Life at Beldame is fascinating. Just three old houses next to the ocean, totally isolated during high tide. I loved the descriptions of the heat and the lassitude. It's hard to understand why the group returns every year when so many creepy things happen there.

The first half of the book, not much happens. Just getting into the daily lives of the characters. Half way the book switches into high gear and gets more exciting until the end.

Starting this one tonight on Serial Reader. It sounds interesting.

Bailed at page 80. What a stupid book. Nothing happened in 80 pages. Told mostly from the POV of a child. Written in a “street” dialect. It‘s a confusing mess with no likable characters. I am angry at myself for wasting an evening reading this crap.

I received my copy from the NightWorms subscription box. If this is an example of their content, I don‘t want to subscribe anymore.

I enjoyed reading about a side of Disney that I am not familiar with. I was hoping for more anecdotes from cast members and people in the know. The book was interesting, but I am vaguely disappointed.

Super long and I wasn‘t expecting all the religious themes. It reads very much like a Stephen King novel. I enjoyed it, but thought it could be a couple hundred pages shorter without sacrificing too much.

My TBR for the month of November 2019. Looking forward to these.

My October 2019 reading wrap up.

I read 9 books last month. My favorite read was The Institute. My least favorite was The Deep. After The Institute and then Imaginary Friend, I am tired of reading big books. I‘m ready for some average length books again.

So at first glance this looks like it might be a horror book, but it really isn't. It is more a coming of age story set at a horror movie studio. We get some behind the scenes looks at the making of a horror movie. But really, this is a young man who grew up in an insane environment, and was abused. He escapes his family only to return for his father's funeral. Interesting choices are made and there is some personal growth.

This is a “soft” pick for me. I didn‘t hate it but didn‘t love it either. More of a character study than a mystery for me. Not much action. Will and his Aunt were totally unnecessary characters. Actually most characters felt like they didn‘t move the plot forward. I did like Inez, the shop owner/landlord. We learn who the killer is 1/3 of the way in, so that really lessened the tension. The book was just ok for me.

I have been reading this for almost a week now. I keep getting distracted by my phone.

I started this book not knowing anything about it. Because of the title, I was hoping this was a horror story about a rottweiler running amok. Instead this is a book about a serial killer, nicknamed The Rottweiler, because one of his victims was found with a bite mark. Hmmm, seems like a pretty weak nickname.

This book has one of the most original concepts I have heard lately. A race of mermaids born from the deaths of pregnant African slaves tossed overboard in the middle of the ocean. That sounds fascinating!

Unfortunately, the execution of this book isn‘t as awesome as it could be. The book follows the existential crisis of Yetu, the mermaid “historian”. Almost everything takes place in Yetu‘s mind. Should she abandon her historian duties or not.

This book is a home invasion nightmare with several twists and turns. The scenes inside the house ramped up the tension. The scenes with Jack doing police work were slow by comparison. A good addition to the series.

I read this because I am fascinated by people who live their lives on the internet. This is a cautionary tale about how dangerous that can be. All of the characters here are flawed. The stalker could be anyone. The reader can't rule anyone out. No one is totally trustworthy. I liked trying to guess the stalker's identity, but found myself unsure until the end. This book kept the tension high and kept me invested in the story. I enjoyed reading it.

Happy Halloween season. Here‘s a pumpkin made out of books! (Froom BookishFirst)

I just requested this from the library. I‘m the fifth person in line. Can‘t wait to read it. It sounds so good 😊

This book had me hooked from the first chapter. The first chapter introduces us to Tim Jamieson, and I was really into his story. Which only lasted for one chapter. Then on to Luke, the young boy who gets kidnapped by The Institute.

The horror in this book is of the "man's inhumanity to man" variety. There are some pretty messed up things in this book. Also a paranormal vibe with kids exhibiting mental powers. I loved this book.

I have read a few of Richard Laymon's books. Although the horny teen boys grow tiresome, his books are always a crazy ride. I had heard this called one of his best, so I decided to try it.

This book was not what I expected. I found myself getting bored with the lack of action, and lack of anything really scary. In fact, the last 10% of the book was the only interesting part for me. This was a disappointment.

I read this The Husband‘s Secret back to back with Big Little Lies, and I enjoyed Big Little Lies more. I guess I felt more connection with the women. Although both books were written with the same formula.

The secret was easy to guess so I spent most of the book waiting for the inevitable event that would connect all 3 stories. I thought the epilogue was unnecessary. Who wants to know what might have been.

Just received a free copy of The Deep from Saga Press. It sounds like such an interesting premise I can‘t wait to read it! Going on my TBR for the month.

This book drew me in immediately. I became invested in the characters. When the other moms at the school were mean to Jane, I wanted to rush to her defense. It made me so angry. And the final big reveal at the end, I did not see that coming. This was a very enjoyable read.

My reading wrap up for the month of September 2019. 9 books, all of them were pretty good. Repair to her Grave and Big Little Lies were my favorite. The Traveling Vampire Show was my least favorite.

Thank you @LibrarianRyan for the cool #screamathon gifts. I love the Stranger Things tote bag and those figures are super cute! And I‘m excited to read every one of those books.

One of my favorite paranormal series. This one features leopard shape shifters. Each book centers around one couple. This is what I read when I want to relax.

1. Mystery thriller
2. Sweet
3. Take naps 😄

Congratulations and thanks for the giveaway

#thepowerofthreegiveaway

I went into this book not knowing what to expect, and I was pleasantly surprised. The world building was amazing. The story initially feels like three separate stories, as it follows 3 different women in 3 different times. By the end, their stories converge. I really enjoyed Damaya's story although I felt is wasn't as in depth as the other two. I was really intrigued by the training of the orogenes, and wanted to learn more about that.

Thank you @flametreepress for the books. I was expecting The Guardian but getting The Sky Woman was a nice surprise!

An interesting take on Peter Pan. Here we get Captain Hooks origin story. I like that Peter is the villain in the story. The book was ok but not anything special for me. The story moves along at a steady pace towards the inevitable conclusion.

Cozy mystery is a really good description of this book. I felt warm and cozy while reading it. The setting is great, a small island on the coast of Maine. The characters are likable and the atmosphere makes me wish I lived in Eastport too.

The mystery was interesting but got a little convoluted. It starts as a hunt for an old violin, but soon we are diving into local history and pirates. A very enjoyable read.

Mailed my #screamathon package to @LibrarianRyan It should arrive on Monday the 23rd.

My daughter made me retake the Pottermore sorting quiz. Once again it came out Hufflepuff. Hufflepuff for life!

I put my name on the library‘s waiting list for this book. Only 30 people ahead of me 😁

I thought Rosemary‘s Baby was great, so I was looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, it didn‘t live up to my expectations. The quality of the writing didn‘t seem as good as the previous book.

The concept of invasion of privacy is interesting, but not as shocking as it was when this book was first published. Kay, the heroine, makes a lot of questionable decisions. It becomes hard to feel sorry for her since she sets herself up for trouble.

#screamathon I received my package today. Super excited to open this!

This was a wild book. Bentley Little is one of the few authors that can make me feel uncomfortable. That is a good thing. I feel on edge while reading. The story is pretty crazy, spanning from the gold rush in the 1800s to today.

I liked this book more than Storm of Visions, the first book of the series. The characters were more likable. Aaron and Rosamund make a good couple. It was frustrating how their assumptions and lack of communication kept them from realizing their love. The story was interesting and I liked having a smart heroine.

I am a fan of John Waters' movies. I was very excited to read this book. Unfortunately, liking his movies does not mean liking his books. I enjoyed the chapters where he went behind the scenes of his movies. I hated everything else. His writing came across as preachy at times, and boring at others. This book was a disappointment for me.

A pretty good YA slasher book. Super high body count. The killer becomes obvious about half way through. Phil is a heroic teen and also grows as a person through out the book. I enjoyed the epilogue at the end, where we follow up with the survivors. I liked the hierarchy of bullies that the counselors talks about. It is an interesting theory I hadn't heard before, and it makes sense in the context of the story.

This was a very creepy book. The ending was crazier than I could have imagined. After moving into a weird old house, strange things start happening. No one seems concerned except the youngest daughter. Kept me in suspense until the end.

I received a free review copy from Flame Tree Press in exchange for my honest review.

August 2019 reading wrap up. I read 6 books this month, less than I thought I would. On the plus side I enjoyed all the books. I can‘t even pick a favorite!

I liked this more than her book Final Girls. I don‘t really like books that start at the end and flash back, but the story was so addictive that it didn‘t bother me as much. Pretty exciting and I didn‘t guess why everyone was disappearing.

Pretty slow night at work. I‘m trying to get some reading done. Enjoying this so far 😄

New books this month. Excited to start reading! Next up is One by One.

There were a couple of interesting twists that I did not see coming. Even though everyone appears non related, there are strange connections between some of the characters. Everything felt believable and I didn't feel like anything was forced. The book was interesting and towards the end I couldn't put it down. I liked the ending. Both the main ending and the little epilogue.

This is a cozy mystery in that there are amateur sleuths and little to no gore, but it is also a very creepy story. If you are afraid of spiders, don't read this one. There are spiders everywhere! Also a strong paranormal presence. There were multiple ghosts, a creepy neighbor and possible wolf sightings. This is a really strong book. Interesting, fast paced and well written. I look forward to reading more from this author.

1. Chocolate

2. A new pair of Logo shorts

3. The Whisper Man

4. @Niso

The story of a teen who is drowning in grief. In an attempt to help her mom arranges a trip to Thailand. The trip is a hiking tour through the wilderness. The descriptions of the scenery in Thailand were amazing. The book was also spiritual, with discussions of Buddhism and forgiveness. I loved the storyline with the baby elephant. It was both uplifting and devastating.

I enjoyed reading this book. I feel like it will stay with me a long time.

The first third of the book did not do it for me. It was slow moving, and I did not like the writing style. But once Rose was attacked in her house, the book switched into high gear and I became more invested in the characters. I enjoyed the scenes with Rose and her granddaughter Mel. I wish we had more with Rose's sister Marion. She is an interesting character, but was barely in the book. The ending with the reveal of the bad guys was a surprise.

“Emma was not a spider person and didn‘t understand how anyone could be. There had to be some level of mental illness in that. “

A little judgemental but I can see her point. I am not too fond of spiders either! 😄

My TBR for August. I am currently reading What Rose Forgot. I am about 30% in. I‘m not loving it yet but I hope it gets better because I really like the author. I am really looking forward to The Whisper Man.

The first 2 parts of the book were like a beginning guide to meditation and mindfulness. I got some useful ideas from them. The last section felt too advanced for me. There was a lot of interesting things to think about.