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1003 reviews
This Cursed House by Del Sandeen
3.0
Author: Del Sandeen
Started: September 5, 2024
Finished: September 6, 2024
Format: Digital
Genre: Gothic Horror
Jemma Baker leavers her life in Chicago for a mysterious job in New Orleans. When she arrives at the Douchon estate, she realizes that not all is as it seems. After some time with the family, they make her aware that they are cursed and they believe she is the only one who can break it as it was her mother who cursed them. As family secrets are revealed, Jemma must figure out how to break the curse before someone else dies.
I forgot how slow gothic horror could be. Despite taking place in 1962, this follows the path of a decent southern gothic story. This beginning is slow to build which almost made me stop reading but a bit over the 55% mark is where the action starts. The ending lagged for me and just when I thought it would end, there was still 30% to get through. I don't read many books about cursed families so this was something new. This will definitely be a hit for people who like a slower horror story. This would be a perfect fit for an Aardvark Book Club pick for October.
Started: September 5, 2024
Finished: September 6, 2024
Format: Digital
Genre: Gothic Horror
Jemma Baker leavers her life in Chicago for a mysterious job in New Orleans. When she arrives at the Douchon estate, she realizes that not all is as it seems. After some time with the family, they make her aware that they are cursed and they believe she is the only one who can break it as it was her mother who cursed them. As family secrets are revealed, Jemma must figure out how to break the curse before someone else dies.
I forgot how slow gothic horror could be. Despite taking place in 1962, this follows the path of a decent southern gothic story. This beginning is slow to build which almost made me stop reading but a bit over the 55% mark is where the action starts. The ending lagged for me and just when I thought it would end, there was still 30% to get through. I don't read many books about cursed families so this was something new. This will definitely be a hit for people who like a slower horror story. This would be a perfect fit for an Aardvark Book Club pick for October.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Racism
Moderate: Incest, Infertility, Mental illness, Gaslighting
Minor: Self harm, Slavery, Suicide attempt
The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Untold Stories of the Women Who Changed the Course of World War II by Mari Eder
5.0
Author: Maj. Gen. Mari K. Eder (Ret)
Narrator: Bernadette Dun
Started: September 5, 2024
Finished: September 5, 2024
Format: Audio
Genre: Non-Fiction
This stories of fifteen mostly unknown women who stepped up when we needed them most. The men of the Greatest Generation are often discussed but the women are left in the shadows. This book runs the gamut from Liane B. Russel, who discovered the effects of radiation on embryos to Gena Turgel, a prisoner at Bergen-Belsen who cared for Anne Frank in her last days.
Women's roles in history are often forgotten and Maj. Gen. Eder decided it was time the world knew their stories. This book was well-written, well-researched, and well-narrated. Some so many women played important roles during the 1940s and 1950s that history books never mentioned. I loved each woman's story and found myself researching them to learn more. This is a must-read for any history buff.
The Demon Next Door by Bryan Burrough
3.0
Author: Bryan Burrough
Started: September 3, 2024
Finished: September 3, 2024
Format: Audio
Genre: True Crime
Danny Corwin grew up in Temple, Texas but was not like the others who lived there - Danny was a serial killer. The town refused to see the signs of who Danny really was and it ended up costing the lived of three women. Even today, twenty-six years after his execution, no one talks about Danny or how the Texas justice system let down his victims.
This was not a well-done book. I don't know if the author had a hard time fitting the story into a three hour time limit or if this is just his writing style. The narrator's tone was too excited for the kind of story he was telling and bordered on inappropriate at times. Normally, in a true crime story, we have some idea of why the murderer did what he did but that doesn't happen here - the author doesn't even offer an opinion as to why. The writing and storytelling were disjoined making the story hard to swallow.
The Next Ship Home: A Novel of Ellis Island by Heather Webb
4.0
Author: Heather Webb
Started: August 31, 2024
Finished: September 1, 2024
Format: Print
Genre: Historical Fiction
In 1902, Francesca arrives at Ellis Island with her sister, while elsewhere on the island, Alma starts her first day at work on the island. The women's lives become intricately intertwined when Alma goes out of her way to ensure Francesca gets into America after the death of her sister.
I am slowly dipping my toes back into historical fiction after burning out on it. This was a well-told story that explains a dark part of history that not many know of. Francesca and Alma were great characters who embodied the strength women needed back then. Their friendship in this story is heartwarming and should be an integral part of any story.
What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan
5.0
Author: Dervla McTiernan
Narrator: Full Cast
Started: August 28, 2024
Finished: August 29, 2024
Format: Audio
Genre: Thriller
Nina & Simon are on vacation when something happens, and Nina breaks up with him. When Simon returns home, he tells everyone that they had broken up and he came home but Nina was going to have someone pick her up the next day. Nina's parents file a missing person's report and an investigation ensues, and Simon's story is repeatedly questioned. When the truth is revealed, it will shock everyone.
I really enjoyed this novel. First, it should be noted that the plot was influenced by the Gabby Petito case although Simon's personality reminds me of the Natalie Hollway case. You will recognize the story within the first few pages. That being said, the story does find its own plot further into the book. The despair the family feels is palpable and their anger and fear show in every word. This story kept me interested from beginning to end. This is one I will be thinking about for some time.
Narrator: Full Cast
Started: August 28, 2024
Finished: August 29, 2024
Format: Audio
Genre: Thriller
Nina & Simon are on vacation when something happens, and Nina breaks up with him. When Simon returns home, he tells everyone that they had broken up and he came home but Nina was going to have someone pick her up the next day. Nina's parents file a missing person's report and an investigation ensues, and Simon's story is repeatedly questioned. When the truth is revealed, it will shock everyone.
I really enjoyed this novel. First, it should be noted that the plot was influenced by the Gabby Petito case although Simon's personality reminds me of the Natalie Hollway case. You will recognize the story within the first few pages. That being said, the story does find its own plot further into the book. The despair the family feels is palpable and their anger and fear show in every word. This story kept me interested from beginning to end. This is one I will be thinking about for some time.
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse
Clown in a Cornfield 3: The Church of Frendo by Adam Cesare
3.0
Author: Adam Cesare
Narrator: Jesse Vilinsky
Started: August 26, 2024
Finished: August 27, 2024
Format: Audio
Genre: Young Adult Horror
Quinn has been traveling the East Coast with a hit list - she needs to kill the people who killed her friends. Her travels lead her to Pennsylvania and the newly reincorporated Kettle Springs where a pastor obsessed with Arthur Hill, his friends, and Frendo presides. The pastor takes a quiet group of religious people and turns them into a clown-worshipping cult. Quinn must take care of this group before it's too late.
The last of this series fell a bit short for me. Quinn didn't seem the vigilante killer type but, somehow that's what Cesare has made her into. Also, I'm not sure how someone bent on revenge would pick up a boyfriend amid her killing spree. The cult angle was interesting but made the members seem simple. I'm not sure a God-fearing group of people would be so easily swayed by an obvious blasphemer - and to worship a clown at that. I feel the last book in the trilogy could have been a bit stronger and it left me a bit flat.
Narrator: Jesse Vilinsky
Started: August 26, 2024
Finished: August 27, 2024
Format: Audio
Genre: Young Adult Horror
Quinn has been traveling the East Coast with a hit list - she needs to kill the people who killed her friends. Her travels lead her to Pennsylvania and the newly reincorporated Kettle Springs where a pastor obsessed with Arthur Hill, his friends, and Frendo presides. The pastor takes a quiet group of religious people and turns them into a clown-worshipping cult. Quinn must take care of this group before it's too late.
The last of this series fell a bit short for me. Quinn didn't seem the vigilante killer type but, somehow that's what Cesare has made her into. Also, I'm not sure how someone bent on revenge would pick up a boyfriend amid her killing spree. The cult angle was interesting but made the members seem simple. I'm not sure a God-fearing group of people would be so easily swayed by an obvious blasphemer - and to worship a clown at that. I feel the last book in the trilogy could have been a bit stronger and it left me a bit flat.
The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman
5.0
Author: Lynda Cohen Loigman
Started: August 22, 2024
Finished: August 23, 2024
Format: Digital
Genre: Historical Fiction
Augusta Stern is eighty and freshly (although against her will) retired. She has moved to Rallentando Spring, a senior living facility, in Florida. There she runs into another retiree, Irving Rivkin, the man who broke her heart sixty years ago. As she learns to be around him again, she looks back on her life as a pharmacist's daughter, the niece of a healer, and the love and ultimate heartbreak she suffered with Irving. Facing the hurt, Augusta must learn to forgive but can she forget?
I love the way Lynda Cohen Loigman writes. She tells heartwarming stories of love and forgiveness. August and Irving are characters you can't help but love and root for throughout the story. This is told in a dual timeline between Augusta's past and present. We learn what Augusta has been through, her love for Irving, and her sadness at the death of her Aunt Esther, the neighborhood healer. The story makes you smile and laugh and at the end, you will be so happy that you read it.
Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman
4.0
Author: Josh Malerman
Narrator: Delanie Nicole Gill
Started: August 21, 2024
Finished: August, 21, 2024
Format: Audio
Genre: Horror
Eight-year-old Bela has always had a consistent family life, she has Mommy, Daddo, Grandma Ruth, oh and she has Other Mommy - the malevolent entity that lives in her closet, keeps telling her about "carnation", and keeps asking Bela if she can go inside her heart. When Other Mommy gets tired of hearing no, she is determined to what she wants at any cost.
When I tried to pick up this book in print and saw the formatting, I knew that medium wasn't going to work for me. The audio was very well done and the narrator was fantastic. There was just the right amount of creepiness for me. Other Mommy was a fantastic character who had a lot of depth for an evil entity. Mommy was a character I wanted to kick; she was very self-involved. The book was a tad too long for me; I just felt like the story could have been wrapped up a few chapters sooner. I definitely understand the hype surrounding this book.
The Examiner by Janice Hallett
3.0
Author: Janice Hallett
Started: August 17, 2024
Finished: August 20, 2024
Format: Digital
Genre: Mystery
Gela Nathanial is creating a new multimedia course at a local university and has found six perfect students. The students have six assignments and one final project to get through. Slowly, class members stop showing up to class or provide a myriad of reasons why they can't be there. At the final showing of the project, everything comes to a head.
Having read another Janice Hallett novel, I had high expectations but I did not enjoy this one as much. I found this to be far too slow a mystery to have me turning pages. I did not feel that by stepping away from the book to do other things, I was missing anything. All of the characters bothered me as they were full of themselves and had many annoying qualities. I'm hoping I enjoy other novels by this author more.
Beaches by Iris Rainer Dart
3.0
Cee Cee Bloom, a child entertainer, meets Bertie White, a quiet child, on the beach in Atlantic City. The girls become pen pals and form a life-long friendship. Told through key moments in their lives, the ebb and flow of their relationship shows. Their most important moment together happens far too soon for anyone's comfort.
I loved the movie this book was based on and hoped for similar emotions. Sadly, this was a case of the movie being better than the book, The girls' friendship was endearing and it was interesting to see how their friendship remains despite the issues they encountered. It was wonderful to read about the strength a female friendship has to endure.