LIES

Author:  T. M. Logan

Genre:  Thriller

Published:  2018

Personal Rating:  2.75/5

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Leighton Pugh

Yearly Count:  25

From NetGalley:

Six days ago, Joe Lynch was a happily married man, a devoted father, and a respected teacher living in a well-to-do London suburb. But that was before he spotted his wife’s car entering a hotel parking garage. Before he saw her in a heated argument with her best friend’s husband. Before Joe confronted the other man in an altercation where he left him for dead, bleeding and unconscious.

Now, Joe’s life is unraveling. His wife has lied to him. Her deception has put their entire family in jeopardy. The man she met at the hotel has vanished. And as the police investigate his disappearance, suspicion falls on Joe.

Unable to trust the woman he loves, Joe finds himself at the mercy of her revelations and deceits, unsure of who or what to believe. All he knows is that her actions have brought someone dangerous into their lives—someone obsessed with her and determined to tear Joe’s world apart.

What if your whole life was based on LIES?

Lies was believable until it wasn't.  :(  I had high hopes for this one, and they kept falling as the book progressed.  By the time the ending arrived, I was a bit disappointed.  There were just too many events that didn't ring true.  

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with the eGalley.

THE OTHER WOMAN

Author:  Sandie Jones

Genre:  Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2018

Personal Rating:  3.75/5

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Clare Corbett

Yearly Count:  22

From Goodreads:

Emily thinks Adam’s perfect; the man she thought she’d never meet. But lurking in the shadows is a rival; a woman who shares a deep bond with the man she loves.

Emily chose Adam, but she didn’t choose his mother Pammie. There’s nothing a mother wouldn’t do for her son, and now Emily is about to find out just how far Pammie will go to get what she wants: Emily gone forever.

I was interested, but didn't find it all to be realistic.  Some choices were ridiculous, but that's life, isn't it?  Also, it got a bit choppy when the story was trying to move forward.

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BRING ME BACK

Author:  B. A. Paris

Genre:  Mystery, Standalone

Published:  2018

Personal Rating:  2.5/5 (eh)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/
McCarron & Hely

Yearly Count:  9

From NetGalley:

She went missing. He moved on. A whole world of secrets remained—until now.

Finn and Layla are young, in love, and on vacation. They’re driving along the highway when Finn decides to stop at a service station to use the restroom. He hops out of the car, locks the doors behind him, and goes inside. When he returns Layla is gone—never to be seen again. That is the story Finn told to the police. But it is not the whole story.

Ten years later Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister, Ellen. Their shared grief over what happened to Layla drew them close and now they intend to remain together. Still, there’s something about Ellen that Finn has never fully understood. His heart wants to believe that she is the one for him...even though a sixth sense tells him not to trust her.

Then, not long before he and Ellen are to be married, Finn gets a phone call. Someone from his past has seen Layla—hiding in plain sight. There are other odd occurrences: Long-lost items from Layla’s past that keep turning up around Finn and Ellen’s house. Emails from strangers who seem to know too much. Secret messages, clues, warnings. If Layla is alive—and on Finn’s trail—what does she want? And how much does she know?

Oh goodness. I was interested, even though it was a slow process and had too many possibilities. The ending was ridiculous.  

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with the eGalley.

EDUCATED

Author:  Tara Westover

Genre:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2018

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Julia Whelan

Yearly Count:  7

From:  Goodreads:

Educated is an account of the struggle for self-invention. It is a tale of fierce family loyalty and of the grief that comes with severing the closest of ties. With the acute insight that distinguishes all great writers, Westover has crafted a universal coming-of-age story that gets to the heart of what an education is and what it offers: the perspective to see one's life through new eyes and the will to change it.

While this was reminiscent of The Glass Castle (Walls), it didn't have the same impact on me, and I'm not exactly sure why.  Both women persevere and work through the life they were born into that was wrought with several forms of abuse.  I suspect there's more to the stories Tara told that she wasn't/isn't aware of, because some were beyond my comprehension.  I just can't see how some of it could slip by others; however, I'm aware that it does.  It's just mind-boggling!  

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HOW IT HAPPENED

Author:  Michael Koryta

Genre:  Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2018

Personal Rating:  3.5/5

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Robert Petkoff

Yearly Count:  6

From NetGalley:

"And that is how it happened. Can we stop now?"

Kimberly Crepeaux is no good, a notorious jailhouse snitch, teen mother, and heroin addict whose petty crimes are well-known to the rural Maine community where she lives. So when she confesses to her role in the brutal murders of Jackie Pelletier and Ian Kelly, the daughter of a well-known local family and her sweetheart, the locals have little reason to believe her story.

Not Rob Barrett, the FBI investigator and interrogator specializing in telling a true confession from a falsehood. He's been circling Kimberly and her conspirators for months, waiting for the right avenue to the truth, and has finally found it. He knows, as strongly as he's known anything, that Kimberly's story-a grisly, harrowing story of a hit and run fueled by dope and cheap beer that becomes a brutal stabbing in cold blood-is how it happened. But one thing remains elusive: where are Jackie and Ian's bodies?

After Barrett stakes his name and reputation on the truth of Kimberly's confession, only to have the bodies turn up 200 miles from where she said they'd be, shot in the back and covered in a different suspect's DNA, the case is quickly closed and Barrett forcibly reassigned. But for Howard Pelletier, the tragedy of his daughter's murder cannot be so tidily swept away. And for Barrett, whose career may already be over, the chance to help a grieving father may be the only one he has left.

I was very engaged with the storyline for most of the book.  The desire to know "how it happened" was strong.  The climax went a bit beyond by the end, and the finale lost its appeal.  If there had been a shocking twist at the very end, I probably would have thought the book was well worth the read.  However, it didn't, and I was disappointed.   It did keep my interest and entertained me, so I'm happy for that.

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to Little, Brown & Company and NetGalley for providing me with the eGalley.

KINGDOM OF THE BLIND

Author:  Louise Penny

Genre:  Mystery, Three Pines Series #3

Published:  2018

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Robert Bathurst

Yearly Count: 4

From Goodreads:

When Armand Gamache receives a letter inviting him to an abandoned farmhouse outside of Three Pines, the former head of the Sûreté du Québec discovers that a complete stranger has named him as an executor of her will.

Armand never knew the elderly woman, and the bequests are so wildly unlikely that he suspects the woman must have been delusional - until a body is found, and the terms of the bizarre will suddenly seem far more menacing.

But it isn't the only menace Gamache is facing. The investigation into the events that led to his suspension has dragged on, and Armand is taking increasingly desperate measures to rectify previous actions. As he does, Armand Gamache begins to see his own blind spots - and the terrible things hiding there.

 Another successful read by Louise Penny.  Even though I haven't loved (definitely liked, though) every single addition to this series, I am always excited at a new release and know that it's going to be another nice visit with the people of Three Pines.  This one had two big storylines and both were very good.  I was fully on to one of them, but that didn't hamper my enjoyment.

Thoughts of Joy

    

UPGRADE SOUL

Author:  Ezra Claytan Daniels

Genre:  Sci-Fi Graphic Novel, Standalone

Published:  2018

Personal Rating:  2/5 (eh)

Format:  eBook

Yearly Count:  43

From NetGalley:

For their 45th anniversary, Hank and Molly Nonnar decide to undergo an experimental rejuvenation procedure, but their hopes for youth are dashed when the couple is faced with the results: severely disfigured yet intellectually and physically superior duplicates of themselves. Can the original Hank and Molly coexist in the same world as their clones? In Upgrade Soul, McDuffie Award-winning creator Ezra Claytan Daniels asks probing questions about what shapes our identity-Is it the capability of our minds or the physicality of our bodies? Is a newer, better version of yourself still you? This page-turning graphic novel follows the lives of Hank and Molly as they discover the harsh truth that only one version of themselves is fated to survive.

This one started out interesting, but then it just got to be too much for me.  I didn't care for the characters' look, and it sorta turned me off reading it.  I stopped for a bit.  When I went back to finish it, the eBook had disappeared (expired on NetGalley).  I did check it out from the library to finish it, but wasn't happy about the whole experience.

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to Lion Forge and NetGalley for providing me with this eGalley.

AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE

Author:  Tayari Jones

Genre:  Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2018

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Crisden & Davis

Yearly Count:  39

From Goodreads:

Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive, and she is an artist on the brink of an exciting career. But as they settle into the routine of their life together, they are ripped apart by circumstances neither could have imagined. In this deft exploration of love, loyalty, race, justice, and both Black masculinity and Black womanhood in 21st century America, Jones achieves that most-elusive of all literary goals: the Great American Novel.

This was not what I was expecting, but felt that it was very thought-provoking.  I would like to explore more books by Jones.

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A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS

Author:  Linwood Barclay

Genre:  Psychological Thriller, Standalone

Published:  2018

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/
George Newbern

Yearly Count:  38

From Goodreads:

College professor Paul Davis is a normal guy with a normal life. Until, driving along a deserted road late one night, he surprises a murderer disposing of a couple of bodies. That’s when Paul’s "normal" existence is turned upside down. After nearly losing his own life in that encounter, he finds himself battling PTSD, depression, and severe problems at work. His wife, Charlotte, desperate to cheer him up, brings home a vintage typewriter—complete with ink ribbons and heavy round keys—to encourage him to get started on that novel he’s always intended to write.

However, the typewriter itself is a problem. Paul swears it’s possessed and types by itself at night. But only Paul can hear the noise coming from downstairs; Charlotte doesn’t hear a thing. And she worries he’s going off the rails.

Paul believes the typewriter is somehow connected to the murderer he discovered nearly a year ago. The killer had made his victims type apologies to him before ending their lives. Has another sick twist of fate entwined his life with the killer—could this be the same machine? Increasingly tormented but determined to discover the truth and confront his nightmare, Paul begins investigating the deaths himself.

But that may not be the best thing to do. Maybe Paul should just take the typewriter back to where his wife found it. Maybe he should stop asking questions and simply walk away while he can. . .

I enjoyed the easy listen and was kept intrigued along the way.  Loved the narrator.

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TO DIE BUT ONCE

Author:  Jacqueline Winspear

Genre:  Maisie Dobbs Series #14

Published:  2018

Personal Rating:  3.75/5 (good +)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Orlagh Cassidy

Yearly Count:  36


From Goodreads:

Spring 1940. With Britons facing what has become known as "the Bore War"—nothing much seems to have happened yet—Maisie Dobbs is asked to investigate the disappearance of a local lad, a young apprentice craftsman working on a "hush-hush" government contract. As Maisie’s inquiry reveals a possible link to the London underworld, another mother is worried about a missing son—but this time the boy in question is one beloved by Maisie.

I thoroughly enjoyed the narrator, which is nothing new.  Also, true to form, I loved being back with Maisie, as well.  The storyline was good, but not one that kept me intrigued to the point of not wanting to put it down.  

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CRUSH

Author:  Svetlana Chmakova 

Genre:  YA Graphic Novel, Awkward #3

Published:  2018

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)

Format:  eBook

Yearly Count:  35

From NetGalley:

Jorge seems to have it all together. He's big enough that nobody really messes with him, but he's also a genuinely sweet guy with a solid, reliable group of friends. The only time he ever really feels off his game is when he crosses paths with a certain girl... But when the group dynamic among the boys starts to shift, will Jorge be able to balance what his friends expect of him versus what he actually wants?

Perfect for YA (and others as well)!  :)  The characters were true to life, as well as the scenarios.  The drawings were terrific, and it read very smoothly.  I discovered that this is the third book in this series.  Oops!  However, that made no difference in my reading pleasure.  I will be picking up the others.

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to Yen Press and NetGalley for providing me with this eGalley.

THE SHORTEST WAY HOME

Author:  Miriam Parker

Genre:  Fiction, Standalone

Published:  2018

Personal Rating:  3/5 (just okay)

Format/Narrator:  eBook

Yearly Count:  31

From NetGalley:

How far would you got to find the place you belong?

Hannah is finally about to have everything she ever wanted. With a high-paying job, a Manhattan apartment, and a boyfriend about to propose, all she and Ethan have to do is make it through the last couple of weeks of grad school.

But when, on a romantic weekend trip to Sonoma, Hannah is spontaneously offered a marketing job at a family-run winery and doesn't immediately refuse, their meticulously planned forever threatens to come crashing down. And then Hannah impulsively does the unthinkable - she takes a leap of faith.

Abandoning your dream job and life shouldn't feel this good. But this new reality certainly seems like a dream come true--a picturesque cottage overlooking a vineyard; new friends with their own inspiring plans; and William, the handsome son of the winery owners who captures Hannah's heart only to leave for the very city she let go.

Soon, the mission to rescue the failing winery becomes a mission to rescue Hannah from the life she thought she wanted. Crackling with humor and heart, The Shortest Way Home is the journey of one woman shedding expectations in order to claim her own happy ending.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters in this book.  They seemed to be snippets of real people -- people discovering themselves; even though the scenarios seemed to not be realistic.  In general, I'm not a big fan of this genre, so the storyline seemed to move along slowly.  Ultimately, I read it, it was okay.  Nothing wrong with it, per se, just not my favorite cup of tea.

Thoughts of Joy

 
My thanks go to Penguin Group and NetGalley for providing me with this eGalley.

Young Reader Book

Due to Privacy Issues I am not going to reveal this book.  However, I want it counted in my reads.

Genre:  Young Readers

Published:  2018

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  29

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WHAT MY SISTER KNEW

Author:  Nina Laurin

Genre:  Psychological Thriller, Standalone

Published:  2018

Personal Rating:  2.5/5 (eh)

Format:  Audiobook

Yearly Count:  28

From Goodreads:

"...currently wanted by the police. If you know anything about the suspect's whereabouts, please call..." I look up at the TV screen, and my twin brother's face is splashed across it, life-size. It's a shock that makes my breath catch. This is my brother as an adult, my brother who I last saw fifteen years ago after the fire that killed our parents, covered in soot, clutching a lighter in his hand, his knuckles stark white against the dirt and ash. Everyone always said he'd grow up to be a heartbreaker. But his face has gone gaunt instead. The stubble on his cheeks and chin is patchy, and his eyes look dull and dark. My first thought is that it's not him. Not my beautiful brother, the golden boy who everyone loved. Yet, deep down, I've always known this would eventually happen. What did you do this time, Eli? What the hell did you do?

The storyline and characters were never believable to me.

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THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW

Author:  A. J. Finn 

Genre:  Psychological Thriller, Standalone

Published:  2018 

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)

Format:  Audiobook

Yearly Count:  27

From Goodreads:

Anna Fox lives alone—a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors.

Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother, their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble—and its shocking secrets are laid bare.

What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems.

 Even though I felt this was a little slow at times, I really enjoyed it until the ending.  I'd rate most of the book a 4.25, then  . . .  that came to an end.  I was very disappointed in the final delivery, and it took the wind out of my sails.  It was revealed in such a flat announcement.  Blah.  However, I am definitely open to another book by Finn.  :)

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SHEETS

Author:  Brenna Thummler

Genre:  Graphic Novel, Standalone

Published:  2018

Personal Rating:  2.25/5 (not enjoyable +)

Format:  eBook

Yearly Count:  26

From NetGalley:

Marjorie Glatt feels like a ghost. A practical thirteen year old in charge of the family laundry business, her daily routine features unforgiving customers, unbearable P.E. classes, and the fastidious Mr. Saubertuck who is committed to destroying everything she’s worked for.

Wendell is a ghost. A boy who lost his life much too young, his daily routine features ineffective death therapy, a sheet-dependent identity, and a dangerous need to seek purpose in the forbidden human world.

When their worlds collide, Marjorie is confronted by unexplainable disasters as Wendell transforms Glatt’s Laundry into his midnight playground, appearing as a mere sheet during the day. While Wendell attempts to create a new afterlife for himself, he unknowingly sabotages the life that Marjorie is struggling to maintain.

Sheets illustrates the determination of a young girl to fight, even when all parts of her world seem to be conspiring against her. It proves that second chances are possible whether life feels over or life is over. But above all, it is a story of the forgiveness and unlikely friendship that can only transpire inside a haunted laundromat.

This was not for me.  I didn't realize that it was Sci-Fi/Fantasy, so it wasn't an enjoyable read.  The illustrations were very good, but the entire storyline was baffling.  With apparently a big message hidden inside, I hope that others find it comforting or can derive something positive from it.

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to Lion Forge and NetGalley for providing me with this eGalley.

A GATHERING OF SECRETS

Author:  Linda Castillo

Genre:  Thriller, Kate Burkholder Series #10

Published:  2018

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format:  eBook

Yearly Count:  24

From NetGalley:

When a historic barn burns to the ground in the middle of the night, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called in to investigate. At first, it looks like an accident, but when the body of eighteen-year-old Daniel Gingerich is found inside—burned alive—Kate suspects murder. Who would want a well-liked, hardworking young Amish man dead? Kate delves into the investigation only to find herself stonewalled by the community to which she once belonged. Is their silence a result of the Amish tenet of separation? Or is this peaceful and deeply religious community conspiring to hide a truth no one wants to talk about? Kate doubles down only to discover a plethora of secrets and a chilling series of crimes that shatters everything she thought she knew about her Amish roots—and herself.

As Kate wades through a sea of suspects, she’s confronted by her own violent past and an unthinkable possibility.

Not much of a surprise that I enjoyed this book.  This series has been a winner for me.  It's not too light.  It's not too dark.  It's just right for a comfort read that keeps me interested and connected.  I really enjoy the procedural part of the investigations - all the thoughts and questioning of suspects lets me into the mind of an investigator.  I'm not into the storyline of Kate discovering herself or any of that, but overall, this was a very good quick read.

Thoughts of Joy 

My thanks go to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me with this eGalley.

OUR HOUSE

Author:  Louise Candlish

Genre:  Thriller, Standalone

Published:  2018

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format:  eBook

Yearly Count:  21

From NetGalley:

There's nothing unusual about a new family moving in at 91 Trinity Avenue. Except it's her house. And she didn't sell it.

When Fiona Lawson comes home to find strangers moving into her house, she's sure there's been a mistake. She and her estranged husband, Bram, have a modern coparenting arrangement: bird's nest custody, where each parent spends a few nights a week with their two sons at the prized family home to maintain stability for their children. But the system built to protect their family ends up putting them in terrible jeopardy. In a domino effect of crimes and misdemeanors, the nest comes tumbling down.

Now Bram has disappeared and so have Fiona's children. As events spiral well beyond her control, Fiona will discover just how many lies her husband was weaving and how little they truly knew each other. But Bram's not the only one with things to hide, and some secrets are best kept to oneself, safe as houses.

Oh my.  I have such mixed feelings about this book.  I'm sticking with a "very good" rating due to its intrigue.  I looked forward to my evening read and was engaged all along the way.  The mixed feelings are based on the ending.  It's two-fold, though.  I loved a portion of it, but hated another.  I'm so tempted to give it a higher rating because it has had me thinking about it since I finished it.  But, NO.  The 4/5 remains.  I'm curious as to what others think.  Now, I'm off to see what other books this author wrote.

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with this eGalley.

   

LOOK FOR ME

Author:  Lisa Gardner

Genre:  Thriller, D.D. Warren Series #9

Published:  2018

Personal Rating:  3.75/5 (good +)

Format/Narrator:  Audibook/Kirsten Potter

Yearly Count:  20

From NetGalley:

The home of a family of five is now a crime scene: four of them savagely murdered, one—a sixteen-year-old girl—missing. Was she lucky to have escaped? Or is her absence evidence of something sinister? Detective D. D. Warren is on the case—but so is survivor-turned-avenger Flora Dane. Seeking different types of justice, they must make sense of the clues left behind by a young woman who, whether as victim or suspect, is silently pleading, Look for me.

The D.D. Warren series has been a comfort one for me.  I am always happy to see a new edition and know I will enjoy it.  What I enjoyed most about this one was the detailed trail of thought that I was able to follow along with step by step.  I, also, enjoyed the developing relationship between Flora and D.D.

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to Penguin Group and NetGalley for providing me with the eGalley.

THE WIFE BETWEEN US

Author:  Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Genre:  Psychological Thriller, Standalone

Published:  2018

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Julia Whelan

Yearly Count:  16

From NetGalley:

When you read this book, you will make many assumptions. You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife. You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love. You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle. Assume nothing.

I enjoyed this.  It kept me interested and surprised me along the way. I will definitely be looking out for this duo in the future. Well done.

Thoughts of Joy 

My  thanks go to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with the eGalley.