In spring 2020, one of my most anticipated books was The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni, a horror set in the Italian Alps. I'm always down... Continue Reading →
The Ancestor
The Lost Book of Adana Moreau
About one year ago, The Lost Book of Adana Moreau by Michael Zapata was just about to come out when I discovered it. I was... Continue Reading →
Winter Counts
It wasn't until late last summer that I first heard of Winter Counts, the debut novel by David Heska Wanbli Widen. It was one of the main picks for Book of the Month in September, and it instantly intrigued me. I finally bought it in January, and since it's winter now, it felt like the... Continue Reading →
The Hunting Party
Earlier this year, I bought The Guest List, the widely-read and award-winning second thriller by Lucy Foley. Though I still haven't read that one, I was excited when Book of the Month unexpectedly made her previous thriller, The Hunting Party, available two months ago. I decided to end 2020 with a time-appropriate book. As The... Continue Reading →
Winterwood
At the end of last year, back when I still went into book stores without a mask or fears of Covid, I stumbled across an enchanting novel called Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw. Its intricate cover arrested my attention - with its web of branches and roots reaching for an ominous half moon. But beyond that,... Continue Reading →
The Angel’s Game
I'm currently in the midst of reading Carlos Ruiz Zafón's Cemetery of Forgotten Books series. Following my reread of his beloved The Shadow of the Wind, I've now just finished the second book in the series, The Angel's Game. While it has much in common with the first book, The Angel's Game is also wholly... Continue Reading →
The Shadow of the Wind
I first read Carlos Ruiz Zafón's The Shadow of the Wind four years ago. At the time, it felt like one of the most magical, immersive stories I'd ever read. It wasn't until a couple of years later that I found out it was the first in a series, and my mom was kind enough... Continue Reading →
We Will Be Watching
I just finished Ruth Ware's excellent new novel One By One last night. Since my brain is still in Ruth Ware mode, I decided now is the perfect time to check out her two recent short stories. First up, I read her new ebook, We Will Be Watching. (Stay tuned for my review of her... Continue Reading →
The Last Story of Mina Lee
I've said it before, and I'll probably keep saying it: My favorite thing about Book of the Month is how it introduces me to new books that weren't on my radar. Last month, one of their main September picks was The Last Story of Mina Lee, the debut novel by Nancy Jooyoun Kim. I didn't... Continue Reading →
The Whisper Man
The first I ever head of Alex North's debut novel, The Whisper Man, was when it was a Book of the Month selection last August. Instantly, I knew I needed to read it - the cover and synopsis both alighted my imagination, and I love anything scary, especially if it might be supernatural. So I... Continue Reading →
The Glass Woman
Continuing in my reading journey through history, and following two books set in the early 1600s (The Familiars and The Mercies), my next book took me to Iceland in 1686. I first discovered Caroline Lea's The Glass Woman when I was perusing Barnes & Noble shortly before the holidays. I'd hoped to get it as... Continue Reading →
The Familiars
Three months ago, I was visiting my sister in Limerick, Ireland when we popped into a book store. (We actually went to several book stores during my visit; I have an obsession!) I decided I needed to get a book (or 10) as a souvenir, and the first one I chose was Stacey Halls' debut,... Continue Reading →
The Secrets of Life and Death
It was 2013 when I first learned about the infamous Elizabeth Báthory. My boyfriend (now husband) had introduced me to a Swedish metal band called Ghost, and their first album featured a song called "Elizabeth." I had no idea who the titular Elizabeth was, but then my boyfriend explained about the serial killer countess who... Continue Reading →
Little Darlings
Three months ago, I discovered Little Darlings by Melanie Golding thanks to Book of the Month. Its spooky cover and title captured my interest, and with the description, I was sold. Along with Riley Sager's Lock Every Door and Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Gods of Jade and Shadow, Little Darlings become my third and final July 2019... Continue Reading →
Lock Every Door
In July, one of my Book of the Month selections was Lock Every Door by Riley Sager. I decided to read it last in my trio of thrillers related to living in another’s home as part of your job duties, following The Au Pair by Emma Rous and Ruth Ware’s The Turn of the Key. Like those former... Continue Reading →
The Turn of the Key
Following Ruth Ware's thrillers, In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, and The Lying Game, her fourth novel, 2018's The Death of Mrs. Westaway, presented a new, more gothic side to her storytelling. This theme carries over into Ruth Ware’s newest book, The Turn of the Key, released last month. I've decided to read... Continue Reading →
The Au Pair
There's a trio of books I've been planning to read in succession, all related to living in another's home as part of your job duties. Before I get to Ruth Ware's The Turn of the Key and Riley Sager's Lock Every Door, I decided to start with The Au Pair by Emma Rous. Published in... Continue Reading →
The Silent Patient
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides has been getting a lot of buzz since it was announced, and I was excited to finally get it. I ordered it as part of my April Book of the Month box (along with The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker... I certainly was in a mood that... Continue Reading →
The Missing Years
It looks like I'm entering into my next mystery/thriller phase, and this time Lexie Elliott's The Missing Years kicked it off. I came across this recently-published book a few months ago, and was instantly transfixed by both its title and its cover. There's something mysterious and intriguing about both, and they make you imagine a... Continue Reading →
The Devil Aspect
A few weeks ago, I stumbled across The Devil Aspect by Craig Russell on a display shelf at a book store. It's one of those books that instantly grabs your attention, with its intriguing title and unsettling cover art. I knew I wouldn't be able to wait long to read it. The Devil Aspect is... Continue Reading →
The Death of Mrs. Westaway
I discovered Ruth Ware one year ago when I picked up her thriller, The Woman in Cabin 10. And what a great introduction to her it was! I devoured the pick, then went out and bought her other two novels, In a Dark, Dark Wood and The Lying Game. Now, Ruth Ware has a fourth... Continue Reading →
The Lying Game
One year ago, The Woman in Cabin 10 drew me into the world of Ruth Ware. I loved that book, and knew I had to collect her other novels, too! Last spring I enjoyed her debut, In a Dark, Dark Wood, and now it was time for book #3, The Lying Game, published in 2017.... Continue Reading →
Black Rabbit Hall
A couple of weeks ago, I was perusing the Barnes & Noble bookshelves when I happened across Eve Chase's debut novel, Black Rabbit Hall. Something about the title and cover invoked childlike magic and mystery, so I was excited to dive into it right away. Black Rabbit Hall follows two timelines, each focusing on a... Continue Reading →
In a Dark, Dark Wood
After reading - and loving - The Woman In Cabin 10, I knew I had to go back and read the rest of Ruth Ware's books. I decided the logical step was to go chronologically from now on, so first up was her debut, In a Dark, Dark Wood. The story starts when Nora -... Continue Reading →
