Tag: book

Adult fiction/Erotica · Contemporary · Fiction/Science Fiction

The storied life of A.J Fikry – Gabrielle Zevin

Book Chick1 Comment

18293427| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.

We are not quite novels.
We are not quite short stories.
In the end, we are collected works.

A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died; his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history; and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island—from Chief Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who’s always felt kindly toward him; from Ismay, his sister-in-law, who is hell-bent on saving A.J. from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who persists in taking the ferry to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.’s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, he can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.

And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It’s a small package, though large in weight—an unexpected arrival that gives A.J. the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn’t take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J., for the determined sales rep Amelia to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light, for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.’s world. Or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn’t see coming.

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My thoughts:

“Heartwarming.”

What a lovely book. Took me by total surprise. I started it because I had it on my list after seeing one of the book tubers I follow talking about it. I just wanted something easy to read during the days before the holiday where I planned to start a real brick of a book, and oh my what a wonderful story. So captivating, sad but jet happy at the same time. It is by far, one of the best books I have read this year.

This is a short story with only 260 pages but it is enough to capture both my heart and soul. It is charming, funny and an easy read with some deep thoughts and emotions. How I have missed it for so long I have no idea. I love this kind of books. Heartwarming. I read a review on Goodreads written by a person who do not like heartwarming books. *Dramatic gasps* That is like the best thing ever. And I love when I find those like The Storied Life och A.J. Fikry who are not only heartwarming but also captivating on the brink to life changing. I cannot rave enough about this one without giving away spoilers. You just have to read it.

This is a definite reread for me.

Contemporary · Romance

The General – Jessica Gadziala

Book Chick1 Comment

42527241| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Everyone in Navesink Bank knows about Senator Ericsson’s son, his wife, and the story that hit headlines that eventually led to one of the Mallick boys going to jail for assault.

What became of that woman after being coerced into lying on the stand was unknown.

That was until late one night when a phone rang in the offices of Quinton Baird & Associates.

And her voice was on the other end of the line.

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My thoughts:

“It is a great story in a somewhat passive pace and an easy read.”

A sweet story about a woman who finally has had enough and taking her own life in her own hands. With a story that didn’t disappoint and a romantic twist that feels natural and compelling we finally get to know the whole truth and nothing but the truth about Jenny and Eli. Why she lied and destroyed the life of her savior. In the book about Eli I disliked Jenny and in The General, you do get to know the whole truth and see that in the end, she pretty much saved his and somewhat her own life right there and then. But in Jenny’s case it is Smith who is the real savior. The man who not only saves her from a life in prison but also from a life she didn’t want.

Jenny is a really sweet character and a deep one with a lot of layers. Smith is a typical good guy characters who I feel is missing a couple of layers but in the end is just as perfect as he can be. It is a great story in a somewhat passive pace and an easy read.

There is however two thinks that bothers me.

  1. If Quinton Baird & Associates goes under the cover of security, how the heck could she do a simple Google search and find “fixers” when they are not supposed to exist and be that easy to find. If for an example Maren had leave a card or something for Jenny way back, since she knew the truth, I would totally understand. But not just a simple Google search to find this cloak and dagger company.
  2. What was on the laptop? Why even bring it up in the story if not saying what was or not was on it and not even mentioning it later on.
Everyday things

Happy Easter!

Book Chick3 Comments

Today my Easter holiday starts which means a couple of extra days of work. Yay! And I will spend it blissfully with books. And maybe my partner and some friends to. 😉 The weather is suppose to be fantastic so who knows. But yeah, Books, would love to just lay on the sofa and read the holiday away.

What are you planing to do this weekend? Do you celebrate Easter? Do you have another holiday? What do you plane on reading? Happy weekend dear readers. 😀

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Fiction/Science Fiction · Thriller/Horror

Pet Sematary – Stephen King

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51YOjBvyolL| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis:

The house looked right, felt right, to Dr Louis Creed. Rambling, old, unsmart and comfortable. A place where the family could settle; the children grow and play and explore. The rolling hills and meadows of Maine seemed a world away from the fume-choked dangers of Chicago. Only the occasional big truck out on the two-lane highway, grinding up through the gears, hammering down the long gradients, growled out an intrusive threat.
But behind the house and far away from the road: that was safe. Just a carefully cleared path up into the woods where generations of local children have processed with the solemn innocence of the young, taking with them their dear departed pets for burial. A sad place maybe, but safe. Surely a safe place. Not a place to seep into your dreams, to wake you, sweating with fear and foreboding…

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My thoughts:

“This was actually a lot better than I expected but that ending though. Come on!!”

I’m not easily frightened! Specially not by books but this was really one of those few who made my skin crawl right from the beginning. And it is all due to this skill with taking something real, something you know or could imagine experience and twist it to this ugly, supernatural, frightening thing of reality that just hooks you deep in your soul. And Stephen King has that skill and in The Pet Sematary he excelled.

But however, I have said it before and will say it again, that ramble is my biggest problem with books written by King. He can go on and on about a thing in a middle of a conversation or a suspense filled moment and sometimes it is so extensive that I loose where in the conversation I was or what was happening. It made the suspense simmer down and me come back to reality, which changed the amount of impact it had on me. It doesn’t defined the book and make it a bad one per say and I can honestly say that this is one of the best I have read so far this year. That is just one of the things with King I have a problem with and it takes some of the experience away and in this case, also one star.

Other than that, I enjoyed this immensely and I’m now looking forward to see the new movie who had premier now in April. This was actually a lot better than I expected but that ending though. Come on!!

Fiction/Science Fiction · Mystery/Crime · Thriller/Horror

Ritual – Mo Hayder

Book Chick1 Comment

39784787| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Nine feet under water, police diver Flea Marley closes her gloved fingers around a human hand. The fact that there’s no body attached is disturbing enough—until the discovery of the matching appendage a day later. Both hands have been freshly amputated, and there are indications that the victim was still alive when they were removed.

Newly seconded to the Major Crime Investigation Unit in Bristol, DI Jack Caffery soon establishes that the hands belong to a young man who has recently disappeared. As Caffery and Marley search for the rest of the victim—and for his abductor—they journey into the darkest recesses of Bristol’s underworld, where drug addiction is rife, street kids sell themselves for a hit, and a disturbing occult ritual may be making an unexpected appearance.

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My thoughts:

“… you have lost the touch with Caffery. He is a numb and stiff character, I no longer feel the love toward.”

I’m sorry to say that this is not what you would expect after reading the two home runs before this one. I expected more and not start off with the feeling that I have missed something. The third book about Caffery, did not pick up where the second book ended and that was quite confusing because I did not understand what was going on. And it does take some time before you get to the part which explained it all. Specially since Caffery is the main character but he is written like a sidekick and you follow Flea more or less the whole book.

It is supposed to be a series about Jack Caffery, haunted detective, who tries not to break the rules but still find out the answer on a 30 year old “mystery” while still trying to solve the more fresh today “whodunit” cases. But in reality we are following Flea, a socially awkward, grieving woman who is depressed and keeps focusing on the wrong things which has nothing to do with the main plot. The main story and plot is pretty bland and boring. There is no excitement or the need to find out who did it and why. It started of pretty good with the introduction of Flea, but it never delivered in the end.

What happened, Mo? The pace is slow and in comparison to the two other books, you have lost the touch with Caffery. He is a numb and stiff character, I no longer feel the love toward. I feel disconnected, sad and I missed the page turning feeling.

Contemporary · Romance

Breathe – Kristen Ashley

Book Chick1 Comment

18773967| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: There’s nothing like the first time . . . 

In Carnal, Colorado, Faye Goodknight is the town’s quiet, shy librarian. She may also be Carnal’s last remaining virgin. For years, Faye has had a crush on Chace Keaton, but the gorgeous cop has always been unattainable. She’s resigned to live contentedly with only her books for company-until Faye suddenly meets Chace alone in the woods . . .

Chace doesn’t think he’s the good guy everyone believes him to be. He’s made a lot of choices he regrets, including denying his feelings for Faye. Through his choices, he’s come to believe the pretty librarian is too good for him, but after their time in the woods, Chace realizes that she may be his last chance for redemption. Soon, their long simmering desires grow to a burning passion. Yet always casting a shadow over their happiness is Chace’s dark past . . .

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My thoughts:

“KA is so good at what she does that even she may not be able to maintain the expectations she has created.”

“I’m so bored.” That was my main thought throughout the whole thing. I don’t know what it was, but it never fell right with me. Didn’t find the characters as good as I know Ashley usually writes them, the story was mostly repetitive information from the earlier books and the romantic part of the plot was just overrated. KA is so good at what she does that even she may not be able to maintain the expectations she has created. I’m disappointed to be honest and it was not what I expected.

I struggled so much, I feel exhausted and broken. I really wanted to DNF it but couldn’t do that to her since KA is one of my favorite authors. But I tried, Oh lord did I try and maybe it would have been more humane to end it in the middle and not knowing what I know now.

I’m tired and I need a break. No romance for a while now. I need to read some other stuff and hopefully find my reader self again.

Contemporary · Mystery/Crime · Romance · Suspense

Nine Lives – Sharon Sala

Book Chick1 Comment

36576332| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: The synopsis written to this book is so bad and filled with misinformation. It was misleading and wrong. Whoever wrote that one needs to quit their job. Here, read Katy’s review on Goodreads. She knows how to write an synopsis. 😀

 

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My thoughts:

“I love how Cat not loses herself and stand strong in her opinions and still are not one of those dumb as heck characters you in the end just dislike.”

Sharon Sala is a really skilled author when it comes to mixed characters and points of view. No “this chapter, this character” way of writing. She has it all jumbled together and you jump from one character to another in the blink of an eye. And it is never confusing, never boring and you get to view an situation from several directions. It is not a skill I see often among the authors I read and feel it is important to highlight.

The book itself was really good. I liked the characters and I especially like Cat. She is an character right up my ally. The plot is insane and really intriguing, exciting and so, so sad at some moments. I can really see myself continue this series (there is a total 3 books).

I love how Cat not loses herself and stand strong in her opinions and still are not one of those dumb as heck characters you in the end just dislike. The romantic part of the book feels realistic but in no way takes over the story. I’m happy with the outcome and it was a book I could feel cozy with.

Contemporary · Romance · Suspense

Diamond Bay – Linda Howard

Book Chick1 Comment

420741| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: KELL SABIN WAS IN TROUBLE

He knew it the minute the other boat drew near, the minute he heard the crack of rifle fire over water. Wounded and desperate, he flung himself into the Gulf and headed for shore.

Rachel Jones wasn’t looking for trouble, much less a man, but in Kell she found both. He was washed up on her beach, unconscious, like so much driftwood, but he was every inch flesh and blood. Her body responded in the only way it knew how, but what really frightened her was the response of her heart. Like it or not, she was in love.

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My thoughts:

“Nothing really deep that grips you but still exciting enough to keep you going.”

One word: mediocre! But to be honest the book is older than myself and we already know I’m a hard reader to please. However I did like it. Although more romance than suspense it is still nice to spend some time with an “Old, but Goldie”. It is quite light and airy. Nothing really deep that grips you but still exciting enough to keep you going.

The plot is a typical “been there, read that” and nothing surprising. Was a little fast in the end and it could have been a little more developed. I liked the characters but not the instant love situation. I liked the plot but I did not like the slowness in the middle of the book. But I especially liked the dog Joe.

Fantasy/Paranormal · Fiction/Science Fiction · Romance

A discovery of witches – Deborah Harkness

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41952734| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Deep in the stacks of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

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My thoughts:

“The only thing I discovered was that no matter what “world” you try to place a romance story in, if you do not decide one thread to follow, it will not succeed.”

At first I thought this would be a solid five star book. But then I got a couple of hundred pages in and the author has completely abandon the original plot. That took away a star but thinking, hey it can still be good. Reading a couple of hundred more pages and now even the “love” story is so over dramatic that I started to wonder, wasn’t this supposed to be an adult romance and not a YA? Goodbye another star. I’m over 400 pages into it and it feels too late to stop now and I keep hoping for Harkness to take her common sense together and save it in the end. It can’t be possible that so many of my people on Goodreads love the book but me however not so much. I feel the need for this to be a success. However that never happens and it even gets worse.

I was hoping for an action filled, non-cheesy, paranormal romance with some substance. What I got was a highly dramatic, slow and puzzling love story, cloaked in the “discovery” of witches, vampires and daemons. Written like an YA book with every angst filled thought possible but with an analytic mind, a lot of history and details. The only thing I discovered was that no matter what “world” you try to place a romance story in, if you do not decide one thread to follow, it will not succeed. It was all over the place and Harkness should have stayed with the alchemical manuscript and the dynamic of the world with witches, vampires and daemons and left it at that.

Even though it ended quite interesting with some time traveling and other loose threads, it is not enough for me to feel the need to pick up the second book in the series. I will more likely watch the series instead, but don’t count on it.

Adult fiction/Erotica · Classic/Historical · Contemporary · Fiction/Science Fiction · Romance

The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Taylor Jenkins Reid

Book Chick1 Comment

32620332| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ’80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

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My thoughts:

“Can an author write so perfect that you in the end, are questioning your very own existence?”

Let me first say that I had no idea what to expect when going into 2018 most mentioned book. What I did know is that it had an interesting synopsis and I kept seeing it in my Goodreads and Youtube feed. Trying not to be caught up in the hype wave I have “ignored” it for some time while it was in my TBR pile. Well I have certainly stopped ignoring it now and joined the hype train. *toot toot* Here I come because wow this was so worth the wait!

Can a book be this perfect? Can an author write so perfect that you in the end, are questioning your very own existence? Can a story be so consummated that you start to wonder “was this really a fiction?”. I know that this is supposed to be a literary fiction but it was read more like a chick lit/true story. A deep chick lit with none of that “hubba bubba” love. It was just about life. From the beginning to the end! Honest from page one. It is the most well- devolved, character driven story I have ever read, where you have it all from the emotion spectrum. Love, hate, delight, rejection, pleasure, sadness, courage, fear, anticipation, hopelessness, willing, anger, grief, strengths and everything else.

There is so many human destiny’s and so much feelings, in so many different ways crammed between the covers that you can’t help but wonder, is it true? I ended the book at work and literally wanted to cry, not suitable for an open office landscape. I could not (off course) cry there and then but that is how strong of impact it had on me. It is so much grief and agony but still so much love that in the end it is worth it. Don’t believe me? Believe the other 33 000 people who have given it a five star rating on Goodreads.