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Book Review : Catherine House

Catherine House – – Elisabeth Thomas

Honestly, I have no idea how I feel about this book. I think I was expecting one thing, and it turned out to be something completely different, but I am not mad about it.

The writing is not particularly ground breaking. It’s fine. Easy to read and not confusing. But overall, I am not really sure what was going on and what exactly happened. There was a theme that stayed throughout the book of heavy drinking (even during classes) and sex and all nighters and things that happen in college, but here were 10xs worse, or more involved. I thought that was going to play out with the outcome of the story but it didn’t. Which confused me on why it was there so heavily in the first place.

I originally thought this was a dark academia novel. And it was, for most of it. But then it started dipping into the Sci-Fi genre and stayed there until the end of the book. Which again, I don’t hate it.

I found the characters to be one dimensional with no growth. They all seemed to mesh together, which could just be how they were suppose to be because they are in this school that is very weird and pretty much drains everything out of the students. I didn’t hate the main character Ines. I think she could have been developed a little bit more. She had the start of an interesting background but that story never really took off. And I think it could have explained her actions and her character a lot more with just a bit more depth.

This is from a debut author, and even though I think you can tell that, I don’t think this book was bad. It had the makings to be really good. I just think it fell flat in parts.

My review is all over the place, but so are my feelings with this book. I found myself wanting to pick the book up and when I did, it would take nothing to read 100 pages in no time. I finished the last 100 pages before bed last night. I think my biggest issue with the book is I am just not sure what it is suppose to be about and what is it really. This may be a book I come back to in the future. I will also most definitely read from this author again. There is something there that caught my attention and I want to see where it goes and what else she has to offer.

3.5 Stars

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Weekend Reads : 8/15/2020

It is finally my weekend!

I am so ready to dive in to some books the next two days. My boyfriend is helping a friend move and it looks to be rainy so the couch is where I will be. Here is what I have in store for the next few days.

The Most Fun We Ever Had – Claire Lombardo

I am very much looking forward to reading this and I think I am going to enjoy it. I love long, lengthy deep dives into family drama and this looks to have that. At over 500 pages and a family of 4 sibling girls, I think this going to be right up my alley. I originally had heard about this book from the Book Riot podcast and it immediately caught my attention and I knew I needed to read it. The time has come and I am here for it.

The Splendid and the Vile – Erik Larson

This is my slow but steady book. I have this marked out to finish so many chapters a week, taking me about 2 months to read this. I love all things history and love reading both fiction and non-fiction historical books. This follows Winston Churchill in his first year as Prime Minister. It is a dense book, but interesting so far. This is a book that I can only read a chapter or two a night before I feel weighed down by it. I am a little behind on my own schedule with this, and hope to finish up the 6 chapters I have left for this weeks section.

I am still not feeling like listening to an audiobook right now which is a bummer because I was so in to them only a few months ago. I think once I get caught up on The Currently Reading podcast, I’ll feel like picking up an audiobook again.

What do you have planned for this weekend? Enjoying some reading or spending it outdoors for these last weeks of summer? Let’s chat in the comments!

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audiobooks book blog

Audiobooks to Check Out

Last week I did a post detailing how I got into audiobooks. This week, I want to share with you some of my favorite audiobooks I have ever listened to. I hope you are as excited as I am.

The Century Trilogy – – Ken Follett

It is no secret that I adore Historical Fiction; and I especially love what I have read from Ken Follett so far. If you have some time to put into an audiobook, I would highly recommend you listen to The Century Trilogy, starting with Fall of Giants. These books are lengthy, running around 35-40 hours on audio, but they are so good. The narrator does such a fantastic job at voicing all the characters. In this series, we are following families from many different countries so you are introduced to many different accents and the narrator does a wonderful job at them. There is no confusion when it comes to figuring out who the characters are. This is definitely a series you want to read in order because you are following the same cast of families throughout. If you enjoy Historical Fiction, and haven’t read this series, I highly recommend you pick it up.

Caraval Series – – Stephanie Garber

Keeping with series, I really enjoyed the Caraval series, starting with Caraval. I picked up the first book on a whim and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Admittedly, I am not the biggest reader of YA and Fantasy but I blew through all three books. The were super fast paced and fun. I will say, the first book was my favorite of the series, but as we are talking about audiobook quality, I think they were fantastically done.

Anything by Karin Slaughter

I have listened to Pretty Girls, The Good Daughter, most of the Will Trent Series and all but one of the Grant County Series and I absolutely freaking love all of these, especially on audio. They are done so well and they keep you engaged and you blow through them so quickly because you don’t want to stop listening. I am such a fan girl for anything Karin Slaughter writes, but if I have the chance to listen to the audiobook version, I do. I think it just gives you a whole different experience than reading them in print.

The Bill Hodges Trilogy – – Stephen King

I really love my series on audiobooks and this is no exception. Mr. Mercedes is the first book in this series. I am pretty sure I started this in print and switched over to audio, and finished out the series in audio; it was so good. I just really loved the narrator for these and was completely engaged the whole time. Stephen King is hit or miss for me, and I find if I choose to read his books via audiobook, I tend to enjoy them more. I also listened to The Outsider and that was great too. I believe it is the same narrator for both the series and the stand alone book.

What are your favorite audiobooks? Drop your recommendations below!

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book blog Book Tag bookish books

Mid Year Freak Out Tag

It is that time of year again! Time to reflect back on the first half of my reading year. I’m pretty sure this TAG was one of my very first posts when I started my blog last year. I am excited to do it again.

BEST BOOK YOU HAVE READ SO FAR IN 2020

Without a doubt this goes to The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune. You are going to see this book pop up quite a bit during these questions. I did a full review HERE. I absolutely fell in love with this book. When I finished it, I wanted to immediately start reading it again. I cannot get enough of it.

BEST SEQUEL YOU READ SO FAR IN 2020

I don’t read a lot of sequels, but every year I do pick up the newest installment in The Wayward Children Series. This year, it was Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire. This one follows my favorite characters from the series, Jack and Jill and it didn’t disappoint. I still think Down Among the Sticks and Bones is my favorite but this was a close second.

NEW RELEASE YOU HAVEN’T READ YET BUT WANT TO

I don’t follow many new releases, I am more of a backlist kind of girl. But every June/July I look forward to the new Riley Sager book. So as soon as Home Before Dark is released later this month, I will be putting it on hold at my library.

MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASE FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR

Again, I don’t pay too much attention to these. But I am very much looking forward to A Traveler at the Gates of Wisdom by John Boyne. The Heart’s Invisible Furies is still at the top of my favorite books of all time so I will read whatever John Boyne puts out.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abby Waxman is my biggest disappointment so far, probably because I had high expectations. I heard such high praise for this one but I didn’t get it. I wasn’t a huge fan of the main character and found it a little boring.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

My most current finished read Docile by K.M. Szpara is my biggest surprise. I have a full review HERE but I really enjoyed this one. For being almost 500 pages, I read this in 2 days. I couldn’t put it down.

FAVORITE NEW AUTHOR

T.J. Klune! I will for sure be reading more of his stuff.

NEWEST FICTIONAL CRUSH

I don’t really get fictional crushes.

NEWEST FAVORITE CHARACTER

I love the kids in The House in the Cerulean Sea. I loved them so much. And I’m not the biggest kids person in real life. I smiled every time the kids showed up in the book.

BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne definitely made me cry. I still think about that ending! I had to read through it twice to make sure I understood what was happening. I for sure will not be watching the movie. I am sure its great, but I can’t handle sad right now.

BOOK THAT MADE YOU HAPPY

And for the third time The House in the Cerulean Sea made me so happy. It is going to be very hard to top this as my favorite book of the year. If you have not read this yet, READ IT! You will not be disappointed.

WHAT BOOK DO YOU NEED TO READ BY THE END OF THE YEAR

I am working my way through The Goldfinch by Donna Tart. Slowly but surely I am getting through the audiobook. I am hoping to have this finished in the next few weeks/months.

If you decide to do this tag, let me know! I love to see what everyone is reading and how it is going.

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Stay at Home Book Tag

I am an avid watcher of Booktube and I saw some of my favorites doing this. So when I saw this pop up on some of the blogs I follow, I knew I wanted to do it.

This tag was originally created by Princess of Paperback on YouTube.

Laying in bed – – A book you read in one day

I have a few of these but one of my favorites is The Smell of Other Peoples Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock. To be fair, it is under 300 pages, but it is so engaging and so atmospheric that it really grips you. I had planned to read this over a weekend, but ended up finishing it the first day.

Snacking – – A book that is a guilty pleasure

For me that is going to be The Cormoran Strike series, starting with The Cuckcoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith. I adore this series. Even though it is a mystery/thriller, I can read it over and over and never get bored. I am actually doing another reread in anticipation of the fifth book that will be released in September. If you are an audiobook fan, I highly recommend the audiobook for this whole series. The narrator is fantastic.

Netflix – – A series you want to start

I have been wanting to start the Shades of Magic series for a long time. I own all the books, bought them a few years ago. I just have not gotten around to it yet. I am hoping to be in the mood to pick it up soon.

Animal Crossing – – A book you recently bought because of the hype

Without a doubt that is The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune. I have no idea what is about, but I heard it is nothing short of being great so I am excited to read it. I plan to read it this month.

Productivity – – A book you learned from or had an impact on you

I read this book a few months ago, but I still think about it from time to time, especially the ending. That would be The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas by John Boyne. I reread the ending of this several times because I couldn’t believe it. This was another one I read in a day. Highly recommend, but only if you are in the right headspace.

Facetime – – A book you were gifted

I don’t usually get gifted books, more like gift cards. One of the books I bought with a gift card was The Trails of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend. I love this sereis so much. I wanted to have my own copies so that one day (hopefully) I can get my nephews to read it.

Self Care – – What is one thing you have done recently to look after yourself

I have been making sure to take the time to workout for at least 30 – 40 minutes a day 5 days a week. I wasn’t doing that when I was working because of the long days. I am hoping to build up a habit that I continue when I do go back to work.

There you have it! I tag anyone who has not done this one yet.

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy, mentally and physically during this time.

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book blog Book Review bookish books

I Bought It Because of the Hype

We have all been there, had no interest in a book or even no knowledge of a book because it was a genre we typically don’t read. But we end up buying it because we see it all over the place, whether on Bookstagram or Booktube. I have done it more times than I care to admit. Now that I am really coming to know my reading taste, this doesn’t happen as much, but I haven’t completely stopped falling for the hype. I want to share with you some books that I had no intention of buying, but somehow ended up on my shelf. A few I have fallen in love with, some not so much and even some that I have yet to read.

Every Heart a Doorway – -Seanan McGuire

Full confession, I LOVE this series. I originally heard about the series when I was first getting into watching Booktube and it was around the time the 3rd book was coming out. I had just gotten back into reading and was looking for new books, even if they were outside my comfort zone. It is no secret that I am not a huge fantasy reader. I struggle with getting into it. But I am always intrigued by the blurb, and well, sometimes I give in.

I am so happy to report that this is one series that I am thrilled that I gave in and picked it up. I fell in love with this series from the very first book. It has just enough fantastical elements along with more contemporary that is just a perfect blend for me. I preorder the new book every year and usually read them right when I get it. The audiobooks are fantastic as well. So if you have been thinking about it, do it. I do not think you will be disappointed.

Illuminae – -Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

This is another one that gets a thumbs up from me. Again, I heard about this book and series from Booktube. As much as I am not a fantasy reader, I am definitely not a science fiction reader. But people were just so good at selling this concept, that I picked it up. It did take me a while to finally read it, and when I did I really enjoyed it. I think the concept is really cool and different and it kept me engaged through the whole thing. I have tried to read Jay Kristoff’s other work, but it didn’t grab me like this one has. I have read Gemina and enjoyed that as well. So I would agree that it was worth the hype.

The Poppy War – – R.F. Kuang

This one I am really surprised I gave in and bought. I am pretty sure I picked this up when Barnes and Noble was having a half priced book sale, so it made the decision a little easier. Being high fantasy, I was more hesitant to read it, but I did and it was good. I can’t say it is a new favorite, but I made it through and even bought the second in the series. I enjoyed the first half more than the second, but I like reading about schools, oddly. It was definitely a slower read for me. Not that it was paced slowly, but more because this is out of my comfort zone and I didn’t want to miss anything or become even more confused. I will eventually pick up The Dragon Republic so I would say this series is okay for me. Not terrible that I won’t continue on.

Strange the Dreamer – – Lani Taylor

I bought it, I have it, I tried it and I am not sure this one is for me. When I heard this had flowery, beautiful writing, I knew I wanted to try it. And I did attempt it. I still have my bookmark in it and I made it to 70 pages. I was bored. I was having a hard time staying interested. And with 125 unread books on my shelf, I am not sure I will be keeping this and continuing it.

The Priory of the Orange Tree – – Samantha Shannon

I am embarrassed to admit I bought this mostly because of the length of it. At the time, I was really into long books. I heard this was coming out, it was a stand alone and it was lengthy. I ordered it out of pure impulse. And to be honest, I don’t really have any plans to read it. The allure of it has worn off. I am just having a hart time unhauling it. But I know I will because it deserves to be in a home where someone will actually read it.

To say I am not a fantasy reader is pretty funny, considering all of this are fantasy. I am interested, but I just have a hard time following along in some. I think I just need to find the right fantasy for me.

What are some books that you have bought because of hype? Have you read any of these?

Let’s chat in the comments!

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book blog Book Review bookish books TBR

May TBR

So this is coming out a little later than I would like, but that’s okay. I have changed my TBR more times than I can count but I finally think I am content with what I have picked.

The biggest reason for the changes is because I have heard some news regarding some series I am currently loving and a series I loved way back on the day. With that news, I decided to do some rereading this month.

First things first. One of my most anticipated books has gotten a release date. Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith comes out September 15, 2020 and I could not be more excited. This is the 5th book in the Cormoran Strike Series, which I absolutely love. To get ready for the release, I have decided to reread the first 4 books in the series.

The Cuckoo’s Calling – – Robert Galbraith

This is where we are first introduced to Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin. Cormoran is a disabled military vet who now works a private detective. Robin comes to work with him through a temp agency and they are hired to solve the murder of a supermodel. I just love the relationship between the two of them. Ideally, it is best to read these in order. Yes the crimes are solved within each book, but the relationship between Robin and Cormoran grows with each book. They also get darker and a little more gruesome. They are long reads, but they are worth it. And the audiobooks are PERFECT!

The next piece of news that had me switching up my TBR was the bit about a new prequel to Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. I have not read the series since my first read through. I am not going to go in depth on my thoughts here because I am thinking of making a dedicated post to my thoughts on the whole Twilight news. I will say that I blew through all 4 books at the time, they were so captivating.

Twilight – – Stephenie Meyer

As hesitant as I am to reread this, I think I am going to do it. I can’t say if I will reread the whole series, but I am going to see if the first book sucks me in the second time around.

Shopaholic Takes Manhattan – -Sophie Kinsella

This is going to be my third reread of the month. This series is another one of my all time favorites. I own all the books and have loved almost all of them. I have decided to do a reread this year because Christmas Shopaholic came out this past holiday season and I just never got to it. I started my reread in enough time so I can end in December with Christmas Shopaholic.

Looking through my bullet journal spread, I have to say I am not too thrilled with what I have picked out to read. Of the 8 books I have written down, only 2 are speaking to me now.

The Lovely War – – Julie Berry

This is a Historical Fiction/Historical Fantasy novel. It takes place during two timelines, the mid to late 1910s and the 1940s. It is a romance book in a sense but the narrators are Greek Gods and Goddesses. All of that should add up to me loving this book. I am a little over halfway and I will say I am enjoying it. But it isn’t grabbing me like I would have hoped. I don’t know if that is the books fault or just because I am in a funk with everything going on in the world. I am excited to finish this up and have some fully formed thoughts.

A Dangerous Collaboration – – Deanna Rayburn

This is another series that I really enjoy. This is a Historical Mystery series that takes place in the late 1800s and follows Veronica Speedwell and Stoker. It also has one of the slowest of slow burn romances, and I am here for it. They are not in the work of detectives, but somehow find themselves solving crimes. I appreciate and enjoy Veronica so much. She defies what it means to be “proper” during this time, but without hammering in to your head. A YA series that is similar to this would be the Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco. But I think The Veronica Speedwell series is done so well. This is the fourth installment in the series and I can’t wait to read it.

My Dark Vanessa – – Kate Elizabeth Russell

I was browsing Hoopla and I saw the audiobook of this was on there, so I immediately downloaded it and started listening. I am almost 3 hours into it, and I have to say, I am not loving it. Usually, I am making up chores to do so I have a reason to listen to my audiobooks, but I find myself not wanted to reach for this. I don’t know if that is because the narrator is not my favorite or because I am just not intrigued by the story. I going to give it a little bit yet before I decided if I want to DNF or not.

Yeah, I am not super excited for reading this month, just in general. I think the event of the world have gotten to me, finally. It already the 7th of the month and I have not finished anything, which is very rare for me.

How is your reading going? Let me know in the comments!

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book blog Goodreads Monday Uncategorized

Goodreads Monday: 12/2/19

The concept is super simple and was started by @Lauren’s Page Turners. To participate, randomly choose a book of your “Want To Read” shelf on Goodreads and explain why you want to read it.

All of my books on my “Want to Read” shelf are book that I currently own.

This weeks book is:

One Plus One – – Jojo Moyes

Goodreads Blurb

One single mom. One chaotic family. One quirky stranger. One irresistible love story from the New York Times bestselling author of The Giver of Stars


American audiences have fallen in love with Jojo Moyes. Ever since she debuted Stateside she has captivated readers and reviewers alike, and hit the New York Times bestseller list with the word-of-mouth sensation Me Before You. Now, with One Plus One, she’s written another contemporary opposites-attract love story.

Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied, and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell—until an unexpected knight in shining armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages . . . maybe ever.

One Plus One is Jojo Moyes at her astounding best. You’ll laugh, you’ll weep, and when you flip the last page, you’ll want to start all over again.

Why I Want to Read it

I was in the camp of loving Me Before You, the second and third books in the series were okay. After reading Me Before You, whenever I would see a Jojo Moyes book on the bargin table or a library book sale, I would pick it up. I am not a huge contemporary/romance reader, but I do like to keep them around when I need something light to read. This is one of those books that I ended up picking up somewhere for not a whole lot of money. The author is the sole reason I have this book on my shelf. I also have two others. But to be completely honest, I am not that excited to read any of them. They actually may end up in an unhaul soon.

Are her other books worth reading? I would hate to give these up because the covers are so pretty, but I am learning to DNF and unhaul when a book is not working for me or I no longer have any interest in in.

Let’s get vocal in the comments! I’d love to get some book talk going!

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book blog Book Review TBR Uncategorized weekly update

Weekly Reading Update 11/11/19-11/17/19

Welcome back to another weekly update! I managed to finish 3 books this week as well as find my (probably) least liked book of the year.

Continuing on my Shari Lapena rabbit hole I listened to 2 more of her books. First up is The Couple Next Door. I LOVED this book. Initially, I rated this a 4 but I think I am bumping it up to a 5 star read. I blew through this audiobook. I kept wanting to know more! Just like An Unwanted Guest there was particular nothing special about this writing, but the story just had me going. I can without a doubt say I did not see that final twist coming. That is what I want in my thrillers. To be shocked. And this had that for me. I do own a copy of this and was thinking of unhauling it a while ago and I am so glad I didn’t. This will for sure go on list of top thriller books of the year for me.

So after that audiobook, I had to jump right into another one of Shari Lapena’s. I picked up A Stranger in the House. Let me just say, they all can’t be winners. By no means was this a terrible book. I gave it a solid 3 stars. But out of the ones I read from this author so far, this was the one I was most bored by. I didn’t find the plot to be that interesting and I thought it was a little boring. Again, it was a very quick listen but I found myself zoning out of it. Not my favorite mystery/thriller but certainly not the worse.

The worst mystery/thriller I have read this year, and maybe ever was The Last Time I Saw You by the writing duo Liv Constantine. My goodness this was a mess. I am not sure how or why I continued it but I did and I finished and I gave it 2 stars, but that is being generous. I am not going to go into much detail here because this book deserves its own review, which I will have up Thursday Nov. 21. But know this was a big disappointment for me. I really enjoyed The Last Mrs. Parrish and was looking forward to reading this one. It was a big NOPE from me,

For this upcoming week, I am working on my Buzzword Readathon TBR, which I will link HERE. I am also 150 pages away from finishing The Starless Sea. which I am loving and taking my time with.

What are you reading this week? What are your thoughts on the books I completed this week?

As always, let’s chat in the comments!

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book blog bookish books Buzzword Readathon Uncategorized

Buzzword Readathon TBR – – Numbers

Tomorrow starts the Buzzword Readathon and I am (hopefully) going to participate. This readathon is hosted by Lala over at BooksandLala on Youtube. This round consists of reading books with numbers in the title.

This round of the readathon runs November 18 – November 24.

I have a list of books from my own shelves that have numbers in the titles. I am positive I will not get to all of these, but I am hoping to read at least two. Audiobooks are going to be super helpful as I have been struggling to read physically the past two months.

On to my list of potential reads.

No one is coming to save us – – Stephanie Powell Watts

One Plus One – – Jojo Moyes

The Two-Family House – – Lynda Cohen Loigman

The Woman in Cabin 10 – – Ruth Ware

Her One Mistake – – Heidi Perks

First and Then – – Emma Mills

The First Time She Drowned – – Kerry Kletter

I have already started No One is Coming to Save Us and I am about 3 chapters in and I must say I am unsure of it. I will give it a few more chapters before I make up my mind.

Have you read any of these? Anything I should read before the others? Let me know in the comments!

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