October ended up being a pretty average month in the book department. I had a busy month full of work + friend and family obligations...plus a quick weekend getaway with my husband...so I was only able to squeeze in four books. I was excited about my spooky season TBR, but ended up feeling a little disappointed by the month's end. Not quite as stellar as I was hoping it would be, but every month can't be a home run! Click on the links below for the standalone reviews of each title. My most favorite book of the month was The Housemaid, by Freida McFadden. I didn't really know what to expect going into this one and it definitely ... Read More
And There He Kept Her, by Joshua Moehling
Talk about finishing spooky season with a BANG. And There He Kept Her, by Joshua Moehling was more like an incredibly disturbing train wreck. I couldn't look away. I found this one randomly scrolling down the rabbit hole of Goodreads and the premise sounded intriguing, so I figured, "why not?!" In the small town of Sandy Lake, Minnesota, two teens break into the home of the elderly Emmett Burr in search of prescription drugs. What was supposed to be a quick in-and-out smash-and-grab turned into a fatal night for the teens. Emmett goes to great lengths to keep his darkest secrets from being exposed when he catches the teens in action ... Read More
All Good People Here, by Ashley Flowers
I'm a big fan and avid listener of the Crime Junkie podcast. When I found out the host, Ashley Flowers, wrote a thriller....well, I couldn't put it on my TBR fast enough. All Good People Here was one of my most anticipated fall reads! In a nutshell straight from the book blurb, "In the propulsive debut novel from the host of the #1 true crime podcast "Crime Junkie," a journalist uncovers her hometown’s dark secrets when she becomes obsessed with the unsolved murder of her childhood neighbor—and the disappearance of another girl twenty years later." Loved the strong start to this debut novel. Hooked me from the first chapter. The rest ... Read More
Dark Matter, by Blake Crouch
Dark Matter, by Blake Crouch has been on my TBR for quite a while. I love a good sci-fi thriller with a multiverse element, so I figured this one would be right up my alley. Without giving too much away because this book is impossible to review without all the spoilers, Dark Matter is a book about a guy named Jason Dessen who's living a normal life...until he isn't. Married for 15 years with a loving wife and child, Jason meets up with a friend at a bar one night, is abducted when he leaves to go home, and wakes up in an alternate reality. Or is he really waking up from a 15 year dream? Dark Matter was a mind bending, super trippy, ... Read More
The Housemaid, by Freida McFadden
Spooky season started off with a BANG and I couldn't have been happier to make this book my first read of the month. The Housemaid, by Frieda McFadden was a bingeworthy read I couldn't put down! Millie is an ex-con who lands a job as a live-in housekeeper for the wealthy Winchester family. Nina Winchester's temperament is unpredictable at best...she's hot one minute and cold the next. Her behavior toward Millie is contentious in one breath and over the top nice in another, but Millie is so desperate for a stable job that she reluctantly tolerates Nina's erratic mood swings. It certainly helps that Nina is rumored to suffer from mental ... Read More
September 2022 Reading Wrap-Up
Well September was a truly banner month for me in terms of book picks. So many great reads this month! I unintentionally picked quite a few debut novels which was a fun surprise. And while the month didn't start off super promising, it definitely ended with a bang. Click on the links below for the standalone reviews of each title. The book that was worth all the hype and then some this month is most definitely I'm Glad My Mom Died, by Jennette McCurdy. Raw and honest and so well written. I knew almost nothing about the author before downloading her memoir (other than that she was an actress on Nickelodeon's iCarly) and I walked away ... Read More
The Perfect Child, by Lucinda Berry
You guys. This book. The Perfect Child, by Lucinda Berry messed me up. Let's just get right into it. 6-year-old Janie (who looks more like she's a toddler because of malnourishment) is found wandering alone & abandoned in a parking lot and covered in blood. She's taken to the hospital for treatment and when it's time for her to be discharged, she's released into the foster care system. She's adpoted by her attending surgeon, Christopher, and his wife Hannah and their idyllic life changes in a heartbeat. Janie isn't the perfect child they'd always wanted and the nightmare begins. Let me just say right off the bat that this book ... Read More
The Dead Romantics, by Ashley Poston
Where do I even start?! The Dead Romantics, by Ashley Poston was such a great read! Perfect palate cleanser and just the right amount of heartwarming, hopeful, humorous, and romantic. My heart (insert tear filled eyes emoji here). Florence Day is a ghostwriter for a famous author. She's late for a deadline she absolutely won't meet and asks her (very handsome) new editor, Benji Andor, for an extension. After her request is denied, Florence is certain her career as an author will be stopped dead in it's tracks. To make matters worse, she gets a phone call that her beloved father has passed and she has to return back home to her small ... Read More
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, by Sangu Mandanna
I kept seeing a lot of buzz about The Very Secret Society of Irregular Withces, by Sangu Mandanna and since I just decorated for Halloween, I figured it was the perfect time to get me into the spirit of spooky season. In this book, Mika is one of the few (very secret) witches in Britain. She keeps her powers hidden and stays far from other witches so as not to draw attention to herself and her powers. Orphaned as a young child and raised by strangers, Mika knows what it's like to feel alone. When she's invited to help teach three young witches how to harness their powers, Mika starts to learn what it feels like to belong and find love ... Read More
I’m Glad My Mom Died, by Jennette McCurdy
After seeing this memoir raved about on all the platforms, I caved and downloaded I'm Glad My Mom Died, by Jennette McCurdy. The author narrates her story so I made sure to listen to this one on Audible. I didn't really know much about Jennette McCurdy prior to hearing about her memoir. I found out she was an actress on Nickelodeon's iCarly, but I never personally watched that one (a little past my time!!)...so that was all I really knew going into this book. What I learned after reading it, OH MY WORD. I was completely riveted by her story. First off, Jennette is an incredible writer. The book is fast paced and candid and I was ... Read More