Book: Dark Tower Book 1 - The Gunslinger

 Book: Gunslinger Book 1

Author: Stephen King

Pages: 288

This is my 24th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Roland of Gilead: The Last Gunslinger.  He is a haunting figure, a loner on a spellbinding journey into good and evil.  In his desolate world, which mirrors our own in frightening ways, Roland tracks The Man in Black, encounters an enticing woman named Alice, and begins a friendship with a boy from NY named Jake.

This was a weird book.  I am determined to read all of Stephen King's book, and I am down to just a few and the Dark Tower series.  It is pretty big, and this book did not give me hope that I am going to be able to finish this series or want to.  I migth try one more book, but this book is dense for 288 pages.  I had a hard time getting into it and was glad when it was over. It wasn't necessarily bad, it was just a hard read and not really my style.  So we shall see.

Stars: 3

Book: Dream School

Book: Dream School

Author: Jeffery Selingo

Pages: 352

This is my 23rd read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Attending college has long been a rite of passage for millions of teens and a bedock of the American dream.  But that well-worn path has lately taken a wrong turn, denying admission even to super-achievers and putting intolerable stress on family finances.  Now, in Dream School Jeffrey Selingo shifts the spotlight from how colleges pick students to how students can better pick colleges.  With est-optional policies and grade inflation leveling the playing field for applicants, getting into prestigious schools has become a kind of lottery.  "Plan A" may work out, but increasingly it isn't- so Selingo urges families to ditch the "Top 25 or bust" mindset and look beyond the usual suspects.  Hidden-gem schools with increidble value and rich opportunities are wiating to be discovered.  Backed by unparalleled research - and an eye-opening survey of more than 3000 parents - Dream School revelas what really matters in a college: strong job prospects after graduation, hands-on learning experiences, and a sense of belonging.  To help students find their perfect match, Selingo highlights 75 accessible and affordable colleges that will satisfy those priorities.  Organized into 3 easy-to-digest sections, Dream School explains why elite college degrees turn out to matter less than you think, why many parents and students are choosing value over prestige, and how to make sure the degree really pays off.  In these pages, Selingo's engaging style and expert insights turn what is often an unnavigable maze into a clear roadmap.

This was a great book.  I have followed Jeff for the last few years as my last two children navigated the college landscape.  My kids graduated last year - the height of a "baby boom" of kids going off to college.  They had so much competition, and being good students, it was wild to navigate the waters with them.  Jeff is grounding.  His first book - "Who gets in and why" brought me down to reality and helped me help the kids make smart decisions about where they wanted to go to school based on more than a name.  And they have ended up at terrific places that fit them well thanks in part of guidance of Jeff and his videos and sessions over the last year.  I knew I needed to read his new book and if you are in the middle of looking for colleges for your kids - this book is for you.  He helps you make sense of the landscape and realy helps you focus on helping your kids find the next step that makes sense for them.  My favorite line in the book was "HOW you go to college matters much more than WHERE you go to college"  No truer words.

Stars: 4.5 

Book: As Long as The Lemon Tree Grows

 Book: As Long As The Lemon Tree Grows

Author: Zoulfa Katouh

Pages: 432

This is my 22nd read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Salama Kassab was a pharmacy student when the cries for freedom broke out in Syria.  She still had her parents and her big brother; she still had her home.  She had a normal teenager's life.  Now Salama volunteers at a hospital in Homs, helping the wounded who flood through the doors daily.  Secretly, though, she is desperate to find a way out of her beloved country before her sister-in-law, Layla, gives birth.  So desperate, that she has manifested a physical embodiment of her fear in the form of her imagined companion, Khawf, who haunts her every move in an effort to keep her safe.  But even with Khawf pressing her to leave, Salama is torn between her loyalty to her country and her conviction to survive.  Salama must contend with bullets and bombs, military assaults, and her shifting sense of morality before she might finally breathe free.  And when she crosses paths with the boy she was supposed to meet one faeful day, she starts to doubt her resolve in leaving home at all.  Soon, Salama must learn to see the events around her for what they truly are - not a war, but a revolution and decide how she too will cry for Syria's freedom.

Stars: 4

Book: Legends and Lattes

 Book: Legends and Lattes

Author: Travis Baldress

Pages: 304

This is my 21st read for the year

What Amazon Says:

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her swod for the last time.  The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune.  But old and new rivals stand in the way of success - not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.  if Viv wants o put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.  But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way.  And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she could ever have dreamed.

This was a good book.  I liked the cozy story mixed with a bit of fantasy.  It is an easy read - finished it in a day and a half.  A lot of likable characters to continually root for.  Nice world building as well.  I will be reading the next one in the series.

Stars: 4

Book: The Lost House

 Book: The Lost House

Author: Melissa Larsen

Pages: 352

This is my 20th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

40 years ago, a young woman and her infant daughte were found buried in the cold Icelandic snow, lying together as peacefully as though sleeping.  Except he mother's throat has been slashed and the infant drowned.  The case was never solved.  There were no arrets, no conviction.  Just a suspicion turned into a certainty: the husband did it.  When he took his son and fled halway across the world to California, it was proff enough of his guilt.  Now, nearly half a century later and a year after his death, his granddaughter, Agnes, is ready to clear her grandfather's name once and for all.  Still recovering from his death and a devastating injury, Agnes wants nothing more than an excuse to escape the shambles of her once-stable life - which is why she so readily accepts true crime expert Nora Carver's invitation to be interviewed for her popular podcast.  Agnes packs a bag and hops on a last-minute flight to the remote town of Bitfrost, Iceland, where Nora is staying, where Agne's father grew up, and where, supposedly, her grandfather slaughtered his wife and infant daughter.  Is it merely coincidence that a local girl goes missing the very same weekend Agnes arrives?  Suddenly, Agnes and Nora's investigation is turned upside down, and everyone in the small Icelandic town is once again a suspect.  Seeking to unearth old and new truths alike, Agnes finds herself drawn into a web of secrets that threaten the redemption she is hell-bent on dlivering, and even her life - discovering how far a person will go to protect their family, their safety, and their secrets.

This was a decent book.  This was one of my Amazon free reads I am working my way through this year.  However - I decided to listen to this one.  It also was fulfilling a reading challenge.  It was a decent story, with an interesting Icelandic background.  Pretty predictable mystery overall and Agnes was a bit of an exhausting character.  But it was a good book to listen to - to hear all the Icelandic names pronounced.  Glad I read this one.

Stars: 3 

Book: Hazelthorn

 Book: Hazelthorn

Author: CG Drews

Pages: 368

This is my 19th read for the year

What Amazon says:

Evander has lived like a ghost in the forgotten corners of the Hazelthorn estate ever since he was taken in by his reclusive billionaire guardian, Byron Lennox-Hall, when he was a child.  For his safety, Evander hasbeen given 3 ironclad rules to follow:  He can never leave the estate.  He can never go into the gardens.  And most importantly, he can never again be left alone with Byron's charming, underachieving grandson, Laurie.  That last rule has been in place ever since Laurie tried to kill Evander 7 years ago, and yet somehow Evander is still obsessed with him.  When Byron suddently dies, Evander inherits Hazelthorn's immense gothic mansion and acres of sprawling grounds, along with the entirety of the Lennox-Hall family's vast wealth.  But Evander's sure his guardian was murdered, and Laurie may be the only one who can help him find the killer before they come for Evander next.  Perhaps even more concerning is how the overgrown garden is regusing to stay behind its walls, slipping its vines and spores deeper into the house with each passing day.  As the family's dark secrets unravel alonside the growing horror of their terribly alive, bloodthirsty garden, Evander needs to find out what he's really inheriting before the garden demands to be fed once more.

This book was fine.  This is really not my genre, and as I have stated many times, I am really getting away from enjoying YA.  It is written well enough, but the characters are a bit infuriating - especially Evander.  It gets a little convoluded at the end, but I finished it and no unhappy I read it.  Bit predictable horror story and an unsatisfying ending.

Stars: 3

Book: When I Fell From The Sky

 Book: When I Fell From The Sky

Author: Juliane Koepcke

Pages: 256

This is my 18th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

The true story of one woman's miraculous survival.  On December 24, 1971, the teenage Juliane boarded the packed flight in Peru to meet her father for Christmas.  She and her mother fought to get some of the last seats available and felt thankful to have made the flight.  The LANSA airplane flew into a heavy thunderstorm and went down in dense Amazon jungle hundred of miles from civilization.  She fell 2 miles from the sky, still strapped to her plane seat, into the jungle.  She was the sole survivor among the 92 passengers, which included her mother, and Julian's unexplainable survival has been called a modern-day miracle.  With incrdible courage, instince and ingenuity, she crawled and walked alone for 11 days in the green hell of the Amazon.  She survived using the skills she'd learned in assisting her parents on their research trips into the jungle before coming across a loggers hut, and with it, safety.  

This was an interesting book.  The story of her crash and survival for 11 days in the jungle were the most captivating part of the book.  It isn't especially well written, but she lived quite the life, so it is easily overlooked.  It was a terrible tragedy that affected the rest of her life.  In 1998 they made a short documentary about her ordeal when she returned to Peru with a film crew to re-walk her path of survival.  She is quite the woman.

Stars: 3.5

Book: Committed

 Book: Committed

Author: Adam Stern

Pages: 320

This is my 17th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Adam Stern was a student at a state medical school before being selected to train as a psychiatry resident at one of the most prestigious programs in the country.  His new and initially intimidating classmates were high achievers from the Ivy League and other elite universities around the nation.  Faculty raved about that group as though the residency program had won the lottery, nicknaming them "The Golden Class" but would Stern ever prove that he belonged?  In his memoir, Stern pulls back the curtain on the intense and emotionally challenging lessons he and his fellow doctors learned while studying the human condition, and ultimately, the value of connection.  The narrative focuses on these residents, their growth as doctors, and the life choices they make as they try to survive their grueling 4 year residency.  Rich with drama, insight, and emotion, Stern shares engrossing stories of life on the psychiatric wards, as well as the group's experiences as they grapple with impostor syndrome and learn about love and loss.  Most importantly, as they study how to help distressed patients in search of a better life, they discover the meaning of failure and the preciousness of success.  Stern's growth as a doctor, and as a man, have readers rooting for him and his patients, and ultimately find their own hearts fuller for having taken this journey with him.

This book was okay.  I liked the idea of it, and found a lot of the cases he was involved in interesting.  He is a psychiatrist here in Boston, so that drew me in.  The book was telling two stories though - his personal life and his cases, where after awhile the personal story took over.  It isn't necessary a bad thing, but it seemed to lose the basis for the book which was to talk about his training as a psychiatrist.  It isn't especially well written, but not terrible either.  Glad I read this - found it for a few dollars at a used book store - but not sure I would recommend it.

Stars: 3 

Book: Paper Cuts

 Book: Paper Cuts

Author: Ellery Adams

Pages: 308

This is my 16th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Nora escaped her past a decade ago.  So it feels like a visit from another world when Kelly Walsh - the woman her ex-husband left her for - walks through the door of Miracle Books along with her son.  Kelly hasn't come to gloat, though.  As it turns out, she's been dumped too.  She's also terribly ill, and all she wants from Nora is forgiveness.  Shockingly, however, this woman who's been the victim of so much misfortune is about to become a murder victim.  Who would do such a thing?  Certainly not Nora, but that doesn't stop the gossip and suspicion - especially after Kelly's brother claims that he saw the 2 women arguing.  In seeking justice for Kelly, The Secret, Book, and Scone Society joins forces with the sheriff's department, but they've barely begun their probe when life throws another wrench.  After serving a 20 year sentence Estella's father returns to Miracle Springs.  And when his past comes back to haunt him, it might be more than the 4 friends can handle.

This was an okay book.  I am working through all 8 of these books by Adams, and they have all been fine.  The first one was my favorite, and they have gotten more "meh" the more I read.  They are easy reads, but I have liked the main character, Nora, less and less.  Adams keeps writing her with a bit of a "Bite" that I don't think you would find in a bookshop owner.  That is my own opinion, but it just doesn't fit what I see for this character, so her snarkiness, and a few things she does in this book seems out of what I felt the norm should be.  Nit picky for sure, but it rubs me the wrong way.  

Stars: 3

Book: Dungeon Crawler Carl

  Book: Dungeon Crawler Carl

Author: Matt Dinniman

Pages: 464

This is my 15th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

You know what's worse than breaking up with your girlfriend?  Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat.  And you know what's worse than that?  An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalatic game show.  That's what.  Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world - or just get to the next level - in a video game - like, trap filled fantasy dungeon.  A dungeon that's actually the set of a realit television show with countelss viewers across the galaxy.  Exploding goblins.  Magical potions.  Deadly, drug-dealing llamas.  This ain't your ordinary game show.

This was an excellent book.  I decided to listen to it because I heard that the audio version was top notch, and it was.  There are a lot of voices and it is highly entertaining this way.  It is clever, and well written, and Carl is a very likable character.  Princess Donut as well.  There are a lot of books in this Dungeon Crawler series, and I am anxious to keep reading to hear where the whole story is going.  Check this one out.

Stars: 5

Book: The Family Across The Street

 Book: The Family Across The Street

Author: Nicole Trope

Pages: 256

This is my 14th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Everybody wants to live on Hogarth Street, the pretty, tree-lined avenue with its white houses.  The new family, the Wests, are a perfect fit.  Katherine and John seem so in love and their gorgeous 5 year old twins race screeching around their beautiful emerald-green lawn.  But today, they won't invite you in when you knock, they brush away offers to babysite and the children haven't been seen.  Every family has secrets, and on the hottest day of the year, the truth is about to come out.  As a tragedy unfolds behind closed doors, the dawn chorus is split by the wall of sirents.  And one by one the families who tried so hard to welcome the Wests begin to realize: Hogarth Street will never be the same again.

This was an okay book.  I had it as a Kindle free read, and I am really trying to get through those more this year.  It had a few surprsies, but not many and I found it overall too wordy.  Large amounts of past lives information that just could have been shortened to move the story along.  It is a fast read - read it in a few hours - so I will give it that.

Stars: 3

Book: William Shakespeare's Star Wars

 Book: William Shakespeare's Star Wars

Author: Ian Doescher

Pages: 176

This is my 13th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Experience the first installment of Star Wars all over again, now with all the drama and prestige of Shakespearean theater.  

This book was read to fulfill a book challenge category of a book without quotation marks.  Those are hard to find!  This was an easy and quick read, and pretty entertaining for what it was.

Stars: 3.5 

Book: A Forbidden Alchemy

 Book: A Forbidden Alchemy

Author: Stacey McEwan

Pages: 480

This is my 12th book for the year

What Amazon Says:

Nina Harrow and Patrick Colson are 12 years old when they are whisked away from the shadows of their disenfranchised mining towns to dazzling Belavere City to discover their magical potential.  Those who pass Belavere's test will become Artisans, wielders of powerful elemental magic destined to fulfill the city's grand ambitions.  For Nina, the Artisan School symbolizes a dream and an escape from her harsh reality, while Patrick yearns to return to his Craftsman family, whose extraordinary physical strength serves the idium mines keeping the city alive.  And then they uncover a devastating truth: Artisans aren't born, they're chosen.  They part ways on very different paths, leaving them to carry the burden of this secret alone.  In the years that follow, a Craftsman revolution ignites, thrusting Nina and Patrick into opposing factions of a brewing war.  Now an elite Artisan with the very rare talent for charming earth, Nina has turned her back on the fight, haunted by the loss of her found family.  But fate intervenes when she is captured by Patrick's rebel group.  Despite the years and conflict that separates them, Patrick hasn't forgotten Nina.  He desperately seeks her help for a mission that could shift the tides against Belavere City.  Reluctantly, she agrees, battling the sparks flying between them.  But when Nina's first love reappears, asking her to betray Patrick for the sake of the Artisans, Nina faces an impossible choice that could alter the fate of their world.

This was a pretty good book.  Stacey's Glacian Trilogy is one of my favorites, so I was hopefuly when I saw she started a new series.  This has some strong points.  I like the magic elements, and the few twists that appeared that I didn't see coming.  But it is just a bit too much YA romance for me - felt there were a lot of skippable parts in that vain.  Just getting too old to really enjoy that anymore - find it more of a distraction from the main story than anything else.  The ending is a cliff hanger for the next book that comes out in July, and I think I will read it just to see where it goes.  The overall story is good enough to find out.

Stars: 4

Book: Live Like a Guide Dog

Book: Live Like A Guide Dog

Author: Michael Hingson

Pages: 288

This is my 11th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Michael Hingson's inspiring true story captivated the world when he and his guide dog Roselle escaped the Twin Towers together on 9/11.  During decades of walking with guide dogs, he had learned a surprising truth that helped save his life that day:  Being afraid can be a positive thing, one that prepares us to deal with any situation that befalls us.  Here he reveals how to get equipped for watever obstacles or challenges you may encounter as you make your way through the world; train yourself to be brave, just like a guide dog's training equips handler and dog to prepare for the unexpected; learn to use your natural fear reactions as a way to focus and concentrate to make better decisions and turn your fear into courage and confidence; apply 11 principles Michael has learned with his guide dogs to overcome the fears that you face every day.

This was a pretty good book.  I read Michael's first book - "Thunder Dog" about his escape from the World Trade Center with his guide dog and have followed him ever since.  He is a terrific public speaker and his story of his decent down the stairs with his dog was one not to miss.  This book goes from his childhood to 2023 and all the guide dogs he had over the years and all the ways they helped him navigate and get through his work day.  I encourage you to read his books and learn how someone who has been blind since birth gets past his fear to not let anything get in his way of living a full life.

Stars: 4

 

Book: Best Offer Wins

 Book: Best Offer Wins

Author: Marisa Kashino

Pages: 288

This is my 10th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

18 months and 11 lost bidding wars into house-hunting in the overheated Washington, CD suburbs, 37 year old publicist Margo Miyake gets a tip about the perfect house, in the perfect neighborhood, slated to come up for sale in one month.  Desperate to escape the cramped apartment she shares with her husband Ian - and in turn, get their marrige, plant to have a baby, and whole life back on track - Margo becomes obsessed with buying the house before it's publicly listed and the masses descend (with unbeatable, all-cash offers in hand).  A little stalking?  Harmless.  A bit of trespassing?  Necessary.  As Margo infiltrates the homeowners lives, her tactics grow increasingly unhinged - but just when she thinks she's won them over, she hits a snag in her plan Undeterred, Margo will prove again and again that there's no boundary she won't cross to seize the dream life she's been chasing.  The most unsettling part?  You'll root for her, even as you gasp in disbelief.  

This book was wild.  It was recommended by a friend so we could talk about it, and I am glad she lent it to me.  I didn't like any of the characters - except the little girl Penny.  They were all awful people.  Amazon said in their review "you'll root for Margo - our main character - even as you gasp in disbelief".  No.  Was I in disbelief?  Heck yes.  But did I root for her?  No way.  She was psycho.  And not likable.  I read this book in a day.  It is well written- I will give it that.  Nice to see with a debut author.  But the characters - WOW.  The author was a journalist for real estate in Washington, and I think I read that she wrote this based on some of the wild stories she heard.  If this was even a tiny bit true - I would never become a realtor.

Stars: 4

Book: Beyond All Reason

 Book: Beyond All Reason

Author: David Smith

Pages: 271

This is my 9th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

The author recounts his marriage to Susan Smith, the reasons for the breakdown of their relationship, and the impact on his life of her murder of their two young children.

This book was not well written, but I am not going to judge it based on that.  This poor man got caught up in a terrible situation with a very unstable partner.  He was no saint.  They had a terrible relationship right from the start.  Were living apart even before their second child was born.  I watched an updated documentary on this whole story a few months ago, and David is with the woman he was with when he and Susan got divorced and Susan is still in jail.  She was denied parole and apparently she has not been the model prisoner.  

Anyway - glad I read it just to learn a little more about a situation I remember well from when it happened, but what a mess this poor family was.  Those poor boys.

Stars. 3

Book: The First Time I Saw Him

 Book: The First Time I Saw Him

Author: Laura Dave

Pages: 288

This is my 8th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

How far would you go for a second chance?  5 years after her husband, Owen, disappeared, Hannah Hall and her stepdaughter, Bailey, have settled into a new life in Southern California.  Together, they've forged a relationship with Bailey's grandather Nicolas and are putting the past behind them.  But when Owen shows up at Hannah's new exhibition, she knows that she and Bailey are in danger again.  Hannah and Bailey are forced to go on the run in a relentless race to keep their past from catching up with them.  As a thrilling drama unfolds, Hannah risks everything to get Bailey to safety - and finds there just might be a way back to Owen and their long-awaited second chance.

This was a pretty good sequel to "The Last Thing He Told Me".  It has been a few years since I read that one - but I did watch the show on Apple TV.  Moves along at a good pace and gives us good insight into how Owen and Hannah got into this position to start with.  Has a good ending, and my guess is there won't be any more books in this series based on how she wrapped it up.

Stars: 4

Book: Death Row

 Book: Death Row

Author: Frieda McFadden

Pages: 74

This is my 7th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Talia Kemper is on death row for murdering her husband.  She has an alibi and no known motive, yet Talia's unwavering protestations of innocence have always been ignored.  Then one day in the visiting area, she sees a recognizable stranger she's certain is her husband.  It turns out the man she's been convicted of killing may not be dead after all.  But as the days tick away toward Talia's execution, what will it take for her to be believed?

This is one of my Amazon short reads and it was pretty good.  I don't think I have read any of McFadden's books, but this one was worth a read.  Had a good story a good ending and a good twist in just a few pages.

Stars: 4

Book: The Tattered Cover

 Book: The Tattered Cover

Author: Ellery Adams

Pages: 304

This is my 6th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

As the residents of Miracle Springs, NC, select their costumes, plan parties, and get excited for a night of tricks or treats, Nora joins in on the festivities by hosting medium memorist Lara Luz at the bookstore. Charismatic and compelling, Lara mesmerizes the audience with her life story.  Struck by a bolt of lightning as a child, she was pronounced dead only to be resurrected with the ability to connect with those on the other side,  Lara performs a reading for a select group of bookstore patrons when the encroaching storm knocks out the power.  In the sudden darkness, howling cold winds intensify, and Lara clutches her heart, collapsin dead without warning.  But Nora doesn't believe she died of natural causes.  Not one member of the psychic's reading group - which includes the town's widower pharmacist, and urgent care nurse, a mystery author, and even truculent Deputy Hollowell - were admirers of Lara.  Nora confirms this when she stumbles upon Lara's journal in the aftermath of her death.  For within its leathery bound pages are the medium and her clients' deepest and darkest secrets, written in code. Now, Nora and the Secret, Book, and Scone Society must sift through the suspects and their motives to uncover which one of them is a killer before he or she is tempted to strike again.

This was a pretty good book.  I have been working my way through her books - not always in order (this is the 8th and newest one in her series), but it doesn't seem to matter.  They are good quick reads with interesting stories.  Make good books to listen to - if you are looking for an audiobook that doesn't take a ton of attention to get through.

Stars: 4

Book: House of Leaves

 Book: House of Leaves

Author: Mark Danielewski

Pages: 709

This is my 5th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Years ago, when House of Leaves was first being passed around, it was nothing more than a badly bundled heap of paper, parts of which would occasionally surface on the internet.  No one could have anticipated the small but devoted following this terrifying story would soon command.  Starting with an odd assortment of marginalized youth - musicans, tattoo artist, programmers, strippers, environmentalists and adrenaline junkies - the book eventually made its way into the hands of older generations, who not only found themselves in those strangely arranged pages but also discovered a way back into the lives of their estranged children.  Now made available in book form, complete with the original colored words, vertical footnotes, and second and third appendices, the story remains unchanged.  Similarly, the cultural fascination with House of Leaves remains as fervent and as imaginative as ever.  Neither Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Will Navidson nor his companion Karen Green was prepared to face the consequences of the impossibility of their new home, until the day their 2 little children wandered off and their voices eerily began to return another story - of creature darkness, of an ever-growing abyss behind a closet door, and of that unholy growl which soon enough would tear through their walls and consume all their dreams.

This was an interesting book.  It has been on my shelf for awhile and I kept putting off tackling it.  It is odd - I will give it that.  I liked the underlying story of Karen and Will and tried to focus mostly on that getting through this book.  There are side stories and notes did take their toll, but did not take away from the read.  IT is well written and interesting!  Glad I tackled it.

Stars: 4

Book: The Regulators

 Book: The Regulators

Author: Stephen King

Pages: 512

This is my 4th book of the year

What Amazon Says:\

It's a summer afternoon in Wentworth, Ohio, and on Poplar Street everything's normal.  The paper boy is making his rounds; the Carver kids are bickering at the corner convenience store; a Frisbee is flying on the Reed's lawn; Gary Soderson is firing up the backyard barbecue.  The only thing that doesn't quite fit is the red van idling just up the hill.  Soon in will begin to roll, and the killing will begin.  A quiet slice of American suburbia is about to turn to toast.  The mayhem rages around a seemingly still point, a darkened house lit fitfully from within a flickering television screen.  Inside, where things haven't been normal for a long time, are Audrey Wyler and the autistic nephew she cares for, 8 year old Seth Garin.  They're fighting their own battle, and its intensity has turned 247 Poplar Street into a prison house.  By the time night falls on Poplar Street, the surviving residents will find themselves in another world, one where anything, no matter how terrible, is possible - and where the regulators are on their way.  By what power they have come, how far they will go, and how they can be stopped - these are the desperate questions.  The answers are absolutely terrifying.

This was a pretty good book.  It is Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman.  This is a companion novel to a previous novel named Desperation.  Same characters reimagined with the same antagonist.  This is a solid King story (it is one of his older novels) - with a lot of gore right out of the gate.  The story develops well, and it runs about typical length of a King novel.  Were there some slow spots?  Of course.  But overall, a good read.

Stars: 3.5

Book: Natural Selection

 Book: Natural Selection

Author: Elin Hilderbrand

Pages: 55

This is my 3rd read for the year

What Amazon Says:

After a string of bad dates and no prospects, Sophia Othonos has finally hit the jackpot: an actual nice guy.  When he suggests a romantic getaway, she's sure they're about to take the first step toward their future.  A rustic cruise to the Galapagos Islands isn't exactly her idea of a vacation, but Sophia is ready for anything - until her boyfriend has to cancel.  Now she's all alone on a trip that was meant for 2.  Sophia finds herself at a corssroads about who she is, what she wants, and whether her relationship is really everything she thought.  But if she's going to suffer an identity crisis, at least she gets to do it amid the unexpected majesty of nature.  Eight days of wild, unobstructed beauty are enough to make anyone reevaluate their life.  These islands are all about adapting to your surroundings - and change just might be what Sophia needs most of all.

This was another free Amazon Kindle book.  I have not read many Hilderbrand books, but this was a pretty good short read.  I did not see the end coming as much as I should have.  It drags a bit in the middle, but oveall a good story.  Good message about self worth.

Stars: 3

Book: Sublet - A Short Story

 Book: Sublet - A Short Story

Author: Greer Hendricks

Pages: 53

This is my 2nd read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Anne is barely keeping it together.  A frazzled ghostwriter and aspiring novelist, she juggles 9 year old twins and a listless marriage from an overcrowded Manhattan apartment, spreading herself thinner each day.  Just as Anne is about to give up on her dreams, she lands her biggest client yet: Melody Wells.  Melody paints a picture of serenity and empowerment in the lavender haze of her visualization workshops - however, the one thing she can't manifest are the pages her publisher is demanding for her new motivational book.  Enter Anne.  As Melody invites Anne deeper into her magical world, Anne finds herself working impossibly long days and traeling far beyond her comfort zone.  When Melody passes along a lead on a spacious sublet complete with East River views, built-in closets, and 3 bedrooms, Anne can't believe her luck.  Melody seems to know just what her family needs.  But as small, unsettling incidents begin to accumulate, Anne starts to wonder what price she's willing to pay for the good life.

This was an interesting enough short story.  I have a goal this year to work through my large backlog of Amazon free reads/short stories, and this was one of them.  Overall it felt like a complete story even with its few pages, and I was curious enough to keep reading it all at once.  Ending was a bit weak, but overall, a solid read.

Stars: 3 

Book: Of Monsters and Mainframes

 Book: Of Monsters And Mainframes

Author: Barbara Truelove

Pages: 424

This is my 1st read of the new year

What Amazon Says

Demeter just wants to do her job: shuttling humans between Earth and Alpha Centauri.  Unfortunately, her passengers keep dying and not from equipment failures, as her AI medical system, Steward, would have her believe.  These are paranormal murders, and they began when one nasty, ancient vampire decided to board Demeter and kill all her humans.  To keep from getting decommissioned, Demeter must join forces with her own team of monsters: A werewolf.  An engineer built from the dead.  A pharaoh with otherworldly powers.  A vampire with a grudge.  A fleet of cheerful spider drones.  Together, this motley crew will face down the ultimate evil - Dracula.  This book probes what it means to be one of society's monsters - and explores the many types of friendship that makes us human.

I had not heard of this book until I watched a booktok on it.  Then I saw it made the list of best sci-fi on goodreads, so I decided to check it out.  I found it interesting.  I think it started strong, but then I felt it went a bit off the rails near the end.  The plot slows down.  It stops being from Demeter's point of view almost all together, which was a bit of a disappointment.  Overall a fun read about found family, and I am glad I picked it up.

Stars: 3.5