The January Book Report

I shared my reading plans for this year last week and now I'm back with the four books I finished this month!  Affiliate links used. A small commission may be received if you purchase an item through my links. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane

Goodreads Synposis:

Since We Fell follows Rachel Childs, a former journalist who, after an on-air mental breakdown, now lives as a virtual shut-in. In all other respects, however, she enjoys an ideal life with an ideal husband. Until a chance encounter on a rainy afternoon causes that ideal life to fray. As does Rachel’s marriage. As does Rachel herself. Sucked into a conspiracy thick with deception, violence, and possibly madness, Rachel must find the strength within herself to conquer unimaginable fears and mind-altering truths. By turns heart- breaking, suspenseful, romantic, and sophisticated, Since We Fell is a novel of profound psychological insight and tension. It is Dennis Lehane at his very best. 

Thoughts:

This is my first Lehane novel and it was EPIC. I never knew how much I liked the thriller genre but between this and The Girl on the Train, I think I'm hooked. This is already one of my favorite books read of 2018- how's that for a bold proclamation. 

Stars:

5 out of 5

Buy the book here

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas

Goodreads Synopsis:

Chaol Westfall has always defined himself by his unwavering loyalty, his strength, and his position as the Captain of the Guard. But all of that has changed since the glass castle shattered, since his men were slaughtered, since the King of Adarlan spared him from a killing blow, but left his body broken.

His only shot at recovery lies with the legendary healers of the Torre Cesme in Antica—the stronghold of the southern continent's mighty empire. And with war looming over Dorian and Aelin back home, their survival might lie with Chaol and Nesryn convincing its rulers to ally with them.

But what they discover in Antica will change them both—and be more vital to saving Erilea than they could have imagined.

Thoughts:

This book redeemed the series for me. I loved everything about it and now I sit and wait until the final installation comes out late this year (October!!!)

Stars:

5 out of 5

Buy the book here

Origin by Dan Brown

Goodreads Synopsis:

Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the ultramodern Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao to attend a major announcement—the unveiling of a discovery that “will change the face of science forever.” The evening’s host is Edmond Kirsch, a forty-year-old billionaire and futurist whose dazzling high-tech inventions and audacious predictions have made him a renowned global figure. Kirsch, who was one of Langdon’s first students at Harvard two decades earlier, is about to reveal an astonishing breakthrough . . . one that will answer two of the fundamental questions of human existence.

As the event begins, Langdon and several hundred guests find themselves captivated by an utterly original presentation, which Langdon realizes will be far more controversial than he ever imagined. But the meticulously orchestrated evening suddenly erupts into chaos, and Kirsch’s precious discovery teeters on the brink of being lost forever. Reeling and facing an imminent threat, Langdon is forced into a desperate bid to escape Bilbao. With him is Ambra Vidal, the elegant museum director who worked with Kirsch to stage the provocative event. Together they flee to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch’s secret.

Navigating the dark corridors of hidden history and extreme religion, Langdon and Vidal must evade a tormented enemy whose all-knowing power seems to emanate from Spain’s Royal Palace itself... and who will stop at nothing to silence Edmond Kirsch. On a trail marked by modern art and enigmatic symbols, Langdon and Vidal uncover clues that ultimately bring them face-to-face with Kirsch’s shocking discovery... and the breathtaking truth that has long eluded us.

Thoughts:

I'm a Brown fan, his novels always excite me though I may not agree with what he writes I still enjoy myself in his care. This is not as exciting as say the DaVinci Code but still action-packed.

Stars:

4 out of 5

Buy the book here

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

Goodreads Synopsis:

Everywhere hailed as a novel of rare beauty and power, White Oleander tells the unforgettable story of Ingrid, a brilliant poet imprisoned for murder, and her daughter, Astrid, whose odyssey through a series of Los Angeles foster homes--each its own universe, with its own laws, its own dangers, its own hard lessons to be learned--becomes a redeeming and surprising journey of self-discovery.

Thoughts:

When I was 17 I had a very strange attraction to this book. I would reread the jacket cover but never bought the book. I think that was also the time the movie had come out so it seemed to pop out at me everywhere. Well, after 15 years(!!!) I finally read this gem and it was just as good if not more beautifully written than I had imagined it would be. You know that song lyric, "There's beauty in the breakdown"? That sums up this novel. It is now on my to do list to watch the movie (I adore Michelle Pfiffer) and read more of Fitch's works.

Stars:

4 out of 5

Buy the book here | DVD

The Last Mrs Parrish by Liv Constantine

Goodreads Synopsis:

A mesmerizing debut psychological thriller full of delicious twists about a coolly manipulative woman who worms her way into the lives of a wealthy “golden couple” from Connecticut to achieve the privileged life she wants.

Amber Patterson is fed up. She’s tired of being a nobody: a plain, invisible woman who blends into the background. She deserves more—a life of money and power like the one blond-haired, blue-eyed goddess Daphne Parrish takes for granted. To everyone in the exclusive town of Bishops Harbor, Connecticut, Daphne and her husband, Jackson—the beautiful philanthropist and the confident real estate mogul—are a golden couple straight out of a fairytale, blessed with two lovely young daughters.

Amber’s envy could eat her alive . . . if she didn't have a plan. Amber uses Daphne’s compassion and caring to insinuate herself into the family’s life—the first step in a meticulous scheme to undermine her. Before long, Amber is Daphne’s closest confidante, traveling to Europe with the Parrish family, and growing closer to Jackson. But a skeleton from her past may undermine everything that Amber has worked towards, and if it is discovered, her well-laid plan may fall to pieces.

With shocking turns and dark secrets that will keep you guessing until the very end, The Last Mrs. Parrish is a fresh, juicy, and utterly addictive thriller from a diabolically imaginative talent. 

Thoughts:

If The Talented Mr Ripley and Single White Female had a baby, it would be this book. I couldn't put this book down (I finished it in two days!) and for the most part was able to figure out what was going to happen but it still had that element of surprise. It also ended exactly right. 

Stars:

5 out of 5

Buy the book here

Book counter: 5/30