Recent Reads

Legend by Marie Lu

Synopsis - What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors.
Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles.
Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect.
Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Thoughts - Okay, so let's start with the worst. If you remember, D read this one for his English assignment. In order to bond while reading we decided both of us would read it together. Which meant I had to force myself to finish it even when it was so predictable and just not good. It has great reviews on GR so it could just be me but I felt it was just a cheap knock off of all the other dystopian books out there. Sorry Marie Lu! 

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

Synopsis - What was it like? Living in that house.
Maggie Holt is used to such questions. Twenty-five years ago, she and her parents, Ewan and Jess, moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. They spent three weeks there before fleeing in the dead of night, an ordeal Ewan later recounted in a nonfiction book called House of Horrors. His tale of ghostly happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon, rivaling The Amityville Horror in popularity—and skepticism.
Today, Maggie is a restorer of old homes and too young to remember any of the events mentioned in her father’s book. But she also doesn’t believe a word of it. Ghosts, after all, don’t exist. When Maggie inherits Baneberry Hall after her father’s death, she returns to renovate the place to prepare it for sale. But her homecoming is anything but warm. People from the past, chronicled in House of Horrors, lurk in the shadows. And locals aren’t thrilled that their small town has been made infamous thanks to Maggie’s father. Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself—a place filled with relics from another era that hint at a history of dark deeds. As Maggie experiences strange occurrences straight out of her father’s book, she starts to believe that what he wrote was more fact than fiction.

Thoughts - This was my second Riley Sager book of the year. I'd say both were good. I may have liked this one a smidge better than The Last Time I Lied. I didn't see the twist in the end coming which is always a plus. It just didn't blow my socks off, which, of course every book can not do. It was a solid creepy thriller. But I may take a Riley Sager break for now.

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

Synopsis - For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger.
On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling—not after her own dreams were tragically cut short—and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her.
As Sewanee begins work on the book, resurrecting her old romance pseudonym, she and Brock forge a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity. Soon, she is dreaming again, but secrets are revealed, and the realities of life come crashing down around her once more.
If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers.

Thoughts - I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator is the author herself who unbeknownst to me, Julia Whelan is considered the Meryl Streep of audiobooks! This book was really good. As a new audiobook enthusiast I had no idea the amount of work that went to creating a perfectly narrated book. I connected with the characters.. I loved the banter between the two MC's and it was all just really well done. 

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

Synopsis - Reclusive Sally Diamond causes outrage by trying to incinerate her dead father. Now she’s the center of attention, not only from the hungry media and police detectives, but also a sinister voice from a past she does not remember. As she begins to discover the horrors of her early childhood, Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends, big decisions, and learning that people don’t always mean what they say.
But who is the man observing Sally from the other side of the world, and why does he call her Mary? And why does her new neighbor seem to be obsessed with her? Sally’s trust issues are about to be severely challenged…

Thoughts - Wow.. just wow! When I started this book.. the first few chapters in I had a feeling this was going to be another Eleanor Oliphant, And while I had enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant I am kind of over the trope. But this was not that. This was so much more than that.. This is not a light read. This deals with mental health, abusive relationships and many other horrific things that I can not mention without giving away the plot. But don't be afraid. If you are okay with reading more difficult subject matter then you must read this.. you will not regret it. 

Inheritance by Nora Roberts

Synopsis - 1806: Astrid Poole sits in her bridal clothes, overwhelmed with happiness. But before her marriage can be consummated, she is murdered, and the circle of gold torn from her finger. Her last words are a promise to Collin never to leave him…
Graphic designer Sonya MacTavish is stunned to learn that her late father had a twin he never knew about―and that her newly discovered uncle, Collin Poole, has left her almost everything he owned, including a majestic Victorian house on the Maine coast, which the will stipulates she must live in it for at least three years. Her engagement recently broken, she sets off to find out why the boys were separated at birth―and why it was all kept secret until a genealogy website brought it to light.
Trey, the young lawyer who greets her at the sprawling clifftop manor, notes Sonya’s unease―and acknowledges that yes, the place is haunted…but just a little. Sure enough, Sonya finds objects moved and music playing out of nowhere. She sees a painting by her father inexplicably hanging in her deceased uncle’s office, and a portrait of a woman named Astrid, whom the lawyer refers to as “the first lost bride.” It’s becoming clear that Sonya has inherited far more than a house. She has inherited a centuries-old curse, and a puzzle to be solved if there is any hope of breaking it…

Thoughts - I cannot believe I started another Nora Robert series. Usually I would see the name Nora Roberts and turn the other way but I am happy I overcame my judgyness and picked up her books. This was also my second haunted house book of the year and I hoped I wasn't over doing it. This was another incredible book. Incredible. Very different and more fun vibe than the Riley Sager one. I loved all the characters.. living and otherwise. Strong female characters, loveable men.. cute dogs. I highly recommend it. The only downside.. it's a trilogy and part two isn't out till November. 

The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd Robinson

Synopsis - Cornwall, 1730: A young girl known only as Red travels with her father making a living predicting fortunes using the ancient Cornish method of the Square of Sevens. Shortly before he dies, her father entrusts Red’s care to a gentleman scholar, along with a document containing the secret of the Square of Sevens technique.
Raised as a lady amidst the Georgian splendor of Bath, Red’s fortune-telling delights in high society. But she cannot ignore the questions that gnaw at her soul: who was her mother? How did she die? And who are the mysterious enemies her father was always terrified would find him?
The pursuit of these mysteries takes her from Cornwall and Bath to London and Devon, from the rough ribaldry of the Bartholomew Fair to the grand houses of two of the most powerful families in England. And while Red’s quest brings her the possibility of great reward, it also leads to grave danger.

Thoughts - More wow.. wow wow wow. This is my second Laura Shepherd Robinson book of the year. This one I had sitting on my bookshelf for over a year. It really didn't look all that riveting. I must stop judging books by their cover. I liked it a lot more than Daughters of the Night which was also pretty good. The story spanned over two decades and I was riveted by Red's story, her struggles.. I couldn't figure out how the story would end. How would Red get a happy ending without corrupting her own soul? It was quite a tale.. and I did not see that ending coming. So many fantastic twists and turns. The only problem was that it was almost 600 pages long... I understand the length was needed to tell the story well and without rushing.. but it was still quite long. 

Have you read any of these? 

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