A Couple More Books: Killer Gourmet and Little Pretty Things

I'm being lazy lately combining a couple of books I've read per post. So, I just finished reading Little Pretty Things by Lori Rader-Day and loved it! Before that I read Killer Gourmet by G.A. McKevett. Loved it too.

Both of these books are mysteries and such fun to read. Both were well written, intriguing, and both kept me guessing who dun it till the end. 

I'd never read either of these writers' books before and just loved them. Killer Gourmet is book 20 in McKevett's Savannah Reid series. I'm sure I missed a few things not reading book 1 (through 19) first but it didn't take away from this particular story at all.

Do you like reading mystery novels?

Little Pretty Things

Killer Gourmet (A Savannah Reid Mystery Book 20)

Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight

Wow, wow, wow! I loved Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight. In this suspenseful novel, the author brings characters to life that the reader can care about even though they are all flawed to the max. Maybe that's why you care; they all could either use a break or a good slap up side the head.

It's compared to Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn more than once and if you liked that one, you'll love this one.

Where They Found Her: A Novel

Book Read:  Where They Found Her
Author:  Kimberly McCreight

Endangered by C.J. Box

Last night I finished reading C. J. Box's novel Endangered, and I was sad to turn that last page. I've read several of his books and liked some better than others. 

This Joe Pickett novel (he's a fish and game warden in Wyoming) was one of his better ones. The build up to the who-dun-it was good but not obvious and the ending very satisfying.

Book Read:  Endangered

Author:  C.J. Box

Finders Keepers by Stephen King

Okay, I have to confess that lately I'm a big Stephen King fan. I first read Carrie, way back when it was first published and it scared the crap out of me. I didn't pick up another of his books till maybe 7 or 8 years ago. Since, I've read quite a few of King's tomes and love them!

Finders Keepers is a winner! This is the follow up to Mr. Mercedes. So, if you haven't read it, read it first then read this. In fact I'm kind of jealous if you haven't since reading these two books back to back would be even better than how I read them. Months a part.

So, if you love good storytelling and great writing, here you go.  

Book Read:  Finders Keepers
Author:  Stephen King

Cold Betrayal by J.A. Jance

I've read J.A. Jance's novels in the past but it's been a few years. I picked up Cold Betrayal recently and just loved this book. Her characterization and description and narrative make for a book you can escape into. 

Since I now live in Arizona, her books are easier to relate to, and this one was particularly good since it was set more in northern Arizona, rather than southern. The northern part is much nicer than the desert, if you ask me, though I do live in the yucky desert part.

This novel also had an interesting couple of story lines going:  polygamy and family betrayals. Good stuff!



Cold Betrayal: An Ali Reynolds Novel (Ali Reynolds Series)

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

I found out about Celeste Ng's (pronounced 'ing') debut novel Everything I Never Told You on a book list earlier this year. I'm glad I read it. This novel tells the story from several characters' points of view:  a man, the husband and father; a woman, the wife and mother; and the three children. 

t's surprising how well Ng wove this together and made each sympathetic when we got around to reading their individual point of view. 

I want to write books like this one when I grow up.

Everything I Never Told You: A Novel

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

If you haven't read Paula Hawkin's debut novel The Girl on the Train, do it! This mystery novel kept me guessing till the end. 

Rachel Watson is a drunk, a fact that causes her memory to be less than stellar. When Megan, a local woman, goes missing, Rachel gets involved because she watches the woman and her husband from the train each day. The fact that Megan lives a few doors away from Rachel's former home, the home she shared with her ex-husband, complicates matters.

Read it and see if you can figure out what the girl on the train saw.

The Girl on the Train

Lisette's List by Susan Vreeland

I read Lisette's List by Susan Vreeland and savored this novel about art, World War II, and love. If you've read any of Vreeland's other novels, you know she gets into the art world like none other. And her writing is beautiful, to boot!

Lisette's List: A Novel

The Italian Wife by Ann Hood

I'd heard of Ann Hood but had never read her books till now. I enjoyed The Italian Wife, especially at first. As this novel progressed through the generations, I was more ambivalent toward the characters. Some were more interesting than others, just like real people, I guess.

An Italian Wife

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

I just finished reading Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty and I loved it!

This novel jumps around with a scene from the climax as the first chapter. Interspersed throughout the book are quotes from characters being interviewed by a reporter after the big event. This process gives lots of great foreshadowing plus hints at what the heck is going to happen.

The book was so well written and even seemed simple at times, but of course Liane Moriarty knew exactly what she was doing with this tactic. I am definitely going to be reading the rest of her books.

Set in Australia, this book felt as universal to me in dealing with how students and parents worldwide probably act. Read it! I'm pretty sure you'll love it.


Big Little Lies

After the War is Over by Jennifer Robson

Well, I finally finished After the War is Over by Jennifer Robson this evening. I have actually been reading a lot but mostly nonfiction books that I don't always add to this blog. I liked this book but because I was reading other stuff, I didn't always read this novel every day and thus I didn't keep with the story like I like to.

After the War Is Over: A Novel

I'd recommend it though if you enjoy historical novels. It was well researched and well written. The author also wrote Somewhere in France, which was a prequel to this novel. 

Book Read:  After the War is Over
Author:  Jennifer Robson

All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner

I have read several of Jennifer Weiner's novels and have loved each one. All Fall Down was no exception.

This book was a little different from her other novels though. The subject:  addiction. The main character, Allison Weiss, is a wife, mother, blogger, and all round busy gal. When she hurt her back, she continued taking pain killers and for two years progressively abused Oxycodone, Vicodan and Percocet until she was putting her daughter in danger. 

I personally don't know much about addiction, but this story rang true in the way Allison was in denial, abused the drugs progressively until she couldn't not take them, and the reluctance she experienced in thinking she needed help. And then accepting it when she was finally forced to go to rehab.

Read and love it!


All Fall Down: A Novel

Book Read:  All Fall Down
Author:  Jennifer Weiner

Mannequin Girl by Ellen Litman

I finished reading Mannequin Girl by Ellen Litman late last night. I have to say I was glad I finished it. I really enjoyed this book at first but it seemed to sort of slog on and on after awhile. 

Mannequin Girl: A Novel

When the book begins Kat is a Jewish girl who lives in Russia in the 1980s. She is young, just 6, I think and is diagnosed with scoliosis so is sent to a special school for extra care and to get the medical attention she needs. 

The book was interesting and then it sort of got to be repetitive or something. I did enjoy it, but I lost interest as Kat aged, I think. But try it. You might just love Mannequin Girl.

Book Read:  Mannequin Girl
Author:  Ellen Litman

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Late last night I finished reading Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, and today I noticed that this book is classified as science fiction. Well, I normally don't like or even read science fiction, but I had read a good recommendation for this book so I'm glad I read it before realizing it was science fiction. (grin)

I mean I knew it was science fiction because of the premise:  a horrible flu strain wipes out most of the people on Earth. Not that that couldn't happen or anything, but it was in some ways futuristic in its doomsday message, but I loved this novel. Loved it.

Station Eleven: A novel

It took a bit to get the gist of this story since it floated between then (pre-flu) and now (post-flu) where time was measured in years after the flu (Year Two, Year Twenty). The story of survival and living in this new reality was interestingly told through some characters I won't soon forget.

I've actually read a couple of other such books with almost end of the world themes:  The Dog Stars by Peter Heller and The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker. They were also excellent reads so I guess I like my sci-fi in an end of the world sort of way.

The Dog Stars

The Age of Miracles: A Novel

Have you read any of these novels? They are excellent!

Book Read:  Station Eleven

Author:  Emily St. John Mandel

Small Blessings by Martha Woodroof

If you love reading books with a good story that's well written, that's fresh and unpredictable, pick up Martha Woodroof's debut novel Small Blessings.

While reading this book, I felt like this woman-of-a-certain-age (she's in her sixties and this is her first published novel! I love that!) had saved up some wisdom gained from living and shared it with us, her readers.

The random people and events might seem unbelievable in another writer's hands but this author lends enough "truth is stranger than fiction" to the circumstances that they fall happily into place.

Book Read:  Small Blessings
Author:  Martha Woodroof

Lucky Us by Amy Bloom

Amy Bloom is a wonderful writer and she shines with her novel Lucky Us.

This story is a bit different, told mostly from Eva's point of view. When the story begins, Eva is a child and it runs through her crazy, unstable life into her twenties. Even though she is the younger sister to step-sister Iris, Eva holds things together in their desperate little family.

To give you a taste of Amy Bloom's fabulous writing, here's one sentence that made me stop and read it again and again:

My father's illness became a long, bumpy, terrible road

to a place we didn't want to go, 

except that the road itself was so awful, 

we couldn't wait to get there.

Lucky Us: A Novel

Who hasn't felt this with a sick loved one? Wow. I want to write like that!

For a great story full of wonderful twists and turns (some painful, a few joyful) and beautiful writing, Lucky Us is a sure thing.

Book Read:  Lucky Us
Author:  Amy Bloom