What I’ve Been Reading

I just realized I haven’t posted about books since April! I’m not sure I can remember everything I’ve read since then, but I’ll try!

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

This was a very long book. Very. I enjoyed it but not as much as some of my friends who really love this series. It’s a love story and a time travel book all in one. It’s set in the Scottish Highlands which was also interesting. There’s lots of historical details too. I think I’d like it better when my brain isn’t so fuzzy so I might give it another try later when the chemo gets totally out of my brain!

Gone by James Patterson

I’m about done with James Patterson. I read his books because I’ve loved him for so long, but lately I’ve been so disappointed. I feel like his books are especially mediocre when he writes with a partner. Anyone else feel this way? This is in the Detective Michael Bennett series. His family is in hiding in California because Bennett put away a major drug cartel leader and then the leader escaped and is now after his family. It sounds good, but I skimmed most of it because it was boring. None of that Patterson suspense and excitement here. Skip it.

Burn by James Patterson

This book follows Gone and focuses on Bennett and his family after they return from California. This was way better than Gone, but still not great. It follows several different stories that all tie together in the end: jewelry thieves, cannibals and Bennett’s new position within NYPD. It was decent but not great. I also dislike how Patterson has started ending his books so abruptly lately. Sometimes that can be effective, but not here.

Gathering Prey by John Sanford

Sanford is another one of my favorite authors. I love his Lucas Davenport novels and this one did not disappoint. Lucas after a tribe of serial killers after his daughter, Letty, befriends a “traveler” while at college in California. These are really crazy killers. The adventure takes them from Minnesota to Wisconsin to Michigan as they track down and try to stop this group. It was very action-packed and very typical (in a good way) of Sanford’s Prey novels. If you like his books, you’ll enjoy this one.

Die Again by Tess Gerritsen

This is in the Rizzoli and Isles series, if you’ve ever read those before. Rizzoli and Isles are trying to solve a bizarre murder involving rare African animals and a renowned big game hunter and taxidermist. It alternates back and forth between the detectives and the survival story of a woman on safari six years prior. Gerritsen brilliantly weaves these two stories together and they come together in an unexpected ending. I haven’t read all of the Rizzoli and Isles books (only two actually) so this is definitely a stand-alone novel. I am terrified of animals so that added another layer of suspense for me! It’s suspenseful and a fast read. I loved it!

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

I loved Gone Girl and was definitely willing to give another Flynn book a try. It did not disappoint. It was awesome! The main character, Libby Day, is a survivor of her family’s massacre. She testified, at 7 years old, that her brother was the murderer. It is now 25 years later and a the “Kill Club” wants Libby to reinvestigate the case as they think her brother is innocent. Libby is a hot mess and needs money so she agrees to do it as long as they pay her. She discovers the truth and that’s all I can say! It is a very good book with lots of twists and turns and excitement.

What have your read lately?