I have been writing my reviews for a couple of years now, but starting to think if I should stop. I don’t have the time to write deep and interesting reviews anymore. It has also kind of turned out to be a job where I read for the review and not for the enjoyment anymore.
I don’t know. Maybe I’m just in a bad place and should give it some time before I decide if I will quite my blogging or not.
What a month. I’m so happy that I got so much reading done. Now I have catch up with my Goodreads challenge and it looks brighter for the possibility that I will make my goal of reading 100 books in one year.
Anyway. Hoping for just as good reading month in October.
Favorite book this month: Broken – Karin Slaughter
Least favorite book this month: Haunted – Heather Graham
Number of physical books: 3
Number of e-books: 4
Number of audiobooks: 4
Total pages: 4006
Female authors: 8
Male authors: 1
 Daisy Jones & the six – Taylor Jenkins ReidPages: 368 Published: 2019 Genres: Historical fiction, fiction. My rating: 4/5 Links: Review |
 Don’t tell – Karen RosePages: 501 Published: 2003 Genres: Romantic, suspense, thriller, crime, mystery. My rating: 3/5 Links: Review Book 1 in The Romantic Suspense series. |
 Haunted – Heather GrahamPages: 370 Published: 2003 Genres: Paranormal, romantic, suspense, ghost My rating: 1/5 Links: Review Book 1 in The Harrison investigation series. |
 The black ice – Michael ConnellyPages: 464 Published: 1993 Genres: Crime, mystery, thriller. My rating: 4/5 Links: Review Book 2 in The Harry Bosch series. |
 Fix it up – Jessica GadzialaPages: 241 Published: 2018 Genres: Contemporary, romantic. My rating: 5/5 Links: Review |
 Broken – Karin SlaughterPages: 398 Published: 2010 Genres: Mystery, thriller, suspense, crime. My rating: 5/5 Links: Review Book 4 in The Will Trent series. |
 Escape from the Green – Jessica GadzialaPages: 242 Published: 2018 Genres: Paranormal, fantasy, romance. My rating: 3/5 Links: Review Book 2 in The Into the Green series. |
 Witch-hunt – Margit sandemoPages: 251 Published: 1982 Genres: Fantasy, romance, paranormal, historical fiction. My rating: 4/5 Links: Review Book 2 in The legend of the Ice People series. |
 Fallen – Karin SlaughterPages: 387 Published: 2011 Genres: Crime, mystery, thriller. My rating: 4/5 Links: Review Book 5 in The Will Trent series. |
 With the fire on high – Elizabeth AcevedoPages: 400 Published: 2019 Genres: YA, contemporary, fiction. My rating: 2/5 Links: Review |
 UNSUB – Meg GardinerPages: 384 Published: 2017 Genres: Crime, mystery, thriller, suspense. My rating: 3/5 Links: Review Book 1 in The UNSUB series. |
| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|
Goodreads synopsis: A riveting psychological thriller inspired by the never-caught Zodiac Killer, about a young detective determined to apprehend the serial murderer who destroyed her family and terrorized a city twenty years earlier.
Caitlin Hendrix has been a Narcotics detective for six months when the killer at the heart of all her childhood nightmares reemerges: the Prophet. An UNSUB—what the FBI calls an unknown subject—the Prophet terrorized the Bay Area in the 1990s and nearly destroyed her father, the lead investigator on the case.
The Prophet’s cryptic messages and mind games drove Detective Mack Hendrix to the brink of madness, and Mack’s failure to solve the series of ritualized murders—eleven seemingly unconnected victims left with the ancient sign for Mercury etched into their flesh—was the final nail in the coffin for a once promising career.
Twenty years later, two bodies are found bearing the haunting signature of the Prophet. Caitlin Hendrix has never escaped the shadow of her father’s failure to protect their city. But now the ruthless madman is killing again and has set his sights on her, threatening to undermine the fragile barrier she rigidly maintains for her own protection, between relentless pursuit and dangerous obsession.
Determined to decipher his twisted messages and stop the carnage, Caitlin ignores her father’s warnings as she draws closer to the killer with each new gruesome murder. Is it a copycat, or can this really be the same Prophet who haunted her childhood? Will Caitlin avoid repeating her father’s mistakes and redeem her family name, or will chasing the Prophet drag her and everyone she loves into the depths of the abyss?
My thoughts:
An entertaining serial-killer thriller by an author that is new to me. And when I say entertaining, it was just that, for me. Initially I was going with 4 stars. It is an highly complex story with a lot going on. The depth is surprising and oh so well done. When I say deep, I mean Deep! I read a lot of crime thrillers, specially from a cop’s point of view and the level of plot building is what Gardiner really succeeded with. I can’t say so much more due to spoilers, but when I say that you will probably be surprised, I mean it. I especially liked that the serial-killer doesn’t kill due to sexual fantasies or such. It is a lot more deeper and quite refreshing to say it myself.
So why my “low” rating you may ask? Well it is because the rest didn’t fall right with me. The character building is quite shallow and the writing is choppy. Maybe I’m overreacting because English is not my native language, but it was not smooth to read. It didn’t help me with connecting with the characters either. And that ending! After several pages with high intense suspense and a literal countdown to the end pages, it ends on a note I feel could have been skipped. But it is a series and at least two more books is published so I just hope this “thing” will not be a thing that hunts you throughout the series.
I’m excited to read more and see where Gardiner will go with the story and if she will let us readers go deeper into those characters and not just scratch the surface.
| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥|
Goodreads synopsis: With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions, and do what must be done. The one place she can let her responsibilities go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. Still, she knows she doesn’t have enough time for her school’s new culinary arts class, doesn’t have the money for the class’s trip to Spain — and shouldn’t still be dreaming of someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has for her life — and all the rules everyone expects her to play by — once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free.
My thoughts:
What a gorgeous, lovely book cover. If only the storyline would be as gorgeous. I know it is a highly popular book and very up-to-date when it comes to YA contemporary. It did however not impress me much. I did not connect with it at all and it did not touch me emotionally in any way. I can appreciate it and I do understand why it is so highly liked but it didn’t do much for me. It’s quite repetitive and the same things happening over and over again throughout the book. Maybe it was more apparent since I listened to the audiobook. And the avid use of the characters names was almost driving me crazy. Specially “Baby Girl”. A little more him, her, them would have lighten the text.
Anyway. I see the value and appeal but it just did not live up to the hype and anticipation the bookish community has created for it. And to be honest, the plot is way too easy. She is 17 years old with a child in a pretty poor household. And every setback around her is nice and neatly resolves by them self’s within a chapter or two. It just gave me a non-realistic picture and I feel it probably would have had a bigger impact if not so “dreamy”.
| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|
Goodreads synopsis: There’s no police training stronger than a cop’s instinct. Faith Mitchell’s mother isn’t answering her phone. Her front door is open. There’s a bloodstain above the knob. Her infant daughter is hidden in a shed behind the house. All that the Georgia Bureau of Investigations taught Faith Mitchell goes out the window when she charges into her mother’s house, gun drawn. She sees a man dead in the laundry room. She sees a hostage situation in the bedroom. What she doesn’t see is her mother. . . .
“”You know what we’re here for. Hand it over, and we’ll let her go.””
When the hostage situation turns deadly, Faith is left with too many questions, not enough answers. To find her mother, she’ll need the help of her partner, Will Trent, and they’ll both need the help of trauma doctor Sara Linton. But Faith isn’t just a cop anymore–she’s a witness. She’s also a suspect.
The thin blue line hides police corruption, bribery, even murder. Faith will have to go up against the people she respects the most in order to find her mother and bring the truth to light–or bury it forever.
My thoughts:
This time Faith and her mother stands in the center of this epic and suspended filled piece of art, written by one of my absolute favorite authors. It is gritty and dark but still filled with hope. The storyline is not quite for me, but still good and finally in the end, “stuff” that I have been waiting for is finally happening.
Will has a history with Faiths mother and when Faith was pared up to be Wills new partner in book three, you could see that this would blow up. But it certainly did not blow up in the way I had predicted. Secrets where brought up, gang wars is ravaging the city, family ties and buried history is coming to the light. It was interesting and you got some answers to questions you didn’t even know you had.
Slaughter did as great job as usual. She is absolutely perfect and I can’t recommend the series about Will Trent more than I already does.
| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|
Goodreads synopsis: Seventeen year-old Silje Arngrimsdotter struggles to come to terms with the harshness of life in a high mountain valley among the witches and warlocks of the mysterious Ice People. Having fled there for her life with her adored ‘wolf man’ and two foundling infants from the Trondheim plague, Silje has bravely borne their first child.
My thoughts:
The second book in the legend of the Ice people starts of a couple of years later after the ending in the first book. Silje is struggling with the burden of being a house wife, the weight of being a good mother, wife and the stress with poverty. There is dark clouds in the horizon and after unfortunately happenings, they have to flee the valley that have kept them safe for the last couple of years.
I have read this book before and it’s hard to try to review books I already read several times over. One thing I found now that I read it a third time and in adulthood is that it is a lot “easier” than I remember. It is still great and I love how intricate it’s starting to be, but it’s easy to follow, quick to read and not as deep as I remember. Not a bad book no. I would still give it the same rating as I did when I was younger. I only react over the different ways I perceive the book now.
For you who doesn’t know about this series, here are a short description.
The series is in 47 parts. We are following the Ice People with a start in the late plague ridden 16th century. It is about witches and wizards and a huge curse. Kings, queens and wars takes a big place in the story line. We are following them from generations through generations. Through birth, love, hate, good and bad stuff, war, more child births and eventually death. It is highly intricate and therefore should be read in order.
| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|
Goodreads synopsis:
Amethyst
Determined not to be a pawn in my mother’s game any longer, I finally decided to take my destiny into my own hands.
But I had made a promise to myself many years ago when I used to dream about running away. If I was getting my freedom, he was getting his too…
Drake
Imprisoned. Enslaved. That was my life for longer than I cared even to admit, beaten and humiliated for what I was. Draca. Dragon fae. The supposed last of my kind. Except I wasn’t. But that was a secret I’d take to my grave.
I’d learned long ago to accept my fate, that freedom was not something I would ever know again.
But then one day after one of the worst snowstorms in my memory, the daughter of the man who had shackled me in iron chains to begin with burst into my barn with a key and a mission. Free me. And herself.
Things, though, often don’t go to plan. And we found ourselves stuck in the middle of something no one ever could have predicted. A war between the Light and Dark fae.
Our futures uncertain, we decided there was only one place to go.
Back to the land of my kind. To see if any were left. And if they would have us.
My thoughts:
The magical land of The Green is on the brink of War. Where dark and light fairies lives together with a million other creatures. We have good characters, evil characters and those you feel are good but keep doing “evil” things. It is interesting, captivating and somewhat suspenseful. AND of course there is dragons in it. I could not have been asking for more. Unfortunately I just don’t feel for it.
I cannot say it was as good as the first one. It is good, don’t get me wrong, but it lacked some of the “umph” I felt from the first book. And it may not be that positive that I found Sal and Smokey more interesting than the two main characters the book actually was about. I do really hope Gadziala one day in the future write Sal and Smokey’s book. I would love to take part of that story.
This one however, I found it just okay. It was nice to spend time with, but I would not read it again in a near future.
| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|
Goodreads synopsis: When Special Agent Will Trent arrives in Grant County, he finds a police department determined to protect its own and far too many unanswered questions about a prisoner’s death. He doesn’t understand why Officer Lena Adams is hiding secrets from him. He doesn’t understand her role in the death of Grant County’s popular police chief. He doesn’t understand why that man’s widow, Dr. Sara Linton, needs him now more than ever to help her crack this case.
While the police force investigates the murder of a young woman pulled from a frigid lake, Trent investigates the police force, putting pressure on Adams just when she’s already about to crack. Caught between two complicated and determined women, trying to understand Linton’s passionate distrust of Adams, the facts surrounding Chief Tolliver’s death, and the complexities of this insular town, Trent will unleash a case filled with explosive secrets–and encounter a thin blue line that could be murderous if crossed.
My thoughts:
Perfection. Utterly, perfection. Not one book in the Will Trent series has received under five star rating so far. Overall Karin Slaughter is a hell of a good writer, who captivates me from the first to the last word. She grips my heart, stomps on it, shoves it back in my chest and then does it all again. I’m in love. Just so damn in love with Will but also Sara. And every time I finish one of her books I feel empty and mentally run-down. Still I’m not able to stop. She is a drug I cannot quit.
Okay, how come I never talk about her or her book if she is so good, you may ask?! I’ve had the blog for over two years now and still there is only one review on one of her books. Well the answer is pretty simple. I save her books. I’m so afraid that it will end and I will not have anything more by her to read. I literary saves her books for that perfect time. Not long ago I found out that I need to stop doing that because I have a whole list with books I’m saving and have been doing that for years. I don’t want to die and not have read the whole Will Trent series and all the other books I wish to read.
Anyway, got a little side-tracked. This story takes us back to Grant County where Sara is originally from. We get to meet some of the other characters from the Grant County series. I have read two (I think) books in that series and first planned to read more. But accidentally read a huge spoiler in one of the earlier books in the Will Trent series that have made me not wanting to read the rest in Grant County. It was nice though to receive some more details regarding that spoiler and some closure. I’m still not interested so far in reading the Grant County series. But probably will one day in the future.
The plot is believable with devious and greedy people who still does everything in their power to save what they hold most dear. A sad but still captivating story with the most suspenseful energy.
| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|
Goodreads synopsis: “The chance of a lifetime. With one little catch.”
All Brinley Spears has ever dreamed about since she completed design school four years ago was getting noticed. By the right people. By the right companies. Anyone who could finally help launch her career onto a new level.
Unfortunately, the opportunity comes to her in the aisle of a home improvement store while she was arguing with the world’s most irritating contractor… Warren Reyes.
It was everything she ever wanted, the chance to star in HITV’s hit show Fix It Up. There’s one problem though. The producers think Brin and Warren are married. And want them as a pair… or not at all.
So, desperate for the opportunity she has always wanted, Brin hatches a plan. One fake marriage. One season of a show. And then they can both go their separate ways.
You know, if they don’t kill each other first…
My thoughts:
Fantastic! For you who have not yet read Fix it up by Jessica Gadziala, doesn’t know that the word “fantastic” is repeatedly written throughout this book. And it’s a perfect word to describe it. Fantastic! Just utterly, rip out my heart and put it back in again, fantastic. I can’t do anything other than recommend it. Specially if you are looking for something fun, light and easy with great characters, plot and some hot, sexy stuff. Start here.
It’s an easy, lovable and funny book which is a little different from what Gadziala normally writes. But I like it. No, I Love it! It’s refreshing and reminds me a little of R.L Mathewson who writs fantastic and funny romantic contemporary. It is nice to see that Gadziala, even though she is one of my favorite authors, isn’t a one trick pony.
I love Warren and Brinley. Missed some more detailed descriptions of the characters and there were some grammatical errors even I could detect, but that was so small stuff that I don’t even bother thinking about it.
Great stand alone and nice that not everything has to be a series. Gadziala is a queen when it comes to publish books and she writes faster than I have time to read. But in the end Fix it up, is just Fantastic.
| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|
Goodreads synopsis: When an LAPD narcotics officer is found with a fatal bullet wound and a suicide note, Detective Harry Bosch follows a bloody trail of drug murders across the Mexico border.
Working the case, LAPD detective Harry Bosch is reminded of the primal police rule he learned long ago: Don’t look for the facts, but the glue that holds them together. Soon Harry’s making some very dangerous connections, starting with a dead cop and leading to a bloody string of murders that wind from Hollywood Boulevard to the back alleys south of the border. Now this battle-scarred veteran will find himself in the center of a complex and deadly game-one in which he may be the next and likeliest victim.
My thoughts:
A first class crime thriller with an suspenseful plot and well executed story. A pure 90’s detective story and just what I needed. I was craving some good crime with good cop, bad coop and bad guys. Connolly gave me just what I needed. Well executed characters and I feel the dialog is more natural than the first book. It is an easy book to get lost in and perfect for those rainy days.
I don’t have so much more to say. It is outstanding. It’s old and you certainly feel it’s age but for me it was more nostalgia than anything else. I’m more than satisfied and can only recommend you to read it.
