Review: A Duty to the Dead (Bess Crawford #1)

A Duty To The Dead by Charles Todd

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


New series for me, and it's off to a great start. Really liked it.

Bess Crawford is a wartime nurse who makes a promise to a young dying soldier to deliver a message to his brother. When she does she finds herself wrapped up in a mystery from the past. The mystery is smartly plotted and even though I guessed at a few twists and turns, it was still really enjoyable.

I like Bess. She's a strong, confident character but not an insufferable Mary Sue. I like her father, and I like Simon. It has the bonus of being a historical mystery, which is my two favorites mixed together. And a series to boot! I am really looking forward to the next book in the series.



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Review: How Will You Measure Your Life?

How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. Christensen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Quick read about the goals you set for your life and how you can apply them in all areas. I especially enjoyed the section called, "What Makes Us Tick". It was all about motivation, for both yourself and others. Some of his thoughts for job satisfaction that really resonated with me:

Is this job meaningful to me?
Is this job going to give me a chance to develop?
Am I going to learn new things?
Will I have an opportunity for recognition and achievement?
Am I going to be given responsibility?

Good thoughts around parenting, work, and life. Three stars.



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Review: Bird Box

Bird Box by Josh Malerman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Wow. Let me unscrew my mind for a minute. I still don't have a clue what was happening in this book.

If you like creepy psychological horror/mystery/dystopia, you should give this book a try. I refuse to tell you beyond what you can get from the book description, because you should go in blind (see what I did there?)

Just do it. But don't read the part in the bar at night. Or read it and don't cry to me later. You've been warned.



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The Princess Diaries (The Princess Diaries #1)

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Cute start to the series. It's very different from the movie, especially her grandmother. Try to wipe your mind before reading, because you aren't getting Julie Andrews here, folks.

In case you have no idea what this series is about, Mia finds out she is a princess. A real princess. Of a small country in Europe. She's dorky, and unpopular, and a bit weird, like most high school freshmen. And now this? Nothing but trouble.

This book will help you remember how awkward high school was. And then you can be glad you made it to adulthood.



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Romancing the Duke (Castles Ever After #1)

Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I am shocked by how much I enjoyed this book. It was right up my alley, though. Historical with a strong female lead. Nothing turns me off faster than a sniveling, insecure woman who can't function without a man.

This was a good one. Semi-fairy tale world with some realism thrown in. Issy is alone in the world after the death of her father, when she is bequeathed a castle from a family friend. The current occupant, Duke Ransom, had no idea his castle had been sold by his solicitors. Hilarity ensues as they both stubbornly refuse to budge. And it's a romance, so you just know they will fall in love by the end. But how they get there is good--really good, actually. Give this one a read.



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Guidebook to Murder (A Tourist Trap Mystery #1)

Guidebook to Murder by Lynn Cahoon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


First of all, you can rarely go wrong with books about books. And while I was hoping there would be more book shop in this one, I still enjoyed this cute cozy mystery.

Jill owns a book shop in small town California. Her friend dies and she inherits her house, but it turns out to be MURDER. Because it has to be murder to get into a cozy groove. Like you would expect, Jill does her best to solve the crime with the help of a sexy cop and a few sidekicks. It's cute. The mystery is a little jumbled up, but it all makes (some) sense by the end and the characters are fun. I will read book 2.



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Love Water Memory

Love Water Memory by Jennie Shortridge

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Amnesia. The power of memory. Love. Family. I'm going to be thinking about this book for a while. I really enjoyed it.

Lucie loses her memories. All of them. I can't even imagine. This book explores what might happen to your life if you had the slate wiped clean. Would you have the same interests? Mannerisms? Values? Would you love who you loved before? Such an interesting concept. Great book--I definitely recommend.



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Color Me Crazy (Annie Addison Mystery #1)

Color Me Crazy by Molly Dox

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


Man, this book was dumb from start to finish. Luckily it was a novella that I got for free. Annie is dense and annoying. Stop meddling or you deserve to be thrown in jail. I won't read more of the series.



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11/22/63

11/22/63 by Stephen King

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Wow, wow, wow. Hop on those butterfly wings, because we are going on a crazy ride through time.

What if you could go back in time? Would you do it? I don't think I would, especially to change a major event in history. It's just too risky. King spends 800+ pages exploring how unraveling one thread of time could have impact, both large and small. The butterfly effect says changing one thing changes countless others, as Jake quickly discovers. But the past doesn't want to be changed, and Jake has to make a lot of hard choices to complete his mission.

An interesting look at alternative history, journey with Jake back to the 50s and 60s to stop the Kennedy assassination. Its worth the read.






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A Body at Bunco (Myrtle Clover Cozy Mysteries #8)

A Body at Bunco by Elizabeth Spann Craig

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


I must be in a mood, because the high ratings and glowing reviews of this book disagree with my assessment. And my assessment is this book is bad.

Myrtle Clover is the worst. She's judgmental, and insufferable, and bitchy to everyone. I would never spend a half second with her. She's especially horrible to her hired help and her daughter-in-law. She seems to be less horrible to her only friend, Miles, but not by much. The best thing I can say about this book is I got it for free. So long, Myrtle. Enjoy the rest of your busybody life of meddling and judgment alone.



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