June Wrap Up

Good-bye June and Hello July!!  As is the tradition with most Book Blogs it is now time for the Monthly Wrap Up.   So without further-ado, everything I've read this month.  The books of course have reviews posted here on Bookish Whispers.  

Books Read: 5

Pages Read: 1,120

BINGO Books: 1

Favorite Read: Warlock Holmes: Study in Brimstone 

My reading my have been interrupted by an impromptu Psych re-watch on Netflix.  Still my reading slump from last month is officially been busted.  While I've still been in the mood for Graphic Novels, but I was lucky to pick up a couple of really good books this month.  The warm weather has helped too since I generally want to be out there more.  July is looking to start out with a bang! I have a Read-a-Thon on the books and a lot of really good books lined up for that.

So what has everyone else been reading this month?  Anything interesting?  Anything you couldn't put down?

Throwback Thursday Read - Unholy Night

I use this line all of the time at work when things go wonky on Thursdays! So it felt fitting to use it today on my second Throwback Read.

Publisher: Grand Centeral Publishing

Author: Seth Grahame-Smit

Release Date: April 10, 2012

They're an iconic part of history's most celebrated birth. But what do we really know about the Three Kings of the Nativity, besides the fact that they followed a star to Bethlehem bearing strange gifts? The Bible has little to say about this enigmatic trio. But leave it to Seth Grahame-Smith, the brilliant and twisted mind behind Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies to take a little mystery, bend a little history, and weave an epic tale. 

It's only four years old, but it is my favorite book by Seth Grahame-Smith.  While I'll read anything he publishes, or any movie he's attached to.  It's Unholy Night that I've reread the most.  In fact it's one that I usually always pick around Christmas.  There is an excessive amount of violence and enough sword fights to make my heart happy.  So if your fan of Christopher Moore or Tim Burton, I would totally suggest picking one of Seth's books.  Especially this one!

Waiting on Wednesday - The Prisoner of Hell Gate

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming release that book bloggers are eagerly anticipating.

Publisher: Picador

Author: Dana I. Wolff

Release Date: July 5, 2016

Four decades after Typhoid Mary went to her grave, five curious graduate students struggle to escape alive from the abandoned island that once imprisoned her.  Contagion doesn't die.  It just waits.

From movies to books, I love anything that makes me afraid to turn the lights off at night.  So The Prisoner of Hell Gate definitely has my attention.  I'm going to wait until this Fall to probably pick this up.  That's my favorite time of year for spooky reads.

What's everyone else waiting on this week?

Jolly Roger Social Club - Review

                                           The true story of a series of bold killings which took place in a shadowy American ex-pat community in Panama--a tale of greed, political history, and murder.    

Release Date: July 12th, 2016

Arc Received By:  Henry Holt and Co. via Goodreads Giveaways  
Author: Nick Foster                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Should start of my saying that I received an Advanced Reader Copy of The Jolly Roger Social Club from its publisher Henry Holt and Co through Goodreads.com.

True Crime is one of my favorite genres to pick up and read, especially when it's a case I know very a little about. Which was what originally drew me toward The Jolly Roger Social Club.  Despite being in college, and even studying Criminology at the time, I have no memory of this case unfolding.  No mention in any of my classes or on the news that was always playing in our department common area.  So when I was informed I'd won a copy I was excited to jump in.

I have to say I really enjoyed this book, but it wasn't exactly what I thought it would be.  It's not just the story of "Wild Bill" Cortez and his victims.  It's also about the history of Panama, which lead to heavy distrust between the locals and the expats.  A rift that would help "Wild Bill" hide his crimes until he "chose the wrong girl".

Nick Foster did an extreme amount of research Jolly Roger, and it really shows throughout the book.  This case couldn't have been an easy one to research and fact check on.  While the evidence his damning against William Holbert, no one but him really knows what happens.  A story despite telling multiple times as changed with every telling, but Nick Foster did a wonderful job of untangling the web to recreate a timeline of the events.  And, possibly what happened. He painted a gruesome picture of greed and betrayel, and I found I couldn't pick the book down the farther into I got.

I needed to know how William "Wild Bill" Holber was caught.

Even more he painted the picture of the history of country that would be the stage for these crimes, and once I read that I realized why Holbert was able to get away with his crimes for so long.  Panama is beautiful country, but it most definitely has dark side.  I have to say outside of the building of the Panama Canal, I know little about the country itself.  However, it was also these chapters I had the hardest time with at first.

Out of the blue after the history of Panama just started.  I ended one chapter about the Holberts only to now being reading about the history of the country they had escaped to. Needless to say I was beyond confused.  Why where we getting this story inside of another story?  I have to be honest, this was one of the points I put the book down for a bit.  Eventually my interest one out and I picked it back and read on.  These sections were just as well written, just an intriguing, and well researched as the rest of the book.  But, why were they there?

Turns out the head a point of setting the scene for why it was so easy for these crimes to be committed, and one of the men in the history of this country would play a small role later in "Wild Bill's" life.

All-in-all, The Jolly Roger Social Club was a well written and researched book.  I'm thankful to have received an early release of this book, and it has inspired me to do a bit of research on my own into this case.  It really is a heartbreaking story with no real reason behind the crimes committed except for greed.

I recommend this book to anyone enjoys the True Crime genre, Criminal Minds, or any sort of crime TV.  It's almost a surreal sort of thing that happened in Boca del Toro.  

Buy or Burrow: I'd say pick this one up at your local library!

Throwback Thursdays - Silver's Edge

The Waiting on Wednesday memes got me thinking yesterday of other weekly things I could post about the books on my ever growing TBR pile.  One of the first I things I thought of was #ThrowbackThursdays!  I have a lot off books that were published many moons ago!  A lot of these books I've stumble across in Used Bookstores while digging through their stacks.  Others might be more popular that I haven't really read!  So with all that said, my first Throwback Thursday Book!

Publisher: Luna Books

Author: Anne Kelleher

Release Date: July 1st, 2005

Three women--a blacksmith's daughter, a Sidhe lady, and a mortal queen--are each driven by a personal destiny to stand against an encroaching evil. Yet they share a fierce sense of love, justice, and determination to protect what is theirs.

There's a funny story attached to this book and I stumbled across it.  My parents had forced us to Best Buy one afternoon to look for something, I don't remember why.  As usual, I wandered around the aisle bored with whatever. Probably chasing my little brother around.  In one of those aisle I found this book and remember that I started reading it while we waited.  To this day I have no idea how I talked my parents into buying it, but I had it finished before we made it home.  It wasn't until a few months ago that the book came across my Goodreads as a recommendation.  I also didn't realize there was a sequel and prequel, both now are on my TBR.

What I do remember of the story was there was a lot of gore, some really gruesome deaths, and I really liked the main character.  Course it's been about a decade since I picked up.    Silver's Edge is definitely one I'd like to pick up and re-read, and hopefully finish the series. 

Waiting on Wednesday - Ithaca: A Novel of Homer's Odyssey

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming release that book bloggers are eagerly anticipating.

Publisher: Pegasus Books

Author: Patrick Dillon

Release Date: July 5, 2016

Telemachus’s father, Odysseus, went off to war before he was born … and never came back. Aged sixteen, Telemachus finds himself abandoned, his father’s house overrun with men pursuing his beautiful mother, Penelope, and devouring the family’s wealth. He determines to leave Ithaca, his island home, and find the truth. What really happened to his father? Was Odysseus killed on his journey home from the war? Or might he, one day, return to take his revenge?

Greek mythology has been a passion of mine since I was little.  The Odyssey is one my favorite reads.  I've kind of hit a slump when comes to books set around Greek mythology, but I have high hopes for this one!

So what is everyone else not really not so patiently waiting to read?  

Warlock Holmes: A Study in Brimstone Review

Published: May 17, 2016

Author: G.S. Denning

Series: Warlock Holmes

An imaginative, irreverent and addictive re-imagining of the world’s favorite detective, Warlock Holmes retains the charm, tone and feel of the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle while finally giving the flat at 221B Baker Street what it’s been missing for all these years: an alchemy table.

I'm a sucker of any kind of Sherlock Holmes book.  So much so that'll pick anything up that contains one of the world's most famous Consulting Detectives. Warlock Holmes drew my attention for just that reason, but it pulled me by adding the paranormal aspect to Canon.  What I didn't realize was that there would be more than just one Sherlock story inside A Study in Brimstone.  I figured it was just a re-telling of a Study in Scarlet. That was only the first story.  G.S. Denning re-imaged six of Arthur Conan Doyle's stories. A couple that I hadn't read in quite a while and actually one of my favorites, The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton.

G.S. Denning has created a hilarious world inside of the Sherlock Holmes Canon.  Warlock has every bad habit, though his seven percent solution is a wee bit more dangerous, ever flawed quality, and the same heart as Sherlock.  Only, he's not quite as good as noticing the world's trifles.  Thankfully he doesn't have to be since the war spat out Dr. John Watson.  The Doctor's medical background makes him good at noticing the little things.  Lucky for them Stamford introduced them to each other.

I absolutely adored this book.  The first page pulled me in as Dr. Watson starts to apologize to the reader for something about to happen.  As the first story went on I found myself laughing out loud at parts, devouring the whole story, and not wanting to put the book down.  I loved the way that G.S. Denning reworked these six Sherlock Holmes stories, the re-imagined characters and plots, and more importantly I loved the things that didn't change.  

While a lot of the characters and plots get a paranormal upgrade, the core of the mysteries are still there.  Warlock as still as obstinate as ever, refusing to ever be wrong, and Watson is still as human as ever.  I felt like G.S. Denning kept true to the core of the Sherlock Holmes stories.  Each story still had everything I loved about Canon, but made me fall in love with the characters for different reason.  It is a wonderful mash-up of paranormal, humor, and Sherlock Holmes.

I even got my favorite character, Wiggins.  Only instead of just a street urchin, he's a were-rat named Wiggles.  Wiggles, G.S. Denning named him, Wiggles.  It was awesome!

There really wasn't a point where I set the book down and didn't feel like picking it back up.  In fact I had to make myself put it down to do things like sleep and go to work.  I've gushed about to co-workers who have asked me what I'm reading this week.  Gushed about to friends who also share a passion for reading, and now I'm trying gushing about it to whoever's reading this.  Only without trying to fangirl too much.  

Whether your a die hard Holmes fan, a casual reader, or just looking for something fun to read.  I highly recommend Warlock Holmes: A Study in Brimstone.  I especially recommend it if your a fan of Seth Graham-Smith and Christopher Moore.  A great mash-up and great read!

Buy or Burrow: Definitely buy this one!

Make Me Read It Readathon

It's readathon time!  I've participated in a couple of them this year and really enjoyed them.  So always keep an eye out for them on Twitter and other blogs.  Which is how I stumbled across the Make Me Read It Readathon. It was created by The Innocent Smiley and Tea & Titles, and basically, anyone can VOTE for what I'll be reading during July 9th to the 16th.  This will be my first year participating and sign-ups are HERE and the the hashtag is #MakeMeRead!

Which book should I read?

The Inquisition by Taran Matharu

This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzi Lee

The Magic Mirror by Susan Hill Long

The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood

I, Ripper by Stephen Hunter

trivia quiz

The Summer Dragon and The Inquisition are my two most anticipated books of 2016.  Which means I having hard time choosing which to read first, now I don't have too! The others are books I bought that I've just never gotten around to and had forgotten I had.  So it felt right to toss them up!

You can only vote for one book at a time, but feel free to vote more than once!  Even if it's for the same book!

Most Anticipated - June Edition

New month, means new releases!  As I flipped back through my TBR list on Goodreads, I realized that there was only one book that I was looking forward too above all else.  One thing that I've had on my HOLD list at the library since the day it went on order.  I am a huge fan of the author Michael Sullivan ever since I stumbled across his books at the library, Riyria Revelations and Riyria Chronicles.  I fell in love with his world building, his characters, and his writing style.  In fact I may lost my cool when realized he was bringing back Royce! He also brought back Hadrian because one where is, the other follows, but Royce was the important.

This month starts the adventure into a new book series by Michael Sullivan, the Legend of the First Empire. I'm super excited to jump back into a world that Sullivan has created and meet his new cast of characters.

Release: June 28th

Author: Michael Sullivan

Genre: Fantasy

Series: the Legends of the First Empire #1

Shelf: Buy

Since time immemorial, humans have worshiped the gods they call Fhrey, truly a race apart: invincible in battle, masters of magic, and seemingly immortal. But when a god falls to a human blade, the balance of power between men and those they thought were gods changes forever. Now, only a few stand between humankind and annihilation.

I'm super excited about this book.  It's been sitting on the top of my TBR pile since Michael Sullivan announced the release of the new series.   Soon as I'm off work on Tuesday I'm heading to the book store.  Which means my days off are basically booked.

What's everyone else looking forward to in June?  

May Wrap Up

Well, May just seemed to fly right on past me without me hardly noticing it.  I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact we're already a couple of days into June.  On the upside it was good to see a pattern in my yearly reading habit.  May came and with it the usual reading slump.  I picked up, started, and put down again at least a half dozen books.  Not because they were bad books, but none of them seemed to keep a hold of my attention for more than the day I was reading them.  So I put all the books I should of been reading aside and grabbed some of the Graphics Novels I've had shelved on my library App.

May is also the month we get my sister ready for her summer job.  So it was a lot of running about and spending time with her before she's gone for three months.  

The slump also gave me time to work this blog and get it set up finally without the stress of splitting my time between everything: work, reading, life, etc.  Which was nice to be able to sit and work on this guy while I might have gotten sucked into a Buffy and Angel re-watch on Netflix.

Basically all this means it was a slim reading month for me and I managed a hole zero reviews on my original blog, My Book Life.  You can also scroll through see what I've been reading the rest of 2016 and other goodies.

Books Read: 4

Pages Reads: 542

BINGO Books: 0

Like I said a pretty slim month, but I think I'm back on the reading train for June.  I have a lot of really good books about to come in at my local library, and I just picked up Joe Abercrombie's new book Sharp Ends. So here is to hoping I can kick this stupid slump to the curve!

How was everyone else's month?  Any recommendations on something that might help push me out of this reading rut I've found myself in?