Book Review: The Writer by James Patterson and J.D. Barker

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The Writer by James Patterson and J.D. Barker  was published on March 17, 2025. It opens with Detective Declan Shaw at a closed subway station trying to work up the nerve to commit suicide when he receives a call from his partner about a break in and homicide at the home of a true crime author. Shaw makes his way to the crime scene to work the case, and in a turn of events, Declan comes under scrutiny in another case loosely connected to this new case. I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Writer  from NetGalley and Little , Brown, and Company for free in exchange for my honest review. I'm appreciative that my request for this book was approved. With this story opening with the main character trying to commit suicide, I almost didn't go any further with the book. However, I am glad I stuck with it as it took me on a fantastic ride and had my emotions all over the place. There were so many twists and turns that just when I thought I had it all figured out, there was ...
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Listography: 6 Books That Are Required Reading In Middle School

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The six books listed below were required reading for me in middle school. I'm sure the list has changed quite a bit since then, but as a late bloomer to reading, all but one of these books made me love reading that much more. I plan on rereading all of these books so I can review them with a fresh perspective and see if they are still just as great as I remember.

  1. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls: Originally published in 1961, this novel takes place in the Ozark Mountains where Billy Colman adopts two dogs with the intent of training them to hunt. 

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  2. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis - First published in 1950, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe was the first book published in the Narnia series and is the most popular. Four siblings are relocated to a country home during a wartime evacuation. While keeping themselves occupied, Lucy, the youngest of the siblings, finds a whole new world called Narnia by going through a wardrobe in one of the spare rooms. The four children go on an adventure of a lifetime. 

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  3. The Odyssey by Homer - Published in the late 8th century, the sequel to The Illiad takes place after the Trojan War and follows Odysseus' ten year voyage home. 

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  4. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie - Originally published in 1939, it was originally published under a different name before being renamed. It has also alternatively been published under Ten Little Indians. And Then There Were None takes place on an isolated island off the coast of England where eight people have been invited for different reasons. The guests are met by the butler and cook who inform them the hosts have yet to arrive but have left instructions. After dinner, a recording is played accusing each of the guests of murder. And then, one by one, each of the guests die. 

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  5. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank - Published in 1947 after being found in an attic, The Diary of a Young Girl is the diary of thirteen year old Anne Frank where she writes what her parents, older sister, and herself do on a daily basis while hiding from the Nazis. 

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  6. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (The Adventures of Tom and Huck #2) by Mark Twain - Published in 1884, this novel is the telling of the adventures that Huckleberry Finn and a runaway slave have as they travel down the Mississippi River.

Where these books on your middle school required reading list? If so, did you love or hate them? If they weren't on your required reading list, what books were?

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