fiction

Circling the Sun by Paula McLain

~ SamanthaWho ~ 2 Comments

Circling the SunI really enjoyed The Paris Wife by Paula McLain so I was excited to get my hands on her latest book, Circling the Sun. I liked this book, but unfortunately I wasn’t as drawn into the story as I had hoped to be. It was good and I wanted to see how it turned out, but I didn’t feel like I couldn’t put it down.

The book is based on the real life of Beryl Markham, a record-setting pilot. Beryl is a strong character, very alive and brave, and one who wants freedom more than anything else. As a young English girl growing up in colonial Kenya, she faced wild animals regularly, but she used fear to motivate her rather than hold her back. Beryl is a character that is easy to admire.

Along with Beryl’s character I was fascinated to read about life in Africa during the 1920’s. McLain did a great job of creating this wild colorful scenery filled with lions, horses, and other animals.

Throughout the story I had a hard time understanding how each character’s lives could change so often. From romantic partners to careers to houses, each character seemed to be bouncing all around with no sense of stability. As a person that doesn’t always welcome change, this was very strange to read about. Some sections were also a bit slow for me and at times I had a tough time keeping track of the many characters involved.

Circling the Sun is definitely an interesting and well-written story worth a read!

After the Crash by Michel Bussi

~ SamanthaWho ~ 3 Comments

After the CrashI really enjoyed After the Crash, a mystery thriller, by Michel Bussi. A popular French author, this is the first book of Bussi’s to be translated into English so that more of us readers can enjoy his work! A very well written story that’s nicely translated, it’s filled with intriguing characters, some of which I enjoyed and others that I was disgusted by, and surprising plot twists.

Right before Christmas of 1980 a plane crashed into the Swiss Alps killing all 169 passengers besides one… A baby was found to have miraculously survived the crash. Against to odds, there were two baby girls of similar age and with similar features on board meaning that the found child’s identity was unknown. Officials were unable to determine which of the babies on board, Lyse-Rose and Emilie, was the child found at the crash site.

A private detective is hired to investigate the case and has spent 18 years trying to find the real identity of Lylie, the name the baby goes by, a combination or Lyse-Rose and Emilie. Over the years he has compiled a journal full of clues explaining his inability to find the real identity of the baby, who has now grown into an 18-year-old woman. On the eve of Lylie’s 18th birthday, the same date that his contract ends, the detective claims to have come across a case-solving clue…

I really enjoyed this book because it switches between the perspectives of multiple characters (including members of each family and snippets from the detective’s journal of notes) as they all race to answer the ultimate question: who is Lylie?

Thank you to Hachette Book Group for sending me an advanced reader’s copy of After the Crash in exchange for an honest review. The book will be released on January 5, 2016!

In a Dark Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

~ SamanthaWho ~ 3 Comments

In a Dark Dark WoodI refuse to waste the time I spend commuting back and forth from work so I’ve been listening to audiobooks over the last few months. In a Dark Dark Wood by Ruth Ware is the latest of those audiobooks. A creepy murder mystery, this one had me sitting in my car once I arrived home just to keep listening to the story.

Leonora, a crime novel writer, finds herself in a situation just like one of her plots when she goes to the bachelorette weekend of her old friend Claire. Leonora and Claire lost touched many years ago and haven’t spoken since they went to school together as teenagers, so Leonora is confused about her invitation to the weekend. Despite having a bad feeling about the whole thing she goes anyway. A couple days later she wakes up in the hospital with scratches and bruises all over her body and doesn’t remember how she got there. Someone has died, that much she hears from the police outside her room, but she doesn’t know who has been killed or how she’s involved.

Leonora describes the house they stay in next to the woods as a glass castle with the feeling that something or someone is outside watching which creates a creepy tone for the story.

At times I was frustrated by Leonora for going to the bachelorette weekend when she didn’t want to and for not standing up for herself when she felt uncomfortable. Her character did grow on me a bit throughout the book though and I really enjoyed the story. Definitely pick up In a Dark Dark Wood for an engaging and descriptive mystery!

Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand

~ SamanthaWho ~ 3 Comments

Winter Street

Because I’ve been reading a lot of eerie mystery thrillers lately (which I love, don’t get me wrong), I was in the mood for something light. That’s exactly what I got with Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand. It’s a light easy read that I flew through just in time for the holidays.

The story is set in a nice bed and breakfast, the Winter Street Inn, of Nantucket. During the first few pages we learn that Kelley, the father of the family and inn owner, walks in on his second wife Mitzi sleeping with another man. Only a couple days before Christmas, Mitzi leaves and chaos ensues from there. Patrick, the eldest son, has made a huge mistake that could ruin his family. The second son, Kevin, thinks that he has found the love of his life. Ava is now in charge of the annual holiday Christmas party at the inn and can’t get her boyfriend to commit to her. The youngest son, Bart, is fighting in Afghanistan and no one has heard from him. Kelley’s ex-wife Margaret, a famous news anchor, might be just the person that can hold the family together when everything looks like its spiraling out of control.

At the end of the story, the loose ends are tied into a neat bow, which is both satisfying and expected. As a story set during the holidays, it was an enjoyable read filled with images of cozy decorated rooms and elaborate meals.

The Ice Princess by Camilla Läckberg

~ SamanthaWho ~ 8 Comments

The Ice PrincessI’ve been waiting to read The Ice Princess by Camilla Läckberg for a while now, the eerie blue cover taunting me every time I pass my bookshelf. I don’t know what I was waiting for though because this book is a great mystery novel! One filled with seemingly unconnected characters and horrifying hidden secrets, I couldn’t put it down.

A scandal rocks Fjällbacka, Sweden, when a woman is found dead in her childhood home with her wrists slit open. No one knows what Alex was doing back in her hometown and why she would take her own life until details come out that it couldn’t have in fact been a suicide. Erica Falck, the childhood best friend of Alex, is coincidentally in town when the tragedy hits and is quickly pulled into the murder investigation. The more she learns, the more Erica realizes that Alex has changed in their 25 years apart, becoming distant and elusive over time. Clues pointing to the killer elude police until Patrik, a local detective, and Erica work together to piece together the mystery. As the story goes on, it’s clear that this murder isn’t the only scandal in the small town’s history…

A novel full of characters and storylines, I was fully engaged until the very last page in an effort to sort out how each story is intertwined. I really enjoyed this book and plan to read many more by Läckberg in the future!

At the Water’s Edge by Sara Gruen

~ SamanthaWho ~ 13 Comments

At the Water's EdgeThis is one of the books that helped build my love for Scotland, its green countryside, and the lively people. Sara Gruen, the author of Water for Elephants, has returned with another great book, At the Water’s Edge.

The story centers around Maddie, a young woman from high society Philadelphia. During World War II, she travels to Scotland with her husband and his best friend in an attempt to locate the Loch Ness monster, following a trail left by her father-in-law. After behaving poorly at a party, Maddie and her husband, Ellis, hope that finding the mystical monster will win back his favor.

Maddie has grown up in a very restrictive environment, bound by the rules of society and distant parents, but doesn’t realize how much so until she arrives in Scotland. The Scottish barmaids and inn owner open her eyes to an entirely different world and she finds herself drawn to it. In the Scottish countryside she also finds out that the man she married may not be who she thought he was. Her charming husband turns out to be a nasty brute while a new man in Scotland may win her heart instead.

At the Water’s Edge has a snowball effect, picking up speed as the story goes on. With an intense ending, I was gripping the book until the very last page. I really liked the story and found myself rooting for Maddie the whole time!

The Hypnotist’s Love Story by Liane Moriarty

~ SamanthaWho ~ 1 Comment

The Hypnotist's Love StoryPublished a few years ago, The Hypnotist’s Love Story is another great book by Liane Moriarty. Always fun and engaging, Moriarty does a fantastic job of transforming ordinary life and complicated relationships into stories worth reading. A quick read, it’s easy to get swept away with this book for a cozy afternoon on the couch.

This story focuses on Ellen, a kind-hearted hypnotherapist, and her new relationship with Patrick. A widow, Patrick comes not only with emotional baggage and a cute 8-year-old son, but with a stalker as well. Saskia, Patrick’s ex-girlfriend, cannot let go of their relationship and continues to follow Patrick’s every move as he begins to date Ellen. The Hypnotist’s Love Story switches between scenes from both Ellen and Saskia’s perspectives and we see their intense fascination with one another. As Ellen and Patrick become more serious, it’s clear that Saskia’s little obsession cannot continue on and something must be done…

I really enjoyed this story! The characters are interesting, their interactions are both realistic and amusing, and once again (I’ve read a few of her novels) I found myself completely absorbed in another book by Moriarty.

The Girl in the Spider’s Web by David Lagercrantz

~ SamanthaWho ~ 5 Comments

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As a huge fan of the Millennium Series by Stieg Larsson, I was very excited to read The Girl in the Spider’s Web by David Lagercrantz. This fourth book didn’t turn out to be as good as the original three, but I didn’t really expect it to be with a different author. Either way, I was happy to see some of my favorite mystery novel characters come back in a new story!

In The Girl in the Spider’s Web, trouble strikes again for Mikael Blomkvist when his magazine starts to go downhill and another mysterious case lands in his lap. When it turns out that Lisbeth Salander, his previous partner of sorts, is involved in the case already, he decides to take it on. Once again, Blomkvist and Lisbeth work together to unearth an entire series of crimes that hide just below the surface.

Through this book we get more insight into Lisbeth’s background and her very troubled childhood. She is a very interesting character whose good intentions hide behind her tough exterior. She is a defender of women and children and I can’t help but root for her. She might just be one of my favorite characters because she is so intelligent (her computer hacking skills are beyond anything I can comprehend) and simultaneously such a badass (in a good way).

Unfortunately, there wasn’t as much character interaction and depth as in the first three. For example, while the first three had me gripping the books in anticipation, I wasn’t quite as engaged in this one. It’s also shorter than the original books; which may have had something to do with it.

While it didn’t hit the same mark as the original three, The Girl in the Spider’s Web a good book and I’m always happy to read a lively mystery novel.

INCONCEIVABLE! by Tegan Wren

~ SamanthaWho ~ 4 Comments

imageINCONCEIVABLE!  by Tegan Wren is a story about how love can bring two worlds together. Hatty, an American going to school in Europe, meets Prince John, the handsome and witty heir to the throne. As they begin to spend more time together, they quickly fall for one another (what a dream right?). Coming from different worlds, the pair has many hurdles to jump in order to be together that we see throughout the book. Overall, I enjoyed this book, but there were some areas that I was disappointed by as well.

There are difficulties in every relationship and I felt that some of the issues in this story were resolved too easily and quickly. On the other hand, one issue that wasn’t easily resolved was the couple’s inability to get pregnant. A serious and heartbreaking issue, Wren did a good job of getting inside the head of a woman in this situation. The feelings of frustration and failure that Hatty feels throughout the story are powerful and I was pulled in by her story.

Even though this book didn’t flow as well as I would have liked, it’s Wren’s debut novel and I did enjoy the plot and the focus on a royal family during modern times. I love keeping up with British royalty, including Kate and William and their darling children, and INCONCEIVABLE! is a fun story with similar themes.

A sweet book, INCONCEIVABLE! is a quick read about the ups and downs that come with any relationship.

*I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

 

Fates and Furies: A Novel by Lauren Groff

~ SamanthaWho ~ 21 Comments

Fates and Furies

To be honest, I was expecting more from Fates and Furies: A Novel by Lauren Groff. Maybe I picked up the book with expectations that were too high, but the choppy writing and negative tone disappointed me. That isn’t to say that I didn’t like the book entirely, the story has many intriguing aspects including a look into the relationship of marriage.

Fates and Furies: A Novel is split into two halves, the first told from the view of Lancelot, known as Lotto, and the second from Mathilde. Meeting when they were each 22 years old, the pair marries two weeks later to the shock of their peers and families. While Lotto is a lover and has a charisma that people are drawn to, Mathilde is a loner who had a terribly sad childhood. Despite their differences, or possibly because of them, the couple fits together well and ends up outlasting other’s expectations of a divorce.

I was both frustrated and absorbed by the couple’s relationship. Lotto is arrogant and unaware while Mathilde is conniving and manipulative. It was clear from her section of the book that she plays on her husband’s weaknesses. Theirs is an interesting relationship because they love each other deeply, but each doesn’t feel that they deserve the love of the other.

I was intrigued by the sense of rawness throughout the story, of uncensored humanity, including the good, bad and the ugly. It was also interesting to experience scenes from the different perspectives of the husband and wife. The idea that people view and remember the same experiences so differently is one of the reasons why I chose to read this book in the first place.

Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting into the story and even when I finished, I didn’t feel like I was ever completely engaged. The story is choppy, skipping around from different perspectives and time periods, and while some characters interested me, others were dull and had me rushing through the pages.

Fates and Furies: A Novel is focused on one of the most fundamental relationships of all, marriage, and I felt sad after finishing it. I’m glad to have read it, but I don’t plan on picking up another one of Groff’s books anytime soon.