Category: Books

Book Review: The Fury by Alex Michaelides

The Fury was the first book that I’ve read by Alex Michaelides. I know a lot of you might find that shocking after the success of The Silent Patient, and after reading this I wish I would have jumped on that bandwagon sooner. (It is on my TBR to read soon)

To start this off, The Fury is told by Elliott, an unreliable narrator. When I started this book, my first thought was “Oh, here’s another version of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.” What I found amusing was that right away this was made reference to by the narrator. It took me a chapter to get into how the narration was written, but once I did I couldn’t put this book down.

Set on a private Greek island, it follows a group of friends on vacation. In a tragic turn of events, one of the characters is murdered. The scenes that play out create a new take on the murder mystery.

What was interesting was that after I finished reading this book, Alex Michaelides had an event near me and I was able to attend. Having the opportunity to get a behind the scenes look at his writing process for The Fury and hear how much of his personal life he put into all of his works gave me a new perspective. Also, all his books have character tie-ins.

If you have a chance to read The Fury, I highly suggest it. If you read any of his other books, let me know in the comments which was your favorite.

Thank you to Netgalley and Celedon books for an advance copy of The Fury in return for my honest review. I give this book 4.25 stars.

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Book Review: The Queen of Sugar Hill by ReShonda Tate

Hollywood in the 1940s wasn’t all glitz and glamour for the actors of the time. Based on the life of Hattie McDaniel, the first African American woman who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Mammy in Gone with the Wind, ReShonda Tate takes you on an in-depth look at Hattie’s life and struggles after winning this prestigious award. On what should have been the brink of her career, Hattie struggled to maintain a career while staying true to her beliefs and goals. A strong woman, she did not back down and fought for everything that she achieved while striving to open doors for others.

The Queen of Sugar Hill is a thought provoking historical fiction novel, and I found myself digging deeper into several of its main themes. This book is a must read for fans of old Hollywood.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for an advance copy in return for my honest review. Publication date is January 30, 2024, and I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.

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Book Review: What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

What the River Knows is a well researched historical fantasy by Isabel Ibañez. Set primarily in Egypt, she takes us on the defiant coming of age story of 19 yr old Inez as she traverses an unfamiliar land while trying to find answers to her parents untimely deaths.

I stepped out of my comfort zone to read What the River Knows— I’m not a huge fan of fantasy— but I’m so glad that I did. The descriptions had me longing to be standing along the Nile and taking part in the excavation of a temple. The use of magic wove beautifully into Egyptian history, and propelled the story forward.

The characters of Inez, Whit, and Ricardo were well written. Incorporating the use of Spanish and Egyptian into the text was a great enhancement. While the ending completely left my head spinning and second guessing everything that happened, I am anxiously awaiting the next chapter.

My only critique is that this book is a slow burn, and feel that it could have used a little more action in spots. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Publishing date is Oct. 31, 2023..

4 out 5 stars.

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Book Review: Behold the Monster by Jillian Lauren

Fans of true fiction, this review is for you.

After watching the documentary Confronting a Serial Killer, I was hooked on the story of Jillian Lauren and Sam Little. When I saw that there would be a follow up book, I immediately added it to my TBR. Behold the Monster gives an in-depth look at the relationship between the most prolific serial killer in the US, Sam Little and the author Jillian Lauren.

I thought hard about this book review, and feel that it’s best to break it in two; fiction and non-fiction.

The amount of time and dedication that Jillian Lauren put into Behold the Monster is apparent from the first page. You can feel her anxiety and anticipation as she visits Sam in prison to procure the murderous details that ultimately help convict him on numerous unsolved cold cases. Driven by her need to help the unnamed victims, Jillian takes you down the path that consumed her life for many years. I found the book hard to put down while reading about her experiences with Sam, the multiple detectives, the families, and in the courtroom. The descriptions were gripping, and had me wanting to read more about their interactions.
However, I was a bit put off by the addition of the fictional chapters of Sam Little’s victims. I appreciate that she wanted to give a voice to those that were murdered, but I felt that these chapters were a dramatization that didn’t need to be there.

I feel that Behold the Monster is ultimately worth the read and I give it 3.75 stars. Look for the book to be released on July 18, 2023.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an advance copy of Behold the Monster in return for an honest review.

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Book Review: Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates.


Dead of Winter follows Christa and her boyfriend Kiernan on what is supposed to be a romantic getaway in a remote cabin. However, it turns out to be anything but the trip that they envisioned. Stranded by a snowstorm on the way to their destination, the tour group is faced with an unseen threat that begins killing them off one by one.


This was my first time reading a book written by Darcy Coates, and I was hooked from page 1. The tension and suspense were well written and had me on the edge of my seat. The descriptions of the characters, surroundings, and the gore made it easy to visualize exactly what was happening. I was invested in the story from the first chapter and continued to guess who the killer was until the very end. I am rating this book 4 out of 5 stars, as I feel it ended abruptly without a complete wrap-up of some of the storylines.


Overall, I found this read extremely enjoyable and tense. Look for this book to be released on July 11th.

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What are you reading in 2019?

I always like to start out the new year by creating a list of books that I plan on reading over the next 12 months. Previously, I’ve been excessive with the titles I’ve chosen, and haven’t been able to complete my goals. As part of my New Years resolution, I plan on keeping things simple; here is my 2019 reading list .
  • Re-read the Harry Potter Series
  • Always by Sarah Jio
  • The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
  • The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton
  • Paris for One by Jojo Moyes
  • Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler
  • The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
As always, please feel free to comment with your favorite books, or what you plan on reading. I wish you all luck with your reading goals.

 

~Kristen

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2018 Book List

As the end of 2017 nears, I’ve been compiling a list of books to read in the coming year. I’ve probably way over reached on my goal, but isn’t that how it always is? I’d love to hear what you all are currently reading or planning to read.

Here is what I’m currently reading:

On Writing- Stephen King (audiobook)
Down the Rabbit Hole- Holly Madison
Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me- Lily Collins

 

My 2018 List:

Outlander- Diana Gabaldon
Dragonfly in Amber- Diana Gabaldon
Voyager- Diana Gabaldon
American Ghost- Hannah Nordhaus (Thanks for the suggestion Lorelei)
Scrappy Little Nobody- Anna Kendrick (I might do an audiobook for this one)
Love, Rosie- Cecelia Ahern
This Side of Paradise- F. Scott Fitzgerald
Murder House- James Patterson
The Da Vinci Code- Dan Brown
The Nightingale- Kristin Hannah

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Book Review: The Demon of Brownsville Road by Bob Cranmer and Erica Manfred

Being from Pittsburgh, when this book was first released in 2015 I remember seeing it all over the news channels. At the time I thought, “Wow! There’s a house this close that’s haunted enough to have a book written about it, I can’t wait to read it!” Unfortunately, life got in the way and over the last two years I’ve thought about it a few times, but it wasn’t until recently when some of my coworkers were discussing it that I finally picked it up.

To get into the review, there are some parts of this book that are creepy and moments when I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Truthfully, I can’t understand how the Cranmer family stayed in the house after dealing with years of having a demon terrorize their lives. If it were me, when things began to escalate I would’ve fled. The chapters of the book that I enjoyed the most were about the history of the house and the potential reasons that caused the demon to take residence inside. Dating back to the 1700s this place had quite a dark past and it only makes sense that they were still dealing with remnants of those times.

However, I think much of the book was filler. From a personal standpoint, I think a lot of the political and religious aspects could’ve been left out to create a better read. There was an insinuation that was made in the book that I took some offense to. The author was describing the change in his children, they were suddenly listening to loud music and wearing black clothes, he attributed this to demon influence. As a child growing up in the 90s myself, I can assure you that there was no demon influencing my decision to wear a lot of black clothing (and I still do) or listening to heavy metal/rock.

That being said, if you are looking for a book about a house that has a dark history and the steps that were taken to rid the premises of a demonic infestation and can look past the filler, then this might be a book for you. Personally, I think that if I had a second chance with this book I would pass and find a different one to try.

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Book Reviews: Me Before You and After You

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

I loved this novel! Honestly, this is probably one of the best books I’ve read and one that I often recommend.
The story mainly takes place over a 6 month span, so things are not drawn out. It’s well written, and really connects the reader to the characters of Louisa Clark and Will Traynor. Their narrative unfolds in a unique way, and the twists found within these pages often left me yearning for more.
In 2016 this book was made into a movie and it did the story justice. Emilia Clarke and Sam Clafin portrayed the characters well, but in the end some of the connection between Louisa and Will didn’t translate well to the big screen (which happens a lot with screen adaptations). But, if you don’t read the book the movie is a good option.

After You by Jojo Moyes
After reading Me Before You I had high hopes going into the sequel, but I was quickly disappointed. In my opinion, this book takes away from the strength of Louisa Clark and most importantly I felt that it actually discredited the wonderful story of the first novel. To everyone that I have recommended Me Before You to, I have told them not to read the sequel.
There were a few redeeming qualities in this novel but honestly I wish I had never read it. Of course, these are just my opinions but After You was not what I expected.
I hope you find these helpful!

 

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Annabelle: The Haunted Doll

Last night I had the opportunity of seeing a prescreening of the upcoming movie Annabelle Creation, the latest horror movie in the Conjuring series. Based on of the lives of Ed and Lorraine Warren, these movies offer an inside look into the occult and the works of the famed Demonologists.

I know not all people believe in the supernatural, but even if you don’t these movies are good for a scare. The same can be said for this new installment. Without giving any spoilers, I highly recommend seeing this film. It does well to provide a backstory on the “haunted” doll Annabelle in the Conjuring world, and incorporates story lines from the previous movies to round out the series.

Annabelle Creation premieres in all theaters August 11, 2017.

Now for the real Annabelle.

 

real-annabelle-doll-crop

Completely different from her fictional movie counterpart, Annabelle is actually a Raggedy Ann doll. As stated in the book The Demonologist about the lives and cases of Ed and Lorraine Warren, Annabelle tricked the owners of the doll into allowing “her” to move into it. Unbeknownst to the owner, this was not a young child but a demon. Strange things starting happening at this point, and the Warrens were called in to investigate.

With the help of a priest, an exorcism was performed on the residence and the people involved. The Warrens took Annabelle with them, and she still resides with the family in Connecticut. Over the years there have been several stories about occurrences surrounding those who’ve come in contact with this doll.

Every year, there is an event called “An Evening With Annabelle” where they bring Annabelle and other items from the collection to a location where you can experience them. I’ll admit, I’ve wanted to attend this event the last few years but timing never seemed to work with my schedule. This year, the event is being held on August 12 in Connecticut.

For more information about the event you can visit:                      http://www.warrens.net/An-Evening-with-Annabelle.html

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