Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

TITLE:  Mr. Mercedes

AUTHOR:  King, Stephen
GENRE:  Fiction/Thriller

DATES READ:  11/27/2015 - 12/14/2015

MY RATING:  4/5

My mom recommended this to me after I finally finished Fallen Kingdoms.

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To put into perspective how much I enjoyed this book, I finished it at around 2am this morning with a book light while my boyfriend was still sleeping.  It was excellent creep factor!

Mr. Mercedes revolves around retired Detective Hodges and a Mercedes wheeling killer.  There are twists and turns all along the way up until a thrilling conclusion!

I will say there were a few plot holes, but set those aside and it was a fun, wild, typical Stephen King rise.  He certainly knows how to write those villains!  Highly recommended!

Will read and write soon!

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Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

TITLE:  Falling Kingdoms
AUTHOR:  Rhodes, Morgan
GENRE:  Fiction/Fantasy

DATES READ:  1/1/2015 - 11/27/2015

MY RATING:  3/5

This was a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law.  I love the cover!

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1/5/2015:  I actually lost this book during a car accident, and since it was found I haven't been able to pick it up again.  It's just staring at me on my shelf.  But I am determined to finish it at some point...

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Only 10 months later!!!  I finally got up the nerve to finish it.  It was actually a really good fantasy story, but more of an introduction novel for the rest of the series.  I'm always a bit intimidated by books with maps in the beginning, and cast lists for different countries.  I admit, I did have to keep looking back to keep all of the character straight at first.

There were 3 different countries.  And magic.  And power struggle.  An excellent pick for YA fantasy readers.  I would definitely recommend it.

Will read and write soon!

***Photo by B. Bumble***

The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman

TITLE:  The Museum of Extraordinary Things

AUTHOR:  Hoffman, Alice
GENRE:  Fiction

DATES READ:  11/13/2015 - 11/23/2015

MY RATING:  3/5

My coworker let me borrow this one, and she said it was really interesting. 

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This was pretty good.  The Coney Island museum was cool and creepy.  It reminded me of the old school freakshows, only it was a museum of oddities.  And the owner ended up using his daughter's ability to swim very well in order to cast her as one of the main attractions.

The character introductions were all fascinating.  And then the story kind of slowed down.  The story was based around a mystery.  And the mystery was not mysterious.  There was little to know character development throughout the novel.

I found myself wanting to tell the characters to move along.  Besides that, the story was well put until the ending.  Brutal and seemingly superfluous.  I will return this to my coworker, happy that I read it, but not recommending it to anyone else.

Will read and write soon!

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Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined by Stephenie Meyer

TITLE:  Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined

AUTHOR:  Meyer, Stephenie
GENRE:  Fiction/Supernatural

DATES READ:  11/5/2015 - 11/13/2015

MY RATING:  1/5

I got this because frankly... I was curious.  It's supposed to be the original Twilight story, only Bella's character is male and Edward's character is female.  Why not?

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Twilight reimagined my tush!!  She literally went through, hit Ctrl [F] and changed "he" to "she" and vice versa.  And Beaufort as a name?  Really??  Get real.  I feel like this was just a money maker.

She should have just gender bent the main characters and left everything else alone.  It made no sense to gender bend everyone else, and it got really confusing really fast if you're familiar with the original books.

And the ending!!!  At least she changed that up a little bit.  But overall, I just don't understand.  From what I've heard, Meyer wanted to show that the romance would work either way; female vampire or male, but it just doesn't.  Make it from Edythe's point of view, at least.  Not recommended due to lack of imagination.

Will read and write soon!

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The Inn at Rose Harbor by Debbie Macomber

TITLE:  The Inn at Rose Harbor

AUTHOR:  Macomber, Debbie
GENRE:  Fiction

DATES READ:  10/4/2015 - 11/5/2015

MY RATING:  3/5

I got this at a book kiosk at the bookstore, and saw that it was by Debbie Macomber, so I decided to pick up.  She also makes a lot of knitting patterns that I use.

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Jo Marie takes over an inn and this story involves her getting to know the town and several of the residents.  It was a typical feel-good novel; bed-and-breakfasty, knitty, warm romancy, get-over-lossy stuff.  Lovely and sweet.

My favorite character was the grumpy carpenter/mechanic.  I also found myself enjoying the coastal setting.

I appreciated Abby and Josh coming to the B&B, but everything didn't seem to have enough conflict or chaos.  Like it was all coated in an apricot lense, all glowy and soft.  Which is great!  And so Debbie Macomber!  It was good as expected.

Will read and write soon!

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Black Chalk by Christopher J. Yates

TITLE:  Black Chalk

AUTHOR:  Yates, Christopher J.
GENRE:  Fiction

DATES READ:  9/15/2015 - 10/4/2015

MY RATING:  4/5

I read a review on NPR and it said that this book was suspenseful and wonderful, and that it had a fantastic twist at the end!

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And therein lies the rub.  I spent the entire time reading this book searching for that twist.  And all of the crazy schemes I came up with were far more interesting than the actual twist.

This story involved a group of students who start a game at school.  While it starts out innocently, it escalates, until none of them can go back.

Subsequently, the ending was okay.  In hindsight, I wish I hadn't read that review.  The characters were deep and the plot masterful.  I enjoyed the turns and the suspense as well as the college setting.  Truly lovely.  

Will read and write soon!

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The Martian by Andy Weir

TITLE:  The Martian

AUTHOR:  Weir, Andy
GENRE:  Science Fiction

DATES READ:  7/14/2015 - 9/15/2015

MY RATING:  4.5/5

My brother lent this book to me, and said I absolutely had to read it before we go and see the movie with Matt Damon.

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The Martian is about an astronaut who gets stranded on Mars during a mission, and struggles to survive while Earth tries to find a way to get him home.

It took me a while to get through this book, but it was definitely worth the trip.  I'm glad that my brother lent it to me!  My sister-in-law was right that Mark Watney is such a lovely character.  He jumps right off the page with humor, pride, and eccentricity.  He's the ultimate nerd hero!

This book was suspenseful, stressful, and also rewarding.  You almost feel like you survived years alone on Mars yourself.  Definitely recommended for scifi buffs and non-scifi buffs alike.

Will read and write soon!

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At the Drop of a Hat by Jenn McKinlay

TITLE:  At the Drop of a Hat (Hat Shop Mystery #3)

AUTHOR:  McKinlay, Jenn
GENRE:  Fiction/Mystery

DATES READ:  7/1/2015 - 7/6/2015

MY RATING:  4/5

Bought this book for my mom on a whim for Christmas!

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Scarlet and Vivian are cousins who co-run a hat shop called Mim's Whims.  During a restoration of a beautiful old wedding hat, they become ensnared in a plot involving deceit and murder.  A classic hat shop mystery.

I really loved the characters of this story, but the plot was a little silly and simple at times.  I ready very quickly thought, and I enjoyed the British slang.  It was a light chick-lit-ish read, and very fun.

Will read and write soon!

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My Fight/Your Fight by Ronda Rousey

TITLE:  My Fight/Your Fight

AUTHOR:  Rousey, Ronda
GENRE:  Autobiography

DATES READ:  6/12/2015 - 7/1/2015

MY RATING:  4.5/5

My boyfriend bought this book for me because Ronda Rousey is my workout motivation.

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And it was really amazing!!!  Ronda is so driven, powerful, and down-to-earth; all while maintaining a total badass attitude.

This book documents her journey from Judo bronze medalist to UFC champion, and everything in between.

Definitely a must read for those interested in her life story, or looking for motivation in life.  We all have struggles, and it's nice to see an icon rise above and beyond.

Will read and write soon!

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First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen

TITLE:  First Frost (Waverley Family #2)

AUTHOR:  Allen, Sarah Addison
GENRE:  Fantasy

DATES READ:  6/7/2015 - 6/11/2015

MY RATING:  4.5/5

I bought this book for my mom's birthday.  She highly recommended it, and I needed a good fantasy pick me up.

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Overall, it was really lovely!  This book continues the Waverley sisters story from Garden Spells.  The first frost is always a magical time in the Waverley household and this time is no different.  Allen weaves the family's new spell involving candy the creates emotions, hair styling that changes lives, and the sisterly love that always brings the family together. 

I love that each of the sisters possesses special "gifts".  The only character that bothered me a little was Sydney with her baby crazy.  However, I have seen friends get baby crazy and this book is a realistic portrayal.

As in all of Allen's stories, the settings are delicious.  Old victorian houses, magical gardens  with apple trees, and warm kitchens filled with potion-like candies to save the day!

I would recommend this book to any reader who enjoys a little magic and whimsy.  It also brings home that family comes first, no matter what.

Will read and write soon!

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Heaven's Queen by Rachel Bach

TITLE:  Heaven's Queen (Paradox #3)

AUTHOR:  Bach, Rachel
GENRE:  Science Fiction

DATES READ:  5/23/2015 - 6/7/2015

MY RATING:  4/5

The ending to the Paradox trilogy.  Getting started right away!

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All of the Devi's adventures on the Glorious Fool are coming to a close, and it looks like there's a intergalactic war on the horizon.

A satisfying ending  to the trilogy.  Everything did end up a little too happy-ending-ish right at the close, but I happen to like those kinds of endings on occasion.  Especially for characters that I care about.  Devi has much more emotion in this installment, and is not the usual stoic mercenary.

As always, I loved the crew of the Glorious Fool, and most of the loose ends were neatly tied.  I'm happy that I read this series that was far out of my comfort zone.  But it will be nice to take a little break from science fiction for a while.

If you love science fiction, outer space, strong female leads, and alien battles, this is definitely the series for you!  So recommended!!!

Will read and write soon!

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The Dead House by Linda Fairstein

TITLE:  The Dead House (Alexandra Cooper #4)

AUTHOR:  Fairstein, Linda
GENRE:  Fiction/Thriller

DATES READ:  5/1/2015 - 5/23/2015

MY RATING:  1/5

This book has been on my shelf for ages, and I'm trying to clean house a little bit, so I'm going to read as many of them as I can.  Looks like a fun thriller.

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Goodness...  I can't get over the fact that there were "lady's silk lounging pajamas in the palest shade of aqua" even mentioned in this book!  What are we stuck in the 80s??

This book was so promising.  Murder.  Secret messages.  Hidden diamonds.  A handsome older best friend.  A crazy pants killer on the loose.  And then you end with a snore.

Overall, it was a good plot, but there was no imagination in the ending.  Maybe I should try another Alex Cooper novel.  Maybe it was just this specific book.

Will read and write soon!

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Must Love Dogs by Claire Cook

TITLE:  Must Love Dogs

AUTHOR:  Cook, Claire
GENRE:  Fiction

DATES READ:  4/20/2015 - 5/1/2015

MY RATING:  1/5

Got this book at the library book sale, and I needed something more on the lighter side of things.  And apparently there's a movie about this with Diane Lane, and John Cusack.  How did I miss that?

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Maybe the movie will be a little less predictable...

Divorced preschool teacher ends up on an online dating extravaganza complete with loving father figure, family interventions, and several decoy bachelors.  Good for what it was, but not my cup of tea certainly.

Main characters were one-dimensional.  The only characters I really liked were the father, and the crazy woman with the pink boa.  I can't even remember the main character's name.

A good beach read I suppose.  But nothing noteworthy, at least on my end.

Will read and write soon!

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