All posts in category Book Review

Review: One Good Thing (Ten Beach Road #5) by Wendy Wax

I am knee deep in summer reading and what better book to read at the beginning of summer than something with the word ‘beach’ in the title and a cocktail on the cover?

Ok this one didn’t have ‘beach’ in the title but the series does so I figured close enough!

One Good Thing is the fifth book in the Ten Beach Road series and it did get me in the mood for summer.

Embroiled in a battle to regain control of their renovation-turned-reality TV show, Do Over, Maddie, Avery, Nikki, and Kyra find themselves holding tight to the frayed ends of their friendship and relationships.

Maddie must face the realities of dating a rock star once again topping the charts and dealing with her hapless ex-husband, while Avery is caught up in family drama even as she attempts to transform a tiny cottage into a home for the newly impoverished heiress who helped bankroll their last renovation.

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by The Lit Bitch on June 22, 2017  •  Permalink
Posted in Book Critic, Book Review, Literary Criticism, Reading
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Posted by The Lit Bitch on June 22, 2017

https://thelitbitch.com/2017/06/22/review-one-good-thing-ten-beach-road-5-by-wendy-wax/

Review: Love & Death in Burgundy by Susan C. Shea

How many amateur detective novels have you read that are set in a quaint English village? Tons, am I right? Now don’t get me wrong, I love my English village mysteries but sometimes it’s nice to have a change of scenery.

The French country side is the perfect setting for this mystery. When I think of France all I think of is Paris, but there is a whole other beautiful countryside that often gets overshadowed by the lights of Paris. I loved how this story brought life to the French countryside. I am ready to buy a little chateau in the country and drink wine…..now if only there was a murder to solve.

After three years of living in the small town of Reigny-sur-Canne, all Katherine Goff really wants is to be accepted by her neighbors into their little community. But as an American expat living in the proud region of Burgundy, that is no easy task.

When the elderly Frenchman who lives in the village chateau is found dead at the bottom of a staircase, the town is turned into a hot bed of gossip and suspicion, and Katherine suddenly finds herself drawn deeper and deeper into the small town s secrets.

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by The Lit Bitch on June 20, 2017  •  Permalink
Posted in Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Posted by The Lit Bitch on June 20, 2017

https://thelitbitch.com/2017/06/20/review-love-death-in-burgundy-by-susan-c-shea/

Review: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

War and Peace or more commonly known as “the book most people have lied about reading” is the definition of epic.

This book is big and intimidating but it’s often the crown jewel for readers, why? Because it’s arguably the greatest novel ever written, so naturally if you’ve read it you must be part of the ‘in crowd’ or elite readers of the literary world.

So, why haven’t I read this book up until now? I mean, I’ve read massive books before, I mean the A Song of Ice and Fire books are just as long as this book so I’ve clearly read long books. Let’s not forget Les Miserables, another long tedious book that I’ve read. I’ve also read other works by Tolstoy (Anna Karenina) that are lengthy and wordy, so I am familiar with his writing style. So why avoid this book? Well I’ll be honest, even with all my reading and lengthy epics under my belt, this book scared me.

Tolstoy’s writing is complex and tedious as are parts of the story. A Russian writer in the Victorian era is anything but easy to read. I struggled with Anna Karenina at times and honestly felt like War and Peace was just too high above me. Like maybe it would be too had and what if I didn’t like it or understand anything? I would feel like an absolute disgrace to my literature degree!

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by The Lit Bitch on June 14, 2017  •  Permalink
Posted in Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading
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Posted by The Lit Bitch on June 14, 2017

https://thelitbitch.com/2017/06/14/review-war-and-peace-by-leo-tolstoy/

Review: Angels and Demons (Robert Langdon #1) by Dan Brown

Is Dan Brown’s writing terrible? Yes. Are his stories far fetched and unbelievable? Yes. Are the books poorly researched? Yes. Did that stop me from reading this book in a frenzy? Absolutely not!

I will fully admit, I loved The Da Vinci Code. I didn’t care how unbelievable or bad the writing, the story itself was so good that I was reading well into the night, every night. I simply had to know what happened next.

That was at least 10 years ago that I read that book, so I felt like I was long overdue for a Robert Langdon mystery. For some reason, the mood just struck me and I decided it was time to check out the first book in the Robert Langdon series, Angels and Demons.

When world-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a mysterious symbol—seared into the chest of a murdered physicist—he discovers evidence of the unimaginable: the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati … the most powerful underground organization ever to walk the earth. The Illuminati has now surfaced to carry out the final phase of its legendary vendetta against its most hated enemy—the Catholic Church.

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by The Lit Bitch on June 6, 2017  •  Permalink
Posted in Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading
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Posted by The Lit Bitch on June 6, 2017

https://thelitbitch.com/2017/06/06/review-angels-and-demons-robert-langdon-1-by-dan-brown/

Review: The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower #1) by Stephen King

Well it was bound to happen at some point in my literary review career…..the dreaded DNF (did not finish) tag. But little did I know that this would happen to one book that I was convinced I would love.

When I finished the A Song of Ice and Fire AKA Game of Thrones series, I was longing for something similar and just as epic. I can’t tell you how many times The Dark Tower series was recommended…..countless times.

I have it in paperback and on my iPad, that’s how much I wanted to read it. I even waited until the mood was perfect and I was ready to get into an epic. And with the first trailer for the film being released recently, I knew the time was right for me to start this one.

So on a rainy spring Saturday morning, I sat down to start this long awaited novel….and then it happened…..the question looming in my mind…..what the f*ck am I reading?

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by The Lit Bitch on May 25, 2017  •  Permalink
Posted in Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading
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Posted by The Lit Bitch on May 25, 2017

https://thelitbitch.com/2017/05/25/review-the-gunslinger-the-dark-tower-1-by-stephen-king/

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