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ishouldreadthat
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What an incredibly concept and flawless execution! I've been picking up novellas more and more over the past couple of years and am always impressed by the amount of story and character development that authors manage to pack into 200 pages, but the Murders of Molly Southbourne blew me away. Thrilling from start to finish, this book packs a huge punch and is so incredibly gripping. I loved reading Molly's story and cannot wait to see what happens next.
CW: murder, lots of blood, suicide, imprisonment
What an incredibly concept and flawless execution! I've been picking up novellas more and more over the past couple of years and am always impressed by the amount of story and character development that authors manage to pack into 200 pages, but the Murders of Molly Southbourne blew me away. Thrilling from start to finish, this book packs a huge punch and is so incredibly gripping. I loved reading Molly's story and cannot wait to see what happens next.
CW: murder, lots of blood, suicide, imprisonment
Originally posted to I Should Read That
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
I find often thrillers really hit or miss for me — sometimes they’re the most amazing reading experience or they completely fall flat. I hadn’t ever picked up a Ruth Ware book before, so I didn’t have many expectations going in despite hearing great things about her writing. However, I am so pleased to say that I ended up loving The Death of Mrs Westaway and read it in nearly one sitting.
Like with all thriller reviews, I’ll keep this short because you should know as little as possible before going in. There is a lot to love about The Death of Mrs Westaway, and for me I think the main factor is the fact that it feels like a more small scale story than other thrillers I’ve read — I hope this will make sense. I’ve struggled with some books featuring female protagonists because of violence against them, threats of sexual assault, etc. and the way such things are handled. Harriet is not an unreliable narrator, currently an alcoholic, or a drug addict, all of which seem to be recurring themes in thrillers since books like Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train became popular. What I’m trying to get across is the fact that this book feels different from many other thrillers I’ve read. I really enjoyed the fact that the main tension of the story surrounds the fact that Harriet must make a choice — to commit a crime that could land her in prison or not. She’s an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances, and time and time again proves she’s a good person.
Ware’s writing is wonderfully tense and well-paced — I blew through this book so quickly and couldn’t put it down. In fact, I nearly missed my bus stop because I was so engrossed in the book on my commute. I really loved the story, the twists and turns, and the way everything resolves in the end — it’s a very satisfying read. If you’re looking for an intriguing thriller for the fall and winter, I’d highly recommend picking up The Death of Mrs Westaway, particularly on a dark and chilly weekend. This was my introduction to Ruth Ware and I’ve already read another of her books — I plan to pick up the rest of them as well!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
I find often thrillers really hit or miss for me — sometimes they’re the most amazing reading experience or they completely fall flat. I hadn’t ever picked up a Ruth Ware book before, so I didn’t have many expectations going in despite hearing great things about her writing. However, I am so pleased to say that I ended up loving The Death of Mrs Westaway and read it in nearly one sitting.
Like with all thriller reviews, I’ll keep this short because you should know as little as possible before going in. There is a lot to love about The Death of Mrs Westaway, and for me I think the main factor is the fact that it feels like a more small scale story than other thrillers I’ve read — I hope this will make sense. I’ve struggled with some books featuring female protagonists because of violence against them, threats of sexual assault, etc. and the way such things are handled. Harriet is not an unreliable narrator, currently an alcoholic, or a drug addict, all of which seem to be recurring themes in thrillers since books like Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train became popular. What I’m trying to get across is the fact that this book feels different from many other thrillers I’ve read. I really enjoyed the fact that the main tension of the story surrounds the fact that Harriet must make a choice — to commit a crime that could land her in prison or not. She’s an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances, and time and time again proves she’s a good person.
Ware’s writing is wonderfully tense and well-paced — I blew through this book so quickly and couldn’t put it down. In fact, I nearly missed my bus stop because I was so engrossed in the book on my commute. I really loved the story, the twists and turns, and the way everything resolves in the end — it’s a very satisfying read. If you’re looking for an intriguing thriller for the fall and winter, I’d highly recommend picking up The Death of Mrs Westaway, particularly on a dark and chilly weekend. This was my introduction to Ruth Ware and I’ve already read another of her books — I plan to pick up the rest of them as well!
Lumberjanes, Vol. 3: A Terrible Plan
Grace Ellis, ND Stevenson, Shannon Watters, Faith Erin Hicks
Love, as per usual. Do you think I can train Dax the Cat to sit on my head like Bubbles does?
Oooh this one got a little darker than expected
Mermaids!!!!
I first read this book years ago, and whole I enjoyed it then I think I appreciated it much more the second time around! Graceling is an older YA novel and it shows in many ways (Katsa is so not like other girls, you guys), but the story is great and I really enjoyed the writing style.
Something I found particularly interesting is that this book is all about consent, which seems to be a topic more on people's minds these days than back in 2008 when Graceling was published (I often find I have to brace myself when I read older romance novels, for example, because consent isn't often as carefully considered as it may be now).
Planning to read the whole series in celebration of the publication of Winterkeep in January 2021!
Something I found particularly interesting is that this book is all about consent, which seems to be a topic more on people's minds these days than back in 2008 when Graceling was published (I often find I have to brace myself when I read older romance novels, for example, because consent isn't often as carefully considered as it may be now).
Planning to read the whole series in celebration of the publication of Winterkeep in January 2021!
Fairy tales inspired by her Hazel Wood duology, I enjoyed these much more than the books that inspired them! I'd highly recommend these to anyone looking for a collection of original, dark fairy tales - whether you're a fan of her other books or not.
See more book reviews and thoughts on my YouTube channel
I'm slowly working my way through some true crime books, and The Stranger Beside Me was high on my list of priorities. Among the most famous of its genre, the book is probably best known not just for it's subject - serial killer Ted Bundy -- but for the fact that Ann Rule was a good friend of his.
Before starting The Stranger Beside Me, I had assumed that he was an acquaintance and perhaps the connection between author and killer was tenuous. Nope! Ann and Ted had been good friends for years by the time he was first arrested for his crimes. One of the best things about this book is Ann's struggle to reconcile her friend, who gave her so much support in times of need, with the rapist and murderer of an unknown number of women. Would highly recommend, especially the audiobook, to anyone interested in true crime!
As a heads up for a modern reader, many of the terms and attitudes of the book are quite outdated, including terminology that is very much Not Okay To Use these days.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
I'm slowly working my way through some true crime books, and The Stranger Beside Me was high on my list of priorities. Among the most famous of its genre, the book is probably best known not just for it's subject - serial killer Ted Bundy -- but for the fact that Ann Rule was a good friend of his.
Before starting The Stranger Beside Me, I had assumed that he was an acquaintance and perhaps the connection between author and killer was tenuous. Nope! Ann and Ted had been good friends for years by the time he was first arrested for his crimes. One of the best things about this book is Ann's struggle to reconcile her friend, who gave her so much support in times of need, with the rapist and murderer of an unknown number of women. Would highly recommend, especially the audiobook, to anyone interested in true crime!
As a heads up for a modern reader, many of the terms and attitudes of the book are quite outdated, including terminology that is very much Not Okay To Use these days.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free for Winterkeep, but may contain spoilers for earlier books in the series. Please beware!
The latest installment in the Realm of the Graceling series comes out today – eight years after the publication of Bitterblue — and our favourite gang of royals and rebels finds themselves in trouble in a fantastical land across the sea.
There is a lot to love about Winterkeep! Cashore proves once again that she is a cracking storyteller and wonderful worldbuilder. I’ve always found these to be her strengths — she has the marvelous ability to pull you headfirst into her stories and the pages just keep turning. I love the world of the original books, especially the Dells, so I was a little sad to be leaving them behind in favour of this strange new continent. However, Cashore’s worldbuilding does not disappoint. We get airships! Telepathic foxes! Political intrigue and strife! Storytelling seals! Mythical sea creatures! I absolutely loved the world of Winterkeep and am so keen to learn more in (hopefully) future books.
It took me a little while to get into the story and new characters of this book, however once I reached the halfway point, I could not put Winterkeep down. Much like Bitterblue, it takes some setup for the reader to see what’s going on beneath the surface and really get hooked into the story, but it was ultimately worth the wait. Although the Realm of the Graceling books are very much on the adult end of YA fiction, I really felt like Cashore toes the line between YA and adult in this book — some of the themes she explores are definitely for the older reader. These include:
⭐️Sex positivity and promiscuity
⭐️Birth control
⭐️Climate change and environmental activism
⭐️Parental abuse
⭐️The complexities of friendships and relationships (both romantic and familial)
Throw these in with what you expect from Cashore — PSTD and healing from trauma, menstruation, a woman’s right to chose whether or not to marry, consent, toxic relationships, etc. — and you have one hell of an adult-feeling book!
For me personally, Cashore’s characters don’t stand out quite as much as I’d like, and this is the case in Winterkeep. It took me a very long time to warm to Lovisa, one of our main POV characters, and I’m not quite sure I ever got there with her. I do, however, really enjoy her story arc and her exploration of and questions around her sexuality. Giddon, a secondary character from the previous series most memorable for his epic failure of a marriage proposal to Katsa, is another main POV character in this book, as well as Queen Bitterblue. I didn’t quite have the same connection to these familiar characters as I did before, and they felt quite different in terms of their voice, however I put that down to the eight years between the third and fourth books!
Overall, Winterkeep was a thumping good read! As a recent reader of the series, I’d be so curious to hear what fans of the Realm of the Graceling series think, however I do think you’ll enjoy it if you liked the previous books, despite it having quite a different feel.
CW: Parental abuse and neglect, murder, imprisonment
Rating:> 3.5 out of 5 stars
I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free for Winterkeep, but may contain spoilers for earlier books in the series. Please beware!
The latest installment in the Realm of the Graceling series comes out today – eight years after the publication of Bitterblue — and our favourite gang of royals and rebels finds themselves in trouble in a fantastical land across the sea.
There is a lot to love about Winterkeep! Cashore proves once again that she is a cracking storyteller and wonderful worldbuilder. I’ve always found these to be her strengths — she has the marvelous ability to pull you headfirst into her stories and the pages just keep turning. I love the world of the original books, especially the Dells, so I was a little sad to be leaving them behind in favour of this strange new continent. However, Cashore’s worldbuilding does not disappoint. We get airships! Telepathic foxes! Political intrigue and strife! Storytelling seals! Mythical sea creatures! I absolutely loved the world of Winterkeep and am so keen to learn more in (hopefully) future books.
It took me a little while to get into the story and new characters of this book, however once I reached the halfway point, I could not put Winterkeep down. Much like Bitterblue, it takes some setup for the reader to see what’s going on beneath the surface and really get hooked into the story, but it was ultimately worth the wait. Although the Realm of the Graceling books are very much on the adult end of YA fiction, I really felt like Cashore toes the line between YA and adult in this book — some of the themes she explores are definitely for the older reader. These include:
⭐️Sex positivity and promiscuity
⭐️Birth control
⭐️Climate change and environmental activism
⭐️Parental abuse
⭐️The complexities of friendships and relationships (both romantic and familial)
Throw these in with what you expect from Cashore — PSTD and healing from trauma, menstruation, a woman’s right to chose whether or not to marry, consent, toxic relationships, etc. — and you have one hell of an adult-feeling book!
For me personally, Cashore’s characters don’t stand out quite as much as I’d like, and this is the case in Winterkeep. It took me a very long time to warm to Lovisa, one of our main POV characters, and I’m not quite sure I ever got there with her. I do, however, really enjoy her story arc and her exploration of and questions around her sexuality. Giddon, a secondary character from the previous series most memorable for his epic failure of a marriage proposal to Katsa, is another main POV character in this book, as well as Queen Bitterblue. I didn’t quite have the same connection to these familiar characters as I did before, and they felt quite different in terms of their voice, however I put that down to the eight years between the third and fourth books!
Overall, Winterkeep was a thumping good read! As a recent reader of the series, I’d be so curious to hear what fans of the Realm of the Graceling series think, however I do think you’ll enjoy it if you liked the previous books, despite it having quite a different feel.
CW: Parental abuse and neglect, murder, imprisonment
Rating:> 3.5 out of 5 stars
For more reviews and bookish content, check out my YouTube channel
Bitterblue brings together the very different stories from the first two books to a satisfying conclusion. It’s a pretty muddled tale, but with good reason, and takes awhile for the characters and the reader to figure out what’s going on. Cashore digs into the trauma of an entire kingdom and how its leader may be able to help the nation heal. We don’t often get to see the aftermath of a villain’s defeat, and Bitterblue shows the human cost of a villain’s years-long reign.
Bitterblue herself is an interesting character, as she’s grown quite a lot since her adventures with Katsa in Graceling. I do think that Cashore’s weakness (for me) has always been her characters and while I liked Bitterblue well enough, she wasn’t my favourite.
CW: mentions of rape, implied rape, suicide, PTSD
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Bitterblue brings together the very different stories from the first two books to a satisfying conclusion. It’s a pretty muddled tale, but with good reason, and takes awhile for the characters and the reader to figure out what’s going on. Cashore digs into the trauma of an entire kingdom and how its leader may be able to help the nation heal. We don’t often get to see the aftermath of a villain’s defeat, and Bitterblue shows the human cost of a villain’s years-long reign.
Bitterblue herself is an interesting character, as she’s grown quite a lot since her adventures with Katsa in Graceling. I do think that Cashore’s weakness (for me) has always been her characters and while I liked Bitterblue well enough, she wasn’t my favourite.
CW: mentions of rape, implied rape, suicide, PTSD
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars