I spent two months reading this book section by section between other books. Overall, i enjoyed it very much. The writing is detailed and the characters come to life with their individual personalities. Of course, there is a lot of casual racism included in the book, but that was the way things were in this period, and i don‘t fault the author for capturing the sentiment of the day. Not sure if i loved or hated the ending.

Although this book was a bit slower than the others in the series, it did not disappoint. Penny is a master of the mystery and the human condition.

You can‘t get milk from a hardware store. So stop asking for something that can‘t be given. And look for what is offered.

But privately Reine-Marie wondered. Wondered whether what people did in a crisis was, in fact, their real selves. Stripped of artifice and social training. It was easy enough to be decent when all was going your way. It was another matter to be decent when all hell was breaking loose.

I struggle with whether to consider this book a “pick“ or just “so-so.“ It's another WWII book. I would not have read or finished it if not for a book club. While I'm glad I did read it, I'm not sure it really offered more than what I already know: Nazis bad, people who help Jews good. I don't love when male authors describe female naked bodies, which happened multiple times in this book. Perhaps this book was focused more toward men.

Great audiobook. This book closes out the series initiated by Strange the Dreamer. All threads were tied up, although I will say I would continue to follow this crew in future stories if they were written.

Harrowing adventure story. Far more science fiction/action based that I was expecting; for some reason I thought it would be more fantasy and less guns and solar sails. The characters were fairly well developed even though there were several women, which I can imagine was somewhat difficult for the author to differentiate that many personalities. A little cheesy, but I'll continue reading the story.

Great audiobook. Who doesn't love a haunted house story?

This book was not what I expected it to be. I expected a lot more magic and a lot less romance. However, it really worked. I totally loved Emmett and seeing him become himself.

This book is complex and interesting. Although we are discussing serial killers, it is not gruesome, as the book focuses on the psychology of planning and committed murders while maintaining a family life. My only complaint was that there were a lot of flashbacks that created some confusion about when the narrator was describing.

First 50 pages are exclusively a boring love story. No thrills to be found.

I listened to this on audio because i like hearing the author of a memoir tell their own story. Unfortunately, this guy just isn‘t that interesting for some reason. Instead of putting out a book that made me get behind his candidacy, i feel like he revealed that there just isn‘t much there when compared with the women he‘s up against.

I listened to this extremely short story as part of the audio file sync program. What a fun story about a ghost who meets his match.

This is not the kind of book i usually enjoy, but i was hearing lots of good things so i thought i would try it out. Even while i was telling myself i wasn‘t interested in these privileged people, i could not seem to put the book down. I‘m glad i stuck it out, as it was a wonderful story, particularly about womanhood.

The audio version of this book is fantastic. The chapters are short and cover a wide variety of aspects of the protagonist‘s life before and after capture. Such a tragic story because it‘s based in reality. The afterword is enlightening.

This book was very dark, but fun. Maybe like an anti-summer reading book, because it‘s so filled with death but quite easy to read.

This is a book for people who just want to look at words in no particular order, like a giant poem. This is not a story, in the sense that there‘s a beginning, middle, and end. I don‘t like poetry, and i need a story, so i couldn‘t finish this one.

I was not able to finish this book due to the child sexual abuse occurring within the first hundred pages. Too close to home for me. Maybe someday, but not today.

I didn‘t know much about the Romanovs or Russian history before reading this book and i don‘t think i can say differently after finishing it. These characters could have been random people in a fictional story, but for occasionally references to royalty and hemophilia. The story was alright but nothing earth shattering. Very basic, presumably designed for a YA audience, as there was no nuance to anything and heavy focus on the romantic interests.

I cannot say enough good things about this book. It is absolutely magical. The writing draws you in immediately, and I had a hard time putting the book down each time I picked it up. I was so curious about Ursa and what would happen to everyone involved, and I was not disappointed. Be prepared to cry at the end, because you will love every single person in this book and be invested in what happens to them. Get this book ASAP.

I finally finished this very long audiobook and was just kind of happy that it was over. It felt like three books put together, really. The first part is the criminal trial, the second part is purely historical fiction about the Bataan Death March and, in my opinion, is in no way related to the rest of the story and could be completely skipped and the reader wouldn't miss anything. The third is civil and probate and the twist that wraps it up.

I enjoyed this book but I'm not quite sure that I saw what has everyone so enraptured with it. It's a fun, modern retelling of an old story. It is well-written and easy to read. There is a lot of beautiful detail, so the first half of the book or so only spans a few days, which I really enjoyed. Looking forward to the next installment in the series, since things were certainly left wide open at the end!

This book was just too long. It stared off super interesting and fun but then it just kept going. So many bible stories were included. So many other details were added that just weren‘t necessary. So many things were built up that just didn‘t really go anywhere or mean anything in the end. If this had been divided into a trilogy, i would have stopped at the second book which i would have tried because the first was amazing.

I am enjoying this story of Scarlett and the Civil War from the confederate perspective, but occasionally the author throws in a line like this and i don‘t know what to do:

“Her kind black face sad with the uncomprehending sadness of a monkey‘s face.”

A book has 50 pages to catch my interest and this one didn‘t. I don‘t know what would make anyone finish this book.

This book was amazing. Thought provoking and scary and unique. I did not read Dark Matter, so i can‘t say whether they‘re similar in style. A must read for anyone interested in parallel universes and what might have been. The science part is not overwhelming for anyone who doesn‘t usually read sci fi.

Wow. I cannot remember the last time I read a book this good. This book has it all, and I won't say a word about the content because it is so masterfully presented and weaved together that I could not reveal one thing without revealing all. Just do yourself a favor and pick up this book and read it ASAP. If you love spies, English court life, historical fiction in general, strong women, and the ties that bind, this book is for you.

I just love everything about Three Pines and Inspector Gamache. They‘re all so real and wonderful.

“a man‘s enemies will be the members of his own household.‘” Matthew 10:36

“The softer illumination if the nighttime brought relief from seeing and knowing so much, and made it so that even the most industrious souls could find a few hours‘ relief from the intensity of their perceptions and the burdens thereof.”

Audio book available for free this week through Audiofile's Sync program.

Audio book available for free this week through Audiofile's Sync program.

Clint Hill performed an incredible service for our country and he has done an excellent job detailing it in this book. He brought five presidents to life, giving us a perspective unknown by many. I will never think of Eisenhower, President or Mrs. Kennedy, Johnson, or VP Agnew the same way again. I listened on audiobook and the narration was fantastic.

Best book of the series so far. Really getting excited about the series finale coming out in August. This book introduced a few more cards and expanded the story from just focusing constantly on the love triangle to actually fighting and doing magic and working together. Cliffhanger ending, so have the following book handy!

A fun take on Oliver Twist. Mostly a love story between Olivia and Dodger, but where we have a female protagonist learning that she doesn't have to do what's right for anyone but herself. A young adult book offered as part of Audiofile‘s 2019 sync program.

This book is a fantastic resource for writers, readers, movie-watchers, and anyone interested in the FBI in general. One of the best things about this book is that the author combines resources from fbi.gov, stories from agents who have been on her podcast and her own FBI career, and books and movies to illustrate the points she is making in each chapter. A must have for the FBI enthusiast in your life.

This is another loveable curmudgeon tale, where the town comes together to make the grinch's heart grow three sizes. It includes themes of raising children while taking care of parents with dementia, along with small town life. The only difference is that there‘s a bit of magic. The middle of this book was a little long, and the dialogue was a bit tedious. Overall, it‘s a fine book if you‘re looking for something light.

Today i learned that the proper phrase is “you‘ve got another think coming.” I hate when i learn I‘ve been doing something wrong my whole life.

Thanks Judas Priest.

I picked up this book as part of #booksparks #src2019. As i read, i realized i should be very interested in this book as a Lovecraft and Frankenstein fan. However, i feel like this book tried to do too many things and succeeded at none of them. It‘s a love story without romance. It‘s a supernatural thriller without excitement. It‘s a mystery with no crime. Too much focus on characters‘ interior lives for my tastes. It‘s fine, but not great.

“He was missing when we were kids, but this is different. This time he left. I‘m the missing person. That‘s what i do all night, all day. I miss him.”

I was surprised by how much i “enjoyed” this book. Obviously it‘s not a fun read, but Rule does a fantastic job of bringing you into the story. I met each victim in her final moments in addition to meeting the Ted who knew how to present in society. That‘s why Bundy scares me - anyone could turn out to be someone like that. This book is long and dense, so be prepared for quite a journey, including several endings.

“He seemed to consider himself irrefrangible.

Irrefrangible means “not to be broken or violated.”

Learned a new word today.

This book was fine. The characters were sort of there but not relatable or fleshed out. Their actions were sort of understandable. Some thought provoking considerations of pregnancy and surrogacy but i just never felt drawn into the story enough to care.

I received an ARC of this book, and am grateful for that. I probably wouldn‘t have read it otherwise. It is an interesting story, but it is so nihilist that the whole time you‘re feeling like it‘s pointless to go on. There is a Breaking Bad vibe to it, but that‘s only about 25% of the story. It‘s short, so you won‘t waste much time on it if you read it.

I really enjoyed listening to this book. The author‘s world building and character creation are excellent. At no time was i confused about what was happening or why. My only issues with the book are 1) that there is a lot of romance as the book goes on and 2) it ends on a cliffhanger, so it is not complete unto itself. But i look forward to continuing the journey.

I first admit that I read this without having read Wuthering Heights or being particularly familiar with it. This is a retelling of that story, but I just don't understand why the story should be told even once. The story focuses on a weak-willed girl who is abused by her biological brother, falls in love with her adopted brother who she insists isn't her brother, then almost marries the son of a woman who becomes like her mother. WHY?!

I think I can safely say that I hated this book. It is not a book I would have chosen but I received it as part of the #bookhivebookclub so I felt compelled to finish it. This book could have been so much better, but instead, the author tried to write a 250 page version of a book that would have had to have been much longer to do justice to everything she attempted. Too much tragedy, not enough reality, no logic or explanation.

“I wish i were as proud of my finest moments as i am ashamed of my mistakes.”

“You like monsters?”
“Sure,” Shelby says. “It takes one to know one.”
The kid laughs. “That‘s why the best heroes used to be villains and vice versa.”

I really enjoyed listening to the author narrate this book - i think it made his stories more real. As a lawyer, i always love learning how others approach the job. I feel like Bharara was very thoughtful about how to do justice, and i appreciated that. I highly recommend this book for lawyers and those interested in our justice system.