Sharp Objects

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn is my latest read. I love creepy psychological thrillers that keep the pages turning. Camille Preacher, the main character in this story, is a reporter for a crappy newspaper in Chicago. She came to the city 8 years ago in order to flee her dyfunctional family. Camille has a lot of pent up grief that she never dealt with after the too soon death of her younger sister. She and her mother have a difficult relationship because of it. The only attention Camille's mother paid to her in 8 years was during a stay in a psychological hospital. Other than that, her mother is cold, distant, and neurotic. After Marion's death, a new daughter came along...a sister Camille bearly knows.

Begrudgingly, Camille travels to her hometown on her boss's assignment in order report on what may be a serial killing spree. Two girls were murdered within one year of one another. Both girls were found strangled to death with all of their teeth extracted post mortem. Camille is determined to find out the truth behind these murders if only to appease her boss. Being back in her hometown brings out the worst in Camille and requires her to deal with her skeletons. The descriptions of the town were creepy. Seemingly insignificant characters left me feeling uneasy.

Flynn toys with her readers in this book. Initially, the reader is forced to infer details about the plot line. I felt as if I were being dragged along without any of the details that I really wanted to know. The next chapter would be filled with immense detail answering many of my questions. I felt as if Camille, the narrator, could only open up at certain times; other instances appearing closed off and distant. Each page was a different Camille. 

As with Gone Girl, this story is best read without knowing much, if any, about the plot line. This book both entertained and scared me. As I write this, I don't want to be in a room by myself. I was left haunted by the mystery of mental illness and how it can drive people to do unthinkable things to themselves and to others. 

One for the Money

 

Ok, you guys have heard me say this before. I HATE books with the author's name printed ginormously on the front cover of books. I typically don't even like mystery series. I really just wanted to know what these were about.... plus I like chick flicks based on books. Great for netflixing right? Plus, I like Katherin Heigl.

Stephanie Plum, divorced Jersey girl, recently lost her job in the lingerie business. As she contemplates having to move in with her parents, she begs her cousin Vinny for a job. She convinces him to take her on as a "recovery agent" AKA Bounty Hunter. Her target is an old booty call from high school, Joe Morelli. Stephanie attempts to take in her old flame, a cop accused of murder who skipped bail. Can Stephanie get Morelli in so she can collect her bounty money? Is Joe Morelli really a bad guy?

A little mystery, a little sex, a little humor. Quick and easy listen on audiobook. Now, I am putting the movie on my netflix cue, but I will probably not read up to Notorious Nineteen by Evanovich (most likely not even the 2nd one).

Has anyone read these books? What are your thoughts??

Gone Girl

 

If you are a reader and haven't heard of this book, you have been living under a rock. It's currently #5 on the New York Times bestseller list. I bet it would be higher if it weren't for Fifty Shades. I'd never heard of Gillian Flynn prior to hearing about this book, but after reading this one I think I am going to check out her other books.

 This is not your typical husband allegedly slaughters wife mystery. It's a fast paced psychological thriller with haunting characters. I still find myself cursing the culprit..and being grateful for my normal life. Amy and Nick Dunne are seemingly normal on the surface, but underneath they are both complete psychopaths which is what makes the book different from other mysteries. 

I recommend not reading many reviews before checking this book out. You don't want to know anything before you pick it up. It makes it much more fun. All you need to know is that this book is exciting, full of plot, and will not disappoint you.

In the Woods by Tana French

 

I had wanted to read this book for a long time. Everything that I heard about it was  fantastic. It took me a while to find a chance to read it. I always saw it in the bookstores and it was always on my list of to-read books. Finally, when I was in the used bookstore a few weeks ago, I found it and decided to start right away. Erin and I were between books, so it was the perfect opportunity.

This story is about a man, named Adam Ryan (or Rob Ryan as he calls himself in the book). When he was a child, he was playing with his two friends in the woods. They went missing for a while, and when Ryan was found, his friends were not. Ryan was found bloody and in shock. He lost all memories of what happened. Even as an adult he could not remember what happened on that fearful day. 

Ryan grew up to be a detective. One day, he is assigned a case near where he grew up, not far from the woods in which he was found. Soon, memories start coming back and he thinks that the two cases may be related. 

To be perfectly honest, I couldn't wait for this book to be over. For a mystery, it was simply not fast paced enough. For the first half of the book NOTHING happened. I kept thinking that the two cases were going to align very quickly and that the plot would thicken. Each chapter was a let down. I didn't feel like the character development was rich enough either. FINALLY, the last few chapters were good. I stayed up to see what happened. I had so many unanswered questions and I thought they were finally going to be answered. Unfortunately, I was let down yet again in the last chapter. 

Who of you enjoyed this book? Anyone? Is there something that I missed? Please let me know. For those of you who haven't read it, I would not recommend this if you enjoy mysteries. 

Joy Fielding

 

 Normally I am not the novel reader who picks up the books with the AUTHOR'S NAME in large print. Do you know what I'm talking about?? The James Patterson style of books are not my thing (but I have vowed to read a couple so I can have a better opinion rather than just judge a book by its cover... ha). I picked this book up when I was vacationing in Montana. My friend's mom had huge bins full of books. Most of them were the thriller murder mystery with the large print on the front, so I wasn't too thrilled. I did, however, find this book called Charley's Web by Joy Fielding.

 

I had read a Joy Fielding book before called Still Life which was AWESOME. It's about a woman who is struck by a car and goes into a coma. When she "comes to" she has locked in syndrome which is where she is basically in a comatose state, except her brain is not. She can hear and comprehend everything around her. She soon finds out that the people she thought loved her unconditionally may have had something to do with her accident. Ok, well I'm off on a tangent on another book, but it was really good. Here's the cover:

Anyway, back to Charley's Web. This book is about a successful journalist who writes a weekly column in the local newspaper. She has two children from two different men whom she never married, has estranged relationships with her family, and is more or less seen as a bitch by coworkers and neighbors. When a convicted murderer named Jill contacts her to write a "tell all" book about the brutal murders of 3 young children, Charley thinks that it could be her way to fame. There were always rumors that Jill had not acted alone in the crimes, and Charley thinks she will be able to identify her accomplice. As she begins to learn more about Jill's background, Charley starts to reevaluate her life. She begins to date rather than just make babies with men, makes an effort to mend the relationships in her family, and starts being friendly with her neighbors. One day, Charley begins to get threats from an unknown source who is targeting her children. The mystery to who is targeting her children may or may not be directly related to her new book deal. This story is very fast paced entertaining book. I read it in about 2 days. For anyone who enjoys fast paced thrillers, this would be a great summer read.

Enjoy. Has anyone else read any good Joy Fielding books?

John Grisham

The Elegance of the Hedgehog was beautifully written. I began to really enjoy it after I got used to the difficult vocabulary and writing style. I recommend it! The ending was a bit shocking, but it was a great ending. If anyone has read it, I would love to hear your thoughts. 

For Christmas, my sister gave me a book. When I opened the package, it was The Elegance of the Hedgehog. It was pretty funny that she gave me the book I just finished. I was happy to have someone to talk about the book with right after I had finished it. I exchanged it for Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang. Really classy going from a book which is basically literature to a trashy memoir by Chelsea Handler.

I have started and finished another book during the holidays. I read The Confession by John Grisham. I haven't read any John Grisham books that I can remember. I never thought that I was a crime novel kind of person. After reading The Confession I am definitely going to read other John Grisham books. I have his 

latest, The Litigators on my Kindle which is on my list. 

This book is about a young man who is on death row for a crime he did not commit. Nine years earlier Nicole Yarber was assaulted, raped, and murdered. A classmate of hers named Donte Drumm was accused and then charged with the crime. Nine years later, Donte is about to be executed when the actual murderer comes forward and admits the crime to a Lutheran minister. The book is about how these two men try to stop the execution in 24 hours in a town that is still very segregated and very pro capital punishment. This book was a very quick read and I recommend it to anyone who likes crime novels and/or John Grisham.

I started a new book today called Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman. It is a New York Times Best Seller. I have only read one chapter so far and I think I am really going to enjoy it. Here is the website with a thorough synopsis: CeeCeeHoneycutt 

This is what my Kindle gives for a book description:

"Steel Magnolias" meets "The Help" in this "New York Times" bestseller sparkling with humor, heart, and feminine wisdom. Laugh-out-loud funny, Hoffman's charming work offers the story of a young girl who loses one mother and finds many others. 

From the first chapter that I have read, I am hoping this this book becomes a movie. I'll give updates when I finish.

-Jacqueline