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#LongDarkNightsDecemberBingo
review
Nessavamusic
Vinland Saga, Volume 8 | Makoto Yukimura
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Pickpick

A new storyline begins with this volume of this outstanding historical fiction manga. I highly recommend this story of a young Viking‘s journey that begins with revenge and matures into wanting more in life. 5⭐️
#WinterGames #AtoZBingo - 2 bingos! #longdarknightsdecemberbingo - bingo!
Team #SnowAngels
@emilymdxn @kwmg40 @texreader @5feet.of.fury @sblbooks @msradiosilence @cogsofencouragement

Emilymdxn I really want to read this now! 12mo
Nessavamusic @Emilymdxn It is so good. 12mo
ShelleyBooksie Adorable photobomber 12mo
Nessavamusic @ShelleyBooksie my finishing the book happened at dinner time 😉 12mo
dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 12mo
34 likes5 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
Fir | Sharon Gosling
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Pickpick

The Stromberg family suddenly pick up & move from their comfortable life to an isolated house, surrounded by pine forests, in northern Sweden. Although their mother & father seem happy enough, the youngest Stromberg is angry at being torn away from their old life. At first the surprisingly large house is part-occupied by a group of children on conservation work, but when they leave, the Strombergs are left alone with just the weird housekeeper.

OutsmartYourShelf This is quite an atmospheric read. The author conveys the sense of isolation & feeling surrounded by malevolence quite well. The reader never learns the narrator's first name or anything else about them really, & maybe it's personal bias, but I felt as if it was a teenage girl. Not that it really matters. I enjoyed it & an extra star for choosing that ending. The author could have wrapped it all up nicely but the actual ending is rather bleak.
(edited) 12mo
OutsmartYourShelf A book that I will probably re-read at some point. 4🌟

TWs: animal death, gore, blood, mention of miscarriage.

Sorry to my team #HollyJollyReaders for going missing for the last week or so, but I tested positive for Covid on Christmas Eve & had been feeling a bit off before. Still not back to normal but I do have some reviews to catch up on.

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3161110984
Read 17th-21st Dec 2023

#WinterGames
(edited) 12mo
See All 9 Comments
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 12mo
BookmarkTavern Love this cover! 🖤 12mo
Texreader Also works for #foodandlit 12mo
Andrew65 Excellent 🎄🎄🎄 12mo
DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 12mo
Catsandbooks 🍭❄️❤️ 12mo
27 likes9 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

BFFs Sam & Ally reunite with new friend, Sandy, (whom they met in Book 2 Camp Whispering Pines), when she invites the two friends to spend the weekend before Christmas at her family's house on Orcas Island. It doesn't take long before Sam manages to sniff out the rumour of a ghost at a nearby mansion, but this time, it seems the living may be the real danger. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf The sixth book in the series serves up another fun helping of Sam & Ally's antics. As Ally says, the mysteries just seem to find Sam, she doesn't need to go looking. This series of modern-day 'Nancy Drew' adventures continues to deliver & readers 8-12 years of age will love it. 4🌟

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/193069793
Read 19th-20th Dec 2023

Holiday Read - 25
Readathons - 150
Words - 1070
Post - 1

Total - 1246 pts
12mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 12mo
See All 7 Comments
Ruthiella Sounds like a fun one! 🎄💀🔪🎅🏻 12mo
DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 12mo
Catsandbooks 🍭❄️❤️ 12mo
BookmarkTavern Wow! 🎉🎉 12mo
25 likes7 comments
review
Nessavamusic
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Pickpick
Emilymdxn Sounds fun and perfect for Christmas! 12mo
35 likes1 comment
review
Nessavamusic
Butcher and Blackbird | Brynne Weaver
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Pickpick

A fun, steamy thriller romance about two serial killers who compete and fall in love. The first half was so fun, but the second half added lots of steam but lost some plot momentum. Still a fun read! 4⭐️
#WinterGames #AtoZBingo #bookspinbingo - Bingo! & #doublespin done #longdarknightsdecemberbingo Team #SnowAngels
@emilymdxn @kwmg40 @texreader @5feet.of.fury @sblbooks @msradiosilence @cogsofencouragement

27 likes1 stack add
review
OutsmartYourShelf
The Haunting Season: Nine Ghostly Tales for Long Winter Nights | Andrew Michael Hurley, Natasha Pulley, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Laura Purcell, Jess Kidd, Imogen Hermes Gowar, Elizabeth Macneal, Bridget Collins, Sara Collins
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Mehso-so

A collection of short stories with a ghost/haunting theme. The Chillingham Chair is the best of these stories & was written by Laura Purcell. The others are all really strange & not really very well developed & they left me with an odd sense of disappointment as if there was something missing from all of them. 2.5 ⭐

TWs: mental illness, domestic abuse, sexual content, death of a child, confinement, pregnancy, childbirth, animal cruelty/death.

MidnightBookGirl The cover is gorgeous at the very least! 12mo
See All 12 Comments
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!!! 12mo
brittanyreads The Silent Companions is one of my favorite creepy books. It's by Purcell. If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend it. It's so eerie 👀 12mo
BookmarkTavern A lovely cover! 💚❄️💚 12mo
DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 12mo
OutsmartYourShelf @BrittanyReads Yes I‘ve read it - very good. I also enjoyed The Shape of Darkness. 12mo
Andrew65 Brilliant 🎄🎄🎄 12mo
brittanyreads Oh! I haven't gotten to that one yet! I own The Poison Thread so that may be the next I read from her. 😁 12mo
Catsandbooks 🍭❄️❤️ 12mo
PuddleJumper 💙💙 12mo
33 likes12 comments
review
Nessavamusic
NOS4A2 | Joe Hill
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Pickpick

I read this for a reading challenge and I liked it mostly. I liked the plot and the unique genuine horror. I did not love all of the characterization, especially the hardened broken single mom and the fat phobia toward her best friend/baby daddy was very cringey. It did have a truly evil bad guy and his minion. So I borderline recommend this if you can look past my previous comments. Definitely recommend the excellent audiobook. 3.5⭐️

32 likes1 comment
review
Nessavamusic
Christmas Presents | Lisa Unger
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Pickpick

A solid holiday thriller, which features a bookshop owner who was attacked as a teen and a true crime podcaster looking to uncover the mystery surrounding the incident. This was a nice easy read, a bit predictable but solid Christmas read. 3.5⭐️
#WinterGames
#LongDarkNightsDecemberBingo #AtoZBingo
Team #SnowAngels
@emilymdxn @kwmg40 @texreader @5feet.of.fury @sblbooks @msradiosilence @cogsofencouragement

Emilymdxn This sounds perfect for December! ❄️❄️❄️ 13mo
34 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Mehso-so

DI James Walker & wife, Annie, move to a sleepy Cumbrian village called Kirkby Abbey where Annie grew up as a child. They move there after James receives a threat from a recently released ex-con with a grudge against him. Life is quiet at first, but when James opens a Christmas present left on their doorstep, the gruesome contents & the attached card which warns of a season of ill-will with 12 murders to come. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf When the weather turns & cuts off the village from outside help, James has to catch a killer or has his past caught up with him?

It was ok but it all seemed kind of forced or stilted - the writing didn't flow naturally & it was awkward to read in parts. The plot was again, ok, but I found it very easy to work out who the killer was so there wasn't much suspense.
13mo
OutsmartYourShelf As this seems like it was the author's first published book though, it's probable that their subsequent books will improve so I plan on reading the next in the series. 3⭐

TWs: murder, infidelity, animal death, paedophilia, abortion, alcohol.

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3661047553
Read 2nd-4th Dec 2023

Holiday Read - 25 pts
Readathons - 525 points
Word Challenge - 4080 pts
Post - 1 pt

Total - 4631 points

(edited) 13mo
Andrew65 A couple of years since I read this but I enjoyed it. Well done on finishing it 🎄🎄🎄 13mo
32 likes4 comments
review
Nessavamusic
Bookshops and Bonedust | Travis Baldree
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Pickpick

This was a cute prequel to Legends & Lattes. It has more of a plot, but I almost wish it could have just been the cozy character story instead; or a short story. It was a fine easy read, but I probably won‘t think about it in a few days.3.5⭐️
#WinterGames
#WGWordSeach - 39 words
#longdarknightsdecemberbingo
#brightcolddaysbingo #AtoZBingo
Team #SnowAngels
@emilymdxn @kwmg40 @texreader @5feet.of.fury @sblbooks @msradiosilence @cogsofencouragement

Emilymdxn I loved the first book and I really want to read this! 13mo
42 likes1 comment