Review: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn Narrated by Ann Marie Lee

 

This is the third Gillian Flynn book I've read (all have been audible versions). The other reviews are available on this blog, use the search bar within the blog and type in Gillian Flynn and they should pop up. 

This is by far my favorite of her works. The story follows Camille, a journalist living in Chicago that gets sent back to her hometown to investigate the death and disappearance of two young girls. Camille has a difficult relationship with this town, having not wanted to return, but needing this article to boost her credentials at her job. She is forced to stay at home with her mother, who she doesn't have a good relationship with, and interact with her younger sister who she doesn't know and is significantly younger than she is. As Camille digs deeper into the mystery, her own life begins to unravel and she discovers dark things about her past. 

I really enjoyed this book. Gillian Flynn does a great job of writing very complex women. Camille is much more complicated than she seems at first and has some dark secrets that she's hiding. She's very smart, she knows how to get people to let them interview her and she knows where to look to get information. Her mother is also a very interesting character, the perfect picture of a southern woman, but who doesn't love her eldest daughter. There's a clash between those two things. Then there's her younger sister Amma who acts like the perfect daughter at home but terrorizes everyone in town. The relationship she and Camille develop is an interesting one. 

I will say that compared to the other books I've read of hers, Dark Places and Gone Girl, some of the twists were a little too predictable for me. I didn't figure everything out, but I figured out more much earlier than I usually do when reading her books. The story is still fantastic. The characters are interesting. The setting of the small town is perfect for this story. 

I definitely recommend this to mystery/thriller lovers. The ending had me stressed so it was definitely a good thriller. There are of course content warnings, the obvious: death of children, kidnapping, murder. There's also alcohol abuse, drug abuse, sexual content, graphic details of the murders, mentions of self-harm, and more. As always I recommend StoryGraph for a full list of content warnings as provided by other readers. (I highly recommend checking out StoryGraph even if you aren't looking for content warnings. It's a great place to keep track of your reading and you can follow/friend me a ayearinbookswithzoe.) If you are sensitive to certain material, I do recommend looking at those content warnings because this book has a lot going on. 

If you're not interested in reading/listening to the book, but it sounds interesting, it is a series on HBO Max. And while you're at it, go check out The Last of Us which is what I am currently watching (it's super good). 

If you can't get enough of me in between blog posts, I am active all over social media. 

You can find me on GoodReads and StoryGraph at ayearinbookswithzoe. 

I am on Tiktok and Instagram @ayearinbookswithzoe. 

I am on Twitter @yearinbookszoe. 

I am on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@ayearinbookswithzoe4617. 

I am on Reedsy Discovery at https://reedsy.com/discovery/user/zooxanthellaedeckard.

As always happy reading, and I will see you soon. 

Review: Ice Planet Honeymoon: Aehako & Kira by Ruby Dixon

 

So I usually read these as bonuses in the pretty new printed versions of the Ice Planet Barbarians series. However, I read Aehako and Kira's book on Kindle Unlimited and the honeymoon was not included so I had to read it separately. For me, the IPB books are comfort reads. The stories tend to be very sweet with happy endings which is what we all need sometimes. As I am currently going through a tough period, I needed something light to lift me out of the deep sadness that I've been sinking into. 

This story follows Aehako and Kira who are pregnant and learning to live in a cave separate from the main cave. I personally really loved their story so it was really nice to revisit. In this, Aehako is very worried about Kira and her pregnancy so they venture back to the main cave to have Kira get checked on by the healer. We of course get to follow along with their honeymoon adventure. 

The spice level on this is mild, it's mostly mushy lovey stuff. It's a fun read if you've already read Kira and Aehako's story and just need some more. For content warnings, there is sexual content, mentions of child loss, and more. StoryGraph has a full list of content reviews are provided by other readers. 

As always, happy reading. 

Review: Darklight by Bella Forest Narrated by Stacy Glemboski

 

I read this book on Audible, however, it is unfortunately no longer available there for purchase. It is also not available on Amazon or any other site that I am aware of. You may be able to find a copy on the site Thriftbooks. The books are available for a bundled purchase on the author's website Bella Forest Books. I believe the ebook bundle is about $40. If you are interested in the audiobooks, I found them online, but they are pretty pricey at $15.99 each. The link for that is Bella Forest Audio. Personally, this is a bit annoying as I would much prefer to have them available on Kindle or Audible. I am still trying to decide if I liked the first book enough to purchase more. I believe that these books likely went out of print and that is the reason they are only available used or digitally on the author's website. 

darklight takes place in a version of the human world in which vampires have plagued people. A secret military organization tasked with taking down the vampires until they mysteriously disappear. After the vampires' disappearance, creatures called redbirds begin plaguing humans. These are giant birds that eat people and are very difficult to kill. Our main character is Lyra Stone, one of the lieutenants tasked with killing these redbirds. While out on a mission, Lyra is snatched up by one of the bigger birds. Later on a different mission, a mysterious man grabs Lyra and she finds out vampires aren't as dead as they were believed to be. 

Lyra is forced to question everything she's ever been taught about vampires when Dorrian, the previously mentioned mysterious man, tells her the vampires need humans to give them asylum. This begins the process of trying to test vampire trustworthiness. Unfortunately, everything is not as it seems. 

I really enjoyed listening to this book. It was a lot of fun and seemed to be well-written to me. With the resurgence in interest in vampire stories, I think this is one you should be sure to check out. Lyra is a badass character who is very caring about other beings. It is more of a new adult book (Lyra is in her early twenties). There is a little romance, but the focus of the first book is a lot more on learning about vampires and how to work with them. Lyra definitely doesn't lose herself in her romantic interest which I really like. I am pretty tempted to read the next book because I did enjoy the first and want to find out what happens to the vampires and humans, I'm just a little annoyed about the previously mentioned bundle price. (It is 9 books in the bundle so it ends up being about $4.44 per book which is a pretty good deal). 

Overall, I really enjoyed listening to this book. The narrator does a good job of reading and doing voices for each of the characters. This is a fun book that helped take my mind off of some difficult things that have been happening in my life recently. As far as content warnings, be aware of murder, blood, violence, body horror, and more. Unfortunately, StoryGraph does not have any content warnings, but I will make a note to add some of my own soon. 

As always, happy reading. 

Review: Dani Capello: Shadows of Men by M.S. Izbicki

 Dani Capello finds herself in a bit of trouble which results in her aunt shipping her off to an all-girls Catholic boarding school. At first, she hates it, but she soon makes friends and begins enjoying a typical high school experience. She grows incredibly close with a girl named Emma, a bookish girl with a soft heart. The two become inseparable with Emma often spending the night in Dani's room to avoid bothering her roommate after their late-night adventures. As the book continues, Dani reads more and more newspapers detailing the dangerous mob activity happening close to her home to people involved in her uncle's business. The closer she and Emma become, the more dangerous her family's actions seem to Dani.

I really enjoyed this book. I would definitely consider it a coming-of-age story. Dani is a fascinating character, the quiet brooding type, and pairs really well with Emma, the caring type. I like the exploration of girls' friendship during high school, especially through the lens of being at an all-girls school. The girls get along pretty well despite their differing personalities and circumstances. I enjoyed the exploration of sexuality in this book especially the discussion of the difficulties of coming out to friends and family even in the 21st century. I appreciated that despite the worry about other people finding out, Dani accepted her sexuality pretty easily. I think that is a very refreshing perspective as opposed to characters being uncomfortable with who they are. Although, Dani definitely shows some discomfort. I enjoyed the relationship dynamic between Dani and Emma and think that Dani really needed Emma to open herself up to other people. I think the writing is well done. The dialogue is realistic for the character's age range. The mob aspect is interesting, especially through the lens of a character that is not directly involved in the mob.

I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I enjoyed reading it and found it very interesting and engaging. I think readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories and sapphic stories would really enjoy this book. I will say that readers should be aware of content warnings. The book has gun violence, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, abortion, homophobia, sexual assault, implied pedophilia, and more. I think that the content of each of these issues is handled well though and does not go overboard.

Review: My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

 

I've wanted to read this book for a while, but I kept forgetting about it until I went to a local bookstore, BookPeople, in Austin, Texas, and picked it up. (Support local businesses, especially if you're going in). I'm really glad that I decided to pick it up because it was actually really good. 

The author, Oyinkan Braithwaite is from Nigeria and that is where the book takes place. The style of writing is a bit different from what I'm used to but I found it very refreshing and perfect for the story. This story is told by Korede who is the older sister to Ayoola, who has killed 3 of her boyfriends. When Ayoola kills a boyfriend, she calls Korede to clean up the mess. This time though, Ayoola's killed the wrong man and his family has the police investigate it. The pressure is rising on the sisters when Ayoola decides to visit Korede at the hospital she works at and catches the eye of the doctor Korede is in love with. 

As a relationship develops between Ayoola and Korede's crush, Korede becomes increasingly distrustful of her younger sister. She begins to question if these murders were really self-defense. This is a book that made me question how far should one go for their loved one. Korede does everything for her sister, but at the end of the book I was left wondering if that was the right thing for her to do. This is a very interesting book with occasional flashbacks to Korede and Ayoola's father, who was a cruel man. I found myself rooting for Korede, but I wonder if I should have been. Her situation was very unfair, but sometimes that's the draw of birth. 

If you are looking for an interesting book with a lot of darkness, I highly recommend checking this one out. If you're like me and looking for more books to read by people of color this year, again this is a book to check out. For content warnings, there is murder, blood, abuse, and more. For a full list of content warnings, check out StoryGraph. 

As always, happy reading. 

Review: Charm by Tracy Wolff

 

The Crave series finally got me hooked on reading again in 2021. If you haven't read it yet, I recommend skipping this review as it has potential spoilers for the series. Essentially, the series follows Grace who in the first book, Crave, finds herself at Katmere Academy in Alaska following the death of her parents. Although she's moving in with her Uncle Finn and cousin Macy, she quickly discovers that Katmere isn't all that it seems as odd things begin to happen. And of course, there's a boy, a very handsome brooding boy. Grace finds an instant attraction to him, but getting involved with him seems to get her into trouble or maybe get her out of it. The first book is a little rough with some silly language like "AF" and the use of hashtags. However, the following books get much better and Tracy writes the funniest chapter titles I've read. The other books look a lot at how we are more powerful when we let ourselves rely on the strengths of our friends. Overall, I think the books give a good message of girl power, the power of friendship, some good old teenage romance, and paranormal creatures of course. These are the books I would've had instead of Twilight as a younger me. 

Here's where the actual review of Charm begins. In this book, we find out what happened while Grace and Hudson were trapped inside her mind. The two wake up and find themselves in a strange version of Hudson's lair with a giant dragon constantly trying to break in. Grace is apprehensive about Hudson, trusting what Jackson told her about him being evil. However, as the two are forced to get to know each other more, Grace finds herself questioning this. Filled with learning how to be friends with the thought to be an enemy, adventures in a purple land, fighting dragons, and time jumping, this book is an absolute joy. I will admit I was nervous that it would be boring. I thought it would just be lovey stuff that I would be trying to keep reading, however, Tracy never fails to impress and wove a story that I was not expecting. 

I loved watching Grace and Hudson fall in love again, well actually, I guess fall in love for the first time. I have been on team Hudson since the moment he was introduced (physically rather than just by name). As much as I like Jackson, I liked Hudson far better for Grace and for myself of course. He's just the right kind of angsty while still having some hope that he tries to hide. He's smart, funny, and he believes in Grace full-heartedly. If your significant other doesn't believe in your abilities, kick them to the curb. 

Anyways, I really enjoyed this book. It was very fun although I will admit by the end of it I was a little bit ready to be done. I'm excited to see what Tracy has in store for us in Cherish and her spin-off series with Remy. If you liked the rest of the series, I highly recommend checking this book out. If you haven't read the series yet, sorry for the spoilers, but get on reading it. It's fun feeling those bubbly teenage feelings again even as an adult. As far as content warnings go, be aware there is somewhat graphic content, mildly graphic sexual content, death, and more. As always, I point my readers to StoryGraph for a full list of content warnings as provided by other readers. 

As always, happy reading and I'll see you soon. 

I forgot to mention. I actually met Tracy Wolff and had her sign my copy of this book for me. Here's Tracy and me at said signing. She is such a sweet person and told me I was badass for graduating college and was excited about me going to library school. If you're a fan and get the chance to meet her, I highly recommend doing so.  

With All My Love

 

Usually, I know what to say, but this is one of those times when everything I write seems to come out wrong. Nothing seems to do justice to this woman who I loved and who loved so deeply. If you knew my grandma, you know there aren't enough words in our language to describe how truly wonderful she was. Still, I process with words, so I'm going to do my best to form them. 

I love this picture of my grandmother. I feel it shows just how silly and full of joy for life she was. In many of the memories people have shared over these past two weeks, most have been of her smiling and of her enjoying her experience on this earth. My grandmother is a person who mastered finding contentedness in life and even more than that in finding joy. In the face of a world filled with challenges, I watched as she enjoyed the beautiful things. She lived in a house she bought a few years before I was born where she could enjoy the beauty of a lake that spread out before her balcony. That view brought her so much happiness. 

She got to enjoy when the grandkids were young and her children would bring them out to spend hours in the hot Texas sun playing in the water. She enjoyed watching the birds glitter around and provided them supplies for their nests. She got to watch her children and grandchildren grow up. The last few times I saw my grandmother, she would be so overcome with joy at how we grandchild had turned out that she'd have tears in her eyes. 

She was a proud lady and not very humble about it. I often heard her say that we were a very talented family. Of course, she wasn't wrong, we have actors, musicians, artists, sports stars, and more in our family. Although I suppose each of us has to have something when there are 21 grandchildren. 

My grandmother was one of my first supporters when it came to my writing. When I was a child and carried around a notebook, she always insisted on reading my work. I remember her telling my dad once that I was writing a little mature for my age. (Makeout scenes in a story written by a fourth grader are a little alarming). She always took an interest in my writing. And when I changed my path and decided to go into government, she supported me despite her lifelong commitment to republicanism and my raging liberal mindset. She was excited too when I once again changed my mind and switched to library science. She had wanted to connect me with the librarians out in Canyon Lake so I could come stay with her. 

I never got to tell her that I've started writing again. Not just these posts, but I've been working on a story. I'm not sure I would've wanted her to read it (it's definitely mature, although I am an adult now), but I know she would've been excited and I probably would've given in and let her see at least a little. 

My grandma was one of my great-loves. I love my family tremendously, but she had a very special place in my heart and soul. There was no way for me to prepare myself for the all-consuming sense of loss I feel now that she's gone. To know I'll never have her make elephant noises at me and a gesture for a trunk to let me know I need to straighten my back, to never have her hug me, to never see her smile, to never hear one of her silly stories, all feels overwhelming. 

But when I'm not in tears over my sadness at losing her, I'm in tears over the memories of loving her. I'm grateful for having known her as I know many people are. She taught me the importance of caring. She dedicated her life to working toward making other people's lives better. She worked with children with disabilities and believed in the tough kids when no one else did. She volunteered for CASA because she couldn't keep herself from helping people who needed her even after retiring. She was always there for my dad, my brother, and I when we needed her. She went to hundreds of concerts, plays, games, award ceremonies, birthday parties, and more. She traveled all over the country. She brought joy to every person she interacted with. 

So even as this sense of loss overwhelms me, I think of what she'd want. I know she'd want the people she loved to keep going. She'd want us to keep enjoying the little things and above all else to hold on to our joy. For her, I'm doing my best to find things to keep me joyful, to keep me motivated, and to keep me creative. 

My grandmother was a book buyer, a hobby I probably learned from her. Like her, many of my books are unread or have a bookmark only a few pages in. I think I can speak for both of us in the statement that it's not always about reading the books, sometimes it's about knowing they're there. It's knowing there's the option to pick one up and escape or learn something new. It's feeling like you're surrounded by old friends. Although I have made an effort to sell or donate some of my books, I know that like her I will one day live in a house in which there are books in every room, in every possible space. And although I know that is something she will never get to see, I can still picture her enjoyment of coming into a home that looks not so different from her own and being surrounded by books. 

Although she's gone, she's still with me, I can still see her smile, hear her voice, and feel the softness of her skin. My grandmother is imprinted deeply into my mind and soul. I am so grateful for having known her, having learned compassion from her, and having been loved by her. 

All my love to you, Grandma. 

Review: The Hunter by Jennifer Herrera

 

I received this book as an advanced reader copy through Netgalley. It came out earlier this week on January 10th. This was also my first read of 2023. 

The Hunter follows Leigh, a former NYPD detective who gets let go when she pulls her gun on her partner letting a suspect escape. Her decision leads her husband to leave her and her without a job while trying to take care of her daughter. Her brother calls her and asks her to come back home to their small town in order to solve the mysterious deaths of three men who died from drowning together. 

Leigh takes her daughter, tells her husband they're headed home (which he very much opposes), and returns to the house she grew up in, in Copper Falls. Leigh never meant to come back, she was too big for such a small town and always eager to leave it. When she gets there, she finds that no one wants to help in her investigation, not the chief of police, the victims' friends and families, or the coroner seem interested in helping her. Her brother keeps trying to get her to focus on their everyday duties. 

As Leigh delves deeper into the deaths, she finds that the secrets of the town are not what she expected and the issues revolving around the deaths of these three men are much more complicated than some ritual. And Leigh herself is much more complicated than she seems to be. 

This book is full of mystery but has nice added slice-of-life moments having to do with Leigh's daughter and uncles. Although the book is advertised as suspense, horror, and thriller, I would argue that doesn't really fit the story. There are mysterious aspects, but I didn't find myself as invested as I would in a thriller/suspense novel. I was surprised by the facts unfolding, but there was definitely a "wow" factor missing for it to be what I would consider a thriller. 

The book is good: it's interesting, the plot is unexpected, and the characters are complex. I would just say that for me, it's missing the aspect of "what's happening?" "is everything going to be okay?" that I think is needed for a thriller. On top of that, I feel like Leigh as a character puts on this projection of being a "good" cop, but then when there are issues with the police force she acts upset before doing nothing. That disappointed me. 

Overall, the book was good. If you enjoy mysteries, I would recommend you check it out. It definitely had a lot of interesting story elements. You may even find it to be a thriller. For content warnings, I would say that obviously, this is a police-heavy book so that's something to be aware of, there is the discussion of racism/racial prejudice, parent death, terminal illness, drowning, murder, and more. As always, I recommend StoryGraph for a full list of possible content warnings as provided by other readers, however, they are limited given the newness of this book. 

As always, happy reading, and I will be back soon with more reviews. If you want more content from me, you can find me on social media. 

Instagram: @ayearinbookswithzoe

Youtube: @ayearinbookswithzoe 

Tiktok: @ayearinbookswithzoe 

Twitter: @yearinbookszoe 

You can also connect with me on Goodreads and StoryGraph if you want to stay up-to-date with what I'm reading, how my yearly goals are going, and what books I have on my reading list. 

Review: Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land Narrated by the author

 

Some of you may have seen this on Netflix. I listened to this audiobook in December. 

Maid tells the story of Stephanie Land who grew up middle class and had dreams of going to college. Those things changed when she found out she was pregnant and decided to keep the baby. Her boyfriend responded with violence eventually leading to her moving out when the child was very small. This leads to her experience with homelessness and trying to use government assistance programs to get by. 

Land worked difficult jobs cleaning houses for barely any money. She put herself through community college whilst doing this work, studying, and doing homework when her daughter was asleep. She talks about the difficulties of living with the stigma of being on government assistance programs. She talks about how difficult it was to maintain her child's health with restrictions on the foods she could buy and mold growing in the apartment she could afford. 

Land's book shows readers what it's like to live in poverty. She explains how difficult it is to get out of poverty when small pay increases result in the loss of benefits making saving money impossible. The book details the cycle that is poverty in which it is a struggle to get out and everyone shows harsh judgment to the ones living in it. However, this story isn't all hardship. Land details the joyful moments of watching her daughter play and grow up. She talks about the awkwardness of dating, finding friends, and interacting with other parents. 

This is a book I highly recommend to people who cast judgment on people living on government assistance programs. Land's story shows that the stereotypes we often hear about the types of people on these programs are false. The reality is, no one wants to live in such harsh poverty that they're forced to go through the long process of signing up for these programs and proving they belong in them. 

Land leaves her readers with a hopeful message having finally made it to where she felt she always belonged. Her goal to be a writer obviously has come true given the publication of this work. 

Content warnings to be aware of are domestic violence, classism, child endangerment (on the part of the father), and more. As always I point readers in the direction of StoryGraph for a full list of possible content warnings as provided by other readers. If you're looking for a good memoir to read in 2023, this is one I'd recommend. 

As always happy reading and I'll see you soon. 

Review: Starlight Jewel: Gifts of the Auldtree, Book One by E.L. Lyons

 

I was able to read this book through a website I do book reviews with called Reedsy. I have done some other reviews with that site but this is by far the best book I've read there yet. I cannot recommend it enough. I really enjoyed it and can't wait for more to come out. 

Axly is the Starlight Jewel but she has to leave the company under harsh circumstances in order to protect her brother and the balance of her world. Her brother, a strange little boy with gifts that unnerve Axly and an aversion to touch, has been taught by Axly to play a game intended to keep them both alive. If the boy’s existence was revealed, he’d be a danger to the world and in danger himself. Despite leaving her position for her brother, she’s found and thrust back into her life. She must do everything she can to protect her brother even if that means seducing sulky, handsome generals.

The fantasy element of this book is super fascinating. The tree creatures that procreate with humans to create the hybrids are a unique and refreshing element to this fantasy novel. Axly is a character that is complicated but easy to root for and her desire to protect her brother is something many siblings can relate to. The character development is well done with unique characters with distinct personalities and wants. I couldn’t help but turn each page to the next eager to find out what would happen next. The abilities of heartseer, keenears, softstep, etc make for an interesting group of enemies and heroes. I found myself wondering who I could trust and how invested I should get in each of the characters. The writing is excellent. Lyons is able to paint detailed pictures and emotions with words.

I highly recommend this to readers who love fantasy and even those who don’t. As someone who tends to get lost in the complicated aspects of fantasy, I was able to follow along pretty well. I think nature lovers will get a kick out of the story as well as the idea of humanoid trees is awesome to me. I will mention possible content warnings of physical violence, implied sexual intimacy, death, and death of a parent as the main ones. As always, I point my readers to StoryGraph for a better list of content warnings (this book is newer so there are fewer warnings listed). I think this is a great book for lovers of a good story and a good one to choose for those looking to take their first dip into fantasy. I can’t wait to recommend this to all my reader friends.

Happy new year! Happy reading as well. 

Review: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn Narrated by Mark Deakins, Rebecca Lowman, and Cassandra Cambell

 

I would argue this book is better than Gine Girl. The storyline and characters are more interesting and I didn't find myself hating everyone in the book. 

This story follows Libby Day, the lone survivor of her family's murders excluding her brother who was sent to prison for said murders. Libby has lived her whole life off the money sent to her after the murders and has believed wholeheartedly that her brother is guilty. It's not until she's faced with a dwindling bank account that she accepts an offer to meet with true crime fanatics groups obsessed with her family's murder. The group begins to make her question whether her brother really did kill everyone. She begins returning to her past to find out the truth of what happened. 

The book features sections in the present in which the reader goes with Libby as she tries to find the truth and sections from the day her family was killed by her brother, Ben, and her mother, Patty. Slowly, the reader pieces together what really happened that night. The storyline is fascinating. The narrators do an excellent job of giving voice to the characters. I found myself rooting for Ben, losing hope in Ben, and so on. I was not expecting the ending at all which is something I love in this type of book. 

If you like a good crime novel, I highly recommend checking this one out. I also recommend the audiobook if that's something you like. As far as content warnings go, I would say beware of gore, death, murder, child abuse, mentions of sexual assault, and more. As always, I turn my readers to StoryGraph for a full list of possible content warnings as provided by other readers. 

As always happy reading, and I'll see you all in 2023.