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.

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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.

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This year is shaping up to be the year with books about lies. After the success of books like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl, and The Girl on the Train, it seemed like every new thriller had the word "girl" in the title. I started this year with J.T. Ellison's Lie to Me, and it seems like a plethora of other thrillers have opted to include the word "lie" in their titles. I've yet to read enough of these "lie" books to know if this titling trend will have the same middling results as the majority of the "girl" books, but I'll definitely keep you posted!

In my quest to discover if these "lie" novels have any merit, I picked up a copy of Peter Swanson's latest All the Beautiful Lies. The novel sees Harry Ackerson dealing with the unexpected death of his father. The soon to be college grad hastily returns to the small town in Maine where his father shared a life with his stepmother Alice. The details surrounding his father's death leave more questions than answers. His father fell to his death during a run. Investigators are not convinced the death was an accident. Was his father suicidal or was he murdered?

At its core, All the Beautiful Lies is a character driven novel. Swanson gives plenty attention to pushing the mystery, but it is the characters and the revelations of their past that truly propel the novel. Harry has a strange relationship with his stepmother Alice. Alice has always been kind to him. Harry is is bit embarrassed by his own sexual attraction to her, not that he'd ever act on it. Still, there is something about the way that she treats him that makes him think the feelings may be mutual. When the police begin to ask Harry questions about Alice, he realizes how little he knows about the woman his father married.

Without pushing this review into spoiler territory, I think it is important to touch upon a few more details that anyone looking to read it should know. First, Swanson employs the technique of switching time periods by alternating the narrative from present day to flashbacks in each chapter. I do think the technique is overused by thriller writers, but I can't deny that it is very effective in this book. The flashbacks provide valuable insight into the characters' pasts and effectively wind the suspense as small revelations about the mystery are revealed. This also allows Swanson to make the story mainly about the development of the characters without losing the momentum of the plot.

Finally, there is a good deal of sexual content, disturbing violence, and extremely startling emotional turmoil and abuse. If you are sensitive to any of those topics, you should probably skip this novel. If you're one of those readers who doesn't mind the graphic content, this book is well worth a read. While many of the scenes where quite explicit, I never felt that Swanson included them for any reason other than to serve his characters. Go ahead and add this one to your summer reading list. All the Beautiful Lies deftly defies expectations by providing a strong depth of character and all the tension and twists of a top notch thriller, and that's no lie!

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.

(2018, 23)

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8 Comments

Comments

Kimberly @ Caffeinated ReviewerJune 5, 2018 at 4:27 PM
This sounds quite good Ethan, and when done right those flashbacks really help the reader gain insight. Great review!
VerushkaJune 6, 2018 at 6:32 AM
I don't know if this quite my cup of tea, but I admit it does sound good. I wouldn't mind the "Lies" in titles if it'd stop the "XXX's Wife/Daughter" titles. They are doing my head in right now.
SavingsInSecondsJune 6, 2018 at 9:38 PM
I binge-read Peter Swanson books over Christmas break, so have been waiting for this one! I agree that "Lie" is a big theme right now. In the past month I've read The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager, Lies You Never Told Me by Jennifer Donaldson, and Sometimes I Lie by A. Feeney.
Cee RhiannonJune 10, 2018 at 6:43 AM
Good luck with the lie-book quest! ;)
EthanJune 10, 2018 at 2:02 PM
I’ve got The Last Time I Lies by Riley Sager lined up for next month!

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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.

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