Being Human by Patricia Lynne

Being Human by Patricia Lynne

My Rating: ★★★★

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Vampires have been outed, and people fear them more than the legends that have given them a bad reputation. One day, Tommy is lured out of his home and turned by a vampire. As his human emotions and memories quickly leave him, something unusual happens: he has a strong emotional response to his twin brother. He's determined to keep Danny safe and remain close to him even though he can't remember anything about their human life together. His instinct to survive is quickly combined with his instinct to protect his brother, which creates unusual circumstances in a society where vampires are hunted and killed without a second thought.

This is unlike any other vampire novel that I've read before. Instead of following Tommy quickly involve himself in the vampire world, we watch him connect with his brother. Vampires are solo creatures in this book, and they don't get along with humans. They're either eating them or avoiding them, and Tommy is glued to his brother every night. It's a family tale as Tommy and Danny have their brotherly bond tested by society and even family over and over again. I love novels that explore family bonds, so it's really exciting to watch these brothers grow closer and sometimes struggle with their relationship through each phase of their lives.

Lynne tells this story in sections. There's minor time jumps between each section covering Tommy's early vampire life when he and Danny are teenagers, their struggles when Danny reaches college, acceptance as Tommy begins a family, and how history starts to repeat itself once again as Danny continues to age. I really enjoyed watching these two characters bond, test the waters with other people, and keep their connection through every big change in Danny's human life. I often wondered if society's view on vampires would change and if Tommy would ever be accepted by outsiders.

Told through Tommy's perspective, we see everything through his eyes. We feel for him and the characters around him as he struggles to make connections and not hurt his family. It was neat to see him interact with other vampires from time to time. The only thing I didn't care for is the romance that occurs later in the book. It seemed out of place and just strange. Otherwise, it's a wonderful book and I hope to see this character again if Lynne is later inspired to continue the story from a different perspective.

Interpretation by Dylan Callens

Interpretation by Dylan Callens

My Rating: ★★★

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Carl Winston lives in a seemingly perfect world. He's got a great life, a job he likes, and a son that he absolutely adores. The only downside is that his wife died in a car accident, leaving him as a single father. One day, Carl has some kind of meltdown and his surroundings dramatically change. He barely recognizes his own son before he fades into darkness amid what he things is a mental breakdown.

Instead of watching mankind and artificial intelligence clash with each other, Callens picks up long after AI takes over. We see the thought process and messages going between the different head AI entities, as well as flashbacks to how they plotted their takeover, but this entire world is set long after they've been in charge with no one to hold them accountable. These entities have created the perfect world. Food? Check. Water? Check. Fighting? Check. They've done it all. But what is beneath this perfect world? Is it really as it seems? The entities can only inspect data rather than see the world around them.

I love the opening of the novel because it's clear that there is something wrong. Carl is living the best life one can have, but what is really happening? Then one day he sees everything as it truly is. The world is filthy because everyone things they have futuristic items that clean for them. Carl is shocked to discover that everything is filthy down to the towel he uses to shower, which is covered in filth and mold. Everyone is unaware that they are not only hungry, but also emaciated. The Entities are out of control and performing tests after seemingly solving all of humanities problems.

Despite being completely shocked, Carl is actually somewhat happy. He's thinking on his own for the first time and has made a few friends... or did he? There's a question behind everything and it's rather interesting to read and see what happens to the small group of characters we follow throughout the book. Overall, the concept as given me something to think about. I would definitely read this again.

A Killer Ball at Honeychurch Hall (Honeychurch Hall Mystery #3) by Hannah Dennison

A Killer Ball at Honeychurch Hall by Hannah Dennison

My Rating: ★★★★

After Kat, an antique dealer, stumbles upon a dead body in an abandoned and damaged wing of Honeychurch Hall, she accidentally opens up a mystery that began in her mother's youth. Still not fully accepted in town and armed with only her wits, Kat forges her way to the bottom of the mystery so that she can prevent her mother from going down for a crime she did not commit. 

This is such a fun series. I love the characters, the town, and the hilarious shenanigans that occur throughout each book. I've grown to love Kat's step uncle, Alfred, and his presence in the series. I love hearing the different bits that we learn about Kat's mother's past as we continue the series. What's not to love?

The third installment in the series upped the antics a little bit, which had me laughing more than usual. It's so interesting to watch these characters grow together as the series continues. Iris and Kat's relationship seems rocky at times, especially since Iris is not completely forthcoming with information, and Kat is a bit judgmental at times, but I hope to see this mother and daughter duo eventually stop clashing. They get closer than they were before with each installment, and I love that we also see the pair get closer to the other people in the town as the series continues. I'm very excited to start the next book!

Midnight Crossroad (Midnight, Texas #1) by Charlaine Harris

Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris

My Rating: ★★★★

Manfred Barnado, a legitimate psychic, has packed up and moved to a mysterious town called Midnight. It's a town perfect for anyone hiding a secret, big or small, or otherwise running from something that they don't want to find them. Manfred fits right in with his fellow supernatural townsfolk as well as the regular folk who help makeup this mysterious town.

I picked up this novel after starting the television show that recently started. Loving the show after a single episode, I figured it would be fun to read the book. I wasn't sure how much the book would spoil the show and vice versa, but I forged ahead anyway. So far, the two incarnations appear to be two separate beasts with the show being faster paced.

That said, I rather enjoyed the book. It's a bit of a slow burn with more focus on getting to know the characters and how the town works as the mystery starts to build up. It's also fun occasionally meeting the supernatural people who travel through town. There's also a nice mix of things with the rotating perspectives so we can follow various characters in town rather than just Manfred. I really enjoy Fiji's perspective in particular, and she is my favorite character so far.

The mystery plot is an interesting one that has many twists and turns. It doesn't read as a typical cozy mystery, but it definitely fits in with them. I have to say that I did not put two and two together and was surprised to learn who the true killer was. It made sense, and all the hints were there, but I just didn't entertain them as a possibility. I'm excited to see how the series develops because I think it has a lot of potential.

A Beautiful Poison by Lydia Kang

A Beautiful Poison by Lydia Kang

My Rating: ★★★★★

I absolutely love this book. I couldn't get enough of it! A Beautiful Poison follows three friends, Allene, Birdie, and Jasper. Two of the three have been at odds with Allene's family for four years, but the trio is brought back together at Allene's engagement party. However, the engagement party ends on a sad note when one of the guests falls to her death. The trio realizes that this was no accident; it was murder, spurring them on a quest to solve it as the people close to them start to fall victim to the killer and a deadly influenza spreads through the city.

Told from rotating perspectives, we get an idea of how each of these characters are as people. Allene comes from money and views everything as a bit of a game and how it will affect her. Birdie is a factory worker struggling to make ends meet in combined effort with her mom and to care for her little sister. Jasper is a janitor struggling to make ends meet while trying to save up for medical school. I struggled to like Allene because she's so blind to the realities of people not in her status or situation, but I really enjoyed Birdie and Jasper as characters as well as the other people who surrounded them.

Two of the things that I love about this book is that it is beautifully written and the mystery is well crafted. I was glued to the pages because it was just so compelling and beautiful.  It's just such a rich book filled with interesting people, beautiful places, but also a sense of realism. It's a historical fiction novel, so it draws from true events and practices of the time. It also brings us into the lives of people from different walks of life during this era with good and bad from each place. The mystery has many twists and turns. I had my own ideas about who the killer was and I was still wrong. I love it when I can develop my own theories, and it's even more fun when the answers make perfect sense even if I am totally wrong.

This is at the top of my list of favorite books of the year. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for future books from Lydia Kang!