The Murder House

 

Once again The Murder House was the only book in the local free library.

I almost gave up on The Murder House since it is super confusing at the start. Characters are not really introduced just thrown into the story and no one is really explained until the very end which is not my preference. 

Jenna has left the big city to become a cop in a small town. Her uncle the local sheriff is happy to have a good cop on his roster. That is until Jenna starts to doubt that the right person has been caught for a brutal double murder. 

Without a doubt I am horrible at figuring out the mystery in most books but in The Murder House I figured out everything well before anything was revealed which was a huge let down for me. Despite the story being confusing at first the writing was fine and things moved along at a nice pace. 

Idle

 

I managed to do enough surveys to get a gift card for my Nook and immediately bought Idle. Thankfully I enjoyed it more then Fury. 

Lily feels like she has no future except to do drugs, party with her friends, and hide from her abuse step father. Idle in her ways no had better tell her to better herself that is until a series of unexpected events leads her to rethinking her situation. 

Like all the previous books Lily was a character with wonderful development. The reader really gets inside her head as she struggles with life and learning how to be an adult in some regards. While a serious story it also has light hearted moments and despite Lily suffering from sloth she is a likeable character.

The writing was smooth and easy to read. A couple parts were told from a side characters point of view but I felt like it enhanced the story. I felt a whole range of emotions for Lily so that is one way I judge on how well a character is written. It did take me a bit to get into the story since I got bored just reading about how all Lily wanted to do was drugs, drink, and party. I am glad I stuck with it though.

Does anyone know anything about Lust? Any rumors on when it may be released?

Among the Hidden

 

Among the Hidden was the only book in the local free library so I grabbed it. When I read the back it sounded vaguely familiar and it was not until I read a chapter or so I recalled reading this years ago.

Luke is not suppose to exist, he is a third child in a world where only two children are allowed. Hidden away his whole life he is feeling more and more alone as his privilege to leave the house or even the upstairs starts to disappear. Determined to forge his own way Luke finds a secret way to look outside and sees a face in a house across the yard. That house already has two children though. 

Obviously this is a middle school book so it was written with a younger audience in mind. Despite that the story was engaging and fast paced. The writing flowed smoothly and despite being told entirely from Luke's point of view you did feel like you got to know the handful of other characters enough to understand their point of view. If I see the rest of the series in the free library I will make sure to grab it. 

Jingle Bell Bark

 

I found Jingle Bell Bark in the local free library and since I read another store in the series I figured I would give it a try. 

Once again Melanie is caught up in a murder mystery. When her son's ever punctual bus driver is late Melanie is concerned and rightly so when she sees a new face driving the bus. Determined to find out what is wrong and getting no answers from the school Melanie with her friend visits the bus drivers house only to learn he had died of heart failure from a neighbor. Things get worse when a local detective calls Melanie demanding to know why she was in the house of the deceased, after explaining she took the two large golden retrievers so they would be cared for the detective informs her that the bus driver was murdered. Happy to let the police figure out the crime Melanie goes on with her life until the deceased's daughters enter her life, wanting as little to do with them as possible Melanie decides she must solve the case. 

I would say the Melanie mysteries are a cozy mystery without the cooking. I do like the aspect of the dogs being in every book but some of the show stuff goes over my head. However they are fun stories, well written, and cute. A good book to pass some downtime when you just want to relax. 

Angels at the Table

 

I saw Angels at the Table in the local free library so I grabbed it to give it a try. I did not realize it was part of a series. Despite it being number 7 in the series I was not confused or lost about what was going on. 

Lucie is much too busy for fun or time off work even. However when her mother insists she go out wit her friends Lucie is shocked when she runs into a cute man and they share a New Year's Eve kiss. Eren has had no time to date since he found out his wife had been cheating on him. After filing for divorce and moving across the US he is hoping for a fresh start with everything. While neither is ready for love the two cannot forget the incredible New Year's Eve kiss nor can the angels helping them let the matter fade away. 

A typical Debbie Macomber book. She likes to write happy stories with fun, some tension, and lots of sweet moments. 

Furiously Happy A Funny Book About Horrible Things

 

Furiously Happy has been on my to read list since I saw in the bookstore but since I only buy books I will read multiple times I did not get it. When visiting out of town family I checked their local free library and saw it sitting there waiting for me. Despite someone having written notes all over the book I pushed through and did my best to ignore the scribbles. 

Despite spending a good deal of time slowly reading and digesting what Jenny Lawson wrote I am still not really sure what the overall story was about? Mrs. Lawson spend time talking about mental health so was Furiously Happy just a collection of the ravings of a person with a lot of mental disorders or was it something deeper? I really could not tell you. I did enjoy the unique writing style with lots of PS and footnotes include. Some of the humor I feel went over my head, other parts felt a bit childish, and then some parts hit home. Either this is a brilliant work of literary or the writings of someone who is smart enough to make money off their wild thoughts. Either way it works. 

Starstruck

 

One night I could not decide what to read so I went to the oldest book downloaded on my Nook that I had not read and Starstruck was the winner. 

Marsha better known as M to her few friends just wants to make it through high school without getting embarrassed every day of her life. Everything changes for M though when the new transfer student starts to take interest in her over the popular cheerleaders. 

Starstruck is a hard story to review, I liked it enough to keep reading but it was a chore to pick up and start reading. Marsha had everything come to her so easily it was a joke. Things just fell in place perfectly and nothing stayed wrong for her. I did not see her having any growth or struggling to over come hurdles. None of the other characters except for M's aunt seemed interesting or anything but cookie cutter. I am not sure I liked it enough to continue on with the series or not.