Reviews: His Bloody Project, The Woman on the Orient Express, and The Children of Men

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

Title: His Bloody Project

Author: Graeme Macrae Burnet

Publication Date: October 18, 2016

Genre: Historical Thriller/Mystery/Suspense

Recommended If You Like: history with your mystery, mixed-media mysteries (trial transcripts, interviews, manuscripts), Man Booker Prize Shortlist Finalists 

The Book: 

Roderick Macrae is a seventeen year old Scottish farmer who has confessed to three brutal murders. It is not his guilt that seems to be in question, but his motive. A series of found documents may provide the answers everyone has been seeking.

What I Liked:

This is such a creative approach to a mystery, and it works so well here. Macrae Burnet presents the book as a collection of documents he has found, including the memoirs of Roderick Macrae himself. This presents the reader with multiple unreliable narrators, led by their feelings, personal prejudices, and deeply ingrained beliefs. The purported murderer tells a large chunk of his own story, and readers must decide on their own truth.

Anything I Didn't Like?

Honestly, there really wasn't anything I didn't like. This is an excellently done, highly creative take on a historical mystery.

So...?

I highly recommend this book. It's unique, suspenseful, and well-written. 

This was read for the Semi-Charmed Winter 2016 Book Challenge.

Title: The Woman on the Orient Express

Author: Lindsay Jayne Ashford

Publication Date: September 20, 2016

Genre: Historical Fiction

Recommended If You Like: learning more about Agatha Christie, strong female characters, travel descriptions

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

The Book:

Feeling broken after her divorce, Agatha Christie rides the Orient Express in hopes of finding herself again on the journey. Along the way, she befriends two other female travelers, and their lives intersect in powerful ways they could never have imagined.

What I Liked:

I love that this is a fictionalized take on what is known about Agatha Christie's life. Agatha is a powerful and fascinating person in her own right, and Ashford does a good job of expanding a story around her.

Anything I Didn't Like?

At some points, the story seemed to move a little slow. I liked this book, but because of the slower moving sections, I'm not sure I would have stuck with it if it if the main character hadn't been my favorite author of all-time.

So...?

This is a good book, not one of my favorites, but I'm glad I stuck with it. It was fun to read a fictional book centered around Agatha Christie's life.

I love P.D. James' mystery novels, and knew I had to give this a try. Once again, James proves a brilliant writer.

This is not a light read, but it is a beautifully written one. The story takes place in a world where woman can no longer give birth, and the human population is dwindling. The world will soon be coming to an end.

Theo, a professor, is coming to grips with this through isolation, and keeping a record in his journal. But when a former student tracks him down, asking him to get in touch with his cousin, the Warden of England, Theo finds there is much more to what remains of the world than he originally believed in. 

This was read for the Semi-Charmed Winter 2016 Book Challenge.

Top Ten Tuesday, and Furiously Happy

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the wonderful The Broke and The Bookish.

This week's theme is Ten Books I Recently Added to my TBR List

After being lucky enough to see Hamilton, I really want to read the Hamilton biography, and the book surrounding the musical.

I am fascinated by "odd phenomena", so as soon as I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it.

I've loved everything I've ever read of Shirley Jackson's, so I can't resist a fictionalized novel about her involving a mysterious disappearance.

I'm fascinated by thrillers involving social media, and as this is Wang's debut novel, I'm hoping to discover a new author to love.

I can never resist any take on Sherlock Holmes!

Sudjic is being compared to Patricia Highsmith, and has written a thriller surrounding obsession and the idea of an "internet twin".

A supernatural thriller involving a true crime writer and a cult!

After reading the first book in this series in a day, I was hooked. I can't wait to read these!

What books have you added to your TBR lately?

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Sometimes, you are lucky enough to find a book that really means something to you, that speaks to something in you that you needed spoken to. This is one of those books for me.

Jenny Lawson writes insightful, and also absolutely hilarious, deeply personal essays. She writes about her personal life, particularly her experiences with anxiety, depression, and phobias. She makes you think, makes you feel, and also will have you laughing out loud on the bus, on the couch, and wherever else you happen to read this wonderful book.

This is one of those books I want to run around recommending to everybody. It's a special, important, and funny read.

Review: Dead Girls Society

Title: Dead Girls Society
Author: Michelle Krys
Publication Date: November 8, 2016
Genre: Young Adult Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Recommended If You Like: truth or dare, secrets and lies, mysterious games

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

The Book:

Hope's cystic fibrosis has always caused her and her family immense emotional and financial stress, and kept her from experiencing much of a typical teenage life. When she receives an invitation from the mysterious Society, inviting her to play a game of dares for the chance at a lot of money, Hope finally sees her opportunity to experience some adventure and solve her family's problems.

But as the dares escalate, Hope realizes too late that she's been brought into something dangerous and frightening, and she may not be able to make it out alive.

What I Liked:

Hope is a strong, multi-dimensional, complex female character. She is also a much-needed character in young adult literature as a teenager living and dealing with cystic fibrosis.

The game of dares is suspenseful, eerie, and mysterious, and builds up a lot of tension. The mystery is full of twists and turns, especially in the last few chapters. I didn't guess the biggest twist until literally sentences before it was revealed.

Anything I Didn't Like?

I wasn't crazy about the last few sentences--the addition there didn't feel necessary (can't say more without spoiling anything!) unless Krys is planning a sequel (I couldn't find anything out about a possible sequel online).

The romance was fine, and well-developed, but didn't really feel necessary. Hope went through a lot of character development and growth without the additional romantic complications and rewards.

So...?

I read this book in about a day, it was that good. This is a story that pulls you in from the start, and keeps you hooked until the end with a creative plot and lots of clever twists and turns.

Semi-Charmed Winter 2016 Book Challenge!

This challenge looked too much fun not to try, and it will help me narrow down my TBR!

• The challenge will run from November 1, 2016, to January 31, 2017. No books started before 12 a.m. on November 1 or finished after 11:59 p.m. on January 31 will count.
• Each book must be at least 150 pages long. Audiobooks and large-print books are fine, as long as the regular print version meets the length requirement.
• A book can only be used for one category, and each category can only be completed once.
• The highest possible total is 200 points, and the first five people who finish the challenge will be invited to contribute a category for the summer 2017 challenge.
• Have fun! Read some books you might not have read otherwise. Discover new authors and make new bookworm friends. (Yes, these are the most important rules!)

Challenge Categories:

5 points: Freebie! Read any book that is at least 150 pages long: A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro-DONE

10 points: Read a 2016 finalist (longlist or shortlist) for one of the following literary prizes: National Book Award, Man Booker or Man Booker International.: His Bloody Project by Graeme MaCrae Burnet-DONE

10 points: Read a brand-new release (something published between November 1, 2016, and January 31, 2017).: Hi, Anxiety by Kat Kinsman-DONE

15 points: Read a book by an author of a different race or religion than you. : Jazz by Toni Morrison-DONE

15 points: Read a book featuring a main character who is of a different race or religion than you.: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini-DONE

20 points: Read a modern retelling of a classic (e.g. an Austen Project novel, Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler, etc.) — Submitted by SCSBC16 winner Kaity.: Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid-DONE

25 points: Read a book with an alcoholic beverage (neat or cocktail) in the title. — Submitted by SCSBC16 winner Kerry. (And she was nice enough to come up with a long list of suggestions for you!) : Eggnog Murder by Leslie Meier-DONE

30 points: Read a book with a character that shares your first or last name. (Alternate spellings are okay, e.g. Megan and Meghan or Smith and Smyth.) — Submitted by SCSBC16 winner Ericka. : Rebecca's Tale by Sally Beauman-DONE

30 points: Read two books: a nonfiction book and a fiction book with which it connects. For example: A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie and one of Christie's mystery novels that features poison, or The Monuments Men and All the Light We Cannot See. The possibilities are endless, so have fun with this one! — Submitted by SCSBC16 winner Bev. (And remember you must finish both books to get the 30 points! No partial points will be awarded.) : The Science of Sherlock Holmes by E.J. Wagner, and The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz-DONE

40 points: Read two books: one by an author whose first name is the same as the last name of the author of the other book. For example: You may read a book by Martin Cruz Smith and a book by George R.R. Martin, or a book by James Joyce and a book by Joyce Carol Oates. The shared name must be spelled exactly the same, no variations. — Submitted by SCSBC16 winner Jamie. (And remember you must finish both books to get the 40 points! No partial points will be awarded.) : The Children of Men by P.D. James, and In With the Devil by James Keene-DONE

Reviews: Far From You, and Death in Ecstasy

Wow, this has been a crazy week! Between Halloween and parent-teacher conferences, I've been so tired--but we had a three day weekend, which was fantastic and much needed. I went and saw "The Girl on the Train" with one of my best friends, and we both really enjoyed it. Yesterday I babysat for a former student, and today I cooked for the week (and read of course!).

I also finished two books--Far From You, and Death in Ecstasy!

In my opinion, this is how you do a young adult mystery. 

The narrator feels real, a teenage girl who is flawed and thus so very human, fighting for strength and answers, a character I was rooting for from the very first pages.

The mystery was gripping, and the twists and turns really surprising. I didn't call them at all, which is always fun.

I also really liked the way Sharpe played with the concept of romance. It didn't feel like a cliche, and perfectly complemented the mystery and the narrator's personal growth.

If you've been looking for a good young adult mystery to read, I would definitely recommend this book.

Ngaio Marsh is one of my favorite mystery writers, and Death in Ecstasy contained so many of the reasons why I love her work. 

Nigel Bathgate and Inspector Alleyn are a great take on the classic Holmes and Watson trope. The supporting characters, especially Fox and Bailey, bring humor and a warm sense of familiarity. 

The central mystery surrounds a mysterious cult, and all the unique and complex characters caught up in it. The surprises and twists are well-played, and the ending is one that rings true when reading back.

If you haven't read any Ngaio Marsh, I definitely recommend you do. She is a classic mystery writer!

My Sister-in-Law's Novella, and The Women in the Walls

I'm really lucky to have as my sister-in-law an incredibly talented writer, whose first novella (for which she won the Pen/Fusion Emerging Writers Prize) just got released! I will fully admit how biased I am, but I think it is brilliant.

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Title: The Women in the Walls
Author: Amy Lukavics
Publication Date: September 27, 2016
Genre: Young Adult Horror/Supernatural/Paranormal
Recommended If You Like: creepiness, disturbed and disturbing families, haunted houses, unreliable narrators (and characters)

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

The Book:

Lucy feels stuck in her ancestral family home--and with good reason. Her mother is dead, her father detached, her aunt missing, and her cousin hearing voices in the walls. As Lucy begins to try to solve the many mysteries she finds herself drowning in, she begins to learn more about feeling haunted than she ever wanted to know.

What I Liked:

This book is creepy! I was impressed with Lukavics' ability to create genuine scares, and play around with classic horror tropes.

The setting is really well done as well. The isolated house is almost another character, especially the attic, full of spooky noises and possible malice.

Anything I Didn't Like?

In terms of purely personal preference, it got a little too gross and gory for me at times with some of the descriptions.

The ending, while definitely interesting and scary, was a bit confusing at first. It did come together for me before I finished the book, but it took a bit. I think this is because the big twists seemed to come a little bit out of left field. The rest of the book was a little slow, but when it came to the ending, things suddenly moved really fast. I suspect this was to amp up the horror and tension, which definitely worked, but it made the ending a little rushed.

So...?

This was a good read-not my favorite young adult horror read ever, but really creepy, and definitely interesting.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books to Read If Your Book Club Liked The Girl on the Train

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the wonderful The Broke and The Bookish.

This week, ten books to read if your book club (or you) liked The Girl on the Train.

1) Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

-train setting

-unreliable characters' telling stories

-ambiguous morality

-secrets and lies

-interpersonal relationships

2) What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn

-the idea of being a witness (one who watches others and guesses at their life), and trying to solve a crime you swear you saw

3) Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante

-a narrator others consider reliable, who does not even trust herself

4) The Dead Lie Down by Sophie Hannah

-woman trying to move on from a difficult past

-a crime centered around a woman--but has a crime really occurred?

-male romantic partner plays an important role

5) What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw! by Agatha Christie

-woman on a train witnesses a murder, and no one believes her

6) Dear Daughter by Elizabeth Little

-female protagonist whose version of criminal events isn't believed--sometimes even by herself

7) Chime by Franny Billingsley

-past events told through the lens of an unreliable narrator who doesn't even trust herself

-narrator imagines stories to explain what she thinks she has seen

8) Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith

-a chance occurrence surrounding a train, and the tragic and traumatic events the occurrence sets in motion

9) Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

-female narrator who is questioning her version of traumatic and tragic events

-the narrator figuring out what she really saw is the key to solving the mystery

10) What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan

-a female protagonist dealing with a traumatic event, where people doubt what she truly saw--and begin to suspect she had a role to play