Mary Ventura and the Ninth Kingdom by Sylvia Plath My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is my second Plath book--but first story--and I absolutely loved it. This is definitely one of those stories that will stay with me for a long, long time. Not just because it's so well written, …

Four veterans of the Iraq War seeking a cure for Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder arrive at a notoriously haunted house in the bogs of Galveston Island called Amon Palace.  Samantha Green, a friendless former Army K-9 handler looking for a way to put her loss behind her.  Brad My…

Hey! How's your week going? We're having a great time. I'm enjoying hubby's annual leave break SO MUCH, I don't want it to end. Nope. I'm glad we got all of the doctor-type stuff out of the way last week because this one contained two public holidays. So it …

Ariel by Sylvia Plath My rating: 5 of 5 stars I enjoy throwing a bit of poetry into my reading routine, and my daughter (who studied Plath during her HSC) recommended this one. The thing about poetry is how well words are used to paint an honest picture able to capture the heart…

Schoolgirl by Osamu Dazai My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is my first Dazai story. My daughter has read a few of his books, and when she decided to thin out her bookshelves, I took this one. I was curious, but wasn't sure if I would like it because the author's style and li…

When 13-year-old Sullivan Carter and his younger brother, Colton, are forced to hide from school bullies in the cundy (a water conduit in Castle Eden Dene), they are attacked by a terrifying creature which goes on to haunt their dreams.  Rumour has it that some older teens have been …

So, is a break packed with stuff really a break? It is when you can sleep past 4am every morning and do the stuff  you  want. The first week of hubby's two-week annual leave is almost over, and there's only one word I can use to describe it. That's right, it's aweso…

Ten writers are selected for a summer-long writing retreat with the most celebrated and reclusive author in the world. Their host is the legendary Roderick Wells. Handsome, enigmatic, and fiendishly talented, Wells promises to teach his pupils about writing, about magic, about the unta…

Hey! I just realised that aside from reviews, I haven't posted an update this month. 😬  So, how's April treating you? Mine has been pretty busy. There's a lot of real-life stuff going on this month, and no writing. But I did that on purpose. After unexpectedly writing …

The Secrets of Wishtide by Kate Saunders My rating: 5 of 5 stars I've had this book on my bookshelf for a few years. It's the kind of book I kept moving from one place to another, until it got lost in the back of a shelf. But this week I was in the mood for a mystery and thi…

Oak Avenue by Brandi Reeds My rating: 5 of 5 stars Okay, this is the seventh (and last) Dark Corners Collection short story I've read. And I'm very happy to say that I really enjoyed it. 😊 Before this one, out of the seven stories, I'd only liked two: The Sleep Tig…

Jesse thinks he’s caught a break when he, Emma (the girl of his dreams), and her friend are assigned by their newspaper to cover the opening weekend of a sprawling new state park. But the construction of the park has stirred an evil that has lain dormant for nearly a hundred years, and…

Rough Justice by Kelley Armstrong My rating: 5 of 5 stars Last year I read the last book in the Cainsville series and absolutely loved it. Not just the book, but also how everything was wrapped up. Still, when I found out this novella was available (because I found it as a Ki…

I Am Belle by Golden Books My rating: 5 of 5 stars I love Beauty and the Beast and have very fond memories of Little Golden Books, so when hubby found this adorable gem on a clearance table at Dymocks, of course I HAD to buy it. This is the story of Belle. A young lady who liv…

Altar by Philip Fracassi My rating: 4 of 5 stars I started reading this story on my Paperwhite last night and was instantly drawn in. Gary, his sister Abby, and their mother Martha, decide to spend a hot day at the local swimming pool. They might go there together, but each one h…