Tag: Book Review

Some people judge books by their covers. I judge them by their titles. With such a bold title that makes you question the mental state of the reader, How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie is exactly what you should expect. Not a step-by-step guide if that’s what you are wondering, but the tale of an unhinged woman in her quest for revenge against her family. Title: How to Kill Your Family Author: Bella Mackie Publication year: 2021 Length: 10 hours 50 minutes Genre: Crime, Drama Pace: Slow Story focus: Character The book starts in Limehouse, an all-women prison, where Grace is telling the story of how she successfully killed six members of her family and, yet, she is serving time for a crime she didn’t commit. Without any friends inside prison, and outside, she decided to occupy her time by writing about the murders she committed. And those …

I already wrote a post detailing my journey to explore crochet and everything I learned in just two months. However, there’s one thing I never did. Read a crochet book. I’ve been thinking about it, but until this month, I have never followed along or seen the inside of a crochet book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Walter Foster Publishing, I finally got to see one: Cute and Cuddly Crochet by Lauren Bergstrom. Disclaimer: Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to read this book for free. All the thoughts and opinions here are my own. Author: Lauren Bergstrom Publisher: Walter Foster Publishing Pages: 128 Publication: 5th September 2023 The book is a compilation of 12 amigurumi projects alongside basic stitch instructions, an exploration of the tools and materials needed, and tips and tricks, very helpful for beginners in the art of crochet. As a …

Whether TikTok book recommendations are good or not, one thing is for sure: they are everywhere. I don’t have TikTok, and even I know what books are blowing up there. While this is nowhere a testament to the quality of TikTok books, I appreciate it whenever I discover new books. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is one of them. A mystery YA series full of puzzles, riddles and a treasure hunt feeling with an inheritance on the line. Title: The Inheritance Games Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes Series: The Inheritance Games #1 Publication year: 2020 Length: 10 hours 45 minutes Genre: YA, Mystery, Puzzle, Drama, Romance Pace: Fast Story focus: Character & Plot Avery is living with her half-sister when she suddenly loses her ground. Her sister’s abusive boyfriend is back home again, and he kicked her out. Now living in her car, dreaming of a better life, and …

I was not planning on rewriting a review for We Were Liars by E Lockhart. I read this book five years ago, loved it, and obviously, I had to write a review and post it here on the blog. And now, as I finish reading that review, I have a question: what is that girl talking about? Memory is a funny thing. I could swear to you what I thought about We Were Liars before rereading it was the same thoughts I had when I finished it. Turns out, it wasn’t. And that is quite fitting for this book, where nothing is as it seems. I wasn’t planning on writing another review. I decided to reread it now to help me get out of a reading slump and to decide once and for all if the spoiler was actually a spoiler or a spoiler. Although, I feel like I can …

I adore the Robert Langdon series by Dan Brown. Ever since I read The Da Vinci Code, I’ve been making my way through the series. Although, I’ve been reading it in the most out-of-order you could ever imagine. And that’s the beauty of this series. It doesn’t matter where you begin. With the last, Origin, in the middle, The Lost Symbol, or with the very first, Angels and Demons. Title: Angels and Demons Author: Dan Brown Series: Robert Langdon #1 Publication year: 2000 Length: 18 hours 28 minutes Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspence Pace: Fast Story focus: Plot Robert Langdon, a world-renowned symbology professor, is called to travel to Switzerland to help with the murder of a physicist. A strange symbol had been burned into the skin of the victim. A symbol Robert identifies as being part of a secret organisation: the Illuminati. The discovery takes Robert to Rome and the …

Have you ever rage quit a book? You know, getting so done with a book that you want to shut it as hard as you can or throw it away without minding if it gets damaged? Either way, I’ve read some books that I did not like, but most times, it’s always left with a meh feeling, so I just put them away to forget they ever existed. Although, Virgin by Sanghani Radhika left me outraged. I usually don’t write reviews about books I don’t enjoy, most often because I don’t have anything to say large enough to fill a post. But sometimes, some books just hit that little part in your brain that doesn’t shut up, and those words need to go somewhere. I wrote about After by Anna Todd, probably the only negative review I have here on the blog, and even that post isn’t all bad because …

The first time I read The Final Six by Alexandra Monir was back in 2020. I listened to the audiobook while working on a puzzle and really enjoyed it. Right after that, I listened to the sequel The Life Below, but I’m not going over it in this post. I enjoyed listening to this story so much that I had to buy a copy to have on my shelf. Last month, on a whim, I decided to go on a little space adventure and reread it. And now, I have the story fresh in my memory and ready to be reviewed. Title: The Final Six Author: Alexandra Monir Series: The Final Six #1 Publication year: 2018 Length: 7 hours 40 minutes Genre: Sci-fi, Mystery, Post-Apocalyptic, YA Pace: Fast Story focus: Character & Plot Earth is dying. Natural disasters are increasingly more frequent, taking lives wherever they hit. But there’s hope …

I have no words. You’re about to read a full review of This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada, but I want to state that I’m at a loss for words, even though I’m about to write a bunch of them. This is the biggest takeaway from this review. After I closed the book, I was speechless about what I’d read. And here is why. Title: This Mortal Coil Author: Emily Suvada Series: This Mortal Coil #1 Publication year: 2017 Length: 13 hours 26 minutes Genre: Sci-fi, Apocalyptic, YA, Adventure, Thriller Pace: Fast Story focus: Plot In the future, humanity has found a way to hack into their bodies. Everyone has a panel on their arms that camouflage their DNA with different genes, meaning they can have fangs or grow coloured nails by installing an app. This is achieved by a grown network of cables inside the body that carry nanites, …

While I’m slowly but steadily getting out of my most recent reading slump, nothing like reviewing a book to remind myself why reading is so great. This time is Under the Heavens by Ruth Fox, a new sci-fi trilogy that came out last year with a lot of whales. Disclaimer: Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to read this book for free. All the thoughts and opinions here are my own. Title: Under the Heavens Author: Ruth Fox Series: The Ark Trilogy #1 Publication year: 2022 Length: 11 hours 40 minutes Genre: Sci-fi, Space Opera, YA Pace: Medium Story focus: Character & Plot Hannah Monksman is a caregiver for a group of whales being transported from Earth to their new home in New Eden. The book starts already on board the ship while Hannah is ending another of her social media live streams to update …

In January, I mentioned Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes in my Favourites Books of 2022 and even compared it to The Book of You by Claire Kendal. Both books have some similarities, although they are still different. In approach and theme. So take this as a quick recommendation to read The Book of You if you’ve read and enjoyed Into the Darkest Corner or vice versa. And now, on with the review. Title: Into the Darkest Corner Author: Elizabeth Haynes Publication year: 2007 Length: 13 hours 58 minutes Genre: Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Crime Pace: Medium Story focus: Character The main protagonist Cathy lives a life of obsessive-compulsive behaviours. She can’t leave the house without checking every lock multiple times and leaving everything in its precise place. She doesn’t trust anyone. Not since her last relationship, which ended 4 years ago. Until a friendly and handsome new neighbour moves …

I can’t remember how long I wanted to read a CJ Tudor. Since the author blew up with her debut novel, The Chalk Man, I was intrigued. Mystery, thriller, maybe with a little sprinkle of horror, it’s always a good combination for me. And the more gruesome, the better! The book might not have been exactly what I was expecting, but CJ Tudor’s writing is one I want to read again. Title: The Chalk Man Author: CJ Tudor Publication year: 2018 Length: 9 hours 50 minutes Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Horror Pace: Medium Story focus: Character & Plot It was the summer of 1986 when everything changed. One accident on a fair ride begins a succession of events that will change Ed and the whole town. Meanwhile, Ed and his friends start to communicate using chalk stick figures, and what starts as a child’s play quickly takes a turn for the …