Book: The First Time I Saw Him

 Book: The First Time I Saw Him

Author: Laura Dave

Pages: 288

This is my 8th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

How far would you go for a second chance?  5 years after her husband, Owen, disappeared, Hannah Hall and her stepdaughter, Bailey, have settled into a new life in Southern California.  Together, they've forged a relationship with Bailey's grandather Nicolas and are putting the past behind them.  But when Owen shows up at Hannah's new exhibition, she knows that she and Bailey are in danger again.  Hannah and Bailey are forced to go on the run in a relentless race to keep their past from catching up with them.  As a thrilling drama unfolds, Hannah risks everything to get Bailey to safety - and finds there just might be a way back to Owen and their long-awaited second chance.

This was a pretty good sequel to "The Last Thing He Told Me".  It has been a few years since I read that one - but I did watch the show on Apple TV.  Moves along at a good pace and gives us good insight into how Owen and Hannah got into this position to start with.  Has a good ending, and my guess is there won't be any more books in this series based on how she wrapped it up.

Stars: 4

Book: Death Row

 Book: Death Row

Author: Frieda McFadden

Pages: 74

This is my 7th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Talia Kemper is on death row for murdering her husband.  She has an alibi and no known motive, yet Talia's unwavering protestations of innocence have always been ignored.  Then one day in the visiting area, she sees a recognizable stranger she's certain is her husband.  It turns out the man she's been convicted of killing may not be dead after all.  But as the days tick away toward Talia's execution, what will it take for her to be believed?

This is one of my Amazon short reads and it was pretty good.  I don't think I have read any of McFadden's books, but this one was worth a read.  Had a good story a good ending and a good twist in just a few pages.

Stars: 4

Book: The Tattered Cover

 Book: The Tattered Cover

Author: Ellery Adams

Pages: 304

This is my 6th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

As the residents of Miracle Springs, NC, select their costumes, plan parties, and get excited for a night of tricks or treats, Nora joins in on the festivities by hosting medium memorist Lara Luz at the bookstore. Charismatic and compelling, Lara mesmerizes the audience with her life story.  Struck by a bolt of lightning as a child, she was pronounced dead only to be resurrected with the ability to connect with those on the other side,  Lara performs a reading for a select group of bookstore patrons when the encroaching storm knocks out the power.  In the sudden darkness, howling cold winds intensify, and Lara clutches her heart, collapsin dead without warning.  But Nora doesn't believe she died of natural causes.  Not one member of the psychic's reading group - which includes the town's widower pharmacist, and urgent care nurse, a mystery author, and even truculent Deputy Hollowell - were admirers of Lara.  Nora confirms this when she stumbles upon Lara's journal in the aftermath of her death.  For within its leathery bound pages are the medium and her clients' deepest and darkest secrets, written in code. Now, Nora and the Secret, Book, and Scone Society must sift through the suspects and their motives to uncover which one of them is a killer before he or she is tempted to strike again.

This was a pretty good book.  I have been working my way through her books - not always in order (this is the 8th and newest one in her series), but it doesn't seem to matter.  They are good quick reads with interesting stories.  Make good books to listen to - if you are looking for an audiobook that doesn't take a ton of attention to get through.

Stars: 4

Book: House of Leaves

 Book: House of Leaves

Author: Mark Danielewski

Pages: 709

This is my 5th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Years ago, when House of Leaves was first being passed around, it was nothing more than a badly bundled heap of paper, parts of which would occasionally surface on the internet.  No one could have anticipated the small but devoted following this terrifying story would soon command.  Starting with an odd assortment of marginalized youth - musicans, tattoo artist, programmers, strippers, environmentalists and adrenaline junkies - the book eventually made its way into the hands of older generations, who not only found themselves in those strangely arranged pages but also discovered a way back into the lives of their estranged children.  Now made available in book form, complete with the original colored words, vertical footnotes, and second and third appendices, the story remains unchanged.  Similarly, the cultural fascination with House of Leaves remains as fervent and as imaginative as ever.  Neither Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Will Navidson nor his companion Karen Green was prepared to face the consequences of the impossibility of their new home, until the day their 2 little children wandered off and their voices eerily began to return another story - of creature darkness, of an ever-growing abyss behind a closet door, and of that unholy growl which soon enough would tear through their walls and consume all their dreams.

This was an interesting book.  It has been on my shelf for awhile and I kept putting off tackling it.  It is odd - I will give it that.  I liked the underlying story of Karen and Will and tried to focus mostly on that getting through this book.  There are side stories and notes did take their toll, but did not take away from the read.  IT is well written and interesting!  Glad I tackled it.

Stars: 4

Book: The Regulators

 Book: The Regulators

Author: Stephen King

Pages: 512

This is my 4th book of the year

What Amazon Says:\

It's a summer afternoon in Wentworth, Ohio, and on Poplar Street everything's normal.  The paper boy is making his rounds; the Carver kids are bickering at the corner convenience store; a Frisbee is flying on the Reed's lawn; Gary Soderson is firing up the backyard barbecue.  The only thing that doesn't quite fit is the red van idling just up the hill.  Soon in will begin to roll, and the killing will begin.  A quiet slice of American suburbia is about to turn to toast.  The mayhem rages around a seemingly still point, a darkened house lit fitfully from within a flickering television screen.  Inside, where things haven't been normal for a long time, are Audrey Wyler and the autistic nephew she cares for, 8 year old Seth Garin.  They're fighting their own battle, and its intensity has turned 247 Poplar Street into a prison house.  By the time night falls on Poplar Street, the surviving residents will find themselves in another world, one where anything, no matter how terrible, is possible - and where the regulators are on their way.  By what power they have come, how far they will go, and how they can be stopped - these are the desperate questions.  The answers are absolutely terrifying.

This was a pretty good book.  It is Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman.  This is a companion novel to a previous novel named Desperation.  Same characters reimagined with the same antagonist.  This is a solid King story (it is one of his older novels) - with a lot of gore right out of the gate.  The story develops well, and it runs about typical length of a King novel.  Were there some slow spots?  Of course.  But overall, a good read.

Stars: 3.5

Book: Natural Selection

 Book: Natural Selection

Author: Elin Hilderbrand

Pages: 55

This is my 3rd read for the year

What Amazon Says:

After a string of bad dates and no prospects, Sophia Othonos has finally hit the jackpot: an actual nice guy.  When he suggests a romantic getaway, she's sure they're about to take the first step toward their future.  A rustic cruise to the Galapagos Islands isn't exactly her idea of a vacation, but Sophia is ready for anything - until her boyfriend has to cancel.  Now she's all alone on a trip that was meant for 2.  Sophia finds herself at a corssroads about who she is, what she wants, and whether her relationship is really everything she thought.  But if she's going to suffer an identity crisis, at least she gets to do it amid the unexpected majesty of nature.  Eight days of wild, unobstructed beauty are enough to make anyone reevaluate their life.  These islands are all about adapting to your surroundings - and change just might be what Sophia needs most of all.

This was another free Amazon Kindle book.  I have not read many Hilderbrand books, but this was a pretty good short read.  I did not see the end coming as much as I should have.  It drags a bit in the middle, but oveall a good story.  Good message about self worth.

Stars: 3

Book: Sublet - A Short Story

 Book: Sublet - A Short Story

Author: Greer Hendricks

Pages: 53

This is my 2nd read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Anne is barely keeping it together.  A frazzled ghostwriter and aspiring novelist, she juggles 9 year old twins and a listless marriage from an overcrowded Manhattan apartment, spreading herself thinner each day.  Just as Anne is about to give up on her dreams, she lands her biggest client yet: Melody Wells.  Melody paints a picture of serenity and empowerment in the lavender haze of her visualization workshops - however, the one thing she can't manifest are the pages her publisher is demanding for her new motivational book.  Enter Anne.  As Melody invites Anne deeper into her magical world, Anne finds herself working impossibly long days and traeling far beyond her comfort zone.  When Melody passes along a lead on a spacious sublet complete with East River views, built-in closets, and 3 bedrooms, Anne can't believe her luck.  Melody seems to know just what her family needs.  But as small, unsettling incidents begin to accumulate, Anne starts to wonder what price she's willing to pay for the good life.

This was an interesting enough short story.  I have a goal this year to work through my large backlog of Amazon free reads/short stories, and this was one of them.  Overall it felt like a complete story even with its few pages, and I was curious enough to keep reading it all at once.  Ending was a bit weak, but overall, a solid read.

Stars: 3