In the Shadows of Paris by Claude Izner

I grabbed this one at random at the library mostly due to the title. Once I saw the cover though, I had to read it. It's just so pretty.

Turns out this is the fifth book in a series featuring one of the main characters Victor Legris, a book seller. It's written by two sisters who go by the pen name Claude Izner. This book is about the bookseller who solves crimes occasionally, and when people start dying, he and his protege step in and help solve the mystery.

Let me start off by saying there are 71 footnotes in this book. 71. It feels like there's one on every page and I found that quite annoying. These notes reference language translations. literary references, historical references etc. that I really could have done with out. If you have to explain something after you've said it, maybe you shouldn't have said it?

This one was so hard to get into that I almost gave up twice before I was even 50 pages in. The authors switch characters so fast, and with little warning, that I had to keep going back when they finally gave people names to try and figure out who was who. Right at the beginning they go back in time to an event that, in my opinion didn't even link up the way they thought it would later on. It just seemed like extra information that maybe we could have done without.

Once the characters were fleshed out, I found myself drawn to them. That was the reason I finished the book. I really wanted to know what would happen to them, specifically one of the criminal characters. By the end though, the one criminal character had such a flat ending to his story that it just bugged me.

The whole thing just felt over complicated for nothing. It was just so mediocre in my opinion. I don't think I'll be picking up any of the other ones in the future.

Recommendation: If you are familiar with the history relating to Paris then perhaps this is for you? If you like footnotes and historical fiction that ties back into real places and events, then maybe this is for you? If you are a casual mystery reader, perhaps give this one a pass.

Holmes on the Range by Steve Hockensmith

This book is about two cowboy brothers living out in Montana in 1893. One brother is obsessed with the stories about the great Sherlock Holmes, and even fancies himself a bit of a sleuth. The other brother is the narrator of this fine tale and the two of them find themselves in the perfect position to investigate a murder in the style of their favorite detective. 

It's written in true wild west type of fashion complete with terms and speech patterns right out of the old days. It's heavy on the ranching story lines and lingo that go with it. I loved every second of it. So much so that I couldn't put it down even though the day I read it I had a killer headache. Nothing was going to stop me!

The characters are great, the story was great, I had no complaints with this book at all. I didn't think that linking up the wild west and Sherlock Holmes could be this good! I am happy to report that it totally works and it's totally awesome! 

The mystery itself was hard, I didn't know a darn thing till the very end. I love it when that happens!

This one is the first of 6 I believe, following these two brothers. I came across this one by accident at the library and the title totally pulled me in. I've already taken out the second book from the library and it's going to be my next read. 

Recommendation: This is a western mystery. If that is something you might enjoy, please give this a read. Also, if you like the work of Sherlock Holmes and you would enjoy reading a fictitious case of a cowboy inspired by him, then you must read this!

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Years ago I watched The Da Vinci Code movie and I enjoyed it. I knew it was a book, but back then I was so involved in reading mysteries that it never really occurred to me to read it.

I found it used at a thrift store a little while ago so I grabbed it up and gave it a go. I read it all in about three hours I think, then I spent the rest of my day off watching the movies (The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons). 

I liked the story. It was interesting and it kept my attention. The writing was good, and I didn't find myself skimming over pages either. It's an easy read, not too complicated, not too intense. 

There was quite a few things that happened in the book that I didn't remember. I found out later it was because it wasn't in the movie. I feel like they passed over some parts in the movie that I would have liked included. I won't go into detail because I don't want to spoil anything and I'm sure most of you have heard of this movie/book before. 

I know some people hate this book because of the topic, but if the topic appeals to you, then this is worth the read. I think the book is better than the movie. Hands down. There's so much more going on, and the ending is different, but I liked it better that way. 

Recommendation: If you liked the movie, if you're interested in the story, give it a read. The book is better and the writing is good. 

This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

You may have heard of this movie (like I did) and had no idea it was a book, or maybe you knew and were keeping it a secret. I don't know. But I do know that I've read the book, watched the movie, and I have some thoughts.

It's a story about a family who's father passes away and they have to spend a week locked into the family home together. It's told from the point of view of one of the sons and it details the hilarity and troubles of life. I won't say anymore, but it's a dark and funny movie that I enjoyed.

I saw the movie first and I liked it. It made me laugh. Helps that I really enjoy most of the actors in the movie too. My only wish was to change the ending, I wanted more. I always want more.

The book was good too but it was different in a lot of places from the movie. Surprisingly, I prefer the movie to the book. The book had some graphic descriptions of things in it that weren't in the movie, and I'm kinda glad about that (although it was still funny) In the odd place or two the book was better than the movie, but overall movie is better than the book.

In the back of the book, there was an excerpt of another book by the same author and I noticed there was a lot of similarities between the main characters. The author seems to like writing these men who are useless creatures who are not worthy of redemption, but at the same time pardoning all their faults and letting them off the hook. In the book version This Is Where I Leave You, the main character is quite a bit more pathetic than he is in the movie, and honestly, I am so much happier with the movie.

Recommendation: This was a pretty cool movie. I really liked it. The book, well it's okay. I would watch the movie first though if you're thinking about reading the book.

Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed

This came across my radar online a couple times and since I had heard of the author before I decided to give it a try.

This book is a compilation of letters and replies from the online advice column Dear Sugar from The Rumpus. It's full of advice about life, love, and loss. Some of the letters are new and never before seen and they are placed into sections. 

Cheryl Strayed does not hide one little thing when she responds to these letters. She is real, raw, and downright honest with her words. Some of it was hard to read and I found myself needing to step away for a little while and continue it later. I took my time with this book because so much of it was necessary. 

Her writing style is unmistakable. She hits so close to home with everything she writes. She showed me myself on the page, tore me down, then gave me back all the hope I needed. I couldn't be more grateful that her work is out there and that she herself exists.  

Recommendation: This may not be easy to read all the way through at once, but I think it's necessary. Very necessary. You will feel better for the experience. 

The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie R. King

If you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes, then I hope you've heard of the books by Laurie R. King where she writes about the famous detective from the point of view of a woman who comes into his life by the name of Mary Russell.

These books are GOLD, people! They are great! I love them so darn much. This one is the first one in the series and it covers their first case and how they met. It's a bit of a slow story progression, but it's still really interesting. Mary Russell is young and figuring out her place in the world when she meets Sherlock and a friendship blooms.

I felt like I was reading about the Sherlock Holmes we all know and love and I can't wait to read them all. I think there's quite a few actually. I really love the idea of a female counterpart and I think it just brings new flavor into the story. There is a big age difference between them, but I still think it works.

The investigations are the same as ever, the cases are as odd and as tough as ever, and the feel is pure Sherlock Holmes.

Recommendation: For the lovers of all things Sherlock Holmes. You will not be disappointed.

The BFG by Roald Dahl

If you haven't read this yet, or at least heard of the amazingness that is Roald Dahl (author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, among others!) then please let this book be a lovely introduction to his work.

This book is short, sweet, and all types of great. As a child I read the odd book or two of his, but I was reading at a higher level pretty quickly and I think that's why I may have missed out on quite a few great children's classics. I think I did read it as a child, but I can't remember so when I found a set of Roald Dahl's books on sale, I grabbed it up.

The reason I'm talking about this book today is because it's coming out as a movie very soon and I am excited!! I'm making my boyfriend read the book too before we go and see it. I have high hopes for the movie and I cannot wait to see it because I'm sure I'm going to love it!

Recommendation: Read this, go see the movie, enjoy the greatness! You won't be disappointed.