Book Nook Cafe discussion

Here is the Folder and thread to tell us what your monthly reads for October 2023 were. 🎃

Please provide:
~ A GoodReads link
~ A few sentences telling us how you felt about the book.
~ How would you rate the book

October was an ok month. These were the ones I completed:


by:
Janet Evanovich
5 Stars

The 20th book in the Stephanie Plum series. I'm surprised that I am still interested in this series after reading this many, but they are all still so funny! I do space them out, though, so I don't get burned out.
It has been one of my favorites of the series

~~~~~~~~~


by:
Hannah Beckerman
4 Stars

This was a really slow burn for me. I struggled with it and was glad that I didn't figure out the twist before the end. This was what gave it one extra star.

~~~~~~~~~


by:
Jack Steen
3 Stars

This one disappointed me. The stories weren't as horrific as I thought they would be. I love horror movies and can tolerate a lot of things. I've watched horror movies worse than this book. The editing was absolutely horrible, too, which didn't help.

I haven't read the Stephanie Plum books in a long time. They were getting too repetitious for me. I probably should try one again since its been a long time.

Nice month, Kim.

Here are my October reads.

A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future by David Attenborough
Non Fiction
eBook
Rate: 5/5
Attenborough is now 97 years old. The book is his witness statement. He discusses the sad state planet earth is in and the changes he has seen over his lifetime. We are at a tipping point and must act immediately. The book offers many solutions if we all act quickly. This book is a must read ! It was the best book I read this month.

Unraveling: What I Learned About Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World's Ugliest Sweater by Peggy Orenstein
Non Fiction
Rating: 3/5 good
Audio Book
The author is the narrator and she does a fine job. This memoir takes place during the pandemic. Orenstein decides to use the time to learn how to shear sheep, spin and dye yarn, then knit herself a sweater. She is a newbie to the process and she shares some interesting facts about the process along the way. She also discusses the disastrously impact the garment industry has on planet earth. It may well make you think twice before purchasing "fast fashion". If you are a beginner knitter I think you will enjoy this book.

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult
Fiction
4/5
I'm hit or miss with Jodi Picoult novels. I thought the book handled a difficult topic well. There are major plot twists so I won't comment on the plot. I felt the novel got a bit pedantic at times. As with most novels, I thought this 464 page book could have been tightened up and cut by about 50-100 pages.
Still, it kept my attention. I mostly gave it a 4 rating because some subjects are difficult for some to understand or even discuss and reading about it in a book can be a first step towards learning.

How to Be an Artist by Jerry Saltz
Non fiction
eBook
Rate: 2/5 Did not meet my expectations
The author is an art critic for New York magazine. He is also won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize in Criticism.
This is a quick read and I thought a bit simplistic. The book contains 63 tips. Each one is around a page or two. The amateur artist or beginner artist might find it motivational.

The Celebrants by Steven Rowley
Rate: 2/5- did not meet my expectations
eBook
Five friends in college agree to give each other a one time "funeral" while still alive when that person really needed to hear the positive aspects of their lives and how they have impacted the others lives. After 18 years one by one they call in the chits.
I didn't connect or really care about any of the characters, nor did they seem to connect or like each each other. I didn't find the quips particularly funny. They characters just seem to spend the time together whining or complaining about one thing or another. The constant arguing I found tiresome. The overall message seemed to be something one would get from a Lifetime movie or a fortune cookie. I think the book wanted to be he new Big Chill but it missed the mark by a mile.

Alias Reader wrote: "Here are my October reads.

[book:A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future|5..."

Very good post. I loved reading it.

~*Kim*~ wrote: "Stephanie Plum series. I'm surprised that I am still interested in this series after reading this many, but they are all still so funny! I do space them out, though, so I don't get burned out. ..."

I think spacing them out is the solution. I was gobbling hers up and feeling dissatisfied because they were too similar. When i feel i could write what the author does about characters "perky redhead" or "horse jawed boyfriend", i should walk away from the series for awhile, rather than abandon them. But i don't.

ANYway, thanks for the comments on each, but particularly the disappointing one. I'm grateful the observations on what failed you as a reader, too, Kim.

Alias, i always like reading your monthly list for the diverse topics you cover. Notes you share about the whys of your stars are helpful, as well. Thank you for sharing them here, even though you wrote about them elsewhere during the month. I know it's more work but it reminds us of the reading journey you've just completed all in one lump post, so to speak.

Alias, thanks for sharing those! Jodi Picoult is hit or miss for me too.

The Celebrants seems like a fun premise, too bad it missed the mark.

Here are my October Reads :)


5 Stars
This novel is heartbreaking and just so beautifully written. It follows the life of a teen & her family through Syria's fight for freedom. It tackles mental health, the physical atrocities and the unimaginable pull between love of country and a desire to feel safe from harm.


3 Stars
I read this with one of my 6yos, but it's probably better for upper elementary/early middle school ages. I would have given 1 or 2 stars simply based off of the lack of character development, but my kid enjoyed the overall story. There's a lot of focus on the fantasy lands, but nothing on the characters themselves. There are definitely better options out there.


5 Stars
This was such a wonderful mix of history and biography. It follows the lives of 4 kids & their families post WW2 at the onset of China's Communist & Cultural revolution. It could have easily been unreadable (for me) with all of the complex history of China, but the author made it approachable. I learned a lot and really got to know the characters (& missed them once I was finished - which is always a sign of a great novel IMO!)


2.5, rounded up to 3 stars
I didn't really enjoy this one, but didn't hate it either. I enjoyed it more after I finished and looked up book club questions/comments, which helped me understand what the author was going for. It was just a bit boring in my opinion.


5 Stars
I'm a sucker for non-fiction, especially if there's psychology or medical aspects involved. This is a great read for those who enjoy the same genre. Thought-provoking and interesting, plus I really enjoy Gabor Maté's style of writing and his son's narration on the audiobook version.

Oddly, i thought i'd only read two books this month but see that i read six! I think my month itself was so fragmented, that i only credited the last two. Weird, imo.

The first two are part of a "Birder Murder" mystery series i like by Steve Burrows. His titles use the collective nouns of different birds, which i like. The two i read last month were A Pitying of Doves and A Shimmer of Hummingbirds. When i began the series my library only had the 1st & 3rd in the series, which i read. Suddenly, they have all 7, so i'll be continuing, but pacing myself. The detective, Domenic Jejeune, is in Colombia, ostensibly to sight birds but really hoping to investigate a crime the nations claims his brother committed. Meanwhile, we learn about a crime in his traditional district in the Saltmarsh around Norfolk, as "his" team works to solve it. Good series.

The Art Thief--Michael Finkel is primarily about how French citizens Stéphane Breitwieser and Anne-Catherine Kleinklaus, his live-in partner, stole art from small museums and castles in and around middle Europe in the 1990s or so. They kept the art in the attic of his mother's house, where they lived with the items. The book covers B's reasoning behind many items he stole (sometimes during guided tours, i must add), the total of which was estimated to be over $1 billion dollars worth of art. Interesting story with okay writing.

Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the Fight for America's First Frontier--Bob Drury and Tom Clavin. This was a rather full biography, as it also shared history of native tribes and early American history. It all is wrapped around Boone and the fact he was one of the prime movers in heading beyond territory England & tribes had agreed was for colonists. I liked their writing and would read another of their collaborations, such as The Heart of Everything That Is: The Untold Story of Red Cloud, An American Legend.

Wrestling with Moses: How Jane Jacobs Took On New York's Master Builder and Transformed the American City--Anthony Flint. This tells the story of how regular citizens in New York City fought back when master highway developer Robert Moses named their neighborhood for "upgrades", which would end in a major highway after the demolition of parts of Greenwich Village and Washington Park. Overall, it also included the development of urban roadway planning, both in the US and overseas. Readers "met" both Moses & Jane Jacobs as they struggled for their causes. Interesting as i found the material, i set it aside a few times with days between resuming. Better writing might have stopped that.

When Louise Meriwether died October 10, i wondered why i hadn't heard of her, as the article i read said her first book was highly acclaimed. So, i checked out Daddy Was A Number Runner and read it. Set in 1934, readers are treated to one year in the life of Francie Coffin, who lived in Harlem. Published in 1970, it is a raw telling of her neighborhood from the eyes of a naive child whose friends are more savvy than she. Because the POV was Francie's, the story seemed less awful in some cases but also much worse in others. I liked it and can see why it is a classic of female black writing.

Deb - thanks for sharing! These are all new books to me. I've added a couple to my ever-growing TBR :)

Luffy (Oda's Version) wrote:Very good post. I loved reading it.
.."

Thank you for the kind words, Luffy.

madrano wrote: "Alias, i always like reading your monthly list for the diverse topics you cover. Notes you share about the whys of your stars are helpful, as well. Thank you for sharing them here, even though you ..."

You're welcome, Deb.

I have to say I'm often surprised when I make out the list to see the number of books I read over the month. I always feel it was like one or two.

Lindsey wrote: "Alias, thanks for sharing those! Jodi Picoult is hit or miss for me too.

The Celebrants seems like a fun premise, too bad it missed the mark."

Regarding The Celebrants, if you check out the reviews many of them that were disappointed noted the comparison to The Guncle. The Guncle was poignant yet quite funny. The Celebrants was just depressing and the "funny" parts I didn't find amusing. Maybe others might enjoy it, but it was a miss for me.

By the way, I was a fan of The Big Chill and even purchased the music at the time.

Lindsey wrote: 5 Stars
I'm a sucker for non-fiction, especially if there's psychology or medical aspects involved. This is a great read for those who enjoy the same genre. Thought-provoking and interesting, plus I really enjoy Gabor Maté's style of writing and his son's narration on the audiobook version.


Lindsey, I am so happy to see you appreciated, The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture as much as I did. I also gave it 5 stars. I very rarely say this, but it's a book I would re-read. That is really high praise from me.

During the month when you mentioned Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution I added it to my TBR notebook. Thank you for the title. At some point I think I would like to pair this fiction book with a non fiction book on Mao.

madrano wrote: "The Art Thief--Michael Finkel is primarily about how French citizens Stéphane Breitwieser and Anne-Catherine Kleinklaus, his live-in partner, stole art from small museums and castles in and around middle Europe in the 1990s or so. They kept the art in the attic of his mother's house, where they lived with the items. The book covers B's reasoning behind many items he stole (sometimes during guided tours, i must add), the total of which was estimated to be over $1 billion dollars worth of art. Interesting story with okay writing...."

I have a friend who I think would be interested in this book. I passed the title on to her. Thanks !

Alias Reader wrote: "Lindsey wrote: 5 Stars
I'm a sucker for non-fiction, especially if there's psychology or medical aspects involved. This is a great read for those who enjoy the same genre. Thought-provoking and int..."

I agree! In fact, after listening to the audio, I went straight to the bookstore to grab a hardback copy. I think it would be good even to pick up and read a chapter here or there.

If you find a good book on Mao, I'd love to read one as well. And I actually think Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution is actually non-fiction, although it reads a bit like a novel (in between the history and political bits)

Lindsey wrote:
If you find a good book on Mao, I'd love to read one as well. And I actually think Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution is actually non-fiction, although it reads a bit like a novel (in between the history and political bits).."

Thanks for the clarification. Actually I like non fiction so that makes me want to read it more.

Alias Reader wrote: "I have a friend who I think would be interested in this book. I passed the title on to her..."

There were components of the writer's story which bothered me but overall i felt The Art Thief was worth the time. Two points i meant to share. First, sometimes they stole items while on a guided tour! I'm astonished they could, as so often the docents have their eyes on stragglers like myself, even though i'm innocently only taking photos.

Second, a quote from one of his trials. "“Marie-Claude Morand, the director of a history museum near the Matterhorn, in the southern Swiss canton of Valais….” We are not prepared for this kind of theft,” says Morand. “We can’t transform our museum into a safe. We serve the public. We can’t demand that visitors, in winter, leave their coats. That’s Dantesque.”

This was generally the view of the small museums and castles they targeted. Until hit, it was almost inconceivable that anyone would steal from them, so small were their offerings. Interesting.

Oh, one more thing. From the epilogue, “In the taxonomy of sin, Breitwieser and Anne-Catherine belong with the book thieves. Most people who steal large quantities of books are fanatic collectors, and there have been enough of these thieves that psychologists have grouped them into a specialized category. They’re called bibliomaniacs. This is Breitwieser’s tribe.”

Then he lists some specific tricks by such felonious bibliomaniacs. Creative!

Lindsey wrote: "Deb - thanks for sharing! These are all new books to me. I've added a couple to my ever-growing TBR :)"

Lindsey, i'm pleased you found some worthy ones but feel a bit guilty about adding to your TBR list. But that's the fun of the monthly sharing, i suppose!

Sluggish month for me, so only two reviews ...

Swansong 1945: A Collective Diary of the Last Days of the Third Reich by Walter Kempowski ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...



Picture by Lillian Ross ⭐️⭐️⭐️


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

madrano wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "I have a friend who I think would be interested in this book. I passed the title on to her..."

There were components of the writer's story which bothered me but overall i felt..."

Thanks, deb. I appreciate the follow-up. I'll pass on your thoughts.

John wrote: "Sluggish month for me, so only two reviews ...

Swansong 1945: A Collective Diary of the Last Days of the Third Reich by Walter Kempowski ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"

Thank you for the review of this one, John. I've added it to my TBR notebook. My library doesn't have it, so I will have to purchase the eBook at some point if they don't acquire it.

It used to be easy to request my library purchase various eBooks on Overdrive. That option doesn't seem to be the case with Libby. I'll have to investigate this further.

madrano wrote: "Lindsey wrote: "Deb - thanks for sharing! These are all new books to me. I've added a couple to my ever-growing TBR :)"

Lindsey, i'm pleased you found some worthy ones but feel a bit guilty about ..."

One of these days my "Read" will surpass my "TBR"... maybe ;)

John wrote: "Sluggish month for me, so only two reviews ...

Swansong 1945: A Collective Diary of the Last Days of the Third Reich by Walter Kempowski ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
..."

This sounds interesting for the contrasts in visions. Such historic documents inform the public that are willing to learn. Thanks for the title, John.

As for the Ross book, of all films, this one seems an odd one to document. Today we barely know the film. Still, i suppose it offered a view from inside which was seldom available at the time it was written. Clearly it doesn't really stand the test of time, unless one is deeply into the industry or certain people.

Hello everyone. So I read about six books in October and I'm ready to talk about them.

The first book I read was Candy Apple Dead by Sammi Carter. You can view my full thoughts on it here. Gonna be honest. I just picked this one off one of my shelves without really thinking about it too much and it was... below average. Don't get me wrong. It certainly has a handful of things going for it, like an interesting main character, a well crafted setting, and at least one or two clever touches regarding the main mystery. But, it's just so tedious to get through and it, for some weird reason, doesn't let the reader hear the swearing the characters use despite the fact that it is a novel intended for adults. Now this is the first in a series, so maybe the other entries are better, but to be honest, this novel did not make me interested enough to actually give them a go.

Rating: C-

Another book I read was The Carrow Haunt by Darcy Coates. This novel was straight up awesome and a wonderful fit for Spooky Month! I wrote an entire review on it, but in short, in terms of tension building and in terms of the dynamics of the group, it's one of the most balanced and well-crafted novels I've ever read. The characters were so much fun and I couldn't help but fall in love with them and want to see them get out of the crazy situation they're in. It did have its share of flaws (such as an inconsitent setting and that weird "swearing" quirk Candy Apple Dead had), but they did not take all that much away from the overall experience and, in all honesty, I think it has become one of my new personal favorites, a story that I can read over and over again and never get tired of.

Rating: A-

The Trouble With Witches by Shirley Damsgaard was another. You can read my full review here. To be honest, I had no real expectations going into it, but I was pleasantly surprised. Despite the exposition being delivered in a not so subtle way, I was still able to really get immersed in the mystery and was surprised to learn that it still worked as a standalone novel, despite it being part of a series. Much like The Carrow Haunt, it also has a solid sense of balance, with this novel showcasing it in its top tier ability to balance actual clues with dead ends, which in turn, lead to it having really good pacing. One thing I can't believe I forgot to mention in the actual review was the climax. To make a long story short, it was insane, it was tense, and I loved it. Needless to say, I am eagar to check out the rest of the series as soon as possible.

Rating: A

After that was Something Upstairs by Avi. I go more in-depth about it here. So up until I decided to read it for October, I had very vauge memories of this story from when my teacher read it to me and my class in elementary school and gave us an assignment of writing our own ending. After reading it, I was like, "Wow! This was a lot more surreal than I remember." Don't get me wrong. I still found it to be a mostly solid read. The way the characters are written made them quite compelling and it never felt rushed despite its short length. I'm also surprised that my elementary school teacher had us come up with our own ending because the ending as is was pretty rad and made me say, "Woah. It went there?" Honestly, the only complaint I had was how (view spoiler)[the powers of the ghosts (hide spoiler)] undermined a good chunk of the main plot.

Rating: B+

Then there was Werewolf Skin by R.L Stine. My full review can be found here. Flawless. Absolutely... flawless. Like, oh my God! It does so much right, it's not even funny. If you want to know how to write a werewolf story, if you want to know how to write a horror story, or if you just want to write a damn good story, read this. Please read this I am not even kidding.

Rating: A+

The last book of the month for me was Our Shadows Have Claws: 15 Latin American Monster Stories by A Buttload of Authors. If you somehow have time, you can read my astronomically long review right here: (https://haileysawyer.wordpress.com/20...). This review was a historic first for me because it ended up being so long, that I actually managed to exceed the character limit for Goodreads reviews (yes, there is an actual character limit) and had to put the review on my own website. Yes, really. Anyway, as for the collection itself, it's no masterpiece (it does have its share of stinkers like Beware the Empty Subway Car by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite, The Boy from Hell by Amparo Ortiz, and La Madrina Yamile by Saied Méndez to name a few), but I am glad I read it because there's a also sizable number of top tiers here too. ¿Dónde Está el Duende? by Jenny Torres Sanchez, Dismembered by Ann Dávila Cardinal, Bloodstained Hands Like Yours by Gabriela Martins, The Other Side of the Mountains by Claribel A. Ortega, Sugary Deaths by Lilliam Rivera, and The Hour of the Wolf by Courtney Alameda. Not only that but, if I'm being honest, the artwork between each story was just wonderful. Dare I say, it was better than some of the actual stories in the collection.

Rating: B-

Overall, this month was surprisingly solid. Like, I didn't have any D or F tier stinkers this time around.

Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone. So I read about six books in October and I'm ready to talk about them.

The first book I read was Candy Apple Dead by Sammi Carter. You can view my full thoughts on it here. Gonna b..."

You certainly did have a solid month, Hailey. Thanks for sharing. You selected stories that fit October well. 🎃👻

Alias Reader wrote: "Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone. So I read about six books in October and I'm ready to talk about them.

The first book I read was Candy Apple Dead by Sammi Carter. You can view my full thoughts on i..."

You're welcome, Alias.

Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone. So I read about six books in October and I'm ready to talk about them.

The first book I read was Candy Apple Dead by Sammi Carter. You can view my full thoughts on it here. Gonna b..."

All this reading and your own writing, too?! You authors amaze me. I'm grateful you shared your reviews with us, Hailey. When you write about how other authors have presented their material, i learn. And i thank you for that, as well.

One good example is your description of the balance you saw in The Carrow Haunt--Darcy Coates. I was unclear about what "balance" meant to you, as opposed to what i might think it means. As a result i will now keep an eye open for that when i read & like a book. Or dislike, i suppose, as well.

And your introduction (for me, at least) of the Latin American monsters via your review was informative. I wanted to add one thing to your comment about the first story mentioned & how they bit the bullets. You wondered why & i cannot answer that. However, i wanted to share that this reminded me of a tradition among some Native American tribes of birch bark biting, creating works of art and symbolism.

We ran across this in our travels and were even able to purchase two examples. Ours are not nearly as elaborate as the one on this page but you can see the idea here--https://nativetribe.info/native-ameri... . There is no mention of the whys/hows of the works and what, if anything, spiritual it means but i have been intrigued with this. Here is a link to a Youtube video about it-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7Z9c...

ANYway, your comments reminded me of this.

Onward. It sounds as though for the first book you reviewed, following it up with the next in the series will help you see whether or not it's good. I've had some so-so first in series books because there is so much they want to cram into it--characterizations, special points of their specialty or town, and then there is the mystery of the book to boot!

Again, thanks. Sorry for the ramble but i like teeth art. 😁

madrano wrote: "Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone. So I read about six books in October and I'm ready to talk about them.

The first book I read was Candy Apple Dead by Sammi Carter. You can view my full thoughts on i..."

Thank you for your insight, madrano. I had never heard of the bark biting/beading practice before, but looking at the images featured in the article and watching the video you linked, I'm pretty impressed.

Thanks, Hailey. I knew it was different from your description of "biting the bullets" but my mind went there, wondering if there was some odd tradition attached.

Wherever we first heard of the bark biting, the gift shop had 2x3" disks, which we hang from our holiday tree in December. It's neat to see it & be reminded of the traditional art.

madrano wrote: "Thanks, Hailey. I knew it was different from your description of "biting the bullets" but my mind went there, wondering if there was some odd tradition attached.

Wherever we first heard of the ba..."

You're welcome, madrano.

In October I read 13 books.

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak - 5 stars.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Cutter's Deep: Welcome to Hell by Ronald McGillvray - 5 stars.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Scarecrow by Harrison Phillips - 3 stars.
My review:Quiet, Pretty Things
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

1775 by Amy Cross - 3 stars.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Quiet, Pretty Things by Megan Stockton - 5 stars.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Haunting of Leigh Harker by Darcy Coates - 1 star.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden - 5 stars.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

White Bones by Graham Masterton - 5 stars.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Halloween Night: Trick or Treat by Jolene Haley - 2 stars.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Chills by Mary SanGiovanni - 4 stars.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James - 5 stars.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

YOUR HAUNTED LIVES: - REVISITED: Terrifying true stories of Ghosts, Hauntings and the Paranormal - Book 2 by G. Michael Vasey - 3 stars.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Vampires by Kevin J. Kennedy - 4 stars.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

That is my wrap up for October. I had a 1 star and a two star but no dnf for October. Though those two books came close to being dnf but I refrained from it. lol

All in all a good month. :)

October was another nice month for you, Marie !

Thanks for the titles and your reviews.

Alias Reader wrote: "October was another nice month for you, Marie !

Thanks for the titles and your reviews."

Thank you so much, Alias! You are welcome! I love sharing with you all over here. :)

Marie wrote: "That is my wrap up for October. I had a 1 star and a two star but no dnf for October. Though those two books came close to being dnf but I refrained from it. lol

All in all a good month. ..."

I agree. Even for your so-so books (three "No Scares Scarecrow" stars--LOL) you write fair reviews. We appreciate that, Marie.

The first review, of Hidden Pictures, was a winner, so i added it to my TBR. The cover looks neat, too. Including the drawings of the child was a clever idea from the author. Thanks for telling us about that, too.

Marie, i once again marvel at all the reading and reviewing you accomplish in one month. And i am grateful that you share them with us.

madrano wrote: "Marie wrote: "That is my wrap up for October. I had a 1 star and a two star but no dnf for October. Though those two books came close to being dnf but I refrained from it. lol

All in all a good mo......

....... I agree. Even for your so-so books (three "No Scares Scarecrow" stars--LOL) you write fair reviews. We appreciate that, Marie.

The first review, of Hidden Pictures, was a winner, so i added it to my TBR. The cover looks neat, too. Including the drawings of the child was a clever idea from the author. Thanks for telling us about that, too.

Marie, i once again marvel at all the reading and reviewing you accomplish in one month. And i am grateful that you share them with us.

..."


Cool that you added the book Hidden Pictures Deb! That was a great book and the illustrations in the book of the drawings creeped me out (hope you don't have bad dreams - if you do - do not blame me - lol). :)

If you like mystery/suspense stories then I would also recommend this book which is up there on my list: The Housemaid. That book was so good and suspenseful that it shocked me really how much I really loved that book. I loved it so much that I read book two already which will be on my November list when that is added on here. The books by this author are so good with suspense build up that they are hard to put down and I was excited to learn that the author has a bunch of books to grab so I am planning on reading more of her work.

The Housemaid books are in a trilogy (the third one releases next summer) but the other books she has out there are all stand alone books so I am looking forward on seeing what else she has out there.


Another book I would recommend that has quite a bit of suspense and mystery was this book: The Sun Down Motel - this was another surprise as I was not expecting how great the writing style was for me. But I loved this book so much that I went and read The Haunting of Maddie Clare by this author but that will also be on my November list and that book was excellent as well. So I found another author to explore as well. :)

I actually amaze myself by how much I read in a month - lol - this month has been crazy as I am trying to cram a bunch of books into the end of this year. I have some books I want to read yet still but not sure if I will be able to get them squeezed in or not. :)

Thanks for the additional comments, Marie. Your mention of Sun Down Motel is interesting, as i liked the premise of that one, too, but didn't mention it. I will now add it to my TBR.

I am an awful storyteller, so it's a pleasure to read your comments about the fact the way authors build suspense delights you. From my "basic facts" POV in retelling events, this is something to consider.

Sun Down Motel has been on my radar for a while, but keeps getting sidetracked!

madrano wrote: "Thanks for the additional comments, Marie. Your mention of Sun Down Motel is interesting, as i liked the premise of that one, too, but didn't mention it. I will now add it to my TBR.

I am an awful..."

You are welcome, Deb! I had been seeing the book Sun Down Motel come across my Goodreads feeds a lot from friends - it seemed for awhile that everyone was reading it on here so I decided to see what all the fuss was about and then found out that I loved it.

John wrote: "Sun Down Motel has been on my radar for a while, but keeps getting sidetracked!"

You need to grab that book John and put it near the top of your tbr. :)

Love your enthusiasm, Marie!

madrano wrote: "Love your enthusiasm, Marie!"

Thank you, Deb! :)