This book melted my cold, dead heart. I’ve never been so happy to be proven wrong about a book!
“I began to realise that love wasn’t dead, but it wasThis book melted my cold, dead heart. I’ve never been so happy to be proven wrong about a book!
“I began to realise that love wasn’t dead, but it wasn’t forever either. It was something in between, a moment in time where two people existed at the exact same moment in the exact same place in the universe.”
Now, I don’t do romance. It just never really works for me. But this book! It just spoke to me and I loved it.
I really enjoyed Among the Beasts and Briars by Ashley Poston, and I knew this one had some supernatural elements so I thought I’d give it a go.
Florence has been living in New York, working as a ghost writer for a famous romance novelist. But she is stuck on her most recent novel. After a bad breakup, she no longer believes in romance or love.
When she has to return home to South Carolina for her fathers funeral she must face her past head on. Including the fact that she can see ghosts.
When one of the ghosts she meets back home is actually her hot editor she had met only twice, Florence finds herself facing a whole new dilemma.
It was just wholesome and sweet. And quite frankly, just what I needed at the time.
“Love was never a matter of time, but a matter of timing.” ...more
Laure has always wanted to be a ballerina. It is all she has ever known, she even ran away from home to join the Paris ballet schooWhat a great debut!
Laure has always wanted to be a ballerina. It is all she has ever known, she even ran away from home to join the Paris ballet school.
But however hard she tries, she never seems to receive the respect and appreciation so freely given to the other girls.
When she receives an interesting invitation from another ballerina to the Paris catacombs - what she experiences there will change her life forever.
Full of darkness, I was gripped by this story. I felt Laure’s anger and rage against the injustice she suffered. Her best friend who turned against her the minute the tables turned.
I love A Christmas Carol. Every film adaption from the black and white one to the muppets. But I have never read the story. So this year I vowed to fiI love A Christmas Carol. Every film adaption from the black and white one to the muppets. But I have never read the story. So this year I vowed to finally read the original.
Along with a few of Dickens’ other Christmas writings I really enjoyed it.
I won’t bother with a synopsis, as everyone knows the story more or less. It was wonderful to read and be reminded of what makes this such a powerful tale of kindness and generosity to our fellow human at this time of the year....more
The gang is back! But this time they are visiting Jacob in present day Florida.
After all the action from the library of souls, Jacob and the others fThe gang is back! But this time they are visiting Jacob in present day Florida.
After all the action from the library of souls, Jacob and the others feel like they need another task. But when they are all given meaningless tasks from Miss Peregrine they feel under appreciated.
When Jacob finds his grandfathers secret bunker with all his previous missions on, he feels like he must continue what Abe started.
Roma and Juliette believed they destroyed the monster, but did they really? Meanwhile both have betrayeReally enjoyed this conclusion to the duology.
Roma and Juliette believed they destroyed the monster, but did they really? Meanwhile both have betrayed the other and are not sure if they can ever repair what was lost.
Loved the storyline and all the different characters including Katherine and Rosalyn. Loads of bloodshed and drama, I was fully invested.
Also a satisfying ending (view spoiler)[ Roma and Juliette both sacrifice themselves to destroy the monsters. I liked that, I did wonder if they would both die or if the ending would change. (hide spoiler)]
I’m looking forward to picking up Foul Lady Fortune which has Rosalind in. ...more
Jacob, Emma and Addison are separated from the rest of the gang and they are determined to save them. With Jacob’s new fouReally enjoying this series!
Jacob, Emma and Addison are separated from the rest of the gang and they are determined to save them. With Jacob’s new found power for controlling Hollows they may stand a fighting chance.
They stumble into one of the darkest places in perculiardom. Meeting a man who says he can help them.
With so many twists and turns along the way I loved how they wrapped it up. I’m also excited to see that there is a second trilogy - I think I’ll get onto them soon. ...more
“She was a Crowder. She’d finally gotten a taste of the thing that lived under the bed, and she wouldn’t rest until she’d gotten her full.”
This was “She was a Crowder. She’d finally gotten a taste of the thing that lived under the bed, and she wouldn’t rest until she’d gotten her full.”
This was pretty out there! But sometimes that is just what you want in a horror.
Vera Crowder hasn’t been back to her family home in 12 years. When she receives a call from her dying mother to return and put the house in order she feels like she can’t refuse.
But the house she grew up in is full of secrets, and it remembers Vera well.
Full of suspense and strange happenings. A good undercurrent of uncertainty and fear, this was a solid scary story of both the human and supernatural kind.
So this is set up as a memoir, written by Art Barbara (not his real name) about his experiences as a t2.5 ⭐️
Too much weird, not enough clarification.
So this is set up as a memoir, written by Art Barbara (not his real name) about his experiences as a teen and then into his later adult life. The book is being read by his old friend Mercy Brown (also not her real name) so had loads of notes and opinions on each chapter.
There is an undercurrent of unease throughout the book which I liked, but by the end it just wasn’t clear enough for me.
(view spoiler)[ they give the idea that Mercy was a vampire and that she caused Art to become one too. But this is never specifically verified and the whole thing may have just been in his head. And then at the end he just dies. Bizarre. (hide spoiler)]
Not for me sadly, there were parts I liked but overall not my cup of tea. ...more
“Somewhere between an asylum and a prison, the Salpetriere took in those that Paris did not know how to cope with: invalids and women.”
Thoroughly en “Somewhere between an asylum and a prison, the Salpetriere took in those that Paris did not know how to cope with: invalids and women.”
Thoroughly enjoyed this short novel that covers some big topics about mental health and asylums in history.
Eugenie has been signed over to the institution by her family after telling her grandmother she can see and communicate with spirits. Meanwhile Genevieve’s job is her whole life, since her sister died she never lets herself feel anything. Particularly not for her patients. She has cut herself off, and is a great fan of Doctor Charat’s new theories and experiments.
But when the two women meet, they both change one another. Eugenie is desperate to find people who will accept her and her abilities. Genevieve is starting to wonder if the Doctor everyone has idolised is actually as great as everyone thinks.
The actual ball is only a very small portion of this story, so bear that in mind if you were expecting differently.
But overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend.
“The Salpetriere is a dumping ground for women who disturb the peace. A prison for women guilty of possessing an opinion.”
************************ Library copy available for pick up
I’ve been waiting for this one ages! So exciting ...more
I loved the Bill Hodges trilogy, when I saw there would be another book with Holly Gibney in it I was excited. It had a really strong start. A c3.5 ⭐️
I loved the Bill Hodges trilogy, when I saw there would be another book with Holly Gibney in it I was excited. It had a really strong start. A child is found mutilated and killed - DNA everywhere indicates it is the local baseball teams coach. The police arrest him immediately in the middle of a game in front of the whole town.
But then it comes to light that the suspect was out of the city during the attack. At a convention with 3 other witnesses. So begs the question, how can a man be in two places at once?
I loved this premise and was excited to see what King did with it. I expected supernatural, as I said I’ve read the Bill Hodges trilogy so it wasn’t the supernatural that left me slightly underwhelmed.
It was the lack of explanation. In the previous trilogy we get dense description of how Brady did what he did. But here it’s just kind of thrown at you right at the end and it’s just like - deal with it.
I still enjoyed it, don’t get me wrong but the ending felt rushed and a bit undeveloped.
I will pick up the If It Bleeds short stories soon though. ...more
Elizabeth Cage can see things. In particular, people’s “colour”. Their aura, if you will. She can sense **spoiler alert** A bit too out there for me.
Elizabeth Cage can see things. In particular, people’s “colour”. Their aura, if you will. She can sense danger, and whether a person plans on causing her harm.
She has lived her whole life trying to fly under the radar. She has made herself the most ordinary person imaginable, in hopes of keeping attention away from her abilities.
Unfortunately, someone has been watching Elizabeth. And that someone is her husband’s boss, director of nearby psychiatric hospital - Sorensen House.
What follows is a series of dramatic twists and turns. It was gripping, and I was constantly on my toes.
Spoilers ahead!!!!
Elizabeth is at first, imprisoned in Sorensen House, a facility in itself that seems above the law. She escapes with the help of another inmate called Michael Jones. But he also is harbouring secrets.
And then later on when Elizabeth is living quietly by herself, there is a whole time travel section, where it is unclear what happened. If she was really attacked or whether she imagined it all.
And sadly, this was when it fell over from entertaining to preposterous. I think it tried to do too many things rather than focus on one main plot point....more
This was a pleasant surprise. I spotted it on the library shelf and thought it looked good but kept my expectations low.
A family return to their homeThis was a pleasant surprise. I spotted it on the library shelf and thought it looked good but kept my expectations low.
A family return to their home after the death of their father to go through the will and sort out paperwork. However, not long after arrival Rob’s five year old son Timmy goes missing, and then two others.
I love a good haunted house story, and this one was really interesting with history woven in. Witching rooms, family secrets and gripping writing.
“Payback is a bitch, he thought, and I am that bitch.”
Really enjoyed this trilogy and loved this final instalment.
Bill and Holly find themselves d “Payback is a bitch, he thought, and I am that bitch.”
Really enjoyed this trilogy and loved this final instalment.
Bill and Holly find themselves drawn into another mystery when two women supposedly commit suicide. One of whom was a victim of the Mercedes killer - permanently disabled.
As more and more links between Brady’s victims start to appear, Bill worries that there may be more to the suicides than meets the eye.
And when we find out what is causing these deaths - it is both shocking and twisted. (view spoiler)[ Brady Hartsfield, despite being a vegetable - has found a way to jump into peoples minds and hypnotise them. Using the body of a doctor he manages to create mass suicides through the provision of Zappits. (Game Boys). (hide spoiler)]
Such a terrifying concept, I was gripped and so pleased that (view spoiler)[ Brady gets his just deserts by getting mowed down by Jerome in a snowmobile (hide spoiler)]...more
A high octane thriller. Though I did have a rough inkling about the reasoning as it was very similar to another book I’ve read.
7 strangers ent3.5 ⭐️
A high octane thriller. Though I did have a rough inkling about the reasoning as it was very similar to another book I’ve read.
7 strangers enter a competition to win £50,000. They simply have to play as extreme version of hide and seek - stay hidden for 7 days without being caught.
But as the days go by and more competitors disappear, they start to wonder if there is something much more sinister to this competition than meets the eye.
It’s a short read, and although exciting I would have loved to know more about (view spoiler)[ how the founders discovered this monster and about how awakening it would give their families protection as long as they feed it blood relatives. (hide spoiler)]
I definitely think more depth would have been good, but I still enjoyed it all the same. ...more
I didn’t love this one nearly as much as The Last House on Needless Street - but then I thought3.5 ⭐️
“How are you feeling? Are you a bad dog too?”
I didn’t love this one nearly as much as The Last House on Needless Street - but then I thought that book was fucking fantastic. So the bar was probably a bit high ...more
A Study in Black and White by Bridget Collins - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A creepy story about a man who rents a large old house. A chessI’ll review each story as I go:
A Study in Black and White by Bridget Collins - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A creepy story about a man who rents a large old house. A chess set inside seems to move by itself, and he feels like there is something or someone watching him. Full of foreboding, this story covered a lot in a short space of time.
Thwaite’s Tenant by Imogen Hermes Gowar - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Loved this one! Wasn’t sure about the main character to begin with but she found her strength. Lucinda and her son Stanley move into the old Thwaite house, fleeing her abusive husband. The Thwaite house has its own history. Emily Thwaite apparently fled her own husband, and the house is haunted by him. But maybe Emily hasn’t left either. Another spooky one with a great story.
The Eel Singers by Natasha Pulley - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thaniel, Mori and Six decide to take a trip away from London. Mori is clairvoyant, and he only knows of one place where his mind is quieted. Once they arrive though, Thaniel feels an awful sense of foreboding. The locals seem creepy, always staring and singing or humming this strange song. Again, a lot packed into a short story and I enjoyed how it panned out and how it ended.
Lily Wilt by Jess Kidd - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one was just weird. A photographer called Pemble is asked to photograph a dead girl by her family to preserve her beauty. He becomes obsessed with this ethereal and almost supernatural beauty. He starts to see her ghost in his own home, she asks him to bring her back to life by any means necessary. We don’t really know how, only that he manages it but she isn’t quite the way he pictured her. (view spoiler)[ so he gives her back and she is buried, but he hands himself into the police as having stolen the body in the first place and having killed his landlady for finding out, so is hanged?! (hide spoiler)] I guess they weren’t all going to be my cup of tea ...more
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