Review: Before I Fall

Title: Before I Fall
Author: Lauren Oliver
Genre: Young Adult
Recommended If You Like: high school stories, character-driven tales, psychological insight, nostalgia, Groundhog Day

The Book:

Samantha is popular, with a gorgeous boyfriend and a group of best friends others in the school would die to be a part of. But it's Samantha who dies-and then wakes up, to relieve that last day of her life over and over again.

What does Samantha need to do to get it right this time? To figure it out, she will have to decide what really matters to her, and what is truly important in life.

What I Liked:

Oliver made high school come alive all over again for me in this book. I felt like I was right there with the characters, and it made me remember so vividly what it was like to be that age, riding in my best friend's car, music blasting.

This is also such an interesting concept for a book, and Oliver pulls it off well. Things never seen repetitive or boring, and there is a lot of suspense.

Anything I Didn't Like?

I sometimes felt like character development was a bit rushed. Despite this being a long book (over 400 pages), some characters still felt a bit one dimensional, with Oliver adding in details to flesh them out that just didn't really come together for me. I sometimes struggled with understanding the characters' motivations, even the main character and the reasoning behind her big changes.

So..?

This is a book I enjoyed, and that kept me interested--I flew through it, despite its length. But I didn't love it. Despite how well Oliver made the characters come alive, they still didn't feel as developed and three dimensional as I wanted them to be.

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Book Couples I Love, and Review: Take the Fall

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

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is a romance freebie, so I decided to go with Ten Book Couples I Love!

1) Peeta and Katniss, The Hunger Games series

I was Team Peeta from the first time we met him, and Peeta and Katniss instantly became one of my OTPs. The way they come together, support each other, and grow together is so beautiful. I was so tense reading the last book in the trilogy, so afraid that they both wouldn't make it out alive, and that they wouldn't end up together.

2) Rose and Dimitri, Vampire Academy series

I love these books for so many reasons, but my top reason has to be Rose and Dimitri. They had so much romantic tension and chemistry building up between them, so many obstacles thrown in their way, and I was so rooting so hard for them to get their happy ending.

3) Nancy and Ned, Nancy Drew series

These two were one of my very first book OTPs. They are so sweet together, plus they solve mysteries as a brilliant team.

4) Vera and Phillip, And Then There Were None

This is one angsty couple that I couldn't help but root for. Their circumstances were dire, and they weren't necessarily very good people, but they seemed to have a chance to become better together. (It's also especially interesting that depending on whether you read the book, see the play, or which version of the movie you watch, their fate as a couple can be quite different.)

5) Tommy and Tuppence, various Agatha Christie mysteries

This is another excellent detective pairing. They bring out the best in each other, and go on amazing adventures solving mysteries together.

6) Elizabeth and Darcy, Pride and Prejudice

7) Emma and Mr. Knightley, Emma

It just wouldn't be a favorite book couples list without some couples from Jane Austen's books. These are classic and immensely popular couples for a reason--the buildup to their finally getting together is immense, and their love is beautiful.

8) Magnus and Alec, Mortal Instruments

I actually stopped reading this series after the fourth book, but I loved Magnus and Alec from the start. Even though I had lost interest in the other plots, I skimmed through the other books in the series to find their scenes and follow their story. 

9) Tris and Four, Divergent series

These two characters had so much chemistry to me, and so many obstacles to overcome, that I couldn't help but root for them. I loved that they made each other stronger and brought out the best in each other.

10) Lissa and Christian, Vampire Academy series

While these two faced different obstacles than their friends Rose and Dimitri, they too had so much to overcome, and so much chemistry.

What are some of your favorite book couples?

***

I'm always on the lookout for good young adult mysteries and thrillers, and Take the Fall is an excellent addition to that genre. 

It's the story of Sonia, who escaped an attack in the woods that left her best friend, Gretchen, dead. As Sonia attempts to come to grips with the events of that fateful night, she tries to understand what truly happened. But as Gretchen's secrets come to light, and Gretchen's ex-boyfriend Marcus emerges as the prime suspect, Sonia is forced to wrestle with her feelings in her fight towards the truth.

What really sets Take the Fall above many other books in this genre is the ending. It's an ending that had me gasping out loud, and frantically flipping back through the previous pages to see if it all made sense in retrospect--and it did. Hainsworth pulls off a end reveal that is shocking and brilliant.

Review: The Martian

I have a confession to make. I very rarely read science fiction. And I do mean very rarely. My favorite genres are absolutely mysteries, thrillers, suspense, and true crime, and almost all my reading comes out of these categories.

But the Popsugar Challenge had a challenge to read from a genre you don't normally read. So I went to my dad, who reads a lot of science fiction, and asked him for his recommendation. He always has great suggestions, so when he immediately said I should read The Martian, I borrowed his copy right away.

And, as always, my dad absolutely steered me right.

Weir has created the story of Mark Watney, an astronaut on a mission to Mars. But when a freak storm hits, Watney is left alone on Mars, believed dead.

Through ingenuity, intelligence, and a sense of humor, Watney somehow keeps going, figuring out a way to survive. But will it be enough to get him rescued?

I read The Martian in about a day, because I could not put it down. It was the kind of book I was thinking about whenever I wasn't reading it. I read it while I walked, and while I waited for the bus. It drove me crazy that it was sitting in my bag at work and I couldn't open it back up. As soon as I got home from work, I curled up in a chair and finished it.

What also impressed me was how thoroughly Weir must have done his research--and that he originally self-published this in serialized chapters, offering it for free before putting it on Amazon for the minimum ebook price allowed. It was there Weir's brilliant novel was discovered, and grew into the sensation it became.

I will admit quite a bit of the science went right over my head, and I did zone out a bit during some of the extremely technical scientific paragraphs. But this is truly the only negative I can find with this book, and that is solely based on my personal preference.

The Martian may be classified as science fiction, but it is also suspenseful, psychological, and thrilling. I can already tell it's going to be one of my top reads of the year.

Reviews: The Nightwalker, Girl with a Peal Earring, and Where'd You Go, Bernadette

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: The Nightwalker

Author: Sebastian Fitzek

Publication Date: February 7, 2017

Genre: Psychological Thriller/Suspense

Recommended If You Like: creepy reads, lots of twists and turns, a shocker of an ending

The Book:

Leon thought he was cured from the rampant and violent sleepwalking of his youth, but now his wife has disappeared. Desperate to find answers, Leon orders a motion activated camera to film what happens when he sleeps--and is stunned to see footage of him descending through a hidden door in his apartment that he has never seen before.

What I Liked:

This is a very suspenseful and eerie book. I could not put it down. Fitzek keeps the tension ratcheted up and doesn't let go.

The plot is so original too, I had to keep reading to know where the story was going. 

The ending--I won't go into details so as not to spoil it--but that last chapter is amazing, and packs such a punch. 

Anything I Didn't Like?

There really isn't anything I can think of that I didn't enjoy about this book. Every time I got worried Fitzek wasn't going to be able to live up the level of suspense and mystery he had created, he pulled out another twist. 

So...?

I would definitely recommend this book. It's a quick, extremely suspenseful read that is really original and clever. And that last chapter--worth the read just for that twist alone!

Chevalier has spun a beautiful piece of historical fiction around a famous painting. She tells the story of Griet, a maid in Vermeer's household, who becomes immersed in his world and his art.

Chevalier packs an emotional punch in a short novel, and makes art come alive through the written word. This is one of those books that truly deserves the hype it received upon its publication, and I'm only sorry I waited so long to finally read it.

I needed a light, fun read, and that is what I got here. I also got a book that manages to be emotional while still being funny.

Semple tells the story of Bernadette and her family. Bernadette has a past she doesn't talk about, and a beautiful but falling-apart home she hides away in. But when Bernadette disappears, it is left to her daughter, Bee, to piece what happened together. Bee uses faxes, e-mails, websites, and articles, plus her own experiences, to tell her mother's story, and find her.

Review: The Devil Crept In

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: The Devil Crept In
Author: Ania Ahiborn
Publication Date: February 7, 2017
Genre: Thriller/Horror
Recommended If You Like: urban legends, small towns with secrets, creepy reads


The Book:

Stevie is a kid no one takes seriously. Even his own family thinks he is imagining things. But when his cousin Jude goes missing, Stevie knows Jude is in serious trouble, and that his disappearance has ties to the body of another young boy found years ago

What I Liked:

This is a creepy book! It's got some seriously scary small town secrets from the past horror going on.

Ahiborn does a great job of executing twists and turns. I never felt like I knew where the story was going or what was going to happen.This kept me hooked, and kept me reading.

Anything I Didn't Like?

It was hard to find a character to like in this novel, which I do definitely think was something Ahiborn did on purpose. Everyone is sad, and troubled, and beaten down by life and circumstances, and no one acts the way you want them to. (I did sympathize with Stevie, but found it hard to connect with him.) This is not necessarily a negative, but the book was so dark on top of this, it was hard to find any sign of light.

So...?

This is one of those books that leaves me not entirely sure how I feel about it. I sometimes struggled with it because it was so dark, but there was also something about it that kept me hooked, and made me keep reading. I finished this book in about two days, which definitely says something. I had to know what was going to happen.

Reviews: The Possessions, A Penny For the Hangman, and 1984

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: The Possessions

Author: Sara Flannery Murphy

Publication Date: Feb. 7, 2017

Genre: Psychological Suspense/Mystery/Supernatural/Paranormal

Recommended If You Like: unique twists on the paranormal/supernatural genre, character-driven mysteries, psychological mysteries

The Book:

Eurydice is a body, a person who willingly becomes a vessel for another's deceased loved one during regulated sessions. She works at the Elysian Society, and has thrown her whole self into her work, trying to forget herself and her past.

But when Patrick comes in for his first session, looking to contact the wife he lost in a tragic swimming accident, Eurydice finds herself unable to disconnect any longer. Swept up in Patrick's world and all he seemingly has to offer, the lines between her own self and that of his wife begin to blur.

There is also the matter of a mysterious dead body found in an abandoned house, a murder someone wants to use the Elysian Society to help solve.

No longer able to hide from the world within the memories of others, Eurydice must decide what she truly wants from life, and who she truly wants to be

What I Liked:

This is such a unique concept for a book. It's always exciting to find a book with a concept I have never read before. Flannery Murphy is an excellent writer, and her words and writing style absolutely live up to the concept she has created.

Flannery Murphy is also fantastic at pacing. I've read quite a few books lately that, while good, lose something in the pacing. This is a book that never lost my interest. Even the seemingly slower moments were tense and full of meaning, and the faster parts never felt rushed.

The mysteries within the story are really well-done, and I found myself completely caught up in them.

Anything I Didn't Like?

Honestly, I can't think of anything I didn't like about this book. I couldn't put it down. I don't think it's one I would re read, so I wouldn't say it's one of my all-time favorites, but that shouldn't take away from just how good it is.

So...?

I would absolutely recommend reading this book. Flannery Murphy is a talent to watch.

Title: A Penny For the Hangman

Author: Tom Savage

Publication Date: October 7, 2014

Genre: Psychological Thriller/Suspense/Mystery

Recommended If You Like: isolated island settings, mysteries from the past, mixed-media mysteries, reading about crimes like Leopold-Loeb and Parker-Hulme

The Book:

Karen Tyler is offered the journalistic opportunity of a lifetime. Fifty years ago, two teenage boys brutally murdered their parents and housekeeper. Now, someone is willing to talk about what really happened that night, leading Karen to travel to an isolated island in search of the truth.

What I Liked:

I loved the use of mixed-media here. Savage uses journal entries, magazine articles, trial and disc transcripts, and e-mails to tell one eerie, suspenseful story. The back and forth between the immediate story and the documents creates incredible tension.

And this is definitely one suspenseful story. It's one of those that you think about when you're not reading, trying to puzzle out what is really going on. No one and nothing are what they seem, and when all is revealed, the revelation packs a real punch.

I am also in general always a fan of mysteries set on isolated islands, such as And Then There Were None (one of my top three books of all time).

Anything I Didn't Like?

I did feel this book suffered a bit from pacing. The very beginning was really intriguing, and then things got a little slow for a bit. The ending also seemed a little oddly paced, some parts rushed, some parts a little too slow.

So...?

I would definitely recommend this book. It's really clever and intriguing, and once the story grabs hold of you, it won't let go.

This is a book that is very much in the news right now, re-rising to the top of bestseller lists and library requests.  

1984 tells the story of a society where Big Brother is the beginning and the end, where everyone is always watched, and people can be erased from the record books like they were never there to begin with. Wars are constant, allies and enemies switch at the drop of a hat, and no one is allowed to remember what their world used to be like.

1984 remains relevant and resonant. It is a good read, and an important one.

Reviews: The Fifth Petal, and Death at Wentwater Court

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: The Fifth Petal
Author: Brunonia Barry
Publication Date: January 24, 2017
Genre: Mystery/Psychological Suspense
Recommended If You Like: The Lace Reader, character-driven mysteries, mysteries with history, stories about Salem and the Witch Trials

The Book:

A suspicious death on Halloween may have ties to the infamous "Goddess Murders", also committed on a Halloween night decades ago, and still unsolved. Callie is the daughter of one of the Goddess victims, found at the crime scene traumatized but still alive. Now the new death has brought her back to Salem, where family secrets and old grudges are brought back to the surface.

What I Liked:

I really enjoyed Barry's The Lace Reader, and was excited to see she had come out with another book. This is a good mystery, with some excellent twists and turns. Barry uses flashbacks of memories to her advantage, creating a lot of suspense as Callie begins to remember what happened all those years ago.

I also really enjoyed how Barry made Salem its own character. The witch trials and their consequences still reverberate, and have a direct effect on what happens in the present.

Anything I Didn't Like?

The book moves a little slowly at parts. There are a lot of side story lines that, while interesting, do tend to slow down the pace.

So...?

I would recommend this read, especially if you read and enjoyed The Lace Reader. Barry brings an excellent mix of history and mystery to the table, with some fascinating characters and great twists.

Title: Death at Wentwater Court

Author: Carola Dunn

Publication Date: May 15, 1994

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Recommended If You Like: mansion mysteries, family secrets, cozy mysteries

The Book:

The Honorable Daisy Dalrymple is a journalist, trying to make a life for herself outside her family When she is given the assignment to write about the family at Wentwater Court, it looks like it will simply be a routine assignment. But then a death occurs, and brings all the family secrets to light.

What I Liked:

Daisy is a really strong, fun, smart, and likable female character. She assists the police, and stands on her own two feet, contributing a lot to the investigation. The budding romance between her and the detective is a great and believable one.

I love mansion murder mysteries, and this is a good one. There are so many family secrets, and so many clues in the various rooms.

Anything I Didn't Like?

Before the actual murder, the book moves a little slowly. But once it picks up, it really gets going.

So...?

I can see this becoming one of my favorite cozy mystery series. I definitely want to get my hands on the rest of the books.