Lore Olympus v. 8

One of the best in the series so far! We got the outcome of Persephone's trial and the aftermath. The ending was awesome an we're finally getting closer to Hades and Persephone getting together together. Love it! As always, the artwork is amazing as is the way Rachel Smythe updates the classic mythology to fit the story. I can't wait for the next one! 

The Murderer Across the Hall

A haunting memoir about living with a man who turned out to be a murderer. When Chrystal and her boyfriend Tom found a cheap place to rent they were thrilled to get out of their crappy apartment. Tom had recently reconnected with an old friend and he had offered them a bedroom to rent. Chrystal wasn't thrilled with the house or with the owner, Johnny; but her boyfriend was all in so she tried to be happy about it. From the get go things were weird with Johnny, he was always on drugs and his behavior was getting more erratic. He practically trashed the basement including all the new paint they had purchased to spruce it up. He was always trash talking his ex and just seemed off. When they got the call that their house was a crime scene, little did Chrystal and Tom know what it was about. They thought it was for drugs. When they learned the truth they were horrified. This slim book is only 25 pages and holds the perspective of Chrystal. It is not an exhaustive true crime book, there is hardly anything about the murder of Hannah, it is mostly about Chrystal's experience. While good, it is very short and would be best served as a chapter in an exhaustive book about the incident. This is just one small angle. 

A Talent for Murder

First off, I loved the straightforward murder mystery aspect. This relatively slim novel hooked me right away and was a fast paced read. This was the third in the series, I had no read the previous two, but the story was still easy to follow. Martha Ratliff, a sedate librarian living in Maine has begun to suspect that her husband is up to no good when he travels the coast selling his wares. She doesn't think it's infidelity, but she does think it involves murder. Is her charming husband a serial killer?! Marth enlists the help of Lilu Kintner, a former college friend to help her dig deeper, she doesn't want to come out and accuse her husband, what if she's wrong? What Lily and her partner Henry discover goes much deeper than anyone thought. Chilling and dark, I need to check out the rest of the books in this series. 

The Spy Coast

Maggie is a retired CIA operative and she is enjoying the slower pace of life. For the past two years she has lived on a small farm in a small town in Maine. She tends to her chickens, drinks horribly bitter coffee with her neighbor Luther, and has meet-ups with a few other CIA retirees who conveniently live in the same town. When a body of a woman ends up in her driveway, Maggie knows something from her past has caught up to her. When she is shot at a few days later she knows that her time in Maine is at an end. She along with her retiree friends must get to the bottom of who is out to get her before the nosy police cop gets in the way. To uncover the threats, Maggie is finally going to have to tell her friends what happened sixteen years ago and maybe, maybe, they will be able to figure out who is after her and why. A fine book, but I didn't love the characters. I don't think I will continue with the series. 

How to Tell a True Story

This middle grade story about a teen girl losing everything but her family in a house fire is heartbreaking and full of hope. Amber Price is used to having to worry about studying for math or if the cute boy in her class has noticed her, but when a fire upends her life she hardly knows what to think. Her older brother Gage rushed into the house to save her from the attic and suffered sever burns. Everyone is calling him a hero and wants to help their family. But some things can't be helped. Their dad's stress about the insurance, their parent's deteriorating relationship, the lack of cute clothes to wear. This contemporary novel will make teens think twice about what kindness and the truth mean. 

The Paradise Problem

Christina Lauren books just keep getting better. I don't know how, but let me tell you I am here for it. The premise is borderline absurd, unbelievable, yet works SO GOOD! Anna and West got married in college so they could get cheap lodging. It was never consummated and as roommates they hardly ever saw each other. When they graduated Anna signed the divorce papers and they moved on their happy separate ways. That is until five years later. Anna has just been fired from her crappy convenience store job when West shows up asking for a favor. Turns out they had never actually been divorced and he needs her to pretend to be his wife for a tropical 10 day wedding. Oh and by the way his family is worth billions. Of course she says yes because he is willing to pay her 100,000 and that will pay off so much of her medical debt. What could go wrong? She's a broke adult who has no idea what it's like live with wealth, she can pretend to be a rich bitch.... right? Things start to go sideways when West's brother gets suspicious and when she starts to develop feelings for West. Over the top, witty, and wonderful. Christina Lauren at their best! 

Death in the Jungle

This book was so compelling and so heartbreaking. I was riveted. I knew about Jonestown, the Kool-Aid, Jim Jones, and the works. Or at least I thought I did. After reading this compelling narrative nonfiction title, I realized that it was so much worse than I ever realized. I only knew the broad strokes and author Candace Fleming did an amazing job of connecting the dots and focusing on a few key survivors to tell the story. Obviously the story starts with Jim Jones, but it goes so much more deep than that. This title is geared towards teens, but really I think it's a perfect place to start if you want to know about this tragedy. It is SO in depth and uses the testimonies of some key survivors to help set the scene and make readers understand how normal people could find themselves caught up in the web of deceit. Very well written and includes photos (none of the massacre itself thankfully). Truly moving, a fitting tribute to the survivors and a glimpse into something truly terrifying.