Review: Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee

Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Full disclosure, I received an ARC from Penguin Random House and was asked to write a review.

Furious Hours is an interesting concept. The mixture of true crime with biographical information of a reclusive author is definitely worth a read. You can tell the book is very well researched as it gets into a great bit of detail. Sometimes I felt like it was too much detail and slowed things down to the point where it nearly lost my interest. Fortunately, I pushed forward and would find something new and fascinating. To fans of true crime or Harper Lee, I would recommend this book.

#FuriousHours #NetGalley

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Review: The Bees

The Bees by Laline Paull
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

People who know me well know my affinity for bees. No surprise a friend recommended this book to me. And unlike many books that may use bees in the title but not actually be about bees, this one is!

I didn't always love bees. I learned to love them from the stories of beekeepers. If you don't already love bees, you may learn to love them through this story. It is a great introduction to people who might be curious about bees but don't really want to read a nonfiction book about them.
Still not sold on bees? What if I told you it was a little Game of Thrones and a little Handmaid's Tale? If you like those types of books, you could enjoy this.

If you know bees and can suspend disbelief a bit, you can enjoy seeing the world through a bee's eyes. All the major parts of a bee's life are there. It really makes you think about the impact we have on bees.

The only thing I felt I could have done without was the first chapter and the epilogue. I could speculate why they were included, but I would have enjoyed the book without them. If the first chapter doesn't grab you, stick with to chapter two!

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Review: In the Shadow of Spindrift House

In the Shadow of Spindrift House by Mira Grant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from the published in exchange for possible feedback.

This is the third book by Mira Grant that I know of which has a sea theme. And just like the others, it is CREEPY. The very first chapter resonated with me on a very deep level. It is how I feel about humans and nature. It also reminded me very much of the artist, Hundertwasser, and his aversion to straight lines.

The characters are reminiscent of the Scooby gang on the verge of adulthood looking for that final big case to crack. Beware land developers! They are never innocent. A house with a dark past? Maybe some ghosts? A big prize for solving the mystery? I would drive to Maine too. Oh wait, I have done that trip. My story was not as good as this one.

I did leave the book hoping for some more. There were some hints of a story that could yet be told. Definitely peaked my curiosity about how it could be tied to her other books. I would read another book if this were to be made a series.

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Review: The Haunting of Hill House

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book when I was in high school or college. I've read a lot of horror in my life, and this remains one of the scariest I've read. I enjoyed watching the Netflix version of it, but it is different from the book. If you've seen the show, I recommend reading the book anyway.

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Review: Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come: An Introvert’s Year of Living Dangerously

Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come: An Introvert’s Year of Living Dangerously by Jessica Pan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Upfront, I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for possibly reviewing it.

I LOVED this book. I am an Introvert with a Myers-Briggs I. This book was on my TBR as soon as I saw the title. I'm not a shintrovert like the author. I have to pretend to be an extrovert for work, and it is exhausting! What's a shintrovert? Read the book. Still, I could relate to her story on so many levels. Oddly enough, I have also lived in Beijing and London. I know exactly the challenges she's talking about. She is a lot kinder in describing them than I am. I really enjoyed her approach to the personal challenge she set. Besides being funny and entertaining, the book is surprisingly educational. I learned quite a bit, and I felt she really incorporated expert advice so well.

If you are an introvert, read this book. You'll find a kindred spirit. If you are an extrovert but always wondered why introverts do the things they do, read this book. If you don't know what you are, take a Myers-Briggs test first, then read the book.

And Jessica, now that I know many of your deepest, darkest secrets, would it be weird if I still wanted to be friends?

#SorryImLateIDidntWantToCome #NetGalley

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Review: rat catcher's yellows

rat catcher's yellows by Charlie Jane Anders
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I' ve only recently started reading short stories on the regular. Nothing against them. I just wasn't tuned into finding them, and my TBR list is already hundreds of books long. But, I do love books about gaming, and this short story was in "Press Start to Play." I read it and fell in love with Charlie Jane Anders. Head over heels. Now, I can't get enough. I'm still unsure how a short story could get so deeply under my skin. I want to play The Divine Right of Cats! Somebody make that game with mask, please.

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Review: Hotels of North America

Hotels of North America by Rick Moody
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It is my fault for making assumptions. I thought this would be in the same vein as "Dear Committee Members." It sort of was, but it mostly wasn't. As someone who travels a lot, I could relate deeply to a number of the descriptions (mostly humorous) of the various types of lodging the main character encounters. In fact, I would probably agree with many of his observations. The book got a little too rambly and convoluted for me to thoroughly enjoy. It would lose the humor I was hoping would thread throughout. Then, I would lose interest.

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