🟣 :::READING THREAD::: Week of October 15

I read The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer. It could have been a lot of fun. However, I was icked out by a couple of things that I just couldn't ignore while I read - total cringe. I gave it three stars because I was trying to be fair about things that maybe just icked me out.

I'm still reading IT by Stephen King. I didn't get as much in over the weekend as I thought I would. I'm about 40% through. I'm really enjoying it though, it's just very long.

These are from the past month or so.

Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard. I did it, I pre-ordered the book and read it the day it came out in September, lol. Jill Duggar is a member of the infamous "19 Kids and Counting" show on TLC. This was her story of coming to realize how her father was exploiting her work on the show for his own financial gain, and how he became emotionally abusive when she began to question why she was not being paid. At the same time, her father had no problem throwing millions of dollars on legal expenses when her oldest brother was convicted of possession of child sex abuse materials. If you're familiar with the show, or with the religious cult the family is in, it's a very compelling read. 

A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters. This is the first in the Brother Cadfael mystery series, which takes place in medieval England. I had read this series years and years ago, so when the first book popped up in Kindle Unlimited, I re-read it. It's slow-paced, but I think that first book was written in the 1960s, when books moved a bit slower. What I remembered about the books, and what still was true, was that the author really takes you to England in the 1100s and the countryside and the monasteries and the villages, and it's as close as you can get to time travel. And Brother Cadfael is a darling. I might find a few more of the books at my library if I can; I think just the first one was on KU.

Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong. I got into watching The Mary Tyler Moore Show a few weeks ago--right before they took it off Prime, of course! I remember my mom and dad watching it when I was a kid, and I saw a few episodes in the late 90s when it was on Nick at Nite or TV Land. But I'd never just sat down and binge-watched it. I was so delighted with the show, I wanted to read a book about it, so I found this one on Kindle. The author focused a lot on the female writers who wrote for the show, which was an angle I enjoyed. I felt like it was a decent overview of how the show came to be made, but I would like more info if it's out there.

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow. I listen to a podcast called Novel Pairings, in which the hosts (two English teachers) discuss a classic and then come up with modern books that they think go well with it. Maybe they explore similar themes, or have heroes in similar battles, etc. So I listened last week to an episode about the 1930s novel Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, which I love, and one of the books they recommended as a "go with" was Starling House, which was due to be released a few days after I caught the podcast. 


It is just a wonderful story. It hits a lot of familiar themes and echoes other tales, particularly the haunted house theme and Beauty and the Beast. It takes place in modern-day small-town Kentucky, in a town which is slowly being poisoned by the neighboring coal mine. A young woman and her teenage brother are one step from homeless, and the young woman is trying desperately to save money from her job at Tractor Supply to get her brother away from the town and into a private school so he can succeed. When the ugly owner of the town's mysterious "haunted house" offers her a job as housekeeper, she jumps at it, both for the money and because she has had dreams about the house since she was a child. If you like Shirley Jackson, haunted house stories, offbeat romances, or even Stephen King, I'd say you'd probably like this. I found it really absorbing and touching.

This morning I finished The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella. It's been quite a while since I've read one of her books and this, her latest, was just what I needed. Lighthearted chick-lit. Sasha has a major meltdown at work and ends up retreating to an old seaside resort her family would visit when she was a child. There she meets handsome man... Classic Sophie Kinsella. I gave it 4 stars because it was so relaxing and enjoyable to me during a very stressful week.


I came here hoping to find something to read next and no surprise, you came through again! Off to download.

Good reading week for me ……….



THE SIGHT (‘23 - 3 STARS) BY MELANIE GOLDING
DESCRIPTION : As a child, Faith acquired the ability to see when and how people would die—a “gift” she neither wanted nor could get rid of. After foreseeing a family tragedy and being ostracized, Faith learns to control her visions, and returns to perform in her family’s traveling carnival. But when an unruly customer attacks her, she has a vision in full view of a crowd. She is banned from the carnival she loves—and loses her only source of income to support her dying mother. Desperate to support her mother and with only one friend standing by her, she sees no reason to continue hiding her ability and goes to dangerous lengths to earn money. But when she sees herself in a man’s future death, Faith must face her own fears of her powers and tune into her gift to fight against a future that would ruin her life—and end someone else’s.

REVIEW :
First two books by this author for me were were The Hidden (‘22 - 5 Stars) and Little Darlings (‘19 - Read ‘21 - 4 Stars).

I like her writing a lot but I’m having a hard time connecting to any characters except for the main one, Faith. At 40% plots is definitely dragging. I do feel for her dealing with her “visions” and people’s reaction to her; definitely a struggle for her. The story, for me, was uninteresting and very very slow. Disappointing read for me.



THE INTERN (‘23 - 4 STARS) by MICHELE CAMPBELL 
DESCRIPTION : Madison Rivera lands the internship of a lifetime working for Judge Kathryn Conroy. But Madison has a secret that could destroy her career. Her troubled younger brother Danny has been arrested, and Conroy is the judge on his case. When Danny goes missing after accusing the judge of corruption, Madison’s quest for answers brings her deep into the judge’s glamorous world. Is Kathryn Conroy a mentor, a victim, or a criminal? Is she trying to help Madison or use her as a pawn? And why is somebody trying to kill her?

REVIEW :
Previous 4 books by this author for me were all 4 Star reads: It’s Always the Husband (‘17 - Read ‘22), The Wife Who Knew Too Much (‘20), She Was the Quiet One (‘18 - Read ‘20) & Strangers on the Beach (‘19).

Another great read by this very consistent author. Fast moving plot with lots of action. Enjoyed the flushing-out of the bad guys. Kept me entertained the whole way. Satisfying ending.



STOLEN TONGUES (‘17 - 4 STARS) BY FELIX BLACKWELL
DESCRIPTION : A romantic cabin getaway doesn’t go exactly as planned. High up on the windswept cliffs of Pale Peak, Faye and Felix celebrate their new engagement. But soon, a chorus of ghastly noises erupts from the nearby woods: the screams of animals, the cries of children, and the mad babble of a hundred mournful voices. A dark figure looms near the windows in the dead of night, whispering to Faye. As the weather turns deadly, Felix discovers that his terrified fiancée isn’t just mumbling in her sleep – she’s whispering back.

REVIEW :
First book by this author for me. An older book but recently lots of good reviews on Facebook’s “Psychological Thriller Readers” group. Probably because a great read for Halloween.

Liked the writing a lot. I started this book very late on a Saturday night and the first chapter was so eerie I had to stop until daylight. The creepiness is still strong at 45%. I can picture the entity so clearly and also Faye’s movements. Gave me goosebumps the entire read. Perfect for Halloween-time.



Hope everyone gets to read a 5-star read this week !

me too!