Classic/Historical · Fiction/Science Fiction

Daisy Jones & The Six – Taylor Jenkins Reid

reid_9781524798628_jkt_all_r1.indd| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock and roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camilla finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.

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My thoughts:

Is it as good as the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo? That is one big question and to be frank, I have to say….no! No it is not, but it’s pretty damn close.

Daisy Jones and The Six! What a story and I so wish it was real. Just so that I could listen to the music, read more about those people and see picture after picture. It is quite an epic plot and story, just as character driven as expected. It was an amazing story, the characters are deep, complicating and Reid has done a wonderful job creating the atmosphere and settings of the 1970’s rock and roll environment and mindset. The writing is beautiful, easy, jet complicating to such a degree where you feel constantly pulled in. Just as I remember from TSHOEH and I’m happy that it was not just a fluke, but Reid really does have an talent for artful writing.

It keeps touching difficult subjects as drugs, sex, abortions, marriage, cheating, children, family and so on. But my biggest problem with it is that it lacked the deep it needed and somewhat expected. I missed that angst filled aura which grabs your heart, rips it in shreds and then glues it back together before it shoves it back in your chest with an force out of this world. TSHOEH had it, DJATS has not. I felt it was somewhat flat, missing that emotional punch and the ending came way to fast.

But Taylor Jenkins Reid is one talented author and I have gotten even more interested in reading all of her books now.

Adult fiction/Erotica · Fantasy/Paranormal · Fiction/Science Fiction

Vicious – V.E. Schwab

36797830| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Victor and Eli started out as college roommates–brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find–aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge–but who will be left alive at the end?

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My thoughts:

It took me way too long to finish this book and I struggled so much. I can’t quite put my finger on what my problem is, but I do have some theories.

First off, I absolutely loved the theme, plot and the whole “X-MEN” thing. Interesting concept which felt well execute both in the scientific and philosophical view. I’m a sucker for everything when it comes to people with powers, magical or “natural”. So I really thought this would be a book right up my alley.

However, I felt constantly disconnected and the writing keep bothering me to no end. There is only so many times you can write a character’s name on one page until it starts to be repetitive. And the whole books is repetitive. I wish I had Victors sharpie to block some off. Put some black in

I can see why Schwab and this series has turned in to such a hype where readers and there dogs/cats keep raising Schwab to the skies. Maybe I had to high expectations? Maybe I’m just too old for it? Or maybe I just found it over dramatic and underwhelming. Completely loved the last twist in the end even though I could totally predict it.

Would fit perfect as a movie and if executed rightly, one I would see at least once a year just as X-MEN. I’m not sure if I will read more in the series, but I’m open for it.

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

The Mephisto club – Tess Gerritsen

32254| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: PECCAVI

The Latin word is scrawled in blood at the scene of a young woman’s brutal murder: I HAVE SINNED. It’s a chilling Christmas greeting for Boston medical examiner Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli, who swiftly link the victim to controversial celebrity psychiatrist Joyce O’Donnell-Jane’s professional nemesis and member of a sinister cabal called the Mephisto Club.

On top of Beacon Hill, the club’s acolytes devote themselves to the analysis of evil: Can it be explained by science? Does it have a physical presence? Do demons walk the earth? Drawing on a wealth of dark historical data and mysterious religious symbolism, the Mephisto scholars aim to prove a startling theory: that Satan himself exists among us.

With the grisly appearance of a corpse on their doorstep, it’s clear that someone-or something-is indeed prowling the city. The members of the club begin to fear the very subject of their study. Could this maniacal killer be one of their own-or have they inadvertently summoned an evil entity from the darkness?

Delving deep into the most baffling and unusual case of their careers, Maura and Jane embark on a terrifying journey to the very heart of evil, where they encounter a malevolent foe more dangerous than any they have ever faced . . . one whose work is only just beginning.

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My thoughts:

The sixth book in the series about detective Jane Rozzoli and the medical examiner Maura Isles. A series I have lately fallen completely in love with, even though I have already seen the whole TV show several times over. But the show travels so far away from the book series in the end that now, I hardly notice it anymore.

Not one of those five books before have received less than for stars. That is how good this series been so far. This is however the first time because I did not enjoy number 6 as much as I thought I would and quite frankly I’m a little disappointed.

The story, plot, murders and all that is still on point. It is exciting and filled with suspense. One star! The red thread and resolution in the end was easy to follow, nice history and interesting twists. One star! It was nice to meet the characters again and meet more of the Rizzoli family and drama surrounding it. One star! But that’s it. Three stars is what I give. I didn’t like how little we actually got to be with the main characters. It felt like it was the side characters who run the story. Who solved the crimes and hunted the bad guys. And Isles was just a sad, middle age woman, feeling sorry for herself throughout the book and Rizzoli was just detached from it all and frankly quite cold. It is not what it was in the earlier books.

Everyone can have a bad day (read book) and I think that this is Gerritsens bad day in this series. At least I’m hoping it. Because I really want to read more.

 

Contemporary · Romance · Suspense

Preacher – Dahlia West

25676540._SY475_| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Jack “Preacher” Prior is at a crossroads — literally. Left for dead in the Badlands, he’s managed to survive. He’s stolen a truck, but where can he go? Body broken, mind reeling from betrayal from his own MC brothers, he knows he won’t last a day back in Rapid City in his current condition.

Two roads stretch out in front of him. One leads to the city and one deep into the black hills where no one knows him as the former President of the Badlands Buzzards. Revenge is not a question; it’s an absolute. Preacher will get his due soon enough or die trying.

Erin Walker is at a crossroads of her own. Dealt a bad hand by being the daughter of Buck Walker, ex-Rodeo Champ, she’s made her own way in the world without his help. She owns Thunder Ridge Ranch outright, and she’s carved out a piece of paradise for herself with her own two hands. She’s not giving it up without a fight, but she’s alone in the world with no one to trust.

In Erin, Preacher finds something that doesn’t exist in his own world: a smart, fierce independent woman who sets his blood on fire. For Erin, the mysterious man who threatens her life might very well be the only one who can save it.

Can Preacher put aside his desire for revenge against his old MC and accept what’s in front of him: a woman who needs him and a future worth having? Erin knows in her heart that Preacher is a bad, dangerous man, but can she trust him anyway?

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My thoughts:

I read Preacher for the first time back in early 2017 when I was still riding that contemporary romance in a MC gang wave and it is just as good as I remembered. It is an easy enough story to follow, deep and developed characters and just enough romantic suspense that makes it more of a feel good book and certainly made me nostalgic and thirsty for more.

I have had Preacher on my “To be read again” list for some time. I missed Jack, Erin, King, Bee and the Thunder Ridge farm. I missed that “easy” suspense and deep romantic struggles between two different people with completely different worlds. I love that Erin is one hell of a strong character and how Jack not only saves her, but she saves herself to. The end is a little too easy, just as I remembered thinking last time, but still really, really good.

This is supposed to be the first one in a series. West, I’m still waiting. 😉

 

Classic/Historical · Contemporary · Fiction/Science Fiction · Mystery/Crime

Sixteen trees of the Somme – Lars Mytting

42102301._SY475_| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Edvard grows up on a remote mountain farmstead in Norway with his taciturn grandfather, Sverre. The death of his parents, when he was three years old, has always been shrouded in mystery – he has never been told how or where it took place and has only a distant memory of his mother.

But he knows that the fate of his grandfather’s brother, Einar, is somehow bound up with this mystery. One day a coffin is delivered for his grandfather long before his death – a meticulous, beautiful piece of craftsmanship. Perhaps Einar is not dead after all.

Edvard’s desperate quest to unlock the family’s tragic secrets takes him on a long journey – from Norway to the Shetlands, and to the battlefields of France – to the discovery of a very unusual inheritance. The Sixteen Trees of the Somme is about the love of wood and finding your own self, a beautifully intricate and moving tale that spans an entire century.

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My thoughts:

I wish Goodreads had the ability to let us readers give half stars in rating. I would really need that function right now because I can’t decide if I want to give it a two star or a three star rating. Don’t get me wrong, I kind of liked the book. It was just so damn slow and that (in the end, no spoiler) mostly evolved around some threes just made it unbelievable. I could not connect with it and even though it was an interesting and kind of fun puzzle game regarding the family history, it was just not enough. I didn’t even like the main character that much.

I believe that if I hadn’t had the audiobook, I would have struggled to finish. It was just so tedious, I didn’t like the main character, who apparently cannot have a non-sexual relationship with women and the ending was quite unclear. Much better to listen, but the book itself was not as good as I had expected.

Gold star for the nice writing. I thought that was really good and Mytting did a great job with it.

 

children · Fantasy/Paranormal · Fiction/Science Fiction · Young, New adult/College

The islands of Chaldea – Diana Wynne Jones

18107099| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Aileen was supposed to grow up magical – just like the other women in her family. Unfortunately, she’s just found out that the magic seems to have skipped a generation… but that’s not her biggest problem right now.

In her world, there are four Islands of Chaldea. The largest and most magical island has been cut off from the other three for decades – and is slowly draining the magic from them.

But now a prophecy has come to light. Someone from Aileen’s island will gather a man from each of the three islands, bring down the magical barrier, and unite them with the fourth island again. And according to the king, that someone is Aileen’s Aunt – who insists on dragging Aileen along. AND the boy Aileen is sure she’ll marry (one day); the local boy with more brawn then brain. Someone seems to want to stop them too… someone with an interest in keeping the Islands apart. But still, with magic on their side, nothing can go wrong. Right?

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My thoughts:

Okay, so I needed a book that was published posthumously so I could tick that prompt off in the 2019 PopSugar challenge. I had some trouble finding anything I wanted to read, but after some googling I eventually settled on this one. Written by Diana Wynne Jones and finished by her sister Ursula Jones after Diana’s death. Apparently Diana was and probably still is, a famous and loved author all over the world. She wrote children’s/YA books often with a Sci-fi and fantasy theme. I personally never heard about her before this, so I was going in completely blind with not much to expect.

Apparently, according to some of the reviews I have read, and I quote, “Ursula Jones did not do the justice of the potential of what this book could have been”. I kind of agree with Xylia, whose quote I have included. I don’t have anything to compare it with, but I agree that it doesn’t feel that completed.

It started out okay with an interesting story and plot line. But in the middle it kind of fell apart, lost my interest and in the end I actually struggled to finish it. Perhaps a great book for a younger audience, but I felt It was supposed to be something more. And it just wasn’t there. Kind of flat and two dimensional. Nothing I would recommend and unfortunately, nothing I liked very much.

 

 

Fantasy/Paranormal · Fiction/Science Fiction · Shortstory

Norse mythology – Neil Gaiman

37903770._SX318_| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: In Norse Mythology, Gaiman stays true to the myths in envisioning the major Norse pantheon: Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki—son of a giant—blood brother to Odin and a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator.

Gaiman fashions these primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds and delves into the exploits of deities, dwarfs, and giants. Through Gaiman’s deft and witty prose, these gods emerge with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to duping others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.

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My thoughts:

Norse Mythology is something I know quite a lot about. In Sweden we study the mythology and vikings from an early age. We even have a “Viking camp” we do in school, where we learn how the Vikings lived, hunted, cooked food and so on. I can’t say I learned anything new by reading (audiobook) this book per say, but I have to say I really like the way Gaiman has put the tales to life. It is truly descriptive and beautiful in a way, I believe, everyone can enjoy. Neil Gaiman is also an fantastic narrator and perfect for reading his own books. I really enjoyed listening on him. It is also perfect for those who doesn’t want anything heavy to read right now. It is a bunch of short stories, gathered together in one book. Light and easy. Perfect for those “in between” books.

I have to be hones and say that I first wasn’t supposed to read it. Since I know so much about the topic, It wasn’t anything that interested me to read more about. But a prompt in this years Pop Sugar Challenge was actually the reason to why I read it. The prompt was to read “A book inspired by mythology, legend or folklore” and when googling what book fits that prompt, Norse Mythology kept poping up. Now I’m happy that I read it. It is fun, light and familiar. Almost a little nostalgic and it woke something in me which have been buried since childhood and school was finished with teaching us kids about our heritage.

Classic/Historical · Fiction/Science Fiction · Thriller/Horror

Frankenstein – Mary Shelley

12974171._SY475_| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: The scientist Victor Frankenstein, obsessed with possessing the secrets of life, creates a new being from the bodies of the dead. But his creature is a twisted, gruesome parody of a man who, rejected for his monstrous appearance, sets out to destroy his maker.

Mary Shelley’s chilling Gothic tale, conceived after a nightmare in 1816 when she was only eighteen, became a modern myth. It is a disturbing and dramatic exploration of birth and death, creation and destruction, and one of the most iconic horror stories of all time.

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My thoughts:

It’s strange to review a book which was written over 200 years ago. The times changes, the language develops, words gets new meanings and limits are pushed. It feels almost a little wrong to review such a widely read and known story. Myself have never read the original before now, but I’m very well known in the story about Frankenstein. Not only through movies and series, but also through different retelling from different authors. For an example Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein series, which meets the old time Frankenstein in a modern world where science is a lot more developed.

Anyway, I can see why this has become so famous through out the years. Not only is it written by a female (lo and behold) which was not gently looked upon at the time, but it is also a horror story with an underlying message, which you can interpret in several different ways and discus to the end of days. My thoughts about it is that science can go too far and it is up to us too think before we do and stop before we go over that line. But where is that line? I also think it is about the humanity, that we are the biggest threat against our self and that the “monster” is us all. No one is better than the other, no matter what you may think. I can discuss this forever but in a nutshell, this is some quick thoughts of mine.

I would probably have liked it more if it was written in a more modern way, or in Swedish. At least I would have found it simpler. I can only blame myself really. I wanted to read it in the utmost original way I could. But I’m happy I finally read it. Frankenstein is one of my favorite classical stories and now I can say I have read the original. 😀

 

 

Classic/Historical · Fiction/Science Fiction

The pillars of the earth – Ken Follett

40195487| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Everything readers expect from Follett is here: intrigue, fast-paced action, and passionate romance. But what makes The Pillars of the Earth extraordinary is the time the twelfth century; the place feudal England; and the subject the building of a glorious cathedral. Follett has re-created the crude, flamboyant England of the Middle Ages in every detail. The vast forests, the walled towns, the castles, and the monasteries become a familiar landscape. Against this richly imagined and intricately interwoven backdrop, filled with the ravages of war and the rhythms of daily life, the master storyteller draws the reader irresistibly into the intertwined lives of his characters into their dreams, their labors, and their loves: Tom, the master builder; Aliena, the ravishingly beautiful noblewoman; Philip, the prior of Kingsbridge; Jack, the artist in stone; and Ellen, the woman of the forest who casts a terrifying curse. From humble stonemason to imperious monarch, each character is brought vividly to life.

The building of the cathedral, with the almost eerie artistry of the unschooled stonemasons, is the center of the drama. Around the site of the construction, Follett weaves a story of betrayal, revenge, and love, which begins with the public hanging of an innocent man and ends with the humiliation of a king.

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My thoughts:

WOW!

Okay, breathe! It’s difficult for me to describe why I love this book as much as I do. It’s a 1104 pages long story about the building of a cathedral in the 12-century and you would think I’m on drugs, but it was so damn fascinating. The characters are memorable in both good and bad ways, the story was interesting and the plot was captivating. It has been a while since I was so emotionally invested in a book. The pillars of the earth is pure and simple one of the best books I have read in 2019.

First off, a warning. If you are a sensitive soul or in any other way have problems with rape and injustice, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK! Bear in mind that this book takes place in Medieval England where the church has a strong hold on the people, the rich rule the poor and there is violence, misogyny, accusations of witchcraft, revenges back and forth and rape. Yes, rape! And one scene is especially disturbing and graphic. It was hard to read and I was totally unprepared for it.

Other than that, it is a wonderfully written book with characters you love, hate and love to hate. It is a page turner and it was like I could not get enough. I still can’t get enough and I want more. The main plot is about the building of a cathedral but it is the characters around it who really drove the story forward. There was some love stories in there, friend and family relations took a huge part and there was a few, strong female characters who I wish to praise Follett for doing such a good job with.

As strange as it sounds, I loved to read this book. Even with all the injustice, despair and misery, there was always hope. And all the weaving of destiny was really what made it all come together in the end in a satisfying way.

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

Save me from dangerous men – S.A. Lelchuk

35343341| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Nikki Griffin isn’t your typical private investigator. In her office above her bookstore’s shelves and stacks, where she luxuriates in books and the comfort they provide, she also tracks certain men. Dangerous men. Men who have hurt the women they claim to love. And Nikki likes to teach those men a lesson, to teach them what it feels like to be hurt and helpless, so she can be sure that their victims are safe from them forever.

When a regular PI job tailing Karen, a tech company’s disgruntled employee who might be selling secrets, turns ugly and Karen’s life is threatened, Nikki has to break cover and intervene. Karen tells Nikki that there are people after her. Dangerous men. She says she’ll tell Nikki what’s really going on. But then something goes wrong, and suddenly Nikki is no longer just solving a case—she’s trying hard to stay alive.

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My thoughts:

If Jessica Jones and Jack Reacher had a baby, you get Nikki Griffin. A kickass, female PI character who stand up for the weak, and helps out in a way that everyone can understand. And to top it off, she is a book lover with her own bookstore. How cool is that? Just that description was enough for me to decide that this is the book of 2019 releases I just have to read.

Now when done I’m quite conflicted. On one hand I absolutely love Nikki and feel that this is a character I want to read more about. I also want to meet those side characters that we encounter now and then throughout the book. On the other hand I felt myself somewhat detached to the story itself. It is hard to explain but I was there but never quite there if you understand. It’s not a bad story because of it, it just didn’t capture or connect with me on a level that makes me invested. Maybe because I felt the plot line was somewhat destructed and not completed in a degree I feel it could have been. And the ending was a little too farfetched when you take some of the characters and their actions in account to the end result.

I do however LOVE the “romantic” aspect of the book. There is almost no romance per say, but there is a character Nikki meets and the chemistry and several situations and monologues that is happenings which was just wonderful.

It looks like there is coming more books about Nikki and if so, I’m certainly is going to read them.