Robert B. Parker's Fool Me Twice - Michael Brandman - 5 stars

This book #11 in the Jesse Stone Series by Robert B. Parker, and so far my favorite. Unfortunately Robert B. Parker passed away in 2010 and this book was written by a ghost writer, Michael Brandman. I think he does a great job keeping the essence of Parker's writing in this continued series.
Synopsis
Autumn in Paradise, Massachusetts, is usually an idyllic season?—but not this time. A Hollywood movie company has come to town, and brought with it a huge cast, crew, and a troubled star. Marisol Hinton is very beautiful, reasonably talented, and scared out of her wits that her estranged husband's jealousy might take a dangerous turn. When she becomes the subject of a death threat, Jesse and the rest of the Paradise police department go on high alert.

And when Jesse witnesses a horrifying collision caused by a distracted teenage driver, the political repercussions of her arrest bring him into conflict with the local selectment, the DA, and some people with very deep pockets. There's murder in the air, and it's Jesse's reputation as an uncompromising defender of the law—and his life—on the line.

I have to say that I was concerned about continuing this series once I found out that Parker passed away 6 years ago, and that he had a ghost writer for the last 4 books of the Jesse Stone series, but so far they have been great. They are still very fluid and quick, easy reads. I love how we have a small town setting with big city problems. I love all the different cases going on in the book at the same time, keeps readers entertained and keeps the story from becoming boring. I find the whole series to be very engaging from first page to last.

The main characters continue to grow and develop very well and I love witnessing that with each new book I pick up. I love Jesse's character the most. He has many different issues, but with that, he also has plenty of wit and sarcasm that keeps him quite realistic and very likable. There are always plenty of new characters introduced in each book of the series. plenty to like and plenty to dislike as well.

I look forward to continuing this series and finishing it. I can't recommend this series enough to anyone who is a mystery buff, or a Parker fan.

Robert B. Parker's Killing the Blues - Michael Brandman - 4 stars

This is book 10 in the Jesse Stone series. I was a little apprehensive about reading this one since Parker passed in 2010 and the last book Parker wrote was book 9 Split Image. I found this one to stay pretty true to Parker's writing style. Well Done Michael Brandman.
Synopsis
The Jesse Stone stories continue even after Robert B. Parker’s passing with Killing the Blues.  In this novel, Jesse Stone is faced with what begins as a rash of stolen cars and escalates into arson and murder as Stone uncovers how deep this crime wave really goes.  All the while, Paradise, Massachusetts is preparing for summer tourism with the help of event planner Alexis Richardson, and she and Stone become involved in a steamy affair.

I did not bother even reading the synopsis to this book since I love the Jesse Stone series so much. I was happy to see that Brandman kept very close to Parker's writing style. I did find though that he made Jesse Stone a bit more aggressive in his work and I really quite liked that side of Jesse. There was a lot of stuff going on in this book. Jesse was more active and out in the field along with the crew. I think that was a good change to his character. He still has his issues, he is still sarcastic and witty, but now he goes out and gets his hands dirty a lot more than in previous books. Keep them coming like that.

Y'all know how I feel about the characters in this book. I love them. There is Jesse, Molly, and Suitcase. Those 3 are my favorites. I feel like I could be friends with them, like they really do exist in real life. They are all very relatable, and very believable. One of the reasons I like them as much as I do is because they all stand pretty firm on their beliefs of the way things should be. No one get to have the better of any of them, they are smart and witty and just very likable characters.

Again I recommend this complete series to anyone who loves mystery. And there really is no reason to worry about the later books that were written by ghost writers, those books too, are written in true Parker style.

The Miserable Mill - Lemony Snicket - 4 stars

This is book #4 in the Series of Unfortunate Events. I have been enjoying this story quite a lot. They are quick fast paced reads.
Synopsis
Dear Reader,

I hope, for your sake, that you have not chosen to read this book because you are in the mood for a pleasant experience. If this is the case, I advise you to put this book down instantaneously, because of all the books describing the unhappy lives of the Baudelaire orphans, The Miserable Mill might be the unhappiest yet. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are sent to Paltryville to work in a lumber mill, and they find disaster and misfortune lurking behind every log.

The pages of this book, I'm sorry to inform you, contain such unpleasantries as a giant pincher machine, a bad casserole, a man with a cloud of smoke where his head should be, a hypnotist, a terrible accident resulting in injury, and coupons.

I have promised to write down the entire history of these three poor children, but you haven't, so if you prefer stories that are more heartwarming, please feel free to make another selection.

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket

These books are quite fun to read and they go very quickly. I am always completely engaged with the story from start to finish and these are easily one day reads. As I have said before though, some of these are a little dark for middle grade readers I think. They are quite interesting, but sometimes they can get a little annoying due to all the misfortune that is involved in the story. But you do get that little snippet of relief at the end of each story simply because the orphans are still alive.

I love the characters in the story, well the orphans anyway. I don't like Mr. Poe all that much because sometimes he seems to be a bit too disagreeable for my tastes. The author makes him appear to be a little on the dim witted side and that is somewhat bothersome as well. It seems the orphans have to work extra hard to convey their feelings about things or convince Poe that something is wrong.

If you like to have fun quick reads than I recommend this series. There is always something happening to keep you and the orphans on their toes. They are really very worth the read!

Split Image - Robert B. Parker - 4 stars

This is book #9 in the Jesse Stone series. I have just really enjoyed this series a lot and I knew this one would be just as good. I look forward to the rest of the books in this series as well. I am saddened to learn of Parker's death in 2010, and this book was the last one written solely by him.
Synopsis
The body in the trunk was just the beginning.

Turns out the stiff was a foot soldier for local tough guy Reggie Galen, now enjoying a comfortable "retirement" with his beauti­ful wife, Rebecca, in the nicest part of Paradise. Living next door are Knocko Moynihan and his wife, Robbie, who also happens to be Rebecca's twin. But what initially appears to be a low-level mob hit takes on new meaning when a high-ranking crime figure is found dead on Paradise Beach.

Stressed by the case, his failed relationship with his ex-wife, and his ongoing battle with the bottle, Jesse needs something to keep him from spinning out of control. When private investigator Sunny Randall comes into town on a case, she asks for Jesse's help. As their professional and personal relationships become intertwined, both Jesse and Sunny realize that they have much in common with both their victims and their suspects-and with each other.

This plot was not one of my favorites because it was along the lines of 'mobbish', and those really are not my style of books, but Jesse Stone is Jesse Stone and that always makes the books very worthwhile to read. Even though I do not care for this type of story it still flowed very well due to the author's amazing skill when it comes to dialogue. No matter what type of plot I am reading, he always gets me to try and solve the mystery right down to the last bit of the story.

The characters are so well developed that I feel as though I know them all personally. Among my favorites for this series is of course Jesse Stone, but also Molly, Sunny and Suitcase. All very fun characters. I even enjoyed some of the outside characters that were brought into the story, characters like Nicholas Ognowski, one of our mobsters. The author made him very realistic, believable, and yes even likable.

I recommend this series to everyone who likes crime/mystery stories. Parker was a very talented writer. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Just After Sunset - Stephen King - 2 stars

I chose this book for my letter 'J' for the A-Z challenge. I was pretty excited to have a J since this is the last one to complete the challenge. I don't normally read a lot of short stories, but this being King I figured why not?

So this is a book of 14 short stories, and I have to say that this was some of the most disappointing writing I have ever read by King. I only really enjoyed 5 of the stories, The Gingerbread Girl, N, The Cat From Hell, The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates, & Mute Then there were 2 that were pretty choppy in the beginning but then smoothed out and were enjoyable, Anyana & A very Tight Place. The rest of them did not make much sense to me at all. One of them I just could not finish due to boredom, and that was The Things they Left Behind.

I really do not recommend this book to anyone. I did not find that it was really worth the read at all. I did not really find any of the stories to be horrifying or scary. So it was a BIG disappointment to me. Most of the stories were just boring and not exciting. This is hard for me to say about my favorite author. I am sure there are some people that enjoyed the stories, I am not one of them. But because of the few I did like this gets a 2 star rating rather than 1 star.

Miracle on I-40 - Curtiss Ann Matlock - 3.5 stars

I like to read a Christmas book every year so I wanted to be able to read one this year as well. I had this book for awhile and finally decided to get to it. This a first time read for me with this author, so I was not sure what to expect, but it turned out to be pretty good.
Synopsis
To reconcile with her folks back East and give her kids grandparents for Christmas, truck stop waitress Lacey Bryant arranged transportation with her steadiest customer. Little did she know she'd hitched a ride with Scrooge! Eighteen hundred miles confined with scowling Barry Cooper would feel endless ... unless Lacey miraculously changed his "Bah Humbug" to "Barry Christmas!

I loved the plot of the story which is actually what drew me into this story in the first place. It is a very quick read with great pacing. I did expect more to happen on tis long journey across the country so that was a little disappointing. It was still a fun read though.

I think with the characters, they were all developed pretty well, but I enjoyed the children the most in this one. The were fun and well rounded, I could almost imagine my own children being this same way when they were little.

A great Christmas story to read for anyone. Merry Christmas everyone!

Tricks - Ellen Hopkins - 5 stars

Did a reread of this book this year, and my thoughts are pretty much the same from the first time that I read this back in 2014.

Another profound read from Ellen Hopkins. Whether she is telling a true to life story or a fiction each of them always touch me in a very emotional way. She writes with such realism that you have no choice but to feel what our characters are feeling, and to experience what they are going through. So much emotion comes to the forefront when I read one of her books.

In this story we journey with 5 teenagers, Eden, Seth, Whitney, Ginger, and Cody. They have experienced horrendous people, acts, and situations in their lives that I could never even imagine being witness to. They each have to struggle through situations and figure out how to climb back out of the abyss where their lives had pushed them. So many bad elements surround each of them pushing them to limits unknown.

The characters are all so very real in this story that it is hard to choose any favorites. All of them had very bad outside forces which led them to the positions they found themselves in. I would love a book just on those people and make them pay for the harm that they exposed these kids too. Or make them live the same type of lives.

The story itself is so profound yet so heartbreaking because we know these things are happening in our world today. And maybe if there were better parents, and less judgement of others we could live in a different kind of world, but then again that would be a perfect world and that could never happen anyway. If you have never read a Hopkins book, pick one up, you wont be sorry. Please be warned though, this book has many triggers that could affect some people, so read at your own risk.

Beyond Reach - Karin Slaughter - 5 stars

This is the 6th and final book in the Grant County series. Although it reads like it could have another to the series and somehow I wished that there was another. I tired to prepare myself for this one since I was spoiled by reading the Will Trent series first, but I never quite got prepared enough.Synopsis
Sara Linton--resident medical examiner/pediatrician in Grant County, Georgia, --has plenty of hardship to deal with, including defending herself in a heartbreaking malpractice suit. So when her husband, Police chief Jeffery Tolliver, learns that his friend and coworker detective Lena Adams has been arrested for murder and needs Sara's help, she is not sure she can handle the pressure of it all.

But soon Sara and Jeffery are sitting through evidence, peeling back the layers of a mystery that grows darker by the day--until an intricate web of betrayal and vengeance begins to unravel. And suddenly the lives of Sara, Lena, and Jeffery are hanging by the slenderest of threads.

Wow this was a great ending to this series, although I felt like, after finishing, that something was missing, (oh yes that would be my heart once it was wrenched from my body.) it felt like there should be something more. This could actually be because I can't seem to get enough of Karin Slaughter's writing. This is the favorite of the series for me, there is so much action and excitement that it kept me on the edge of my seat, turning page after page till well past my bedtime. It was just so engaging, there is so much mystery to solve in this one. However I did figure out one of the bad guys. There are some really good twists in this one that I did not expect at all.

The characters, again, are amazing. They continue to grow right into the Will Trent series. They are flawed and gritty, which makes them very realistic and believable and they are probably the biggest reason why I love the series so much. In my opinion, Jeffrey has to grow on the reader. When you learn who is he then he is more likable. Lena, even through all of her mistakes, is one of my favorite characters, she is very strong presence in this series and also very relatable for me. Sara is another favorite for me, she is a strong female protagonist who has a big heart, but don't let her fool you.

I recommend this series, and this author to anyone who loves mystery/thrillers. This is one of my top rated series. It is so worth the read. Karin Slaughter is very gifted and one of the things I like the most about her, is her growth as a writer, it is so obvious. I will read everything she writes now and in the future.

Night and Day - Robert B. Parker - 4 stars

This is book #8 in the Jesse Stone series. Looking forward to all the other books that remain. I plan on purchasing all the hard backs for this series since I enjoy it so much.
Synopsis
Things are getting strange in Paradise, Massachusetts. Police Chief Jesse Stone is called to the junior high school when reports of lewd conduct by the school’s principal, Betsy Ingersoll, filter into the station. Ingersoll claims she was protecting the propriety of her students when she inspected each girl’s undergarments in the locker room. Jesse would like nothing more than to see Ingersoll punished, but her high-powered attorney husband stands in the way. At the same time, the women of Paradise are faced with a threat to their sense of security with the emergence of a tormented voyeur, dubbed “The Night Hawk.” Initially, he’s content to peer through windows, but as times goes on, he becomes more reckless, forcing his victims to strip at gunpoint, then photographing them at their most vulnerable. And according to the notes he’s sending to Jesse, he’s not satisfied to stop there. It’s up to Jesse to catch the Night Hawk, before it’s too late.

Two different stories run parallel with one another. The plotline was pretty in intriguing to me and in my mind I had a perfect scenario picked out for how this one would proceed and end, but unfortunately it did not go the way I planned. LOL I think it would have been to obvious of an outcome. The story once again is pretty fast paced and such an easy read because of Parker's use of dialogue. I much prefer to read people that are speaking to one another consistently, rather than reading what is on someone's mind and the author gives me that.

The characters, what can I say, I love Jesse Stone more and more with each book. He is someone who I could imagine telling my deepest darkest secrets to and know they would be safe with him. I also love Molly and Suit, his side kicks in this series. All 3 of them are well developed, likeable, relatable and totally believable. All great qualities for protagonists. They are flawed and gritty and make mistakes. Give me those characters over 'perfect' characters any day.

I recommend this to anyone who likes mystery. If you want a quick fluid and fast paced read, then Parker's books are great for you. If you like a lot of dialogue, as I do, then Parker is definitely a must read. I look forward to more from this author and this series.

Kill the Messenger - Tami Hoag - 4 stars

This is a stand alone book by the author with a great synopsis, so I had to read it. It also makes up my letter 'K' for the A-Z challenge this year.
Synopsis
At the end of a long day battling street traffic, bike messenger Jace Damon has one last drop to make. But en route to delivering a package for one of L.A.'s sleaziest defense attorneys, he's nearly run down by a car, chased through back alleys, and shot at. Only the instincts acquired while growing up on the streets of L.A. allow him to escape with his life—and with the package someone wants badly enough to kill for.

Jace returns to Lenny Lowell's office only to find the cops there, the lawyer dead, and Jace himself considered the prime suspect in the savage murder. Suddenly he's on the run from both the cops and a killer, and the key to saving himself and his ten-year-old brother is the envelope he still has—which holds a message no one wants delivered: the truth.

In a city fueled by money, celebrity, and sensationalism, the murder of a bottom-feeding mouthpiece like Lenny Lowell won't make the headlines. So when detectives from the LAPD's elite robbery/homicide division show up, homicide detective Kev Parker wants to know why. Parker is on the downhill slide of a once-promising career, and he doesn't want to be reminded that he used to be one of the hotshots, working cases that made instant celebrities of everyone involved. Like the case of fading retty-boy actor Rob Cole, accused of the brutal murder of his wife, Tricia Crowne-Cole, daughter of one of the most powerful men in the city, L.A.'s latest "crime of the century."

Robbery/Homicide has no reason to be looking at a dead small-time scumbag lawyer or chasing a bike messenger...unless there's something in it for them. Maybe Lenny Lowell had a connection to something big enough to be killed for. Parker begins a search for answers that will lead him to a killer—or the end of his career. Because if there's one lesson he's learned over the years, it's that in a town built on fantasy and fame, delivering the truth can be deadly.

I did not think I was going to like this book when I first started it mainly because of our main protagonist Kev Parker, which was a pretty disappointing thought considering I love Hoag's writing. He seemed a lot like Lucas Davenport, a character written by John Sandford that I really did not care for at all. A very over the top egotistical guy. But despite that, I liked the plotline so I kept on reading. The book got a lot better the further I went in the story. A lot of great mystery with a twist that I would never have guessed and it flowed really well. It was a pretty engaging story.

Now for the characters, all I can say is that they definitely will grow on you. Each one with their own little quirks that annoyed the hell out of me, but somehow it ended up that I could relate to them in one way or another. There was quite the mix of characters, from orphans to Chinese fish marketers to bike messengers. All of them were quite unique and well developed. Kev Parker, the main detective, just really bothered me for the first quarter of the book, and then he kind of shifted to a point where I got to see the real him and ended up liking him a lot. So that made me happy. Not all that flawed, but he had that potential. I am sure our Author could right a prequel/sequel to this and bring out all sorts of issues he may have.

I can recommend this to anyone who likes a good mystery, or to anyone who is a Hoag fan and wants a stand alone to read. Well written with plenty of action and excitement.

Vanishing Girls - Lauren Oliver - 2 stars

I chose this book specifically for the A-Z challenge since it is a stand alone book. This is also a first time read for me with this author.
Synopsis
Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late.

I did really love the synopsis of this book and it is the reason why I wanted to read it. I did find that the build up of this story was really very slow, and it seemed that it took over half the book to really get interesting for me. There were some really good parts to the story that had me glued, but, I really felt like the story was not explained very well as I read it, so I had to go back and read some parts over in order to grasp what I originally missed. I literally had to do the whole 'scratch my head' thing. I am still kind of confused because of timelines and such. Also, I have read books like this before but did not find them anywhere near as confusing as this one. I almost feel like I should have caught on to it, but didn't.

The characters were ok in this book, but not really all that relatable to me and I think that is because of the way they were wrote. Also their perspectives switched back and forth when the times switched from before to after, which I think kind of took away from them and the story in a way. It is hard for me to explain exactly what I am trying to say.

I can't really recommend this book to anyone since it was really just ok for me. Just the whole way it was wrote was confusing when you finally hit the end of the book which really forced me to go back and reread things. I gotta say that I am glad it is over.

You - Caroline Kepnes - 4 stars

This is the first book in the You series. I am not sure how many books will be a part of these series though. I do know that the 2nd book, Hidden Bodies came out earlier this year and I look forward to reading it. I actually chose this book to add to the A-Z challenge list and I am glad I finally got to it. This is also a first time read for me with this Author.
Synopsis
When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card.

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting.

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder.

When I read the synopsis of this book, the plotline drew me in right away because it seemed so twisted. I mean what is better than reading a thriller that involved a book store? I did find there to be some slow spots in this book, but I feel like the uniqueness of the story kept my attention very well. I do quite enjoy the writing style of this author. As you read you never really know where the story is going to take you. It constantly made me rethink what I was thinking about what was going on. If that makes any sense. I was seriously glued to the pages due to an almost grotesque need to see what was going to happen when I turned the last page.

As for the characters, well they all seem to be real head jobs if you ask me. All of them had their own exclusive issues, and I had to wonder how they were even able to survive in this world, or perhaps maybe they they are actually the reason that the world is the way that it is. It makes you speculate which is at fault when you put yourself in their places, and believe me that is what the author is capable of doing with this story. Were they relatable? or likable? Not really, but they were kind of unusual and unique. They were the type of characters you had to know about and I think the author does a good job showing who they were. I know I did catch myself rooting for our 'bad guy' Joe, a time or two, but that was because the other characters were just as screwed up and you really can't help yourself.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers, but a thriller without a lot of action. This is mostly about mind games, and some peeps with highly unhealthy mental statuses. It is definitely worth the read and you should pick it up.

Xombie - Volume One - Brody Sommers - 1 star

I chose this book for my letter 'X' in the A - Z challenge this year. I got this book free from Amazon and it is a part of a series.

Ok so what I learned from this book was to be sure not to rush choosing a book for a challenge and also be sure to read the synopsis of a book before deciding this is one for you. LOL This really lacked the part about 'xombies' or undead as we know them, this was all about sex, and very distasteful sex at that. LOL. Sex with a zombie or 'undead' is disturbing enough in it's own right.

The characters development was non existent, there was no building them up, it was like they were just there. I don't think I have to say that they were not very relatable, or believable, but I will say it, they were not either of those things.

If you decide to read this because it was free and it is the letter 'X' like I did, enter at your own risk. One good thing about this is the fact that it was less than 30 pages. Needless to say I will NOT be going further into this series.

Faithless - Karin Slaughter - 5 stars

I read this book for both the series-a-thon and a read along with some friends. This is book #5 of the Grant County series. I must say I quite enjoyed it and it is probably my favorite so far of this series. I look forward to the final book in the series, Beyond Reach.
Synopsis
The victim was buried alive in the Georgia woods–then killed in a horrifying fashion. When Sara Linton and Jeffrey Tolliver stumble upon the body, both become consumed with finding out who killed the pretty young woman. For them, a harrowing journey begins, one that will test their own turbulent relationship and draw dozens of life into the case.

For as Jeffrey and Sara move further down a trail of shocking surprises and hidden passions, neither is prepared for the most stunning discovery of all: the identity of a killer who is more evil and dangerous than anyone could have guessed.

The synopsis of this book told me I would really enjoy it. I can only imagine what it must be like to be buried alive. It makes me panic just thinking about it. So right off the bat you get those feelings of impending doom and it draws readers in from the start and keeps the reader engaged till the very end. The imagery is amazing, almost to much sometimes because I would feel every single emotion that goes along with books that have so much intensity. I found this series to be somewhat more brutal than I had first anticipated, but it made the story that much more exciting. One of things I have enjoyed the most about this series, having already read The Will Trent series, which comes after this one, is how much the Author has grown with each book and then onto the Will Trent series.

The characters I think are my favorite part of the series, they are developed so well. Some I absolutely love and others I may be on the fence about, but one thing I know for sure, is that the author knows how to make her characters both relatable, realistic and believable. You learn so much about them as you read each book. Readers will become a part of their lives and them, a part of readers. I could feel every emotional moment, every bit of the pain or sadness or rage. It fills me up so much I thought I could just burst to the point of really having to take a break. Very well done!

I recommend this whole series to everyone who loves mystery or thrillers. Karin Slaughter needs to be read, she is one of the most gifted female writers that I have had the pleasure of reading. I look forward to every single book that she has written.

Dark Fragments - Rob Sinclair - 4 stars

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This is the first time I have read anything by this author.

Synopsis
Murder. Money. Revenge.

Outwardly, Ben Stephens appears to be a normal, hard-working family man. In reality, his life has been in turmoil since the murder of his wife, Alice, seven years ago. The killer was never caught.

Now re-married - to the woman he was having an affair with while still married to Alice - Ben’s life is once again spiralling out of control, and he’s become heavily indebted to an unscrupulous criminal who is baying for Ben’s blood.

When Ben’s estranged twin sister, a police detective, unexpectedly returns to his life, asking too many questions for comfort, it becomes clear that without action, Ben’s life will soon reach a crisis point from which there will be no return.

In order to avoid falling further into the mire, Ben must examine the past if he is to survive the present - but just how much pressure can one man take before he breaks?

I was unsure about the plot of the story when I started to read it. I do have to say though that this is a very fast paced story. It moves very quickly and will keep the attention of most readers. I am just not sure if it was the story for me. I love thrillers, but I did like the 'mobbish' elements to this story. The mystery in the story however, was good, I enjoyed that part of it a lot. Although it was somewhat predictable I did enjoy it for the most part. I found the imagery to be very good in this story as well. It sets the scene up nicely for readers when you can envision things that are happening in the story, like you are living it.

I have to say I did not like the main character of this story at all. I am sure though that it was the authors intention for Ben to be viewed this way. At one point you want to feel bad for him, but then he does something that made me want to kill him myself. He seemed to not be very good control of himself most of the time and seemed to think that he was right in his thinking no matter what. I did enjoyed the female characters a bit more though. They were pretty strong, well developed characters.

This could have easily been a 5 star book had I liked the character, but really he just annoyed me if anything. It also could have easily been a 3 star rating, since I did not like the mob feel to the book, but because of the other elements and the fast paced action it keep my attention well so gets the 4 star rating. I can recommend this book to anyone who loves thrillers/mystery. It will keep readers engaged.

Undraland - Mary E. Twomey - 4 stars

I chose this book to cover a challenge in the Read Your E-reader read-a-thon. I was not sure about this book at all since I really don't do all that well with urban fantasy, but I did really enjoy the story quite a bit. I found it interesting for sure. I received this book for free from Amazon and it was definitely worth the read.Synopsis
After her parents and twin brother died a year ago, Lucy Kincaid was determined to put together a normal life for herself. With her heart set on college life, Lucy’s dreams of medical school are dashed when a rabid bear attacks her in the middle of suburbia. When Jens, a handsome yet irritable stranger, saves her life, Lucy’s gratitude is cut short when he abducts her, taking her to a land filled with people and creatures she remembers from bedtime stories she assumed were just Scandinavian folklore.
Jens takes Lucy to a world she never expected, and cannot escape. Undraland is teeming with oversized garden gnomes, warrior elves, Nøkken, Fossegrimens, and worst of all, Sirens. Lucy goes further and further down the rabbit hole until she signs up to join a band of thieves bent on taking down Pesta, the last Siren.

Like I stated in the beginning of this review, I was not real sure about reading this book, but the plot was really intriguing and sucked me in from the start. Readers meet a lot of different magical creatures and such in Undraland. I found that the pacing was exceptional in this story which made the book go really fast for me. It was easy to follow and completely swept me away because it was so engaging. There are a lot of different element in this book for readers to enjoy. Mystery, magic, romance and much more. There is a pretty huge cliffhanger that leaves me wanting more of the story.

I really enjoyed all the characters, my favorite of course being Lucy. She is a pretty strong spirited character and she does not take much from others, she speaks her mind when necessary. Jens, the male protagonist got on my nerves from time to time because he is kind of harsh at times where Lucy is concerned. I think though as you read you understand why he says what he says or does what he does. This is not a book where you take the situation too seriously because it is simply a story IMO. There are several characters in this story and you have to decide who you trust and who you do not and hope for the best. I am on the fence about a couple of characters, so we will see once I continue on with the story.

Lost and Found - Nicole Williams - 4 stars

I chose this book to read for a specific challenge in the Read Your E-reader read-a-thon, which was Trick or Treat challenge, read an e-book would not normally read and hope that it is good. Well this is not normally something I would read so I really did not know what to expect. This is also a new author for me. I was surprised that I enjoyed the book.
Synopsis
There’s complicated. And there’s Rowen Sterling.

After numbing pain for the past five years with boys, alcohol, and all-around apathy, she finds herself on a Greyhound bus to nowhere Montana the summer after she graduates high school. Her mom agreed to front the bill to Rowen’s dream art school only if Rowen proves she can work hard and stay out of trouble at Willow Springs Ranch. Cooking breakfast at the crack of dawn for a couple dozen ranch hands and mucking out horse stalls are the last things in the world Rowen wants to spend her summer doing.

Until Jesse Walker saunters into her life wearing a pair of painted-on jeans, a cowboy hat, and a grin that makes something in her chest she’d thought was frozen go boom-boom. Jesse’s like no one else, and certainly nothing like her. He’s the bright and shiny to her dark and jaded.

Rowen knows there’s no happily-ever-after for the golden boy and the rebel girl—happily-right-now is a stretch—so she tries to forget and ignore the boy who makes her feel things she’s not sure she’s ready to feel. But the more she pushes him away, the closer he seems to get. The more she convinces herself she doesn’t care, the harder she falls.

When her dark secrets refuse to stay locked behind the walls she’s kept up for years, Rowen realizes it’s not just everyone else she needs to be honest with. It’s herself.

The plot of the story was that got me to read this book since it really was something I would not normally read and fit the challenge well. I expected that it would be full of instalove, over the top sex and most certainly a love triangle of some kind, so I was not looking forward to reading it. I was pleasantly surprised that it was none of that. It was a very realistic and believable story. I found that the pacing was great and flowed really well. There were even parts that pulled on my heart strings. I found a part of the "near end" of the story a little predictable but it really did not take away from the story all that much.

I just really enjoyed the characters, they were all developed well throughout the story. I found that Rowen was a very relatable character which made her very realistic. I think that she was probably my favorite character of all of them. Only one thing kind of bugged me about her and that was her always thinking the worse. I know that is part of her character, but it could be toned down just a tad bit. Jesse was also a great character, he was a great match for Rowen, also pretty relatable. There are even characters in this story that we as readers get to hate.

I recommend this book to everyone. If I can read this and enjoy it, I feel like everyone can, so give it a shot. It tells a great story and it is pretty thought provoking.

The Boylan House - Ron Ripley - 3.5 stars

I read this trilogy to cover a challenge for the Read Your E-reader read-a-thon. The challenge is to read a book about a house. In this case it was a haunted house. This is a first time read for me with this author and I really enjoyed his writing style. I did not read the bonus chapters that were included. They were along the lines of what a novella would be.
Synopsis

For nearly three and a half centuries, the Boylan House has stood at the end of Meeting House Road. And something in that house has been killing boys for centuries.

The town of Monson is a quaint and quiet New England town. Yet the house the Boylan House is terrifying and has been for as long as anyone can remember. Adults put the thing out of mind and ignore the fears of their children, admonishing them to stay away.

Too many boys have vanished into the swamps behind the house. Bodies never recovered. Nothing ever recovered. The families are left with their memories and the disturbing thought that the Boylan House had something to do with it.

Mason Philips knows better than that. He knows that there’s something in the house. Something evil. Something hunting children from time to time.

And Mason has decided that it’s time for the killing to stop.

The plot was great for this trilogy with a story that surrounds a house, The Boylan House. A house that has been responsible for the death of many boys in which the town did not want to believe. What is not to like about that? I love the imagery of this story which brings out the creepiness that I love in a book like this. It was well done. The pacing was also very good, allowing the story to flow really well.

The characters were ok, but I have to say that this was more plot driven than character driven. Not too many characters to have to remember, and the ones that were present were pretty likable. I think that both the protagonists and antagonists are written pretty well. I did not find them particularly relatable, but they were believable.

I am rating this book a 3.5 stars. I think had the characters been a bit more relatable I could have rated this a little higher. Definitely fun and worth the read though if you like to read books about haunted houses.

Rosco the Rascal visits the Pumpkin Patch - Shana Gorian - 4 stars

I was supposed to read this with my grandson Aeverie for Read Your E-reader, but we never got around to it while he was here, so I went ahead and got to it. This is a middle grade book, and it was very fun. It covered several of the challenges for this read-a-thon.
Synopsis
On a sunny autumn day brother and sister James and Mandy head to the pumpkin patch with their friendly dog, Rosco, to choose a pumpkin for Halloween. While riding a hay wagon, visiting a petting zoo, and joining the kids on a scavenger hunt, Rosco sometimes makes mischief. But when the kids find trouble deep inside the corn maze, will Rosco shape up and help out? Join the kids and their rascally dog for fun and adventure in Rosco The Rascal Visits The Pumpkin Patch.

This was a really cute fall/Halloween read that anyone can enjoy. Even on the kindle it did have some really cute illustrations. It had a very fun plotline and some great characters. It was a very fast paced read that was really enjoyable.

The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman - 2 stars

I wanted to get this book read since I have had it for a pretty long time, and I had heard pretty good things about it. So I decided to read it for this Year's Spook Season and I still needed a 'G' for the A-Z challenge. I thought it would serve a purpose for me this year so I got it read. I have to say though, this book was just ok for me.
Synopsis
After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own.

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family...

Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel for the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic Coraline. Magical, terrifying, and filled with breathtaking adventures, The Graveyard Book is sure to enthrall readers of all ages.

Don't let the synopsis fool you like it did me. The first keywords for me to pick up this book were 'grisly murder'. Well I barely even caught that his family was murdered. I even went back and reread that part so I could understand better what had happened and why Bod was in the graveyard in the first place. That part of the story almost just felt kind of nonchalant to me. Like ho hum so what. I was hoping there would much more excitement as the book went on, that there would be a lot of adventures for Bod and I really just did not get that. I do feel like the author is a decent writer, I just don't think this book was for me. It did pick up at the very end of the book, it became a little more exciting, but it was pretty much a page to late.

The characters were pretty good. I liked most of them and they all served a purpose. I remember thinking that Bid has to be a pretty tough character living in a graveyard his whole young life. I never really understood what type of being Silas was though, I did not find that to be very clear, unless of course I missed it. I did like his character though and I found that this book was more character driven than it was plot driven.

All I can say about recommending this book is just pick it up and decide for yourself what you think of it. Maybe it will be more for you than it was for me. I just did not get into it is all. It is definitely directed towards younger audiences as well.

The Ghost Files - Apryl Baker - 4 stars

I read this book for one of the challenges for the Read Your E-Reader read-a-thon. It is a great YA paranormal horror story. I love stories about ghosts, and this one sure did fit the bill. So glad I got the chance to read it and I am anxious to continue with the story. For a free kindle book it was definitely worth the read.
Synopsis
Cherry blossom lipstick: check
Smokey eyes: check
Skinny jeans: check
Dead kid in the mirror: check

For sixteen year old Mattie Hathaway, this is her normal everyday routine. She’s been able to see ghosts since her mother tried to murder her when she was five years old. No way does she want anyone to know she can talk to spooks. Being a foster kid is hard enough without being labeled a freak too.

Normally, she just ignores the ghosts and they go away. That is until she see’s the ghost of her foster sister… Sally.

Everyone thinks Sally’s just another runaway, but Mattie knows the truth—she’s dead. Murdered. Mattie feels like she has to help Sally, but she can’t do it alone. Against her better judgment, she teams up with a young policeman, Officer Dan, and together they set out to discover the real truth behind Sally’s disappearance.

Only to find out she’s dealing with a much bigger problem, a serial killer, and she may be the next victim…

Will Mattie be able to find out the truth before the killer finds her?

Wow I loved the plot to this story so much. It had just the right pacing to keep it exciting. I thought that it was so original. I felt like I was in the middle of everything while I read this. The imagery is fantastic, it makes everything feel so real and that is great storytelling. It is chock full of terror and creepiness and is sure to please fans of paranormal horror. No sugar coating anything in this book. There are some pretty disturbing parts in the story, so if you don't like descriptive horror, you may wanna stay away from this one.

The characters are pretty good. I loved all of them for whatever part they were playing. I have to say that I loved Mattie the most. She is snarky and sarcastic, but not to the point of not liking her. She is also very strong and bullheaded. There was one thing that bothered me about her though and that was the way she had to over analyze everything. I know that this is part of her character and I just had to deal with that part of it. Otherwise I think she was fantastic.

I have to recommend this book to anyone who loves paranormal horror, and to those who are looking for good ghost stories for this spook season. I would love to see this as a movie. I think they could do a lot with it and make it amazing. I look forward to reading the rest of the series and I will be looking for them in physical form soon.

Floor Four - A. Lopez Jr. - 3 stars

I read this book for the Read Your E-reader read-a-thon. I have had it for a little while and decided it would be great for this. I did not know what to expect since this is a first time read of this author, but knowing it was a horror was a definite plus for me.
Synopsis
'A loud bang was heard from above, scaring the boys. They shined their lights up the stairwell. The sounds of chains rattling on the floor stirred the dust above. Something or someone was up there. Doug, hiding his fear, took a couple of more steps up. Brandon and Kyle looked at him, their feet locked in place. They had no intention of going any further.’

A tale of horror with a twist of the Twilight Zone. The old, abandoned Saint Vincent Hospital is said to be haunted by the ghost of David Henry Coleman, the notorious serial killer, known as The Mangler. Coleman died on the fourth floor after being shot by police. For the three Jr. High boys, their curiosity gets the best of them as they explore the old hospital, despite ‘Old Man’ Jake’s warning. No one knew of Jake’s dark connection to the killer and the hospital. And now, on the anniversary of The Mangler’s death, a group of high school kids are planning a private party on the haunted fourth floor. Jake must keep everyone out and protect them from the true evil that lurks on Floor Four.

I absolutely loved the plot of this story, mainly because it was a horror story that surrounded the death of a serial killer who was pretty much haunting an old abandoned hospital. The writing was not the best I have ever read, but it was doable. It had great pacing so it did flow very well so it made it a very quick read. For the most part it was an interesting tale. There were some creepy parts and also I found it to be somewhat trippy as well, so you did not realize what was actually real and what was not. I think that added to the story, but may be annoying to some readers.

The characters were ok I guess, I did not really relate to any of them. David Henry Coleman otherwise known as 'The Mangler', our serial killer in question was an interesting character, but I didn't really feel like I found out why he was like he was, so that is a big chunk missing to the story. I really wanted to know more about it and just did not get that.

This book is definitely a plot driven book rather than a character driven plot. I feel like the author could have done a lot more with the story. It is worth the read though since there are plenty of creepy parts to the story along with the trippy parts as well.

Salem's Lot - Stephen King - 5 stars

It has been at least 15 years since I had first read this book. I decided to read this as a buddy read with a good friend. I knew that I had enjoyed this book before even though there were some parts of it that I did not remember. I have to say, I enjoyed it as much this time around and I did the first time I read it.
Synopsis
Something strange is going on in Jerusalem's Lot ... but no one dares to talk about it. By day, 'Salem's Lot is a typical modest New England town; but when the sun goes down, evil roams the earth. The devilishly sweet insistent laughter of a child can be heard echoing through the fields, and the presence of silent looming spirits can be felt lurking right outside your window. Stephen King brings his gruesome imagination to life in this tale of spine-tingling horror.

You have to love the plot of this story with a small town setting, a creepy house on top of a hill that no one likes, and then to be over run by vampires. What more could you ask for? Plenty of thrills and chills with this book that will keep you glued to the pages. Now if you are a King fan then you can actually deal with, and get through, the wordiness of this book. King sets up a great town and characters, but you must be patient because everything is described with very in depth details. For the most part I do enjoy that part of King's writing because it is pretty much a guarantee that one, you will know the town and who lives there, and two, you will never forget the story or the characters.

I have to say that there was a great number of characters that I loved in this story and will remember for a very long time. So well developed and so believable. I was able to relate with a lot of them. These are the type of characters that you would most definitely find in a small town, the type you could see yourself sitting down to lunch with. I do have to say that 2 of my very favorites were Ben and Mark. I feel like they went through the most together. There is a very large cast of characters in this book, so it may take some time to wrap your mind around them all, but you will love them for who they are.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves horror stories, or even if you love vampire stories, and most definitely to those who are King fans and have not yet read this book. It is very deserving of the 5 stars I am giving it. Such a great read for Spook Season!

The Face That Must Die - Ramsey Campbell - 2 stars

I had this book for a very long time and I was very excited to be able to choose it for a Spook season read. I found that I was pretty disappointed in the story telling, the plot and the characters. This is a first time read for this author and will probably be the last.
Synopsis
Ramsey Campbell’s daring look into the mind of a psychotic killer was published in truncated form in 1979; an expanded edition was later published in 1982. The paranoid outlook of the book's main character, Horridge, is a grim commentary on a bleak Liverpool suburb and Thatcher-era England. Millipede Press is proud to present this masterpiece of paranoia literature in a brand new edition, with the corrected text by Campbell and the compelling photographs of J.K. Potter.

Ramsey Campbell is Britain's most respected living horror writer. He has been given more awards than any other writer in the field, including the Grand Master Award of the World Horror Convention and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Horror Writers Association, as well as numerous World Fantasy Awards.

I thought the plot of this story would be much more than it was. I expected that this would be an exciting psychological thriller but actually I found that the story was really just all over the place which made it quite confusing at times. There were parts that really grabbed my attention, but the slow and confusing parts far outweighed those parts that were appealing. I also found that the main storyline seemed to be put back on the back burner while other parts of the story were more in the forefront. I wanted to read about a maniacal killer, not a relationship between two messed up characters. This lead to parts of the story that I found were unnecessary.

The characters were just boring. I found that there was no connection for me with any of them. They did not have any development at all. Horridge the main character, who I expected to be chilling, creepy and beyond evil, was really just a guy who was confused, indecisive and mundane. I kept expecting him to turn into this psychotic serial killer, and never really got that from him. He was not a nice guy by any means, but he was a far cry from malevolent.

I really can't recommend this book to anyone since it was such a disappointment to me. I expected one thing and got something totally different. The reason it even got 2 stars was because I did really enjoy the illustrations by J.K. Potter. If the story would have been as good as the pictures it would have been a 5 star read.

Goosebumps: The Haunted Mask - R.L. Stine - 3 stars

I read this book for a Goosebumps read along that a friend on booktube was hosting. I could not get ahold of the other 2 books, but was happy to find this one. This is #4 of The Classic Goosebumps. This is a first time read for me of this author and this is a middle grade book/series.
Synopsis
Something scary is happening in GOOSEBUMPS HORRORLAND, the all-new, all-terrifying series by R. L. Stine. Just how scary? You'll never know unless you crack open this classic prequel!
Carly Beth thinks she's found the best Halloween mask ever. With yellow-green skin and long animal fangs, the mask terrifies the entire neighborhood. Before long, it has a surprising effect on Carly Beth, too. She tries to take it off . . . but it won't budge!
Halloween is almost over, but fright night is just beginning.
Now with all-new bonus materials!

I think this would be a pretty scary read for most Middle Graders. It has really good flow to it, lots of adventure, and also it has great pacing. I did however find it to be somewhat predictable, but then again I am an adult. Most middle graders would probably not find it to be so predictable. It was a very quick read with quite the cliffhanger at the end which is one of the parts that I found to be somewhat predictable.

The characters are fun in this story, and since this is a series I would think that they are developing more with each book that comes in the series. I think young readers will be able to connect with these characters pretty easily. You have your smart young lady, an awkward young girl and two boys who of course are tough guys. Each of them fit perfectly in the story.

After reading this story I feel like I would like to explore R.L. Stine a little more with some different series that he has wrote. I recommend this to anyone really. Even if you don't read middle grade, this is a cute Halloween story to share with your kids. Happy Spook Season!

Missing You - Harlan Coben - 3.5 stars

I have been trying to catch up on my A-Z challenge for the year and chose this one for M. I love Harlan Coben's writing a lot so this was a real treat for me since it has been awhile for me reading one of his books.
Synopsis
It's a profile, like all the others on the online dating site. But as NYPD Detective Kat Donovan focuses on the accompanying picture, she feels her whole world explode, as emotions she’s ignored for decades come crashing down on her. Staring back at her is her ex-fiancé Jeff, the man who shattered her heart—and who she hasn’t seen in 18 years.

Kat feels a spark, wondering if this might be the moment when past tragedies recede and a new world opens up to her. But when she reaches out to the man in the profile, her reawakened hope quickly darkens into suspicion and then terror as an unspeakable conspiracy comes to light, in which monsters prey upon the most vulnerable.

As the body count mounts and Kat's hope for a second chance with Jeff grows more and more elusive, she is consumed by an investigation that challenges her feelings about everyone she ever loved—her former fiancé, her mother, and even her father, whose cruel murder so long ago has never been fully explained. With lives on the line, including her own, Kat must venture deeper into the darkness than she ever has before, and discover if she has the strength to survive what she finds there.

I really liked the plot to this story with the online dating spin. I found it to be very fluid and easy to follow but would have liked it to be a bit faster paced. I also thought there was a lot of good mystery to the story. There are 3 separate stories running in this one, but I found it to be easy to follow all of them. On the down side I found it to be a bit predictable, but not over the top. A couple of twists to enjoy in this one as well.

I think the characters were well developed and pretty realistic. I could really relate to Kat. I thought she was a strong female protagonist and I like how she does not just lay down in the face of fear. She does not let anyone get the better of her. At times though, it seemed like things were a bit too easy for her, not many challenges and that kind of makes the story lack that certain excitement when our protagonists have to fight for every inch.

I do recommend this book to any one who is a Coben fan. It is definitely worth the read. I just would have liked it to be a bit faster paced and a little more adrenalin pumping action, but other than that it was a great story. I am giving this book a 3.5 stars.

Indellible - Karin Slaughter - 4 stars

This is book #4 in the Grant County series. I am reading this series as a read along with a few of my friends. I am about one book behind though. I will catch up. Not enjoying this series as much as the Will Trent series, but definitely worth the read.
Synopsis

An officer is shot point-blank in the Grant County police station and police chief Jeffrey Tolliver is wounded, setting off a terrifying hostage situation with medical examiner Sara Linton at the center. Working outside the station, Lena Adams, newly reinstated to the force, and Frank Wallace, Jeffrey's second in command, must try to piece together who the shooter is and how to rescue their friends before Jeffrey dies. For the sins of the past have caught up with Sara and Jeffrey -- with a vengeance.

I think that with this book, we see the growth of Karin Slaughter in her writing. This books has 2 different time lines going in it which was a little annoying to me. I found it somewhat distracting but not so much that it took away from the story. It does help readers to learn a bit more about Jeffrey and Sara and their lives together. The story does start off with a bang and hooks readers from the start. It has great pacing and of course good imagery.

The characters are pretty well developed. Of course I love Sara, but in earlier books Jeffrey really rubs me the wrong way, in this one he is a little better, I think mainly because I am learning more about him, where he comes from and I am beginning to understand who he is and what he has went through in his life so far. I do however know what is coming with Jeffrey because I was spoiled by reading The Will Trent series first.

This is definitely a book/series I can recommend to other mystery/thriller fans, just be sure to read this series first before reading Will Trent series. I look forward to moving on in this series and seeing how everything comes together. Great read.

Quicksilver - Claudy Conn - 3 stars

I needed a book for "Q" for our A-Z challenge and found this one. Paranormal romance is so not my genre to read, but this one was not all that bad, it also had a urban fantasy feel to it. This is the first book in the Hungry Moon series.
Synopsis
Ravena MacAllister doesn’t want to admit what she is. She wants to continue pretending she’s just human … only human, like her mother, like her friends.

But she isn’t human.

Heartbreak and betrayal send her off rushing to Scotland, to a familiar haven where she has spent so many summers with her father, but she soon discovers that everything has changed.

From the moment she meets Quinn MacValdane, shock waves travel through him to her and back again, wrapping them in a tide of passion she had never dreamt possible. But if they are to have a future together, she must confront who and what she is, for she will need to call on the powers within her as she becomes embroiled in an adventure that will alter her life forever.

I really don't have much interest in paranormal romance but I found that this one was not too bad. The plot had a good pacing with quite a bit of action. The sex in the book was not over the top, thank goodness, but it was heavily dosed with instalove. I also could not stop imagining one of the main characters as being Jamie from Outlander since this did take place in Scotland. The author had the language and accent dead on so it made the book fun to say the least. I think that most fans of paranormal romance would like this one.

I did quite enjoy the 2 main characters in this, especially Quinn due to his likeness of Jamie, although there really was not much backstory for either of them. I am sure they will continue to develop throughout the series. I did not find them particularly relatable, but I did like their personalities. I also enjoyed Lassiter whose character was a bit deceptive leaving me wondering if he was good or not. That kept me thinking throughout the whole story.

I can recommend this to most paranormal fans. It is worth the read, even if you don't like paranormal. I am not sure if I will continue this series or not yet, we will see.

We Were Liars - E. Lockhart - 2.5 stars

I went to our local library in search of a book I wanted to read, but instead I came across this one of which I had already heard a lot of mixed reviews on. So I decided it was time for me to decide for myself. So I took the plunge to judge for myself.
Synopsis
A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

So I was not really sure what exactly this book was about when I read the synopsis. I soon discovered that the synopsis really does not give a lot of input as to what the 'complete' story is. I found the beginning to be kinda of slow and boring and it took it awhile to pick up for me. I almost put it down, but thought that since it was so short, I would just stick with it. Once it did pick up I felt like I was finally learning what the story really was. The first thing I thought was 'Well this should not be called We were Liars, it should be called something like Half Truths.' It would have made more sense. I did find it somewhat surprising when the story finally all came together.

I also felt like some parts of the story really did not add up and that people should have been able to figure some things out. So the story itself does not feel realistic due to that, it made it feel like it was incomplete to a point, the ending not really dramatic enough. It also made the characters in the story appear to be really ignorant and I felt like that took away from the story as well.

The characters were just ok. I, myself, did not really relate to any of them and I did not feel like I really knew who they were, but that could be due to the circumstances of the story itself, which will be understandable to those who have read it. I would have liked to have had a bit more backstory on each of them to make them feel a bit more realistic.

This is a quick read, therefore it is worth the time and effort to finish it, but it was also somewhat disappointing for me. I feel like this could have been so much more than what it was. I am giving this a rating of 2.5 stars.

Big LIttle Lies - Liane Moriarty - 5 stars

I ending up getting this from one of our smaller local libraries because I enjoyed The Husband's Secret so much. I fell in love with this Author's reading style with that book, and this book was no different. She is so fluid in her writing skills.
Synopsis
Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one. Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (how is this possible?). And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. (How. Is. This. Possible?).

Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare. While she may seem a bit flustered at times, who wouldn’t be, with those rambunctious twin boys? Now that the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body. But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grappling with how much more she is willing to pay.

New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny. Jane is sad beyond her years and harbors secret doubts about her son. But why? While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realizes how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all.

Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive.

Wow this was a great book with a great plot that is so very gripping, thought provoking and entertaining. I enjoyed this one so much, probably more than The Husband's Secret. The excitement builds up so well throughout the book and has great climatic ending in my opinion. Once again the author hits readers with an amazing twist that is very unexpected, and I love that about her work. There is always something new and exciting coming right around the corner with the turn of each page. She is such a talented author.

Can we talk about the characters please...lol...I loved them! All of them, through their faults, their good sides and bad sides, the personalities and attitudes. These characters are so relatable, especially Celeste for me, but I have to say Madeline is my favorite of all of them. All with completely different personalities and leading such different lives. They are all beautifully done and I really can't say enough about how well they are each developed. These characters are those types that you can imagine yourself sitting down to lunch with. Loved them.

I can again recommend this to everyone, especially those who like those very realistic contemporary novels. Reading this one makes me want to go right into another by this author. It is very deserving of the 5 star rating I am giving it.

The Red Pyramid - Rick Riordan - 4 stars

I got this book out of the library and read it as a buddy read with several of my friends. This is book one to the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan. I have read the Percy Jackson series by this author and enjoyed them, so I figured it was time to read something else by him.Synopsis
Since their mother's death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane.

One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.

Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them —Set— has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe - a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

I absolutely enjoyed everything about this book, the plotline, which was so engaging, the pacing, so quick and how well it all flowed. There was so much adventure and excitement with the turn of every page and each page was filled with so many magical elements, it made it so fun to read. The imagery was so spot on you felt as though you were right there in the middle of all the action. I was completely whisked away by this story, and taken to places I would never in a lifetime get to see. I also enjoyed that the name of character was on each page so it was easy to tell when there was a switch in perspective. I loved that, it made the book so easy to follow. A lot of research went into the writing of this book with a very gifted Author.

The characters are all so very unforgettable. Such a wide range of very different, vivid characters. Some are eccentric and quirky characters, while others are terrifying and wicked. The author gives readers so many to love and hate. I also found that the author is very good at planting that small seed of doubt in the minds of readers when it comes to some of those beloved characters, so at times it was hard to decide on who to trust. For this being a fantasy, the characters were so realistic and so believable. I really enjoy that and being able to relate to them so well.

I can recommend this book first to anyone who loves Rick Riordan's work. Even if you have not read his stuff, you will still enjoy this if you love fantasy or magic. If you enjoy Egyptian Mythology you will also enjoy this book. It reads more YA than middle grade, in my opinion, so that may appeal to more of the YA audience. I look forward to the other books in this trilogy.

The Raven Boys - Maggie Stiefvater - 3.5 stars

This is book one to The Raven Cycle. I have had this book for a little while and decide to read it with a buddy this month. I was pretty excited to finally get to it. It took a few days, but I did finally get through it and will continue on with the series.
Synopsis
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.

His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

When I started reading this, I found that the style of writing and the flow of the book to be a bit choppy and that made it harder to follow and understand. I felt like it was the transition between characters that made it feel this way. Almost like I had to ask is this real or not. It did finally level out some and it got a bit easier to follow. It was not until past halfway that I really started enjoying the story and figuring out what it was all about.

I did not relate all that well with the characters at the beginning of this book. I did like Blue though pretty much from the start because I found her to be a pretty strong character. I was confused though when it said she was so drawn to Gansey, I did not really find that to be all that true. I thought she was more drawn to Adam than anyone. Eventually though I did begin to find many things that I enjoyed with the characters and I am hopeful that they will continue to develop and grow throughout the series.

I am not sure who I can recommend this to because it seems that so many already have read this, but if you like fantasy stories you will probably enjoy this one. I did find plenty to this book to urge me to move forward through the series and hopefully get to the rest of it soon. I am rating this one a 3.5 stars.

Stranger in Paradise - Robert B. Parker - 4 stars

This is book #7 in the Jesse Stone series. So far it is a decent series and I was hoping to get through the whole series this year, but whether or not that happens I am hoping it will be enjoyable throughout the whole series.

Synopsis
Police Chief Jesse Stone faces his most fearsome adversary in the latest addition to the celebrated series. The last time Jesse Stone, chief of police of Paradise, Massachusetts, saw Wilson "Crow" Cromartie, the Apache Indian hit man was racing away in a speedboat after executing one of the most lucrative and deadly heists in the town's history. Crow was part of a team of ex-cons who plotted to capture Stiles Island, the wealthy enclave off the Paradise coast, by blowing up the connecting bridge. Residents were kidnapped, some were killed, and Crow managed to escape with a boatload of cash, never to be seen again. Until now. So when Crow shows up in Jesse's office some ten years after the crime, it's not to turn himself in. Crow is on another job, and this time he's asking for Jesse's help-by asking him to stay out of his way. Crow's mission is simple: find young Amber Francisco and bring her back to her father, Louis, in Florida. It should be an easy payday for a pro like Crow, but there are complications. Amber, now living in squalor with her mother, Fiona, is mixed up with members of a Latino gang. And when Louis orders Crow to kill Fiona before heading back with Amber, he can't follow through. Crow may be a bad guy, but he doesn't kill women. It's up to Jesse to provide protection. Meanwhile, Jesse's on-again, off-again relationship with ex-wife Jenn picks up steam as Jenn investigates the gang problem for her TV station. As they dig deeper, the danger escalates. The life of a young girl hangs in the balance, and saving Amber could be the miracle Jesse and Jenn need for themselves, too.

One thing I really enjoy about this series is the pacing and how well the books flow, and this installment is no different. I love that these cases are in a small town environment, makes it feel more relatable to me since I am in a small town myself. I also enjoy the Authors use of dialogue. He is so good with that. I love all of the interaction between characters and it keeps the story moving along, makes for a quick fun read, and also it allows readers to keep track of the characters and who they are.

The characters are really fun for me as well. I enjoy Jesse a lot, mostly because he is so flawed, but I think besides him, I love Molly and her quirkiness and her mishaps, while she is still able to get the job done. She is always there for Jesse along with Suitcase, his right hand man. There is a full cast of very colorful characters in this series and they are developing very well. They are all a very enjoyable part of the series and I look forward to meeting many more characters throughout the series.

The Husband's Secret - Liane Moriarty - 5 stars

I had first downloaded this as an E-book a few years ago and never got around to reading it. It just happened to be at our small local library so I decided it was time to read this book because I thought the synopsis of this book was pretty interesting. Boy am I glad I finally decided to read it. This is such a great contemporary.Synopsis
At the heart of The Husband’s Secret is a letter that’s not meant to be read

My darling Cecilia, if you’re reading this, then I’ve died...

Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive. . . .
Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all—she’s an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret.

When I first started reading this and discovered that there was more than one story going on in this book I was a little disappointed. I picked up the book because I wanted to read about the Husband's secret not about these other peoples lives. I soon discovered that these other stories were a huge part of the overall story and were definitely needed to make the story as intriguing as it was. Wow the twists in this story were unexpected and well placed. The story was very well paced and I could NOT get my nose out of the book.

I loved every single one of these characters for their originality and their relatability. They were so well developed that you felt like they came from a series and not just a single stand alone. They all had their own individual issues to deal with and then come face to face with other people's problems as well. Meeting them and then learning about them was like walking into the lives of real people. I loved that so much. One my most favorite parts of the book eas the epilogue. WOW is all ican say about that.

Reading this book makes me excited to read more of this authors work and share it with everyone. It is so well written that the majority of readers could enjoy this story, therefore I recommend this to everyone.

End of Watch - Stephen King - 5 stars

So glad that I was able to get ahold of this book and finish this trilogy out. This is book #3 to the Bill Hodges trilogy. Each book in the trilogy carries over to the next book which, to me, kept the story very exciting which kept me glued to the pages. I found this one was such a great wrap up to the trilogy. It had such great pacing and was very easy to follow and get totally immersed into the story. As I read I truly felt like I was there with all of them. King used a lot of great imagery to allow readers to really experience what was going on in the story.

The characters are probably my favorite part of the story. They are exceptionally well developed and by the time you get through this final book, you feel has though you know them on a very personal and realistic level. I loved the flawed characteristics of Bill in this trilogy, it makes him very relatable and also very realistic. There are also plenty of people to hate in the series as well, one of them be Brady Hartsfield. I would just be seething with hatred for him when I would finish a chapter where he was the star player. A great cast of memorable characters for readers to love and hate.

I recommend this trilogy to anyone who likes Stephen King of course, but also to those who love a very fast paced thriller/chiller, because you get both of those with this one. Very well written and very deserving of the 5 star rating that I am giving it.         

Winter - Marissa Meyer - 5 stars

I am glad I finally got to this last book in the Lunar Chronicles. When I first started it in July It felt slow to me, but I think that was because my family had come to visit me and my mind was more wrapped up with them. When I decided to pick it back up this month, I found that it was flowing very well for me and I really enjoyed it.

This has got to be my favorite of all the books in this series. The action and adventure was amazing in this one. The imagery and story telling was beautifully done. One of the things I appreciate the most, with this being the last book, is the fact that it was not rushed. Everything came together very well all of it flowed so nicely. I could also tell that the author knew exactly what she wanted to happen and how to wrap the tale up.

The characters were amazing. The were developed so nicely throughout the series. They each had their own flaws which I love the most about characters. I also really enjoyed how each character was introduced gradually into the story line. I think that they all came together really well. Our Antagonists were all very deliciously evil. I loved that and I loved that they were so easy to hate. Of course Queen Levana was my favorite villain in the story. I don't think I ever hated a character this much before.

I recommend this series to anyone who loves YA Fantasy or retellings. The author is a very gifted writer and everyone should experience her gift. I am a little saddened that the series is over, but I can say for sure that is was very worth the read.

The Face of Deception - Iris Johansen - 4 stars

I chose this book for my Month of Mystery because it is another book of a very long series in which I have been collection the books, but not reading them. So I thought it about time to pick up the first book and get started on knocking some of these out.
Synopsis
An unidentified skull...

A trail of terrifying secrets...

And a woman whose talented hands could reveal the shocking truth...

As a forensic sculptor, Eve Duncan helps identify the dead from their skulls. Her own daughter murdered and her body never found, the job is Eve's way of coming to terms with her personal nightmare. But more terror lies ahead when she accepts work from billionaire John Logan.

Beneath her gifted hands a face emerges from the skull he has given her to reconstruct—a face no one was ever meant to see. Now Eve is trapped in a frightening web of murder and deceit. Powerful enemies are determined to cover up the truth, and they will make certain that truth goes to the grave...even if Eve gets buried with it.

I knew I would enjoy the plot of this story from the synopsis. I think the story really flowed well and grabbed my attention from the start. It had such great pacing. The story, in parts, were pretty brutal, and I liked that too. I like when an author can wrote and not worry about who they may offend, after all a person can decide to not read the book. There was plenty of action going on this book and it had a nice creepy air to it great thrills and chills. I enjoyed all of the different elements that were in this book. The author writes with great imagery and that is always a plus.

The characters were all written pretty well, there are a lot of good guys and bad guys and readers will find themselves trying to figure out who they like and don't like, I know I did. You get to learn a lot about Eve Duncan in this first book. I do like her a lot, she is a very strong female protagonist, but I find that she is a bit contolling, she always has to be at the reigns, and also she has a bit of an unrealistic outlook on things at times. Other than that, I really do enjoy her as a character and I look forward to how she grows throughout the series.

I can recommend this book really to anyone who likes thrillers, cause this is a nice big thrill ride. I look forward to the rest of the books in this series and I am keeping my fingers crossed that I continue to like them. I think Iris Johansen is a very gifted writer.

Haunting Rachel - Kay Hooper - 4 stars

I chose this book for my month of mystery because I have been collecting Kay Hooper books for quite some time and it is a bout time that I start getting to them. This was also the only standalone I had of hers, so I tool a chance on it. Kay Hooper is also a first time read for me.
Synopsis
Danger wears many faces....

Ten years ago Rachel Grant's fiancé, Thomas, disappeared. His body was never found. Now there's a stranger in town, a man who could be Thomas's twin--or his ghost.

His name is Adam Delafield. He's been watching Rachel for days. He has the locket she gave Thomas before he vanished. And he says he owed her father three million dollars.

But there's no record of the loan—or a shred of proof that Adam is who he claims to be. And he's always nearby as accidents begin to threaten Rachel's life.

Is he an innocent man who only wants to repay a debt? Or a figure from the past with a score to settle? Rachel must expose lies and unravel stories, find out who wants her dead and why...before the next attempt to kill her succeeds.

I was really attracted to the plot of this story. It was very intriguing, and of course I had all kinds of possible scenarios pop up in my head before I even started the book. The book had great pacing and just flowed very well and I did not want to put it down. There are also some great elements in this story such as mystery of course, but also creepy, paranormal, thriller and romance. A lot of great mystery solving for readers, which is always good.

The characters were developed ok. I felt like I would have enjoyed a bit more back story on some of them to make them a little more believable. I did like Adam, but was on the fence with him almost the whole story, not sure if he was trustworthy or not, so definitely pushes readers to keep reading and figure it out. Overall a great story and well worth the read. I look forward to more of her stuff in the near future.

Postmortem - Patricia Cornwell - 3 stars

I chose this book for my month of mystery because I have collected many of this series and decided it was time to start reading them rather than just let them sit there. I am glad I finally jumped into this series since it is a very long one.
Synopsis
Under cover of night in Richmond, Virginia, a human monster strikes, leaving a gruesome trail of stranglings that has paralyzed the city. Medical examiner Kay Scarpetta suspects the worst: a deliberate campaign by a brilliant serial killer whose signature offers precious few clues. With an unerring eye, she calls on the latest advances in forensic research to unmask the madman. But this investigation will test Kay like no other, because it's being sabotaged from within—and someone wants her dead.

Of course I loved the plot of the book since it was on a serial killer. To me that is the best plot for a mystery book. I felt like the pacing was a bit slow though for my tastes until about halfway through the book when it finally picked up and got much more exciting. I did enjoy all the mystery to be solved in this, but was a little let down by who the bad guy was, and it was not what I had expected at all. There was however enough to the story regardless of pacing for me to keep reading.

I really enjoyed the wide array of characters in this story. I like Kay Scarpetta, I like her strengths and her ability to stand on her own, but I am a little disappointed that she really does not have any weaknesses either. She is not that 'perfect' character, but she is not flawed either and I really like my characters to be a bit flawed. Other than that the characters were developed pretty well.

I recommend this to anyone who likes a good mystery with great characters. Had there been better pacing it could have easily ben a 4. I do look forward to the next book in the series and hope for it to be much faster paced.

The Undead: Deleted Scene - R.R, Haywood - 3 stars

I discovered this story when I was looking for a book on Audible and decide to get it and read it since it was free. This is a short story and I was really excited to get into a new Zombie story but this is more along the lines of dark humor concerning Zombies rather than a horror. There is also a lot of vulgar language in this one but still gave me a laugh or two. Not bad for being a short and somewhat entertaining.

Chill Factor - Sandra Brown - 3.5

I decided on reading this book for my Month of Mystery TBR for August. I had heard that her books are standalone books and I had been collecting quite a few, so it was time to start reading some of her works since I had so many. I am glad that I read it.
Synopsis
Five women are missing from the sleepy mountain town of Cleary, North Carolina, and a blue ribbon has been left near where each woman was last seen. Lilly Martin has returned to Cleary to close the sale of her cabin. But when her car skids and strikes a stranger, Ben Tierney, as he emerges from the woods, they've no choice but to wait out a brutal blizzard in the cabin. And as the hours of their confinement mount, Lilly wonders if the greater threat to her safety isn't the storm, but the stranger beside her....

The plot was interesting, but I found that it did not flow all that well , it was pretty slow for the first half of the book. I also thought that it could have been cut by about 50 pages. With all of that said it did finally pick up quite a bit about midway through the story and I found that it became quite exciting. There is a lot of mystery involved with this one and I was fooled many times thinking I knew what was going on right from the start. I love the mystery so much!

I did quite enjoy the wide range of colorful characters in this one. So many different personalities with several of those you just cold not bring yourself to trust. I can't say too much more about them without giving something away. I found thme all to be vry well developed with plenty of characters to both love and hate.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves mystery. I just must say you have to be patient for this one since it has a pretty slow start, but hang on because it takes off and spins a great tale. I do look forward to reading more of Sandra Brown's works and keeping fingers crossed that they have a better start to them. This could easily had been a 5 star read if the beginning had a bit ore to it, instead it is getting a 3.5 from me.