Back on the Shelf: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Synopsis from Goodreads:
"I have a meanness inside me, real as an organ."

Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.” As her family lay dying, little Libby fled their tiny farmhouse into the freezing January snow. She lost some fingers and toes, but she survived–and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, Ben sits in prison, and troubled Libby lives off the dregs of a trust created by well-wishers who’ve long forgotten her.

The Kill Club is a macabre secret society obsessed with notorious crimes. When they locate Libby and pump her for details–proof they hope may free Ben–Libby hatches a plan to profit off her tragic history. For a fee, she’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club… and maybe she’ll admit her testimony wasn’t so solid after all.

As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the narrative flashes back to January 2, 1985. The events of that day are relayed through the eyes of Libby’s doomed family members–including Ben, a loner whose rage over his shiftless father and their failing farm have driven him into a disturbing friendship with the new girl in town. Piece by piece, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started–on the run from a killer.

My Thoughts:
I had really high hopes for this book, especially after reading Gone Girl and Sharp Objects--both of which I thoroughly enjoyed. Sadly, this one was not as enjoyable. Though it may just be my personal opinion, this one seemed a lot darker than the others. The scenes that are written in this book are described so vividly that it got a bit gruesome for my taste. I gave it three stars on Goodreads.

Have you read Dark Places? What did you think?

Back on the Shelf: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Synopsis from Goodreads:
WICKED above her hipbone, GIRL across her heart Words are like a road map to reporter Camille Preaker’s troubled past. Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, Camille’s first assignment from the second-rate daily paper where she works brings her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls.

NASTY on her kneecap, BABYDOLL on her leg Since she left town eight years ago, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed again in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille is haunted by the childhood tragedy she has spent her whole life trying to cut from her memory.

HARMFUL on her wrist, WHORE on her ankle As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming.

My Thoughts:
I devoured this book. Having recently read Gone Girl, I quickly reserved a copy of Sharp Objects at my library. I had to wait about a week for one to come availabe, so needless to say I couldn't wait to start reading this one. Gillian Flynn created some really interestingly twisted characters in both books that keep your mind working and trying to figure out just what they might do. I definitely enjoyed reading this one, but I have to say that I did guess parts of the ending of this one. All in all, even if you aren't normally a reader of crime novels, this one was really interesting and you might enjoy it. I gave it 4 stars--I couldn't put it down.

Have you read this one? What did you think?

Back on the Shelf: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

I found Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore on a list of the 'best books to read on the beach' last summer, however I didn't make it around to this one until just a few weeks ago. After reading the summary, I expected an interesting, puzzling kind of adventure. Well, it wasn't boring, really--in fact, it was interesting enough that I made it to the end! The story was eventful enough that I really did want to get to the end and find out where the story was going, but I could have done with out the constant mentions of certain companies. I didn't particularly want to read a book that made me feel like I was reading reading an advertisement. A lot of people seem to have really loved this book, it just wasn't my cup of tea. Have you read this one? What did you think?

Next up is Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn.

Currently Reading

Alright, I finally finished Dragonfly in Amber. It was really good--I didn't enjoy it as much as I did Outlander, but boy did it end on a cliffhanger! I guess I'll have to add the next one from the series to my new reading list. Just three books are left on my Fall Reading List, and I picked one of them up yesterday. Next up is Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I've heard good things, so I'm really looking forward to getting into this one. Have you ready anything new lately? Let me know! I'd love to add them to my list.

Currently Reading

I read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon during my senior year in college. At first, it was hard to get into, but after the first few chapters, I was hooked. The Outlander Series is currently made up of 7 books (Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, & An Echo in the Bone) with an 8th book to be released in March 2014. The series is a whole bunch of historical fiction with a science fiction twist. I can't wait to get through this one. What are you reading these days? I would love to add to my reading list.

1. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
2. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
3. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
4. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
5. Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Marie Semple
6. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
7. The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen
(This one is a re-read, because it's a favorite.)



Also, the other day I saw this Living Room Tour over on A Beautiful Mess and it makes me wish even more for floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in the future. I'm sure we've all dreamed of them since we first saw Beauty and the Beast.

Weekend Away.

This weekend I got to go over to Athens and visit the mister for a quiet, relaxing weekend. When I got to town on Friday, we went out for Hibachi and caught the end of Hocus Pocus on TV. Saturday morning was perfect early Fall weather, so we walked around most of the day on Saturday, around campus to downtown and back. We stopped by to see where they were having College Game Day and through the tailgate tents, then stopped to see the stadium.




A little while later we realized that we hadn't had lunch, so we walked over to a pizza place called Your Pie and got a couple of fancy pizzas and lemonade. We spent the rest of the weekend relaxing, I read while he watched football.

Currently Reading

I just finished The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (or J.K. Rowling, if you will) and very much enjoyed it. It's crime fiction, which I spent the better part of my preteen life carrying around with me (I had a long Mary Higgins Clark phase).

Now I'm in the midst of Beautiful Ruins, which I found on a summer reading list, and have just gotten around to actually reading...I think it's already overdue at the library. I should probably check.

Sweet Southern Stories

A few years ago, I stumbled across a book called The Sugar Queen while I was wandering through a bookstore one afternoon. It was a strange, southern story that I loved for some reason, written by a woman from Asheville, North Carolina named Sarah Addison Allen. After that one, I read two of her other books, Garden Spells and The Girl Who Chased the Moon. This weekend, I finally decided to read her most recent book, The Peach Keeper. It's been a while since I've read one of her books, but they always make me happy and slightly homesick from their southern charm. Now that I've officially read all of her books, I'm looking forward to the next one she writes. I do recommend all of her books, though I can't really decide which one I liked the most. I guess I'll have to read them again.

"Coffee, she'd discovered, was tied to all sorts of memories, different for each person. Sunday mornings, friendly get-togethers, a favorite grandfather long since gone, the AA meeting that saved their life. Coffee meant something to people. Most found their lives miserable without it.

Coffee was a lot like love that way."

Rainy days are for books and tea.

After spending practically the entire day reading, I finally finished The Night Circus. It was just as good as I hoped it would be when I read the first chapter. The story is written in such and interesting way, from different, intertwining points of view. It's magical in a wonderful way--I definitely recommend it if you're looking for something new to read. 

"The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices on downtown posts and billboards, no mentions or advertisements in local newspapers. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. The towering tents are striped in white and black, no golds and crimsons to be seen. No color at all, save for the neighboring trees and the grass of the surrounding fields."

Then, after spending the dreary, rainy day with my nose in a book, Tiffany and I met at The Domain for tea and dinner at The Steeping Room. We each got a different kind of sandwich and tea. It was the first time I've eaten an actual meal there, but the food was just as good as I hoped. Obviously, it is a wonderful place for tea, too. And of course, we took a photo of the food before digging in (and our waiter arranged the teapots and cups for us). 

A Breakfast Recipe

This morning I put together a little recipe for a baked spinach, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich. 

Here's what you'll need:

2 eggs

A handful of baby spinach

Light butter

Non-stick cooking spray (I used olive oil)

2 slices light/thin-sliced bread

1 slice light American cheese

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 425, and spread a little butter on the bottom of one of your bread slices & place it (butter side down) on a cookie sheet sprayed lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Layer your cheese slice and top with the second slice of bread. Cut a hole in the center with a cookie cutter (or whatever you have on hand). Chop the spinach and combine the eggs & spinach in a small bowl. Pour the egg/spinach mixture into the center of the bread and sprinkle salt & pepper on top. Bake for approximately 10 minutes until the eggs are set. (ww pts+ value: 7)

On an entirely different note, I finished reading The Baker's Daughter and I really enjoyed it! Next up for book club is The Night Circus--I started reading it at the end of December, but classes started back, so I never finished. I can't wait to see how it ends. Have any of you read it?

Brunch + Book Club

Last weekend I went to my first book club meeting in Austin. I got to have brunch at the Galaxy Cafe and chat about good reads with a few lovely ladies and we picked out our first book--The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy. We had a few to choose from, but the description of this one was just so appealing. I can't wait to get started, have any of you read it?

"In 1945, Elsie Schmidt is a naive teenager, as eager for her first sip of champagne as she is for her first kiss. She and her family have been protected from the worst of the terror and desperation overtaking her country by a high-ranking Nazi who wishes to marry her. So when an escaped Jewish boy arrives on Elsie’s doorstep in the dead of night on Christmas Eve, Elsie understands that opening the door would put all she loves in danger."