All the Books.

"It's been six years since Alicia Berenson was tried for the murder of her husband, Gabriel, and sent to the Grove, a facility for the criminally insane. Theo Faber, a therapist, has just transferred there, eager to work with Alicia and try to get her to open up, to actually speak, after six years of absolute silence. Michaelides kept me guessing, and the twist at the end was pretty surprising. Though this wasn't the best mystery/thriller I've ever read, it did keep me on my toes." ⭐⭐⭐ Pros:  I was curious to see why/if Alicia killed her husband. The chapters were short, which I appreciated since they offer convenient stopping points. Cons:   Everyone is in love with Alicia, of course/It all escalated rather quickly.   Full Review: Alicia Berenson is a moderately famous artist. Her husband, Gabriel, is a fashion photographer. They’re a seemingly happy couple. That is, until Alicia is found with her husband, who’s been tied to a chair and shot five times at point-b...

"Ignatius (Ig) Perrish has been living in Hell. It's been almost a year since his girlfriend was brutally murdered, and Ig is still the primary person of interest. One morning, after a particularly rough night, he wakes to find he's grown a pair of horns. If that wasn't terrifying enough, he realizes that the horns compel people to tell him their deepest, darkest secrets. When he goes to his family for comfort, his brother drops a bombshell, and Ig realizes that the horns are the key to unlocking the mystery behind what really happened the night Merrin was killed. This was a brutal, disturbing, and dark read, but Hill has an undeniable knack for grabbing you right from the get go and not letting up until the very last page."  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐ Pros:  Ig is a genuinely good person/Though a brutally horrific story, Hill's style is effortless; you can't help but keep turning the pages.   Cons:  It's typical for a man to think a woman's flirting and then lash o...

"Quentin is living his best life as a king of Fillory, but he finds himself craving adventure and excitement again. He gets it and more. Sadly, the characters, especially Julia, were obnoxiously pretentious, and I eventually just wanted the book to be done. This was a massive disappointment." ⭐⭐ Pros: It was Interesting to find out how Julia learned magic.  Cons: Julia was arrogant, conceited, and obnoxious/The end was painfully anti-climactic and unnecessarily drawn out.  Full Review: ***Disclaimer - If you’ve not read The Magicians by Grossman please do so and then come back and read this at your leisure. That way you’ll know what I’m talking about.*** Quentin, Eliot, Janet and a very distant /barely human Julia are living as the Kings and Queens of Fillory. It’s all Quentin ever wanted, and yet, he finds himself at loose ends, desperate for some excitement.  When they find a clock tree acting strangely in the Queenswood, he thinks perhaps this is it, his chance at an ...

"Mallory Quinn is a 21-year-old recovering addict who's been given a second chance. She's just landed a Summer job as a Nanny for an affluent family in a New Jersey suburb. Her charge, a five-year- old boy, Teddy, loves to draw and constantly gifts her pictures. At first, they're the usual childish images of sunny skies and happy people. When the pictures start to show a black-eyed, ghoulish woman, though, Mallory is both terrified and intrigued, wondering if somehow he's giving her pieces to a long unsolved murder that happened in the town more than forty years ago. This book was intense, gripping, and snagged me hook, line, and sinker from the first terrifying image of Anya. It was a roller coaster ride, and I loved it!"  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐ Pros: The pacing was great, and the pictures, which I sometimes feel are kind of a cheat, were incredible at ratcheting up the tension and drawing you into the story.  Cons:  Sometimes it was hard to get an emotional read on the ch...

“The heroes are villains, the villains are heroes, and no one’s hands are clean in this action-packed, fast-paced epic conclusion to the Villains series. Another home for Schwab.” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pros: Gas pedal to the floor from page one. I read 200 pages in one day/Victor is the epitome of the anti-hero; I can't help but love him though/All the characters showed growth.  Cons: Again, the time jumps were annoying. I just didn't keep track/Eli is obnoxiously self-righteous/The ending and June, I was just kind of like…oh, okay then.  Full Review: ***Disclaimer - If you haven't read  Villains and Vengeful by Schwab, please do so then come back and read this at your leisure. That way you’ll know what I’m talking about.*** It's been three years since the epic conclusion of Vengeful . All our EOs are scattered to the winds. Victor is searching for a cure, since his powers are still glitching. June is off, doing what she does best, and Sydney and Mitch are attempting to stay und...

“Hig, Jasper, his faithful dog, and Bangley, a gruff, taciturn man, are some of the few survivors of a pandemic that decimated the population. Hig flies his old Cessna, securing the perimeter, and Bangley takes care of any other survivors that might wander onto the property. When Higs' world is turned upside down, and he narrowly escapes with his life, he decides it's time to start looking for others. This was a rough, raw, and emotionally intense book that had me hooked from page one and never, ever let up. It was heartbreaking but also hopeful, and it's one of those books that will stay with me for a very, very long time. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐ Pros:  With Hig being the only narrator, you can feel the isolation and emptiness of everything. Hellers' writing style leaves no doubt that this is a very changed world. It was unnerving, to say the least.   Cons: The writing style took a bit of getting used/Some of the descriptions of fishing were lost on me.  Full Review: Hig, his lovi...