Fierce Kingdom

Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips

What it's about:  Joan and her son, Lincoln, are at the zoo.  They could have gone to the museum or the library.  It would have been better...

Joan and Lincoln are quickly thrust into a life altering situation, and it is up to Joan to get them out.  This story takes place all in one evening, but this evening will bring out the type of person and mother that Joan didn't realize she could be.

What I liked: I liked how detailed the author was with Joan's relationship to her son.   They have a strong bond and that definitely made me more invested in the characters.

I also liked how the author would focus the majority of the time on Joan and Lincoln's story, and then give us a break and transition into a few chapters that would focus on the other people in the zoo.  It was even more interesting when you got to see more into one of the "villain's" thoughts and past.

Overall, this book didn't take place over a long period of time, but it definitely worked.  There was so much going on at some points, but at other points there was just Joan and Lincoln hiding.  Even just sitting, the author made sure you didn't get bored.  Phillips would take you into Joan's mind so you knew every thought she was having.  Every panic, every plan, every fear was yours to understand.


What I didn't much like:  Like I said earlier, this book would sometimes stall and the author would keep you going by showing you all of Joan's thoughts and also by diving into her past.  I do wish that we would have gotten a little more information on Joan and her past, but it also didn't matter much to the story and situation.

There was a point in the beginning when Joan and Lincoln were hiding that I kept hoping something exciting would happen and that the story would get moving along.  In real life I know that I would probably hide as long as possibly because I would be absolutely terrified of what would happen if I moved.  But for a story, this just makes me antsy and underwhelmed.

I noticed that Phillips had a bit of an odd writing style in the beginning of the book that I didn't notice as much later on.  There would be sentences like, "She glances over her shoulder and sees no one, but she cannot get a good look, because she does not want to slow down." (phillips 25).  I know that it is the commas and the "cannot" and "does not" phrases that bug me.  There were a lot of sentences phrased like that.  Overall it wasn't bad, it just threw me off.  By the middle of the book, those type of sentences just disappeared.  Just odd I guess.


Goodreads link: Fierce Kingdom

Final Girls

Final Girls by Riley Sager

Here we go.  Lisa, Sam, and Quinn have all experienced trauma at the hands of murderous strangers.  Due to these events, they are all deemed "Final Girls" in the media and press.

Lisa was a sorority girl living the college life.  One night, a man with a knife showed up at the sorority house door with the only intention to murder.  Lisa, an inch from death, was able to kill the intruder and get away.

Sam faced an even more terrifying enemy.  Sam was working house keeping at a motel when a stranger with a potato sack over his head decided everyone had to die.  She was tied to a tree with barbed wire but somehow managed to escape and ultimately kill crazy potato sack man.

Quinn was on a trip with a group of her college friends.  Their great time was interrupted by a mental hospital escapee whose version of a good time involved stabbing.  Quinn was the only survivor; being saved by a cop who was in the right place at the right time.  One hitch though.  Quinn doesn't remember a single thing about what happened.  She only knows what she's been told through multiple speculations.

Years after the incident, Quinn is finally getting her life together.  She lives with the man she loves and has a cute blogging business.  Then, Sam and Quinn's lives intertwine when Lisa is thought to have committed suicide.  Sam comes out of hiding to check on Quinn, but it seems that she has darker intentions.  Suddenly, Quinn's sparkling life is thrown into turmoil, and she begins to question everything she knows.

Pros: This is the type of book I usually gravitate towards.  Mystery/thriller type books.  I absolutely devoured this book because of how the author set it up.  Sager starts us off with a girl whose life was destroyed by a crazy killer and then jumped us forward to her new life where everything is all better.  This is the beginning of most fantastic scary movies.  Make the viewer/reader feel warm and cozy because the bad stuff is done and over with.  And then, slowly, everything falls apart again.

The contrast between Quinn's boyfriend, Jeff, and the cop that saved her, Coop, was a nice touch in Quinn's little drama filled life.  Jeff is caring and loving, but he is a little more laid back when it comes to being concerned about Quinn.  Coop is over protective and mysterious.  He fulfills the "knight in shining armor" image that Jeff is unfortunately lacking.  And even though we don't sense a whole lot of romance between Quinn and Coop, it still makes you wish that they were together.

I also really liked the jump between the present and the past.  When some authors do this, I find that I prefer one tense over the other and I get annoyed when I have to switch back. Sager did a great job revealing the happenings of Pine Cottage while also playing out Quinn's current predicaments.

Cons: The dicey friendship between Sam and Quinn did have my stomach churning quite a bit.  I was rooting for Quinn and I really liked her character until Sam inserted her questionable influence.  This isn't much of a con because I'm pretty sure that the author intended for those icky feeling.  But I find that I am lacking in cons for this book.  I just really really liked it.

I guess if I had to name one actually con, it would have to be that this book wasn't too overly surprising.  The ending did have a great twist, but everything else in the book was a bit predictable.  It didn't make it any less of a great read, it just wasn't a super shocking read.

Goodreads link: Final Girls

The Dirty Book Club

The Dirty Book Club by Lisi Harrison

During the 1960's, a book club was formed by four women who needed a juicy secret book club in their life.  This secret book club allowed them to not only read the most scandalous books of their time but also to get together and talk about their loves, heartbreaks, and internal conflicts.  During one meeting, it was agreed that if all of their husbands passed away before them, all four women would pack up and move to Paris to live out their days together.

Present Day: When M.J. moves to California to live with her boyfriend, she leaves behind her city life in New York as well as a (co) editing job at a magazine she has come to love and cherish. In California, M.J. meets Gloria, one of the original members of the DBC (Dirty Book Club).  They quickly become friends just in time for Gloria's husband to suddenly pass away and for Gloria to pack up and meet her friends in Paris.  Gloria, along with the other members of the DBC, leave behind a letter and a key for M.J., Addie, Britt, and Jules with the hope that they will all join together and continue on with the DBC.


Pros: I love a book that can play out in my head like a movie, and this one did not disappoint. Each chapter had a specific setting and purpose and it made for a great brain movie.

I liked how different M.J., Addie, Britt, and Jules all were.  When presented with a bunch of characters, it helps to be able to differentiate between the characters so you aren't confused by who is who. Addie was, by far, my favorite character.  She was sexy, edgy, and spontaneous.  There was a bit of a soft side to her though.

This book had humor, drama, love, sex, and secrets.  Everything that makes for a great chick flick.

Cons: I was so conflicted on whether I liked M.J. as a character or not.  She was very indecisive, and I'm sure that was intentional on the authors part but damn did it annoy the heck out of me.  Should she choose her job or her boyfriend?  Job, boyfriend, job, boyfriend???? AHHH

I also had a hard time connecting to some characters.  Both Britt and Jules were a bit absent to me.  Even though you get to know them and they have their drama in their own way, there really wasn't much background or personality to either of these gals.  And now M.J.'s boyfriend.  No way do I remember his name.  It's unfortunate, but I didn't really like him and he just didn't stick.


I am so happy that after following "The Clique" series by Lisi Harrison, I was able to read her new adult novel.  Thank you to Netgalley for my copy of this adorable book!


Goodreads Link: The Dirty Book Club

The Deep

"The Deep" by Nick Cutter

Out of the blue, Luke Ronnick gets a phone call telling him that he has to travel to Guam to help his brother.  Luke hasn't talked to his brother in about 6 years, and the memories he has of his brother, Clayton, are anything but fond.  Luke's brother happens to be at the bottom of the Mariana Trench studying the only possible cure for the 'Gets.  The 'Gets is a disease that affects a person's memory.  First, it's the little things like how to tie your shoe or where you left your keys.  Next, you begin to forget bigger things such as the necessity of shoes or that there is such a thing as a car.  Finally, you forget that you need food to live, or maybe how to breathe.  And all of this forgetting is accompanied by, of course, nasty oozy sores. 

The real problems lie at the bottom of the ocean, where a substance called Ambrosia is found to be terrifyingly amazing.  Luke quickly finds out that not everything is what it seems at 8 miles below the surface.

WOAH.  Woah woah woah woah.

This book.  There was a lot going on.  

I found that this book had the ability to make me cringe.  It had me cringing even when I wasn't reading it.  I was constantly thinking about what was going on when I last read it.  

There was a lot of jumping around between Luke being in the Trieste (the under water station) at the bottom of the ocean and then his vivid memory flashbacks of when he was a child or when he was with his son.  There were some points where I was so engrossed in the action of Luke being in the Trieste that I was annoyed when Luke would have a random flashback in the middle of an intense situation.  COME ON!!

To be honest, I really didn't want to finish this book.  That is not because it wasn't interesting or well written.  This book had my brain playing out the events like I was watching a movie.  Cutter's writing and imagery were so intense.  Just fricken good!  But I found the overall story just too disturbing for me.  I don't mind a cringe-worthy story but "The Deep" was a continuous loop of "Ick!" "AAHH!!" "Ewww" "WTF?!", and my most common phrase right after finishing a few chapters was, "Ugh this book.. I don't know about this."  Overall, it seriously had me freaked out and scared.  Which is amazing!  Amazing that a book can have such an affect.  I'd say this book had more of an affect on me than any scary movie ever could.

Goodreads Link: The Deep

The Daring Ladies of Lowell

"The Daring Ladies of Lowell" by Kate Alcott

Alice Barrow, a farmer's daughter, leaves her life behind to become a Mill Girl.  This life offers independence and better money, but it also involves a questionable work environment and living with multiple other Mill Girls.  Alice quickly becomes friends with the rebellious, but kind, Lovey Cornell. Lovey is a girl who is built of more questions than answers, and Alice begins to question everything when Lovey is strangled to death in a field.

Along with the mystery of Lovey's death, Alice is also facing the harsh reality of illness associated with mill work.  The mill workers, including Alice, begin to fight for better work conditions and wages, putting Alice in a complicated position since she and the son of the mill owner begin to embrace romantic feelings.

I knew this book might very well be a winner.  Kate Alcott is also the author of another popular book, "The Dressmaker".  I'm not proud to say this, but I watched the movie and never read the book.  But during the movie, I kept saying, "hmm I bet this is a great book."  Afterward, instead of getting the book "The Dressmaker", I got a different book by Alcott resulting in this review of "The Daring Ladies of Lowell".  This shows you my everyday decision making.

"The Daring Ladies of Lowell" could just as easily be another fantastic movie.  The story line was great and I was hooked from the beginning.  I dove into this book without reading the whole summary, but I knew something tragic was going to happen. Preparing myself, I suppose.  I'm a crier.

I could connect and understand every single character presented.  I especially loved the growing relationship between Alice and Dr. Stanhope, though I wish there was a little more on why they grew so close.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a read that has a little bit of love, sadness, adventure, and mystery.

Goodreads link: The Daring Ladies of Lowell

Glazed Murder

I was looking around for a cozy mystery when I stumbled upon Jessica Beck's Donut Shop Mystery Series.

I like Donuts.  Quite partial to mysteries, while eating a donut.  So why not?  And come on. The titles of these books are adorable.  "Evil Eclairs"  "Powdered Peril"
I'm a sucker for simple cuteness. 

I started with "Glazed Murder".  Like many other cozy mysteries, this series had the whole package.

• Desirable setting (donut shop in a cozy small town)
• Strong independent main character that takes up solving crimes
• Crazy murder mystery with police that want an open & shut case
• A quirky best friend
• An inevitable love interest
• Bonus points for providing recipes when it comes to foodie cozy mysteries!

Suzanne Hart opens her own donut shop, Donut Hearts, after divorcing her no good husband Max.  She takes on the changes brought on by her divorce in stride, focusing all of her time and efforts into her donut shop. Plus donuts are a great coping tool. 

One early morning, while preparing donuts for the day, a body is quickly dumped in front of Donut Hearts.  Thus begins the mystery.  Now a suspect as well as a possible future victim, Suzanne begins questioning motives and alibis of the citizens in the small town. 

This book was meant to be an enjoyable read, and so it was.  As much as I thought I wanted a cozy mystery, it just didn't grab me.  But it makes for a quick easy read!  I dove into the second one right after but my brain just wasn't into the cozy anymore.  There were a few chuckles in there and a bit of romance.  The characters weren't very relatable overall.  I kept feeling like I wanted to know more about Suzanne, her friend, the detective, the town.  The interaction between Suzanne and her ex-husband Max were a bit annoying as well.  She loves him, but he hurt her, but he's handsome, but he's lazy.... 

If you're looking for a quick cozy read though, this series will probably work for you.

Goodreads link: Glazed Murder

Link to entire series: Donut Shop Mysteries 

Behind Her Eyes

Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough was hyped up to have a sensational ending.  Dubbed as a WTF-That-Ending read.

Single mom Louise is out at a bar one night when she meets the very handsome David.  They click instantly and share a kiss at the end of the night which results in a hasty retreat from David.  Suspicious activity.  Next day, Louise shows up to work to find that not only is handsome David her new boss, but he is also married to the very beautiful Adele.  Wine please.

Louise and Adele bump into each other shortly after (coincidence?) and quickly become close friends.  Louise begins to see David through Adele's eyes which makes him look somewhat controlling and unloving.  Despite this, Louise and David manage to enter into a torrid affair.  Louise's guilt keeps building, but she keeps pursuing both relationships with David and Adele.  Adele has plans for Louise though.  Keep your friends close and enemies closer..

This is one heck of a genre jumping book.  Labeled as a mystery at my library, this book also dabbles in a bit of fantasy or maybe sci-fi? Even though there was so much hype about the twist ending, I was unfortunately not impressed.  I wanted to be!  I really did!  And the book kept me hooked to every sentence.  But by mid-way I already had my predictions about what all of the "mysterious planning" was for.  The author gave away those hints pretty clearly.  And maybe this was to cover up the major twist at the end, but really there wasn't enough given away to even take a stab at what that twist might be.  I wasn't all that surprised either when all was revealed.  -> Yes I know. Stop being such a snobby critic..<-

Goodreads link: Behind Her Eyes

Hex

Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt

A creepy read.  Take a witch, a cursed town, rowdy teens, and ancient laws.  A complete mess!

Hex starts off almost comical.  The town's witch, Katherine van Wyler, walks around town and goes into homes.  People of the town adjust to her presence by ignoring her or throwing a towel or sheet over her face.  See, Katherine has sewn shut eyes along with a sewn shut mouth.  She's the picture of death all wrapped up in chains.

Reasonably, the teens of this town start to look towards their future, just to find that it is undeniably bleak.  The curse of living in Black Spring is that those who have been born in Black Spring can never leave, and those who move to and settle in Black Spring suffer the same fate.  Tyler, a teen boy living in Black Spring decides that a possible resolution to this problem would be to bring the witch and her curse all out into the open.  But the town keeps Katherine van Wyler and it's curse as a closely guarded secret, and their are dire consequences if this secret is leaked.

What would you do if your humanity was questioned?  Hex makes you question the 'good' in people, and how far a person will go for love, hate, survival, so on.

While reading the reviews, I thought this book would be more frightening.  Though it had it's moments (I was a bit jumpy here and there I'll admit) it was more terrifying how the author presented the people of Black Spring.  I would be sitting saying "no way; just no fricken way humans could do this to each other".

Overall an interesting read, but very very dark.  You wont be left feeling relieved or "complete" by the end.  But you will have the feels, the not good feels..

Goodreads link: Hex

Dark Matter

"Dark Matter" by Blake Crouch is the type of book I would want to write but would dread to write!

This book is complicated, scientific, and brilliant.  I found myself racing through it more and more, but also wanting to pace myself so I have something to think about at work the next day.

What if every decision you made had hundreds, thousands, millions of other ways the decision could have been made.  And these multiple decisions spread out to create another universe, or multiverse, that another version of you lives in, dies in, so on.  Yea, like I said, complicated but oh so brilliant!

Main character Jason Dessen experiences one of these multiverse's first hand after being taken at gunpoint, drugged, and thrown into another Jason's world. In his regular life, Jason lives with his wife and son and is a professor.  A cozy life that wouldn't have been if not for his decision to stay and raise his child with Daniella instead of pursuing his idea's and inventions.  This other world he has been thrown into is the life of fame.  The life of his opposite.

I can't imagine the amount of research the author had to do for this book.  Whatever the effort though, the book was definitely worth it.

I'm hoping to one day get into Blake Crouch's "Wayward Pines" series.  Unfortunately, I did the dreaded *watched the show/movie* before reading the book.

Goodread link: Dark Matter

A Dog's Purpose/A Dog's Journey

Weep fest.

"A Dog's Purpose" by W. Bruce Cameron is a unique take on a dog's life, and life, and life... The many lives a dog experiences through the reincarnation Cameron creates in his books.  Cameron manages to, in my opinion, masterfully write out a dogs perspective that appeals to my imagination. Do dog's actually think this way?  Probably not, but I love that he made me think that they do.

The first book, A Dog's Purpose, was probably the best invitation into the world of Toby/Bailey/Ellie/Buddy.  Yes, many reincarnations but you never feel overwhelmed.  Bailey is adopted by Ethan and his family, and this is where the heartwarming story starts.  Bailey's love for Ethan is so powerful, that as Ellie and Buddy, this dog is on a non-stop search for Ethan, but all the while learning so many new skills that he uses in each life.  Goosebumps people.  No Spoilers from here on.  But anyone with a shred of animal love will weep the tears of our animal loving people. And then you will wonder, what do I do with my life now?

You're in luck, because W. Bruce Cameron made a second book to the first called "A Dog's Journey".  Now we continue on with Buddy, and progress through Molly/Max/ and ending again with a dog named Toby.  Start Toby, end Toby!  GOOOSSSEEBBUUMMPPSS! In this book, Buddy feels that his new purpose is to protect Ethan's granddaughter, Clarity.   Clarity has a life that no one would wish for.  She becomes an angsty teen with a developing eating disorder.  She happens upon Molly.  Who is the dog there throughout Clarity's time of confusion and anger, and inevitably when Clarity runs away from it all.  It's a huge dramatic read, and it doesn't end there.  Eventually Clarity grows up and adopts the next reincarnation, Max.  Her life hasn't brightened much though.  She's away from her mother, but her eating disorder has progressed into very dangerous and she struggles to make ends meet. Not only do we see the progression of Clarity, but we see this dog (that is reborn over and over) grow into ways that are good but also bad.  The dog in this book becomes a bit less trusting in people, a little bit more sad, but a whole lot more loving and protective.  

Overall, this book was much darker than the first.  I definitely didn't like it as much.  There was just an overall feeling of sadness and nothing too positive to look forward to.  It wasn't bad by no means, just not as heartwarming, though my heart did warm at many parts throughout.

I haven't attacked any of W. Bruce Cameron's other books yet.  I'm thinking they are probably just as interesting.  I may dive into "A Dog's Way Home" next (No association to A Dog's Purpose series).

Goodreads links: A Dog's Purpose

                            A Dog's Journey