[REVIEW] I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara @FaberBooks

I came across this book a while ago and I sadly can’t remember when but I just felt attracted to it because of it being a true crime book, who doesn’t love a true crime book? Also the title I’ll Be Gone in the Dark is so chilling and so mysterious that it makes you dive into the book and find out more about it.

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark is a story about a serial killer/rapist, active around 1975-1984. who during that time left a mark on every place he terrorized and made people sleep with one eye open. Michelle McNamara, the author, paints a chilling picture of GSK’s crimes and takes us on an investigative journey spanning many decades. What’s interesting about this case is that GSK was never caught but his crimes are still remembered. McNamara was a journalist/true crime writer and she had a true crime blog called True Crime Diary which is still up on the internet. She dedicated her time to catching GSK and finding more about him. Since McNamara was a child she became obsessed with all things crime and she describes one particular incident that sparked the fire inside of her: A crime happened near her home where a woman was murdered but there was no one to blame for the crime. In I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, McNamara goes into detail about almost every attack that was performed by The Golden State Killer and shares her findings as well as clues which might be linked to the GSK himself.

McNamara is an excellent writer, with every word she writes you are taken to i.e. 2 am, a house in a quiet neighbourhood where everyone’s  asleep except for one person. Someone is entering a house through the window with a flashlight and a knife, threatening a couple that he’ll kill them if they don’t cooperate. There are many more chilling true crimes which were commited by The Golden State Killer. The way the subject matter was presented to the reader was concise and easy to follow as you will see if you pick this book up. McNamara takes us through every scene and even reconstructs crimes so you can get a better picture. I loved the letter in the end from McNamara where she tells the facts that with the rise of technology and it advancing GSK will not go unpunished for his crimes (provided that he is still alive).

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark is a fascinating exploration of The Golden State Killer’s psyche as well as a well-researched true crime book worth reading.

I would like to thank the publisher Faber&Faber for sending this book my way in exchange for an honest review. All opinions written above are my own and weren’t influenced by anything.

My rating: 

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Michelle McNamara Born Michelle Eileen McNamara April 14, 1970 Died April 21, 2016 (aged 46) Los Angeles, California U.S. Nationality American Alma mater University of Notre Dame University of Minnesota Occupation Writer Years active 2006–2016 Spouse(s) Patton Oswalt (m. 2005–2016) (her death) Children 1 Website Official website Michelle Eileen McNamara (April 14, 1970 – April 21, 2016) was an American writer and crime blogger. She was the wife of comedian Patton Oswalt. She was the author of I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer, a true crime book about the Golden State Killer. The book was released posthumously in February 2018 and is being adapted as an HBO documentary series.

If you wish to visit her true crime blog click here.

[BLOG TOUR: GUEST POST] The Gathering by Bernadette Giacomazzo @annecarter @bg_writes_stuff

Hi guys! I am very happy to be a part of the blog tour for The Gathering by Bernadette Giacomazzo and share with you a guest post by the author!

S Y N O P S I S

The Uprising Series tells the story of three freedom fighters and their friends in high — and low — places that come together to overthrow a vainglorious Emperor and his militaristic Cabal to restore the city, and the way of life, they once knew and loved.

In The Gathering, Jamie Ryan has defected from the Cabal and has joined his former brothers-in-arms — BasilePerrinault and KanoaShinomura — to form a collective known as The Uprising. When an explosion leads to him crossing paths with Evanora Cunningham — a product of Jamie’s past — he discovers that The Uprising is bigger, and more important, than he thought.

The Gathering: The Soundtrack To My Book

By: Bernadette Giacomazzo

Different writers, no doubt, have different ways of getting inspired to write. Some work in perfect silence, some work with the radio on, some work with the television on, and still others work amidst the chaos and the rubble of typical city life.

For me, however, writing my book The Gathering – the first in a six-part dystopian fiction series called The Uprising series – involved listening to some music that shaped, not only the soundtrack of my life, but the direction of the book itself.

Before I wrote The Gathering, I was known as a non-fiction writer. Specifically, I’d made my name as an entertainment journalist, with my work featured in the likes of People, Us Weekly, The Los Angeles Times, The NY Post, and a whole lot more.

But even before all those lovely credentials, I got my “big break” on the New York City rock music scene, and it was here that I heard some of the best music I’d ever heard in my life…music that holds up to this day, nearly 20 years after the fact. (Am I dating myself here?)

It was this music that I listened to as I wrote this book, and I even make some references to the music throughout the book.

For your reading – and listening! – pleasure, I’ve enclosed some of the songs here. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Fixer – Home Again

Fixer was a four-piece rock band from New York City that played some “balls-to-the-wall” rock’n’roll that was a mix between Guns N’Roses and the New York Dolls. They would frequently close their concerts with this song, and it’s easy to see why.

https://www.shazam.com/track/58007582/home-again

Fixer – Tuxedo

When they didn’t end their show with “Home Again,” they would end it with this song. Incidentally, this song first premiered in an acoustic setting back on November 29, 2000 –my 23^rd birthday – at CB’s Gallery, which was the acoustic offshoot of the legendary CBGB’s, and was literally right next door to the venerated rock venue.

https://www.shazam.com/track/58007580/tuxedo

Status Joe – Water to Wine

As good as Fixer was at the straight ahead rock’n’roll songs, they weren’t as good at the love songs. So, in the book, when Jamie/Ivan is singing his heart out to Angelique, he’s referencing this song from Long Island based band Status Joe. (Incidentally, the lead singer, Phil Richards, has a new band called Crash Transit.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJCIYSngJzM

I would like to thank Bernadette for taking the time out of her schedule to write a guest post for Breathing Through Pages! Make sure to check out other book bloggers on this blog tour!

Bernadette R. Giacomazzo is a multi-hyphenate in the truest sense of the word: an editor, writer, photographer, publicist, and digital marketing specialist who has demonstrated an uncanny ability to thrive in each industry with equal aplomb. Her work has been featured in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and many, many more. She served as the news editor of Go! NYC Magazine for nearly a decade, the executive editor of LatinTRENDS Magazine for five years, the eye candy editor of XXL Magazine for two years, and the editor-at-large at iOne/Zona de Sabor for two years. As a publicist, she has worked with the likes of Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and his G-Unit record label, rapper Kool G. Rap, and various photographers, artists, and models. As a digital marketing specialist, Bernadette is Google Adwords certified, has an advanced knowledge of SEO, PPC, link-building, and other digital marketing techniques, and has worked for a variety of clients in the legal, medical, and real estate industries.

Based in New York City, Bernadette is the co-author of Swimming with Sharks: A Real World, How-To Guide to Success (and Failure) in the Business of Music (for the 21st Century), and the author of the forthcoming dystopian fiction series, The Uprising. She also contributed a story to the upcoming Beyonce Knowles tribute anthology, The King Bey Bible, which will be available in bookstores nationwide in the summer of 2018.

Find her on: Website and Twitter

[REVIEW] The Gradual Disappearance of Jane Ashland by Nicolai Houm @PushkinPress

Yes, you are seeing correctly! No need to look twice because Breathing Through Pages is back again with a new review! Praise the lord! I do my best to read and review quickly but sometimes mental health and university get in the way. I will do my best to post reviews more frequently like I used to.

I saw this book a while back on Twitter and what first struck me was its cover which looked so interesting. I came across this book again when I requested Only Killers and Thieves and then I took a closer look at it (read the synopsis) and was SOLD. Trust me, once you read the synopsis you’ll want to find out more about it!

The Gradual Dissappearance of Jane Ashland starts with a woman, who we learn is called Jane, who wakes up in a tent somewhere in the Norwegian mountains. The devices she has which can save her from this situation don’t work so she’s left on her own. Who is Jane? What is she doing there all alone? While reading this novel we get her complete story and slowly get to know what happened to her.

As I’ve mentioned we get Jane’s life story, her university years, her marriage, her visit to her Norwegian cousins and more. Houm slowly paints a picture of Jane and her past which give us a more clear look at who she is and what kind of a person she is. We can see that Jane is a troubled individual and the way she expresses herself shows us exactly that –for example:  in the way she approaches relationships. My personal experience with this novel was positive because I love Houm’s writing style and kudos to the translator for bringing this book to life with her skills. What some people might find confusing and/or annoying will be the switching through stories from her past so you might get lost if you don’t pay attention while reading. I found this part a bit confusing at times because of university so I had to read it in smaller chunks. So listen up kids, better take notes while reading a book because with a lot of new information in your head stuff will get lost.

I would definitely recommend this book to other readers because it’s a read that will be up many people’s alleys with it’s intriguing synopsis and the story inside.

The Gradual Disappearance of Jane Ashland is a novel you’ll be wanting to analyze after you’ve finished it.

I would like to thank the publisher Pushkin Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions written in this review are my own and have not been influenced by anything.

My rating: 

Add ‘The Gradual Disappearance of Jane Ashland ‘ to your TBR: 

*Purchase ‘The Gradual Disappearance of Jane Ashland‘ here: 

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Born in Norway in 1974, Houm is an exciting new talent and critics have described him as ‘a Norwegian Don De Lillo’ and Norway’s ‘most American author, in the very best sense’. One critic said the novel as ‘combined surgically precise observations with the drive and ingenuity of the best television series’. He has published two novels which were both critically acclaimed in Norway, and this is the first English publication of his work. He works part-time as an editor in publishing house Cappelen Damm, and lives in Lier with his wife and daughter.

Find him on: Author page