Tag: unraveling oliver

Lists & Recommendations

#Blogoween | Top 5 Thriller Books

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Blogoween

Prompt:

Friday 19th: Top 5 Thriller Books
Which 5 Thriller books do you love and why?

Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent

Lying in Wait

Lying in Wait is one of my favorite thriller I have read this year. Even though you know who the murderer is as soon as you pick up this book. You are still surprised why what happened in this novel. The characters are rich and their personalities are distinct. The human nature that is explored in this domestic thriller are just jaw dropping. I wrote an entire review on this novel, REVIEW | Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent.

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

The Death of Mrs. Westaway

Ruth Ware is an amazing author, of all the books I read by her only one was not a 5 star read. The Death of Mrs. Westaway was atmospheric and in a way reminded me of Shirley Jackson. It tells the story of a young women who is desperate for money and ends up in a very interesting situation. You question what is and is not real and you absolutely feel for the character. It is surprising and wonderfully written from page one to the end. I wrote an entire review, you can read it here: REVIEW | The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent

Unraveling Oliver

Unraveling Oliver is the novel that started my love of Liz Nugent. Her writing is just mesmerizing. This novel was shocking and showed a disturbing side that can be hidden inside human nature. I also loved the rich characters that were in here, which some were horrible people with no redeemable characteristics, others were just amazing with their compassion. This is really an amazing thriller and I know I will be rereading this book in he future.

The Grownup by Gillian Flynn

The Grownup

This super short thriller is one of my favorites for a few reasons. The first being it really knocked you off your feet. This short story went into a direction I did not believe, I did not think that type of surprise would be possible with so few pages. The second reason is because it is the perfect size. It is a bite sized thriller and I think it is perfect to read if you are thinking about getting into this genre of books.

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

The Woman in Cabin 10

The Woman in Cabin 10 was the first real thriller I can remember reading and it made me very much excited to read more. While this is not the only Ruth Ware on this list, it is something special. Not only does this book have a very interesting setting, on a boat in international waters, it also has some interesting characters. While I read this novel I got Clue vibes, the entire time I was trying to think of the murder weapon and who committed the crime. Also, the ending made me so excited because I truly started to feel for a character I did not think I would care about. For an author to change my few as much as she did, was amazing.

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* I received The Death of Mrs. Westaway and Lying in Wait from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What is your favorite thriller?

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Lists & Recommendations

#Blogoween | 10 Characters, Hexed & Cursed

bookishluna4 Comments

Blogoween

Prompt:

Wednesday 17th: Hexes & Curses
What 10 character would you curse, and why?

1. Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J K Rowling

Image result for Dolores Umbridge

Dolores Umbridge has to be one of the most vile villians I have ever read. The main reason being is she looks so sweet. As you can seen in the picture above she loves pink and all things girly. She does not have the traditional look of evil, but she is so evil. She tortures students and is just rotten. She does whatever she needs to for what she THINKS is right. Dolores should be cursed for her actions against the students of Hogwarts.

2. Agatha Trunchbull from Matilda by Roald Dahl

Image result for Agatha Trunchbull

I first met Ms. Trunchbull when I was very young and I went to go see the movie. The first time I saw her she looked like the picture above. She looked like she was in a military uniform and she was very unfriendly. The total opposite of what a principal should be. Then came what she did to her students. I still shivery when I think about the Choke-e, not really sure how you would spell it. Anyway, she really scared me I cried so much I needed to leave the theater. She is awful and should be hexed.

3. Count Dracula from Dracula by Bram Stoker

Image result for Count Dracula

While he doesn’t look totally evil in this picture, our caped villian, killer is evil and I think he would do well to get hexed. Tricking people, drinking their blood, and all manner of being sneaky and a monster. While he looks suave and well dressed, it is important to point out his fangs and inability to see himself in a mirror. While some see him as cursed as is, I think he should be hexed as well for the things he has done.

4. Professor Moriarty from The Final Problem by Arthur Conan Doyle

Image result for Professor Moriarty

Moriarty has had a bit of a modern renaissance, but the original was an older professor as you see above. He was severe and cold looking and it really matched his interior as best as it could. He was a criminal mastermind and evil. He often pulled the string and made a lot of other people do his dirty work for him. In addition to this, he also protected others who broke the law and hurt other people. He should be hexed.

5. Johnathan “Black Jack” Randall from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Image result for Blackjack Randall

Black Jack is just a monster in my eyes even though when you look at this character he is just a Captain in the British military who was stationed in Scotland. Someone who normally gets to this esteemed rank is usually a noble individual and has earned his uniform and rank. Contrary to his image, he is a horrible individual. He is violent, often goes to extreme measures and is very violent against women and men. HE IS SCUM. He gets his kicks by hurting others physically and emotionally. He should be cursed without a doubt in my mind.

6. The White Witch from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis

Image result for The White Witch

The image above shows someone who is cure of themselves, strong, and noble. While externally she is beautiful, until she eats the apple to gain immortality and transforms into the White Witch. She is cruel and full of herself, hence wanting to be immortal. She is evil toward her family and others who live in Narnia. She should be hexed for the things she has done.

7. Bellatrix Lestrange from multiple book in the Harry Potter series by J K Rowling

Image result for Bellatrix Lestrange

Bellatrix Lestrange was from a noble family and was first described as well kept and an aristocrat. As you can see by the Harry Potter adaptation her evil is more in your face and apparent. Her hair is all over, she wears all black, and her wand is bent at a sever angle. She is a Death Eater and kills people without any remorse. She not only kills strangers, muggles, but she turns against some of her own family. She deserves to be cursed for the things she has done.

8. Charles Talent Manx from NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

Image result for Charles Talent Manx

This graphic novel adaptation of Manx is a perfect visual representation. He is a very old man who has lived much longer than he should have. He goes after children and in my eyes that is true evil. Who goes after a damned child? Not only does he go after the children he tricked others into helping him, he is a manipulator. He is evil and should be hexed for the things he has done.

9. Annie Wilkes from Misery by Stephen King

Image result for Annie Wilkes

Annie Wilkes is a woman who dresses in simple dresses and takes good care of her self. She appears to be a normal woman, even in this picture. Until you see what is in her hands. She has no problem hurting others and controlling them when it is what she wants. When King wrote this character he made her his addiction that controlled him. She is controlling, not good for anyone, and hurts people, but she comes off as harmless. That is the farthest thing from the truth and deserved to be hexed.

10. Oliver Ryan from Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent

Image result for Oliver Ryan from Unraveling Oliver

While right off that bat you know that Oliver is evil, the more you read the more you end up hating this man. You learn about the manipulation, the stealing, and lying. In addition to those things he does so much more, but I don’t want to spoil this novel to much. Just know that he deserved to be cursed.

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What fictional character would you Hex or Curse?

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Wrap Up

Wrap Up | April 2018

bookishluna22 Comments

WrapUp12:17

Hello and welcome to the end of April, boy does time fly. I am looking forward to next month though. I feel like it is going to finally begin to feel like Spring.

This month has been a ton of fun reading wise. I actually read every book I out on my TBR, which never happens. I also took part in the Magical Readathon OWLs Exams, you can see my TBR:  TBR | Magical Readathon OWLs Exams and my Wrap Up:____. It was a ton of fun and I really enjoyed myself. I got to books I have been putting off.

While I have a whole wrap up with those books separately I wanted to also share the books that I read that did not fit in any of those magical categories.

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Books I Finished

The Wicked Boy by Kate Summerscale

The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer

I wrote an entire review on this non-fiction account of this victorian era child murderer which you can find here:REVIEW | The Wicked Boy by Kate Summerscale. Overall, I enjoyed it and I am glad to have finally gotten to it.

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Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent

Unraveling Oliver

I LOVED this thriller so much. I found a brand new author that I am going to further explore. I was so draw into the story and I felt such intense feelings. If you like thrillers I highly suggest you look into this.

 

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I am Still Reading

The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer

The Female Persuasion

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

The Pillars of the Earth

You can see details about both of these books here: Currently Reading | April 2018.Divider

Overall I read a total of 7 books this month, which is great since I was so busy and I did not think I was really going to get much reading done. Anyway, I hope you had a great month and next month is even better!

What was the best book you read this month?

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To Be Read

April TBR | 2018

bookishluna8 Comments

ToBeRead12:17

Happy April everyone! This month I think I am going to be reading a lot. I am not sure if it is because I read so much in March, but I just have a good feeling about April. This month I am buddy reading two different books, one a non-fiction and the other a thriller. I am also finishing up a non-fiction and a starting a fantasy series. I also am taking part in the Magical Readathon: OWLs Exams. I made a separate TBR a few days ago and explained the readathon a little bit as well. You can find that here: TBR | Magical Readathon OWLs Exams.

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The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer by Kate Summerscale

The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer

This month I will finish  reading The Wicked Boy with Amy from Tomes with Tea, Regina from Bookish in Bed and  Jenna from J.K. I’m Exploring!

Early in the morning of Monday 8 July 1895, thirteen-year-old Robert Coombes and his twelve-year-old brother Nattie set out from their small, yellow-brick terraced house in East London to watch a cricket match at Lord’s. Their father had gone to sea the previous Friday, the boys told their neighbours, and their mother was visiting her family in Liverpool. Over the next ten days Robert and Nattie spent extravagantly, pawning their parents’ valuables to fund trips to the theatre and the seaside. But as the sun beat down on the Coombes house, a strange smell began to emanate from the building. When the police were finally called to investigate, the discovery they made sent the press into a frenzy of horror and alarm, and Robert and Nattie were swept up in a criminal trial that echoed the outrageous plots of the ‘penny dreadful’ novels that Robert loved to read. In The Wicked Boy, Kate Summerscale has uncovered a fascinating true story of murder and morality – it is not just a meticulous examination of a shocking Victorian case, but also a compelling account of its aftermath, and of man’s capacity to overcome the past.

  • goodreads.com

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Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent

Unraveling Oliver

This is another buddy read with Amy from Tomes with Tea, Regina from Bookish in Bed and  Jenna from J.K. I’m Exploring. What can I say, we love reading and discussing books with one another?

I expected more of a reaction the first time I hit her.”

So begins Liz Nugent’s astonishing debut novel—a chilling, elegantly crafted, and psychologically astute exploration of the nature of evil.

Oliver Ryan, handsome, charismatic, and successful, has long been married to his devoted wife, Alice. Together they write and illustrate award-winning children’s books; their life together one of enviable privilege and ease—until, one evening after a delightful dinner, Oliver delivers a blow to Alice that renders her unconscious, and subsequently beats her into a coma.

In the aftermath of such an unthinkable event, as Alice hovers between life and death, the couple’s friends, neighbors, and acquaintances try to understand what could have driven Oliver to commit such a horrific act. As his story unfolds, layers are peeled away to reveal a life of shame, envy, deception, and masterful manipulation.

With its alternating points of view and deft prose, Unraveling Oliver is “a page-turning, one-sitting read from a brand new master of psychological suspense” (Sunday Independent) that details how an ordinary man can transform into a sociopath.

  • goodreads.com

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Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children, #1)

I have been interested in starting this series for a long time now and I think it is finally time. I have heard awesome things about this series and what I love most is that these books are so short. They are a great break in-between the larger books I read.

Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children
No Solicitations
No Visitors
No Quests

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere… else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced… they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.

No matter the cost.

  • goodreads.com

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Eleanor Roosevelt: Vol 2, The Defining Years, 1933-38 by Blanche Wiesen Cook

Eleanor Roosevelt: Vol 2, The Defining Years, 1933-38

I started this non-fiction account of Eleanor Roosevelt last month and I would like to finish it this month. This is the second book in a trilogy written by Cook, I am hoping it lives up to the first one. Fingers crossed!

Historians, politicians, feminists, critics, and reviewers everywhere have praised Blanche Wiesen Cook’s monumental Eleanor Roosevelt as the definitive portrait of this towering female figure of the twentieth century. Now in her long-awaited, majestic second volume, Cook takes readers through the tumultuous era of the Great Depression, the New Deal, and the gathering storms of World War II, the years of the Roosevelts’ greatest challenges and finest achievements. In her remarkably engaging narrative, Cook gives us the complete Eleanor Roosevelt— an adventurous, romantic woman, a devoted wife and mother, and a visionary policymaker and social activist who often took unpopular stands, counter to her husband’s policies, especially on issues such as racial justice and women’s rights. A biography of scholarship and daring, it is a book for all readers of American history.

  • goodreads.com

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What are you reading this month?

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Wrap Up

WRAP UP | March 2018

bookishluna6 Comments

WrapUp12:17

March is a wrap! This month has been an incredible reading month for me, I’m not sure what happened. I just kept zooming through books and a wide variety of them too. I have Manga, thrillers, fantasy, mystery, YA, horror and some non-fiction. I am not sure why my reading was all over the place, but it worked for me.

One thing I find interesting is that I see around the blogosphere and on booktube is that some times people have themed reading months. An example would be a classics month, science fiction month, and so on. I have never been someone who can read one type of book and only that type for a  longer period of time. Have you done this? I am always curious about what reading habits other people have, I guess I am a bit nosey. Anyway, here are the books I read this month and a few books I am in the middle of.

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Books I Finished

Death Note, Vol. 3: Hard Run by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata

Death Note, Vol. 3: Hard Run (Death Note, #3)

Over the past month or so I have been reading Death Note, now I am pretty sure this is a manga with 13 volumes so you will be seeing a lot of these covers of the next few months. I have to say I am really enjoying this series. It makes you think about right and wrong and is it the outcome or the intentions that make people good or bad. This whole thing started because my boyfriend picked out this series when I did a little experiment with him. You can find out more about the experiment here: Haul | Boyfriend Picks My Books.

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Christine by Stephen King

Christine

I feel like Christine is one of Stephen Kings most notable novels. Most of the time when someone is talking about Stephen King they mention either The Shining, Christine, or Carrie. I was very excited to get to finally reading Christine and I was not disappointed. He always has a way of making me worried/scared of every day events or objects. I have to say that this is one of my favorites by him, easily a top 3 pick.

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Herding Cats by Sarah Andersen

Herding Cats (Sarah's Scribbles, #3)

I ranted and raved about this book in my review, you can find it here:REVIEW | Herding Cats by Sarah Andersen. I loved this book and if you have not already you should check out her twitter, she is hilarious.

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Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Everything, Everything

I can’t believe I have not picked up this book sooner. I think I was afraid of all the hype surrounding this book when it first came out. I actually didn’t choose this book on my own. I had a bookseller pick out some books for me and this happened to be one of the books she picked. I can see why some people have an issue with this book, but I have to admit that I found parts to be surprising and enjoyable, especially the doodles.  I ended up reading  this book in a single day. If you want to see what else the bookseller picked out for me you can find that here: Haul | Bookseller Picks My Books.

DividerThe Romanovs: 1613-1918 by Simon Sebag Montefiore

The Romanovs: 1613-1918

This is a non-fiction book that explores the Romanov rule of Russia. Now I love Russian history so this was a books I knew I needed to read. If you read into Russian history there are a few moments and stories that you would never hear happening anywhere else. While I do recommend this book I will say it would be a good idea to have a computer or some type of device where you can search some terms and countries, especially early in the book. There is references to countries and groups of people that no longer exist. There are also some Russian words and titles that are used. If you are unfamiliar with Russian history/government it would also be useful to look them up.

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Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Americanah

I felt like this book took me way to long to read even though I was enjoying it. I looked and I started it on February 14th, I was reading it for over a month. I am not sure why, but I had a hard time picking up this book. When I did pick it up I read over 100 pages at a time and really enjoyed it. I have never really had that happen to me before. Regardless, this was a good book and I enjoyed the story a lot.

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Strange Weather by Joe Hill

Strange Weather

Joe Hill is so good at writing short novels. Each one of the novels that is present in this book was very different from one another, but they were all great. They made me think about society and what people are capable of. It also creeped me out quite a bit. Even though these are fiction they are written in a way where they seems very possible. Even though there are four novels in here I read this in a single day. I could not put it down. I HIGHLY recommend this. I think this was my favorite read this month.

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The Dire King by William Ritter

The Dire King (Jackaby, #4)

This is the 4th book in the Jackaby series. If you have read my blog for a while you will know that this is one of my top series, I think only second to Harry Potter. It is described as a mixture of Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes. It is funny, has adventure, great characters, and a great story line. I can easily say I have not been disappointed by a single book in this series. You really should look into it.

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I am Still Reading

Eleanor Roosevelt: Vol 2, The Defining Years, 1933-38 by Blanche Wiesen Cook

Eleanor Roosevelt: Vol 2, The Defining Years, 1933-38

There is not much to say about this because it is the second book in a trilogy that explores the life of Eleanor Roosevelt. I read volume 1 months ago and finally decided that I would pick up the second. Now, I can already tell that this is going to be an audiobook I am going to rent from the library. Not because it is not good, but because it is very dense and I tend to focus better on these types of books when I am cleaning or working on another “mindless” task. I know, my brain works a little funny sometimes, but all that matters is I figured out what works best for me.

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Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent

Unraveling Oliver

I am currently buddy reading this thriller, I am about 100 pages into it and I am very much enjoying it. It is only about 250 pages, so it is very short. I am very much looking forward to what is going to unfold next.

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The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer by Kate Summerscale

The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer

This is a non-fiction account of a boy murderer during the victorian era. I am very much enjoying this buddy read. But, be warned if you pick this up there is a lot of background about the time period not just the court case. So if you do not wish to hear about the neighborhood or what stores where in the town at the time you may find this book over detailed and long winded. I find it interesting mainly because I love learning about how people and navigated in their lives as well as the society they lived in.

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What was the best book you read this month?

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