What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn

What an unusual reading experience for me! I adored the first half of the book, was "meh" about the second half, and ended up liking the book altogether. Interesting, huh? Let me share my thoughts but first a little bit about the book.

What Was Lost is the story of a young girl named Kate who goes missing (and no that isn't a spoiler, it is on the back of the book). Anyways, Kate is a different child and wants to grow up to be a detective. She practices every day by going to the mall and observing the people there looking for criminals. And then one day she disappears to never be heard or seen from again. Fast forward to 30 years later, and we are introduced to a security guard named Kurt that works at the mall where Kate used to spend much of her time at. Kurt is unhappy with where his life is at but doesn't seem to have the motivation to change anything. And then he sees a little girl on camera and his life begins to change in ways that he couldn't have forseen.

The first half of this book is Kate's story and I just loved it. Kate is such a sad little girl but she doesn't see it that way. Her dad has died and she uses her crime detection to avoid thinking about her loss and the feelings that she is repressing. She's a quirky character that the author paints in such a realistic light...I just loved her! I loved reading about her adventures and even though I knew what was going to happen to her (kinda, sorta, the disappearing part), I couldn't help but hope for a different outcome. The second half of the book was more of Kurt's story along with Lisa. Lisa is the sister of the man who was accused of kidnapping Kate. Lisa works at the mall also and along with Kurt seems to be more passive in life than anything. Neither character was very relatable to me which was part of the reason why that I didn't care so much for the later half of the book. I just wanted to shake them at times and say "If you are so unhappy, make a change!!!!" or something to that extent. The ending was different and not quite what I expected but all in all, I ended up realizing that I liked this book. It is an unusual read but a good story nonetheless. Recommended to those who enjoy general fiction.

Disclosure- From the library :)

*I read this for the following challenges:

Orange Prize Reading Project (longlisted in 2007)

New Author Challenge

Support Your Library Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

Book Awards IV Challenge

"O" Author for A-Z Challenge (personal)

Soulless by Gail Carriger

Alexia Tarabotti isn't your typical high society matron and in fact, she is almost the complete opposite. Alexia has no soul and that is just one of the things that is different about her. Without meaning to Alexia accidentally kills a vampire and stumbles upon more trouble than she could have ever counted on. Alexia meets her match though when Lord Maccon, the werewolf, begins to investigate. The two of them are going to get more than they bargained for while the tension between them mounts.

How to classify this book?? It is a little bit of everything which makes this book such a good read. There is paranormal (a favorite of mine), steampunk, mystery, romance, and historical aspects to name a few. The dialogue between the characters, especially Lord Maccon and Alexia, is witty and made me chuckle a few times. The storyline itself was interesting and kept me entralled within the pages. What I liked most about this book is that it is so original. The details and the storyline are just a bit different than anything that I've read. I think that the multiple genres really adds to the book. And the book is fun! I would definitely recommend this one especially if you are looking for something that is just a bit different than what you would usually read. I can't wait to read more by this author and see what kind of trouble Alexia gets herself into next.

Disclosure: I picked this one up from the library.

*I read this for the following challenges:

1st in a Series Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge

New Author Challenge

Support Your Library Challenge

"C" Author for A-Z Challenge (personal)

Library Loot

Library loot is where we share the treasures we find at our local libraries :) This week the Linky is at Marg's blog if you want to join in as well.

As usual, I've gone a bit overboard with checking books out from the library. I just can't seem to help myself even when I know I shouldn't. If I stayed away from the library for a month, I might (might being the keyword here) be able to make a dent in my library pile. But I can't seem to do that...in fact I happen to know that The Glass Room is sitting at the library waiting for me to pick it up as I write this. And the temptation of browsing for a few minutes while I grab my holds is usually too much. LOL! Here is what I've picked up since my last library loot post from a couple weeks back.

*EEK* I've just realized that is ten books. And I still have a bunch from my last post...oh dear. I went on a bit of a dystopian kick which is where a few of these came from. Monique and the Mango Rains is my next nonfiction pick and will be the first book I read for the Nonfiction 5 challenge. I hope. They all look so good that I'm pretty sure I don't know where to start. I'm open for suggestions ;) In other reading news, I just finished Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder and am already chomping at the bit to pick up the next book in this trilogy. So glad that I finally picked it up! I'm currently reading The Keep by Jennifer Egan which was longlisted for The Orange Prize a few years back. Looks like I better get back to reading...

All The Pretty Girls by J.T. Elllison

From Goodreads:

"When a local girl falls prey to a sadistic serial killer, Nashville Homicide Lieutenant Taylor Jackson and her lover, FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin, find themselves in a joint investigation pursuing a vicious murderer. The Southern Strangler is slaughtering his way through the Southeast, leaving a gruesome memento at each crime scene-the prior victim's severed hand."

My Thoughts:

I was in the mood for a good thriller and had heard good things about this author which is why I gave this book a try. It is the first in a series and it was a good start in my opinion. The mystery surrounding the killer was fast-paced and bodies were turning up left and right as soon as the book started. But what made this book unique is that there were other ongoing investigations that Taylor (the main character) was dealing with that I found myself interested in as well. Taylor was a strong main character and I liked how the book switched viewpoints from her to her lover John Baldwin who was mainly investigating the serial killer. The book itself was good although I didn't find myself instantly pulled into it as I had hoped. The ending was strong and I didn't figure out who the serial killer was until close to the end which is always a good thing. All in all, a good read if you enjoy thrillers. I know that I'll be reading more of this author at some point.

Disclosure- Requested this one from the library!

*I read this for the following challenges:

Suspense/Thriller Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

Support Your Library Reading Challenge

New Author Challenge

1st in a Series Challenge

"E" Author for A-Z Challenge (personal)

The Mage In Black by Jaye Wells

Last year one of my absolute favorite urban fantasy reads was Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells. So it should come as no suprise that I was itching to get my hands on The Mage In Black and see what Ms. Wells had in store for us with the 2nd part of this trilogy. The Mage In Black begins where Red-Headed Stepchild left off so I was instantly drawn back into the story and the world that was created with the first book.

***There may be minor spoilers within this review (I'll try to keep them to a minimum) ***

The second book begins with Sabina going to New York to meet her twin sister for the first time. She is going to learn about her mage side of the family for the first time as well which means exploring magic and the part of herself that has always been shunned. But of course trouble follows Sabina wherever she goes and soon she is dealing with werewolves, faeries, and an old flame all of which are ready to stir up trouble for Sabina.

This book was filled with action just like its predecessor. Sabina is an amazing main character that I just can't seem to get enough of. She always seems to get herself into trouble and I love reading about all of her adventures. She also has a kick-ass attitude that is a bit of a front for her softer side that she so rarely shows. I loved that we got to know Sabina's sister in this book and I liked how different she was from Sabina. I wanted more when I finished reading this book which is always a good sign...it shows just how much I enjoyed it. The storyline was fast paced and sucked me instantly within the pages of the book. There is one caveat and that is you REALLY need to read the first book before giving this one a try as you would be lost otherwise. All in all, an amazing urban fantasy read and now I'm dying to see how it all ends in the last book! I will be reading anything/everything that Ms. Wells writes in the future after enjoying these first two books so much :)

Disclosure- I was lucky enough to receive this book from the publisher. Thank you!!!!

*I read this book for the following challenges:

Speculative Fiction Challenge

Once Upon a Time IV Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

2nds Challenge

"M" Title for A-Z Challenge (personal)

Because Your Vampire Said So by Michelle Bardsley

So I was trying to type out another review for a different book and it just wasn't flowing for me. I really, really liked the book so I'm not sure what the trouble is other than I felt like I was saying the same things that I've said before. Hmm...apparently I just needed to get this review out of me first.

Because Your Vampire Said So is the 3rd book in the paranormal romance Broken Hearts series. I loved, loved, loved the first book in this series and really enjoyed the 2nd book as well. So I admit that I went into this one with high expectations which made me think that I was going to love this one. Sadly, not so much!

Because Your Vampire Said So features Patsy, a single mother, and newly turned vampire that is the town hair dresser. But even though she is part of the undead crowd, she still has to deal with her teenage son that is growing further and further apart from her. And there is an evil ancient vampire that is causing trouble for all of the Broken Heart residents. Before Patsy knows it she is being targeted by that ancient vampire and her savior comes in the form of a shapeshifter named Gabriel. It looks like there is going to be a huge supernatural showdown.

I'm going to state once more how much I enjoyed the first two books in this series. I feel that it is important to say because I don't want my review of this book to come off as too negative. So let's start off with my dislikes. I disliked Patsy. Immensely. To be quite honest it seemed to me that the author created a stereotypical character and in the worst way. Patsy was a "country loving" hairdresser who lives in a trailer, has an alcoholic ex, and comes across as uneducated as she doesn't like to read. I mean, really? Could you throw any more stereotypes into one character? Oh but you can if you listen to the way Patsy talks with "Whoo-wees" and crap like that. She never once believed in herself and her character didn't have much depth which is unfortunate as she is the main character. The storyline itself had potential but fell flat. I think (and of course this is my opinion) that this was because the author didn't flesh it out enough. There were a few times that I was reading where all of a sudden I would feel like I missed something so I would go back and reread. I didn't miss anything...the details just weren't there. I wanted more about the Ancients, more about the prophecy, just more in general that would have made the story better. My final dislike was the relationship between Patsy and Gabriel. They were just thrown together with no actual building of their relationship. It was more of attraction, sex, and we're in love forever. Seriously? The whole point of a romance is to root for the couple and I didn't care about this couple getting together at all. The sex scene itself was just shoved into the story and I had to stop and say WTF? It didn't fit for me at all.

Wow, after reading all of that back it makes it seem like I hated this book but I really didn't. I flew through it in just two short days which doesn't happen all that often. I really thought the story itself had a lot of potential but it just didn't get there. And I was glad to see the characters from previous books included within this story as well. I was just disappointed to not have enjoyed this one more. All in all, a read that was ok but I would definitely recommend starting with the first book in this series instead of this one.

Disclosure- From the library as usual.

*I read this for the following challenges:

Romance Reading Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

Support Your Library Reading Challenge

BTW- I leave you with a link to my review of the first book in this series...and just to let you know I still do plan on continuing on with the next book at some point.

Waiting For Columbus by Thomas Trofimuk

Sometimes (well maybe a lot of the time) a book comes up in the blogsphere that sounds too good to pass by. That's what happened when I first heard about this book....I couldn't resist and just had to request a copy from the libray. I'm so glad I did as I really enjoyed this book.

Waiting For Columbus begins with a man being admitted into a mental instituion claiming that he is Columbus. Nobody seems to know who he really is and the stories he tells are all about exploring new lands, his ships, and the journey he plans to undertake. Before she knows it, Nurse Consuela is caught up within Columbus' stories and finds herself believing him. But the question of Columbus' real identity is a mystery that is just waiting to be solved.

The book started off a bit confusing for me as we are instantly thrown into Columbus' stories and supposed "memories". So it took me a bit to really catch on and immerse myself within the book. Before I knew it though I was swept away into the stories that Columbus was telling to Consuela. This book just had a wonderful atmosphere to it and although it wasn't historical fiction, it did have a historical feel to it. The author's note afterwards said that he based some of the stories on research that he had read on the real Columbus. I loved Columbus' character and was curious about him from the very beginning. Who was he really? And why did he believe he was Columbus? These were questions that were constantly running through my head. Because you know that he isn't the real Columbus. And it didn't really matter because halfway through the novel I felt myself kinda/sorta believing that he was Columbus even when I knew that it wasn't possible. That is how caught up in the story that I was. The writing was beautiful and really helped to make this novel even better. The ending was strong and although it left things open a bit, I wasn't left feeling unsatisfied at all. All in all, a great read and one that I would recommend.

Disclosure: From my local library. Again.

*I read this for the following challenges:

New Author Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

Support Your Library Reading Challenge

"W" Title for A-Z Challenge (personal)

Library Loot - In Which I Lose My Self Control...

Let me state just a few things first:

1. These are from over a two week period...so at least I didn't grab them all at once, right?

2. And yes, I know there is no possible way of reading all of them before they have to go back (even if I REALLY, really want to).

Anyhoo, this week the linky is at Marg's blog so if you've went to the library recently and want to share all of the loot you've found go there. And if you picked up more books than me please share so I won't feel so embarrassed. I mean, really, I already had books checked out before I grabbed all of these lovely books up :)

Since I have so many I'm going to break it down a little bit. I picked up French Milk for the World Party Reading Challenge. I couldn't pass by Grave Secret as I've dying to read the last part of this series every since it came out. After realizing that some of the book on the 2010 Orange Prize Reading list hadn't yet come out in the U.S. I began searching the longlists for past years which is how I came upon The Keep and Black Water Rising is from this year's list. Some I picked up solely based on their covers...Original Sin, I'm looking at you! I've been craving some Agatha Christie so I had to grab a mystery by her. And others are from reading all of your amazing blogs. All in all, a GREAT haul these past couple of weeks. And now I'm starting to think that I might have to hunker down just to be able to get some of these read. I always love a good challenge!

Kitty's House of Horrors by Carrie Vaughn

In the latest installment of the Kitty Norville series, Kitty finds herself agreeing to be a part of a "supernatural reality television show." Kitty is shipped out to the middle of nowhere along with a variety of others that have ties to the supernatural world including some characters from previous books. But what starts out as a relaxing getaway for Kitty quickly changes into something more dark and dangerous as cast members begin dying and there is no way to reach the outside world.

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite urban fantasy series. Kitty is an awesome main character: she isn't afraid to be herself around anyone and she doesn't apologize for it. The situation that Kitty found herself in was definitely unique and added up to make a tense and edgy atmosphere within the story. I liked that we got to see more from characters from previous novels even if Ben wasn't in this one that much. And I love Kitty's husband Ben! In fact, I really like the fact that Kitty is married as it is highly unusual within urban fantasy series. I can't think of any other married main characters in urban fantasy off of the top of my head. The book itself was fast paced and intense and was definitely hard to put down. I flew through it and it left me wanting more. More of Kitty and her adventures please!!! This is one of the VERY few series that I am caught up in and now I'm waiting impatiently for the next Kitty novel.

All in all, a great addition to this wonderful series. I've seen a few negative reviews of this book and I have to say how important it is to read this series in order. The character growth makes these books great and probably affects readers who haven't read all of the books. But of course that is just my opinion...and I say that I highly recommend this entire series :)

Disclosure- I requested this one from the library as soon as it came out...I just couldn't wait :)

*I read this book for the following challenges:

Speculative Fiction Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

Support Your Library Challenge

"V" Author for the A-Z Challenge (personal)

And here are links to the other books that I've read from this series if you want to check them out:

Kitty and the Midnight Hour

Kitty Goes To Washington

Kitty Takes a Holiday

Kitty and the Silver Bullet

Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand

Kitty Raises Hell

Harry Potter Reread Thoughts

I have a serious love for Harry Potter. When all of the hype for these books started, I avoided them. Like the plague. Not for any good reason other than I figured that I wouldn't like them. And sadly, I'm not even sure now why I thought that I wouldn't like them but I WAS convinced that I wouldn't. So because I am SUPER excited about the next Harry Potter movie coming out in November (I think) and because I joined the Flashback Challenge which is all about rereading, I decided that I would reread the Harry Potter books. Unfortunately, last year I fell way behind in reviews and didn't share my thoughts on rereading the 1st book so this will be a mix of both even though I just reread Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets recently and not the Sorcerer's Stone.

I'm happy to say that I felt that both of these books were just as good the second time around as they were the first. I was a bit worried that they might have lost some of their magic for me but that just isn't the case. And it has been awhile since I read these so it was fun to notice the differences all over again between the books and the movies. I'll admit that I absolutely love the movies as well but for different reasons. The main one is that the characters in the movies are exactly as I would pictures the characters in my head while reading the books. Especially Professor MacGonagal (sp?). The movies have become comfort watches for me that I pick up whenever I need a pick me up.

J.K. Rowling is an amazing author and it was interesting to see how things from these two books tie into later books. Stuff that I missed the first time reading these. It just blows me away to think that she created these books especially when they are SO fabulous. Enough of me gushing though, suffice it to say that I'm a huge fan and cannot wait to pick up the 3rd book :)

P.S.- Did anyone see that they have broken the last book up in two movies?!?! I may be a bit behind the times but I can't say that I'm happy about this. It just means more waiting too.

And I think I'll leave you with the links to my actual reviews of the first two books here and here.