nigmatillium

Ryū Murakami has a distinctive way of presenting things and I found this book to be very interesting. It's amazing to me how he can describe such personal and intimate things. While reading the book I kept thinking I would like to watch a movie of it too, and it seems there is one. I might just be onto it next, but let's get back to the book now.

Both Kawashima and Chiaki are amazing characters. I'm struggling to put into words all I feel about them because they are so complex. Their individual background, their coping mechanisms, and their personalities are so well written and it's impossible to not feel for them. I also can't blame any of them. Neither Kawashima nor Chiaki got, at any point, the kind of help they needed, so they had to help themselves.

While reading I wasn't sure what I wanted the outcome to be and I thought I had to chose between the two characters. It was quite jarring. I couldn't make a decision, didn't want to make a decision, but for some reason I thought I had to. I wonder what was it that made me think that.

This novel has so many layers I don't even know where to start peeling so I'm not even going to attempt it, but I am going to say it is a fantastic read. I wish I could recommend this book to everyone, but it is not an everyone type of book. Piercing can be highly disturbing and triggering, so if you do decide to read it, tread carefully.

I would recommend it mainly for the psychological aspect, I think a lot of people could learn something from it, understand something about abuse victims who continue/repeat the abuse, but at the same time it could backfire on other readers.

The only thing I can say for certain about it, is that Piercing is an outstanding and complex book.

I first picked up this book a few months ago, but it put me off so hard I had to drop it. However, for some reason I didn't cast it away in the wind and I now decided to give it another try. On my first attempt I didn't enjoy the first three chapters and I have no reason to offer other than I was not in the mood for this kind of book. This time, I liked the first chapters a lot, I had a lot of fun reading about Vinnie's misbehaving. Unfortunately for me, I was also ready for a steamy hot book and that was not what I got. I got more thriller than anything else, and while I like thrillers and Lyn Gala has a way of writing that I can get lost in her books, I couldn't get over my expectations.

So I was enjoying myself, reading about Vinnie's antics, expecting things to go bad, but when they actually went bad I didn't see it coming. I was just as clueless as Vinnie had been. The danger literally stared us in the face and we were none the wiser. The whole kidnapping and Kalb's (I prefer Kalb more than Charleston) dark past made perfect sense, as well as all the followed.

Now, where I have some (other) issue with this book is the dialogue. When I'm reading something I like to be shown what's going on, what drives a character, what motivates them, and not be told. The dialogue did that a lot of the time, telling me what was happening and what to think about this guy or that one and as a result I didn't really connect with anyone and I don't feel like I actually know them.

While I still say that Lyn Gala is a great author, I love how versatile she can get, this book just didn't hit the spot and I was slightly disappointed. I really appreciate the research that went behind this book, it was entertaining and I would love to rate it higher, but I did not get what I signed up for.

I started reading this and I didn't put it down until I reached the last page. By now I can safely assume I am biased, I see Garrett Leigh and I know I am in for a good story. Heart didn't disappoint. By the way, do you know why this novel is called Heart? My guess is because it will take the reader's heart and make it flip and tumble.

The first few chapters felt like things were moving rather fast, and I don't know if it actually did or if I was still on the pace of the last novel I read. I could get a proper grasp of it after the, um, seasons changed. I think it's fair to say this novel has three parts, so the first part felt rushed, but not necessarily in a bad way, it felt more like a long prologue.* The second part is where things settled in a nice rhythm and continued likewise throughout the rest of the novel.

Now that I got that out of the way, I did enjoy it a lot. Garrett Leigh has a way with words that even when you are expecting something it still takes you by surprise. I did take a few deep breath breaks while reading this, things just come at you and you want to both keep reading and groan into your pillow.

I am grateful to the author for not describing everything Dex went through. It is clear what happened, but I am glad for the lack of details. It's not that I wouldn't have read it, I definitely read a certain amount of disturbing things before, but here I think it wouldn't have fit the tone of the novel. Maybe I am wrong and it would have, but either way, the way it is, is perfect for me.

I liked the characters very much, starting with Seb and Dex and finishing with the restaurant staff. The novel is a collection of coincidences and happy choices that went well together and brought up a pretty nice crowd. If anything I would have liked to meet more of the characters. Even so, great read, enjoyed it a lot.

___ *after reading some reviews, I think the first part is the whole of Gypsy Rain, a short story Garrett Leigh published a year before transforming it into a full length novel. If that's the case, it makes sense why it read more like a prologue to me and why the pacing is not the same.

Interesting story from Josh Lanyon. Don't Look Back had my attention from the first pages. A theft? An attack? Loss of memory? I was just as curios as Peter was to find out what happened. Well, the matter was more urgent for Peter.

Apart from the theft I was curious about Peter's private life as well, which seemed to be in shambles. A cop who obviously knew more than he let on, a married best friend who he had feelings for, and being accused of theft? So much happening already.

I enjoyed reading how everything came together and how Peter managed to figure out what the people around him meant to him. Trying to make sense out of his own life was very interesting to me. Peter had to investigate himself and he did a pretty good job.

I would like to think the outcome would have been the same even without the amnesia. The conclusions Peter reached in the end had already formed in his mind previous to the attack and I liked him so I don't want to believe he wouldn't have had the guts to do what he knew was right and to grab what he wanted.

I liked Mike too, he was pretty awesome, but I would have also liked more of him. And of him together with Peter. I don't feel like I spent enough time with the main characters and that's the only minus from me, because otherwise the novel was great.

Right from the start the novel puts you in the middle of what's happening. You feel the cold, the confusion, the pain. From the very first pages I was already there, feeling what August was feeling, the confusion of where he was, seeing the remains of the plane he was on, trying to make sense of what was around him. I already knew I was going to enjoy this book.

I don't think there's anything I didn't like about Wild. There is action, mystery, love and they all come together in this awesome novel. I related more to August and I felt for him. Poor guy went through a lot and I think everyone was surprised by his strength.

Not to say that Keegan didn't go through a lot too. That boy saw and did some shit and I don't even know where to start with him. He's tough, he's kind, but above all, his affection towards August is so intense. There is no doubt at any point that Keegan would do literally anything for August.

August and Keegan have really distinct personalities and despite everything that happened, I was more than delighted they retained their personalities. It is rare to read such true to themselves characters and this is one of the reasons Adrienne Wilder is becoming one of my favourite authors.

To put it plainly, Wild has everything. I loved it, it is great, flawless and sometimes funny too. If you were planning on reading this, but wasn't sure, ask no more, go get that novel.

Worth of mentioning: this is not a classic Christmas story, there is no carolling, no actual Christmas festivities, none of that. And why would there be? That's not who August and Keegan are.

After leaving Alaska, August and Keegan opted for a more secluded life. Being there for a far shorter period than Keegan, it was a little difficult for August to re-accustom to civilization, but nothing too hard. When it comes to Keegan, after spending about 10 years by himself in Alaska, it was more than hard for him to cope. We get to see Keegan trying to function in the middle of civilization, seeing how dependant of August he is when doing something as simple as going to the store and how he struggles to get over it, to be able to do things we usually don't think twice about.

63 Days Later is more of a slice of life novella, but if you think August and Keegan are the stars of this one, you are wrong. The true star is Daisy, the wolf Keegan rescued as a puppy and that August got to love so much that they brought her back with them. In a way, this is the perfect Christmas story, it warms you up and, I don't know about you, but it made me like August and Keegan even more.

I don't know if the author of this novel is in the habit of reading reviews on their books, but if they do, don't read this one. I think it's wonderful they wrote a novel about a nonbinary person, there should be more books where a nonbinary person is the main character, but this novel sucks. And I just found out there's a sequel... No, thank you.

Let's start with the parts I did like. I love the cover, it's very pretty. The art is by Sarah Maxwell who I am quite glad to have discovered, because look at all that lovely art! And okay, this is not actually about the novel, so what I did like about the novel is the fact that the main character is a nonbinary person. This is the first novel I read featuring someone nonbinary, but unfortunately this is not the best novel out there.

First of all, the writing style pulled me out of the story every few paragraphs. Thanks to this novel I realised it's not the 1st person storytelling I have an issue with, it's just that 1st person is more often written badly. There were a few instances when Ben assumed why someone else acted the way they did instead of letting the character's actions speak to themselves and so manipulating the reader's perception. I did not like that.

The present tense did not work at all here, it felt so weird and unnatural. I had trouble differentiating between Ben's outer and inner voice, I had to go back and check where the quotation marks closed at some point because there was literally no difference. I ended up not knowing what Ben actually said and what they didn't for most of the novel.

The other characters have no personality. If I were to read a line said by any of the characters I wouldn't know who's speaking. Except if it's Mariam texting, because they exaggerate punctuation, but that's about it, the voice is the same for everyone. And if I would have had to read one more 'or anything' I would have fought someone. I almost wish I would have counted every instance someone said it, it popped up what felt like every other page.

I liked the first three chapters or so. Ben's coming out and everything that followed was very intense and for those three chapters the author did a good job at showing what Ben felt. I felt sympathy for Ben, but then all the rest happened and I started to really, really, really dislike Ben to the point where I skimmed through the last three chapters because I couldn't stand them.

Ben is victimising themselves. They are selfish, everyone has to make up to them, every character exists in this novel to either praise Ben or to pity them and it was infuriating. For example, Ben has a talent for painting. Okay, that's valid, but they mentioned they didn't paint much before transferring to the new school, and yet, no one had any piece of advice for them. Everything they made was amazing and stunning and wow and quit your bs already! They never gave me the impression of being a prodigy, there was nothing exceptional to their art, they were simply talented. I'm sure they still have a lot to learn because no matter how talented you are there is always room for improvement especially when you only did something a couple of times before. Ben obviously didn't have all the knowledge about painting, but they are the main character so, ya know, everyone venerates every single thing they do. The only person who ever had something bad to say about the art was Ben themselves and when that happened, some other character would jump on their pity party to praise the art and tell them how amazingly talented they are.

Hannah, let's talk a bit about Hannah. She is there for Ben, trying her best to help them, sometimes she's a little pushy with all the questions, but she's doing her best, can't fault her. She's learning as she goes. Yet Ben didn't bother in a five month period to ask her what she's doing for a living, how is she affording to take care of them, what she has been up to in the whole ten years since they last spoke. Ben didn't show any kind of interest for their sister, all they did was blame Hannah for everything they went through (because, again, Ben is the main character, Ben is perfect and the world sucks, not them, never them). Didn't take one second to think about what Hannah went through. Selfish much? Yep. I was more curious than Ben was about what happened when Hannah left. What was truly infuriating was when Dr. Taylor (another member of Ben's pity party committee and a really bad therapist) blamed Hannah too. That whole scene was so cringy. Let's get this straight: Hannah was barely an adult when she left, she cut off all contact with her parents for ten years and she was not responsible for Ben. She is their sister, not their carer, not their guardian, not their mother. Whatever happened to drive Hannah out of her family house concerns her and her alone and she has no obligation to offer an explanation to anyone or to feel sorry for wishing something better for herself. Yes, Ben's parents suck, they are horrible people, but Hannah could have not taken Ben with her and is not responsible for her parents' actions.

I am not happy about how things were left with Hannah, it was not fair on her, she didn't deserve to be blamed, she didn't deserve Ben to be angry with her. What she did deserve was to be listened at the very least, and for her point of view to be taken into account. To every story there is (or should be) more than one angle, but here there's nothing but Ben's feelings and opinions. And this is not something only concerning Hannah, every single character in this novel has no history, has no unique qualities. They are there just for Ben's sake.

So no, I did not enjoy this novel. It actually pissed me off. The author said this is a book they needed when they were fifteen and that sounds about right. What I'm getting from this novel is some kid's fantasy, a kid's wet dream about how the world finally sees how great they are and everything falls into place and everyone adores them. It's not a wrong fantasy, we all were fifteen once, but, please, next time keep it to yourself. I wanted this book to be good, but it's not. I disliked the insecurity of the writing and I hoped there would be at least some character development for Ben, but I didn't even get that.

The first time I met Jane Tennison, it was in Murder Mile (Tennison #4). I liked that book more than I did this one. Prime Suspect being—as I found out after I read it—an adaptation of the TV show with the same name, I guess it would have been expected for the book to feel a little off. Screenplay and novel writing are surely different. It was still very enjoyable. I like Jane Tennison very much, and I liked reading (well, listening to the audiobook narrated by Davina Porter) about her struggle to affirm herself. The sexism was present in Murder Mile too, but here? Oh boy! In any other book I don't think I would have managed to go through all the misogyny.

The plot wasn't that gripping. It was curious, I liked it, but it didn't keep me on edge. As far as the mystery goes, there's not much of that, but there is a good amount of thriller so I got that going for me.

Most of the characters were just a name. Except for Jane I didn't care much for any of the others. They were side characters with no actual characterisation or development. Jane didn't seem upset that her relationship was under a lot of stress, so I didn't feel anything about it. I certainly didn't think Jane actually loved her boyfriend. I did like how dedicated Jane was to her job and how she fought to be seen as an equal (also sad that she had to do that and that only a 'no other choice' situation allowed her to lead the case) and to some degree I agree that the people around her underestimate her and don't understand the importance of her job. It didn't even occur to some of them that she might be more than a secretary, and a shocking amount of people didn't think the victims deserved justice.

It is safe to say that more than the mystery-crime, this book is about Jane's struggle into a man's world, about her determination, her fearlessness, and her perseverance. She is willing to sacrifice anything in order to do her job, and doesn't hesitate to call out her less just colleagues.

Overall I just liked Jane Tennison a lot.

Finally, after I don't even know how long, I managed to read this. After reading ‘1984' by the same author, and liking it very much, there was little doubt I would enjoy this one as well. I was not expecting, however, to like it this much. While listening to the audiobook (narrated by Timothy West, and what a great narration!) I couldn't help but marvel at George Orwell's genius.

Animal Farm made me feel things, made me feel pissed off more than anything. At a first glance the story doesn't seem much, and I wasn't sure what to expect, but it cuts really deep. I think more people should read it.

I am very much enjoying the other reviews, I especially like the parts where readers take a character's side or condemn them. It's really interesting to read the different perspectives and how one's actions, or lack of, are justified. I am not going to join into that conversation, mainly because the list of the characters I disliked is way longer than the ones I liked, but it does make me wonder.

In the Absence of Light is one of my favourite novels ever, and the first I read from Adrienne Wilder. I read it twice and I was not expecting a sequel to it, I didn't even dream it, so when I accidentally came across the sequel, I rushed to get my hands on it. I didn't know what to expect, but I was ready.

I almost forgot how great Morgan is and how much I love him. He is amazing and so funny. I almost forgot how much I like Grant's attention to Morgan, how respectful he is of Morgan's space, needs, and wishes. It's been a while since I read the first book and right as I started this one I almost went ahead and read it again, but I thought why I'd do that when I literally have Grant and Morgan right in front of me. Still, as it turns out, I liked In the Absence of Light more so there's a really high chance I will read it again.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy By the Light of Dawn. Oh, no, far from it. I loved seeing Grant and Morgan's relationship continuing growing. It's been a short time since they got married and they obviously still have stuff they need to work out. Luckily for everyone involved, they are on the right, steamy, track.

On this adventure over the ocean, Morgan is on a mission, and as vague that mission may be, Grant is more than ready to go to the end of the world for Morgan. There's just no limit to how far Grant could go or how much he loves his husband. His devotion is absolute and so great to read about.

If there are more sequels coming to this, yes, please!

When I read In the Absence of Light I wasn't curious about Jeff and Felix. There was obviously potential there, but I didn't really like Jeff and I didn't know Felix. Well, still don't know him, but their cameo in By the Light of Dawn made me curious enough. Luckily there is a book for them in the works, In The Darkest Hour, that I think I would really like to read.

Reading this book was a pain. I only managed to go through with it after I looked up an audiobook for the last chapters.

I understand what Golding did here, but it didn't work out for me at all. And I prefer the original, real story better.

I kept having this issue that a lot of us have where I wish I could focus on two things at the same time. I recently discovered I can do that by listening to audiobooks while drawing. My first pick was this book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, also my first Agatha Christie book.

I hit the jackpot with Hugh Fraser narrating the audiobook because otherwise I don't think I would have enjoyed it so much. Hugs Fraser is amazing, his voice acting was on point, he made every character sound unique and he effortlessly drew me into the story. Most of my enjoyment came from his brilliant narration.

If I would have read the book myself I think I would have struggled a little. That's because of Hastings, I did not like him. I don't know how to say this in a kinder way, but he is so dumb, he is an idiot and he overestimates himself greatly from all points of view. At the start of the book he sees himself as a skilled detective, and later he sees himself like a catch for any woman, and, man, no, you are not any of those things. It bothered me how he couldn't make up his mind about Poirot. He went from saying Poirot is the greatest detective to saying he'd gone mad, to saying he's the greatest detective again. The manner in which he oscillated between the two mildly pissed me off.

The plot was very interesting and I liked it a lot. I loved trying to reach a conclusion, to find out who the murderer was, by piecing together every bit of information. I was, of course, not successful, but it was fun nonetheless. I liked how Agatha Christie shifted the view from one suspect to another and by the time I reached the reveal I thought I knew who did it.

I also liked that none of the characters were plain. They all had something about them to make them stand out in a way or another. Every character had a motive to their actions and none of them were there solely for advancing the plot.

With or without Hastings (although that's kind of a package deal in more ways than one), I am going to say yes to another of Poirot's adventures, especially (or maybe I should say 'only'?) narrated by Hugh Fraser.

For the longest time I avoided reading this because of all the reviews saying how this is a really sad and disturbing read and what a fool was I. I instantly loved it—hardly a surprise considering this is an Adrienne Wilder novel.

While I do agree that the plot of Complementary Colors is quite dark, there's always a streak of light too, and Adrienne Wilder did an amazing job at showing that. I love the way she manages to pull me into each and every story, how she seemingly effortlessly paints a vivid picture of the plot and the characters. All that is valid here too, on this journey along with Paris.

And speaking of Paris, he is such a vibrant character. I liked how observant he is and I definitely liked seeing everything through his eyes. I felt bad for him too and at some point while reading, I started hoping and imagining all kinds of scenarios on how someone could break him free. Of course none of my hopes were accurate, not even close, but that is why I like Adrienne Wilder so much. Among other things.

Then there is Roy. Roy is much more quiet, he seems to be thinking a lot, he's calmer and calculated and he is exactly what Paris needs. He is also, underneath a good layer of toughness, adorable. I've had just as much fun as Paris observing his reactions to Paris' teasing.

There is an actual villain in here, in the character of Julia, and there's also Alice. While Julia is greedy and evil and you know she deserves all the cussing and hoping she's going to be miserable, I have to say a big fuck you to Alice.

Like I already said, the plot is pretty dark, there is (warning!!) use of drugs, non-consensual sex, mental disabilities, and talk of suicide, so I wouldn't be quick to recommend this novel, but if you are okay with reading all of that, you are in for a gripping story. It is actually more exciting than some of the supposedly thrilling mystery books I read.

I was itching to start reading this series for quite a long time, but I kept turning to other books, finishing other series and reading other genres. This is the first book I read concerning the Amish community so I was intrigued. I am happy to say that Keira Andrews did plenty of research on the subject so I also learned a few things while reading this first book.

The book kept me glued to it this afternoon. What I liked most about it, was the questioning. David asked some very pertinent questions and he helped Isaac make a decision by asking those questions. It's so easy to believe whatever someone else tells you and respond to everything with ‘this is our way' that it's terrifying. I cannot express how glad I was by these two wonderful men's wonder and desire to understand why things are that way and not the other. And really, why does it matter what size the hat brim is? And what's wrong with having a cushion on your seat? Some rules are made just to be made, no reason or explanation whatsoever.

For the most part I liked the book, I liked the writing, but I could have done without the classic tropes. There were few, but they took me a little out of the story, I was really expecting something refreshing. However, the writing really is good. This is my first Keira Andrews book so I really went in with not even the faintest idea of what I'm getting and I am not disappointed.

I liked both Isaac and David and I liked that they were not clueless. I liked that there was an explanation for why they were not clueless. There were no plot holes and that makes me happy.

While reading the last two chapters I thought there could be only two endings, one that would make me want to read the next book immediately, and one that would make me maybe give a try to the second book, but it turned out to be a combination of both, to my surprise, and as a result I am more than glad to go ahead and read more about Isaac and David and their journey.

The second book of this series started calm enough, a bit plain I would dare say. With Isaac and David finally in San Francisco, away from everything they ever knew, they started navigating through the world. New things are always exciting at first and that was valid here too. I liked seeing Isaac and David explore the world little by little and finally being able to freely enjoy each other. But all new things come with their own set of challenges and everyone faces them differently.

While for the first half of the book I was just as happy as Isaac and David, in the second half of the book I was worried and hurt. David's decline happened gradually. A worry here, a little indulging once in a while, a little forgetting, a massive change, a bit of fear, and everything kept rolling like a snowball on a huge hill. It's no surprise David felt overwhelmed.

I liked how it all happened gradually. If at first I thought yeah, this is nice and all, but not much is happening, later the book gripped me completely. Keira Andrews managed to show how easily, little by little, one can slip away. It happens so slowly you don't even notice until it's too late. David's small (hopefully) part of the journey felt so natural and even I didn't think much about it until he was steadily jumping from one bad decision to the next. I also liked that it showed how easy it is for loved ones to not notice what is happening either. Sometimes bad things happen very subtly.

The first book in the series, A Forbidden Rumspringa, had Isaac as the main voice, and the second one, David. For the third book I hope to get them both because if at first I found it a little odd to not have Isaac's thoughts on the page, David managed to pull me in fiercely.

I thought I would like A Clean Break less than the first book, but I actually liked it more. For me it's obvious what the next step for Isaac and David should be, but it's going to be challenging nevertheless and I look forward to seeing how and if they are going to come out of the woods.

Surprisingly I liked the second novel more than I did the first. Some of the reviews point out inconsistencies in the characters and I agree with that, there are some inconsistencies, but at the same time I am really happy about the duality (if I may) of Noah and Tobias' relationship. It is a nice angle.

To me it looks like they are learning how to get the most out of their relationship and how to just be together. Some times they need to play a scene, other times they need to just enjoy each other, and I think that is great, it works out. I admit that I was afraid at some point that things were going in a rather vanilla direction, but we got back on track.

I am delighted that I got to read one scene I anticipated and it was better than I imagined it to be, and I also liked that my instinct was right and I found out more about the main characters individually. The second book really pulled me in and now I am even more curious about what is going to happen next.

Didn't actually finish reading this book. I read half of it then skimmed through the rest.

I knew this book is going to be a disappointment, but wow! Way more than I anticipated.

Noah is the only character that kept me reading so far. Then the whole of the fourth book happened and Noah was not Noah anymore. Then the fifth book made me roll my eyes every few pages. With Noah not being Noah anymore, Phantom becoming somehow more of a spoiled brat, and Tobias being full of himself for no reason, there is just no way I can read this.

I said in my review on the first book that this reads easily. Thing is there is no real conflict in the whole series. The authors (who, if I may, are not actually compatible in writing) took the easy route every time. There are a lot of things that could have been worked with and could have made this series so great, but in the end the whole purpose of 'Deviations' was the sex. Don't get me wrong, I love a good BDSM scene or an intense sex scene, but I also like an actual plot next to it. There are countless places online where I can read a far better sex scene too.

Noah and Tobias had a really good thing going on at first. They made it work, I liked them a lot when playing or when just being themselves, when in their roles or stripped by rules. Then Phantom came along and it all went downhill. Phantom doesn't fit with them, he's more like a kid who needs attention and guidance which made the whole thing disturbing. It also didn't help Noah and Phantom being referred to as siblings or brothers. In a joking manner (or at least I hope so), but it still made my skin crawl. I cringe even now.

I would have loved for some of the things on Noah's list in the first book to happen at some point in the series, and only with that in mind I decided to read the last book, I still had hope that they will come up, but I was, once again, disappointed. Why even mention it then? Then there was Noah's job, so many other options for Phantom, and whatever else came up that was brushed over.

I should have listened to all the people saying to only read the first three books. Darn.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It started out pretty interesting and there are parts that I enjoyed, but at the same time it could have been so much better.

I liked the characters, the openness and the communication, it was actually nice reading about it. At the same time the first book of the series (didn't read the others yet) deals mostly with Noah and Tobias' relationship, the start of it, and I would have liked to find out more things about them individually. There are some, but not enough. I am pretty sure more will be revealed in the sequels and that's probably the only thing making me want to continue reading the series.

The book reads very easily. There are a few moments that stand out a bit, but overall I'd say it is pretty forgettable. It didn't stir anything, I couldn't fully get into it, I didn't feel strongly for the characters. I highly doubt this will change in the sequels, but I am curious.

As for the BDSM aspect of it, not bad, but not great either. The scenes are okay, but that's about it. I wouldn't say it is hot. I am not a big fan of the writing style, but as I said it reads easily.

Overall there's nothing spectacular about the first book of the series, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, but eh, a lot of people seem to have really enjoyed it so maybe give it a try.

The only reason I keep on reading this series is because I really like Noah. I like the plot too, but I like the idea more than how it is written (this seems to be a theme with me and this series).

That being said, I liked that Noah showed some teeth (wouldn't have minded more, though) and I hope he keeps that up. Not necessarily in a D/s context. So far I like both the romantic aspect and the D/s dynamic equally and I wonder how they are going to evolve.

I am surprised I don't dislike Phantom. That could change, but so far he's actually been okay. And speaking of Phantom, his relationship with Tobias doesn't sell to me. I read the details of what they had, but considering how Tobias is with Noah, I don't buy it. There's nothing about Tobias that proves to me that their relationship was indeed as they describe it. At this point I'm not even sure he will meet Noah's needs as their relationship develops.

As someone already mentioned, the books don't feel like individual books of a series, they read exactly like a new chapter. Although I don't really mind that since I have all the books and I can read them one after the other, that's not ideal. If I would have stuck to my initial plan and read something else in between each book I don't think I could have gotten back into the mood easily.

Overall the third book was okay, nothing really stood out. Maybe just that I would like Noah drinking some more water.

Where should I even start? Unlike the readers who loved the first three books I feel like I'm at an advantage since I didn't, in fact, love the first three books. Still, this one has been a disappointment.

Two of the things I anticipated happened indeed, and it's not as much as anticipation as it is cliché. This only adds to my disappointment, but I'll leave those aside and move onto more plot relevant things.

Unlike the previous books, here I got a bit of more insight on Tobias and Phantom's relationship. I can say I see now how it was different and how it lead to all the disaster for them. It only took four books for that to be clear to the reader... Focusing on Phantom for a bit, I understand he needs help, very kind of Tobias to help him, even kinder of Noah to help him too, but the whole thing was way too abrupt and I didn't feel anything the characters said they were feeling. I am usually all in for a good polyamorous relationship, but here it feels like Noah is not all in, it feels like Noah and Tobias just took Phantom in because they had no choice. No, Noah had no choice, Tobias wanted to, and all of Noah's fears about Phantom were justified. Noah was absolutely right when he said he feared that Tobias and Phantom would reconnect and the only thing staying in between them would have been himself. The only thing keeping Noah there is everyone's stubbornness and their fear of it not working. Phantom's attitude towards Noah and Tobias' relationship is annoying too, he acts like a spoiled kid. Phantom is spoiled and immature and yes, I know where it all comes from, but it wouldn't hurt for him to grow tf up.

Noah was still great for most of the book, I actually dare say he would be a better Dom than Tobias is. He won't be one, that's not who Noah is, but he has potential. Then again, Noah was ruined, so anything is possible. So far I was happy about Noah's character development (the only character development in the series), but then he was absolutely ruined. Noah loved his job, loved what he did, it was important to him, but then all of a sudden this is not what he signed up on. What? Noah quitting being a cop is the most disappointing thing in the whole series, everything about him was just squished like that. Why? I have no more words. What a shame.

I am going to go ahead and read the last book of the series. I know it won't be good, I fully expect more disappointment, but, well, there's only one book left so I better get on with it and then move on.

This is a difficult book to review. While I enjoyed it, I also felt sad while reading it, and I can't ignore the fact that this is inspired by the author's own experiences and that he lost to depression. It makes me feel incredibly sad.

It's Kind of a Funny Story is not a funny story—although there is some funny to it—it is an experience in itself, about how Craig, the main character, tries to cope with depression, to have a Shift, as he calls it. Don't expect a thrilling adventurous story, because that's not what you're going to get. This was rather slow paced, but it did keep me turning page after page.

Depression is a very serious illness and I appreciate how this book showed that it can affect anyone regardless of age or social background. It also dips into themes like drugs and sex from the perspective of a fifteen year old boy that I think is accurate and relatable. Actually, all of it is from the perspective of a fifteen year old boy.

I enjoyed reading the book, but it still makes me sad. I don't think that's a bad emotion, it's just a natural reaction to the story and its background.

Despite the heavy themes, It's Kind of a Funny Story has a hopeful note to it; things can get better, things are manageable, and can be tackled one by one.

Would I recommend reading this book? Yeah, I think I would. A lot of the readers, particularly those who deal(t) with depression, seem to have enjoyed reading it too (be warned there is mention of suicide), and for the ones who don't deal with it, it's a good book to familiarize ourselves with the topic, so yes, give it a go.

It's been a too long while since I read a book that kept me so entertained and one that I did not want to finish. I reached the last page and I was dazed, I wanted more of it.

Full disclosure: I'm a John Grisham fan and so far I only had praise for his books.

To start off, things were moving very fast. Sometimes John Grisham's books are unexpected. Sebastian Rudd is a matter-of-fact guy, he goes straight to the point and he doesn't flourish anything. It took me very little to get into Rogue Lawyer, into this particular storytelling, and I was hooked not even two chapters in, and that's not much. The chapters are very short, some aren't even one page long, in my copy I think the longest was somewhere around 10 pages with most of them being 3-5 pages long. It's no wonder I read it so fast. I'm still a little dazed and need to recover, and I'm afraid it will be hard to get into another book so soon. I will try, though.

Sebastian Rudd is not the most ethical lawyer out there and he sure is colourful, but it was almost impossible to not like him. He's driven by a strong sense of justice and that swooped me off my feet. I might not approve his every stop in the journey, but I approve the end goal.

Part three of the book, the one about the warrior cops, brought me the most satisfaction. It was horrible what happened, but Rudd's performance in court made me both smug and emotional. Way to go! And Jillian's story was the hardest to read about, what awful things happened there... I shuddered in disgust reading those parts and I felt incredibly sad. The other cases were just as engaging and very interesting. I loved the wide range of clients Rudd had and the way he managed them all. Reading about his adventures, his tumultuous career, I really got to like Rudd and sympathise with him. I appreciated his manner of not kicking around the bush and his honesty.

The book is very fast paced, it has six parts, each dealing with a different case, but they are all connected by Sebastian Rudd. The cases happen linearly so it's more like Rudd's journal, let's say, where he writes about his clients, but also about his personal life. Despite this, I never felt like the book is a short story collection, Rogue Lawyer felt very much like a proper novel, one that has parts. About it being fast paced, it sure made me read faster and lose myself in the novel, but it had a downside too, and that was the ending. The book ended in the same manner, it felt abrupt to me. I'm still going to rate it very high because, hey, it's all in character, it doesn't deviate, it doesn't snuggle you in before being done and that's okay.

I'm not sure I made a lot of sense, so bottom line, I liked the book very much and I liked Sebastian Rudd very much.

I randomly picked up this book and started reading. The title is intriguing and I was in the mood for John Grisham, but I also wanted to read more about Ford County. When I started reading I didn't know the book was set in Ford County (although I did know there are other books than Jake Brigance series set there) so I had a very pleasant surprise.

The main character being a reporter instead of a lawyer was a nice change. I was ready to jump right in. I was not expecting to see familiar characters, Harry Rex Vonner and Lucien Willbanks both took me by surprise. Now... What the fuck, Lucien? I liked Lucien in the Jake Brigance series. We all know he's not a good guy, he made a name for himself for going against the current, he is loud, he takes risks, and he is (or was since he was disbarred) a damn good lawyer. But what, just what possessed him to represent Danny Padgitt? I agree that everyone deserves to be represented in court, but I feel like whoever the court would have appointed to him would have been more than enough. Since I liked Lucien I felt really disappointed first by his choice of representing Danny Padgitt, and then by straight out lying in court. Lucien fully deserved to be disbarred. Makes me wonder how did he win some of his cases and what kind of people did he help stay out of prison, continuing to torment others.

I first met Willie Traynor in Sycamore Row (I read that one first), when he sold the Hocutt House to Jake Brigance. The events in The Last Juror happen years before Jake even thought of stepping in Clanton, and I liked this flow of events, the continuation between the books. This book can be read as standalone, but it's part of the Ford County universe so you might feel like it doesn't make much sense or that something is missing if you don't have some kind of context.

I didn't particularly like Willie, he was okay, but I don't have any strong feelings towards him. It was, however, nice reading his thoughts and his 'adventures'. We follow Willie as he buys the Times, we learn along with him about the various people in Clanton, and through him we witness the trial of Danny Padgitt. It felt a little weird to not have the inside view of the trial in this John Grisham novel and it wasn't as exciting as his other legal thrillers, but we did get an interesting angle, one that I feel most readers can relate to better.

Being used to other, more court-focused books from John Grisham, I was surprised that the trial was done so quickly. As I finished reading the first part of the book I found myself wondering what could happen next, but the story was far from done. After all, there is plenty to happen in a small town. As I read, the book became more exciting. The trial was looming somewhere at all times because even if Danny Padgitt was locked up 'for life' we didn't get the sense that justice has indeed been served. The whole issue got its conclusion in the third part of the book so I won't dwell on it.

Besides the trial and everything surrounding it, there are a lot of other things happening. There's Willie's journey, his everyday, writing for the paper, investigating everything and everyone, actually building something in Clanton. The best part of him is that through Willie, Clanton takes shape, it is consolidated and its history is laid out for us in a very neat way. Almost like we are there and we are witnessing it changing and growing. This book is almost an intimate experience. We get to learn about the people, the surroundings, the issues. Nothing, apart from the trial, is put in the limelight, and yet everything is discussed, every topic is touched, from politics, celebrations, law, desegregation, to day to day events. I enjoyed reading this book very much.

Mathematics was never my strong point. Growing up I barely could solve most problems without having the necessary formulas in front of me, so it comes as no surprise that I can't recall everything the Professor, in a way, tried to teach me. The Housekeeper and Root were undoubtedly much better pupils.

I found the book to be peculiar, but interesting. As much as I don't have a knack for maths, I enjoyed the Professor's explanations. Maybe if he would have been my professor in school, I would have learned more. I liked his passion for mathematics, his tenderness, and his gentle explanations. Even without the memory loss, I think he would have happily explained the same concepts over and over again until they were clear to the Housekeeper and Root. His joy when they understood something was touching.

I wish I would have known the characters' actual names. I don't know why, but Japanese books usually lack names. I did a quick search on the matter, but I came up empty-handed. Maybe the purpose is for the reader to relate better to the characters, to be able to easily imagine real people they know or maybe even themselves as one of the characters. While I see how that would work, it doesn't have that effect on me, and I really wish I could call them in a way. It wouldn't feel right to decide on a name myself.

Besides the name issue (well, not actually issue, more like curiosity), as I already said, I enjoyed the book. At first I felt sorry for the Professor, but I soon got to accept his situation as a fact and go about it more or less the same way the Housekeeper and Root did. I didn't always agree with their solutions, as it's probably to be expected, but for the most part I was glad they were the ones to lead the way.

While reading I was afraid the book might end abruptly or in a cruel manner. I definitely wouldn't have been surprised, but no, the book ended in a very smooth way and I'm glad about it.

Having received this book and not reading the rest of the series, it was a little hard for me to get into it. The most challenging aspect of it was the short chapters (some as short as only one page), but while I found it a bit annoying at first, both the length and that some of them seemed to end in a mini cliff-hanger, after almost 100 pages I was all in. The short chapters did their job after all and got me interested.

Now, Hide and Seek is the sixth book of a series, and it is obviously tightly connected to what happened in the previous one, Little Boy Blue. That being said, while it is difficult to get into it at first, it is not unreadable. I am certain my experience would have been way more entertaining if I would have read the previous book, but since I don't have it, I am glad with only this one. The sixth book is not devoid of explanations, though. Of course it doesn't go into detail, but it is good enough for the reader to know what led to the events in Hide and Seek.

Moving along to what exactly happened; what a ride! I liked how there were two investigations going on at the same time, one inside the prison and the other outside. While the outside one was more a game of cat and mouse, the one on the inside is what kept me interested. I was pretty sure I knew early on who the criminal was, I wavered a little at some point, and I was a surprised that Helen and everyone else haven't caught on, only for me to discover that I have been so wrong. On the bright side, me and Hellen had the same ideas, so I guess I am not all that bad.

While I still think longer chapters would have made for a more intense storytelling I can't really complain. In the end I did enjoy the book, it was a great read, and I'm sure fans of the series and of M.J. Arlidge would absolutely love it.