Ashley’s Comments (group member since Jan 02, 2015)

Ashley’s comments from the 2017 Reading Challenge group.

I always go for Sandra Brown when it comes to thrillers. This was a good, quick read. Another extraordinary situation created by Brown. It's why I read her.

In 1982, Evie Jones' best friend is murdered at the age of 10. The suspect, although known, is never caught. Fast forward 11 years and Evie is now a journalist covering the Paul Bernardo story. As she gets deeper into the story of Bernardo, her friend's murder begins her haunt her, drawing danger and attention from some very unsavoury individuals.

This novel was scary simply because it's the way I think. It focuses, not on the story, but the development of Evie as different murders, and fear begin to overwhelm her. It focuses on how the mind channels fear and how it can get out of hand, creating connections and dangers where there are none. I didn't realize it was getting to me until, literally, a bump in the night sent me scrambling out of my bed. That's what this book is about: fear.

The ending is very anti-climatic but for once, that isn't an issue, because this book isn't about a good ending; it's about a build up of emotion and an analysis on the way individuals think under extreme stress.

I have fallen completely behind on even looking at this list! My reading lately has been quick series that I can enjoy in my little spare time. Sometimes, these books work for one of the prompts so I'm gonna use them!!

Hell & High Water is set in a future in which a vaccine has created a new 'sub-species' of humans called Therians. In order to bridge the growing hostilities between Therians and Humans, THIRDS was created: a unique government agency the hires and partners Therians and Humans together in order to deal with the growing crime rate between the two species. It focuses on one team in particular and the relationship between two partners: Sloan (Therian) and Dex (human). This novel is M/M and is very close in style and humor to the Cut & Run series by Abigail Roux.

I've used this book for the prompt - Book set in the future, but it could also be used for the prompt of a book with non-human characters. Therians are shifters that can shift into their animal counterparts.

I'm enjoying the series so far. It's quick, with funny characters but a serious undertone to it.

That's how I'm doing it, but I think if you wanna tick off more than on at a time you can. Really depends on your reading schedule. That being said, as some of the examples show, choose a big enough series and a good portion of the list can be ticked off, even doing one prompt per book. :)

Oh and another one ;)

The Gentlemen Bastards Sequence by Scott Lynch:The Lies of Locke Lamora Red Seas Under Red Skies The Republic of Thieves
- a book with more than 500 pages
- a book with nonhuman characters
- a funny book
- a popular author's first book
- a book that scares you
- a book based entirely on it's cover (the covers are beautiful!)
- a trilogy (right now it is ... future publications in the series are not known yet)
- a book with a color in the title (2nd book is Red Seas Under Red Skies
- a book that made you cry
- a book with magic
- a book by an author you've never read before (he's popular but fairly new!)

I always have to add these series:

Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
- a book with more than 500 pages
- a book set in a different country
- a book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit
- a book by a female author
- a book published the year you were born (series started in 1991 so possible for the younger readers)
- a book that made you cry
- a book with a one word title
- a book based or turned into a TV show

Ian Rankin's Rebus series (18+ books in total)
- a mystery or thriller
- a book set in a different country
- a book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit
- a book that came out the year you were born (The first novel,Knots and Crosses, was published in 1987)
- a book with a colour in the title (8th novel in the series is Black and Blue)
- a book that made you cry
- a book based on or turned into a TV show

I am currently reading this book as well for this category! Gregory is the one that has gotten me interested in Tudor England, and now the period of the War of the Roses. Great author, and thoroughly enjoying the book so far!

It was quite good. Especially interesting is reading about what a psychopath thinks about psychopaths.

This book first comes across as more like a textbook. Fallon is a scientist first and foremost and so his discussions on what creates or constitutes a psychopath (gene-wise, environmentally, socially) is quite detailed and sometimes difficult to understand. My eyes honestly glazed over when he was discussing the different genes and hormones that can create a psychopath.

It wasn't until nearer the end of the novel that you got to see a glimpse of the real Fallon, the one with the psychopathic personality. This is the part that I found most interesting. His discussion about his partying, and his treatment of his friends and family, and finally realizing that it was more like a psychopath than he thought, was very interesting to read. This is a man who truly, accidentally discovered that he was a psychopath. It's a good read just for that.

Shelley wrote: "I tried reading Vinyl Cafe Unplugged while my class was doing their own reading, and I had to abandon reading it at school because I kept bursting out in laughter and disrupting everyone. So I took..."

I truly have to contain myself when reading McLean's work in public, which I feel takes away from the reading experience. I love breaking out in laughter so hard that I'm crying.

Cathy wrote: "Couldn't agree more. The bike on the roof is my all time favourite Dave moment. Stuart macLean always makes me laugh!"

At the time of reading that particular story, I actually had a boss that was a little obsessed with bike riding. I, of course, was also reading it at work. Could not contain my laughter!

Dave and Morley's family feel like next door neighbours to me! I always view that as an amazing achievement when characters become as important to you as they would be to the author.

I usually cannot read these works in public, because Dave's antic usually have me in side-splitting laughter. Him on the bike strapped to the roof of a car is by far the most hilarious! LOL

I absolutely love Stuart McLean, whether it be his written work or his radio show. Having listened to many of his Dave and Morley stories, I now read with his voice in my head. These are quick reads, but I seem take my utmost time with them, simply because they are so enjoyable. They will make you laugh so hard you hurt, cry, but most importantly, smile. He writes about life and the small, precious moments of day-to-day living with friends and family.

This was a good read with some of my favourite stories, but any Vinyl Cafe is very good! Another favourite of mine is Revenge of the Vinyl Cafe

Anne wrote: "Ashley wrote: I'd link the books like others have done, but to be honest, I have no idea how! :S

Hi Ashley! It's quite easy to do - when you go to edit your list and add your updates, you'll see..."

Thanks Anne!! That was quite easy once someone pointed it out to me! Much appreciated!

Shelley wrote: "Ah, grasshopper, you shall not be stumped. Frank Paci has published many novels about the Italian community. Your library should be able to do an interlibrary loan from the Sault for them. Morley T..."

Shelley I figured you'd have suggestions for me!:D I just did a search and London Library has both A Good Place to Come From and Crow Lake. Now I have to choose!! They both sound very good!

Hi all! I'm Ashley from London, ON. I always have a book nearby and can sometimes have up to 4 on the go at the same time. I'm excited for this challenge! It's going to allow me to clear off some books from my to-be-read shelves and remind me what I had bought years ago. Definitely going to get me looking at different reads, but as I love the mystery or thriller genre, I can see a lot of the choices somehow fitting with that genre. This will also let me set up a reading list in advance, as I sometime have so many books to choose from that I simply read novels I've already read for weeks until something peaks my interest.

I was going to choose a Shakespearean play, Coriolanus to be precise, but then I decided to pick a modern play just recently publish in book format: Dark Road by Ian Rankin and Mark Thomson.

I am a huge fan of mysteries. I feel like most of my selections for this challenge will somehow fall into that genre!

If I can recommend any author to friends or random people I meet, it is Rankin and his Rebus series. Luckily for me, the first in the series was published in 1987! Gives me an amazing excuse to start reading the series over again!

If you love a great mystery and an author that keeps getting better and better with every novel published, Rankin is the author!

Such a great book! Wishing I hadn't read it last year!

I have a feeling this one is going to stump me completely. Anyone know of a book set in Sault Ste. Marie, ON Canada? :D