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.

You Like it Darker – Stephen King

Title: You Like it Darker

Author: Stephen King

Genre: Short Stories, Thriller

Plot: This is a collection of short stories. The main ones are Two Talented Bastids, Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream, Rattlesnakes, The Dreamers, and The Answer Man. Two Talented Bastids is about how a reporter learns how two old friends became so popular in their respective fields. What really happened? And why are they no longer friends? Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream is about Danny’s dream about a murder victim turns his life upside down. When his dream turns out to be true, the police think he did it. But did he really do it? Or was it someone else? Rattlesnakes is about Vic Trenton forty years after the events of Cujo and his time at his friend’s house in Florida. But when the neighbor is pushing an empty stroller and saying her twins are there, what is really going on? The Dreamers is about what happened to a Vietnam vet turned stenographer sees something he shouldn’t have. The Answer Man is about a man who meets someone with all the answers. The answers will cost him, but what?

Rating: 3.5 – an interesting collection of short stories

Opinion: This was a good collection of stories. I wish I would’ve read the first couple short stories when I was more awake. I was super tired when I started the book. The two shortest stories didn’t really capture my attention as much as the other ones did. I might go try to reread them someday. But they were a little too short for me to get to know the characters. Rattlesnakes was my favorite short story. It was the sequel to Cujo. It talked about grief, loss, and forgiving yourself. This one was also the most typical Stephen King story. Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream was a little annoying for me. It was about all consuming obsession. I kept thinking there’d be a huge fight at the end. I was presently surprised when it ended fairly smoothly and with an unanswered question. I find it interesting that Stephen King finds ways to connect most, or all, of his stories. Maybe I’ll reread the shorter stories again, when I’m more in the mood for a short story. Overall, I’d recommend this collection of short stories to anyone who enjoys Stephen King’s books.

Daindreth’s Series 1 & 2- Elisabeth Wheatley

Titles: Book 1 – Daindreth’s Assassin, Book 2 – Daindreth’s Outlaw

Author: Elisabeth Wheatley

Genre: Fantasy

Plot: Book 1 – Ever since Amira’s been thrown aside by her father and her mother and her people have been cast out of the kingdom, she’s been cursed to be her father’s assassin. Sent out to get rid of whomever her father deems a threat to the kingdom. When her latest assignment fails, she has to flea for her life. Then her assignment shows up at the castle, as the archduke Daindreth, and heir to the empire. The archduke has asked for her sister’s hand in marriage. Then the archduke throws a wrench in the plans and asks for Amira’s hand in marriage instead. Her father agrees. On their way back to the Daindreth’s castle, Amira learns why she had to flea. Daindreth has a curse of his own. He has a demon attached to him, and is fighting to control him. For some reason, Amira makes the demon go quiet. Daindreth wants to know why. While they try to figure out why, his mother has other ideas. Can they figure out their curses, and how to break them? Or with Daindreth’s mother complete her plans first?

Book 2 – Daindreth and Amira have escaped his mother’s clutches with his cousin Thadred. The three of them decide to travel to the Istovari’s, Amira’s mother’s people, last holdout, in the Curse Wood. But getting there is almost impossible. If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll be lost forever. Amira knows someone in her father’s kingdom who may know someone who can help. But getting there without getting caught by Daindreth’s mother’s forces will be a challenge. And if Amira’s contact might not be able, or willing, to help. But everything goes sideways when Thadred gets captured by an Istovari, and Daidreth’s mother’s forces find Amira and Daindreth. The safest thing to save everyone is to go into the Curse Wood. Will they able to find their way? Can everyone be united safely? Or will everyone be lost for good?

Rating: 4.0 – a great start to a high fantasy series

Opinion: This was a great start to a fantasy series. The magic in the system is really good. There are well established rules and limits to the magic. I liked that people have a natural ability to sense magic, and some people can sense it better than others. Those who have magic have the ability to learn how to control their magic, no matter how little magic they have. I like that the author found a use with those who had little magic ability, it’s not a great use, but it’s a use. Though it’s interesting that magic is generally frowned upon. The magic users were banished from the empire because they wouldn’t submit to the emperor. I wonder if they’ll be welcomed back into the kingdom by the end of the series. I also liked how the characters learn how to work together. Each character is well written with a distinct personality. They use their strengths to help in the other’s faults. The main couple are a great sunshine and grumpy couple. I liked that they find healthy ways to work together. They have a very healthy relationship and want to work through their problems. They listen to each other and okay if someone says no and help the other if they have a plan. The plot carries over nicely between books. There’s enough plot, descriptions, and actions to keep everything interesting. There are parts that are a little slow where some of the mellow drama and could’ve been cut out. But I just rolled my eyes at the drama and kept reading. Overall, I really liked the start of the series. I’ll probably finish the series when I read some of the other books on my shelves. I’d highly recommend this series for anyone who wants a well written magic fantasy series.

How to Stop Time – Matt Haig

Title: How to Stop Time

Author: Matt Haig

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Plot: Tom Hazard is an anomaly. He’s been alive for over four hundred years. Thanks to the Albatross Society and its leader Hiendrich, he’s had a comfortable life moving around every eight years. So long as Tom helps recruit new long lived people into the society. And the most important thing is to never fall in love. For most of his life, Tom follows the rules. Throughout the years, Heindrich promises to look for Tom’s daughter Marion, who’s long lived like them. Then things happen when he returns to London after a few lifetimes. He becomes a high school history teacher. He starts becoming more involved in his coworkers and students lives. Then he starts to develop feelings for a coworker. Tom begins to question all the rules he’s followed. Especially when he’s asked to find an old friend, Omai. Will Tom continue to follow the Albatross Society’s rules? Or will he finally be able to find a life of his own?

Rating: 4.0 – an interesting tale of how to live your own life

Opinion: This was an interesting book. The author did a great job with this version of longevity. I liked that idea that people like Tom still age, but at a much slower rate and that they’re not invincible. It made sense that the people throughout history would be weary of those who are different. It’s easy to fear them or want to study them like lab rats. The author did a good job what it was like for characters to be feared. I was curious to see the other side of the coin and have known more of the people went through if they were truly studied. I’m sure it would’ve been horrible and I was okay without this plot line. It would’ve distracted from the true storyline. I found the plot slow and steady, but not boring. The ending action picked up a lot, but didn’t feel rushed. On the historical side, I liked the fact that the author focused on the poorer people of history. It’s easy when writing historical fiction, to focus more on royalty and military people. It’s nice to read a book about the different classes. I also liked that the author touched on the themes of living in fear and finding what you want to do with your life. On a bonus note, I finally found a quote in a book that really stood out to me after so long. Overall, I really liked this book. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction.

Tea with Elephants – Robin Jones Gunn

Title: Tea with Elephants

Author: Robin Jones Gunn

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Christian Fiction

Plot: Lily and Fern have been friends since childhood. They’ve moved away and grown up but remained close. Both have started families and had to postpone their dreams of traveling the world. When Lily’s gifted a trip to Africa, she can’t pass up the opportunity to go with Fern. Fern is hesitant at first, but her husband persuades her. The two women are excited to meet up and have their first adventure together since childhood. As they travel, the women see wonderful things and meet wonderful people. But they also have their hurts they’re working through. The more they travel, the more they work through their issues. But will they be able to work through all their problems? And are they willing to hear the answers?

Rating: 4.0 – a great story of friendship

Opinion: This was a really cute story. This was a great story of friendship. It’s great to have good friends like this and that they can have deep and meaningful conversations. More people need these types of friendships. Even though it would focus on the adventures in Africa, I’m glad it was a story about friendship and family. I’m glad the story focused on deep, meaningful solutions to the women’s issues, instead of superficial ones. I’m also glad the author talked about faith and how faith can help give an extra support in times of hardship. I agree that it’s hard to imagine going through hard times without faith. What do they hold onto during those times? While I loved this story, I the whole trip went a little too easy. I thought there’d be a few more bumps in the road. But I understand that it could’ve distracted from the story and it could’ve forced them talk about other things instead of focusing on the bigger issues. And maybe I’m too used to things going wrong on traveling with friends stories. Overall, this was a really sweet story. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves deep and meaningful friendship stories.

Dewey – Vicki Myron

Title: Dewey

Author: Vicki Myron

Genre: Memoir

Plot: In the small town of Spencer, Iowa, there was a tight knit community. Most of the community was based around the farmers who lived life together. Head librarian, Vicki Myron, shares her experiences growing up in Spencer and how she became a librarian. That was all before meeting Dewey. Someone had put him the library’s book drop off bin in the middle of a bad Iowa winter. Vicki of course took him in and let him wander around the library and snuggle with the other library staff. Everyone fell in love with him. With the city council’s permission, he became the official library cat. Dewey spent most of his days wandering the library, joining the kid’s book time, and sitting in people’s laps. He was the perfect cat and knew how to treat all of his adoring fans. After appearing a show about library cats, Dewey became famous. He met even more adoring fans from around the world. He treated each and every fan with respect and gave them the attention they needed. When he started getting old, he still lived his best life at the library and received the best send off a cat could dream of.

Rating: 4.5 – a sweet story about how a community came together for a cat

Opinion: This was a really sweet book. I loved how the tiny town bonded over their little library cat. It broke my heart how the author found Dewey. I was presently surprised how mild mannered Dewey was and how attuned to people he was. Dewey was the perfect gentleman with all of the library patrons. But he still had his silly cat quirks, like his love of rubber bands, catnip, and playing chase with the author after library hours. It made me happy that the author and Dewey bonded over their medical issues. They had a deep understanding of each other’s needs. It was really bittersweet when Dewey passed. You know going into the book that he probably will pass away, especially since the book was published almost twenty years ago. But it still made me sad when it happened, I teared up when I read it. I’m sure I would’ve cried if I hadn’t been at work when I read that part. The sweet part is what the community did for Dewey when he passed. I’m glad that the author talked about how he’ll live on in the community’s memories. While I really did love the book, parts felt a little disconnected and not entirely related to the story. But the author did her best to keep it relevant. Overall, I loved this book. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves pets, cats, and stories of community coming together.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil – V.E. Schwab

Title: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil

Author: V.E. Schwab

Genre: Fantasy

Plot: Three women are bound by fate. One choses her fate for control, one for love, and third has her fate chosen for her. María is the oldest of the three. She’s born in 1532 in a small town in Spain. She’s a free spirit and longs for better things in life. When María catches the eye of a viscount, she’s pressured into marrying him. There she meets the widow for the second time and teaches María about tonics. Then the widow offers her a chance for freedom, to change her life. What will María choose? What will she do with her new freedom? Charlotte is the next oldest, and was born in 1827 in London. She’s new to society life in the city and struggling to fit in. Charlotte wants to fit in but is unsure of herself. Then she meets Sabine. Sabine becomes the best help for Charlotte to teach Charlotte how to fit in. But Sabine makes Charlotte question what she really wants from life. She says she can offer Charlotte something better. But what is it really? Will it be worth it? Alice is the youngest. She’s a new student at Harvard, trying to escape her small town in Scotland. A chance encounter with pretty stranger at a college party changes her life forever. Outraged with what happened, Alice demands answers to what happened that night and demands the person responsible take accountability. Will Alice’s quest for answers be worth it? Can Alice really change what happened to her?

Rating: 4.5 – a different take on vampires, love, and humanity

Opinion: This was a great book. I’ve heard good things about this author and was not disappointed. I really enjoy her style of writing. She describes things without distracting from the plot and doesn’t overwhelm the reader with info dumps. I found it really interesting that she describes vampires without actually saying they’re vampires. She describes classic vampire traits and lets the reader come to the conclusion that that they’re vampires. But I like that the author makes her own twits about vampire lore. There are also some good points about humanity and what it means to be human. The author also did a really good job of slowly weaving the character’s stories together. They all had their own well written individual back stories and slowly weaving their stories together throughout the book. I was about halfway through the book when I realized I hadn’t read anything about one of the main characters and two pages later, she entered the scene. It made it a little nicer because the other two main characters had great backstories and would’ve been a little overwhelming with the third introduced at the beginning. Part of me wished that Alice’s sister had been more connected to the main story and not just memories. I get that it was part of Alice’s childhood development but I thought it would be a little more connected to her new life, like her sister would show up somehow. It did kind of distract from the main story for me. I did like the slight plot twist at the end of the story. I’m not entirely surprised at what happened, but I am glad it ended like that. I feel like everyone got the ending they deserved. Overall, I really liked this book. It’s been a while since I really, truly got into a book. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a different style of vampire story and don’t mind a little bit of queer romance.

The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown

Title: The Da Vinci Code

Author: Dan Brown

Genre: Mystery

Plot: Symbology expert, Robert Langdon is called into the Louvre in Paris in the middle of the night. He had a late night at a work function and isn’t up for it, but he can’t refuse the French Judicial Police, especially the chief Bezu Fache. An associate of Robert’s, Jacques Saunière, has been murdered inside the Louvre. Chief Fache has found a clue linking Jacques and Robert. He wants Robert to figure out the other clues Jacques left behind at his murder scene. In steps cypher expert, Sophie Neveu to help solve the clues. She and Robert must stay two steps ahead of the police, who think Robert and Sophie are behind the murder, and the organizations who are afraid the pair will discover the truth and tell the whole world. But who is really behind the murder? Can Robert and Sophie figure out the clues in time? Or will they be stoped before they discover what’s really going on?

Rating: 3.5 – an unusual take on a murder mystery

Opinion: This was an interesting book. I can see why there was so much hype about the book when it first came out. It’s different than most of the other murder mystery books. While I love a good follow the clues mysteries, I can also see why it made people mad. While I applaud the author for his bold takes on some plot points, I can’t say I agree with them. It really rubbed me the wrong way that lots of the facts in the books are widely considered as conspiracy theories and untrue. The way the author wrote the conspiracies as facts just didn’t sit well with me. Like everyone who believes in the mainstream ideas as the biggest idiots for falling for the leaders are selling. I thought some of the ideas about Da Vinci were interesting, so I double checked some facts about Da Vinci that are stated in the book with a coworker who studied him and said most of them are false. Also, it was hard for me to connect with the characters. There wasn’t enough backstory or enough about the characters motivation for me to care about them too much. They glossed over too much of the characters motivations for me. Also some of the character’s stories also fell flat for me. They didn’t really add much to the story. It felt like the story wouldn’t have changed too much without them, or someone else could’ve done the same things without changing the story too much. Lastly, the time it took for the characters places felt too quick. Most of the book takes place within twelve hours. While I don’t know how close all of these things are in Paris, I still feel like it should’ve taken more time, especially flying to London. Overall, this wasn’t the book for me. I’d recommend it to someone who wants a different style murder mystery.

This Story Might Save Your Life – Tiffany Crum

Title: This Story Might Save Your Life

Author: Tiffany Crum

Genre: Mystery

Plot: Benny and Joy are best friends who run a famous podcast called This Story Might Save Your Life (TSMSYL for short). They talk about an unusual situation someone survived and then talk about how they would survive. Their manager, and Joy’s husband, is charge of ads their upcoming podcast tour. The more the tour goes, the more controlling Xander of the podcast becomes. Then they into some trouble with one of their ads. The more time passes, the more Joy retreats and the more controlling Xander becomes. Then Joy disappears. The evidence points to Xander at first. Then the evidence points to Benny. But who really is behind Joy’s disappearance? Did Xander or Benny really do it? Or someone else? Can they find Joy before something happens to her?

Rating: 3.7 – a different kind of mystery

Opinion: This was an interesting book. Though, it wasn’t as mysterious as I thought it was going to be. You get some answers too early in the book for my tastes. It took away the mystery for me. Though I give the author credit for giving the reader lots of distractions for who really is behind Joy’s disappearance and what really happened to some of the other characters. The nonlinear timeline helped give some background information about the characters. This works better for the story because you get more information about the mystery while learning about possible motives of the characters. I wish some of the motives would’ve been a little less obvious, though. I’m glad Benny and Joy had a support system that helped them escape from Xander’s schemes. And that the perpetrator got justice in the end. I enjoyed the friendship that Benny and Joy had and that it didn’t turn into a cheating scandal or romance at the end of the story. It would’ve distracted from the story too much, but given a better motive for Benny. I wished one or two more things would’ve been answered a little more clearly. Overall, I still enjoyed this book, just wish it would’ve been more mysterious. It could be good for someone who’s getting into mysteries. I recommend this book for anyone who wants an easy to read mystery.

American Dirt – Jeanine Cummins

Title: American Dirt

Author: Jeanine Cummins

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Plot: When Lydia’s family is killed by the cartel group, Los Jardineros, she grabs her son Luca, whom Lydia hid during the shooting, and flees Acapulco. Lydia must be careful because the leader of Los Jardineros is still looking for her. He left notes around her house and car. So she and Luca go on foot to grab some cash and find other means of escape. First, Lydia tries the train and airport, but the clerks want ID, which Lydia doesn’t want to use in case the cartel comes looking for them. So, they’re forced to hitch rides on buses for the first leg of their journey. As they get closer to the border, they meet other migrants. Lorenzo wants to escape his past life with the cartels. He tends to tag along even when the others don’t want him. Then there’s Rebeca and Soledad, two sisters from Honduras. They escaped their local cartel and seen too much for teenagers. The more they travel, the more they learn about each other’s stories. But can they learn to trust each other? Can they all make it across the border? Rebecca and Soledad have a Coyote lined up for the two of them. Will he take Lydia and Luca, too? Or will they need to find a different path? Or will the cartel catch up to the two of them before they can be truly free?

Rating: 3.7 – a story of overcoming all odds

Opinion: This was an interesting book. It’s been a while since I’ve read a book that starts with the characters feeing for lives and learning their backstory along their journey. So it took me a little bit to connect with the characters. I wish there would’ve been a chapter or two before of backstory before Lydia and Luca had to flee. There were also a lot of characters introduced at the beginning it took me a minute to get everyone straight. Once I knew a little bit more about the characters, I really got into the story. The author did a good job of showing the reader what the characters saw and how they felt. At times, I felt like there was too much description, but it was usually when the characters were traveling and not a lot of danger. I thought there would be a little bit more danger as the characters were escaping from their respective cartels. Part of it seemed a little too easy to get out of danger. Granted dangerous things did happen and it was terrifying and I’m glad they escaped. But the danger seemed a little philosophical the way some of the characters thought of it. All this to be said, this was my first audio book. It might’ve been the way the narrator read the book, or how I perceived it. I can see why people choose audio books, but I still prefer ebooks and actual books. That way I don’t accidentally space out during an important scene. Which I might’ve done once or twice. It made it harder for me to go back and listen to when I stopped listening. I might try another audio book later, but for now I’ll stick ebooks or actual books. Back to the book, I did enjoy it for the most part. I highly recommend for anyone who enjoys a good realistic fiction book about what migrant families go through.

Queering the Color Line – Siobhan B. Somerville

Title: Queering the Color Line

Author: Siobhan B. Somerville

Genre: History, LBGTQ+

Plot: Black people and LBGTQ+ people have always been pushed to the side. Their part of history has always been erased or not talked about. Siobhan talks about their history and how they contributed to society at the turn of the last century and into the 1930’s. Siobhan gives examples of how different types of movies, books, other forms of media back then shaped how people viewed black people and LBGTQ+ people. The author talks about how straight white, black, and LGBTQ+ people thought about those forms of media. There was support and opposition from all sides.She also talks about how the words like gay, lesbian, and queer have changed over the past century. There are also points about the words origins and how they came to be what they mean now.

Rating: 3.5 – a well researched history of black queer people

Opinion: This was an interesting book. I read this for a book challenge with my local bookstore. Part of it is reading a book a book by an LBGTQ+ author. I’d asked a coworker about it and this is one the books he recommended. This one seemed the most interesting. While it was interesting, I didn’t expect it to be so academic. I thought it was going to focus more on the history of black LBGTQ+ people and less on the academic research of the time period. It was a lot of here’s what these people thought of the minorities of the time period. Here’s some reasons why they thought like that and here’s some examples to prove it. It read a lot like a college textbook. I looked into the author a little bit and saw that she’s a professor at Purdue and/or Illinois (different sites said different things). Which explains the well researched, textbook feel of the book. While the book was informative and I feel like I learned something, it wasn’t the right book for me. I’m glad I learned new things about groups of people that you don’t really hear much about, especially when people don’t want to talk about them as much. While this book isn’t for me, I’d recommend it for someone who loves educational textbook-like history books about minorities.