believe it. He won't believe it. He maps out the night it occurred in order to try to find where the killer could have been. After some research, he's affirmed. His brother wasn't just murdered, but he was one in a series of murders. Will Jack be able to solve the case? Will the authorities take him seriously? The Poet takes its' readers on a ride to the finish, with a few swift turns on the way.
The Poet had a slow start if you consider it as a standalone novel, but considering that it is the first of the series, it is to be expected. The characters in this novel were relatable and the writing style presented a tone that will keep you interested. Like a true thriller, The Poet kept me guessing and I loved it.
I look forward to continuing this series.
Jack and Justine, our main characters, work at Private, a private investigation company which gained its' success through Jack's unsavory father. There are three cases in this novel. Justine is working on the case of the missing school girls; school girls who are tricked into their abductions and murdered. Jack is working on determining whether NFL games are being fixed and trying to figured out who killed his best friend's well-loved wife. Of course, there are love interests. Justine is in a long term relationship with the DA and Jack has found himself a nice Irish girl who, you know, just happens to be his assistant.
Books are like people. If you lead with the negative, chances are you will pass up on a good thing. I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. There were parts of this book I found unsatisfying, particularly the relationship between Jack and Colleen, but overall I enjoyed the character interactions. Another downfall was the anti-climactic capture. Maybe I'm off balance, but I like a little more excitement when it comes to finally capturing the bad guys. What's the point of suspense if it ends in a less than satisfying climax? Initially, I was going to rate this a 2-star for “It's okay”, but I do like the book so I upped it to 3.
Also, I listened to this book instead of read it. For me, it's harder to get into a book that way because I'm a visual person. Reading the words off the paper make it more appealing and helps me associate the name to the character. The audio didn't have a consistent volume, so I was constantly turning it up and down in the car.
On a side note, and maybe I'm alone in this, but the deal with Colleen at the end annoyed me. It was unnecessary and I didn't like that the authors went there. Maybe the writers felt the need to better end her story, but c'mon... Do it with her death by a serial killer, not her attempt at self-destruction. Then again, maybe it just hit a little close to home and it bothered me that he thought only of himself and not so much of her.
This is my first “real” review. Please tell me where I go wrong and how I can improve. Thank you!
Six Years, Mystery/Thriller, Harlan Coben
Six Years kicks off with the main character, Jake Fisher, at a wedding. The problem? The wedding is between the love of his life, Natalie Avery, and her old boyfriend, Todd Sanderson. At the wedding, Natalie convinces Jake to promise her that he will leave her and Todd alone. Fast forward Six Years. Jake stumbles across Todd Sanderson's obituary and the repressed emotions towards Natalie are surfaced. Jake decides to attend the funeral from a distance, unsure whether or not he is ready to reconnect with Natalie or, for that matter, if she is even open to it. At the service, Jake strains to find Natalie in the crowd. Jake finally stumbles on the wife, but she's not Natalie. Confused and torn, Jake begins his search for Natalie except the only clues he has to go on are from their summer vacation fling six years ago. To make matters worse, nobody in the town they vacationed at remembers Natalie and the retreat she stayed at supposedly never existed. Jake encounters gunmen also looking for Natalie, which causes him to race to find her before they do her any harm, while Jake's best friend questions whether Natalie, or the gunmen, even exist outside of Jake's mind.
I understand there are many people disappointed with this book. It's the first Harlan Coben book I've read since middle school. So, maybe I don't know better, or maybe I am just simple minded; I found myself hooked on this book from page one. I found the majority of the characters credible, but I did have a hard time with Natalie. My first problem is that if she was involved with Fresh Start, she probably wasn't keying into the events that happened around Jake's life. That said, she could be like Jake's best friend and keep watch, but, even then, she wouldn't have been able to send him an email from an email address that doesn't exist – especially if she's as computer minded as Jake. Yeah, yeah, there are ways to do it. Putting that aside, the likelihood that she was not only in the same place as Jake (at the cabin), but that she was also an expert marksman is pretty weak.
In the end, I really enjoyed this work. Coben kept me guessing and my guesses were often wrong. I would recommend this book to anybody who enjoys a lighter mystery.
This is one of my first “real” reviews. Please let me know what I need to improve on and where I go completely wrong. Thank you!
Heat Wave (Nikki Heat, #1), Cop Fiction/TV Show spinoff, Richard Castle
This book reads like the show and has all the characters. Detective Nikki Heat (Kate Beckett), Jameson Rook (Castle), Captain Charles Montrose (Captain Montgomery), Detective Ochoa (Detective Esposito), Detective Raley (Detective Ryan), and Lauren Parry (Dr. Lanie Parish) are all involved in the investigation of a real estate millionaire's death. Heat Wave is a classic whodunit that will keep you guessing until the reveal.
Let's be honest, this book would be a one or two star rating if it was not for the tv show. At the beginning of the book, I found myself annoyed by the relationship between Heat and Rook and even more annoyed by Rook in general. I had to keep reminding myself to connect these characters to the characters in the show – it's the only way these characters are bearable on paper. That said, once I was able to keep these together in my mind, my enjoyment of this book increased. Another problem with the book that caused me to have to refer to the show was that I felt it was choppy. For example, the poker scene wouldn't have a place in this book if the book wasn't tied to a show. It didn't add anything to the book, but would have been okay in the show.
Overall, you have to treat this book as if it was the tv show. As a book, it is just meh, but if you're okay thinking about it in terms of tv, you'll find amusement.
On a side note, I didn't actually read this book, I listed to the audiobook. I have a harder time connecting in audiobooks at this may be why I felt the way that I did.
I really did not like this book. This was my first Alex cross book and I regret reading it as I now have no desire to read any other book in the series. The characters weren't relatable, the conversations and situations were lacking, and I cared more about what happened with the side story crimes than I did about the stalker of Alex cross. On top of everything else, this book ended without resolution. Let's just be honest, you can only really end a book that way if the story leaves the reader wanting more. (I definitely did not!)
I received this book free through Goodreads First Read program in exchange for an honest review. I'm not a good reviewer, but here is my take:
This story had a slow start and I was worried that I would not be interested enough to make the time finish reading it. It took between 60 and 80 pages to get hooked, but once I did, I could not put this book down. I cared about the characters and was captivated by the storyline. To me, this means a lot!
On one hand, I didn't feel like this book was as good as the first two. On the other hand, I read this book in a day. I couldn't put it down and couldn't pull away without thinking about the story in the back of my mind. After finishing this book, I cried. Selfishly, this was mainly because I knew there wasn't going to be a continuation and I feel so attached to the characters and their lives that I didn't want to stop our journey. At times, the book was hard to follow, but that's honestly expected giving the various conditions of the characters. Wow. Great series!
I refused to read this book for the longest time because I felt like I was cheating on the similar type book titled “Battle Royale”. Well, I was striking out on audiobooks on overdrive to rent so I went for this series. I never expected to be so hooked. I absolutely adored this series. I watched the movie when it came out, but found that I enjoyed the book a bit more. The characters were relatable - even Katniss, who seems a sort of emotionally disconnected. This book exceeded my expectations and I finished the next two in the series shortly after. It's rare for me to absolutely adore a series, but this did it for me.
I believe I must first disclose that I received this book free through Goodreads First Reads. Also, please forgive me. I am not a writer for good reason, as you will see in the following review.
The book has a familiar, but welcoming storyline. I do agree with some other reviewers that the book lead with a slower start than I prefer. The storyline draws the reader in during the middle of the book and holds them there until the end. The end left me wanting more, not in the sense that the book was inadequate, but in the sense that I wouldn't mind reading a sequel or prequel.
I disagree about the annoyances with typos. Typos happen occasionally throughout the book, but it does not distract from or interrupt the story.
Overall, I rated this book as 3-star. I liked the book. I enjoyed the writing, the typos were few and far between, and the concept was good. At the same time, I could take this book or leave it. While I enjoyed the read and it was a good way to pass the time, it was, overall, just a good book. Perhaps I should have warned at the beginning of my review that my main obsession is thrillers and crime...
I would recommend this book to young adults and those from a younger audience.
By the way, thank you!!
I absolutely adore Dean Koontz's books. Like many other reviewers, I have read much of what he has published.
Relentless, while being a decent read, falls short of what we know, love, and expect from Koontz. There were no twists, oddities, suspense, or intriguing moments and the book was thoroughly happy without bringing the reader any since of fear for the characters or the situations. Dean Koontz tends to bring the reader through spirals of anticipation and captivation, but there was none of that in this book. I love how Koontz typically hooks his readers into obsession with his writings, but Breathless did not follow this trend. This book feels rushed and is unsatisfying. I hate to admit it, but I'm starting to believe that if I want any satisfaction, I'm going to have to start rereading his older books.
On a side note, I realize that Koontz writes canines into his books, typically giving them unnatural abilities, but in this book the dog was unnecessary. Having the dog in this book with the selected abilities makes me wonder if Koontz wrote this book at all. The dog seemed to be stuck in simply because there usually is a dog in Koontz's books, not so much because the dog added to the story. Idk, that along with the shabby ending and weak introduction of characters makes this book feel as if the writer rushed through it simply to meet a deadline. Sorry Koontz.
Being fans of Never Touch a Dinosaur and Never Touch a Shark, I had high expectations for this book. Unfortunately, the textiles used weren't as interesting for my kids and they certainly weren't as durable - my 1 year old was all over the paper covering the textiles, causing many areas to become quickly ripped or bent. The kids seemed to like the story, but not as much as the other two books I mentioned so this had a short rotation in our ‘nightly reads' pile.
I lost interest with the audiobook. The problem is that the narration is dated and the sections were repetitive. My kids now have the same trepidation to hearing “the problem is” as they did with “but”. I'll likely revisit the book, in text form, since it's popular and I assume I'm missing something. I did appreciate that many of the scenarios were relatable.
I haven't been this excited for the next in a (technically new, but whatever) series since Harry Potter!
Like with the Never Touch a Shark book, I really like the quality of the touch sections and how much my kids enjoyed this book, but am conflicted on encouraging my kids to physically do something Im verbally telling them not to. It doesn't affect their behavior outside the book, but I think it's a weird lesson. That said, I have bought this book for others because of how much my kid enjoyed it and I found it to be superior to the other touch books my kids had (both in story and in quality). My 1 and 3 year old both enjoyed this book so it has a pretty good range.
I love this cover!