The New Neighbors by Simon Lelic

The New Neighbors by Simon Lelic

Published April 30, 2018

I received a free physical copy from GoodReads in exchange for an honest review.

It has been a few weeks… and I still do not know what to think about this book.

It was interesting, it was unique, I just cannot figure out if it was good. I was entertained, I felt like maybe the end dragged out a bit and I felt like something was missing to make it excellent. I cannot pinpoint my feelings though. Something was missing. It had potential to be a great novel but somewhere along the line something went south.

I would recommend it for a quick unique read!

Trigger warnings for sensitive readers.

Instagram: @shelf.loving

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/shelfloving

Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella

Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella

Published February 13, 2018

I received this as a free e-book in exchange for an honest review. 

This book was exactly what I needed. I am coming up on my 5 year wedding anniversary and am learning that some of the people I am around have been married for 20/30/40 + years. It is just astonishing. My longest relationship was just at 7 years and as that milestone looms closer I get overwhelmed with all those pesky self-doubts. Marriage is not easy. Both parties need to want it to survive and work. In Surprise Me the relationship is content, they are happy, they love each other. Then what is so wrong that they find out they are healthy and will get another 68 years together!?!?

Sophie Kinsella’s voice comes through strong in this story, just like all her others. I love it. She makes it fun to laugh at yourself while opening your eyes to darker happenings. Overall the Story was very quirky, they are trying to keep their relationship fresh and alive, what could possibly go wrong…

Instagram: @shelf.loving

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/shelfloving

End of March Reads

Current TBR List: 11
Currently Reading: 7
Books Finished in March: 28

Just a few books from the end of March, more posts to come on books that I have some more thoughts on!

After You by Jojo Moyes

I listened to this on audio. It was a good follow up to Me Before You. We catch up to Louisa as she is processing everything that has happened. As she is trying to recover she ends up falling off a roof, and manages to survive. Then as her body heals her hearts heal and she meets people that become important to her recovery. For the most part of the story Louisa is not the one we met in Me Before You, which is understandable, but I am happy her original character traits start returning at the end.

Plum Island by Nelson Demille

Another audio. This is the first in the series (I read The Lion’s Game a couple years ago), and I enjoyed it. We are introduced to John Corey as he investigates the death of two of his acquaintances/friends who were shot point blank. They are scientists on Plum Island, an island that holds viruses that could kill everyone on the planet. It was an easy listen and entertaining. I enjoy John Corey’s character.

Death Note by Tsugami Ohba

I picked this up after reading the first 9 books of Bakuman. It is the same creator and I am enjoying Bakuman so much! Death Note is good, I don’t love the writing as much but the storyline is good.

High Five and Hot Six by Janet Evanovich

I love these Stephanie Plum books, this one doesn’t disappoint! I listened to this on audio and I loved the voice actor.

Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel

Wow. Just wow. I listened to this on audio and could not get enough of it. This is told in interview style and the interviewer was so sassy. I loved how the story unfolded from question to question. The emotions that each person felt and their views on the same situations was done in a way that kept the story interesting and not over told. I cannot wait to pick up the next book in this series!

White Night by Jim Butcher

Another book in the Dresden Files. Still loving it!

The Never-Open Desert Diner by James Anderson

This wouldn’t typically be a book that I pick up. I received Lullaby Road though as a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. As I was reading that, I was so lost. It kept hinting to and referencing these other life changing events. Yes, you can easily depict what the event was, but you do not know the details, the how’s and the whys and it made it a very confusing read. We were expected just to know all these characters already. Reading the review I was not the only one. Since then, Lullaby Road has been updated to reflect that it is book number two in a series, The Never-Open Desert Diner being book one.

You need to be in the mood to read this book. It was good, just very character driven and it’s about a way of lifestyle most people would not be able to comprehend. There are twists and turns that keep the plot interesting, knowing that its all about driving up and down the same exact road every single day. You have to suspend your personal beliefs on how you would react to certain situations and people, but other than that it was entertaining and I gave it three stars. I hope to restart Lullaby Road soon!

Night Fall by Nelson Demille

This is book three in the John Corey series. I listened to this on audio and enjoyed it. Again, John Corey is just a fun character to follow and the plot kept things moving and interesting.

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

I picked this up on audio to satisfy “a book made into a movie” for the Ready Player One Reading Challenge with my book club girls. Dare I say it… I liked the movie better than the book!

Prince of Wolves by Quinn Loftis

I picked this up as an audio book to satisfy “a book with crowns/prince/princesses” for the Ready Player One Reading Challenge. I was not expecting to like this at all. I was surprised at how quick it went by and how I was thoroughly entertained and rooting for the characters. This book has a ton of problems, a ton, but it was entertaining and I will continue with the series!

Instagram: @shelf.loving

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/shelfloving

Mid March Check In

Current TBR List: 12
Currently Reading: 8
Books Finished in March: 9

 Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Not going to lie, this book took me a hot second to get into. It was just so large and overwhelming and the writing, for me, caused for slow reading. Hot damn though, when the plot thickens and the story takes off… I could not stop this book. The ending though. Laini Taylor is an evil genius. I saw it coming, if you read the prologue and can add 1+1 you know the ending is coming. That being said though, the emotional impact was horrendous. I had the worst book hangover and ranted to my Charmed Book Club girls for several hours in stilted sentences since they have not read it yet (hurry up ladies!). This book is worth all the hype it was given. I want a Lazlo to keep in my pocket forever.

Vindication by H Terrell Griffin

Published on January 2, 2018, I received a free e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was solid. A retired lawyer is called up to defend his girlfriend’s Aunt in a murder trial. The characters were interesting, the plot thickens and is wrapped up nicely. The pace of the book wasn’t ideal when it came to switching point of view, it was jarring and repetitive in information. It was also hard to buy into the desperate need the main protagonist had for his girlfriend, it was an overly needy trait in a character that seemed to be super strong and didn’t align very well in his character profile that was built. At the end of the day though, it was a good solid book. It maybe could use a heavy hand with a brutal editor to knock out some fluff but it was enjoyable easy read nonetheless.

Down By Contact by Santino Hassell

This is book two in The Barons series. This is a male on male football smut romance series. Though I am not a huge fan of the male on male sex scenes the overall story in these books and the relationships are fantastic. Book one in my opinion had a better story line, more believable, but this second installment was not bad.

Munich by Robert Harris

Published on September 21,2017 , I received a free copy from Penguin First to Read in exchange for an honest review. This was a drama and slow unfolding. You need to be in the mood to read this for sure. I would recommend this for people that like historical fiction. I do not have too much to say. It was interesting but slow going. I was not in the mood for a slow paced drama so it was my fault as a reader for not liking it to its full potential. It was a solid read and I would recommend it.

Death Overdue by Allison Brook

My twin set me a free audible and I loved it. Was a super cute cozy mystery and I was giggling out loud at certain points. You have a little bit of supernatural in it and some quirky characters. I saw the end coming but it was still a cute and fun journey to get there!

Sirens by Joseph Knox

This book was published on February 20, 2018, I received a free copy of this from Penguin First to Read in exchange for an honest review. Not going to lie, this book was a little confusing to me. It could have been that I wasn’t fully interested in it and just wanted to finish but I felt like the timeline jumped around too much. It was interesting book but I didn’t connect enough to the characters and didn’t really care to see how it finished. The mystery was interesting enough to get me to finish though so I would still recommend it to people.

Patient H.M. by Luke Dittrich

My girlfriend let me borrow this ages ago… and I really do mean ages ago (I am so sorry!) I am so happy that I finally got to it! I did a mixture of physical reading and audio for this so it flew by. This is a nonfiction book that focuses on Patient H.M. and Luke Dittrich’s family impact on neurosurgery. There was a lot of extremely interesting facts on how science has developed in this field. It was a little bit hard to read about the experiments on animals and people but it was a different time so you have to keep that in mind. I would highly recommend this to anyone that is interested in any medical field.

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

I received a free e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I requested this book because I received book two in this series so of course I needed to read book one. All I can say is ugh. I knew going into it that it wasn’t getting the best feedback but I thought I would give it a chance, I tend to like underhyped and hated books. Nope. Not in this case. First, I  felt like it totally ripped off the labyrinth story. Second, it tried to include too many other things (provincial town was mentioned way too many time and that entire chapter felt like Beauty and the Beast verbatim). The last third of the book turns into an excuse for writing sex scenes that added nothing to the story. It was just confusing and long winded. I will attempt book two but after I finish a few other books in between.

Category Five by Philip S Donlay

I picked up the audio book for this series because I was given book 8 in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this story. It is high action and high drama and I really cannot wait to pick up the rest of the stories!

Instagram: @shelf.loving

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/shelfloving

February Wrap Up

I started February so strong! then kind of collapsed at the end. I was able to finish 4 more books since my last check in.

So final stats for February are:

Total Read: 20 books - 6,815 pages
Currently reading: 9

Even though my reading fell off, my love for the books did not.

Mister Tender's Girl by Carter Wilson
A free physical book in exchange for an honest review.
I was sucked into the story and highly entertained throughout. It was horrific that it was inspired by true events. If you are a sensitive reader it might not be the best book but if you like a little gore and psychological thrill I highly recommend it. The end did not satisfy me though so I only gave it 4 stars.

Fade to Us by Julia Day
A free physical book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was not what I was expecting. In a good way. I was expecting cute contemporary read, fast pace and entertaining in a very light way. This story had some unexpected depth and I think the relationships were more realistic then most YA romances. I liked the Asperger's representation. I have some experience with those on the spectrum and I think the author did decent research into it. Another four star read!

Final Girls by Riley Sager
I listened this on audio and was highly entertained. Not for sensitive readers.
Quincy was an entertaining leading character and I liked her struggles with wanting to leave the horrific night of the Pine Cottage Murders behind her. She is a one of a few girls that are labeled the Final Girls, they were the last girls left alive in each of their brutal attacks. It seems though that someone wants all the Final Girls dead, but not before they find out what Quincy knows about that night. I was not expecting the ending but there were times that the pacing was a bit slow so I gave it four stars!

Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher
Book #8 in the Dresden Files so I won't say anything outside of I love Harry Dresden and Jim Butcher doesn't disappoint in this installment. It is not my favorite in the series but it was very entertaining so 3 stars. I listened to this on audio!

The Defense by Steve Cavanagh
I received The Plea which is book #2 in the series for review so of course I needed to pick up book one. This was a true drama. A slow burn at the start with the huge ending being amazing. I literally could not sleep until I read the final 100 pages. If you are in the mood for a drama I highly recommend this. Eddie Flynn was a fun character and his upbringing leads to a very interesting take on being a lawyer. I cannot wait to pick up The Plea! I gave this book 4 stars but I might bump it up!

February Mid Month Check In

15 books in 15 days! 

What a great reading month with a lot of amazing books. So far 2018 has been a wonderful reading year for me. Very few disappointing books and a lot of 5 stars.

Free books in exchange for honest reviews:

Take Me With You	Andrea Gibson
A False Report	T Christian Miller
The Wedding Date	Jasmine Guillory
Anatomy of A Scandal	Sarah Vaughan
The Queen of Hearts	Kimmery Martin
Dead Serious	Jane Mersky Leder
Off Limits	Clare Connelly

Highly recommend:

*Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Becky Albertalli

This was a fantastically cute book and even better that I read it around Valentine's Day with all the love in the air! I saw this repeatedly on booktube and it was getting so much hype that I picked it up. I had no idea what it was about so was a little surprised, pleasantly, as I got into it. I totally understand where it gets it hype and I will keep this book as a warm and fuzzy thought for years to come.

*The Queen of Hearts            Kimmery Martin

Wow, just wow. This book sucks you in immediately and then refuses to let you go. I wanted to crawl into a comfy couch and not leave until I consumed the whole thing but, adulting.

First, check out that cover... 

Then as you are reading it feels like Kimmery Martin is leading you through the woods finding your way to the conclusion one little bite size sentence at a time. Each little micro reveal left me reeling and rethinking what I thought I knew. I didn't see it coming. I should have seen it coming. 

-Not for sensitive readers.

-Free in exchange for honest review

Instagram: @shelf.loving

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/shelfloving

19 Souls by JD Allen

A free e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

19 Souls by JD Allen

Published 02/08/2018

I enjoyed this book, a solid 3 star read. 

Jim Bean is a PI that lets his past haunt him into making bad current decisions. He is the perfect PI for Sophie Evers. He is sober enough to do the job but drunk enough from not questioning the situation too much. Unlucky for her though he is smart and not easily continuously deceived. Sophie Evers is looking for Daniel, Bean thinks this is an easy case. He quickly learns though that Sophie isn’t what she says she is and Daniel, along with anyone else in the way, is in grave danger. 

Even though we are told from the synopsis that Sophie isn’t who she says she is I still enjoyed the way the twist played out and what it lead to. It was unique, for me at least, and I enjoyed it. Yes, there was pacing flaws and my copy had technical editing flaws but overall it was a solid and entertaining read!