Kari
I liked this one better than the first book, I think because the sister's father was more involved and I kind of like him! Bernie's aggressiveness and Libby's passiveness still drove me crazy, but it wasn't as bad as the first book!
I didn't love this like I did Sex & the City and all of Bushnell's other books. I didn't see Carrie in this younger version except for the way she handled her relationship with Sebastian. I feel like maybe Bushnell's trying to get a share of the young adult fiction market. But it was entertaining at least.
Exploring the ‘cozies' type of mystery I came across this series. Recipes and mysteries?! Sounds awesome! Now, I haven't tried the recipes yet, but I did finish the book and I have to say, I didn't love it. I think that reading Pure used up all my good book karma this past week. Out of the last 5 books I've read I loved Pure, A Fatal Grace was okay, hated Evernight and Killer and this one were just meh.
But it happens, right?
slight spoilers ahead
The killer ultimately was a surprise because they weren't even offered up as a suspect and there was no backstory given on them. When revealed though, it didn't really feel like a ‘wow' twist. It felt like a ‘what the heck?' out of left field kind of twist. I like to be able to have a chance to figure out the mystery and wonder how they pulled it off.
And the killer's motive was an interesting one so it's kind of sad it wasn't elaborated much.
I also didn't care for Libby much. Control yourself a bit woman! Food, her emotions, nothing. She would just blurt out the absolute wrong thing to say all the time. Then there were things like Bernie saying to herself how she truly believes people can change. Then 5 pages later Libby is asking Bernie if she thinks people can change and she says ‘absolutely not'. Huh?
I will read the second book because there was enough her, enough about Libby, Bernie and their father for me to be interesting in finding out more. And the book wasn't horrible it was just okay. Maybe it will get better? Plus, I got the second book for free and that's why I had to find this one at the library.
So I reserve judgement on the series until I finish at least the next one. Stay tuned....
My 200th book of the year!!
She just never disappoints me. I'm a sucker for these books by NR. The trilogies, series, or quartets...whatever she wants to call ‘em. I like getting to know the characters, the shift of the main and supporting. I loved picturing the weddings & the Brown estate. My only gripe is that we don't get to read the other three's weddings!
Camilla Lackberg's The Ice Princess was hailed to be a good book for fans of Stieg Larsson and while it was a decent story, it was no The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Translated from Swedish, I think there were times when something was lost in translation or something was explained too much due to the translation.
I think it was a little over halfway through the book when one sentence caused the whole thing to click for me and I knew who and why. At that point it made the second half of the book unbearably slow. It just seemed like it took a really long time to wrap up loose ends and even after the killer is revealed and arrested there was still a while before the book finished.
The other thing that bothered me was the unfinished business with Erica's sister and brother-in-law. I kept waiting for that to happen and it never did so I felt like I was left hanging there. Seeing as this is a series I suppose eventually it will get figured out, but it still bugged me. I'll give it one more book and see how I feel then.
Better than You've Been Warned, Swimsuit, Sail, Private and Witch & Wizard, but not quite as good as Postcard Killers.
Don't Blink is a quick easy read with lots of action and a few twists and turns. Because it's so quick you don't really get a chance to get to know the characters, but that's all right, they're not that important anyhow.
If you enjoy reading travel books and mystery books this is probably right up your alley. For me, there was too much description of scenery and trails and highways. The main character goes on a hike and nearly 6 pages are the description of her walking the trail.
There were also too many times where she didn't speak up when she should have, especially to the police. It just seemed weird to me. In the end, I didn't enjoy this enough, or care enough about Maxie enough to want to continue on with the series.
Nothing happened in this book!!!!!!
This was mainly about Tamani coming in and making Laurel question her choices (David, living in the human world, etc.). I must say that I don't like Tamani. Or really Laurel for that matter. But beside that there was too much leading up to the main event and then nothing happened.
Though I did like how the narration shifted back and forth between Laurel and Tamani. I would be more interested to read the next book in Tamani's voice. Maybe then I would see the attraction Laurel has for him.
Interesting and again, another series. Why can't books just end?? Kind of one-dimensional, the story progresses faster than the characters can develop. Maybe we'll get to know them more in the next book?
Not having good luck with books lately. This was labeled as horror by my library, which it's not. It's more like religious tedium. So much crazy god talk! Had a hard time getting into it, then a hard time caring about the characters and finally a hard time making it through to the end. I should have shelved it and moved on.
Animal Crackers was much more serious than I expected. Gordon was silly and kind of sweet after awhile and Loyola was hard to categorize. I think in her story though things could have been explored a bit deeper. Where did Saint Danger come from? He referred to himself as human, but he didn't seem human to me. But still, they were two interesting stories.
Things I liked:
- Virgil making an extended appearance
- being in Weather's mind a bit more than previous books
- Sandford knows how to inject humor, I laughed out loud a couple of times
Only one book to go, right?? Can she really wrap everything up in just one more book?? I'm on the edge of my seat!
There is not much more to this than a fluffy, fun romance novel. Like the Born in trilogy. Though I do like the characters, the story, the idea of the trilogy, what I always liked best about this trilogy is the setting. Monterey/Big Sur is where I spent much of my childhood so it's fun to picture Pretenses on Cannery Row nestled along the touristy shops I grew up with.
This one had me all teary! I think because it focused on Kayla and Ali more than the other books had and it was just so heartbreaking. The book felt very quick and somewhat rushed at the end, but like the others it was a good read and always fun to stick with characters for a couple of books.
My only real complaint was that Peter Ridgeway got away with everything! Although, I suppose a better person would say losing his daughters was punishment I think he should have been hit where it hurt. It bugs me that the book ends with him and Candy all smug. Uck.
I guess I'll still hold out hope that she'll write another book like she did for the Chesapeake books. This one can focus on Annie and the butcher!
The Legend of Zelda manga series is a collection of 10 books that are written in collaboration by two women, A. Honda & S. Nagano. When they started they played all the games so they could get an idea of the story and then they sat an elaborated to create the books.
There's a great attention to detail from Link to his companions to the enemies he fights. It's so much more interesting to read the conversations and see the familiar places from the games from a different perspective.
Well I was slightly disappointed by a few things, but all in all I found this fun and interesting. Though I'm not sure I'll continue with the series I feel like I'm satisfied with the ending!
Ermahgawd this was so good!
Twisted, surprising, grotesque, hilarious and sweet (yes, sweet). LOVED IT! Tony Chu is my favorite new cop even though his method of investigation rolls my stomach. The art is fantastic, but the story steals the show.
After 116 million people worldwide died of what the government deemed avian flu all chicken became illegal. Tony and his partner John Colby are on a stakeout trying to get evidence of a Poultry Speakeasy and it's proprietor who is responsible for 5 murders. Right after they see the break they needed they're approached by a giant named Savoy who works for the FDA and what happens afterwards changes Tony's life forever.
Cases that are all unconnected seem to be piecing together to all be related, or at least close to it. Everything has to do with the chickens and it all goes back to whether the avian flu was a real thing or a government conspiracy. Tony's less concerned with what the government is up to and more with following the rules. We'll see how long that lasts.
There was a lot going on here and it wasn't as fun as the female assassin. Even then, the killer and the victims weren't that interesting! This seemed mostly about Lucas and his relationships and how sometimes the decisions Lucas makes are the worst ones.
I don't remember the first time I read this book, but it had to have been at least 15 years ago. I don't remember not ever liking a Nora Roberts book from back in the day, but this time, this book, I'm not a big fan.
Mostly, it has to do with Ben Paris. How Tess falls in love with this man is beyond me. He is nothing but horribly rude to her for most of the book, even after sleeping with her. But at the same time her ‘he has an illness' take on the killer started to get on my nerves too.
For once, the story just made no sense to me. Or rather, the love story aspect. It wasn't about opposites attracting it was just that besides being a dedicated police officer what exactly were Ben Paris's redeeming qualities? The killings started to get a little tired and I was actually more invested in the side story of Tess's patient Joey than the main plot.
For my second time around I have to say this is a two-star read for me. I just couldn't get into the characters or the story and then the conclusion, which did take me a bit by surprise was just kind of wrapped up way too quickly. But hey, with a bazillion books under her belt not liking one isn't bumming me out any!
There's just something delightful about a simple romance novel. Not one of the bodice ripping, period novels that my mom loves and likes to call her ‘smut' books, but just a book with a bunch of romance and a fun story to follow along. I don't have to analyze anything or wonder who the killer is. I just get to read and enjoy.
I also like these trilogies of Roberts's because there is the cast of strong, but flawed females who hold each other up and encourage each other along. The trilogies are great because you get to stay with all the characters for a bit longer without going on over decades with a never ending series.
Kate is the bristly one of the trio. Always with a smart remark and a scathing glace. You know she has emotions, but she doesn't really show anything but impatience. We find her here, slightly vulnerable and wounded as Margo found herself in Daring to Dream.
A light, predictable read for the most part, however there is some mystery setting up the next story so it's not completely vanilla.
Same as with Wayfarer, I didn't love Spells as much as I did Wings. I was getting kind of tired of Laurel's insistence that she do things HER way in Avalon and that Tam break his traditions and beliefs to follow along with her. The way she can't make up her mind about who she should be with is also kind of tired. That being said, I loved the Avalon part in the beginning. I wanted her to stay there just to have the whole story set there, but alas...
