Broken - Karin Slaughter - 4 stars

This book 4 in the Will Trent series and I had no doubts that I would like this book when I decided to continue with the series. I like the authors writing style and I love her flawed characters as well. I find her books very fluid and very easy to read.

In this installment Dr. Sara Linton needs some help to solve the murder of a young woman who was pulled from the lake. So Will Trent is called in to help figure things out. He meets Officer Lena Adams who appears to be keeping secrets from him and she does not give him much to go on. Will feels caught between these two women while he tries uncover the evidence in this case.

Again I loved the plot of the story, they just seem to get better with each installment. This story is very engaging with lots of mystery to uncover. I love how the story flows and keeps me connected to everything. I found myself guessing at everything but not able to figure out 'whodunit' till the very end. The story is very gratifying with it's unpredictability.

I have to say that Will Trent is one of my most favorite characters due to his flaws and imperfections. I can't deal with those perfect characters, so it is always refreshing when I find those characters that are completely flawed. A lot of the characters that readers come across in this series have some pretty serious issues to deal with and work through while trying to also solve mysteries that they are confronted with. I think it gives readers more to think about, I know it does me. I also feel like it makes the characters for realistic and more relatable.

I recommend this book/series to anyone who likes mystery. I have not yet been disappointed with anything written by this author. I look forward to continuing on with the series and completing it this year.

Tuesday Talks: What is your biggest influence for reading?

Sorry guys, will not being doing a video this week as I am not feeling well and can hardly talk. But this weeks discussion is on who our biggest influence in reading is. Here is our link to the Good Read Group. Come check us out and see if you want to join!

I have to say that I really have only one major influence where reading is concerned and that influence is my parents, mainly my mom. She LOVED to read. Her favorite genre was mystery, which is probably why I too love mystery as much as I do. I can remember going to the library and coming home with stacks of books. Mom loved Agatha Christie books with Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot.

I can also remember that my parents always made sure that there was plenty to read in our house by buying many series of books, children's books, classic, and so many more. Always something there to dive into. I am thankful that my parents instill the love of reading into us kids at such a young age. I believe that reading is an essential part of growing up, something that will carry over into our adult years. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Deserves to Die - Lisa Jackson - 4 stars

This is what I expect to be the last installment to the 'to die' series. The series has been really enjoyable. This is one of the series that I wanted to complete in 2015 and I am glad to have gotten through it, but will miss this great characters I have come to love.

In this installment we have a serial killer going after women and before they die he cuts off their left ring finger and he walks away. Alvarez and Pescoli must figure out the connection between the murders and who else might be involved.

Again the plot line is full of mystery and I love it. Especially when more than one mystery coincide with one another. The imagery again is fantastic. I found this last installment to be very engaging and very fast paced. Always something to question.

These characters, Alvarez and Pescoli are probably my favorite female detectives. They have many flaws and many of their own issues to deal with, yet they always get the job done. I think of the two, Pescoli is my favorite. They both developed very well throughout the seris and I am happy the ay that they were written, an amazing job by Jackson.

I recommend this entire series to any mystery lover that enjoys really strong female protagonists, yet they show many flaws and work through them rather than let them get in the way. If there is to be anymore books to this series, I will of course read them.

The Death Cure - James Dashner - 5 stars

Wow this is a great conclusion to the Maze Runner series and I really am glad I decided to read this series this year. I have enjoyed everyone one of these books, and I think they got better with each installment. I feel like the Author wrapped this series up beautifully.

In this book the crew is out to get WICKED and figure out some more things about the organization. Who can Thomas put his full trust in? Who will have all the answers and what is Thomas's role in this story?

I have to say that this whole series was really engaging, but this last book was definitely my favorite! It was written so well and the plot is also great. I think it really shows the insanity of people in times of great desperation. In this book that was the solar flares. I thought the world building was great and the imagery was great as well. A lot of questions answered, but there was something that I still found lacked closure.

The characters made me question a lot of things. I was trying to figure out who to trust and who not to. The author did well keeping readers guessing, and I loved that. I think the characters developed so very well throughout the series, they are very relatable and realistic. A lot to love and a lot to hate. I think anyone who reads this will also be second guessing themselves when it comes to the characters.

I recommend this to anyone who likes post apocalyptic stories. I think there is so many great elements to this series and I now look forward to the prequel, The Kill Order.

The Last Olympian - Rick Riordan - 5 stars

This is the 5th and final book to the Percy Jackson series. It was a goal this year to finish some series and this was one of the series I wished to complete for the year. I was not sure if I was going to like it since it is a 'middle grade' series, but I ended up loving all of them.

In this installment our gang of half bloods have to save Olympus from Kronos and the Titans. They go through a lot and have so many obstacles to overcome in order to save Olympus and the city as well.

I can't really say I have a favorite out of the series. I do think they just got better and better as the series went on. The plot to the whole series is beautifully done, but I really liked the plot in this one. Percy and his friends must save Olympus, I mean what could be better or more exciting than that. I also loved the bits of humor here and there throughout the series, adds a little happiness to the story.

What can I say about the characters? I think they are beautifully written and developed well throughout the story. They grow and progress well, and I loved them all, the good and the bad. The are great protagonist and antagonists, and the Villains make you seethe with hatred for them. As far as a favorite goes, it is hard to say. I am sure that most people would pick Percy. To tell you the truth in the beginning of the series, I hated Percy, I thought he was kind of annoying and arrogant, but at the same time also very naïve, but I feel like he grew into a real hero and I loved that, but as a favorite I don't think so. I liked them all and each one brought something great to the story.

I recommend this series to anyone, even those adults out there that don't normally tend to read middle grade books. This series has something for everyone.

The Chocolate War - Robert Cormier - 3 stars

I read this book because it was chosen for me through blind bookies, which is a book swap I participate in with my niece that we do each quarter. So I figured it was time to get to this one. I was unsure what to think about when I read the synopsis. After I finished it I found out that there is a sequel and now I feel pressed to read that one.

In this book we have Jerry who is newly entered into a private school and he posed the question to himself of 'Do I dare disturb the universe?' He asked the question and then acted on it. Meaning, he wants to be able to do his own thing, and not what everyone else wants him to do. When Brother Leon, a teacher at the Trinity school tells his students that they will be selling chocolate, voluntarily of course, Jerry is instructed by the Vigils, a disruptive group in the school, to say no when asked if he was going to sell chocolates. After a few days The Vigils say he is allowed to finally say yes. Instead Jerry wants to disturb the universe once again and goes against The Vigils wishes. Jerry quickly learns that no one really wants you to do your own thing, and he learns it the hard way.

Ok wow this book started out like eh this is boring, and I mean really boring and then BAM it picked up and I was interested. It became really fast paced and quite intriguing. It turned into so many things, bullying, strength, learning, and above all else just wanting to be able to do your own thing and not have to be a part of a popular clique. I feel like the first half was so dry and it could have been so much better. Had it had all of these great elements from the start it would have been a 5 star rating. I found myself seething at the end of the book because I feel like there was no justice served and it should have been, and then the old phrase comes into play of 'Boys will be boys.' So irritating, but maybe the sequel serves the justice I am seeking.

The characters were pretty good. Jerry of course who is a favorite was a protagonist in the story but I feel like he let the rest of the heathens get the better of him most of the time. The Goober, real name Roland Goubert, is another great character, who is caught in between and has some difficult choices to make, not all of them easy ones, not in this school. Then you have the great villains, The Vigils with their leader, Archie, who I held intense hatred for. I love a good character to hate. All of them added a lot to the story, and I found myself searching for a hero, but they never surfaced and I am hopefully maybe they will in the continuance of this story.

I am not sure who to recommend this 1970's classic to since it took me awhile to really enjoy it. It is worth the read but it take it's time to get there. So I suppose just pick it up if you like classics with a 50's feel to them and try it out. This would have had a higher rating had it been a hit with me from the first page, but a 3 is a pretty generous rating I think. I do look forward to finding the second book and seeking out the justice I crave.

In the Woods - Tana French - 4.5 stars

I decided on reading this book as a buddy read with a few people as part of a Book-a-thon. I had this series for quite some time and figured it was time to get started on it. Now that I finished the first book, I am glad that I decided to jump on it, but not without a few struggles.

In this story we have Detective Robert Ryan and Detective Cassie Maddox, partners, trying to solve the mystery of a murdered girl, Katy Devlin, and the possibility of this surrounding a mystery of 2 missing children 30 years ago. Det. Ryan was involved in the mystery of the missing children and could not remember anything as he was just 12 years old at the time that his friends turned up missing, while he was found. Are the two cases connected? That is what they need to figure out so they can catch the murderer of young Katy Devlin.

I really liked the plot of this story a lot. Although it lacked a lot of action, it was still pretty exciting to read. I did stumble around a bit in parts of the story because it seemed to drag, but there are a lot of authors I just love who have this issue of wordiness, so I felt like I had to give this author and book a chance. Especially since the writing is beautiful and the characters amazing. So no the book is not fluid and easy to read, but the writing is amazing, especially since this is a debut novel. I hate that a part of the story was not solved, but I look forward to that coming to light in future installments. I also felt that there was some injustice served as well, but I can understand the reasoning.

The characters were definitely my favorite part and this is why I think it was important to read this first book. They develop so well throughout the story and I feel like they will continue to develop throughout the story. The best thing about the characters is that they are completely flawed and have such many issues. The author lets us into their heads so well that we can't help but feel all of their emotions. Characters, to me, are the most important part of a story. I appreciate what the author gave to us with the characters in this story.

I implore mystery lovers to read this series, to make it through the first book and not give up on it because you will not be disappointed. I am giving this book a 4.5 star rating, it would have been 5 had it not dragged in the middle of it.

Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher - 4 stars

I have had this book for quite some time and recently I have heard some very up and down reviews on this. Not knowing how I would like the book I jumped into it with no expectations. I felt like this book had a Hopkins feel to it and I actually quite enjoyed the story as it touches on a very serious subject, that being suicide.

In this book we have Hannah who decided living life was not worth much anymore, but before she ended it for herself, she made some cassette tapes calling out those people who pushed her towards this conclusion, one of which being Clay Jensen. The story focuses on Clay listening to these cassettes and dealing with his own feelings. This is also Hannah's story by way of these cassette tapes and also the aftermath as it touches on these people who in one way or another pushed Hannah over the edge.

The plot to this story I found quite unique, different, thought provoking and emotional. I tend to like to read real life based stories and I had not come across one told like this. It was very fluid, easy to read but also hard at times due to the content. I think the author tells a very real story, as real as it can be compared to the world today for a lot of teenagers. When they feel there is no hope, but also on the other side for those people left behind wondering why they did not do something more to help. Dealing with the guilt, sadness, and depression. I feel like this book is so worth the read, especially the ay the book ends.

The characters were also wrote very well. I had mixed feelings where Hannah was concerned. At one time I would think she had choices to make, she was dependent on others to make those choices for her, which is ultimately what happened, she did not let anyone completely in. And then on the other hand I can see why things seemed hopeless to her. It did seem like everyone went out of their way to do her harm in one way or another. I have to say though that I felt the most sorry for Clay. He wanted to help, but as many people have told me in the past, you can't help someone who does not want to be helped, but that doesn't change that way of thinking. It will always be the struggle of 'I could have done more.'

I recommend this book to anyone who likes real life stories, those kind that make you think, feel and see things in a whole new light, because this is story certainly accomplishes that.

Starters - Lissa Price - 3 stars

This is a YA Post Apoc Dystopian novel. I don't always enjoy dystopian novels because they always seem to be the same thing. Government controls the people telling them what they can and can not do and then someone attempts to overthrow the government often resulting in an out and out war. This one was different and I quite enjoyed it.

In this book there was a spore war killing everyone between the ages of 20 and 60. Callie and her brother Tyler survived because of being vaccinated. They lost their parents and found themselves living day to day and are completely homeless. Callie has the opportunity to work for Prime Destinations renting her body out to Enders so that they can be young again. Callie discovers an evil plan that she feels she must stop.

I really liked the plot to this story. I thought that it was quite different and unique. The author has built quite the world here but somehow it felt a little incomplete at times. Like it needed just a little more development. I also thought the end of the book felt a little rushed and too easy if that makes any sense. I expected a bit more to it, but overall it was a good story, it was engaging and a very fast read.

I like the characters but I did not really feel a connection to any of them. I guess that could be due to the fact that Callie is only 16 and this is the first book so maybe they become more relatable in the next one. I have a feeling that one part, a character, is going to be a little predictable. I guess I will see when I get to the next one.

I can recommend this book to anyone who likes YA Dystopian. I do look forward to book 2, Enders, and I hope that the world, plot and characters continues to develop more.