Halloween Bingo 2017 | Short Book Rambles at Mid-game

It's closing in on the end of September and our Bingo game is at it's midmark!

For the sake of my own sanity, I've come to a compromise with myself.  I would like to write a review for every book I read for bingo... but we know that sometimes that just doesn't happen.  So I've settled for a short compilation of all the books I didn't get around to formatting a review for.

Instead, you get some random ramblings... which, if we know me by now, always end up becoming short reviews anyway.  But I had this vision of wanting to throw a few books together in one post, make it Halloween Bingo specific, had it all formatted and ready to fill in my opinions for each book I come across that I don't know how to review... and I'm not changing my mind.

Here it is!

Garden of Lies by Amanda Quick
audio book narrated by Louisa Jane Underwood

Rating:  3.5 Stars

I love Amanda Quick books, if only because they follow a specific formula, so you always know what you're going to get out of them.  Garden of Lies is the usual Amanda Quick historical mystery and romance, with great characters and fast-paced progression.  And I never have any idea how to review these books, because they are simply just as enjoyable as the last Amanda Quick book I read: witty, fun, entertaining... standard.

It's always a good bet I will enjoy them; though also a greater bet that the story line is the same as others by this author.  Garden of Lies was no different:  Feisty, non-standard, too-modern-for-her-own-good heroine; broody, intensely passionate alpha with some tragic history.  They meet for reasons, they fall in lust at first sight, they fight the lust whilst working together to uncover a mystery, sex happens, feelings happen, cue some kind of last minute danger scene... Happily Ever After™.

Though the overall details of the mystery weren't the usual, the main culprits were fairly predictable, as were a lot of events.  There might have been entirely too much going on in this book... but that's about it.

 Louisa Jane Underwood is a lovely narrator and gave the "reading" experience a nice boost!

I read this book for Halloween Bingo 2017, for the 'Darkest London' square, since the story is set in Victorian London.

This book could also count for:

• Murder most foul
• Amateur Sleuth
• Romantic Suspense
• Terrifying Women

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Every Secret Thing (Kate Murray #1) by Susanna Kearsley

audio book narrated by Katherine Kellgren

Rating:  4.0 Stars

Edit (10/20/17):  I decided to make the decision to shuffle this book to the 'Amateur Sleuth' square.  This change will also be noted in the Halloween Bingo Update #8 (link coming soon).  I'm editing the following text a bit, but keeping it the same otherwise.  I just feel like this book fits 'Amateur Sleuth' better than the book I had chosen for that square, originally--Kate is an investigative reporter, and this book basically follows her as she tries to figure out the truths and connections behind Andrew Deacon's death, her grandmother's death, and something that happened at least two generations ago.

Original Thoughts:
This is one of the books that, after beginning, I started having doubts whether or not it would fit the Halloween Bingo square I originally chose it for, 'Murder Most Foul.'  While there are several deaths, as well as the MC wandering around trying to investigate the chaos that suddenly befalls her life, Every Secret Thing ended up reading more like an espionage thriller than a murder mystery.  I could classify it as suspense, I suppose, and the entire ordeal DOES start with the mention of an old murder, one still deserving justice.

Every Secret Thing wasn't what I'd been expecting when I started listening to the audio, if only because maybe I'd been expecting something a bit darker, or grittier.  Instead, this book gave me an almost old-timey type of story, as we follow Kate Murray's investigations, while simultaneously following some snippets of the now deceased Andrew Deacon's espionage lifestyle.  It was... charming... the entire experience.  At first it felt a bit dragged out, but once you get into the rhythm of it, the flashbacks to Andrew Deacon's story lines aren't so strange, and in fact, kind of intriguing.

I can't say that I one hundred percent enjoyed this book, and the truth is, while I loved Katherine Kellgren's narration, I'm almost wondering if this story wouldn't have been better experienced as a print book.

One thing is for certain though:  Every Secret Thing is beautifully atmospheric, and I loved the descriptions of many of Kate's scenic travels, even as we were constantly moving forward at a rather fast paced stride.  There's an obligatory bittersweet ending when you come to the end of Andrew Deacon's tale, and even though we kind of already know how his life ended up playing out, it still plucks at the heart.

So the truth is, this was more a book about learning Andrew Deacon's story rather than following Kate Murray's investigations.

I may or may not swap this book out for another better suited book for the 'Murder Most Foul' square.  For now, this is just a tentative completion.  I'm seriously contemplating moving this book to either of the following squares:

This book could also count for:  Terrifying Women

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On the Night of the Seventh Moon by Victoria Holt

Rating:  2.5 Stars

This is my first foray into Victoria Holt, and keeping in mind a few cautions from fellow readers, I read this book with a bit of trepidation.  Certainly, the story and the characters--especially our main heroine--is as I'd been warned.  But even as I became frustrated with the insta-love, the over-dramatics of our heroine, and the fact that none of the characters are very likable, On the Night of the Seventh Moon ended up being somehow addictively engrossing.  Even the frustratingly over-dramatic romance didn't put me off too badly.

For one reason or another, I just couldn't make myself put the book down.  It's got a nice mysterious twist to it that makes you want to keep reading to find out what's going on, even while the story was fairly predictable.  What happened to Helena?  Was it really just a dream, induced by drugs?  Was it real?  If it were real, then why all the theatrics by her cousins?  Why did Maximilian never come back for her?  And what of the baby?

It's hard to say what truly kept me hooked on this book--certainly it wasn't the characters, whom I disliked for many reasons, especially Frau Graben's blasé attitude towards the disgusting behavior exhibited by all the nobility.  She talks about how it's their given right, when either a count or a duke ravishes a girl and then tosses her aside; that the attempted murder or even the deaths were simply a matter of "state affair"; the deceptions of mock marriages, the lies, the betrayals--all simply part of their country's culture...

I get that it's probably part of the culture, which lends some authenticity to a more historical aspect of life... but I don't have to like it.

As I've already said, I didn't find any of the characters likable, except maybe the boy, Fritz.  Or Aunt Matilda--she was amusing, for sure.

It's also kind of irked me that the conclusion wrapped up too easily, in a very tidy, non-confrontational, and unrealistic way.  I like my HEA's, but we should at least follow through the world's logic.  All the concerns and the possible backlash and the possible war scenario that Maxi and Helena worried about if the two of them were to announce their relationship and marriage didn't even surface.  Everything just settled, all was forgiven, Happily Ever After™.

Really, the only amazingly wonderful thing going for this book was the beautiful writing, the imagery, the description, and a lot of the lore and history laid within the book's world.  For this alone, I will definitely give Victoria Holt another read when I get the chance.

(Ahem.  So much for a short ramble, but I'm not changing this, and I regret nothing...)

This book could also count for:

• Gothic
• Terrifying Women

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The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Rating:  3.5 Stars

I felt like Halloween Bingo wouldn't be complete without reading something by Neil Gaiman--last year I read The Graveyard Book and Coraline, both of which were very enjoyable, and one of them ended up being one of my favorites of the year.  Initially, I didn't have a book of his chosen for any of my Bingo squares (Yes, yes, I did; I just forgot I did).  I had originally only chosen a collection of short stories by Neil Gaiman for the 'Genre: Horror' square, which I've been putting off listening to the audio... well, because Horror.

And I was hesitant about starting The Ocean at the End of the Lane... well, because Horror.  But I'm glad I decided to give it a go--if only because you get to revel in Gaiman's wonderful, magical descriptions... and because I found a different book other than Amy Tan's Saving Fish From Drowning for this particular bingo square, because I just wasn't feeling Amy Tan at the moment.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane was a little difficult for me to get into at first; and it is equally difficult for me to figure out how I feel about it.  Outside of that magical, whimsical feel you get from reading a particularly good child's fantasy/adventure, I really can't pinpoint exactly what to say about it.  I've got a sort of bittersweet, wistful void after completing the book, but to be honest, I'm not entirely sure I know what the book was really about.

Certainly, there were a lot of though provoking lines and dialogue.  In the end, it's one of those books  you found enjoyment in, and it stays with you for some time, even as you can't quite pinpoint why.

This book could also count towards:

• Genre: Horror -- the book is tagged as 'horror' on GR, and certainly, there were a lot of horror elements involved
• Modern Masters of Horror -- published in 2013
• Supernatural -- which goes hand in hand with Magical Realism
• Chilling Children (?) -- I don't think I saw this tagged as YA or MG, but the main time frame of the book takes place when the protagonist is only seven years old
• Monsters

Thoughts: The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book

by Neil Gaiman
*Full-Cast Production from Harper Audio
-- Sir Derek Jacobi || Book's Main Narrator
-- Robert Madge || Nobody "Bod" Owens
-- Julian Rhind-Tutt || Silas

~ Goodreads ~
~ Amazon ~

Rating:  5.0 Stars


To begin with, I'm kind of surprised (and kind of not) at how much I enjoyed this book.  Now, whether it has to do with Gaiman's book itself, or the stellar full cast audio book I listened to, I couldn't say.  But The Graveyard Book had everything my inner-child could ask for in magical wonders, paranormal quirkiness, sweetly strange humor, a cast of wonderful characters, and an adventurous and brave young hero.

Had I read this book in my youth, I would have definitely fallen head over heels in love with Bod.  As it is, I DID fall for him, but only in an admiring, endearing little brother sort of way.  He makes for a wonderful character as you follow him grow up and learn about life, both inside and outside of the Graveyard, and save the day time and time again.


The Story:
The story opens up with the murder of a small family, leaving a young baby orphaned, by someone known as the man Jack.  The magical elements begin quite immediately, as the baby somehow finds his way into the graveyard where he is taken in by the Owens couple, and a not-quite-dead individual named Silas presides over him as his official guardian.  From thence forward, Nobody Owens becomes the only living resident of the Graveyard and is kept safe and alive so long as he remains within.

The man Jack, after all, is still out there, biding his time to finish his job.

As the years go by, the boy, now known to his friends in the Graveyard as Bod, grows and develops and learns what he can.  He has a natural curiosity, an adventurous spirit, and a sweet, noble heart that sees him into a lovely young man.  But even as he loves the Graveyard as his home, and the occupants as his family and closest friends, Bod still yearns for true human companionship at times.

After all, as a living resident amidst the dead, it is only a matter of time before Bod will need to move on and live his life.


My Thoughts:
I'd like to say that I loved the entire book from start to finish, because I truly DID love this book.  My feelings of love were quite overwhelming upon finishing it and I didn't really think about the things that might have given me a reason to drop my star-rating.  But as I sit and think about how to write this review, my thoughts stray to some opinions I'd conjured up while listening to the first parts of the audio book.

Yes.  The audio cast is stellar.  And yes, the musical lead-ins for each chapter gave the story a wonderful atmospheric mood.  But I think I had found those first few chapters a bit mundane for my liking, going from Bod's little childhood adventures through exploring the graveyard, his short friendship with Scarlet, and other little events that color his life as he gets older.

Only few of those events serve to further the story, although I'm sure all of it serves to give us a taste of who Bod is as a growing boy.  It was both lovely and draggy at the same time.

Of course, none of those things really mean anything in the face of the fact that I would never be able to justify dropping my star-rating without hating myself.  After all a 4.5 Star rating and a 5.0 Star rating really makes no difference to me.  Either way, it means that I loved the book, and in my eyes, the story was near perfection.

Anyway...

I can't think of anything to say about The Graveyard Book.  I've had my troubles with Neil Gaiman books in the past, finding the books I've read merely mediocre as compared to the wonderful opinion many others have.  But on a side note, the other two books I've read were more adult-target stories.  In contrast, I find myself wondering if maybe Gaiman is a better children's' tale storyteller.  It could just be that I really just loved the audio book version of The Graveyard Book.

On a last note:  The characters are great!  Bod is great!  The conflict and resolution were a little shaky.  But if it's one thing I absolutely loved was the magical creativity of the Graveyard and the world surrounding Bod's story.

And once again, I DID get a bit teary at the ending of the book.  And I will leave it at that.


***

2016 Reading Challenges:
• Goodreads Reading Challenge
• BookLikes Reading Challenge
• Mount TBR Challenge
• 2016 Halloween Bingo

Let the Book Hangover Commence | Pre-Review Thoughts: The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book

by Neil Gaiman
*Full Cast Audio edition
-- Sir Derek Jacobi || Book's Main Narrator
-- Robert Madge || Nobody "Bod" Owens
-- Julian Rhind-Tutt || Silas

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  5.0 Stars


I might have gotten a little misty-eyed at that ending.  If anyone is wondering, I might end up having some post-book-read withdrawals.  You can find me in the Reading Cave.  I miss the Graveyard already...

Full review to come... maybe.  At least when I can stop feeling empty enough to write something intelligible.

God, this book was amazing!


***

2016 Reading Challenges:
• Goodreads Reading Challenge
• BookLikes Reading Challenge
• Mount TBR Challenge
• 2016 Halloween Bingo

Quick Thoughts: Coraline

Coraline

by Neil Gaiman

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.0 Stars


I am going to write my own long-winded summary because none of the other ones presented on Goodreads seems to lend the actual story any justice.  Of course, it is also possible that I've pretty much told the entire story already in the paraphrasing following this needless introductory paragraph.

Nonetheless, Coraline is a wonderfully charming children's adventure tale.  I'd recommend it to anyone, adult or child.


The Story:
While exploring her new home one day, Coraline discovers a locked door in the drawing room that, upon being opened, reveals a brick wall.  But after some time, she returns to the door to discover that the brick wall is gone and there is now a dark passage leading to another place--a place where there is another little house where another mother and another father await her with their shiny, creepy black button eyes.

It is an interesting adventure, she tells herself, as she explores this other home and meet all her other neighbors, all resembling her real world neighbors, though they all sport the same strange black button eyes.

But then the other mother and other father tell her that they want her to stay with them.  Forever.  They've even prepared a set of her very own shiny black button eyes that they mean to sew onto her real eyes.  Not in the least interested in staying with these other parents forever--nor does she want to wear those buttons for eyes--Coraline returns to her own world only to find that her real parents have gone missing.  And it must have been her other mother who has taken them in order to lure her back to the other world.

Which means that Coraline must return to that other world in order to rescue her parents.


Brief Thoughts:
It's been a few years since I saw the movie adaptation of Coraline, and couldn't rightly remember what it was actually about, aside from a young girl traveling to another world on an adventure.  So I couldn't even really recall much about it outside of the black cat and the creepy button eyes.

So that point is moot.

Anyway, as I already stated, Coraline is an extremely enjoyable children's book, and while the creepy button eyes were made much creepier with the illustrations in the book, I really found the story to be much more enchanting than scary.  The events are meant to be horrific to a young child, no doubt, but strewn throughout the book are also little gems of wisdom that makes Coraline an excellent read for anyone of any age.

As per Neil Gaiman, the writing is solid, and the imaginative creation of the "other house," the "other parents," and the "other world" is top-notch.  If it's one thing I love about Gaiman, it's his ability to weave a wonderful story based on an amazingly built world, even for a short children's chapter book.  One of the things I've found with previous Gaiman books I've read had always been in the fault of the execution of how the story progresses--for the most part, I've always found the storytelling a tad bit boring with a lot of drag.

Coraline is fairly straight forward, but I still couldn't help but note a little drag towards the ending of the story as Coraline plays her game against the "other mother" to rescue her parents.

But other than that, I've really got no other complaints about this book.

Wonderfully enchanting, I can see Coraline becoming a timeless classic children's tale of adventure about a young girl's bravery, her definition of love, and what life is supposed to be like, growing up and knowing how to be bored every once and a while.


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2016 Reading Challenges:
• Goodreads Reading Challenge
• BookLikes Reading Challenge
• 2016 Halloween Bingo

First Impressions and Halloween Bingo!

Ammie, Come Home by Barbara Michaels
-- Buddy Read @ Booklikes, hosted by Murder by Death

Halloween Bingo is going great so far.  I've read up to the first chapter of Ammie, Come Home just for a teaser and taste during my lunch break over the night.  The impression I get from it is a charming style, but that's about it so far.  Not much happens in this first chapter, but it's very well written and easy to read.

Looking forward to what will happen next.  I get the feeling we're just establishing character introductions right now and the excitement is yet to begin.


The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
-- Full cast audio book

I started listening to this audio book on my drive home from work... and couldn't stop listening to it to drag myself out of my car.  It's got a very whimsical feel to it.  I'm, so far, liking this one more than the other Gaiman books I've read in the past (which weren't many, really).  It could also be because the full cast audio is done quite well.

Of course, I'm still not entirely certain where the book is heading, but I'm sure things will pick up soon.


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How is everyone else's first day of Halloween Bingo going?  It'll be some time before I get my first square marked, but right now, I'm just enjoying myself too much to care.  :D

Happy reading!

Short Review: Stardust

Stardust

by Neil Gaiman

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  3.0 Stars

**Side note on 3/20/2016:  
This is the very first review I ever posted on Goodreads in 2012.  The following post has undergone no revisions prior to this re-post, because, even though it's amateurish (not that I'm a professional reviewer, by any means at present) and haphazard and short, it's got sentimental value.

Enjoy!  And thanks for stopping by!

I'm not too good at reviewing books, but here goes:

I chose this book (yes, superficially) based on the fact that I enjoyed the movie. The premise was cute and interesting and the story was written well. But I don't know if it's because of the fact that I saw the movie first, or just some forms of continuity, but the book version didn't really do much for me. Yes, I enjoyed it, but ultimately, it's not like this is something I would rave about or lose sleep over.

Nonetheless, I liked Stardust and Neil Gaiman does excellently in writing detail and painting his descriptions with his words. It just wasn't something that I would put on my favorites list since (as my only complaint) the ending was kind of bland. I really WAS expecting a whole lot more excitement towards the second half of the story line, but it almost seemed as if we were in a hurry to finish up so that we could get Tristran and Yvaine closer towards their happy ending without anything too demanding happening to them -- more paraphrased (at least that's how I felt about it) narrative than action (and I don't even mean that combats and fights and running around type of action).

Still, it was fun while it lasted.

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This review was originally posted at Goodreads in January 2012.

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