Read, Not Reviewed #1: Must Reads

I start every year thinking I am going to review every single book I read... but of course I don't!  And while I've gotten much better at taking notes while reading, there's no point in writing a review if I don't remember enough to make it interesting to read.  

Quite a few of my favorite reads so far this year have managed to not get reviewed.  Trust me, the fault lies in me, and not the books!  Here are the books I may not have officially reviewed, but officially think you need to read now!

Catch Me 
by Lisa Gardner
From Goodreads:

In four days, someone is going to kill me. . . . Detective D. D. Warren is hard to surprise. But a lone woman outside D.D.'s latest crime scene shocks her with a remarkable proposition: Charlene Rosalind Carter Grant believes that she will be murdered in four days. And she wants Boston's top detective to handle her death investigation. It will be up close and personal. No evidence of forced entry, no sign of struggle. Charlie tells a chilling story: Each year at 8:00 p. m. on January 21, a woman has died. The victims have been childhood best friends from a small town in New Hampshire; the motive remains unknown. Now only one friend, Charlie, remains to count down her final hours. But as D.D. quickly learns, Charlie Grant doesn't plan on going down without a fight. By her own admission, the girl can outshoot, outfight, and outrun anyone in Boston, which begs the question: Is Charlie the next victim, or the perfect perpetrator? As D.D. tracks a vigilante gunman who is killing pedophiles in Boston, she must also delve into the murders of Charlie's friends, racing to find answers before the next gruesome January 21 anniversary. Is Charlie truly in danger, or is she hiding a terrifying secret that may turn out to be the biggest threat of all? In four days, someone is going to kill me. But he's gotta catch me first.

My Rating:

I listened to the audio, and I actually do remember this clearly- it's a fantastic thriller, and as usual Gardner had me on the edge of my seat!  Also, I really loved the behind the scenes look at 911 operator Charlie's job.  Thrillers are always hard to review, because it's hard to say much without giving important plot lines away.  Gardner is quickly becoming one of my auto-buy authors.  Who are some of your auto-buy authors?

Soulless
by Gail Carriger
From Goodreads:

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire—and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

My Rating:

I LOVED this book SO MUCH!  Somehow, it's harder to write a review for a book I loved.  I have no idea why I didn't trumpet the love for this, but I didn't.  I listened to the audio and it was amazing- funny, sexy and witty!  I haven't found the time to finish this series- but I will!  Also, does anyone want to make me treacle tart so I can finally try it?  It's mentioned quite a bit in the Harry Potter series too, and every time it's mentioned I feel hopelessly American.

The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green
From Goodreads:

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

My Rating:

 
I did do a giveaway for this book, but no review.  Partly because I tore through it, not bothering to take any notes but desperately needing to get to the end.  This book felt big- and reviews were everywhere, and basically my review would have gone something like this: I LOVE THIS BOOK, JOHN GREEN IS AMAZING, I LOVE THIS BOOK, JOHN GREEN IS AMAZING!!!!  There would have been lots of exclamation points and Donald Trump would probably demand to see my birth certificate to prove that I'm really 35 and not 12 (no offense to 12 year olds, there's absolutely nothing wrong with getting excited about books and authors!), If you haven't read this book, then it's possible you have no soul.  But I won't hold it against you, since I did really love the above mentioned Soulless. I have heard, though, that you can get a soul by reading John Green books and my blog.  This has yet to be proven in a clinical trial and the government does not endorse reading my blog as a means to restoring or creating souls.  Although what the government would know about this subject remains unclear, as I'm positive there's not enough John Green reading government officials.  Possible the FBI is watching this blog closely though...

There's still lots of books to add, but you'll have to live in an-ti-ci-

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pation!

How about you, Midnighters, any books you've read, loved but not reviewed?