“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” ― Toni Morrison
Summary here. The backdrop of The Glittering Hour is an entertaining one; a post-war Britain using glamour and materialism to mask it's festering wounds left by a lost generation killed in a terrible war. It's a time of great luxury, but also of great grief and poverty; of sickness and depression. It is the perfect setting… Continue reading Thoughts on “The Glittering Hour” by Iona Grey (Spoiler-Free)
I, like most burned Game of Thrones fans, was thrilled when Netflix announced they would be releasing a new High Fantasy show The Witcher. I didn't play the video games, nor had I read the books at that time, so I had no idea what to expect. Nevertheless, I was encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive… Continue reading Thoughts on “The Last Wish” by Andrzej Sapkowski (Spoiler-Free)
Amazon Summary: When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss—a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten—by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the… Continue reading Thoughts on “The Turn of the Key” by Ruth Ware
"My father wrapped me tightly in the dirty blue blanket and laid me there on the floor, making sure the pacifier was in my mouth so I would not cry before he was able to make his escape. He turned away, leaving me alone on the stairwell, clad only in a white towel that served… Continue reading Thoughts on “The Most Dangerous Animal of All” by Gary Stewart with Susan Mustafa
WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE BOOK. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO HAVE ANY FOREKNOWLEDGE OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS NOVEL, READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. Summary: January 1937. 28-year-old Jack is poor, lonely and desperate to change his life. So when he's offered the chance to join an Arctic expedition, he jumps at… Continue reading Thoughts on “Dark Matter” by Michelle Paver
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR SEASON 1 OF GAME OF THRONES AND MINOR SPOILERS FOR THE BOOKS. Good news! I can consider myself a good nerd now that I have finally completed the first book in the Song of Ice and Fire series. That being said, I have many thoughts that I am wanting… Continue reading Game of Thrones: Book 1 v. Season 1
Summary: On June 9, 1865, while traveling by train to London with his secret mistress, 53-year-old Charles Dickens–at the height of his powers and popularity, the most famous and successful novelist in the world and perhaps in the history of the world–hurtled into a disaster that changed his life forever. Did Dickens begin living a… Continue reading Spoiler-Free Thoughts on “Drood” by Dan Simmons
Summary: Life can turn on a dime—or stumble into the extraordinary, as it does for Jake Epping, a high school English teacher in a Maine town. While grading essays by his GED students, Jake reads a gruesome, enthralling piece penned by janitor Harry Dunning: fifty years ago, Harry somehow survived his father’s sledgehammer slaughter of… Continue reading Spoiler- Free Thoughts on “11/22/63” by Stephen King
So spoiler warning, I guess, even though this book was written over forty years ago. I usually don't write blog posts about books I don't finish but I thought I would make an exception with this one as it hasn't been since The Magus that I have had such a drastically different opinion from the… Continue reading I Couldn’t Finish “The Last Unicorn” by Peter Beagle
WARNING: POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE SECOND BOOK IN THE OUTLANDER SERIES, A DRAGONFLY IN AMBER. READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION. My relationship with the Outlander series so far is mired by indecision. There's so much to adore about these books: the remarkable characters, the rich descriptions, the sexy-fun times, the action-packed storyline that constantly… Continue reading Damn you, Outlander Series: Thoughts on A Dragonfly in Amber
The Crooked Pen 