This is a well-written and fascinating, and also funny book. Yes, it's about death, but the author's humour and attitude keep it from becoming sad or depressing. It's a memoir of the author's experiences working at crematoriums and funeral homes, and as student studying mortuary science. It is also interspersed with interesting information on different cultures' views of death and their associated rituals.

A new Peter Swanson thriller always makes it to the top of my list of books to read. This intriguing story held me captive from start to finish. Loved it! So far, this and The Kind Worth Killing are my favourites of his novels.

A fascinating and compelling novel about a computer hacker who kills wife abusers. Perfect blend of thriller and computer science fiction! Here are two different covers I have seen.

This book isn't in the Litsy database.
A great thriller which at times felt like a horror novel. Kept me hooked from the start and all the way to the amazing end.

I have a new favourite word: flummoxed. I enjoyed this story about a 39 year old with Asperger's and OCD. He schedules his day to the minute, records weather data for each day, is socially awkward, and is easily "flummoxed". He reminds me of Eleanor in Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and of Don in The Rosie Project. I seek these types of books about odd and eccentric characters because I can relate. This is first in a series of three books.

I was completely captivated from start to finish! I highly recommend this one.

A husband runs away from his unhappy marriage and disappears while his wife is worried and thinks he may have died. The author goes back and forth in time so we learn what happens in his new life, why he left his marriage in the first place, and the secrets he and his wife were both hiding.

I was drawn in right from the start. As the young and likable narrator tells the story of his befriending of an eccentric group of ancient Greek scholars at university, I was completely captivated by Tartt's powerful and talented writing. Although the story rambled quite a bit and I disliked most of the characters, I couldn't stop reading and had to learn more about the murder and its aftermath.

A fascinating and well written account of the 1972 plane crash in the Andes mountains and what the survivors endured for 10 weeks and the unimaginable things they had to do in order to survive. Most of all, I was astounded by their strong desire, determination, and faith to stay alive and find help. Highly recommend!

Wow! What a beautiful book! Actually it is sad, beautiful and also scary! I didn't think those three words would go together but in this case they do! I highly recommend this novel about a 13 year old boy who is visited by a scary monster in his dreams, all while his mother is dying of cancer. I listened to the audiobook which was wonderfully narrated by Jason Isaacs.

I was completely fascinated by this graphic novel (actually a biography) by a high school classmate of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in the 1970s. It was well-researched and provided much insight into the sad and lonely teenage life of Dahmer. In fact, only two weeks after graduating from high school, Dahmer killed his first victim. Included in this edition are detailed notes as well as photos from the 2017 movie. Highly recommend!

A graphic memoir is indeed the best way for a talented cartoonist to write a memoir. This is a very honest, revealing, and deep memoir that really packs a punch! It's about a young girl and about her relationship with her father who was director of a funeral ("fun") home. It's also about her coming out, then discovering her father was also gay shortly before his sudden death. After his death, she discovers even more about him that she didn't know.

Wow! What a creepy and scary book! If you like Japanese horror, or any horror whatsoever, I highly recommend this! It builds slowly, so be patient. This truly is "a terrifying tale of a young family who move into an apartment building next to a graveyard and the horrors that are unleashed upon them."

This true crime series is almost 8 hours long and is free for Audible members. If you enjoy true crime podcasts, you will enjoy this! This was very gripping and had me captivated from start to finish. With each episode it goes deeper into the mystery of the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier in 1996. It is well researched and includes many interviews that reveal the sometimes obsurd drama that surrounded this mystery.

This was a fast-paced suspenceful thriller that had me hooked and guessing from the start until the surprising ending! I recommend it! #thrillers

I knew reading this memoir would be difficult for me. Jaycee was abducted at age 11 (1999) by a man and his wife and kept in captivity until the age of 29 (2011).

I commend Jaycee for her strength and courage to write about her horrific ordeal in detail and with such honesty, and also how it impacted her life two years afterwards in 2011. My heart goes out to Jaycee and to others who have gone through this.

A fun and riveting thriller from the point of view of a sociopath (my favourite kind) that had me hooked from start to finish. Interesting plot and characters and full of fun twists and turns.

Laura volunteers at a unique suicide helpline where volunteers don't try to talk callers out of suicide. But she takes it even further by offering them extra advice and help to do it, and gets a thrill out of it!

This is a fascinating memoir of two years in the life of a rookie New York City medical examiner. Hers "is a gruesome job, but for a scientist with a love for the mechanics of the human body, a great one". She moves from one interesting case to another in very gruesome detail.
As a lifetime lover of thriller fiction and movies, I found this book so captivating but even I had to take breaks when it got too detailed or difficult to read.

Look what happened! I should celebrate! What should I do? Hmmm.... read another book?

Look at this scary cover! I can't look at it without shuddering. And if I ever hear anyone say "COME TO ME", I will freak out. Yes, I added a pile of bodies as a background! Ambrose Ibsen is a great horror writer. This book kept me interested and scared from start to finish. This is my second book of his and I look forward to many more!

Match Your DNA claims it can find your one and only soulmate. Wow! This felt fresh and original, and very different from most of the thrillers I have been reading. This was such a fun and addictive novel, with lots of surprises, and shocking twists and turns. Towards the end, a lot was "out there" and far-fetched, but I didn't care!
#thrillers

One of my favourite quotes from The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. I recently re-read this wonderful book and highly recommend it.

This a re-read after about 10 years. This book is so well-written and compelling! I was fortunate to listen to the audiobook excellently narrated by Lynn Redgrave and Ruthie Henshall. The narration and the plot had me riveted from start to finish. I highly recommend The book and this particular audio edition, if you can find it.

“Where in a medical dictionary does it say a woman cannot handle such things? What is a man's soul made of that a woman's is not? I had no idea my innards were composed of cotton and kittens, while yours are filled with steel and steam-driven parts.”

An enjoyable debut and start to a YA historical fiction series featuring a smart and unconventional heroine who studies forensic science in the 19th century.

#historicalfiction #YA

This book makes me glad my neighbours are quiet and don't bother me! This is a creepy and suspenceful psychological thriller about crazy neighbours that kept me on edge and interested from start to finish. I have had bad neighbours but luckily, not as bad as these.

This is a fascinating, beautiful, and moving love story about a man who has lived over 400 years. It is about "a man lost in time, the woman who could save him, and the lifetimes it can take to learn how to live."
I was first introduced to this immensely talented author when I read The Humans, one of my favourite all-time novels. I knew I would have to read everything he has written and will write.

Great artwork in this darkly comedic graphic novel series about a 1950s-60s housewife who is also a hired killer. I'm interested enough to look for the sequel, Lady Killer 2. Sadly, books 3-5 in the series don't seem to be available anywhere. #graphicnovels #darkcomedy

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A thriller about two missing sisters, a twisted family, and what happens when one girl comes back." I read Wendy Walter's thriller All is Not Forgotten last year and loved it. I was eager to read her latest. Gripping from start to finish. And what a finish it was! I look forward to reading more by Wendy Walker!

3.5 to 4 stars. Addictive thriller about a wife with a hidden past who stands by her husband when he is accused of sexual assault. The slow reveal of the wife's hidden past was most enjoyable for me. I have mixed feelings (anger and some confusion) about the wife's rationale for staying by her husband. And what an ending! I certainly did not see that coming. #thrillers

A memoir by a woman who grew up with parents who were hoarders. "It would be years before I heard the theory that hoarders tend to be perfectionists, that each item they collect is one crucial part of an ideal world they are ever creating for themselves. If that's the case, it's possible I inherited this, too, from my father. The older I got, the more obsessed I became with maintaining the illusion that everything in my life is perfect --".

I love Eleanor! She is eccentric, socially awkward, speaks her mind without social filters or niceties, and doesn't understand the behaviour of the "idiots" at work and elsewhere.
On the outside she appears strange and almost unlikeable. But on the inside, there is deep sadness. She wants to experience unconditional love and to feel cared for. This is a beautifully written novel that really impacted me.

An entertaining and addictive thriller with twists and turns. I felt like I was reading a script for a slasher movie. #thrillers

This was delightful! It's an intelligent story that teaches children about good vs evil and the importance of love and family. And that being smart, being good at science and math, being different, and even having faults are all good and very useful things. I read this at the same time as the novel by Madeleine L'Engle. Both were equally enjoyable. #graphicnovels #YAFANTASY #sciencefiction #middlegradefiction

This was delightful! It's an intelligent story that teaches children about good vs evil and the importance of love and family. And that being smart, being good at science and math, being different, and even having faults are all good and very useful things. I read this at the same time as the graphic novel adapted and illustrated by Hope Larson. Both were equally enjoyable. #YAfantasy #sciencefiction #middlegradefiction

I am so glad I discovered this creepy gem of a horror novel. And the author Ambrose Ibsen! From start to finish, I was at the edge of my seat, completely riveted. Listened to the audiobook eerily narrated by Jake Urry. Highly recommend! #horror

I was hooked right from the start of this psychological thriller and enjoyed it thoroughly until the end. Very well written and clever debut! I particularly enjoyed the first person narration which helped me understand the minds and motives of the characters. First person narration is my favourite! I highly recommend this if you are looking for a page turner and gripping thriller. #psychologicalthrillers #thrillers

Richard Matheson is of my favourite writers. In my opinion, he was one of the best writers of gripping psychological suspense and horror. The stories in this collection do not disappoint and I believe many were adapted to Twilight Zone episodes (the best classic TV show!). #horror #shortstories

This book has started me on a journey to love myself and my body at any weight.
"What if I could be everything else I wanted to be ... without ever having to be thin? What if?"
"You're just as valuable a human being now as you might be fifty pounds from now" (Kim Brittingham)
#nonfiction #memoirs

Great title! It attracted me to the book. Lonely strangers Mateo and Rufus are notified that today is their last day alive and both use an app called Last Friend which connects them so they can spend their last day together. I was moved by parts of the book and by the last 5%, in particular parts that just focussed on Mateo and Rufus. But mostly I was bored, underwhelmed and left wanting much more from Mateo and Rufus.

⭐⭐⭐ I don't usually enjoy police detective crime mysteries. This novel was beautifully written and I had high hopes that I finally found one I would enjoy from start to finish. I loved it until about 60-70% in. Then it got tedious and boring until it finally ended and left me feeling unsatisfied and glad it was over. I give it 3 stars (out of 5) for its beautiful writing and potential.

3.5 stars/5. This is a moving and sad story about a relationship between a mother and a daughter. The mother is convicted of murdering of her infant son and is on death row. I almost gave up on this one because it was so slow at first but it finally got interesting about 2/3 in and earned its stars.

A wonderfully written book that should be read by everyone and given out for free to all boys, girls, men and women. #mustread #feminism

This is a fascinating, well-researched account of David Reimer who, after a botched circumcision, was castrated and raised as a girl, despite being biologically male and despite acting and feeling like a boy. I was angered by the mistreatment of David by the researcher who refused to see the failure of his work. I was so impressed by David's strength and courage. Most of all, I felt sadness and deep empathy for what David and what he went through.

I read so many great reviews of this time-travel fantasy historical thriller and I certainly wasn't disappointed. I was totally engrossed by Jake Epping and his trips back in time. It's an imaginative and suspenseful novel with twists and turns, violence, and even a beautiful love story. With each trip back in time, the story gets more complex and adds more what-if questions. I recommend it as a must-read for others and a re-read for me.

Funny, intelligent and also disturbing thriller that tackles important issues of today. You can't help but like the main character Javid (Jay), a small time drug dealer in a borough of London, England whose life turns upside down when he's recruited by M15 for a mission.
#immigration

Good at first then dragged to a disappointing finish. Her other novel, Liar, was better, in my opinion.

These are the 24 books I read for a book battle Feb 1-22, 2018. Some I enjoyed very much and some not so much. Best books in the bunch: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Transmission by Ambrose Ibsen.

I enjoyed this urban fantasy/mystery novella written by science fiction author John Scalzi. My first book by him. Listened to the Audible audiobook wonderfully narrated by Zachary Quinto. #urbanfantasy #mysteries

One of my favourite novels is The Humans by Matt Haig in which an alien visit Earth and observes us. This novel is full of smart observations and beautiful quotes. #mustread #favoritebook #favoritereads #bookquotes #matthaig #thehumansbook #thehumans

Two memoirs I recently read and enjoyed.
I felt Caitlyn Jenner' s memoir was honest and heartfelt. I felt empathy for what she went through.
Haruki Murakami, a great writer, and an introvert like me. He writes about his 20+ year long passion for running.
#memoirs