As someone who is very interested in human behavior, including the manipulations of cult leaders (and how intelligent, kind people can fall victim to cults), this memoir was very interesting. The book mostly centers around her involvement in the cult itself. This is definitely an insightful read. It is well written and based on Lenz' memories, well-documemted in her personal journals.

This one really had me going. Listening to the audiobook while driving in my car, there were multiple times where I found myself cursing out loud at one of the two main characters. This book had narcissism, unreliable narration, and surprising twists.

If you have ever struggled with your weight, you will identify with a lot of Thore's experiences growing up with the complexities of diet culture, stereotypes, unrealistic expectations, self-confidence, and a slew of other issues faced by those of us who don't live up to society's standards for perfection. Her message comes across loud and clear, that you can and should love yourself; your worth and humanity are not determined by how you look.

This book had a hold on me from beginning to very end. As always, Sager's writing is impeccable, creating characters with depth, a detailed and storied setting, and a storyline that leaves you guessing (and more often than not, completely wrong), until the very last page

This one was SO GOOD. I don't feel like I can rave about all the things I liked about it because I don't want to give any spoilers. You'll just have to take my word for it and go in blind like I did; you won't be sorry!

I am a sucker for a good coming of age story, and this one did not disappoint. I highly recommend the audiobook, as it has excellent narration and a pleasant surprise at the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. A traditional sort of haunted house story, with a bit of a twist. Or, I guess, several twists.

I had only general knowledge of Lisa Marie ahead of this - her famous father and her multiple marriages (most notably to Michael Jackson). This memoir covers these topics and much more, painting a fuller understanding of her life, her struggles, and the essence of who she was.
I would describe Lisa Marie as a beloved mother who loved fiercely despite, or maybe because of, the devastating loss that irrevocably changed the path of her life.

The synopsis made it sound much more exciting than it actually is. It felt long and kind of slow.

Honestly, this story was ridiculous. A few other words that come to mind: outlandish, contrived, and frustrating.
And yet...
I could not put the book down and was thoroughly entertained to the very end.

In one word: BONKERS! (But in a good way).
I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller, and the mental gymnastics required to follow the storyline through to its end. The Only One Left drew me in from beginning to end.

3/5
It was lovely to listen to the voice of Emily Gilmore for the duration of this audiobook. Bishop seems to be, for all intents and purposes, exactly who I expected her to be. She has had a long, successful career in the performing arts, and is an advocate for women's reproductive rights. Don't expect her to dish any entertainment gossip in her memoir - she keeps it classy 😉

This final volume of Locke & Key is nothing short of epic.

❤️

I will take all the Locke & Key I can get. ❤️

2.5/5
Nothing to write home about. 🤷‍♀️

This is the best volume so far - we finally get the back story of how the keys came to be.

Sooo good. 😊

I love L&K more and more with each volume. Always something I missed the first and second time through the series, too.

Love, love, love it!

I have never seen a second of Drake & Josh, nor have I seen any of Peck's Vines, YouTube videos, etc., but I did enjoy listening to this on audiobook. It's clear that Peck has spent significant time working on himself over the years and has some good takeaway insights.

Just finished reading this for the third time. I think this might be an annual tradition for me now. I love pretty much everything about Locke & Key.

Solid novel - good storyline, not predictable, well-written. Would recommend to friends.

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.
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