I thought that this book was fantastic! I actually have looked at this book several timThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I thought that this book was fantastic! I actually have looked at this book several times since its release and didn't pick it up sooner because I wasn't sure that I would like it. I had nothing to worry about. This story is disturbing and made me very uncomfortable but I loved it. Once I started reading this book, there was no stopping and I ended up reading it in a day.
As I said, this book tells a rather disturbing story. In some ways, it was like a train wreck that you know you shouldn't look at but you can't help yourself. This book deals with sexual abuse and could be difficult for some readers. I went through a wide range of emotions while reading this book. There were parts that made me mad, others that made me want to cry, some parts gave me hope, and some parts just made my skin crawl.
Lane goes to live with her grandparents after her mother's suicide. She has never met her Gran and Granddad, not to mention her cousin, Allegra. Allegra and Lane bond right away and become quite the pair. They spend almost all of their time together either in town with Tommy and Cooper or on the farm. Years later, Lane is called back to the farm because her cousin is missing. Lane works to figure out exactly what happened and where Allegra is.
This story is told through two timelines. One timeline follows Lane and Allegra as teenagers when Lane first comes to live at the farm. The other timeline is set in the present with Lane back at the farm to look for her lost cousin. These two timelines worked perfectly together. Information from the past that would be needed to fully explain the present seemed to be worked in at just the right moment. There were also a few passages from the other Roanoke girls which gave a lot of insight as to the history of the family.
I would highly recommend this book to others. This is the kind of story that will stay with me for a long time. I really appreciated that the book ended on a hopeful note with all questions being answered. This is the time that I have had the chance to read Amy Engel's work and I am looking forward to reading more of her novels in the future.
I received a review copy of this book from Random House via Blogging for Books.
Initial Thoughts Honestly, this was great! It was disturbing and uncomfortable but I never wanted to put it down. I wanted the Roanoke Girls to be okay and hated everyone who threatened that. There were a few surprises and a lot of heartbreaking moments. I love that the book ended on a hopeful note....more
This book really got to me. I mean there were tears with this one. Real tears! I almostThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
This book really got to me. I mean there were tears with this one. Real tears! I almost never shed tears over books but this one got through my shield. I didn't really know a lot about this book going in. I saw the book offered on Blogging for Books and decided to give it a try without reading any reviews for it. I ended up really enjoying Matt's story.
Matt and Tabby have always been together. Tabby lives just across the street from Matt and they have really grown up together. Matt's mom watched Tabby while her dad worked since she was an infant. They are really almost like family. Except they are not family and Matt is not thinking of Tabby like a sister at all.
Matt doesn't know what to think when Tabby starts handing out with Liam, a cool senior. Tabby is only a freshman. Matt really doesn't know how to handle this new development. Suddenly Tabby has other places to be even though she still makes some time for Matt and his family.
I really liked the characters in this book. They all felt so very real to me. Being a teenager is tough and I think that this group of characters did a fantastic job at really illustrating the emotional ups and downs in their lives. I also liked the adult characters in this book. I thought that they were very supportive. Sometimes that support was shown by remaining silent and other times speaking up.
This book really did put me through a wide range of emotions and it did it well. I thought some parts were rather comical while others broke my heart. Some parts made me uncomfortable and other made me fondly remember my own childhood. This story really packs quite the punch.
I would recommend this book to others. I would recommend that other readers go into this book as blindly as possible since some spoilers could really lessen the book's impact. This is Jared Reck's debut novel and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.
I received a review copy of this book from Knopf Books for Young Readers via Blogging for Books.
Initial Thoughts Dang...those may have been real tears....more
I loved this book! Once I started reading this book, I didn't want to put it down. I enThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I loved this book! Once I started reading this book, I didn't want to put it down. I ended up reading the whole book cover to cover in a single evening. This was a pretty fast paced novel that kept me guessing. I may have figured a few things out but there were a whole lot of things that really surprised me. I was truly impressed by this thriller.
This book is told in two timelines, 2016 and 1986, so we get to see Eddie and his friends both as children and adults. Both of the timelines worked together to tell the story and I really enjoyed both of the equally. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough as I was incredibly eager to know what had happened when they were kids and what was happening to them in their adult life.
I thought that the opening pages were incredibly strong and set the stage for the novel. I wanted to know how that body ended up where we see it at the start of the novel and needed to know its identity. When everything was eventually revealed, I found it to be a somewhat surprising and satisfying conclusion.
I thought that the characters were well developed. The story is told from Eddie's point of view so we see everything from his own perspective. There are things that the boys do that made me cringe a bit but I thought that they all felt very realistic. This group of boys go through a lot together and it was interesting to see how some of those things impacted their relationship with each other over the years.
I would highly recommend this book to thriller fans. I found this to be a really exciting read that kept me guessing. I am really impressed by that fact that this is C.J. Tudor's debut novel. I will be eagerly waiting for more books from this new author.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from Crown Publishing Group via First to Read and Blogging for Books.
Initial Thoughts This was really, really good! Just the kind of book that I was in the mood to read. Once I started reading this book I did not want to put it down. I ended up reading the book cover to cover in a single evening. The book is told through two timelines, 2016 and 1986, so we see Eddie and his friends as both children and adults. I may have figured a few things out in the book but I was for the most part completely in the dark. I couldn't turn these pages fast enough. ...more
This book was seriously fun! I knew that I wanted to read this book as soon as I saw itThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
This book was seriously fun! I knew that I wanted to read this book as soon as I saw it described as a time-travel thriller. I was completely entertained by the story from the first page. When I wasn't actually reading the book, I was thinking about how this kind of time travel would work. I am so glad that I made the decision to read this exciting story.
This book is told from Eli's point of view. We first meet Eli as a child and see him as he first encounters Harry. As a teenager, he comes across this same individual with her Model A Ford once again. After their third meet when Eli is an adult, he decides to find Harry so that he can warn her that she may be in danger. That is when Eli's life take a dramatic turn as he learns about people traveling through history.
I loved the time travel, or history travel, described in this book. There are two groups of people traveling through time. One group is searching for the American Dream while the other group is trying to stop them. The skip through time just by finding specific slick spots in the road that lead to a specific time period. Some towns are stuck in time while others have slick spots leading to many periods. The faceless men were also very interesting. The whole idea of their certainty gave me something to ponder as I went through my day. Who need eyes, a nose, a mouth, or a face when you have certainty? I was very glad that we were able to get a bit of perspective from this unique group.
The biggest strength of this book was that it was just a lot of fun. There were a lot of exciting scenes and enough mystery to keep me guessing. I thought that the whole concept of the story was well thought out and incredibly original. I also really appreciated the fact that the characters didn't get sidetracked with romance. Eli and Harry are simply working together to find the lost Dream.
I would highly recommend this book to others. I found this to be a really fun and exciting read filled with great characters. This is the kind of story that almost feels like it should be made into a movie or television show. I look forward to reading more from Peter Clines soon.
I received a review copy of this book from Crown Publishing via Blogging for Books and NetGalley.
Initial Thoughts This was great! I found this story to be very entertaining and it kept me guessing the whole time. I found myself really thinking about how this would work anytime I wasn't actually reading the book. ...more
I really enjoyed this story! I have wanted to read this book ever since I first startedThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I really enjoyed this story! I have wanted to read this book ever since I first started seeing a lot of great reviews for it. I then started noticing that people not only loved this book but they were loving the other books in the series. That sealed the deal and I knew that I would have to work this book in very soon. I ended up reading almost the entire book in a single day. I am starting to understand why everyone seems to love Rachel Caine's work as much as they do.
One of the things that I really loved about this book was the world building. What a vividly detailed world to spend some time in! As the book progressed and we discovered more about how things worked, I was amazed. The descriptions of the technology were so well done but I don't think I am going to be signing up to be transported in that world anytime soon. The politics and inner workings of the library were intriguing.
The cast of characters in this book were wonderful. We see things from Jess's point of view and I liked his character from the very start. He proved that he was brave and able to think very quickly. The other candidates for joining the library were all so different but each added something to the story. I liked some of these characters quite a bit from the very start, like Thomas. I needed a little more time to get to know some of the other characters a bit more before I really liked them but by the end of the story, they had all won my heart.
I highly recommend this book to others. This book has really left me eager to see what is going to happen to everyone in the next book. I will definitely be reading more from Rachel Caine in the very near future.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from Penguin Publishing Group via Blogging for Books. ...more
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It was a bit of a different story than I expected it tThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It was a bit of a different story than I expected it to be only because I don't tend to read book summaries very carefully. I went into this book expecting a straight forward mystery thriller but I think that this book really a bit different. I didn't really think that the mystery was really the main driving point of the book instead the focus was on the characters and how their lives have changed since the event at the prison. I am glad that I decided to give the book a try.
This book focuses on several different periods of time. In 1980, this group of friends were locked in an abandoned prison and one of them never made it out. The other main focus of the book is set in more recent times when her body is finally discovered. There are some chapters that are told entirely during one period of time but a lot of the book set in the more recent times include a lot of memories. The past is obviously still a big part of these characters present day.
The book spends some time with each member of the group that was at the prison that night back in 1980. The main focus really seemed to be on Judith's life since that day. Her life is nothing like it was back then. Her situation has changed dramatically but it really doesn't have anything to do with what happened at the prison that night.
I did have a few issues with the story. Judith's deception to her husband of many years just seemed like to big of a stretch. I don't really understand how a close married couple like that would be able to keep such a huge secret from each other. I also don't get how the body could of been lost for so long when it was right there the whole time. Did they not do a proper search? I also feel like I should probably warn readers that there is a scene in this book where an individual is putting shelter dogs to sleep one after another as part of his job. I know this happens and I really wish it didn't but I know that reading that kind of scene will bother some readers.
The writing is what really won me over with this book. The story just flowed and even when I was questioning a plot point, I didn't want to put the book down. The point of views in the story seemed to be changed exactly when they needed to be and I always felt like the book was moving forward. The memories of the past worked into the sections set in the present worked perfectly. This was a book that I read very quickly because it completely held my attention.
I would recommend this book to others. The book isn't perfect but the writing is great and the story is solid. This is the first book by Jennifer Finney Boylan that I have read but I would definitely pick her work up again in the future.
I received a review copy of this book from Crown Publishing via Blogging for Books.
Initial Thoughts I really enjoyed this book. I liked the way the story unfolded and was equally interested in the present and the past. ...more
I really enjoyed reading this fun story. The first thing that really got my attention wThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I really enjoyed reading this fun story. The first thing that really got my attention was the cover of this one. Isn't it gorgeous? After reading the description, I knew that this was a book that I would need to read. I just love the premise. I don't really play the lottery but anytime the jackpot is at an outrageous level, I do buy a single ticket. I know that odds are that I will never win but from the moment I put the ticket in my pocket until the numbers are drawn, I can dream about it. I have some pretty big dreams when it comes to lottery winnings. Usually by the time I find out that I didn't win, I have thought of twenty different plans for handling the money. While I read this book, I really thought about what would I have done if I had that kind of money as a teenager and it wasn't pretty.
Alice, Leo, and Teddy have been best friends for a long time. Alice has been living with her cousin Leo and his family ever since her parents died. Alice decides to get Teddy a lottery ticket for his 18th birthday just because he is now legally old enough to buy a ticket. Teddy is having party in the small apartment he shared with his mother and the whole group celebrates his birthday. The next morning when they hear the numbers that were drawn, they are in for a big surprise.
Alice lost both of her parents when she was only nine years old. She tries to make them proud through her actions. She volunteers at a variety of organizations and is very focused on getting into the college of her dreams. Leo is trying to decide which college he really wants to go to along with figuring out his relationship with Max. Teddy didn't really have a lot of plans before winning the lottery and he has a lot to figure out once he does.
I liked the characters in this story and thought that they felt realistic. Teddy handled everything better than a lot of adults would have but he was impulsive enough that it felt genuine. Alice was very reserved and not quite sure if she was making the right choices. Leo was supportive of his friends but also having a hard time making some of the important decisions that need to be made at this stage in his life.
This story really hits on all of the highs and lows of coming into a sudden fortune. There is also a small bit of romance to keep things interesting. All three of the main characters learn a lot about themselves and each other over the course of the story. They do open up about a lot of things that have been unsaid for a long time.
I would recommend this book to others. It was a fun read that moved quickly. This is only the second book by Jennifer E. Smith that I have read but I do enjoy her writing style. I hope to read more of her work very soon.
I received a review copy of this book from Delacorte Press via Blogging for Books.
Initial Thoughts This was a really cute story. I can't tell you how many hours of my life I have spent planning out what I would do if I were to win the lottery so it was fun reading about these kids who actually had that happen. ...more
I thought that this was a very moving book. As soon as I read the summary, I knew that This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I thought that this was a very moving book. As soon as I read the summary, I knew that this would be a book that I would need to read. Just imagine sending a text to a friend and then finding out that at the same time you were texting them they die in an automobile accident. Now imagine that that car was carrying not just one of your friends but all 3 of your best friends. Can you even imagine that level of grief and the guilt from knowing that your text may have been the cause of the crash? I don't think I could handle that know much less as a teenager. This was a book that I felt that I needed to read and I am glad that I did.
Carver is the teenager that sent that text. As the book opens, his friends are dead and he is at one of their funerals. His parents are out of the country and haven't been able to make it back to support him. He feels completely alone and responsible for everything that has happened. He does have a bit of support from, Jesmyn, the girlfriend of one of his friends that died in the accident.
This book not only deals with grief and overwhelming guilt but it also asks whether Carver should be held criminally responsible for his decision to text his friend. So while Carver is trying to deal with the death of 3 friends, he is worried that he may have to go to jail because of the accident. It is really not surprising when Carver has a panic attack when you think of how much he is going through. He eventually goes to therapy and I think that it is a really important part of the novel that is handled very well.
Carver and his friends, Mars, Eli, and Blake, called themselves the Sauce Crew. Carver and the family members of his friends get together to remember those that they love in what they call a Goodbye Day. It is a day to also get to know facets of that person that they didn't get to see. Each person shares different parts of themselves with different people and by coming together they can learn a little bit more about who the person was that they lost. These were my favorite parts of the book.
I loved the writing. I thought that Carver's memories of his friends really helped the reader get to know how important their friendship was and how big of a loss it really was for him. The pacing was very well done with some funny or light hearted moments showing up at just the right times. I think that this book really deals with some tough issues and does it remarkably well. This was the kind of book that I really didn't want to put down.
I would highly recommend this book to others. It was very emotional at times and I may have even shed a tear or two. I am very glad that I made the decision to read this book and look forward to reading more from this talented author soon.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Crown Books for Young Readers via Blogging for Books.
Initial Thoughts Moving story that really made me think about a few things. A really good look at grief and guilt. I may have even shed a tear....more
This book was really hard to put down. I knew that this was a book that I needed to reaThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
This book was really hard to put down. I knew that this was a book that I needed to read just as soon as I read the description. I love a good mystery thriller and the fact the it sounded like the local police couldn't be trusted was a very interesting twist. Once I started reading, I was immediately hooked. When I wasn't reading, I was thinking about this story and what I would have done if I were in Audra's place. I really enjoyed the time I spent reading this book.
Audra is driving across the U.S. on her way to California with her two children, Sean and Louise. She is pulled over by the police just outside a small town in Arizona called Silver Water. Before Audra even knows what is happening she is asked to step out of her car while Sheriff Whiteside starts looking through her trunk. Drugs are found and she is taken to jail. A deputy is called and her kids are taken away to what Audra is promised is a safe place. When she asks about her kids later at the jail, the Sheriff tells her that she didn't have any kids with her when she was pulled over.
The book's description does tell readers the basic set up of the story and I had a pretty good idea of where the book would end up but I had no idea how it would get there. The story really did make me think about a lot of things. I don't know how you would be able to prove your innocence in a situation like this. The media was another huge part of the story since they put Audra in a very unfavorable light. I also couldn't stop thinking about how Audra could get someone to take her seriously. Even though the events in the story weren't a total shock, the journey was entertaining.
I did like the characters in this book a lot and liked the fact that the book is told from different points of view. Audra really does care about her kids but is the first to admit that she has not always been a great mother. She is committed to being the best she can be at this point in her life. I thought that the part of the book that talked about her past were very well done. Part of the story is told from Sean's point of view. He is only 11 years old but has a certain maturity to him. He senses when things seem wrong and jumps into to care for his younger sister during the ordeal. There were also a few parts told from Danny and Sheriff Whiteside's point of views that added to the overall story.
I would highly recommend this book to others. This book moved really fast and I was never quite sure what would happen next. I found myself having a very hard time setting this one aside because I was completely invested in the story. This is the first book by Haylen Beck that I have read but look forward to more works in the future.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Crown Publishing Group via NetGalley, Blogging for Books, and First to Read.
Initial Thoughts This was a great book. Such an interesting set up that completely captured my attention and wouldn't let go. I had guess how the book would end but no idea how the story would get there. Definitely a serious page turner of a book....more
This was one impressive read! I read the first book in this series, City of Stairs, a fThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
This was one impressive read! I read the first book in this series, City of Stairs, a few months ago and really enjoyed it so I was really excited to finally get around to reading the second book in the series, City of Blades. A lot of times the second book in a series doesn't quite live up to the first so I was a bit worried going into the book. There was no need for any worry because as good as the first book was, this one was even better. I had such a hard time putting this book down and when I was away from it, I couldn't get it out of my mind.
I had really expected this book to focus on the same group of characters and I was somewhat wrong. The main character in this book is Mulaghesh who did play an important role in the first book but was not the lead character. I liked Mulaghesh in the first book but I absolutely loved her in this installment. Getting to learn some of her back story really opened up her character. She is tough, smart, and somewhat haunted by her past. I love the an older woman who has seen and done a lot of things is the person at the center of this story.
This book takes place in Voortyashtan which was very different than the setting of the first book. This meant that while some of the world building did build on the what was established in the previous book, a lot of this world was entirely new. The City of Blades ended up being something I would have never imagined but as it was described it I almost felt as if I were there. I really feel like there is almost no boundaries with what this series can explore.
The story in this book was very exciting. I did think that some of the earlier parts of the book were a bit tedious as I tried to figure out what was really going on. When the story took off, it really didn't let up. There are so many different things to solve that are all interconnected. The story took quite a few twists that I didn't see coming. I was a bit nervous as I read because I had no idea how things would work out for Mulaghesh and everyone.
I would highly recommend this book to others. This is the second book in the series and I do think that this series really needs to be read in order. The stories are not a continuation but the events of the first book really impacted the characters and the world they live in. I can't wait to see what is going to happen in City of Miracles!
I received a review copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group - Broadway Books via Blogging for Books and NetGalley....more
I am completely disappointed with this coloring book. I grabbed my first coloring book designed This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
I am completely disappointed with this coloring book. I grabbed my first coloring book designed for adults just a couple of weeks ago and promptly fell in love with it. When I saw that I had the opportunity to review another one, I jumped at the chance. I am very glad that this was not the first one that I had a chance to really see up close because I would have probably never picked up another one of these books again if this is what I thought they all looked like.
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I loved the description of the book. I loved the 80's and really looked forward to seeing some really fun items from my past worked into the artwork. I did see a few toys that I remember from my childhood including a Popple, Monchichi, Care Bear, and Rubik's Cube but these items were not in the book often at all and when they were it was in a way that didn't make any sense to me.
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I would say that the primary focus of this book was really animals. I love animals so that is not a problem. The problem was that these animals were poorly drawn. I seriously HATED the artwork. I could draw some of these animals better than what is shown in this book. I may have missed my calling.
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In addition to disliking the artwork, I found that the grouping of the designs to be strange. The randomness of the items sharing a page really didn't work. I expected a kaleidoscope of pattern but it is really just a collection of unrelated items thrown on a page. I also found that there was a lot of unused space in the book which I didn't like.
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The book is made of thick quality pages complete with a dust jacket. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this coloring book to anyone. I think that there are a lot of better options currently available on the market.
I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books for the purpose of providing an honest review....more
Coloring books for adults? When I first heard about this new trend, I have to admit that I was aThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
Coloring books for adults? When I first heard about this new trend, I have to admit that I was a little confused. I mean I have spent many hours of my life coloring. I have colored everything from Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears to the Power Rangers. I spent hours coloring as a child and then again alongside my children. When I think about it, there really is something very soothing to the process of staying in the lines and loosing yourself in a task. When I saw this coloring book, I just had to see what this new generation of coloring books is all about.
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When I first got the book, I was immediately impressed. These are high quality pages with some thickness to them. The book is a nice size at 10 inches square. The book even has a dust jacket trimmed in gold foil. This really is a different kind of coloring book. It has a certain class and character that I didn't expect to see in a coloring book even with adults as the target audience.
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The artwork is beautiful. I am not any kind of artist myself. I am honestly doing really good to just stay inside the lines (and I don't always succeed with that simple task). I can still appreciate beautiful artwork and this is really just lovely. I loved the whimsy in the artwork and I felt myself becoming nostalgic for my childhood as I turned the pages and toured the little girl's room along with the fairy and her friend owl.
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Because it is coloring book, I felt like I became an active part of the story. I noticed details in every page that I most likely would have missed because I was helping to bring the art to life. I found myself looking for the owl on every page. I really loved the pages with detailed patterns. What is really wonderful about this book is that no two people will have the same experience. The end result will always be different and will reflect the individuals tastes and preferences.
I would highly recommend this book to others. This is the first coloring book for adults that I have had and I plan to try to get a few more. This book would also make a fantastic gift along with some nice colored pencils. I would definitely look for Daria Song's work again in the future.
I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books for the purpose of providing an honest review....more
I have been living under a rock. That is honestly the only explanation that I have. How else couThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
I have been living under a rock. That is honestly the only explanation that I have. How else could someone that reads as much as I do somehow miss out on reading Gillian Flynn? I mean I have heard of her and have had every intention of picking up one of her books. I think I even checked one out from the library at some point. I just never got around to actually reading any books with her name stamped on the front. When I saw this story, I knew that I could find the time to read this short piece and finally sample this incredibly popular author's work.
This short story does a lot of things really well. The writing is really good. I mean really, really good. I picked up this book just to look at it and the next thing that I knew I had finished it. It is amazing how sometimes those kind of things just happen. It is short.....very short....but the story doesn't feel small. This is a big story filled with an intriguing plot, interesting characters, and passages that you will want to share with others. This was the kind of story that I had no idea which direction it would go and every twist was a complete surprise. I was a little sad when I reached the last page because I wanted more.
I read this story in hardcover and the presentation is cute. This is one teeny tiny little hardcover novel. It is pinch a baby's cheek kind of cute simply because it is so little. The story starts on page 7 and ends on page 62 and the actual book is only slightly larger than my kindle. It is a nice looking book but I am not sure if it is really worth the $9.99 price tag stamped on the back. I would probably recommend that readers borrow this one from their library or maybe spend a couple of extra dollars and pick up the anthology that it originally appeared in. I read the whole story in less than an hour even though I stopped several times to read passages out loud to my husband.
I would recommend the story to others. The writing was wonderful and the pacing of the story really kept my attention. It is obvious that Gillian Flynn is a fantastic storyteller. I cannot wait to read more from this very talented author.
I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books for the purpose of providing an honest review.
Initial Thoughts This has to be the smallest hardcover book that I have read. It's so little that I just want to pinch its cheeks while saying how cute it is.
The story was pretty good. It is really better than most short stories I have recently read. This is actually the first time that I have read Gillian Flynn but that probably needs to change very soon....more
I am terribly disappointed by the fact that I did not fall in love with this book. When I was chThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
I am terribly disappointed by the fact that I did not fall in love with this book. When I was choosing a book to read, I took one look at the ratings for this book on Goodreads and knew that I had to read this book right away. Seriously, every single one of my friends on Goodreads gave this book either a 4 or 5 star rating. And they said it was funny. I love funny. I knew that I would just love this book.
I didn't love it. I was actually bored for most of this book. I do admit that this isn't the kind of book that I usually read but a humorous non-fiction story about hiking the Appalachian Trail sounded fabulous. I really did enjoy the parts of the book that focused on Bill and Stephen's adventures on the trail. I just wish that the focus of the book would have stayed with Bill and Stephen.
The problem was that there was just too much other stuff crammed into this book. I sometimes felt like I was reading a textbook....a well-written textbook...but a textbook nonetheless. In this short little book, I learned about the history of the Appalachian Trail, some geology, information about bears, trees, the National Park Service, birds, and various other things. A lot of the time the book just felt dry and information packed. I was glad that some of this information was shared in a fun way that actually put a smile on my face. All too often, I felt like skipping entire sections of the book so that I could get back to the actual hike.
I had hoped that this was going to be one of those side splitting funny kind of books. It had its moments of humor but nothing that made me do anything more than crack a smile. There was no laughing out loud and the parts that were funny seemed to be rather sparse. Don't get me wrong, I can tell that Bill Bryson is a very funny guy but I need a lot more of those kind of moments to offset the parts of the book that were dry.
I did notice that there is a movie based on this book that is soon to be released. I actually am looking forward to that movie because I suspect that it will focus on the parts of the book that I really enjoyed....the actual hike. I don't think that there will be too many geology or history lessons found in the film. I am thinking that I actually want to go an see the movie when it comes out and I never go see movies.
I am not going to be recommending this book but I am seriously in the minority with this one. I would tell readers to pick it up if it sounds interesting to you. You may be one of the many who really love it. I still really wish that I was one of the many readers who love it.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Blogging for Books for the purpose of providing an honest review....more
I am a little torn about this book. I loved this book and found it to be an engrossing story forThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
I am a little torn about this book. I loved this book and found it to be an engrossing story for the first 250 pages or so. At that point the story took a left turn for me and I have to admit that I am still wondering why the author decided to go in that direction. The last section of the book wasn't bad in any way it just wasn't the direction that I thought the story would go. I do realize that many people will actually find the final parts of the book to be the highlight of the story.
I almost immediately liked the main character, Mike. The way Mike's character was completely relate-able despite the fact that he has abilities that are beyond the average individual was amazing. Not only was Mike relate-able, I was able to completely envision how his mind worked and how he was able to process everything so quickly. It took me a lot longer to connect with any of the other characters in the story but that is largely because of how the story developed.
I loved the idea behind the story. A device that can teleport individuals? Where do I sign up? Every time I have to drive a distance, I dream of the day that this device will become a reality. A story based on such a device was one that I couldn't wait to read. This straight forward idea was presented in a way that kept me turning the pages. I couldn't figure out what was really going on and I found myself having a hard time putting this book down.
I really enjoyed the author's writing style. The pacing of the novel was well done and I loved the fact that the story made me think. There was more than enough action to keep me guessing and there were lots of twists that I could have never guessed. I was really wanting to see how Mike was going to figure everything out. I loved being in his head and seeing how his mind worked on these problems.
This was a solid 4 star book for me until the last 100 pages or so of the book. As I mentioned, the story took a turn that just didn't seem to flow with the rest of the story for me. It was exciting and unexpected but it almost felt like a different story for me. It was really the last part of the book that caused me to lower my rating to 3 stars but I do think that many readers will enjoy the twist.
I would recommend this book to science fiction fans. This is the first book by Peter Clines that I have read and I look forward to reading some of his other work in the near future.
I received a copy of the book from Blogging for Books for the purpose of providing an honest review.
Initial Thoughts I liked this book a lot until I reached the final third of the story. I felt like the book took a strange turn at that point and lost a lot of its appeal. I will probably end up rating this one a 3....more
This book was captivating from the very first page. I will admit that I expected this book to beThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
This book was captivating from the very first page. I will admit that I expected this book to be something completely different than it turned out to be but I am thrilled with what it is. This book was completely different than anything else I have read and I enjoyed every single moment of it. This is was very odd but I was engrossed by the story.
This is one of those books that if someone had explained the plot to me and told me to read it, I would politely agree while I secretly thought that they would out of their mind. If I were to try to explain this story, I couldn't do it justice. In fact, I don't really want to say too much about this story at all because to do so could very easily spoil the story.
This book probably has the most interesting cast of characters that I have ever encountered. Carolyn is one of the librarians and is rather odd but over the course of the story she grew on me. She is really the main focus of the story and drives a lot of the plot. Steve is thrown into the action blindly and really has no idea what is going on. Steve was the most realistic character in the book and I found him to be my favorite. Erwin was around for much of the action and proved to incredibly smart. I must say that I really fell in love with the lions in this story.
There is a lot of action and quite a bit of violence. This is definitely a book for adults and there is some rather graphic violence. I was actually surprised by how much action was crammed into this book. The action really kept the story exciting and made the book very hard to put down.
There were some really unexpected twist and turns and the overall flow of the story kept me guessing. This was one book that I can honestly say that I had no idea where the story was headed for a large part of the book. I have to admit that I am a little let down the ending which is the only reason that I didn't give it 5 stars.
I really liked the style of the writing in this book. I thought that the author did a fantastic job of giving the reader just the right amount of information as they needed it. The parts of the story that told about past events had a greater impact for me because of where they were placed in the story. The pacing of the book was incredible. I read this book within a 24 hours period of time. I would highly recommend this book to readers who like a dark fantasy set in our world. This is a book that I could see myself picking up again in the future. This is the first book by Scott Hawkins and I can't wait to get my hands on his next novel.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Crown Publishing via Blogging for Books for the purpose of providing an honest review....more
This book brings back a lot of fond memories for me. I used to adore reading the choose your ownThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
This book brings back a lot of fond memories for me. I used to adore reading the choose your own adventure books as a child although I would never choose the right option and always ended up dying of thirst or some other horrible death. I would eventually give up on my ability to make the right choices and try to figure out what I needed to choose by working backwards in the book. Despite my poor decision making skills, I never gave up on these books. Every time I brought home a Scholastic flyer from school, I would end up picking out another one of those books. I am the same age as Mr. Harris so it makes some sense that he would fondly remember these books as well as I do and I just love the fact that he used this approach in this book.
There is just something about Neil Patrick Harris that seems to be almost universally appealing. I am not a biography reader. I probably read a few back in high school and college because I had to but I can't think of a time where I picked one up to read for entertainment as an adult....but I wanted to read this book as soon as I heard about it. I am not exactly sure what I find so entertaining about Mr. Harris. Sure I have watched and enjoyed some of his work. His portrayal of Barney Stinsen is...wait for it....legendary. I loved him in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. I just have never considered myself to be a huge fan though. If he is on, I'll certainly watch him but I don't go out of my way to be sure to catch him either. I still knew that I had to read this book because there is just something about the way that he tells a story.
One thing that I think is genius about this book is the fact that I will certainly be picking it up quite a few more times. It is a choose your own adventure so you have to read it several times just to make sure that you have read every option available. This is a book that I recommend reading as intended with all of the jumping around and choices because it just makes it so much fun. I have been through quite a few options so far with a few ending in a less than ideal manner. I don't think that the book would be nearly as appealing if it were to be read cover to cover.
Neil Patrick Harris does have an interesting story to tell. He is a child star that I will always think of as Doogie to some extent. He also talks about his sexuality, his family, and all the things that make him who he is. Some of the parts in the book are simply silly and I liked those just as much as anything else. The book itself looks wonderful. I just love the cover and the section in the center of the book filled with photos is nice to have.
I would recommend this book to others. It is witty, funny, touching, and sometimes thought provoking. Plus it is just a lot of fun! This is the first book by Neil Patrick Harris that I have read but I look forward to see what kind of original spin he might apply to a novel in the future.
I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books for the purpose of providing an honest review....more
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