“The Woman in Cabin 10” by Ruth Ware

★★★★☆ New release Tuesday!

The Woman in Cabin 10 is the second book by author Ruth Ware, who debuted last year with In a Dark, Dark Wood. And honestly, I think that she has outdone herself with this one — I found it way better and faster-paced than In a Dark, Dark Wood.

Murder on the Orient Express meets The Girl on the Train — a mystery no one can solve, told by a less-than-reliable narrator, all occurring in a place that no one can leave.

Lo Blacklock, a travel journalist for Velocity magazine, has been invited to report on a new private luxury cruise, the Aurora. The first night, woken by a scream, Lo hears a big splash outside her balcony and believes that a passenger was thrown overboard — murdered in international waters. She quickly calls the Aurora‘s security, and they begin their investigation.

But it doesn’t go very far. There isn’t anyone unaccounted for on the entire ship — all passengers, crew, and staff are still on the boat. Lo has just gone through the traumatic experience of having her home broken into and burgled, so she knows how scary it can be to be vulnerable to a stranger looking to harm you. She stays on the case, determined to find out what happened to the woman in cabin 10.

This book kept me guessing, trying to figure out who she heard, what happened, did Lo really see what she thinks? This is a fantastic mystery and thriller, bound to keep you thinking about it for days after reading the last page.

Purchase the book here.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

“All is Not Forgotten” by Wendy Walker

★★★★☆ — New release Tuesday!

Warning: This book discusses rape in depth basically throughout the entire book in graphic detail.

One night, after drinking too much at a party and running into the woods, Jenny Kramer is brutally raped and tortured. At the hospital, Jenny’s parents choose to give Jenny a new treatment. In this experimental treatment, the patient is given a concoction of medications in order to keep their memories from forming. This treatment is still unproven and is largely used for victims of horrific traumas and for soldiers suffering from PTSD.

However, this treatment obviously has some downfalls, and patients are often asked to see a psychiatrist to help with the confusing feelings. All is Not Forgotten is told from Jenny’s psychiatrist’s point of view as he struggles to help her come to terms with her lack of memories while the police investigation is still ongoing.

Dr. Forrester tells not only his perspective of the case, but also recounts sessions with the investigators, Jenny’s parents, other civilians involved with the case, and some of the doctor’s other patients’ experiences with this treatment. This proves to be a thrilling way to get the details because while he is a doctor and at times is extremely clinical, he is also a person trying very hard to help Jenny get justice.

A suburban psychological thriller, All is Not Forgotten will keep you guessing. With so many regular despicable people around, who is the monster who hurt Jenny?

Purchase the book here.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

“You’ll Grow Out of It” by Jessi Klein

★★★★☆ — Out tomorrow!

Jessi Klein is most well known for being the head writer on Inside Amy Schumer, but has also written for several other popular comedies (e.g. SNL, The Kroll Show). You’ll Grow Out of It is a memoir of essays from childhood to motherhood that will make you snort.

However, it is also full of good tips and general advice for life. For instance, Klein spends a chapter describing precisely why you should GET THE EPIDURAL. She also tells us about the (not so?) glamorous life of going to the Emmys shortly after having a child.

I (along with pretty much everyone I’m sure) wish there were more tidbits about the shows she has worked on. Surely there are funny things that have happened on at least one of these shows that could apply to the book!

All in all, You’ll Grow Out of It is a funny look at an awkward childhood and how Klein (sort of) grew out of it. I’d recommend this for light reading on vacation or to make you laugh while you’re waiting for your baby to pop out, drugged out on your epidural.

Purchase the book here!

Thank you to the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

“We Could Be Beautiful” by Swan Huntley

★☆☆☆☆ — Another classic case of a pretty cover pulling me in, but the contents disappointing me.

I DNF’d at 46%, but here are some of the things that made my eyes roll back in my head.

First of all, William moves in with Catherine after dating/knowing each other for TWO WEEKS. THEN they are ENGAGED IN A MONTH. Like slow down, you crazy person. You don’t even know this dude.

“…when I woke up one morning to find William contemplating my face in silence. It was so sweet.” …just no

William performs oral sex on Catherine, and “in that moment [she] knew he was definitely, definitely the one.” *eye roll* There is another sex-related moment like this, but I won’t even bother quoting it.

“Will you do anything I ask you to do?” […] “Probably,” I said. Does this woman not know about abuse, or controlling men, or self-respect, or red flags?

The next two are kind of spoilery, but it happens within the first 40% of the book, so I think it’ll be okay to put here.

Catherine finds out that her trust fund has been depleted. *More than once* she says “I was going to die.” *eyes roll out of my head*

And lastly, “If, years from now, we sold the house, spent the money, ran out of everything, this would be all we would have: his measly three hundred grand [salary] a year.“ Are you f*&%ing kidding me right now.

I just couldn’t with this book. So ridiculously bad. The characters were unbelievably unlikable. It seems like this book has gone so far into “omg i’m so rich my life is hard” that it’s come back around to parody.

Just in case you want to try it on despite my warnings, you can purchase the book here.

I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Clearly this did not affect my opinion.

Bookstagram

I have started getting into the “bookstagram” trend lately, which is basically taking artistic photos of books and posting them on Instagram and other social media. It’s really fun and allows me to be a little creative with the usually beautiful covers being put out recently! I’ve always loved photography (whether I’ve been halfway decent at it is a real question), so this is just another really neat outlet for my love of books!

Follow along with me this month as I participate in #redwhiteandbookedjuly! In case you’re new to these challenges, here’s a rundown: basically one or more users create a challenge, usually a month-long one, where they give you a “theme” for every day. This is the challenge I’m doing:

Here’s my first few photos! Feel free to share yours too!

My TBR (to be read) pile for July!

Summer-themed books!

Books that take place where you live — Rainbow Rowell not only lives here, but has found a way to weave Omaha into all of her books. Eleanor & Park actually takes place here, which is awesome!

Fourth of July post: Red, white and blue books! I had a lot of fun with this one and had lots of different options to choose from.

Follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to see the next posts!

“And Again” by Jessica Chiarella

★★★☆☆

Meet Hannah (an artist with lung cancer), David (a politician with a brain tumor), Connie (an actress with HIV), and Linda (a stay-at-home mother who was paralyzed completely). They are four very different people with very different fatal illnesses who have all been chosen to participate in a new scientific study called “SUBlife” — each person’s body is cloned and aged rapidly. Then, their memories are transferred to the new brain, so they have a brand new body with all the old knowledge. However, this transition turns out to be harder than they could ever imagine.

Follow the four as they learn how to live in their “SUB” and learn that their lives can’t and won’t ever be the same, no matter how they try. A sci-fi mixed with general “figuring out life” fiction. Great, fairly long read that makes you think of the morality and consequences behind the science of the situation.

Purchase the book here.

I was given a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

“The Loose Ends List” by Carrie Firestone

★★★★☆ — When Maddie and her whole family are called to their Gram’s house, they have no idea what is going to happen. It turns out that Astrid North O’Neill, a.k.a. Gram,  is dying from pancreatic cancer and she has planned one last family trip to celebrate her life.

She books them a 2-month trip on a cruise ship called the Wishwell, which is a ship on which sickly people “die with dignity” and get gently shipped off into the ocean. Sounds pretty morbid, huh?

But this book manages to be sweet, quirky, funny, and touching. Maddie and her family go around the world, fulfilling Gram’s last wishes and going on crazy adventures to tie up her “loose ends.”

While light-hearted and fun, this book touches on some serious issues — alcoholism, death, and relationships. It manages to make them an important storyline, but not to make the book seem “heavy.”

THE LOOSE ENDS LIST was a breeze to read and would be especially great to read on a cruise this summer! Everyone else will have major cover envy — isn’t it preeetttyyy? I truly enjoyed this book and will for sure be picking up Carrie Firestone’s next novel.

Purchase the book here.

I was given an ARC of this book at BEA in exchange for my honest opinion.

“The Girls in the Garden” by Lisa Jewell

★★★★☆ New release Tuesday!

One night, after the neighborhood summer party ends, Grace Wild is missing. When Pip, Grace’s younger sister, finds her, she is unconscious in an alley with her clothes disheveled.

The characters in this book live in a very idyllic community. Their houses all back up to a communal park that is private to the residents. The park is thought of as a safe space, where children play and make friends and grow.

THE GIRLS IN THE GARDEN flashes between narrator throughout the story: Grace’s mom, Clare; Pip; the eldest and wisest resident of the park, Rhea; the neighborhood mom who homeschools her three unique children, Adele; later, Grace.

Lisa Jewell sure knows how to lead a reader to several false leads. I was keeping a list in my head of who I suspected attacked Grace, but each time I thought I was close to right, the book took another unexpected turn.

THE GIRLS IN THE GARDEN is a cozy, creepy mystery, caught in a private backyard park of London. Cliques of young teenagers acting like teenagers, unsolved mysteries, and colorful and crazy characters make this a great summer read!

Purchase the book here.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

“Lily and the Octopus” by Steven Rowley

★★★★★ OUT TOMORROW! Go get this. Now! (Buy on Amazon)

Keeping with past trends, I tend to have the hardest time writing reviews for books that I absolutely love. This is one of those. I read this book over 2 months ago and have been unable to put into words what I feel about it.

Lily (a dachshund) and Ted (a man) are the best of friends and do everything together. Lily is quite the character and is, typical to dog personality, excited about pretty much everything. SHE! SPEAKS! IN! EXCLAMATIONS!

One day, Ted is horrified to find that an octopus (read: tumor) has taken residence on Lily’s head. This is no ordinary octopus though — it has a personality too, and it’s trying to take Lily away from Ted. But Ted’s not going to let Lily go without a fight.

The story takes the reader through Lily’s decline in health and Ted’s journey to fight the octopus. He goes through an emotional and sometimes insane journey to finally accept that the Octopus may win. This book *will* make you cry, especially if you currently have a pet or have lost a pet.

Emotional and heartbreaking (and somehow heartwarming at the same time), LILY AND THE OCTOPUS is a must-read for 2016. This is already on my list of the top books of 2016. Put everything else down and pick this up immediately.

Immediately upon finishing this book I tweeted to Steven Rowley. That’s how awesome it was!

@ElliePelto Look at that face! Give Mickey a hug for me too.

— Steven Rowley (@mrstevenrowley) March 30, 2016

Purchase the book here.

I won this book through Goodreads First Reads. This does not affect my opinion of the book.

“Before the Fall” by Noah Hawley

★★★★☆ New release Tuesday!

Eighteen minutes into a private flight from Martha’s Vineyard, a small plane with eleven passengers and crew members crashes violently into the ocean.

Only two people survive: a struggling artist and a young boy. They swim miles to the shore at night, fighting waves, broken bones, and unimaginable fear.

The story follows aftermath of the crash, where the authorities and the survivors try to determine what exactly happened up in the air. Interspersed in the story are the stories of the passengers and crew, their histories and what they were doing leading up to the crash.

Before the Fall is intricately woven, enthralling, and darkly quirky. Highly recommended read that I picked up for free at BEA this year. I actually got to meet the author, Noah Hawley, who is a writer for the TV show Fargo. I will definitely be picking up some of his previously published work and anything from him in the future.

Purchase the book here.