Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James

Title: Fifty Shades of Grey
Author: E. L. James
Page Count: 530
Rating: C
Keywords: Twilight, Love, Sex, BDSM
Genre: Erotica Fiction
Younger Readers: Not for children, check the genre

Synopsis from Goodreads:

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.

This book is intended for mature audiences.

My Review:

Alright...this book came out when I was in high school and plenty of people raved about it when I was an undergrad. A friend even loaned me all of the books at one point to try and get me to read them. I stubbornly resisted until this year. After watching the movie adaptations of the books I found myself curious enough to give the books a try.

I am sure you have heard that this started out as Twilight fan fiction. I absolutely loved Twilight as a teenage girl. It was my obsession. Fifty Shades of Grey is definitely similar in a lot of aspects but I almost found it harder to get into this book. The first one hundred pages or so were a bit on the boring side and the writing felt amateurish. Part of me wanted to just give up but I kept on reading.

Luckily, the writing did improve and I actually came to like some aspects of the book. Anastasia was awkwardly entertaining with her internal goddess, and there were even moments where she was weirdly relatable. At times the romance between her and Christian was interesting, but overall the scenes that were meant to be steamy just felt awkward and a bit much. Even with my very limited experience reading romance and erotica, I have seen much better romantic scenes.

I certainly did not love this book but I by no means am going to discourage anyone from reading it. With how many of my friends loved this book, I think it is definitely worth checking out. If you loved Twilight, or are just looking for a somewhat predictable book then check this one out. I am still debating reading Fifty Shades Darker. I have heard it was better and incorporates a mystery. I'll keep y'all updated if I do.

Reading List for School

As some of you may have noticed by now, I am a grad student! I graduated last month with my MA in International Security. Grad school comes with endless reading, constant writing, and many exhausted days but I am studying something I find completely fascinating and so it brings me great joy.

I decided to share the two books that I had to read for one of my favorite courses. First, the class was about emerging powers in the international system and how shifts in the system can alter world order. We focused on many different countries that are rising in power and influence, but I always gravitated towards writing about and researching Russia. If you're new here, Russian culture and language are sort of my passion.

So here are two books that we read and a few notes on them if you're interested in international relations or any related fields. And just because I have read these books does not mean that I agree with the authors' views. Political Science involves exposure to many different views and evaluating them on your own.

Title: World Order
Author: Henry Kissinger
Page Count: 374
Younger Readers: Just note that this was read for a graduate level course. Content was not graphic in any way but it could be difficult for a child to comprehend both the vocabulary and scope of the subject matter.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Henry Kissinger offers in World Order a deep meditation on the roots of international harmony and global disorder. Drawing on his experience as one of the foremost statesmen of the modern era—advising presidents, traveling the world, observing and shaping the central foreign policy events of recent decades—Kissinger now reveals his analysis of the ultimate challenge for the twenty-first century: how to build a shared international order in a world of divergent historical perspectives, violent conflict, proliferating technology, and ideological extremism.

There has never been a true “world order,” Kissinger observes. For most of history, civilizations defined their own concepts of order. Each considered itself the center of the world and envisioned its distinct principles as universally relevant. China conceived of a global cultural hierarchy with the Emperor at its pinnacle. In Europe, Rome imagined itself surrounded by barbarians; when Rome fragmented, European peoples refined a concept of an equilibrium of sovereign states and sought to export it across the world. Islam, in its early centuries, considered itself the world’s sole legitimate political unit, destined to expand indefinitely until the world was brought into harmony by religious principles. The United States was born of a conviction about the universal applicability of democracy—a conviction that has guided its policies ever since.

Now international affairs take place on a global basis, and these historical concepts of world order are meeting. Every region participates in questions of high policy in every other, often instantaneously. Yet there is no consensus among the major actors about the rules and limits guiding this process, or its ultimate destination. The result is mounting tension.

Grounded in Kissinger’s deep study of history and his experience as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State, World Order guides readers through crucial episodes in recent world history. Kissinger offers a unique glimpse into the inner deliberations of the Nixon administration’s negotiations with Hanoi over the end of the Vietnam War, as well as Ronald Reagan’s tense debates with Soviet Premier Gorbachev in Reykjavík. He offers compelling insights into the future of U.S.–China relations and the evolution of the European Union, and examines lessons of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Taking readers from his analysis of nuclear negotiations with Iran through the West’s response to the Arab Spring and tensions with Russia over Ukraine, World Order anchors Kissinger’s historical analysis in the decisive events of our time.

Provocative and articulate, blending historical insight with geopolitical prognostication, World Order is a unique work that could come only from a lifelong policymaker and diplomat.  


Title: The Second World- How Emerging Powers are Redefining Global Competition in the Twenty-First Century
Author: Parag Khanna
Page Count: 341
Younger Readers: This one would be easier to grasp than World Order with easier concepts and language. However, references to prostitution and other illegal activity might not be appropriate for young children. High school age should be fine, perhaps some mature middle school aged children.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In The Second World, scholar Parag Khanna, chosen as one of Esquire’s 75 Most Influential People of the Twenty-First Century, reveals how America’s future depends on its ability to compete with the European Union and China to forge relationships with the Second World, the pivotal regions of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, South America, the Middle East, and East Asia that are growing in influence and economic strength.

Informed, witty, and armed with a traveler’s intuition for blending into diverse cultures, Khanna depicts second-world societies from the inside out, observing how globalization divides them into winners and losers–and shows how China, Europe, and America use their unique imperial gravities to pull the second-world countries into their orbits. Along the way, Khanna explains how Arabism and Islamism compete for the Arab soul, reveals how Iran and Saudi Arabia play the superpowers against one another, unmasks Singapore’s inspirational role in East Asia, and psychoanalyzes the second-world leaders whose decisions are reshaping the balance of power.

Book to Movie Adaptations Coming Soon

Here are two books being made into movies that have caught my attention recently! I will update the blog with reviews for the movies as I see them. The Beguiled is due out on June 30, 2017 and My Cousin Rachel was released on June 9, 2017. My Cousin Rachel appears to be playing in fewer theaters so I might have to wait until it comes out on DVD/Blu-ray. If you are interested in creepier tales, consider giving these a try!


Title: The Beguiled
Author: Thomas Cullinan
Page Count: 384
Keywords: Civil War, Boarding School, Horror
Genre: Fiction
Younger Readers: I have not read this personally but the content sounds potentially problematic for young readers.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The basis for the major motion picture directed by Sofia Coppola--named best director at the Cannes Film Festival for The Beguiled--and starring Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell, Kirsten Dunst, and Elle Fanning

"[A] mad gothic tale . . . The reader is mesmerized with horror by what goes on in that forgotten school for young ladies." --Stephen King, in Danse Macabre

Wounded and near death, a young Union Army corporal is found in the woods of Virginia during the height of the Civil War and brought to the nearby Miss Martha Farnsworth Seminary for Young Ladies. Almost immediately he sets about beguiling the three women and five teenage girls stranded in this outpost of Southern gentility, eliciting their love and fear, pity and infatuation, and pitting them against one another in a bid for his freedom. But as the women are revealed for what they really are, a sense of ominous foreboding closes in on the soldier, and the question becomes: Just who is the beguiled?

My Thoughts on the Film (Updated 6/29/17)

...oh lordy I wanted to really enjoy this movie. The reviews were fantastic and the trailer painted a fantastically creepy Civil War era story. But I just could not bring myself to enjoy it by any means and convincing people to go see this with me has now cost me choosing rights for at least a month. I truly hate writing negative reviews but here it goes.

The good: the actors did well with their parts and it was a truly appealing film visually...except the gory bits.

The bad: for a serious movie, the audience was laughing quite a bit. Nothing ever seemed to really happen throughout the nearly two hour movie other than, as another moviegoer mentioned, there was an abundance of sunrises and sunsets. The sex scene was just odd, the ending abrupt, and the plot unsatisfying.

No one else in the theater had anything truly good to say about the movie. Here are a few examples of statements made:

Credits start rolling: "That's it?", "You've got to be kidding me", "Seriously?", "That was awful" and just general laughter.

Crowd outside of the theater/in the bathroom: "What a waste of $10.50"

So it is clear that just about everyone who was at the same showing as me was not a fan of this movie by any means. I could see some people enjoying this...sort of? It was slow, flippant, awkward, and rushed. I'd hate to say it but it might have been better if a bit longer, to have a bit more going on. But I don't know how much that would have really helped. Honestly, I enjoyed the bonding of experiencing a truly bad movie together above everything else. I really hope that the book is better...it usually is.

Final verdict: Only see it if you REALLY want to...and maybe wait to watch it at home?

Title: My Cousin Rachel
Author: Daphne du Maurier
Page Count: 391
Keywords: Mystery, Inheritance, Death
Genre: Fiction
Younger Readers: Same as above.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Rachel Weisz and Sam Claflin!

-From the first page...the reader is back in the moody, brooding atmosphere of Rebecca.- -The New York Times

From the bestselling author of Rebecca, another classic set in beautiful and mysterious Cornwall.

Philip Ashley's older cousin Ambrose, who raised the orphaned Philip as his own son, has died in Rome. Philip, the heir to Ambrose's beautiful English estate, is crushed that the man he loved died far from home. He is also suspicious. While in Italy, Ambrose fell in love with Rachel, a beautiful English and Italian woman. But the final, brief letters Ambrose wrote hint that his love had turned to paranoia and fear.

Now Rachel has arrived at Philip's newly inherited estate. Could this exquisite woman, who seems to genuinely share Philip's grief at Ambrose's death, really be as cruel as Philip imagined? Or is she the kind, passionate woman with whom Ambrose fell in love? Philip struggles to answer this question, knowing Ambrose's estate, and his own future, will be destroyed if his answer is wrong.

Bonus Reading Group Guide Included

Praise for Daphne du Maurier

-Miss du Maurier is... a storyteller whose sole aim is to bewitch and beguile. And in My Cousin Rachel she does both, with Rebecca looking fondly over her shoulder.- -- New York Times

-Double-distilled readers' delight.- -- Manchester Guardian

Mystery Monday! The Missing Ones by Patricia Gibney

Title: The Missing Ones
Author: Patricia Gibney
Page Count: 424
Rating: B
Keywords: Ireland, Mystery, Church, Murder
Genre: Mystery
Narrator: Michele Moran
Duration: 13 hours and 56 minutes
Younger Readers: Sexual assault, language, and drugs are all present

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The hole they dug was not deep. A white flour bag encased the little body. Three small faces watched from the window, eyes black with terror.

The child in the middle spoke without turning his head. ‘I wonder which one of us will be next?’

When a woman’s body is discovered in a cathedral and hours later a young man is found hanging from a tree outside his home, Detective Lottie Parker is called in to lead the investigation. Both bodies have the same distinctive tattoo clumsily inscribed on their legs. It’s clear the pair are connected, but how?

The trail leads Lottie to St Angela’s, a former children’s home, with a dark connection to her own family history. Suddenly the case just got personal.

As Lottie begins to link the current victims to unsolved murders decades old, two teenage boys go missing. She must close in on the killer before they strike again, but in doing so is she putting her own children in terrifying danger?

Lottie is about to come face to face with a twisted soul who has a very warped idea of justice.

Fans of Rachel Abbott, Karin Slaughter and Robert Dugoni will be gripped by this page-turning serial killer thriller, guaranteed to keep you reading late into the night.

My Review:

A decided to give this series a chance after listening to a brief sample from the audiobook. I loved Michele Moran's reading! It was fun and she fit the read perfectly, giving it life and personality beyond what I had expected.

As far as the writing went, it was an interesting mystery that at times felt like a newer writer but was enjoyable overall. The feeling of newness wore off as the story progressed and I was able to get more into the story of Lottie Parker. At times she comes across as a bit rough and difficult to like but I found myself warming to her over time. She is a grieving widow doing her best to be good at her job and take care of three kids on her own.

Sometimes I did notice that the mystery could have gone a bit deeper, that certain elements could have been explored more. This was my main complaint with the book. It was certainly enjoyable and interesting. There were just times that with a bit more thought and exploration it could have been turned into something not just good, but great. Despite this, I would be open to reading the next book in the series and see how both the author and Lottie develop.

I would not recommend this book to anyone sensitive to sexual assault or that could be offended by the topic of church officials conducting said abuse. However, if you do not mind reading these sorts of topics then I would definitely give this series a try.

The Loneliest Alpha by T. A. Grey

Title: The Loneliest Alpha
Author: T. A. Grey
Page Count: 424
Rating: A
Keywords: Paranormal, Werewolves, Mystery, Murder
Genre: Erotica
Younger Readers: Refer to the genre

Synopsis from Goodreads:

One look will change their lives forever.

Lingerie designer Alicia Clarkson just had to open her stupid mouth. Now thanks to trying to defend a fellow pack mate, Alicia’s been blindfolded, tied up, and carted off to the new alpha of the Oregon pack—Gavin MacKellen.

However, the blindfold doesn’t come off so soon as Gavin reveals he’s searching for a mate. But Alicia’s curiosity gets fired up when Gavin refuses to reveal his face to her. Just what happened to him? He talks to her from shadowy corners and behind closed doors. The man is as illusive as a squirrely fox. But Alicia doesn’t play games and the quiet spoken, hoarse voiced alpha doesn’t stand a chance against her. They settle on an agreement, thirty days for them to get to know each other because that’s the only way this cowboy alpha will have it.

Gavin MacKellen needs a mate. But he knows no good woman would ever want to look at his face after the incident he suffered. After one look at Alicia Clarkson all his plans fly out the window. The woman’s beauty has stunned him damn near speechless. She torments his thoughts and Gavin finds himself yearning to know everything about her. He admires her creativity and intelligence, the cool way she handles herself in stressful situations. Most of all, he aches deep in his chest to taste her lips. Those beautiful sweet lips, but in order to kiss her without showing her what a monster he was, he has to get creative.

A relationship forms and as love threatens to grow between them Gavin struggles to cope with his physical appearance in the face of the beautiful Alicia. Will she be the one to stand in the face of a monster and accept or will she turn her back on him as everyone else has?

My Review:

I have certainly read books that involve steamy situations. A passionate kiss that fades away as more is insinuated or maybe even a slight description of the act are fairly average in the various books I have read over the years. However, I had never read much from the erotica/romance section of the bookstore. This year I decided to challenge myself to try something new. The result? I didn't cringe nearly as much as I had expected...I actually really liked this book.

So I came across this series on my Kindle a few months ago. The Loneliest Alpha is actually free for the Kindle edition and its sequel is only about three dollars. When I first started reading the book the story felt awkward and bit overly romance novel-esque. I nearly gave up. But something nagged at me to keep going and I ended up staying up until roughly six hours past when I normally go to bed reading three quarters of this book and continuing to devour it the next day.

Yes, this book is sexy. The writing and characters develop beyond the awkward beginning and become actually interesting. Alicia is a strong character that never really annoyed me the way I expected a romance heroine to. She is feisty and an entrepreneur. And better yet, not involved in a love triangle.

No, this is not some masterpiece novel that will be remembered as one of America's greatest stories. Not every book has to be that though. This is just simply fun to read. There's pretty lingerie, a blossoming love story, werewolves (sort of), high stakes, and murder.

If you are like me and really enjoy supernatural elements (probably fostered by being a teenager during Twilight's craze) then absolutely give this book a shot.

Gizelle's Bucket List: My Life With a Very Large Dog by Lauren Fern Watt

Title: Gizelle's Bucket List: My Life with a Very Large Dog
Author: Lauren Fern Watt
Page Count: 256
Rating: B
Keywords: Coming of Age, Friendship, Addiction, Dogs, NYC
Genre: Memoir
Younger Readers: The writer does discuss some sensitive topics such as her mother's drug and alcohol addiction. Nothing is exactly inappropriate, just may raise some questions and strong emotions. Conservative readers may be uncomfortable with the casual discussion of sex, though it is not detailed.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The playful, epic adventure of a 160-pound English Mastiff and the twentysomething girl who grew up alongside her—Marley & Me for a whole new generation.

Lauren Watt took her 160-pound English Mastiff to college—so of course after graduation, Gizelle followed Lauren to her first, tiny apartment in New York. Because Gizelle wasn’t just a dog; she was a roommate, sister, confidante, dining companion, and everything in between.

Together, Gizelle and Lauren went through boyfriends, first jobs, a mother’s struggle with addiction, and the ups and downs of becoming an adult in the big city. But when Gizelle got sick and Lauren realized her best friend might not be such a constant after all, she designed an epic bucket list to make the absolute most of the time they had left.

Bursting with charm, this unique, coming-of-age story of a girl making her way through life is a testament to the special way pets inspire us to live better, love better, and appreciate the simple pleasures. Gizelle’s Bucket List is the humorous, poignant lesson our pets teach us: to embrace adventure, love unconditionally, and grow into the people we want to be.


My Review:

This book was given to me as a graduation gift because I am about to move with my own fairly large dog. I did enjoy this read and the gift was well intentioned but I was sobbing quite audibly by page five.

If you have ever read a book about a dog, you know that there are going to be tears. Usually, the book builds up to the heart wrenching devastation that has you ugly crying while strangers look on in concern. Not this one. Instead it begins at the end. I apologize to my own dog who got far more hugs than she would have liked during my time reading about the mastiff named Gizelle.

Aside from the normal crying that comes with a dog book, I did enjoy this coming of age story. Lauren is not some alien creature writing about something insane. She is a girl you could have found yourself knowing in school or through work. Her past has some dark moments and her present has its own struggles, but her adventures with Gizelle are quite simply a girl learning to be an adult with her best friend.

Lauren is a quick and clean writer. She does not focus on unnecessary details and, unlike some other memoirs I have read, everything she writes down is for a reason. When you come to the last page and close the book you feel as if you have been told a complete tale rather than snippets of a life.

You might be wondering why I didn't give it an A rating if I liked the book, and the truth is that I just have a hard time connecting with memoirs. My interests in nonfiction tend to lean more towards history and cultural studies. But, if you enjoy autobiographies and memoirs I honestly believe you'll love this book. Give it a chance and just be sure to have tissues close by.....and maybe don't read this one in public.


****If you are looking more for a children's  fiction book about a dog consider A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray by Ann M. Martin. Check out my review for that book here****

July Moving TBR

I am moving in about a month for grad school so most of my books have been packed into boxes, which means now my reading is somewhat limited. Here is a quick summary of my reading material for the next month. This list includes one paperback, one Kindle book, and an audiobook.

Title: It
Author: Stephen King
Page Count: 1156
Keywords: Magic, Fantasy, Classic, Adventure
Genre: Horror
Younger Readers: Classic Stephen King with language, sex, and other adult content

Synopsis from Goodreads:

To the children, the town was their whole world. To the adults, knowing better, Derry, Maine was just their home town: familiar, well-ordered for the most part. A good place to live.

It was the children who saw - and felt - what made Derry so horribly different. In the storm drains, in the sewers, IT lurked, taking on the shape of every nightmare, each one's deepest dread. Sometimes IT reached up, seizing, tearing, killing . . .

The adults, knowing better, knew nothing.

Time passed and the children grew up, moved away. The horror of IT was deep-buried, wrapped in forgetfulness. Until they were called back, once more to confront IT as IT stirred and coiled in the sullen depths of their memories, reaching up again to make their past nightmares a terrible present reality.

My Thoughts So Far:

I am finding this book more creepy than downright scary. Currently, I am about 350 pages in and it has been a slowly building story that has drawn me in quite well as it jumps between the childhood memories and current lives of the children that were in Derry when IT was last a threat. Another interesting point is that the book is less clown focused than the classic movie. So far I am truly enjoying it.

Title: The Handmaid's Tale
Author: Margaret Atwood
Page Count: 324
Keywords: Dystopian, Women, Relationships
Genre: Fiction
Younger Readers: Similar to 1984 and Brave New World. Not appropriate for young children but high school aged children should be fine.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now...

My Thoughts So Far:

I am finding this to be an engaging read but I am certainly not as enthusiastic as a lot of other reviews I have seen. It feels a bit like every other dystopian I had to read in high school, just written a bit more recently so it feels more current. I would definitely recommend it if you liked Brave New World, 1984, or Animal Farm.

Title: Mercer Girls
Author: Libbie Hawker
Page Count: 422
Keywords: Antebellum, Mail Order Brides
Genre: Historical Fiction
Narrator: Amy McFadden
Duration: 15 hours and 20 minutes
Younger Readers: This is an adult book, but I have not started it yet so I cannot comment on how appropriate it is or is not.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

It’s 1864 in downtrodden Lowell, Massachusetts. The Civil War has taken its toll on the town—leaving the economy in ruin and its women in dire straits. That is, until Asa Mercer arrives on a peculiar, but providential, errand: he seeks high-minded women who can exert an elevating influence in Seattle, where there are ten men for every woman. Mail-order brides, yes, but of a certain caliber.

Schoolmarmish Josephine, tough-as-nails Dovey, and pious perfectionist Sophronia see their chance to exchange their bleak prospects for new lives. But the very troubles that sent them running from Lowell follow them to the muddy streets of Seattle, and the friendships forged on the cross-country trek are tested at every turn.

Just when the journey seems to lead only to ruin, an encounter with a famous suffragist could be their salvation. But to survive both an untamed new landscape and their pasts, they’ll need all their strength—and one another.

My Thoughts so Far:

I just finished Gone With the Wind recently and was craving a book from the same time period when I saw this pop up as Audible's deal of the day. I have not started it yet but the small clip that I heard has me wondering if the narrator's voice is not as engaging as the past few that I have listened to (Rob Inglis and Caroline Lee). Hopefully it proves to be a good listen.

New Audible Favorite!

As a kid I was absolutely enchanted by the Lord of the Rings movies, sitting up gazing at the beauty of Middle Earth while my family had fallen asleep by minute twenty. I watched the LOTR movies and The Hobbit trilogy repeatedly and read the books in high school. I have several copies of each book. Date night now often consists of LOTR marathons.

Clearly, I have an obsession. When I was scrolling through the Audible webpage I noticed some dramatized readings of the books. Since I listen on my long drives and while I am working, I wasn't thrilled that they were only a couple of hours long. Then I saw it. Rob Inglis is the only narrator with unabridged readings. With a two for one sale going on, I decided to snag The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring. It is undoubtedly one of my best Audible purchases yet.

Title: The Hobbit
Author: J. R. R. Tolkien
Page Count: 389
Rating: A++++++
Keywords: Magic, Fantasy, Classic, Adventure
Genre: Fantasy
Narrator: Rob Inglis
Duration: 11 hours and 8 minutes
Younger Readers: Great for children

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.
Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent.

My Review:

The Hobbit is an amazing read! From page one it feels as if you are being told a story by a kindly grandfather and you completely lose yourself in the tale of Bilbo Baggins leaving the Shire. If you have only seen the movies, this is going to be bit different. The main difference is that you do not see as much of Gandalf's journey in the book. Despite this, it is amazing. Rob Inglis was an absolutely perfect choice to amplify the feeling of being told a tale. I quickly lost myself in the book, hours disappearing before I even noticed.

While I thoroughly enjoyed reading this as a tween, and again as an adult, I think that this would be a great choice for a younger reader/listener. It is enchanting and has the comforting feel of a bedtime story. It was especially enjoyable during a road trip, adding to the sense of adventure.

As a side note, my dog absolutely loves listening to Rob Inglis' reading. Every time I opened my Audible app at home, I'd hear the click of nails running towards me and then she would follow the phone for hours. This is sure to be an instant favorite for everyone.


Title: The Fellowship of the Ring
Author: J. R. R. Tolkien
Page Count: 458
Rating: A++++++
Keywords: Magic, Fantasy, Classic, Adventure
Genre: Fantasy
Narrator: Rob Inglis
Duration: 19 hours and 7 minutes
Younger Readers: Great for children, though a bit more mature than The Hobbit

Synopsis from Goodreads:

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkeness bind them

In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, The Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell into the hands of Bilbo Baggins, as told in The Hobbit.

In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.  

My Review:

Full disclaimer, I have about an hour left in this audiobook. However, it is still amazing! When I read this in high school there were parts of the book that just seemed to drag on for pages and I would find myself losing focus. Rob Inglis' narration completely eliminated this issue for me. Throughout the listening experience I found myself picking up details that I had barely noticed before and I was completely engaged in the story the entire time.

This is closer to the movies than The Hobbit was so true fans of the films will not find themselves disappointed if they give the classic books a go. There is one key difference that I truly appreciated. If anyone else cannot stand Frodo in the movies, he is far more likable in the book!

If you enjoyed The Hobbit or are just a fan of fantasy, give this series a try.

****Listening Note: This is an older recording and sometimes Inglis' has long pauses that sound awkward. Put the listening speed at 1.25x and the pauses will sound far more natural****

What I've Been Reading: First Six Months of 2017

Title: You
Author: Caroline Kepnes
Page Count: 422
Rating: A
Keywords: Thriller, Stalking, Mystery, Twisted
Genre: Fiction
Younger Readers: Absolutely not for children. Sexual content, stalking, and language.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card.

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting.

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder.

Title: Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners
Author: Therese Oneill
Page Count: 307
Rating: B
Keywords: Humor, History, Women's History, Victorian Era
Genre: Non-Fiction
Younger Readers: Sexual content is discussed. Not for young children but nothing overly graphic is present.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Have you ever wished you could live in an earlier, more romantic era?

Ladies, welcome to the 19th century, where there's arsenic in your face cream, a pot of cold pee sits under your bed, and all of your underwear is crotchless. (Why? Shush, dear. A lady doesn't question.)

UNMENTIONABLE is your hilarious, illustrated, scandalously honest (yet never crass) guide to the secrets of Victorian womanhood, giving you detailed advice on:

~ What to wear
~ Where to relieve yourself
~ How to conceal your loathsome addiction to menstruating
~ What to expect on your wedding night
~ How to be the perfect Victorian wife
~ Why masturbating will kill you
~ And more

Irresistibly charming, laugh-out-loud funny, and featuring nearly 200 images from Victorian publications, UNMENTIONABLE will inspire a whole new level of respect for Elizabeth Bennett, Scarlet O'Hara, Jane Eyre, and all of our great, great grandmothers.

(And it just might leave you feeling ecstatically grateful to live in an age of pants, super absorbency tampons, epidurals, anti-depressants, and not-dying-of-the-syphilis-your-husband-brought-home.)

Title: Hocus Pocus
Author: Kurt Vonnegut
Page Count: 324
Rating: D
Keywords: Apocalypse, College, Prison, Japan
Genre: Fiction
Younger Readers: Older audience

Synopsis from Goodreads:

From the author of Timequake, this "irresistible" novel (Cleveland Plain Dealer) tells the story of Eugene Debs Hartke-Vietnam veteran, jazz pianist, college professor, and prognosticator of the apocalypse. It's "Vonnegut's best novel in years-funny and prophetic...something special." (The Nation)

Title: PS, I Love You
Author: Cecelia Ahern
Page Count: 512
Rating: B
Keywords: Love, Loss, Self Worth
Genre: Fiction
Younger Readers: Not for young children but the content is not overly inappropriate

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A novel about holding on, letting go, and learning to love again.

Now in paperback, the endearing novel that captured readers' hearts and introduced a fresh new voice in women's fiction Cecelia Ahern.

Holly couldn't live without her husband Gerry, until the day she had to. They were the kind of young couple who could finish each other's sentences. When Gerry succumbs to a terminal illness and dies, 30-year-old Holly is set adrift, unable to pick up the pieces. But with the help of a series of letters her husband left her before he died and a little nudging from an eccentric assortment of family and friends, she learns to laugh, overcome her fears, and discover a world she never knew existed.
The kind of enchanting novel with cross-generational appeal that comes along once in a great while, PS, I Love You is a captivating love letter to the world!

Title: Wicked
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Page Count: 300
Rating: A
Keywords: New Orleans, Fae, Supernatural, Apocalypse
Genre: New Adult Paranormal
Younger Readers: Detailed sexual content, older readers only

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans.

Twenty-two year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student. She, and others like her, know humans aren’t the only thing trolling the French Quarter for fun… and for food. Her duty to the Order is her life. After all, four years ago, she lost everything at the hands of the creatures she’d sworn to hunt, tearing her world and her heart apart.

Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s six feet and three inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. With forest-green eyes and a smile that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in its wake, he has an uncanny, almost unnatural ability to make her yearn for everything he has to offer. But letting him in is as dangerous as hunting the cold-blooded killers stalking the streets. Losing the boy she loved once before had nearly destroyed her, but the sparking tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. Deep down, she wants… she needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her.

But as Ivy grows closer to Ren, she realizes she’s not the only one carrying secrets that could shatter the frail bond between them. There’s something he’s not telling her, and one thing is for certain. She’s no longer sure what is more dangerous to her—the ancient beings threatening to take over the town or the man demanding to lay claim to her heart and her soul.

Title: The Hammer of Thor
Author: Rick Riordan
Page Count: 471
Rating: B
Keywords: Norse Mythology, Teens, Diversity, Friendship
Genre: Middle Grade/Young Adult Fiction
Younger Readers: Great for younger readers, along the same lines as Riordan's other mythology series

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Thor's hammer is missing again. The thunder god has a disturbing habit of misplacing his weapon--the mightiest force in the Nine Worlds. But this time the hammer isn't just lost, it has fallen into enemy hands. If Magnus Chase and his friends can't retrieve the hammer quickly, the mortal worlds will be defenseless against an onslaught of giants. Ragnarok will begin. The Nine Worlds will burn. Unfortunately, the only person who can broker a deal for the hammer's return is the gods' worst enemy, Loki--and the price he wants is very high.

Title: Fifty Shades of Grey
Author: E. L. James
Page Count: 530
Rating: C
Keywords: Twilight, Love, Sex, BDSM
Genre: Erotica Fiction
Younger Readers: Not for children, check the genre

Synopsis from Goodreads:

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.

This book is intended for mature audiences.

Title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Author: J. K. Rowling
Illustrator: Jim Kay
Page Count: 256
Rating: A+
Keywords: Magic, Orphans, Friendship, Good v. Evil
Genre: Children's/Middle Grade Fiction
Younger Readers: I read this for the first time when I was 6. Language and sex are not an issue.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Harry Potter's life is miserable. His parents are dead and he's stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he's a wizard. A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

After a lifetime of bottling up his magical powers, Harry finally feels like a normal kid. But even within the Wizarding community, he is special. He is the boy who lived: the only person to have ever survived a killing curse inflicted by the evil Lord Voldemort, who launched a brutal takeover of the Wizarding world, only to vanish after failing to kill Harry.

Though Harry's first year at Hogwarts is the best of his life, not everything is perfect. There is a dangerous secret object hidden within the castle walls, and Harry believes it's his responsibility to prevent it from falling into evil hands. But doing so will bring him into contact with forces more terrifying than he ever could have imagined.

Full of sympathetic characters, wildly imaginative situations, and countless exciting details, the first installment in the series assembles an unforgettable magical world and sets the stage for many high-stakes adventures to come.

Title: The Bear and the Nightingale
Author: Katherine Arden
Page Count: 312
Rating: A+++
Keywords: Russia, Family, Magic, Spirits, Fate
Genre: Fiction
Younger Readers: Material is not crass by any means, though does have an older tone to it.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

Title: Tokyo Ghoul, Vol. 10
Author: Sui Ishida
Page Count: 216
Rating: B
Keywords: Japan, Ghouls, Crime
Genre: Manga
Younger Readers: Cannibalism/eating of humans may be disturbing to some children

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Ghouls live among us, the same as normal people in every way—except their craving for human flesh. Ken Kaneki is an ordinary college student until a violent encounter turns him into the first half-human half-ghoul hybrid. Trapped between two worlds, he must survive Ghoul turf wars, learn more about Ghoul society and master his new powers.

While Kaneki and his friends tangle with Ghouls from the Aogiri Tree organization, the Commission of Counter Ghoul’s ongoing investigations bring them dangerously close to discovering Kaneki’s secret.  

Title: Tokyo Ghoul, Vol. 11
Author: Sui Ishida
Page Count: 216
Rating: B
Keywords: Japan, Ghouls, Crime
Genre: Manga
Younger Readers: Cannibalism/eating of humans may be disturbing to some children

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Ghouls live among us, the same as normal people in every way—except for their craving for human flesh.

Ken Kaneki is an ordinary college student until a violent encounter turns him into the first half-human half-Ghoul hybrid. Trapped between two worlds, he must survive Ghoul turf wars, learn more about Ghoul society and master his new powers.

Amid clashes between Ghouls and the Commission of Counter Ghoul investigators at Doctor Kano’s underground facility, Kaneki finds himself locked in battle with Special Class Ghoul investigator Yukinori Shinohara. When the battle subsides, the CCG discovers shocking evidence that leads them closer to discovering the truth behind Kano’s sinister plans.

Title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Author: J. K. Rowling
Illustrator: Jim Kay
Page Count: 258
Rating: A+
Keywords: Magic, Crushes, Friendship, School
Genre: Children's/Middle Grade Fiction
Younger Readers: Appropriate

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The Dursleys were so mean and hideous that summer that all Harry Potter wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby who says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girls' bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley's younger sister, Ginny. But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble begins, and someone, or something, starts turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects: Harry Potter himself?

Title: Jurassic Park
Author: Michael Crichton
Page Count: 448
Rating: A+
Keywords: Science, Dinosaurs, Theme Park
Genre: Science Fiction
Younger Readers: Some younger readers may have trouble with staying interested but the content is fairly clean.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A billionaire has created a technique to clone dinosaurs. From the DNA that his crack team of scientists extract, he is able to grow the dinosaurs in his laboratories and lock them away on an island behind electric fences, creating a sort of theme park. He asks a group of scientists from several different fields to come and view the park, but something goes terribly wrong when a worker on the island turns traitor and shuts down the power.

Title: The Prestige
Author: Christopher Priest
Page Count: 360
Rating: C
Keywords: Magicians, Family, Grudges
Genre: Fiction
Younger Readers: Sexual content, not overly graphic though

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In 1878, two young stage magicians clash in the dark during the course of a fraudulent séance. From this moment on, their lives become webs of deceit and revelation as they vie to outwit and expose one another.

Their rivalry will take them to the peaks of their careers, but with terrible consequences. In the course of pursuing each other's ruin, they will deploy all the deception their magicians' craft can command--the highest misdirection and the darkest science.

Blood will be spilled, but it will not be enough. In the end, their legacy will pass on for generations...to descendants who must, for their sanity's sake, untangle the puzzle left to them.

Title: Norse Mythology
Author: Neil Gaiman
Page Count: 299
Rating: B
Keywords: Mythology, Retellings, Norse
Genre: Fiction/Mythology
Younger Readers: Some of the mythology is a bit graphic.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Introducing an instant classic—master storyteller Neil Gaiman presents a dazzling version of the great Norse myths.

Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a bravura rendition of the great northern tales. In Norse Mythology, Gaiman fashions primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds; delves into the exploits of the deities, dwarves, and giants; and culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and the rebirth of a new time and people.

Gaiman stays true to the myths while vividly reincarnating Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki, the son of giants, a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator. From Gaiman’s deft and witty prose emerges the gods with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to dupe others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.

Title: Howl's Moving Castle
Author: Diana Wynne Jones
Page Count: 429
Rating: A
Keywords: Magic, Castles, Curses
Genre: Children's Fiction
Younger Readers: Appropriate

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there's far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye.  

Title: The Loneliest Alpha
Author: T. A. Grey
Page Count: 424
Rating: A
Keywords: Paranormal, Werewolves, Mystery, Murder
Genre: Erotica
Younger Readers: Refer to the genre

Synopsis from Goodreads:

One look will change their lives forever.

Lingerie designer Alicia Clarkson just had to open her stupid mouth. Now thanks to trying to defend a fellow pack mate, Alicia’s been blindfolded, tied up, and carted off to the new alpha of the Oregon pack—Gavin MacKellen.

However, the blindfold doesn’t come off so soon as Gavin reveals he’s searching for a mate. But Alicia’s curiosity gets fired up when Gavin refuses to reveal his face to her. Just what happened to him? He talks to her from shadowy corners and behind closed doors. The man is as illusive as a squirrely fox. But Alicia doesn’t play games and the quiet spoken, hoarse voiced alpha doesn’t stand a chance against her. They settle on an agreement, thirty days for them to get to know each other because that’s the only way this cowboy alpha will have it.

Gavin MacKellen needs a mate. But he knows no good woman would ever want to look at his face after the incident he suffered. After one look at Alicia Clarkson all his plans fly out the window. The woman’s beauty has stunned him damn near speechless. She torments his thoughts and Gavin finds himself yearning to know everything about her. He admires her creativity and intelligence, the cool way she handles herself in stressful situations. Most of all, he aches deep in his chest to taste her lips. Those beautiful sweet lips, but in order to kiss her without showing her what a monster he was, he has to get creative.

A relationship forms and as love threatens to grow between them Gavin struggles to cope with his physical appearance in the face of the beautiful Alicia. Will she be the one to stand in the face of a monster and accept or will she turn her back on him as everyone else has?

Title: The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared
Author: Jonas Jonasson
Page Count: 384
Rating: C
Keywords: Retirement Homes, Adventure, Gangsters, Elephants
Genre: Fiction
Younger Readers: Language not appropriate

Synopsis from Goodreads:

It all starts on the one-hundredth birthday of Allan Karlsson. Sitting quietly in his room in an old people’s home, he is waiting for the party he-never-wanted-anyway to begin. The Mayor is going to be there. The press is going to be there. But, as it turns out, Allan is not… Slowly but surely Allan climbs out of his bedroom window, into the flowerbed (in his slippers) and makes his getaway. And so begins his picaresque and unlikely journey involving criminals, several murders, a suitcase full of cash, and incompetent police. As his escapades unfold, we learn something of Allan’s earlier life in which – remarkably – he helped to make the atom bomb, became friends with American presidents, Russian tyrants, and Chinese leaders, and was a participant behind the scenes in many key events of the twentieth century. Already a huge bestseller across Europe, The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared is a fun and feel-good book for all ages.

Title: The Dark Days Club
Author: Alison Goodman
Page Count: 482
Rating: A
Keywords: Ladies, Demons, Society
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Younger Readers: Appropriate for Middle Grade and Teens

Synopsis from Goodreads:

New York Times bestseller Alison Goodman’s eagerly awaited new project: a Regency adventure starring a stylish and intrepid demon-hunter!

London, April 1812. On the eve of eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall’s presentation to the queen, one of her family’s housemaids disappears-and Helen is drawn into the shadows of Regency London. There, she meets Lord Carlston, one of the few who can stop the perpetrators: a cabal of demons infiltrating every level of society. Dare she ask for his help, when his reputation is almost as black as his lingering eyes? And will her intelligence and headstrong curiosity wind up leading them into a death trap?

Title: The Last of August
Author: Brittany Cavallaro
Page Count: 336
Rating: B
Keywords: Sherlock and Watson, Art, Mystery, Illness
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Younger Readers: Sex, drugs, rape, and language are all present

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Watson and Holmes: A match made in disaster.

Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes are looking for a winter-break reprieve after a fall semester that almost got them killed. But Charlotte isn’t the only Holmes with secrets, and the mood at her family’s Sussex estate is palpably tense. On top of everything else, Holmes and Watson could be becoming more than friends—but still, the darkness in Charlotte’s past is a wall between them.

A distraction arises soon enough, because Charlotte’s beloved uncle Leander goes missing from the estate—after being oddly private about his latest assignment in a German art forgery ring. The game is afoot once again, and Charlotte is single-minded in her pursuit.

Their first stop? Berlin. Their first contact? August Moriarty (formerly Charlotte’s obsession, currently believed by most to be dead), whose powerful family has been ripping off famous paintings for the last hundred years. But as they follow the gritty underground scene in Berlin to glittering art houses in Prague, Holmes and Watson begin to realize that this is a much more complicated case than a disappearance. Much more dangerous, too.

What they learn might change everything they know about their families, themselves, and each other.

Title: The Missing Ones
Author: Patricia Gibney
Page Count: 424
Rating: B
Keywords: Ireland, Mystery, Church, Murder
Genre: Mystery
Younger Readers: Sexual assault, language, and drugs are all present

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The hole they dug was not deep. A white flour bag encased the little body. Three small faces watched from the window, eyes black with terror.

The child in the middle spoke without turning his head. ‘I wonder which one of us will be next?’

When a woman’s body is discovered in a cathedral and hours later a young man is found hanging from a tree outside his home, Detective Lottie Parker is called in to lead the investigation. Both bodies have the same distinctive tattoo clumsily inscribed on their legs. It’s clear the pair are connected, but how?

The trail leads Lottie to St Angela’s, a former children’s home, with a dark connection to her own family history. Suddenly the case just got personal.

As Lottie begins to link the current victims to unsolved murders decades old, two teenage boys go missing. She must close in on the killer before they strike again, but in doing so is she putting her own children in terrifying danger?

Lottie is about to come face to face with a twisted soul who has a very warped idea of justice.

Fans of Rachel Abbott, Karin Slaughter and Robert Dugoni will be gripped by this page-turning serial killer thriller, guaranteed to keep you reading late into the night.

Title: The Silkworm
Author: Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling)
Page Count: 455
Rating: B
Keywords: Private Investigator, Writers, Murder
Genre: Mystery
Younger Readers: Sex and language present

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Private investigator Cormoran Strike returns in a new mystery from Robert Galbraith, author of the #1 international bestseller The Cuckoo's Calling.

When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, Mrs. Quine just thinks her husband has gone off by himself for a few days—as he has done before—and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.

But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine's disappearance than his wife realizes. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives—meaning that there are a lot of people who might want him silenced.

When Quine is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any Strike has encountered before...

Title: Career of Evil
Author: Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling)
Page Count: 492
Rating: A
Keywords: Private Investigator, Amputation, Serial Killer
Genre: Mystery
Younger Readers: Stalking, murder, sexual assault, and language all present

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Cormoran Strike is back, with his assistant Robin Ellacott, in a mystery based around soldiers returning from war.

When a mysterious package is delivered to Robin Ellacott, she is horrified to discover that it contains a woman’s severed leg.

Her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, is less surprised but no less alarmed. There are four people from his past who he thinks could be responsible – and Strike knows that any one of them is capable of sustained and unspeakable brutality.

With the police focusing on the one suspect Strike is increasingly sure is not the perpetrator, he and Robin take matters into their own hands, and delve into the dark and twisted worlds of the other three men. But as more horrendous acts occur, time is running out for the two of them…

Career of Evil is the third in the series featuring private detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin Ellacott. A mystery and also a story of a man and a woman at a crossroads in their personal and professional lives.

Title: Gone With the Wind
Author: Margaret Mitchell
Page Count: 1057
Rating: A
Keywords: Civil War, Love, Growing Up, Historical
Genre: Fiction
Younger Readers: Some education on the circumstances of the setting would be necessary first. Rereading this at 22, I understood far more than I did at 12/13

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Gone with the Wind is a novel written by Margaret Mitchell, first published in 1936. The story is set in Clayton County, Georgia, and Atlanta during the American Civil War and Reconstruction era. It depicts the struggles of young Scarlett O'Hara, the spoiled daughter of a well-to-do plantation owner, who must use every means at her disposal to claw her way out of the poverty she finds herself in after Sherman's March to the Sea. A historical novel, the story is a Bildungsroman or coming-of-age story, with the title taken from a poem written by Ernest Dowson.

Gone with the Wind was popular with American readers from the onset and was the top American fiction bestseller in the year it was published and in 1937. As of 2014, a Harris poll found it to be the second favorite book of American readers, just behind the Bible. More than 30 million copies have been printed worldwide.

Title: Big Little Lies
Author: Liane Moriarty
Page Count: 465
Rating: A+
Keywords: Family, Middle Class, Domestic Violence, Friendship, Mystery
Genre: Fiction
Younger Readers: Language, violence, and sexual content may be too mature for young children to immature Middle Grade. Mature teens would likely be able to handle the story.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Big Little Lies follows three women, each at a crossroads:

Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one. Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (how is this possible?). And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. (How. Is. This. Possible?).

Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare. While she may seem a bit flustered at times, who wouldn’t be, with those rambunctious twin boys? Now that the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body. But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grappling with how much more she is willing to pay.

New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny. Jane is sad beyond her years and harbors secret doubts about her son. But why? While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realizes how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all.

Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive.

Title: The Hobbit
Author: J. R. R. Tolkien
Page Count: 389
Rating: A+++
Keywords: Magic, Middle Earth, Adventure
Genre: Fantasy
Younger Readers: Perfect for children, younger than the core LOTR trilogy

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.
Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent.

Title: Gizelle's Bucket List: My Life with a Very Large Dog
Author: Lauren Fern Watt
Page Count: 256
Rating: B
Keywords: Coming of Age, Friendship, Addiction, Dogs, NYC
Genre: Memoir
Younger Readers: The writer does discuss some sensitive topics such as her mother's drug and alcohol addiction. Nothing is exactly inappropriate, just may raise some questions and strong emotions. Conservative readers may be uncomfortable with the casual discussion of sex, though it is not detailed.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The playful, epic adventure of a 160-pound English Mastiff and the twentysomething girl who grew up alongside her—Marley & Me for a whole new generation.

Lauren Watt took her 160-pound English Mastiff to college—so of course after graduation, Gizelle followed Lauren to her first, tiny apartment in New York. Because Gizelle wasn’t just a dog; she was a roommate, sister, confidante, dining companion, and everything in between.

Together, Gizelle and Lauren went through boyfriends, first jobs, a mother’s struggle with addiction, and the ups and downs of becoming an adult in the big city. But when Gizelle got sick and Lauren realized her best friend might not be such a constant after all, she designed an epic bucket list to make the absolute most of the time they had left.

Bursting with charm, this unique, coming-of-age story of a girl making her way through life is a testament to the special way pets inspire us to live better, love better, and appreciate the simple pleasures. Gizelle’s Bucket List is the humorous, poignant lesson our pets teach us: to embrace adventure, love unconditionally, and grow into the people we want to be.