Steph Reads: Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War by Mary Roach

Book description from GoodReads:
"Best-selling author Mary Roach explores the science of keeping human beings intact, awake, sane, uninfected, and uninfested in the bizarre and extreme circumstances of war.

Grunt tackles the science behind some of a soldier's most challenging adversaries—panic, exhaustion, heat, noise—and introduces us to the scientists who seek to conquer them. Mary Roach dodges hostile fire with the U.S. Marine Corps Paintball Team as part of a study on hearing loss and survivability in combat. She visits the fashion design studio of U.S. Army Natick Labs and learns why a zipper is a problem for a sniper. She visits a repurposed movie studio where amputee actors help prepare Marine Corps medics for the shock and gore of combat wounds. At Camp Lemmonier, Djibouti, in east Africa, we learn how diarrhea can be a threat to national security. Roach samples caffeinated meat, sniffs an archival sample of a World War II stink bomb, and stays up all night with the crew tending the missiles on the nuclear submarine USS Tennessee. She answers questions not found in any other book on the military: Why is DARPA interested in ducks? How is a wedding gown like a bomb suit? Why are shrimp more dangerous to sailors than sharks? Take a tour of duty with Roach, and you’ll never see our nation’s defenders in the same way again."

That description pretty much covers it! Mary Roach has nailed it again with another fascinating novel about a subject you didn't know you didn't know much about. Many who know me are aware that I give credit to Mary Roach for sparking my interest in Human Anatomy in a big way after reading her first best-selling novel, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. Now look at me! Finishing up PT school and soon to be making my living off of studying anatomy and movement. For that reason I will always pick up and read whatever this author shells out. Mary Roach's writing style is about as tongue-in-cheek as it gets which allows for her books dripping in scientific fact and at times somewhat dry data to be page turners.  This book brought to light things I had never considered about soldiers and our veterans that I think are actually quite important bits of information for all of us to be aware of. I commend Mary Roach for taking on such a challenging topic and writing about various topics both interestingly and respectfully. I recommend this book to anyone interested in science, combat, and human reactions, all with a little bit of humor thrown in, of course.

Check out my other Steph Reads posts!
Morning Star by Pierce Brown The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
11/22/63 by Stephen King
Baby Proof by Emily Giffin
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
I Didn't Come Here to Make Friends by Courtney Robertson
Golden Son by Pierce Brown
The Hypnotist's Love Story by Lianne Moriarty
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Bossy Pants by Tina Fey
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks
Someday Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
The Husband's Secret by Lianne Moriarty
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
What Alice Forgot by Lianne Moriarty
Uninvited by Sophie Jordan
Splintered by AG Howard
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Beneath the Glitter by Elle and Blair Fowler

Steph Reads: Morning Star: Book III of the Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown

Morning Star by Pierce Brown is the third installment of my favorite book series, the Red Rising trilogy. The book starts off where Golden Son left off...and its a pretty desperate situation. Darrow has been captured and subsequently tortured unsure of the fate of his friends and ultimately what his fate will be given he is in the hands of the Jackal. The book takes its time to get going as it relies on Darrow's own thoughts and recollections of past occurrences to get the reader caught up on the current situation, but sure enough, there are joyous reunions with new and old characters alike and the story follows Darrow's continued quest to overtake the broken society and convince all to break the chains that bind them.  My favorite character of this series is Sevro, the smart-mouthed and sharp goblin who is as jaded as he is witty and tough, and I was so happy to find he served as one of the main characters in this book with his personality a highlight throughout.

Without spoiling anything, I will say that this book was everything I hoped it would be as the perfect wrap up to my favorite series. It had violence, romance, conflict, love, war, defeat, and success. I appreciate the imperfections of our favorite protagonists that made the characters both frustrating but also all the more relatable. I'm excited for this series to be turned into films (rumored to be happening soon!), because I NEED this amazing world and its characters to be brought to life.

I will definitely be following Pierce Brown's career eagerly awaiting his next book because the way he writes is realistic even with the most fantastical elements and so, so addictive.

xxSJ

Check out my other Steph Reads posts!
The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
11/22/63 by Stephen King
Baby Proof by Emily Giffin
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
I Didn't Come Here to Make Friends by Courtney Robertson
Golden Son by Pierce Brown
The Hypnotist's Love Story by Lianne Moriarty
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Bossy Pants by Tina Fey
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks
Someday Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
The Husband's Secret by Lianne Moriarty
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
What Alice Forgot by Lianne Moriarty
Uninvited by Sophie Jordan
Splintered by AG Howard
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Beneath the Glitter by Elle and Blair Fowler

Steph Reads: The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

The Good Girl follows the story of Mia Dennett, a young school teacher who comes from a massively wealthy family making her the perfect target for an abduction demanding a hefty ransom. The story takes place through the eyes of Mia and her captor during the time she is living as a captive, as well as after her return switching perspective between the Detective on the case and Mia's mother. Upon her return from being held captive, Mia has selective amnesia which has blocked most of her memories of her time in the Minnesota woods with her captor, making her case all the more interesting and complex.

Kubica manages to pen this story switching between points of view as well as places on the timeline without confusion and is able to reveal a great deal about many characters in few words. Overall I enjoyed the set up of this story as well as the ending, but I felt the middle of the story was a bit lengthy without much development. It was most likely intentional, but just when I thought the characters were getting somewhere in a scenario or conversation, the chapter would end and the point of view would shift to a different character and part of the timeline forcing me to abandon the momentum I had going in a previous scene.

I do think that the ending of this story was worth the wait and well worth the repeated taunt at some sort of fulfillment in the mid portion of the story, but I do think other books (such as Gone Girl and Girl on the Train) do a better job at keeping a more consistent engagement with the story. When people refer to these types of stories as 'thrillers' or 'roller coaster rides,' I would say with this novel I felt a peak at the beginning, one long plateau, followed by a last peak where as with the previously mentioned novels I feel a ton of bumps along with the massive peaks throughout the story's entirety. Again, I think the ending of this book is very well done and made me want to read the story again (seriously, read the Epilogue...my jaw dropped and I gasped on the subway), but be prepared for a bit of a slow burn with this one!

xxSJ

Check out my other Steph Reads posts!

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline11/22/63 by Stephen King
Baby Proof by Emily Giffin
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
I Didn't Come Here to Make Friends by Courtney Robertson
Golden Son by Pierce Brown
The Hypnotist's Love Story by Lianne Moriarty
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Bossy Pants by Tina Fey
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks
Someday Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
The Husband's Secret by Lianne Moriarty
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
What Alice Forgot by Lianne Moriarty
Uninvited by Sophie Jordan
Splintered by AG Howard
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Beneath the Glitter by Elle and Blair Fowler

Steph Reads: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Ready Player One follows teenager Wade Watts as he plugs into the virtual reality Oasis on the daily as his avatar, Parzival. Wade is obsessed with the creation of the Oasis, more specifically the Easter Egg hunt hidden within laid out by the creator of the virtual world following his death. The prize for completing the hunt is control over the Oasis as well as a fortune beyond belief. After Wade unlocks the first clue in the egg hunt, both his reality and virtual lives hinge on his ability to complete the quest for the ultimate prize.

If you like books that focus on world building, then you will LOVE this book. Cline does a fantastic job of explaining the rules of a world living almost solely in virtual reality. From currency to crime, he covers it all.  Though some elements are a bit fantastical, there are some hard truths about living in a virtual reality and being addicted to technology that Cline shines a light on. I found this book incredibly entertaining from start to finish though I do think in the latter half of the book some plot elements and climaxes were resolved a little too simply and cleanly for my liking. You do not have to be an 80s video game fan to enjoy this book as there are plenty of pop culture references to enjoy regardless of your interests and experience in gaming. This novel is being adapted into a film directed by Steven Spielberg and will surely be a fun one!

Check out my other Steph Reads posts!
11/22/63 by Stephen King
Baby Proof by Emily Giffin
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
I Didn't Come Here to Make Friends by Courtney Robertson
Golden Son by Pierce Brown
The Hypnotist's Love Story by Lianne Moriarty
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Bossy Pants by Tina Fey
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks
Someday Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
The Husband's Secret by Lianne Moriarty
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
What Alice Forgot by Lianne Moriarty
Uninvited by Sophie Jordan
Splintered by AG Howard
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Beneath the Glitter by Elle and Blair Fowler

Steph Reads: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

It had been a while since I had read a Liane Moriarty novel so I decided to end the Summer off with a perfect chick-lit read: Big Little Lies. This story is told in the voices of 3 very different women who all have at least one thing in common: they all have children in the same kindergarten class. Jane is the young newcomer to town who has a haunting past she is trying to escape. Celeste is a startlingly beautiful woman who on the outside seems to be picture perfect. Madeline is the sassy and vivacious one in the group who can't help but get wrapped up in drama. The book begins by hinting at a catastrophe occurring at a parent Trivia night at the elementary school that will ultimately become the story's climax. The book then starts from the beginning with chapters alternating perspective between Jane, Celeste, and Madeline. Each chapter ends with a small segment of detective interviewing occurring after the Trivia night (what all the events in the book are leading up to!). This thoughtful touch is a fun way to try and piece together the puzzle and get a little more information on characters the book doesn't flesh out quite as much.   Kindergarten may seem like a placid setting for a book promising drama; however, you will not be disappointed!

I loved this book perhaps even more than I loved The Husband's Secret. I enjoy Moriarty's captivating writing style and her ability to create characters that are relatable and meaningful.  I love that every time I read one of her novels, I find bits of myself in each of her characters causing me to care more about them and be more understanding of their actions.  I would mark this book as a must read if you enjoy chick-lit novels dripping with humor and satire and if you are patient enough to hold out for the shocking revelations!

xxSJ

Check out my other Steph Reads posts!
I Didn't Come Here to Make Friends by Courtney Robertson
Golden Son by Pierce Brown
The Hypnotist's Love Story by Lianne Moriarty
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Bossy Pants by Tina Fey
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks
Someday Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
The Husband's Secret by Lianne Moriarty
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
What Alice Forgot by Lianne Moriarty
Uninvited by Sophie Jordan
Splintered by AG Howard
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Beneath the Glitter by Elle and Blair Fowler

Steph Reads: I Didn't Come Here to Make Friends by Courtney Robertson

"Bye, I can't stand you all."

Anyone who's been a Bachelor fan for a while remember's Ben's season when the season villain was the woman who prevailed and received the final rose. I remember watching the finale with some of my closest girlfriends and all of us crying 'NOOOOOOoooooooOOOO!!!!' in disbelief when Ben sent sweetheart Lindzi Cox home and chose bad girl Courtney Robertson as his fiancee. When I heard about Courtney's tell all book where she promised readers would see a different side of her Bachelor story, I was too intrigued to pass it up! 

Rightfully named 'I Didn't Come Here to Make Friends,' Courtney Robertson tells us her journey leading up to the Bachelor including a quick run through of her childhood in Arizona and her time modeling in LA.  She talks about her sexual awakening in high school, her ugly duckling feelings from puberty, her rather oppressive mother, and her break into the modeling world. She also discusses in detail past relationships that explain her feelings and emotions when she entered into the Bachelor family.  

As far as the tell all parts of the book, I found this book gave a different perspective on the editing of Reality TV.  According to Courtney, the producers decided Courtney would be the villain, and thus they made her so. In a way, I feel for Courtney because reading this gave me an insight to her personality--she is a sarcastic girl with a dry sense of humor who wasn't going to put up with the bullsh** going on with other women on the show. I kind of feel like if I were on TV, I could be portrayed in such a way. Courtney said when she felt she was being funny and just chatting with the producers, they were really waiting for her to say something to spin as 'villain-y.'  Courtney also owned up to some of the more nasty things she said and, even after explaining the context in which they were said, apologized or claimed she wished she hadn't said it.  

Overall I found this to be a good read and the perfect amount of behind the scenes into the world of the Bachelor franchise.  I found it fun to follow along while reading her book by googling pictures, interviews, and clips from the show to remind me exactly of the moments she writes about. If you are a Bachelor fan, I recommend checking this book out to get some insight into this particular infamous 'villain' and how the show is run! 

xxSJ

Check out my other Steph Reads posts!
Golden Son by Pierce Brown
The Hypnotist's Love Story by Lianne Moriarty
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Bossy Pants by Tina Fey
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks
Someday Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
The Husband's Secret by Lianne Moriarty
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
What Alice Forgot by Lianne Moriarty
Uninvited by Sophie Jordan
Splintered by AG Howard
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Beneath the Glitter by Elle and Blair Fowler

Steph Reads: Golden Son by Pierce Brown

"I'm Gold, bitch. What'd you expect? Warm milk and cookies just because I'm pocket-sized?"

         Golden Son is the second book in the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown and, in my humble opinion, it succeeded in being just as much of a page-turner as the first book.  The book picks up shortly after the first book ended--our protagonist, Darrow, is continuing his quest to begin a revolution as a Red (the lowest of the classes in this futuristic society), posing as a Gold, the God-like elite on top of the social hierarchy.  This novel focuses on Darrow's journey attempting to incite revolution while trying to maintain what his late wife, Eo, would have wanted. Darrow navigates the world of the Golds, attempting to gain power while being backstabbed and threatened and simultaneously finding true friendship and love.
         I loved this book and it took just as many exciting twists and turns as the first one. I appreciate that Pierce Brown managed to keep my interest with an entirely different plot line rather than recycling too many concepts and devices from the first novel.  In this story, we get new insight into this exciting and thought-provoking world Darrow lives in as well as further development of some favorite characters from Red Rising.
        I definitely recommend this novel and this series to anyone interested in fantasy, sci-fi, or adult fiction.  I liken this series to Hunger Games, only due to its dystopian themes, however I think it is a far better written and more adult. Definitely a 10/10!

SJ

Check out my other Steph Reads posts!
The Hypnotist's Love Story by Lianne Moriarty
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Bossy Pants by Tina Fey
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks
Someday Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
The Husband's Secret by Lianne Moriarty
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
What Alice Forgot by Lianne Moriarty
Uninvited by Sophie Jordan
Splintered by AG Howard
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Beneath the Glitter by Elle and Blair Fowler

Steph Reads: The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty

        It's Summertime in the city and I wanted to start the Summer off by reading a fun chick-lit! The book 'The Hypnotist's Love Story' takes place in Australia at Ellen O'Ferrell's beachfront home. Ellen is a successful hypnotherapist who has found a promising bachelor to spend her life with until the day he tells her 'we need to talk.' Turns out, Ellen's perfect suitor Patrick is perfect enough that his last relationship ended with his ex stalking him.  Rather than being scared off, Ellen is intrigued that this gentleman is worthy of a stalker and, in fact, she would like to meet this stalker of his--little does Ellen know that she already has.
        This book was overall a fun read and had a slew of likable and relatable characters. Ellen is incredibly realistic as the seemingly earthly and spiritual hypnotist that has a running train of thought revealing her imperfections. The narration shifts between Ellen and Patrick's stalker which was a nice touch to be able to understand what is going through the stalker's mind during her most outrageous acts of desperation. I actually felt sympathy toward the stalker by the end of the book because I felt I achieved a certain level of understanding of her actions which was unbelievable given I had written her off as a loon at the beginning of this story.  The ending of this story wasn't necessarily unpredictable, but it was incredibly satisfying and light-hearted giving me peace when I set it down for the last time. I will say that this book got incredibly slow in the middle 150 pages or so. I felt like that whole chunk of the book could have been removed and I wouldn't have missed it all! Other than that slow area, I would recommend this book if you have enjoyed Moriarty's previous work. It's fun, realistic, a little sexy, and entertaining!

What's on your Summer reading list?
xxSJ

Check out my other Steph Reads posts!
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Bossy Pants by Tina Fey
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks
Someday Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
The Husband's Secret by Lianne Moriarty
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
What Alice Forgot by Lianne Moriarty
Uninvited by Sophie Jordan
Splintered by AG Howard
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Beneath the Glitter by Elle and Blair Fowler

Steph Reads: Bossy Pants by Tina Fey

   Tina Fey is one kick-ass lady, but I never realized exactly how kick-ass she was until I read her book, Bossypants.  This autobiographical novel tells the story of how Tina Fey came to be the woman she is today: a powerhouse writer, producer, comedian, actress, award winner, wife, and mother. And she's so damn humble about it too!
   What I liked about this novel was that Tina Fey took the time to pull out excerpts of her life which she found meaningful and telling of herself. Whether or not they were all the most hilarious of stories (which, lets get real, all of the stories had an element of humor to them due to Fey's incredible storytelling!), the short selections gave us some insight into her life and backstory. I also appreciated that all the stories are told chronologically, beginning with childhood all the way through SNL, 30 Rock, and pirate birthday parties for her toddler. I prefer this style of autobiography so we can follow a timeline nicely rather than random stories being thrown about in no order whatsoever.
    I do feel that some of the humor was a bit lost on me at times, and **gasp** I've never seen 30 Rock meaning that I feel I didn't appreciate those parts of her story quite as much as a die hard fan might. However, overall I found this book to be quite refreshing. Tina Fey never really tries hard to impress us as readers and instead simply tells it like it is. She is so humble about all her accomplishments and has such a downplayed 'who, me?' attitude that makes me somehow see her as relatable.  I think this book was overall a good read and I recommend it to everyone out there looking for some humor in their lives.  We can all take away this little message from her book:

"Do your thing and don't care if they like it."

Check out my other Steph Reads posts!

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks

Someday Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

The Husband's Secret by Lianne Moriarty

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

What Alice Forgot by Lianne Moriarty

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

Splintered by AG Howard

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Beneath the Glitter by Elle and Blair Fowler

xxSJ

Steph Reads: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Steph Reads has gone digital!!! My sister and brother-in-law were flabbergasted that I hadn't converted to reading books on my phone or iPad and told me it was a cheaper and easier way to get my bookworm on. They live about an hour away from me by subway and I had nothing to read or study on my journey back home from their place.  My brother-in-law so kindly gifted me the digital version of Red Rising by Pierce Brown to read on my phone on my way home. Knowing very little about this book, I dove right in, and let me just say... I flippin' loved it.

This story takes place in the future where Earth is dying and the main character, Darrow, is working as a miner to find precious elements to make the surface of Mars habitable. Darrow is a Red, a color marking him as the lowest in a system of classes ruled by Golds, the elite super humans. Darrow's perception of everything is shifted when he learns one day that the whole system is a lie--Mars is habitable and has been for years. The Reds working underground are slaves promised a future of living on the surface with other classes that will never be realized. Teamed up with a group of rebels, Darrow infiltrates the Golds' academy and undergoes a series of tests to prove himself worthy of being a leader. The final test is a true battlefield where more players than just Darrow have their own agenda.

This book had everything. War, love, humor, acts of vulgarity, acts of violence... this sci-fi novel fulfilled every requirement it takes to be a page turner filled with gasp worthy moments. I haven't read a novel in a while that gave such vivid descriptions of the characters, setting, and time, which is why this novel is easily my favorite I've read in the past 2 years.  I definitely recommend this novel if you're into science fiction and are looking for something more adult than Hunger Games or Divergent. This book is part of a series and is currently in pre-production for a movie!

xxSJ

Check out my other Steph Reads posts!
The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks
Someday Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
The Husband's Secret by Lianne Moriarty
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
What Alice Forgot by Lianne Moriarty
Uninvited by Sophie Jordan
Splintered by AG Howard
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Beneath the Glitter by Elle and Blair Fowler

Steph Reads: 'Something Borrowed'

      I found this book for a buck at my local thrift store before I made the move to NYC.  I had seen and enjoyed the movie based on this novel and thought it would be fun to read a book set in the Big Apple as a newcomer to this city! 

This story is about Rachel White, who is a smart and spunky attorney at a prestigious law firm. She is also the long time best friend and maid-of-honor to Darcy Rhone,  a confident, gorgeous girl who seems to always get what she wants. The story follows Rachel after having one too many drinks at her 30th birthday party and ending up in bed with Dex, Darcy's fiance. The story takes many twists and turns as good girl Rachel attempts to get what she wants while having an epic internal battle between what's right and wrong.  Can Rachel really betray Darcy in order to be with the man she loves? Or will Rachel let Darcy win, yet again, and stand at the altar as Dex takes Darcy's hand in marriage? 

     Overall, I enjoyed this book for what it was. It was an easy read that I used to get my mind off of Anatomy and exams.  I will say, though, that at some points it was really hard to care about the characters and their outcomes. At its core, this book is about cheating, which isn't exactly admirable or likable.  Rachel, our leading lady who we are supposed to be rooting for, can be a bit whiny and immature at points which made me not care what happened to her by the end of the story.  I'm not even going to go into detail about Dex, the man that as a reader I should be swooning over along with Rachel rather than going 'ummmm your best friend is WAY better, go with him instead!' The most relatable character in the story was actually Darcy as I am positive that everyone has known or is currently friends with a Darcy. She's that girl that everyone desperately wants to be friends with but also secretly kind of hates. Darcy's character is what kept me reading this book because I found it so fascinating when I realized everyone has their own version of Darcy. 

     I would recommend this book if you are looking for an easy chick-lit read and don't mind less than stellar characters to get involved with.  This book was well written and I finished it in a relatively short amount of time, but I was never rushing to pick it up again after putting it down.  

xxSJ

Check out my other Steph Reads posts!
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
The Husband's Secret by Lianne Moriarty
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
What Alice Forgot by Lianne Moriarty
Uninvited by Sophie Jordan
Splintered by AG Howard
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Beneath the Glitter by Elle and Blair Fowler

Steph Reads: 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn

This book was quite the roller coaster ride. It tells the story of Amy Dunne, an America's sweetheart type of girl who disappears on the day of her 5-year wedding anniversary with her hubby, Nick Dunne. The story is told alternating between the perspectives of Nick Dunne, who is immediately looked upon with suspicious eyes, and Amy Dunne, who we find more information about through reading diary entries dating back to her first meeting her then-future husband, Nick.

I don't want to say too much about the story as I don't want to reveal anything, but this story is wrought with tension, suspicion, and you WILL NOT KNOW who to side with and who to believe.  I found the ending of this novel to be a bit unfulfilling as I got so wrapped up in these characters and what I wanted for their futures, but I was left wanting.  The ending suited the story, however, as things aren't always resolved neatly, and some people are simply not deserving a happy ending.

I would recommend this novel to friends as I thought this was a thrilling and quick read. There were certainly times where I did not want to put this down. Perhaps it was simply because I've never read a book quite like this, but overall I found its uniqueness to be simply captivating.

I also can't wait for the film to be released which is certain to be as thrilling as the book. Catch the trailer here:

Did you read 'Gone Girl?'

xxSJ

Steph Reads: 'Splintered,' by A.G. Howard

I love all things Alice in Wonderland so I was completely drawn to this book, the story of a descendent of Alice who discovers that maybe the young girls tales were real after all. 'Splintered' tells the story of Allison who, after years of thinking her institutionalized mother is crazy for believing in anything Wonderland related, discovers that her family has been cursed ever since little Alice went wandering down the rabbit hole. The story follows Allison down the same rabbit hole and her attempts to fix everything that Alice disturbed during her visit so many years ago.
    I liked the beginning of this book as everything in Wonderland was revealed to be a much darker and twisted version of the famous Carroll tale. There are so many familiar characters but each with a slight variation on their well-known tales such as a rabid pygmy rabbit cursed with a flesh eating disease and a hatter with a hat measuring device growing out of his head. It was great fun reading this book and learning some more intricacies of Wonderland.
   This book kind of lost me in the second half when things take a turn and there is deception amongst the main characters in the book. I lost track of what Allison's motives were as they changed a bit and the romance toward the end of the book got a little bit teenage angst for me.
   For the most part, I really liked this book and would recommend it to all Alice in Wonderland lovers for a different take on the classic tale. By the end of the story, I got the vibe that this is the type of book perhaps written for goth or punk-loving teens looking for a romance story where the weird girl finishes first in the end.  I would pass on this if you're not that interested in Alice. I don't think I have much interest in reading the sequel.

On a different note, because I'm me I got completely inspired by the cover of this book. The art work is super captivating to me so I decided to do my best to emulate it!

On my eyes: various shadows from the 88 color BH cosmetics palette, Urban Decay eyeliner in 'Perversion.'
Cheeks: NYX Blush in 'Bourgeois Pig,' Hula Bronzer by Benefit
Lips: NYX red lipliner, Covergirl lipstick in 'Spellbound'

Pretty fun, huh?

Anyhow, the book was good but kind of lost me toward the end and made me feel like I wasn't the perfect audience for it. I could definitely see some people LOVING it, however!

xxSJ