audiobook

NETGALLEY BOOK REVIEW: Doc Doc Zeus by Thomas Keech

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Audiobook Length: 9 hours and 45 minutes

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Genre: Fiction, General Adult Fiction

Publisher: Real Nice Books

Published Date: August 1, 2017

Goodreads’ Synopsis: Still mourning the baby she gave away a year before – and feeling rejected by the same church people who had so cheerfully arranged that adoption – sixteen-year-old Diane seems to find a supportive friend in her gynecologist, Dr. Zeus. Diane is intelligent and bold but often leaps before she looks, and now she questions why he has to examine her so often, and why he prescribes her so many drugs. The state medical board also has suspicions about Dr. Zeus, but the official inquiry inches forward very slowly as its new investigator stumbles over his own hang-ups.

Read Start Date: January 27, 2024

Read Finish Date: January 30, 2024

My Review: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The book is told from the POV of 3 separate characters. The first POV is 16-year-old Diane. She is grieving the baby she gave away when she was 14 years old. The second POV is Dr. Zeus, Diane’s depraved doctor and all-around pervert. The third POV is Frank, a rookie medical board investigator who stumbles across an old case about Dr. Zeus that never went anywhere. When a new complaint (about Diane) comes in from an anonymous source, the Board starts to investigate in earnest.

This book reads a little bit like narrative non-fiction. It was so plausible (even though disturbing and horrible) that, at times, I forgot I was reading a fiction book.

I thought the characters were well-developed and realistic, even if not likable. I was rooting for Frank to take down the deplorable Dr. Zeus (whom, of course, I hated), and I was at times aggravated at the choices Diane made. I had to keep reminding myself that she was only a teenager, and so was thinking with a teenage brain. She didn’t see anything wrong with a 16-year-old dating her 43-year-old doctor, even though every adult immediately realized this was statutory rape and a betrayal of trust. I became really invested in the outcome of the story and was eager to find out whether everything worked out okay.

I would definitely recommend this book; however, I would caution anyone who is sensitive to such stories, especially those who are sensitive about issues of statutory rape, abuse of minors, or other similar triggers.

Reviews Published
Professional Reader
10 Book Reviews

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.

BOOK REVIEW: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

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Audiobook Length: 2o hours and 43 minutes

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Dragons

Series: The Empyrean #1

Read Start Date: December 7, 2023

Read Finish Date: December 19, 2023

Goodreads’ Synopsis: Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

My Review: Violet Sorrengail was raised to be a scribe, like her father. After her father’s death, Violet’s mother forces her to join Basgaith War College and train to be a dragon rider. Despite her small stature and weak physical constitution, Violet surprises everyone by not only making it through the War College, but thriving there.

Honestly, I was unimpressed with this book for the first 30%. There was too much superfluous violence, the characters were unlikeable, and many second-tier characters had no depth. I thought that there were way too many cliches — like the evil arch nemesis, who we all know will be the love interest– and Yarros world building just kept adding layers and layers of questions, which were never answered.

I pushed on, however, given the hype this book has received. Then the book suddenly got good. The violence was still superfluous, but suddenly I wanted to know how/why Violet was bonded to not one, but two dragons. The sex scenes were really hot and steamy. I became invested in the main characters and their well-being. I kept listening to the audiobook long after I should have gone to sleep. The ending had an unexpected twist, which frankly blew my mind — I was not expecting it at all. And I thought about this book for weeks after finishing it, which is rare for me.

I immediately went on the holds list for the next book in the series at the library, but alas, it will be several more months until it is my turn. The wait is torture.

If you read one book this year, make it this one.

BOOK REVIEW: The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

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Audiobook Length: 15 hours and 20 minutes

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction

Read Start Date: November 22, 2023

Read Finish Date: December 3, 2023

Brief Summary of the Plot from Goodreads: Texas, 1934. Millions are out of work and a drought has broken the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as the crops are failing, the water is drying up, and dust threatens to bury them all. One of the darkest periods of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, has arrived with a vengeance.

In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinelli—like so many of her neighbors—must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west, to California, in search of a better life. The Four Winds is an indelible portrait of America and the American Dream, as seen through the eyes of one indomitable woman whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone comes an epic novel of love and heroism and hope, set against the backdrop of one of America’s most defining eras—the Great Depression.

My Review: Elsa is intelligent, brave, resilient and independent. These are all traits that any woman in 2024 would desire. Would be applauded for. However, Elsa lives in the 1920s, where such traits are worthless. Even worse, she is tall and “handsome” rather than beautiful, all but requiring that she live as a spinster. Her parents have always told her that no man would ever love her. Maybe this is why, when the roguishly handsome son of a neighboring Italian farmer shows an interest, Elsa throws caution to the wind and starts a forbidden love affair with him. Losing her virginity in the back of Raef’s truck, Elsa and Raef continue seeing each other despite their age gap and his impending move to college and engagement in a sort of arranged marriage. When she becomes pregnant, she is disowned by her parents and moves in with Raef’s family. They are married in a quickie wedding without much fanfare. Elsa’s journey is both heartbreaking and inspiring. She is forced to make agonizing choices that test her courage and faith, yet she never loses sight of her love for her children and her deep connection to the land.

Hannah’s storytelling is immersive and evocative, transporting readers to the desolate landscapes of the Great Plains and the vibrant, hopeful communities that once thrived there. She skillfully captures the desperation and despair gripping the region while highlighting the moments of camaraderie and resilience that emerged amidst the hardship. However, to be honest, I found this book mostly depressing. This book might not be for you if you are not in a good headspace. Set it aside until you can handle reading how tragedy strikes characters you grow to love again and again.

Stats: Goodreads Choice Award: Nominee for Best Historical Fiction (2021). As of January 6, 2024, this book has 4.3 stars on Goodreads.

Other Books I have read by Kristin Hannah:

Title: The Great Alone

Author: Kristin Hannah

Goodreads Synopsis: Alaska, 1974.
Unpredictable. Unforgiving. Untamed.
For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival.

Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.

Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if it means following him into the unknown.

At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the Allbrights’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources.

But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves.

In this unforgettable portrait of human frailty and resilience, Kristin Hannah reveals the indomitable character of the modern American pioneer and the spirit of a vanishing Alaska―a place of incomparable beauty and danger. The Great Alone is a daring, beautiful, stay-up-all-night story about love and loss, the fight for survival, and the wildness that lives in both man and nature.

See my review of this book here.

NETGALLEY BOOK REVIEW: The Edge of Reality by J. Allen Hynek and Jacques Vallee

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Audiobook Length: 11 hours and 51 minutes

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Genre: Nonfiction, Science, Aliens, UFOs

Read Start Date: October 31, 2023

Read Finish Date: December 22, 2023

Brief Summary of the Plot from Goodreads: From the outset, Hynek and Vallee make their position UFOs represent an unknown but real phenomenon. The far-reaching implications take us to the very edge of what we consider known and real in our physical environment. Perhaps, say the authors, UFOs signal the existence of a domain of nature as yet totally unexplored.   In this mind-stretching book, the authors sample UFO reports, including those allegedly involving humanoids, and describe the perceived patterns in the behavior of the phenomenon. They also establish a framework for further study. Where might such study lead? What can be studied, and how? What is the real nature of the UFO phenomenon? Does it originate with the actions of other intelligences in the universe? If so, where and what might they be? Does the UFO phenomenon have a purely physical explanation, or is there a vast, hidden realm that holds the solution?   In this invaluable work, we gain insight into the thinking of Hynek and Vallee’s research and investigations into UFOs, including Project Blue Book, the Pascagoula case, and the Betty and Barney Hill experience.

My Review: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The book delves into the history of UFO sightings, the plausibility of extraterrestrial explanations, and the implications of these encounters for our understanding of reality itself. While the book seems to be well researched, and I found the subject matter to be interesting, I am only giving the book three stars for several reasons:

The book is told in a narrative fashion, like an interview or conversation, that probably is easier to follow when reading it in written form. I often got lost in the narrative and wasn’t sure who was speaking. There are also photos and other exhibits referenced in the audiobook that the reader cannot see but would be available in the print version.

Through the aforementioned interview style, the authors present “evidence,” including firsthand accounts, statistical analyses, and physical evidence, which suggests that UFOs are not simply misidentified natural phenomena or hoaxes. They explore the possibility that these objects may represent advanced technology from another civilization or even a different dimension of reality. I write “evidence” in quotations because the book relies heavily on anecdotes/stories and does not provide definitive proof of any of these “sightings.” In other words, it is speculative, and the conclusions are open to interpretation. This is nothing new, and with all other things UFO related, you either believe, or you don’t.

I grew up watching The X-Files and know a lot about aliens and the UFO culture, so this book didn’t really tell me anything new. However, if you are just getting into the topic, there are a lot of interesting stories in this book that would be a good starting point.

Reviews Published
Professional Reader
10 Book Reviews

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.

BOOK REVIEW: I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

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Audiobook Length: 6 hours and 26 minutes

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography

Read Start Date: November 16, 2023

Read Finish Date: November 19, 2023

Brief Summary of the Plot from Goodreads: A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother—and how she retook control of her life.

Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called “calorie restriction,” eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, “Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn’t tint hers?” She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income.

In I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail—just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly, she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi (“Hi Gale!”), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants.

Told with refreshing candor and dark humor, I’m Glad My Mom Died is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.

My Review: I borrowed this audiobook from the library as it was on the “popular” list. I have also seen this book several times at the bookstore. I was unaware that Jennette McCurdy was a child actor who starred on the iCarly show and co-starred with Ariana Grande on Sam & Cat. I’ve heard of these shows but have never seen them. There is a lot to unpack in this poignant, revealing memoir.

I’m Glad My Mom Died is a raw, honest, and deeply personal memoir about the challenges of growing up in the spotlight as a child star and the emotional turmoil caused by a complex and often abusive relationship with her mother. McCurdy, best known for her roles as Sam Puckett on Nickelodeon’s iCarly and Sam & Cat, opens up about her experiences with eating disorders, body image issues, and substance abuse, all of which were exacerbated by her mother’s controlling and demanding nature.

I was really surprised that the mother not only knew about McCurdy’s eating disorder (starting at the age of 12, she went on a “restrictive diet,” but essentially, the mother TAUGHT McCurdy how to be an anorexic. That is so totally sick and made my heart hurt for the author. Mothers are supposed to protect their children, not set them up for a lifetime of trauma and suffering.

The title of the book, which may seem jarring at first, is a reflection of McCurdy’s complex emotions following her mother’s death from cancer in 2013. While she grappled with grief and loss, she also recognized that her mother’s passing had freed her from the unhealthy dynamics and expectations that had dominated her life for so long.

McCurdy’s writing is both heartbreaking and insightful as she chronicles her struggles to find her own voice and identity amidst the pressures of fame (which the author never wanted to begin with–she was living her mother’s dream) and her mother’s relentless pursuit of stardom. She describes her mother’s controlling behavior, which included micromanaging her appearance, her career, and even her personal relationships. McCurdy felt trapped in a cycle of self-loathing and self-destruction, driven by her mother’s constant criticism and her own desire to please her.

Amidst the darkness, there are moments of humor and resilience. McCurdy’s self-deprecating humor and sharp wit provide a counterpoint to her pain, and her determination to break free from her mother’s control is inspiring. She eventually seeks therapy, which helps her to recognize unhealthy patterns and begin to heal from the trauma of her childhood.

I would recommend this book to adults of all ages, especially those who are interested in the entertainment industry.

Stats: As of writing this review (December 11, 2023) this book has a 4.48 rating on Goodreads.

BOOK REVIEW: Happy Place by Emily Henry

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Title: Happy Place

Author: Emily Henry

Audiobook Length: 11 hours and 3 minutes

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary

Read Start Date: October 1, 2023

Read Finish Date: October 8, 2023

Brief Summary of the Plot from Goodreads: Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.

They broke up six months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.

Which is how they find themselves sharing the largest bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blue week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.

Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week… in front of those who know you best?

My Review: Happy Place is a heartwarming story about two people who pretend to still be a couple for their annual weeklong vacation with their friend group. The Goodreads summary above is pretty accurate, so there is not much to add from my end to the plot description.

I absolutely loved this book. From the very beginning I was rooting for Harriet and Wyn. I ached for their heartbreak and hoped that they could work it out. I just wanted to read right through to the end because watching them struggle was tearing me apart. Although I knew that they would probably get together in the end — because isn’t that the ending of most romance novels? — I was still worried that they wouldn’t. Real life extended my reading of this book for 7 long days…but in the end I was relieved, and I must admit that the journey getting there was very enjoyable. I have read other Emily Henry books (you can see my reviews of the books by clicking on the titles: People We Meet On Vacation, Book Lovers and Beach Read), but Happy Place is by far my favorite.

The other characters are also great and overall relatable, and the friendships/relationships in the book are realistic. I also really loved the little details in Happy Place, like the book store called Murder She Read and the fact that the characters loved the show Murder She Wrote.

Stats: As of writing this blog post (October 10, 2023) this book has a rating of 4.09 on Goodreads. In my view, this is not enough stars. She deserves 5 stars for this book!

Recommended? A must read!

BOOK REVIEW: Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

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Title: Tom Lake

Author: Ann Patchett

Audiobook Length: 11 hours and 22 minutes

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction

Read Start Date: September 16, 2023

Read Finish Date: September 23, 2023

Brief Summary of the Plot from Goodreads: In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family’s orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake.

As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.

Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. As in all of her novels, Ann Patchett combines compelling narrative artistry with piercing insights into family dynamics. The result is a rich and luminous story, told with profound intelligence and emotional subtlety, that demonstrates once again why she is one of the most revered and acclaimed literary talents working today.

My Review: Tom Lake tells the story of Lara Novak, a woman who lives on a cherry orchard in Northern Michigan with her husband. Her three adult daughters return to the farm for the season. I believe that the present day events are set during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pandemic is mentioned only in passing and doesn’t become an overarching theme of the novel. While picking cherries, the daughters ask Lara to tell them the story of Lara’s summer at Tom Lake during her early twenties, where, while participating in a summer stock theater company, she fell in love with a famous actor named Peter Duke. The daughters grew up watching Peter Duke in several favorite movies, and only recently learned that their mother had dated him in her youth.

The novel alternates between the present and the past, and the stories soon intertwine in a intricately woven story, where past actions / events, resonate with /dictate the present.

The storylines are character heavy, and not much happens other than the telling of their lives. In such books, I always find that it is vital that the book is written well, and that the lives of the characters are engaging enough to keep my interest. Both are true with Tom Lake. Patchett writes in beautiful prose, and her characters are relatable and loveable.

Stats: as of writing this post (October 9, 2023) Tom Lake has a 4.23 rating on Goodreads. My review of 4 stars is on par with the masses.

Recommended? Yes!

BOOK REVIEW: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

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Title: A Court of Mist and Fury

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Audiobook Length: 23 hours and 16 minutes

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

Read Start Date: August 31, 2021

Read Finish Date: November 29, 2021

Number of Book in Series: 2

Brief Summary of the Plot from Goodreads:  The seductive and stunning #1 New York Times bestselling sequel to Sarah J. Maas’s spellbinding A Court of Thorns and Roses .

Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she’s now been granted the powers and lifespan of the High Fae, she is haunted by her time Under the Mountain and the terrible deeds she performed to save the lives of Tamlin and his people.

As her marriage to Tamlin approaches, Feyre’s hollowness and nightmares consume her. She finds herself split into two different one who upholds her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court, and one who lives out her life in the Spring Court with Tamlin. While Feyre navigates a dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms. She might just be the key to stopping it, but only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future-and the future of a world in turmoil.

Bestselling author Sarah J. Maas’s masterful storytelling brings this second book in her dazzling, sexy, action-packed series to new heights.

My Review: A Court of Mist and Fury is the second book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas. It continues the story of Feyre Archeron, a mortal girl who becomes entangled in the world of faeries.

The book begins with Feyre suffering from the aftermath of her traumatic experiences in the first book, A Court of Thorns and Roses. She is struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and feeling trapped in her engagement to Tamlin, the High Lord of the Spring Court.

Rhysand, the enigmatic High Lord of the Night Court, claims Feyre as part of a bargain they made in the previous book. Feyre is taken to the Night Court, where she gradually begins to heal both physically and emotionally. She forms deep bonds with Rhysand and his inner circle, which includes Amren, Azriel, Cassian, and Mor.

The book also delves into the politics and power dynamics of the faerie courts, as well as the looming threat of an ancient evil.

The central romance between Feyre and Rhysand is a significant aspect of the story, and I found it excruciating to read about. At nearly 24 hours long, this book is so long and painful. Everyone goes around “hissing” and “snarling,” calling each other “prick,” “bastard,” and “whore,” and the plot is just pointless. Snore. I also found it disturbing that the main character is supposed to be a teenager (19 years old?), and her fairy lovers are grown men. And I don’t mean that they are like 1,000 years old, but in fairy years, that’s a teenager…I mean, they are (maybe) 1,000 years old, and in fairy years, that makes them at least 30, if not 40 or 50! I don’t understand how this book is a YA novel (according to Goodreads). I wouldn’t want my teenager to read this book. There are way too many graphic sex scenes! I also don’t understand why people are so thrilled at the relationships between the main character and the 2 fairy lovers…they are abusive! The relationships are abusive! How many times in the book did we hear that Tamlin “locked me up!” (like 100…we get it! He LOCKED YOU UP!!) Even though Feyra left one abusive relationship, she is a “traitor” for getting into another relationship? What?? Great message: leaving an abusive relationship is wrong…huh? Rhys is suddenly a great guy, when in the last book, he was a class-A jerk, because he is Feyre’s mate? (another word beat into the brain: mate, mate, mate, mate, mate). “My mate”…yes, we get it, Maas, Rhys is Feyre’s mate…you don’t need to repeat it 200 times. And then Feyra stopped referring to him as Rhys and started saying, “My mate.” I had a giant eye roll at that. Sorry for venting, but I could not even with this book.

I didn’t really like the first book, but thought that I would give the second book a try. I liked the second book even less than the first.

Stats: As of the writing of this post on October 9, 2023, this book has a rating of 4.64 on Goodreads. So clearly, my review is not tot typical reception that this book usually receives.

Recommended? No, but as stated above, my opinion is the minority.

BOOK REVIEW: The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes

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Title: The House in the Pines

Author: Ana Reyes

Audiobook Length: 8 hours and 34 minutes

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense

Read Start Date: September 3, 2023

Read Finish Date: September 7, 2023

Brief Summary of the Plot from Goodreads: Armed with only hazy memories, a woman who long ago witnessed her friend’s sudden, mysterious death, and has since spent her life trying to forget, sets out to track down answers. What she uncovers, deep in the woods, is hardly to be believed….

Maya was a high school senior when her best friend, Aubrey, mysteriously dropped dead in front of the enigmatic man named Frank whom they’d been spending time with all summer.

Seven years later, Maya lives in Boston with a loving boyfriend and is kicking the secret addiction that has allowed her to cope with what happened years ago, the gaps in her memories, and the lost time that she can’t account for. But her past comes rushing back when she comes across a recent YouTube video in which a young woman suddenly keels over and dies in a diner while sitting across from none other than Frank. Plunged into the trauma that has defined her life, Maya heads to her Berkshires hometown to relive that fateful summer–the influence Frank once had on her and the obsessive jealousy that nearly destroyed her friendship with Aubrey.

At her mother’s house, she excavates fragments of her past and notices hidden messages in her deceased Guatemalan father’s book that didn’t stand out to her earlier. To save herself, she must understand a story written before she was born, but time keeps running out, and soon, all roads are leading back to Frank’s cabin….

Utterly unique and captivating, The House in the Pines keeps you guessing about whether we can ever fully confront the past and return home.

My Review: Maya witnessed the sudden and mysterious death of her best friend, Aubrey, when they were both high school seniors. Seven years later, Maya is still haunted by Aubrey’s death and the gaps in her memories of that summer. When she sees a video of a young woman dying in a diner after sitting across from Frank, the same man who was with Aubrey when she died, Maya is forced to confront her past. She returns to her hometown in the Berkshires to try to piece together what happened, but she soon realizes that Frank is not the only one who has secrets.

The book has a feeling of the supernatural — and the twist at the end was not expected!

I really enjoyed this book. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, just waiting to figure out what it is about Frank that make women drop dead around him. The characters development was also great. They are complex and realistic, and in the case of Maya, is flawed yet deeply likeable. We learn the backstory of Maya (the timeline alternates from the present, as Maya investigates the death of Christine, to what happened in the past leading up to Aubrey’s death). We get an in depth look at the relationships Maya has in her life: with her boyfriend, her mother, and her best friend when she was a child. We learn of Maya’s trauma, her struggles and her will to overcome them.

I felt invested in Maya and her growth through out the novel.

Stats: As of writing this review (September 12, 2023) this book has a 3.14 star rating on Goodreads, which I feel to be unfair. I thought this book was just fantastic!

Recommended? YES!

BOOK REVIEW Netgalley: The Doom Magnetic Trilogy by William Pauley III

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Title: The Doom Magnetic Trilogy

Author: William Pauley III

Audiobook Length: 5 hours

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Genre: Fiction, Bizarro Fiction, Science Fiction, Horror

Read Start Date:  September 11, 2023

Read Finish Date: September 15, 2023

Brief Summary of the Plot from Goodreads: CHORIZO, NEVADA is filled with the grittiest of men and the filthiest of women—the perfect place for a man chockful of secrets to hide. But one fateful day, his past catches up to him…

A Japanese assassin, with a cue-ball for an eye, invades the town with an army of two-foot eyeless minions who thirst for human blood. This man has two things on his mind: Where is his purple television? And who is the dead man that stole it from him?

The Doom Magnetic Trilogy is a fast-paced sci-fi western, packed plum-full of sex, violence, cosmic voids, coliseum-style combat, genetically engineered mutants, breathy brain whispers, cigar smoke torture chambers, and a sea of electric television zombies.

This is the weirdest book you will ever read.

My Review: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Mungden has stolen The Purple Television (an object that has magical powers) from the Japanese Government, and Qoser, a Japanese assassin with a cue ball for an eye, has been tasked with its return due to his unique skillset (i.e., he can use the doom magnetic).

I have read many of Pauley’s books, and like the rest, this one is weird but oddly amazing. The description level given to the characters, actions, and scenes is always fantastic, and you can see the images in your head as you read.

The audiobook is masterfully narrated by Connor Brannigan. He has a wide range of character voices and is fantastic at building atmosphere with his tone. Pauley nailed using Brannigan as the narrator for his works.

The Doom Magnetic Trilogy is not for everyone. It is a violent and strange series that may not appeal to all readers. However, if you are a fan of dark and twisted science fiction, you should definitely check it out.

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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.