Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What is it to be someone with OCD? What is it to be a friend to someone with OCD? To love someone with OCD? Turtles All The Way Down gives a glimpse of what it's like to be all of these things.

This book is the typical John Green Formula. (Quirky characters, precocious teenagers, BFF who is funny and pushy and has the best lines of dialogue, parents who instill a lot of trust in their kid.) It wasn't my favorite John Green but it wasn't a bad read either.

There's a mystery and an adventure or two along the way but this is mostly character driven.

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Killer Choice by Tom Hunt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Books for providing an advanced copy of this book to review. Below is my honest opinion.

Gary and Beth Foster are a happy couple. They've been married for several years and are now expecting their first baby. Gary has recently opened a retail store with his brother, and life is good. That is until Beth unexpectedly collapses one day. After numerous tests it's discovered that Beth has a life threatening brain tumor. An experimental drug trial is available to them but will cost $200,000 - money they don't have. Gary is contacted by a dubious stranger who offers him the money they desperately need but with a condition. Gary must kill a man.

This debut thriller by Tom Hunt will have you flipping pages into the late hours of the night. The edge of your seat will become worn as you're following Gary in his quest to save his wife's life. There are twists and turns and things I didn't see coming in this book that kept it all exciting. I gasped out loud a couple of times, and my heart was pounding as I read through these pages..

One of my favorite parts about this book is that it asks the uncomfortable question - what would you be willing to do (or not willing to do) in order to have a chance of saving someone you love? Gary is a reasonable, moral guy and he's suddenly forced into a desperate situation. I'm glad this is fiction because I don't know that I could handle the pressure!

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Lies She Told by Cate Holahan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. The following is my honest opinion.

Liza is a best selling author, or at least she used to be. Her first book was a hit and the ones that followed haven't been well received. Now she's been given 30 days by her publisher to write another great book. She's got a lot of pressure to write the book, but she's got problems at home. She's also struggling to have a baby with her husband who has been less than attentive. That may be understandable, however, since her husband's best friend has gone missing.

Meanwhile Beth, the protagonist of Liza's latest book, is facing struggles of her own. She's got a newborn baby and has recently discovered her husband has a girlfriend. Liza and Beth's stories are told in alternating chapters.

This book is great for writers (or aspiring writers) to read. Liza's writing process is a big part of this book. Readers will see hints of how Liza's real life influences the story she's trying to complete before her deadline is up. The book was hard to put down and easy to devour in a couple of days. Even though I thought the book was very engaging I found it to be predictable at times. So I was really surprised to find a pretty big twist in the last few chapters. This story kept moving and was a great suspense read to wrap up the summer with.

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Girl in Snow by Danya Kukafka
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the chance to read this book. Below is my honest opinion.

A girl is found murdered on the school playground. It’s a small community and everyone is talking about it and playing armchair sleuth to figure out who murdered Lucinda Hayes. This book isn’t really about her murder or who actually killed her, however. The book follows three unique characters: Cameron, Jade, and Russ.

Cameron is the so-called weird kid at school. He cannot follow social norms. He loved Lucinda in his own way. Jade used to know Lucinda. They used to be friends. But friends grow apart. Russ is a cop in this little town. He is married to Ines who happens to be the sister of the man who found Lucinda. These characters are the real story in this book, and Lucinda’s murder is only an afterthought.

I think many readers will find the writing in this book beautiful. For me? I didn’t enjoy it. Each time the author was close to getting to a point related to what I thought was the story line we were whisked away to another flowery story that was unrelated to the murder. This wasn’t a wholly unenjoyable book; however, it was not the thriller or mystery that I thought it was going to be. If you’re looking for a character driven book with prose that is a bit fancy then you’ll probably love this book.

What's your favorite murder mystery? Comment below!

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Where the Light Falls by Allison Pataki
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In this historical fiction novel the French Revolution is underway. It's a terrifying time to be of noble birth or sympathetic to anyone who is found guilty of siding with the former King and Queen. People are losing their heads frequently, and it's not always easy to determine who is a friend and who is a foe.

This story follows the lives of three French citizens. Jean-Luc is a lawyer who wants to do whatever he can to help the revolution. He moves his wife and baby son to the dangerous city of Paris to be more involved. Andre' is a young soldier and is trying his hardest to remove himself from his father's legacy - a nobleman who died at the guillotine. Sophie is a widow to a man she hardly knew. She is watched over by her powerful, controlling uncle. Each of these three are strangers, but their lives become intertwined after a series of events. From the front lines of war to dark, backroom political discussions, this book will take readers through a variety of events during The Reign of Terror and beyond.

I knew so little about the French Revolution before I read this book. I probably should have brushed up on this history before I started in. This is a compelling read, but the brutal scenes of war did not appeal to me very much. I think if I had a better understanding of the history and culture of this era I would have enjoyed it more. It was interesting to see historical figures woven throughout the book, but I think this will appeal more to readers familiar with French history.

One of the coolest things about the edition I was read was the annotations from the authors. These gave a little more insight into what inspired the authors, what changed from the original story, and anything else the authors wanted to share! Need something like this in your reading life? Head over to PageHabit to get a new book, with annotations, and some bookish goods. There are a variety of genres (not just historical fiction) and each purchase helps put books into the hands of people in need all around the world.

What's your favorite book about the French Revolution?

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Final Girls by Riley Sager
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

A Final Girl is rare. A Final Girl is someone who fascinates the public and causes a media frenzy. A Final Girl is not something you want to be. A Final Girl is the lone survivor of a massacre.

There are only three Final Girls - Lisa, Sam, and Quincy. When Lisa turns up dead, Sam turns up on Quincy's doorstep. Quincy had never met the other Final Girls, choosing instead to ignore her past, eat a regular dose of Xanax, and live her life as normally as possible out of the spotlight. Sam wants to help Quincy remember the past, but Sam is destructive. What's the truth and what's a lie? This book will really keep you guessing.

This is fast paced, and really hard to put down. All of the hype you've heard about this new summer thriller is well earned. There are a few things in there that seem a bit unbelievable but overall it was fun to read. I thought I could guess the ending here, but I was completely wrong!

What's your favorite summer thriller? Comment below!

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The Child by Fiona Barton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a mysterious story surrounding the discovery of a baby's skeleton. Who is the baby? Who buried the baby? Is this somehow connected to a baby being stolen from a hospital years ago?

There are several POVs in this book which incorporate several story lines. The stories do all come together nicely, and the mysteries made for a compelling read. I enjoyed the short chapters and Fiona Barton's writing style.

I didn't love this book though. I had the story figured out about halfway through. There were some minor characters that seemed unnecessary to the story. There were some connections that the police didn't make that I thought were not realistic. I don't think this story will be one that I remember for very long.

What's the best mystery you've read recently? Comment below!

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Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to Brilliance Publishing for sending over a copy of this book for me to read.

If you've read and enjoyed Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand then you're going to love Beneath a Scarlet Sky. Both are stories of men who went through some incredible things during World War II. These books are both hard to put down!

Beneath a Scarlet Sky is the story of Pino Lella. He's a young, Italian teenager toward the end of World War II when his home in Milan is destroyed. Soon after Pino begins helping Jews escape to the safety of Switzerland by leading them through the difficult terrain of the Alps. And just as he turns 18 he is forced to enlist in the German military, becoming one of the Nazis he despises. When Pino receives an opportunity to become the personal driver for General Layers (Hitler's left hand in Italy) Pino suddenly becomes a spy for the Allies.

There is so much in this story - bravery, suspense, love, espionage, loss - and a really likable hero at the center of it all. So much of this story was unbelievable, though as a reader who has never experienced war, I think much of the hell that war brings about is unbelievable. I had trouble tearing myself from these pages because I just needed to know more.

Pino's story is epic, not always happy, and one that should be read widely. The book is written simply so those of us who aren't history buffs can still easily follow along. Highly recommended!

What's your favorite WWII book? Comment below!

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Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Into The Water is another book by Paula Hawkins. You've all heard of The Girl on the Train, right? Same author.

This book dives into the mystery surrounding the recent deaths of two women, a single mother and a teen girl, who are both found in a small town's river within a month's time. They're not the first women to meet their demise in this river, and it seems that everyone in this small town has some opinion about the deaths of the various women in this river.

There are a lot of characters to get to know, and it was difficult to warm up to any of them. Regardless, if you can keep the characters straight, each of them adds something different to this story. There's not a lot of happy, uplifting moments, but the short chapters kept the story moving rapidly.

There are several twist in this book. I thought I had the story figured out many times before I reached the end and found out what actually happened. (And I do mean the very end!) As a little bonus: I really liked the dedication in this book. It fit well with the story.

What's your favorite thriller? Comment below!

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Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dennis Lehane has written other books you’ve probably heard of (Mystic River; Shutter Island). Since We Fell is Lehan’es latest thriller. Rachel Childs has a mental breakdown which happens to go viral. The first half of the book readers will get to know Rachel and what her life had been like growing up. Various readers may find this part of the book slow; however, if you enjoy character development you’ll enjoy getting to know Rachel’s less than normal mom and absent dad.

When Rachel’s eventual husband comes into her life, readers will follow the story through her mental breakdown and descent into a chaotic life. The story builds slowly but it gains momentum as each page flips by. There were enough twists to keep me guessing through the last few pages.

I probably won’t remember specifics about this book a year from now, but it put me on the edge of my seat for a couple of days. When it’s difficult to put a book down, it must be because it’s a good one.


Tell me what you thought of this ending in the comments!

The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The hosts of my favorite podcast, Literary Disco, read and discussed this book. They warned that this is a disturbing book, and they were right. They suggested that maybe no one should read it. And they were right. Near the end of the discussion it was mentioned that Ketchum's book was based on real life events. I figured if I read up on what happened I would quench my curiosity about the contents of this book.

Ultimately I did not listen to Julia, Tod, and Rider over at Literary Disco. The real life story is about the torture and murder of Sylvia Likens in 1965. A mother of three children was caring for Sylvia Likens and her sister when she, her children, and several children from the neighborhood began torturing Likens, eventually leading to her death. I learned that the murder happened a couple of blocks from the house I lived in as a child (though I arrived nearly 20 years after Likens' murder). I also learned that my grandmother knew one of the families involved when the murder took place. Curiosity won, and I could not say no to reading this book.

Many liberties were taken from the original story to the final book. Characters were changed; the location was changed; I believe some of the abuse was even changed. What did not change was how horrible the torture was in this book. (There's a brief chapter where the first person narrator cannot even tell specifics about the events that occurred due to the nature of the abuse.) Sensitive readers should not pick up this book. There were several times I put the book down because I was sick to my stomach.

I want to give this book five stars but the content was too horrible. Jack Ketchem's writing was convincing, kept the story moving, and may leave me with nightmares for the next couple of weeks. I'll look forward to reading more by him.

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