“Every house has a story. Ours is a ghost story. It’s also a lie. And now that yet another person has died within these walls, it’s finally time to tell the truth.” – 4.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: best-sellers, haunted houses, family history, poisonous berries, snakes, and creepy paintings.

What was it like? Living in that house.
Maggie Holt is used to such questions. Twenty-five years ago, she and her parents, Ewan and Jess, moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. They spent three weeks there before fleeing in the dead of night, an ordeal Ewan later recounted in a nonfiction book called House of Horrors. His tale of ghostly happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon, rivaling The Amityville Horror in popularity—and skepticism.
Today, Maggie is a restorer of old homes and too young to remember any of the events mentioned in her father’s book. But she also doesn’t believe a word of it. Ghosts, after all, don’t exist. When Maggie inherits Baneberry Hall after her father’s death, she returns to renovate the place to prepare it for sale. But her homecoming is anything but warm. People from the past, chronicled in House of Horrors, lurk in the shadows. And locals aren’t thrilled that their small town has been made infamous thanks to Maggie’s father. Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself—a place filled with relics from another era that hint at a history of dark deeds. As Maggie experiences strange occurrences straight out of her father’s book, she starts to believe that what he wrote was more fact than fiction.
In the latest thriller from New York Times bestseller Riley Sager, a woman returns to the house made famous by her father’s bestselling horror memoir. Is the place really haunted by evil forces, as her father claimed? Or are there more earthbound—and dangerous—secrets hidden within its walls?

This was one of the thrillers I picked up randomly this month, and it turned out to be an amazing, wild ride! I can confidently say it has become one of my favorite Riley Sager books. I absolutely loved the haunted gothic mansion vibe (possibly paranormal) and the mysteries waiting to be uncovered.
The story was incredibly creepy and suspenseful, and I kept wondering what really happened in Baneberry Hall—I just regret reading it at night because of how scary it was! The main character, Maggie Holt, has just inherited an old mansion where she lived when she was five. Her father wrote a best-selling book about their time in the house, but Maggie has no memory of it and doesn’t know why they left in the first place. Her parents purposely kept the reason from her. Before he passed away, her father warned her never to return to the house—which, of course, she does. Determined to renovate and sell it, she ends up on a journey to uncover the truth about what really happened there and whether her father’s book was fact or fiction.
As for the characters, they were well-developed but not particularly likable (though not terrible either). Maggie could be a bit annoying at times, and I didn’t care much for Dane. However, I was very intrigued by her parents and the secrets they were hiding from her!
The writing was excellent—fast-paced, full of surprises, and packed with plot twists that kept the story engaging. While it starts off a bit slow, it quickly becomes impossible to put down. One of my favorite aspects was the way the author incorporated chapters from Maggie’s father’s book within the main story—essentially a book within a book. These chapters were inserted at just the right moments, adding an extra layer of depth without being confusing!
The ending was fantastic—I was constantly trying to piece the story together, but it kept taking unexpected turns! I never would have guessed the truth until I read it.
For a random pick, this turned out to be an incredible and unexpected read. Definitely one of my favorite Riley Sager books—I highly recommend it!

“I feel like my blood a giant river swell up inside me and I’m drowning. My head all dark inside. Feel like giant river I never cross in front me now. Ms Rain say, You not writing Precious. I say I drownin’ in river. She don’t look me like I’m crazy but say, If you just sit there the river gonna rise up drown you! Writing could be the boat to carry you to the other side.” – 4.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: neon yellow leggings, journals, math, pregnancies, welfare, the alphabet, amazing teachers, poems, crack, HIV, poverty, racism, and a ton of abuse.

Precious Jones, an illiterate sixteen-year-old, has up until now been invisible to the father who rapes her and the mother who batters her and to the authorities who dismiss her as just one more of Harlem’s casualties. But when Precious, pregnant with a second child by her father, meets a determined and radical teacher, we follow her on a journey of education and enlightenment as she learns not only how to write about her life, but how to make it truly her own for the first time.

This was almost a perfect read for me! I was sooo close to rating this a 5-star read, but I had to lower my rating after getting to the end. Just to be clear, I personally have no issues with books with open endings, but this book ends like the author got tired of writing because it ended very abruptly. I believe that for a book with this intensity and complexity, we could have gotten a proper ending – happy or not, open or not! Other than that, the book was a 5-star read for me.
We have to talk about our amazing main character Precious. She was an incredibly brave young woman that I believe represents a lot of young woman. Although she is disruptive and very angry with her situation in life, it’s impossible to not admire her as a reader for fighting for a better future for her and her kids. She was an amazing main character! As the other characters go, I have to praise her teacher Mrs. Rain and also her colleague Rita. Both awesome side characters that made a very positive impact on Precious. As a side note, I wish there was more about her first daughter who has Down Syndrome. She never really appears in the story, and I would love to see how she would connect with her.
As the writing goes, it was genius! The book is written from Precious’ point of view, so the writing pairs with the fact she is illiterate – which means the sentences don’t have punctuation, words are written incorrectly, etc. This was a very interesting addition to the story because it made it more realistic, but I’ll admit there were times that it was a little difficult to keep up with the story since Precious writes the way she talks. With that said, I do appreciate the fact that the author improves her writing as the book progresses because she gets better with practice – that was a nice touch!
Of course, by now you can probably tell there are many difficult topics portrayed in this book. Some of these topics include racism, poverty, and violence… but the one that made me the most uncomfortable was the constant sexual abuse from BOTH her parents. These were the most difficult parts for me to read because they got a little graphic – so keep that in mind if you’re considering reading this book.
It was a very sad story – and a little more graphic than I thought it would be if I’m being honest –, but Precious was a very inspiring character, and you have no choice but to root for her and her happiness! Incredible book.

“You did not call me on your way to ash
as angst unbuttoned from the terrified
fist your heart had become, swung loose, released.
Today is Tuesday – but no lunch is served.
You can’t escape woe’s blacked out page because
my memory’s the urn I’ll store you in.” – 4.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: seagulls, hula girls, Tuesdays, pain, bridges, and… grief.

With a sprinkling of dark humor and a full measure of compassion, “Felones de Se: Poems about Suicide” is surprising, suffused with eerie details, quirky, and inspired by actual suicides, one of them a blood relative.

I’m not a huge poetry reader, but I found myself reading this from front-to-back a few times! This was a very interesting read, and I don’t think I’ve read a book like this before.
I was curious about what the title meant, so I did some research, and I found out that the expression “felones de se” was used in medieval English law to refer to people who committed suicide – “felones” comes from “felony”, and “de se” means “of oneself”. It seems like in the old English law, suicide was considered a felony, and the crown would confiscate the property of the deceased’s family. I found this very curious!
What I found so interesting about these books is that the author wrote a poem about her cousin, but she also worte poems about other real suicides. And she added small notes at the bottom to give the reader some context of what happened in each one. And of course, I did some research of my own! I found the Saudi Arabia sisters’ suicide particularly interesting and sad.
It’s hard to pick a favorite – it definitely feels like Joseph LoSchiavo’s poem felt more personal (for obvious reasons), but there were many other poems with interesting backstories.
As a side note, I loved the illustrations! I think it really complemented the book in a beautiful way.
Definitely worth picking it up if you like reading poetry.

“But after a while, searching for the answers felt like grasping around in the dark. At some point, you have to choose to live in the light.” – 3.25/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: cheerleaders, investigations, secret notes, and hidden cell phones.

There are no more cheerleaders in the town of Sunnybrook.

First there was the car accident—two girls gone after hitting a tree on a rainy night. Not long after, the murders happened. Those two girls were killed by the man next door. The police shot him, so no one will ever know why he did it. Monica’s sister was the last cheerleader to die. After her suicide, Sunnybrook High disbanded the cheer squad. No one wanted to be reminded of the girls they lost.

That was five years ago. Now the faculty and students at Sunnybrook High want to remember the lost cheerleaders. But for Monica, it’s not that easy. She just wants to forget. Only, Monica’s world is starting to unravel. There are the letters in her stepdad’s desk, an unearthed, years-old cell phone, a strange new friend at school… Whatever happened five years ago isn’t over. Some people in town know more than they’re saying. And somehow Monica is at the center of it all.

There are no more cheerleaders in Sunnybrook, but that doesn’t mean anyone else is safe.

I’ve had this book on my TBR List for a very long time because the synopsis seemed interesting: 5 cheerleaders are killed suspiciously in a short amount of time; and a few years after the school decides to do a memorial to celebrate their lives – and that’s when Monica, one of the cheerleaders’s sister decides to start investigating the deaths on her own. So, needless to say, I had high hopes… but I have to admit I was a little disappointed with the reading experience.
This story had the potential to be engaging and thrilling, but the plot felt flat to me. There were a few revelations here and there, but I can’t say I was surprised at any of them. Also, the story has little action to keep you interested.
If you’re interested in reading this, I would point out the trigger warnings for sexual assault and substance abuse. I will say I appreciate how realistic the story felt because of these topics – the characters and their experiences felt real most of the time.
Not a terrible book, just okay – it’s not a very memorable book. Personally, I needed more action and a wow factor to make it a good young adult mystery.

“Always date a boy who loves animals.” – 4/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: cute dogs, coffee shops, social media, viral videos, shelters, coworkers, secrets, catfishes, and a lactose intolerance.

When a girl overhears a guy getting verbally destroyed by his friends for being catfished, she jumps in to save the day—and pretends to be his online crush.

Wren is used to being called a control freak. She doesn’t care; sticking to the list of rules she created for herself helps her navigate life. But when a cute guy named Asher walks through the door of her neighborhood coffee shop, the rulebook goes out the window.

Asher is cute, charming… and being catfished by his online crush. So Wren makes an uncharacteristically impulsive decision—she pretends to be the girl he’s waiting for to save him from embarrassment. Suddenly she’s fake-dating a boy she knows nothing about. And it’s… amazing.

It’s not long before Asher has her breaking even more of her own rules. But will he forgive her when he finds out she’s not who she says she is? Wren’s not so sure… After all, rules exist for a reason.

Does Kasie West ever miss? I don’t think so! This was such a cute book! I’m a huge fan of hers and have read almost all of her books, so I wasn’t surprised by how much I enjoyed this one.
What I loved most about this book was its theme—it’s perfect for animal lovers! It feels like the author wanted to create a story in honor of her late dog, which makes it even more special.
Our main character, Wren, is a volunteer at an animal shelter, and she has a favorite dog named Bean (seriously, the cutest name ever!). Bean has been in the shelter for nine months without being adopted, making him the longest resident there. I found this interesting because, in reality, many animals spend their entire lives in shelters without ever finding a home. I think the author made this choice to keep the story a bit lighter, which makes sense, but it still got me thinking!
Now, onto the romance! Wren meets the love interest in an interesting way—she overhears him and his friend talking about how he’s waiting for a date who never shows up. His friend teases him about being catfished, and Wren, feeling bad for him, decides to pretend she’s the girl he was supposed to meet. And I’ll leave it at that!
The only thing I didn’t love was the social media aspect of the story. It’s just a personal pet peeve—I’m not a fan of books that focus a lot on posts, likes, and going viral, so take my opinion with a grain of salt!
Overall, this book was super adorable. The romance was sweet, the plot was engaging, and I was rooting for Bean the entire time. Definitely recommend it!

“Writers remember everything…especially the hurts. Strip a writer to the buff, point to the scars, and he’ll tell you the story of each small one. From the big ones you get novels. A little talent is a nice thing to have if you want to be a writer, but the only real requirement is the ability to remember the story of every scar.
Art consists of the persistence of memory.” – 4/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: pigs, wheelchairs, car accidents, addiction, good novels, broken legs, hairpins, gore, and a ton of painkillers.

The #1 national bestseller about a famous novelist held hostage by his “number one fan” and suffering a frightening case of writer’s block—that could prove fatal. One of “Stephen King’s best…genuinely scary” (USA TODAY).

Paul Sheldon is a bestselling novelist who has finally met his number one fan. Her name is Annie Wilkes, and she is more than a rabid reader—she is Paul’s nurse, tending his shattered body after an automobile accident. But she is also furious that the author has killed off her favorite character in his latest book. Annie becomes his captor, keeping him prisoner in her isolated house.

Annie wants Paul to write a book that brings Misery back to life—just for her. She has a lot of ways to spur him on. One is a needle. Another is an axe. And if they don’t work, she can get really nasty.

“Terrifying” (San Francisco Chronicle), “dazzlingly well-written” (The Indianapolis Star), and “truly gripping” (Publishers Weekly), Misery is “classic Stephen King…full of twists and turns and mounting suspense” (TheBoston Globe).

“Misery” is, like most of Stephen King’s books – intense, twisted, and very disturbing. In this story, the number one fan (Annie Wilkins) of a famous writer (Paul Sheldon) pulls him from a car wreck, brings him to her house, and “takes care of him”. In reality, he is stuck there because she is keeping him captive, but she’s completely insane and his legs are broken so he has no way out. In return for her “taking care” of him, she forces him to write a new book from her favorite book series just for her.
So as you can probably tell, these are essentially the two characters that appear in the book (with a few exceptions), and the main setting is the room where Paul is being kept. I’m sure you’re thinking that the story sounds a little dull, but I didn’t find it boring at all! In fact, it was difficult to put the book down at times.
The characters were really good, especially Annie’s character. It’s incredible to me how the author was able to create such a realistic crazy and monstrous character with his writing. I can honestly say that this is one of the most memorable characters I have ever read in fiction. It’s impossible to forget Annie Wilkins, the woman gave me the chills!
Paul was also a great character, and what marked me the most about him was how real he felt. His thoughts were very realistic because they were very mixed at times. He wasn’t just scared, he felt anger, he felt superior at times, he laughed too out of despair… all of these emotions made him come out of the paper.
It was so intense that there were times when I was feeling very stressed! For example, when Annie was coming back home and he had to rush back to his place and we didn’t know if he would get there on time! There were a few moments throughout the book that were like this, and it was very stressful to read.
I truly enjoyed reading it! I was very immersed in the story, and even though I was scared at times, it was very difficult to put the book down.

“If anything could confirm that weather isn’t small talk, it’s this. Weather connects us. A shared experience, even when we aren’t in the same place.” – 4/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: red lipstick, weather-themed clothes, theater kids, college football, weather reports, Jewish holidays, and chaotic bosses.

Ari Abrams has always been fascinated by the weather, and she loves almost everything about her job as a TV meteorologist. Her boss, legendary Seattle weatherwoman Torrance Hale, is too distracted by her tempestuous relationship with her ex-husband, the station’s news director, to give Ari the mentorship she wants. Ari, who runs on sunshine and optimism, is at her wits’ end. The only person who seems to understand how she feels is sweet but reserved sports reporter Russell Barringer.

In the aftermath of a disastrous holiday party, Ari and Russell decide to team up to solve their bosses’ relationship issues. Between secret gifts and double dates, they start nudging their bosses back together. But their well-meaning meddling backfires when the real chemistry builds between Ari and Russell.

Working closely with Russell means allowing him to get to know parts of herself that Ari keeps hidden from everyone. Will he be able to embrace her dark clouds as well as her clear skies?

A TV meteorologist and a sports reporter scheme to reunite their divorced bosses with unforecasted results in this charming romantic comedy from the author of The Ex Talk.

This was a very fun and unique story! I don’t remember reading a book set in a news station that follows a meteorologist, so that was news to me.
The premise of this book is that the main characters are trying to set their bosses together to bring peace to the news station. If I’m being honest, the plot itself wasn’t very interesting to me – I didn’t care too much about them trying to get their bosses together, so that’s why I probably didn’t rate this a little higher. Also, don’t get me started on that last “conflict” because it was pretty dumb.
The characters were great, but I especially loved the love interest Russel. Not only it is not common to see overweight single dads as male leads (which was refreshing), but I really liked his personality and how kind he was. Ari was a fine main character as well, I don’t have anything to say about her – the depression representation felt very real.
Other things I liked about this book: the weather theme was fun and different, the writing was very easy to follow, and the MC’s backstories were also interesting and added a layer of depth.
Even though I liked this book, I didn’t connect to it as much as I did with the other book by the same author, “The Ex Talk”. I still liked it for being entertaining and an unique story!

“Three years after the murder you called the four of us, now thirteen years old, to your place and told us something unbelievable. Girls that age, even if they’re living completely ordinary lives, are full of doubt and anxieties about their identity, but you called us all murderers. And told us we must either find the man who murdered Emily or else perform an act of penance.” – 4.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: French dolls, new factories, locker rooms, trauma, Barbie shirts, guilt, penance, and the purest air in Japan.

The tense, chilling story of four women haunted by a childhood trauma.

When they were children, Sae, Maki, Akiko and Yuko were tricked into separating from their friend Emily by a mysterious stranger. Then the unthinkable occurs: Emily is found murdered hours later.

Sae, Maki, Akiko and Yuko weren’t able to accurately describe the stranger’s appearance to the police after Emily’s body was discovered. Asako, Emily’s mother, curses the surviving girls, vowing that they will pay for her daughter’s murder.

Like Confessions, Kanae Minato’s award-winning, internationally bestselling debut, Penance is a dark and voice-driven tale of revenge and psychological trauma that will leave readers breathless.

This book was amazing! I’m officially obsessed with this author. I genuinely hope she keeps writing thrillers like this because I’m very interested in keeping on reading them.
This book follows four ten-year-old girls and the aftermath of their friend being murdererd while they were together. The mother of the girl that was killed tells them that either they have to find out who killed her daughter or perform an act of penance by the time the statute of limitations is expired. As a side note, at the time there was a statute of limitations during which criminals could be charged so they had fifteen years to find the murderer. Each other tells their own experience of what happened the day of the murder, so the story is repeated a few time with the different POVs – I personally didn’t mind this, but I can see some readers not liking this.
Just like in “Confessions”, this thriller shows in a very raw way the ugliness in human beings. The undertone is creepy and tense, and there are some twists added to the mix! I personally think the twists from “Confessions” were a little better on the shock factor, but these were okay.
It was very difficult to put this book out because I was very invested in it. I highly recommend this book and her other book “Confessions”. The stories are very different, but they are written with the same style and structure, so if you read any of these books before and liked them, you should definitely grab the other.

“Being smart is the worst thing one can be in modern society. All it ever means is more work.” – 4.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: pad thai with peanuts, the “board”, inconvenient neighbors, wifi passwords, big piles, angels, committees, new video games, dill, kitties, and… frypans that ruin lives.

In a hilarious short story from New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman, the absurdities of modern life cause one man’s solitary world to spin suddenly, and comically, out of control.

Lucas knows the perfect night entails just three things: video games, wine, and pad thai. Peanuts are a must! Other people? Not so much. Why complicate things when he’s happy alone?

Then one day the apartment board, a vexing trio of authority, rings his doorbell. And Lucas’s solitude takes a startling hike. They demand to see his frying pan. Someone left one next to the recycling room overnight, and instead of removing the errant object, as Lucas suggests, they insist on finding the guilty party. But their plan backfires. Colossally.

Told in Fredrik Backman’s singular witty style with sharply drawn characters and relatable antics, The Answer Is No is a laugh-out-loud portrait of a man struggling to keep to himself in a world that won’t leave him alone.

This quirky story was so funny, I actually laughed at how loud a few times! If you are familiar with Fredrik Backman’s work, you will definitely recognize his style here.
We have our main character Lucas, who is a very happy and proud loner and introverted guy who just wants to be left alone to play video games and eat pad thai… but a frying pan ruins it all. Well, you’ll need to read it to know what happens!
What I really love about Fredrik Backman is that he is able to write really funny stories and make them wholesome while subtly sharing his views and comments on humanity. He has a really special way of writing that I find fascinating and very unpredictable. For example in this book, a small detail I really liked was how the reader distinguishes the characters by what they were wearing instead of their names – that was a really simple detail but it made the book more interesting!
There were plenty of quotes I absolutely loved, so I’ll leave a few of them here:

“Best to be like dill, Lucas has concluded. Not like basil, the most anxious and ingratiating herb, but also not like cilantro, that conflict-seeking lunatic. Be dill. Nobody cares about dill.”

“Lucas opens the door with the defeated manner of a sausage that dressed itself up as a carrot to avoid being eaten by a bear, only to be found by a rabbit.”

“Absolutely zero people go to therapy because yesterday they were sitting in a comfortable chair, eating a perfect pizza, drinking a good glass of red wine, watching a really funny movie. So that’s how Lucas lives, all the time.”

“I usually keep my peanuts next to a jar of peanut butter, so they understand what I’m capable of!”

It was exactly what I needed to read at this moment. It was a really fun and easy-to-read short story!

“When you choose the path of an artist, nothing is promised, but everything is possible.” – 3.25/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: entrepreneurial teens, new releases, sabotage, saxophone, cute halmeonies, music school, K-beauty products, K-pop idols, Paris, marketing, competition, sales, and a ton of hi-chews.

A romantic comedy about two entrepreneurial Korean American teens who butt heads—and maybe fall in love—while running competing Korean beauty businesses at their high school.

There’s nothing Valerie Kwon loves more than making a good sale. Together with her cousin Charlie, they run V&C K-BEAUTY, their school’s most successful student-run enterprise. With each sale, Valerie gets closer to taking her beloved and adventurous halmeoni to her dream city, Paris.

Enter the new kid in class, Wes Jung, who is determined to pursue music after graduation despite his parents’ major disapproval. When his classmates clamor to buy the K-pop branded beauty products his mom gave him to “make new friends,” he sees an opportunity—one that may be the key to help him pay for the music school tuition he knows his parents won’t cover…

What he doesn’t realize, though, is that he is now V&C K-BEAUTY’s biggest competitor.

Stakes are high as Valerie and Wes try to outsell each other, make the most money, and take the throne for the best business in school—all while trying to resist the undeniable spark that’s crackling between them. From hiring spies to all-or-nothing bets, the competition is much more than either of them bargained for.

But one thing is clear: only one Korean business can come out on top.

When I started this book, I knew it would be a love story, but I had no idea what the premise was about – it turned out to be much more than a romance! I admit I was surprised by the concept and the choice of the plot, but it ended up being a fun story —a business rivalry between the main characters over who sells more K-Beauty products at school. Unique, right?
The characters were okay. I liked Valerie for being a smart and dedicated businesswoman, but she was annoying at times, especially when she pushed her business on others and even put it before her friends and family (which happens for most of the book) – but she eventually learns, it just takes her a while. Wes was nice and sweet, and an okay male lead… but he felt a little bland to me. I was also not impressed with the side characters and I didn’t care that much about them – they were not bad, just not great or memorable.
As far as tropes go, I would definitely describe their relationship as an enemies-to-lovers romance – although the hostility comes mostly from Valerie. And I guess you can look at this story as a coming-of-age kind of story since both main characters do a lot of growing throughout the book. They both deal with a lot of high expectations coming from their family, so I understand their decisions and thought processes.
One thing I liked about this book is the commentary on what it is like to come from an immigrant family. It was interesting when the main characters were talking about feeling like they don’t belong anywhere – that touched my heart!
Kudos to the author for writing a unique and creative debut. It was fun and entertaining for what it was – didn’t love it, didn’t hate it.