Blogging Fail

It is becoming apparent that I am not going to be able to keep up with this blog anymore, but just in case I find time to catch up at a later time, here are the books we've read since my last post.

A Northern Light - Jennifer Donnelly
Wonderful. Not quite as great as The Tea Rose, but still, a great read.

Dark Fever - Karen Moning
I LOVE fantasy/fairy books and this one did not disappoint. This is book 1 in a series, and several of us have gone on to read additional books in the series.

Blind Obsession - Ella Frank
This is porn. Ok, so technically it's "erotica" but who are we kidding. I paid $2.99 to buy this on the Kindle. That should have been my first clue. I made it about halfway through - waiting for a plot to emerge, but surrendered after "the ghost" became part of the main character's relationship. Done.

Between 50 Shades and Blind Obsession, I've decided to veto all erotic novels from this club.

A Certain Smile by Francoise Sagan - Review

Our most recent book was A Certain Smile by Francoise Sagan. There wasn't much to this one. Very quick read. Basically, this French girl is dating a guy who she's bored with, so she leaves him to have an affair with his older, married uncle. She falls for the uncle, but he remains guarded in his feelings towards her - deciding to stay with his wife and see her when he can. This book reminded me of a Woody Allen movie. Very well-written, but also very French. Unlike American novels that tie up with a neat bow full of conclusions and changed characters, this just sort of ended. Nothing really changed and I guess that's the point.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn - Review

Synopsis:
Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice" of Kinnakee, Kansas.” She survived—and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, the Kill Club—a secret secret society obsessed with notorious crimes—locates Libby and pumps her for details. They hope to discover proof that may free Ben. Libby hopes to turn a profit off her tragic history: She’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club—for a fee. As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started—on the run from a killer.

What can I say about Dark Places by Gillian Flynn? It was, well, dark. Very dark in fact. There are a few violent scenes that I must admit to just glossing over... like the part with the cow, and of course, the slaughter of the children. As a thriller goes, this one is certainly good in that it keeps you guessing until the end. But, oh, the end. The end made us all want to throw this book out the window.

Read it if you want to be depressed.

Flowertown by S.G. Redling - Review

Our next book of 2013 was Flowertown by S.G. Redling. This book was actually really good. I enjoy novels with a dystopian society. I highly recommend this one.

Here's the synopsis:

When Feno Chemical spilled an experimental pesticide in rural Iowa, scores of people died. Those who survived contamination were herded into a US Army medically maintained quarantine and cut off from the world. Dosed with powerful drugs to combat the poison, their bodies give off a sickly sweet smell and the containment zone becomes known simply as Flowertown.

Seven years later, the infrastructure is crumbling, supplies are dwindling, and nobody is getting clean. Ellie Cauley doesn’t care anymore. Despite her paranoid best friend's insistence that conspiracies abound, she focuses on three things: staying high, hooking up with the Army sergeant she's not supposed to be fraternizing with and, most importantly, trying to ignore her ever-simmering rage. But when a series of deadly events rocks the compound, Ellie suspects her friend is right—something dangerous is going down in Flowertown and all signs point to a twisted plan of greed and abuse. She and the other residents of Flowertown have been betrayed by someone with a deadly agenda and their plan is just getting started. Time is running out. With nobody to trust and nowhere to go, Ellie decides to fight with the last weapon she has—her rage.

Flowertown is a high-intensity conspiracy thriller that brings the worst-case scenario vividly to life and will keep readers riveted until the final haunting page.

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman - Non-Review

Greetings, blogosphere! I've been away for 6 months, but I'm back to review some books! First, a little catch-up.

Our January book was The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman. I didn't read this book because I was in labor with my beautiful baby girl. I believe the general consensus was that this book wasn't very good. Guess I didn't miss much.

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake - Review

Here's another book club read that I didn't get to timely review, and frankly, I don't have the energy. But, give me a break - I'm at the end of my pregnancy - due in 8 days actually. :-)

Ok, so this book was pretty good with more violence and graphic horror then I would expect for Young Adult. The "love story" was a bit contrived and forced, but I liked the ghost-hunter plot. It was very reminiscent of Buffy which was one of my favorite shows back in the day.

The Bungalow by Sarah Jio - Review

The Bungalow by Sarah Jio was a good read overall though fairly predictable. Unfortunately, I waited so long to blog about it that I've already forgotten most of the talking points.  I do remember that the main character's desire for adventure before she settled down in life was very relateable, but her bff's attitude which the author blamed on postpartum depression, seemed unrealistic. I could see the postpartum accounting for her seclusion and overall moodiness, but why would she sabotage her friend's chance at love under the guise of "I was depressed"? It doesn't fit. Also, there was this annoying unresolved back-story: What the heck happened with Mary? Why did her fiance' dump her? What did his letter to her say? Why did she kill herself? The author didn't explain any of it! Other than that, it was fun reading this sweet love story and seeing it all tie together at the end.