Here's my running list of books I've read in 2015 and my honest reviews of each one, and who I think would enjoy reading the book.
Hope this helps you find a great read! PS - to help you find those gems I'll highlight them in purple. And to help you avoid the real stinkers....those will be highlighted in blue.
1. Missing You by Harlan Coben (Thumbs Up - If you want a good mystery this one has lots of twists and turns. Not gory, no sex scenes PG-13)
2. The Pagan Lord by Bernard Cornwell (Historical fiction - if you like the series Vikings you will probably enjoy this series though it occurs after the Vikings have come to England, but before England was actually England.)
3. Son of Stone by Stuart Woods a Stone Barrington Novel. Gotta be honest, not my favorite of his books. The dialog between father and son was painfully bad at times and the plot was lacking. If you want one of the better written, wise ass Barrington books go with Strategic Moves. Son of Stone felt like aliens took over the writing process at times and the Stone we know was pretty much non-existent.
4. Storm Front by Richard Castle....I actually think it was written by the ABC intern pool. If you watch the TV series Castle you might be tempted to try one of his books for your reading enjoyment. After reading Storm Front I can say don't bother. For a good spy thriller go with Alex Berenson or Daniel Silva. For a good female detective series go with the Eve Dallas mysteries by J.D. Robb.
5. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon the original time travel romance novel. This may go down as the longest book I read this year. If you enjoy Lynn Kurland novels you will love Outlander as well.
6. Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner is the story of four women with different lives who are brought together by the Princeton Fertility Clinic. Told from the four points of view each chapter rotates by character. So if you don't mind jumping from person to person, and if you love Hallmark Hall of Fame Movies you will probably really enjoy this book.
7. To Have and To Hold by Jane Green is not a feel good love story so do not pick this one up thinking it's a romance novel. It's the story of Alice who manages to marry her high school crush, but only be becoming who he wants her to be. As she goes through marriage she realizes she would rather be alone and true to herself then stay in her marriage. Her husband is a louse so don't feel to bad the marriage ends. If Bridget Jones had gone off and married Hugh Grant's character instead of falling for Colin Firth this book tells that tale!
8. The Lost Key by Catherine Coulture and J.T. Ellison. On a scale of one to ten I give it a five. Well written, the plot was just a little too far out there for me to really jump on board. It's a race to find a stash of suped up nuclear bomb material supposedly developed by Marie Curie. For me that's where it goes wrong by using a real person as part of a fictional plot in a way that did not seam consistent with what we know of the real person. I think for a spy thriller I would go with Daniel Silva or Alex Berenson. For a mystery romance try the J.D. Robb "in death" series.
9. Die Again by Tess Gerritsen a Rizzoli and Isles novel was a happy surprise. After the disaster Castle book my enthusiasm for reading a book based on a tv show was not high! I was happily surprised to find that Die Again is a well written, page turning thriller. If you like the tv show you will love these books and if like me you have never seen the show you'll still enjoy the books.
10. The Cursing Mommy's Book of Days by Ian Frazier was a book I picked up because I thought it would be funny the same way that Jen Hatmaker cracks me up (http://jenhatmaker.com/blog.htm). Alas no, I don't think I laughed at all while reading, Most of the time I kept thinking two things; one that this is not "mom" like at all and two is the author from England? The writing was off key for me. If you want a humorous book read Tina Fey's Bossy Pants!
11. The Zahir by Paulo Coelho is a book I picked up because I wanted to read The Alchemist again, but they didn't have it at the library. Not sure how to describe this one or who would enjoy reading it. It's about love and relationships from a spiritual outlook. If you want to read something completely different from a mystery or romance novel then give this book a try. It's not exactly a page turner, but it does keep you engaged and wanting to read on. To sum it up it's the story of a wife who leaves her husband without explanation, and the husband who decides to figure out why.
12. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins is a psychological thriller that is the tale of three women who are all in love with the same man. Written in She said, She said, She said style you get the story from three different perspectives throughout the book. You are never quite sure who is the villain and who is the hero, and as happens in life sometimes the hero falls and sometimes the villain isn't really all bad. Well written I finished this in less then 24 hours so it qualifies as a real page turner that you don't want to put down!
13. Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum is a sad story from beginning to end. It's the story of a woman who has never found contentment with her world. We get brief glimpses of why that might be, but the reader is left to decide on their own if she's ever going to find it. The main character Anna is an American suburban house wife, but living in Switzerland with her husband and three children. She feels isolated from the culture and language, but also does nothing to end her isolation. She trys to fill the void with a series of affairs that are equally unable to give her life any sense of purpose. Is she mentally ill, a sex addict, or just a hopelessly passive person who can never work up any will to create the life she wants...does she even know what she wants? These are the questions you will be asking yourself while reading Hausfrau. When you finish the book you'll still be asking them. So not a book I would probably give to anyone, but if you want a dark, brooding tale then you will enjoy trying to figure Anna out in Hausfrau.
14. As You Wish Inconceivable Tales From the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes is a real treat for fans of the movie. From the long road to getting the movie made to the on set stories this is a book for fans! Written in great detail the book includes the memories of Cary Elwes the actor who played Wesley along with many side notes and additions from the rest of the cast. Robin Wright, Billy Crystal, Mandy Patinkin, Christopher Guest, Chris Sarandon, Carol Kane, Wallace Shawn, Fred Savage, Rob Reiner, Andy Scheinman, Norman Lear and William Goldman (the author of the original book and screenplay for the movie) all share their memories from the making of the movie as well. There are no scandals, back stabbing or other hollywood rumor mill junk in this book. It's pure adventure, action, storytelling at it's best, just like the move! This is a great book to give men, women, teens anyone who has loved the movie The Princess Bride will really enjoy this behind the scenes story.
15. At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen could possibly be called Water for Elephants her first blockbuster book. We have a damsel in distress, trapped in a marriage and falling in love with someone else. It's also well written and quite compelling, so even though the story is familiar I stilled enjoyed reading this book. Our heroine finds herself off on a dangerous adventure with her husband and his best friend when her husband's father throws them out and cuts off the allowance. Off to prove the existence of the Loch Ness monster and win back daddy's approval the trio sails off for glory and adventure at the end of WWII. Unfortunately the trip simply proves that her husband isn't the man she thought. Things take a dangerous turn when she realizes he is preparing to have her committed to a mental institution, fake finding the Loch Ness monster and having the man she secretly loves imprisoned. At the Water's Edge is a mix of historical romance, fairy tale and mystery novel all rolled into one. This is the kind of book (pg-13) you can give to Grandma or your best friend to read.
8. The Lost Key by Catherine Coulture and J.T. Ellison. On a scale of one to ten I give it a five. Well written, the plot was just a little too far out there for me to really jump on board. It's a race to find a stash of suped up nuclear bomb material supposedly developed by Marie Curie. For me that's where it goes wrong by using a real person as part of a fictional plot in a way that did not seam consistent with what we know of the real person. I think for a spy thriller I would go with Daniel Silva or Alex Berenson. For a mystery romance try the J.D. Robb "in death" series.
9. Die Again by Tess Gerritsen a Rizzoli and Isles novel was a happy surprise. After the disaster Castle book my enthusiasm for reading a book based on a tv show was not high! I was happily surprised to find that Die Again is a well written, page turning thriller. If you like the tv show you will love these books and if like me you have never seen the show you'll still enjoy the books.
10. The Cursing Mommy's Book of Days by Ian Frazier was a book I picked up because I thought it would be funny the same way that Jen Hatmaker cracks me up (http://jenhatmaker.com/blog.htm). Alas no, I don't think I laughed at all while reading, Most of the time I kept thinking two things; one that this is not "mom" like at all and two is the author from England? The writing was off key for me. If you want a humorous book read Tina Fey's Bossy Pants!
11. The Zahir by Paulo Coelho is a book I picked up because I wanted to read The Alchemist again, but they didn't have it at the library. Not sure how to describe this one or who would enjoy reading it. It's about love and relationships from a spiritual outlook. If you want to read something completely different from a mystery or romance novel then give this book a try. It's not exactly a page turner, but it does keep you engaged and wanting to read on. To sum it up it's the story of a wife who leaves her husband without explanation, and the husband who decides to figure out why.
12. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins is a psychological thriller that is the tale of three women who are all in love with the same man. Written in She said, She said, She said style you get the story from three different perspectives throughout the book. You are never quite sure who is the villain and who is the hero, and as happens in life sometimes the hero falls and sometimes the villain isn't really all bad. Well written I finished this in less then 24 hours so it qualifies as a real page turner that you don't want to put down!
13. Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum is a sad story from beginning to end. It's the story of a woman who has never found contentment with her world. We get brief glimpses of why that might be, but the reader is left to decide on their own if she's ever going to find it. The main character Anna is an American suburban house wife, but living in Switzerland with her husband and three children. She feels isolated from the culture and language, but also does nothing to end her isolation. She trys to fill the void with a series of affairs that are equally unable to give her life any sense of purpose. Is she mentally ill, a sex addict, or just a hopelessly passive person who can never work up any will to create the life she wants...does she even know what she wants? These are the questions you will be asking yourself while reading Hausfrau. When you finish the book you'll still be asking them. So not a book I would probably give to anyone, but if you want a dark, brooding tale then you will enjoy trying to figure Anna out in Hausfrau.
14. As You Wish Inconceivable Tales From the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes is a real treat for fans of the movie. From the long road to getting the movie made to the on set stories this is a book for fans! Written in great detail the book includes the memories of Cary Elwes the actor who played Wesley along with many side notes and additions from the rest of the cast. Robin Wright, Billy Crystal, Mandy Patinkin, Christopher Guest, Chris Sarandon, Carol Kane, Wallace Shawn, Fred Savage, Rob Reiner, Andy Scheinman, Norman Lear and William Goldman (the author of the original book and screenplay for the movie) all share their memories from the making of the movie as well. There are no scandals, back stabbing or other hollywood rumor mill junk in this book. It's pure adventure, action, storytelling at it's best, just like the move! This is a great book to give men, women, teens anyone who has loved the movie The Princess Bride will really enjoy this behind the scenes story.
15. At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen could possibly be called Water for Elephants her first blockbuster book. We have a damsel in distress, trapped in a marriage and falling in love with someone else. It's also well written and quite compelling, so even though the story is familiar I stilled enjoyed reading this book. Our heroine finds herself off on a dangerous adventure with her husband and his best friend when her husband's father throws them out and cuts off the allowance. Off to prove the existence of the Loch Ness monster and win back daddy's approval the trio sails off for glory and adventure at the end of WWII. Unfortunately the trip simply proves that her husband isn't the man she thought. Things take a dangerous turn when she realizes he is preparing to have her committed to a mental institution, fake finding the Loch Ness monster and having the man she secretly loves imprisoned. At the Water's Edge is a mix of historical romance, fairy tale and mystery novel all rolled into one. This is the kind of book (pg-13) you can give to Grandma or your best friend to read.
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