This is a weekly meme hosted Devouring Books. This week’s prompt is Cover Buys. Here’s my list:
(All book covers from Goodreads)
If you’d like to do this list too, consider yourself tagged!
Did you make a Top 5 Saturday list?
Title: The Cousins
Author: Karen M. McManus
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: December 1, 2020
Rating: ★★★★
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying comes your next obsession. You’ll never feel the same about family again.
Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they’ve never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they’re surprised . . . and curious.
Their parents are all clear on one point–not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother’s good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it’s immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious–and dark–their family’s past is.
The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn’t over–and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.
Twenty-four years ago, Mildred Story disinherited each of her four children. She ended contact with them by sending a note that said, “I know what you did.” Now, her three grandchildren have received a letter inviting them to visit her island and work at her resort for the summer. Jonah, Milly, and Aubrey are unsure about going to meet this woman who cut her children out of her life, but their parents insist that they go. Soon after they arrive, they discover that there is a dark family secret that tore the Story family apart. The cousins won’t stop digging through their family’s past until they find out what really happened.
This story was built on secrets. Every character, even the minor characters, had secrets. Some of them were secret events in their pasts, while others were secret identities. These secrets didn’t necessarily put the characters in immediate danger, but they created suspense since all of the characters were hiding something.
This was a complicated story. There were three generations that were involved in the mystery of the story. It was a little confusing to keep track of everyone’s secrets by the end. One thing that made it even more complicated was that Mildred’s children had similar names starting with A: Adam, Allison, Anders, and Archer. I kept getting the three brothers mixed up, which slowed down my reading when I had to figure out which was which. This story would have been much easier to read if the names weren’t so similar.
This was a suspenseful mystery!
Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Have you read The Cousins? What did you think of it?
This is a weekly meme hosted by Wandering Words, where you give the first few lines of a book to hook your readers before introducing the book.
Here are my first lines:
“The snow has fallen heavily, relentlessly, for two days now, and shows no sign of letting up.”
Do you recognize these first lines?
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And the book is… The End of Her by Shari Lapena.
The new domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door and Someone We Know
In upstate New York, Stephanie and Patrick are adjusting to life with their colicky twin babies. The girls are a handful, but Stephanie doesn’t mind being a stay-at-home mom, taking care of them while Patrick does the nine to five to pay the bills.
When a woman from Patrick’s past drops in on them unexpectedly, raising questions about his late first wife, Stephanie supports her husband wholeheartedly. She knows the car accident all those many years ago was just that–an accident. But Erica is persistent, and now she’s threatening to go to the police.
Patrick is afraid his job–and his reputation–will be at risk if he doesn’t put an end to Erica’s questioning immediately. And when the police start digging, Stephanie’s trust in her husband begins to falter and Patrick is primed to lose everything he loves. As their marriage crumbles, Stephanie feels herself coming unglued, and soon she isn’t sure what–or who–to believe. Now the most important thing is to protect her girls, but at what cost?
Check out my review of The End of Her here.
Have you read The End of Her? What did you think of it?
Title: Karen’s Witch (Baby-Sitters Little Sister Graphic Novels #1)
Author: Katy Farina, Ann M. Martin
Genre: Children’s, Graphic Novel
Publisher: Graphix
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: December 26, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★
A fresh and fun graphic novel series spin-off of The Baby-sitters Club, featuring Kristy’s little stepsister!
Karen Brewer lives next door to Mrs. Porter, who wears long robes and has wild gray hair. Mrs. Porter has a black cat named Midnight and always seems to be working in her garden. Karen isn’t supposed to spy on her neighbor, but she’s determined to prove that Mrs. Porter is a witch named Morbidda Destiny!Mrs. Porter is getting ready to have a special meeting at her house, and Karen is sure the meeting is for witches. Are they going to cast a spell on Karen? Or will she be brave enough to send them away — once and for all?
Karen Brewer’s father lives next door to Mrs. Porter. Mrs. Porter has a black cat named Midnight, she grows an herb garden in her yard, and she rides a broom at night. Karen thinks that Mrs. Porter is a witch called Morbidda Destiny. When she finds out that Morbidda Destiny is planning a gathering at her house, she is sure that it is a witch meeting. Karen has to be brave and stop the witches from meeting to save her neighborhood.
I loved the Baby-Sitters Little Sisters stories when I was a kid. Karen Brewer is an imaginative girl who often misunderstands things and gets into trouble. This story was so nostalgic for me.
The illustrations were so cute and represented Karen perfectly. The only thing that I think could have been improved is introducing all of the characters. Karen has a large blended family, which can be confusing if you haven’t read the other books. It would have been helpful to describe their relationships for readers who are unfamiliar with the characters, but it was still a great adaptation.
This is a fun story! I highly recommend it!
Have you read Karen’s Witch? What did you think of it?
TBR Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly Faye Reads, where you post a title from your shelf or e-reader and find out what others think about it.
My pick this week is The Ravens by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige.
Kappa Rho Nu isn’t your average sorority. Their parties are notorious. Their fundraisers are known for being Westerly College’s most elaborate affairs. But beneath the veil of Greek life and prestige, the sisters of Kappu Rho Nu share a secret: they’re a coven of witches. For Vivi Deveraux, being one of Kappa Rho Nu’s Ravens means getting a chance to redefine herself. For Scarlett Winters, a bonafide Raven and daughter of a legacy Raven, pledge this year means living up to her mother’s impossible expectations of becoming Kappa Rho Nu’s next president. Scarlett knows she’d be the perfect candidate — that is, if she didn’t have one human-sized skeleton in her closet…. When Vivi and Scarlett are paired as big and little for initiation, they find themselves sinking into the sinister world of blood oaths and betrayals.
Have you read this book? What did you think of it?
Title: Anne of Green Gables (Manga Classics)
Author: Crystal Chan, Kuma Chan (illustrator), L.M. Montgomery
Genre: Manga
Publisher: Manga Classics
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 1, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★
Siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert were planning to adopt an orphaned boy to help out around their farm, Green Gables – instead, they got Anne Shirley. A plucky redheaded girl with a vibrant imagination, Anne turns first Green Gables and then the rest of Prince Edward Island on its ear.
Manga Classics® is proud to be the only authorized manga adaption of Anne of Green Gables by the Heirs of L.M. Montgomery, with a foreword by Kate McDonald Butler – granddaughter of the original author!
This volume presents a faithful recreation of this classic kids novel, from the Lake of Shining Waters to the Dryad’s Bubble!
Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert are adult siblings who wanted to adopt an orphaned boy to help around their house. When Matthew goes to pick up the boy, he finds a girl named Anne instead. They aren’t sure if they want to keep her, but they soon realize they can’t send Anne away. Anne’s imagination keeps them on their toes, but they eventually become a loving family.
I haven’t read Anne of Green Gables since I was a child. It’s a fun Canadian classic. Reading this as an adult, I appreciated Anne’s carefree attitude. There were a few scenes which seem absurd for a children’s book today. One of Marilla’s friend told Anne she was ugly when she first met her. Then Anne had to apologize when she snapped at the woman. I can’t imagine an adult being that rude to a child when they first meet them. There was another scene where Anne accidentally gets her friend drunk when she comes over for tea. This was a funny misunderstanding, but not appropriate for a modern children’s story.
One interesting part of this book was that it had a foreword from the granddaughter of L.M. Montgomery. Her heirs authorized this adaptation of the story, which makes it extra special. I’m glad that they appreciated the way this book has been adapted into a new form.
This is a great Anne of Green Gables adaptation!
Thank you Manga Classics for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Have you read Anne of Green Gables (Manga Classics)? What did you think of it?
This is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. In this post we highlight a book that’s highly anticipated.
The book that I’m waiting on this Wednesday is The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher. The expected publication date is September 15, 2020.
From the author of the instant New York Times bestseller The Wives comes another twisted psychological thriller guaranteed to turn your world upside down.
Have you ever been wrong about someone?
Juno was wrong about Winnie Crouch.
Before moving in with the Crouch family, Juno thought Winnie and her husband, Nigel, had the perfect marriage, the perfect son—the perfect life. Only now that she’s living in their beautiful house, she sees the cracks in the crumbling facade are too deep to ignore.
Still, she isn’t one to judge. After her grim diagnosis, the retired therapist simply wants a place to live out the rest of her days in peace. But that peace is shattered the day Juno overhears a chilling conversation between Winnie and Nigel…
She shouldn’t get involved.
She really shouldn’t.
But this could be her chance to make a few things right.
Because if you thought Juno didn’t have a secret of her own, then you were wrong about her, too.
From the wickedly dark mind of bestselling author Tarryn Fisher, The Wrong Family is a taut new thriller that’s riddled with twists in all the right places.
What books are you waiting on this week?
Title: The Woman Outside My Door
Author: Rachel Ryan
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook, paperback arc
Release Date: November 24, 2020
Rating: ★★★★
From an unforgettable new voice in suspense fiction, The Woman Outside My Door is a thrilling page-turner about a young mother who can’t shake the feeling that her son’s “imaginary” friend is putting him in very real danger, and she will stop at nothing to keep him safe—perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Mary Kubica.
All children have imaginary friends, Georgina tells herself. It’s perfectly normal, and they all grow out of it in the end. But when her seven-year-old son, Cody, tells her about New Granny, the new friend he’s met in the park, Georgina is instantly suspicious. Something—call it maternal instinct—tells her he isn’t making it up.
But maybe Georgina is losing her mind. It wouldn’t be the first time, after all. And with her own mother’s recent death leaving her bereft and trying to cope with life as a busy working mom, it’s no wonder she’s feeling paranoid that Cody has invented a “New Granny” to replace his beloved grandmother.
Her husband, Bren, becomes the voice of reason, assuring Georgina that it’s just a game, the product of their son’s overactive imagination. But what if Cody’s imaginary friend is not so imaginary after all?
Georgina is worried that her son has a new friend who he calls “New Granny.” He says that he saw her at the park and she gave him candy. Georgina’s mother recently died, so her son doesn’t have any grandmothers. Her husband, Bren, just thinks that this is an imaginary friend, which is the way their son is dealing with the loss of his grandmother. Then, Georgina gets the feeling that she’s being watched everywhere she goes. Georgina has to figure out the truth behind her son’s “New Granny” before someone gets hurt.
This story started out like a lot of thrillers. Georgina seemed to be losing her mind because no one believed her about someone following her and her son. She had mental health problems in her past, and she didn’t have a great relationship with her husband. I’ve read many thrillers with these clues, so I thought I had the story figured out. However, halfway through, the story twisted and went in a different direction. I was really surprised at the ending.
I almost read this whole book in one sitting! It was fast paced and suspenseful. I really enjoyed this thriller!
Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Have you read The Woman Outside My Door? What did you think of it?
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and it is now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is a Freebie, so I decided to do some Book Gift Recommendations. Here’s my list:
(All photos taken from Goodreads)
What’s your list of books on your Top Ten Tuesday?
Happy Pub Day to all of these new books!
What books are you most excited for this week?
Jill's Book Blog 