Book Review: Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Lewis Stevenson

The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde by robert lewis stevenson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a quick and easy read. The story was ok. There wasn't much in the way of plot and the characters were decently developed but nothing spectacular. Overall this book is just ok. If your looking for a fast read just so you can say that you read it, then go for it.

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Book Review: The House at the End of the World by Dean Koontz

The House at the End of the World by Dean Koontz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've read quite a few Koontz books over the years (Intensity, a few of the Odd Thomas books, the Frankenstein series, Nameless series 1, and a couple more). This offering by Koontz was just ok.

I enjoy his writing style and his world building in all his books. I like how he writes from the point of view of different characters in different chapters. I like when a story converges like that. I want to know how the characters will come together as I'm reading their parts.

The plot of this book was not really my favorite though. The character development and world building are classic Koontz and why I read him, but this wasn't my favorite so it's 3 stars for me because it was just ok.

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Book Review: Photographing the Dead (Nameless: Season One, #2)

Photographing the Dead by Dean Koontz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another well written story by Koontz. I'm enjoying these short stories very much. They are a quick read and very engaging.

I was particularly fond of the demise of one of the main characters. I did not see that one coming. I enjoy being caught off guard by an ending

If you've got a few hours to spend, this is well worth the read.

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Book Review: Nameless, In The Heart of the Fire

In the Heart of the Fire by Dean Koontz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Very fast and easy read. Dean Koontz has always been a favorite of mine for his wonderful story telling and ability to paint a vivid picture. This book is no exception. It's a fast paced short story that is well worth the read.

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Book Review: The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis

The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Lewis can be hard for me to follow from time to time. I enjoyed the content of the book. I have no real issues with anything he had to say, it was just an OK book for me. I can now add it to the list of C.S. Lewis books I have gone through.

This book covers the topic of love (as the title suggests). It talks about our love for one another, for things, and for God. It also talks about how those things intersect with and interact with one another. I do appreciate how Lewis rights in regards to his own knowledge on topics. He is the first to admit that he is not the "be all, end all" author on things. He just offers his thoughts. I like that about him.

You won't be disappointed if you pick this up. It's a fairly short book (less than 200 pages) and it's got some good quotes and thoughts on the topic of love.

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Book Review: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I finished this book back in July, but forgot to post a review about it. Here are my thoughts: 

There is a reason that this series of books is considered one of the greatest of all time. The Hobbit did not disappoint. It was well written and the story moved you along at a wonderful pace. I enjoyed my first steps into the book version of middle earth. I've seen all of the films, but as always, the book was so much better. I can't wait to continue reading the series.

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Book Review: Nothing But the Truth by Avi

Nothing But the Truth by Avi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I found this book to be a very interesting look into interpersonal relationships and the effects of people's actions on those relationships. It was interesting to see how the story unfolded for each of the characters as they saw the incident through their own lenses. There were just slight tweaks in the way that they each told the account of what happened and it was amazing to see the ramifications of those tweaks to the story. I'm being vague on the story to not spoil it for anyone. If you are someone that's into psychology or you are just a people watcher by nature, this will be an interesting book for you to read. I gave it three stars because I thought it was well written and I enjoyed the premise, but it's not something I'll pick up and read again.

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Book Review: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the fact that it was like playing the board game "Clue". I figured out half of the solution before the end of the book. The plot isn't too deep, but I think that adds to the fun of the book. It's a quick read and very fun. I'd recommend this book to anyone that likes a good "who done it" type book. The characters are very likable and the story telling is done in a great way. It's not a five star book for me, but it's pretty close to it. It's definitely worth the read.

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Book Review: The House with the Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs

The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a well written book that was a lot of fun to read. I enjoyed the story line and the characters. The author does a great job of painting scenes in the book. It's got magic, mystery, and suspense. It also deals a little bit with a child new to an area that struggles to fit in. I think this book will appeal to a wide range of audiences. If you haven't seen the movie yet, I'd say read the book first, it's much better!

Overall, I give this book at 4/5

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Book Review: Camino Island by John Grisham

Camino Island by John Grisham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've always enjoyed John Grisham's books. This one was no exception. I really enjoyed that one of the main characters was a book store owner. I've always been fascinated with that profession so it was fun to read a book with that being such a central part of the plot. As with all the Grisham books that I have read, this one had a wonderful plot and fantastic characters. I enjoyed the world of Camino Island. I found it very easy to be transported to the cottage, the beach, and Bay books. I found the supporting characters to be fun and colorful. It's just a very well written book and it made me remember why I like to read at least one Grisham book a year. I would highly recommend this book.

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Book Review: The Library at Mount Char

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an interesting read for me. I'd never heard of this book and saw it on Reddit via a post there and decided to give it a read. For a book that has so many subplots running through it, it was surprisingly easy to read. I didn't find that I was at any point lost in terms of the story line. Having said that, there were some plot twists that kept me guessing through the whole book. The characters were...eccentric, but very well written. The story is so outlandish, that it's absurd at some places, but hey that makes for a fun read. I would recommend giving this book a read. It flows by really quickly and it's a fun story.

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Book Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book has been on my TBR for a long time. Overall, I was fairly happy with it. It was slow in some parts as the plot was developing. I really enjoyed the photographs that were spread throughout the book. I think they added alot to the story.

The characters seem to be well rounded. I'm looking forward to seeing how they develop throughout the other books in this series. I wish there would have been a little bit more about Grandpa at the beginning of the book, but that's just personal preference.

The world building is good in this book. The author takes great care in describing all the places in this book. I didn't have any problems coming up with a mental image for the various settings. This is something that I really enjoy about a well written book.

The plot is developing nicely. I'm interested to see how it's going to be spread out over the entirety of this series. I'm imagining there will have to be some side plots to go along with the main one, but we shall see.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars. I think it's a great book for middle grade readers on up. It's a quick read and would be a great one for the month of October as people are looking for spooky books to add to their TBR.

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Book Review: Broken by John Rector

Synopsis: 

Trust becomes a fatal mistake in this shocking thriller by the international bestselling author of The Ridge.

Welcome to Beaumont Cove, a slowly decaying tourist town at the edge of the world, and the place where Maggie James’s worst fears for her estranged twin sister, Lilly, have come true.

Lilly is dead, and Maggie has arrived to identify her body.

Lilly’s husband, Mike, is in custody for her murder. With his long history of abuse, no one in town is surprised at the inevitable end to their stormy marriage, least of all Maggie. All she wants is to clean up her sister’s affairs, see Mike punished, and get out of Beaumont Cove.

With the help of the local sheriff, a retired private investigator, and a strange but friendly carnival psychic, Maggie begins to uncover the truth about what really happened to her sister. But the truth comes at a price, and soon Maggie finds herself walking a dark path toward the same deadly trap that killed Lilly.

The more Maggie discovers about her sister’s final days, the more she realizes that nothing is as it appears in this strange boardwalk town.

*Synopsis taken from netgalley.com

It's been quite a while since I have read a good mystery/thriller book. I have to say that I enjoyed this book very much. I found Mr. Rector's writing style to be top notch. He did a wonderful job on world development and character depth. I was able to get a wonderful mental image of the town of Beaumont Cove. It was almost like I was there. The other thing that I really appreciated about this book was the attention to detail that Mr. Rector has for his writing.  There would be parts written in that didn't have a lot to do with the overall plot, but added an amazing amount of depth and texture to the book. 

The relationship between Mike and Lilly was so well written that I found myself hating Mike. That is the mark of a good book to me when it can trigger such a base instinct inside of me. 

Overall I though the plot was well developed and it had me guessing all the way to the end. Sometimes in these books I can spot the end a mile away, but not so with this one. It was very refreshing as a reader. 

Overall I would give this book a solid 4.5/5 stars. I would absolutely recommend reading it, especially if you are a fan of this genre of writing. It is well worth the time and it reads very quickly. 

Book Review: Wynter's Discontent by Nigel Draper

I enjoyed this book from the very beginning. I'm a big fan of books that switch from one character's point of view to another. It's a bonus when it is done well. That is the case with this book. The chapters float seamlessly from one character to another.

I'm also a big fan of the plot of this book. It's like your getting an inside look into the mind of a con man, and then you throw in the aspect of the secret service and that makes it even more interesting.

For me, world building and character development are a vital part of any story. The character development in this book is very well done. I was particularly a fan of Wynter and of Meredith. Those characters were both very compelling to me and I couldn't wait to hear what happened to them throughout the book. The author does a great job of working subtle details into the character descriptions. There were many times where there would just be short little descriptors of a character's demeanor that would totally put that character into my mind's eye. It was like I was standing there in the room with them. The world building is equally well done. I could see the scenes in vivid detail in my mind. To me, this is the mark of a really well done book.

The readability of this book is very good. It's a quick read and it keeps you engaged from start to finish. There is no slow build up at the beginning, you just jump right in and before you know it you are at the end.

I would recommend this book to anyone. I think it is a book that can appeal to a wide range of readers. It's well worth your time and I have no doubt you will enjoy it as much as I did.

My rating: 4/5

Book Review: Warcross by Marie Lu

Warcross by Marie Lu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have had this book on my list for a long time. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. It's got a lot of different angles in terms of readers it will appeal to. The plot covers topics from gaming, hacking, the dark web, romance, mystery, and the list goes on. I think that this book has a lot to offer.

The characters are well developed and easy to relate to and follow along with. The plot is well written and doesn't drag in spots as some plots are prone to doing. Personally, I would have been ok with a little bit less of the romance angle and a little more of the hacking and gaming plot, but that is just personal preference. It doesn't detract from the story at all.

It was really interesting seeing the author's take on what the world could look like here in the not so distant future when it comes to virtual reality and how that relates to our every day life. It was also intriguing to see how much influence and power a video game company has. It will be interesting to see if we ever come close to what is written about here.

I would recommend this book. It's a quick read, engaging, and fun. I will be reading the second book for sure. I gave it a 4/5 because it was a good book, but it wasn't one of my top 10 or anything like that. I would have given it a 4.5/5 but that's not an option.

Enjoy this one, it's worth it.

I would recommend this book

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Book Review: Freeing Lindhurst by Al Cassidy

Freeing Linhurst by Al Cassidy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book very much. It's a well written fiction story that has it's roots in a real place that inspired the author. The characters and pacing were wonderful. The plot was well thought out and kept you on your toes throughout.

The plot in this book was great. It hit on so many things that I wasn't expecting. It tackled such topics as bullies, abuse, death of a loved one, lies, love, and paranormal activity just to name a few. This book has a little bit of everything and it's so well tied together into one flowing story. The writing was done in such a way that you felt like you were in the abandoned buildings or running through the dark to get away. In my mind it's the sign of a good book when you feel like you're in the story with the characters.

Speaking of characters, I really liked the characters in this book. They were well rounded and very believable. I really found Jack to be wonderful. You got to follow the roller coaster that was his life. While most of us won't find ourselves searching through an abandoned state hospital, we will find ourselves dealing with loss, frustration, joy, and pain. You get to follow Jack through all of these things and I found myself rooting for him as I read.

This is a fairly quick read that keeps you interested throughout. This is a fantastic book for adults and kids alike. I would recommend this book to anyone that asks.

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Book Review: Inside the Mind of Martin Mueller by E.A. Luetkemeyer

Inside the Mind of Martin Mueller by E.A. Luetkemeyer
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Where do I start with this book? I'm not sure if you could call it a book as far as I'm concerned. It reads more like a stream of consciousness paper. There is next to no plot or character development in the beginning. I'm guessing this was on purpose due to the type of book it is and the ending it has, but I don't think it's serves the purpose well. I like to go into a book knowing at least something of the characters and what's going on.

Once you get into the book it's just a rambling dialogue mainly between two gentlemen, most of which makes no sense at all. The author also spends a lot of time with Martin repeating the exact same words as the person he's talking to, so it feels like you are reading the same words again and again. There were a few times that I had to go back and make sure that my kindle hadn't somehow jumped me backwards a few pages without my knowing it.

Then, when it came to the ending you still have no idea what is going on. There is no concrete ending to this book. I think I know what happened, but I can't be sure. Maybe I just missed it and that's on me, but I have read many, many books and have never walked away wondering if I missed something in the ending.

This just isn't a very well written book in my opinion and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

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How do you read?

I've seen a lot of posts out there about reading routines. So I thought I would throw the question out here for all of you. What is your reading routine? I'm asking this because I'm struggling to find a good reading routine right now. I always think that I will be able to read before I go to bed at night and inevitably as soon as my head hits the pillow or I sit down in bed I start to get tired. Obviously, I need a new routine lol. I've got some constraints to when I can read as I'm married and have 3 kids, so I don't want my reading to take time away from my family. I'm hoping I can glean some good ideas from you guys about how you read and when you read. Thanks for taking the time to chime in. Have a great rest of the week!

Update on the Great American Read

It's been a while since I have posted. I haven't stopped reading, it's just taking me longer to get through book 2 of Game of Thrones then I was thinking. I've also recently joined a book club, so I will be posting from those books as well. Thanks for sticking around and reading the very sporadic posts here. I'm hoping to get more content up on the blog, but no promises. Have a great weekend everyone!

Book Review: A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I know I'm late to the party on this series, but better late than never. This is a fantastic book. It has made me rediscover my love for this genre. The richness and depth of the story is wonderful. I love the writing style and the world building. It took me a few pages to get my bearings on who was who, but that's how it is with any series when you are being introduced to everyone at the beginning. I love books that are written from different character's points of view so that's a huge plus for this book for me.

There were parts where I thought I knew what was coming next and I was totally wrong. It's always wonderful when a book keeps you guessing to the end. I can't wait to continue on with this series and see who will once and for all be the King of the Seven Kingdoms.

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