JK Rowling vs Justin Cronin

 Everyone knows who JK Rowling is, and I couldn't wait to read her new book "The Casual Vacancy." 

Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils ... Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

Harry Potter is an all time favorite series of mine, so I expected Rowling's new book to be amazing as well.

Let's just say I've never been more happy to finish a book.

I didn't like this book at all.

The entire book was depressing.

Even the ending was upsetting.

I wouldn't tell you not to read the book, but at least don't spend money to read the book. Borrow it from a library or a friend, and don't waste your money.

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Here's the synposis from Goodreads:

First, the unthinkable: a security breach at a secret U.S. government facility unleashes the monstrous product of a chilling military experiment. Then, the unspeakable: a night of chaos and carnage gives way to sunrise on a nation, and ultimately a world, forever altered. All that remains for the stunned survivors is the long fight ahead and a future ruled by fear—of darkness, of death, of a fate far worse.

As civilization swiftly crumbles into a primal landscape of predators and prey, two people flee in search of sanctuary. FBI agent Brad Wolgast is a good man haunted by what he’s done in the line of duty. Six-year-old orphan Amy Harper Bellafonte is a refugee from the doomed scientific project that has triggered apocalypse. He is determined to protect her from the horror set loose by her captors. But for Amy, escaping the bloody fallout is only the beginning of a much longer odyssey—spanning miles and decades—towards the time and place where she must finish what should never have begun.

This book was ahhmazing! This is definitely a must read!
 There is going to be a trilogy I think, and the second book has already been released.
Add this to your reading list immediately. You won't be disappointed!


A winner has been declared--Cronin!!
Sorry, Rowling. You should stick to fantasy.

     

Read These Books NOW!

I like to read...a lot. Most of the stuff I read is just fluff. There is no thought involved, and I usually have already forgotten what I've read by the time I've started on the next book. Sometimes you just need a little mindless reading. These are some books that I've read lately that have really stuck with me, and I think you  should read them too!

Wild by Cheryl Strayed is a memoir. I don't typically like works of nonfiction, but this book is the exception. After Cheryl loses her mother and basically loses contact with her entire family including her husband, she decides to hike the Pacific Crest Trail alone with absolutely no experience hiking at all. The trail provides a healing experience as she grieves her mother's death. (It's not too terribly depressing otherwise, I wouldn't read it.) I could not put the book down.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is the absolute most creative book I've ever read. The detail and thought that went into the many descriptions of the circus is amazing. Not only is the writing wonderful, the story line pulls you in. I'm not even going to try and summarize the book because I won't do it justice. Just read it! I promise you won't be dissapointed.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn is another book that sucked me in with its suspense. The viewpoint switches from the husband to the wife and it reads like a diary almost. Just when something is about to be revealed, she switches viewpoints on you. The wife ends up missing and the reader doesn't know whether the husband committed a crime or what happened to her. Believe me, you will love this book! I also read Dark Places by Flynn. It's so-so, but not as good as Gone Girl.

 I'm still having fun learning about taxes in Tampa.. whooo hooo! 

Linking up with  Helene, Emily, Kathleen, & Rachel.