September means the beginning of the Spooky Season! From the beginning of September till the beginning of November, I will be reading selected books that is most suitable for spooky season. Here is the list of books that I am planning to reaD
The September House – Carissa Orlando
One of the most anticipated books that I have always wanted to read and specifically reserved to read during the spooky season.
The Pet Semetary – Stephen King
Currently started reading and so far a little eccentric but waiting for the best bits to come…
3. Theme Music – Marie Vandelly
A disturbing horror thriller which I am dying to read
The Hacienda Isabel Canas
I seemed to be having an infatuation towards Mexican horror novels after reading Mexican Gothic so looking forward to read this one.
Rebecca Daphne Du Maurier
I have read this book long time ago but I decided to reread it again
The Whistling – Rebecca Netley
The plot sounds…creepy and definitely a must read for spooky season
There are other books but for now, I will be reading these books
What are the books you are going to read for spooky season?
Human or vampire, the rules of survival are the same: never trust, never yield, and always – always – guard your heart.
The adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king, Oraya carved her place in a world designed to kill her. Her only chance to become something more than prey is entering the Kejari: a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself.
But winning won’t be easy amongst the most vicious warriors from all three vampire houses. To survive, Oraya is forced to make an alliance with a mysterious rival.
Everything about Raihn is dangerous. He is a ruthless vampire, an efficient killer, an enemy to her father’s crown… and her greatest competition. Yet, what terrifies Oraya most of all is that she finds herself oddly drawn to him.
But there’s no room for compassion in the Kejari. War for the House of Night brews, shattering everything that Oraya thought she knew about her home. And Raihn may understand her more than anyone – but their blossoming attraction could be her downfall, in a kingdom where nothing is more deadly than love.
The Serpent and the Wings of Night is the first book in a new series of heart-wrenching romance, dark magic, and bloodthirsty intrigue, perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses.
Being a thriller fan girl, I can’t believe that I have been reading a lot of fantasy novels lately. The Serpent and the Wings is one of those fantasy novels that seemed to have so much hype on Booktoks and Instagram and which I have always wanted to read.
If you are a fan of ACOTAR series, then check this book out.
The Serpent and the Wings follows a young human girl named Oraya who is adopted by the vampire father Vincent who is the King of Nightborn. Oraya then takes part in a legendary tournament known as Kejari organized by the Goddess Nyaxia. It is said that the winner of Kejari tournament will have their wish granted by the Goddess herself. In the tournament, Raihn is a notorious vampire and quiet a dangerous vampire too. Oraya knew that being a human, she should not trust any of the contestants including Raihn but she finds herself drawn to him and become teammates with him.
I actually liked the setting of the story. The story is divided into five parts, outlining the parts of the games. The story also builds a friendship and relationship between Oraya and Raihn and also the father-daughter relationship between Oraya and Vincent. Oraya is ruthless, courageous and brave human girl determined to win the tournament at any cost. The writing was great and I was instantly drawn into the story that I couldn’t put the book down. The ending…that was completely unexpected and this little cliffhanger in the end made me want to read what is going to happen next between Oraya and Raihn!
If you haven’t started on this series yet, I suggest you start reading immediately–if you are fans of ACOTAR then definitely you will love this book–worth 4.5 stars
I’ve been concerning teachers and parents with mercilessly grim tales since I was roughly nine years old. Since then, my stories have gotten (slightly) less depressing and (hopefully a lot?) more readable. Today, I write fantasy novels with a heaping dose of badass ladies and a big pinch of romance.
When I’m not writing, I’m working at my day job in cybersecurity marketing, watching too many movies, or drawing. I live with my fiance, one very well behaved rabbit, one very poorly behaved rabbit, and one perpetually skeptical cat in Rhode Island.
Meet Ireland’s newest daring she’s a bookstore owner, a coffee lover, and a crime writer. Now Mercy McCarthy needs a little Irish luck as she takes on her first case!
After receiving unexpected inheritance from her grandfather, Mercy and her twin sister Lizzie are now the proud owners of a charming antique bookshop in the tiny Irish village of Shamrock Cove. But before they can take in the beautiful view of the sea, one of their neighbors drops dead!
Mercy finds the Judge, a well-respected man who lives next door, dying on his own doorstep. She rushes to help, but with his final words, he accuses Mercy of murder! Most of their new neighbors hear his words and, with suspicion pointing at Mercy, she decides to investigate the case to clear her name.
Searching amongst the Judge’s old books, Mercy uncovers letters proving several of the townsfolk had reason to dislike the judge—but was it the local pub landlord, the kindly cook or neighborly knitter who killed him?
Then Mercy’s chief suspect turns up dead and she receives a threatening note, typed on paper from her own bookstore… Ireland was supposed to be a fresh start for Mercy and Lizzie, but dead bodies keep turning up.
Does Mercy have what it takes to nail the culprit or will the killer close the book on her time in this charming Irish village?
Mercy McCarthy received a very unexpected inheritance gift from her grandfather–a charming antique bookshop located in a small scenic Irish village. Mercy and her twin sister Lizzie moves to Ireland to become the proud owners of the bookshop. However, their neighbor the judge turns up dead and soon Mercy becomes involved in a murder investigation.
This is a cute read. This is the first book of the Mercy McCarthy series and I actually enjoyed it. There are so many suspects in the story as the judge had known making enemies and author keeps dropping hints so us readers could figure who the real suspect can be! It was interesting, unputdownable with so many likable characters that trail along the book. Not only that–the vivid descriptions of the seaside village in Ireland makes me felt like I was actually in Ireland trying to solve the mystery.
I liked the ending and as such, I actually enjoyed reading the first book of the Mercy McCarthy series and couldn’t wait to read more. Overall a great read that is worth five stars!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. Thank you Bookouture for making me a part of the blog tour. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Bestselling author Candace Havens has published more than 25 books. Her novels have received nominations for the RITA’s, Holt Medallion, Write Touch Reader Awards and National Reader’s Choice Awards. She is a Barbara Wilson Award winner. She is the author of the biography Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy and a contributor to several anthologies. She is also one of the nation’s leading entertainment journalists and has interviewed countless celebrities from George Clooney to Chris Pratt. Candace runs a free online writing workshop for more than 2000 writers and teaches comprehensive writing classes. She does film reviews with Hawkeye in the Morning on 96.3 KSCS, and is a former President of the Television Critics Association.
I look at where the woman was sitting. There’s a scrap of paper tucked into the gap between the seats. With shaking hands, I pick it up. The note Help me.
At first glance, the couple on the train look normal. She’s dressed smartly, a floral patterned bag on her lap. But her hands are clenched, her fingers white. The man with her has his arm looped through hers, but not in a comforting way. He’s holding her too tightly.
She catches my eye and I see desperation there. I’m opening my mouth to speak when the train grinds to a halt and the man stands, hauling her away. She looks at me again, then at the seat behind her, her face pale.
I find the message she left behind. Help me.
When I call the police, there’s no sign of the couple on CCTV. The kind detective gently suggests that it’s not surprising, with my history, that I am imagining things. Wanting to save someone.
I know what I saw. If no one will believe me, I’ll find her myself.
But as I search, what I find seems personal. Little things that remind me of what happened ten years ago. And I think I’m being followed, that someone broke into my flat.
The hunt for the woman on the train is leading me somewhere I should never go. Can I save her, or will I be next?
Laura sees a couple in the train– they look like typical couple. However the woman looked anxious and frightened and before leaving she slips a note to Laura with only one sentence- Help me. However when Laura goes to the police the couple was nowhere to be seen and no one believes Laura. Laura must prove that she wasn’t imagining before it is too late.
This was a slow burn thriller and Laura is a typical unreliable narrator. The story started out slow not much of twists and turns and a but boring to begin with. However the ending got little interesting and this made me gice the book a three star rating.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Sometimes bad things happen to good people, so good people have to do bad things. Alice Feeney, returns with another thrilling mystery filled with drama and her trademark surprises.
Twenty years after a baby is stolen from a stroller, a woman is murdered in a care home. The two crimes are somehow linked, and a good bad girl may be the key to discovering the truth.
Edith may have been tricked into a nursing home, but at eighty-years-young, she’s planning her escape. Patience works there, cleaning messes and bonding with Edith, a kindred spirit. But Patience is lying to Edith about almost everything.
Edith’s own daughter, Clio, won’t speak to her. And someone new is about to knock on Clio’s door…and their intentions aren’t good.
With every reason to distrust each other, the women must solve a mystery with three suspects, two murders, and one victim. If they do, they might just find out what happened to the baby who disappeared, the mother who lost her, and the connections that bind them.
In the style of Daisy Darker and Rock Paper Scissors, Good Bad Girl is a thriller in which nobody can be trusted and the twists come fast and furious.
This is the third Alice Feeney book I have read–my favorite so far being Rock, Paper and Scissors, which I couldn’t put the book down. Good Bad Girl follows the story of three women named Clio, Patience (which is not really her real name) and Frannie who all got embroiled in each other’s lives and got involved in murders–three suspects, two murders and one victim. It also follows about an incident that happened twenty years ago when a six-month old baby was abducted during the mother’s day.
The story is told in the POV’s of Clio, Patience, Frannie and Edith. They are nearly all unreliable characters with history. Edith is a resident at a care house, Patience works at the care house and is known as Ladybug by Edith, Clio is the daughter of Edith and Frannie is the mother of Patience, whose name is Nellie. There is some sort of connection between the four women and the whole story begins when a care manager at the care home was murdered. The story is a little bit slow paced but towards the middle of the book, it got fast paced. Not many twists or turns but this book is actually a page turner. However, in my opinion, this book wasn’t great as her previous books Rock, Paper and Scissors, His and Hers, which I simply couldn’t put the book down. However, I feel this was actually an OK thriller and not really her best.
Overall, this book worth 4 stars in my opinion.
Alice Feeney is a New York Times million-copy bestselling author. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages, and have been optioned for major screen adaptations. Including Rock Paper Scissors, which is being made into a TV series by the producer of The Crown. Alice was a BBC journalist for fifteen years, and now lives in Devon with her family. Good Bad Girl is her sixth novel.
You can follow Alice on Instagram or Twitter: @alicewriterland
For the latest book and TV news, and to sign up for Alice’s free newsletter, please visit her website: www.alicefeeney.com
I don’t want the perfect marriage. I want revenge…
If you had met me a year ago, you wouldn’t have noticed me. A beautiful woman, but a struggling nobody in a tiny apartment, invisible…
Meeting Paul changed that.
And now here I am in Paris, after a whirlwind courtship and a stunning beach proposal. I smile at my handsome husband, my eyes shining in the candlelight, my huge diamond ring sparkling on the starched white tablecloth. Other women look at me in envy. They see a couple completely in love.
They’re wrong.
Despite this incredible luxury vacation, my husband and I can’t escape our problems. I can’t get over what he did with that woman just after our wedding, and my bright smile can’t hide the hardness in my heart.
I wonder if Paul knows the truth. That our first meeting, when we fell in love, wasn’t the coincidence he thinks it was. That what I want from him has nothing to do with his money.
And now that he’s wronged me, I’ll stop at nothing to get it…
This is an intense psychological thriller that is unputdownable and a page turner.
Paul and Cecelia are celebrating their first year wedding anniversary in Paris. Paul suspect that Cecelia is having an affair while Cecelia is having something in her mind. Both are gold diggers and both would do anything to get the inheritance of a lady who had passed away recently, even if it involves murdering one of them.
I didn’t know this was a sequel but then I read this book as a standalone. Paul and Cecelia are typical gold-diggers each greedy with their own agenda. The writing was great, intense and the atmosphere created by the author in the book is also very intense. This was a page turning thriller, unputdownable full of twists and turns and some drama involved in the story. Overall, reading this whole story will make you feel like you are watching an action paced thriller movie.
This book is a five star read for me.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. Thank you Bookouture for making me a part of the blog tour. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Kaira Rouda is an award–winning, USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author of contemporary fiction that explores what goes on beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives. Her novels of domestic suspense include The Widow, Somebody’s Home, The Next Wife, The Favorite Daughter, Best Day Ever, All the Difference, Beneath the Surface – optioned for a feature film – and Under the Palms. Her next novel, The Second Mrs. Strom, is out in August 2024, and Only the Nanny in November 2024. To date, Kaira’s work has been translated into more than a dozen languages. Three of her novels have been named Amazon Editor’s Picks for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense. The Next Wife was named a Suspense Magazine’s Best Book of 2021 Award, and a 2022 Silver Falchion for Best Suspense Novel and a 2022 Silver Falchion first runner-up for Best Book of the Year.
She lives in Southern California with her family and is working on her next novel. Please sign up for her newsletter to learn about new releases and exclusive content on her website, and follow her on social media.
Welcome to Stanhope – a safe neighbourhood. A place for families.
William Wooler is a family man, on the surface. But he’s been having an affair, an affair that ended horribly this afternoon at a motel up the road. So when he returns to his house, devastated and angry, to find his difficult nine-year-old daughter Avery unexpectedly home from school, William loses his temper.
Hours later, Avery’s family declare her missing.
Suddenly Stanhope doesn’t feel so safe. And William isn’t the only one on his street who’s hiding a lie. As witnesses come forward with information that may or may not be true, Avery’s neighbours become increasingly unhinged.
Who took Avery Wooler?
Nothing will prepare you for the truth.
I always make a point of reading all of Shari Lapena’s books and this book is no exception.
Everybody Here Is Lying involves people living in the neighborhood of Stanhope, a quiet safe neighborhood. William Wooler is a successful doctor with a family–but he has a secret. He was having an affair and when his lover, Nora Blanchard wanted to end the things, he went back home. He was hoping for alone time but he finds his nine-year-old daughter Avery had returned home from choir practice. She has been kicked out of the practice and has walked home alone. An argument happens between Avery and William with William ending up hitting Avery. William instantly regrets of hitting Avery and he left the house. And then he receives a frantic call from his wife–Avery is missing.
Each of these characters have a secret–and quiet unreliable characters, except in my opinion, Erin who seemed to be the only reliable character. The story is intense, where everyone is a suspect and everyone is hiding a secret. It was fast paced and also quiet unputdownable as the main question was–what really happened to Avery? Did she run away or was she kidnapped by a random stranger? I was literally hooked into the story, wondering what is going to happen next. The ending in my opinion was unexpected and twisted with a small cliffhanger in the end.
I always love Shari Lapena’s books and this was no exception–worth four stars.
Lucy Sharpe is larger than life. Magnetic, addictive. Bold and dangerous. Especially for Margot, who meets Lucy at the end of their freshman year at a liberal arts college in South Carolina. Margot is the shy one, the careful one, always the sidekick and never the center of attention. But when Lucy singles her out at the end of the year, a year Margot spent studying and playing it safe, and asks her to room together, something in Margot can’t say no—something daring, or starved, or maybe even envious.
And so Margot finds herself living in an off-campus house with three other girls, Lucy, the ringleader; Sloane, the sarcastic one; and Nicole, the nice one, the three of them opposites but also deeply intertwined. It’s a year that finds Margot finally coming out of the shell she’s been in since the end of high school, when her best friend Eliza died three weeks after graduation. Margot and Lucy have become the closest of friends, but by the middle of their sophomore year, one of the fraternity boys from the house next door has been brutally murdered… and Lucy Sharpe is missing without a trace.
A tantalizing thriller about the nature of friendship and belonging, about loyalty, envy, and betrayal—another gripping novel from an author quickly becoming the gold standard in psychological suspense.
I actually had high expectations for this book, as I read two previous books by the same author and which I enjoyed most. But this book didn’t live up to my expectations although it wasn’t bad as per-se
Margot is still trying to overcome the death of her best friend Eliza and attends Rutledge the college that she was planning to go with Eliza. While at the college, she meets Lucy Sharpe, whose personality reminded Margot of Eliza. So when Lucy who notices Margot asks her to be roommates with her and two other girls, Sloane and Nicole, Margot couldn’t really believe her luck. Their house is adjacent to the fraternity house. While at the party, Margot meets Levi, who was the last person to see Eliza alive. Margot hated Levi and then one night, while on the island, Levi was found dead. Lucy was last seen with Levi but then a few days later, Lucy also mysteriously disappeared.
Unlike her two previous books, this was actually slow burn and it was actually a bit boring to me at first. The audience for this book was also different, aimed towards college students. However, towards the end of the book, things started getting interesting and unputdownable which made me increase my rating from two stars to a three stars. We know that each of the characters are carrying a secret and Lucy Sharpe doesn’t seem to be who she is. The twist at the end was quiet unexpected.
Although I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I did with her two previous books, nevertheless, I cannot wait to read her fourth novel. Worth three stars.
Stacy Willingham is the New York Times, USA Today and internationally bestselling author of A Flicker in the Dark, All the Dangerous Things and Only If You’re Lucky.
Her debut, A Flicker in the Dark, was a 2022 finalist for the Book of the Month’s Book of the Year award, Goodreads Choice Best Debut award, Goodreads Choice Best Mystery & Thriller award, and ITW’s Best First Novel award. Her work has been translated in more than thirty languages.
Before turning to fiction, she was a copywriter and brand strategist for various marketing agencies. She earned her B.A. in magazine journalism from the University of Georgia and M.F.A. in writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design.
She currently lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with her husband, Britt, and Labradoodle, Mako.
Date published:- will be publihed on 22nd August 2024
No. of pages:- 208 pages
Genre:- Japanese Fiction
Rating:-
Plot:- 4/5
Writing:- 4/5
Overall rating:- 4/5
From acclaimed Japanese author Sanaka Hiigari comes a heartwarming, life-affirming novel about a magical photo studio, where people go after they die to view key moments from their life—and relive one precious memory before they pass into the afterlife.
The hands and pendulum of the old wooden clock on the wall were motionless. Hirasaka cocked his head to listen, but the silence inside the photo studio was almost deafening. His leather shoes sank softly into the aging red carpet as he strode over to the arrangement of flowers on the counter and carefully adjusted the angle of the petals…
This is the story of the peculiar and magical photo studio owned by Mr. Hirasaki, a collector of antique cameras. In the dimly lit interior, a paper background is pulled down in front of a wall, and in front of it stands a single, luxurious chair with an armrest on one side. On a stand is a large bellows camera. On the left is the main studio; photos can also be taken in the courtyard.
Beyond its straightforward interior, however, is a secret. The studio is, in fact, the door to the afterlife, the place between life and death where those who have departed have a chance—one last time—to see their entire life flash before their eyes via Mr. Hirasaki’s “spinning lantern of memories.”
We meet Hatsue, a ninety-two year old woman who worked as a nursery teacher, the rowdy Waniguchi, a yakuza overseer in his life who is also capable of great compassion, and finally Mitsuru, a young girl who has died tragically young at the hands of abusive parents.
Sorting through the many photos of their lives, Mr. Hirasaki also offers guests one guests a second a chance to travel back in time to take a photo of one particular moment in their lives that they wish to cherish in a special way.
Full of charm and whimsy, The Lantern of Lost Memories will sweep you away to a world of nostalgia, laughter, and love.
This is a short and quick to read, and heartwarming, heartbreaking and emotional story.
Mr. Hirasaki owns a peculiar photo studio–the studio is a different one and serves as a place between life and death and a door to afterlife. The studio will help the people, who have already died to recount their stories by flashing pictures of their lives, during their lifetime. We meet an eighty year old woman named Hatsue who worked as a nursery teacher, Wanaguichi who is a rowdy yakuza overseer and a young girl named Mitsuri who tragically died at the hands of abusive parents.
This is an unusual concept and plot of the story. You die and before you enter into he afterlife, you get final glimpses of your own life before heading off to afterlife. It’s emotional and kind of sad as well. I am particularly sad at Mitsuri’s life story, as she died so young compared to the other two characters. The story itself if very unique and the writing was also engaging as well. You get glimpses of what these three character’s lives were, their experiences, their life overall, before they died.
Overall, I actually enjoyed reading this book and I am looking forward to read more from this author. Worth four stars.
Many thanks to Netgalley and PanMacmillan for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Sanaka Hiiragi (JP: 柊サナカ) is a writer, novelist, born in Kagawa, raised in Hyogo, and lives in Tokyo. In 2013, she debuted as the secret winner of the “KONOMYS Award”. A series of short stories set in a long-established classic camera store in Yanaka, and a camera mystery novel, “Yanaka retoro kamera ten no nazo biyori (Mystery Days at Yanaka Retro Camera Shop” in three volumes (Takarajima-sha), led to her writing for photography and camera magazines. She has also written “Jinsei shashinkan no kiseki (Miracles in the Photo Studio After Life” (Takarajima-sha), a story about a special photo studio that takes running lantern photos. On February 17, 2022, “Tengoku kara no takkyubin (Home Delivery from Heaven)” (Futabasha) was released. There is an episode about a photography club and cameras in chapter 4 of the novel. A humorous mystery novel about three girls at a photography school and a large format camera is scheduled to be released around July. Photo & Culture, Tokyo PCT “Sanaka Hiiragi no kamera numa (Hiiragi Sanaka’s Cameras No Way Out)” is being published weekly
Opposites certainly attract for the stranded pop star and small-town baker in this charming slice of romance from the author of the TikTok sensationThe Cheat Sheet.
Amelia Rose, known as Rae Rose to her adoring fans, is burned-out from years of maintaining her “princess of pop” image. Inspired by her favorite Audrey Hepburn film, Roman Holiday, she drives off in the middle of the night for a break in Rome . . . Rome, Kentucky, that is.
When Noah Walker finds Amelia on his front lawn in her broken-down car, he makes it clear he doesn’t have the time or patience for celebrity problems. He’s too busy running the pie shop his grandmother left him and reminding his nosy but lovable neighbors to mind their own damn business. Despite his better judgment, he lets her stay in his guest room—but only until her car is fixed—then she’s on her own.
Then Noah starts to see a different side of Rae Rose—she’s Amelia: kindhearted and goofy, yet lonely from years in the public eye. He can’t help but get close to her. Soon she’ll have to return to her glamorous life on tour, but until then, Noah will show Amelia all the charming small-town experiences she’s been missing, and she’ll help him open his heart to more.
Amelia can’t resist falling for the cozy town and her grumpy tour guide, but even Audrey had to leave Rome eventually.
At first, when I saw the title, When in Rome, I thought the story was based in Rome, Italy. Little did I know that the story is based in Rome, Kentucky.
Amelia is a famous singer, known around the world as Rae. Amelia wanted to get away from the life and being a fan of Audrey Hepburn, and trying to reenact the movie Roman Holiday, she drives to Rome Kentucky. She ended up stopping in front of Noah’s house. Noah is a pie shop owner. While her car is in repair, Noah has no choice but to allow Amelia stay in his house. The two start getting to know each other and start to fall in love. But both of them know that falling in love with each other is the worst thing they could ever do.
I actually loved the story. I loved the chemistry between Amelia and Noah. The story is well written and is engaging. The story is told in the POVs of Amelia and Noah. Of course the ending was predictable, but nonetheless, I actually enjoyed reading this romance book. I love how Noah is the grumpy sunshine and how he actually takes care of Amelia whenever she is in need. The story also talks a lot about Amelia’s fame, how her fame actually strained her relationship with her mother. I also like the close friendship between Noah’s sisters and Amelia.
This is the first book of the When in Rome series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Overall worth 4 stars.
Tropical Girl Reads 