Gasp! The Book Spoiler

So, I am starting a new blog. I have not made a post yet, and do not worry. I am still going to post here as well. On this site I will be posting about books that I have read, what I think, give a little review like normal. The new one will be completely different in one major way, and is going to be difficult for me. I will be doing… spoilers. That is right. This will be a blog where I will go through the book and discuss it fully and will even give away the ending. There will always be a disclaimer at the beginning of every review to let people know if they have not read the book, do not continue, or if they simply want to know what it is about… that is the place to be. I came up with this idea while I was trying to find a spoiler for a book I had already read, but could not remember what it was about exactly. My review on Goodreads was something you would find anywhere else, mainly hit the highlights without revealing anything. You could find it on the back of any book, or magazine, and raved about how much I loved the book, but not really why. The point of that was so I did not give away any information that might spoil the book for someone else. I am so overly cautious, that most times, when I go back and look over my own reviews, I have no idea what the book was even about. This blog will be for people like me who want to remember the book, want to discuss the book in detail, or just want to know what happens without having to read the darn thing (Which I do not want!). One of my favorite sites of all time is TheMovieSpoiler.com. I use it to read through movies I am too terrified to actually watch. On this site, people submit descriptions of movies from beginning to end that they have just seen. So you can go in, read the movie, and not have to actually watch it. I will do this for anything horror, or many times thrillers. I am a huge chicken, and I just cannot watch scary movies, but I always want to know what happens! So this way, I can know, see it in my mind, but do not have to see it with my eyes. Also, there have been some movies that are so scary I could not even get the courage to read through the entire spoiler. Now, That is a scary movie. So my new blog will be something similar. It will hit the highlights or sections that I liked, or did not like, and discuss them. I encourage you to discuss your thoughts as well! Like I said before, this will be very hard for me because I do not like to give anything away. Ever! I am the worst person to sit next to when you are at a movie and you want to know what is about to happen. I am keeping my lips sealed.

So, here is to something new. A new “chapter.” Haha. If you are interested, you can find it under the Blogs That I Follow section, or at this link here:  Gasp! The Book Spoiler. But be warned, there will be spoilers. This site will continue to be for reviews that are basic overviews and opinions, no spoilers here!

 

 

The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen

The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen. I thought this book would never end. Not in a bad way! I know what you are thinking… this must not be very good if you could not wait for it to be over. Not at all! I did want it to hurry up and be over so I could know what happened, but it was more than that. It took me about a month to read. I was reading several other books at the same time, and it just took longer than expected. Right when I thought, “I am finishing this tonight!” something would end up making me unable to finish. But on to the review!

In The Keepsake our killer is a collector. Aren’t most of them in some way? Personal items, little trinkets, just something that will allow them to revisit that person in a sick way. Mementos. This killer is no different, but his souvenirs are. The Archeology Killer, as he is known, is a collector of women. You heard me right, collector of women. Let that sink in. He (or she) is someone who knows how to find, get, collect and preserve female remains. If you know anything from archeology, you know this can be pretty gruesome.

We happen upon our story when a new mummy is being brought into Dr. Isles’ hospital for a scan that will show what is in the preserved wrapped body. They hope to determine its authenticity due to the fact it just so happened to be found among The Cripsin Museum’s collection in Boston. Once the scan is complete they notice something that should not be there within the ancient wrappings… a bullet. No longer a case of curiosity, and now a case of possible homicide, Rizzoli and Isles spring into action.

The suspect list is interesting, there is an Egyptologist named Josephine Pulcillo who may have been contacted by the killer and knows how the mummification process is completed, the elderly owner of the museum whose family has been known to gain materials through less than ideal circumstances just to name two.

With a killer on the loose, and more and more horrors that begin to appear, they know they are racing to catch this dangerous individual who has a collection worse than my grandmother’s Denim Days figurines.

I loved this installment of the Rizzoli and Isles series, but it was not my favorite. I still give it 5 stars though! This one will literally keep you guessing until the very end.

A Book About Books ~ The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith ~ @bookdout #ecleticreader

In The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling), we once again find ourselves with Cormoran Strike, a private detective, and his assistant Robin. They have gotten much success and notoriety after solving the Lula Landry case. The two have been asked by Leonora Quine to find her husband Owen. Owen is quite eccentric, as is Leonora, and is known to go off for periods of time, but this case has been different. The Quines also have a daughter, Orlando, who has special needs.

Owen Quine is an author who has caused quite a stir in the past few days. He wrote a book that was not reviewed carefully by his editor, and has been given to several people in the publishing industry. It is a novel that reads like an exposé, thinly veiling it’s disgust, anger, and other unpleasant feelings to those same individuals in the publishing industry and Quine’s life. Many people are upset about this new novel, and a few have even gone as far as to call upon lawyers.

When Owen Quine is finally found, it is not as Leonora would have wished. Strike and Robin are now out and about to find a person, or people, who are so sick and vile that they would have gone to extreme measures to try and silence Owen forever.

This was a great mystery and I was surprised by how graphic it actually was, considering the author. That did not bother me in the slightest. I loved this book, and feel that “Galbraith” is really growing as an author. To see Rowling’s early works and read this, you can really feel that there is more experience there. I cannot wait to read the latest Career of Evil. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery and will be guessing until the very end. 5 shiny gold stars!!!

Yes, My Accent is Real: and Other Things I Haven’t Told You

I feel bad. The past two books that I have read have been 3 stars. First there was Yes Please by Amy Poehler, and now this little delight from Kunal Nayyar. I say “little” delight since I liked this book, but I did not love it. There were some excellent insights, neat culture references, loving moments between Nayyar and his father, the loving relationship and respect he has towards his new wife, and fun stories about The Big Bang Theory. I am a HUGE Big Bang fan. These were some of my favorite moments from the book. Other favorites included moments between his father. I loved the moment when he goes shopping with his father and mother. Put my mother in a Wal-Mart instead of a Target, and I am there with him. One difference is when his father expresses his love over something that Nayyar lovingly surprises him with, my father would say, “I love that, DO NOT buy it for me!” He knows I would buy him anything he says he loves ASAP. It drives him crazy! This book made me want to cry for several reasons. His love, care, and respect he has for those around him can be a rare thing in today’s society. So, these were not tears of sadness but rather tears of happiness. I am not sure why I only gave this book 3 stars versus 4 or 5, but I just have been spoiled with Bossypants and books by Mindy Kaling. This was just not on that level. I think, like most books read by the author, the audio book is the way to go. I got cracked up because he said at one point that he exaggerated Raj’s accent on Big Bang, like he was “fresh off the boat.” I have seen every single episode many, many times. I own them all on DVD, watch them regularly, and literally every time it is on TV. I honestly did not notice one difference in his accent. That made me smile. This was a good read, and I am glad I read it, but it was just not the best I have ever read. I would recommend this book to others, and hope they found it more enjoyable than I did. I have a new found respect for him, and I think if I met him in the street I would be happy to talk to him. Not only would I be happy, but he sounds like it just might make his day as well.

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

Yes Please. I have so many thoughts and I had to wait until the next morning to write this review. I heard so many good things about this book and saw where people commented that this was the funniest books they have ever read. I am confused. Were you reading the same thing I was reading? I listened on audio, and I think this is how the book was meant to be. Her voice is precious, the guest readers are amazing, and it was fun to hear her get cracked up. I give this book 3 stars and let me explain why. I am glad she is a woman who feels that she has the right to say no, stand up for herself, and be big and bad in a world full of men. Woman power, I get it. But I did not read this book on a good day. I read the book, or listened and read, in less than 12 hours. I was depressed and needed a good laugh. I was also exhausted, I had been up since 2 am, and went to the gym. She made me cry at the gym when I read about a skit she did in which she felt the need to apologize, and she did. I think I laughed out loud twice in this book. Most of it made me cry a lot. She made me cry because I realized the true statement that she brings up herself, she is not that nice. It actually made me feel bad for those around her that she treated not so nice, and made me sad that I would never feel like I have any right to say hello to her if I met her in the street. It was like listening to your idol admit she is a terrible person, and it just crushes you. I am sure there are people who do not think I am friendly. I am sure there are people who think I am not nice, but I think I try and have my moments. Also, she made me cry because in the end I just felt like she made me feel bad about myself. Like I said, it was not a good day to read this book. I am comparing apples and oranges, but Tina Fey’s Bossypants was genuinely funny, and as my sister said, this book is more poignant. She discusses how difficult this book was to write, and it sounded like it as well. There seemed to be no storyline, everything jumped around from time period to different time period. I just liked it, but not that much. In the end, I was sitting in a living room with one lamp because the other lamp’s bulb had blown and I did not have any to replace it with yet, I was exhausted, sad, disappointed, and crying. Not a good result from a humor book.

Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny by Holly Madison

In this tell-all by Holly Madison, a former Playboy Bunny, reality TV star, and a girlfriend of Hugh Hefner, we learn what it was like to live among some of the most beautiful, and catty, women and one famous Playboy himself. At times this book was too crazy to believe, more than a little amusing, and even uncomfortable. I listened to the book on audio, and Holly’s voice was pleasant, but at times when she sounded amused, I was anything but amused. Her voice really began to get on my nerves. I do not doubt anything she said, but I also am not so foolish into thinking that there is no possible way she ever did anything wrong. We all have the capability to stir the pot or make waves. The inside view into the famous mansion was very interesting. I told my sister, “It sounds depressing and disgusting, and I would never touch that place with a 10-foot pole.” The book made the famous locale seem like it would be crusty to the touch. Ugh. I enjoyed getting to know Holly, the odd Kendra, and sweet Bridget. Never having watch The Girls Next Door or Holly’s World, I feel like I really missed out. I did not like Crystal Harris before, and certainly do not now, and think Hugh Hefner is a real creeper. Overall, this was a great guilty pleasure read, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to know what life is really like inside those famous wall. Four Shiny Gold Stars.