Review: A Madness so Discreet

Title A Madness so Discreet
By Mindy McGinnis
Genre YA suspense
Rating ⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis
Grace is in an insane asylum. She doesn't speak. The ever growing bulge in her belly speaks for her. Speaks of the dark secrets of her family that landed her there. Rescue comes in the form of a faked lobotomy and a strange doctor who is making strides in a new form of solving murders. Grace's eye for detail is put to use and her new home and friends make life worth living again. But can she escape her past or will her past catch up to her?

First Sentence
They all had their terrors.



This is one of those books I bought based solely on the cover. Isn't it a beautiful cover? It's a more metaphorical depiction of the story within its pages, however.

So, I started this one and was not liking it...at all. I was rather bored and wanted to know where it was going. I actually set it aside to finish another book I was working on and when I came back to it I gulped it down in a few hours. I guess I just wasn't in the mood the first time or maybe it just took a bit to get going? I'm not sure but either way I ended up liking it.

While I found a lot of it highly unlikely and unrealistic I easily overlooked those things and just fell into the story. The characters were all great. I loved that good people were to be found in even the darkest of places.

This one was a sad story with a lot of hard things to read about but offered hope in the end. I really ended up liking it and am glad I picked it up based on that lovely cover.

Should you read it?
I would highly recommend this one. Know that's it's a tough one to read and a bit sad but worth it.

Review: Code Name Verity

Title Code Name Verity
By Elizabeth Wein
Genre Adult Historical Fiction
Rating ⭐⭐


Synopsis
Follows the friendship between two women as they put their lives in danger during WWII.


First Sentence
I am a coward.






Another book club read and another book that got rave reviews and I just don't get it. I promise I don't just choose to not like books like this because everyone else loves them. I have my reasons.

First of all it was slow. So Slow! It had the longest slowest start to a book ever. And it's not just that it's slow but so confusing. I mean, for like 100 pages I was desperately trying to grasp exactly what was going on. That's not a good thing! It's one thing to have mystery, it's another to be so vague and unreliable that I'm losing interest by page 10.

Don't believe me? At our book club discussion there were several people there who had read this one a while ago so they kept asking questions about things to refresh their memory and those of us there who had just read it kept looking at each other in confusion trying to remember as well. And we'd JUST read it. Geeze! I hope the author is proud of herself; that she pats herself on the back because she wrote the first ever book where you need to reread the four hundred plus pages right after you finish it just to figure out what the hell you just read. You should want to reread books because they're good, not because you have to.

I'm not sure why this book is considered YA. It's about adult women in war, There's torture and death and a lot of things that made me think it should have been marketed as adult not YA.

In the end, I didn't outright hate this one but I did have a lot of issues with it.

Should you read it?
I think most of you have. If you haven't and choose to, plan on reading it twice. *rolls eyes*

In My Thoughts This Fine Day #14

Holy Crap! A In My Thoughts post? I know, right?! It's been a while.

 1. Guys, I'm so BORED with my current reads! I don't want to fall into a slump because of them but I also don't want to give up on these ones. I'm reading A Madness so Discreet by Mindy McGinnis and I'm pretty sure I'm the only person on the planet who is bugged by it. My problem with it has things to do with my ...*gulps* dislike of anything Sherlock Holmes. Don't hurt me! I'm sorry. I just can't stand anything to do with Sherlock. I've tried it all and I hate it all. Any way, this one has nothing to do with Sherlock but it kind of feels like it and it's bugging me. Plus I'm 130 pages in and am still trying to figure out where its going. I need something soon or I'm giving up.
I'm also reading Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein and it's OK but slow. I'm reading it for book club so I won't give up but...I kinda want to.

2. I keep thinking of giving up blogging but then I think of the why I haven't yet. I remember when blogging was so fun for me. I couldn't wait to sit down and write a silly post or a book review. Now I have to force myself to write anything. It's not that I'm so much busier than before, either. Though, I am. I blame smart phones. I find myself sitting down to read or blog or even watch a stupid TV show and somehow I end up looking at Facebook or Instagram or Pinterest on my stupid phone! I'm seriously freaked out by this strange habit. I was born in the early 80s. I've only had a phone for 11 years and only a smart phone for like 5 years. That's not even a third of my life and yet I'm addicted! I've decided I'm going to put my phone in another room when I sit down to read etc. so I don't pick it up. As for blogging? I'm going to try to remember what I loved so much about it.

3. A moment for a soccer mention. Wow! I know! I'm talking about soccer again?! It's been, what? 5 years since I've had a soccer post? Crazy! Let me explain why. I had to get rid of my precious soccer channel. I was trying to save money and it had to go. So I couldn't watch my boys anymore and suddenly a bunch of them were transferred to different teams and new guys were transferred in and now I hardly recognize my beloved Real Madrid boys. So sad. I miss it but now, not only have I gotten rid of the channel, but have gotten rid of TV all together. Anywho, in my absence a certain player who I'm pretty sure is a vampire...has made giant strides.

  A Facebook post by our "vampire" . If you remember he turned his fellow team mates and after this post I saw this picture.

Is this him motioning to all he owns?!

Stay safe my friends! The "vampire" is coming!

Review: Dreams of Gods & Monsters

Title Dreams of Gods & Monsters (DOSAB #3)
By Laini Taylor
Genre YA Fantasy
Rating ⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis
Karou and Akiva work side by side to save earth and change Eretz for the better.

First Sentence 
Nerve thrum and screaming blood, wild and churning and chasing and devouring and terrible and terrible and terrible-







I did it!!!! I read all three books is just two months. I'm glad to have finally finished this series. I had very high expectations and while the story fulfilled those expectations the characters did not. As I've mentioned before, I do not like Akiva. He wasn't even tolerable in this one. Sorry.

The story in this one was a little slower than I wanted. Then last half was much better than the first half.  While I ended up adoring Eliza  I thought it was weird that we only meet her in this one. Suddenly out of nowhere she steps into the story. It was just weird.

I liked this one best of all three. It was more exciting and there was a lot going on. I liked seeing how everything turned out. I especially liked that the ending wasn't wrapped up all nicely in a neat bow. There was a lot of work still to be done and it felt much more realistic.

Great ending to an fun story....Just ignore Akiva if you can.

Should you read it?
I know several of you haven't finished this series yet. I say do it.
  

February Wrap Up 2017

Another month has passed us by. February and March always drag for me. This February wasn't horrible but with snow and freezing temperatures one day and warm spring like weather the next it was annoying. I only managed 5 books in February. Dang! I was on such a role in January. Oh well.

Day's of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor, Sweet Lamb of Heaven by Lydia Millet, Landline by Rainbow Rowell, All The Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders and Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor.

Favorites of the month were Sweet Lamb of Heaven and All the Birds in the Sky. No least favorties this month though I wasn't super fond of the Landline.