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Gerald's Game
Gerald's Game
Stephen King | 1992 | Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
8
7.0 (22 Ratings)
Book Rating
Being the first Stephen King book I've read and my interest piqued by the Netflix movie trailer, I had a vague idea of what I was getting myself into. I don't mind a long book but I feel like the story could have been told in a somewhat shorter way but still appreciated the descriptiveness and detail. I wasn't prepared for just how dark this story would get. It just got darker and darker the further I got in (I'm no stranger to the macabre or disturbing but parts still affected me greatly). The writing was amazing, relatable in it's own way. You could really feel the main characters wide range of emotions each time she was faced with something new. This was definitely the first time I've read a book where I had to pause to give myself a moment to fight back the bile trying to rise up my throat because the description of one of the darker parts was so vividly recounted (Chapter 31 for anyone wondering). Regardless of this physical manifestation, I did find the book very interesting and would recommend it (although I think I'd be careful who I did so with because I think it could be quite triggering to anyone who has experienced sexual assault of any kind as it is very realistically told in that aspect).
  
Out Of The Penalty Box
Out Of The Penalty Box
Genevive Chamblee | 2018 | LGBTQ+, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
good, but not one for me.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

I struggled with this one. And here's why.

Aidan is, or has been, straight. Here, he is attracted to Christophe, who is gay. You'd expect a whole lotta more soul searching and questioning going on, but there isn't. Aidan just jumps almost straight away into bed with Christophe, after he first expresses his feeling for Aidan.

I know its only a short book, some 100 odd pages and you can only do so much in those pages, but I did not feel any sort of emotional attachment to Aidan, at all.

We also only get Aidan. Yes yes YES, I KNOW I say it often enough, but think I might have enjoyed it a little more had Christophe had a say too.

And, aside from that very first chapter, there isn't any hockey!

So, a nice book, but not one that grabbed me. An easy read, maybe a little too easy. Someone will LOVE this book, I have no doubt. And I might have at any other time, but it just landed in the queue at the wrong time.

Not my best review, but I'll plead illness and hope that someone will forgive me.

3 solid stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
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Has Anyone Seen My Sex Life
Has Anyone Seen My Sex Life
Kristen Bailey | 2020 | Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Made me laugh and relateable (0 more)
This was such a feel good book and felt like a real story. It felt like a family you could meet in real life.
It make me laugh and the characters were so relatable (mostly). The mums at the school were definitely the stereotypical types of mums every school seems to have.
Although the story started with a bang it took my a chapter or two to get into but once I did I really enjoyed the book and it was not what I was expecting at all. The blurb didn't give anything away and it was so unexpected. It made the story even better as it wasn't the typical thing that could crop up in a marriage. No-one could guess what the twist is.
There were a few spelling mistakes but this is expected in any book.
I tried to put myself in the main character (Meg) shoes and tried to see how I would feel in her position and I came to the conclusion I would feel exactly the same way and would handle it the same way too.
This book is one if you are looking for a story that you can laugh at with a bit of a surprise and is definitely for early 20s upwards.
I would read other books by this author.
  
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Christine A. (965 KP) rated What Lies Between Us in Books

May 22, 2020 (Updated May 26, 2020)  
What Lies Between Us
What Lies Between Us
John Marrs | 2020 | Thriller
8
7.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
‏I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.


I discovered John Marrs when I read his novel, The Passengers. Going off a recommendation, I picked up his book. What I had meant to read was The Passenger by Lisa Lutz. I still haven't read Lutz's but enjoyed finding Marrs.

What Lies Between Us is nothing like the John Marrs' The Passengers, Both are twisted and keep you engaged but that is where the similarities end.

The synopsis says that every house has its secrets. I believe that to be true. The house in this story is hiding a lot of secrets. Nina and Maggie are co-dependent on each other but with a complicated past. Nina blames Maggie for how Nina's life turned out. To get revenge, she chains Maggie in a soundproof room and is keeping her prisoner for twenty-one years or until she dies.

I have to admit I thought I figured everything out. That is until I assumed something Marrs implied. I should say, I mistakenly assumed something. When I finished the book, I needed to go back and reread a chapter. I completely fell for it. I do not want to ruin the secrets by saying too much but you have to read this book!

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 5/22/2020
  
The Dark Lake
The Dark Lake
Sarah Bailey | 2017 | Mystery, Thriller
6
7.3 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
I would like to begin by saying, that the person who wrote the blurb, should get a raise because this blurb is very intriguing and well written, that’s why I really wanted to read this book. To be honest, this novel was different from most of the thrillers I read.

The main lead in this novel is Gemma, a small town detective in Australia, who is investigating murdered teacher’s case. I found Gemma as a very unusual main character. This novel is filled with Gemma’s thoughts and feelings about her life, wishes and struggles. All these thoughts kind of shadowed the whole investigation. But on the other hand, I think some of them were kind of necessary in order to bring out the desired effect from this story. Gemma seemed very realistic in this novel, but I could not warm up to her. I think she needs help because she is a very troubled young woman, on the other hand, this makes her quite unique… The author chose to use a very vast amount of characters in this novel, some of them showing up only for a chapter as witnesses. It was quite a fresh approach to telling the story, but at the same time filled my mind with unnecessary information about the character itself…

Even though the investigation was pretty slow and not very eventful, I did like reading Gemma’s story from her past. I liked the way they tangled together, and it kind of kept me going because I did want to find out how all these parts are related. I really enjoyed reading different perspectives and different thoughts in this novel, it allowed to have a glimpse into different personalities and to have a better understanding of overall events.

The writing style was creative and the plot kept time travelling between present and past, and I really enjoyed that. Another winner for this novel would be short chapters. I was binge reading it and I was tempted to read chapter after chapter all the way throughout the book. Even though the climax was not very impressive, I did like how author rounded up this story, I think it concluded the events pretty nicely. So, to conclude, it was quite different from what I am used to in the thrillers, and I quite liked this fresh approach. I do recommend to give this book a try, and I will be waiting for the next book with Gemma Woodstock, to see, what Sarah has “up her sleeve” for this unusual detective.