The Girl She Used To Be by David Cristofano

From Goodreads:

"When Melody Grace McCartney was six years old, she and her parents witnessed an act of violence so brutal that it changed their lives forever. The federal government lured them into the Witness Protection Program with the promise of safety, and they went gratefully. But the program took Melody's name, her home, her innocence, and, ultimately, her family."

My Thoughts:

The Girl She Used To Be swept me up from the beginning of the novel and didn't let go until the end. This is a fast paced moving novel that focuses on what a lack of identity can do to an individual. Melody has been multiple names and faces throughout her lifetime but never the person that she wants to be which is Melody. She is caught up in the net that is the witness protection program and struggling to find herself amongst all of the lies. Melody was an interesting main character for me. I didn't always like her or her actions at times but I couldn't stop myself from caring about what happened to her...even when she didn't care herself. The main problem I had with this book was the believability issues. As a reader, I really had to stop myself from nitpicking and just enjoy the ride. Because it is a good ride and like I said before, I found myself caught up within the pages of this book. But it isn't realistic whatsoever which did cause a few problems for me especially at the beginning of the book. All in all, I liked this book and would definitely pick up more by this author in the future.

(I received this book from the lovely folks at Hatchette and unfortunately am just now getting around to reviewing it. )

Library Loot - October 22nd

So I really didn't need anymore library books. Really. But that has never stopped me from checking out books from the library even when I know that I cannot possibly read them all. And I can't seem to help myself when I come across all of these lovely reviews from my fellow bloggers. I mean really, what's a girl to do? Here's what I picked up when I went to the library yesterday (by myself..such a treat!)

The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale- All of the blame goes to Nymeth for this one. I read her review...added it to my neverending TBR list and snatched it up when I came across it while browsing through the nonfiction shelves.

The Observations by Jane Harris- Lesley at A Life In Books recently reviewed this one and boy did I want to read it after reading her review. She said it fits the RIP challenge bill so I'm going with it and hopefully I will get to it soon :)




The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman- I've heard of this author from multiple bloggers but haven't read anything by her yet. And actually I had a different book checked out by her previously but then I looked at the synopsis for this one and decided that I wanted to read this one more. I'm such a moody reader.

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmaelf Beah- I found this one browsing in nonfiction as well. Plus, I was hoping to read this one for a couple of challenges so I was excited to find it.




Dangerous Angels by Francesca Lia Block- A new to me blogger (I'm so out of the loop sometimes) Debi recently reviewed this one and it sure sounded good. Then Andi reviewed a different book by this same author and I knew I was going to have to give her a try. Found this one on the shelves and couldn't resist...plus, don't you love this cover??

The Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine- I've read the 1st book in this series and enjoyed it. Stephanie always seems to love these books which made me want to continue on even more!

See...me going to the library and checking all of these books out is basically due to everyone else and their wonderful reviews. I can't resist...and just think of all the books I'm going to learn about after you guys get done with the readathon. I can't participate myself...gotta work but I will try and stop by to cheer you all on. As always, share your thoughts if you've read any of these!

An "In Death" Series Post

I really, really, really need to catch up on my reviews. And one way to do that is knock off two reviews with one stone and talk about one of my favorite series. As regular readers of my blog know, I love, love, love the In Death series by J.D. Robb (better known as Nora Roberts). I'm going to take the time to FINALLY review two of her books that I read awhile ago that are a part of this series.

Divided In Death is according to fantastic fiction, the 21st book in the In Death series and luckily for me this series is still going strong. In this book, Eve is investigating a murder that looks like a setup and the prime suspect is one of Roarke's own employees and a personal friend. What makes this book different than previous books in the series, is that Eve and Roarke are straddling different sides of the line. Roarke takes the murder as a personal attack against him while Eve has to view it from a more technical viewpoint and from a cop's eyes. I liked this one a lot because we (the reader) got to see a different side of their relationship. It made their relationship seem like it was stronger and I just can't help but love these books because of it. The mystery kept me guessing and involved and I flew through this book just as fast as the others. Definitely recommended.

Visions In Death is the next book in the series and was another strong addition to this series. In this book, Eve is up against a killer who is killing young women and removing their eyes. With little to go on, Eve may be on her most difficult case yet especially when she begins to work with a pyschic who seems to be having visions relating to the murders. Peabody played a more prominent role in this one which was a nice change. Plus, I just love the dynamics between her and Eve so I had a fun time reading this book. Another fast-paced mystery with a great ending that I didn't see coming whatsoever.

All in all, these are fun reads for me that never fail to draw me out of a reading slump. They always keep my attention and I end up turning the pages as fast as I can. I'd recommend these to anyone that enjoys a good mystery with some romance thrown into the mix. But start at the beginning with Naked In Death!

Series Order:

1. Naked In Death (hah, I'm going to have to stop there as there are just too many to list)

but I will leave you with a link to my 1st post that I did on this series which was Holiday In Death ...sorry I read all of the others before I started blogging. If I ever catch up on this series I plan on rereading them all :P

The Lost Sister by Megan Kelley Hall

Awhile back I read and enjoyed Sisters of Misery by Megan Kelley Hall (clink on the title to read my review). When I heard that the sequel had come out...well, I had to pick it up so I instantly requested it from the library. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations but here are some of my thoughts.

Warning: This review MAY have spoilers. There is just no way to get around it because the reader needs to read Sisters of Misery before they should give this one a try. The Lost Sister picks up where the previous book left off and shows the reader what Maddie has been up to since going away to school and leaving her hometown (and bad memories) behind. Maddie is still searching for Cordelia and trying to figure out what happened to her after that horrible night on the island. The book is written in multiple viewpoints which allows the reader to begin to see things from Cordelia's experiences to where she is and what she is planning on doing. But mysterious forces are still at work which will draw both of the girls deep into danger once again.

I'm going to split this review into two parts: what worked for me and what didn't. One of my favorite things about this book were reading about the different meanings of the tarot cards beginning at each chapter. It was really interesting and made me want to learn more. I'm glad that we finally find out what happened to Cordelia as the 1st book left me curious and wanting more. It was also nice to see a stronger Maddie, one that stood up for herself and made better decisions. I was able to relate to her even more in this book which was a positive thing.

Not everything worked for me in this book and one of the main problems that I had was the jumping around in narration. It wasn't always clear who was talking at times and it interrupted the flow of the story more often than not. And this bothered me as I think that the flow of the story is an important aspect to me enjoying it as a reader. I also had a hard time getting into the storyline and it wasn't until the end that I found myself really wanting to find out what was going to happen. The ending itself was pulled off nicely as it did keep me reading but all in all, I had a very easy time putting this book down.

I'll still be looking for more books by this author even if this wasn't my favorite book. Has anyone else read this? What were your thoughts...did you like it better than I did? And lastly, leave a link to your review and I'll add it to this post to give readers some other opinions on this book :)

P.S. - In other book-related news, I received Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (won in a contest @ Stark Raving Bookaholic - thanks again!!!) in the mail as well as an unexpected read from Orbit Publishing called Bite Marks by Jennifer Rardin. Don't know why they sent me this but as it is SO up my alley, well...I'm already requesting the 1st book in this series from the library :) Another new author and series for me to start...and I'll say a big thanks as well!

The Sunday Salon- 10/4

Good afternoon everyone! I'm getting a bit of a late start as it has been a lazy day in my household. My parents have my children for the weekend which meant I slept in for the 1st time in probably two years. We had a wedding last night so it has been an enjoyable weekend so far but unfortunately it has been book-less. I'm hoping to remedy that today at least until my babies are brought back to me :)

In reading news, I'm currently reading Booked To Die by John Dunning. Although I'm not very far into it yet, I am liking what I've read so far. I thought that it would be interesting to read a mystery that is centered around books and it has been. I plan on reading a good chunk of it today. I'm also still reading The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins. It is such a good book but I'm taking it slowly and reading a little bit from it each day. This really seems to be working for me and I'm thinking that maybe I should keep doing this with other classics or chunksters.

In other reading news, I recently finished a book that ended up being a bit of a disappointment to me as a reader. Especially since I so loved the 1st book by this author. I'll admit to having troubles now with what to write in the review...I may wait awhile before I post my thoughts. It begs the question of how do you all handle negative review writing...I don't want to come across as too critical and I do want the good points to come across. BUT...the bad parts need to be shared as well as I honestly wouldn't be comfortable recommending this one without reservations.

Anyways, I'm planning on reading, watching football, reading, and reading/visiting your blogs today. Hope everyone has a wonderful and relaxing Sunday!

Library Loot- The Mystery Edition

It has been a few weeks since I shared the books that I've been finding at the library. And of course I have a ton of books checked out but when has that ever stopped me from bringing a few more home?? A couple of weeks ago I read a post over on Nymeth's blog about mysteries and that coupled with another post (I'm drawing a blank on where I read it) and all of the comments and suggestions concerning mysteries put me on a mystery kick. So I started looking up some of the authors that other bloggers were suggesting and went from there :) Now I have a bunch of new library books as well as a few on hold that will hopefully come in soon.
Warning: My computer or Blogger (take your pick) isn't cooperating today which is why you are only getting some of the covers and not all. Sorry!



Whose Body by Dorthy L. Sayers- My cover doesn't actually look like this one but oh well. She is listed as a classic mystery author and this is the 1st book in her Lord Peter Wimsey series.



A Morbid Taste For Bones by Ellis Peters- 1st book in the medieval mystery series...it looks SO good.

The Face of a Stranger by Anne Perry- A Victorian mystery featuring William Monk.


Booked To Die by John Dunning- A mystery featuring books...how can anyone resist that? :P






Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert- Not a mystery but one that fits the RIP bill...I couldn't let you think that I had got off of that kick yet either.

Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews- 2nd book in this series and one that I have been meaning to read for awhile now.



The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie- Of course I have a Christie novel checked out if I am on a mystery kick (and my cover doesn't look like this either...I told you I was struggling)


The Ghost Orchid by Carol Goodman- I have Eva's review to blame for this one.

Rogue by Rachel Vincent- Another book that I've been meaning to read as I loved the 1st on in this series.

Larceny and Lace by Annette Blair- Just because it looked cute :)


So this is the majority of what I have checked out these past few weeks. Sorry for the crazy post but I was seriously having issues. Share your thoughts and if you have any other amazing mystery author suggestions, please share! I love adding to the tbr list!!!

Dead Man's Folly by Agatha Christie

Dead Man's Folly is another mystery featuring the infamous Hercule Poirot but what makes this book different is that a murder has not been committed...yet. Adriane Oliver, the crime novelist, has been asked to help create a murder mystery game and calls Poirot to come assist her as she believes that a real crime is about to be committed. She gives Poirot little to go on though as all of her suspicions are based on a "feeling" that something is off. And then a murder does happen and of course Poirot is there to investigate.

This book had all of the elements that make up a classic Christie novel in my opinion. There were plenty of characters (or suspects if you like) which kept me looking at the list of characters in the front of the book from time to time. Of course there was the whodunnit element that kept me guessing throughout the novel. And the clues that don't seem to mean anything until the end of the novel when everything begins to add up. I found myself caught up as always in the mystery that Christie was creating even though this wasn't my favorite one that I've read. She just has a knack for keeping me in the dark until the end and I never am able to figure out the mystery on my own. That being said, this wasn't my favorite novel but I'm having a hard time figuring out why. I guess that it comes down to the fact that And Then There Were None still is my all time favorite novel by Agatha Christie (so far).

All in all though, it was a good read and one that I would recommend :)

In other Agatha Christie related news, I've joined the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge. Kerrie told me about it and of course I couldn't not join. She is planning on reading all of Christie's books (which has always been a personal goal of mine) but she is trying to read them in order. I can't say that I care if I read them in order or not but I did happen to grab a new Christie book from the library and it turns out that it is the very 1st book featuring Herule Poirot. So that will work out nicely as I begin this challenge...I am already counting the books that I've read by this author and reviewed on here already for this challenge. I may reread And Then There Were None at some point but that is because I enjoyed it so much.

That's it out of me for today...I hope everyone enjoys their Sunday!!

Fall Into Reading 2009

I absolutely cannot resist joining this challenge even if I probably shouldn't. All that is required is that I come up with a reading list and then read, read, read. I've decided to make my list HELP me with finishing up a few of the challenges that I've got going on. It might work and it may not so we'll have to see. And I am limiting it to ten as I don't want to overdo it :P

My list will begin with:

• The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie ( this one is just to continue my goal of reading ALL of the books written by this author)
• Rogue by Rachel Vincent- for the 2nds challenge
• The Lost Sister by Megan Kelley Hall- YA challenge, 2nds, and RIP challenge (and I am currently reading this so it had to go on the list)
• The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins- RIP challenge and another one that I am currently working on
• A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Behl- TBR challenge
• A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters- 1st in a series challenge and because Nymeth put me in the mood to read a good mystery
• The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry- RIP challenge
• Survivor in Death by J.D. Robb- to continue on with my favorite series
• The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gillman- a reread from a long time ago
• Aunt Dimity and the Duke by Nancy Atherton- 2nds challenge and so I have a cozy mystery on my list

There you have it folks...now wish me luck on finishing all of these. I may change the books that I read but probably not the categories, so in other words I will definitely read a cozy, books for my ongoing challenges, etc. I'm looking forward to this and to seeing what everyone else is reading (and adding to the TBR list of course)!

Sunday Musings

How about another post of random book related (and non-related) things for Sunday? Sound like a plan...good!

First of all, ignore my currently reading sidebar that said I was reading Bone Crossed. I'm not. I mean I want to be but I put it there thinking that I was going to read it next and then wasn't feeling it. So I picked up Wicked Lovely instead and just polished that book off last night. I am still reading The Woman in White and really like it so far. Not sure what I'm going to pick up next to read along with the Wilkie Collins book. I'll have to let you know.

I had my ultrasound this week and am happy to announce that I'm having a boy. I was going to wait and share the news with my review of Belly Laughs but I'm not patient enough. We are all very excited and everything looks good so far.

I didn't participate much in BBAW even though I intended to. Life just gets in the way sometimes. Luckily enough for me I have had a very quiet Sunday and have been able to visit all of your blogs and catch up on some posts. I tried to leave comments as well but you know how that goes. Just by taking a day of blog hopping, I am feeling very reading-inspired and have been adding to my TBR list like crazy. Seriously, I just love reading reviews and finding more books that I would like to read.

I've read a few posts on blogging burnout which leads me to my next random topic: mood reading. Seriously, the best way that I have found is to take a step back and make sure I am reading what I want to be reading. I've quit accepting review books (personal choice) as I'm just too moody of a reader. And while I still have a pile that I'm working on, I'm liking the lack of commitments to what I want to read next. Which is why the library and I get along so well :) I can pick up whatever I'm currently in the mood for at the library and then take them back when I realize that now I don't feel like reading those books anymore. LOL! Seriously though, if you are feeling a bit burnout then I recommend taking a few steps back. It helps!

I've added some new blogs to my google reader but sadly I still haven't quite adjusted to the google reader. Really, it is just me but I tend to forget to check it. I just haven't made the switch from reading your posts on your actual blogs to reading them in the reader. I'll get there.

So about a month ago, Suko was kind enough to award me with the Zombie Chicken Award. I'm really, really bad about these type of things but I am going to finally say thank you for it as well as pass it on. The award says:

"The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken-- excellence, grace, and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all."

This is quite funny (who comes up with this stuff) but I am honored that she decided to share it with me. I HATE sharing these as I always end up skipping someone that deserves it but apparently I have to give it a shot...or risk the wrath and stuff like that. How about I give this award to:

• Jackie at Literary Escapism
• Ladytink
• Naida
• Laughing Stars at Stark Raving Bibliophile (new to me blog)
• and of course, right back at Suko from Suko's Notebook

You can find all of these blogs in my sidebar as apparently I'm too lazy busy to link up to them. And how about if I risk the wrath and nominate every single blog in my sidebar. I love all of your blogs. I'm off to go figure out which books are due at the libray tomorrow and maybe request a few more as I'm feeling a bit book crazy. What would I do without the library and your blogs to fuel my addiction?

P.S.- I hate Blogger's spacing issues! Seriously...

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

In this debut novel, Gillian Flynn brings the reader a fast-paced, intense read that kept me captivated. Camille Preaker is a second rate journalist who has returned to her hometown in order to report on the murders of two young girls. The police have little to go on and Camille finds herself drawn into the investigation. But Camille has demons of her own that she is going to have to face while she tries to break this story open.

I'm going to start off with the fact that I cannot believe that this is the author's first novel. It was such an intense read but it was SO good. Camille is an interesting main character, strong at points and weak at others, and such a different personality. Half of the book I was focused on trying to figure her out, what made her tick, and why she made the choices that she was making. I found myself caring about what happened to her without even realizing it. Flynn creates such a dark atmosphere to the story where you know bad things are happening but you have to wait and see what they are. The characters are all well thought out and the story flows along with ease even as it takes the reader into its' depths. The ending of the story was the only part of the story that didn't quite live up to my expectations but looking back now I'm thinking that it was better than I initially thought. All in all, this was a great read and a great way to begin the R.I.P. IV challenge.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 or really good!

P.S.- Readers should be warned that this is a dark read at times. Maybe it is the pregnancy hormones (I've been feeling out of whack lately) but I really felt for the main character but didn't always like the decisions that she made. Plus, cutting is involved which is a difficult topic. Personally, I will be picking up this author's second book sooner rather than later but I felt the need to give you a heads up...just in case and all that :)