Jenn\'s Bookshelves

Review: The Residence by Andrew Pyper

Posted on September 16, 2020 by Jenn

I received this book for free from the publisher (egalley) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Residence by Andrew Pyper
Also by this author: The Damned, The Only Child
Published by Simon and Schuster on September 1st 2020
Genres: Fiction, General, Historical, Horror, Literary, Occult & Supernatural, Thrillers
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher (egalley)
Goodreads

Tragedy strikes President-elect Pierce and his wife before they assume residency in the White House. The train they are riding in to Washington, DC derails; the only casualty is Pierce's son, Bennie. This isn't their first loss, so the devastation sends First Lady Jane Pierce into mourning, leaving Franklin to start off his presidency under a shroud of grief.

Upon moving into the White House, their grief seems to awaken spirits residing in the presidential home. Jane Pierce has been fascinated with the supernatural since she was a young girl, and she's certain the activity she's witnessed is Bennie, trying to communicate with her from the beyond. Her grief leads to desperation, removing the barrier between this world and the beyond.

I knew I had to read this book the moment I read the synopsis. I’m no stranger to Pyper’s work and I impatiently awaiting the opportunity to experience his take on this factual part of American history.

Guests of the White House have commented on strange occurrences. First Ladies Mary Todd Lincoln and Jane Pierce were known to have seances in the White House, both desperate to communicate with their deceased sons. Pyper references letters Jane Pierce wrote to her deceased son; they were genuine and still exist.

That all of these instances are factual add to the chilling and foreboding setting. Pyper, of course, fictionalized other aspects of the story, but that didn’t detract at all from the storyline. Having been familiar with the activities of the former First Ladies, this new spin on things really added to my reading experience.

My only qualm was that Pyper teases the reader with the actual horrors that took place in building the White House. The phrase “the White House was built on the backs of slaves” is quite accurate, and one I feel Pyper could have expanded upon a bit. Horror has long been known as a vehicle for putting voice the issues that haunt our society, so this was an opportunity missed.

All this said, this wasn’t the first and won’t be the last horror novel I read from Andrew Pyper. He’s a truly talented writer, exceptionally capable at chilling me to the bone (and that’s difficult to achieve!). Highly recommended.

Posted in Horror, Review | Leave a comment

Review: Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Jenn

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones

Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones
Also by this author: My Heart Is a Chainsaw
Published by Tom Doherty Associates on September 1, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Horror
Pages: 144
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Goodreads

When Sawyer Grimes and his friends learn that their friend Shanna has landed a new job at the movie theater, the feel it is their duty as her friends to take advantage of the arrangement. When the novelty of sneaking into movies wanes thin, they take the prank up a notch.

They employ the use of Manny, a discarded store mannequin they would dress up and pose in various parts of town. Staging Manny as a ticketed patron of the theater, they await the hilarity that is sure to ensue once the management discovers him. Instead, Manny stands up and walks out of the theater. This is just the beginning of a terrifying series of events that shatters the lives of Sawyer and his friends.

This is a truly brilliant novella. Jones takes bits of all those corny teen slasher movies I grew up watching and uses the very best characteristics to pull together this immensely captivating read.

Sure, it’s quirky; a mannequin comes to live and decides to seek revenge on its creators. Fortunately, Jones rescues this plot from the brink of absurdity through its main character, Sawyer. Sawyer is a truly unreliable narrator, not because what he’s saying isn’t the truth, but his experience is that through the eyes of a naive teenager. He’s the victim who runs up the stairs instead of out the front door. His reaction to Manny sounds right to him, a teen of sound mind and vast knowledge, so obviously it has to be the right decision.

The opening line tells it all:

So Shanna got a new job at the movie theater, we thought we’d play a fun prank on her, and now most of us are dead, and I’m really starting to feel kind of guilty about it all.

The reader follows Sawyer’s unique and terrifying coming-of-age moment as he comes to terms with the results of his actions. As the “creators” of Manny, Sawyer and his friends are Frankenstein and Manny is the monster they have created. They are responsible for his actions and whatever happens to them is punishment they deserve.

The most pivotal moment, in my mind, is when the author picks up all the pieces of the puzzle that we, the reader, have carefully assembled….and throws it all up in the air. Perfectly crafted, expertly paced, a completely mesmerizing read.

If you haven’t read Stephen Graham Jones, this is the perfect example of his sheer brilliance and talent, the perfect first sampling of his tremendous work. Highly, highly recommended.

Posted in Horror, Review, Thriller | Leave a comment

Review: Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Jenn

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
Published by Flatiron Books on August 4th 2020
Genres: Fiction, Literary, Women
Pages: 272
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher
Goodreads

Franny Stone is a wanderer; she has been all her life. She can't bear to set still one moment, even in sleep she's walking.

Climate change is wiping out species. Franny's latest destination is to find the world's last flock of Arctic terns and follow their final migration. She has trekked to Greenland with a the hope of gaining transport aboard a ship that will help her reach her destination. She convinces the captain and the crew of the fishing vessel Saghani to take her onboard, promising the birds will lead them to fish.

As the journey progresses, Franny's past is slowly revealed, as is the true purpose behind her journey. A completely transfixing story of the steps one will take for the one they love.

I chose to read this novel as a palette cleanser of sorts, something to break up some of the darker thrillers I’ve been reading lately. Within the first dozen pages or so, I knew I’d come across my first five-star book of the year.

Franny’s character is wrought with loss and a lack of stability. Her love and respect for birds is easy to understand, for her need to take flight is undeniable. Early on, the reader knows she’s recovering from the loss of someone, but who? Her mother? Her father? Her stillborn daughter? Even Franny herself doesn’t really comprehend the power of the loss she is confronting.

I found myself immediately captivated by this novel. I honestly don’t have an interest in birds, and find it shocking that other reviews can’t see past that to see the true beauty in what McConaghy has written. The birds are Franny’s passion, her vehicle for attempting to comprehend all that has been taken from her. They are her only tried and true sense of stability. Their path is reliable, while her own is the complete opposite.

Ignore any claims that this is a clunky novel; it is everything but that. Don’t discount it because it’s a “climate novel.” Rather, sit back and witness the beauty of the message this author is attempting to relay. You will be handsomely rewarded. Highly, highly recommended.

Posted in Review | 1 Comment

Review: His & Hers by Alice Feeney

Posted on July 28, 2020 by Jenn

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

His& Hers by Alice Feeney
Published by HarperCollins Publishers on July 28, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Psychological, Suspense, Thrillers
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher
Goodreads

A woman is found murdered in Blackdown. News reporter Anna Andrews is bitter about being forced to cover the case; she'd much rather be sitting in the anchor's chair, a position (albeit, temporary) recently stolen from her.

Detective Jack Harper is wary of Anna's presence. They have a history...perhaps that is clouding his judgement. Yet the physical evidence can't deny it, until he too becomes a suspect. Secrets that have lain dormant for years are slowly rising to the surface, secrets that some would kill to keep.

This is most certainly going to be one of the top thrillers of the summer! The storyline, its execution, the characters, the narration, are all outstanding.

The narration is told in a he said/she said method, with three points of view. “His” is clearly Jack’s perspective, while “Hers” is Anna. The third is a complete unknown. All three narrators are unreliable, for each have personal gain in how the case transpires.

The potential suspects are numerous. Just when I thought I’d figured it all out something new was revealed, destroying any evidence I had of that individual’s guilt. Feeney is the queen of misdirection, making the impossible possible. Just thinking about what was involved in crafting this masterpiece, sorting through the suspects and storylines and secrets. It just makes my head spin, but in the best of ways.

A truly well developed and brilliantly plotted title. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Posted in Mystery/Suspense, Review, Thriller | Leave a comment

What I’ve Been Reading-July 2020, Part One

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Jenn

Genres: Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic, Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology, Horror

Reading has definitely been a challenge in the last few months. It’s not that I don’t have time to read, it’s just convincing myself to do so. Turn off the news, stop binge-watching my next addiction on Netflix. READ!

Sundays have become my own adult version of “Drop Everything and Read.” Ok, I don’t drop everything because I’m adult and have responsibilities, but Sunday is the day that I treat myself to some quality reading time. I still don’t quite yet have the mental bandwidth to come up with a formal review after everything I read, but I still think these are books worth sharing and talking about.

Here’s what I’ve read recently:

Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay

In a matter of days, the state of Massachusetts is taken over by a virus similar to rabies. Unlike rabies, however, the symptoms begin in a matter of a few hours. Hospitals are overrun with the sick and the government’s protocols are quickly losing effectiveness.

Why would I want to read a book about zombie-like infected in the middle of our own pandemic? It’s not another zombie novel. It’s a pretty remarkable exploration of the human condition in the midst of a pretty devastating pandemic. Brilliant writing, excellent character-building. If you haven’t read any of Tremblay’s books, do so now.

Wonderland by Zoje Stage

Shaw, an artist, and his retired-dancer wife, Orla, leave their urban surroundings behind and head to upstate New York with their two children. This is Shaw’s chance to pursue his passion while Orla gets the chance to reconnect with her children after a very time-consuming dancing career. They are a mile away from the next house and an hour away from the closest town. The sheer remoteness of their situation doesn’t really hit them until it’s too late, and they are forced to confront what lies waiting in the forest.

You know, I thought I wanted to live in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, but now I’m having second thoughts. Give me easy access to civilization, please! The setting that Stage creates in this novel is at first calm and relaxing, almost inviting. That quickly changes and whohoo..is it creepy. Truly unique, the origin-story is one I wasn’t expecting.

Tomorrow I’ll have a few more books I’ve read recently, including a sequel to one of my favorite horror titles and a book everyone is raving about but as of today, I’m still undecided.

Posted in Short Takes | 1 Comment

Review: Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan

Posted on July 2, 2020 by Jenn

Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan
Published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group on June 30, 2020
Genres: Coming of Age, Family Life, Fiction, General, Women
Pages: 416
Format: eARC
Goodreads

Elisabeth is struggling to embrace many changes in her life. An established journalist and now a new mother, she and her husband are adjusting to living in a small town after living in New York city for over two decades.

Reluctant to form new relationships, her connection to their previous life remains. She aimlessly scrolls through her Brooklyn moms' Facebook group. Her best friend still lives in Brooklyn and they connect largely through text messages. Though she has a looming book deadline, she has no interest (or time) to work on it.

Sam is a senior at the local women's college. Elisabeth hires her to allow her more time to write, but time to herself as well. An artist, Sam has a path for her future laid out, as long as her student loan debt permits it. An unplanned romance attempts to put a detour on that path to the future and Sam finds herself in a dilemma about which route to take.

Elisabeth and Sam soon form a bond that goes beyond babysitter and employer. Unfortunately, their vastly different backgrounds become readily apparent, requiring them to take a step back to regroup and refocus on their individual paths.

I’ve been a fan of Sullivan’s work for some time. She excels at crafting dynamic, yet flawed characters and strong relationships. What she has crafted with Sam and Elisabeth is so real, so genuine. I quickly forgot they were fictional characters. Though I’m long beyond the new mom or college student years, each of these characters resonated with me. I most certainly experienced many of the things that they each endured, struggling with identity and purpose at monumental phases in my life. Both women are forced to question whether they can/should strive for their goals while the demands of relationships weigh heavily on their minds.

Sullivan manages to weave issues about money, class, marriage, and more into this truly dynamic read. While many people reach for light and fluffy reads for the summer, I reach for the ones that make me think. For this reason, I wholeheartedly believe that this title should top your must-read books of summer list. Highly, highly recommended.

Posted in General Fiction, Review | Leave a comment

Review: Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

Posted on June 29, 2020 by Jenn

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
Also by this author: Final Girls, The Last Time I Lied, Lock Every Door, The House Across the Lake
Published by Penguin on June 30, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Horror, Psychological, Suspense, Thrillers
Pages: 400
Format: Hardcover
Source: the publisher
Goodreads

Every house has a story to tell and a secret to tell. When Maggie was young, she lived with her parents in a Victorian mansion in the Vermont. They only lived in Baneberry Hall for three weeks before fleeing in terror in the middle of the night. Her father, Ewan, recounted their terrifying tale in a nonfiction book called House of Horrors. Though she had no memory of what happened that night, the repercussions of her father's book has haunted Maggie for the last two decades. After her father passes away, Maggie learns he never sold the home after they fled. Even worse, she's now inherited the ominous home. Maggie's father urged her never to return to Baneberry Hall, but as a restorer of old homes, she can't resist. Always the skeptic, she plans to simply renovate the home and sell it off. The past always comes back to haunt you...and soon Maggie finds herself attempting to uncover secrets that are more terrifying than she could have ever imagined.

This is one of the books of the summer you cannot miss, the very kind of book I’ve been seeking. I love a good haunted house tale and this one certainly reeled me in. Told in alternating time periods/points of view, Sager weaves a completely mesmerizing and expertly crafted thriller. The reader follows Maggie as she rediscovers her childhood home, while simultaneously witnessing the saga as it unfolded twenty-five years ago, through her father’s book.

The setting Sager creates is dark and chilling. You sense the dread and the fear as you read, spine tingling and skin prickling throughout the entire book. I rarely liken things to horror greats like The Haunting of Hill House, but this one definitely has some similarities. The house comes alive, in a sense, telling the story that must be told. The pure terror, no matter what the cause, contained within the walls of the home.

Unlike many horror greats, Sager’s female characters are not weak or afraid. They are true heroines. This is one of the many qualities of Sager’s titles I appreciate the most. While I have enjoyed all of Sager’s titles, this one takes the lead as my favorite. A horror and thriller all in one; the makings of a perfect book, in my mind!

Turn off all the lights. Lock all the windows and doors. This is a tale you’ll want to read in one sitting. Highly, highly recommended.

Posted in Horror, Review, Thriller | Leave a comment

Review: The Last Flight by Julie Clark

Posted on June 22, 2020 by Jenn

The Last Flight by Julie Clark
Published by Sourcebooks, Incorporated on June 23, 2020
Genres: Fiction, General, Mystery & Detective, Psychological, Suspense, Thrillers
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher (egalley)
Goodreads

On the outside, Claire Cook has the perfect life. She and her husband, a political dynasty with a path to greatness, live in a townhouse in Manhattan. Her schedule, down to the clothes she's to wear, are planned for her.

However, when they are behind the privacy of closed doors, her perfect husband has a temper. If he believes Claire isn't living up to his standards of a perfect wife, he takes his anger out on her. He has eyes and ears on everything she does...or so he thinks. He doesn't realize for the last several months, Claire has been working on a plan to disappear.

Eva, too, is looking for a chance at a new life. When they happen to run into one another at a bar in the airport, they make a last minute decision to switch tickets. Claire takes Eva's ticket to Oakland, Eva travels to Puerto Rico as Claire. It all changes when Claire's flight, the one Eva is on, goes down. No survivors.

Without options, Claire assume's Eva's identity and uncovers the actual reason Eva was looking for a new life, secrets that now put Claire's life in danger.

It’s been a while since I’ve written a review. Not because I haven’t read anything, but nothing lately has jumped out at me and screamed “Now this is a book I want to talk about!”

Apologies in advance for all the cliches, but this is going to be the thriller of the summer. While some may curl up with a beach read in the summer, I go for the thrillers, books that get my heart racing. This one meets those criteria.

While it may seem that I’ve give a lot away in my summary of the book, all of that is revealed in the cover-flap and essentially takes place in the early portions of the book. So much is left for the reader to dive into.

I love when authors carefully plot out the big reveals, releasing them when the reader is least expecting it. There are quite a few in this one, scenes or big reveals that made me gasp or my jaw drop. Additionally, the characters she crafts in Claire and Eva are truly well-rounded. While my opinion of Claire largely stayed the same throughout, I found my feelings about Eva to transform the most drastically.

Prepare to devote all of your time to this title, for once you start it, you won’t be able to stop. Recommended!

Posted in Review, Thriller | 1 Comment

Review: You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Jenn

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce
Published by Tom Doherty Associates on April 21, 2020
Genres: Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology, Fiction, Gothic, Psychological, Thrillers
Pages: 224
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher
Goodreads

Novelist Cassandra Tipp has been known to be a bit eccentric. Now a recluse, she has gone missing. The only thing that remains is her fortune and one final manuscript.

The story told in these pages details what happened out there in the woods, those years ago. What led to her husband's death and the murder-suicide of her father and brother.

Reading the story won't come without consequences, however. If you want to seek the information required to obtain her fortune, you must be willing to pay the consequences.

When I started reading this book, I had no idea what I was getting into. The cover is dark and pretty ominous. The premise alludes to a dark and deadly past. A story within a story, which is to believed?

I have to admit, when I finished reading, I sat back and asked myself, “What did I just read!?” I allowed this story to percolate a bit in my mind before reading this and I’ve come to realize what I read was sheer brilliance. Honestly, I’ve never read anything like it.

I wanted someone to know, you see. To know my truth, now that I am gone.
How everything and none of it happened.

I hesitate to put too much in this review for I feel that readers should experience it first hand. Putting it to word, to print, without the context of the book, I fear, will shatter the experience. Ultimately, this is one of those novels that I feel people will love or hate, based on one’s ability to suspend disbelief and look at alternative, perhaps completely illogical, explanations.

This book still has me thinking about what really happened. Just when I think I’m on one side, I vacillate and switch to the other. A sign of a great read is one that leaves you thinking. This title certainly lives up to to that criteria. Highly recommended!

Warning: not for the squeamish!

Posted in Fantasty, Fantasy, Folklore/Myth, Review, Supernatural, Thriller | 1 Comment

Short Takes: Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

Posted on April 27, 2020 by Jenn

by Martha Wells
Series: The Murderbot Diaries
Published by Tor Books Genres: Science Fiction

I heard about the Murderbot Diaries a few months ago. I'm not sure how this series went under my radar for so long. And the fan base! Such love for Murderbot. Now I see why!

Murderbot is a self-aware SecUnit (security android) that has hacked the module that would typically control it. Based in a distant future in which everything is controlled by the Company, a self-aware SecUnit is unheard of. SecUnits are intended to protect exploratory teams on planetary missions. They aren't supposed to have..feelings.

Murderbot, with an understandable hatred toward human beings, just wants to lay low until it can fully understand what it has become. Unfortunately, that's not really an option.

The Murderbot Diaries are, you guessed it, diaries of Murderbot's missions. Each are novella size, falling under 200 pages, so the perfect binge read.

What compelled me to devour these now? Well, novellas seemed perfect for the read-a-thon I participated in this weekend. And, much to the joy of all Murderbot fans, the first, full-length standalone novel, Network Effect, is due to release next week!

Why did I become such a quick fan of this series? Murderbot is full of wit, humor, sarcasm and an insane desire to binge-watch it's favorite TV serial. Murderbot doesn't crave death and destruction, but instead just a chance at the humanity it was denied. I'd venture to say Murderbot has more compassion than many humans.

You have just enough time to obtain and read these 4 novella before the full-length novel releases. I, personally, am having a very hard time waiting!

Highly, highly recommended!