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Showing posts with label Lisa Jewell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lisa Jewell. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 13, 2022
Top Ten Tuesday: Top 25 for 200 in 2022, Part 2
Only 12 sleeps left until the Big Day? How is that possible? Ack! I still haven't finished decorating, haven't even started sending out my Christmas cards, have only bought a few gifts, and...yeah. I'm sure I will get everything done by Christmas, but I'm stressing a bit over here. I'm also lagging behind in my reading. If I hope to reach my goal of reading 200 books by the end of the year, I better hurry it up. I'm at 180 right now. I'm almost finished with my main read, but that still leaves 19 to go. We'll see how I do.
Seasonal reading lists are my favorite, so I'm loving today's TTT topic: Top Ten Books On My Winter 2022-2023 TBR List. In fact, I started my list last week with this post listing 12 of the 25 I planned to read to complete my goal. Since then, I have read three of them and DNF'd one. Today, I'm going to give you 13 more that I'm hoping to read in the next few weeks.
I'd love to see what's on your Winter TBR list. If you want to join in the TTT fun (and you do!), click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the deets.
Top Twenty-Five Books I'm Going to Read to Meet My 2022 Reading Goal, Part Two
1. How to Fake An Irish Wake by Eliza Watson—This is my current paper read. It's a fun cozy mystery set in Ireland and featuring a genealogical mystery: the search for a man's biological father in a small Irish town. I've only got about 50 pages to go and I'm not sure "whodunit" yet.
2. The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell—I started this mystery on audio yesterday. It concerns the mysterious disappearance of two teenage parents from a party at a house called Dark Place. Two years later, a mystery novelist moves into a cottage near the now abandoned home and gets embroiled in the cold case. I'm enjoying the read so far.
3. The Gods of Green County by Mary Elizabeth Pope—I mentioned this novel in a TTT list a couple weeks ago. I need to read a book set in Arkansas for a reading challenge and this one sounds intriguing. It's about a woman who's taking on the powers that be in her small town to find out what really caused her brother's suspicious death. Neither of my local libraries had a copy of the book, so I went ahead and bought it. I'm planning to read it this week.
4. All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes—Bethany House sent me a copy of this book to review. It's gotten great buzz, so I'm excited. It's set in Venice and concerns an abandoned baby who is found floating in the canals. Decades later, a translator may be the one who solves the mystery of the child's true origin.
5. The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes—I've enjoyed this YA Knives Out-like series. This is the last book in the series and I'm excited to see how the story ends.
6. Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan—Ever since it came out last year, I've been wanting to read this story about a woman whose dying brother's wish is to know the truth about Narnia. When his sister timidly approaches C.S. Lewis, she has no idea that their encounters will change all of their lives. Sounds like a heartwarming holiday read!
7. Willis Wilbur Wows the World by Lindsey Leavitt—Leavitt's books are always fun. I'm sure this one will be no exception. It's about an enterprising 9-year-old who decides his life's true calling is to become the neighborhood life coach. Hilarity ensues.
8. The Ghost of Wyvern Lake by Sheila A. Nielson—This is a Halloween story, not a Christmas one, but it sounds fun so I'm going for it. When the fish in Wyvern Lake start dying of a mysterious illness, the owner drains the water hole only to uncover an old church with a very angry ghost inside. It's up to a group of young ghost hunters to free their town of a malevolent entity.
9. Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister—I'm intrigued by this book's premise. It's about a mother who is shocked and devastated when she witnesses her 17-year-old son killing a stranger. The next morning, she's stunned all over again when she discovers that it's not tomorrow but yesterday. Time is moving backwards, a miraculous gift she's been given to save her boy from committing a horrendous act.
10. Cece Rios and the King of Fears by Kaela Rivera—The second book in a MG series based on Mexican folklore, this one features a young bruja who must take on a powerful criatura in order to save her sister's soul.
11. Things We Didn't Say by Amy Lynn Green—I enjoyed the one book I've read by Green and I'm really looking forward to her newest, which just came out. This one is actually her 2020 debut. It concerns a young woman who is studying linguistics at the University of Minnesota. When she's asked by the Army to serve as a translater at a nearby German POW camp, she does it only reluctantly. Her service there, as well as her growing compassion for the prisoners, makes her an enemy in the surrounding town. When she finds herself falling for one of the inmates, she must question her own traitorous heart.
12. The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope—This historical fantasy sounds fun. It's about a woman who can commune with spirits and the debt she owes to a powerful entity. In order to free herself from its clutches, she must perform a daring heist that will no doubt lead her into all kinds of trouble.
13. Death Al Dente by Leslie Budewitz—I still need to read a book set in Montana and this cozy mystery sounds fun. It concerns a woman who turns her family's 100-year-old general store into a boutique selling local delicacies. When a former employee turns up dead, she has to channel her inner Nancy Drew to save herself and her store from suspicion.
There you go, thirteen books I'm planning to read before the year ends. Have you read any of them? What's on your Winter TBR list? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Top Ten Tuesday: The Haunting of My TBR
I'm a little late to the party today, but I didn't want to miss out on TTT. These weekly lists are pretty much all I've been managing to post lately, so...yeah. Today's official topic is Top Ten Typographic Book Covers. I'm not feeling that one; instead, I'm going to go with something more seasonal. Spooky books always appeal to me, but they're even more alluring the closer we get to Halloween. I can't handle anything too gory or horror-y these days as I'm becoming a right wimp in my old age. However, I still enjoy an atmospheric Gothic tale or a shivery ghost story, the kind that are spine-tingling without being nightmare-inducing. My favorite trope by far is the haunted house. Give me a broody old pile with a mysterious past, secrets swirling through the corridors, and plenty of ghosts in the closets (real and/or metaphorical) and I'm a happy reader. The authors I prefer in this genre are: Eve Chase, Carol Goodman, Simone St. James, Riley Sager, Jennifer McMahon, etc. If you've got any suggestions for readalike authors, let me know. In the meantime, I'll share my list of the Top Ten Haunted House Books On My TBR List.
First, though, be sure to click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl and give TTT's fearless hostess some love. Then, make your own list and enjoy a fun evening of blog hopping. It's a good time, I promise!
Top Ten Haunted House Books On My TBR List
-in no particular order-
1. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson—For some reason, I still haven't read this classic haunted house novel. It's about four people who gather at a notoriously spook-infested old mansion. Strange happenings occur.
2. Girls of Brackenhill by Kate Moretti—When human remains are discovered at Hannah Maloney's ancestral castle in the Catskills, she's convinced they're the bones of her sister, who disappeared seventeen years ago. Obsessed with figuring out what really happened all those years ago, Hannah uncovers disturbing secrets from the past.
3. The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell—Two years ago, a young woman left her baby with her mother and headed to a party at a house in the woods. She never returned. In the present, Sophie is strolling through the forest near the boarding school where her boyfriend has just accepted a position. She sees a note that says, "Dig here." Sounds like an intriguing premise...
4. What Lives in the Woods by Lindsay Currie—This is a children's book—how creepy can it possibly be? Probably enough to scare me silly! The story is set in a decrepit old mansion deep in the Michigan woods called Woodmoor Manor. Rumors in the town say it was once the home of a mad scientist whose disturbing experiments roam through the trees, always watching.
5. The Good House by Tananarive Due—Trying to put her life back together after her son's suicide, Angela Toussaint returns to her ancestral home, the place where her boy took his own life. What she finds is a sentient evil that's causing residents of her town to act out in violence. Is it the same entity her grandmother battled long ago? Just what is it that lurks in her home—and in her family history?
6. Death Overdue by Allison Brook—The first installment in a series, this cozy mystery features a haunted library in Connecticut. When a retired homicide detective who claims to know the murderer of a beloved library aide is killed, the library's new event planner vows to find his killer.
7. Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas—Located deep in the forests of Pennsylvania, Catherine House is an elite, unconventional school that has educated some of the most brilliant minds in America. School policy demands that students leave their outside lives behind and devote three years of their lives to an intense education. Ines is finding herself inside the strange institution when tragedy strikes, making her question everything that's happening at Catherine House.
8. The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen—In an attempt to outrun her past and finish the cookbook she's writing, Ava Collette retreats to an old pile on the coast of Maine. Her peaceful reverie is broken when she starts hearing strange noises in the night. When an apparition appears to her, Ava begins looking into the disappearance of the house's previous renter. Something sinister is going on and Ava intends to get to the bottom of it.
9. The Winter Guest by W.C. Ryan—Once a grand Irish mansion, Kilcolgan House is now a crumbling pile filled with broken people and whispering ghosts. When Lord Kilcolgan's oldest daughter is killed, an IRA intelligence officer comes to the home to investigate. As he digs into the secrets of Kilcolgan House, he uncovers secrets galore. Can he use them to find the murderer?
10. The Haunting of Ashburn House by Darcy Coates—Coates has several books that fit this genre, but this one sounds especially good to me. Plus, I like the symmetry of ending my list with a title similar to the one I began it with. The plot concerns a woman who inherits a creepy old house after the owner, a mysterious recluse, dies. With ominous messages scrawled on the wallpaper, a hidden grave in the backyard, and portraits that seem to watch her every move, the new occupant is understandably unnerved. As she digs into the house's sinister past, she begins to believe every terrifying rumor she's ever heard about the place...
There you go, ten haunted house novels that should make for excellent, eerie Halloween reading. Have you read any of them? What did you think? Can you think of any similar books I might like? I love recs! What books did you feature on your TTT list today? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Top Ten Tuesday: 2020 Book Releases Still to Come, Part Two
Before we get to my favorite weekly meme, I want to share some great news! For the second year in a row, I have been selected to be a judge for round one of the Cybils Awards. This go round, I'll be on the panel for middle grade fiction, which is absolutely thrilling for me. Haven't heard of the Cybils? It's an annual literary awards program created by bloggers that recognizes children's literature based on both literary merit and popular appeal. Public nominations will run from October 1-15, so if you've read an awesome book for young readers this year that was published in the U.S. or Canada between October 16, 2019 and October 15, 2020, you can nominate it for a Cybils Award! Authors, illustrators, publishers, etc. can even nominate their own books, although they have their own nomination period. Check out the Cybils Awards website for more info.
I don't know about you, but my favorite Top Ten Tuesday prompts are those to do with seasonal reading lists. It's always fun to see what other bloggers are planning to read, which titles they're excited about, and what's up-and-coming in their review queues. I'm going to twist the topic a little bit today (shocker!) to continue chatting about 2020 book releases that are still to come. If you missed Part One, shame on you! Just kidding—you can check out last week's list here. Part Two is another mix of forthcoming novels from various genres that I'm looking forward to reading soon-ish.
As always, if you want to join in the TTT fun (and you do), click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl, where our host, Jana, can give you all the deets on this weekly meme. Lots of bloggers join in, so it's a great way to spread the love across the book blogosphere by finding new blogs, visiting old faves, and, of course, grabbing some great reading recommendations for your TBR pile mountain mountain chain.
Top Ten Novels Coming Out in Fall 2020, Part Two
1. Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell (available October 13, 2020)—I generally enjoy Jewell's books and her newest domestic thriller, about a neighborhood in crisis after the mysterious disappearance of a young woman, sounds intriguing.
2. You Know I'm No Good by Jessie Ann Foley (available October 13, 2020)—Foley's Sorry For Your Loss was one of my favorite reads of 2019. Her newest sounds equally as compelling. It concerns a 17-year-old girl who starts acting out in response to a scarring trauma. When she's whisked away in the middle of the night to a boarding school that's supposed to straighten her out, she'll have to confront her demons in order to change her life for the better. Although the plot sounds a little generic, I'm excited to see what Foley makes of it.
3. Daughters of Jubilation by Kara Lee Corthron (available October 13, 2020)—I'm not always a fan of books about magic and special powers, but this one, set in the Jim Crow South, appeals. It's about a Black teen with a boatload of real-life troubles who's also grappling with the maturation of her magic abilities, which have been passed down through generations of Black women since the days of slavery. Sounds compelling.
4. The Mermaid from Jeju by Sumi Hahn (available December 8, 2020)—I first heard about the deep sea divers of Jeju, South Korea, from Lisa See's sweeping novel, The Island of Sea Women. I'm definitely up for reading more and this debut sounds like one I'll like.
5. The Key to Fear by Kristin Cast (available October 13, 2020)—The Key Corporation protects everyone from a rampant virus that spreads through touch. When an infected patient escapes during the watch of a young nurse, she breaks the corporation's strict rules to go after him. The patient, of course, knows secrets about the Key Corporation that could shatter its control over the population; naturally, he—and now his nurse—find themselves in the crosshairs of the most powerful organization in the world. Can they save themselves from a ruthless enemy? How about the world? Yeah, yeah, I know this is the plot of like every YA dystopian novel ever, but still ...
6. The Green Lace Corset by Jill G. Hall (available October 13, 2020)—This dual-timeline novel concerns two women living in San Francisco 135 years apart, connected by the titular garment.
7. Daughter of Black Lake by Cathy Marie Buchanan (available October 6, 2020)—When it comes to historical novels, I usually don't read anything set before the American Revolution, so this one, set in "a time long forgotten" may be a little outside my reading comfort zone. Still, the story, which concerns a tight-knit community and the way it changes irrevocably after it's invaded by outsiders, sounds interesting. I'm not sure why this one appeals to me, but it does.
8. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (available September 29, 2020)—Between life and death, there lies a great library filled with numberless books, all containing a story you can potentially live. Given the opportunity to jump into another life (or two or three), would you? This premise fascinates me!
9. Elsewhere by Dean Koontz (available October 6, 2020)—A father and daughter are unexpectedly handed a strange object by an eccentric acquaintance. Shockingly, it allows them to access parallel universes. A powerful stranger wants the object for nefarious purposes—our dynamic duo just wants to find their dead wife and mother.
10. Closer to Nowhere by Ellen Hopkins (available October 6, 2020)—Hopkins' first MG novel is a contemporary story in verse about a girl whose life is upended when her strange cousin moves in with her family. Hopkins' YA novels are raw and hard-hitting; I'm interested to see how this one compares.
There you go, ten more novels to look forward to in this latter part of 2020. Which 2020 releases are you looking forward to? Which have you already enjoyed? What titles are on your Fall TBR list? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I'll return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Monday, December 23, 2019
Disturbing and Depressing, New Psychological Thriller Also Engrossing and Enthralling
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Twenty-five years ago, police were called to London's posh Chelsea neighborhood to investigate suspicious circumstances at 16 Cheyne Walk. Inside, they were shocked to find three dead bodies, killed in an apparent suicide pact. The four children reported to live in the mansion were missing. Upstairs, a cooing 10-month-old lay peacefully in her crib. What happened to the home's owners, socialite Martina Lamb and her husband? Why did they kill themselves? Where are the children? And why was the baby left behind? With more questions than answers, the authorities have no idea what to think of the strange incident.
In the present, Libby Jones, a young woman who lives in a tiny flat in St. Albans and works at a kitchen design company, turns 25. Adopted as a baby, she's always wondered who she really is. When she receives a mysterious letter, Libby is stunned when she finally receives the answer. Not only does she discover she's the baby left behind at 16 Cheyne Walk all those years ago, but she also learns she's inherited the residence, which is worth millions. Taking ownership won't be easy, however, as Libby's not the only one who believes the mansion should be theirs. As she tries to sort out all the intricacies of who she really is, exactly what she's inherited, and what actually happened on that fateful night 25 years ago, Libby will get shocking answers that will forever change her.
The Family Upstairs, the newest psychological/domestic thriller from Lisa Jewell, tells a compelling, can't-look-away story about secrets from the past coming to horrifying light in the present. The novel is peopled with complex, intriguing characters. Its plot twists and turns, painting an increasingly disturbing picture of a family in crisis. Dark and distressing, The Family Upstairs isn't a light or happy read, but it's so engrossing that it's almost impossible to put down. I sped through its pages, desperate to know what was going to happen next. Although I didn't absolutely love the book, it definitely held me spellbound. I liked it, though, depressing as it is. Not all thrillers thrill me anymore, but this one kept me on the edge. If you're into this sort of thing, give it a go.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language, violence, sexual content, depictions of illegal drug use, and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of The Family Upstairs from the generous folks at Simon & Schuster via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Top Ten Tuesday: FALLing for New Books
A lot of fun Top Ten Tuesday topics come up during any given year, but my hands-down favorites are the seasonal reading prompts. It's always fun to think about what I want to read in the upcoming months and it's even more enjoyable to see what books other bloggers are excited about. The more the merrier, guys, so why don't you join in the fun? All you have to do is click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl, read a few guidelines, make your own list, and then sit back and enjoy wandering around the book blogosphere checking out other people's posts. Warning: keep Goodreads open because you'll be adding a lot of great-sounding reads to your "I Need to Read it NOW" list.
I'm thrilled to have been selected as a YA fiction judge for the first round of The Cybils Awards. I've never done this before, so I'm not exactly sure what it entails besides reading a lot of teen novels! I assume that's what I'll be doing for most of the Fall, but since nominations don't open until November 1st, I don't have any specific titles to share. In the meantime, then, here are the Top Ten Books on My Fall TBR List:
YA/Middle Grade
1. The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys (coming October 1, 2019)—I love Sepetys' historical fiction, so I've been eagerly waiting for this one to come out. It's a love story set in Madrid after the country's Civil War. I can't wait!
2. Slay by Brittney Morris (out today, September 24, 2019)—When a conflict inside the Black Panther-inspired video game she secretly designed causes the death of a player, 17-year-old Kiera Johnson is thrust into a real-life battle that threatens the safe world she thought she had created for herself and other Black gamers. Billed as Ready Player One meets The Hate U Give, this YA novel sounds intriguing and timely.
3. The World Ends in April by Stacy McAnulty (out now)—As the granddaughter of a doomsday prepper, Eleanor knows she will survive the apocalypse just fine. But what about her BFF, Mack? Before she knows what's happening, Eleanor has become the president of an End of the World club at her school. No matter what happens with the approaching apocalypse, her life is definitely changing. This MG offering sounds fun. Count me in, for sure!
4. Color Me In by Natasha Diaz (out now)—I've always been intrigued by stories about struggles with racial identity, even before my husband and I adopted our bi-racial daughter ten years ago. Now I'm especially drawn to them and this YA novel, about a bi-racial teen finding her way around her Black and Jewish roots, sounds exceptional.
5. The Grey Sisters by Jo Treggiari (out today, September 24, 2019)—A trio of friends head to the mountains to visit the site of the plane crash that took their siblings' lives in order to find closure. While they search for answers, they meet a mountain dweller searching for help. Their meeting will change all of their lives. I love a good survival tale; The Grey Sisters sounds like that and more.
Adult
6. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes (out October 8, 2019)—This historical novel, about an Englishwoman living in small-town Kentucky during the Depression who decides to become a book deliverer for Eleanor Roosevelt's traveling library campaign, sounds compelling.
7. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (out today, September 24, 2019)—This sweeping rags-to-riches family drama sounds like one I will really enjoy.
Of course, I can't make a TTT list without including a few mystery/thrillers:
8. The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell (out November 5, 2019)—On the day she turns 25, Libby Jones finds out not just who her biological parents are, but also that she has inherited their posh home in London. She soon discovers that the house has a dark, haunting history ... I love a ghostly story, especially around Halloween time. This one sounds like it will fit the bill perfectly!
9. One Night Gone by Tara Laskowski (out October 1, 2019)—When a woman is offered a house-sitting gig at a luxurious beach home, she jumps at the chance. The more she learns about a 30-year-old mystery connected to the home, the more intrigued she becomes ... Another creepy house story - yaaassss! I want them all!
10. Before the Devil Fell by Neil Olson (out October 8, 2019)—This is another novel that sounds like a great spine-tingling Halloween read. It concerns a man who returns to the hometown he fled in the wake of disturbing rumors about his mother and her "coven." His assumption that his mother's interest in witchcraft was just a passing hippie phase is dissolved as he finds disturbing clues in his family history that hint at a much lengthier association with New England witchcraft.
There you have it, ten books I'm looking forward to reading this Fall. How about you? What's on your list? I'd truly love to know. Leave a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on yours.
Happy TTT!
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