Books

Follows you (block)

Requested to follow you (accept | block)

Blocked (unblock)

BeckyL

BeckyL

has 162 followers and is following 135 people

I'm a total book junkie, DPI grad, and one of the reviewers at www.bookbitch.com. I rarely come across books that I don't like and, as a result, will read almost anything!

You can also check out my blog at http://nomoregrumpybookseller.blogspot.com/
  • member since September 3, 2007

Reviews

  • Sort by:
 
1 2 3 4 5  | Next » Last 
Displaying 1-10 of 1002 reviews
  • Bond Girl: A Novel
    • Rated 4 stars

    Alex Garrett's dad is a banker on Wall Street, so Alex knew from a young age that finance was where she wanted to be. And Wall Street is the ONLY place to be. She lands a job at a great firm right out of college and soon discovers that nothing could have prepared her for the reality of the job.

    It's true that BOND GIRL is essentially THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA on Wall Street, but that's ok. Duffy's debut is funny and the reader roots for Alex all along the way. It's a fun read.

    BeckyL wrote this review yesterday. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
    • Rated 5 stars

    Mara has no memory of the night her friends died. All she knows is what she's told when she wakes up in the hospital. Desperate to get past the tragic event, Mara and her family pick up and move from Rhode Island to Florida. As Mara tries to move on, she is haunted by nightmares and hallucinations. Is Mara going crazy?

    It's hard to write a synopsis of this one without giving too much away. On the flip side, there's still so much left unanswered by the end of the book that it's hard to know WHAT to write. Mara and Noah are fantastic! I can't wait to find out more about them.

    BeckyL wrote this review yesterday. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Whisperer
    • Rated 5 stars

    When a burial site containing six arms is discovered, Goran Gavila's team is called in to investigate. Gavila is a highly trained criminologist and his team of investigators is no doubt the best for the job. They know that the arms belong to a string of missing girls that's been reported in the region. The catch? There are six left arms. They only know of five missing girls. Enter Mila Vasquez, an officer whose specialty is tracking down missing people. Together, they will have to unravel the most disturbing crime of their careers.

    It's dark, there are unexpected twists around every corner, and just when you think the author couldn't turn this mystery upside down any more... he does. The Whisperer is really a fabulous read that will keep you (cliche, I know) on the edge of your seat (it's true, though). Carrisi's debut is a very clever premise and one that he takes full advantage of. I like the plot, I love the twists, but I also like really dark reads. The pacing is really quick, too. It's the kind of book that you really don't want to put down, can't wait to get back to, and think about when you're not reading.

    BeckyL wrote this review 8 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Legacy of Eden
    • Rated 3 stars

    Meredith Pincetti left home for college and never turned back. Now, the last heir to her family's estate has passed away and none of the remaining Hathaway descendants wants anything to do with the property. Meredith reluctantly answers the call and travels back to Iowa to pick up the last of her parent's possessions. On the way, she recalls the horrible truths revealed to her about her family. In truth, the Hathaway's reign lasted only three generations, prompted by the cunning efforts of Meredith's grandmother, Lavinia.

    The Legacy of Eden unravels in a way that leaves the reader expecting terrible things around every corner. In truth, the revelations aren't all that horrifying until the very end. I'd say that the author uses a sort of southern grace in presenting the things that happen to the Hathaways, but I know the author's not southern. Still, it is reminiscent of a great southern plantation family and their downfall, even if it does take place in Iowa.

    BeckyL wrote this review 13 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Woman in Black
    • Rated 5 stars

    It's Christmas and Arthur Kipps's family is sitting around the fire telling ghost stories. What they don't know is that Arthur himself has been sitting on a tale of his own, one that is too tragic to recall. It's been years since he was sent out to Eel Marsh House to close out the house of the then recently deceased Alice Drablow. What Kipps experienced in that lonely and dank house has stayed with him all these years and has never been revealed to those around him. If Kipps has his way, it never will be, but the tale demands telling and so he has decided to write it out, if only for himself.

    I'd expected the book to be a one sitting read -- at just 135 pages, who could blame me? Hill's writing begs to be read at its own pace, though. While it can certainly make for a perfect companion on a dreary afternoon, it took me about three sittings when all was said and done. I can say that I was sad to turn the final page and leave behind the gothic atmosphere built by Hill's words.

    BeckyL wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Starlite Drive-In: A Novel
    • Rated 4 stars

    In the summer of 1956, a drifter arrived at the Starlite Drive-In. Callie Anne Benton's father manages and runs the theater, taking care of the day-to-day maintenance and obligations. But a recent injury has left him bitter and crippled. Nothing much changes in Callie Anne's daily routine. Not until Charlie Memphis arrives. The owner of the drive-in brings him in to help out, a general handyman if you will. Young Callie Anne is smitten by the stranger. And for Callie Anne's mother, who hasn't left their house for years, Charlie Memphis offers something new as well. Years later, bones are found on the grounds of the old drive-in and Callie Anne is forced to face that summer once again.

    Within just a few pages, Reynolds sends readers on a trip back in time to a summer seen through the eyes of a pre-teen on the cusp of great change. It's easy to fall in love with Callie Anne. Her observations will strike a chord with readers of all ages.

    I also enjoyed that fact that many of the other characters evoke mixed emotions. No one is a static, one-sided caricature of the standard good guy or bad guy. Each character has different sides to them and Reynolds does a good job of showing those through her writing.

    Starlite was originally publishing in 1997 and has been recently rereleased by Harper.

    BeckyL wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • A Game of Thrones
    • Rated 5 stars

    An epic start to a grand fantasy series!

    The first in the series introduces the major players -- the Starks, The Lannisters, the Targaryens -- and the beginnings of political unrest that will result in war. Backstabbing, unexpected alliances, and heroic deeds and misdeeds!

    If you've watched the show, it follows this first book pretty closely. I can't wait to crack open book two and find out what happens next!

    BeckyL wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Rook: A Novel
    • Rated 5 stars

    Myfanwy Thomas opens her eyes to see a ring of bodies surrounding her and finds a letter in her pocket explaining what must be done next. She has no memory of who she is, what she does, or how she ended up in this place. The letter leads her to a safe place where she is given a choice, adopt the life she seems to have taken over, or run. Though her choice might be clear, extenuating circumstances force her to become Rook Thomas. As she reads the old Thomas's notes, explaining the organization she works for (The Checquy), what a Rook does, and all manner of strange things, the new Myfanwy takes to her life and position in a way that the old Thomas never seemed comfortable with.

    This is another one of those amazingly fun books that's hard to pin down but is an absolute must read. The narrative is funny, at times laugh out loud so, and the story is quirky. The structure is interesting as well. The character has no knowledge of these things, and so the story unfolds as two tales, that of the new Myfanwy and that of the old. The new Myfanwy is our narrator and the old tells her tale through letters and notes written for her "replacement."

    BeckyL wrote this review Thursday, January 12, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers
    • Rated 4 stars

    When Lucy finds herself suddenly single on the first day of sophomore year, she is devastated. Her heart has been broken, torn to shreds by the her first love. But the secret sisterhood of heartbreakers can help her. If Lucy can make another fall in love with her in just one week, the breaking of his heart will heal hers.

    I thought Weingarten expressed the heady obsessive nature of first love in such a great way. A cool idea and a fun read for even an adult.

    BeckyL wrote this review Friday, December 30, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • Everneath
    • Rated 4 stars

    Nikki Beckett has just six months to say goodbye. Six months before The Tunnels will come for her. See, Nikki has become part of the Everneath and unless she can find a way out, they'll be coming for her soon.

    A really unique twist on well-known mythology -- Persephone and Orpheus in particular. I look forward to seeing where the series will go with book two, especially after an ending like the one here.

    BeckyL wrote this review Friday, December 30, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
1 2 3 4 5  | Next » Last 
Displaying 1-10 of 1002 reviews