Month: March 2014

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, R, RATING, Read in 2014, Review Book

2014.10 REVIEW – Watching the Dark by Peter Robinson

Tara

Watching the Dark
by Peter Robinson

Copyright: 2013
Pages: 354
Rating: 4/5
Read: Feb. 21 – Mar. 1, 2014
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 10
Format: Print
Source: Publicist for blog tour

WATCHING THE DARK is available now at Amazon | B&N  | IndieBound

Watching the DarkBlurb: A decorated policeman is murdered on the tranquil grounds of the St. Peter’s Police Treatment Centre, shot through the heart with a crossbow arrow, and compromising photographs are discovered in his room. Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks is well aware that he must handle the highly sensitive and dangerously explosive investigation with the utmost discretion. And as he digs deeper, he discovers that the murder may be linked to an unsolved missing case from six years earlier and the current crime may involve crooked cops. 

Review: I received a copy of this book for free from the publicist for review purposes in conjunction with a blog tour, all opinions expressed below are my own.

For whatever reason, I have never read a Peter Robinson book. Since there are (only) 20+books in the Inspector Banks series, it’s been a bit of an undertaking. I’m usually adamant that I have to read the entire backlist. For whatever reason, I chose to read this book knowing that it is the 20th book in the series. Going into it I didn’t really know what to expect. I had no idea if I would be completely lost by jumping into this series at this point or if it would be just fine. The truth is that it’s somewhere in the middle. I wasn’t completely lost reading this book, but there were some questions about relationships between certain characters that probably would have been helpful to have the background information. 

Now that I have that way, I have to tell you that I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The writing was very good, the storyline was interesting, the characters were extremely well-developed. It was an all-around good book. There’s not much for me to really complain about, to be honest. 

I really liked Inspector Banks’ character. There was something about him that worked. He was a nice guy, but he also knew how to read the situation and react as necessary. I felt it was very interesting to “work the case” with him and Joanna. At times I wondered if he was on a wild-goose chase in regards to the Rachel storyline, but I found it really enjoyable to see how everything came together in the end. Banks has one of those guts that was spot-on in this case. I also liked Joanna’s character. I’m not sure that she has ever been mentioned in previous books, and I’m not sure what kind of a presence she will have in any future books, but I found her to be an interesting character that I would want to know more about after what she reveals to Banks at dinner one night. 

Overall I would most definitely recommend this book. It’s not necessarily a book that will have you up all night turning the pages, but it’s definitely a book to be savored. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to keeping Mr. Robinson on my watch list in the future. 

First chapter, Meme

First Chapter, First Paragraph Tuesday Intros #15

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Diane over at Bibliophile by the Sea hosts this meme.

The Sound of Broken Glass

Today I’m featuring a book that I’m reading for review. 

He sat on the front steps of the house in Woodland Road, counting the banknotes he’d stored in the biscuit tin, all that was left of his mum’s wages. Frowning, he counted again. Ten pounds short. Oh, bloody hell. She’d found the new stash and pilfered it. Again.

Blinking back sudden tears, he scrubbed the back of his hand against his nose, trying to quell the panic rising in his stomach.

Panic and hunger. It was only Wednesday and she didn’t get paid again until Saturday. How was he going to feed the two of them on the little bit of money that was left?

I’m reading this one in conjunction with a Partners in Crime book tour. There was a prologue to this book, but I went straight with giving you Chapter 1 because I felt like the prologue wouldn’t make any sense to you (I have a love-hate relationship with prologues). Overall, this is definitely shaping up to be a great read. Hope you will come back for my tour stop on March 18th to find out my final feelings on this one!

Mailbox Monday, Meme

Mailbox Monday, March 10, 2014

Tara

Mailbox Monday has returned home to Mailbox Monday’s site this year.

Three books this week; two in the mail and one from the library.

The first one I got from Paperbackswap after Samantha recommended it to me on Twitter.

Storm FrontHarry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he’s the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the “everyday” world is actually full of strange and magical things – and most of them don’t play well with humans. That’s where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a – well, whatever.

There’s just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry’s seeing dollar signs. But where there’s black magic, there’s a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry’s name. And that’s when things start to get … interesting.

The second book came from my publicist contact for a blog tour.

Children of the RevolutionThe body of a disgraced college lecturer Gavin Miller is found on an abandoned railway line by a woman out walking her dog early one winter morning. In the four years since Miller’s dismissal for sexual misconduct, he’s been living like a hermit, listening to music from his college days and existing as frugally as possible on the outskirts of a small village. So where did he get the five thousand pounds found in his pocket?

Leading the investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks begins to suspect that the victim’s past may be connected to his death. Forty years earlier the dead man attended a university that was a hotbed of militant protest and divisive, bitter politics. And as the seasoned detective well knows, some grudges are never forgotten – or forgiven.

Just as Banks is about to break the case open, his superior warns him to back off or risk losing the promotion he has been promised. Yet Banks isn’t about to stop, even if it means risking his career altogether. He’s certain there’s more to the mystery than meets the eye, and more skeletons to uncover before the case can finally be closed.

And one from the library:

If Kennedy LivedIn Then Everything Changed, Jeff Greenfield created a “riveting” (The New York Times), “captivating” (Doris Kearns Goodwin) exploration of three modern political alternate histories. Based on memoirs, histories, oral histories, fresh reporting, and his own deep knowledge of the players, the book looked at the tiny hinges of history – and the extraordinary changes that would have resulted if they had gone another way.

Now Greenfield presents him most compelling narrative of all, about the historical event that has riveted us for fifty years. What if John F. Kennedy had not been killed on that fateful day? What would the 1964 campaign have looked like? Would changes have been made to the ticket? How would a Kennedy second term have approached Vietnam, civil rights, the Cold War? What would Kennedy have had to give up – and what would he have gained? With powerful enemies against him, would his indiscreet private life finally have become public? How would his health issues have affected his presidency? And what small turns of fate in the days and years before Dallas might have kept him from ever reaching the White House in the first place?

As in Then Everything Changed, the answers Greenfield provides, the scenarios he develops, are startlingly realistic, rich in detail, shocking in their projections, but always deeply, remarkably plausible – and a pure delight to read. It is a tour de force of American political history.

Random Book Discussions

Discussing Why My Reviews Are Always Positive…

Tara

So a few weeks ago Jessi over at Novel Heartbeat, posted about whether or not book blogging had made her too critical. I responded with a comment saying that I didn’t think I had become too critical, but that I had learned to choose my books more carefully.

That got me thinking about how come it always seems as if I am writing glowing reviews and rating every single book at least a 4/5.

Which led me to want to start this discussion post.

Does it make you as a blog reader more suspicious when you only see positive reviews on a certain blog?

I’m stumped on this, to be completely honest. Here’s the deal. If I’m not liking a book I’m reading, I don’t finish it. End of story. I simply put it aside. Sometimes if I feel like it could work for me in the future, I’ll hang on to it. But most of the time, I just abandon it completely. So you might see a DNF post every once in a while from me. This is more for my personal book journal than anything else.

However, let me tell you a little story.

Once upon a time, I was a newbie book blogger in 2008. I didn’t know what the heck I was doing, I’m actually very embarrassed by what my “reviews” consisted of back then. They were pitiful, to be completely honest with you. But what I also didn’t understand at the time was the sheer reach my little book blog could have on the internet.

I read a book that I didn’t like (this was before I gave myself permission to DNF books with no regrets). Okay. I reviewed said book. And I ripped it up one side and down the other.

No big deal, right? It’s my blog. My opinion. Who cares?!

Sure … until the author stopped by and responded to my very negative review. (I should also add that this was the first time I actually had an author comment on my blog, ever!) This could have been very bad for me. He could have ripped me up one side and down the other. He could have blasted me trying to end my blogging career before it even started. But he didn’t. He took the high road. He was very gracious and thanked me for reading his book and hoped that I would give him another shot in the future.

Open mouth. Insert foot.

I felt like a fool. Completely and utterly embarrassed. I made it my motto right then and there that I would watch very carefully how I presented things on my blog. Obviously, I’m not going to lie about my feelings on a book. But there is a huge difference between what I did and constructive criticism. I learned about that fine line that day.

So what does all this have to do with my comment on Novel Heartbeat?

Well, like I said. It really got me thinking. As I was painstakingly handwriting all of my previous books read into my new paper book journal (yep, I went all the way back to 2007 when I started keeping track), I realized that so many of my reviews were being rated 4/5!

Isn’t that a little suspicious? What do my readers think? Do they feel that they can rely on me for honest reviews? 

This is honestly why last year I wanted to throw away my rating system entirely. I sometimes find it hard to put a numerical or alphabetical rating on a book. Let’s not even discuss the fact that rating systems are entirely subjective just because everyone has completely different parameters.

But let me be 100% honest with you. I have learned over the years to understand exactly what I like in a book. Because of this knack, I am able to enjoy almost every single book that I read. Sure, some are obviously better than others. But for the most part, I love everything I read. And as I stated above, years ago I gave myself permission to give up on any book for any reason after 50 pages.

When I pose myself the question that I’m posing to you, I think back at all the times I have read a negative review on some other blogs. Truthfully, I can’t think of all that many. One blogger in particular sticks out for being a very outspoken (ok, I’ll just say it .. she was a bitch sometimes) reviewer. But she has since closed up shop (and no, I’m not naming names here). But to be honest, it seemed like every review she posted was negative … maybe she was just a negative person in general? I know of another blogger who shared with me that she didn’t actually post a review to her blog for every single book she read. I never questioned her further regarding this, but maybe she only posts reviews for the outstanding books and skips reviewing the “eh” ones?

I have it very plainly stated in my review policy that I do not like writing negative reviews (because of my experience with the above-mentioned, but not named, author).  There have been many times I have “passed” on a formal review (and my NetGalley review ratio reflects that…) because it was best for me not to write one. But is that the wrong way of looking at things? Am I handling this the way I should be?

So, dear readers. I have to ask you, does it bother you that you are only seeing positive reviews here at Tales of a Book Addict? Does this make my credibility with you any less? Please be honest with me on this, for I want to make sure that I am not doing my readers a disservice.

3.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2014, READING CHALLENGES 2014

2014.11 REVIEW – Bye Bye, Baby by Max Allan Collins

Tara

Bye Bye, Baby
by Max Allan Collins

Copyright: 2011
Pages: 326
Rating: 3.5/5
Read: Mar. 1 – 4, 2014
Challenge: TBR Pile Challenge
Yearly count: 11
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

 

Bye Bye BabyBlurb: Hollywood, May 1962: Marilyn Monroe, the ultimate goddess of the silver screen, is at the peak of her popularity, internationally famous, universally admired by women and desired by men. But she’s also famously insecure and temperamental and is being pilloried in the press for delaying the production of Something’s Got to Give. When the head of Twentieth Century Fox threatens to cancel her contract, Marilyn hires “PI to the stars” Nathan Heller to tap her phones and record conversations that might prove to be important if there’s a lawsuit.

Less than three months later, Monroe is dead from an overdose and, officially, a suicide. But Heller isn’t buying it. He knows that in the weeks before, the star was anything but suicidal. He knows, too, about her affair with JFK, about the secret connections between the Kennedys and the Mob … and about Bobby Kennedy’s blood feud with Jimmy Hoffa. In short, Heller knows too much to accept this bum rap on a beautiful, gifted woman loved by the whole world … including Nathan Heller.

So he investigates, though his efforts might enrage some very famous, very powerful, very dangerous people. But they can’t keep Heller from finding out the astounding truth behind Marilyn Monroe’s untimely demise…

Review: I have had this book on my radar since 2011 when it first came out and I saw it mentioned on Caribousmom‘s blog. I picked up a copy during some online shopping in 2012. And it has sat on my shelf ever since then. What better way to finally get this book read than to add it to my TBR Pile Reading Challenge list? Because for whatever reason, I had let this book sit for far too long considering how much I was interested in this book when I first saw it.

So, what did I think about it? I enjoyed it for the most part. I wouldn’t say that it is necessarily a book that I would go screaming praise from rooftops, but it wasn’t a disappointment either. It lays somewhere in the middle. Not great but not bad. Just plain “good.”

But here’s where I have an issue with it really. I honestly think that this book’s reach will more than likely begin and end with readers who are intrigued by Marilyn Monroe and/or the Kennedy family. That’s it. As you know, I’m obsessed with all things Kennedy. So obviously that’s where my interest in it lies. However, I only have limited knowledge about Marilyn Monroe. I obviously knew who she was and that there were doubts surrounding her death. (Dare I say the word …. conspiracy?!) Regardless, that’s about where my knowledge of her ends. So all this book really made me want to know is where did the truth stop and the fiction start? Because I had no way of knowing what was what. And that makes me want to read more about Marilyn in general. (Hopefully I can get to that someday soon, because I have a couple of books on her in my possession.)

The book is well written overall. I liked Nate Heller’s character. I had no idea that there were so many Heller books out there (17 in case you’re curious). But at the same time, I don’t think it’s likely that I will go back and read the entire back list. However, I have discovered that this book was the first in a planned three-book “trilogy” that involved the Kennedy’s. I think it will be interesting to see where Mr. Collins takes the next two books, so I definitely have them on my radar for the future.

Overall, like I said this isn’t a bad book. I liked it. But I honestly don’t think it will appeal to just any reader.

4/5, AUTHOR, Author Debut, Book Review, E-Book, Fiction, M, NetGalley, RATING, Read in 2014, Review Book

2014.9 REVIEW – Precious Thing by Colette McBeth

Tara

Precious Thing
by Colette McBeth

Copyright: 2013
Pages: 233
Rating: 4/5
Read: Feb. 15 – Feb. 21, 2014
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 9
Format: E-Book
Source: NetGalley

Precious ThingBlurb: For fans of Sister and Before I Go to Sleep comes a stunning suspense novel about two childhood best friends, reunited as adults and then ripped apart.

I know her inside out. I know what she’s thinking, I know what she wants. So I can’t give up on her, she knows I never will.

Some friendships fizzle out. Rachel and Clara promised theirs would last forever.

They met in high school when Rachel was the shy, awkward new girl and Clara was the friend everyone wanted. Instantly, they fell under one another’s spell and nothing would be the same again. Now in their late twenties Rachel has the television career, the apartment and the boyfriend, while Clara’s life is spiraling further out of control. Yet despite everything, they remain inextricably bound. Then Rachel’s news editor assigns her to cover a police press conference, and she is shocked when she arrives to learn that the subject is Clara, reported missing. Is it abduction, suicide or something else altogether?

Imagine discovering something about your oldest friend that forces you to question everything you’ve shared together. The truth is always there. But only if you choose to see it…

Review: I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley for review purposes, all opinions expressed below are my own.

You can be so close to someone for a lifetime and not know who they really are. (p. 90 of e-galley)

What. A. Book.

I don’t even know where to start, to be completely honest. This is another one of those books where you just can’t say too much about it or else you get into some serious spoiler territory. And honestly, the less you know about this book going into it, the better.

First of all this book is written in the form of a long letter from Rachel to Clara. You get flashbacks of when they met in school alternating with what is going on present day. Ms. McBeth slowly reveals things layer by layer. It makes for a completely thrilling read, in my opinion.

The characters. I don’t even know what to say. I went back and forth trying to figure out who was more crazy, Clara or Rachel. Obviously I can’t say much more than that without giving away anything. But I can say that you can know almost immediately that something is definitely amiss.

Best friends who tell each other everything but the truth. (p. 204 of e-galley)

I’ve seen people comparing this one to Gone Girl. I can’t say for sure about that, I haven’t read Gone Girl. But I can tell you that I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

If you’re in the mood for some seriously crazy, psychologically insane reading, pick this one up! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Highly recommended!!

A couple more quotes to share:

I’ve said it before. Truth is subjective. It’s not an absolute. My truth and theirs. Two against one. (p. 165 of e-galley)

My bosses had insisted I take time off until everything sorted itself out, when what they really wanted to say was stay away until we know you’re not a psychotic killer. (p. 216 of e-galley)

Mailbox Monday, Meme

Mailbox Monday, March 3, 2014

Tara

Mailbox Monday has returned home to Mailbox Monday’s site this year.

Just one book this week, from a Paperbackswap Box-of-Books swap.

SaharaWhile searching for a treasure on the Nile River, Dirk Pitt thwarts the attempted assassination of a beautiful U.N. scientist investigating a disease that is driving thousands of North Africans into madness, cannibalism, and death. The suspected cause of the epidemic is vast, unprecedented pollution that threatens to extinguish all life in the world’s seas. Racing to save the world from catastrophe, Pitt and his team comb the desert for clues … only to find a gold mine manned by slaves – one that uncovers the truth behind two enduring mysteries: the fate of a Civil War ironclad and its secret connection with Lincoln’s assassination, and the last flight of a long-lost female pilot. Now, amidst the shifting sands of the Sahara, Dirk Pitt will make a desperate stand – in a battle the world cannot afford to lose!