2014 was an interesting year in reading. According to my Goodreads reading challenge, I read 56 books. Many were read for the “Mysteries From Every State Challenge,” three (Carthage, Shutter Island, The Round House) made it to my top 10. The books are not in any particular order. Moloka’i, Alan Brennert This novel was […]
Tag Archives: novels
June
18
Vast Arizona: The Blessing Way, Tony Hillerman
posted by lasesana
***3/4 Harper Torch, 1970 ISBN 0061000019 (ISBN13: 9780061000010) Part of the Mysteries from Every State challenge This was the first Tony Hillerman book I read, and I can say it was just what I expected: well written, entertaining, and very descriptive of the setting. The book starts with the discovery of a corpse in the […]
June
12
“Pretty” Rhode Island: The Sculptor, Gregory Funaro
posted by lasesana
**1/2 Pinnacle, 2009 ISBN 0786022124 (ISBN13: 9780786022120) Part of the Mysteries from Every State Challenge This is the kind of book where the idea was better than the actual story. “The Sculptor” is a serial killer who disposes of his victims to replicate famous statues by Michelangelo by using real body parts for his creations. […]
June
09
Fear and Loathing in Colorado: The Shining, Stephen King
posted by lasesana
***** Hodder & Stoughton, 1977 ISBN 0450040186 (ISBN13: 9780450040184) Part of the Mysteries from Every State Challenge I can’t believe it took me so long to read this book, especially because I love the movie so much. However, no matter how much I like Kubrick, the book is much better. In the spirit of full […]
June
03
Tedium and cliché in Connecticut: Two Little Girls in Blue, Mary Higgins Clark
posted by lasesana
* Pocket Books, 2007 ISBN 0743497295 (ISBN13: 9780743497299) Part of the Mysterious USA Mystery reading challenge This is probably a book I should have put down after the first chapter. I can’t remember reading Mary Higgins Clark, but I thought that since she was so popular, the novel would be pretty good. WRONG! The story […]
May
13
Ghosts Walking in Vermont: The Winter People, Jennifer McMahon
posted by lasesana
** Doubleday, 2014 ISBN 0385538499 (ISBN13: 9780385538497) Part of the Mysteries from Every State Reading Challenge While this book had potential, it fell kind of flat from the outset. Its dual timelines follow the residents of an old farmhouse near a rock formation known as the Devil’s Hand, near the small town of West Hall, Vermont. […]
May
07
Sinister Missouri: The Weight of Blood, Laura McHugh
posted by lasesana
Spiegel & Grau, 2014 ISBN 0812995201 (ISBN13: 9780812995206) ***3/4 Part of the Mysteries from Every State Reading Challenge “If the wolf wants in, he’ll find a way.” Laura McHugh’s The Weight of Blood takes place in Henbane, a fictional town in the Ozarks. I was genuinely surprised at how much I liked this book, and it […]
May
01
Injustice in North Dakota: The Round House, Louise Erdrich
posted by lasesana
***** Harper Collins, 2012 ISBN 0062065246 (ISBN13: 9780062065247) Part of the Mysteries from Every State Reading Challenge The Round House dealt with a lot of serious issues, from Native American rights to rape to revenge. Beautifully written and expertly told, Louise Erdrich’s novel was perfect for the Mysteries from Every State Reading Challenge. The entire book […]
April
13
Life-changing Decisions in Pittsburgh: Taken, Kathleen George
posted by lasesana
***3/4 Dell, 2001 ISBN 0440236614 (ISBN13: 9780440236610) Part of the Mysteries from Every State Reading Challenge Sometimes the split-second decisions we make define our character, who we really are under all pretentions and all attempts to be “good” or “just” or “virtuous.” Sometimes those decisions can change the course of a person’s life. The premise of […]
April
02
In Biker Shorts in New Jersey: One for the Money, Janet Evanovich
posted by lasesana
**** St. Martin’s Griffin, 1994 ISBN 0312362080 (ISBN13: 9780312362089) Part of the Mysteries from Every State Reading Challenge I enjoyed One for the Money much more than I thought I would. Written in 1994, before The Sopranos or The Jersey Shore, Evanovich’s novel portrays the Jersey stereotype in a way that has been over-satirized in the […]
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