I have yet to read a Blake Crouch novel that I don't like. Like his other novels, Run is well written and shows great insight into the human condition and human behavior. I described Run to my husband as "Kind of like The Walking Dead, but without the dead." Run focuses on what a family has to do to survive when (living) humans are the thing to be feared.

I hate to say this because I love Hoffman's other novels, but this one was a bit disappointing to me. The first quarter or so of the book had me fully invested. Beyond that, it was sort of a poorly developed romance. I can't say much more without spoilers, so I will just say that I think this novel had great potential, and it just didn't make it there.

B-A-N-A-N-A-S. Thoroughly enjoyable and frightening. Well done!

"If the world is hell and evil is all around them, what else can they do but try and help each other?"

The synopsis pulled me in, but in the end, I just didn't feel like the novel delivered. I definitely wouldn't classify it as a "psychological thriller".

Some books just feel like magic, and for me, this is one of them (among the likes of Where The Heart is, The Help, and Practical Magic). I think what makes the magic is the author's ability to fully immerse the reader's senses in her descriptions of the setting, and to make the reader fall so in love with the characters. This one is going in my top 10. 🥰

This book is an excellent example of why I sometimes give authors a second chance, even if I dislike one of their books. I was not a fan of Rose's The Perfect Couple, but I really felt there was a lot of potential in her writing. I really enjoyed Home is Where the Bodies Are.

This book made me so mad, I had to wait a few days to share my thoughts.
Ridiculous. No likeable characters. Misleading narration (and not in a way that makes sense in the end).... I really wanted to like this book, but I just didn't.

I love "time travel" stories. WPWT is a unique take on this, and I very much enjoyed the journey.

This will always be one of my favorites. The 80s nostalgia is strong with this one. I can't say enough about how much I love it.

HOLY sh*t.

This one was a strong 4.5/5.

Sager pitching the plot line to his publishers:'Okay, hear me out...'

...

Publishers: 'Say whaaaaat?'

And yet, it works. Incredibly well.

Basically, it's a typical Ware novel - I keep reading all her books, hoping that one will eventually break through whatever it is that keeps me from rating it higher. I can't put my finger on what it is. It's like there is a potential there that just hasn't quite been reached.3/5

I love Lars Kepler, but I always forget how much until I read a new Kepler novel. Like his others, this one is head and shoulders above many of the other Thrillers out there ATM. The characters are well developed, the descriptions are purposefully thorough (it never feels like unnecessary "filler"), and the story is woven together gradually and intricately. The Mirror Man had me audibly gasping at times.

This novel is...bizarre, which is, at times, delightful and, at other times, very disconcerting. Pretty much what I expected from Shirley Jackson.

I feel like I really had to trudge through this one; I found it slow, kind of all over the place, and unnecessarily complicated.

Unpopular opinion;
The writing is good. The storyline is good and twisty (if terribly contrived). There is some suspense. The characters, though! The protagonist in The Inmate is incredibly naive and, frankly, stupid. Her priorities, thoughts, and behaviors are inconsistent with someone who has experienced just about anything in life, let alone a traumatic event. Her observation skills and instincts are crap.

This one was a bit crazy and all over the place, but I enjoyed it.

I bought this back when the movie was about to come out (I have a compulsion to 'read the book' before seeing the movie), but I never watched the movie or read the novel until now. I don't know what made me finally pick it up and read it, but I'm glad I finally did. I don't feel I can say much without giving spoilers, so instead, I'll just say that Perks was really well written, thought-provoking, and insightful.

It's hard to believe this is Muenter's debut novel, tbh. The characters, the storyline, and the topic were all very well thought out and executed. Muenter successfully throws shade on the world of influencers, their motivations, and the motivations of those around them.
I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

I don't know if it's because of all the thriller novels and movies I read and watched in my teens in the 90s, but YA novel Five Total Strangers provided me with some wicked nostalgia. The suspense, the cliff-hanger chapters, the feelings of suspicion about everyone...

Good read 📚

This book is basically a year in the life of a slightly neurotic person after the dissolution of her long-term committed relationship. The year that follows is one of unraveling and reevaluating. I've never been divorced, but I think anyone who has ever been in a long-term relationship and/or had their heart broken could relate.

Cutesy mysteries are not usually my thing, but this one really surprised me. It was a quick, easy read, and pretty sweet (no pun intended). I found myself immediately searching for Book #2 of this "Cape Bay Mystery" series.

Everyone Here is Lying is on par with other Lapena books; good read, keeps you guessing, twisty ending.

This is my second Jeneva Rose novel, and I will definitely be reading more. One of Us is Dead is reminiscent of Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies. The narrative POV switches between several of the characters throughout, in the events leading up to, and after, a crime. These ladies, and the men in their lives, are truly something out of a deep south soap opera, with plenty of manipulation, backstabbing, and eventually murder. Great read.

I have been following the author on Tiktok (I find her deadpan manner and extreme sarcasm delightful).
Did it keep my interest? Yes, absolutely.
Was it an enjoyable read? Also, yes.
Was the storyline plausible? This is no true crime book, nor does it claim to be.
Was the "twist" Rose is so well known for surprising? I don't know that any twists completely surprise me anymore, but for someone less jaded than me, absolutely, it would be.
?

The memoir was agonizingly repetitive. I listened to the audiobook, and I really don't think I would have made it through on paper. What took nearly 6 hours to listen to could have easily been edited down to 2-3 hours.
I tried to be open-minded, but this book mostly confirmed what I already thought; being born into the dysfunction of the Spears family, and the giant machine of Britney's career, sowed the perfect seeds for narcissism.

This memoir is an absolute must-read for fans of the Harry Potter movies, but would also be enjoyable for those who aren't. Felton is a great storyteller, and I would recommend listening to the audiobook if possible (as I always do for memoirs) to get the full effect of his charming nature. Well done!

It definitely kept my attention. What I am finding in common in the 2 McFadden books I have read thus far, is that she is a really good storyteller, weaving together a truly difficult to predict resolution; however, she relies almost too heavily on the unreliable narrator trope, and on all of her characters being truly unbelievably unlikeable people. I find myself getting irrationally angry at fictional characters.

I've always loved Whoopi - I'm pretty sure it has something to do with how many times I watched the Sister Act movies as a kid. In her own words (paraphrased), she wrote the book as she talks - and I have a suspicion that when she "read" the audiobook, she added and paraphrased rather than just reading it. Listening to it was very much like sitting down for a conversation with her. She is such a good storyteller.

Same, girl. Same.

I love Rebel - partly because, as a thick girl, it's just so nice to see some representation, and also partly because she is so freaking funny and awesome. In reading her memoir, I realized how very little I actually knew about her. It has always been clear how talented she is, but I didn't realize how hard she worked for the career she has in the entertainment industry. This is definitely a good read.

I love all things Jann, and this is not an exception. 🥰
The Bittlemores is both tragic, and funny. The characters are multidimensional and relatable - even the cantankerous antagonists, Mr. and Mrs. Bittlemore. Jann said that this story has been inside her for years, and I am so glad she was finally able to finish and share it.

I was one of those people who spent the early 2000s rolling my eyes at Paris Hilton. I avoided all things Paris, as a matter of principle; though I did, in fact, watch House of Wax to "see Paris die", as the movie marketed it, (and then immediately stopped watching, because, what a terrible movie!) *More in comments*

Growing up, I remember going to our local movie rental place and seeing the cover of the Pet Sematary movie. It scared me.
Scary isn't the word I would use for the novel. It was horrifying, but not because of blood and gore and violence - though there is also that. What I found the most horrifying is the way it made me think of death, loss, and what makes us human.
BTW, Michael C Hall should narrate all creepy books. Perfect choice.

This final installment of Wayward Pines was fast-paced and well written, like the others. I can't say much, because what I'd like to say would contain spoilers, and I'm not a spoiler kind of woman.

Wayward, the second book of the Wayward Pines Trilogy, had a bit of a different feel than book one. The first book had the main character asking "What is going on here? Am I crazy?" This second installment had him very much in the know, but also very much questioning the status quo.
Another good read.

(Audiobook)
I LOVED Burton-Morgan's debut novel, Memoir 'The Rural Diaries'. She is a natural writer and storyteller. Grimoire Girl has the same cozy, familiar quality of sitting down for tea with a friend. She lost me a bit on her descriptions of various gods and saints; these were concise and well written, but felt out of place to me for some reason. (I'm sure it's not her, it's me). Overall, worth the read!

Just finished reading this, and rushing through this review so I can start the second book in the series.
This book is crazy bananas. The more Blake Crouch I read, the more I think that I may really like the Science-Fiction genre. Then again, maybe it's just the Crouch is such an amazing writer. There were no dull moments, that's for sure.

Audiobook
Rom-Com with a side of sisterhood. I really liked this - and I'm really becoming an Emily Henry fan. It's definitely full of tropes, but there is also some depth. I'd describe it as the book equivalent of a hug. Comfort reading.

This is the second Feeney book I have bailed on. I just couldn't get into it (or Rock Paper Scissors). I've heard/read some good reviews on her books, but for some reason, they're not for me. 🤷‍♀️

This was my second time reading Dark Matter. It is fast paced from beginning to end. This novel is also where my fascination with the multiverse theories began. It encourages thought about the complexities of identity; What makes you, you? How would even the smallest choice set your life on an entirely different trajectory? What are you capable of, for better or worse, under the "right" circumstances?
I will probably read it again, again.

This one was fast-paced, unique, and kept me guessing throughout. Kubica hasn't let me down yet.

I did it again: I didn't read the synopsis first. This time, it resulted in genuine discomfort while reading. The Teacher kept me interested enough to continue reading through to the end, despite the uncomfortable topic of inappropriate teacher/student relationships. I did feel a bit like the last 1/4 of the book didn't quite match up to the first 3/4 of the book in some way, though I can't quite place my finger on why. Overall, not a bad read.

3.5/5
Audiobook
This was not a typical book choice for me, but I really enjoyed the Atlantic Canada-ness of it all. This coming of age story takes place in the 1960s, in New Brunswick. The story is told by a young girl in a small town that is about to be underwater - a calculated consequence of building the Mactaquac Dam. I enjoyed the audio, as the narrator's distinctly Maritime voice provided an extra bit of authenticity.

Ridiculous. It felt like the author was taking the book in one direction, then realized that wouldn't work, and added in some even more ridiculous BS. A couple of times.
The narrator/main character is neurotic, whiny, and frankly, I wanted to shake her most of the time. I almost bailed a few times, but it was like a train wreck I just couldn't look away from.

This short story gave me the feeling I remember having when reading Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar. The narrator took me along with her on her descent into madness.

This was a pretty good "What in the heck is happening here?" read. I had many suspicions throughout, but I definitely didn't predict the ending