Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

I liked this book. I liked Eleanor but I did find it a little long and I'm more of a thriller reader so it dragged some but what a read.

I may come back for a better review but I have a killer headache right now.

I would recommend this book. I ran through several emotions and I thought all the characters were well developed.

The Child Next Door by Shalini Boland

2.5/5

A 2-star rating is "it was okay" and this book was just that for me.  The end was a bit redeeming but I did not like Kirstie.  She was a bit too over-the-top for my liking.  A single picture proves nothing.

Kirstie is a tired, new mom.  Her daughter, Daisy is 6mos old.  One day Kirstie is dozing off on the couch when she hears a baby crying (which wakes her) and then through the baby monitor she hears "let's just take the baby and go".  That was the beginning of the end for Kirstie.  She just about lost her mind thinking someone was trying to steal her baby because, after all, there are no other babies on their street so they must be talking about taking Daisy, right?  She was going crazy.  She was irrational and irritating.

There were accusations made, trust betrayed and broken promises.

And, I'm not even certain that the epilogue even needed to exist but how creepy was that?

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

I was approved by Netgalley and the publisher to read this book, thank you!!

Expected publication is January 8, 2019 - don't miss this one!

It doesn't get more psychological than a smart psychologist conducting a morality study.  What if the psychologist was married to another psychologist?

Jessica Farris is a make-up artist in NYC trying to make ends meet while also helping her parents with some of their bills.  When Jess hears about a morality study she's stressing about money, like she always does, so she takes matters into her own hands to become part of this study for the extra cash.  She's required to go to a classroom and answer some questions, honestly.  That's it.  Until she's invited to go further in the study and hey, the compensation is great but... just know that all that glitters is not gold.

    "When money and morality intersect, the results can illuminate intriguing truths about human character."

It will leave you guessing.  Dr. Shields is good.

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

I'd give this one 3.5/5 stars.  I didn't round up because there are lot of unanswered questions at the end of this one and the ending confused me.  Maybe there's going to be a sequel that answers all of our questions.

The book starts with Erin digging a grave with her dead husband next to her.  As I read, I couldn't fathom how Mark would die.  The book then backs up a little and gives you foresight into how they got to that point.

Erin and Mark are on their honeymoon.  They make a startling discovery when they find Something in the Water (see what I did there?).  The choices they make along the way might startle you but nothing will prepare you for the end.

Tampax - LOL - if you read it, you know.

I'm really enjoying the audio books.  This book was narrated by the author, Catherine Steadman, and I loved her voice.  It was really easy to listen to and read well. 

I still wonder if a book rating would change for me if I were to read it first instead of listening to it first but it's not something I'll ever be able to find out since you can only read/listen to a book as a virgin once.  After that, you know.

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

Took me a long time to finish this one due to many factors, including out-of-state company.

I thought this was a good book, a mystery that was told in alternating times, 2014 and 1950.

1950, Idlewild Hall, a school for troubled girls.  Katie, CeCe, Roberta and Sonia are roommates who learn to lean on each other and become best friends.  When one of them goes missing, the girls stop at nothing to find her.

2014, Fiona Sheridan, a journalist, is still going over the death of her sister, Deb, that happened 20yrs prior.  Deb's boyfriend went to jail for her murder but Fiona just can not let it rest.  When Fiona finds out that Idlewild Hall is being restored, she decides to write a story about it.  A shocking discovery and what she finds out along the way will forever connect the two and the town will never be the same.


Honestly, I could've done without Mary Hand.  She was creepy, sure, but the unrealistic way that she was portrayed and the things she "showed" you just was a little much for me.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

WOW. This book. You know I don't generally read books in this genre but the last two have totally roped me in. There was no putting this book down; I read it every chance I had. I think the sci-fi genre gets me because they could tell me just about anything and I wouldn't know any better.

I don't even know how to review this but if you like a good thriller with some sci-fi thrown in, the author does explain things pretty well, then read this one.

I will never think of things the same way ever again and I won't dare take my life for granted. lol

Probably the best book I read all year.

***I read this book in September 2016 but I realized that it was never added to my blog and it absolutely deserves a spot because I still think about this one.  If you haven't read it yet, you MUST.

Mine by J.L. Butler

3.5/5

Let me start by saying that I love silhouettes on the cover like this one. I don't know what it is but I seem to be drawn to them.

"In this riveting tale of psychological suspense, a divorce lawyer risks her career, her sanity, and her life when she falls into an illicit, all-consuming affair with her client-who becomes the primary suspect in his estranged wife's sudden disappearance."

This was a good book. I thought the affair was a little over-the-top. She had a lot at risk and she barely knew this guy, Martin Joy, but she's smart. When she put a plan into motion, all the pieces start falling into place but it almost cost her her life.

I rounded my rating down and not up because I thought it was redundant at times.