Blog Tour: Death Among Us @StephenBentley8 @Shalini_G26 #Murder #MurderMystery #BookWorm #MomsWhoRead #Anthology #ReadMe

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Welcome to my stop on the Death Among Us Blog Tour!!!! This was such a fun and unique book to read!
Ten authors made this anthology of murder mysteries.  I will admit, some I skipped over and some I read with such intensity.  It has a great mix for everyone who enjoys lovely, quick reads.  Keep in mind there is not as much detail involved because these are…SHORT stories…and they wrap up quickly.  If you don’t enjoy down to business reads, skip this one (but you’re crazy).
If you enjoy the nitty gritty, get right to the point, don’t drag it on mystery, pick this book up ASAP!  I will admit, I’m not huge into certain genres, like scifi, but it’s OK.  There’s a smorgasbord of fun still to be had!  This would be a great book to read with a friend and just enjoy the quick tales.  I honestly read this as I was reading multiple other books at once.  It was a great filler for me because of the super quick reads.  Sometimes short stories are well…long…these are not, finally…TRUE short stories!  Enough blabber from me…here’s more about the book!

Book Blurb
Who knew death could be so eclectic? Relish this mesmerizing murder mystery mash-up of short stories.

Murder and mystery have been the staple of literature and films for years. This anthology of short stories will thrill and entertain you. Some will also make you laugh out loud. Others will stop and make you think. Think of this murder mystery short story anthology as a book version of appetizers or starters, hors d’oeuvre, meze, or antipasti. It can be read as fillers between books or, as is the case in some countries, as a bookish meze- in its own right.

There’s murder mystery styles and locations to suit all tastes: detective fiction, serial killers, scifi, histfic, England, Los Angeles, San Francisco, The Great Lakes, Las Vegas, the Nevada desert, Mexico and more in an exquisite exposition of the art of short story telling.

These stories come from an international cast of authors; some with bestselling books, others are emerging or new talents. Their roots, cultures, and life experiences are as diverse as their writing styles. But one thing binds them together: they know how to tell a story. The ten authors (each linked to their own twitter pages) who have contributed to the anthology are:

Stephen Bentley

Stephen Bentley is a former UK Detective Sergeant, barrister, and author of a bestselling undercover cop memoir. He also writes crime fiction.

Greg Alldredge

Greg Alldredge grew up in the United States reading all the excellent Science Fiction and Fantasy of the past decades. He hopes to add his voice, in a small way, to the giants of the genres. He wants to write stories he himself would want to read and hopes to be successful as a storyteller first.

Kelly Artieri

Kelly Artieri is a professional illustrator and award-winning author of a personal memoir ‘A Spot in My Heart.’ Living in the Buffalo, New York area, Kelly is a passionate storyteller about real life. Now she is using her creative voice at story telling murder mystery style.

Robbie Cheadle

Robbie, short for Roberta, Cheadle is a South African author with six published children’s picture books in the Sir Chocolate books series for children. She has also authored the Silly Willy series and a fictionalised biography about her mother’s life as a young girl growing up in an English town in Suffolk during World War II.

Michael Spinelli

Michael Spinelli is married with two children, a transplant from New York to Florida.
Mike enjoys family time, reading, watching movies and of course, writing things that increase your heart rate.

L. Lee Kane

L. Lee Kane, M.A., known as Linda, is the author of several adult fiction books, and children’s books. She lives with her husband, two dogs, and seven horses in the Central Valley of California.

Kay Castaneda

Kay Castaneda is retired from a career as a college writing instructor and special education tutor. She earned a B.A. and M.A. in English at Indiana University. Her publications include poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction in literary journals plus articles about education for scholarly reference books.

Aly Locatelli

Aly Locatelli is a 25-year-old book blogger and reviewer from the UK. She has been doing that for over five years and now started freelancing as a beta-reader, editor and proof-reader. Aly also aspires to be a writer. This is the first time any of her work has been published.

Justin Bauer

Born in Columbus, Ohio, Justin Bauer studied English Literature at the Ohio State University, graduating in 2016. He is the author of three books.
Posthumously by ‘G’

‘G’ or Gerry died in 2017. He used the name ‘G’ when writing short stories. This is how he described himself not long before his untimely death: G is a 69 yo Hippie, world traveler, straight talker/writer, with no regrets. He’s been writing since he found a sharp crayon and empty wall space.

The stories include the 2019 SIA Award-Winning Murder Mystery Short Story & The Rose Slayer by Stephen Bentley.

Each author introduces his or her stories and the theme that lays behind them. By the time you finish the book, you will agree the result is a mesmerising murder mystery mash-up.

The audiobook of the anthology will be available some time very soon.

A link to the retail sample on Soundcloud which is here http://bit.ly/2W7mFgI

First Line Fridays: Next Level Basic @stassi #FLF #BookWorm #BookQuote #PumpRules #Handbook #MomsWhoRead

As always First Line Friday comes courtesy of Hoarding Books Blog.  I discovered this magic thanks to Crystal at Must Love Reviews.  This week I am featuring a book I am just cracking open…

 

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HECK YES!  FINALLY I got my hands on Stassi Schroeder’s book!  I cannot wait to read everything in here.  I am a huge fan of Vanderpump Rules and all things related to that show…anyone else a huge Pump Rules fan?!?!?

Thursday Quotables: SurfsideSisters @nancy_thayer #BookQuotes #

Welcome to Thursday Quotables.  Books Kat Likes has joined in on the weekly fun and came up with this great description of what this is…

This feature is the place to highlight a great quote, line, or passage discovered during your reading each week. Whether it’s something funny, startling, gut-wrenching, or just really beautifully written, Thursday Quotables is where my favorite lines will be, and you’re invited to join in! Created by Lisa, over at Bookshelf Fantasies.

You should join in too!  Leave the link to your Thursday Quotable post below and I will make sure to check it out!!  Or just leave a comment with a quote from a book that has struck you!

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Which one are you?  What do you think of this one??

Book Review: The Kiss Quotient @HHoangWrites @BerkleyPub #Romance #ChickLit #BookWorm #ReadMe #MomsWhoRead #Steamy

You all raved about this one, so I just had to read it.  

thekissquotient

*insert me blushing here* Guys…no one prepared me for this book.  No.  One.  You all failed to mention all the hot, steamy sex scenes!!!!!  GAH!  Apparently my prude self doesn’t mind one scene in a book, but gets blushy and out of sorts when there’s multiple, haha.  That is my only warning for you for this book!!  Hoang just hides it all nicely!

So, the book is about Stella who is looking to be well versed sexually (I get it, I know, how did I *NOT* see all the signs for sex coming).  She also happens to have Asperger’s syndrome.  She ends up hiring Michael, an escort, to teach her things in bed (stop laughing at me, I know, I know…all the signs for steamy sex scenes were there, weren’t they).  Michael is hesitant at first to book her for multiple sessions (he never rebooks girls anymore…one went crazy on him), but decides to help her out.  But who is he really helping out?

There’s a little bit of drama with the crazy girl.  It adds just enough to keep some conflict in the book.  I really, really fell in love with Stella.  She is just such a sweetheart.  I loved the story this book told.

4 stars.  It was an easy book to read and I ended up flying through it.  Stella ends up finding kissing repulsive to enjoying it…and everything and more in a relationship.  Michael ends up finding himself enjoying his sessions more than he should too.  Do they end up together?  You’ll have to read to find out!!

Details

Title: The Kiss Quotient

Author: Helen Hoang

Genre(s): Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: May 30, 2018

Find it here on Goodreads

Book Mail: Jane Anonymous @Goodreads @lauriestolarz #ARC #AdvanceCopy

I love it when I get a fresh, new book in the mail!!  Look what came today…

Jane

I was one of the chosen ones in a Goodreads giveaway!!  Here’s the blurb from Goodreads…

Bestselling author Laurie Faria Stolarz returns with Jane Anonymous, a gripping tale of a seventeen-year-old girl’s kidnapping and her struggle to fit back into her life after she escapes.

Then, “Jane” was just your typical 17-year-old in a typical New England suburb getting ready to start her senior year. She had a part-time job she enjoyed, an awesome best friend, overbearing but loving parents, and a crush on a boy who was taking her to see her favorite band. She never would’ve imagined that in her town where nothing ever happens, a series of small coincidences would lead to a devastating turn of events that would forever change her life.

Now, it’s been three months since “Jane” escaped captivity and returned home. Three months of being that girl who was kidnapped, the girl who was held by a “monster.” Three months of writing down everything she remembered from those seven months locked up in that stark white room. But, what if everything you thought you knew―everything you thought you experienced―turned out to be a lie?

Oooooo, this one sounds SOOO good!  I cannot wait to devour this one!!  What books have you gotten recently?

Book Review: Fishnet #Sex #Prostitution #Mystery #Scotland #BookWorm #MomsWhoRead

Thank you to Netgalley for the copy of Fishnet.  All opinions stated are that of my own!

Fishnet

I’m going to start this review off by giving you the blurb from Goodreads…

Twenty year old Rona Leonard walks out of her sister Fiona’s flat and disappears.

Six years on, worn down by a tedious job, child care and the aching absence in her life, Fiona’s mundane existence is blown apart by the revelation that, before she disappeared, Rona had been working as a prostitute. Driven to discover the truth, Fiona embarks on an obsessive quest to investigate the sex industry. As she is drawn into a complex world, Fiona makes shocking discoveries that challenge everything she believed, and will ultimately change her life forever.

Bittersweet, sensual and rich, Fishnet takes a clear-eyed, meticulously researched, controversial look at the sex industry and the lives of sex workers, questioning our perception of contemporary femininity.

There, now you know what this book is about.  A lot of reviews will talk about how it was hard to read because of the subject matter…maybe it’s living in a state where prostitution is legal in all but 2 counties, but I did not find the subject matter to be that crazy.  The book is based around women that have sex for money…ok.  This book takes place in Scotland where people want to criminalize it.  Honestly, this book does not dive deep in to this world…personally, The Kiss Quotient was a hell of a lot more to handle and take in than this book.

Here’s where the book lost me.  This book flip flops around from present to past and a few different points of view…there is never a clear cut understanding of who is talking or at what point in time something is taking place.  I honestly could NOT follow this book. 

I really wanted to DNF this book.  It became SO frustrating that I just sped read through it because well…I wanted to know what happened to Rona.  Knowing what I know now, I could have DNF’ed this book and been fine…ugh.

I don’t do this often…in fact, this is the first time on my blog I’m doing this…2 stars!  Yes, two stars.  It bounces around aimlessly making it very difficult to follow and then the end…that’s it.  Honestly, this book wasted my time.  I really wanted to love it because I thought the subject matter was interesting, but it was just done so at the surface of the sex industry, it was very disappointing.

Details

Title: Fishnet

Author: Kirstin Innes

Genre(s): Fiction

Publisher: Frieght Books

Release Date: October 15, 2019

Find it here on Goodreads

First Line Fridays: You’ve Been Volunteered #BookWorm #FLF #BookQuote #Quote #ReadMe

As always First Line Friday comes courtesy of Hoarding Books Blog.  I discovered this magic thanks to Crystal at Must Love Reviews.  This week I am featuring a book I *JUST* finished yesterday…

 

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I have loved the Class Mom series!!  This is the second book in the Class Mom series by Laurie Gelman, You’ve Been Volunteered.  It starts off with a HYSTERICAL email to the parents of her child’s class!  I cannot wait to share my review with you all!  What are you reading today??

Book Review: Never Have I Ever @JoshilynJackson @wmmorrowbooks #4stars #FastRead #Suspense #Thriller #BookWorm #ReadMe

I love a solid thriller and many of you raved about this book.  I got it on my Libby app through my local library!!

NeverHaveIEver

Amy is living her best life in suburbia.  She has her best friend Charlotte, and other friends in her neighborhood.  This neighborhood is pretty chummy with each other; everyone knows everybody and they even have a book club with the women.  One day, a woman who is air bnbing a home in their neighborhood decides to drop in to the book club…

…the woman straight up overtakes the whole thing.  She ends up playing the game, Never Have I Ever where they all try to top each other with the most outlandish things they’ve done.  Amy gets uneasy with her and makes it her mission to find out what is going on.

Oh, hang on a moment…I almost forgot…Amy killed someone.  Did your jaw just drop?  Did I throw you for a loop?  Oh yes, it’s not a secret, we’re told this in the beginning…she was young and drunk.  Could Amy’s murder and this new neighbor be related?  The book does do flashbacks to that night and intertwines it with the present.

This book had a lot of crazy twists.  It also had its moment that was a little disturbing.   It kinda came out of nowhere.  It was shocking.  It all happens so fast and just bam, in your face.  Lovely, lovely, sneaky, disturbing twist!

4 star read!  You can’t go wrong picking this book up.  I think I’m starting to become jaded with all these thrillers because I wasn’t 100% a fan of the end…and for no reason other than, ugh, a secret was kept.  Haha…I mean, ok, one one hand I’m happy with how it ended, but on the other I’m like OH COME ON!!!!  I suppose if it was written with a secret coming out I’d probably be like, now why did that have to happen, come on.  Haha…I suppose I can’t win with this one…still a great read nonetheless!!!!

Details

Title: Never Have I Ever

Author: Joshilyn Jackson

Genre(s): Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Publisher: William Morrow Books

Release Date: July 30, 2019

Find it here on Goodreads

Sundays In Bed With…

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I discovered this meme thanks to Jill’s Book Blog.  This meme is all about what book you are reading today!!  So let’s all talk about what book we currently have in our hands! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.

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Seventeen-year-old Veronica Clarke never thought she would wish she’d failed a test until she finds herself holding a thick piece of plastic in her hands and staring at two solid pink lines. Even the most consistent use of condoms won’t prevent pregnancy when your boyfriend secretly pokes holes in them to keep you from going out-of-state for college.

Veronica needs an abortion, but the closest place she can legally get one is over nine hundred miles away—and Veronica doesn’t have a car. Too ashamed to ask her friends or family for help, Veronica turns to the one person she believes won’t judge her: Bailey Butler, Jefferson High’s own little black cloud of anger and snark—and Veronica’s ex-best friend. Once on the road, Veronica quickly remembers nothing with Bailey is ever simple and that means two days of stolen cars, shotguns, crazed ex-boyfriends, truck stop strippers with pro-life agendas, and a limo driver named Bob. But the pain and betrayal of their broken friendship can’t be outrun. When their fighting leads to a brutal moment of truth, Bailey abandons Veronica. Now Veronica must risk everything in order to repair the hurt she’s caused.

What are you reading today?

Slighty Off Topic Saturday: Recent Book Reviews #StarRatings #Book #Reviews #Reading

The first thing I want to address quickly has been my lack of consistent posts…as I have casually mentioned I got hurt at work.  My left hand has been in a cast for the past month and well…it sucks typing with ONE hand.  It makes for very slow typing.  I have had a lot of bones done to some posts so I was able to keep up for a bit…now I’m slowing down.  I’m trying not to let it get it to me!!  If you don’t see a daily post, this is why.  I also haven’t been on here as much…with only having one good hand, it takes me longer to do everything, haha.  I promise I am back tracking and reading all of your posts!!

 

I have been realizing lately that the majority of my reviews have been 4 or 5 stars.  How is this happening???  Oh, I know…

 

YOU

 

What do I mean by you?  Well, I follow quite a few of you on here.  There are a select few of you where I know when you rate it highly, I will love it.  There are also some books that EVERYONE seems to talk about in a positive light, it’s hard not to want to read it.  So…I’ve been reading books that you have all been suggesting and wow…I have not picked up a bad one in a long time!!!  I have a stack of 8 books from my local library on my shelf right now…all because you’ve raved about them!!  You guys do a STELLAR job at book recommendations!

Most of the time when I end up with a 3 star rating it’s because it’s an advance copy book…I’ve received it blindly (except for a blurb) and no one else has been blogging about it yet.  I’ll take the occasional meh book if that means I can keep the majority great!!

At first I thought there was something wrong with me and then I realized…I’m just reading books that have been blogged about!  I’m not blindly picking…I’m going hey, that review sounds amazing, I need to read that one.  So, I feel there is really NOTHING wrong with the fact that all my books are rated higher because they’ve essentially all been vetted.  I absolutely love how I love every book I pick up, it makes reading that much more fun!

I’m sure the random people on Goodreads don’t see it that way, but oh well.  If you don’t like my choice of books or rating choices, well then our tastes are different and you probably shouldn’t follow me anyway.

Let’s chat…do you ever feel the same way I do??  How can you possibly always give such high ratings??  Should I branch out and read more books that aren’t talked about?  What do you think??