Month: January 2018

2018

Phew!! College scholarship applications are completed, so time to get back to the books. Let’s see what the numbers look like today.

TBR – I added 3 books this week. 2 from NetGalley and 1 from Blogging for Books. I finished 2 books which leaves the TBR at 274, one up from last week.

Goodreads challenge – I have completed 8 books so far this years and that puts me 1 books ahead of schedule.

NetGalley score – I’m getting a little behind again with my NetGalley books and my score has dropped to 86% as of today.

John Connolly challenge – I haven’t made any progress this week.

Coming Up – I’m currently reading “Demelza” by Winston Graham. Demelza This kind of story I like to savor along the way so tend to read them more slowly, but I’ll get there in the end. I’m also still listening to “His Bloody Project” by Graeme Macrae Burnet. I have a little over an hour left so my review should be up later this week. I’ve just started reading “A False Report” by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong. After that will be “The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross” by Lisa Tuttle. So, I guess that’s it for today. We’re in for another cold snap this week, sounds like great weather for reading.

Happy Reading!

“Darkness at the Edge of Town” by Jennifer Harlow

Welcome to Book 2 in the Iris Ballard series! Iris is a forensic psychologist who previously worked for the FBI. Now she is an acclaimed author. While on a tour to promote her book, she is summoned back to her hometown in Pennsylvania because her brother has abandoned his life and joined a cult. Iris’s high-strung mother is fit to be tied and determined that Iris will get her brother back. To do this Iris must infiltrate the cult and try not to get killed in the process.

So, I have a little bit of an obsession with books about cults. I find the inner workings of these groups to be endlessly fascinating. This story is pure fiction, but takes the reader into the heart of the cult and exposes you to the tactics they use to gain followers. The main characters are a diverse group with some very complicated personalities. In particular, Iris’s family is highly dysfunctional and her mother can be scary at times. The story is about Iris trying to find and extricate her brother but at the same time she is working through some very intense personal emotions and relationships. The story itself moves at a quick pace and keeps the reader turning pages. My only issue with the book is the over use of the “F” word throughout and that’s why I’m giving it a lower rating. If that’s not a problem for you then you are in for a compelling psychological thriller.

Alinefromabook’s rating: 3 stars!

Happy Reading!

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Amazon CA

Thank you to NetGalley and Alibi books for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

“Kraken and Canals” by Anne Renwick

Another delicious story in the Elemental Web Tale series! First of all, I am loving the steampunk world that Anne Renwick has created in this series. This is a short story that tells about the aunt of Olivia, the heroine in “The Silver Skull”. One of the things I love about these books is that the author packs quite a lot of character into her short stories. In this one Arturo and Judy must battle the Kraken in the canals of Venice. But will they survive the tentacles and claws of these beasts? You have to read it to find out. I have thoroughly enjoyed everything I’ve read from this author and I highly recommend it!

Alinefromabook’s rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 stars!!

Happy Reading!

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Amazon CA

Weekly Round-Up 1/21/2018

Whew! We finally got a break from the cold weather this week and were able to get all the ice off the driveway. I had a very busy week at work as my boss was out of town but I did manage to get some reading done. So let’s look at the numbers.

TBR – I was at 275 last week. This week I added 1 book and finished 3 bringing the total down to 273. I’m impressed!

Goodreads Challenge – As of today, I am actually 1 book ahead of schedule. Let’s hope I can keep up the pace on this.

NetGalley score – My recent reads have been from other sources so this is still 87%. I wonder if I can get to 90% by the end of the year? Hmmm.

John Connolly Challenge – I haven’t picked up book 4 yet. I debating if I want to read or listen. I listened to the last 2. Still thinking about this.

Coming Up – I am almost finished reading “Darkness at the Edge of Town” by Jennifer Harlow. I’m also currently listening to “His Bloody Project” by Graeme Macrae Burnet. After that will be the short story “Kraken and Canals” by Anne Renwick and “Demelza” by Winston Graham. Demelza I saw the other day that another season of Poldark is in production so I need to get caught up with this series. Ok, that’s it for this week guys. I hope you all have a great week!

Happy Reading!

“Unwanted” by Andrew Young

It’s the late 1800’s in the Cincinnati, Ohio area and a young woman’s decapitated body has been found in a farmer’s field. This book traces the story of the investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators. The initial challenge is to simply identify her because the head is missing. With fingerprints not yet broadly used in law enforcement and crime scene preservation not even a topic of conversation, the attempt to identify the girl finally comes down to an observant shoe seller who recognizes her shoes uniqueness and is able to actually trace the sale. The young lady had traveled to Cincinnati from her family’s rural farm to meet up with a boyfriend.

This is a very detailed look at a very brutal crime. The story is based on extensive research of the accounts that remain from the time. I really appreciated the structure of the chapters, with each looking at an aspect of the investigation from start to finish. It’s almost surprising that the identification of the body and the perpetrators was possible given the limited tools the police had available to them at the time. This book should be of interest to those who like true crime or historical crime stories.

Alinefromabook’s rating: 3.5 stars!!

Happy Reading!

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Amazon Canada

Thank you to Pen & Sword Publishing for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

“A Treacherous Curse” by Deanna Raybourn

It’s Victorian London and Veronica Speedwell and her colleague Stoker are on the case. In this 3^rd installment of the series, Stoker’s former expedition partner has disappeared after abruptly leaving the Egyptian expedition he was working at. Also missing is the necklace worn by the Egyptian princess whose grave was uncovered. Further complicating things is the curse that was released when the princess was uncovered. One man is dead and another gone missing. Will Veronica and Stoker be able to unearth the culprit and find the missing necklace?

What a delight is was to spend a few hours with these two! Veronica and Stoker play off of each other really well and neither is your typical Victorian detective type. The story has some very unexpected twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. I really loved how the author incorporated some much Egyptology information into the story and do it in a way that feels natural. Lovers of period detective stories should really enjoy this one.

Alinefromabook’s rating: 4.5 stars!!

Happy Reading!

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Amazon Canada

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Weekly Round-Up 1/14/2018

It’s another cold Sunday here in North Dakota land. A couple more days of Arctic temperatures and then we to warm up for a few days. I know, I know, enough of the weather, get on to the numbers.

TBR – I finished reading 2 books this week and I added 1 audiobook, giving me a total of 275.

Goodreads challenge – I’ve read a total of 4 books so far and that puts me 1 book ahead of schedule.

NetGalley score – I didn’t read any NetGalley books this week, score remains at 87%. I did however get a new badge this week.

Current Reads – I am reading “Unwanted” by Andrew Young and “The Sandman” by Lars Kepler. My current audiobook is “His Bloody Project” by Graeme Macrae Burnet. So I think that’s it for this week. Hope you all are staying warm.

Happy Reading!

“The Killing Kind” by John Connolly

Narrated by Holter Graham

WARNING: This book is full of action and thrills, scary people and spiders. If you don’t like spiders you might not want to read this one. That being said, I have once again had the privilege of listening to a John Connolly story. This is book 3 in the Charlie Parker series they just keep getting better. In this one, Charlie is asked to look into the death of a graduate student, Grace Peltier. Police ruled it suicide, but the father doesn’t believe his daughter would kill herself. As he investigates, he gets tangled up with a really creepy guy who calls himself Mr. Pud. This guy just oozes evil wherever he goes. Charlie’s sidekicks and his girlfriend are back to add their distinctive charms to the story, and sometimes get themselves in trouble.

So, I loved the story and the narration. I really liked the way the narrator was able to subtly adjust his voice as the drama increased. Also, he did a great job with the characterizations, giving each a distinct voice. The author has once again crafted an edge of your seat story. One of my favorite things about this series so far is the use of the paranormal. This one is packed with ghosts but not in the traditional way of mysterious noises or wandering the halls. These ghosts are more complex than that. I can’t wait to read book 4 and I highly recommend this book and the series.

Alinefromabook’s rating: 5 stars!!

Happy Reading!

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Amazon Canada

“The Kings of Georgian Britain” by Catherine Curzon

Who knew that reading history could be fun! Catherine Curzon takes the reader on a journey through the lives and reigns of the four Kings George and she does it with a sense of humor. This is not your stereotypical dry history narrative. The book is broken down into sections, one for each King and tells their story starting with their birth and ending with their death. She will see what they’re their childhoods were like, who had the strongest influence on them, what kind of fathers and husbands they were, and the politics of their respective monarchies.

As you can probably guess, I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure I would because the British monarchy is so complicated, there are tons of players, and I’m an American, so I was delighted that this was such a great read. George the First’s story was a little confusing at first but only because there were so many women named Sophia in his life. I recently received the companion book “The Queens of Georgian Britain” and I’m very excited to read it after enjoying this one so much. For American readers the section on George III would be very interesting as he was the king during the War for Independence. The author really made these men come alive and in a reader-friendly way. I highly recommend this one.

Alinefromabook’s rating: 5 stars!!

Happy Reading!

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Amazon Canada

“Two Girls Down” by Louisa Luna

Alice Vega finds missing people. Max Caplan is a former cop turned private detective in a small Pennsylvania town. When two young girls go missing Vega gets a call from the family and quickly finds herself on the wrong side of the local police. She teams up with Caplan to track down the missing girls but the search is not without danger. What’s the connection between the girls, a local ballet studio, and the drug trade?

This is an edge-of-your-seat read. The deeper you get into the story, the closer you get to edge of your seat. The author has created a complex story that at first seems to make no sense but comes together beautifully in the end. Alice Vega is a hard-edged, bad-ass kind of female character but the more you get to know her the more apparent it becomes that she is much more complex that she at first appears. Max Caplan, when we first meet him, seems very defeated. It appears that his only reason for living is his precocious teenage daughter Nell. But maybe he just needs someone to reignite his spark. Both Caplan and Vega really grew on me as the story developed. Nell is a real treat in the story. She doesn’t play a huge part but when she does show up she adds an element of fun and liveliness to the otherwise rather dark story. Finally, I thought the interplay between the police and the PI’s was unique and added a level of tension to the story that enhanced the drama. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I would highly recommend it, especially if you feeling the need for some thrills.

Alinefromabook’s rating: 4.5 stars!!

Happy Reading!

To purchase on Amazon US, click here.

To purchase on Amazon UK, click here.

To view on Goodreads, click here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

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