Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators

   Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators

by Ronan Farrow

Pages: 448

5 stars out of 5

This book made me angry. But, I think it is supposed to make you angry. Reporter Ronan Farrow stumbled upon a conspiracy that had long protected men in power in the media, the government, the world of finance and Hollywood.  As he dug deeper to find out how many women had been sexually harassed and some assaulted, he discovered a network that covered up what was going on for decades. Women were afraid to come forward both because of a threat to their careers but for some their life and the lives of the family members had also been threatened. Some people disappeared. Ronan thought about backing off the story when he realized he was being followed and photographed but his partner and his sister kept encouraging him not to be another  man who had let these women down. He lost his job and had to sell the story freelance but eventually the truth won out. Several people in this book have recently been convicted of their crimes while others are still awaiting trial. Sadly, some are still protected. 

Sadie by Courtney Summers

Ok so I am in pain.
This was amazing as an audiobook!
Me and my love of Criminal Minds is getting the best of me, and is getting me into trouble.
336 Pages

Sugar by Deirdre Riordan Hall

Sugar by Deirdre Riordan Hall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is very upsetting, until the point where it becomes EVEN MORE UPSETTING.

This is the story of an obese teen who grows up in an extremely abusive situation. I spent 50% of the book mentally pleading with the MC to run away. RUN AWAY, SUGAR, JUST RUN AWAY.

I desperately wanted her to flee the terrible situation, because I couldn't take reading about it. This is something I normally wouldn't advocate for with a teen, as even though it seems like nothing can be worse than staying in a terrible situation, the reality is that things usually can get worse for young runaways. But the heart wants what the heart wants.

Also, did I mention there's an EVEN MORE UPSETTING thing that you should prepare yourself for? Unfortunately, it was something Sugar couldn't have even run away from. Life came and just gave her another big punch in the gut, as if she wasn't able to become who she would be without hitting rock bottom. That's why this gets 4 stars, instead of 5, as I don't love the whole, take everything away from the MC, in order for her to become her best self mentality. I think people can become their best self with a little love and support, too. But overall, it's a good read if you don't mind being depressed throughout, with small flashes of beauty and hope.

Book 182 read in 2018

Pages: 276

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

Aging, self-absorbed rock star Judas Coyne has a thing for the macabre so when his assistant tells him about a ghost for sale on an online auction site, he immediately puts in a bid and purchases it. The black, heart-shaped box that Coyne receives in the mail not only contains the suit of a dead man but also his vengeance-obsessed spirit. The ghost, it turns out, is the stepfather of a young groupie who committed suicide after the 54-year-old Coyne callously used her up and threw her away. Now, determined to kill Coyne and anyone who aids him, the merciless ghost of Craddock McDermott begins his assault on the rocker's sanity.

*This book was not as scary as I was promised, which is a bit disappointing, but for a first book written by Hill it is entertaining and kept my attention till the end. 

Rating: 3/5
Pages: 376