After a fairly slow 2016 (by which I really mean "incredibly slow" and "I'm ashamed"), I've decided that I'm going to try to pick things up again in the rapidly approaching new year and to try to get back into the swing of maintaining this blog. In order to help myself do this, and, hopefully, pique some interest in anyone who might want to read KP Talks Books in the future, I thought I would put together a detailed to-read list for 2017. I've recently wiped my overwhelming, somewhat outdated Goodreads to-read list clear, and I'm starting again from the bottom in an attempt to make things more manageable. (I've said it before and I'll say it again: make ample use of Goodreads' recommendation system, as well as LibraryThing's tagmash--see my useful tools. Both require free subscriptions but are so, so useful for navigating through the vast world of books out there.)
I may not get through everything on here, but it will, hopefully, provide me with a launchpad to start the new year off well. I'll make sure to cross off read books and provide links to my reviews as I go along, and this will be a working document as I add books.
1. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Why? To be entirely honest, I mostly want to give this one a try because of the hype. The commercials and trailers for the movie looked really promising, and psychological thrillers are my thing, so I'm getting green lights on The Girl on the Train. However, I do have some reservations about it possibly being a Gone Girl repeat, given that I really did not like Gone Girl despite the enormous hype surrounding it.
2. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #1) by Ransom Riggs
Why? Again being entirely honest, I saw the recent movie because of the hype and because it looked cool in trailers. It was a great movie, and I had had the book on my to-read list before seeing it, so watching the movie bumped the book up on my list. I'm a bit wary, as I've read many reviews saying that the writing is bad and/or disjointed, but I really liked the bits of the story that were included in the movie, so I'm willing to give it a try despite the warnings. Plus, I know that there are those out there who like to rag on books that become popular, for the sole reason that they refuse to approve of anything "mainstream," so I take negative reviews of hit books with a grain of salt.
3. Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike #3) by Robert Galbraith (yes, we all know it's J.K. Rowling, but if the Queen wants a pseudonym, the Queen gets a pseudonym)
Why? I loved the first two Cormoran Strike books and I can't wait to read some more. Personally, I'm really hoping for some kind of romance between Cormoran and his assistant, Robin, though I know that many fans of the series are really hoping that there won't be a romance. I like a good romantic subplot, as long as it doesn't become the focus of the book instead of staying a subplot. Galbraith/Rowling has a real talent for writing murder mysteries and believable characters, and it's nice to see a sleuth who, while smart, isn't a genius. Cormoran is a realistic private investigator dealing with believable personal problems, as well as the fact that he has only one leg, having been wounded in the military. He can be gruff, but we can see that it is not on purpose and that he often feels bad for his behaviour. Overall, he's quite likable, as is Robin. The stories are well-paced and will surprise you every time you think you've figured out who the murderer is.
4. Faithful Place (Dublin Murder Squad #3) by Tana French
Why? I adore Tana French's work and I'm so glad that I picked up the first of the Dublin Murder Squad books, In the Woods, on a whim after having it recommended to me by Goodreads. French's stories always draw me in until I can't stand not knowing how they end, and end up reading the whole thing in a day. Her characters always have elaborate motivations and backgrounds that influence how they interpret each case, as well as complex relationships with one another. She paints a richly detailed picture of Ireland, from the countryside to the seaside. Her plots are varied, from kidnapping to murder. Overall, fantastic author and I would highly recommend picking something of hers up if you're at all interested in police procedurals.
5. The Trespasser (Dublin Murder Squad #6) by Tana French
Why? See above. I've already read books four and five, also excellent.
6. Little Girl Gone by Gerry Schmitt
Why? Kidnapping, rich parents, intricate motives, police procedural? Yes, yes, yes. In case you haven't noticed by now, police procedurals and mysteries are my cup of tea, and Little Girl Gone has rave reviews on Goodreads, so it looks promising.
