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Doggerland
9.0
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Doggerland is a superbly gripping debut novel about loneliness and hope, nature and survival – set...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Haunting of Highdown Hall (Psychic Surveys #1) in Books
Sep 16, 2021
150 of 250
Kindle
The Haunting of Highdown Hall ( Pyschic Surverys book 1 )
By Shai Struthers
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Based in Lewes, East Sussex, Ruby and her team of freelance psychics have been kept busy of late. Specialising in domestic cases, their solid reputation is spreading - it's not just the dead that can rest in peace but the living too. All is threatened when Ruby receives a call from the irate new owner of Highdown Hall. Film star, Cynthia Hart, is still in residence, despite having died in 1958.
Winter deepens and so does the mystery surrounding Cynthia. She insists the devil is blocking her path to the light long after Psychic Surveys have 'disproved' it. Investigating her apparently unblemished background, Ruby is pulled further and further into Cynthia's world and the darkness that now inhabits it. For the first time in her career, Ruby's deepest beliefs are challenged.
Does evil truly exist?
And if so, is it the most relentless force of all?
It wasn’t as good as I thought it may be but it wasn’t terrible either. Very middle of the road and an ok read. I like the premise and some of the stories. The ending was good and concluded the story of the spirit nicely. I will continue to book 2 as I think the series has promise.
Kindle
The Haunting of Highdown Hall ( Pyschic Surverys book 1 )
By Shai Struthers
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Based in Lewes, East Sussex, Ruby and her team of freelance psychics have been kept busy of late. Specialising in domestic cases, their solid reputation is spreading - it's not just the dead that can rest in peace but the living too. All is threatened when Ruby receives a call from the irate new owner of Highdown Hall. Film star, Cynthia Hart, is still in residence, despite having died in 1958.
Winter deepens and so does the mystery surrounding Cynthia. She insists the devil is blocking her path to the light long after Psychic Surveys have 'disproved' it. Investigating her apparently unblemished background, Ruby is pulled further and further into Cynthia's world and the darkness that now inhabits it. For the first time in her career, Ruby's deepest beliefs are challenged.
Does evil truly exist?
And if so, is it the most relentless force of all?
It wasn’t as good as I thought it may be but it wasn’t terrible either. Very middle of the road and an ok read. I like the premise and some of the stories. The ending was good and concluded the story of the spirit nicely. I will continue to book 2 as I think the series has promise.
I think there is always a case for choosing a book based purely on the cover. This is another of those times where I’ve done precisely that - and I loved this book.
Fragile is a haunting thriller, where two young people, Nell and Joe, run away to London from their foster home after a tragic event. An event that we’re drip fed the information of as the book progresses.
Joe and Nell become separated, so Nell decides to go and knock on the door of the last place she saw him. When Dr. Robin Wilder opens the door at Starling Villa, Nell manages to talk him into employing her as his housekeeper. But all is not as it seems. Is Nell really safe here? What happened in Wales before she ran away to London with Joe? What does Dr. Wilders wife want with Nell? And where is Joe?
Nell and Joe’s backstories about their lives in care are heartbreaking. From a young age, Nell becomes the house ‘mother’, cleaner and cook. It’s a horrible life for her and so well described. Joe’s life isn’t any better.
Actually, the writing is so descriptive: people and places are described picture perfectly, and some scenes are so emotive, whilst others are really tense. The gripping finale was heartbreaking.
Sarah Hilary is a new author to me, and one that I’ll certainly look out for in future.
Fragile is a haunting thriller, where two young people, Nell and Joe, run away to London from their foster home after a tragic event. An event that we’re drip fed the information of as the book progresses.
Joe and Nell become separated, so Nell decides to go and knock on the door of the last place she saw him. When Dr. Robin Wilder opens the door at Starling Villa, Nell manages to talk him into employing her as his housekeeper. But all is not as it seems. Is Nell really safe here? What happened in Wales before she ran away to London with Joe? What does Dr. Wilders wife want with Nell? And where is Joe?
Nell and Joe’s backstories about their lives in care are heartbreaking. From a young age, Nell becomes the house ‘mother’, cleaner and cook. It’s a horrible life for her and so well described. Joe’s life isn’t any better.
Actually, the writing is so descriptive: people and places are described picture perfectly, and some scenes are so emotive, whilst others are really tense. The gripping finale was heartbreaking.
Sarah Hilary is a new author to me, and one that I’ll certainly look out for in future.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Shadows of Nightshade (The Garden of Eternal Flowers, #1) in Books
Aug 11, 2023
107 of 235
Kindle
Shadows of Nightshade ( The Garden of Eternal Flowers 1)
By Lyla Oweds
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I dream of a time where I was warm, safe, and loved.
But my waking reality is starkly different.
Anxiety plagues me and spirits haunt the shadows. No matter how fast I run, I can’t seem to escape my past.
The only solace and steady force in my life is my best friend, Finn.
And now… there’s a ghost haunting me. And I’m not certain if it wants help or if it wants to kill me. There’s only one person who can understand: Finn’s brother, Damen.
However, in reaching out, I’m betraying Finn and setting things into motion that cannot be undone.
But nobody ever said that doing the right thing was easy.
So apparently this is a rewritten story of this author’s Grimm Cases series the first book but I didn’t read the original so this is a new story for me. This is a strange one for me because I was really intrigued by the world and the supernaturals and the story was really what kept me reading as it was good. My issue was the main female character she was written as really naive and a little irritating if I’m really honest. I would have gone with a 2.5⭐️ rating if I could have.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Kindle
Shadows of Nightshade ( The Garden of Eternal Flowers 1)
By Lyla Oweds
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I dream of a time where I was warm, safe, and loved.
But my waking reality is starkly different.
Anxiety plagues me and spirits haunt the shadows. No matter how fast I run, I can’t seem to escape my past.
The only solace and steady force in my life is my best friend, Finn.
And now… there’s a ghost haunting me. And I’m not certain if it wants help or if it wants to kill me. There’s only one person who can understand: Finn’s brother, Damen.
However, in reaching out, I’m betraying Finn and setting things into motion that cannot be undone.
But nobody ever said that doing the right thing was easy.
So apparently this is a rewritten story of this author’s Grimm Cases series the first book but I didn’t read the original so this is a new story for me. This is a strange one for me because I was really intrigued by the world and the supernaturals and the story was really what kept me reading as it was good. My issue was the main female character she was written as really naive and a little irritating if I’m really honest. I would have gone with a 2.5⭐️ rating if I could have.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Other Words for Smoke in Books
Jun 11, 2023
75 of 235
Kindle
Other Words for Smoke
By Sarah Maria Griffin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Twins Mae and Rossa’s summer away from home becomes life altering when they discover a house full of witches, experience devastating first love, and face a dark power beyond any imagining.
Sarah Maria Griffin’s haunting and literary sophomore novel explores the balance between love and fear, weakness and power, and the lengths one will go to claim one’s freedom. For fans of Libba Bray’s The Diviners and Maggie Stiefvater’s All the Crooked Saints.
When the women from the house at the end of the lane went missing, none of the townspeople knew what happened. A tragedy, they called it. Only twins Mae and Rossa know the truth about that fateful summer.
Only they know about the owl in the wall, the uncanny cat, the insidious creatures that devour love and fear. Only they know the trials of loving someone who longs for power, for freedom, for magic. Only they know what brought everything tumbling down around them. And they’ll never, ever breathe a word.
This was the strangest book I think I’ve read in a long time. I really enjoyed it. The story was so strange but had you needing to read more. At first I have to admit I did think of not continuing with it but I’m so glad I did. The talking cat completely through me well worth a read.
Kindle
Other Words for Smoke
By Sarah Maria Griffin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Twins Mae and Rossa’s summer away from home becomes life altering when they discover a house full of witches, experience devastating first love, and face a dark power beyond any imagining.
Sarah Maria Griffin’s haunting and literary sophomore novel explores the balance between love and fear, weakness and power, and the lengths one will go to claim one’s freedom. For fans of Libba Bray’s The Diviners and Maggie Stiefvater’s All the Crooked Saints.
When the women from the house at the end of the lane went missing, none of the townspeople knew what happened. A tragedy, they called it. Only twins Mae and Rossa know the truth about that fateful summer.
Only they know about the owl in the wall, the uncanny cat, the insidious creatures that devour love and fear. Only they know the trials of loving someone who longs for power, for freedom, for magic. Only they know what brought everything tumbling down around them. And they’ll never, ever breathe a word.
This was the strangest book I think I’ve read in a long time. I really enjoyed it. The story was so strange but had you needing to read more. At first I have to admit I did think of not continuing with it but I’m so glad I did. The talking cat completely through me well worth a read.
Shadowman (Shadow #3)
10.0
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Erin Kellison’s Shadow series darkens with this evocative and gripping romance between a fae lord...
Urban Fantasy Romance
A Thousand Glittering Lights
10.0
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Only she can see him. Ellie is about to release the hotly anticipated sequel to her...
Contemporary Fantasy Romance
Monacello: The Little Monk: Book 1
Geraldine McCaughrean and Jana Diemberger
Book
A haunting legend from the Undercity of Naples "Goblin" "Gremlin!" "Demon!" Strange little creature....
EmersonRose (320 KP) rated The Haunting of Hill House in Books
Nov 20, 2019
The Haunting of Hill House was written by Shirley Jackson in 1959. Since then it has been heralded as a milestone in the horror genre. The book takes its reader on an unnerving adventure with four characters who chose to spend a summer in a haunted house.
Dr. Montague wishes to track the supernatural and write a factual paper on hauntings. He enlists the help of two women who he believes to have connections with the unnatural. The first is Theodora lighthearted and the center of attention, and Eleanor, quiet and fragile but ready for something in her life to change. Their party is completed by Luke, the charming heir to Hill House. The unnerving atmosphere of the house puts them all on edge from the moment they see it, but things only get stranger as the power of the house grows.
I was drawn to this book for several reasons. First, it was the week of Halloween, why not get into the spirit. But Hill House had begun to orbit in my life before this. I myself read The Lottery in my eighth-grade creative writing class. I also recently read a book called House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, which is also a haunted house story and Shirley Jackson’s book began getting recommended to me. As I started to read the book, I began to have this feeling best expressed through a quote from the book itself: “Am I walking toward something I should be running away from?”
When I started reading the story, I could not help but let my thoughts fly trying to solve 13388the mystery myself. The language of the book captured my attention completely. The descriptions built up the house so vividly in my imagination. The haunting Victorian atmosphere is both beautiful and disturbing. The unnerving and uncomfortable were created, kept up, and made the book hard to put down. I loved wondering about Mrs. Dudley, questioning the other characters, and imagining what could be knocking on the door.
Eleanor, as the point of view character, is the easiest to identify with. Her paranoia, fear, and anxiety are central parts to her identity, but she also seems to the most real in her reactions to both the house and the other characters. He relationships with each of the other four are almost dreamlike in the way level of closeness she has with them ebbs and flows. I could not help but feel for Eleanor, especially when it seems she is being targeted by the house.
I found this book to be enthralling. The horror genre is not my go-to read, but Shirley Jackson has a way with words and intimate feelings that makes me want to read through every book she has ever written. The psychological descent of the characters is natural and terrifying to behold. Now that I have read it, I cannot help but see Jackson’s influence on horror and psychological thriller. I am very pleased with having finally read this book and would highly recommend it as a must read. Only beware, the house as power and no one’s mind is safe.
Dr. Montague wishes to track the supernatural and write a factual paper on hauntings. He enlists the help of two women who he believes to have connections with the unnatural. The first is Theodora lighthearted and the center of attention, and Eleanor, quiet and fragile but ready for something in her life to change. Their party is completed by Luke, the charming heir to Hill House. The unnerving atmosphere of the house puts them all on edge from the moment they see it, but things only get stranger as the power of the house grows.
I was drawn to this book for several reasons. First, it was the week of Halloween, why not get into the spirit. But Hill House had begun to orbit in my life before this. I myself read The Lottery in my eighth-grade creative writing class. I also recently read a book called House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, which is also a haunted house story and Shirley Jackson’s book began getting recommended to me. As I started to read the book, I began to have this feeling best expressed through a quote from the book itself: “Am I walking toward something I should be running away from?”
When I started reading the story, I could not help but let my thoughts fly trying to solve 13388the mystery myself. The language of the book captured my attention completely. The descriptions built up the house so vividly in my imagination. The haunting Victorian atmosphere is both beautiful and disturbing. The unnerving and uncomfortable were created, kept up, and made the book hard to put down. I loved wondering about Mrs. Dudley, questioning the other characters, and imagining what could be knocking on the door.
Eleanor, as the point of view character, is the easiest to identify with. Her paranoia, fear, and anxiety are central parts to her identity, but she also seems to the most real in her reactions to both the house and the other characters. He relationships with each of the other four are almost dreamlike in the way level of closeness she has with them ebbs and flows. I could not help but feel for Eleanor, especially when it seems she is being targeted by the house.
I found this book to be enthralling. The horror genre is not my go-to read, but Shirley Jackson has a way with words and intimate feelings that makes me want to read through every book she has ever written. The psychological descent of the characters is natural and terrifying to behold. Now that I have read it, I cannot help but see Jackson’s influence on horror and psychological thriller. I am very pleased with having finally read this book and would highly recommend it as a must read. Only beware, the house as power and no one’s mind is safe.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Ocean at the End of the Lane in Books
May 16, 2018
The Ocean at the End of the Lane is the first work I’ve read by Neil Gaiman – and I love it. This short novel tells the story of a young boy. He discovers a sort of magic in the world around him that blends in a delightfully haunting way. The real star of this book isn’t the boy though. It’s the Hempstocks.
This piece of fiction is a quick read and harbors elements of fantasy and horror in a world much like our own. The house at the end of the lane is a bit removed from the rest of society and, to a homegrown, country girl like myself, oozes a rural familiarity. This house, being the home of the Hempstocks, is the source of everything surreal in The Ocean at the End of the Lane and through the little boy and his friend Lettie, we see an entirely different side of things. A place where a child learns morals (such as lying, obeying, etc.) in the most horrifying ways.
I found The Ocean at the End of the Lane nearly impossible to put down – in fact, I only paused long enough to shower and take a brief nap. I refused to sleep until I had turned the last page. It’s nice to see several elements of fiction in play, especially with how Gaiman foreshadows and references certain odd incidents that take place in his story. My next Gaiman read will be American Gods, which I received as a gift from Dad.
This piece of fiction is a quick read and harbors elements of fantasy and horror in a world much like our own. The house at the end of the lane is a bit removed from the rest of society and, to a homegrown, country girl like myself, oozes a rural familiarity. This house, being the home of the Hempstocks, is the source of everything surreal in The Ocean at the End of the Lane and through the little boy and his friend Lettie, we see an entirely different side of things. A place where a child learns morals (such as lying, obeying, etc.) in the most horrifying ways.
I found The Ocean at the End of the Lane nearly impossible to put down – in fact, I only paused long enough to shower and take a brief nap. I refused to sleep until I had turned the last page. It’s nice to see several elements of fiction in play, especially with how Gaiman foreshadows and references certain odd incidents that take place in his story. My next Gaiman read will be American Gods, which I received as a gift from Dad.