Organize Your Corpses by Mary Jane Maffini

Organize Your Corpses by Mary Jane Maffini


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I have to say, there was a lot less organizing than I was expecting. I'm fairly certain Charlotte didn't finish a single job during the book! Of course, one job was suspended because of the mystery, so I can forgive that. But, she was also helping other clients and they never actually finished the jobs. How odd! There are plenty of organizational tips thrown in though, so it's not a big deal. It just struck me as funny that Charlotte never actually finished a job during the book. Anyway, I enjoyed this book. For the most part, I liked the dialogue, the characters, and how they interacted with one another. I think the author waited a little too long before really diving into the reveal and I don't think we were given enough clues along the way to see how Charlotte figured it out. The reveal also requires one to suspend a lot of disbelief, in my opinion. That said, I still enjoyed the book enough to want to continue with the series. Perhaps Charlotte will be able to finish a job in the next book? Ha ha!

Cooking Up Murder by Miranda Bliss

Cooking Up Murder by Miranda Bliss


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Overall, I really liked this book. I liked Annie and Eve quite a bit. After reading a review or two, I noticed Eve wasn't as popular as Annie. Personally, I know people like Eve in real life, so she seemed very real to me. Additionally, I just like the idea of 2 friends working together to solve a mystery. I've always thought that if I were to become an amateur detective in real life, that I'd have to work with a friend. I would need that other person to bounce ideas off, if nothing else. Plus, I would feel safer if I had a friend with me when dealing with possibly dangerous situations. :) Now, my biggest problem with the book was the ending. It wasn't as strong as I would have liked, but it wasn't bad. I think the author was a touch lazy about some of the finer points when it comes to believability, but it wasn't so unrealistic that I felt dissatisfied by it. A big plus, though, is that one of the recipes supplied at the end of the book sounds really good and I think I'm actually going to try it. (It's bacon pinwheels... Honestly, the name alone sounds great to me!) I look forward to reading more in this series and I have a feeling they will get better with each installment. :)

Where There's a Witch by Madelyn Alt

Where There's a Witch by Madelyn Alt


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Overall, I really like this series a lot. There were some really good things happening in this particular installment, especially in the romance department. If there's one thing I hate about the Stephanie Plum series, it's that Stephanie doesn't progress with either of the men in her life. I find that so irritating, that I no longer look forward to reading the series. However, I'm pleased to see that this series isn't following that same pattern. It appears as though Maggie is making a little more headway in her love life and I'm glad to see it. I can only take so much waffling between men before I lose sympathy for your situation.

The biggest negative? It has to be the clues for the reveal and how the main characters never seem to figure things out until it's too late. I figured out who did the crime long before all of the clues made sense. But, they made sense to me a LONG time before they made sense to the characters, which I found a little disappointing. However, I did enjoy the ending a lot more than I thought I would. So, even though the main characters seemed a little dense at times, I felt more than satisfied with how it all went down. I look forward to reading more in this series and I hope the author continues to let Maggie's love life develop. :)

Under the Rose by Diana Peterfreund

Under the Rose: An Ivy League Novel by Diana Peterfreund


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I'm just a sucker for this series already! Even when things seem a bit far-fetched, I still find myself not wanting to put it down. In this installment, we're still following Amy's journey at Eli college and the drama she's involved in with her secret society membership. This time there's a traitor that is leaking information that could be potentially damaging and it is having a huge impact on all of the society members. I felt really bad for Amy a few times because it seemed like so many people in her life were not what they seemed. On the negative side, I had a little trouble suspending my disbelief at some things at times. In the first novel, for some reason, it all seemed totally plausible to me. But, this time around, I was a little surprised at some of the things I was expected to swallow. However, it was entertaining and I look forward to reading more of this series. Even if we can no longer follow Amy and the established characters, I would still be interested. :)

Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman

Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book just didn't grab me as much as I thought it would. I did enjoy the story from the villain's point of view, at least to some degree. But, I think the author should have used a different hero to tell the story. When I was done, I was very disappointed with Fatale's story and just didn't care for her or her thoughts. I would have enjoyed the story much more from Lily's or Damsel's point of view. I don't know. It just wasn't what I was expecting and I was a bit disappointed. I can see that the author spent a lot of time thinking about characters and what they would be like. But, I think he missed the mark on execution and motivations, just a bit. I believe this was the author's first novel, however, and I would like to revisit him in the future when he's had a little more time to hone his craft. I see a lot of potential in his work and would like to see him develop.

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult


rating: 2 of 5 stars
Yet again, this book is very well crafted but I didn't fully connect to the characters. Maybe because I waited so long to read it, it also seemed quite a bit predictable. I'm sure hearing what a tear jerker it is set me up to remain a little detached while reading. The closest I came to tearing up was the epilogue, but the tears never fell. I'm at a bit of a loss with this author. Obviously, she takes her craft seriously and I respect that. But, I'm just missing out on the emotional ride she's trying to take me on. I don't mind the multiple voices or the dramatic twists at the end. However, I hate that I'm not emotionally invested enough to truly care what happens to any of the main characters. At the very end, I'm more concerned about how the lawyer and his dog turn out than anyone and that's not what I should feel. I think I'm going to take a break from trying to read any more of her books right now. Oh well. :(

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

rating: 1.5 of 5 stars
The ending was pretty weak, if you ask me. Overall, it was probably the most disappointing book in the series, even though it had some of my favorite parts.



SPOILERS BELOW!





YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!





I was very happy to see that Bella finally became a vampire. I figured she would have a baby before becoming a vampire while reading the third book, so that wasn't a surprise for me. I knew her dream about the Volturi meant they would be visiting at the end. I also guessed that they were visiting to try and have the Cullens, particularly the baby, join their ranks. It was obvious that Alice would pop up in the end to help save the day. Oh and can I just say that Reneesme is the dumbest name EVER? I hated it. I also disliked the ending because it was pointless. The Volturi show up, with their biggest numbers ever, and then nothing happens? One vampire dies and that's it? There was no fighting? Nothing? Really!?!?! Lame. Sorry, Ms. Meyer, but I wanted more. Ugh. Oh well. At least Bella became a great vampire and that's better than nothing. :)

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer


rating: 2 of 5 stars
Okay, I like the series well enough, but I wasn't a huge fan of this installment. I don't understand how anyone can be Team Jacob! I don't like his character much at all in this one. He's a bit of a jerk and I don't see his appeal for Bella. If I were to compare this love triangle to the Stephanie Plum/Joe/Ranger one... Well, on second thought, there isn't much of a comparison. I like both Joe and Ranger and I think they each have pros and cons. I can clearly see the cons for Edward and Jacob, but I was really not seeing enough pros for Jacob. Sorry! Truthfully, there aren't a lot of negatives for Bella choosing Edward either, in my opinion. I don't know. Well, now on to the next book in the series and I have to say, I'm kind of glad I'm almost done with it all. I will never feel the way about the Twilight series that I felt about Harry Potter. Oh well.

A Tisket, a Tasket, a Fancy Stolen Casket by Fran Rizer

A Tisket, A Tasket, A Fancy Stolen Casket by Fran Rizer


rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really loved this book! I liked that the main character works in the funeral business because it's a bit quirkier than usual. I love that her best friend is blind, wonderfully flawed, and holds an unusual job as well. I enjoyed the mystery and most of the resolution. There were a lot of references to other books, or shout-outs if you will, and I liked that. There was very little that I didn't like about the book. It was a little bit quirky, a lot of fun, and even a little informative at times. The main characters were fleshed out nicely and I can't wait to read more of this series. I feel like I'm totally gushing, but I really did enjoy it and it's nice to be so excited about a series again. :)

Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun by Victoria Laurie

Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun by Victoria Laurie


rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved it! I've enjoyed this series from the beginning and this installment was fantastic. I liked the change in scenery, I liked the plot, the action, just about everything. I was a little disappointed by one aspect of the reveal, but the rest of it was so good, that I can totally overlook it. (I wanted to know more about someone that played a big part in the mystery. Don't worry, I won't spoil it for you!) There was a new character introduced that I liked very much. It sounds like the author has also found an interesting way to keep things moving with upcoming books. I can't wait for more in this series! :)