Tuesday, December 31, 2024

My Top 10 Reads in 2024

 

Here’s my top 10 favorite reads for the year. 

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

Horse by Geraldine Brooks

The Waiting by Michael Connelly 

The Last King of California by Jordan Harper

Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman

#1- 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸 by Chris Whitaker - a literary thriller with masterful storytelling and unforgettable characters 

QOTD: do we have any top 10 books in common? What was for favorite reads this year? 

#2024readingwrapup #toptenbooks #2024books #allthecolorsofthedark #happynewyear #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

We Are Watching

 

Author: Alison Gaylin

Publisher: William Morrow Books

Publication date: January 28, 2025

Thank you William Morrow Books and NetGalley for the digital e-arc. 

This book has something for just about everyone- rock & roll, family drama, a decades old fantasy book, and a cult. What more could a reader ask for? 

Meg and Justin are driving their daughter Lily to college to start her freshman year. Lily notices the passengers in the car next to them are recorder her with their phones. Their driving gets more aggressive and Meg’s car crashes, killing Justin.  Weeks later, after recovering from the accident, Meg returns to work at the bookstore she and Justin owned. The store was founded by  Meg’s father, a former singer and guitarist who never really made the big time. Soon Meg and Lily discover that their family is at the center of an online cult’s obsession. And that obsession is turning deadly.

This one just pulled me right in from the jump. Author Alison Gaylin kept me on the edge in my seat trying to figure out what was going to happen next. She is an excellent storyteller and keeps ratcheting up the tension as the story unfolds. I found story is also very thought provoking too. It shows how far a conspiracy theory can spread and take over eventually ruining people’s lives. 

We Are Watching comes out Jan. 28. Preorder it now or add it to your tbr list. You’re going to want to read this one! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

QOTD: What’s the scariest part of cult stories for you—manipulation, isolation, or something else?

I think it’s how easily people are manipulated. I think it’s even easier today with the internet because we’re online 24/7. It’s too easy to go down a rabbit hole online and get sucked in.

#wearewatching #alisongaylin #williammorrowbooks #thrillerfiction #mysteryfiction #crimefiction #cult #cultfiction #publishingsoon #bookstagram 

Thursday, December 12, 2024

What I Ate in One Year

 

Author: Stanley Tucci

Narrator: Stanley Tucci

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Year: 2024

Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio for the gifted audiobook! 

Actor and foodie Stanley Tucci takes readers on a delicious journey of what he ate almost every day in 2023. Mr. Tucci narrates his audiobook and it’s wonderful. I loved his dry wit. I also loved the descriptions of the food he ate in restaurants around the world and what cooked at home for his family and friends. If I ever win the lottery I’m going to Italy to eat at all the restaurants he discusses in this book. His love of cooking comes from his parents and he even provides several recipes throughout the book. He also provides a peek at his busy life as an actor, philanthropist, and husband and father. The chapters are short diary entries and his narration is extremely entertaining. Even if you don’t like cooking, the way he describes fresh ingredients and excellent, but simple meals will have your mouth watering. Mangiare!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

QOTD: what’s your favorite dish? 
I love pizza and pasta and meatballs.

#whatiateinayear #stanlettucci #simonaudio #audiobook #audiobookreview #food #foodie #nonfiction #audiobookstagram #audiobooksofinstagram

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Memorials

 

Author: Richard Chizmar

Narrators: Michael Crouch and Jonathan Todd Ross

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Year: 2024

Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio for the gifted audiobook. I appreciate your generosity! 

Three college friends sent off on a road trip to make a documentary about roadside memorials for a class. As their journey progresses, weird and creepy things begin to happen. Their sense of dread and paranoia increases and their trip ends in terror. 

Richard Chizmar’s latest book is a slow burning atmospheric creepy thriller. I really liked the three main characters Billy, Melody, and Troy. All three have experienced losing loved ones, so their project is very personal. I also enjoyed the 80s vibes. I was a college kid in that era so I could relate. I also enjoyed the narration by Michael Crouch and Jonathan Todd Ross. They did a wonderful job. My only nitpick is that the story is a bit too long. The listen time for the audiobook is 15.25 hours. There were a few times I felt my concentration wandering while listening and I just wanted the story to move along a little quicker. I loved Chizmar’s book Chasing the Boogeyman. I thought that was a fantastic mix of atmospheric setting and creepiness. Memorials missed that high bar for me. But overall, I enjoyed the book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

QOTD: what song, artist, or genre is on your roadtrip playlist? I’ve got Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, and the Hamilton soundtrack on mine.

#memorials #richardchizmar #horrorfiction #speculativefiction #audiobook #audiobookreview #audiobookstagram #roadtrippin #creepyfiction

Book Mail- Where the Bones Lie

  Author: Nick Kolakowski Publisher: Datura Books  Publication date: March 11, 2025 I got awesome book mail yesterday and have to show it of...