Amy's bookshelf: read-in-2016
Wow. I'm a bit stunned by what a wonderful book this is ... I am amazed at with Yaa Gyasi has created with this novel. Truly amazed. This book is a masterpiece.
The story is rather simple - it's the story of two sisters and what happen...
This was such a painful but lovely memoir. Lidia Yuknavitch has a way with words and I found myself mesmerized by this book! So raw and emotional. Beautiful and sorrowful and just everything. Very raw so it's not for everyone but if you ...
This is a book that I really wanted to love and I tried, I really did. It's so in my wheelhouse - witches and the Salem witch trials ... yes, please! Unfortunately, it was too long, dense and (dare I say it?) boring for me. I just could ...
I was pleasantly surprised by this book ... it's not a fast paced novel, it's slow and moves quietly. But, I enjoyed the story and the world created by Cho. I especially like the idea of a feminist hero in a story full of magic! It's rar...
Really interesting book, liked it quite a bit. The writing is exceptional, the story is compelling and heartbreaking. Definitely recommend this one.
Beautifully written exploration of relationships and how they grow/stagnate. An exploration of a very complicated family. Really liked how quiet this one was - definitely not hugely plot driven. But a very lovely character study. Definit...
Enjoyed this one quite a bit - good story as well as a commentary on human trafficking. Definitely worth the read. Although it explores the realities of human trafficking, it also explores the impact of one decision and how it can pass t...
I just love Sarah MacLean and this new series is just as good as everything else of hers that I've read. She just wow's me over and over. She takes historical romance to such fabulous and non-cheesy places! LOVE!
This is a fabulous look at opiates in America. It's fascinating, frightening and so compelling. It's one of those books that every American should read in order to understand how we got to where we are today when it comes to opiate use i...
What a beautiful book! I highly recommend this one for any and all! Such a quiet and meaningful story! Just blew me away!
This is a very easy to read suspense novel that is quite good. I figured a number of things out before the 'big reveal' but I do think it was an interesting story and worth the read. It didn't wow me but it was fun. It did read like a de...
Michael Connelly does it again! I just love this series and I feel like I can rely on it to get better and better! I love that he paired Bosch and Haller in this one! Fantastic writing, great story ... like I said, these get better and b...
This novel really felt like a departure for Krisin Hannah for some reason. It wasn't fast paced but it also wasn't slow. It felt thorough in the best ways. The quality of this story was very high. The writing was great, the story itself ...
Wasn't as excited to read this one as Oliver isn't one of my favorite characters in the series. Yet, I really found myself liking him more than expected in this novel. Good read!
Yet another fantastic book in this series. I love Dean and enjoyed seeing his story play out!
I really struggled with this novel. Based on the description and reviews, it sounded perfect for me. But, it just didn't come together for me. I gave it over 100 pages and was still struggling to understand why so many liked this one. Al...
This was a good (but not great) book. I enjoyed the suspenseful story and getting into the heads of a variety of people to learn about the story. It didn't wow me with its story but I was interested and glad I read it. Don't expect a Gon...
I'm finding this one difficult to rate but I think it's more like a 2 and a half stars. I didn't hate it but it wasn't great. I found the story line to be predictable - I figured out 'the twist' almost immediately. Although it was very s...
Oh boy! This is a tough one. I didn't really understand why this one is getting so many great reviews and buzz all over. I thought it was mediocre. I just never connected with any of it. And I didn't find it to be nearly as fresh and int...
This one was a pleasant surprise - what a fantastic thriller! It was fast paced, interesting and the story was actually quite good. Very engrossing, well paced and I really enjoyed every moment! If you enjoy thrillers and want one that i...
I've had this one on my bedside stand for months but hadn't picked it up. I'm so glad I did! It's fantastic! So much fun! Love these girls and how they are true to themselves during their adventures! And I love the mix of normality with ...
I quite liked this debut novel - I knew nothing going in other than I loved the title! And it was really quite good. Really interesting and compelling characters - very real and original. The relationships felt true to life. The story wa...
So glad that I FINALLY read this one! It was so good. I love the characters (especially Armand Gamache)! The mystery was fantastic. These felt in some ways like Tana French's novels - very well written and plotted. I'm not saying all mys...
Wow. What an interesting graphic novel. I found this one to be fantastic, particularly for those interested in how someone becomes a serial killer. I've often wondered what it would be like to find out someone you knew in the past ended ...
This was a book that I read on my lunch breaks at work. And having just adopted a rescue dog, it gave me some great advice for helping to keep our new pup balanced. Although I don't agree with all of Cesar's methods, I did find quite a b...
Wow - this is such a great companion to the Blackfish documentary. Really gave me great perspective on killer whales and the impact of captivity on these animals. Will no longer support Sea World. AT ALL. Their callous response to these ...
This is a really difficult cookbook for me to review, if I'm honest. There was much in this one that just didn't appeal to me but that may be that I'm new to their methodology and it felt much too intense to work for me and our family.
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Yet another great addition to this series. I am trying to savor them each ... they are just so great. Very readable, interesting, and just so good!
Inspector Armand Gamache is a really fascinating character as are the others he works wi...
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. Although I didn't love the ending, I loved the journey to get there. I found this to be a lighter read but it explored more deep concepts such as growing up and living with the choices you make in life. T...
Wow - what a powerful book! Although I don't think I loved it quite as much as others, it really was a fantastic read. If only all doctors cared so much about patients and their experience as Paul did! His story is fascinating and heartb...
Let me start with what a beautiful cookbook this is - it's really a high quality book! The photos, the photography, the design. It's all fantastic. I love that there were so many tips and tricks throughout the cookbook. Although this is ...
I was hesitant going into this one. I'm not a Pride and Prejudice super fan. I've never even finished that novel. I have enjoyed some of the films of P&P or P&P re-boots. But, I'm in no way a fan. But, I will go almost anywhere that Curt...
I've been thinking about this book for some time but couldn't definitively rate it until now. After thinking about it, I think I'm going with 4 stars. This isn't for everyone. AT ALL. There are a number of disturbing images present here ...
I can't believe I didn't read this before now! What a wonderful book! I highly recommend it to ALL. So fantastic and thoughtful! Loved it!
This is one of those books that every parent of a girl over the age of 10 should read. It's essential to understanding the things facing girl today. Things that weren't even on my radar when I was young are integral to the female experie...
I'm really struggling with rating this book ... I really liked it in some respects but it was just good in others. I'm going with 4 but I struggled. She is a great writer and the story as a whole was successful. But, there felt like some...
I really enjoyed this debut novel but I'm a bit surprised that it's the novelists' first book. It read like the book of a very seasoned writer. I loved the concept of this book so much! Who hasn't wondered what it would be like if things...
This is a book I probably wouldn't have picked up if not for a book group I'm a part of ... and these are the kind of books I love to find via groups. This was a solid novel but it didn't quite resonate with me as much as I'd hoped going...
I am always up for a Mary Kay Andrews novel. She is my go-to when I need something lighter to refresh my reading palette! Her books are definitely in the beach read category but they have a little more substance than a lot of 'chick lit'...
Wow. I just don't think I can capture, in words, just how much I loved this novel. I have never read anything quite like it. I never completely knew what was happening but I could NOT put it down. It's weird and strange and nutty in all ...
I believe this is my first Lisa Unger novel and I am hooked! What a wonderful little book this was - full of action, character development and solid storytelling! From what I understand this novel tells a continuing story from a couple o...
This book has been on my radar for awhile but I just didn't ever feel compelled to pick it up. But, I recently read a friends review of it and decided that it was time to pick it up. And I'm so glad that I did. It's kind of science ficti...
I kept hearing great things about htis novel and now I know why. It's a really fascinating look into family and home. The book's structure and character development were very well executed. Yun really gives you a detailed undersatnding o...
Wow - what a book! It's not for the faint of heart (lots of violent content) but it's a fantastic read. Well paced and an intriguing plot! I didn't want to put it down! It's very violent and disturbing but also just a GOOD story! If you ...
I really do enjoy this series! I think this one was just as good as the first, maybe a tiny bit better - mostly because we already know the characters and the world that Ritter has created. But, they are both really great reads. This ser...
This book was a surprise for me - I went in knowing nothing other than there was a chimpanzee in the story. Yep, that's it. And it's that but so much more ... it's a novel that explores race, family dynamics, identity and so much more. I...
I have really struggled with this book - both the reading of it and the rating of it. It's certainly an achievement and I understand completely why so many are enamored of it. However, I never connected with the material, the story, the ...
I read this years ago but wanted to re-read in anticipation of Russo's publishing a follow up. I also suspected my memories of the book were being mixed up with memories of the movie. And it was fantastic ... as expected. I love how Russ...
I'm a Emily Giffin fan from way back. I think she consistently offers her readers good storytelling. She tells the stories of women's lives quite well. Guilt, love and forgiveness is the primary focus of her newest novel! The events of t...
Really powerful series of short stories mostly focused on mental illness. I'm not typically a fan of the short story as I prefer having more time for character and story development. However, this collection is one of the best I've read....
I really enjoyed this one! It was a fun and interesting book! Good storytelling combined with unique ways to tell that story. Left me with just enough questions but not too many. The story raced along, keeping me intrigued the entire tim...
Hard to say that I liked this one given it's intense subject matter. This is one of a number of books I'm trying to read about rape culture. This was a really good one - that gives the reader insight into how rape and the responses of a ...
Although not without it's flaws, I found this novel to be compelling and extremely readable! I read it in less than 24 hours ... I could not put it down! The pacing is great and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. I was worrie...
I really liked this book. I have an expensive camera that I don't know how to use effectively so this book was perfect for me! I was able to read it in one sitting and was kept interested throughout! After the read, I feel much more conf...
I'd heard so many mixed reviews about this one that I was concerned I wouldn't enjoy it. So, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I actually quite enjoyed it. This is a very fast paced novel that expolores ideas about the media's role...
Wow. Wow. Wow.
I was just knocked out by this novel. Such a wonderful surprise as I read it not having any information about it except that a reader that I trust saying that it affected her as much as A Little Life.
And, boy, was she ...
As a Constant Reader, I'm always excited about another SK novel. This was a great #2 in this trilogy. I'm such a Bill Hodges fan so I was excited to spend more time with him in this book. I thought it was put together so well and covered...
Wow! If you love animals, particularly dogs, then you'll love this book. As a fairly new dog owner, I found myself completely relating to the story and my heart broken just thinking about the story! Such a lovely book about unconditional...
After loving Bethany Chase's first novel, I was so excited when I heard about this book!
Here is a synopsis of the book to help set the stage for my review:
She never saw it coming. Without even a shiver of suspicion to warn her, Caro...
I just adore Joe Hill and this book was even better than I'd expected. He just knows how to tell a story. How to keep the reader engaged despite length. I loved the idea of Dragonscale and how the world reacted to it. It just made sense....
This is one of the most diffiuclt books I've had to rate ... I'm ultimately going with a 2 because I just can't say that I really liked it it. I see it's merits clearly but I can't say that it worked for me overall. Was it suspenseful? Y...
I was so excited when I heard about this book. I love the concept as well as the execution! All in all, this was a darn good book! I love this idea of the Underground Railroad being an actual railway to take fugitive slaves to other plac...
Please read this book. Especially given where we are in our country at the moment with a presidential candidate who says such horrible things about immigrants. Given that we're a nation created by immigrants, I think this book is key to ...
I just adore this series! I think they are so much fun! I love the way that Melanie Scott builds a story and how she creates interesting and complex characters! I'm not even a big baseball fan and yet this series is fantastic!
I really...
3.5 stars
I actually quite liked this novel. It's dark and not about anything happy but it's also very timely. I enjoyed the unlikeable narrator piece - I found her to be compelling and interesting to try to figure out. I felt the plot ...
What a wonderful book. First things first ... the cover is WOW! Such a beautiful cover. Ok, now on to the book. It's so good. Just a fantastic read that explores a very personal issue with depth and honesty. I recommend that you read as ...
Pretty easy read. Nothing ground breaking but it was a decent romance novel. Not a favorite but a fine read.
I enjoyed this so much more than I'd expected to ... perhaps given the fact that it takes place in DC and in the world of politics? I don't know but I did really like this one quite a bit! I think this was a fun read that also had depth....
4.5 stars
Oh, Colleen ... you have done it again. Broken my heart into tiny pieces and then slowly put them back together! Colleen never seems to fail me - I can always count on her novels to give me a strong story, engaging characters,...
Megan Abbott and gymnastics ... YES, I am so in! No one writes about young people better than Megan Abbott so I could not wait to get my hands on this book since it centers around the world of gymnastics. The narrator perspective Abbott ...
3.5 stars
I'm struggling a bit in reviewing this becaue I really loved it for the most part but there were aspects that didn't work for me. I love her overall themes of being honest, and taking ownership for your life. The essays focusi...
I am so glad that I finally picked this novel up! It was even better than I'd expected. The premise didn't particularly grab me but the reality of the book is so wonderful! Jessie Burton is a great writer and she builds such wonderful ch...
I am having a hard time with this review because Sarah MacLean's books are all amazing - her amazing is better than most people. This one, however, isn't her best. It's good - better than most people's best work. I can't believe that I'm...
I was really hopeful about this book but I just didn't enjoy it. It was ok, just meh. I'm still not completely sure that any of it was successful for me. The characters felt a bit flat to me. I just never connected with them or felt they...
It was quite nice to read a romance that had diversity in it. I feel like romances are always focused on white people so it was nice to have some cultural and racial diversity in this romance. In addition, I found the characters and the ...
This is one of those books that is a slow burn. It's not fast paced. It's not going to keep you on your toes. And yet, it's so well done. And it does build steadily and suddenly it all catches up and you're overtaken with how wonderful i...
Wow ... what a book! I'm not sure what to even say other than it was wonderful and disturbing and beautiful and disturbing. Not a happy go lucky sort of book. Very dark and well, disturbing. It's about a number of things but mostly it te...
