I‘ve been kind of iffy with Christina Henry novels in the past but this one was really good! At the center of the story is this mysterious, possibly haunted and definitely murderous, house and the girl that makes it her lifelong mission to bring the house down. It was definitely creepy at times but what I didn‘t expect from it was a tenderness and sweetness mixed in with the horror. This makes me want to rethink my stance on her books! 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

What is there to say about this adorable and nostalgic little gem? This edition had really nice illustrations and I loved how I could click on the text to zoom in on just that section (my terrible eyes appreciated that 🤣). Would be perfect to read and share with the littles each year. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Oreo was intrigued by the cover but, alas, I fear he would have been slightly disappointed with this one as well…although maybe not, there is a brave dog in it 🤭. This story has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas save for some decorations mentioned and the fact that they give it as the date. This is more of a violent survival story that doesn‘t quite develop the characters enough for my taste. Not bad, just nothing special. 🌟🌟🌟

I read/listened to all of these short stories back to back so thought I‘d just do one post with all of them! For not being a romance reader I really enjoyed all of these! Merry and Bright was my favorite and was a great combo of sweet, funny, and touching. None of them were spicy either, which I personally loved 🤣. I definitely recommend these for a little touch of the holidays! They are on Kindle Unlimited as well!

This was such a cute little romance novella. I don‘t love romance, especially when it gets super spicy, so this mild and sweet story was just enough to make me smile. Was it a little predictable and unlikely? Sure. Did I care? Not a bit! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

This absolutely broke my heart! This is a personal, up close look at the real devastation of war and how it changes the landscape of the lives affected by it. It‘s horrifying and visceral and somehow, above everything, hopeful for a future that almost doesn‘t seem real. Everyone should have to read this story! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I will admit that I didn‘t finish all of these stories - somewhat obvious since it‘s built to read one short story a day through the 25th - but the stories started to feel a little repetitive. Some of them were really good and some of the were just ok. Some didn‘t even feel that Christmas-y. Overall I was able to get a feel for the author‘s writing style, which I liked, so this was a positive experience overall. 🌟🌟🌟

I am clearly in the minority here but I can‘t say that I left the listening of this audiobook having enjoyed the experience. I‘ve read plenty of books that are devastating but, for one reason or another, the overall experience was cathartic or satisfying. I felt none of that here. It starts off devastating, continues devastating, and ends just the same way. I don‘t particularly find any of the characters compelling and was really aggravated ⬇️

Joe Hill knows how to get me every….single….time!!! I‘ve read all of his novels and novellas and have waited SO LONG for this newest chunky boy! It was worth the wait. For such a long story I never felt bored or like I was slogging through crap to get back to the good stuff. The characters were amazingly written and I was so invested some of the twists really shook me. This might be my favorite book of the year! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is a bonkers YA mystery/thriller! It‘s all about wealth and expectations and privilege and what someone is willing to do to get everything they‘ve ever wanted and make their parents proud. Is it pretty far fetched at times? Yes. Did I still enjoy my time with it? Hell ya! It‘s nothing revolutionary but it‘s definitely a fun ride. 🌟🌟🌟💫

This was the last (I think) Taylor Jenkins Reid book I had left to read and I LOVED IT!!! It took a very different track than I thought it would and it was simply amazing. Beautiful story about a complicated woman and her equally complicated loves and losses. I don‘t really have anything else to say about it - it‘s great 🤣! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Finally got around to making my December #TBR list! Excited to see what my #bookspin picks are for #bookspinbingo !

This is a soft pick for me. For such a short story I felt like it dragged a bit and was pretty predictable, which both might have been intended by the author as the main character seems blindly infatuated by a new love. The ending saved it for me as it was shocking even if predictable. Shortish read so worth the time if you‘re curious. 🌟🌟🌟

I‘m a little sorry to say that I didn‘t love this story as much as I wanted to! I did enjoy it, I just found it a little hard to follow the narration of this one and keep all the dangling connections straight. I did like the main character, however, and liked how some of the twists were laid out in the form of a book submission she‘s reading. All in all not bad but not a favorite either. 🌟🌟🌟

So I might be in the minority here but…this was just ok. I kept waiting for a shocking twist, but I found this incredibly easy to figure out. Any twists I didn‘t see coming just weren‘t that big a deal to me. I also either didn‘t care about the characters or felt incredibly sad for them. It has a sort of satisfying ending, and I enjoyed it enough to finish it, but I can‘t say this is one I really liked. 🌟🌟💫

These narrators were so good! They really kept the tension tight and acted the feelings they were describing (unlike other narrators who say they are yelling but don‘t). The chapters were short and filled with dread. I have to admit I figured out the man twist, which kind of sucks, but I still enjoyed the story overall! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I love Jojo Moyes! Her books are always a great mix of humor, heart, and a realism that makes you think you could know these characters in real life. They‘re complicated and aggravating and lovable all at once! 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

This was so good, if a bit slow. It has a very old fashioned, gothic chiller feel, which I loved. There were some truly scary parts interspersed with a lot of intrigue and mystery. Is our main character crazy? Or is she being haunted by killer wooden “companions”? You‘ll have to read to see! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I loved this story! We‘ve got three different timelines with three different women connected by blood and their penchant to have bad men in their lives. I loved each of their stories and watching them develop their voices and their strengths, even when it seems they‘d hit rock bottom. Beautiful, raw story! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This book! This is so hard to review because I can‘t say I “enjoyed” it but I did think this was an exceptional story. I felt all the feels. The amount of anger I felt at each of the characters at various points was next level, but I still found myself tearing up at the end (while walking around the grocery store, mind you). This is a complex story with trigger warnings aplenty but if you are able I highly recommend. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This was a solid popcorn thriller! There‘s nothing mind blowing here but it did keep my attention and the ending was really good. I kind of guessed in general where this was going but it still was WILD! Recommend for a quick, absolutely nuts read! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I don‘t read a lot of YA Fantasy but I really enjoyed this! The world building wasn‘t too complicated and the writing really made me feel invested in the characters and what they were going through. I will say there were a few too many characters for my taste…there were a few times they‘d mention the fate of a character and I was like “who the hell is that?!” 🤭 It also left off on a kind of cliffhanger so I‘m excited to read a sequel! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

My #November #TBR list is ready to go! I‘m not feeling super confident I‘ll get to many of them as some are really long (I‘m looking at you, King Sorrow!) but I‘ll give it my best shot! #bookspinbingo

Eh 🤷🏼‍♀️. I had the worst time getting into this story. It‘s very dark and depressing and was a slower burn than I was really in the mood for. The ending did pick up somewhat and had a few good surprises thrown in there so I am glad I finished it. Still…possibly just not my cup of tea. Beautiful cover though! 🌟🌟🌟

This was cute, especially on my kindle where you can zoom in on panels and really get a look at the art. And the art was my favorite part! The story…not so much. It just seemed to split off too much to secondary storylines, which just bogged down the story overall. Still thought it was cute! 🌟🌟🌟

I had heard how scary this book was and everyone was right! Did it keep me up at night, or make me sleep with the lights on? No. Did some parts actually give me the willies? Definitely! It‘s amazing how visceral some of the scariest parts felt. I‘m so excited to read the follow up book!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

Chuck Wendig never fails to surprise! This was such a unique story. We go on a JOURNEY…into a kind of liminal space/game world that is truly terrifying. The characters are complicated and realistic, which is to say you don‘t always like them but you are rooting for them. I always know I‘m in for a good time when I read his books! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Ummmm…this one was rough! Not only is the subject matter unsettling but the audiobook narrator‘s lack of inflection or feeling in his voice was particularly disturbing and sometimes monotonous. I also really didn‘t like the ending either and there is a part dealing with puppies that I especially hated (which might sound weird given everything else going on). The overall theme though of the worth of humanity was intriguing. 🌟🌟🌟

I took a journey with this book! I wasn‘t a huge fan at first as it felt very YA even though I believe this is billed as the author‘s adult novel debut. The main character, while endearing and funny, was very juvenile in her choices. It almost became unrealistic - I mean, being told you have a week to live didn‘t mean you have EXACTLY a week to live, it‘s an estimate 🤣! That being said I LOVED THE ENDING!! I can‘t say much about it but it ⬇️

This was GREAT! Based on a real woman who was “the first witch of Boston”, this is a devastating story about a compelling, complicated woman and the husband who loved her through it all. If you love witch trial stories you can probably guess how this goes but the journey is amazing! The narrator of the audiobook was also compelling. Highly recommend!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This was a super quick, dark and disturbing short story! There are some massive trigger warnings here that I‘ll try to put in the comments as a spoiler because it will give too much away otherwise. I really enjoyed it, other than wishing the story was a little more flushed out (I know it‘s a short story but I wanted more!). If you‘re ok with graphic content give it a try! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

This was another wild adventure of a novel! The no-end house is basically built of a series of escape rooms where your life - and your very soul - are actually at stake. While disturbing and unsettling I wouldn‘t actually say it felt like horror to me (maybe I‘m weird 🤣). Apparently it‘s based on a creepy pasta which I need to look up next. Even so it felt very unique to me and unlike anything else I‘ve read. Highly recommend! 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

This was a wild ride! Daisy Jones and the Six meets Omen with all the rock, drama, and horror that would entail. It‘s heavy on the background of what it‘s like to be in a rock band and the ups and downs inherent in that type of career. I have to admit I zoned out a little as I‘m not really into music on that sort of level, but the last 3 hours or so were solid devastation and horror…which I loved! Definitely an interesting concept! 🌟🌟🌟💫

My #botm October pick came in and IT‘S GORGEOUS!! I don‘t know if you can tell but it‘s got a textured cover and the back is beautiful too! Book of the Month is really delivering on the book quality lately!

Twists and turns and so…many…lies that my brain couldn‘t keep up. I actually said at one point “wait, what did they just say?!”. I had to go back and make sure I heard the audiobook correctly 🤣. These characters are just awful but it‘s definitely an entertaining ride. If you like a good popcorn thriller like I do pick this one up! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

A visual representation of all the books on my TBR list (and more!) that I want to read next month!

Got my #spooky #tbr ready to go! I honestly want to read all of these next month but I doubt I‘ll be able to get to them all 😬. A girl can try!! Trying to get a bingo for #bookspinbingo does help!

This was a solid mystery with a touch of the supernatural (I think…not sure how much was supposed to be “real” and how much was just in our main character‘s head). It was kind of slow for my tastes - not really a page turner for me - but I ended up enjoying it overall. A few twists and a satisfying ending. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Ahh this is a hard one! Full disclosure I saw the movie first and loved it! It‘s heartbreaking and hard to watch at times but they did an excellent job of building the relationships between the walkers, keeping the tension high, and ended it in a somewhat satisfying way. The book…did not. It‘s not bad by any means - I love me some King - but it dragged on and don‘t really solidify the friendships. And the ending - no thank you! 📚🌟🌟🌟 🎬🌟🌟🌟🌟

I loved this! Perfect for spooky season with a snarky protagonist (which I love!) and a possession story that I wasn‘t expecting but thoroughly enjoyed. It‘s also about family trauma, mothers/daughters/sisters, and the stories we tell each other in the name of protection. Highly recommend! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This mystery/thriller novel was SO GOOD!!! I could not put this down! I went back and forth between the physical copy and the audio and both were captivating. I will say it was pretty graphic at times but that doesn‘t bother me. I had an idea which sister was also the “butcher” but they definitely lead you to believe it could have been any of them. Highly recommend! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Not my favorite Riley Sager novel but still very good! Twists and turns aplenty, some easy to see coming and some a little more surprising, and plenty of action to keep the reader reading. This is your typical locked room, Orient Express type story that doesn‘t really offer anything new to the trope, s if you‘re sick of this sort of structure this might not be for you. For me I enjoyed it! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

This was a unique way to present a domestic drama/mystery! When letters a group of high school age students wrote to their future selves are delivered years later their lives are thrown into disarray, including a death. Was it suicide or murder? What really happened when they were kids? One of the letter writers, Audrey, is determined to find out! A solid mystery that kept my attention! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

While I enjoyed the family drama in this story - drama that includes cheating, betrayal, revenge, and murder - it was very predictable and middle of the road as locked room thrillers go. I did like the setting but almost all of the characters were unlikable and sadly the ending was kind of too good to be true. Not a bad story, just average overall. 🌟🌟🌟

This story and It Was Her House First had very similar themes - grieving woman moves into haunted house, the people in her life don‘t really believe her, she has to solve some mystery from the past - but I have to say the former was a little better. In The Farmhouse the husband was such a jerk and not only didn‘t believe her but actively gaslit her at every turn. There also wasn‘t really any surprise to it - we know the secret and she has to ⬇️

So I am fully in the mood for fall and decided to buy my first spooky blind date with a book box! It was soooo cute! I wasn‘t crazy about the plastic cup included- it got bent in the box and didn‘t match the glass/metal reusable cups in the website photos - but everything else was great! I‘m a little nervous about the book as it seems really graphic but I‘ll give it a try in October for spooky season 😳.

Wow this was good! Our main character, Ronnie, is grieving and isolating herself from the world - what better place to do it than a haunted house 👻 😲😱! There were some legitimately unsettling parts and I absolutely LOVED the ending! I will say there weren‘t really any big twists that typically seem to be in these sorts of stories but I didn‘t honestly care. Solid spooky story! 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

The science behind this one was a little boring at first, but once I switched to the audiobook I enjoyed it much more. The countdown aspect kept the thrill factor up and I truly didn‘t know how this would end. I can‘t say how realistic the outcome was but it seemed plausible. The ending felt a little rushed but it was satisfying, heartbreaking, and uplifting all at once. Not my favorite of her novels but still good. 🌟🌟🌟💫

It was down to the wire but I got my September #bookspinbingo list posted in time 😮‍💨😁! I‘m almost done with both Worst Case Scenario and One Big Happy Family so I had to push those over into the new month. Beyond that I really want to make a dent in my #botm books so I can HOPEFULLY 🤞 win the challenge and get a book sleeve by the end of the year! I also want to read The Long Walk before I see the movie adaptation. #tbr #bookspin

This is a reread (or re-listen, I guess, since I listened to the audiobook this time) and it was just as good this time as before. I don‘t know what I can say that hasn‘t already been said. 5 🌟. Excited to read the sequel!