Vera
Great book.According to the book, an invisible client is a term personal injury lawyers use to refer to people who “lived and breathed but didn't officially exist”, who aren't productive members of the society, I believe.Rich and powerful lawyer Noah Byron is a personal injury lawyer, and he and his firm doesn't take invisible clients. Well, not until his ex-wife (who's about to get remarried, by the way) asks him to talk to his cousin whose kid was ill due to an poisoned cough syrup.That's how the book starts. What comes next is a fast flowing legal thriller with a touch of romance and a lot of self discovery.This is a fast read. There are exciting moments that will leave you on edge and there are touching moments that will either hurt or warm your heart. There are a few clichés, too, but nothing that could compromise my enjoyment.Warning! (Spoilers)>> SpoilerThere is death of a child, the poisoned kid, and it's very sad.<<I had a lot of fun (and tiny heart attacks) reading this book. It's a fun ride, for sure.I'd like to thank NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and author [a:Victor Methos 4711969 Victor Methos https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1421287970p2/4711969.jpg] for providing me with an ARC of [b:An Invisible Client 26084421 An Invisible Client Victor Methos https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1444707373s/26084421.jpg 46023318] in exchange for an honest review.***Review also posted on my blog. Link here.
This is how a book for kids should be like, exciting, interesting, warm and thoughtful.The lessons about friendship, loyalty, the difference between good and evil, and that actions have consequences are old but are always welcomed when done right - which is what happens here.The characters are fun and interesting. Both kids and adult characters teach that appearances can be deceiving, and like we've heard a million times, we should not judge a book by its cover.The art is also beautiful, and the drawing reminded me of the books from my childhood.This is a book that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. You just have to open your heart and dare to dream.***I'd like to thank NetGalley, Helvetic House and author [a:Max Candee 7255529 Max Candee https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1442945691p2/7255529.jpg] for providing me with a copy of [b:Diary of Anna the Girl Witch: Book 1: Foundling Witch 25366309 Diary of Anna the Girl Witch Book 1 Foundling Witch Max Candee https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1429129930s/25366309.jpg 45111013] in exchange for an honest review.*** Review also posted on my blog. Click here to check it out.
4 and half stars.Let me begin by saying this: I loved this book! I'm a very character-oriented reader, so one way to win my heart and attention is by writing relatable characters. Jenna Scali, the main character on [b:e-Murderer: A Jenna Scali Mystery 26206235 e-Murderer A Jenna Scali Mystery Joan C. Curtis https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1441117601s/26206235.jpg 46184832] definitely is one. She feels like someone I could know and even be friends with. She's no super woman, no brilliant mind, but she is smart, and caring, and sometimes she acts before thinking things through. Oh and she is a cat lover. She is human.Jenna is also an office manager for a psychiatrist and a part time student. She is fun and have great friends, especially a great BFF named Quentin who is a college professor and belly dance instructor. He's funny and loyal and has a great taste in men.This is a mystery, a murder mystery to be exact, so it has to have a crime, right? Coeds are being murdered, and the killer apparently is sending anonymous emails to Jenna. She's flabbergasted. She has no obvious link to the murdered girls aside from studying at the same university. Eventually, Jenna contacts the police and we're introduced to Detective Watring who quickly became my brand new crush.More mysteries and discoveries surface until the truth comes to light, and it's a fun ride to try to figure everything out.I gotta say a few clues were pretty obvious, others, however, only came to mind after a few important questions were answered. I figured who the killer was long before the ending, but it didn't make enjoy this any less. Every singe character [a:Joan C. Curtis 3215877 Joan C. Curtis https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1395084007p2/3215877.jpg] created rang true and was worth the ride.***Review also posted on my blog. You can read it here.I'd like to thank NetGalley, MuseItUp Publishing and author [a:Joan C. Curtis 3215877 Joan C. Curtis https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1395084007p2/3215877.jpg] for providing me with a copy of [b:e-Murderer: A Jenna Scali Mystery 26206235 e-Murderer A Jenna Scali Mystery Joan C. Curtis https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1441117601s/26206235.jpg 46184832] in exchange for an honest review.***
4 stars.
I heard about this book on GoodReads. To tell you the truth, most of the books I've been reading nowadays I found through that wonderful community, but in this case the power of the GoodReads need to be addressed because this is, as of the day this review is being written, a yet to be released book. Cool, isn't it?
Let me start with what I had issues with - the book's blurb. This is an example of how the book is described:
In case you were wondering, I didn't do it. I didn't have anything to do with Frank's death. I don't have an alibi, so you'll have to take my word for it...
Forty-eight hours after leaving her husband's body at the base of the stairs, Tanya Dubois cashes in her credit cards, dyes her hair brown, demands a new name from a shadowy voice over the phone, and flees town. It's not the first time.
The Passenger
Thank you NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and Lisa Lutz for sending me an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
3,5 stars.
It was better than I expected, especially because it was not a recommendation, but an Amazon Black Friday bargain.
The Scent of Rain and Lighting was a fast read. The characters were not as rich as I'd preferred, but they managed not to ruin the story. The scenarios were wonderful, though. I could easily picture the places in my mind.
The solving of the mystery felt a little forced to me, and the ending (aside from the reveal), predictable.
In short, it was a good read but no masterpiece. And it didn't bore me, so yay!
Oh, and I just found out it's being made into a movie, so there's that.
***
Review updated on January 26, 2016.
Review now also posted on my blog. You can check it here.
5 stars but could easily be 1000, seriously!Honestly, I don't know how to review this book. It is truly so good and exciting and surprising and breathtaking! It's truly an ‘edge of your seat' read. The plot development was impeccable, the twist and turns were actually surprising. I'm usually good at guessing the twists and secrets but this book really did a number on me. I only guessed one thing right. It was also a very fast read, and I didn't want to put it down, I needed to know more about the characters and what was going to happen to them.One of the things about The Short Drop that surprised me the most was how all the events narrated made sense and, scary as it is, could happen in real life. The Short Drop was a fantastic read, even more so when you realize it was [a:Matthew FitzSimmons 14126306 Matthew FitzSimmons https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1446727733p2/14126306.jpg] first novel. I am looking forward to read more from him and I'll be waiting anxiously for [b:Poisonfeather 27821823 Poisonfeather Matthew FitzSimmons https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1447425375s/27821823.jpg 47801998], Gibson Vaughn's next adventure.I want to thank NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and author Matthew FitzSimmons for providing with a copy of The Short Drop in exchange for an honest review. It was a pleasure and an honor to read such terrific work of fiction.
3 starsThis is a good book, a fast and easy read (I finished it in under 24 hours), the curiosity of what would happen, what the characters would do propelled me to keep going. There's a good amount of foul language and some explicit descriptions in the book, more than I'm used to, but way less than in a rap lyrics, for example.The premise of Viral is an interesting and current one: what would you do if the most embarrassing/humiliating moment of your life was caught on camera, posted on Youtube and gone viral?Su, the teenage ‘star' or the viral video, did what I considered the most expected thing - she ran and hid. And that's how the story starts.I don't know if the author did it on purpose or not, but almost all the characters seemed mercurial to me, and I reached the ending not really knowing who they were. The only exception was the father, Bernie. He was consistent throughout the story and very likable. Su, Ruth (the mother), and Leah (the sister) are still a mystery to me. Plot wise, it was fun, although a little exaggerated. It reminded me of soap operas or Shonda Rhimes crazy Scandal plots.I'd like to thank NetGalley, Faber and Faber Ltd and author [a:Helen Fitzgerald 127257 Helen Fitzgerald https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1422958345p2/127257.jpg] for providing me with an ARC of [b:Viral 27409074 Viral Helen Fitzgerald https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1446414321s/27409074.jpg 47456667] in exchange for an honest review.***Review now posted on my blog: https://tinyboxofimagination.wordpress.com/2016/01/20/307/
4.5 stars
What can I say about Good Omens that hasn't been said yet?
It's not for everyone, nothing wrong there, but if you like crazy fun colorful imagery, well, there's a big chance this book is for you.
I heard about Neil Gaiman and this book from a good friend of mine years ago (probably over a decade ago, when we first met). It took me this long to read it but I wasn't in a hurry - I knew I would love it.
I'm the (weird) kind of person who doesn't like audio books because my imagination provides me with different voices for each character and doesn't like watching movies based on books I've already read, again, because I have everything clear in my mind, and it could be ruined by someone else's vision, or someone else's vision would pale in comparison to what I created.
This book is for people like me, people who can dream and see, feel and hear the words as if they're happening right in front of you.
Good Omens is less about character development and more about character and life happening.
It's sweet, it's fun, it's outrageous, it's touching. It's life.
3.8 stars (which is almost 4).
First of all, thank you to NetGalley, Troubador Publishing Ltd and author Amna K. Boheim for sending me the ebook in exchange for a honest review.
This is Ms. Boheim first novel and it's a great one once it finds its rhythm.
The book took a little to find its footing, the first third drags a little, but once it did, it became a fast and very pleasant read. This is a horror storywhere some of the horrors are supernatural, others sadly all too real. The story is told through two timelines - one beginning in the 1930s and other in 2004. The first narrative is in the 3rd person while the second one is in 1st, which gives the book a good pace, for me at least.
The characters and relationships are interesting. I wish I had learned more about Vivienne and her relationship with Annabel, I was left with the impression that there was something more behind the surface of their friendship.
The one character I had trouble with was Max, the narrator of the 2004 part of the book. He was likable but I had a hard time picturing him the way the author intended - a thirty-something successful man. Try as I might, I kept picturing him as a young man, probably just out of his adolescence. I don't know if it was his feelings towards his mother, or his relationship with Vivienne that clouded the image I made of him, but I couldn't see him as mature as he was supposed to be. That didn't spoiled my enjoyment, though. At some point I didn't care about that anymore, I was too engrossed in the story.
The twists presented were not hard to guess, and nothing important was left unexplained.
This was an enjoyable read, more than I expected, and I'm looking forward to reading more from Ms. Boheim.
***
Review now also posted on my blog: https://tinyboxofimagination.wordpress.com/2016/01/17/review-the-silent-children/
Yes! I did it! I finished this one in one day!
From GoodReads:
A bizarre chain of events begins when sixteen unlikely people gather for the reading of Samuel W. Westing's will. And though no one knows why the eccentric, game-loving millionaire has chosen a virtual stranger—and a possible murderer—to inherit his vast fortune, one things for sure: Sam Westing may be dead...but that won't stop him from playing one last game!
3.5 stars for now. I'm a little torn. I'm not sure how much I liked this one. My rating may change in the future, I don't know.
Finally! It felt like an eternity, but I finally managed to finish this book. No, it wasn't the book's fault, but an annoying cold kept me stuck at 94% read for the whole week.
The book is uneven, I have to say. There are some great parts, and some weak ones. It was a few false endings, which for some reason reminded me of the CSI formula - find a solution, then one detail appears and everything changes.
Night Film is written and executed well enough, but it could use some trimming. There are a few scenes that have nothing to do with anything, add nothing, and one particular, was pure waste. It made no sense. I don't know if the author was trying to add as many genres as possible into the book or what. shrugs
The five main characters were interesting. I wanted to kick Scott hard, slap him upside the head. I wanted to sit with Nora and talk and maybe become best friends. That's always good.
3,7 stars actually, but that's pretty good, right?After reading [b:Silent Scream 24483265 Silent Scream (D.I. Kim Stone, #1) Angela Marsons https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421169346s/24483265.jpg 44077500], I couldn't wait to read Angela Marson's next book, Evil Games. Luckily, [a:Malia Zaidi 14197546 Malia Zaidi https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1438797215p2/14197546.jpg], my buddy reader agreed that this would be our December read.Kim Stone continues to evolve as a character, becoming more and more enjoyable, despite her cold exterior.There are, like in Silent Scream, two cases to be investigated, but this time they are unrelated. They were both interesting and painful in their own ways.I just found that there was something lacking, something I found in the first book and couldn't find it here. [b:Evil Games 25067570 Evil Games (D.I. Kim Stone, #2) Angela Marsons https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1434280150s/25067570.jpg 44752433] is a great read, though, fast paced and inspired, definitely a must read.***Review now posted on my blog. Check it out here.
4 and half starsWhat can I say about this book other than I loved it to pieces?[b:Silent Scream 24483265 Silent Scream (D.I. Kim Stone, #1) Angela Marsons https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421169346s/24483265.jpg 44077500] is easily one of the best crime/mystery novels I've read in quite some time. Well rounded characters, with qualities and flaws, deeply human are my favorite, and this book has them in spades. I cared for the main characters, I understood their journeys, their struggle. I really appreciated that the author added a few genuinely good people to counterbalance so much darkness. Sometimes, some writers, in their urge to present the reader with a bleak world, forget that there are few good hearts out there.[a:Angela Marsons 7942666 Angela Marsons https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1419947389p2/7942666.jpg] created fantastic characters that I want to meet again and again. She wrote a fast paced, well thought and well structured story that left me hungry for more.Oh, and you're right Angela, I'd love to have Kim on my corner.ETA: I figured both mystery solutions before they were revealed, but that doesn't take away from the book in the slightest. Actually, it's a testament of how good and well thought it was. The hints were not obvious, but they were pieces of a puzzle that gained form as the story progressed. You never get the where the heck did this come from? feeling here. Everything makes sense, and almost everything is explained. ETA 2 to change my rating of this book. I think this ratings is more fair.***This review is also posted on my blog. Check it out here.
5 shiny and beautiful stars
All I can say about this book is that it's like a poem, like a lullaby. It's like an old favorite blanket, warm, comforting. It's beautiful.
The characters are presented in a way that the reader can see them clearly, and the narrative helps you feel what the characters feel, see what they see, live the events right along with them.
There's magic, there's love, there's pain - just like life. This another beautifully built world by Neil Gaiman; a world we get a glimpse of throught this book, but that may live on in our minds.
***
Review also posted on my blog Tiny Box of Imagination.
I'm torn between 3.5 and 4 stars.
This book was well written, it was a fast and intense ride.
I figured the role if two main characters early on, but was okay with that. Actually, I was glad I realized that early on.
Anyway, I definitely recommend this book. It's not action packed, but it is a true psychological thriller, with deeply flawed characters everywhere.
ETA:
So, I couldn't stop thinking about this book, and I felt that I needed to a add a couple of spoilery comments about a few characters, so here we go:
Spoiler
Ronnie: From the very beginning I realized Ronnie was not like who they were making her up to be. It was heartbreaking. She could have become a strong adult but her chance was cut short by both Alice and Cynthia. Her death brought her the peace she desperately wanted, but broke me to pieces. I'm glad at least Helen felt it too. It meant she really cared for the poor girl.
Sharon: She thought she was so smart, and did so much out of guilt, out of the idea that she hadn't done enough for Alice, and in the end, she was being manipulated by the girl. She paid the price and I have to confess that made me smile. I wish we were shown her reaction when she realized she had been played by the 18 year old girl - that is, if she realized that.
Alice was a sociopath, that's all I can say. Cynthia kind of was, too, in my opinion.
I may edit this again to add my thoughts on Helen and Nancy, I don't know.
For now, this is all I needed to say.
3,5 starsThat was a really good whodunnit, a great easy read after the intense adventure that was [b:The Great Forgetting 23847931 The Great Forgetting James Renner https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1428639037s/23847931.jpg 43457961] last weekend. It was quite a straight forward plot with a few good twists, and I liked the main character, Kilsey Millhone.To me, the story ended a bit abruptly, but maybe that's the author's style. I'm used to some sort of epilogue in thriller/police/mystery books. Also, a couple of plot points were not fully explained, like Spoilerwhy exactly Charlie killed Sharon but that didn't stop me from enjoying this book and already putting the second book of the series on my to-read list.
Some books are special. They make you look at the world around you in a different way. They fill your heart and your mind with ‘what ifs'. They make you think of possibilities.This is one of these books.I recently read James Renner's first fiction novel, [b:The Man from Primrose Lane 12476620 The Man from Primrose Lane James Renner https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1431521815s/12476620.jpg 17460972] and fell in love with his style. Then I learned he was releasing a new book soon and couldn't wait to read it. I bought The Great Forgetting the morning it was released, and started reading immediately. Unfortunately, it was a busy week and I couldn't read much during it but as soon as Saturday arrived, I put all my focus on it. I knew it would be a great ride, I just didn't anticipate it being so intense - way more intense than The Man From Primrose Lane.I got attached to one of the main characters, Cole. He grew on me to a point that I was really caring about his future and well being. SpoilerCole is the main reason this book made me heartbroken. I wish he had a chance to a happy ending, and his demisse broke me. Renner telling me on Twitter that writing Cole's death made him cry made me feel a little bit better, but just a little. It means I'm not the only one who felt for the kid.There are great characters in this book - it's not a one person adventure. Nils, for example, brings a bit of much needed comic relief. The Captain is one of the brightest spots. I'm a little ambivalent to Sam. Jake is the appointed hero, the official main character so to speak, but to me, the real star, the real hero, is Cole. There's not a real, defined villain in this story. There are mentions of bad guys, sure, and even brief appearances of a few, but what you have is mainly misguided beings. Beings wanting the same thing, but going at it differently because of their own experiences and approaches to life and society.This book is rich in so many aspects. It is something that needs to be read, needs to be experienced. I highly reccommend it.Congratulations, [a:James Renner 5164245 James Renner https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1314731362p2/5164245.jpg] on this brilliant work.Footnote: If you're a fan of dystopian novels, you should definitely check this out, even thought it's not one per se, you'll find many elements that you will enjoy.
Took me three days but I finally finished it! It was a good read and I want to read more books from [a:Tana French 138825 Tana French https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1277505771p2/138825.jpg].The lack of solution for one plot point didn't really bother me. In fact, that was one fine red herring, if you think about it.
3 and half stars.I've read some comparisons to [b:Gone Girl 21480930 Gone Girl Gillian Flynn https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1432019852s/21480930.jpg 13306276] but I think [b:Summer House with Swimming Pool 18594633 Summer House with Swimming Pool Herman Koch https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1384734826s/18594633.jpg 15210065] by [a:Herman Koch 1245772 Herman Koch https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1401759744p2/1245772.jpg] is a better fit.This is a story told in two point of views: Jodi's, the wife who believes she's leading the perfect life and that she is a completely normal, balanced person; and Todd's, the husband that is happy with the arrangement he has, but believes he will lead the same peaceful life with his mistress turned wife. Both Jodi and Todd are in denial. This reality they created, their reality, works because they're both playing roles, but once they're apart, these roles stop working.Jodi and Todd are not too complex, but they are fascinating. I can't say much without spoiling it.I wish there were a few chapters from Natasha's (Todd's new wife) point of view. SpoilerI'd love to know if she really changed over time or it was just Todd's perception of her that changed, and I'd also love to know if she was as manipulative as it appeared to be, or if that was just Todd trying to avoid taking responsibility and unconsciously putting all the blame on her.Like I said, a worth reading 3 and half star book. The only thing stopping me from giving it 4 stars was that I found the writing simplistic at times and the climax took too long to happen, that's all.Review updated on February 7, 2016.***Review now posted on my blog Tiny Box of Imagination.
I'm joining the ranks of people who fell in love with this book.
Found it on a list of books on Pinterest, read a few reviews and decided to give it a try. Ended reading all in less than 8 hours, with pauses.
I guess I can consider myself lucky, every single book aimed at middle graders and up I've read recently have been great and deserved a 5 star rating.
When You Reach Me is sweet, fun, touching, engaging and with a great mystery in the form or little notes from some time traveler.
We see the main character, a young girl named Miranda, learning and maturing, making mistakes, living an adventure, finding new friends, expanding her horizon. We see Miranda growing up and it's a nice thing to witness.
Even though its public is obviously preteen, I found it highly enjoyable.
This is a great read, no matter your age.
Review updated on January 27, 2016.
This updated version was also posted on my blog. Click here to check it out.
I need to give this book 5 stars.
This was one of the most fascinating books I've read in 2015, and the one that really helped rekindle my love for books.
It was inventive, fast paced, breathtaking and engaging. It played like a movie in my head, and I think it would make a great - maybe not movie but definitely miniseries. Well, it's actually being made into a movie, and I'm actually excited about this.
It's hard to talk about The Man From Primrose Lane without getting into details, it's such a fascinating cross between sci-fi, mystery, whodunnit, dystopian and nonfiction, I fear I'd be spoiling the reader's experience by mentioning things here. Trust me, this is a book that needs to be experienced. The twists and turns - especially the huge one - will stay with you a long time after you finish the book.
SpoilerI figured the child abductor was the person responsible for the school photos as soon as it was mentioned how the two photographs looked almost the same, including the background. It didn't anything from my reading experience, though. I was actually glad it was the FBI guy who figured it out, showing he was not incompetent, he just didn't have all the pieces.
The Man From Primrose Lane is actually one of the rare books I know I'll be reading again in the future. And to think it's Jeremy Renner's first novel? That's insane!
All in all, it was a great read, that I finished in one weekend. I hope it gets translated to Portuguese, so I can recommend it to my friends who don't speak English.
This review was also posted on my blog, Tiny Box Of Imagination.
This review was edited and extended on January 9, 2016.
Note: 3,5 stars
That was a very interesting read. Things happen and yet you don't notice, you don't feel it until you're deep within it.
The characters are all real and human, even the less developed ones.
I particularly liked the flow of the text. It an easy read, with a good rhythm, so good that it took me almost half the book to realize that was not the typical mystery/psychological thriller I'm used to read. And now I'm curious and eager to find other books like that, books that are more than a main plot, than a whodidit.
Update (02/01/16): Posted a longer review on my blog. Check it here.
***
That was one of the most pleasant reading experiences I've ever had.
I've spent most of my life reading fiction but now - finally - I discovered the fantastic universe of nonfiction books, especially the ones dealing with comedy and/or written by comedians and funny people.