I wanted to read one of P.D. James' mystery series before starting on this standalone novel. So I read Cover Her Face a month ago, and I'm kind of glad I did, because Death Comes to Pemberley is honestly off-putting. This is the silliest, fluffiest mystery; it's like marshmallow fluff. I think James wrote it on a whim, one of those silly ideas we get in our heads, What if we combined Jane Austen with murder? Like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. But... then it got published, and because its not a parody, people hated it. I didn't really hate it. But it definitely felt like James imprinted on these characters. This Elizabeth and this Darcy definitely aren't mine. If you're attached to your own versions, don't read this book.

I always enjoy novels that seem like memoirs - a specific setting, facts about the time period that you wouldn't necessarily know. I have not seen the movie, but I don't think I want too. Sometimes the imagination is just too powerful to cram the book into a 2-hour film that someone else made, even if those people are Scorsese and DiCaprio. Very similar to Dark Places which I just read a week ago and which I also found out they're making into a movie. I kept a sharp eye out for the red herrings and the clues, sprinkled in here and there. Then the Big Twist and mind blown. Shutter Island is suspenseful, psychological thriller that kept me guessing.

Quotes:

"But do we lose our past to assure our future? ... What do you lose when you sweep a floor, Teddy? Dust. Crumbs that would otherwise draw ants. But what of the earring she misplaced? Is that in the trash now too?" Chuck, page 19

"Because what you did was for the right reason. But what you did was also wrong. And you'll never wash it off." Teddy, page 129

I read this book because a friend of my husband's gave him a copy. It's slightly crazy - but just because things are crazy doesn't mean they didn't happen. However, the delivery is lacking. Burpo seems hardpressed to convince every reader of the authenticity of Colton's story. He had to name his church, a Wesleyan church in Colorado. He had to tell story after story about how he and Colton discussed his trip to Heaven. (An aside: Quite frankly, if I was a parent, I would have been so curious, I probably would have asked Colton every single question I could think of, and not spread the conversation out over several months.)

However, I am not Todd Burpo. That's the main point I need to remember: this is one man's account of an incredulous story, not mine.

I read this for Halloween, as I thought it would be a creepy fun YA read. Sadly, it never truly got off the ground for me. Neil Gaiman has a fine imagination, but somehow Bod's world never took on the magic that it does for other readers. Its definitely a YA book in style, and I thought Gaiman could have expanded on the themes of friendship vs. isolation or focused on the magic of the characters. The mystery wasn't even that exciting. So quite a disappointing read, really.

I read this book for Halloween, and it met all expectations: creepily elegant, tragic love story, a chilling antagonist all set against the Gothic backdrop of Manderley. Mrs. de Winter's imagined scenes, her watered-down personality, and her constant comparisons to Rebecca made me love and hate her. The novel is separated into distinct parts, and I distinctly felt the build-up to the ultimate climax and denouement.

Definitely a ridiculously unputdownable, page-turner, quick read. Similar to Shutter Island with the creepy vibes and psychological elements.

I've been reading this book for years now, since I was an undergrad in college, and I finally finished it! Not that its boring - in fact, the complete opposite. I have a hard time reading non-fiction, but if I could recommend any type of non-fiction, I would start with A.J. Jacobs. He makes the memoir genre interesting and relevant. I enjoyed his take on religion, and his honest attempts to understand unfamiliar or "other" experiences. A modern take on an antiquated practice.