Review: Dad Is Fat

Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jim Gaffigan is a funny dude. His books are funny, and his standup is even funnier. But what I like most about him is how he takes very real situations and finds the humor in them. He's relatable. Crazy life, 5 kids, a wife he clearly adores? He turns it into funny "slice of life" stories. A little on the exaggerated side, to be sure, but that's part of his charm. And he pokes fun at himself most of all, so you can't get upset with him.

Dude, I seriously can't stop laughing. He's ridiculous. Jim, can't wait to see you again in Vegas!



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Review: Death in Four Courses

Death in Four Courses by Lucy Burdette
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not terrible. Probably on par with the first book. And Key West as a setting gives it a different flavor.

Haley is what is keeping me from loving these books. As a main character, I find her annoying. She reads as immature and not confident, and I just want her to grow up. The mystery is fine in this one, and while I guessed whodunit I was off on the why, but that's ok. Honestly, I don't read cozies expecting to be blown away by the plot twists and bad guys. I have a whole stack of thrillers waiting for me that can do that. But I do need to enjoy the main character. Haley and her grumpy gus love interest, Bransford, seem mismatched. Will we have to deal with her sticking her nose into things and him getting mad in every book? Seems that way.

I'll be back to give book 3 a shot. 2.5 stars, but rounding up to 3 because I am in a good mood.

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Review: Talking God

Talking God by Tony Hillerman
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

Another great mystery with Leaphorn and Chee - this time we all leave New Mexico and head to Washington D.C. to investigate a John Doe found along the train tracks, interview an activist who seems to have ties to a Navajo family, and spend some time with Janet Pete.

Joe Leaphorn seems to be doing better after his Blessing Way. Glad Chee was able to help him. Jim, however, still is torn between two worlds. I can see these books are leading us towards a relationship with Janet, and I don't know if I like that, but she's better than Mary. Hopefully we've seen the last of her.

I actually enjoyed this mystery a lot even with the huge coincidence of getting Leaphorn and Chee in D.C. at the same time to partner up. And everyone is back home in the Navajo Nation so we will be driving the dusty roads of NM for the next one. 3.5 stars.


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Review: Lock In

Lock In by John Scalzi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a POFM in January, and I am pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it once I got used to the setting.

A terrible disease has swept the globe, causing people to be "locked in" to their bodies, essentially unable to do anything. However, technology finds a way, and now these people can transfer their consciousness to a robot-type device to interact with the world. Or they can join a virtual world and be what they want. Or they can hire someone to let them take over the bodies. Scary? Yes. And now you have the premise of the book. One of the most famous victims of Haden's Syndrome is now an FBI agent, and day one on the job he is assigned a case involving a Haden.

Once you get into the weird future/not future setting and the Haden technology, you have yourself a pretty good mystery with interesting characters. I'll probably read book 2, although the ending left me pretty satisfied and I think this could have just been a standalone. 3 stars.

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Review: Love You More

Love You More by Lisa Gardner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really love all of the twists and turns in this book. Every time I think I have it all figured out, bam. A new twist!

This is another great book with D.D. Warren and Bobby Dodge, but it is also listed as #1 in the Tessa Leoni series. She's the victim/MC/state trooper, and the entire book I found myself rooting for her. She's tough, she's a good mom, and I can see her being best friends with D.D. Alas, it's not meant to be. It asks you, how far would you go for love? For your child? And for Tessa, no length is too far.
There are a couple of places where I questioned her decisions, for sure, but as a raging lioness mother I get it. Plus, it's fiction, so we can all live happily ever after. Or as close as you can get in a crazy thriller.

Really great plot and characters. 4 stars.

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Review: After The Ending

After The Ending by Lindsey Pogue
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

It's official. I just don't like New Adult. Even if it is a post-apocalyptic setting. I must be turning into a grumpy old woman. It took me like 3 weeks of reading a few chapters here and there to get through this hot mess of a book.

Both main characters bugged me, big time. Everyone around you is dying, yet you can do nothing but dream about love and nonsense. I guess I would hope to be tougher in this scenario. It's a good thing this book was free. Everyone dying of the plague? Oh, boo hoo, this boy hooked up with someone else and then he didn't pick me for his scouting team. I wish I was making this up, but I'm not. Grow a backbone and focus on what is most important, ladies. You all sucked.

Angst and bad decisions all-around. I hope everyone dies in book 2, but I will never find out, because I can only take so much nonsense.

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Review: I'll Give You the Sun

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I adored this book! I've had it on my shelf to read for several years and finally got around to reading it. So glad I did.

It's young adult, but it isn't. It deals with complicated issues and while the two main characters are teenagers, everything happening around them is drama. Adult drama. We have some heavy themes here with Jude and Noah. Death. Discovering your sexuality. Addiction. Infidelity. Ghosts. And wrestling with your own demons. You have peer pressure, teen angst, and whole host of bad decisions.

I can't say enough about how much I liked this book. Give it a read. Can't wait to hear what you think. 4.5 stars. If I keep thinking about it, I might bump it up to a rare 5 star read.

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Review: The Little Book of Lykke: The Danish Search for the World's Happiest People

The Little Book of Lykke: The Danish Search for the World's Happiest People by Meik Wiking
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I wish I worked for the Happiness Institute. It sounds awesome. Imagine researching happiness all day long.

Lykke is a sense of happiness and fulfillment. The Danish seem to have it mostly figured out, but the book shows how it happens all across the globe. Lots of great statistics and research to back it all up, and ideas for small changes you can make right now to impact your life in a positive way.

Just what I needed for the first month of the new year. 3 stars.

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Review: Whose Body?

Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this so much, but I'm afraid I went in expecting Agatha and no one can hold a candle to her.

Lord Peter is annoying. There, I said it. He drove me nuts with the way he spoke, too. But you know who I did enjoy? Bunter. He's going to make me read book 2. The mystery was ok, with Lord Peter creating a bunch of red herrings, mostly in his mind, and the characters are all pretty well drawn.

It's a 2.5 star start for me, but I will round up because Bunter is one of my favorite new characters.

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Review: Iron Lake

Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

New series for me. I'll definitely read the next one.

Meet my new friend, Cork O'Connor. He's the former sheriff, separated from his wife and trying to figure out his new normal. But you know how it is with these rugged, lawful good types. He can't seem to leave the badge behind. Doing someone a solid, he goes looking for a boy who didn't come home from his paper route and stumbles on a dead judge. It looks like suicide, so he calls it in. And what he uncovers next is a tangled web of deceit and bad decisions all-around.

I liked Cork enough to continue seeing him. I have a thing for lawmen, and he while he doesn't rev my motor as much as my one true love, Walt Longmire, it was still enjoyable. 3.5 stars.

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