- Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis
- Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall
- Meridian by Amber Kizer
- Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting
- You Must Not Miss by Katrina Leno
- Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M McManus
- Ironside by Holly Black
- None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney
- Cruel Summer by Juno Dawson
- Beautiful Decay by Sylvia Lewis
- The Sad Ghost Club by Lize Meddings
- A Dowry of Blood by ST Gibbons
- Lore by Alexandra Bracken
- Outlawed by Anna North
Sunday 31 January 2021
A Month of Reading
Saturday 30 January 2021
THE WIRED CITY is now available!
Tuesday 26 January 2021
OUTLAWED by Anna North
Sunday 24 January 2021
LORE by Alexandra Bracken
Lore by Alexandra Bracken
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
This is a book I've wanted to read since I saw that awesome cover. I mean, Medusa is one of my faves in Greek mythology, so of course!
But I'm sad to say it didn't work for me.
I have to admit that I had a problem with this whole Agon thing from the beginning. Even though, on the surface, everything about the worldbuilding seemed to add up and make sense if you have pre-knowledge of Greek Mythology... the more the story moved along, the more inconsistencies started popping up. I had too many questions about this whole god hunt/kill thing and the Houses. The story started to drag (a lot) and I wasn't invested in any of the characters.
The beginning grabbed me because I liked Lore's tough attitude, but I quickly lost interest. Still, I pushed on. Reached the halfway point before I realised I didn't want to invest too much more time on this book. So, I skimmed the rest. Skipped chunks of pages without losing the thread or missing much. I found out all the secrets and twists and was very disappointed with all of them.
I really feel like this book should've been a lot shorter. And it would've flowed way better without the endless infodumps thrown all over the place.
Also, the main reason why I was so interested in this story--Medusa--wasn't worth the time I wasted anticipating how she fit in.
This makes me sad because I really wanted to love this book, and just couldn't. 😢
Friday 22 January 2021
A DOWRY OF BLOOD by ST Gibson
Thursday 21 January 2021
My First Mini Reading Challenge
Hey! How are you?
Today, I wanted to stop by to chat about my reading so far this year. I might have posted my personal Reading Goals for 2021 at the beginning of this month and even posted it on Goodreads, but I also like giving myself spontaneous Mini Challenges.
The first one I gave myself was to read 10 highly-anticipated (by me) YA (paperback) books written by women.
Here's how I did:
As you can see, I actually ended up reading 11. There's a great mix of books in this bunch featuring different genres, authors and styles. And 10 out of those 11 were 5-star ratings! Yay.
I even managed to read the last book in a thriller quartet and the last in an urban fantasy series. Books I'd been meaning to read for years.
I'm SO excited about completing these two books. 😃
Well, that's about it. I'm just very excited about getting such a great start to my reading this year. I hope it continues!
THE SAD GHOST CLUB by Lize Meddings
BEAUTIFUL DECAY by Sylvia Lewis
Beautiful Decay by Sylvia Lewis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a book I found last year while checking out Amazon paperback deals. It was cheap, sounded very interesting, and I love the title!
Ellie lives an isolated, lonely life and everyone at school calls her a freak. Even her parents are uncomfortable around her because her touch rots anything she touches.
She wears gloves all the time, her only friend is online, and although Ellie's smart she isn't looking forward to much of a future. Until she meets the new kid in school. Nate has his own condition and as their friendship intensifies, Ellie realises she's not the only freaky person in town...
Wow. I didn't expect to enjoy such an unknown book SO much. It was awesome! I shouldn't be surprised because a lot of great titles slip under the radar, so I'm really glad I found this one.
I was very curious about this book since it arrived and moving it up to the top of my TBR pile was a great idea. The supernatural angle was dark and so fascinating. It was delivered in a very organic way and also took a very unexpected turn I didn't expect.
What starts out as a story about a shunned girl with a rotten curse everyone avoids, soon becomes the tale of two online friends, before shifting to her finding her first true friend in the boy in school. BUT, before you get comfortable with all of that, the supernatural twist hits and you realise the boy has even more secrets than the girl. And that while Nate's condition makes him a little temperamental, there's a real emotional connection between these two. And this is before you find out the secret he's keeping at home! 👀
Yep. This story is packed full of so much awesome stuff, and Ellie's such a wholesome narrator--though she has so many reasons to not be--that I couldn't help falling deeply into her antiseptic, loveless life as she discovers the true sense of mutual caring. As she slowly learns she does in fact deserve love and respect.
I also really liked Mackenzie because she was cool, understanding and fun. Not to mention has her own very interesting story.
The worst characters in this book were the parents. They were awful and kept the secrets they had no right to keep quiet. But it was refreshing to see adults behaving like the assholes some can be to their own children.
This is a great YA supernatural story with some great ideas and some fantastic imagery. Loved it! 🌱
Tuesday 19 January 2021
CRUEL SUMMER by Juno Dawson
Cruel Summer by Juno Dawson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Here's another book I've had my eye on for years and finally purchased a copy.
Ryan hasn't seen his school friends in a year. Not since their friend committed suicide after their prom. Now, they're all getting together for a few weeks in a beautiful Spanish villa.
Time might have gone by and put a bit of distance between them, but soon confusing thoughts start to resurface as quickly as memories and the group dynamic. And Ryan's still convinced Janey didn't kill herself...
OMG! Yikes. Juno Dawson never disappoints. No matter what subgenre she tackles, she sure delivers an engrossing and entertaining story. I was instantly hooked and couldn't wait to find out how this was going to end. 👀
Ryan's voice is addictive, interesting and even funny. He's super snarky too. I love how his side of the story is narrated in a very TV-show style, because it presents all the facts in such a cool way. It makes following this group of friends an intoxicating experience that I found hard to pull away from.
Alisha's POV also provided great insight and filled in the blanks between Ryan's POV. Oh, and the surprise ones were very informative too.
Essentially, this is a murder mystery featuring beautiful self-absorbed young characters who are so obviously keeping secrets from each other, find cheeky ways of concealing the truth by presenting pretty lies, and share a toxic friendship that ties them together. This group has so much room for destruction, it's no wonder they barely talked to each other since finishing school. There's also a lot of stylish drama and biting dialogue. Yes, the snark is strong in these characters. And I loved every minute of it. 😁
Another thing I enjoyed about this book is how well the location and season is portrayed. The description of the villa and beach is perfect to set the summery scene, making the heat drip off every page. Not to mention that as gorgeous as the view is, there's also a strong sense of unease beneath the surface the whole time. And when things start to unravel, it all comes undone very quickly. And violently.
This story might appear lovely on the surface, but there's a very ugly core at the heart of everything. The secrets these friends are keeping provide a twisty and awesome tale of deceit it's very easy to lose yourself in. None of these characters are innocent and it's easy to judge them, but I was still sad at the end. 😢
Man, I LOVED this excellent dark and twisted thriller that keeps you guessing until the end.
Sunday 17 January 2021
NONE SHALL SLEEP by Ellie Marney
None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a book that I've had my eye on for a while because the concept sounded intriguing and I've heard great things about it. So I was super excited when we found a copy in one of our local Street Libraries. 😊
Emma Lewis and Travis Bell are teenagers who have suffered through separate personal trauma and survived. This is why the FBI approaches and recruits them to interview convicted juvenile killers.
They're supposed to concentrate on cold cases and provide insight adult agents can't. But when they're drawn into an active case involving a deranged psychopath, everything changes...
Wow. This book is an amazing and addictive read. I was instantly drawn into this story. As soon as it started, I was intrigued by the characters and everything moves at such a great pace that I couldn't help but get swept up in the investigation.
Emma is such a great character. She's smart and determined, she's also strong and a survivor who made it out of a nightmare kudnapping that still haunts her. Travis is a great partner to Emma. He's clever and ambitious, and wants to follow in his father's footsteps after losing him on the job. Together, they make a great team that really bring the story together.
Their immediate friendship is strong and real. I really enjoyed their connection and how well they work together.
Also, I found the focus placed on young killers fascinating. And really liked how the FBI was interested in finding out what makes a killer, what makes them tick, and what the difference is between them and their older counterparts. But all of this pales in comparison when the seriousness of an active serial killer really kicks in and everything they think they know gets turned upside down.
The cunning and creepy serial killer Simon Gutmunsson is also a great addition to this story. He's so Hannibal Lecter.
This is a fantastic book, I enjoyed the hell out of it, and the last one hundred pages were so tense and nerve-wracking. Plus I loved the ending!
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Friday 15 January 2021
IRONSIDE by Holly Black
Ironside: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is another book I've had on my bookshelf for way too long. It's also the last book in a trilogy and it's about time I read it.
Kaye is a pixie. She's also a changeling and is in love with Roiben, who will soon become king in the Unseelie Court. Lost and miserable, she's convinced she doesn't fit in either world, even though she's part of both...
I'm so glad that I finally read this because it's a direct sequel to the first book, Tithe, and I loved that book. It's also a fast and entertaining story that doesn't shy away from the wickedness of the Fae, the cruel games they play, and the violence they're responsible for (and enjoy so much).
I love the way Holly Black superimposes the faerie realm alongside the human world. It's the best kind of disorientation, because one minute you understand exactly where the characters are and what they're doing. Then, when everything slips into the very unfamiliar, shadowy realm of the fae folk, anything goes.
I really like Kaye because she tries so hard to be helpful, though she doesn't need to. Even after finding out what she really is and falling for one of them, she still feels like having a foot in each world means she gets left behind in both. At least she has her best friend, Corny.
Well, Corny has his own trauma and secrets, and is willing to do just about anything to get revenge. While also hoping/pursuing his ambition on being different, which has some very unexpected results. 👀
I had such a great time following Kaye to the end of her adventure because it was great and so very satisfying.
So glad I read this awesome story because it was well overdue. And it's a great finale!
View all my reviews
Tuesday 12 January 2021
TWO CAN KEEP A SECRET by Karen M McManus
Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I'm storming through a bunch of my YA horror/strange/thrillers written by women because they rarely disappoint. And this is the next one on my list. 😊
While their mother is in rehab, Ellery and Ezra are shipped off to Echo Ridge to stay with their grandmother. This is the small town where their mother escaped, where their aunt disappeared, and where being a homecoming queen means really bad things...
Wow. This book gets off to a great and mysterious start! What first appears as the mundane misfortune of lost luggage soon turns into meeting an estranged grandmother, a neighbour who lost their daughter, and a dead body on the road. 👀
Yep. No wonder I was instantly hooked and couldn't wait to find out how this mystery was going to turn out. Just when you think more complications can't be added into this twisty mix, something else is added to throw everything out. There are so many secrets and mysteries--both past and present--to sort through.
And all of them, including the revelation, are totally messed up. Seriously.
The story unfolds through the very interesting POVs of Ellery and Malcolm. One is an outsider with a family history that ties her to Echo Ridge. The other is a resident whose family has been tainted by a past crime still haunting Echo Ridge. But their alternating experiences provide a great pace for the mystery to unfold. The story might be narrated by two teenagers, but the issues are all very adult. Yikes.
And OMG, that last line was a total shock. Like I said above, so messed up. This is such a great book!
I'm really enjoying this author's brand of thrillers and look forward to checking out the other two I have on my TBR pile.
Sunday 10 January 2021
YOU MUST NOT MISS by Katrina Leno
You Must Not Miss by Katrina Leno
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
So far this year I've read books I've had my eye on for a while, and this is another one. I actually bought this one a few months ago but have been looking forward to checking it out for a lot longer than that.
Also, will you look at that beautiful cover! It's colourful and full of rage and features pretty birds. Yeah, it really caught my eye.
Magpie's life fell apart six months ago. Her father hurt her mother. Her mother started drinking herself to oblivion. Her older sister left. And her best friend stopped talking to her after a big party. Now, she's finally starting to open up to her new group of friends, but she's also discovered Near. A place she wrote about in her yellow notebook...
Oooooh. This is one amazing book that's hard to put into one single genre because it fits into so many. It's a serious commentary on rape culture. It's a complicated look at friendship and family. It's a thorough study about the effects trauma has on someone. And it's a dark fantasy story with a wicked horror lining.
Also, there are so many trigger warnings that can be applied to this story, it's easier to say all of them. I'm not kidding or trying to make light of it. I mean it.
The writing style is so nice, I found myself falling headfirst into the narrative. Magpie's story is full of mystery from the very first sentence and the more I read, the more intoxicating her words become because we get hints about the series of events that destroyed her family and friendship, but it's obvious there's so much more under the surface.
Another thing that I absolutely loved about this book was the weirdness. And I'm not even talking about the surreal appearance of the land of Near. It's everything. In Magpie's school days, her home life and everything in between. I often found myself wondering what was real and what was imagined, but all of it is tinged with darkness.
All the characters in this book are interesting in their own way. Some because they are so kind and nice (Ben, Clare, Brianna, Luke, Jeremy), others because they are awful (Allison, Brandon, Dad), and the rest because they are absent or just don't bother noticing what's really going on (Mom, teachers).
This story is quite confronting and disturbing in so many ways. It also highlights how a nice, average person who's constantly shoved aside can slowly morph into an angry monster determined to enact revenge.
It's sad, relatable and such a fantastic book. I really (really) enjoyed this. I loved the cover before, but after reading it's also a perfect representation of Magpie's experience.
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Friday 8 January 2021
DEAD SILENCE by Kimberly Derting
Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the last book in a YA thriller series that somehow got lost in my bookshelf, but should've been read ages ago. Especially since I enjoyed the first three books so much!
Violet has been through a lot. She can hear the echoes of the dead and imprints from their killers. But after surviving a kidnapping herself, she now carries her own imprint and it's making life almost impossible. But everything is about to get so much worse...
Wow. What a great ending to a wonderful and very suspenseful series, with an intriguing concept that never stopped being interesting.
Even though it's been years since I read the third book in this quartet, I slipped back into Violet's world as soon as I started reading. All of the important details about the previous books seemed to mysteriously come back to me. Of course, the awesome narrative helped to jog my memory enough that I fell into the swing of things instantly.
I've liked Violet from the beginning because she was brave and determined to help whenever/however she could. Often, putting herself in danger to do so. Her stubborness was a trait that should've been frustrating, but wasn't. I also loved Violet and Jay as a couple. They were adorable together and faced several dilemmas, but their connection and friendship always shone through. And his constant support of her gift was so cool.
The mystery that Violet needs to solve/chase in this one is simple enough, but SO messed up. And ties in with her work with the team at the Centre, as well as some very cool revelations about her grandmother and the gift they shared.
I'm so glad I finally read the conclusion to this very awesome series because I couldn't put it down.
Love when a series has a fantastic conclusion. 😊
Thursday 7 January 2021
A Productive Start to the New Year...
I hope you all enjoyed a nice and relaxing Happy New Year! 🎉
MERIDIAN by Amber Kizer
Meridian by Amber Kizer
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
I've had this book on my shelf for years, but for one reason or another, it kept getting lost in the piles. So, I pulled it out this year and decided I was FINALLY going to read it.
On her sixteenth birthday, Meridian's life inexplicably changes even more than it had before. Her parents send her away to live with an aunt she's never met, to a town she's never visited...
I loved the Prologue and got caught up in Meridian's strange life and the quest she finds herself on. But as the story moved along, I noticed my attitude changing. Any connection I had with Meridian faded fast. I couldn't connect with the stuff bubbling up in Revelation, and didn't care for any of the other characters.
Not to mention that there was something preachy about the whole worldbuilding. Judgy, even. And it grated on my nerves. A lot.
Anyway, I was already past the halfway point when I gritted my teeth and skim/read to the end. And things didn't get any better.
View all my reviews
Wednesday 6 January 2021
RULES FOR VANISHING by Kate Alice Marshall
Rules For Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Here's another book, with an awesome creepy cover, that I've had on my TBR pile for a while.
Sara’s sister disappeared a year ago and she thinks she knows where to find her. Sara's convinced her sister, Becca, went looking for the local legend about Lucy Gallows and got lost. Searching for Becca means finding Lucy’s road and sticking to a bunch of strange rules. But what this group of friends finds is darker than any of them could've expected...
Wow. Talk about totally hooked. Yep. That was me as soon as I started reading this book. Seriously. The ominous dread creeps into this story from the beginning, and never stops.
I LOVE how this complicated and dark story is told. There are interviews, video footage, texts, and Sarah's account of what happened. The pacing is perfect because one piece follows the next in such a precise way that the overall picture slowly starts to come together in a muddled and freaky kind of way.
Also, I really enjoyed reading Sara's POV because sometimes she sounded so sincere, and other times it was quite obvious that she was either intentionally leaving out details or was so traumatised by the loss of her sister that she honestly forgot stuff. Is she an unreliable narrator, or a girl doing the best she can? It's up to the reader to decide.
Well, until everything becomes obvious and clicks into place. 😳
Another very cool thing about this story is the exploration of friendship between a diverse group of teenagers. The problems and space between them varies, but all of it is intriguing and so interesting I found it hard to tear myself away from this book.
There's so much going on here. A girl looking for her sister, friends reconnecting, a very dangerous local legend, a surreal adventure, and the results of an in-depth paranormal investigation. And I enjoyed the hell out of every piece of this dark puzzle.
Fascinating. Creepy. Amazing.
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CAMPFIRE MACABRE is now available!
50+ original flash horror tales organized by five themes: Spook Houses, Supernatural Slashers, Witchcraft, Within the Woods, and Cemetery Chillers. A book perfect for time spent around the campfire or on a long car trip! Brand new pieces from award-winning storytellers and established authors.
Tuesday 5 January 2021
My New Planner
Happy planning!
Monday 4 January 2021
HARROW LAKE by Kat Ellis
Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I've wanted to read this book for a while now, so I'm really glad that I made it my first book for 2021. Also, I love this cover. It's bright and simple, yet still manages to look super creepy.
To say that Lola's parents are problematic is an understatement. Her father is a famous horror filmmaker and her mother was an actor who walked out on them when she was little.
When her father is attacked in their apartment and ends up in hospital, Lola's sent off to live with the grandmother she's never met. In the creepy town called Harrow Lake, where her parents met and made his most iconic horror movie. A place lost in the past and surrounded by myths and stories. That might be true...
Wow. I absolutely LOVED this book. What an awesome and freaky story! It was the perfect book to start the year with because I enjoyed the hell out of it.
I was hooked from the beginning because it started with an intriguing and very revealing interview and as soon as I met Lola, my interest was solidified. Her voice was strong, stubborn and so very snarky. She has quite the attitude and keeps plenty of secrets. I loved that she was such a big horror fan and moving to a creepy town affects her in very unexpected ways. Ways that end up terrifying and confusing her every step of the way.
There are SO many things I loved about this book, and one of them was the amazing writing style. The story unfolds so naturally within the narrative and dialogue, as well as through the characters. Speaking of which, every character in this story is fascinating. Some for worst reasons than others, but they all tied in so well.
And OMG, those last three chapters were AMAZING! 😳
This book was definitely my kind of horror story. Creepy. Engrossing. Twisted. Full of dread, misdirection and disorientation. Awesome.
Fantastic story with plenty of twists, turns and a shocking conclusion.
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Tracking Words & Pages
Sunday 3 January 2021
Some Kind of Goals
Welcome to my 2021 Goals post. 😊
- Continue our daily walks and eventually (depending on pandemic status) introduce a second walk again
- Keep doing yoga workouts and mix them up with the morning walking schedule
- Write between 100-200k words
- Read 50 books
- Finalise some (of the many) horror novel first drafts sitting on my hard drive
- Write two new novels
- Write a novella or two
- Keep writing short stories & subbing
- Take part in NaNoWriMo
- Keep up with the clutter/book/stationery sorting
- Actually play a game or two on my 2DS & Switch Lite (especially interested in Mr. DRILLER & Goetia)
Saturday 2 January 2021
Reading 2021
These are some of the other mini-challenges I'd like to complete:
- Keep a good balance between reading books for review, books from my personal bookshelves, thrift store books, Kindle, Kobo and tablet. (While I kinda managed to do this last year, I want to enhance this.)
- Stop putting off highly-anticipated books and read them whenever the mood strikes. (I'm still hopeless at doing this and need to improve.)
- Continue to catch up on series and trilogy books to get some of these finished. (Once again, I really need to do better with this.)
- Read more short story collections and anthologies. (I keep failing at this and really need to get better.)
- I hate DNFing books--and feel bad doing it every time--but it's getting easier. With the amount of books I have, if a book doesn't grab me, I HAVE to put it aside.