Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Author:  Agatha Christie

Genre:  Mystery, Thriller, Murder Mystery

Target Audience:  All ages, adult

Reading Experience:  9/10

Story:  9/10

Writing:  9/10

My Verdict:  9/10

Bienvenue à l'Orient Express! S'il vous plaît, venez à bord!

Pardon my French, but I couldn't resist!  Even though the train isn't exactly French, I couldn't help it.  The French language has a certain je ne sais quoi, and it kinda fits everywhere!  Okay, I'll stop.  Promise.

Welcome to the Orient Express!  Please, come on board!  (that's what I was trying to say in French.  I have no way of knowing if it's correct, so sorry in advance if you're French).  What we have here is one of the most iconic, well-known story of Agatha Christie's hero, Hercule Poirot!

It's the tenth book of a series of stories and cases led by the Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot.  Even though it's the tenth, it's my first and only Poirot novel to date.  And i have to say, Christie has made a fan out of me with her eccentric, one-of-a-kind detective... and that's only with ONE book.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Author:  Shirley Jackson

Genre:  Horror, Paranormal, Supernatural, Gothic

Target Audience:  Adults

Reading Experience:  7.5/10

Story:  7.5/10

Writing:  7.5/10

My Verdict:  8/10

Nothing like a good, old-fashion, haunted house story that makes you question not only the character's sanity in all of the story, but yours as well.  This book is purely psychological; it messes with the character's head, as well as yours.  It leaves you wondering... how much of it was actually real?  

Paper Towns by John Green

Author:  John Green

Genre:  Adventure, Mystery

Target Audience:  Young Adult

Reading Experience:  8/10

Story:  8.5/10

Writing:  8/10

My Verdict:  8.5/10

In contrast to my review of Colleen Hoover's November 9, I thought I might add one of my favorite Young Adult novels.  

Paper Towns, by John Green, is the story of Quentin "Q" Jacobsen.  Q has loved his neighbor, Margo Roth Spiegelman  all of his life, since the moment she moved next door.  But from afar.  He never dared to tell her.  They had one moment together as children that marked their relationship forever.  Now as teenagers, Q and Margo rarely speak; they are strangers.  She's an enigma to Q, but he still loves her.  Everything is fine and normal until one night Margo climbs through his bedroom window on the second floor, like a ninja with a special mission.  She embarks Q on one of the most memorable nights of his life.  But when that adventure ends, and a new day dawns, Margo disappears.  And Q starts to believe that she left clues for him, so that he could find her.  Q embarks on his own mission to find her, following the clues she left behind.

I won't say more, 'cause I'll spoil it.  But if you thought the Fault in Our Starts was good, this one takes the cake, in my opinion.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Author:  Gillian Flynn

Genre:  Mystery, Thriller, Horror, Crime, Fiction, Suspense

Target Audience:  Adults

Reading Experience:  8.5/10

Story:  8.5/10

Writing:  8/10

My Verdict:  8.5/10

This should only be categorized as horror.  Pure, raw horror.  I felt like Carrie from Stephen King's novel of the same name, when they poured all that blood on her.  Instead of getting mad, losing my mind and going murderous on everybody present, I was shocked beyond all reason.  Like, literally shocked.  And scared!  I finished the book without any breath left.  I stared at it, in awe of its genius story but horrified of all the things I will never be able to forget after reading it.  Nothing can be unread.  NOTHING.  Once again, Gillian Flynn shows her brilliance in narrative and story-making, and, of course, the unexpected, brilliant, jaw-dropping ending.

Gillian Flynn, you are simply brilliant.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Author:  Gillian Flynn

Genre:  Mystery, Crime, Thriller, Psychological thriller

Target Audience:  Adults

Reading Experience:  8.5/10

Story:  8/10

Writing:  8/10

My Verdict:  8.5/10

Well, I think that after you finish this book, your view of marriage will be forever changed.  Gillian Flynn manages to take you into the mind of a seemingly perfect couple, deep into their psyche, as their marriage goes from the "perfect" union to a harmful one.  It deteriorates, withers and eventually turns into something wicked and downright horrifying.  I won't say anymore because I'll spoil it.  But rest assured, it's jaw-dropping, breathtaking and thrilling (in my opinion).   Makes you think about the fact that people like this actually exist.  Makes you think that things like this can actually happen.  It's a scary thing, my fellow Bookworms.  Very, very scary.

The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick

Author:  Philip K. Dick

Genre:  Science Fiction, Short Story, Mystery, Thriller

Target Audience:  Adults

Reading Experience:  9/10

Story:  8.5/10

Writing:  8/10

My Verdict:  8.5/10

I'll be brief with this review since this book is actually only around 100 pages long and I don't want to spoil it for you.  This book is directed mostly towards Sci-Fi lovers, and mystery/thriller lovers.  And it's actually not complete novel, it's a short story.  This story is written by Philip K. Dick, who is often considered a revolutionary mind of futuristic stories and novels (he wrote the Man in the High Castle... 'nuff said).

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

Author: Stephen King

Genre: Horror, Thriller, Paranormal

Target Audience: Adults

Reading Experience: 9/10

Story: 8.5/10

Writing: 8/10

My Verdict: 9/10

Okay, I'm going to review my all-time favorite book of Stephen King: Pet Sematary.  Yes, it's spelled like that, and it makes sense when you read the book.  It's actually my highest-rated book so far, and it deserves such a rating.  Anyway, I haven't read many Stephen King books (yet), but to date, it's my favorite.  It was the only book to actually give me chills (that forest scene... man, I still have nightmares with that scene!).

Zoo by James Patterson

Author: James Patterson

Genre:  Thriller, Science Fiction, Horror, Mystery

Target Audience:  Adults

Reading Experience:  7.5/10

Story:  8/10

Writing:  7/10

My Verdict:  7.5/10

Who hasn't heard of James Patterson?  I mean, the man has books virtually EVERYWHERE.  It scares me whenever I want to find out how many books he has written to date.  Because if I'm ever hooked, I won't be able to keep up.  I'm still trying to cope with the fact that I recently became a Stephen King fan; keeping up with his writings will be a challenge.  And don't get me started on Dean Koontz!

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

I thought I would review one of my favorite thrillers so far (besides Gone Girl).  The Girl on the Train is a fast-paced, engaging thriller that hooks you from the first chapter.  Without giving too much away, the story is about Rachel, a girl stuck in time and routine, lamenting everything she has lost and regretting the person she has become because of it.  Rachel takes the same commuting train every day, twice a day.  The same thing over and over.  The only thing that gets her through the day is watching a couple - who she names Jess and Jason, since she doesn't know them - every time she reaches one of her stops.  She sees their life, how perfect it is.  It is nostalgic to her.  She used to have a life like that, once upon a time. and she enjoys watching Jess and Jason as they have breakfast, as they embrace, as they smile and love each other.  It's all perfect.  She evens creates imaginary lives for them: their families, their personalities and their hobbies.  There is no need to meet them personally.  Beauty can be admired from afar.

The Shining by Stephen King

Ah!  The Shining!  Everybody knows the title and the horror it represents.  Everybody has heard of it at least once.  The first thing that comes to mind is the scene where Jack Torrance tries to bring down a door with an ax while his wife screams helplessly on the other side.  And that's the image people who haven't seen it get upon hearing the name.  Those that have seen it, like myself?  We recall the cascade of blood from the elevators, the ghost in the bathtub, the twins, the creepy hotel... and of course, REDRUM.


What about the book?  The book was WAY better than the movie.  But I will only review the book for now.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

I was going to review a book from my "Favorites" list, but since the trailer came out not long ago, I thought it would only be fair to review this book, since I read it not many weeks ago.  Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.

If you haven't seen the trailer yet, directed by the creative and unique Tim Burton, then you can check it out here (just so you get an idea of what it's about, and so that you can get as excited as I was watching it).  It looks promising.  Eva Green and Asa Butterfield are, in my opinion, perfect for the roles of Miss Peregrine and Jacob respectively.  Can't wait!

Okay, so, Miss Peregrine and her Home for peculiar children.  It's the first of a trilogy (Hollow City being its sequel followed by Library of souls).  

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

I thought it would only be fair to review one of my favorite books next: And Then There Were None, by the brilliant Agatha Christie.  This one is short, I promise (JaJa).  If I write too much about it, I may give away the plot twists and ending, so I'll be brief.

I came across this book when I was searching for books with "great and unexpected plot twists".  This book appeared on all of the lists I came across, so I decided to give it a go.  It did not disappoint.  It had me guessing to the very end.

Making the description as brief as possible, it's the story of ten people that find themselves summoned to an island (called Indian Island) for different reasons by a millionaire host going by the name of U.N. Owen.  These people come from different parts and different worlds, but they share one thing: a wicked, dark secret, that they guard very carefully.  

But when the host never shows up, the group of people become restless.  Each of their secrets are laid bare for all to see, and the atmosphere becomes cold and tense.  What is the meaning of this?!  Then the first guest dies.  Panic ensues.  These people have no communication with the outside world whatsoever, and they can only leave by boat, which hasn't arrived yet.  At the peak of their panic, when they are trying to make sense of what happened, another falls.  Then another...

The remaining guests start pointing fingers (like we will do, as we read the book) only to come face to face with dead ends and brilliant twists.  Who is behind everything?

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

                                                                                                                                                                   

"Your life amounted to no more than one drop in a limitless ocean!" "Yet, what is an ocean but a multitude of drops?" - David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas

Hello bookworms!  I wanted to make my first post about the book I recently finished.  And what a book!  It still lingers in my mind, the effect it had once I finished it.  I figured it would not only be a good way to start this blog, but also a way to introduce people to this gem.

Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell.  At first I didn't know it was a book.  I saw the trailer for the movie first, and decided against watching it because it seemed too confusing, unfocused.  I had no idea what was going on when I first saw the trailer.  So I paid little to no attention to it.  I asked my friend about it, who simply said that he found it boring and confusing.  I didn't need convincing after that, so I passed.