Home Before Dark by Riley Sagers – Book Review

Riley Sager does it again! I have loved all of Riley Sager books although my favorite is Final Girls but that may be because it’s the first I read by him. I’m so excited that this book is out for everyone to read. Sagers knows how to write a fantastic novel that allows you to connect with the characters. This book has a little bit of haunting/ghost in it but don’t be fooled it’s so much deeper than that. I couldn’t put this book down and reading it in the dark was hard but I didn’t want to put it down. This book takes on a roll coaster of dark secrets and family drama. Also, the ending is so great because it’s a complete surprise (I seriously didn’t see it coming). I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫.

Synopsis: Maggie Holt is used to such questions. Twenty-five years ago, she and her parents, Ewan and Jess, moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. They spent three weeks there before fleeing in the dead of night, an ordeal Ewan later recounted in a nonfiction book called House of Horrors. His tale of ghostly happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon, rivaling The Amityville Horror in popularity—and skepticism. Today, Maggie is a restorer of old homes and too young to remember any of the events mentioned in her father’s book. But she also doesn’t believe a word of it. Ghosts, after all, don’t exist. When Maggie inherits Baneberry Hall after her father’s death, she returns to renovate the place to prepare it for sale. But her homecoming is anything but warm. People from the past, chronicled in House of Horrors, lurk in the shadows. And locals aren’t thrilled that their small town has been made infamous thanks to Maggie’s father. Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself—a place filled with relics from another era that hint at a history of dark deeds. As Maggie experiences strange occurrences straight out of her father’s book, she starts to believe that what he wrote was more fact than fiction.

Dear Edward by Ann Neapolitan- Book Review

Thank you to @penguinrandomhouse for gifting me this book. This book was both emotional and absolutely beautiful! The author did a wonderful job of weaving the two narratives of the time pre accident and post accident in this story. I was hooked from the very beginning to the satisfying end. I stayed up to the wee hours of the morning finishing this one and it has continued to stay with me since I finished it. This book is a must read! I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

Synopsis:
One summer morning, twelve-year-old Edward Adler, his beloved older brother, his parents, and 183 other passengers board a flight in Newark headed for Los Angeles. Among them are a Wall Street wunderkind, a young woman coming to terms with an unexpected pregnancy, an injured veteran returning from Afghanistan, a business tycoon, and a free-spirited woman running away from her controlling husband. Halfway across the country, the plane crashes. Edward is the sole survivor.
Edward’s story captures the attention of the nation, but he struggles to find a place in a world without his family. He continues to feel that a part of himself has been left in the sky, forever tied to the plane and all of his fellow passengers. But then he makes an unexpected discovery—one that will lead him to the answers of some of life’s most profound questions: When you’ve lost everything, how do you find the strength to put one foot in front of the other? How do you learn to feel safe again? How do you find meaning in your life?

Book Mail

Book Mail is one of the best days ever! I love opening my door to a package full of new books to read and review! Thank you so much to @penguinrandomhouse for all these amazing books!

The Ruins by Scott Smith- Book Review

Just finished The Ruins by Scott Smith and this is one of those situations where the book is almost always better than the movie. I saw the movie first and then read the book and I’m so glad I did. The books gave so much more details to the story as well as more characters that allowed you to connect with. I really loved this books and had a hard time putting it down. Similar to the story, I felt called to continue reading to find out what happened just like the tourist were called to explore the Ruins. This book was a great thriller and the mastermind behind all the thrills wasn’t a human being but something way more evolved. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

Synopsis:

Trapped in the Mexican jungle, a group of friends stumble upon a creeping horror unlike anything they could ever imagine.Two young couples are on a lazy Mexican vacation–sun-drenched days, drunken nights, making friends with fellow tourists. When the brother of one of those friends disappears, they decide to venture into the jungle to look for him. What started out as a fun day-trip slowly spirals into a nightmare when they find an ancient ruins site . . . and the terrifying presence that lurks there.

King Killer Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss- Book Review

This is such a great series. I loved the first book then read the second book, but am STILL waiting for the third because it hasn’t been released. I’ve literally been waiting for years! While it’s frustrating that the series isn’t complete, it’s still worth reading. It takes you on a story into a fantasy world full of magic and secrets. It’s like Harry Potter for adults. While I’ve only read two books of the series to rate, I would give this series so far ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. The first book is my favorite. The second book was rather long and felt it dragged in the middle a little but the ending made the book so don’t give up.

Synopsis:

My name is Kvothe. I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep. You may have heard of me.
So begins a tale unequaled in fantasy literature—the story of a hero told in his own voice. It is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man’s search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend.  

Lost You by Haylen Beck- Book Reviews

Whoa! I started this book honestly not knowing what it was about. I knew it was a suspense/thriller but that’s all I knew going into it. I started reading the book and thinking, okay I know where this is going. A woman says she will give up her child for adoption because she is getting the money she needs to survive but towards the end of her pregnancy she decides to keep the child but then it took a crazy turn of events. I couldn’t put this book down and I felt for the both of these women in this story. Libby, the one that couldn’t have children of her own so she put all her worth into adopting a child and Anna, the one who grows to love the baby in her womb and decides she can’t live without him. I loved the edge of suspense in the middle of the story being told because I did not see it coming. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫. Although, I enjoyed this story, it’s one of those that isn’t quite believable but still worth reading. Thank you to Penguin Random House for gifting me this book.

Synopsis:

Libby needs a break. Three years ago her husband split, leaving her to raise their infant son Ethan alone as she struggled to launch her writing career. Now for the first time in years, things are looking up. She’s just sold her first novel, and she and Ethan are going on a much-needed vacation. Everything seems to be going their way, so why can’t she stop looking over her shoulder or panicking every time Ethan wanders out of view? Is it because of what happened when Ethan was born? Except Libby’s never told anyone the full story of what happened, and there’s no way anyone could find her and Ethan at a faraway resort . . . right?  But three days into their vacation, Libby’s fears prove justified. In a moment of inattention, Ethan wanders into an elevator before Libby can reach him. When the elevator stops and the doors open, Ethan is gone. Hotel security scours the building and finds no trace of him, but when CCTV footage is found of an adult finding the child wandering alone and leading him away by the hand, the police are called in. The search intensifies, a lost child case turning into a possible abduction. Hours later, a child is seen with a woman stepping through an emergency exit. Libby and the police track the woman down and corner her, but she refuses to release Ethan. Asked who she is, the woman replies: …“I’m his mother.”

A Dream About Lighting Bugs by Ben Fold- Book Review

I asked my husband if he would like to read and review this book because he’s been a HUGE Ben Folds fan for a couple of decades now. Here are his thoughts about the book. Ben Folds’s new memoir, A Dream About Lightning Bugs, is a one-session read. I suppose one could break it up, but I don’t know how you’d be able to stop. Admittedly, I grew up on Ben’s music, and who doesn’t love to read about the life of one of their all-time musical heroes? Even if you’ve never heard a track of his music, however, Fold’s memoir is a refreshingly honest story of his life, blemishes and all. Peppered with plenty of humor (and four-letter words), the reader is transported to the other side of Ben’s kitchen table as he shares anecdotes and life lessons from his 20 years as a successful musician. This is a must-read for any Ben Folds fan, but I’d recommend it regardless. By the end you’ll be inspired to go create something, and building things is definitely something we could all benefit from doing a little more of. Ryan gives this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫. Thank you to Penguin Random House for the ARC.

Synopsis:

In the title chapter, “A Dream About Lightning Bugs,” Folds recalls his earliest childhood dream—and realizes how much it influenced his understanding of what it means to be an artist. In “Measure Twice, Cut Once” he learns to resist the urge to skip steps during the creative process. In “Hall Pass” he recounts his 1970s North Carolina working-class childhood, and in “Cheap Lessons” he returns to the painful life lessons he learned the hard way—but that luckily didn’t kill him.  In his inimitable voice, both relatable and thought-provoking, Folds digs deep into the life experiences that shaped him, imparting hard-earned wisdom about both art and life. Collectively, these stories embody the message Folds has been singing about for years: Smile like you’ve got nothing to prove, because it hurts to grow up, and life flies by in seconds.

The Wolf Wants In by Laura McHugh- Book Review

This was such a great book. I had a hard time putting it down and read it in two nights. This book was captivating. It was not an easy read because of some of the subjects, like addiction and grief, but this book was also touching on so many levels because of the realistic setting. The characters were well written and this book offered so much with the secrets, suspicion and family loyalty. I felt for the main character, Sadie, the whole way through this book. Every emotion she was feeling, I was feeling it for her. It was a heavy read but had just enough suspense and mystery involved to keep it a little light hearted and intriguing. I didn’t get a little confused in the story with the back forth of the characters but still really enjoyed it. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 This book was just published on August 6th, 2019 and I definitely recommend that you pick it up. Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhousefor the ARC.

Synopsis:

Sadie Keller is determined to find out how her brother died, even if no one else thinks it’s worth investigating. Untimely deaths are all too common in rural Blackwater, Kansas, where crime and overdoses are on the rise, and the small-town police force is consumed with the recent discovery of a child’s skull in the woods. Sadie is on her own, delving into the dark corners of a life her brother kept hidden and unearthing more questions than answers.Eighteen-year-old Henley Pettit knows more than she’d like to about the seedy side of Blackwater, and she’s desperate to escape before she’s irreparably entangled in her family’s crimes. She dreams of disappearing and leaving her old life behind, but shedding the past is never easy, and getting out of town will be far more dangerous than she ever imagined.As more bones are found in the woods, time is running out for Sadie to uncover the truth and for Henley to make her escape. Both women are torn between family loyalties and the weight of the secrets they carry, knowing full well that while some secrets are hard to live with, others will get you killed.

Girls Like Us by Cristina Alger-Book Review

I love a good story about a female cop that knows how to get the job done when it comes to solving a murder case. This book was one of those books. I really enjoyed the main character Nell Flynn. She had a crazy past but I didn’t feel like that author allowed that to get in the way of the main story about solve two murders of locals girls that were connected. This is the first book I’ve read by Cristina Alger but definitely not the last. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2. Thank you to Net Galley, Penguin Group and Putnam’s Sons Books for the ARC. This book will be published July 2nd so add it to your tbr list.

Synopsis:

FBI Agent Nell Flynn hasn’t been home in ten years. Nell and her father, Homicide Detective Martin Flynn, have never had much of a relationship. And Suffolk County will always be awash in memories of her mother, Marisol, who was brutally murdered when Nell was just seven.  When Martin Flynn dies in a motorcycle accident, Nell returns to the house she grew up in so that she can spread her father’s ashes and close his estate. At the behest of her father’s partner, Detective Lee Davis, Nell becomes involved in an investigation into the murders of two young women in Suffolk County. The further Nell digs, the more likely it seems to her that her father should be the prime suspect–and that his friends on the police force are covering his tracks. Plagued by doubts about her mother’s murder–and her own role in exonerating her father in that case–Nell can’t help but ask questions about who killed Ria Ruiz and Adriana Marques and why. But she may not like the answers she finds–not just about those she loves, but about herself.