Title: Corpsemouth Author: John Langan In: The Monstrous (Ellen Datlow) Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Horror Dates read: 3rd June 2020 Pace: Slow Format: Short story Publisher: Tachyon Year: 2015 5th sentence, 74th page: I didn’t know what to say.
Take a journey into the not-so-pleasant world of Corpsemouth.
Writing this review, I struggle a little to remember exactly what this short story is about. I remember that I enjoyed this while I read it. That I thought it was fun, dark and enjoyable. But what it was actually about – that I can’t really remember. It’s a bit of a blur there.
One thing that I also remember about this story is that it was a brilliant style of writing. Disjointed and hard to follow. Which is probably why I don’t hugely remember what I actually read. But, it’s also why I still gave this a four out of five stars… it might be disjointed and difficult to remember the storyline. But it was also something that I remember really enjoying at the time.
This is one of those stories that, although I can’t write much about it in a review… I will definitely read it again. Not just because I enjoyed it the first time, so figure I’ll enjoy it the second time. But also because I think that this is one of those stories that I will gain more out of the more and more times I read it.
Title: Waiting Author: Jen Wilde In: Kindred (Michael Earp) Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Australian authors, Contemporary, LGBTQI Dates read: 2nd June 2020 Pace: Fast Format: Short story Publisher: Walker Books Year: 2019 5th sentence, 74th page: I feel myself sinking into my shell, like I always do around him.
Waiting in line at a comi-con with her best friend, a young, bisexual girl starts to discover the true meaning of friendship and who she wants to be.
This was a bit of a first in the Kindred collection – it wasn’t a romance. The lead character was Neurodiverse and LGBTQI. But there was no romance. It wasn’t about finding a romantic connection at all for that matter. Rather, it was all about finding a friendship that works for you. And honestly, it seriously made me think about the friendships we find ourselves in. And what makes them healthy and good. And what makes them toxic.
Although this is an LGBTQI story, there isn’t a focus on that. Or, really, a Neurodiverse identity. Rather, it is about that moment when you find a new friend. A person that you can get along with and has similar interests. I love that there is a Brooklyn Nine-Nine reference and this whole story takes place in the line for comi-con.
All throughout this story, I absolutely hated the “best friend”. So I was super glad when the girl FINALLY decided to stand up for herself. It made me realise that maybe sometimes I should do the same…
Title: Devil Bones Author: Kathy Reichs Series: Temperance Brennan #11 Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Anthropology, Crime, Science, Strong women Dates read: 26th May – 2nd June 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Arrow Year: 2008 5th sentence, 74th page: “She is one proud young lady.”
An underground chamber is exposed in a seedy, dilapidated house. In the dark cellar, a ritualistic display is revealed: a human skull rests on a cauldron, surrounded by slain chickens and bizarre figurines.
Called to the scene is forensic anthropologist Dr Temperance Brennan. She determines that the skull is that of a young, black female. But how and when did she die? Just as Tempe is closing in on answers, another body is discovered: a headless corpse carved with Satanic symbols.
As local vigilantes begin a witch-hunt, Tempe struggles to contain her emotions. But the eventual truth proves more shocking than even she could have imagined.
This is probably the least spine-tingling Temperance Brennan book that I’ve read in a while. Which isn’t a bad thing. It’s nice to have a change of pace and not finish one of these novels with goose bumps up my arms and the need to check in every nook and cranny for a predator… it’s refreshing and definitely something I somewhat appreciate. It was nice to finish a crime novel in which you had to find out who the culprit was, and had a few moments of heart-racing action, but not as much as the other stories.
One of the aspects of Reichs’writing that I always enjoy is the way in which she is able to take an honest and open approach to a number of different belief systems and lifestyles. In the case of this story, it was one near and dear to my heart – that of Wicca and some other beliefs which aren’t really considered main stream. It was nice to read such an open view, one that neither encouraged nor discouraged the belief. It was informative and open, a great way to explain some belief systems which are often demonised.
My one big issue with this novel – there were SO many questions left unanswered. Not about the crime… that was all tied up neatly as they so often are. But there were so many unanswered questions about some of the personal aspects of Tempe’s life throughout the story. Mysteries that I’m pretty sure I didn’t get the answers too. Although, it maybe just be the fact that I didn’t notice the hints and such…. I’m going to just have to read the next book to see if I missed something, or the questions are answered then. And, annoyingly, since I don’t like giving away spoilers in reviews, I can’t bitch and moan anymore than that (my partner DID get an earful though).
Tempe’s alcoholic history really comes to life in this story too. Which I think may be a bit of the cause of this not being such a spine-tingling story – it is intense and great. But, most of the really heart-pumping action (for me) came from dealing with those emotional issues that are rife throughout. Not the criminal.
Normally I can see the villain coming in a crime novel like this. But I really didn’t pick up on who it was AT ALL. I love when I’m surprised. And I’d be interested to see if years down the track on a reread I can pick up the hints that I’m sure are peppered throughout or not…
In this classic story, Debbie brings those Manning men and Manning sisters home for a mistletoe marriage when a single dad finally says “I do.”
So I desperately want to read this series now. There is just something about this gorgeous short story that makes me smile and feel the need to sink into yet another new contemporary adult series. especially if the lead in this novella is younger and cheekier than she is as an adult.
MacKenzie is a great adolescent character. She’s full of gumption and cheekiness (which I think would also be in other stories). She is funny and quirky. And she’s damn well driven by her belief that what she is doing is right. I remember being a teenager and being convinced that I was smarter than everyone else. That I knew everything. So any character that reflects that smart-arsery as a teenager in such a pure way… they’re good with me.
The cast of this apartment and this story is brilliant. They are crazy and zany. Incredibly different, but all completely loving. And accepting. Which created a great, sweet and cute novella. One that left me with a huge smile plastered across my face.
Title: The Ranger Author: Zane Grey In: The Mammoth Book of Westerns (Jon E. Lewis) Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one) My Bookshelves:Westerns Dates read: 2nd June 2020 Pace: Slow Format: Short story Publisher: Robinson Year: 2013 5th sentence, 74th page: It was fight.
The Ranger is beginning to think about settling down and finding his own happily ever after. But that might just not be possible.
I’ve always imagined a ranger / cowboys life as being something dangerous and risky. Particularly when you think of the old-style westerns. And I always imagine it as something that you would want to escape… which this story kind of backs up. It’s a short story that is all about getting out of the life and finding your own happily ever after.
I did really like this whole vibe about gaining your own happily ever after. About finding your own ending that you an live with and treasure. One that is kind, tame and involves a long, well lived life. That’s not to say that he does or does not get that in this story. But I like that it is the desire.
All in all, I enjoyed this short story. It was easy, accessible and kind of hopeful. There was a fight, a love interest and a journey. Just what you need in a little departure from the pressures of reality.
Title: Piano Man Author: Christopher Fowler In: The Monstrous (Ellen Datlow) Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Horror Dates read: 2nd June 2020 Pace: Fast Format: Short story Publisher: Tachyon Year: 2015 5th sentence, 74th page: Then I heard it again, closer this time, a sound like a harpsichord being dropped on its side, discordant high notes and bass echoes that underscored the movement of something shifting hesitantly outside the walls.
A renovation involving an antique piano takes a sinister turn. One that will shock and surprise you.
This is a really disjointed short story. It wasn’t even remotely what I expected. But it was also really good. However, the disjointed nature did mean that it took me a little while to catch up with what was going on… maybe what the author had in mind when he wrote this?
There was / is something about Piano Man that I can’t quite seem to get out of my head. Something powerful that lingers and haunts. And just in general captivates. There’s the setting and the characters and the mystery. There’s the supernatural and the mundane. It all works together to create this great, kind of unforgettable story that left me with, well, not a smile, because it was a dark story, but left me happy that I had read this story.
I don’t fully understand the supernatural element in this story. I think that I would have to reread it to find the hints about this element that I had kind of missed. But, overall, I did really enjoy reading this tale. And experiencing such a great, intense, impossible to forget tale. Seriously enjoyable.
Title: Paradise Valley Author: Robyn Carr Series: Virgin River #7 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, Contemporary romance Dates read: 9th June 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Mira Year: 2009 5th sentence, 74th page: He picked Jack up and got him to safety.
A moving story about survival, forgiveness – and the power of love to heal a wounded spirit
Marine corporal Rick Sudder is home early from Iraw – his tour ended abruptly on the battlefield. The carefree boy is gone, replaced by a man who believes his future is as bleak as his mirror image. But can the passion and commitment of a young woman who has never given up on him mend his broken body and shattered heart?
As the people of Virgin River rally around Rick, another recent arrival tests the tightly knit mountain town’s famous welcoming spirit. Dan Brady has a questionable past, and he’s looking for a place to start over. He’d like it to be Virgin River… if he can find a way in. But he never expects to find it in the arms of a woman who was as much an outcast as himself.
For a favorite son returned from war and an outsider looking for a home, Virgin River offers them a chance to make peace with the men they once were… and to find the dreams they thought they’d lost.
From the blurb on the back cover of this book, and a few of the comments from reviews that I saw. I was honestly expecting this novel to be kind of tragic. At a time when I really wasn’t all that in the mood for tragic. Luckily, however, I was completely wrong. This isn’t tragic. It wasn’t horrible to read. And yes, there are bad moments throughout (which in my opinion makes it a good book), but in the end, there was that same sense of peace, hope and realism that I always seem to get from the Virgin River books.
I’ve been waiting and waiting for more of a movement in Rick and Liz’s relationship. They start off so young and there are so many tragic moments. And, although, even at the conclusion of this story they haven’t quite figured everything out, it was nice to have a whole novel focused on them. Even the secondary character, Brady has a lot to do with Rick and Liz’s story that I seriously didn’t expect. I also loved the final reveal of how his story is so intertwined with Rick’s towards the end. It was an entertaining scene and a thoroughly enjoyable moment.
All throughout this story, and the greater series, I have loved the whole set up of this storyline. It starts off with one couple. And, instead of focusing on the next couple as the story evolves, there is this journey in which each story builds upon the past couples and stories, whilst also adding in a new couple to get hopelessly intertwined with. It’s such a great way to tell a story. And a unique way to share a romance. And, as the series develops, I’m finding that even though Paradise Valley is mostly about Rick and Liz, with Brady’s story built in… it is also about all of the others that I’ve fallen in love with. With hints of more beautiful little stories to come!
I enjoyed this so much and already felt so attached to Rick and Liz that I managed to read this whole book in just one sitting. I don’t even remember pausing to eat dinner. Even though I’m sure that I must have… it seemed to completely speak to me at a time that I needed a story like this. Wonderfully powerful and enjoyable, whilst reminding me of all of the good things in life. A great, surprisingly positive contemporary romance that left me with all the happy feelings I’m getting used to with Robyn Carr’s writing.
Title: Temptation Ridge Author: Robyn Carr Series: Virgin River #6 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, Contemporary romance Dates read: 2nd June 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Mira Year: 2009 5th sentence, 74th page: A man walked past them, glanced at them, smiled slightly and moved on.
Welcome back to VIRGIN RIVER with the books that started it all…
Shelby McIntyre has big plans – plans that include finding Mr. Right. Her dream man will have a clean-shaven jaw, creases in his pants and hopefully an advanced degree. What she gets is rugged Luke Riordan.
At twnety-five, after five years as her mother’s caregiver, it’s time for Shelby to experience freedom and adventure. Time for travel, college and romance. But when she visits Virgin River, she runs into Luke Riordan, decidedly not whom she has in mind.
A handsome Blackhawk pilot, Luke exited the army after twenty years, four wars and having been shot out of the sky three times. At thirty-eight he’s tough and jaded. His major was in one-night stands, with a minor in commitment avoidance.
Technically, these two are all wrong for one another. But sometimes what you wants and what you need are two different things… two very good things.
Shelby and her somewhat tragic circumstances are first introduced in Second Chance Pass. So when I found out that Temptation Ridge is all about Shelby and her happily ever after… I was really happy. Particularly when she had just recently lost a mother to ALS. THAT hit quite close to home… so I needed there to be a happy, the world doesn’t suck story for Shelby. And, thank goodness… I got it!!!
Luke is that typical trope of bad boy with commitment issues. The one that when the right girl comes along, changes his stripes and they get their happily ever after. It’s not exactly realistic and it’s kind of cliché. But it does work. Particularly when you have a storyline in which the woman is a virgin and he’s about ten years older than her. Yet, it works. And I didn’t find it painful like I do with some cliché tropes… even then, when he’s making mistakes and stupid decisions because he’s decided what is best for Shelby without talking with her… it made me scream moron. Just a little bit.
Having said that, I did love the ending. I loved how Shelby’s strength and power are shown. And that even though her virginity is kind of a big thing to some in the story – it wasn’t really an issue with her. It’s one of the few stories that has an older virgin in which the tale isn’t tedious. She isn’t saving herself, she isn’t treasuring something that really has no meaning. She’s just not had the opportunity. And she doesn’t feel that she needs to “experience the world” before she falls in love. Like I said, seriously not tedious.
This story also has a great romance begin for another of Shelby’s family members. Walt gets to start moving on with his life. I love that this is a series that features a romance, and a sexual relationship between a couple that is in their 50’s and 60’s. It’s a reminder that relationships are constantly evolving. No matter how old a person is. And it helps to build on the ensemble cast of this series – an ensemble which features people of all ages, sizes and walks of life. Which just melted my happy little heart.
Title: Crime & Criminology Author: Rob White, Fiona Haines & Nicole L. Asquith Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Non-fiction, Psychology, Science Dates read: 24th March – 26th May 2020 Pace: Slow Format: Non-fictional text Publisher: Oxford University Press Year: 1996 5th sentence, 74th page: In particular, society itself could be studied as if were external to the observer.
Crime and Criminology provides a concise yet comprehensive introduction to the study of crime. This sixth edition explores the key theories that explain criminal behaviour in society, providing students with the opportunity to evaluate how criminologists employ these theories in analyses of criminological issues.
Written by an expert author team, this tewntieth anniversary edition has been thoroughly updated to inclued new examples and expand on new directions in crime and criminology.
The book includes learning features designed to engage students in criminology by demonstrating how criminological theory can be placed in both a historical and contemporary context, and how it both frames and draws from research. It provides learning pathways beyond specific theories, equipping students with the skills to understand their own theoretical perspectives, and the social context, history and concepts of each criminological theory.
This is one of those textbooks that you end up reading the whole thing throughout the entirety of a course. And I was honestly wondering whether or not to include it in my reviews and reading for the year. And then I realised that a) I did read it, so it should be included. And b) even if this isn’t a novel, it’s still a book that had authors put a lot of effort into it, and I should recognise that with a review.
This is a very easy and accessible textbook. It encompasses so many different psychological theories that help to explain crime. But it does so in a very open and accessible format. Particularly when considering how difficult I sometimes find wadding through theoretical information.
The division of each chapter was brilliantly done – it gave you a historical perspective that actually provided information and not a list of names. And it did so in a consistent manner throughout the text. There were also great contemporary examples and a number of case studies. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and couldn’t stop thinking about the many aspects of criminology that were bought to life.
Title: Rich People Problems Author: Kevin Kwan Series: Crazy Rich Asians #3 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Asia, Chic lit, Contemporary Dates read: 29th May 2020 Pace: Fast Format: Novel Publisher: Anchor Books Year: 2017 5th sentence, 74th page: Mummy must never look unkempt.
Nicholas Young’s grandmother Su Yi is on her deathbed. While he rushes to be by her side, he’s not the only one. The entire Shang-Young clan has convened from all corners to the globe to stake claim on their matriarch’s massive fortune. With all parties vying to inherit a trophy estate in the heart of Singapore, Nicholas’s childhood home turns into a hotbed of sabotage and scandal. Taking us from elegantly appointed mansions in Manila to secluded private islands in the Sulu Sea, Kevin Kwan’s final installment in this irresistible trilogy reveals the long-buried secrets of Asia’s most privileged families and their rich people problems.
I’ve been meaning and meaning to get to this novel for a while. After all, it finishes out a great series that I have absolutely adored and I also hated that the very final book in a trilogy has just been sitting, unread on my shelves. Now that I’ve read it… wow… I definitely should have sunk my teeth into this WAY WAY earlier.
The scheming and insanity that is Nick’s family definitely comes to a head in this story. He’s the prodigal son who has deserted his post, and yet, at the end of the day, all he wants is to be able to say goodbye to his grandmother. Yet, there are so, so many family members who are too busy plotting and scheming for more money to make this reunion simple. To make it anything but awkward really. It’s kind of difficult to stomach in moments – I just can’t imagine that need for money and prestige to be so all-consuming.
Although the main storyline was about Ah Ma being on her death bed and all of the insane relatives rushing to her side, there were another two great side stories that had that same sense of suspended disbelief and horror. Firstly, there was the story about Kitty. She’s moved up and up in the world throughout the series, but she now has to contend with a whole new set of problems in her drive to be the “queen” of society. Then there’s the story of Astrid. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a character to have their happily ever after more. Yet, her journey to finally get her own version of happily ever after is seriously tragic and difficult. I actually wanted to throw the book across the room in some moments – there were just so many horrible things going on.
This is a great novel. Like the first two novels, Rich People Problems is funny and witty. It completely makes fun at a set of the cohort that most of us will never come across. Yet, it also makes you fall in love with some of these characters. I may have absolutely loved this novel and blitzed through it in about a day, but I’m actually really, seriously disappointed that this series is over… I wonder if there are any more Kevin Kwan novels that I can add to my wishlist…
Earth and Skye 