What are you reading? Happy Monday

Book Date now hosts It's Monday What Are Your Reading?  The meme that we use to share what we read this past week and what our plans are for the upcoming week.  It's a great way to see what others are reading and add to your own To Be Read List.


I'm currently reading - My Review of Ice Twins 3 1/2 

I read and reviewed 3 1/2 stars

I need to do my review, I enjoyed it. 4 stars

Book club choice for November

I recommended 4 books for Domestic Violence Awareness Month

My post link

I hosted Dianne Bondy in Bermuda for Yoga Workshops.  What a fun empowering weekend.

Have a wonderful week.

Review - Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Book Summary

“Are you happy with your life?” 
 
Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. 
 
Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. 
 
Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”  
 
In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.
 
Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.
 
Dark Matter is a brilliantly plotted tale that is at once sweeping and intimate, mind-bendingly strange and profoundly human—a relentlessly surprising science-fiction thriller about choices, paths not taken, and how far we’ll go to claim the lives we dream of.


My Review 3 1/2

This was my first Blake Crouch book which I chose after a few reviews intrigued me.  I thought the beginning was great, fast paced and draws you right in. You meet Jason, his wife Daniela and son.  They are living a comfortable happy life.  Choices are made once you have children, not necessarily better or worst but different from the original plan.  Jason leaves home to go congratulate a friend which should only take an hour but in reality it takes a little over a month.

And while the thought of last night carries the emotional weight of a real memory, it has the fantasy lining of a dream, or a nightmare. Kindle 21%

The sci-fi wasn't a turn off for me but the similarities once Jason woke and tried to find his real home became tedious to read, recurring over and over with little changes. I am not a fan of time travel novels so maybe this was similar to that for me - Groundhog feel.  I do think the reality of a different life and the scientific plan is incredible but it just felt repetitive.  This lost the intensity for me and by mid way I just wanted to find out what happens.

I enjoyed the idea of original Jason choosing his career versus family man Jason and debating who has the better life.  Life is all about decisions and consequences and both were great choices.  What threw me for a loop and felt a little weird were the numerous Jason's.  I won't go into this further.

If you strip away all the trappings of personality and lifestyle, what are the core components that make me, me? Kindle 64%

I thought I appreciated every moment, but sitting here in the cold, I know I took it all for granted.  And how could I not?  Until everything topples, we have no idea what we actually have, how precariously and perfectly it all hangs together. Kindle 67%

I did enjoy some of the questions that arose, it had you take the time to sit back and reflect.

There was nothing drastic about the ending, it just was.  I understand choosing that way but I would have liked to hear more from Jason that stole 'his' life back.  It almost had a happily ever after feel which doesn't mix with the story line unless they are allowing the reader to makeup the 'what is next'.

"Every moment, every breath, contains a choice.  But life is imperfect.  We make the wrong choices.  So we end up living in a state of perpetual egret, and is there anything worse?  Kindle 95%

I enjoyed Blake Crouch writing style and at times he slides in what I consider to be a novel in verse, creative.

Recommended Books for Domestic Violence Awareness

I saw an advertisement giving awareness to Domestic Violence.  Sharing books is my way of participating with awareness.

I didn't realize how many books I read on this topic, they have me on the edge of my seat in a different way that Thrillers and Suspense books do.

I recommend all of these which I rated 4 1/2 stars.

My Review

Beginning of my review.....  The intensity in this book is non stop, shocking and many moments I realized I was holding my breath.  I am so impressed this is a debut, well done BA Paris.  I felt relieved at the end which isn't a good thing but my oh my, intense.  The summary says we all know a couple like Jack and Grace, I sure as hell hope not.  That thought is scary and very creepy, there are some things I will never overlook with friends now.  I will give a warning, this is probably the worst kind of mental manipulation abuse I have read, it can be very hard to read if you are not into emotional intense reads.  I found this harder to read them physical abuse.

My Review

Beginning of my review...... I would start out saying I was an emotional train wreck from beginning to end, deep breath.  This is one of the most emotional heart wrenching dark family horror stories I have ever read but with an alluring character, Alessa, she made it worthwhile. 

My Review

Part of my review............ Victoria has been in a verbal and physical abusive marriage and something so bad has happened she is now in a mental institution. The story is mainly told from her point of view, I never felt that she was crazy but couldn't wait to find out what really put her there.  She couldn't remember and her Doctor was slowly showing her pictures to assist with bringing back the memories.

My Review

Part of my review.......  I loved the 3 year span, Chapters about 2004 with her boyfriend, being swept off her feet to the destructive controlling relationship vs 2007 now living in fear that he will find her and this time, be successful in killing her.  Both time periods were gripping and effective to moving the story along.

Do you have any Domestic violence books that you would recommend? 

I'm currently reading and considering for Book Club

Book Date now hosts It's Monday What Are Your Reading?  The meme that we use to share what we read this past week and what our plans are for the upcoming week.  It's a great way to see what others are reading and add to your own To Be Read List.


I'm currently (considering it as my Book Club read)

Book Summary

When her father falls into a coma, Indian American photographer Sonya reluctantly returns to the family she’d fled years before. Since she left home, Sonya has lived on the run, free of any ties, while her soft-spoken sister, Trisha, has created a perfect suburban life, and her ambitious sister, Marin, has built her own successful career. But as these women come together, their various methods of coping with a terrifying history can no longer hold their memories at bay.

Buried secrets rise to the surface as their father—the victim of humiliating racism and perpetrator of horrible violence—remains unconscious. As his condition worsens, the daughters and their mother wrestle with private hopes for his survival or death, as well as their own demons and buried secrets.

Told with forceful honesty, Trail of Broken Wings reveals the burden of shame and secrets, the toxicity of cruelty and aggression, and the exquisite, liberating power of speaking and owning truth.

I reviewed - My Review 3 1/2 stars

What I think is next for me.

I'm considering this one also as a next read and for Book Club, what do you think?

Review - The Sinner Book 5 of Graveyard Series

Published - September 27, 2016

Book Summary

I am a living ghost, a wanderer in search of my purpose and place… 

I'm a cemetery restorer by trade, but my calling has evolved from that of ghost seer to death walker to detective of lost souls. I solve the riddles of the dead so the dead will leave me alone. 

I've come to Seven Gates Cemetery nursing a broken heart, but peace is hard to come by…for the ghosts here and for me. When the body of a young woman is discovered in a caged grave, I know that I've been summoned for a reason. Only I can unmask her killer. I want to trust the detective assigned to the case for he is a ghost seer like me. But how can I put my faith in anyone when supernatural forces are manipulating my every thought? When reality is ever-changing? And when the one person I thought I could trust above all others has turned into a diabolical stranger?

My Review - Book 5 of the Graveyard Series
3 1/2 stars

We have new covers and a slightly different feel to the story now.  I understand change must happen but for me the new just didn't work.  Amanda Stevens creates the creepy atmosphere brilliantly and that does capture you but the storylines no longer pull me in.

I was really hoping this was going to be the ending of the series but there is one more to wait for, The Awakening due out March 2017.  It sounds like it will be about Devlin who I really miss.  He became the love of Amelia but there were secrets, suspense around who and what he really was.  I feel like I have been waiting for 2 books now which is also a huge disappointment for me.  Amelia and Devlin had a connection, I would like to have an ending to it as she even wonders why he is still on her mind.

Another man, possible love interest is used in the Sinner, at first I didn't understand but The Sinner was using him to get to Amelia, this was well done and definitely bought a sense of fear but also pull to Amelia that she sensed as attraction but knew better to accept that.

He was all too aware of the changes inside me and sometimes still I would catch him watching me with those dark, soulful eyes as if to say, I know who you are but I don't know what you are and that worries me.  Kindle 21%

She gets pulled into an investigation when she comes across a body in the cemetery she is restoring.  The body looks fresh like it had just been put there and it was in a caged grave.  Some of the history about cemeteries is also a nice feature in the books and allows us to learn more about Amelia's legacy.

What part was I to play in all this?  I wondered.  As much as i had learned about myself and about my gift, I still sometimes puzzled over my destiny.  I could endure, if not embrace, my role in helping trapped spirits move on.. In time, I might even learn to accept my great-grandmother's legacy of tracking those supernatural beings she and Papa had called malcontents - entities with no other earthbound purpose than to create chaos among the living.  Kindle 79%

I really feel like The Visitor and The Sinner didn't progress enough which has frustrated me and lessened my reading pleasure with these books. I don't regret starting this series, the beginning ones are memorable and loved my time reading them.

My Reviews

 

The Abandoned  Prequel

The Restorer Book 1

The Kingdom Book 2

 The Prophet Book 3

The Visitor Book 4

Interview with Amanda Stevens

Review - The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian

Book Published - January 2016

Book Summary from Amazon

From the New York Times bestselling author of Midwives and The Sandcastle Girls comes the spellbinding tale of a party gone horribly wrong: two men lie dead in a suburban living room, two women are on the run from police, and a marriage is ripping apart at the seams.
When Kristin Chapman agrees to let her husband, Richard, host his brother’s bachelor party, she expects a certain amount of debauchery. She brings their young daughter to Manhattan for the evening, leaving her Westchester home to the men and their hired entertainment. What she does not expect is this: bacchanalian drunkenness, her husband sharing a dangerously intimate moment in the guest room, and two women stabbing and killing their Russian bodyguards before driving off into the night.

In the aftermath, Kristin and Richard’s life rapidly spirals into nightmare. The police throw them out of their home, now a crime scene, Richard’s investment banking firm puts him on indefinite leave, and Kristin is unsure if she can forgive her husband for the moment he shared with a dark-haired girl in the guest room. But the dark-haired girl, Alexandra, faces a much graver danger. In one breathless, violent night, she is free, running to escape the police who will arrest her and the gangsters who will kill her in a heartbeat. A captivating, chilling story about shame and scandal, The Guest Room is a riveting novel from one of our greatest storytellers.

My Review - 4 star

The Guest Room made me think, what would I do.  I understood the dilemma Richard and Kristin put themselves in, they supported their family in a special moment, who knew all hell would break lose with life or death consequences.

I have nothing against bachelor parties and some good fun with strippers.  Why not allow your husband to host one for his brother at your house.  I also have a 9 year old daughter and can see staying over at grandma's for the night, no big deal when you have a trusting relationship.  And then you get a call in the middle of the night that changes things forever.

All the men are having fun and making some shady inappropriate decisions but then one of the young ladies decided her life over fun and work and kills the guard in front of everyone, then shots in the other room.  Both guards are dead and the girls flee.  SHOCKING

This is where the betrayal, humiliation, legal and financial worries, marriage - for better or worst come into play.  I thought Chris Bohjalian did a great job on showing us the life of a sex slave to how the modern day support, at times without knowing.  There are always friends that never think consequences or beyond the moment of fun and all lose because of a very bad decision.

I really loved the family unit with Richard, Kristin and their daughter.  Richard was truly a good man. And I understood all of his decisions. Really great discussion on what would you do while reading.

The story was told from present and then from Alexanders side from the beginning of her life to being captured and put into the sex slave world right up to the night of the Bachelor party and running for her life.

The ending surprised me, I really like when an author doesn't always go for the life always works out endings, powerful.  I don't think my book club would appreciate this one, I need to think more about it and make a decision but I really enjoyed it.

A few years ago I recommend Trans-Sister Radio by Chris Bohjalian to them.  That was a great discussion.  Highly recommend.

Have you read a Chris Bohjalian?  Which one would you recommend?

Monday's come to fast.........

Book Date now hosts It's Monday What Are Your Reading?  The meme that we use to share what we read this past week and what our plans are for the upcoming week.  It's a great way to see what others are reading and add to your own To Be Read List.

I can't believe it has been a month since I have participated.  Life has been crazy but really I just think Monday's come to fast.

I'm currently reading - the finale in a favourite series - it releases Tues, Sept 27

I just completed and reviewed - 4 stars

I missed a couple of weeks, I don't know how that happened, I had some great book dates though, here are my reviews.

My Review - 4 stars

My Review - 4 1/2 stars

My Review - 4 1/2 stars 

I think this will be next read.  I can't believe NetGalley has it available and my request as an international blogger was approved.  SO GRATEFUL

NetGalley Discussion Hosted by Kourtni Reads

Kourtni from Kourtni Reads created this discussion - go here to join

Disclaimer: This post is in no way affiliated with or sponsored by NetGalley. Just a fun post based on a website that I’m sure a lot of us book bloggers spend a lot of time on.

The rules:

• Link back to the tag’s creator (Kourtni Reads)
• Thank and link back to the person who tagged you
• Answer the questions the best you can. If you don’t use NetGalley, you can substitute other sites or places where you get books!
• Tag a few people to do this too

Auto-Approved: Who’s one author whose books you automatically want to read, regardless of what they’re about?

Specifically from NetGalley my auto-approved authors that I would buy if not offered are:

• Andrea Kane - Forensic Instincts series
• Amanda Stevens - Graveyard Queen series
• JT Ellison

Request: What makes you want to request a book that you see on NetGalley?

Blogger recommendations is my #1 or favourite authors.  I have tried a few from the covers and or descriptions but to be honest this is a hit or miss for me.  Being an international blogger doesn't always help with the choices either. Sad face when I get turned down.

Feedback Ratio: Do you review every book you read? If not, how do you decide what books to review?

The suggested feedback ratio is 80% and I am currently at 79%.  To be honest since they put this in I am a little stressed out by it.  I try not to request often because I want to make sure I enjoy them.  I have tried to review everyone that I request but I am down by 2.  I need to think about how to give feedback when it is a DNF.

I try to review every book I read but I have realized this year that I haven't.  I want to sit and think about it then I start another book and it's usually a done deal then.  There are 3 I really want to review but I'm starting to think it's not going to happen.

Badges: If you could create your own badge to display on your blog, what would it be for?

Badge, hmmmm - How about a country representing Badge - A Bermudian NetGalley blogger.  I currently have 4 but didn't even consider putting them on my sidebar, do bloggers or authors really care?

Wish for It: What’s one book that you are absolutely dying to read?

I have been waiting for months to read this one, I need it on Kindle immediately.  I understand how UK and International readers patiently wait now.  I am unsure when it will be released in the US for Kindle, I heard November.  It isn't on NetGalley either.

 

The day Adam Dunne's girlfriend, Sarah, fails to return from a Barcelona business trip, his perfect life begins to fall apart. Days later, the arrival of her passport and a note that reads ''I'm sorry--S'' sets off real alarm bells. He vows to do whatever it takes to find her. 

Adam is puzzled when he connects Sarah to a cruise ship called the Celebrate --and to a woman, Estelle, who disappeared from the same ship in eerily similar circumstances almost exactly a year before. 

To get answers, Adam must confront some difficult truths about his relationship with Sarah. He must do things of which he never thought himself capable. And he must try to outwit a predator who seems to have found the perfect hunting ground …

2016 NetGalley Challenge: What was the last book that you received as an ARC that you reviewed? If you’ve never received an ARC, what’s the last book you reviewed?

The last book reviewed actually was a NetGalley choice from Auto Approved.

Only Daughter - my review

I saw this on Cleopatra's blog and decided to join in - here are her responses.

Review - The Hidden Legacy by G. J. Minett

Published - November 2015

ONCE YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T FORGET

Ellen has received a life-changing inheritance. If only she knew who had left it to her . . . 


1966. A horrifying crime at a secondary school, with devastating consequences for all involved.

2008. A life-changing gift, if only the recipient can work out why . . .

Recently divorced and with two young children, Ellen Sutherland is up to her elbows in professional and personal stress. When she's invited to travel all the way to Cheltenham to hear the content of an old woman's will, she's far from convinced the journey will be worthwhile.

But when she arrives, the news is astounding. Eudora Nash has left Ellen a beautiful cottage worth an amount of money that could turn her life around. There's just one problem - Ellen has never even heard of Eudora Nash. 

Her curiosity piqued, Ellen and her friend Kate travel to the West Country in search of answers. But they are not the only ones interested in the cottage, and Ellen little imagines how much she has to learn about her past . . .

My Review - 4

This book has the feel of a classic, something quiet and remarkable about it.  I am impressed it is G. J. Minett's debut.  The opening is one of the best I have read, shocking incident that lays the foundation for the book.  

Ellen is the main character and a strong willed one, I respected and really enjoyed.  She is told a beautiful cottage has been given to her from the will of a lady she has never heard of.  Ellen begins the journey of trying to find out why while we read and slowly discover the hidden legacy right to the end.  

Ellen's mom has Alzheimer disease and is unable to answer Ellen's questions.  She goes into the unknown with her best friend Kate which made the journey more believable. 

The story was told by different time periods and multiple characters, mostly from the current 2008, 1974, 1966 when the intro incident occurred etc, I found this at times to be a little puzzling but it did still move the story along. I enjoyed all of the characters, even disliking the reporter, but he was still a great character.  The intricate details of a will and the secrets numerous characters wanted to understand and be revealed was the essence of this beautiful mystery.

But it's the lack of detail that's the problem.  He's at that stage in life where he doesn't want mysteries any more - what he wants is answers.  Kindle 66% 

I prefer more seating on the edge of my seat thrillers, but this mystery you had to take your time and cherish the moments. If you enjoy historical novels and mysteries, I highly recommend this one to you.

I read the review of The Hidden Legacy over at Cleopatra Loves Books blog and had to download it. It was one of her top ten books in 2015 and a 5 star read, check out her review. 

My must read 2016 list because of YOU, 6/10

During the Top Ten posts in December, I created a must read list for this year.  It was great to see many bloggers with similar interest posting with passion, I was so excited to restart blogging again.  

I am thankful, your recommendations have been amazing.  I have read 6 out of the 10 so far.  This may be the first year of reading all from my Top Ten Must Read List post from January's in the past.

Here is my list.

I haven't read it yet but I love Elizabeth Haynes so looking forward to it.

I need to review this one.  Lisa Genova is a favourite author, this was my least favourite by her though.

My Review - it has the potential to make my favourite list of the year

My Review - another that has the potential to make my favourite list of the year.

I just finished this little gem.  In between my thriller addiction reads this was perfect.  Review to come

This one continues to call my name.

My Review - Another author I enjoy, it was good but not one of her best in my opinion.

This is the only one that is on the fence now but we will see.

This one is also calling my name.  Possibly my next read actually.

My Review - This one was my 1st read of the year and has the potential to be on my favourite list also.

Have a great week.

Sundays in bed with......... The Hidden Legacy by G. J. Minett

This meme is hosted by Kate over at Midnight Book Girl, go over to join.  The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! 

I read the review of The Hidden Legacy over at Cleopatra Loves Books blog and had to download it. It was one of her top ten books in 2015 and a 5 star read, check out her review.  I started last night and as soon as my eyes opened I went into it again.  I love finding a book that is perfect for the mood I am in.  Thanks Cleo.

Have you read it?

Published - November 2015

ONCE YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T FORGET

Ellen has received a life-changing inheritance. If only she knew who had left it to her . . . 


1966. A horrifying crime at a secondary school, with devastating consequences for all involved.

2008. A life-changing gift, if only the recipient can work out why . . .

Recently divorced and with two young children, Ellen Sutherland is up to her elbows in professional and personal stress. When she's invited to travel all the way to Cheltenham to hear the content of an old woman's will, she's far from convinced the journey will be worthwhile.

But when she arrives, the news is astounding. Eudora Nash has left Ellen a beautiful cottage worth an amount of money that could turn her life around. There's just one problem - Ellen has never even heard of Eudora Nash. 

Her curiosity piqued, Ellen and her friend Kate travel to the West Country in search of answers. But they are not the only ones interested in the cottage, and Ellen little imagines how much she has to learn about her past . . .

Review - The Girl in the Ice by Robert Bryndza

Published - February 2016

Book summary

Her eyes are wide open. Her lips parted as if to speak. Her dead body frozen in the ice…She is not the only one.

When a young boy discovers the body of a woman beneath a thick sheet of ice in a South London park, Detective Erika Foster is called in to lead the murder investigation.

The victim, a beautiful young socialite, appeared to have the perfect life. Yet when Erika begins to dig deeper, she starts to connect the dots between the murder and the killings of three prostitutes, all found strangled, hands bound and dumped in water around London.

What dark secrets is the girl in the ice hiding?

As Erika inches closer to uncovering the truth, the killer is closing in on Erika.

The last investigation Erika led went badly wrong… resulting in the death of her husband. With her career hanging by a thread, Erika must now battle her own personal demons as well as a killer more deadly than any she’s faced before. But will she get to him before he strikes again?

SPECIAL KINDLE PRICE TODAY 99c

My Review 4 1/2 stars

I was really impressed with this police procedural crime thriller.  I have to say a great police procedural is right up there with the best psychological thrillers for me now.  When they are great, wow.  I really didn't want to put this book down and I am proud to say I had it right, but didn't take away from the enjoyment at all as Robert Bryndza made me question myself throughout the book.  I would love to vent but it would be a spoiler and the vent is not about the writing or execution just 'people'.

When a wealthy woman is found murdered they bring Detective Erika Foster in to handle the case.  Erika is still healing from a loss when out in the field and her boss treats her as if he is doing her a favour.  Unfortunately money and power are leading this case, instead of allowing a transparent investigation to occur.  Erika is finding similarities to the murder and believes she is dealing with a serial killer but why can't she get a break.  Numerous clues but nothing makes sense to come together to break the case.

As Erika gets closer she also puts herself in danger, she escapes once but will she be able to be saved again?  This is edge of your seat worthy and you just cannot wait until the murderer or serial killer is found.  There are so many twists and turns and it keeps your mind wondering, I really like the fear the murderer put in his victim, shocking once you get to the ending.  Again, my venting point I can't discuss.  I really like that I keep finding amazing, strong, smart women as Detectives, she wouldn't be stopped as she had integrity and would do what was right even when told no.

This crime thriller/police procedural will keep you fully engaged, the tension is constant and when it all comes together, BAM, I was pleased. I also really enjoyed all the characters, Robert Bryndza gave the characters a genuine place where you felt you understood decisions, good and bad which helped the dialogue to feel real also.

Sometimes reading thrillers they can start to have the same feel but this one was different and I will look out for more by Robert Bryndza.  I prefer stand alone's but I definitely look forward to reading more in this series.

What are some of your favourite crime thriller series?

My top 2 are Andrea Kane's Forensic Instincts series and JT Ellison's Samantha Owen series.

I also really enjoyed the beginning of MJ Alridge series, Eeny Meeny.