A Bookworm's Book Reviews

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Introduction

Hello all!

I am C.M. Mills, an avid book lover looking for the next good book. I usually read fantasy and historical fiction. I’ve started branching out into thrillers. I’m not the biggest fan of purely romantic books. Sure, put it in a book, but it shouldn’t take the place of a good plot. I am willing to give any book a try. I enjoy reading nonfiction, too. Most of the nonfiction books I’ve read are memoirs, but I’d be willing to give other types of nonfiction a try. I’ve slogged through terrible books and will put up with a lot before I give up on a book.

Some things that I love in a book: a map (if needed), a pronunciation guide (if needed), a reason to care about the characters, and suspense to keep me going. Give me a connection to the protagonist. Authors get brownie points if the villain has a relatable motive, or has a unique stance.

Some turn offs include: introducing too many characters at once (looking at you Game of Thrones), characters with difficult names to pronounce (a pronunciation guide can offset this), not enough character relatability, boring plot, not enough action, etc.

I do enjoy a sappy romance, but it drives me nuts when the characters won’t admit their feelings (yes I know it can be a plot point, but don’t let it be the main plot point), or have again off again relations (it can get annoying). Also too many steamy scenes cause me to skip or skim over book.

Some of my favorite books include The Book Thief (for its writing style and humor despite being a WW2 setting book), Redeeming Love (a slightly predicable romance/historical fiction set in during the California gold rush), The Last Sin Eater (a historical fiction focused on an unusual British Isle tradition) , Immanuel’s Veins (a unique take on vampirish/angelic lore set to a historical fiction book), The Lord of the Rings (a dense read but so unique), Harry Potter (magic, cause why not), and The Chronicles of Narnia (for the world within). These are the first that came to my mind. I have so many more that I’ve enjoyed.

Some of my favorite authors include Francine Rivers (for her takes on historical fiction interwoven with classic tales, also has some sappy romantic books), Ted Dekker (for his unique thrillers and ability to keep the reader interested), Paula Brackston (for her historical fiction and use of worldly magic), Arturo Perez-Reverte (for his descriptive historical fiction use of vocabulary), and Elizabeth Camden (for a sappy love story and use of historical fiction). These are the authors I usually gravitate towards.

Feel free to send me recommendations and requests. I’d love to hear about other genres, books, and authors. I’ll try my best to read those books as soon as I can. My room is a partial library of unread books. Also feel free to ask me questions. I’ll respond as soon as I can.

The Eyes are the Best Part – Monika Kim

Title: The Eyes are the Best Part

Author: Monika Kim

Genre: Thriller

Plot: Ji-Won’s father has recently up and left her family. He says he’s found someone else. A few months later, her mom starts seeing another man, Gregory. He’s a white guy with the bluest eyes. Jo-won’s mother says eating fish eyes will bring good fortune. With the stresses of her first year of college, missing her father, Gregory’s clear womanizing tendencies, and trying to support her family, Ji-Won could use some good fortune. Strange dreams start plaguing Ji-Won. It’s always about eyes, the bluest eyes. She must get her hands on them. What lengths will Ji-Won go to get them? Will it ever be enough?

Rating: 4.0 – a different psychological thriller

Opinion: This was an interesting book. I wasn’t sure about it at first. I’d won this book and another one in a book reading contest. So I’d thought I’d give it a try. I enjoyed this book a lot more than the other book I won. It almost reminded me of a Stephen King book. It had the right amount of psychological creepiness and a little bit of grossness to it to be a good thriller. There were a couple parts that made me squirm but still want to keep reading it. I kept wondering how far Ji-Won would go down the rabbit hole of her obsession. Just when I thought she was done, she kept going. I’m still surprised about how much she got away with. There’s a part of me that wanted the main characters to go get help. But that’s not this kind of book. The ending was sudden but still felt like everything got wrapped up nicely. As nicely as this kind of book can be wrapped up. Overall, I really liked this book. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I’d recently this book to anyone who loves creepy psychological thrillers.

Annihilation – Jeff Vandermeer

Title: Annihilation

Author: Jeff Vander

Genre: Thriller, Sci-fi

Plot: A group of four women have volunteered to go to Area X as the twelfth expedition. The leader is the psychologist. The three others are a biologist (who’s also the narrator), the surveyor, and the anthropologist. Area X is a mysterious area. No one is sure what’s in there. That’s what the four women are going to find out. The psychologist leads them in under hypnosis, in the order to keep everyone calm, so the people in charge of the expeditions say. They record what they see in journals as scientifically as possible. When the group finds a tunnel with strange writing and covered in hand like moss, they become fascinated with it. They decide to focus on that for their expedition. The more they explore, the stranger it becomes. But what created the writing? Why do more and more things seem to have an human like qualities?

Rating: 3.5 – a different sort of sci-fi thriller

Opinion: This was an interesting book. It was a lot less scary than I thought it was going to be. I’ve heard of the movie that was based off the book. So I was expecting a scarier concept in the book. The book was a lot more scientific and thought provoking than I thought it was going to be. No one was addressed by their names, only their titles. The explanation was to keep everything more scientific and less bias in their work. I admit this part did work, it helped me focus more on what was happening in the story, rather than what the characters were doing. At the same time, I also didn’t care as much about what was happening because I didn’t care as much about the characters. The flashbacks for the biologist were nice, but part of me still didn’t really care because there wasn’t much plot to connect it with. The plot was simple. Maybe I’ve been reading too many complicated plot books to really enjoy the book. It was a small group of women exploring a highly unusual area and trying to figure out what was going on. The mysterious area with the mysterious creatures was a great idea. But I was hoping the characters would interact with the world more instead of focusing on one single part of the world. While I liked the premise of the book, it was a lot more science based than true thriller based. I’d recommend this book for any one looking for a science like thrillers.

Gallant – V.E. Schwab

Title: Gallant

Author: V.E. Schwab

Narrator: Julian Rhind-Tutt

Genre: Fantasy

Plot: Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for Girls for as long as she can remember. She’s a bit of an outsider, as she’s mute and can see the half formed ghouls that wander the school. The only thing she knows about her parents is her mother’s journal. One day, the headmistress tells Olivia she’s received a letter from her uncle she never knew she had. When she arrives, she’s shocked that her family lives at a mansion called Gallant. Her mother’s written about Gallant. She says Olivia will be safe if she stays away from Gallant. Then she meets her cousin Matthew. He demands she leaves as soon as possible, if she knows what’s good for her. But now that she’s arrived, and knows she has family, she wants to know more. Reluctantly, Matthew allows her to stay. As she explores the grounds of Gallant, the more she learns about her family’s past. Their family is protecting the grounds against darkness. But what is the hidden in the darkness? Can it be contained? Or will it consume everything at Gallant?

Rating: 4.0 – a great dark fantasy

Opinion: This was an interesting book. I loved the ideas of the book. There was lots of history and world building but didn’t feel overwhelming. The explanations were woven into the story so well that I hardly even noticed. It felt like I already knew it but didn’t feel bad about not knowing. I liked how the author gave Olivia a disability but make it limit her or define her. She is left out by her peers, but still shows her talents. Some of the headmistresses show Olivia sign language. She’s quick to learn and communicate. This was creepy without being super creepy. The ghouls were different, but a good different. I really liked that they weren’t your typical ghosts. They could be interacted with and had minds of their own, but they could be controlled. They were also never fully visible, they could only see parts of them. I liked how those who could see them never seemed scared of them, but that they were a part of daily life. The bad guy in the story was also interesting. I liked that he was connected to the main characters. They were woven together beautifully. Their final battle seemed a little short to me, but was very fitting. Part of me wonders if they’ll ever be a sequel. The narrator was great. He had a soothing but slightly creepy voice, which was perfect for the story. His voice almost reminded me of Martin Freeman’s voice. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a darker fantasy book.

Breathless – Amy McCulloch

Title: Breathless

Author: Amy McCulloch

Genre: Thriller

Plot: Cecily Wong is a journalist chosen to summit Manaslu with the great mountaineer Charles McVeigh. He’s on the last mountain for his ’14 clean’ expedition, climbing 14 mountains without any help. She’s promised an exclusive interview with him if she summits the peak with him. It would make her career if she gets it. She agrees but soon realize she’s out of her depth. On top of that, a climber is found dead. Cecily was the last person to talk with him. Everyone is telling Cecily not to worry about it, the climber’s death was an accident. But she can’t stop worrying. That night someone was searching around her tent. Then there was the whistle. Then a climbing window opens and they start their assent. Cecily’s thoughts keep returning to the whistle. Then she hears about more strange things, the wi-fi keeps shorting out. Things start disappearing. Then someone else is found dead. This time Cecily finds her hanging from some ropes. Everyone is saying it was another accident. But things aren’t adding up. More things are out of place the higher they climb. What is really going on the climb? Is it really all in Cecliy’s head? Or is someone behind all of the disappearances and death? If so, who? And why?

Rating: 3.7 – a different style of murder mystery

Opinion: This was a great book. I enjoyed reading a book in a different setting than normal. I enjoyed that as the author wrote about how the mountain kills. The unpredictable weather, anoxia, and accidents are many reasons why people don’t make it to the summit. The author has done her research and is an actual mountain climber. According to her author biography, she’s climbed the mountain in the book. So she clearly knows what she’s talking about. It was cool to learn about what it takes to climb mountains. It would’ve been nice to have a little glossary in the back with mountaineering terms. Overall, I really did like the book. I’ve just read enough books that I figured it out pretty quick. The clues felt obvious to me. There were some clues that tried to throw the reader off the real killer’s trail, but it was pretty easy to see through them. I didn’t mind the more open ending to the book. It still felt like everything was wrapped up nicely. Again, I really did enjoy this book. I’d recommend it to anyone who wants an easy to read, but still good mystery.

Run Rose Run – Dolly Parton and James Patterson

Title: Run Rose Run

Authors: Dolly Parton and James Patterson

Genre: Mystery

Plot: AnnieLee Keyes has found a way to Nashville to start a country music career. It’s been a rough start to get there. She won’t say how she got to the city but she’s got a lot of talent, looks, and gumption. She’s makes do with what she’s got. The Cat’s Paw Bar in town gives AnnieLee her first chance. Sitting behind the scenes is Ethan Blake, a backup singer for Ruthanna Ryder, a recently retired and very famous country singer. Ethan begs Ruthanna to come hear AnnieLee sing. When Ruthanna is finally convinced to hear AnnieLee, she decides to take AnnieLee under her wing. AnnieLee is slow to accept help. When people from her past start showing up, AnnieLee fully accepts Ruthanna’s help. AnnieLee’s first single on the radio is an instant success. Ruthanna helps AnnieLee put out an EP and get a label. Then AnnieLee starts getting more attention from other stars. Ruthanna has the brilliant idea sing a few songs with AnnieLee. Then more people from AnnieLee’s past show up. She’s forced to flee. What will become of AnnieLee? Can she escape her past? Or will her past finally catch up with her?

Rating: 3.5 – an interesting tale of a rising star

Opinion: This was an interesting book. I’d been thinking of reading it in honor of Dolly Parton then I found it in a free little library, so I thought I’d give it a chance. I really wanted to love this book, but couldn’t. I liked learning about the behind the scenes of the music industry. But I was expecting more mystery. The story focused too much on the music and the industry for me and less on the mystery. I wish they’d woven more of the mystery into the book. There were a few things dropped here and there, but I feel like they could’ve done more with it. It could’ve been woven into the story better. The ending also felt a little flat to me. There wasn’t much build up to it and resolved more peacefully than I anticipated. It was nicer that AnnieLee wanted to spare her friends and keep them from getting hurt by returning and trying to solve things on her own. But I also liked that her friends wanted to support and help her. They found ways to compromise and still have everyone come out on top. Overall, I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I feel like it wasn’t for me. I’d recommend this book for anyone who wants a slow and steady mystery.

Night – Elie Wiesel

Title: Night

Author: Elie Wiesel

Genre: Short Story, Memoir

Plot: Elie was a Jewish teenager in Hungary during WW2. Towards the end of the war, the Nazi’s had just arrived. At first, there are minor changes. All of the Jews are moved to a ghetto. Then transported to smaller and smaller places until they reach Auschwitz. There they stay until the Allied forces start approaching. They are evacuated and forced to march in subzero weather. As Elie walks, he finds new strength with his father as more and more are not longer able to keep going. Each day is harder and harder. What will happen when rescue arrives?

Rating: 4.0 a great short story memoir about WW2 survival

Opinion: I remember reading this book in high school. It was a lot less detailed than I remember. But it is a short story ment for schools. So it makes sense that they’d leave out some of the darker things. Especially since Elie was in the same camp as Nazi doctor Josef Mengele (the angel of death). I also understand that it can be hard for survivors to talk about what they went through. It still describes the horrors of the Holocaust very well. I liked that the book mentions how some of the survivors felt after they were liberated. It wasn’t easy for them after they were free. They were very different people than the ones who entered the camps. I’m glad some of them had things to hold onto, like family and faith. Still they were easy things to lose. I do believe this can be a good start for high schoolers to read about the Holocaust. I do believe it’s too much for middle schoolers, but not high schoolers. I don’t agree it should be banned. If certain parents don’t want their kids to read it, maybe find another activity for them instead. But it shouldn’t be banned. People need to learn about these things. That way we can learn and grow and not repeat the past. Also maybe show some compassion for people who are different from them. I still really loved this story. I highly recommend this book for readers looking for a shorter, historical memoir.

Orange is the Color of Goodbye – Christina Suzann Nelson

Title: Orange is the Color of Goodbye

Author: Christina Suzann Nelson

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Plot: Eden’s just got the great news that her son is cancer free when she gets a call about her estranged mother. Her childhood home has been condemned and her mother is in hospice care. Now Eden has to go repair her childhood home or face thousands of dollars in fines. While Eden repairs her home, she finds something about who her father could’ve been. While trying to reconnect with her mother, she asks about the man. But her mother is still as stubborn and abrasive as ever. Eden starts to wonder why she tries. Her new neighbors and her mother’s caregivers might be able to give Eden the answers she needs. Can Eden get the house cleaned in time? Will she be able to reconcile with her mother? And will she find the answers she needs?

Rating: 4.0 – a good story about family and forgiveness

Opinion: This was an interesting book. This book does a great job of capturing an estranged mother and daughter relationship. It also does a great job with found family and letting go. And I did like that they don’t have the traditional forgiveness plot line. It made it feel more realistic. But I also know not every mother and daughter even get this. And I am glad Eden was doing the right thing for her and getting the answers she needed to move on. I understand where she was coming from when she thought she didn’t need help. It’s easy to do things on your own when that’s what you grew up doing, especially when it’s your own childhood home. But I’m glad Eden finally accepted help and was able to help others in the story. The story had a very good open ended book. I hope Eden kept in touch with her new friends. I found it awesome that this author did a great promo opportunity with her prerelease with the book. The did a little read along activity where you open envelopes when you get to certain parts of the book. I decided to try it and loved it. It was such a well thought out and well done idea. Part of me wishes more authors did this, but I understand why they don’t. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves found family, letting go, and learning to ask for help.

The Lost Symbol – Dan Brown

Title: The Lost Symbol

Author: Dan Brown

Genre: Mystery

Plot: Robert Langdon is called to Washington DC for a conference at the Smithsonian by a friend, Peter Sullivan. Only there’s no conference, and Robert had only talked with Peter’s assistant. Then Peter’s hand is found in a room, pointing to the sky. Robert knows it’s a Free Mason symbol of initiation. Now no one can get a hold of Peter, not even his sister, Katherine. Now it’s a race against a mysterious tattooed man, only known as Mal’akh, who wants to reveal some secrets to the world. The CIA and FBI are also working the case. They need help cracking the case. Robert can help, but the leader of the FBI has secrets of her own. Can Robert help catch Mal’akh and find Peter? What secrets does Mal’akh want to reveal? What does the Free Masons have to do with the case?

Rating: 3.5 – an interesting insight into history and legends

Opinion: This was an interesting book. I thought I’d give Dan Brown another chance after reading The DaVinci Code. The author defiantly has a style. This time it felt a little more like the National Treasure movies. There was a lot of follow the clues to the next location. This was a great idea, but there were so many side stories that it felt like it took away from high stakes. While I enjoyed learning about the Free Masons and some of the history about Washington DC, it was a bit overwhelming. The author clearly did his research about both topics. There were plenty of things to describe from the Free Mason’s rituals. It seemed a bit distracting from the story. It all made the story feel slower than it needed to be. I’m glad the story strayed away from conspiracy theories and that religion was painted in a better light this time. I think the main reason why I didn’t love the book was that there was so much going on and so much descriptions that I didn’t feel like I could really connect with the characters. I can see why these books have been popular, but they’re not for me. I’d recommend this book for fans of follow the clues mysteries and learning about secret societies.

Say You’ll Remember Me – Abby Jimenez

Title: Say You’ll Remember Me

Author: Abby Jimenez

Narrators: Christine Lakin, Matt Lanter

Genre: Romance

Plot: Xavier Rush is a young veterinarian running his own clinic in Minnesota. Samantha is the social media manager for local company. They meet by chance when she brings a rescue kitten to his clinic. They make a rash decision to start dating after she returns. The only thing is that Samantha is moving to California to help take care of her mom, who has dementia. The two of them try to make it work long distance. But between Samantha and her family’s care of her mom, and Xavier running his own business, it’s almost impossible for the two of them to find time to talk, let alone to meet up. Xavier picks up extra hours at a local ER vet clinic to help save up to fly out to California. Samantha saves up whatever she can to fly to Minnesota. Each time they meet, the harder it is for them to leave. As much as they want to make it work, the distances and their commitments might be too much for them. Will they find a way to make it work? Or will the distance and their lives make it impossible?

Rating: 4.3 – a cute and sappy romance

Opinion: This was a great book. It was very sappy and romantic while being realistic. I loved that Samantha and Xavier fought tooth and nail to make their relationship work. But they didn’t let it take them away from their responsibilities to their families, work, and friends. They still make sure that they had their priorities in line while falling deeper and deeper in love. They found ways to stay connected and communicated very well despite their troubles and difficulties. Despite everything, they still found ways to support each other from halfway across the US. I’m glad they talked through things and were able to tell each other when the stress of their relationship was threatening their health. They were able to listen and understand where the other one was coming from and respect each other’s decisions. The one thing that I was unsure about was some of the ‘retired’ veterinarians being able to Xavier keep his clinic going even when they weren’t being paid. Though, I’m sure it’d be okay if they kept their license up to date. But it still seems a little sketchy for me. I got a chuckle out of the Christine Lakin’s attempt at a Latin Spanish accent. It sounded more like a Russian accent to me. Maybe I’ve heard a Latin Spanish accent enough that I know what an accurate one sounds like, but I couldn’t quite believe her accent. I was also nervous about listening to a romance book. I’ve gotten better about keeping a straight face when I’ve read smut in public, and wasn’t sure if I could keep a straight face while listening to it. I’ve read other books by this author and know she usually writes one or two steamy scenes. Surprisingly, this was the tamest book I’ve read/listened to. So it was easy to keep a straight face through those scenes. Overall, I really liked this book. I highly recommend this book who wants a super sappy romance book with minimal spice.

Oath of the Wolf – Elisabeth Wheatley

This is book 2 in the Wrath and Weeping Series. Book 1 is Tears of the Wolf

Title: Oath of the Wolf

Author: Elisabeth Wheatley

Genre: Fantasy

Plot: After settling down, Cenric and Brynn have started a life in Ombra. Then Cenric gets orders from the Valdari king, Ovrek. He wants Cenric to return to Istra. Cenric is reluctant to leave Ombra. Brynn convinces him to go and she’ll go with him. They set off. Brynn is instantly met with suspicion. It doesn’t help that she’s charged with killing Ovrek’s concubine. Brynn had gone to help the concubine when she was hurt. The next day, the concubine is dead. Cenric tries to clear her name, but no one believes him. Brynn flees to the forest when Ovrek’s son attacks her. Cenric’s cousin Hroar follows her to bring her back. They find secrets and monsters that were long thought buried. Now they’re coming to life again. There’s also threats from the people around Brynn and Cenric. Will Brynn and Cenric be able to help Ovrek and his men? What is Ovrek and his family hiding? And what does Ovrek really want? Will be able to keep his kingdom? Or will the human and monster threats overwhelm him?

Rating: 4.0 – a great sequel

Opinion: This was a great book. There was a lot more plot in this one. While the first one did a great job with world building, it felt like there wasn’t as much plot. With the world building out of the way, it could focus more on plot. While there was a different culture in there, it’s better woven into the story. The story was a lot better paced than the first one. While I enjoyed the first book, I loved the second one. The author did a great job showing and not telling. Everything described plenty but not too distracting from the story. It was easy to feel what the characters were doing and seeing. The characters were well written. The author did a great job with character descriptions and motivations. The slow reveals for the character’s motivations was amazing. I’m glad the characters didn’t automatically trust each other again, even after all they went through. It made it feel more realistic. It was interesting that she used a lot of Nordic Mythology for this book. I wonder how much she used of Loki’s actual mythology for this book. The monsters in the book reminded me of his children from actually Nordic Mythology. I was wondering how much of Ragnorok she used for the book as well. All of these things made the book so much fun to read. I really enjoyed this book. I’d highly recommend this book for anyone who loves a Viking inspired series.