Serial Reader Reviews

Getting the Aardvark Book Box is slowly but surely becoming the most awaited action on my monthly calendar- if there’s a gripe I have to pick, it’s just that they allow only 3 picks!! March especially tempted me to pick all their selections 📚📚 So without further ado let’s go into my picks for this month.. Big Swiss by Jen Beagin explores the voyeuristic relationship between Greta and Flavia, albeit the origin of the questionable relation lies in the transcription of Flavian’s confession to Greta’s therapist! Soon to be adapted into an HBO show, this one promises to be a cracker. The Magician’s Daughter by H.G.Parry takes us into a magical place, Hy-Brasil which Biddy inhabits with her guardian, the mercurial magician Rowan. One night, Rowan fails to return from his mysterious travels. To find him, Biddy must venture into the outside world for the first time. But Rowan has powerful enemies—forces who have hoarded the world’s magic and have set their sights on the magician’s many secrets. Biddy may be the key to stopping them. Yet the closer she gets to answers, the more she questions everything she’s ever believed about Rowan, her past, and the nature of magic itself. Magic 🪄 The final pick had to be 48 Clues into the Disappearance of my Sister by the author of Blonde- Joyce Carol Oates- do I say more? Happy Publication Day btw 🥳 The premise of this one gives me The Gone Girl vibes and should be fascinating . What were your picks? 📚 #bookfollow #bookishfollow #booksofig #bookishpost #bookstagram #bookishfriends #bookcommunity #readersofinstagram #aardvarkbookclub #fantasy #thriller ##lgbtq🌈 #happypubday #contemporary #womenshistorymonth #bigswiss #48cluesintothedisappearanceofmysister #themagiciansdaughter #hgparry #joycecaroloates #blonde #romancebooks #jenbeagin https://www.instagram.com/p/CpwBtPZr17P/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

March and BOTM brought 3 shining new books 📚 Well, add Daisy Jones to the mix and you have close to a perfect weekend 😇 Book 1 is the The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner. This one takes us into 1873 Paris and London’s Séance Society and into the occult worlds of spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire and her understudy Lenna Wickes. It’s bound to give gothic atmospheric vibes with a murder mystery at its core- high expectations from the author who gave us The Lost Apothecary! Lone Women by Victor LaValle combines Western, historical, psychological, horror, supernatural genres taking us into early 20th century Montana as we follow Adelaide Henry looking to bury her past with just her enormous steamer trunk for company. Dark, tempting and for fans of Stephen King for sure! Weyward by Emilia Hart draws its inspiration from Shakespeare’s Macbeth and three witches referred as “Weyward sisters” as we follow three “Weyward” women across three different centuries connected by nature with a hint of witchcraft- a debut with some great reviews. What’s were your picks for the month? #Bookstagram #botm #thelondonseancesociety #lonewomen #weyward #weywardsisters #macbeth #witchcraft #historical #womenshistorymonth #fantasy #mystery #sarahpenner #paris #london #wildwest #western #horror #supernatural #reesewitherspoon #reesebookclub #montana #emiliahart #VictorLaValle #gothic #march #stmartinspress #oneworld #penguinrandomhouse #parkrowbooks https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpa60NyPELV/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ A December BoTM pick for me- this was my first introduction to the world building by Stacy Willingham. The author was high up on my TBR list due to the rave reviews of her debut effort A Flicker in the Dark and the hype was largely worth it. The story revolves around Isabelle Drake, who is surviving on a belief that her absconding son is alive, a year on- although the cops, the world around and even her husband have all given up hope. A parallel narrative takes us into Isabelle’s past with a history of sleep walking and a guilt which connects the past and present. Does the introduction of a true crime podcaster help uncover the mysterious disappearance or will she end up framing herself forms the crux. The book and author spends sometime taking us into the psyche of a grieving mom and a guilt ridden sister, and these are portions where the book shines. Fair warning- this would be slow and not everyone’s cup of tea. Isabelle’s character was another major highlight. The book however falters in the final stretch. The post natal depression, though well researched reminded a lot of The Push. Another disappointment was the limited usage of the podcast angle. However, the biggest sore point was the eventual reveal which came out of the blue and felt forced. Nevertheless the journey to the end was refreshing, character and kept me entertained. #BookReview #Bookstagram #BOTM #bookfollow #bookishfollow #booksofig #bookishpost #bookstagram #bookishfriends #bookcommunity #readersofinstagram #DecemberBOTM #allthedangerousthings #aflickerinthedark #stacywillingham #truecrime #podcast #thriller #books #mentalhealth #postnataldepression #mentalhealthawareness #mystery https://www.instagram.com/p/Co3RND7LqnV/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

So what is explicitly spelt out-our aging protagonist Penny, finds herself at the mercy of a small isolated old age care center, Six Ceders- barely consisting of the owner, Shelly, 3 other residents and 1 caretaker. The interactions, henceforth are largely abstract as me, the reader and the protagonist felt completely disoriented with the timeline. Shelley’s group meetings, the creepy setting and interactions all point towards something sinister lurking in the house and forests surrounding the house but alas there isn’t a big reveal or any “wow” moments.

“White Horse” in a nutshell is about Kari James, an urban indigenous woman, fighting the demons of her past. A freak discovery of her long absconding, presumably dead mother’s bracelet not only starts a series of spooky visions but also brings her closer to her mother’s truth and to her Apache and Chickasaw ancestors and their spirituality.

🌟 BOOK REVIEW🌟 🌟 💫 Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak is definitely one for Halloween but it's so much more- this cements its place in the top 10 book for me for 2022. It has your classic horror cliches- a possessed kid, a house in a remote country, Ouija boards, dicey parents, a spooked babysitter with a past and some death and gore thrown in. Mallory Quinn is trying to turn around her past and takes up the summer babysitting job of a 5-year-old Teddy in an expensive neighborhood in the Philadelphia suburbs. The father though hesitant, is convinced by his wife, Caroline and things start falling into a routing. But Teddy's inhibitions to go play with kids of his age group or trying to communicate his train of thoughts through creepy drawings all point towards a sinister presence- a presence Mallory decides to uncover at the risk of her sanity and life. A huge shoutout to artists Will Staehle and Doogie Horner for the sketches- they are what helps the book stand out from being another horror. The experience of turning a page to find a creepy yet brilliant image stare back at me would be the one highlight I will take out of the book. Rekulak is in fine form too- slowly building the characters and throwing the pieces of puzzle at random places to beautifully bring it all together towards the end. The final few chapters and the big reveal towards the end was definitely unexpected and a big plus. Mallory and Caroline stand tall as well etched out protagonists- the male characters and the romance felt a bit out of place and possibly the only negative. Negatives aside, Hidden Pictures is one of the cases where you will find it difficult to classify it completely as a thriller or a horror, but it does have solid elements of both genres and is a thoroughly entertaining read. #bookreview #bookrecommendations #hiddenpictures #horror #horrorbooks #bookstagram #booknerd #halloween #thriller #horrorart #jasonrekulak #bookphotography #sketching #pennsylvania https://www.instagram.com/p/CkUS7F4rico/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

🌟 BOOK REVIEW🌟 🌟 💫 Tara M. Stringfellow's debut "Memphis" gives you an insight into the city with a rich cultural history, while subtly highlighting the progression of African American history through the eyes of 3 generations of North Family and 5 strong female protagonists, across 7 decades. The book though relevant is not for casual reading- the 3 generations are connected at their core through violence- the grandmother, Hazel, having lost her husband shortly after becoming the first black detective in the historic black neighborhood of Douglas. Hazel's daughter Mariam is a domestic abuse survivor, who escapes trying to give her daughters a life that she and black women in the past deserved but never got. The history and present are told through the eyes of 10-year-old Joan, who represents the resilience of the 3 generations, as she survives her share of abuse to find relief in her art and paintbrush. As does August, Mariam's sister, who sees her only son suffer the consequences of his actions- and finds healing in her music and hair salon. The confidence Mya, Joan's sister, shows in standing up for her sister or vulnerability after hearing of her father's loss, just sums up the plethora of emotions the author has packed in this 252-page pocket dynamite. The back-and-forth narrative did get a tad confusing at times, but the author smartly encompasses historical events- from World War II to the death of black girls in Birmingham Alabama in 1963-1968 assassination of Dr Martin Luther King to the 9/11 Pentagon bombings- and this does help in associating the progression of the story. This was a powerful story and when Joan eventually succeeds in achieving her dreams, you sense the sweet satisfaction which you always want when closing a book. Recommended. #bookreview #bookstagram #memphis #bookrecommendations #taramstringfellow #blacklove #blackwomen #blacklivesmatter #music #poetry #debut #bookphotography #booklover #booknerd #thedialpress https://www.instagram.com/p/CkR0e-VrAX7/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

🌟 BOOK REVIEW🌟 🌟 💫 2016- It Ends with Us- A book which starts off as a Colleen Hoover Book but shook me by the time I ended it. Agreed it was a book which was close to the author’s personal experiences, but as a fan, I could see her unearth another dimension in her writing- stunning. While Ryle’s dark side shook me up, what did feel like a missed opportunity was giving Atlas and Lily the closure they deserved. 2022- the author doesn’t disappoint. It Starts with Us, though still brings forth the trauma of an abusive relationship, gives the protagonist the ammunition and strength to handle it- this book is about hope, about friendship and giving closure to Atlas and Lily. Without giving too much away, Lily has finally moved on from Ryle though the constant fear of her daughter’s custody and her ex’s abusive nature plays on her mind. Enter Atlas and they decide to rekindle their romance. Atlas too has to confront the demons of his past in the form of his abusive mother- though the realisation of a brother and his efforts to protect him from the same mental abuse is handled delicately. Each character has it’s moment- be it Alyssa- supporting Lily despite being Ryle’s sister- or Marshall- sharing Alyssa’s past while consoling Lily and during the intervention during the closing moments - or even Theo, Atlas’s young support system. The book does have its flaws but where the author succeeds is giving us two extremely strong protagonists- while Atlas is possibly the most perfect male character the author has written, Lily battling her fear to confront Ryle to give her daughter a future without fear or abuse, stands out. Definitely recommended for fans of Colleen Hoover #bookreview #itstartswithus #colleenhoover #cohorts #contemporary #romancebooks #romancebookstagram #bookstagram #bookoholic #bookrecommendations #domesticabuse #womenempowerment #womenfiction #bookphotography #booklover #boston https://www.instagram.com/p/CkH3ORMg2tV/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

🌟 BOOK REVIEW🌟 🌟 💫 Possibly the one book this year which made me equally apprehensive and excited for- Karin Slaughter’s follow up to the less favourable reviewed Pieces of Her. Let’s put apprehensions to rest- this one is a lot more solid and even makes you appreciate some of the shortcomings of the former. So let’s get into the summary and my review. Andrea Oliver, the self doubting protagonist- on the path of redemption and self discovery after being ambushed by her mother’s and her past- has graduated to be a US Marshall now. As much as she tries to run from her past, her new assignment intertwines her present to her imprisoned father Clayton Morrow’s past at Longbill Beach. The assignment- to protect a federal judge- brings her closer to uncovering the town’s 40 year old buried and unsolved murder of the judge’s own daughter, Emily Vaughan. How the newly appointed Marshall along with her partner in crime, Leonard Bible (deserves his own spin off- absolutely amazing) in their attempt to protect the judge, resolve the murder mystery, uncover the misdoings of a cult in the small town and in the process further the narrative on Clay’s past and his friends, form the crux of the story. This one is a tout thriller from the word go, oscillating between Emily Vaughan’s past, on the night of the attack and months leading to it and the US Marshall’s investigation into the death threats to the judge. The author does a fantastic work of blending the 2 timelines together and by adding Andrea and Clay’s past into the mold, provides an added incentive to followers of the series. Needless to say this would have worked fine as a stand alone as well. Andreas character graph is more pronounced here as she seems more assured about herself and her decision making as the story rolls on. The cliffhanger ending indicates a follow up and is surely worth looking forward to. Hope to see a lot more of Laura though. #bookreview #bookrecommendations #karinslaughter #girlforgotten #bookofthemonth #thriller #mystery #truecrime #harpercollins #williammarrow https://www.instagram.com/p/CjgsFPULq2a/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Some brightness in the dull gloomy rainy days- Thank you @bookofthemonth for the #octoberbotm. My BOTM picks include Sign here- a dark humor themed debut novel by Claudia Lux- this one is about Peyote Trip looking for his promotion in Hell but only if he gets one member from the wealthy Harrison Family to sell their sole!! Absolutely twisted but a quirky Halloween read. As Long as the Lemon Grow- by another debutant Zoulfa Katouh. This one is about an average Syrian teenager Salama, torn between her desire for freedom and her morality and her resolve to keep the fire of hope alive. The reviews have been nothing short of great for this one! And Lastly, Chloe Gong’s Four Lady Fortune- taking us back to 1931 Shanghai with a fascinating protagonist in Rosalind who cannot age and cannot die. A spy themed book, this is book 1 of the author’s new duology- definitely a must have! What’s your pick for the month? #bookofthemonth #signhere #darkhumor #spythriller #foulladyfortune #asthelemongrows #youngadult #contemporary #fiction #chloegong #claudialux #zoulfakatouh #penguinrandomhouse #simonandschuster #hachette #bookrecommendations #halloween https://www.instagram.com/p/CjWZqCGrm5J/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

🌟 BOOK REVIEW🌟 🌟 💫 Straight off, The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith aka J.K. Rowling is bound to have some polarising effect and that’s natural since it draws a lot of inspiration from the author’s personal life. With that being said and trying to maintain a word limit, let me try to review the book and keep the noise out. The series which started in 2014 is back with it’s two protagonists, Strike and Robin trying to unravel the death of a popular YouTube cartoonist, Eddie, a few weeks after her coming to the detective duos doorsteps trying to seek help to uncover the source of repeated online threats from a mysterious Anomie. It’s known upfront that this character Anomie is the murderer and along the way, the author introduces multiple characters with character traits similar to Anomie and let’s the readers decipher it. The online gaming platform with it’s chat windows is a smart way to throw in players with pseudo names and what’s fun is how these assist the narrative with clues and also retain the character traits from their own self. North Grave with it’s inhabitants-form an equally integral part of the storyline and will keep you guessing. The book does have a dark undercurrent with homophobic innuendos and mental effects of online trolls and as such I would strongly not recommend this one for readers looking for lighter reads. Where the book does falter is it’s length. It does require a lot of patience and though, you will come out thoroughly satisfied, the author does expect you to fully invest yourself and possibly keep track of multiple narratives throughout the 1012 pages. What the author does give is small interludes of Robin and Strike’s “will they/won’t they” romance and for followers of the series, the question lingers. If anything, I would have trimmed out a bit of this but I can completely understand the author’s logic to provide some breathing space to her readers in possibly her darkest work till date. Highly recommended for fans of spy fiction. #BookReview #Bookrecommendation #theinkblackheart #robertgalbraith #jkrowling #mystery #mulholland #spy #detective #bookstagram #bookphotography #booknerd #booklovers https://www.instagram.com/p/CiqAV0DrOIM/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

🌟 BOOK REVIEW🌟 🌟 💫 One of the things I remember from Sarah Pearse’s debut, The Sanatorium when I read it back in early 2021 is the author’s potential to take her readers to a seclusion and make them share the claustrophobic vibes which the characters in her book felt. She sticks to her forte in the follow up novel “The Retreat” where she pays homage to an Agatha Christie fan favourite. However, unlike the previous gorgeous mountainous setting cut off by an avalanche, here the retreat on a secluded island off the coast of Devon with an equally dangerous history forms the backdrop. We continue the journey through the eyes of Elin Warner but adding to the dynamics are the sister duo of Jo and Hana accompanied by Jo and their older sister Bea’s boyfriends, along with their common friend, Maya. What starts off as an innocent trip to mend broken bonds gets eerie as Bea turns up dead though she was never supposed to be there on the island! Enter Elin, still fighting her inner dark demons- and as the storm approaches, can she decipher the island’s mysteries and identify and stop a killer at large or will she end up losing herself and her support system in Will- that’s basically the story in a nutshell. The writing from the very outset is breathtakingly fast and the atmosphere the author builds here just adds to the magic. A large part of the book worked for me due to the sister dynamics and the continuous guessing game about the killer. The emotional aspect worked even better than the 1st book since we are now much better acquainted with Elin and her past. In fact, it helps you relate a lot more with the character during the eventual showdown. The sister angle worked fine and the final reveal was well justified. The only downside is the continuous references to a social media stalker and similar to the first book, this leaves you with an open ending. The wait for Book 3 starts! #bookreview #bookrecommendations #thrillerbooks #theretreat #sarahpearse #erinwarner #reesesbookclub #mystery #agathachristie #environment #bookstagram #bookphotography https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch8sEFrLgzu/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

🌟 BOOK REVIEW🌟 🌟 💫 Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 🌟 This was a 90 odd page pocket dynamite- so so good. The author Jeremy Ray- take a bow- this book is the perfect horror to get you into the halloween spirit (bring it on soon) and can scare the living daylight out of anyone. Brief synopsis- Harley has had a bad time with ex boyfriends and although her current one, Aiden, is a prankster of epic proportions, she is willing to give him all the benefit of doubt in the world- even joining in on the fun and deciding to pull off the biggest prank. Little does she know what fate and Aiden have in store for her. This was some solid writing- you know a book works when you literally scream at your protagonist to get up and run or just sit up and look around after a proper scare. That’s just the effect the book has. Highly recommended for horror book lovers. #BookReview #bookrecommendations #horror #horrorbookstagram #horrorbooks #bookstagram #booklovers #booknerd #kindleunlimited #5starreview #jeremyray #petrifiedwomen #novella #under100pages #indiebooks https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch8PrQcLFnJ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Happy Publication Day🎉🎉🎉a journey which started with #thesilkworm back in 2014 is still going strong! Perfect weather to get started with the new #cormoranstrike and #robinelacott series! 💫 Brief synopsis 💫 When the co-creator of popular cartoon, The Ink Black Heart, Eddie, approaches the famous detective duo, they turn her down only to find out a few days later that Eddie has been murdered at the very location of The Ink Black Heart! Can Strike and Robin take their powers of deduction into the dark web! This looks compelling and mysterious and a perfect companion for the long Labor Day weekend 😍#theinkblackheart #robertgalbraith #jkrowling #mystery #mulholland #spy #detective #happypubday #bookstagram #bookphotography #booknerd #booklovers https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch5u6P0rxuK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Ok I do have a problem! I went into @bnexton looking for just 2 but look at those gorgeous books- how could you say no to them 😢 But last bookhaul for the summer…… Wait- isn’t the Stephen King book coming out next week?!? 🤔 #bookhaul #barnesandnoble #bookstagram #booknerd #booknerdproblems #loveonthebrain #funnyyoushouldask #thedaughterofdoctormoreau #themeasure #thefamilyremains #otherbirds #theinkblackheart #alihazelwood #elissasussman #silviamorenogarcia #nikkierlick #lisajewell #sarahaddisonallen #robertgalbraith #jkrowling https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch5sL-aLYgh/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

🌟 BOOK REVIEW🌟 🌟 💫 My feelings about this book are all over the place! The ratings for this book made me a bit apprehensive going into it but I decided to stick it out which I guess in hindsight helped me form my own opinion. So let’s go in and try to make a bit of sense about what I just read, spoiler free of course. The book is a mixed hybrid of the show Voyeurs and 2015 Paula Hawkins runaway success The Girl on the train. The comparisons to the latter are pretty obvious due to the protagonist undergoing a severe drinking addiction. In fact the barrage of books in the last few years makes me yearn for a protagonist with the different defect than the same drinking problems. Coming back to the narrative, Cassie our lead protagonist, a former successful actress and daughter of an established theatre artist, is a recent widow who is masking her sorrows behind her drinking woes. She has retreated to her family Lakehouse in Vermont and spends her day either drinking away to glory or stalking her neighbours. A chance encounter with her neighbors, an erstwhile model Katherine and her husband Tom Royce kicks off the story. As she tries to uncover the suspicious happenings In the Royce household along with fellow AA recovering acquaintance, little does she know the occurrences are far to close to her own past and house than they look. What kickstarts as a domestic thriller meanders into a serial killer hunt before taking quite a dramatic twist 70 to 80% into the book. The book actually held my attention when the author finally decided to cut loose and have fun with the supernatural. The repeated sequence of the protagonist drinking and spying on her neighbours gets a little tiresome and honestly doesn’t build any sympathy for Cassie.The chapters though long are pretty fast paced and the reveals towards the end are just crazy- straight out of some Stephen King world. Not the best Riley Sagar book though but not the worst book I have read this year either. #BookReview #bookrecommendations #thehouseacrossthelake #rileysager #thriller #supernatural #booklovers #bookig #bookstagram #tbr https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch0hpkjrAXx/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

🌟 BOOK REVIEW🌟 🌟 💫 Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Thank you, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books, Netgalley and TJR for the gift! I am a self-confessed TJR fan since Seven husbands so it will be a hard task to give an impartial review. Let's give it a shot. Carrie Soto is TJR creating her universe- The universe she created with Nina Riva in Malibu Rising. If you were wondering regarding all the characters which kept coming in and out in her previous outing, well here's the satisfying reveal. Carrie Soto isn't a typical TJR female lead though- it did take some time for her to grow on me. She is brash, in your face and the slow transformation with the introduction of Bowe and subsequent loss of her mentor, father, coach is a treat. The story- it's a fairly straightforward underdog sports fiction with the underdog being Carrie, a 20 times Grand Slam winning 37 years old retired tennis star making a comeback to defend her record against the enigmatic, Nicki Chan (definitely deserves a story of her own). If I have to crib about something, this was one TJR book where I was rooting for Nicki. Does Carrie Soto defend her crown in a grueling calendar year against the younger, faster and tougher opponents is what forms the crux of the tale. The research that went into the book is mind boggling- each game comes to life across the 4 grand slams- the ending is absolutely worth the wait- the rivalry between Nicki and Soto, the love hate relationship between Soto and Bowe and of course, the heartbreaking moments between the father daughter duo is what makes this one stand out. An absolute treat for TJR fans! One week to release- right around the #usopen time as well 🎾 #CarrieSotoIsBack #netgalley #randomhousepublishing #ballantinebooks #taylorjenkinsreid #bookstagram #arc #bookphotography #bookrecommendations #bookreview #fav #tennis https://www.instagram.com/p/ChnsTshrs-d/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=