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Showing posts from September, 2025

The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O’Farrell

"An intricate story of two women whose lives, loves and lies all coalsece into one of the most satisfying and shocking plot twists I've come across in awhile. O'Farrel's style is quick and immersive and once the story grabs you, you don't want to let go. This was a great read and I'm eager to see what else O'Farrell has to offer." ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pros : O’Farrell has a very immersive style, you’re dropped right into the scene/That plot twist with the Pollack painting was ó …“fantastic.  Cons : Since you’re seeing things as they happen, sometimes it’s hard to find a good stopping point or you’re afraid you’ll forget what's going on/Innes could be a bit cocky and infuriating at times.  Full Review: This book follows two storylines. The past where Lexi, a young girl who decides to move to London and start living her life and Elina, who's just recently had an emergency C-section and is having a hard time adapting to life with a newborn.  At first things are a ...

The Near Witch by V.E. Schwab

"A shadowy, Sherlockian, "searching the foggy British Moors at night" YA mystery. It was an interesting mix between ghost story and fairy tale and Schwab's effortless way with words made for a pretty entertaining read."  ⭐⭐⭐⭐  Pros: Had a darker more ethereal air, not unlike Verity/Schwab's grasp of Magical Realism is 💯/You have to love the old sister witches who live on the edge of the Moor. They're always the real heroes of the story😂🙌.  Cons: Lexi's attitude of "I’m the only one who can do it" and then solves the mystery with the awkward clumnsiness of adolescent love got kind of old/People fall in love so quickly in stories, they know each other for like, a day and 🙌true love.  Full Review:  One night while lighting the candles, preparing to read her sister to sleep, Lexie looks out the window and onto the Moor. What she thinks is a shadow at first, is actually a boy, not much older than she but there's something about him. Hi...

Wonder (Wonder #1) by R.J. Palacio

"This book and its beautiful message truly is a wonder. Palacio pulls at all of your heartstrings but you're smiling admist the tears. It's one of those books that will stay with you long after you've finished it."  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pros:  Happy tears, sad tears, there were many moments in this book that had me choking up/Auggie was a funny kid and sharp as a tack.  Cons: It felt like everyone was always yelling at each other, even when they were just talking, it just seemed odd.  Full Review:  Born with an extremely rare genetic condition, August (Auggie) Pullman looks very different from everyone else. He's had about 30 surgeries on his face and he's only 10 years old. His parents are always telling him how strong and brave he is and he's willing to believe them. That is, until they drop a bombshell and he's really not sure if he can handle it.  They think it's a good idea for him to start going to public school this year.   Unbeknownst to him, he'...

Abandoned New Hampshire: Ghosts of our Past by Marie Desrosiers

“With her focus now on New Hampshire, Desrosiers takes us down different roads in this book. Photographs and histories of places with sadly, darker pasts are told in delightfully frightening detail and the photographs just make all of it so much more real. A quick, fun and intriguing read."   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pros: Desrosiers takes us deeper into the histories of the places she chose to showcase in this book and some of the stories are truly haunting.  Cons: Some of the stories, such as Doc Benton weren't accompanied with many photos but these are photographs of abandoned places falling into ruin, so safety was the main reason I'm sure.  Full Review:  In this addition of Desrosiers photographic journey around abandoned places in New England, she focuses on the state of New Hampshire. Unlike  Abandoned Vermont: Down Forgotten Backroads (America Through Time), this book dives deeper into the histories of the places she's visited and some of them are truly unsettli...

Abandoned Vermont: Down Forgotten Backroads (America Through Time) by Marie Desrosier

"A trip down roads that time forgot. Desrosier is a thoughtful and insightful guide as she takes us through these abandoned places hidden in the beauty of Vermont. Her photographs are stunning and her memories and thoughts let the reader connect in an easy and familiar way. A quick but fun and intriguing read."  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pros:   Stunning photography showing the beauty of Vermont amidst its many crumbling and abandoned farms/houses/Desrosier shares moments of her own past, allowing the reader the chance to connect/The last photograph and Desorsier's message was beautiful.   Cons:  I found it sad, how many places were left to ruin but at the same time Desrosier lets you see the beauty in the sadness, in the stories that are left behind on these forgotten backroads.  Full Review:  Desorsier explains how she's always had a love for abandonment. She's always found beauty in the places time forgot. Growing up in a home with abandoned cabins on the property, she...

Light Bringer (Red Rising Saga #6) by Pierce Brown

"With the title of this book I thought we'd be following Darrow in his final quest for peace. Instead we watch as Lysander plots and schemes and Darrow does everything he can to stop him. It's basically a 700+ page book of a Clash of the Titans. Friendship, loyalty, family, love, life, death, Brown covers it all in this book and then some. Though parts were heavily weighed down by military strategics, I'm still enamored enough to see what Red God has in store." *** Pros: Lyria/Cassius friendship/Sevro/Darrow's brotherhood/Diomedes at the end and his way of trying to find peace.  Cons: Darrow/Lysander's epic speeches/gift for monologuing got really old after 2 + pages/There were a lot of plots within plots and I was very confused at parts as to the true idenitity of some characters. It was all rather overwhelming. There were simply far too many cooks in the kitchen.  Full Review:  ***Disclaimer - If you have not read  Red Rising/Golden Son/Morning Star/Ir...