A good psychological thriller!

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book; lots of twists and turns. The graphic scenes did not bother me. If you like suspense and psychological thrillers, this is the book for you! I WILL read more of Karin Slaughter's books, as I have become a fan.

Basically, it's about a teenage girl, Julia, that vanishes, and also about the murder of a middle-aged man about 25 years apart, and what connects the two events. It's about the girl's two sisters, Lydia and Clare, and their search to find out the truth about Julia's disappearance. The family fell apart after Julia's disappearance, the parents divorce (the mother remarries and the father spends his life searching for Julia), Lydia gets involved with drugs and alcohol and is estranged from Claire, while Claire marries a rich guy she had known since her school days.

The book is pretty disturbing in parts, with graphic scenes of psychopaths and their twisted desires, and deals with brutality against women. It is a page turner, however, and I did like it and I recommend it.

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My favorite book read in 2016, so far........

Circling the Sun by Paula McLain
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is in my top five of books read this year, 2016, so far. It is a historical fiction book, based on the life of Beryl Markham, who wrote West With the Night. It's about her life (born in England) in Kenya at the beginning of the 20th century. Her mother abandoned her and their father when Beryl was 4, leaving for England with their son, Beryl's brother. She was 20 before she met her mother again. Beryl grew up when the land was known as British East Africa. Her father, a British colonial, raised Beryl himself, and trained racehorses (eventually - they struggled at first in the harsh land) and became famous. Beryl worked with him once it was clear that school wasn't for her. Beryl married young but the marriage wasn't a good one and they eventually divorced. She became famous in her own right for her training of race horses. Eventually she also because a pilot, the first and only female pilot in Africa. She was the first female to fly across the Atlantic, from east to west, also. She lived during the time of, and was friends with Karen Blixen (who wrote the book Out of Africa - Meryl Streep played Karen in the movie), known as the author Isak Dinesen. They both loved and had a relationship with the famous big game hunter, Denys Finch Hatton.

I learned so much about early 20th century Africa/Kenya and it made me research Karen Blixen and Denys Finch Hatton myself - fascinating people. Beryl ended up marrying twice more (Markham was the last name of husband #2, which she kept). I loved reading about the land and the people that Beryl was a part of, more so than her British homeland and people. She grew up speaking fluent Swahili and her childhood friends were the local tribes people.

The author writes brilliantly and I can't wait to read her other book, The Paris Wife, about Ernest Hemingway's wife.

I liked this book so much, that I am now listening to Beryl's own book, West With the Night, and I will follow up with a book called The Bolter, by Frances Osborne, which also takes place in Kenya (a true story; a non-fiction book of the same time period). I highly recommend this book.

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A wonderful gem that I'm so glad I discovered!

The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely LOVED this book. I both listened to it on Audible and read the Kindle book. I can't wait to watch the movie on Amazon Prime next. This book was SO funny and engaging; I just loved Allan Karlsson and all his adventures with famous people - Franco, Stalin, Harry Truman, LBJ, Mao, Kim Il Jung, DeGaulle, and more. I can't wait for our book discussion group to talk about it (actually two of my local book clubs that I am in are reading it now), because it was so fun. I actually laughed out loud at parts of it while driving. I'm sure the narrator's wonderful narration contributed to my enjoyment of the book and I highly recommend listening to this book.

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A fun travel adventure/memoir.

We'll Always Have Paris: A Mother/Daughter Memoir by Jennifer Coburn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Let me just say that I love this book. I am currently an “armchair traveler” (although upon retirement I plan to become a “real” traveler, ha ha) and travel adventure books are among my favorite genre of books, as are memoirs. I love books about bicycle travel, sailing travel, walking travel, group travel – all of it! I even like travel shows on television.
I loved how the author decided to “go for it” and make these trips happen, even though her family had other financial necessities in their life; she made travel (and memories for her daughter) a priority. After seeing her father did young of cancer, she didn’t want to have any regrets in her life (she thought she would also die young) and didn’t want to leave travel until later in life, in case she died before it could happen. I kind of feel the same way; that by waiting until retirement (in 2.5 years for me), I might have waited too long. If I end up getting some debilitating health issues before then, I’ll really be mad. I’ve already been through breast cancer, and that’s enough for me. I just cannot wait to be able to travel at will with my husband. I traveled a lot as a young Army brat and in my early 20’s, but very little since having a family.
I really like the author and her daughter (who appears to be a very intelligent young lady), both of whom I’d like to meet. I feel like a kindred spirit. The two of them appear to have a really good relationship, and I loved reading about their adventures, and misadventures. The book was a delightful read and I especially liked it because I have been to all these places! I could picture the places in Italy and Spain, for example. I was right there with her as she toured Barcelona! I definitely want to go back to all these places someday and maybe keep a journal this time, as Jennifer Coburn has inspired me to write about my travels. The book is an easy and quick read, and, unlike some of the other reviews, I really liked how she interspersed her past life into the book, so that the reader feels like they really know Jennifer and Katie as personal friends. I also like Jennifer’s husband, William, because he supported her in her need for travel, even though he did not accompany them on their trips. He’s a real keeper! I laughed out loud at some parts; it was such an engaging book. I do recommend it if you love travel adventures.


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My favorite book this year, so far!

The Lake House by Kate Morton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

** I received this book for free from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I also listened to this book on Audible, narrated by Caroline Lee. Although it's only February, it's my favorite book of 2016, so far. I love Kate Morton's books, and this one is my favorite of hers. It spans two time periods, 1933 and 2003. In 1933 an 11- month old boy, Theo Edevane, disappears at night while his family is hosting a midsummer party in Cornwall, England. Is he killed or kidnapped? The disappearance is never solved. In 2003 a female police detective, Sadie Sparrow, is visiting her widowed grandfather, Bertie, in Cornwall. She is on a forced leave of absence by her boss for speaking with reporters about a high profile case she was nvestigating. While on a jog one day, she discovers the hidden Lake House, where the 1933 story took place. As she starts researching the story after she is told whose house it was and what happened there 70 years earlier, she becomes hooked on solving the mystery.

The book moves back and forth between the two time periods (and even earlier, to give the back story) and the two stories, until Sadie meets some of the characters from the 30's who are still alive. She is determined to solve the crime she investigated, as well as the old cold case. As the two time periods rush closer and closer together, there are twists and turns as secrets are revealed, and coincidences occur.

I love Kate Morton's writing and I loved the narration of the book. I highly recommend this book and predict it will be a best seller.

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An excellent novel during the World War II period - a must read!

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is now my favorite book of 2015. I don't understand the negative reviews, as I really loved it. I listened to it on Audible and couldn't wait for my commute every day to listen to it. 3 days later, I'm still thinking about it. I highly recommend it.

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A fun legal thriller, written by a local Virginia judge!

The Jezebel Remedy by Martin Clark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book! We are reading it for my at-work book club. It was written by a Virginia judge (Martin Clark) and takes place in Henry County, VA. It mentions many places I know and real people I've heard of or know. It is a legal thriller, and even includes a Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board hearing - which is very pertinent because I work for the Virginia State Bar in the Disciplinary Section and clerk those hearings!

You can read the synopsis of the book yourself, but I found it a lot of fun because it was written by a Virginian, a signed copy was given to our department to read, and I liked the story. It was a thriller and had many twists and turns and covered different themes (law, crime, adultery, lies, animals, inventions, subterfuge, etc.) The discussion should be very interesting!

I recommend this book. Oh, I listened to it on Audible and the narration was wonderful (I also read parts of the book that I wanted to reread).


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