Top Shelf Tuesdays - Eat, Tan, Read

🏅Top Shelf Tuesday🏅

Happy Tuesday everyone!

This week’s pick is:

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Millennium Series book 1
by Stieg Larsson
Mystery Crime Thriller
Paperback
Published by Vintage Crime, June 2009

Another Bora Bora vacation read that I devoured. I read this one in 2015, after the Swedish and the co-produced Swedish/American/United Kingdom movies were out. I LOVE Mara Rooney as Lisbeth! Hands down, I could not have casted better 😁.
So of course I wanted to read the book. I had no idea that I would love it and the rest of the series as much as I do. Lisbeth Salander is a character that I have never encountered before and I absolutely love her! She is the ultimate female badass.
I have not ventured on to the later books in the series written by David Lagercrantz. I’m a chicken like that. I know that I will eventually. But if you haven’t checked out these books you should!

Between Stieg Larsson and Jo Nesbo’s Harry Hole series I’m a huge Scandinavian Crime Noir!

🏅Top Shelf Tuesday 🏅

Happy Tuesday everyone! I am not having the best day myself, feeling ill and really worn down. Busy and stressful life is just taking a little toll. But I did not want to miss my next installment of Top Shelf Tuesday, I really look forward to sharing some of my great reads with you!

This week’s pick is:

Dark Places
by Gillian Flynn
Thriller
Paperback
Published by Broadway Books, October 2014

The story behind this one began about 7 years ago, when this edition was published 🙂. A work friend had joined a book club and this was their next pick. She was not really all that interested in it and was a little miffed about having to spend $10 on the book. So I offered her a deal, I would pay half and then after she was done reading it for the book club, she would give it to me to keep. She agreed, and I am so glad because I love this book! 😁

In January 1985 the Day family was murdered in their home, all but two were killed, Libby- 7 and Ben- 15. Libby testified that it was her brother Ben that killed her mom and two sisters that night. The Kinnakee Kansas Farmhouse Massacre they called it. But had she lied?

I had already seen the movie, of course, so the cat was already out of the bag, but even still this was a great read. And of course the book is significantly better. To those that have not seen the movie, you are in for a treat, you will be guessing and kept on your toes every page. I have been recommending this book to all my thriller lover friends, even if you have already seen the movie it’s worth it. This is for adults only, includes violence, language, drug use, and sexual content.

See here for full review!

🏅Top Shelf Tuesday 🏅

Happy Tuesday everyone!

This week’s pick is:

My Dark Vanessa
by Kate Elizabeth Russell
Paperback
Published by William Morrow, March 2020

A much anticipated read for me and I finally got to it in January. The cover is beautiful and it captivated me immediately. I will be honest and say that I first picked this up without knowing any details of the plot. I saw a quote from Stephen King, “A well constructed package of dynamite.” and felt I needed to check this out. Not Disappointed!

Definitely one of the best books I have read but also one of the hardest to read content wise. Devastatingly beautiful. Enthralled … how can something so horrible be written so beautifully. It broke my heart for the young girl who didn’t understand that she was not at fault and who just wanted to be special. It angered me, the adults that did nothing and turned their backs in silence. It left me with so many different feelings at the end, I love that the most.

See full Review here – Book Review – My Dark Vanessa

🏅Top Shelf Tuesday🏅

Happy Tuesday everyone!

I have decided that on Tuesdays I want to highlight the books that I have given a 5 star rating to. Calling it Top-Shelf Tuesdays (see what I did there 😄).

I have put the names of all the books in a cute little crock and will select one at random each week. Any new books I complete and rate 5 stars will be added as I go.

First on the draw:

Fraternize
Players Game book 1
by Rachel Van Dyken
Romance, New Adult
Kindle Version
Published by Skyscape

Synopsis:
Emerson, a busty, curvy, athlete has fulfilled her dream and made it as a pro cheerleader on her favorite football team. Even with breaking down barriers with body positivity, not everyone is thrilled with this choice as you can imagine. Emerson must work her ass her off to prove she belongs here. And she must follow all the rules, most importantly, No fraternizing with the players.
That is easier said than done. Just traded to the team is Emerson’s first love Miller, who still sends her over edge. Never having closure, Emerson doesn’t know how to feel about Miller being back in her life again. Then there is Grant, oozing sex appeal, with quite a reputation with the ladies. He wants Emerson and he always gets what he wants.

Why I loved it:
I actually liked this book way more than I was expecting to. I received it as a Goodreads giveaway. I am a huge romance fan to begin with. Fun fact, I also was a Cheerleader myself (high school) and who doesn’t love football players? 😉 But in all seriousness, it was a really good read! I love the body positivity, that curvy woman are still sexy and still athletic. It had more substance than just sex. Miller and Emerson need to figure out what happened with their relationship and do they want to salvage it? There is more to Grant than a pretty face and sexy body.