#ThrowbackThursday – 2019 Favorite Call Me Star Girl #Orentober #TBT @Orendabooks

Today is Thursday, and in the spirit of celebrating all things Orenda during #Orentober month I will be joining #ThrowbackThursday and share a previously published review of a Orenda favorite. Deciding which book to choose out of all the fantastic books I’ve had the chance to read so far has been tricky, but the honor this week goes to one of my 2019 top favorites: Call Me Star Girl by Louise Beech. This book made me an instant fan of her work and words fail to describe just how bloody fantastic this story is. In case you are curious, I’m resharing my rambles first posted back in May…

Title: Call Me Star Girl
Author: Louise Beech
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
First published: April 18th 2019
Publisher: Orenda Books
Finished reading: May 23rd 2019
Pages: 300

“I shiver, look to my left and then my right. No one there.

It’s just me.

Me and all my terrible gut feelings.”

After hearing so many fantastic things about the writing of Louise Beech, I thought it was about time I finally tried one of her books myself. I was so excited when my pre-order finally arrived earlier this month! I know I have been warned about the effect of her stories, but I still wasn’t fully prepared for what I encountered. Call Me Star Girl left me absolutely speechless staring at that final page, wondering how long it would be before my heart would be whole again. How do I even begin reviewing this title? Please bear with me as I try to write a somewhat coherent review and explain why I Call Me Star Girl is my officially my fifth 5 star read of the year.

It doesn’t happen often that a book is able to provoke reactions this strong, but Stella’s story is one of them. The writing style is absolutely wonderful of course, but it is the characters who steal the show in Call Me Star Girl. Louise Beech should receive an award for being able to create such fascinating characters that are both flawed, strong and essentially unlikeable, but are able to win over your heart anyway. This story was so so so cleverly written! I slowed down my reading pace deliberately, wanting to fully savour ever single minute with this story, as I didn’t want it to end either… And this is always a good sign. We start Call Me Star Girl with slowly getting to know more about Stella and her past, her mother sometimes taking her turn to tell her part of their history together. Sometimes we see more about the present life of Stella with Tom as well, but the main focus seems to be on Stella and her mother. All these little bites of information will make you even hungrier to find out how everything fits together and what connection everything could have with the death of the poor girl found in the alley.

Subtle twists and turns are incorporated in such a way that builds the tension and suspense without even realizing it; throwing new shocking information at you before you are getting comfortable with what you already know. Louise Beech creates her characters to have a dark side and she isn’t afraid to make them show it; it makes the characters all the more realistic and beautiful as a result. It was fascinating to see how Stella dealt with her mother abandoning her when she was twelve and how she grew up to be the woman she now is. Elizabeth’s story was intriguing as well, although I did connect with Stella more than with her mother’s POV. Call Me Star Girl will go dark and emotional and will stamp on your heart and rip it out in a million pieces. There are so many little details cleverly incorporated into the plot and the ending will both shock you and make you feel satisfied albeit heartbroken. It is a true emotional rollercoaster, an absolutely fantastic read and a worthy new all time favorite to add to my shelf. Oh yes, I will definitely be reading more Louise Beech stories in the future!

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#WesolowskiWednesdays – Six Stories edition #Orentober @Orendabooks

Today is Wednesday, which means it’s time for a dose of #WesolowskiWednesdays !! During the next three Wednesdays, I’m planning on sharing my reviews for the first three books of the Six Stories series, written by the talented Matt Wesolowski. All in the spirit of celebrating all things Orenda during #Orentober month! I actually finished the first book four months ago and posted my review back then, but I’m sharing it again below to help spread the love for this fantastic series. Ready to dive in?

Title: Six Stories
(Six Stories #1)
Author: Matt Wesolowski
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
First published: December 20th 2016
Publisher: Orenda Books
Finished reading: June 3rd 2019
Pages: 225

“There is definitely evil in this world of ours. We carve monuments to our fallen, engrave them with the names of those whose lives were snuffed out when trying to stop evil.

We don’t forget.”

I’ve been meaning to read Six Stories for a long time now, basically ever since I kept seeing those fantastic reviews when it was first published… I’ve known it was a pretty safe bet I was going to enjoy Six Stories, and that definitely turned out to be the truth. I’ve been letting my thoughts marinate for the last couple of days and even now I’m still struggling to find the words that do this little masterpiece justice. Let’s see how far I get, shall we? First of all, the cover alone pretty ominous. One body. Six Stories. Which one is true? This is the premise and promise of what sounds to be a very intriguing ride. It is also a reference to the key element of what makes this gem unique: the format. Because there is no doubt that the podcast format is what makes this story truly stand out from the rest. The story is told in six different podcast episodes where each episode features a different key character and their memories of what happened twenty years ago. I bet Six Stories would be fantastic as an audiobook as well! Especially as the format basically reads like a real podcast series, with only the short chapters told from Harry Saint Clement-Ramsay’s POV breaking up that structure.

The writing drew me straight in and made it easy to fully focus on the mystery around Tom’s disappearance and death. I was hooked as soon as I started the first podcast episode, wanting to know more about what happened in 1996. Was it really a misadventure that ended Tom’s life? Or is someone hiding something? Oh yes, I was fully under the podcast’s spell from the start. I do admit I liked Harry’s chapters less than the actual podcast episodes, but they did add a little extra intrigue and weight to the final reveals. The suspense in Six Stories is subtle rather than constant, fed with a little folklore here and a monster story there, only to punch you in the gut just before you start thinking things are being wrapped up rather blandly. And trust me, I definitely didn’t see that suckerpunch of a final podcast episode coming! Even after days, I’m still recovering, so definitely be ready to brace yourself when you decide to pick up your copy of Six Stories.

The characters in Six Stories are what you call flawed and are realistically described and developed. Although each podcast has its own star character, it is through their memories and stories about what happened that we get to form a better idea of what each character was like in our minds. Ideas and opinions about the different characters will change as you learn more about them, showing that not everything is as it seems and there is always more to the eye if you look at the details closely. Like I said before, the suspense is build up subtly, instead focusing on slowly letting you get to know the characters better and thus revealing their true selves and what they were up to in 1996. I understand this might be a turn off for those who don’t like slower paces in their thrillers, but trust me, Six Stories is by no means uneventful and the slower pace only enhances the effect of the plot twist bomb that will be dropped on you before you reach the final page. I had a fantastic time reading Six Stories and I will already be looking forward to read the other books in the series.

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ARC REVIEW: All Cats Are Introverts – by Francesco Marciuliano @AndrewsMcMeel

Title: All Cats Are Introverts
Author: Francesco Marciuliano
Genre: Poetry, Humor, Cats
First published: October 15th 2019
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Finished reading: September 13th 2019
Pages: 112

“I can lose myself

In a novel

I can be absorbed

In a short story

I can be immersed whole

In adventure

In history

In romance

And mystery

I can see now

That I’m stuck behind your bookcase”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

!! Happy publication day !!

I really enjoyed reading Claw The System last year, so I knew I had to read All Cats Are Introverts as soon as I first saw it. I know I don’t read a lot of poetry, but give me cat photos, give me humor and give me a relatable topic and I’m sold. As a true introvert and a cat owner, it was extremely easy to relate to the poems included in this bundle. I literally laughed out loud multiple times, my own cat Delilah Bard frowning at me as apparently I was making too much noise to her liking. The dry, sometimes slightly sarcastic humor is right up my alley and some poems definitely have a mean pun. The cat photos in this bundle are of a high quality and it shows that they have been chosen carefully as they suit each poem extremely well. The poems themselves are simple, but with an original twist as they are all written from the point of view of a cat. Cat owners, cat lovers and introverts alike will be able to relate to the contents of All Cats Are Introverts and this poetry bundle will make an excellent gift.

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ARC REVIEW: Cradle To Grave – by Rachel Amplett #KayHunter @RachelAmphlett

Title: Cradle To Grave
(Detective Kay Hunter #8)
Author: Rachel Amphlett
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
First published: October 6th 2019
Publisher: Saxon Publishing
Finished reading: September 24th 2019
Pages: 370

“Muted sunlight shone through the curtains at the windows, creating a gloom that hung in the air, malevolent and foreboding.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

I’m starting to feel lost for words when it comes to reviewing this series… Why? Detective Kay Hunter has quickly grown into one of my favorite detective series and characters, and it’s getting hard expressing that love without sounding repetitive. This is one of those series that just keeps delivering, and every single book so far has been well written with intriguing plots, interesting and easy to like characters and just the right amount of suspense and plot twists. Kay Hunter is hands down one of my favorite detective characters and spending time catching up with her feels like wearing your favorite sweater or meeting up with an old friend. Cradle To Grave is already book number eight and by no means an exception to this rule. If you are a detective thriller fan and haven’t tried this series yet, you are most definitely missing out!

Crade To Grave is one of those books you will want to clear your schedule for, because you will most likely end up wanting to read it in one sitting. I was hooked as soon as I started reading, cancelled all plans and just kept reading until I reached that final page… Loving every single minute of the ride. While this story might work as a stand-alone quite easily as well, I personally suggest reading them in order so you can properly meet and get to know Kay and the rest. I really enjoy seeing them develop over time… Also, the little animal visitors Adam brings home always manage to make me laugh and bring some lightness to balance the darker themes. In Cradle To Grave we have a new case that, while initially seemingly simple, soon turns out to be another challenge for Kay and her team. A murder, a missing child and a whole web of secrets and lies just waiting to be uncovered… On top of that, a possible connection in a whole different country, oh la la! The plot in book number eight will definitely keep you on your toes and it will be really hard to guess the final reveals before they happen.

Twists and turns are used to keep the level of suspense steady as well as slowly building that tension towards the grand final… Combine this with excellent writing and main characters you will find yourself once again rooting for, and you won’t realize hours have passed until you read those final words. Cradle To Grave is of that same high quality I’ve become used to when it comes to this series, and I loved spending more time with my favorite team. If you are looking for a detective thriller series that keeps delivering, a plot that will keep you guessing until the very end or simply a very engaging and absorbing read, you will find all those things are covered in every single Detective Kay Hunter book. So go meet her if you haven’t already! Trust me, you won’t regret it…

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ARC REVIEW: The Dinner Party – by Richard Parker

Title: The Dinner Party
Author: R.J. Parker
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
First published: October 18th 2019
Publisher: Harper Impulse and Killer Reads
Finished reading: October 7th 2019
Pages: 400 

“Ted felt as if everything was slowing down. He was on the verge of sliding back into unconsciousness.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Harper Impulse and Killer Reads in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

I’ve read and enjoyed quite a few of Richard Parker‘s books in the past, so as soon as I saw The Dinner Party I knew I had to add it to my shelves. I admit there was a moment of confusion when I added the title to my Goodreads shelves, as it is shelved under a different author with the same name, but I can now confirm it’s the same Richard Jay Parker that has multiple previous titles published by a different publisher (Bookouture) including favorites Hide And Seek and Keep Her Safe. I had quite high expectations for this story, but somehow I didn’t end up having the reaction I expected to have to this story…

If you are looking for a twisty, explosive and shocking thriller, The Dinner Party fits all those points and more. The story starts with a bang: you are dropped right in the middle of a life or death fight and what is basically a superintense and bloody scene. No introductions, no explanations… Just that scene to leave your jaw hanging on the floor and wondering how that situation came to be. This intense introduction chapter is contrasted by the following ‘mild’ chapters talking about a dinner party involving four couples. Do they have anything to do with that first chapter? Which of them could be involved? The tone of this story is definitely set with that brilliantly played first chapter.

The tension is build up slowly but steadily in the rest of the story, mixing secrets and twists with moments of action and suspense. I initially had a very good feeling about this story, but as the storyline continued and evolved, I started wondering about the credibility of it all. Sure, there is no doubt that if you are looking for adrenaline and action you will be in for a treat with the second half of The Dinner Party. But I myself found everything that happened to the four couples simply to be a tad too farfetched. I could accept the first thing that happened, the second too if I’m generous… But afterwards things really went out of control and my eyebrows started raising themselves more and more and more. On top of that, I didn’t really find the final reveal or explanation behind it all credible at all… Making the ending a bit of a disappointment for me. I did like how we came a full circle and saw the first chapter described again in its proper place in the story though.

As for the characters… Sadly, I can’t really say I liked them. Apart from the fact that I would have liked to see more development, as some fell flat for me and were a bit of a cliche, I didn’t find them likeable at all. I get the secrets and I get that they are hiding things to help generate those plot twists and reveals later on, but somehow they didn’t manage to grab my attention at all. Which is a shame, because between the credibility and characters I definitely ended up having a different reaction than I thought I would. If you like your thrillers fast, thrilling and shocking and don’t mind some lack of credibility and an ‘over the top’ plot, you will probably have a better time reading this story. The fascinating premise and promise of a great story is definitely there!

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BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Little Siberia – by Antti Tuomainen #RandomThingsTours #blogtour #Orentober @Orendabooks @annecater

Hello and welcome to my stop of the Little Siberia Random Things blog tour! A huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me to be part of this blog tour. I’ve been meaning to pick up Antti Tuomainen‘s books for quite some time now, and after reading the blurb of Little Siberia I just couldn’t resist posponing Palm Beach Finland slightly and read this newest story first. I definitely understand the love for his books now! Want to know why? Please join me while I share my thoughts…

Title: Little Siberia
Author: Antti Tuomainen
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
First published: September 17th 2018
Publisher: Orenda Books
Finished reading: October 9th 2019
Pages: 300
(Originally written in Finnish: ‘Pikku Siperia’)

“It seems that the turning points in our lives are always associated with a strange combination of the banal and the extraordinary, like watching a spaceship land in a perfectly everyday landscape.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Anne Cater and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

The first thing that people seem to mention when it comes to Antti Tuomainen‘s recent books is the way he is able to introduce dark comedy more than successfully into an already solid crime thriller. Nordic noir with a healthy dose of blacker-than-black humor? You can definitely count me in for that! I’ve been looking forward to finally discover his work for some time now, and while I thought it was going to be my pink and fabulous copy of Palm Beach Finland, I’m more than happy my first introduction has been Little Siberia in the end. I definitely understand all that buzz around this Finnish dark comedy magician now!

So, dark comedy. Humor is basically a tricky element to introduce in any story, as it is extremely hard to get the tone and type of humor just right. Not everyone likes the same kind of humor, and black humor can go wrong real fast and even become offensive to some readers in a blink of an eye… I’m personally all for dark comedy and sarcasm when done right, and there is one thing for sure: Antti Tuomainen knows how to handle his humor. Sharp, hilarious and blacker than those seemingly endless Finnish nights… Oh yes, Antti Tuomainen‘s humor is definitely right up my alley. He is not only able to make me chuckle with his wittily wicked comments, but somehow he is also able to combine it flawlessly with one of my favorite genres. Humor and crime are not exactly natural partners, no matter how dark that humor might be, but Little Siberia makes you realize just how well both work together when someone who knows what he’s doing takes the reins.

That’s not the only thing that stands out in Little Siberia though. The remote and small town Hurmevaara up in Northern Finland is without doubt the perfect setting for this story. The descriptions of the setting are thorough, plentiful and really make the story come alive for me. The remoteness, the cold, the closeness to the Russian border… It all plays a carefully crafted role in the plot and Hurmevaara isn’t just an ordinary setting that could be swapped with a different town. Instead, Hurmevaara almost feels like yet another character of this story and its existence is basically essential to the plot. That same plot is both highly original, addictive and basically an emotional rollercoaster ride. The basics of this story are actually quite simple, but you soon realize that the finale of Little Siberia is constantly being dangled in front of you like a carrot, while at the same time little plot twist bones are being thrown your way to keep you hungry for more. Less in more in this case, although it is true that we still have quite a cast of characters to juggle.

What I love of this story is that the main character Joel is actually a priest. Quite unexpected and without doubt the driving force behind the successful introduction of humor into the plot… Joel has a fascinating history and his development is undeniably key to the story. Through his character, we are introduced both to the crime element and the more poignant story of his home life. After recent events, Joel is forced to fight for what he thinks is right, and decides to play both security guard and amateur detective to do so. This leads to all kinds of witty, awkward and even dangerous situations, and Little Siberia consequently has a healthy dose of action, suspense and violence in store for you. Things WILL escalate and you will find yourself biting your nails long before the end is in sight… Always having that wicked humor thrown in to ease the tension just when you think you are about to explode. Little Siberia has a very eclectic and well developed mix of characters to enjoy as well, each adding a little something to the plot and the story is all the more interesting because of them. On top of that, Little Siberia most definitely ends with a bang!

Before I stop today’s rambles, a big thank you is in place to David Hackston for enabling us to enjoy this fantastic story through his flawless translation. We are so lucky to have fantastic translators out there who make it possible for us to enjoy our dose of Nordic Noir to the fullest! And there is no doubt that Little Siberia is a little gem. If you like your humor dark and your Nordic Noir lighting fast, bloodchilling and touching at the same time, Little Siberia is simply a must-read. It’s like a big black bowl of delicious and hilarious crime magic!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Finnish Antti Tuomainen was an award-winning copywriter when he made his
literary debut in 2007 as a suspense author. In 2011, Tuomainen’s third novel,
The Healer, was awarded the Clue Award for ‘Best Finnish Crime Novel of 2011’
and was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award. Two years later, in 2013, the Finnish
press crowned Tuomainen the ‘King of Helsinki Noir’ when Dark as My Heart
was published. With a piercing and evocative style, Tuomainen was one of the
first to challenge the Scandinavian crime genre formula, and his poignant, dark
and hilarious The Man Who Died (2017) became an international bestseller,
shortlisting for the Petrona and Last Laugh Awards. Palm Beach Finland (2018)
was an immense success, with The Times calling Tuomainen ‘the funniest writer
in Europe’.

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YVO’S SHORTIES #125 – Muse Of Nightmares & Hope And Other Punchlines

Time for another round of Yvo’s Shorties! This time around a YA edition: two most anticipated books that both lived up to expectations for me. Muse Of Nightmares  by Laini Taylor is the duology conclusion and I once again fell in love with the wonderful wonderful prose. I have loved Julie Buxbaum‘s books in the past, and while Hope And Other Punchlines isn’t my favorite of the bunch, it’s still an excellent read and the 9/11 element is well handled.

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Title: Muse Of Nightmares
(Strange The Dreamer #2)
Author: Laini Taylor
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance
First published: October 2nd 2018
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Finished reading: September 15th 2019
Pages: 528

“Wishes don’t just come true. They’re only the target you paint around what you want. You still have to hit the bull’s-eye yourself.”

I admit I’ve been afraid to pick up my copy of Muse Of Nightmares… After being blown away by the first book of this duology, I was afraid it was going to be almost impossible for the sequel to live up to expectations. But I shouldn’t have doubted the power of Laini Taylor‘s absolutely gorgeous prose! Like with Strange The Dreamer, I was absolutely mesmerized by the words she uses to describe both the high fantasy world, its characters and the plot itself. Things can be said about the fact that not all that much seems to be happening considering its 500+ pages, although I did feel there was more going on in the sequel. But personally I didn’t really care as long as I was going to be able to keep lapping up those gorgeous sentences. Muse Of Nightmares proves that the writing and characters truly can make up for a plot that is slightly bland in places and this story blew me away. I mentioned the characters, and they are definitely one of the reasons this duology is on my list of all time favorites. Lazlo, Sarai and the others won over my hard so fast and my heart really went out for them. I love that a lot of the characters are not either good or bad, walking that grey area instead of simply being described as monsters. The worldbuilding of this high fantasy world is again beautifully done and set the right tone for this sequel. I would definitely suggest reading these in order, as Muse Of Nightmares picks up right where the first book ended and you won’t be able to appreciate the sequel without the character and plot development in Strange The Dreamer. Then again, if you don’t mind a slower and more character driven YA fantasy, you will want to spend time devouring the stunning prose in both books anyway.

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Title: Hope And Other Punchlines
Author: Julie Buxbaum
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
First published: May 7th 2019 
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Finished reading: September 26th 2019
Pages: 311

“I’m so, so tired of always worrying about our world splitting into a before and an after again.”

Julie Buxbaum is one of the select group of authors who can make me enjoy the contemporary romance genre. After loving her first two YA books, it’s easy to say that my expectations were sky high for Hope And Other Punchlines. It might have been the wrong time to pick up this title, or it might have been that my expectations were a tad unrealistic, because while there is no doubt that this story is an excellent read, it didn’t blow me away as I thought it would. There is a lot to love in Hope And Other Punchlines though. First up is the 9/11 element, an event that has made a huge impact on countless of lives and I could really appreciate how Julie Buxbaum incorporated this into the plot. While both the town and the Baby Hope photo are fictional, I do feel they represent the aftermath of 9/11 realistically and show us just how devastating the impact of this single event is even all those years later. Then we have the main characters Abbi, Noah and Jack. While I had certain issues with some actions in the beginning (blackmailing!!!), it is still quite easy for these three characters to win over your heart. The dynamics between geeky Noah, Jack and Abbi will grow into something absolutely adorable and they are definitely part of the reason this book works. Abbi (Baby Hope) is a very interesting character and she makes you think about the impact one little photo can have on both the life of those portrayed and on many others as it becomes a symbol of hope. I personally adored the camp scenes and I thought the story was well balanced in general. Lighter moments are contrasted with not only 9/11 details, but also other heavy themes as Alzheimer and cancer. I finished this story in no time at all and while I do admit it’s not my favorite Julie Buxbaum, I can definitely recommend it to any fan of the contemporary romance genre looking for a story that is both adorable and heartbreaking.

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