​The Bones of Paradise by Jonis Agee
416 pages


What’s it about?
 This is an old-fashioned Western that takes place about ten years after the massacre at Wounded Knee. This novel has a wide cast of characters- many of them very flawed. 

What did it make me think about?
 How brutal the American West really was, and obviously how horrible the American Indians were treated. 

Should I read it?
 This was a good book set during a hard time in American history. The author does a good job of describing life in that time and place. At times I felt like it struggled from too many characters and plotlines, but it kept my interest.

Quote-
“In the Hills grudges never died, they remained as they took place, as the words were uttered, since there was nowhere for them to go, nothing to break them apart, the soft edges of the hills offered nothing hard enough to smash the anger, nothing sharp enough to to cut through the Gordian knot, so it lived fresh, undeniable as the first day. In the hills there were only first days, no history. They marked time by the growing list of wrongs until its weight pulled them under and they vanished, smothered with the breath of the sand in their mouths.”

If you like this try-
LaRose by Louise Erdich
The Bartender's Tale by Ivan Doig
The Good Lord Bird by James McBride
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt

​7 1/2 stars

The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley
360 pages 

What’s it about?
This is an eerie and atmospheric novel that centers around two brothers. It takes place in England during the 1970's. The narrator has always been his mute older brother's protector. He looks back at a pilgrimage from their childhood that would change their lives and their faith. The Catholic Church and all it's rituals play an important role in the story.

What did it make me think about?
It reminded me of all good gothic novels- it was full of unease and doom. This story centered on the characters faith, or lack of faith, and certainly left you wondering.

Should I read it?
This book won the "2015 Costa First Novel Award" and was the "British Book Awards Best Book of 2016" so I was expecting a lot. This book was good and the author did a great job of creating atmosphere and tension. My biggest criticism is that it seemed to take a good portion of the novel to set up the plot. In the end I was impressed with the book, but am not sure everyone would like it. 

Quote-
"He gave me a wry smile. Even as he asked the question I think he knew that I didn't and hadn't for some time. Priests are like doctors. They know that people lie about the things they think will disappoint them." 

If you like this try-
Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Into the Woods by Tana French
Night Film by Marisha Pessl
The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld 

8 stars


​

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith
489 pages

What’s it about?
Robert Galbraith (also known as JK Rowling of Harry Potter fame) has written her third novel in the Cormoran Strike series. All three novels follow private detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin as they wind themselves through various murder mysteries. The tension between Robin and Cormoran adds another layer to the novel. This third book was a little more gruesome than the first two, but every bit as engrossing.

What did it make me think about?
I may never hear Blue Oyster Cult songs in the same way again.... 

Should I read it?
If you like a good murder mystery then pick up any of these "Cormoran Strike" novels. They are very plot driven, but the characters are so well drawn that it adds another dimension to these quick mystery novels.   I always look forward to the next release in this series.  Almost makes we want to tackle the whole "Harry Potter" series.

Quote-
" 'Yeah, well, she ended up exchanging email addresses with these two. Nothing particularly helpful, but we're looking to establish whether they actually met her- you know in real life', said Wardle. 
Strange, thought Strike, how that phrase- so prevalent in childhood to differentiate between the fantasy world of play and the dull adult world of fact- had now come to signify the life that a person had outside the Internet."

If you like this try-
The Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney
The Caretaker by A.X. Ahmad
Life Among Giants by Bill Roorbach
My Sunshine Away by M.O. Walsh

8 stars