BOOK REVIEW: The Moor by Sam Haysom

40023909

Title: The Moor

Author: Sam Haysom

Book Length: 224 pages

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Genre: Fiction, Horror, Paranormal

Read Start Date: January 8, 2019

Read Finish Date: January 26, 2019

In the 1830’s or 1840’s an alleged witch, Emily Brown, was stripped naked, her body mutilated, and was hanged from a tree near her home. The perpetrators of the crime were never caught. Now, in 2002, the Moor is haunted by her restless and malevolent ghost, or that is what the local legend says anyway. James, Gary, Matt, and Tim (all 13 years old) and Tim’s dad, the charming and likeable Mr. Stevens, are in the moor on a weekend walking trip, when strange things start to happen.

Noises in the night. Severed rabbit parts strewn about the campsite. And then Gary goes missing. Has Emily Brown exacted her revenge, or is something even more sinister lurking in the darkness? As a storm bears down on the bedraggled group, will they make it out in time, or will they become the moor’s next victims?

This book was excellent. From the writing to the overall plot this book delivered 5 out of 5. I don’t want to say too much about the plot because I want to save the surprise. I liked how the story alternated between perspectives of the characters and from the years 2002 and 2015. A little bit paranormal, a little bit supernatural, this book will keep you guessing until the end.

Check out this book on Goodreads: The Moor http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40023909-the-moor

Professional Reader

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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BOOK REVIEW: Becoming by Michelle Obama

38746485Title: Becoming

Author: Michelle Obama

Book Length (Audiobook): 19 hours 10 mins

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Links: Goodreads and Amazon

Genre: Nonfiction, Autobiography, Memoir

Read Start Date: January 19, 2019

Read Finish Date: January 27, 2019

The Audiobook of Becoming is read by the author, Michelle Obama. This is really fantastic because its like the author herself is talking directly to you about her own story. On the list of memoirs I have read so far this year, (Educated, The Year of Less, and Girl Wash Your Face), this book ranks toward the top.

The book is very well written and M. Obama writes with the openness and frankness that is the foundation of every good memoir. From fertility issues to the white house, M. Obama seems to hold nothing back.

As the Goodreads synopsis (link above) puts it, “In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it—in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations—and whose story inspires us to do the same.”

I couldn’t have said it better. This is a must read for 2019. I have some spoilers in the rest of the review, so feel free not to read on.

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