Cassandra
I loved this book! I found it by following an Amazon ad even though the whole professor + student storyline has never been interesting to me.. that is, before now. This book changed my mind for sure! How could I resist this cover anyway? It has been below freezing here in Wisconsin, but I was fanning myself while reading this book. I could hardly put it down! I read the entire thing in one day. The characters were relatable and so well-developed. I enjoyed this book so much that I couldn't wait to start reading the next book in the series. I grabbed it immediately! The Kindle version is affordable and it's also on Kindle Unlimited. The audible version is available for free with an audible Escape subscription Gotta love Whispersync! :)
This is the first Neely Kate Mystery book - a 3 book companion series from Rose Gardner's world (Rose Gardner Mysteries and Rose Gardner Investigations). Neely Kate is the main character in this series and she is one of the best developed characters that Denise Grover Swank has ever created, in my opinion. You can't help but fall in love with Neely Kate Rivers Colson's warm, tenacious, and lively spirit. She's the best friend that Rose Gardner could ask for during a time in her life when they both need that. In this book Neely Kate (NK) sets off for her childhood hometown to hopefully dissolve of some shady secrets that have become unburied. She's accompanied by Jed Carlisle, a man with his own shady past. This is where they first start to fall for each other and how Jed cares about NK is so sweet it makes my heart melt. He's very protective of her and is made of the stuff that we would qualify as great book boyfriend material. swoon
I'm sure the Neely Kate Mystery series can be read outside of the other books in Rose Gardner's world, but I would recommend that it be read alongside them in the reading order list that can be found on Denise Grover Swank's website.
The Glittering Hour by Iona Grey is enchanting and brilliant! I chose this as one of my December ‘19 BOTM selections. I also purchased the Audible version to accompany it. I became so fond of the perfect narration by the lovely Imogen Church, one of my favorite narrators, that I took my time to listen and read simultaneously.
The story centers around the retelling of a romance that begins one fateful night in the summer of 1925 between Selina, the youngest daughter in an aristocratic British family, and Lawrence, a handsome artist from the other side of the tracks. The attraction and love they feel for each other is electric and magical. The antics of Selina and her friends are paparazzi fodder so the lovers must find stolen moments away from the limelight.
A decade later, while Selina and her husband are away, she decides to lead her 9 year old daughter Alice on a treasure hunt via letters she has carefully designed to tell Alice the story. This is done with the help of one of the household staff named Polly who is caring for Alice at Selina's parents' estate.
This book made me cry several times, but it also made my heart sing. The writing is so beautiful and brilliant that I felt like I was there. I could almost hear the music and feel the electricity in the air as I was reading. I couldn't put this book down and will definitely be recommending it to my friends.
Here on GoodReads you can read a synopsis of the book so my reviews don't go into all that. There's a chance I'll say too much and spoil it for you so I'll just tell you what I thought about it. I hope that's copacetic enough for you.
I was so wrapped up in this story! I almost couldn't put my Book of the Month copy down and it sure got a little strange at the end so I dared myself not to. I just had to know what was going on! This one takes the reader down a spiral of ‘What just happened?' and you may not recover from it unless you're one who appreciates the storyteller. You find yourself wishing you had paid special attention to all the details. You begin to question every assumption you made because you just knew you had it all figured out and even if you did have a few things guessed right I'll bet you were still a good way off from what it's really about. It might even have ticked you off that you were wrong. That, my friend, is the clever artistry by which Tarryn Fisher weaves her stories. I am one of those readers who can't get enough of that. Here it is a month after I finished The Wives and I'm still thinking about it. Thanks for the ride, Tarryn!
Karin Slaughter again has weaved another enjoyable and incredible addition to her Will Trent series. She also brings in Sara Linton from the Grant County series. If you haven't read the previous books in both series, I'd advise you to read them before this one.
Faith left Atlanta P.D. to join the G.B.I. and she becomes Will Trent's partner. They're good for each other, but sometimes Faith doesn't approve of Will's actions or decisions which makes for an entertaining read. This is one weird story line, almost even seemingly impossible, but with all the twists and turns it's a real page-turner.
While reading this one, even 80% invested, I wanted more background but in the end I wasn't let down. When you get there you'll see that it all works. Only one thing really rubbed me the wrong way, and I hope it all leads up to something eventually and that is Amanda's mean ass. Sorry for the language, but the things she said and her behavior toward Will and Faith really brought the G.R.I.T.S. in me out. I want Amanda to be the next casualty.
I read the hardcover book and simultaneously listened to the audio recording, which was excellent. I would highly recommend this.
This is the 13th book by Karin Slaughter that I've read and I felt more in tune with this one than any others so far. It starts off with a fast pace and really drew me in and kept me intrigued. Will Trent is growing on me. He gets partnered up on this case with Faith Mitchell from Atlanta P.D. and things don't start off too smoothly which was fun to read. Their dynamic had me tickled - I could picture a modest Will Trent getting uncomfortable with Faith since he's not used to working with someone. All in all, this is a definite 5-star read in my opinion.
It's probably one of my favorites because I can relate since I lived in this area In the mid 80's. I lived in midtown Atlanta on the corner of 11th street which is now a Marriott Residence Inn, but was once the Phoenix Hall - Church Home For Girls which was basically part boarding house/ part Georgia Tech dormitory for girls. The tech guys my friends and I dated called it “the convent”. I remember the tunnel, and practically living at The Varsity! I sure had my share of F.O.'s and “rangs” (onion rings ordered with the twang of a Southern accent). I remember getting lost in Ansley Park trying time find various friends homes off The Prado.
I enjoyed watching Karin Slaughter talking about her writing and this book on the YouTube video on the WGBH Forum channel. I also grew up in DeKalb County much closer to where the Atlanta Child Murders were taking place than was comfortable so my family moved to Clayton and Henry County which had a slower pace and seemed much safer. I have a lot in common with the places Slaughter writes about so maybe that's why her books really are so enjoyable to me. They're nostalgic for me, because I moved to Wisconsin 12 years ago and I've missed Georgia, which is my true “home”.
She's got me hooked! I'm starting Undone now ... and I should be going to sleep so I can function at work tomorrow, but I love these books! I can't stop! :-)
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah is one of the best books I've read this year. This book made me laugh, cry, and get really angry - once or twice these responses happened simultaneously. Kristin Hannah has such impeccable talent for putting her readers right there in the room with the characters in her stories. The emotions are still raw from finishing this book over an hour ago. I borrowed Firefly Lane from the library using the Libby app and I listened to the audio recording, too. The audio production is incredible! I highly recommend listening to it. I just ordered a copy of the book, because I know I'll read it multiple times - it will be my version of LOTR. ;-)
I really enjoyed Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter. This was the first book in her Grant County series. As warned, I found there were some pretty graphic and violent scenes in this book. However, we can always expect with Karen Slaughter's writing, that they're genius and you can be sure they will really get you riled up until the culprit gets caught. There I was, feeling like I was peering over the shoulders of the medical examiner and the chief of police, hinting for them to go check out what so-in-so is hiding. Thankfully, I'm not faint of heart. I was in the ICU hooked up to monitors while reading part of this book. I'm hooked on this series and love so many of the characters now that I'm going through these books fast. If you like fast-paced thrillers where you find yourself quite literally sitting on the edge of your seat, I recommend Blindsighted and Karin Slaughter's Grant County series.
I just finished reading Coptown and it wasn't really my favorite book by Karin Slaughter, but it was still really good. I'm a big fan of her work, so I have been buying and stockpiling her books this year. This one was a little nostalgic for me because I lived in Metro Atlanta in the 70's, and although I was a kid back then, I still remember most of the areas and landmarks in this book. Some of them no longer exist, but Slaughter did a great job of bringing them back to life for me.
Some of the messages in this book were very good, but I was not a fan of any of the characters so that's the main reason why I couldn't get into it so well. Also, I was in the Neurotrauma ICU getting treatment for a CSF leak when I was reading it so I wasn't in the best head space. Overall, it was a good read.
I wanted to read this book before it even came out, because reading the synopsis was right up my alley. However, I watched some vlogs and read reviews online that led me to believe it wasn't going to be as good as I was hoping it would be so I passed on it. Now I'm kicking myself for waiting almost a whole year on it! I should have trusted Reese! I almost always like her picks and this book was no exception. This was such a romantic love story and it had me crying, laughing, and pacing as I read it! It was painful in parts and to watch the pure emotion unfold was tormenting to read, yes, but that's what made it so good! Josie Silver did such a great job on this, her very first book. I'm a new fan! This will make an incredible movie or mini-series. I fell in love with the main characters in this book and I was so hooked on their story that I read this book every hour I wasn't sleeping or working the past 2 days. Now that I'm done, I miss these characters. I really would like to see a part 2 to the story.
This was an enchanting story and I liked it a lot. There were a few places where the story went on a political tangent and it was enriching, but some instances caused me to become so extremely outraged at the cruelty and inhumanity that I had to take a break from reading for the rest of the day, I even skipped a day twice, because I was really upset. I will not forget this book. This was the first book I read from this author and I'm an instant follower and fan now. I can't wait to read more of his work.
It was confusing to keep up with the characters for the first third of the book, but then it began to get easier as more of what really happened began to unfold. When the background story started to get more stout, and we really start to learn more about what we think really happened and which characters were involved, it starts rolling along much smoother. I understand that this was intentional, so I don't fault Paula Hawkins for writing it this way, but I've seen a few vloggers reveal that they had to keep a cheat sheet beside them with notes to keep up with each character. Fortunately, I did not have to resort to this and that is probably because I had to read it rather quickly. I checked this out from the Libby app and the library is not so generous about extending the days for their digital rentals. I also purchased the audio book via Kobo-Rakuten. The audio book version was narrated by multiple people and was outstanding! I highly recommend the audio book. However, because of the complexity of the story line, I suggest the book over the audio version if you can't get both. I can't wait for Paula Hawkins next book!
I really enjoyed reading this book. It's one of those stories where you don't really know what's going on until the last couple of chapters and then it all unfolds like you could never have imagined, but it all falls together seamlessly. Some of it I realized, of course, like who was causing the ‘problems' for the protagonist, but there were so many key components that led up to this and there was another ‘out of nowhere' background story where you say to yourself, “Wow! I never in a million years expected that!”. I read the hardback version that I got from Book of the Month for August 2019. I also had the privilege of listening to the audio book simultaneously via Scribd. The narrator, Imogene Church, is incredible - one of the best. I'm becoming a real Ruth Ware fan and I can't wait for her next book!
I really enjoyed this book and can truly see why it has received so many rave reviews, high accolades and was a National Book Award finalist in 2017. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. This is a book about family ties. The bias that affected Korean expats in Japan at the end of WWII was harsh and I had no idea how bad it was until I read Pachinko. The hardships the characters faced gave me a renewed sense of appreciation for all that I have been blessed with in my life. The writing style was wonderful and I look forward to reading more books written by Min Jin Lee.
- I read the digital version and listened to the audio version simultaneously which I was able to borrow from my library via the Libby App. I just ordered the hardback version from the Book of the Month club, as well, because I know I'm going to be reading this one again and again!
Summer Reading Challenge:
The book is better: Read a book being adapted for TV
or film this year.
Armchair traveler: Read a book set in a destination
you want to visit. – Japan
This was a fast read and I enjoyed it. The story is about a female firefighter and I looked forward to reading it because I've always been interested in the firefighter job and lifestyle. How do they accommodate the co-ed living situation, for example? I imagined there was prejudice from the men when a women came into their ranks and this book is all about that. It was really good.
2019 Summer Reading Challenge:
Continental drift: Read a book set in every continent - this book was set in North America.
Back to school: Read a book about a subject you don't know much about.
I really enjoy Kelly Rimmer's books. This is the 3rd one I have read. I borrowed this book using the Libby app and when the book version was due back, I went ahead and finished with the audio version. I liked this book, and the only reason I did not give it 4 stars is because the ending of story was ruined for me when I went to the index to see how many chapters were left. To prevent this from happening to someone else, let me tell you that instead of the usual numbers throughout the book, at the end there are 2 actual titles that tell a very big spoiler of part of the story's ending. There are 41 numbered chapters and 2 with titles. Until that point, I was really enjoying this book a lot. I would recommend it to those who have a loved one who struggles with chemical addiction or is dealing with this themselves. Keep the tissue nearby as you read this.
I loved this book! It was recommended by Heather via her YouTube channel ‘Bookables'. It was so funny! I had to share the audio of the hot air balloon scene with my daughter, because it was so hilarious that I couldn't keep it to myself. This would make such a great romcom. I'm actually surprised that hasn't happened yet!
I was able to borrow a digital copy of this book using my Libby app and I listened to the unabridged audio version via the Scribd app.