Search

Search only in certain items:

A Stranger on the Beach
A Stranger on the Beach
Michele Campbell | 2019 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
10
8.0 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Caroline Stark has been married to her husband, Jason, for 20 years. They have one daughter, Hannah, who is a freshman in college. When Caroline's husband brings his mistress to their housewarming party, Caroline is beside herself. In order to get back at Jason, she decides to have a one-night stand with a local bartender, Aidan, who also just happens to be the stranger who like to stand on the beach and stare at her house for hours. But the events that follow that one night are far more than Caroline bargained for. Even stranger her story and Aidan's story seem completely different. Who is telling the truth? And who will you believe?

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book drew me in from the very beginning and didn't let me go until the end. Being a woman I truly felt bad for Caroline and the situation she was in. I think I would lose it, if I found out my husband was having an affair. I don't know if I would go out looking for vindication by doing the same deed.

From the start, I didn't like Aidan, he seemed like one of those guys you say hi to in passing and the next thing you know, he's everywhere you turn. He really creeped me out.

I loved this book and I couldn't put it down. I didn't see the twists and turns coming and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Michele Campbell writes books that leave your mind spinning. Pick this one up as soon as you can.
  
The Heatwave
The Heatwave
Katerina Diamond | 2020 | Mystery, Thriller
7
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Stand-alone novel by the author of the D.S. Imogen Grey series
‏I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

Katerina Diamond, the author of the D.S. Imogen Grey series, is back with a new stand-alone novel, The Heatwave. I read Truth or Die, book #5 of her series, and was looking forward to reading The Heatwave as soon as I read the description
"The heatwave is back. And so is the killer."

Felicity fled her town and her life, determined not to return. That is until sixteen years later, and a second girl went missing. She holds the answers to what happened to the first girl and is determined to find the second before it is too late.

Diamond hooked me from the beginning. The book is 400 pages, but it was such a page-turner it felt much shorter.

As with all thrillers, there are twists, turns, and surprise reveals. The Heatwave kept me guessing until the very end. I thought I had figured everything out, but I was so wrong. After going back over the story, I realized I picked up on many of them but could not piece them all together correctly.

Goodreads does not list any other upcoming books of Katerina Diamond but added her to my "authors to read" list to keep watch for them.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 6/25/20.
  
The Handmaid’s Tale: The Graphic Novel
The Handmaid’s Tale: The Graphic Novel
Margaret Atwood, Renée Nault | 2019 | Comics & Graphic Novels, Dystopia, Fiction & Poetry
10
7.9 (18 Ratings)
Book Rating
A worthy addition to the original story.
This is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel which remains true to the original novel by Margaret Atwood. It seems even more disturbing with the pictures: the starkness of the almost black and white background against the red of the Handmaids clothes, not only makes the Handmaids stand out, it also, for me, highlights their separateness or ‘otherness’.

It’s a while since I read the original book, but the prose in it felt right. It’s not all prose in speech bubbles, there are more in-depth, explanatory short paragraphs - and I think they really worked well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, and I can see myself reading this again and again - and I might just have to re-read the original too, especially in the lead up to The Testaments.
  
40x40

Sammeh Lowry (15 KP) rated Flawed in Books

Jul 13, 2019  
Flawed
Flawed
Cecelia Ahern | 2016 | Children
10
8.5 (11 Ratings)
Book Rating
Cecelia Ahern wrote this as though she had been writing YA Dystopian all her life. She is my favorite author and I was so excited when I heard she was bringing this one out. The style she wrote it in is incredible, I actually felt like I was the main charector and that never happens as usually when I read a book it plays out in my head like a tv show. This book made me feel like I was living inside this book,I was living this unfair life with rules and regulations. I couldn't stand Celestine at the start of this story I wanted to give her such a shake! By the end I loved her. I cannot wait for the 30th of March next year!
  
40x40

Sarah (7798 KP) rated Firestarter in Books

Jul 28, 2020  
Firestarter
Firestarter
Stephen King | 1980 | Horror, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller
7
8.0 (26 Ratings)
Book Rating
Pretty good
I think my biggest issue with this book is the fact that I've read so many others like it, including more recent books from King himself. It's a shame as this book came out in 1980 so well before any others I've read (or indeed before I was even born), ive just never gotten round to reading it until now.

The story itself isn't bad and the characters are well developed as you'd always expect from King, and of course it's a well written story. I enjoyed reading it to a point and it was vagurly entertaining, but there's just something about this book that didn't wow me. It's a good read but it's by no means exceptional or stand out like a number of King's other stories.
  
Sourcery: Discworld: The Unseen University Collection
Sourcery: Discworld: The Unseen University Collection
Terry Pratchett | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
5
8.1 (10 Ratings)
Book Rating
One of the earliest Discworld (#5) books by the late, great, Sir Terry Pratchett, and it shows.

At this point the series was still very much in its infancy; very much still a parody of classic 'Sword and Sorcery' (especially where Rincewind is concerned) instead of the exploration of the human character it would later become.

Everybody has their own favourite 'subseries' of Discworld novels - The Witches, Stand-alones, Industrial Revolution, City Guards, Death - for me, personally, the Rincewind series has also fallen towards the bottom of that ranking (although they do get better around about the time of Interesting Times).

Having said that, it's still interesting to see the beginnings of Pratchett's evolution of the Discworld here - like any great symphony, they all need to start somewhere!
  
JI
Justice is Red : Dawn of the Red Eye
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
153 of 235
Kindle
Justice is Red: Dawn of the Red Eye
By Peter Mckeirnon - Writer and Filmmaker
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hydra City.
Corrupt to its core.

What was once a prosperous city, vibrant, and full of life is now a dark shadow of its former self.

One man is making a stand. A beacon of light burning bright through Hydra's darkest days. One man gives the people hope. One man gives them something to believe in.

His name, is Red Eye.

I freaking love this author. This gave me sun city vibes with that comic strip feel. Peter McKiernon has a way of making you feel that these characters could live just around the corner. His writing style is addictive. Loved this and really need more!!
  
Then She Vanishes
Then She Vanishes
Claire Douglas | 2019 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
6
6.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
83 of 235
Book
Then she Vanishes
By Claire Douglass
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jess and Heather were once best friends - until the night Heather's sister Flora vanished. The night that lies tore their friendship apart.

But years later, when a brutal double murder shakes their childhood town, Jess returns home.

Because the suspect is Heather.

What happened to the girl you used to know?

I’m not sure where I stand with this book. It took me so long to read and not because it was bad because it wasn’t it was a good story but I think it was just a bit drawn out and a bit slow to begin with. The ending was good which is why it’s a 3 and not a 2 star. I’m definitely sitting on the fence with this one.
  
The Trouble with Goodbye (Fairhope, #1)
The Trouble with Goodbye (Fairhope, #1)
Sarra Cannon | 2013 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Romance
8
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book caught me by surprise. I didn't really know what to expect when I started reading it and I fell in love quickly. I couldn't put this book down. It is the first book I've ever read by Sarra Cannon, and I will definitely be reading more of her books!
Leigh Anne was a character I could relate to. She was a character that was easy to like and easy to sympathize with. There were decisions that she made throughout the book and I found myself sitting there nodding in agreement and literally cheering out loud for her. I couldn't stand her parents as characters, but clearly Cannon wrote them so you wouldn't like them. In fact, the way Leigh Anne's parents behaved reminded me something my parents would do; which brought the story home even more for me.

Knox is an amazing character! He is probably my book boyfriend for the time being. He's a mans man but he's also a big teddy bear at the same time! He loves Leigh Anne, but he's willing to take their relationship on at her pace. He doesn't push or pressure her, and you can really see how much he cares about her by the way he acts towards and around her.

I was very pleased with the books ending, I absolutely love that Leigh Anne finally started to think for herself and do the right thing for her for once in her life. I understand why she didn't before, but it was time for her to grow up and think of others. I think that Cannon did a really good job taking the reader and Leigh Anne by the hand and showing them the right path to take.

The Trouble with Goodbye dealt with some pretty hard topics and I think that Sarra Cannon handled them beautifully! This is a fabulous book! I can't wait to read Cannon's other books! She definitely found a new fan in me!
  
Geek Girl (Geek Girl, #1)
Geek Girl (Geek Girl, #1)
Holly Smale | 2013 | Children
7
6.5 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
Full review can also be found on my blog: www.diaryofdifference.com
Even though I kept hearing great things about Geek Girl, I never really happened to read it. A month ago, my teen sister borrowed the whole Geek Girl series and told me this is something I must check off my list. And here I am one month later - loving the first book!

Geek Girl tells the story of a young teen Harriet, who is a geek and gets bullied at her school. She might know all the science answers, but she has no clue why people are laughing at her when she goes outside with a cartoon hoodie.

But when Harriet gets discovered by a modelling agency,she realises how things can get different, and she has to choose whether she wants to risk losing everything by changing who she really is.

A very funny and geeky read, where I couldn’t stop but giggle a few times. One moment really got me though:

‘’If somebody offers to shave your legs,’’ she snaps, ‘’let them.’’

Harriet is a typical geeky high-school character, and you can’t help but love her weirdness, her silliness and the ways she believes in.

The read was somewhat predictable from the beginning, and there wasn’t any big plot twist or cliff-hanger, but I believe that this book didn’t really want to achieve that anyways.

This was a perfect read for me to relax and enjoy reading - reminded me of my high-school days and made me remember a lot of similar moments.

I am recommending it to all of you out there - that love being different and are not afraid to stand up for yourselves, no matter how much people laugh at you.