It'd been awhile since I read a new thriller, so I was pretty excited when Beautiful Bad arrived from the library. Before you get too excited, though, you should know that this book ended up on the DNF pile. *Womp womp* Apart from it sounding like a good thriller, I was originally drawn to Beautiful Bad because of the exotic locations in which part of the story is set. While the novel starts with a present-day crime scene, a lot of the first 100...
Love's a funny thing. I’m a big fan of weird and difficult love stories. This is because real love is never easy, and I like to see that fact realistically portrayed. And, sure, while romantic love can be mind-boggling at times, I happen to think that familial love takes the cake. It's perhaps the most twisted, complicated form of love there is. On that thought-provoking note, let's move into my book review of The Mother-in-Law. I decided to...
I delved into Desperate Girls expecting a good thriller, and instead I ended up reading a romance novel tinged with a little bit of suspense. I can’t remember why I decided to add Desperate Girls by Laura Griffin to my TBR list. I think I saw a targeted ad for it somewhere, but I can’t be sure. Whatever the prompt -- add it, I did, because the Goodreads book description made it sound like this book would be a sharp, intense thriller that...
Oh, man. This book is heavy. The Things She's Seen was a hard one to read, but it's oh-so worth it. I received an ARC of this YA title by Australian brother-sister writing duo Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina, and I was thoroughly hooked from the first page. This story is a poignant blend of mystery, fantasy, and brutal reality that will leave you eagerly turning the pages for more. There's a lot of action and issues packed into this slim...
Well, An Unwanted Guest was a nice little murder mystery. What's An Unwanted Guest about? When I first started reading this third novel by Shari Lapena, I immediately was reminded of Agatha Christie’s Evil Under the Sun – or, of the movie version since I’ve never actually read the book. An interesting cast of characters have all ended up at the same place – but instead of at a lux resort in the Adriatic, it’s at a cozy inn in the...
Thrillers. Easily one of my new favorite genres. For a long time, though, I wouldn't touch them. Although I love me some supernatural thrillers, I had no interest whatsoever in suspense, mystery, or "whodunits." I'm going to let you in on a little secret: I haven't always been so great at picking books to read. I was an English major, so I've read a lot of novels. I eagerly devoured whatever titles were assigned for AP English and Lit back in...
The Perfect Nanny would not exist if Myriam and Paul Massé had just bought themselves some nanny cams from the French Home Depot. I'm serious, though I didn't have this realization until I was more than halfway done with the book. I So much trauma could have been prevented in this psychological thriller if these parents had been a little more invested in their children’s safety, But, that's part of the problem in The Perfect Nanny, The...
Not gonna lie -- I was completely unexcited when the ARC of Hunt Them Down by Simon Gervais landed on my doorstep. I received the copy on Thanksgiving weekend, and I saw the pub date was scheduled for January 1. While you don’t have to post ARC reviews before the pub date, it’s really nice to do so. I feel like the publishers appreciate it. After all, that’s why you’re getting a copy in advance…to share advance reviews. Presumably...
You guys. This is the second book that I’ve added to my DNF pile in one month. I am not liking this trend. I am sorry to tell you that The Witch Elm by Tana French has the dubious honor of being another book that I will never finish. Which is incredibly disappointing because I had heard such good things about it. There are rave reviews about her previous work, In the Woods, which is part of a series, and The Witch Elm (I believe) is her first...
Sometimes, the books we look forward to the most leave us the most disappointed. *cries* I’m sure I’m in the minority on this, but Melmoth has been put on my DNF list. You all know about my 50-page rule: the book has 50 pages to suck me in, or I drop it. Melmoth was kind of a backwards read for me. I started off really into this book. It’s very atmospheric, and I flew past the first 50 pages without even realizing it. I have no...
