Started reading Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

 Hello Bookies,

This is an oldie but a goodie. Since I am trying to get back into reading after everything that has happened in my personal life lately. Injury included. One of my co-workers suggested I read this book, but she did warn me that it is nothing like the movie. As I am a quarter of the way through the book, I have notified differences already. One being how Sophie actually got into Howl's castle. So far the book is okay. It is taking a whole to read because of my focusing issues. I'm also starting to think that maybe I am just not in the right head space to actually enjoy this book. We'll see if I can get halfway. 

So until next time...

-Lys

Read Home is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose

Hey there Bookies,

We are on to the next book I read. Well listened to because I'm still injured. I seemed to have forgotten to write down when I actually stared this book, but I know it took me a few days to get through. The story is different points of view through four different characters. Beth, who is the oldest child. Nicole, who is the middle child. Michael, who is the youngest child. Then there is Laura, the mom. We start the book off with Laura on her deathbed while Beth is trying to get ahold of her two youngest siblings. She wants them to be able to say goodbye to their mom before she passed but it doesn't look like they will make it. Laura eventually passes but not before she whispers to Beth, 'Your father didn't disappear. Don't trust.' Beth is confused and decides to not tell her siblings, which makes you question why. The siblings then get reunited, meet with a lawyer they didn't know their mother had. They learn she also had a will and two bank accounts. This makes the siblings question things but figure their mom had her reasons. The siblings then goes through things in the attic and find a VHS that held a very deep secret. The video involved a little neighbor girl that went missing when they were all kids. The book then drags on as the siblings either dig into more about the neighbor girl's disappearance and arguing if they should tell anyone. The only thing, in my opinion, that kept the book going were the few chapters in the mother's point of view. It showed how much she was beginning to distrust her family. Eventually towards the end the siblings get into a big fight and go their separate ways. Beth goes into the nearby woods to look for bodies, Nicole goes to the bank to steal whatever was in the safety deposit box, and Michael go we s home. Of course, the two sisters learn the truth and the book picks up again as the truth of what really happened with the neighbor girl when they were little. The book was okay in my opinion. Not a whole lot happens and I probably expected more than what I got. The book ended up getting two out of five stars from me. I liked it but it just wasn't for me. I wished I gave the book a higher rating but the fact that it dragged on throughout the middle of the book, hurt it. The ending was good though, it had a twist you don't really expect because you are so focused on the red herring in the book.

So until next time...

-Lys

Read Little Stranger by Leigh Rivers

                                                   

Hey there Bookies,

I know it's been a while. A lot of personal things have happened. Also recently I was clumsy and tore a ligament in my right wrist. So I've been adjusting to an injury that might take longer to heal than planned. Anyway, let's get talking about the books I've read during my injury started. Starting with Little Stranger.

I started reading Little Stranger by Leigh Rivers on May 9th and it only took me about 24 hours to finish it. Before I start talking about the book, I will have to say an unpopular opinion. I did not like the dynamic of the two main characters. It's not because they are adopted siblings, but due to their similar history, I felt like they were just trauma bonding. I said what I said and I am sure that once I read the second book, my feelings will be confirmed. Anyway the book starts with our two main characters, Olivia and Malichai, meeting when they were kids. I think 8 and 9.  Olivia is excited to get an older brother but Malichai isn't what she expected. Especially when he drags her away from their adopted parents and was already calling her 'his.' Early on we learn that Olivia is also adopted after being found abandoned in her home holding her younger sibling's deceased body. Their parents, who we will call Mom and Dad, are actually pretty well off as well. Mom is a judge and Dad is a well known defense attorney. Olivia is very open about her love for her parents, while Malichai is not. But early on, you can tell that Olivia and Malichia have created a co-dependent relationship with each other. Even when they get separated after Malichai kissed Olivia on the lips, they still find a way to be together to sleep at night. By the time they are 18 and 19, we learn that Malichai and Olivia have some expectations made for them that they don't want to live up to. Malichai is supposed to take over Dad's law firm while Olivia is expected to marry a rich young man that her parents have picked for her. Olivia ends up with two suitors. One suitor is named Parker and the second suitor is named Adam. Parker is the son of one of Dad's business partners. Adam became a suitor after talking to Olivia and getting attacked by Malichai for it. So in order for Malichai to not be charged, Olivia is arranged to date Adam instead. The whole book is basically Olivia denying her feelings for Malichai while their mom is being the worst. Worst being that she even paid someone to take her virginity. Eventually the book progresses to Olivia agreeing to give Malichai 'lessons' on certain topics. Or should I say actions? Either way, things are good for a while until Olivia overhears one of her cheer squad mates talking about sleeping with Malichai. Olivia gets bad, confronts Malichai, tries to leave, then gets assaulted by Malichai because pleasure will surely make her stay...Not. Father catches them, a fight takes place where the father ends up dying on the floor and Malichai pretty much takes advantage of Olivia in the chaos. Then the book skips eight years later and you find out that Malichai has been in prison for attempted murder. Olivia has been living her life, but is secretly keeping tabs on Malichai in hopes that he will save her from her planned out life. Of course, what she doesn't know is that Malichai has been spying on her with hidden cameras he installed while she was at work. Also he may have drugged all of her drinks in the house with sedatives where after she is out, he continues to take advantage of her. Yes, I know that this is a certain kink but this isn't in my opinion consensual in anyway. All because he is secretly drugging her without her knowledge. Trust me when I say that the kink could have been played out a little bit differently in this book. Just seeing how the kink is portrayed in the book makes me feel like the author didn't quite understand the kink they were going for. But that is just my opinion. Anyways, eventually Malichai kidnaps Olivia and then tortures for a weeks. Now here is an unrealistic play on when he reveals himself to Olivia...She gets mad not because he had her tied up and was torturing her. No, she was mad because he didn't come to her sooner. So sadly the book got three out of five stars from me. I didn't hate it but I also didn't love it. Will I reading the second book? I have no idea yet.

 So until next time....

-Lys 

Read Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

 

Hello Bookies,

I've been working on my audiobooks. This one only took me about four days. Not by choice because of work and life, but I still got it done pretty quick. Also we are getting hit with our last snow storm of the year, so I have nothing better to do than listen to books as I do projects around the house. This book I decided to read because it is one of the books on my shelf that was given to me by one of my brothers. He thought I would like it, so don't tell him that I didn't really care for the book. I feel like this book was not for me. The book is about a girl who was cursed at a young age to be poisonous. So if she is to touch someone, they would die instantly. This girl ends up being hidden away in her palace while her twin brother rules the world. But when her brother, who is king, comes to the palace with a new guard. With this new guard, our main female character's life gets flipped upside down. She goes through half of the book looking for answers instead of  just asking her mother straight out for the truth. And then a third of it of her trying to escape from the person who captured her and took over her kingdom. Then the last third is actually the interesting part that feels like it only takes one chapter with the main female character taking back her kingdom. I don't remember much that has happened in the book, so I can't really tell you everything that has happened in the book. But feel free to check out the book and share what you felt like the book. Sadly the book gets two stars out of five from me on Goodreads.

So until next time...

-Lys

Been listening to We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

 

Hello there Bookies,

I've been working on audiobooks again. I just don't have the focus to actually read a book, so listening it is. Now this book gets crazy. I'm not sure what to tell you about it. It becomes a bit of a fever dream or the main character isn't reliable. The book starts out okay but it gets crazy as our main character falls into madness. Is it all really happening? Or, is she really going crazy? I'm about three fourths through the book and I still don't have an answer. This will probably be the only post I will do about this book because I want you to read it as well. I wouldn't say that I love this book. It's a little too slow for me. It will probably get three out of five stars. I liked it, but didn't love it. And, to think that this whole madness in this book started when a family of strangers ended up at our main character's house stating that they used to live there and wanted to look around. Then things just hit the fan and went wild. The book does have breaks in the story that I'm not sure how it relates to the story. They are like documents or interviews. I'm not sure if they are about the house or not. I think that is why I'm confused with this book as well. Maybe I'm being nice with giving this book three out of five stars. I'm sure if I really sit and think about it, this book would probably get a lower score. Who knows? Anyway I do recommend this book. It has a good story line, but I think it would be better and maybe a little bit shorter if we didn't have those breaks in the story.

So until next time....

-Lys

Finished reading Tell Me What Really Happened

 Hello Bookies,

Well I finished my audiobook and I'm kind of glad that I listened to this book over actually reading it. I don't think reading the book would have given the same affect. There are a few twists and turns in the book but that is probably because we are seeing all the different points of view of four different characters. This is like their police interviews. I feel like it is pretty realistic because depending on your personality determines how you handle the interview with the police. Anyway I don't know what I can really share about this book. They do find the missing girl but she is sadly deceased. Then you are listening to the interviews as they try to figure out what happened that led to the death of this girl. I won't say what happened because I want you to read the book and find out yourself. I give this book a three out of five stars. It was a good concept and interesting. But the downside to books like this is that you are pretty much missing a few elements of the story that make it interesting. 

So until next time...

-Lys

Started reading Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti

 

Hello Bookies,

Sorry that I've been away for a while. Something happened in my personal life that involved a lot of readjusting and feeling lost. Now I'm getting back to into reading. I still don't have the motivation to actually read a book, so I've been doing audiobooks lately. Also the book I'm reading right now is probably best as an audiobook anyway. This book I've heard about and it's been on my TBR for a while. A group of friends goes camping and one ends up missing. The format of this book is basically just the friends going though police interviews as the police try to figure out what happened to the missing girl. Each friend also has a different background/personality. We have the best friend who is the daughter of a cop. The boyfriend who is the main suspect and everyone keeps mentioning 'the accident'. We have the best friend's brother who is huge into conspiracy theories. Then we have the quiet girl that grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. That is all we have with this book. Then your job is to listen to each of their interviews which is broken up by the way to 'tie' in their stories together, then figure out what really happened to the missing girl. I'm about a quarter of the way through the book already and I'm now sure if I like it yet. I do like the concept of the story though. It's very different.

So until next time...

-Lys