July was killer. I turned another year older, which some moments made me snarl like a crazy woman. It was also killer hot in LA, which made me irritable. So basically I was a crazy old lady but I had good company with all the crazy killers in the books I read last month. Honestly, when I put together this month’s recap, every single book involved murder. Ummmm … I’m not sure what that says about me. But maybe, just maybe, people ought to think twice before they annoy me. Just kidding. Sort of.
The Books I Loved, Liked and Loathed in July
It was all murder and mayhem last month and see which books did it the best.
Book I Loved
This book will likely make my top 10 of 2016.
Night Film: A Novel by Marisha Pessl
Book Description: The daughter of a reclusive horror film director commits suicide, but Scott McGrath, a veteran reporter, suspects something more sinister.
Book Review: I honestly don’t know where to begin, but I love this book. It’s the kind of book that you read while hugging your cat because you’re scared. Sometimes. There were times I wanted to pull the blanket over my head but then it would be dark. And scary. Other times I wanted to run around my apartment shouting “redrum!” (redrum is code for super duper scared in TanyaLand). Every time I thought I had it figured out, the book would align with my thinking and then take a hard turn left. This is not a graphically violent book but more psychological terror.
To Read or Not To Read: If you like books that play some mind games with you and some ambiguity (there are still parts I don’t know whether they are real or not), then YES! If you’re not into scary/unsettling books, then this is probably not the book for you.
P.S. To be completely honest, there may be zero murders in this book. Or many.
P.S.S. You might not find this book very scary and think I’m a wimp. You would not be wrong.
Books I Liked
These are the books I liked, ranked from most liked to liked.
A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis
Book Description: Grace Mae’s family sends her to an insane asylum to hide family secrets when a visiting doctor recruits her to help him investigate crime scenes.
Book Review: This is YA but doesn’t read like one besides Grace being a teenager. Grace and her friends, Nell And Lizzie, may (or may not) be insane but they are also strong young women too. Society may have turned on them, but they don’t act like typical victims. Grace does make some choices; one in particular that felt a little extreme, only because I didn’t sense Grace was in that dark of a place to go that far.
To Read or Not To Read: Yes, especially those who like YA where there is no romance, dystopia (although an insane asylum isn’t exactly the Ritz) or fantasy elements.
The Winter of Frankie Machine by Don Winslow
Book Description: Retired hitman Frankie Machianno is a beloved member of his community, but someone from his past wants him dead.
Book Review: This is my first Winslow book and I’m looking forward to reading more of his books. There were a lot of flashbacks in the book as Frankie tries to figure out who is after him. Sometimes those got a bit confusing since characters never tend to linger long in mob stories, and I would have preferred more current action and fewer flashbacks. But still, I liked Frankie and he was pretty moral for a hitman. And apparently a really good cook and lover, so all-in-all, not a bad guy for a bad guy.
To Read or Not To Read: Read it, especially if you’re a fan of mob stories. It’s my impression that this book is probably a bit slower-paced and tamer than some of his more recent works.
End of Watch by Stephen King
Book Description: The Bill Hodges trilogy comes to a close as Hodges and his partner, Holly, confront Brady Hartsfield, the Mercedes killer, one last time.
Book Review: Overall, this was a good conclusion to the series but I’m not going to lie: I really don’t like Brady and wished his story had ended with Mr. Mercedes. I do like Hodges, Jerome and Holly, in particular, and did enjoy seeing their story conclude. Sort of. There was some sadness too. Okay, I cried. But not over stupid Brady who suddenly got superpowers in a series where all the things that had previously gone bump in the night were real people doing bad things, rather than bad guys who could take over people’s minds. I don’t mind supernatural elements, but it threw me for a loop when I realized that King was going there.
To Read or Not To Read: Sure. Why not. Just start with Mr Mercedes and know that spooky things (more super ability versus actually scary) will happen in the final book.
The Guise of Another by Allen Eskens
Book Description: When the victim of a fatal car crash isn’t who he is supposed to be, Detective Alexander Rupert stumbles onto a case that restore his reputation.
Book Review: I love, LOVED, Eskens book The Life We Bury. While this is not a direct sequel, the detective from the the book is a secondary character, it takes place in the same world. But it’s not as good, which broke my heart. What I loved so much about The Life We Bury — characters you could truly like and a story not trying to be the next Gone Girl — were not here. Characters just suddenly change willy nilly. Yes, people can hide their ulterior motives, but some of the character zig zags gave me whiplash. And it wasn’t a Keyser Soze WTF but just a WTF. At the same time, I still really like Max (and not just because he shares a name with my cat) and book 3 will focus on him.
To Read or Not To Read: Yes, even with all my kvetching. It’s not a bad book by any means. It’s not as good as The Life We Bury, which I highly recommend, but there are a few tidbits you need from this book to help set-up book 3, which comes out in September and I am really excited to read.
Murder in Time by Julie McElwain
Book Description: FBI agent Kendra Donovan accidentally goes back in time and ends up hunting a serial killer.
Book Review: This is one of those stories where I like the side characters much more than I like the leads. Kendra is just too much of a unicorn. She’s some genetically modified person with super intelligence, yet that really never shines through for me. She’s upset when a man responsible for the death of some of her teammates is turned into an asset versus prosecuted. I get that; I’d be pissed too. But I think it’s weird that such a unicorn like Kendra (we hear how smart and young she is a lot) can’t figure out a way to get revenge without making it obvious that she did it and thus becoming a criminal in the eyes of the FBI. And even worse, who really cares because now she is stuck in the past? Maybe. There is some mumbo jumbo about being able to go back. This felt to me like it was supposed to be Outlander: Murder Mysteries.
To Read or Not To Read: Sure. Why not. Just know it’s like Chinese food. It’s fine while you’re reading it, but it won’t keep you full for long.
Book I Don’t Know How to Rate
In other words, I am feeling indecisive.
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Book Description: Intertwined together is the true tale of the 1893 World’s Fair and the serial killer it helped spawn.
Book Review: Okay, I am a moron. Or a poor reader of book flaps. I did not realize this was a non-fiction book. I expected a thrilling tale about catching a serial killer with the World’s Fair as the backdrop. But what I got instead was a very well-written and researched book on how the World Fair came to be and some snippets about a serial killer. This is not what I expected and the fault lies with me. So the moral of the story: read the damn book flap correctly.
To Read or Not To Read: If you are a history buff (which I am but not about the World’s Fair), then you’ll likely enjoy this book. If you want to read an intense book about a serial killer, then this is probably not for you.
TL;DR – My Recommendations for You
I highly recommend Night Film: A Novel by Marisha Pessl. A Madness so Discreet by Mindy McGinnis and The Winter of Frankie Machine by Don Winslow are also great reads worthy of your TBR. This month there is no book that I would recommend you avoid. 🙂
To More Great Books
Well, I’ve already read three books in August and only one involved murder and mayhem, but the month is still young. 🙂 My decision to stop putting a ton of books on hold has worked well for me. I’m more eager to dive into my books versus it feeling like homework. But I also have to confess that I may have have recently placed about 3-4 books on hold. I just can’t help myself; I am a book addict. #SorryNotSorry. As always, I’ll be linking up with Jana and Steph for Show Us Your Books Link-Up. Be sure to check it out for some awesome book recommendations.
What books catch your eye? What books do you recommend for me?
Tanya
You have me thinking I need to run out and get Night Film today!
Oh no! I’ve enjoyed Mr Mercedes and Finders Keepers. I’m not sure I want any supernatural element. I’m torn!
I like books with killers, so this was a good list for me.
I really enjoyed it, Erin. I immediately had to reread large chunks of the book and it took some time before I was ready to move on to another book. Those are always signs of a good book for me. I enjoyed Mr Mercedes and Finders Keepers too, especially Hodges and Holly partnership. I just really wish King had not suddenly added the supernatural twist to it. It made me audibly groan and I even like books with supernatural elements! But still, you need to read it and finish out the series for Hodges and Holly.
I have Night Film on my Kindle but I’ve not been in the mood to read it just yet. I should pick it up soon, but maybe only save it for day time reading, because I might be too scared to sleep otherwise!
I do like the sound of A Madness so Discrete, I think I’ll pick that up sometime. I do enjoy a YA book, and it’s nice to read a YA where there isn’t any romance. Dystopia and fantasy though, I do enjoy them 🙂
Go you for already finishing three books in August! I’ve finished two so far, which I’m pretty pleased with.
Here’s to a August filled with more murder and mayhem, maybe 😉
~ K
I enjoy fantasy and dystopia YA too, but I like the fact that this took place somewhere very different. And yes to more murder and mayhem – in my books! 🙂
LOL I love that this was the month of killers. A few of those books sound really intense!!!
It made me laugh too when I started doing my reviews. A couple of them were really intense, which I liked. A lot.
if you liked Frankie Machine, then definitely read Power of The Dog and The Cartel. Two amazing books by him!
I already have those on my TBR, thanks to your earlier recommendation. I can’t wait to read them!
I still hear the “liked, loved, and loathed” as a country song ever since your comment that one month. 😛 I intend to be more deliberate in my book choices, too. I’ve been picking up stuff from my roommate’s collection, which is great! But I made a list for a book challenge for a reason, so it’s time to get back on that and actually request some stuff from the library.
LOL! Me too! 🙂 It really does sound like a country song in my strange, strange mind! I can get caught up in everyone’s enthusiasm, forgetting to also make sure the book really “speaks” to me too. I checked my holds at the library and I had 7 books on hold. There are a handful of people ahead of me, which means they will all become available at the same time. Oh well.
The Stephen King trilogy has been on my TBR for awhile now. I just keep not getting around to it.
The Devil in the White City. I am actually glad you struggled with it because it makes me feel better. All the others I know who’ve read it have been all THIS IS THE BEST BOOK EVER and I just don’t get it. I’m considering ditching it and just looking for a book on Holmes because he is fascinating. I give zero shits about the World’s Fair stuff and I knew it was nonfiction going in. Just didn’t realize it was an actual history book.
One of my friends kept recommending the book to me, so it did surprise me how bored I was. Granted, I don’t have much interest in the world’s fair and thought it was fiction so … there you go. I do think it is a well-written, researched book, which is why it didn’t earn the dreaded loathe ranking, but you definitely need to be into the World’s Fair to enjoy it.
Huge fan of books about killers.
Still haven’t gotten around to The Life We Bury. Someday! I added the Don Winslow, I like mafia books.
Me to, Steph. Me too. 🙂 Not sure what that says about us, but oh well.
A Madness So Discrete was intriguing! And it’s the worst when you don’t read the flap correctly, I had that issue this month too :-/
I really enjoyed it. I liked that it was different from many YA books too. And I really need to get better about reading the books flaps. And sometimes I get books confused because my TBR is too big. #BookWormProblems
well night film sounds absolutely terrifying and i’m gonna take a big ol step away from that one! hahaha. A Madness So Discreet is on my list, so i am glad to hear you liked it! i had heard of the devil in the white city but had no idea it was non fiction until Jana mentioned it. Definitely not my cup of tea!
I am a wimp, so it may not be scary too some people! 🙂 I really liked A Madness So Discreet. It was a bit different than a lot of YA today, which is either a dystopian future or fantasy, although don’t mind either of those as settings. Non-fiction isn’t my favorite either so had I read the book flap, I would have skipped Devil in the White City too.
I really liked Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl but I remember being disappointed in Night Film. I read it when it first came out in 2013 though and now I can hardly remember anything about it or why I didn’t like it… Hmm, I usually have a better memory for books than this!
While I really loved Night Film, it’s definitely not a book for everyone. I noticed it had pretty mixed reviews but it sucked me in. I’ll have to check out Special Topics in Calamity Physics, which is a real mouthful. LOL!
Night Film looks fantastic! Adding it to my TBR list!
I hope you enjoy it!
Well, I like history so The Devil in the White City sounds like something I would be interested in 🙂
I hear ya about reading starting to feel like homework. I made a decision recently that although I still put books on hold, I am only putting books on hold that I REALLY WANT to read. Caps are necessary because I have been reading books this summer that either the cover drew me in or someone recommended it but it really isn’t the genre I am interested in. So I am done. Reserving and reading of books will only be of things I absolutely and truly want to dive in to 🙂
If you like history and the world’s fair, then The Devil in the White City is the book for you. I enjoy history but wanted something a bit different, namely it to be fiction. LOL! I’m doing the same thing, Mackenzie. I kept putting books on hold that were highly recommended, but then when I would get home – I’d be like I don’t want to read this. Yes, I am super mature. 🙂
I love your review of the books. You have a great way of summing up what you thought without giving the whole story away.
I’ve wanted to read the trilogy from Stephen King. Just added them to my library list.
Physiological thrillers get me more than slasher sort of thrillers. Those kind of books totally have me under my blankets holding tight 🙂 haha
Thanks, Rebecca Jo! The Mercedes Killer trilogy is really good. Holly is my favorite character. I’m with you 100% – psychological thrillers scare me way more than slasher or violent thrillers do. Sometimes I don’t think they affect me, until I won’t go to bed later on because I don’t want to turn off the lights. Yup, I’m a wimp!
Night Film sounds like my cup of tea. I used to own The Devil in the White City but donated it because I never got around to reading it. Clearly I saved myself the trouble. I have no interest in reading about the World’s Fair. Now, a book about a serial killer? Hell yes! Who was it referring to by the way?
H.H. Holmes is the name of the serial killer. It’s not his real name if I remember correctly, but the one he used at that time. He was extremely manipulative and it was almost like he put a spell on people. Granted, it was a very different time, which made it much, much easier for him too. I’d be interested in reading more about him, but all those chapters on the world’s fair were an annoyance to me.
Hmmm The Winter of Frankie Machine sounds really interesting. I had to laugh when I read a book I don’t know how to rate. I have had a few of those before too!
I enjoyed the Winter of Frankie Machine. He’s a great character. Yeah, sometimes I just don’t how to rate a book. Whatcha gonna do? Not rate it! HA!
A Madness so Discreet is already on my to read list. I love a good YA book, especially ones that do not seem so youngish. I added Night Film to my to read list, but I’m honestly a little scared about reading it! I’m not a Stephen King fan, so hope it’s nothing like his books!
Madness definitely did not feel youngish to me. I like YA but sometimes they do feel a little too twee for me too. 🙂 Ummmm … I don’t know if Night Film is like King. It’s more psychological and you’re not always sure what’s real or not. Unsettling might be the best way to describe it.
I felt exactly the same way about A Murder in Time. (though it was better than I expected just based on the description.) The Night Film sounds right up my alley!
Oh, I hope you enjoy Night Film. Yeah, A Murder in Time was okay. Not great, not horrible but okay.
Night Film has been on my list for a while now, so I’m glad to see that you loved it so much! That’s always promising. 🙂 I think the only reason I haven’t pushed it to the top of my list this year is because it’s so long. I know it’s not as long as some books, and I’ve definitely read some that were in the 500-800 range in the past … But it’s a commitment. Maybe once I’ve finished the reading challenges I’m participating in.
Also, I think it’s awesome that you read so many dark books about killers last month! I don’t know what it says about me either, but those are definitely my kind of books. 🙂
I read it as an ebook and I never noticed its length the way you do with a physical book. It definitely sucked me in, so it didn’t feel like a long book, but I understand that sometimes you just don’t want to do a long book, period. I’m glad I’m not the only one who likes dark books. I’m generally such a positive, cheery person but I do like my killers, normally.
A Madness So Discreet sounds intriguing. Definitely a topic I’ve never come across in YA.
It’s definitely a different setting, which is one of the reasons I enjoyed it. Not so much the same old, same old.
I agree with your thoughts on Devil in the White City. I’ve lived in Chicago my whole life and I love Chicago history. I’ve even spent a lot of time working near Midway Plaisance. But I found the book a little tough to get through. It’s interesting that they’ll be making a movie out of the book. I wonder if they’ll dramatize it more for theater purposes?
I’m of the mind that the movie will be far superior because they will likely dramatize it and put more emphasis on the killer. Hopefully, that’s the plan. Otherwise, the movie will definitely be a pass for me.
Night Film is on my list. I loved your review and it seems like 100% my type of book. I’m going to add Esken’s books to my list.
Sorry you didn’t like Devil in the White City. I was thinking/hoping it was going to be more serial killer based than worlds fair but still enjoyed it overall. I read his In the Garden of the Beasts after that one which is about an American diplomat in Nazi German around 1936.
I hope you enjoy it, Rose. I like books that zig and zag and keep me guessing, which Night Film did. Plus, it scared the living bejeepers out of me at times. Devil in the White City gets a ton of love, so I’m anomaly there. I may have enjoyed it more had I been expecting a non-fiction book with so much emphasis on the world’s fair. My mistake and why I couldn’t loathe the book because that didn’t feel fair either.
Night Film sounds really interesting! I’m not usually one that likes super scary books, but that one sounds too intriguing to pass up! I’d heard about A Madness So Discreet, and I need to try and read it soon! A Murder In Time sounds really interesting! I’m a huge Outlander fan, so the time travel aspect intrigues me.
I really enjoy Night Film. It hit all the buttons for me. Good characters with an intriguing story that kept me guessing. I am a wimp, so it might not scare you. Or it might scare you more than it did me. 🙂 A Madness so Discreet was a really good book. I liked the setting since it is atypical for YA.
Madness so Descreet and The Life We Bury is going on my list right now! I was also reading Thriller/Horror books this month and am still wanting more!
I love Stephen King but I prefer his earlier things…I keep meaning to read Mr. Mercedes but still haven’t picked it up…I might give it a shot now.
I like Stephen King’s earlier books a bit better too, although I really enjoyed Doctor Sleep. The Life We Bury is one of my favorite books. It’s just a good, solid book. Nothing fancy or showy but characters that I really, really loved.
I added Night Film, and I love your PSS disclaimer!
I hope you enjoy it, Gwen! 🙂