It started with a New Year's resolution:
1 book a week, 52 books in a year.
I kept reading, and it grew into something much more.

Back in 2011, I was an avid reader who had somehow lost my way with reading. Between working and being a full-time student, reading for pleasure had slowly fallen by the wayside.

I wanted to change that. So I gave myself a New Year's resolution to read one book every week for a year. I started A Book A Week on January 1, 2012 as a way to hold myself accountable and share what I was reading along the way.

I didn't quite reach my goal that first year, but I kept reading. I kept reviewing. And all these years later, I'm still here, looking forward to whatever book comes next. Some years I crush my goals, some years I don't, but my love for a good book has never wavered.

Reader. Blogger.
Book lover.

I'm a lifelong reader with a particular soft spot for mysteries and thrillers. I've always loved the genre, and I credit those stories—the twists, suspense, and need to know what happens next—with keeping me a reader as an adult. My reading has taken me in all kinds of directions since then, but I'll always come back to a good mystery.

I love creepy horror novels. A fascinating work of nonfiction can completely pull me in, too. And I've found plenty of favorites in science fiction, literary fiction, romance, and other genres I might never have picked up when I first started the blog. That's part of the fun. I never quite know what kind of story is going to grab me next.

When I'm not reading or writing reviews, you'll usually find me at home with my husband and our pets. I'm a classically trained musician and composer, an enthusiastic home cook, and a backyard gardener. There's usually a trip to look forward to or some new project that has caught my interest, too.

At the end of the day, I just really love books. There's nothing quite like discovering a story I can't put down or finding an author I can't wait to read again. Even when a book doesn't quite work for me, I still enjoy thinking about why and putting those thoughts into words. That's what keeps me reading, reviewing, and sharing it all here on A Book A Week.

Honest reviews, always.

Some of the books I review are ones I've purchased myself. Others are provided by publishers or authors in exchange for an honest review. Either way, what I write here is always what I really think.

Not every book is going to work for every reader, and that's part of the fun of talking about books. I'll tell you what worked for me, what didn't, and hopefully give you enough to decide whether a book might be right for you.

Good, bad, or somewhere in between, you'll always get my honest take.

Let's Connect

I'm always happy to hear from readers, publishers, authors, and fellow book lovers.

Review Copies

I'm always open to considering books for review. I read across a pretty wide range of genres, though mysteries and thrillers tend to be particular favorites. If you'd like me to consider a book, send along a little information about it and why you think it might be a good fit for A Book A Week.

Publishers & Authors

Review requests, interviews, features, or something else you have in mind? Send me a note. I'm always happy to hear about new books and opportunities that might be a good fit for the blog.

General Inquiries

Have a question, a recommendation, or just want to talk books? Those messages are welcome, too.

Matt Royal attracts trouble. No matter what he is doing, the retired lawyer always seems to find himself in intriguing and life-threatening situations. In Collateral Damage, the latest installment in author H. Terrell Griffins series, Matt Royal, once again, finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation and a conspiracy that could date all the way back the Vietnam War.

Longboat Key, Florida is a quiet coastal town that sees little excitement outside of the tourist season. When a young groom is shot while running along the beach, the town is shaken. That same evening, while fishing with his good friend Logan, Matt witnesses strange events on a dinner cruise boat, sailing by them, that leads to two other deaths. When he receives an unexpected contact from an old war buddy, whose son happened to be the young murdered groom, Matt promises to help investigates the murder, and searches for a connection between the shooting and the mysterious murders aboard the cruise.

As in the previous novel, the supporting characters help to keep the plot moving. Matt's best friend, Jock Algren, works for a secretive government agency that gives him practically unlimited resources to assist in the investigation. This James Bond like character, while highly unbelievable, works well within the world of the novel, and allows for an easy way for Matt to have some credibility as an investigator. The love interest, Longboat P.D. Detective J.D. Duncan, is written with a subtle touch, allowing the budding relationship to simmer throughout the novel, without falling into the stereotypes of most thriller love elements.

Griffin's love for the place and people of Florida permeates the novel, providing the fictional world with some much-needed reality. While the plot becomes a bit hard to follow at times, the story resolved nicely. This novel is a fun, escapist type read, that is sure to provide fans of mystery thriller novels with a great time.

For more information check out the author's website
http://www.hterrellgriffin.com/
the publisher's website http://oceanviewpub.com/,
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11863350-collateral-damage, and Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/review/R1GPAVATCSGR1Y/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1608090264&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=

(week 23, book 25)

Reviews

A growing library of books and the thoughts they inspired.

Browse the Library

Showing reviews Sort by:

No reviews match those filters.

A Book A Week by the Numbers

14 Years of A Book A Week

— Book Reviews

— Authors Reviewed

— Books Reviewed This Year

18 Comments

Comments

Carl ScottJune 3, 2012 at 4:21 PM
Hi Ethan

This sounds like the perfect summer book. An escapist mystery thriller with a Florida beachside setting. Just about perfect. Thanks.

I went to Amazon and marked your review as helpful. I was #2.

Later, gator
Jonathan WilhoitJune 5, 2012 at 3:36 PM
Sign me up, Ethan! You know where to find me. ;)

Oh yeah, and thanks!
ChapterHouse-ReadsJune 5, 2012 at 6:41 PM
Just changed my theme Ethan!
Please give me your thoughts
do you think an Interview page is a good idea?
A silent way to show off your status?
RheaJune 5, 2012 at 11:05 PM
Found your blog on Book Blogs and I may say, you really have an interesting and prolific blog here!

Thank you for sharing us this giveaway! I may consider joining it. Though I am still a noob on Goodreads :(

I would really appreciate if you will visit my blog back: http://outrageous-writer.org/

More power!
UnknownJune 6, 2012 at 9:30 AM
I found your blog on book blogs too! NEW follower!

VERY nice blog!

Voted for your review on amazon!

sharmartinezwrites@gmail.com
http://shar-writes.blogspot.com

xoxo -Shar
KHAIRU DHANANIJune 7, 2012 at 10:11 AM
Hi Ethan,

I entered this giveaway.

parwaizriaz@gmail.com

http://khairusworld.blogspot.ca/
amy beth marantinoJune 9, 2012 at 3:34 PM
i marked your review as helpful.
Linda KishJune 9, 2012 at 8:36 PM
I read your review and marked it as helpful.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com
AnonymousJune 10, 2012 at 9:15 AM
what a great giveaway! Sounds like my kind of book! Confessed "readaholic" here! hehehe I'll be back every week! Thanks so much!
Kelly Goss
twonamechick@hotmail.com
AnonymousJune 10, 2012 at 9:18 AM
oops, forgot to comment that I completed all the steps to enter the giveaway!
Kelly Goss
twonamechick@hotmail.com
VesperJune 10, 2012 at 12:25 PM
Just the type of book I like to read

marked your review as helpful - meiklesurvey@gmail.com
desitheblondeJune 10, 2012 at 7:09 PM
i have get my but in gear i have over 16 book to blog on yea i read a holic and love to brag on books
AnonymousJune 10, 2012 at 9:51 PM
kelly goss
twonamechick@hotmail.com
i've completed the steps to enter the giveaway. THANKS!!!
AnonymousJune 11, 2012 at 8:42 AM
kelly goss
twonamechick@hotmail.com
I've completed the steps to enter the giveaway. THANKS!!!!
AnonymousJune 12, 2012 at 8:15 PM
kelly goss
twonamechick@hotmail.com
i've completed all the steps for the giveaway. THANKS!!!
Am i doing it right? Do I enter every day, or is one a week good?
EthanJune 17, 2012 at 11:38 AM
Congratulations to Shar and Vesper! They will each receive a copy of Collateral Damage by H. Terrell Griffin. Thanks to the publisher for making this giveaway available, and thanks to all who entered. Be sure to check this site for future giveaway opportunities.

A Book A Week

Reviews

Browse the Library

A Book A Week by the Numbers

About Me

It started with a New Year's resolution:
1 book a week, 52 books in a year.
I kept reading, and it grew into something much more.

Reader. Blogger.
Book lover.

Honest reviews, always.

Contact