Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every weekend.

Well it seems that things are moving along behind the scenes even if everything seems to be in an frozen state otherwise. There was so much news revealed in the last week or so that no matter what your interest there was bound to be something that caught your attention.

BOOKS

Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer (goodreads)

Pretty much anyone who has read the Twilight series has been waiting for the release of Midnight Sun. Most of us had given up hope that we would ever get to see if published. Stephenie surprise dropped the news that not only was being released, but it was being released this summer. It comes out in August which feels both so far away and very soon.

The cover was released and sort of wish they had gone with an apple that had a bite taken out of it.

I will have this pre-ordered and will eagerly await its arrival at my door. I cannot wait to read it.

Book News From Courtney Summers (goodreads)

Courtney has a new book coming out and if you watch the video in the below tweet you'll get all the details that we currently have about it.

THE NEWS: my next novel is so relentless and so compelling, @WednesdayBooks and I can only reveal it in pieces at a time and we're thrilled to share these with you today: title and release date.
Push play and stay to the end.
Just stay.
And welcome to . . . pic.twitter.com/8hQ5OjDQEq

— courtney summers news (@courtney_s) May 4, 2020

It's called The Project and that teaser is both intriguing and terrifying. It's pretty much what we have come to expect from Courtney.

Cover of Stephanie Perkins' The Wood Are Always Watching (goodreads)

Some details of Stephanie Perkins next horror novel have been released. We have a title and a cover.

We also know that it takes place in the woods and involves a serial killer. I have heard it is even more of a horror novel that her first one was so that is exciting for horror fans.

Cover for A Better Bad Idea by Laurie Devore (goodreads)

Laurie's books are always  ones I eagerly anticipate. If you are a Courtney Summers fan you need to check out Laurie's books. Her next one sounds really intriguing and I love the cover.

This one comes out in March 2021 so if you haven't read her other books previously you can read them while you wait.

TV/MOVIES

I'll Be Gone In The Dark trailer

All of us Murderinos devoured Michelle McNamara's books when it was released and followed all of the news of the eventual arrest of the Golden State Killer. There is now going to be a documentary released. It is releasing in June so it'll be perfect for everyone to watch while we're still social distancing.

There are, obviously, so many people Murderinos will recognize in this trailer. It's such a great trailer too! I got goosebumps.

What are you obsessed with this week? Let me know in the comments.

Best I've Read In 2018 .... So Far.

As the midway point of the year is quickly approaching I figured it was time to check in with my year in reading up to this point. It's a great way to see how influential the first half of the way was to my overall reading and just a nice way to see how far I've come so far.

Sadly, I am way behind on my Goodreads reading challenge this year. I am 10 books behind schedule and I am not hopeful I'll catch up. I am going to give it my all but I am okay with possibly no making my goal this year.

I have noticed that my reading selection gets better every year and this year is no exception. I know what I like as a reader and have a better ability to pick out the books I am going to enjoy. It means my Goodreads ratings are trending really positive right now, but I am considering that a perk of the journey of discovering who I am as a reader. Does anyone else worry about being too positive sometimes, or are you just happy that you're picking books that you enjoy? Let me know.

I am reading a lot more romance than I tend to (at least for the first half the year). It's not surprising as there have been some great ones that have come out. I still think my reads lean heavily to young adult and I doubt that will ever really change.

As previously mentioned I haven't read as much as I typically have by this point in the year. This has made picking my ten favourite reads of the first half of 2018 harder in some ways and easier in others. I have less choices, but each choice feels more deliberate. Each exclusion hurts a little more than it has before.

With that said, here are my top ten of 2018 (so far) ....

*These are in no particular order* 

1 Side By Side by Jenni L Walsh

2 Royals by Rachel Hawkins

3 I'll Be Gone In The Dark by Michelle McNamara

4 The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

5 Save The Date by Morgan Matson

6 Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

7 Legendary by Stephanie Garber

8 The Kiss Quotient by by Helen Hoang

9 Leah On The Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

10 You by Caroline Kepnes

Each book links to my review (except for The Kiss Quotient which I have not reviewed yet, but will be up next week).

What books would make your own best of lists at this point in the year? Let me know in the comments as I am always looking for new books to add to my to be read list. 

I'll Be Gone In The Dark by Michelle McNamara

I'll Be Gone In The Dark by Michelle McNamara
Release Date - February 27,  2018
Publisher Website - Harper Collins

Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader/Frenzy
Pages -  352 pages
My Rating - 5/5
**purchased**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

For more than ten years, a mysterious and violent predator committed fifty sexual assaults in Northern California before moving south, where he perpetrated ten sadistic murders. Then he disappeared, eluding capture by multiple police forces and some of the best detectives in the area.

Three decades later, Michelle McNamara, a true crime journalist who created the popular website TrueCrimeDiary.com, was determined to find the violent psychopath she called "the Golden State Killer." Michelle pored over police reports, interviewed victims, and embedded herself in the online communities that were as obsessed with the case as she was.

At the time of the crimes, the Golden State Killer was between the ages of eighteen and thirty, Caucasian, and athletic—capable of vaulting tall fences. He always wore a mask. After choosing a victim—he favored suburban couples—he often entered their home when no one was there, studying family pictures, mastering the layout. He attacked while they slept, using a flashlight to awaken and blind them. Though they could not recognize him, his victims recalled his voice: a guttural whisper through clenched teeth, abrupt and threatening.

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark—the masterpiece McNamara was writing at the time of her sudden death—offers an atmospheric snapshot of a moment in American history and a chilling account of a criminal mastermind and the wreckage he left behind. It is also a portrait of a woman’s obsession and her unflagging pursuit of the truth. Framed by an introduction by Gillian Flynn and an afterword by her husband, Patton Oswalt, the book was completed by Michelle’s lead researcher and a close colleague. Utterly original and compelling, it is destined to become a true crime classic—and may at last unmask the Golden State Killer. 

True Crime books, I've discovered, are hard to review. You cannot talk about them the same way you would a piece of fictional work. There is no commentary to make on the characters. The plot cannot be deconstructed. It mostly falls to the writing of the book to pull the reader into the story. I'll Be Gone In The Dark by Michelle McNamara is one of those true crime books that you instantly recognize as a stand out in its genre for so many reasons.

The writing in this is sharp. Michelle McNamara had such a distinct style to her writing that echoes in every single sentence of this book. It has the readability of commercial fiction, mixed with the attention to detail of any good investigative piece, and the passion of a woman whose words made you feel every emotion she was experiencing. You felt the exhilaration of a potential new lead just as strongly as you felt the disappointment when that lead resulted in a dead end. It takes a brilliant writer to pull off what this book does, and I can only mourn the books Michelle would have written as a result.

Every true crime obsessive will see a little of themselves in Michelle. She was drawn to true crime because of a need to make all the pieces fit. The puzzle like element to solving a case appealed to her. Others may be driven by a need to understand what would cause someone to commit these horrific acts, or even as a means of dealing with and facing anxiety they may face. People with an interest in true crime tend to bond together pretty quickly and that feeling is there with this book. The reader will feel connected to Michelle pretty quickly if they share that interest.

I'll Be Gone In The Dark paints a vivid picture of Norther California at the time of these attacks. The atmosphere is pitch perfect. Michelle has captured the essence of what it was like to live in these communities during this time. It captures that pulse pounding fear the victims felt, and ensures that you'll check your doors and windows an extra few times after reading. It's definitely not the kind of book to read in the dark while you are alone in your house.

The writing is so deeply personal that this book becomes almost a character study of not only the Golden State Killer, but Michelle McNamara herself. She divulges the depths of her obsessive need to follow up on leads. She shares details of how this investigation found its way into so many parts of her life. I found it remarkably brave that she would share so much of herself and it also makes the book connect with the reader in way that true crime books tend not to. Michelle McNamara seemed like someone I would have liked. She was someone I would have wanted to know and talk true crime with. I am only saddened to have only discovered this amazing woman's work after her death. This book is a stunning part of her legacy and destined to become a true crime classic that fans of the genre will pass along to those just entering the fold.

Patton Oswalt, Michelle's husband, mentions in his section of the book that he hopes Michelle somehow knows when the Golden State Killer is finally caught. I echo that sentiment, and hope that her research is carried on by other and that justice will eventually be served for the victims. If you're looking for a really well written, meticulously researched true crime read I cannot recommend this one enough. 

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews)

I few fun things made their way into my mailbox this week.

First up are some buttons I purchased while out doing some #otspsecretsister shopping.

These Love, Simon buttsons are adorable and I love them. Hot Topic is starting to get t-shirts and other Love, Simon merchandise for those who are interested. I am so excited for everyone to see the movie next weekend (and I cannot believe it is SO CLOSE now).

I impulse purchased this book on International Women's Day and feel pretty good about my life choices. I spent it by watching Jessica Jones season two and picking this up.

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara (goodreads)

Michelle McNamara was a bad ass and I am happy I got to celebrate her by picking this up on such a perfect day. I am excited to read it for my true crime event in April!

What bookish goodies made their way into your mailbox this week? Let me know in the comments.

Happy Weekend and Happy Reading!