Book: The Bielski Brothers

 Book: The Bielski Brothers

Author: Peter Duffy

Pages: 336

This is the 112th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

In 1941, 3 brothers witnessed their parents and 2 other silbings being led away to their eventual murders.  It was a grim scene that would, of course, be repeated endlessly throughout the war.  Instead of running or giving in to despair, these brothers - Tuvia, Zus and Asael Bielski - foughtback, waging a guerrilla war of wits against the Nazis.  By suing their intimate knowledge of the dense forest surrounding the Belarusan towns of Novogrudek and Lida, the Bielskis evaded the Nazis and established a hidden base camp, then set about convincing other Jews to join their ranks.  As more and more Jes arrived each day, a robust community began to merge, a "Jerusalem in the woods".  After 2 1/2 years in the woods, in July 1944, the Bielskis learned that the Germans, overrung by the Red Army, were retreating back toward Berlin.  More than 1000 Bielski Jews emerged - alive - on that final, triumphant exit from the woods.  

This was a good book.  It was a bit dry, but otherwise well written.  This book is on the Rory Gilmore endless reading challenge, so that is why I picked it up.  I like a good non-fiction book, and what these brothers were able to do was miraculous.  I also enjoyed that the author included pictures of the brothers and other key players in this story.  Love putting faces to names.

Stars: 3.5 

Book: Pursued: The Story of Stalking, Memory and Madness

 Book: Pursued: The Story of Stalking, Memory, and Madness

Author: Corey Mead

Pages: 283

This is my 111th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

From 1977 to 1981, Ruth Finley, an ordinary wife and mother from Kansas, was tormented by an elusive maniac known as the Poet. The police, already on edge from BTK's reign of terror, spent years searching for the stalker.  Meanwhile, his cryptic letters in rhymed verse grew more disturbing and violent, spilling into deeds like stabbing and kidnapping.  In this propulsive nonfiction account, as Ruth is surveilled from all sides, her nightmare takes a chiling turn: The Stalkier is no stranger at all.  It's someone the police have been close to for years, someone nearer to home than Ruth dared to admit.  The revelation recasts what seemed like a cruel twistof fate as something far more disturbing. 

This book was okay.  It is one of my Kindle free reads I am trying to work through.  It is non-fiction - on of my favorite genres - but this one was a bit dry.  I kind of figured it out right before the "twist" was revealed, but it was a bit of a surprise and I was curious to figure out how it took the police so long to figure it out.  Glad I read it because I do love true crime, but I wish it was just a little bit better written.

Stars: 3

Book: Dungeon Crawler Carl 4: The Gate of the Feral Gods

 Book: Dungeon Crawler Carl 4: The Gate of the Feral Gods

Author: Matt Dinniman

Pages: 608

This is my 110th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Surviving in a multilevel dungeon that also happens to be the set of the galazy's most watched game show has taught Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat, Princess Donut, that there's only one thing they can count on apart from each other: they never know what's coming next.  And this floor is no exception.  A floating fortress occupied by warrior gnomes.  A castle made of sand.  A derelict submarine guarded by malfunctioning machines.  A haunted crypt surrounded by lethal traps.  It was supposed to be easy.  One bubble.  Four castles.  15 days.  Capture each one, and the stairwell is unlocked.  Here's the thing.  I's never easy.  Going it alone is not an option this time, so Carl and his team must rely on the help of the low-leve, I can't believe these idiots-are-still-alive cralwers trapped in the bubble wiht them.  But can they be trusted?  Welcome, Crawlers.  Welcome to the 5th floor of the dungon.

Another great installment in the Carl world.  These books are fun and entertaining and huge tomes all in one.  I continue to listen to them because the narrator is fantastic.  If you enjoy audiobooks - highly recommend these for that.  The books are well written and there are a lot of likable characters.  The AI is hysterical.  As is the cat and Carl.  Even though this is a Dungeons and Dragons type of trope - something I never learned about or know anything about - they are not hard to follow.  After the first book, you get the idea, and then those parts of the books (loot boxes, rewards, etc) all become something you look forward to.  It is just a really fun series and after 4 books, I am obsessed.

Stars: 5

Book: Win

 Book: Win

Author: Harlen Corben

Pages: 384

This is my 109th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Over 20 years ago, the heiress Patricia Lockwood was abducted during a robbery of her family's estate, then locked inside an isolated cabin or monhts, Patricia escaped, but so did her captors - and the items stolen from her family were never recovered.  Until now.  On the Upper West Side, a recluse is found murdered in his penthouse apartment, alongside two objects of note: a stolen Vermeer painting and a leather suitcase bearing the initials WHL3.  For the first time in years, the authorities have a lead - not only on Patricia's kidnapping, but also on another FBI cold case - with the suitcase and painting both pointing them toward one man.  Windsor Horne Lockwood III - or Win, as his few friends call him - doesn't know how his suitcase and his family's stolen painting ended up with a dead man.  But his interest is piqued, especially when the FBI tells him that the man who kidnapped his cousin was also behind an acto fo domestic terrorism - and that the conspirators may still be at large.  The 2 cases have baffled the FBI for decades, but Win has 3 things the FBI doesn't; a personal connection to the case; an ungodly fortune: and his own unique brand of justice.

I am slowly working through a back log of books on my shelves, and this one has been sititng there for awhile.  I have read a couple of Harlen Corben books, and I like them okay.  But to me, they aren't great.  They are easy reads, but his chracters are not likable to me.  Win, especially turned me off right from the beginning.  It was almost like reading more later Patricia Cornwell books where she also makes her main characters so rich that they are not relateable let alone likeable.  Because the Win character struck a negative cord with me from the beginning, I could not turn this story around in my mind.  It was an interesting enough murder mystery, but not enough to redeem the characters as a whole.

Stars: 2.5

Book: The God of the Woods

 Book: The God of the Woods

Author: Liz Moore

Pages: 496

This is my 108th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk.  Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing.  Barbara isn't just any thirteen-year-old: she's the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and emplys most of the region's residents.  And this isn't the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared.  Barbara's older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.  As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds.  Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and teh blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore's multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances.

This was a pretty good book.  I have read mixed reviews, so I was worred - especially since it is a bit more of a popular novel.  Those tend to be hit or miss for me.  But I did like this one.  It has a good story where you want to get to the end to see what has happened to Barbara and her brother.  You learn about members of the camp and the  Van Laar's family along the way to complete the picture of why what happened to those children happens.  The back story of the Van Laar's family was a bit tedious, and probably could have been a bit less of this story, but that is just my opinion.  Overall , a solid story, and I am glad I finally read this one.

Stars: 4

Book: The Roommate

  Book: The Roommate

Author: Andrea Mara

Pages: 39

This is my 107th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

A dark and dangerous secret one woman has desperately tried to forget becomes the plot of a hit TV dramam in this chiling short story.  Elena's looking forward to a quiet Friday night curled up with her husband with a glass of wine and a new crime drama on TV.  As the show starts, she realises, with a jolt of panic: every detail mirrors one horrific night she's spent years trying to forget.  Elena doesn't believe in coincidences.  Someone knows her secret - and she'll lose everything if the truth comes out.

This was an interesting short story.  It has a nice beginning, middle, and end in a few pages.  The ending even has a twist I did not see coming.  Good story.

Stars: 

4

Book: You Killed Me First

 Book: You Killed Me First

Author: Jon Marrs

Pages: 399

This is my 106th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

It's 5 November, and a woman awakens to a nightmare.  Bound and gagged, she lies trapped in the heart of a towering bonfire.  As the smoke thickens, panic sets in - she's moments away from being engulfed in flames.  How did it come to this?  Rewind 11 months: Margot, a faded TV star, and her long-siffering friend Anna watch as glamorous Liv nd her flawless family move into their street.  The three women soon fabricate the perfect pretence of friendship, but each harbours her own deadly secret - and newcomer Liv senses something is terribly wrong beneath the polish exteriors.  As cracks widen in the veneer of perfection and lies escalate out of control, tension ignites.  Bonfire Night is approaching and someone is set to burn - But who will it be?

This was an interesting book.  I have read a lot of Marrs books, and I always enjoy them.  I hated most of the characters in this book - he wrote some of them over the top.  Was it on purpose?  There were a lot of twist - a few I did not see coming, which was a plus.  The ending was wild.  Overall, I was glad I read it.

Stars: 4