Tag Archive for: 4 Stars

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The Guest List

The Guest ListTitle: The Guest List
Author: Lucy Foley
Genre: Thriller
Format: Audio
Pages: 320
Length: 10h 22m
Narrator: Jot Davies, Sarah Ovens, Chloe Massey, Olivia Dowd, Aoife McMahon, Rich Keeble
Reason Read: Recommended
Rating:

My Thoughts

THE GUEST LIST was a really fun, intriguing thriller. I loved the setting, the different POVs, and the different audio narrators. Even though this was published first, it reminded me of THE UNWEDDING by Ally Condie. I loved that we don’t find out who died until almost the very end. I also liked seeing all the threads and different events come together.

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The Last Mrs. Parrish,

The Last Mrs. Parrish,Title: The Last Mrs. Parrish
Author: Liv Constantine
Series: Mrs. Parrish #1
Genre: Thriller
Format: Audio
Pages: 550
Length: 12h
Narrator: Meghan Wolfe, Suzanne Elise Freeman
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:

My Thoughts

I decided to read THE LAST MRS. PARRISH because my book club read THE HOUSEMAID and I saw the controversy surrounding McFadden’s novels. I wanted to see for myself what all the hubbub was about. I can definitely see similarities in the two stories, but I’m not convinced that McFadden did what readers are accusing her of. Most stories, music, and other art are heavily influenced by existing media. The words, characters, and even the plot are different enough that they’re not the same.

Anyway, I really enjoyed THE LAST MRS. PARRISH. I, of course, can’t help but compare it to THE HOUSEMAID. Both kept me on the edge of my seat. Both ended fairly satisfactorily, although I liked THE LAST MRS. PARRISH’s story and ending better. While I liked both narrators in THE HOUSEMAID, I hated being in Amber’s selfish/narcissistic head in THE LAST MRS. PARRISH. But, it made the ending that much more satisfying to see her get what was coming to her. I’m glad I read this book and that the controversy lead me to it. I’ll definitely read more books written by the author duo Liv Constantine.

The Housemaid

The HousemaidTitle: The Housemaid
Author: Freida McFadden
Series: Housemaid #1
Genre: Thriller
Format: Audio
Pages: 338
Length: 9h 41m
Narrator: Lauryn Allman
Reason Read: Book Club
Rating:

My Thoughts

That was some next-level gaslighting. Holy crap! Great twist and well executed. I tore through THE HOUSEMAID. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I didn’t want to put it down. I’m really excited to watch the movie now. (I’m going to read THE LAST MRS. PARRISH by Liv Constantine next to see what all the controversy is about surrounding Freida McFadden’s books.)

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Jurassic Park

Jurassic ParkTitle: Jurassic Park
Author: Michael Crichton
Series: Jurassic Park #1
Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller
Format: Audio
Pages: 449
Length: 15h 19m
Narrator: Scott Brick
Reason Read: Book Club, Just Because
Rating:

My Thoughts

I first read JURASSIC PARK after I saw the movie in 1993. My mom had read the book before she saw the movie and said the book had a lot more detail. Since I loved the movie so much, I decided to read the book. (Back then, it was very rare for me to read especially a book like JURASSIC PARK.) I had a few false starts and didn’t finish the book until about a year later. I will always remember that experience as the first time I ever saw the word “chaos” in written form. It confused me so much but I finally figured it out, lol.

I’m so glad I reread this book for book club. I’ve wanted to reread it for years now and just never got around to it. I had forgotten how much was left out of the movie.

Things I Like in the Book Better

  1. I like that the book contains a more in depth explanation of Chaos Theory and why the park could never work.
  2. I’ve always thought the movie made it seem that if Nedry hadn’t done what he did, then they wouldn’t have had problems. I like that the book showed a lot more evidence of the animals breeding and their need to migrate and get off the island.
  3. I like that the book has more incidents with the dinosaurs.
    • It was way more dangerous for Dr. Grant and the kids as they tried to get back to the lodge.
    • I’ve always thought Ellie’s “run, run” in the movie didn’t make as much sense because she doesn’t do as much running from the raptors as she did in the book.
  4. I like how the book illustrates that while scientists can speculate how things were in the past using empirical evidence and data, their speculations may not be completely accurate (i.e., dilophosaurus venom, speed of the larger species, behavior, look).

Things I Like in the Movie Better

  1. I missed Dr. Grant’s line, “T. Rex doesn’t want to be fed. He wants to hunt.”
  2. I sorely missed Mr. Arnold’s line, “hold on to your butts.”
  3. I also missed the part with Mr. DNA. I know it wouldn’t have worked in the context of the book, but I really like that part of the movie.
  4. I also like Mr. Hammond better in the movie than the book. And, I think Mr. Hammond in the book makes more sense. Only a rich egomaniac could dream of Jurassic Park and be naïve enough to think it would work. I think Mr. Hammond’s death in the book is one of the most satisfying endings to his type of character.
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The Wild Huntress

The Wild HuntressTitle: The Wild Huntress
Author: Emily Lloyd-Jones
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Format: Audio
Pages: 432
Length: 11h 49m
Narrator: Moira Quirk
Reason Read: Book of the Month
Rating:

My Thoughts

THE WILD HUNTRESS was awesome. I loved the story and the characters so much, especially Palug. He reminded me of my cats, Cassie and Izzy. (I’m so glad the dedication let me know he survives so I didn’t have to worry about him.) I also loved the mythology. The author’s twist on the Welsh folklore was so intriguing and the magical elements were fun to read and experience. I also really enjoyed listening to the audiobook. As an American not accustomed to Celtic languages, it was awesome to hear all the correct pronunciations of the Welsh words and names. My only hangup is that I wish the last chapter didn’t feel as rushed as it did. I would’ve preferred an epilogue instead of an overview of future happenings.