so-so2½✨
I really liked the mystery, the political intrigue, and the entire world that Hazelwood created.
But the sexual scenes really grossed me out. I'm usually not into overly detailed sexual descriptions, but this one went way beyond what I could handle, and I ended up skipping a lot of it.
Honestly, I think this book would have been much better if they had gotten all hot and bothered and then just closed the bedroom door and left me outside.
panSorry to say, but I don't like this one bit.
I found every character to be utterly unlikable. The narrative failed to engage me for the majority of its duration. Furthermore, I felt completely detached from what I interpreted as mere gossip.
#OffTheShelf2025 @Librariana
#LitsyAtoZ #W @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #BronzeMist @Lauredhel
#BookSpin @TheAromaofBooks
#Classic
pickDark, atmospheric with a touch of the supernatural. A Mystery braided with Gothic dread.
The only complaint I have is the slow-burn, I was more in the mood for an immediate adrenaline hit.
#BookChain2025 #AuthorsLastNameSameLetter @TheAromaofBooks
#LitsyAtoZ #S @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #SaltedLime @Lauredhel
pick4½ ✨
On my new Vampire kick, I'm looking back on some Vampire stories and seeing them in a new light.
Previously, I didn't know Abraham Van Helsing, so this short story was just a horrific tale of an abusive father and two scared boys.
Now I see this masterful reimagining of what could have been.
Is Van Helsing a monster hunter just trying to protect and teach his offspring, or is he a senile old man, seeing things that never were?
My August
#BookSpin - Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë)
#DoubleSpin - Oorlewingsgids vir ñ Bedonnerde Diva (Sophia Kapp)
@TheAromaofBooks
pickThis one started out excruciating slow. And to be honest it felt that nothing really happens for the biggest part of the book.
But then when things do start to happen... O boy!
I suspected the big twist from the very first preminision made way back in the first book, but that was also one of the reasons I wanted to continue the series.
This will be an epic ride I want to continue until the very end.
panThis one wasn't for me.
While I've lately really got into Historical Fiction, I'm still navigating the sub-genres and learning which I favour.
Unfortunately this one hit all the wrong buttons. The heroine was more annoying than redeeming. The story felt jagged and incomplete. And the writing left me baffled.
Like I said this is a personal thing, so please don't take my opinion to heart.
pickA new favourite!
I don't know why it took me this long to read the book that mostly started it all. I've always enjoyed Vampire Lore and read plenty of other Vampire stories, so I'm baffled with myself for not reading this.
An excellent story, in a distinctive writing style that kept me up way to late.
Now I need to read more of the original Vampire Lore
so-soEnjoyable, engaging, but...
In my view, Sager has a script that he adheres to for all his books, and once figured out, it reduces the suspense.
Still I'll keep reading/listening to his work because it offers great escapism.
#BookChain2025 #OppositeColor @TheAromaofBooks
#LitsyAtoZ #M @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #WhiteGrape @Lauredhel
panI had some time to kill and had this on my phone, so I thought why not. I enjoyed some of the other short stories in the Shiver Collection.
But this one didn't work for me.
It was very predictable and the open ending left me even more disappointed.
#Pantone2025 #MistedMarigold @Lauredhel
#LitsyAtoZ #I @Texreader
The songs of the dead are the lamentations of the living
#FirstLineFriday @ShyBookOwl
pickFor the most part this felt more like a mysterious RomCom than a Thriller, never the less I enjoyed each minute of it. I honestly think it's the full cast - especially Dolly Parton and Kelsea Ballerini - that made it so likeable.
It's a quaint story and if you won't mind the that the thrilling part only comes way at the end, I would definitely recommend listening to the Audiobook.
pickQuick paced and horrificly engaging.
Kliewer did an explanational job creating an eerie and unsettling atmosphere. Adding a somewhat damaged, but totally loveable narrator made this unputdownable.
The audiobook performance was outstanding as well, it definitely added a lot to the experience.
#LitsyAtoZ #W @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #Moonbeam @Lauredhel
#DoubleSpin @TheAromaofBooks
pick4½✨
The thing with King is, it's all been said before. He is a master storyteller, and Needful Things shows it yet again.
Fiction weaved through with everyday truths that makes you go: 'this might actually just happen'
People will do just about anything for what they feel they need and deserve in life; even the honest will be blinded by what they think they need. King obviously took this to a whole new level, like only he can.
July
#BookSpin - Eldest (The Inheritance Cycle #2) by Christopher Paolini
#DoubleSpin - We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
@TheAromaofBooks
pickI love when McGuire gives us the in-depth dive into characters we've already been introduced too.
She not only writes epic adventures with well love characters, but she so fluently adds such hard topics that I'm always amazed by her brilliance.
Another dazzling addition to the series.
I feel like I need to re-read them all... again.
pickLow pick
This Audiobook sure made my roadtrip seem much shorter than the 7hours it was.
But in the end I felt a bit let down.
The twist was real obvious to me, and I think that took away a lot of the wonderment that this book is supposed to evoke.
I'm definitely adding Hidden Pictures to my TBR as I see everyone is recommending it.
#Pantone2025 #MistedMarigold @Lauredhel
#LitsyAtoZ #L @Texreader
panI'm so glad I took my own advice and got the Audiobook for the second installment of D.O.D.O
This felt like a totally different book from the first. All the characters I came to care for were either not there at all, or pushed aside so much that they became inconsequential.
I didn't like the new character, and it felt like we only ever travelled to one place - one I didn't care for.
And the ending was such a disappointment I can't even...
pickAn excellent combination of modern - psychological - and old school horror.
The most unique "monster" I've read in a while.
#LitsyAtoZ #J @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #MistedMarigold @Lauredhel
pickVal is always a solid 4 star read for me.
I love her characters, their relationships and the very realistic growth they show.
Karen and her cold cases are quickly becoming my most favourite. The way Val structure these stories makes it page turners even knowing there's no life to save at the end.
This installment had a very intriguing plot and is set during COVID, so every normal thing had to be done slightly differently.
panThis started out with real promise, but quickly derailed.
The multiple POV and the 3 different time lines with the first person voices sounding so much alike made this too much work for the mediocre end.
#LitsyAtoZ #S @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #Hibiscus @Lauredhel
#BookChain2025 #WithIn20Pages @TheAromaofBooks
He really believed it was a madcap game. A joke. A dare, played out between old friends.
#FirstLineFriday @ShyBookOwl
so-soHonestly I got this book because of #CoverLove
But I found the story lacking. It reads like a YA, the characters feel childish and absolutely nothing happens for the biggest part of the book.
#LitsyAtoZ #I @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #DejaVuBlue @Lauredhel
pickThese books are never what I expect, but it always blows my mind.
A very satisfying end to a very heart-rending journey.
Hob weaves true magic with her writing. Her poetic, imaginative prose takes you places you've never dreamt of; contiplating situation you'll never face, but truly do though her stories
👇🏼 continued 👇🏼
Both these Audio holds came in today. So guess I'm Audiobooking through this week and finishing Assassin's Quest #RealmOfElderlings 🤷🏼♀️
So much for trying to plan my reading for the month.
pickLewis truly had a gift to break down complex issues into bit-size understandable chunks.
Looking into the what, the how and the Who behind some questions everyone asks themselves at one point in their lives; and explaining in a sensible manner the why behind Christianity
#LitsyAtoZ #M @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #LimpetShell @Lauredhel
#NonFiction
#Classic
panI've never liked this conclusion Collins chose for the series. It always felt a bit forced and then patched up with a very unbelievable epilogue.
Re-reading it just confirmed my dislike.
It's like Collins has a comfort zone of writing, and this was way out of it.
The pacing felt wrong, the tension was non-existing and the urgency the other 2 books held fell flat where I would have wanted it to be pivotal.
Now I'm ready for the prequels!
June
#BookSpin - Past Lying (Val McDermid)
#DoubleSpin - Master of Revels (Nicole Galland)
@TheAromaofBooks
panThis one was not for me.
I found it very unbelievable, tedious, dull and repetitive.
#FictionalTraveler #SpanishSpeaking @julieclair
#BookChain2025 #DifferentPOV @TheAromaofBooks
#LitsyAtoZ #M @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #GardenGreen @Lauredhel
pickCaptivating, engrossing tale of how seemingly simple choice and secrets can shape lives so different that they don't seem to be connected at all.
#BookChain2025 #CoverClashes @TheAromaofBooks
#LitsyAtoZ #V @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #Crocus @Lauredhel
pick4½ ✨
Reading very much like a work of Fiction, this brutal account of the Clutter Murders is bone chilling.
Not only is Capote a masterful writer, but his dedication to obtaining all the information needed for this recounting amazes me - especially taking into account the when. No quick Google searches to check facts, or see photos of places. Just feet on the ground investigation.
I awake every morning with ink on my hands.
#FirstLineFriday @ShyBookOwl
pick3½✨
I couldn't find a copy to read, but I found the audio book; and now I want to listen to all of them. Mark Deakins did a superb job!
I read these books in publications order, so this was the last one for me.
I've finally got all my questions answered and enjoyed learning how everything started.
This book and the Original is in my opinion the best. Both have riveting plots and are quick paced; with a lot of information.
panAt first I thought, cool a brother and sister duo hunting ghosts - a bit of a Supernatural vibe.
I truly tried to like this.
The main issue was I did not like Harper at all, she's whiny, self-scented and so needy.
The other thing is the story felt forced, and abnormal. Focusing on unnecessary details, while leaving important issues behind for no real reason other than to prolong the book.
At least it's off my shelf now. #donation
pickI truly enjoyed this one.
I realized that I really like stories like this, where a hiker must battle not only their own inner self but also the harsh surroundings of the trails and all that it entails.
Even though I figured out the mystery early on, the writing was so captivating that I just had to keep listening.
The audio was extremely well-done.
The silent witnesses lie everywhere, passing from one form of matter to another, gradually becoming unrecognizable to their nearest and dearest.
#FirstLineFriday @ShyBookOwl
May
#BookSpin - Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb
#DoubleSpin - In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
@TheAromaofBooks
pickI've seen the movie many years ago, so I knew what was to come.
But even knowing the big twist, I still found this very enticing and entertaining. All the subtle foreshadowing throughout the book, the tiny details one would miss on a first read.
All done masterfully.
#FictionalTraveler #Island @julieclair
#LitsyAtoZ #S @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #MistedMarigold @Lauredhel
pickA super quick, gripping story.
Hill inherited his father's knack for eerie topics that makes you wonder if just maybe all of this could be real.
Also #CoverLove 😍.
#LitsyAtoZ #U @Texreader
pick4½ ✨
I believed I was better prepared for what to expect from the second installment of the Farseer Trilogy.
In a sense, I was, but I still got absolutely nothing I expected—in the very best possible way.
"Why is it forbidden to write down specific knowledge of the magics?"
#FirstLineFriday @ShyBookOwl
#RealmOfElderlings @PuddleJumper
pickI can't remember that Katniss was this irritating the first time I read Catching Fire. She was like a whiny child, only seeing what she wanted.
The story however was expertly executed, and gripping as ever.
#OffTheShelf2025 @Librariana
#SeriesLove2025 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView
#LitsyAtoZ #C @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #Orangeade @Lauredhel
#Pantone2025 #PoppyRed @Lauredhel 2d
Even then, books like Gothikana became tedious. Loved the storyline, but the sex scenes took up way too much story time.
📚💝. 2d