Mount TBR 2018!

Alright, I've decided to go for it, and try for Mt. Olympus this year, which means 150 books off my physical TBR bookshelves! I didn't quite make 100 off my TBR shelves this past year, but in 2018 I really want to focus on reading books I already own. (Just a note that this will include books that may not come out until 2018, but that I have a physical  ARC copy of on my bookshelves prior to January 1, 2018.)

1) Monkey Mind by Daniel Smith
2) Just Between Us by Rebecca Drake (ARC on shelf in 2017)
3) God Help the Child by Toni Morrison
4) The Girl Next Door by Brad Parks
5) Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald
6) Nancy Drew: The Secret Within Book One by Stefan Petrucha and Sarah Kinney
7) Lady Killers by Tori Telfer
8) Whiskey Sour by J.A. Konrath
9) Troublemaker by Leah Remini
10) The Devils You Know by M.C. Atwood
11) Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart
12) Spinsters in Jeopardy by Ngaio Marsh
13) The Marsh King's Daughter by Karen Dionne
14) Good as Gone by Amy Gentry
15) Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner
16) Let's Play Dead by Sheila Connolly
17) Wolf by Kelly Oliver
18) The Bad Seed by William March
19) Priceless by Robert K. Wittman
20) The Greek Coffin Mystery by Ellery Queen
21) Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
22) Nancy Drew Diaries #9: The Secret Within Part Two by Stefan Petruchka and Sarah Kinney
23) Dead Girls Don't Wear Diamonds by Nancy Martin
24) The Man From the Train by Bill James
25) Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan
26) The Blind by A.F. Brady
27) Lies She Told by Cate Holahan
28) Lie to Me by J.T. Ellison
29) Jack the Ripper by Francois DeBois and Jean-Charles Poupard
30) The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell
31) Ring in the Year with Murder by Auralee Wallace
32) The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
33) The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle
34) Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender
35) The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
36) Welcome to Nightvale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor
37) Jack the Ripper by Bruce Balfour
38) Sherlock Holmes: Crime Alleys by Sylvain Cordune and Nespolino Alessandro
39) Adam and Eve and Pinch Me by Ruth Rendell
40) Malice by Keigo Higashino
41) Mysterious America by Loren Coleman
42) Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
43) Looking for Alaska by John Green
44) The Complete Dracula by Leah Moore
45) The Sayers Swindle by Victoria Abbot
46) The Bat by Jo Nesbo
47) Lore: Monstrous Creatures by Aaron Mahnke
48) Crippen by John Boyne
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Review: Close to Me

Title: Closer to Me
Author: Amanda Reynolds
Publication Date: December 5, 2017
Genre: Psychological Suspense
Recommended If You Like: secrets from the past, domestic drama

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:

Jo Harding fell down the stairs a year ago, but to her, it was just minutes ago. She's lost memories of the whole last year of her life, and it actually seems her family might be happy about that fact. As Jo works to recover her memory, she comes to realize some hard truths about herself and the life she thought she had.

What I Liked:

I'm always interested in a book with secrets from the past coming to light, and this read definitely had plenty of those. When a whole year is gone, there is so much to uncover, and Reynolds does a good job of making those secrets come to light in a suspenseful way. Readers learn things right along with Jo, which makes her an even more crucial and realistic narrator.

Anything I Didn't Like?

This book felt really slow at parts. Despite its intriguing premise, I had trouble sticking with it at times. It wasn't bad by any means, but I think some editing to tighten it up and take away some of the repetitious nature would have been a positive.

So...?

This is a fine book, good even, but not a great one. There are a lot of other books in this genre I would recommend you pick up first.

Review: Antisocial

Title: Antisocial
Author: Jillian Blake
Publication Date: May 16, 2017
Genre: Young Adult/Psychological/Suspense
Recommended If You Like: secrets being revealed, a realistic protagonist with an anxiety disorder, exploration of the complexity of relationships and the role of social media

The Book:

When someone hacks into the phones of students at a prep school, suddenly everyone's text messages, internet searches, and deepest secrets could be exposed. As relationships break apart, and no one knows who to trust anymore, everyone fears that their secrets will be the next to be revealed.

What I Liked:

I really liked that this book had a realistic narrator with an anxiety disorder. I think this is something that needs to happen a lot more in literature. Blake really illustrated what it feels like to have an anxiety disorder, and made the readers feel like they were in the narrator's shoes.

The storyline was a really interesting one, highlighting the dangers of technology and social media, and exploring how much of our true selves we show to the world and those closest to us.

Anything I Didn't Like?

I was expecting more mystery to this story, more focus on a big reveal of who was behind the hack, more surprises on that end. I think this just wasn't what Blake felt the focus was, even if it's what I wanted personally.

So...?

This is a really quick read-it took me just a couple of hours-and an interesting one. It's worth picking up for the narrator alone, but the story will keep you hooked as well.

Review: The Special Ones

Title: The Special Ones
Author: Em Bailey
Publication Date: July 18, 2017
Genre: Psychological Suspense
Recommended If You Like: strange and unique reads, books about cults, strong female protagonists

The Book:

Esther has been one of the Special Ones for almost two years. This means she is viewed as a spiritual guide, an immortal being who lives a simple life in an isolated farmhouse and online chats with her eager followers. She is always watched by a mysterious he, the leader they have never met, who decides if they are living up to their true Special potential. If they aren't, they are renewed, and never return to the farmhouse again.

What I Liked:

Like another recent read, Hex, this book is fantastically strange and so unique. I love reading a book where I feel like I've never read anything like it before. This book is so mysterious, which meant I could not put it down. I had to know what was going to happen next.

Anything I Didn't Like?

Towards the middle of the book, I felt like things started to move maybe a little too fast. This is one of those books I think could have been a little longer to flesh out things even more.

So...?

This is a quick, gripping read that will keep you engaged and constantly guessing.

Beat the Backlist 2018!

I'm so excited for this reading challenge to start! It's hosted by NovelKnight, and the challenge starts January 1, 2018. The goal is to read as many books published in 2017 or earlier as possible. I'm setting my personal goal at 125 backlist books, since I can count any books I read from my TBR bookcases.

1) Monkey Mind by Daniel Smith
2) Carrie by Stephen King
3) The Fact of the Body by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich
4) Disappearance at Devil's Rock by Paul Tremblay
5) God Help the Child by Toni Morrison
6) The Girl Next Door by Brad Parks
7) Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald
8) Nancy Drew: The Secret Within Book One by Stefan Petrucha and Sarah Kinney
9) Lady Killers by Tori Telfer
10) Whiskey Sour by J.A. Konrath
11) Friend Request by Laura Marshall
12) Lie With Me by Sabine Durrant
13) Troublemaker by Leah Remini
14) The Devils You Know by M.C. Atwood
15) Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart
16) Spinsters in Jeopardy by Ngaio Marsh
17) Vertigo by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac
18) The Marsh King's Daughter by Karen Dionne
19) Good as Gone by Amy Gentry
20) Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner
21) Right Behind You by Lisa Gardner
22) Let's Play Dead by Sheila Connolly
23) Wolf by Kelly Oliver
24) The Bad Seed by William March
25) Muffin to Fear by Victoria Hamilton
26) Gossamer Ghost by Laura Childs
27) Priceless by Robert K. Wittman
28) Grit by Gillian French
29) Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
30) The Greek Coffin Mystery by Ellery Queen
31) The Postcard Killers by James Patterson
32) Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
33) Nancy Drew Diaries #9: The Secret Within Part Two by Stefan Petruchka and Sarah Kinney
34) Dead Girls Don't Wear Diamonds by Nancy Martin
35) The Man From the Train by Bill James and Rachel McCarthy James
36) Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan
37) Jack the Ripper by Francois DeBois and Jean-Charles Poupard
38) The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell
39) Stowed Away by Barbara Ross
40) The Blind by A.F. Brady
41) Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
42) Lies She Told by Cate Holahan
43) Lie to Me by J.T. Ellison
44) Soulmates by Jessica Grose
45) The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
46) The General's Daughter by Nelson DeMille
47) Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
48) Private Vegas by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
49) Doll Bones by Holly Black
50) Snowed in with Murder by Auralee Wallace
51) Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
52) Ring in the Year with Murder by Auralee Wallace
53) The Great Shelby Holmes Meets Her Match by Elizabeth Eulberg
54) The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
55) The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle
56) Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender
57) Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics
58) Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead
59) The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
60) Greenglass House by Kate Milford
61) Bonfire by Krysten Ritter
62) Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor
63) Jack the Ripper by Bruce Balfour
64) American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
65) The Rules by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
66) Mary Jane's Ghost by Ted Gregory
67) Murder Games by James Patterson
68) Sherlock Holmes: Crime Alleys by Sylvain Cordurie and Nespolino Alessandro
69) The Party by Robyn Harding
70) Private: Gold by James Patterson
71) Adam and Eve and Pinch Me by Ruth Rendell
72) Malice by Keigo Higashino
73) Honeymoon by James Patterson
74) Second Honeymoon by James Patterson
75) Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
76) The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street by Lindsay Currie
77) The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
78) Looking for Alaska by John Green
79) The Complete Dracula by Leah Moore
80) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick
81) Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
82) The Sayers Swindle by Victoria Abbot
83) Under Suspicion: A Friday Barnes Mystery by R.A. Spratt
84) The Body in the Casket by Katherine Hall Page
85) Mysterious America by Loren Coleman
86) Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
87) Private: London by James Patterson and Mark Pearson
88) All In by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
89) The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H.P. Lovecraft and I.N.J. Culbard
90) Toys by James Patterson and Neil McMahon
91) Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
92) Becoming Unbecoming by Una
93) The Bat by Jo Nesbo
94) The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures by Aaron Mahnke
95) Crippen by John Boyne
96) The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
97) Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
98) Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
99) Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler
100) Life of Pi by Yann Martel
101) An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
102) Tolstoy and the Purple Chair by Nina Sankovitch
103) The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
104) The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
105) The Invention of Murder by Judith Flanders
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Review: The Screaming Staircase

Title: The Screaming Staircase
Author: Jonathan Stroud
Publication Date: August 26, 2014
Genre: Supernatural/Paranormal, Middle Grade
Recommended If You Like: scary books that aren't too scary, ghost stories, strong young characters

I received a copy 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:

In a world where the presence of ghosts has become the norm, the young are the ones with the Talents to see and vanquish the paranormal. Lucy, Lockwood, and George form one of many agencies who make a living fighting against the ghosts. As they learn to work together, they must tackle two of the biggest cases London has seen.

What I Liked:

I'm a big fan of books focused on the paranormal, and also a fan of middle grade and young adult reads, so this was a very enjoyable combo for me here. The book was frightening without being terrifying, and managed to be very eerie and suspenseful while still being middle-grade appropriate, not an easy feat.

Anything I Didn't Like?

The book got a little meandering and slow in parts, which caused my attention to drift away, which meant this book took me quite a bit longer to finish than its length would have suggested.

So...?

I enjoyed reading this book, but not enough where I will be in a rush to pick up the rest of the series.

Review: Bel, Book, and Scandal

  

Title: Bel, Book, and Scandal
Author: Maggie McConnon
Publication Date: December 5, 2017
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Recommended If You Like: strong female protagonists, family ties, long-running mysteries with surprise endings, secrets from the past

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:

The long-running series' mystery of what truly happened to Belfast's best friend, Amy, so many years ago, takes a shocking turn in this latest cozy mystery. Belfast, a chef at her family's Shamrock Manor, spots a newspaper photograph that turns everything she thought she knew about that fateful night upside down. Drawn into a story she has never truly been able to leave behind, Belfast is determined to solve the mystery that has haunted her all these years.

What I Liked:

I love the character of Belfast. She feels so real, as does her family. She's not perfect, neither are they, but they love and drive each other crazy in equal measure. Belfast is funny, and clever, and determined, but still doesn't know where she's going in life. She is relatable, and it's impossible not to like her.

I was so excited to see so much development in the mystery of Amy. It's one I've been following since I read the first book in the series, and I've been wanting to know the solution so much.

Anything I Didn't Like?

I felt like what was revealed, while surprising and shocking and fantastically dramatic, didn't feel like it entirely fit with what had come in the books before. I absolutely adore a shocking twist that I never saw coming, but this one felt a little too out of left field.

So...?

Definitely read the books that came before this one so you can understand the importance of what is happening in this one. This is a cozy mystery series I really enjoy, and I hope that, even though it felt like an ending, this isn't the last we read of Belfast.