Let's play catch up , shall we? So many books so little time to blog about them. Here are a few reviews.
Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson- Several people recommended this book to me, and after checking out the synopsis I thought "Hey why not. I'll give it a shot." It seemed like it would be an enjoyable read, and parts of it was. Mostly this book was slow going, boring, and confusing. By the 200th page it got much better. Maybe its just me.😖
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline- I was an 80's kid, so much of this book was a fun history lesson. This was so much fun to read! I loved the main character's sense of humor and tenacity. Incredible debut novel from Mr. Cline. Highly recommend!
The Color Purple by Alice Walker- The story in itself was good. That being said I absolutely hated the writing style. Personally, I feel that the story could've been told in a much better way, but I did like much of it. So, I give it 3 stars
Abandon by Blake Crouch- I did like this book, but I did not like ANY of the characters... Well that's not true. I did like one character. I won't tell you who or why because I don't want to give away the story. The story was really good... creepy and unsettling in many ways. I enjoyed it enough to want to read more by Blake Crouch. I would recommend this to those who like an action packed adventure.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick-
| Better than I expected! Can't decide if I like the movie Blade Runner or this book better. Heck, let's call it a tie! |
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan- What can I say? This is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read! I highly recommend.
The Naturalist & Looking Glass by Andrew Mayne-Let me start by saying that I really enjoyed the characters and pace of this series. I loved the premise of the books, but there were parts of them that...for lack of a better phrase...got pretty stupid! Luckily, it did not last too long and in my opinion the stories picked back up. These were fun reads.
If Chins Could Kill by Bruce Campbell- Let me start by saying that I usually don't like memoirs. I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It probably helps that I have been a fan of Mr.Campbell's work for a very long time (my teenage years ,which were the mid to late 1990's to now). I loved watching Briscoe County Jr., Hercules:The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess, and now Ash vs the Evil Dead! Enough about my tv preferences! I thought this book was great. It was funny, and just an entertaining read. I loved this book more than I thought I would! Highly recommend!!!!
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman-
| This was my first Neil Gaiman book, and I must say that I really enjoyed it! It was like Harry Potter meets Alice in Wonderland, but for grown-ups. The characters were richly developed. The story was amazing. |
The Shore of Women by Pamela Sargent- The Shore of Women....what can I say about this book? I'm not sure how to describe it. I didn't love the book,but I didn't hate it either. I kept thinking "wow the author must really think that men are a bunch of knuckle dragging Neanderthal a-ho!es" throughout most of the book. I was actually surprised by the moments when Ms. Sargent gave men credit for having the ability to form logical thoughts and the capacity to show love and compassion. I should've said man because these things were only shown in one male character throughout the entire book. Okay, you're probably wondering why I am giving this a 3 star 🌟 rating....It is because once you got through the men are nothing but punks drivel, and the over the top descriptions of the male and female anatomical features and how they are to be used, there were some beautiful moments. Would I recommend this book? Nope.
The Memory Man (Amos Decker) series by David Baldacci:
Memory Man (Amos Decker # 1)- Great book! Highly recommend. My 1st Baldacci book and it definitely will not be my last!! Page turner indeed! 👍
The Last Mile (Amos Decker # 2)- This book was amazing! Full of twists and turns from beginning to end. Loved it!!!
The Fix (Amos Decker # 3)-
| Incredible book!! Can't wait unil the next book comes out. Loved it!! |
The Fallen (Amos Decker # 4)- I can not say it enough....I absolutely love this book! The Memory Man series is just incredible! I hope this series will continue for a long time. It is that good. One of the best things about this book and the other three books is that the characters are human. What I mean by that is,as you're reading you can feel their emotions and share their fears. Amazing book ! Highly recommend!
American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis- When I decided to read this book,I thought it can't be that bad.... Man was I wrong! This is the most racist, violent,sexist book I have ever read! No joke. The violence was extremely graphic and most was sexual in nature. I can not in good conscience recommend this book. One more side note,and this is just my personal opinion,but to me the selfishness of the characters (especially the main character)seems to reflect the views of many people in today's society.
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman- This has to be one of the most beautiful books ever written!Highly recommend this book to EVERYONE!! I can't describe this book,and still give it the justice it deserves. It is that damn good !!
Circe by Madeline Miller- I have always loved Greek mythology. So, I tend to have doubts when it comes to retellings of the stories that I have always loved. This book stayed true to those myths . I absolutely loved everything about this book!
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - This is another beautifully written book by Ms. Miller. I knew going in that this was going to be a love story,and I was just hoping that it would not be too cheesy and over the top. I was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful that part of the story was written. Again, I thought that this book stayed true to the spirit of the characters in the myths that inspired Ms.Miller .
House of Names by Colm Toibin- This was an okay book,but not as good as I had hoped it would be. The characters were okay. Only Orestes was likeable,and in this novel he came off as the biggest wuss. I'm giving this book 3 stars, but that's being generous.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas - This was a really good book. It took me a few chapters to really get into it. I guess you can say that , at least in my opinion, it had a bit of a slow start. Once it got going, it really got going!! I actually enjoyed ALL of the characters, even the evil ones. I think that was because they had a bit of sarcasm in them. I'm giving this 4 stars because of the slow start, but I am looking forward to the next book in this series. SIDENOTE: I know this is considered a YA book series, but because of sexual content and language, I would only recommend this series to YA's ages 17 and up. Just my personal opinion.
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas - This book is sexy! Not only is the development of the characters and their relationship amazing, but also the adventure in this book . It is action-packed ... I'm talking edge of your seat, what's going to happen next action. When I say this book is sexy, I mean there are parts of this book that make you want an ice cold drink or even a cold shower!!! This book is just awesome. Highly recommend, but again only to those 17 years old and up.
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas- When I started the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, I was not sure it was going to be my kind of thing. I am so glad that I've read this book...this series. Each book got better and better as the series, thus far, progressed. I hope that there will be more of this series. I love the story, the characters, EVERYTHING about these books!! Highly recommend!!!
These are all of the books I read in 2018. I hope you guys will give some of the books a shot. Until we meet again happy reading!
