Edgar Allan Poe can be a killers Best friend: The Bookbabe Reviews The Poet by Michael Connelly

After reading The Bride Collector I was ready for another mystery; so I searched through my books and found Michael Connelly's The Poet. The Poet is the story of newspaper reporter Jack McEvoy's need to understand the apparent suicide death of his police officer twin brother. He can't wrap his head around the death. None of it makes any sense to and after a little digging he discovers that everything is not as it seems. The Poet is a killer that leaves behind cryptic messages by using the Poetry and works of Edgar Allan Poe. At the same time we are introduced to The Poet we are exposed to another underlying story: cops involved in the molestation of children. This is a common thread throughout the book and one that ties several of the characters together; however this is classic misdirection. The Poet is a 501 (mass market edition) page wild ride of twists and turns and suspense. This is definitely Connelly at his finest hour. I really can't write to much about the book without giving away vital parts of the plot; so I'll share with you what I loved about the work.
I loved that Edgar Allan Poe's poetry was used by the killer is a calling card. This is a bit different and definitely interesting. At first none of the suicide notes containing these lines made any sense until they were examined further. It was never really explained in the book as to why The Poet used Poe. Another thing that was great about this book were the plot twists. You begin to believe that the killer is identified early. We think we know who the killer is and then plot twist; and with the first twist a sudden and heart wrenching betrayal. Then another plot twist and the real killer is revealed. There were so many layers to these twists; the author really kept me guessing. Another thing I really enjoyed was the ambiguous ending. Connelly left it open for McEvoy to have another encounter with The Poet.
I gave The Poet 5/5 stars on Goodreads.
Quotes I Liked:
"It's lucky no one else knows what our most secret thoughts are. We'd all be seen for the cunning, self-aggrandizing fools we are."

"Writing does for me what you got in that glass does for you. If I can write about it, I can understand it."

Wings, War and Mating Bonds....The Bookbabe Reviews A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

Last month the third installment in Sarah J. Maas A Court of Thorns and Roses series was released. I didn't jump right into the book because I had a lot going on and frankly I wanted to take my time with the novel. This book starts off with Feyre back at the spring court awaiting a time to ruin Tamiln's life make him pay for the betrayal of her and her family to Hybren.
Throughout her time at the Spring Court she is attempting to keep Tamlin and Lucien at arms length. She plays this well; its an Oscar winning performance, at least where Tamlin is concerned. Lucien, however, is expecting something. He is suspicious of her from the moment they leave the Cauldron and King of Hybren to come back to the court. It's not until Dagdan and Brannagh (the niece and nephew of the King) that Feyre is able to spring her trap and escape; but not before the pays back Ianthe for her role in the betrayal and for her constant in wanted sexual advances on Lucien and several other males around her. Feyre and Lucien escape to the court of Night together. Lucien only leaves with her because he wants to see his mate; Elain, who happens to be Feyre's sister. As they escape the run into characters from the winter and autumn courts that will play a much bigger role in the storyline as we go on. Once they are back in Velaris Lucien quickly comes to understand that all he thought and knew about Rhysand and his court is untrue. Rhysand is more caring and loving and honorable then Lucien has been made to believe and the leads him into becoming a reluctant ally of the Night Court. During the book we see a love hate relationship start between Nesta and Cassian. We also see Azriel and Mor's relationship become more strained; and most of that is Mor's doing. She is sitting on a secret that she needs to share with Az. We also find out the Amren has a love interest who lives in another court; we also find that she will betray Feyre and her friends in order to save not only the court but their world.
Amren's betrayal was frustrating for me; I found myself cussing her when I read it. I truly did not see that coming and she had put Feyre in danger. However, Maas cleans it up and the end and we find that Amren is still a friend of the group and is still within the courts ranks at the end of the novel. If the betrayal was not bad enough Maas could not resist harming Rhysand; but this one moment was also a chance for Tamlin to redeem himself. This did not change my views of Tamlin. I still don't like him; but it does mean that we will see him in the future. We will also see Queen Vassa in the upcoming novels, however, I have a feeling that her tale is going to be full of drama and danger. I think this queen is going to be a piece of work; something tells me she's putting on a front to those around her so that she can be freed from the man that holds her captive. There is so much that went on in this book and its way to much to discuss without spoilers.

Best Scenes:
Death of a really bad character at the hands of Nesta and Elain.
Amren lives.
We have a LQBT character

Worse scene:
Cannot tell you due to chance of spoiling it - sorry!

I gave this book 5/5 stars on goodreads.

Quotes that I loved:

Books Purchased Last Month

I know this is late...I will apologize in advance for
this. Last month I had the privilege to purchase some really good books. Most had been on my TBR for a few weeks.

I am really excited about each of these purchases. I will be reading The Hate U Give this month. First impressions and a full review can be expected for this book. For more info on these book such as synopsis and price visit www.amazon.com.

One Sit Reads: Teaching my Mother to Give Birth by Warsan Shire

I first heard of her when listening to Lemonade by Beyoncé; some of her poetry was used in the album. I adored this small volume of deeply personal poetry. Above is a video of one poem I believe really fits our times.

The Book Every Woman of Color should read...My review of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

I can not believe that I had not read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings before just a few weeks ago. I understand now why so many women of color have such a special connection with this book. At 32, I consider myself pretty well read. However, never had I read such a book as this one. Maya Angelou's story is deeply personal and some of her life experiences seem so close to my own. I can imagine another brown skinned, awkward young girl running around outside with friends. Enjoying summer church picnics and reading books by Dickens and Bronte. Like Angelou I was raised by my grandmother; who was also a strict woman. But was not very religious. If it had not been for my stepmother and a friend in high school I would not have been introduced to Christianity. (Even though I said prayers daily and could recite The Lord's Prayer). Another thing that Maya and I did not have in common: the surroundings in which we grew up and the era in which we grew up.
Maya Angelou grew up in rural Stamps, Arkansas; a small town, the area that she lived in was segregated and she attended a segregated school. Her upbringing was closer to my own Grandmothers. My gran grew up in a small, one stoplight town in Maryland named Greensboro. I on the other hand...did not have to deal with a segregated school or deal with the challenges of living in a small rural area. (Mind you I don't live in a bustling metro area either.) One of the things about Angelou's book that really resonated with me was the way that she always seemed to be conscious of her blackness. Her "otherness". However, her response to it was different from anyway that I have ever read it described. She was taught to have pride in her color. She saw nothing wrong with being colored. She was not aware that there was really anything different about her. However, "white folks" where different. They behaved, dressed and ate differently then she and her family. This was comical to me and understandable.
I can think back to a time when I was never aware of my difference from anyone else. However, that changed at about age 9 or 10 when I was called the N word by a classmate during summer break. That was the first time I was aware that there was a difference; it was the first time I had to have "the talk" with my grandmother. In this book Angelou has a similar incident with a dentist; while suffering with a toothache her grandmother took her to the only dentist in the area. The man flat out refused to help young Maya; he even went so far as to say he would never put his hands in a dogs mouth than that of a nigger. Of course, Mayas's grandmother will not be disrespected and sends Maya off the porch to wait as she goes into the office to deal with the mans disrespect. The was my favorite scene in the book because Maya, with her childhood imagination, imagines her grandmother as a superhero. Defending her honor and telling that man what's what. Especially since the man was to good to help them but was not to good to come to Maya's grandmother (who owned the general store in Stamps) for a loan. Like Maya, I was always a bit amazed by my grandmother. She was my superhero. Of course, it was not until I was older and wiser that I saw her humanity; however, she will never really come all the way down to my level. She will always be a woman of wisdom in which to learn from - flaws and all.
Angelou's book is one that I hope to return to a few years from now. And a book I hope to share with other young women and even some young men. There is so much in this book that we could all learn from. There is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom in this tomes pages.
I gave I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings 5/5 stars on goodreads.com

Here are a few quotes that I loved:

"Words mean more that what us set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them wit the shades of deeper meaning."

"The Black woman in the south who raises sons, grandsons and nephews had her heartstrings tied to a hanging noose"

"It was awful to be Negro and have no control over my life. It was brutal to be young and already trained to sit quietly and listen to charges brought against my color with no chance of defense."

"Sympathy is next to shit in the dictionary, and I can't even read."

"All knowledge is spendable currency, depending on the market"

"No one ever leaves alive, The house at 7 Ocean Drive"....The Bookbabe Review of The Murder House by James Patterson & David Ellis

I have a fondness for mysteries; and it seems I also have a fondness this month for James Patterson novels. This is my fifth time reading Patterson; however, it's my third time reading him so far this year. (Yes I am aware we are only 25 days into 2017 lol) The Murder House was just the type of page turner I needed. It was dark, twisty, and fast paced. Boy, oh Boy, how it kept me guessing. In the novel we are introduced to Det. Jenna Murphy, who is resettling into a new job in Bridgehampton, NY. Jenna was forced out of a job with NYPD after turning over evidence on dirty cops to the wrong person. So disgraced and wanting to get back to the job she loves she finds herself working for her uncle; in a small town PD.
Just a few weeks after arriving Jenna finds herself trying to weasel her way onto a Murder investigation. However, her uncle (the Chief of Police) puts up road blocks and stops her from getting into deep.
This does not stop Jenna, who is only interested in the truth and finds herself ass deep in a mystery that begins to feel as if it involves the entrie town. And perhaps there is a cover up to keep some the lid on something big. Thrust into the story as well is Noah Walker, the man accused of a horrific double murder. Jenna just can not shake the fact that Noah is not a killer. She can just smell a set up. But she can not really figure out The Who, the what and the why of it all.
Noah himself is just trying to keep his head on straight - all the while trying to understand what's happening to him and how he really fits into all of it. Sooner or later, and very reluctantly, Noah and Jenna are forced to confront one another and join forces to catch a murderer.

This book was one hell of a ride, intense and dark and twisty. It lead you down the path of a sociopathic killer who paraded himself as a pillar of the community. He is the last person you would expect in the end. It also reveals a dangerous secret that about Det. Murphy that even she didn't see coming. I gave this book 5/5 stars on Goodreads.com.

Quotes I liked:
"Simpleton with violent tendencies and the empathy of a rattlesnake, but other than that a dear boy"

Vampires at their best....The Bookbabe reviews: Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

                           

     Books from the backlist: My Review of Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

Interview with the Vampire is probably one of the best known books in most reading circles. and perhaps it is also a book that some may love to hate. Before reading the book I had some serious mixed feelings about it. Especially since I loved the film and I had heard some terrible things from friends about the book. However, I decided to give the book a go after having the soft cover sitting on my shelf for some time. I was immediately surprised by what I found within its pages. All I can say is that one can never judge a book by its movie or by its cover.

Rice introduces us into a world of dark, haunted, deeply flawed characters. We immediately meet Louis, a vampire, as he opens up a young man about his life. Louis, over the course of the night tells the entire story of his vampiric life. Starting with what started him on the dark path that lead him to becoming what he is. Louis is a character that you definitely feel a connection with. Unlike most of the characters that we meet in the novel, he is perhaps the most relatable. The most human. His flaw seem to be that he is to naive (at least in the beginning of his journey) and perhaps to unforgiving (towards the end of the story). Louis spins his tale of love and lost. The most tragic of his loves and his losses is Claudia. The child that he drains and who Lestat gives the "gift" of vampiric life. Claudia was the surprise for me in this novel. After watching the movie, I thought that I knew what to expect from this character. However, she was a bit to much for me. I got the impression that Claudia, no matter who played her, could ever truly be understood as a character unless you read the book.

Claudia, being a child, at first acted and was loved as a child. As a human child would be. However, as the years go on she remains a child. She matures as a person, her mind becoming that of a woman. She begins to resent being treated as a child. She hates that she can never be a fully grown woman. Claudia is perhaps the best written villain of this story; Lestat, while a brat, has nothing on this little she demon. Claudia and Louis are held together by a mutual need of one another; Louis feels that she and her love connects him to his humanity and she needs him as a means of protection. Honestly, it does not feel that she loves him at all. She simply tolerates him because he can protect and provide for her. The manipulation of Louis by both Lestat and Claudia only deepens the readers affection and sympathy for Louis.   

There were several changes from the book to the movie adaptation. All of which is going to make it even harder for me to look at the movie in the same light as I used too. Honestly, I am glad that I have read the book and I am also happy that I did not let the negative reviews from friends deter me from reading the book. On goodreads I gave it  4/5 stars.  

Quotes I Loved: