Overall, this book was incredibly moving and beautifully written. It‘s definitely worth reading for anyone interested in learning about the Cambodian Genocide or for those looking for inspiring stories of courage and bravery. Highly recommend.

Although I liked Alex North's previous two novels (The Whisper Man and The Shadows) better than his newest novel, The Angel Maker, I did enjoy this book. Overall I really enjoyed this book. Included in the narrative was a bit of true crime, a bit about the mysteries of fate and pondering about if our future is really set in stone.

Elsewhere contains a very odd group of people living in an isolated town who have a very bizarre affliction: "some mothers vanish, disappearing into the clouds. It is the exquisite pain and intrinsic beauty of their lives; it sets them apart from people elsewhere and gives them meaning." I would recommended this book to all fans of dystopian and feminist literature.

Unmasked was a totally engrossing and completely unputdownable book. This is a must read for any fan of true crime books, documentaries and/or podcasts!

With all the cases described in the book, the author is very respectful of how he presents the details and what he describes about the case and the victim. Unmasked is totally engrossing and totally worth a read. Add this one to your TBR list today!

I absolutely loved Code Zero (Joe Ledger #6) by @jonathanmaberry. The ending had me in tears! 🧟‍♂️

If you loved The Amityville Horror (like I did) and if you‘ret also a fan of psychological thrillers with unpredictable twists then Home Before Dark is one to add to you TBR pile!

Part horror/ghost story, part mystery, part psychological thriller... Home Before Dark will have you guessing until the very end! 4.5 stars!

A book that any fan of horror will most certainly enjoy! 5 stars!

I really liked the characters, but I don‘t feel like a got to know them as well as I would have liked. The plot was interesting, but a lot of the time I was confused as to what exactly was happening. The concept was unique and timely but I think the ideas presented in this novel were a bit too abstract. The writing is definitely different, but some of the words/sections I didn‘t think served a real purpose.

The Plot is a fast-paced physiological thriller that (interestingly) contains a plot within a plot and (eventually) a twisty twist. Yes, essentially there are two stories in this book.

Of course, I don't want to give too much away about this novel... that would ruin it for those who have yet to read this book. But what I will say is this book is clever, interesting and a fun and quick read. Read this book before the twist is spoiled for you!

The Swimmers by Marian Womack is a dreamy and thought-provoking, speculative evolution, eco-dystopian novel perfect for fans of Jeff VanderMeer‘s Southern Reach Trilogy. The story is utterly unique and the world building is superb. The captivating cover is what initially caught my eye and when I read the synopsis I knew I had to have it.

Heir of Ra by M. Sasinowski is an action-packed page-turner of an adventure. The first novel in what is currently a four book series, Sasinowski creates a well written, character driven tale that combines the best of Indiana Jones and Stargate. This was a very fun read and I enjoyed it so much the I purchased the second book in the series before finishing the first!

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland is part horror story, part modern fairy tale, part magical realism... and one hundred percent original!

The author has a wonderful way of grabbing the attention of the reader, drawing them deeper and deeper into the story and never letting go. Sutherlands words are rich, descriptive and at times I could really feel and smell the surroundings of the magical world she created.

At only 219 pages, Last Call - A True Story of Love, Lust and Murder in Queer New York by Elon Green, really packs in a whole lot of information and research. This is the story of a serial killer, dubbed The Last Call Killer, who preyed on New York‘s gay men in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Through his thorough research, the author reveals the faces and personalities of the unfortunate victims who perished at the hands of this killer.

Before I even crack open the cover, every book I read starts off at 4 stars... then my rating of the book will either go up or down as the pages turn. Never did I think that a scientific non-fiction book about the human genome would be a 5 star read, but here you have it... The Genome Odyssey!

Even if medical science isn‘t your cup of tea, The Genome Odyssey is a book that can be enjoyed by any curious reader!

Mysterious. Chilling. Weird. Haunting. Bizarre. Original... These are all words that I would use to describe the debut young adult book What Big Teeth by Ruth Szabo. I went into this horror novel thinking that it was going to simply be a story of werewolves. This twisted tale turned in to so much more!

The Electric Kingdom by David Arnold was simply amazing! This is one of those rare books where once the last page was turned I immediately wanted to go right back to the beginning and start over again.

Time after time I‘m amazed at what people think they can get away with (and perplexed how some do). We Thought We Knew You, while not the very best true crime I‘ve read, definitely did not disappoint!

An absolutely delightful read! David Yoon has done it again! If you are in the mood for good, fun YA book then grab Super Fake Love Song... and Frankly in Love, too!

At only 205 pages, The Patient by Jasper DeWitt is a quick and hair-raising read for fans of the thriller and horror genres. I think the length of the book was absolutely perfect. The author did a fantastic job with dispensing the right amount of key information while keeping up the energy of the story and placing the unease of what is not yet known in the forefront of the reader's mind.

Paper Tigers by Damien Angelica Walters is a beautifully written, but tragic tale of a tormented woman, a long gone house, and a haunted photo album. As I read, the plot and characters were so interesting and engaging that it was like a movie playing in my head! If you love the horror genre, hauntings, and creatively written stories then read this book! Wow! 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As a person who tends to have a hard time sleeping (maybe I shouldn't be reading these types of books... just kidding) due to very vivid and active dreams, I found The Shadows by Alex North very eerie and extremely entertaining! Yeah... I'm not right.

The Shadows is a worthwhile read for fans of suspense and horror! I'm looking forward to reading more by Alex North!

Full review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3352928650

I was pleasantly surprised with this novel. Although not the best book I've ever read, Leave No Trace did not disappoint and really kept me flipping the pages.

A very detailed and epic novel that tells the story of the zombie outbreak from the very first day and all the way through to 15 years later. And when I say epic... I mean epic. The book's cast of characters are many, each having their own extensive story, location, background, and experiences. Overall I really enjoyed this 656 page book and I give it a solid 4 stars but I felt like it could have been shorter and still have been just as effective.

Jones takes a bad decision made by four childhood friends and turns it into a creeping tale of revenge. The setting, an Indian reservation and the surrounding areas, is unique, the "big bad" is definitely creepy, the writing style is detailed and the characters are well developed. This is absolutely a one-of-a-kind horror story.

Meet George – my new reading buddy 🐾📚

https://instagram.com/the.mid.mod.pugs

Father of Lions doesn‘t just focus on the hardships of the animals, but on the war torn and worn down people of the region. The author brings to light their histories, their struggles, their culture, their emotions and their survival. The book is very well written and engaging. Abu Laith is quite the character and his love for his lion Zombie is heartwarming.

If you‘re looking for high action or a mind-blowing plot twist then this book is not for you. But if you‘re looking for an interesting read, likable characters and a bit of climate change apocalypse drama then be sure to pick up this book.

Overall I really enjoyed Trace of Evil. The main character, Natalie Lockhart, is strong, brave, independent and overall very likable. The plot was interesting and fast paced. The twist at the end (because there's always a twist) was not predictable and really elevated the story. I was very entertained while reading this novel, the story was solid, the cover is beautiful (love the colors and typography) and I would definitely recommend this book.

The Deep by Rivers Soloman and the members of the rap group Clipping is a deeply unique and thought provoking novella. What originally drew my interest to this book was the use of the term Afrofuturism.

Because of their tragic and painful past, one Historian holds on to the memories of the past for the whole society. This is Yetu the Historian‘s story.

I enjoyed this book very much! It was a wonderful glimpse into a “new to me” genre.

In the beginning I was enjoying the book very much. It was a promising story... until the adults died... then it just got a little ridiculous, a little too grand... and a lot unbelievable. At first I thought: Ok, a Lord of the Flies scenario on a global scale... cool. But the children didn't act like children. And they definitely didn't talk like children. And there was no way they could have learned so much in such a short period of time. 2.75⭐️s

I fell in love with the writing, the plot and, most of all, the characters. I couldn‘t put it down. The story was original — definitely belonging to the YA genre, but so beautifully written and mature that anybody would enjoy it. The honest and down to earth subjects of racism, culture, family, love, friendship, gender and coming of age were a pleasure to read.

You‘ll laugh, you‘ll cry and you will fall madly in love with Frankly in Love! ❤️

I have been looking forward to reading this one for months... and I‘m happy to report that it did not disappoint! This book was amazing... disturbing and suspenseful... but utterly amazing! The writing was superb, the characters were very realistic and well-developed, and the plot moved along at a fast page-turning pace. Five stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I can‘t wait to see what else Mr. North has up his sleeve!

I throughly enjoyed Susan Isaacs‘ latest novel. This was my first time reading anything by this author and I‘ll most likely pick up a few more of her books. The writing was fast-paced and witty. The plot was interesting and really kept me turning the pages. The characters—especially the very sarcastic main character Corie—were well developed and very unique. If you‘re looking for a light mystery-type novel then definitely consider this book!

A very descriptive, unique and beautifully written story about two rival time travelers—Red and Blue—who end up falling in love through the letters they exchange (oftentimes in very discrete and creative ways). The characters were well developed through their narrative and the storyline was interesting but I felt that the novel was lacking in some ways. The ending was good and left me a bit more satisfied with the story. Overall: 3.5/5 stars.

There has to be a book two, right? I want there to be a book two. I NEED there to be a book two. Please let there be a book two!

Reminiscent of Jeff Vandermeer‘s Southern Reach Trilogy with a little of William Golding‘s Lord of Flies thrown in—this wholly original, young adult, feminist horror/science fiction/LGBTQ weirdness of a book is gripping in a “slow burn” sort of way. Very unique, very enjoyable, very strange... just how I like it.

A courtroom drama with the narrative told from the viewpoints of each family member. The story is well structured with clues reveled slowly. The book is well written and the characters are well developed. I must admit that even though I throughly enjoyed this fast-paced and intriguing book, the ending wasn‘t as twisty or as shocking as I was expecting and what I had hoped for from a thriller/mystery. Nevertheless, still a fun read!

My latest library book sale haul. Which of these have you read?

A quick and highly entertaining read centered around murder, mystery and magic. I thought the character development in this novel was written extremely well I and rooted for Ivy to solve the murder case in spite of her self doubt. The ending took a little different turn than what I was expecting, but the entire story was original and very different. If you‘re thinking “Harry Potter for adults” then you‘d be wrong... this one is different.

How It Feels to Float by Helena Fox is a beautifully written, haunting and powerful debut novel. Fox delves deep into the subjects of multigenerational mental illness, sexual identity and the coming of age process by executing a uniquely written narrative with amazing character development.

My final #bookhaul from @bookstockmi 📚‼️ #bookstagram #bookstack #bookworm
This year I was only able to go 4 out of the 8 days the sale was open. Are any of these on your TBR list?

At first I wanted to describe In the Night of Memory by Linda LeGarde Grover as a slow read. But that didn't sound right. Gentle is a much better word. There isn't a lot of action, suspense, twists or drama in this book because that's not the story it is. Instead, it is a gentle and subtle tale of two sisters, their lost mother, hardships, family, love, life and memories.

Candice Fox did an amazing job writing these books. Set in Australia, the plots are unique and fast paced. There are multiple story lines in each book. All the characters are very colorful and the reader immediately gets sucked in to their lives and activities. Ted and Amanda make the PERFECT odd couple! I‘m looking forward to reading more books from this series!

Thank you @offtheshelfofficial and @simonbooks — I‘m so excited to read You Know You Want This by @kroupenian 💕#bookstagram #judgeabookbyitscover #bookworm

Grab this book, get comfy, turn off the lights, take a deep breath and dive in! Little Darlings is a heart-pounding suspense thriller with just enough of a horror twist to make this novel genuinely creepy! Be warned... once you get started reading this novel you might find yourself holding your breath and flipping pages at a frantic pace. The author‘s writing and plot sucked me in from the first page! I highly recommend this book!

A wonderful and whimsical tale of fantasy which takes during the reign of the last sultan. Our main characters are Fatima — the sultan‘s concubine and Hassan — the palace mapmaker. The writing is rich and diverse. The plot is interesting and fast-paced. The characters are well written and very lovable (or very easy to despise — in the case of the villains). Thumbs up for this enjoyable tale of friendship, love, loss and the meaning of freedom.

While not the best psychological thriller I‘ve ever read it did not disappoint. It held my attention. But it also didn‘t blow me away like I thought it would. The plot was fast-paced, characters well developed, and the cover design is amazingly creepy. However, the twist was clever, but it didn‘t have the punch you in the gut, leave your head spinning, wait a second I have to go back a few chapters to figure this out, wow factor liked I hoped.

My last book haul! 📚 Which of these books have you read? Or which‘s ones would you like to read? ❤️

The Red Address Book is beautifully written, unique, joyous and heartbreaking! This novel is part fictional memoir, part historical fiction, part romance and and one hundred percent amazing! The reader learns about and falls in love with Doris as she reminisces through her red address book which contains the names of all the people she has met thoughout her very eventful life. This is a most charming book that I very much enjoyed! Bravo!

5 stars ⭐️ Take a really deep breath before you dive into this book because there‘s non-stop action, adventure and excitement from page one! Valiant is a gripping and original YA sci-fi novel about an alien invasion, time travel, unlikely heroes and friendship. I didn‘t want it end (maybe I could travel back in time to read again for the first time!?!) I‘m eagerly awaiting the sequel. Until then I‘m keeping my mouth closed and staying Valiant! ✌️

My San Diego Book haul... including a signed copy of Jonathan Maberry‘s new novel Broken Lands!