Tag: mystery

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto | Review

Posted July 5, 2021 in Books, Reviews / 0 Comments

I’ve recently discovered the cozy/humorous mystery genre, and have been consistently delighted with the genre’s irreverent, laugh out loud antics and outlandish premises. Dial A for Aunties fits the bill perfectly, and despite a slow start once they mystery got going I was so amused I could not put it down! The story centers on protagonist Meddy who has stayed in her Southern California town with her mother and aunties despite her aspirations for a bigger and better life outside of her tight knit family structure. While she at times resents staying home and working in the family wedding business, […]

Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano | Review

Posted March 15, 2021 in Books, Reviews / 0 Comments

I am new to the “cozy mystery” genre, and to be completely honest didn’t even realize this was a cozy mystery when I started it (at least I think it is- based on what I’ve ready about cozy mysteries I’d say this one fits the bill, albeit on the darker side!) However, if all cozy mysteries are this funny, irreverent, and quick then I will definitely be reading more! Finlay Donovan is Killing It reminded me a lot of a darker Hallmark-type movie, following the life of a down on her luck single mother who is a struggling author who […]

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson | Review

Posted April 13, 2020 in Books, Reviews / 7 Comments

There’s nothing like reading a book that completely pulls you out of a reading slump, and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson did the trick for me while in a anxiety induced quarantine reading slump that lasted throughout most of March. I enjoy the thriller genre but rarely find them to be 5 star reads for me, however this story managed to satisfy and surprise me, and even though I “guessed” some of the mystery (which can be a little disappointing) there were still several twists I did not see coming! Following protagonist Pippa, a high school […]

Little White Lies (Debutantes #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Review

Posted January 27, 2020 in Books, Reviews / 4 Comments

Debutantes, high Southern society, and a mystery are all right up my alley when it comes to premises for YA novels, so I was so looking forward to Little White Lies which gave me major Pretty Little Liars vibes. Jennifer Lynn Barnes did not disappoint, with a YA novel that focused on strong female characters, high society scandals and some serious twists at the end! Plot Like any good YA mystery book, Little White Lies has a somewhat absurd (in the best way) premise. Sawyer, independent daughter of a flaky single mom living above a bar and working as an […]

Sadie by Courtney Summers | ARC Review

Posted August 20, 2018 in Books, Reviews / 9 Comments

I literally just finished Sadie about ten minutes before writing this review, and all I can say is…damn. What did I just read? My mind is reeling from the ending and the unsettling nature of the story and the desperation that pervaded the lives of all of the characters…It’s hard to find a book that not only offers something new in terms of plot but also in terms of format, and Sadie does both. Unafraid to tackle terrible, disturbing circumstances, the narrative is brought to life not only by chapters in Sadie’s point of view, but by a mixed media […]

Book Buddies Review: Daughter of Deep Silence

Posted October 19, 2016 in Book Buddies Reviews, Reviews / 2 Comments

Cristina & Lauren Read: Book Buddies is a fun, collaborative review feature that I participate in once a season with my friend Lauren who runs the blog Bookmarklit. We choose a themed book for the season, read it, and then answer fun questions that pertain to the book’s themes and each feature the book in our own way! Check out the second part of our feature on Lauren’s blog! Cover Contest! A new trend in YA book recently seems to be the changing of a book’s cover when it is released in paperback. While this has been something that’s happened […]

Don’t Look Back by Jennifer L. Arementrout | Review

Posted October 29, 2014 in Books, Five Star Reads, Reviews / 8 Comments

I could do nothing else while I read this book. I carried it with me in the car, to meals, to the gym, read it while waiting at the DMV, neglected getting enough sleep to continue it, and finally finished it less than 24 hours later. It was the epitome of a can’t-put-down-until-you-know-the-ending (semi) psychological thriller. I’ll be honest- this was the first novel I’ve read by Arementrout that wasn’t part of her Lux series, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was a completely different type of YA novel, a stand alone, and a different publisher (her Lux […]

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett- Review

Posted October 15, 2014 in Books, Reviews / 8 Comments

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett My rating: 3/5 Stars Publisher: Tor Teen (March 2013) Length: 367 pgs Series: The Arkwell Academy (#1) Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal Fiction Format: Hardcover, checked out from my local library Goodreads Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.Literally. Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting […]

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Review- The Book That I Was Not Expecting

Posted September 30, 2014 in Books, Reviews / 7 Comments

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn My rating: 3.5/5 Stars Publisher: Crown (2012) Length: 419 pgs Genre: Adult Fiction/Mystery/Thriller Format: Hardcover, checked out from my local library Goodreads Synopsis: On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have […]

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff- Review

Posted August 18, 2014 in Books, Reviews / 6 Comments

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff My rating: 3/5 Stars Publisher: Razorbill (January 2014) Length: 304 pgs Genre: YA Paranormal/Mystery Fiction Format: Hardcover, checked out from my local library Goodreads Synopsis: The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record. The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls. For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one. Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal […]