Lisa

I read Someone's in Your House and really enjoyed that YA slasher. I was hoping to get that same kind of “fun” slasher horror in this book but sadly it didn't deliver.

The pacing was a bit off for me - the first 50% was focused on the relationship between these two friends - how they are dealing / not dealing with their separation once college starts in the fall, etc. There is a bit of unease felt in the beginning but not much.

When the horror part of the storyline starts it's good, for a bit. And then the book is over. It felt rushed and I wanted to spend more time in the tension. Also, I wanted a bit more from the ending - it felt like their story wasn't quite complete and left a few questions rattling around in my head.

If you are looking for slasher horror, this isn't it. If you want more of an forest adventure story with a bit of unease this might be perfect.

I picked this up on audio specifically because I was driving to Western North Carolina to spend the weekend with my high school best friend. Hoped that would add to the vibe since this books is set in Pisgah Forest with two best friends. That added expectation might have affected my enjoyment of the story as well.

I really liked this book.

The first chapter sets up the atmosphere that this book brings.

It's a slower paced book for the majority of the book. Because of that the end felt a bit rushed but I enjoyed the time I spent with the book so this wasn't a big deal for me. Also, about 75% of the story is told in back and forth timelines that I think worked well but also slowed down the progression of the plot.

I thought the world was very interesting - from the extreme patriarchal society to the “magic” system. The whole idea of book eating is fascinating (and the limitations that brings).

Also, writing was solid. There were several lines that I underlined.

As far as character - for me this felt more plot than character but I did enjoy the characters (except for the ones you are supposed to dislike). It may be that the length of the novel reduced the amount of time that could be spent on character development.

Note, not all of the storylines are tied up in the end but this is a stand alone novel. Keep that in mind if this is something that bothers you.

I liked this but didn't love this - I think high expectations affected that. All I had heard was how amazing this book was and I thought it was good but it didn't blow me away.

What I liked: coming-of-age story about two people in their 20's, the relationship between these two best friends set in 1990's Cork, touches on male/female infidelity double standards, effects of abortion access

What I didn't like: too much on page infidelity (this is a me thing - I don't like reading stories about infidelity). I am glad I read this one though - sometimes it's good to push through things that make you feel uncomfortable.

The story felt messy and realistic and was told in a very sensitive way.

. I felt so much rage when the wife finds out about her husbands infidelity and the way everyone in the town treats Rachel yet he walks about his life as if nothing happened. I sobbed while listening to the part about her trying to access an abortion in a country that doesn't allow abortion - it was very triggering for me in the current US Political climate. I loved that Rachel and James stay friends through the distance and that Rachel ends up marrying the other James. And I loved that Rachel had a conversation with Fred's wife.

I loved this book so much and it makes me want to pick up everything else he has written.

This is a horror book about apples - it gives new meaning to the apple being the symbol of sin and the common phrase “an apple a day will keep the doctor away”.

I love the storytelling in this one and it gave me some Stephen King vibes. It is told slowly so we really get to know the characters, with interludes that provide history of the town and the apple. You can feel the dread building and it is done so well. I will not be apple picking anytime soon - especially in the state of PA.

It is a chonker, over 600 pages, but every page is worth it and didn't feel it needed any editing. The audio is full cast and was fantastic (though the voice narrator of the interlude sections was not my favorite).

Also, as soon as I finished I said, “I will I could reread this again for the first time.” Perfect for fall.

3.75 rounded up

I thought this was going to be scarier but I found it more of a gory, silly, haunted house story. That's not a bad thing, just not what I was expecting.

I really didn't like the daughter in this book. Not sure if that was because of the way the audio was done or if it is the way she was written. Also, I'm not a fan of miscommunication - the story could have been tighter if the Mom and daughter just talked about what was really going on. Those two items are what brought my rating below a 4.

I did enjoy the level of gore and that this is a true haunted house story .

Solid cozy horror. Listened on audio and enjoyed in that format.

first half was slow and didn't pick up for me until about the 200 page mark but from there I was fully into this story. I think it was slow because we follow 3 MC's and they are all in different places and they don't converge until around that 200 page mark. That's when I felt the connection between the characters and got to know them more.


I really like the magic in this world - books and blood are involved - it's not overly complicated but also there are rules that make it interesting.

I came to care and root for all our main characters. Great book for Fall.

This low rating was a me thing.

I listened on audio and had a really hard time paying attention which meant I should have put it down and picked something else. But I persisted. It is very atmospheric but the plot was really slow. I didn't get a good feel of the characters and when I can't connect to the characters it effects my enjoyment. I wish that I had stopped listening and picked up in a different format at a different time.

audio was fantastic, podcast element with full cast narration; extremely well done retelling of Carrie;

I was listening to this while I read Mary by Nat Cassidy and they make a great book pairing.

I loved this book - full of banter and wit, loveable but very flawed characters (who I was rooting for the whole time), NYC setting. Also has a lot of raunchy humor so if that's not your thing you probably won't enjoy this as much.

fresh take on When Harry met Sally (and made me want to re-watch the movie)

This was fun and campy and made me nostalgic for my youth and love of slasher movies. The slasher sub-genre is one of my horror favorites and I find them hard to come by. The cover drew me in and I'm so glad I picked this one up. Wasn't all fluff either - I liked the commentary on cancel culture and how every mistake made online comes under scrutiny. Eager to read more by this author.

Rounded up from 3.75. This is very similar in style to Exit West and I think if it was a bit longer I would have enjoyed it more - I sometimes struggle with shorter books because I want more from them. The concept is intriguing and really makes you think about our relationship with race.

I had high expectations going into this book which I think effected my enjoyment a bit. I did like it but wanted a bit more character development.

What I liked: humor, found family, adventure/game like structure
What I didn't like: reading footnotes on a kindle (it took me out of the story a bit - I prefer footnotes in physical format)

I also didn't realize that it was part one of a duology so was surprised by the “To Be Continued” at the end. All that being said, at this moment, I would read book two.

I won a Goodreads giveaway of this book.

I loved the first third of this book, enjoyed the last third and tolerated the middle. Rating is rounded down from 4.25.

A very thought-provoking book that makes you think about AI, consent, satisfaction, autonomy, emotions and what it means to be human.

I enjoyed most of the essays while I was reading them but they didn't really stick with me. I appreciate hearing women's stories from the women themselves.

Rounded up from 3.75

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book but I have a few takeaways:
1. This is NOT a romance. It doesn't follow any of the formulas that make a book a romance so keep that in mind before you read this.

2. I almost DNF'd this during the first half. I just really wasn't enjoying it but it was recommended to me by a trusted source so I continued.

3. I'm glad that I didn't DNF. I enjoyed the second half better. It made me laugh and cry.

4. I can't stop thinking about this book. It makes you think about double standards for men/women when dating someone younger, art and what is considered art, fandom (especially girl fandom) - the boy band craze and also how we as a society under value anything that girls and women love.

5. This is open door through out the entire book so you can't just skip the open door scenes. You have to be OK with that.

I think if you have the right expectations going in then you will gain something from this read. I almost didn't read this because of the mother/daughter element and that is what bothered me most about this book. If your book club can handle sexy time I think this would make a great book club read.

4 stars for pure entertainment - I read this is two days - extremely propulsive and got me through a book rut. This is not a life changing, well written book. Just fun. And it has issues - go in knowing what it is and have fun. Also, know yourself and if you don't enjoy these types of books don't read it.

I very much enjoyed Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro. The characters were well developed, and the author created a remarkable atmosphere. I also appreciated the author's richly detailed writing style, which transported me to London in the 1800s. I loved the backstory provided for Marber and Alice, and I am hopeful that the next book will provide further background on the other characters. Book one did not end on a cliffhanger, which I appreciate, but provided information on the adventure to come in book two.

The story moves at a moderate pace, switching back and forth between the past and present to give context to the characters and events. I found the writing engaging enough that the shifting pace didn't bother me.

This book is everything the synopsis says and if it sounds like a lot of fun to you definitely pick it up. It is so fun (and funny) and full of heart. This book filled me up - a book about villains shouldn't make you feel better about the world but this book did. And I will never look at my cats the same way again!

Rounded up from 4.75

What I liked: witty banter, building of sexual tension, serial killers killing serial killers falling love trope, concept of an annual murder game

What I disliked: too open door for me. I knew this would most likely be too much going in (the author has content warnings at the beginning of the book). This is “me as a reader”, not an author/book issue. This is whay I rated it 4.75

Overall, very fun read. I think you can skip reading the sexy time if that is not for you - it comes later in the book and you can easily skip most of it and it won't detract from the plot of the book. This is a series but it wraps up nicely at the end and the epilogue leaves you wanting to read the next in the series. Also, don't skip the bonus chapter.

Rounded up from 4.5

Repetitive plot, miscommunication, moaning while looking into eyes, he Doesn't love me when it's clear he does. Just not the romance for me. Also don't think I care for rich guy, not rich girl trope

Rounded down from 4.25; I wanted to pick this up as soon as I read this line: “I haven't killed anyone for three years and I thought that when it happened again I'd feel bad. Like an alcoholic taking a sip of whisky. But no. Nothing. I had a blissful night's sleep.” I love female revenge stories, especially when they have good reason. This is definitely dark satire. the crimes were gruesome and I was laughing through out the book. Most of the time I felt Rhiannon was justified and most of her inner thoughts are very relatable but she is a very unhinged character and readers need to know that going in. Not every murder is justifiable. I enjoyed the ending but didn't realize it was the first in the series. When the other are available in the US I will cautiously dip my toes back into Rhiannon's head.

Rounded up from 4.5; Alix E Harrow did it again. Right away I loved the voice of Opal - strong, snarky, defiant, hard edged. I love the atmosphere created - you never really know if the house is scary and comforting and I found that lovely. I thought the pacing was perfect through out most of the book - the ending felt a bit rushed for me - but that didn't stop me from loving this book. This was a great read for October/November