Currently reading
Amish Romance : Love You (Aubrey's Change of Heart) (Amish Romance : Torn series Book 1)
Mercy Springs (Republic of Texas Book 1)
A Troll Under the Bridge
I started reading this a couple of chapters at a time to my five-year old niece. I have to confess that I was so involved in the story that I just read it to the end by myself. This is a great adventure story that I would recommend to early primary graders. It also has some great humor for adults (such as fairies are more vicious than ogres--after watching True Blood I can certainly believe that). I was really engaged by the two main characters', an troll and a human female orphan girl, friendship. I hope the author is planning a sequel with their further adventures.I received this book as a surprise add-on to a Goodreads win of the author's book, The Dinosaur in My Backyard, but this has in no way impacted my review. I'm just happy to get to read a great book that I would never have found on my own.
Endangered (A Joe Pickett Novel)
I liked the characters in this book. However, I saw the twists in the plot coming so there were no surprises. I actually listened to about half on the audiobook on my way to work and then finished with the physical book. I enjoyed the audiobook much better because the narrator was fantastic. Overall, 3.75 stars for the book and 4.5 for the audiobook version.
Living Dead in Dallas
Not as good as the first one but it is well written. I started reading this series because I missed True Blood. The first book is matches the series very well. This one has many of the same plots but the emphasis is different. For example, Lafayette is a extremely minor character in this book compared to the series. I'm looking forward to reading the next book.
The Day the Words Went Away
This was a breezy read based on a good plot. It reminded me of The Neverending Story. It is mostly an adventure with a romance or two thrown in. The author keeps your interest until the end of the book. The end leaves room for a possible sequel, which I would love to read.I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway but that has not impacted my review.
Who Gets the Apartment?: A Novel of Suspense
I liked this book. It was like an adult choose your own adventure book in the first half but then became an engrossing revenge tale in the second half. Overall, well done.
Deadline
Set during the same time period as Field of Prey, this Virgil Flowers book was just as good, though slower moving and more 'countrified'. Sandford's writing just keeps getting better without just repeating the same plot over and over.
The New Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot Mystery
I agree that the sentence construction did not mirror Agatha Christie's style and it would be hard to replicate her great plots. However, it was a good cozy mystery on its own merits so I gave it four stars. It was a hundred percent better than some of Agatha's misses like the Big Four.
Personal
This book was so slow to start that I actually cleaned my cat litter boxes rather than read it. I finally abandoned it around page 100 after reading other reviews that it got better after 80 pages. I didn't think it did and there are a lot of books in my to read pile that hopefully will be better.
Dear Girls Above Me: Inspired by a True Story
It was light reading that was really funny in spots. It's a good story to pick up and read a chapter and put back down. Supposedly it was based on a true story but I got the feeling there was a lot of fictional stuff added. It didn't have much of a plot so I gave it 3 stars.
Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America
I've been upper middle class with a sudden drop to lower class and now back to middle class. I believe what the author has written here because I've lived it. However, I didn't see much new here compared to Nickle and Dimed.
Reply to a Letter from Helga
The author's excellent descriptions of Icelandic country life around World War II makes the setting the main character and my favorite part of this novel. It makes you feel that you know exactly how people lived at that time in that place. I didn't care much for the protagonist, the sheep farmer Bjarni. Bjarni, as he nears the end of his life, seems to regret more that other people didn't do what he wanted rather than realize that perhaps he should have compromised a bit himself. He doesn't seem to care for his family at all but just for his own needs.
The Olympus Killer
This was a well plotted mystery that kept me reading to find out how the author was going to incorporate another Greek mythological character into a serial killer's murder methodology. I read it in two days. I loved the dynamic between the two lead detectives. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes graphic thrillers (both sex and violence are here). My favorite part was how the atmosphere of Greece and Cyprus were described so well that not only did you feel that you were there but it seemed almost like the location was another character in the novel. I also loved the authenticity of the descriptions as the author is a resident of Cyprus himself. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.
The Skinnytaste Cookbook: Light on Calories, Big on Flavor
If you're ready for a more gourmet Hungry Girl, this cookbook is for you! Skinnytaste lightens up meals in innovative ways like Chocolate Cream Pie (made with Tofu), Chocolate Walnut Cookies (made with avocado instead of butter), Chili Verde (made with chicken and white beans instead of pork) and Lasagna (made with zucchini instead of pasta). I agree with the author's suggestion to make a weekly menu plan and then shop for the ingredients because most people won't have these types of items in their pantry already. Most of the recipes have a lot of ingredients and will take more time than I have after coming home from work on weekdays. However, I'm looking forward to making several on the weekends. I particularly appreciated the notes regarding new foods like farro and her perfect pairings.
The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains: A Tale of Travel and Darkness with Pictures of All Kinds
A haunting fairy tale that was perfect just before Halloween. The illustrations make the story better than it would be alone.
The Layton Court Mystery
This book was extremely slow and I was able to guess who did it less than 25% in. While Berkeley is considered a "English golden age of mysteries" author like Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, this book was a disappointment to me.