bookswithlydscl's Reviews (639)

Enjoyed this overall, very reminiscent of Bret Easton Ellis. 

Having never watched One Tree Hill I picked this up because of the cult aspect and I'm really glad I did. It's so frustrating as an outsider to see her falling for the lies and manipulation and seeing how they targeted vulnerable.ypung women very deliberately. Really well narrated by the author this was thoughtful, reflective and will make you angry but because of the prologue letting us know she gets out you continue to read on to see how she survives.

As a huge fan of TJ Klune's audiobooks I was very excited to see this reissue of one of his older novels with a new audiobook narrated by one of the best Klune narrators - Kirt Graves.

Everything that I love about Klune's work is present in some form here - phenomenal narration, found family, quirky humour, queer romance and loveable characters. But what was missing for me was a sense of heart at the core of the story. Despite Kirt Graves narration I just couldn't get invested in the story or the characters and felt the romance was a little lacking especially in comparison to what we saw in Under the Whispering Door. I was also spoilt with In The Lives of Puppets which was a standout five star and I feel that the sci-fi elements were more effective in that story.

One that I think will grow on me in future but in comparison to his most recent new releases it is definitely lacking.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan UK Audio for the audio review copy of "The Bones Beneath My Skin" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Easiest 5 stars I'll ever give. This was just wonderful. Seamlessly weaving three timelines through the theme of water it is a powerful, emotional and tragic story that is filled with hope as well. Loved it.

In this story we follow quiet and reserved, Clemmie whose talent for reading Hieroglyphs isn't appreciated in staid Victorian society but is invaluable for her father at his Egyptian relic parties. At one such party she translates words from a strange amulet that will change the course of her life forever.
Five years later she travels to Egypt to journey up the Nile and by following Nephthys' story hopes that she can undo the mistakes of the past. Along the way she meets unexpected allies and enemies and uncovers long-buried secrets and betrayals.

I love the history of Ancient Egpyt and adding in female scholars, commentary on society and a journey of discovery meant that I was excited to read this. Unfortunately the story and writing didn't quite click for me and it took a long while to get going which left me feeling frustrated that the promise of the premise wasn't being delivered sooner. 

This story had huge potential and for a debut especially was generally well crafted with beautiful and vivid descriptors of the landscape, journey and society of the time. It just sadly didn't quite hit in the right spots for me at this time.

Thank you to Netgalley and Vintage | Harvill Secker for this digital review copy of "Nephthys" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

A genuin  surprise that I liked this one as the Brontes tend to be more miss than hit.

Powerful and horrific, this is historical fiction that is very timely for how society is developing today. This is horror from Grady Hendrix but not as you know it. It's not fun and campy like you would expect. The horror in this story comes from the stories and experiences of the girls so don't go into it expecting the normal GH reading experience.
I loved this one, it's very different and incredibly well handled. So surprising how a male writer has told the story of female experience. It's written with care and sensitivity and feels truly empathetic of what these girls are going through. The characters feel fully realised and human and without any kind of trite clichés that can normally be found.

4.5* Really enjoyed this and Russell Tovey's narration brought it to life. A classic that I'll come back to!

Glad I've finally read this. Mccarthy's writing style is definitely acquired taste but works well for me especially in audiobook format and I feel like I flew through this one in 3 reading sessions over a week or so.

Dragons, Dark Academia, War Fantasy, great magic system, social constructs, history etc all make this a 4 /5 star story but it was RUINED by the romance. It's a cringy teen lust affair written in an adult book and whilst I know a lot of readers kicked their heels in the air and squealed in delight I just got annoyed that they kept ruining the rest of the story with that. 

Overall = Hated it, but loved the dragons! I think one book was enough, I won't continue as I just can't handle the 'romance' element. Can someone recommend a version of this story without that?