Quick Lit | September 2017

Welcome to September! I've gone though 5 books over the past month, which seems to be pretty consistent for me. Of these, I read 3 on Kindle, read 1 hardcover, and listened to one on Audible. While I love the feeling of a book in my hand, I do find I read more quickly if it's an electronic version. I don't think any were a perfect 5 stars this month, but all of them were in between 3 and 4.5.

Four Monkey Killer, J. D. Barker 

There's something in me that really likes a twisted and dark story. I kept seeing this book around Instagram being praised for both its beautiful cover and its unique take on a traditional police officer serial killer cat and mouse game. I finally picked it up last week and I found it to be as good as advertised. Sam Porter is a police officer that's on furlough who is brought back because a serial killer that he's been tracking for years has struck again. Set against the backdrop of downtown Chicago, we're taken to lots of different settings to help unravel the mystery. There were layers upon layers to this story and I found myself hustling through the pages to find out how it ends. Fair warning, though: This is book one of a duology, so you'll have to wait until next summer to see how this story ends. It didn't end on a cliffhanger, necessarily, but i think there is still more story to be told! Full review here. 

Annihilation, Jeff VanderMeer 

Well, this was one weird little book. I am a big fan of post- apocalyptic or dystopian, and somehow I stumbled into Annihilation. I gather that VanderMeer is known for his unique writing style, and that was definitely apparent in this book. This is the first book in the Southern Reach series. I honestly don't know how I feel about it. Pros- it was different. It's set in a future world where something has happened on Earth and explorers from various backgrounds go into an area that's been blocked off to try and figure out what happened. There's a lot of confusion. It's not the writing; it's because you're right in the action along side of the protagonist, who also doesn't know what's going on. All we know going in is that this is the twelfth expedition, and the explorers from each of the other groups have all had something catastrophic happen to them after they returned. One group was wiped out by aggressive cancer, another group committed group suicide. Area X reminds me of Fillory from The Magician King in some ways. It was definitely surreal and had a dreamlike feel to it. I'll probably pick up book two, just to see where things go. The book was also quite short, so I don't feel like I lost anything by reading it.

Are You Sleeping, Kathleen Barber 

This was probably the biggest letdown for me this month. It was a good story, but I went in with very high hopes and it didn't deliver. I loved the premise. It seems like it was inspired by the podcast, Serial. In Are You Sleeping, we meet Josie Behrman, a young woman who has spent the last 10 years rebuilding her life after her father was brutally murdered in her childhood home. One day, everything in her current life gets put into jeopardy due to a podcast, Reconsidered, which unearths a decade old murder case to reconsider the facts. It just so happens that her father's case is the the one that's being examined. I thought it started out really strong, but fizzled out by the end. I didn't like the main characters and found it hard to empathsize with her, despite the troubles she faced. The best part of it to me was that It was very of the now.  Twitter served as a Greek chorus and it was a very clear demonstration as to the perils of a viral news story. I listed to the Audiobook and didnt like the narrator, so I wonder if that had something to do with my ambivalence. Probably a 3 star story overall, at least to me. 

Bird Box, Josh Malerman 

Bird Box was similar to Annihilation in that the characters are faced with a vague threat that has the capacity to kill those who get too close. It's dystopian, and I picked this book up because I often heard it described as 'one of the scariest books' various people have ever read. People are dying. There's something outside that kills people if they set their eyes on it. I enjoyed the story, but I didnt think it was one of the scariest things I'd ever read. The main character, Malorie, finds strength that is unimaginable in present day and serves as a admirable main character. The scariest part for me wasn't the vague threat that lived outside, but the humans they faced it with. 

Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Fall of the Unruly Woman, Anne Helen Peterson 

This fit really well into my goal of reading harder and reading more books written by women. There were so many themes packed into this little book: race, feminism, weight, age, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status. Each chapter centers on an iconic 'unruly' woman- Serena Williams is unruly for being too strong, Madonna for being too old, Hillary Clinton for being too shrill. There are a lot of citations and the author has clearly done her research; it reads like a PhD wrote it (and one has- Petersen earned her PhD in media studies from the University of Texas). That said, it's accessible. She makes fantastic points and does a great job explaining specific criteria that have made women throughout history identified as unruly, and why that can be a good thing. It was a very straightforward book, and I recommend it to any seasoned or budding feminist in your life.

What was your favorite read this month? 

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Review | The Fourth Monkey | J.D. Barker

Publication Date: June 27th, 2017

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Page Count: 416

Why I read it: This amazing cover. I saw it all over Instagram!

First Sentence: "There it was again, that incessant ping."

Synopsis: From Amazon- For over five years, the Four Monkey Killer has terrorized the residents of Chicago. When his body is found, the police quickly realize he was on his way to deliver one final message, one which proves he has taken another victim who may still be alive. As the lead investigator on the 4MK task force, Detective Sam Porter knows even in death, the killer is far from finished. When he discovers a personal diary in the jacket pocket of the body, Porter finds himself caught up in the mind of a psychopath, unraveling a twisted history in hopes of finding one last girl, all while struggling with personal demons of his own. With only a handful of clues, the elusive killer’s identity remains a mystery. Time is running out and the Four Monkey Killer taunts from beyond the grave in this masterfully written fast-paced thriller.

My Thoughts: The book begins with no preamble. We're introduced to detective Sam Porter, who gets a 911 text from one of his colleagues who tells him there's been an accident and that he should head to the site ASAP. The story unfolds and we quickly find out why Porter specifically was called to the scene. The dead man appears to be the Four Monkey Killer, a Chicago serial killer that Detective Porter has been tussling with for years. The man is holding a box with a piece of his most recent victim in it; it appears he was on the way to the mailbox when the bus came. He also has a journal in his pocket, which gives the reader a glimpse into the mind of the killer via a vignette from his childhood. The book cycles back and forth between the journal and present day. Sometimes, I find myself getting bored when the story skips around, but both stories were completely captivating so I was hooked. 4MK is truly twisted- we find out that he learned the tricks of the trade from his mother and father. We also get to find out where the nickname Four Monkey Killer comes from, which I loved. Despite the bus, 4MK has left clues to direct the police to his latest victim and they're frantically trying to 'puzzle it out' so they can reach the girl in time. There were some cliches peppered into the beginning- the corrupt Chicago politicians, the hard boiled - crap at technology police officers- but not enough to take away from the story. The story also has alternating POVs- Porter, 4MK via the journal, another detective, and the victim. As you might imagine, the book is about a kidnapping and a serial killer, so it does get graphic and violent. Reading through the victim's story was chilling, but her story is only a small piece of the puzzle. I kept thinking it was going to go one way and then it would go another. There were a few big surprises peppered throughout- none of which i saw coming. (But, to be fair, I'm pretty bad at predicting that sort of thing). It started a bit slower for me, but once I was about 60% of the way through I couldn't put it down. The fact that the story opens with a bus having run over a major player in the story kept things from becoming too predictable. Some of the pieces of the story were far fetched, but if you let yourself suspend reality and go with the narration, I think you'll enjoy it too. 

Favorite Quote: "Women were perfectly capable of handling pain but not emotion. Men handled emotion but not pain. The differences were sometimes subtle, but they were there nonetheless."

Read Alike: Mr. Mercedes, Stephen King; The Keeper of Lost Causes, Jussi Adler-Olsen

Rating: 4/5

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TBR & TBD | September 2017

Welcome, September! There are two types of people in this world. Those that argue "What's with all the pumpkin?! Fall doesn't start until the end of September!" and these:

I'll let you guess which type I am. 

In addition to all pumpkin everything, Fall also brings a lot of exciting new releases! I have my eye on quite a few books this month, but the ones I'm most interested in are below. 

 TBR 1 | Sleeping Beauties | Stephen King | Release Date, September 26th, 2017

File this under books that I've already pre-ordered... A new Stephen King! This one is a father/son collaboration between King and his son Owen. The story centers on a central question: what would happen to the world if women ceased to exist? It seems like we'll be finding out, as something is happening to the women when the fall asleep. When they're asleep, they become shrouded in a cocoon like web, and if they're awakened, they become crazy. However, one woman, Eve Black, seems to be immune to whatever is happening to the other women. Is she the answer to this condition, or something to be afraid of? I've never met a King book that I didn't like, so I'm expecting to like this one too. Plus, Fall is the perfect time to read spooky books so I'm looking forward to this. The description gives me Bird Box meets The Handmaid's Tale. Plus, that's a gorgeous cover...

TBR 2 | What Happened | Hillary Rodham Clinton | Release Date: September 12th, 2017

Oh look, another pre ordered book. I don't know if I'm ready to read this, but getting an insight into the election from Hillary's point of view is worth it. I am super curious to see what she is going to disclose. She says that in the past she's felt like she has to be careful in public. Careful with what she says, how she says it. And what women out there hasn't felt that at some point? It says this is her most personal memoir yet, and I really hope she has come up with something that she's really proud of. And if it's as personal and in depth as they say, all the better. 

TBR 3 | Little Fires Everywhere | Celeste Ng | Release Date: September 12th

Doesn't this have a beautiful cover? I've been trying to read more books by female authors and more books by authors of color. As much as I love my thrillers/ Girl from the wherever books, I do find I enjoy getting perspectives from authors and characters that have background that are different from my own. I haven't read Ng before, but I've heard great things. She's also someone I really enjoy following on Twitter. 

Little Fires Everywhere is set in the suburbs of Cleveland in an affluent, white bread suburb. No one is willing to upend the status quo, that is, until Mia and her daughter Pearl move into a rental home in the area. It's a story about prejudice, neighbors, secrets, and understanding. I honestly don't know what to expect from this, but I'm excited to find out. 

TBR 4 | The Girl Who Takes an Eye For an Eye | David Lagercrantz | Release Date, September 12th, 2017

Lisbeth Salander is back! Book 5 of Stieg Larsson's Millennium Series is coming out this month. As you may know, Stieg Larsson wrote the first three books in the "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" series, but sadly passed away. David Lagercrantz picked up the story and continued with the same characters. Lisbeth Salander is bad ass. One of the things that I like about this series is that it can get really dark and nihilistic, which I don't always see in literature. 

TBD | The Salt Line | Holly Goddard Jones | Release Date, September 5th, 2017

The Salt Line sounds so interesting to me. It's post-apocalyptic. There are deadly ticks on one side of the salt line and the majority of people are happy to stay in their safe, if limited, community. There are some, though, that prefer to eschew their safety to explore what's left of the world.  It's being described as Station Eleven meets The Godfather with female characters. I'm skeptical though. I hope it's not like The Wanders...in that it's supposed to be about one thing but ends up being all character development and no action. I need a bit more action in my dystopia. We'll see.... this is why it's on my TBD list.

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Review | Reading People | Anne Bogel

Publication Date: September 19th, 2017

Page Count: 224

First Sentence: "The BuzzFeed-style quiz is taking over the internet, serving up answers to questions no one is asking."

Book Description (from Amazon): If the viral Buzzfeed-style personality quizzes are any indication, we are collectively obsessed with the idea of defining and knowing ourselves and our unique place in the world. But what we're finding is this: knowing which Harry Potter character you are is easy, but actually knowing yourself isn't as simple as just checking a few boxes on an online quiz.

For readers who long to dig deeper into what makes them uniquely them (and why that matters), popular blogger Anne Bogel has done the hard part--collecting, exploring, and explaining the most popular personality frameworks, such as Myers-Briggs, StrengthsFinder, Enneagram, and others. She explains to readers the life-changing insights that can be gained from each and shares specific, practical real-life applications across all facets of life, including love and marriage, productivity, parenting, the workplace, and spiritual life. In her friendly, relatable style, Bogel shares engaging personal stories that show firsthand how understanding personality can revolutionize the way we live, love, work, and pray.

My Thoughts:  If you're an avid reader, you have most likely heard of Anne Bogel, aka  Modern Mrs. Darcy. I've been following her blog for years. She's someone you can look toward for a solid book recommendation, a space to discuss what you've been reading with other avid readers, and if you're lucky, personalized recommendations via a spot on her podcast, What Should I Read Next! 

What always stood out to me about her writing was its authenticity. She seemed to be someone who knows very well what books she's apt to enjoy and which ones she stays away from (she's a HSP and owns it!) I've always been impressed with the level of self-awareness she seems to possess. Turns out, there's a reason why she's so in tune with her own personality. She's been studying personality as a hobby for the better part of 10 years. Of course you've seen those quizzes online: what Disney princess are you, what famous Shark are you (seriously), and the like, and while those are fun, I've often been interested in finding serious personality quizzes to help me understand myself in a real way. 

I know that the quizzes that you find online are not going to be as thorough as the ones you would actually be able to complete with a trained professional, but I do think there are ones that we can take at home that are worthwhile. These assessments can be used as a guide and if you are able to answer honestly, I think you can gain some serious insight. Luckily, Anne has done the hard work for us. I would describe Reading People, her debut novel, as part memoir, part non-fiction, and part self-help. 

There are eight different major personality assessments that Anne introduces: Introverts and Extroverts, Highly Sensitive People, The Five Love Languages, Keirsey's Temperaments, The Myers-Briggs Indicator, the MBTI Cognitive Functions, the Clifton StrengthsFinder, and the Ennegram. I have a pretty solid background in psychology, but I definitely still found myself learning new things. I loved all of the citations she gave and there's plenty of if you want to know more about this, turn to this resource. I think what I found different about this book was that it was not meant to be a be all end all overview of all things personality. To me, it seems this was meant to serve as an introduction to personality to anyone who might want to know themselves and the people they work with better. One item that was stressed over and over was to answer the questions in the assessments truthfully and sincerely- answer who you REALLY are, not who you think you SHOULD be. That's harder than you think- but that's a part of the growth process. 

I'll admit, I had my eyebrow raised when I saw that the book may change how we live, work, and pray. I am not especially religious and tend to be intimidated by books that might have a religious tone.  However, I wasn't turned off by Anne talking about the role in religion in she and her family's lives, since it felt like an authentic part of her experience. I thought the message would hold true for those that are religious and those that are not. I thought it was important to mention that because I'd hate for people to rule this book out for fear of it getting too religious. I her to write in a self reflective and open way. I also enjoyed hearing about how her experience in evaluating these personality constructs helped her. The book reminded me a bit of Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project (but less shallow). One of the ideas that stuck out to me that helped sell me on the importance of personality, is how one key piece of information can reframe everything (relevant, if dated example- finding out in the Sixth Sense what's really going on with Bruce Willis!) 

II was reading it on my e-reader, and I'll definitely be getting my hands on the physical version. This isn't a book that you necessarily will need to read start to finish. Rather, you might find yourself reading in fits and starts and going to the internet to find out which personality type you might be. If you would like to order your own copy, you can pre-order now at readingpeoplebook.com. There's some cool benefits that you get for pre-ordering before September 19th, including a free audio version of the book as well as access to Anne's "What your Reading Personality?" class. (I'm an Insider.... no surprise there!) 

Favorite Quote: "It takes all kinds to make a world."

Rating: 5/5 I really enjoyed this. I highly recommend that you read this in physical form with a pen in hand- you'll want to take notes and I guarantee you end up Googling things throughout. But no matter- Anne acknowledges that you might want to bounce around the different sections! 

Full disclosure- I was connected to this author more than I typically might be. That said, my review and comments are honest, as always! Thank you to Anne Bogel and her publishing team for allowing me to have access to an ARC. 

If you're interested and would like to get your copy (pre-orders help SO much- and you get all of the extras!) you can do so here.

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Quick Lit | August 2017

Time for another monthly wrap up! Some duds, some hits, mostly new releases. Sounds like a typical month to me!

The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck: How to Stop Spending Time You Don't Have With People You Don't Like Doing The Things You Don't Want to Do | Sarah Knight

I almost always have at least 3 books going at the same time: a physical book, an audio book, and an e-book. I found myself on a train ride one day without the physical book I'd been working through, so I thought I'd pick up The Life-Changing Magic. This one, not the Marie Kondo one about getting rid of all of my books. I don't need that kind of negativity in my life.

 I tend to like books that are in the non-fiction, female empowerment genre but some are way too bubblegum for my taste. Such as this. I thought some of the constructs were interesting- say no! Don't do things you don't want to do! Stop caring about what other people think! But in the end, I kept finding my mind wandering and wondering how in the world this was turned into an entire book and not just a blog post. But hey, good for her for getting paid.

Every Last Lie | Mary Kubica 

I am such a Mary Kubica fan. She lives in Chicago and is the author of one of my favorite thrillers (The Good Girl) Win/win! She seems to write a book every summer or so, which is really impressive. Most are great, but I really didn't like one (Pretty Baby), so I was very interested to read Every Last Lie. Right off the bat, it's super sad. We find out that Clara's husband, Nick, has died in a car wreck. Their daughter Maisie was also in the car, but she is unharmed. The circumstances surrounding his death are questionable. Clara was just on the phone with him and the just had a baby 3 days ago- this couldn't possibly be happening. Can it? It was a very good Kubica book, a story told from alternating perspectives that's really sad. Not my favorite, but certainly one that made me tear up and think about what's really important in life. 3.5 stars. 

Reading People: How Seeing The World Through The Lens of Personality Changes Everything

This is the book I was most excited to read this month! It's written by Anne Bogel, also known as Modern Mrs. Darcy. Her blog is probably the first "reading" blog that I discovered, and she genuinely inspired me to go for it here. So, of course I knew I'd be getting my hands on her first book. Happily, I was also chosen to be a part of the Reading People Launch team, so I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I have already read it, loved it, and written my review, but I won't be posting it until my Blog Tour on 8/30. For now, I'd say if you are familiar with Modern Mrs. Darcy or enjoy reading non-fiction or books about personality, this might be the one for you. She is also offering cool bonuses to those that pre-order, including a free audio version of the book and access to Anne's online "What's your personality?" class. It comes out next month, on September 19th. Preorder here! 

The Lying Game | Ruth Ware

I hope to write a longer review of The Lying Game. I enjoyed the first book I read by Ruth Ware, The Woman In Cabin 10, so I knew she is a skilled thriller writer but had no idea what to expect from this one. I still added it to my library's wait list and luckily got to read it right away. The Lying Game is about 4 female friends from boarding school who play a game with one another. The game is The Lying Game, sort of a higher stakes version of the Mean Girls Burn book. The main rules are: don't get caught, and don't lie to each other. And- no matter what- if someone says "I need you", you show up. We catch up with the girls some 10 years later after Kate sends that iconic text. They haven't seen each other for years, but human remains have recently been found on the beach where they spent their summers and the girls might have something to do with it. I thought  The Woman in Cabin 10 was alright- probably 3 or 3.5 stars. In that one, there were far fetched plot points and the ending was too rushed. There are similarities to this in The Lying Game, but I found this plot in this one more palatable. 

See What I Have Done | Sarah Schmidt

This was possibly my standout new release for August. See What I Have Done is truly a weird book. Sarah Schmidt is an Australian author and this book is her debut. I love it when debut books are well done, but what I loved the most about SWIHD is the story's origin story. We've likely all heard about Lizzie Borden and her axe, but Schmidt says that Lizzie kept visiting her in her dreams and served as her muse to write this story. The idea that an alleged murderess could come to bother an author some 100 years later to write the true story was just too tantalizing for me to pass up. I received this as an ARC as well, but it came out earlier this month on August 1st. Full review here. 

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft | Stephen King

I finally got around to finishing On Writing! I'm moving this month, so i've had the chance to get through a lot of audio books. I'm pretty sure On Writing was one of the first audiobooks I bought from Audible, mainly because I heard it was narrated by Stephen King. I loved this book so much. it's part memoir and part writing encouragement. He says that no one needs permission to be a writer, and if you feel like you do need a permission slip, consider permission to write granted by him. I also loved hearing about his behind the scenes process, his wife, and life before becoming one of the most prolific authors of our time. So so good! 

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