Sam's bookshelf: all en-US Tue, 15 Sep 2026 06:36:33 -0700 60 Sam's bookshelf: all 144 41 https://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Dinosaur Sanctuary, Vol. 1 60201859 CAN A NEWBIE ZOOKEEPER SAVE A STRUGGLING DINOSAUR SANCTUARY?

DINOSAURS ARE ALIVE!

In 1946, a remote island was discovered where dinosaurs never went extinct. Through breeding and genetic manipulation, dinosaur populations increased and dino-mania reached a fever pitch worldwide...until a certain terrible incident occurred. Afterward, dinosaur reserves like Enoshima Dinoland fell on hard times. Enter Suma Suzume, a kindhearted rookie dino-keeper! Can she be the one to save Dinoland from extinction?]]> 198 Itaru Kinoshita 168579324X Sam 4 4.25 2021 Dinosaur Sanctuary, Vol. 1
author: Itaru Kinoshita
name: Sam
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2026/09/15
date added: 2026/09/15
shelves:
review:

]]> Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell 14201
Proceeding to London, he raises a beautiful woman from the dead and summons an army of ghostly ships to terrify the French. Yet the cautious, fussy Norrell is challenged by the emergence of another magician: the brilliant novice Jonathan Strange.

Young, handsome and daring, Strange is the very antithesis of Norrell. So begins a dangerous battle between these two great men which overwhelms that between England and France. And their own obsessions and secret dabblings with the dark arts are going to cause more trouble than they can imagine.]]> 1006 Susanna Clarke Sam 0 owned-tbr, currently-reading 3.85 2004 Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
author: Susanna Clarke
name: Sam
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2004
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/07
shelves: owned-tbr, currently-reading
review:

]]> We Could Be Heroes 53288436 An extraordinary and emotional adventure about unlikely friends and the power of choosing who you want to be.

Jamie woke up in an empty apartment with no memory and only a few clues to his identity, but with the ability to read and erase other people’s memories—a power he uses to hold up banks to buy coffee, cat food and books.

Zoe is also searching for her past, and using her abilities of speed and strength…to deliver fast food. And she’ll occasionally put on a cool suit and beat up bad guys, if she feels like it.

When the archrivals meet in a memory-loss support group, they realize the only way to reveal their hidden pasts might be through each other. As they uncover an ongoing threat, suddenly much more is at stake than their fragile friendship. With countless people at risk, Zoe and Jamie will have to recognize that sometimes being a hero starts with trusting someone else—and yourself.]]> 330 Mike Chen Sam 0 to-read 3.39 2021 We Could Be Heroes
author: Mike Chen
name: Sam
average rating: 3.39
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Ever King (The Ever Seas, #1)]]> 198294991
Until his enemy’s daughter unintentionally breaks the chains on the Ever, and Erik makes her the unwitting pawn in his vicious game of revenge.

She’s innocent. He’s vicious. But he will take back what he lost, no matter the price.

Unless she steals his heart first.

*Please This series is set in the same world as the bestselling Broken Kingdoms series, but can be read independently, and readers are encouraged to read the list of triggers inside*]]> 410 L.J. Andrews Sam 0 to-read 4.04 2023 The Ever King (The Ever Seas, #1)
author: L.J. Andrews
name: Sam
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Poirot Investigates (Hercule Poirot, #3)]]> 477597
The very first collection of superb short stories featuring Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings.

First there was the mystery of the film star and the diamond… then came the ‘suicide’ that was murder… the mystery of the absurdly cheap flat… a suspicious death in a locked gun-room… a million dollar bond robbery… the curse of a pharaoh’s tomb… a jewel robbery by the sea… the abduction of a Prime Minister… the disappearance of a banker… a phone call from a dying man… and, finally, the mystery of the missing will.

What links these fascinating cases? Only the brilliant deductive powers of Hercule Poirot! Get ready for:
1. The Adventure of The Western Star
2. The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor
3. The Adventure of The Cheap Flat
4. The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge
5. The Million Dollar Bond Robbery
6. The Adventure of The Egyptian Tomb
7. The Jewel Robbery at The Grand Metropolitan
8. The Kidnapped Prime Minister
9. The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim
10. The Adventure of The Italian Nobleman
11. The Case of The Missing Will.

It should be noted that the above stories are the contents of the original UK edition. The American edition, which came out a year later in 1925, had three extras and more Hercule Poirot. They are:
12. The Veiled Lady
13. The Lost Mine
14. The Chocolate Box.]]> 265 Agatha Christie 0007120702 Sam 4 audiobooks, single-sitting 3.94 1924 Poirot Investigates (Hercule Poirot, #3)
author: Agatha Christie
name: Sam
average rating: 3.94
book published: 1924
rating: 4
read at: 2026/09/06
date added: 2026/09/06
shelves: audiobooks, single-sitting
review:
I enjoy this set of short stories of the adventures of Hercule Poirot.
]]> <![CDATA[Kings of the Wyld (The Band, #1)]]> 244931692
Their glory days long past, the mercs have grown apart and grown old, fat, drunk - or a combination of the three. Then an ex-bandmate turns up at Clay's door with a plea for help. His daughter Rose is trapped in a city besieged by an enemy one hundred thousand strong and hungry for blood. Rescuing Rose is the kind of mission that only the very brave or the very stupid would sign up for.

It's time to get the band back together for one last tour across the Wyld.]]> 498 Nicholas Eames 0356528340 Sam 0 to-read 4.03 2017 Kings of the Wyld (The Band, #1)
author: Nicholas Eames
name: Sam
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Hell to Pay (Tear Down Heaven #3)]]> 221797007 All victories are fleeting and the enemy is never idle...

It’s been one month since Bex’s rebel crew took over the Seattle Anchor and things have been suspiciously good. They’re emancipating slaves by the busload, earning money from their thriving Free Market, and basically living the Gilgamesh-free life of their dreams. It’s what Bex always wanted for her people, so why does she feel so uneasy?

It could be because she’s working twenty-hour days desperately trying to free her wrath demons. Or because Gilgamesh has sealed off all the Anchors still under his control, creating a worldwide shortage of the magical quintessence their new fortress needs to stay afloat.

Everywhere Bex looks, timers are ticking down on the safe haven she’s built for her demons, but the biggest threat is the one she doesn’t see, because Heaven hasn’t been idle. The man who killed the gods knows how to handle a rebellion. The closer the demons get to victory, the tighter the invisible noose becomes, and when the Queen of Wrath crosses the final line, there will be Hell to Pay.]]> 408 Rachel Aaron Sam 0 to-read 4.20 2025 Hell to Pay (Tear Down Heaven #3)
author: Rachel Aaron
name: Sam
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Empusium 204316857 The Nobelist's latest masterwork, set in a sanitarium on the eve of World War I, probes the horrors that lie beneath our most hallowed ideas.

In September 1913, Mieczysław, a student suffering from tuberculosis, arrives at Wilhelm Opitz's Guesthouse for Gentlemen, a health resort in Görbersdorf, what is now western Poland. Every day, its residents gather in the dining room to imbibe the hallucinogenic local liqueur, to obsess over money and status, and to discuss the great issues of the day: Will there be war? Monarchy or democracy? Do devils exist? Are women inherently inferior?

Meanwhile, disturbing things are beginning to happen in the guesthouse and its surroundings. As stories of shocking events in the surrounding highlands reach the men, a sense of dread builds. Someone—or something—seems to be watching them and attempting to infiltrate their world. Little does Mieczysław realize, as he attempts to unravel both the truths within himself and the mystery of the sinister forces beyond, that they have already chosen their next target.

A century after the publication of The Magic Mountain, Tokarczuk revisits Thomas Mann territory and lays claim to it, blending horror story, comedy, folklore, and feminist parable with brilliant storytelling.]]> 305 Olga Tokarczuk 0593712943 Sam 4 3.60 2022 The Empusium
author: Olga Tokarczuk
name: Sam
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2026/09/06
date added: 2026/09/06
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]]> <![CDATA[Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead]]> 54614429 WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE

In a remote Polish village, Janina devotes the dark winter days to studying astrology, translating the poetry of William Blake, and taking care of the summer homes of wealthy Warsaw residents. Her reputation as a crank and a recluse is amplified by her not-so-secret preference for the company of animals over humans. Then a neighbor, Big Foot, turns up dead. Soon other bodies are discovered, in increasingly strange circumstances. As suspicions mount, Janina inserts herself into the investigation, certain that she knows whodunit. If only anyone would pay her mind . . .

A deeply satisfying thriller cum fairy tale, Drive Your Plow over the Bones of the Dead is a provocative exploration of the murky borderland between sanity and madness, justice and tradition, autonomy and fate. Whom do we deem sane? it asks. Who is worthy of a voice?]]> 274 Olga Tokarczuk 0525541349 Sam 0 to-read 3.87 2009 Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
author: Olga Tokarczuk
name: Sam
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Station Eternity (The Midsolar Murders, #1)]]> 60035241 Amateur detective Mallory Viridian’s talent for solving murders ruined her life on Earth and drove her to live on an alien space station, but her problems still follow her in this witty, self-aware novel that puts a speculative spin on murder mysteries, from the Hugo-nominated author of Six Wakes.

From idyllic small towns to claustrophobic urban landscapes, Mallory Viridian is constantly embroiled in murder cases that only she has the insight to solve. But outside of a classic mystery novel, being surrounded by death doesn’t make you a charming amateur detective, it makes you a suspect and a social pariah. So when Mallory gets the opportunity to take refuge on a sentient space station, she thinks she has the solution. Surely the murders will stop if her only company is alien beings. At first her new existence is peacefully quiet...and markedly devoid of homicide.

But when the station agrees to allow additional human guests, Mallory knows the break from her peculiar reality is over. After the first Earth shuttle arrives, and aliens and humans alike begin to die, the station is thrown into peril. Stuck smack-dab in the middle of an extraterrestrial whodunit, and wondering how in the world this keeps happening to her anyway, Mallory has to solve the crime—and fast—or the list of victims could grow to include everyone on board…]]> 457 Mur Lafferty 0593098110 Sam 0 to-read 3.60 2022 Station Eternity (The Midsolar Murders, #1)
author: Mur Lafferty
name: Sam
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mirrored Heavens (Between Earth and Sky, #3)]]> 60656015
Even the sea cannot stay calm before the storm. —Teek saying

Serapio, avatar of the Crow God Reborn and the newly crowned Carrion King, rules Tova. But his enemies gather both on distant shores and within his own city as the matrons of the clans scheme to destroy him. And deep in the alleys of the Maw, a new prophecy is whispered, this one from the Coyote God. It promises Serapio certain doom if its terrible dictates are not fulfilled.

Meanwhile, Xiala is thrust back amongst her people as war comes first to the island of Teek. With their way of life and their magic under threat, she is their last best hope. But the sea won't talk to her the way it used to, and doubts riddle her mind. She will have to sacrifice the things that matter most to unleash her powers and become the queen they were promised.

And in the far northern wastelands, Naranpa, avatar of the Sun God, seeks a way to save Tova from the visions of fire that engulf her dreams. But another presence has begun stalking her nightmares, and the Jaguar God is on the hunt.]]> 597 Rebecca Roanhorse 1534437703 Sam 0 4.17 2024 Mirrored Heavens (Between Earth and Sky, #3)
author: Rebecca Roanhorse
name: Sam
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/04
shelves: to-read, owned-tbr, started-series
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #3)]]> 211721809
The top 10 list is populated. The sponsorship program is open. The difficulty is ramping up. The first three floors were nothing compared to what Carl and Donut now face.

The Iron Tangle. An impossibly complicated subway system built out of the world's subterranean railway systems, all combined and then tied together into a knot. Up is down. Down is up. Close is far. The cars are filled with monsters, the railway stations are less than safe, and the exit is always just a few stops away.

But there is hope. For the first time, the crawlers are all working together. The loot is better than ever. And the secret to unraveling it all may be hidden in the pages of a seemingly useless book.

Welcome, crawlers. Welcome to the fourth floor of the dungeon.]]> 532 Matt Dinniman 0593820282 Sam 5 4.30 2021 The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #3)
author: Matt Dinniman
name: Sam
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2026/08/17
date added: 2026/09/04
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Death in the Dark Woods (Monster Hunter, #2)]]> 71872869
Business has been booming since Morgan Carter solved the case of the monster living in Lake Michigan. The Odds and Ends bookstore is thriving, of course, but Morgan is most excited by the doors that were opened for her as a cryptid hunter.

Recently, there have been numerous sightings of a Bigfoot-type creature in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest area of Bayfield County, Wisconsin. After a man is found dead from a vicious throat injury in the forest, the conservation warden asks Morgan to investigate.

When Morgan and her dog, Newt, go there to investigate, they uncover a trail of lies, deception, and murder. It seems a mysterious creature is indeed living in the forest, and Morgan might be its next target.]]> 336 Annelise Ryan 0593441605 Sam 0 3.68 2023 Death in the Dark Woods (Monster Hunter, #2)
author: Annelise Ryan
name: Sam
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/02
shelves: to-read, started-series, owned-tbr
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos, #1)]]> 77566 500 Dan Simmons 0553283685 Sam 0 4.27 1989 Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos, #1)
author: Dan Simmons
name: Sam
average rating: 4.27
book published: 1989
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/02
shelves: to-read, first-in-a-series, owned-tbr
review:

]]> Five Found Dead 220481340
Crime fiction author Joe Penvale has won the most brutal battle of his life. Now that he has finished his intense medical treatment, he and his twin sister, Meredith, are boarding the glorious Orient Express in Paris, hoping for some much-needed rest and rejuvenation. Meredith also hopes that the literary ghosts on the train will nudge Joe's muse awake, and he'll be inspired to write again. And he is; after their first evening spent getting to know some of their fellow travelers, Joe pulls out his laptop and opens a new document. Seems like this trip is just what the doctor ordered…

And then some. The next morning, Joe and Meredith are shocked to witness that the cabin next door has become a crime scene, bathed in blood but with no body in sight. The pair soon find themselves caught up in an Agatha Christie-esque murder investigation. Without any help from the authorities, and with the victim still not found, Joe and Meredith are asked to join a group of fellow passengers with law enforcement backgrounds to look into the mysterious disappearance of the man in Cabin16G. But when the steward guarding the crime scene is murdered, it marks the beginning of a killing spree which leaves five found dead—and one still missing. Now Joe and Meredith must fight once again to preserve their newfound future and to catch a cunning killer before they reach the end of the line.

USA Today bestselling author Sulari Gentill brings readers on a heart-pounding ride filled with intrigue, suspense, and literary charm in Five Found Dead, perfect for fans of twisty mysteries and books about books. 


]]> 304 Sulari Gentill 1464219710 Sam 0 arcs, to-read, owned-tbr 3.32 2025 Five Found Dead
author: Sulari Gentill
name: Sam
average rating: 3.32
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/02
shelves: arcs, to-read, owned-tbr
review:

]]> Play Nice 222419303 A woman must confront the demons of her past when she attempts to fix up her childhood home in this devilishly clever take on the haunted house.

Clio Louise Barnes leads a picture-perfect life as a stylist and influencer, but beneath the glossy veneer she harbors a not-so glamorous secret: she grew up in a haunted house. Well, not haunted. Possessed. After Clio’s parent’s messy divorce, her mother, Alex, moved Clio and her sisters into a house occupied by a demon. Or so Alex claimed. That’s not what Clio’s sisters remember or what the courts determined when they stripped Alex of custody after she went off the deep end. But Alex was insistent; she even wrote a book about her experience in the house.

After Alex’s sudden death, the supposedly possessed house passes to Clio and her sisters. Where her sisters see childhood trauma, Clio sees an opportunity for house flipping content. Only, as the home makeover process begins, Clio discovers there might be some truth to her mother’s claims. As memories resurface and Clio finally reads her mother’s book, the presence in the house becomes more real, and more sinister, revealing ugly truths that threaten to shake Clio’s beautiful life to its very foundation.]]> 325 Rachel Harrison 0593642570 Sam 0 3.85 2025 Play Nice
author: Rachel Harrison
name: Sam
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/02
shelves: to-read, owned-tbr, book-boxes
review:

]]> The Ending Writes Itself 236447384
One private island.

Seventy-two hours to write the ending that will change their lives.

Arthur Fletch, one of the world’s bestselling novelists, is a reclusive genius known for his iconic protagonists and fiendish twists. When six struggling authors are invited to spend a weekend on his private Scottish island, they arrive to discover a shocking secret: Arthur Fletch is dead . . . and his last book is unfinished.

Desperate to publish the novel, Fletch’s agent and editor have summoned these writers in the hope that one of them will imagine a worthy ending for this final book. To sweeten the deal, they are offering an irresistible prize: in addition to ghost-writing the last chapter––for a mind-boggling sum––they will also help the lucky writer successfully re-launch their own career, guaranteeing future bestsellers. The catch: the writers have just seventy-two hours to finish Fletch’s magnum opus.

Starting is often the hardest part. But getting to the end could be murder.]]> 343 Evelyn Clarke 0063444615 Sam 0 3.43 2026 The Ending Writes Itself
author: Evelyn Clarke
name: Sam
average rating: 3.43
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/02
shelves: to-read, 2026, owned-tbr, book-boxes
review:

]]> <![CDATA[This Story Might Save Your Life]]> 231126887


The problem is, their next survival story may be their own. When Benny arrives at Joy and Xander’s one morning to record, he finds shattered glass and an empty house. The one clue shedding light on the couple’s disappearance is the incomplete, previously unseen first draft of Joy’s memoir. Benny will stop at nothing to find them, even as the police zero in on him as their prime suspect.


Millions of devoted listeners think they know the “real” Benny and Joy. But as the hours tick by, and the odds seem increasingly stacked against Joy and Xander being found alive, not even the most devoted fans could guess the terrible secrets their favorite famous BFFs have hidden from the world—and from each other.

]]> 357 Tiffany Crum Sam 0 3.86 2026 This Story Might Save Your Life
author: Tiffany Crum
name: Sam
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/02
shelves: to-read, 2026, owned-tbr, book-boxes
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Everything was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt]]> 242975495
Then he meets Dalia, a midwife, and her boisterous eight-year-old daughter Layla, who live across the hall. As Dalia and Layla come to embrace Travis, it becomes more difficult to maintain the detachment that’s allowed him to function for so long. Their time together teaches him what’s truly important in life—and what might be irrevocably lost in death.

Written with radiant warmth, wisdom, and compassion, Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt is a timeless story about appreciating life, accepting its end, and finding our place in the universe—especially when it feels most impossible—that will resonate with anyone who has ever loved and lost or worried at time’s passing.]]> 256 Ben Reeves 1668216361 Sam 0 to-read, owned-tbr 3.94 2026 Everything was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt
author: Ben Reeves
name: Sam
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/02
shelves: to-read, owned-tbr
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Trade of Blood (Ana and Din Mysteries, #3)]]> 102615935
Brilliant detective Ana Dolabra must prove a man's innocence to stop a civil war in the third book of the series that began with The Tainted Cup, named an Edgar, Hugo, and World Fantasy Award Finalist and one of the best books of the year (New York Times Book Review, NPR, Elle)—from the bestselling author of The Founders Trilogy.

In the canton of Sapirdad, two of the Empire’s most powerful families are moments away from going to war with each other, their hundreds of retainers gathered with swords drawn. If blood is spilt, the whole of the empire may be plunged into starvation and chaos.

To de-escalate matters, someone must do the impossible: prove that one family’s eldest son is innocent of a gruesome and unforgivable murder, despite the incontrovertible evidence against him.

It is with this undertaking that the great detective Ana Dolabra is tasked, her assistant Din at her side—and the two find themselves racing with great speed and little dignity to the scene.

As ever, the impossible proves little obstacle for the deadly combination of Ana’s intellect and Din’s keen eye, and mere hours after riding into the dusty town, Ana glimpses the greater pattern behind the crime. A deeper, subtler web of death is being woven in plain sight, by a mastermind with an ancient magical technology at his disposal.

But even Ana's uncanny insight is of little use when each new suspect she uncovers ends up dead--with each new killing calculated to bring tensions between the two rival clans past the boiling point. And as Din pursues their adversary through the canton's wild ranges, sprawling ranches, and reeking slaughterhouses, he finds his loyalties divided in unexpected ways.]]> 400 Robert Jackson Bennett Sam 0 4.55 2026 A Trade of Blood (Ana and Din Mysteries, #3)
author: Robert Jackson Bennett
name: Sam
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/02
shelves: 2026, arcs, to-read, started-series, owned-tbr
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Last Devil to Die (Thursday Murder Club, #4)]]> 62226126
An old friend in the antiques business has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing.

As the gang springs into action they encounter art forgers, online fraudsters and drug dealers, as well as heartache close to home.

With the body count rising, the package still missing and trouble firmly on their tail, has their luck finally run out? And who will be the last devil to die?]]> 421 Richard Osman 0241512441 Sam 0 to-read, started-series 4.42 2023 The Last Devil to Die (Thursday Murder Club, #4)
author: Richard Osman
name: Sam
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/02
shelves: to-read, started-series
review:

]]> Pride and Prejudice 84979 Another cover edition for this ISBN

Since its immediate success in 1813, Pride and Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language. Jane Austen called this brilliant work "her own darling child" and its vivacious heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, "as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print." The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr. Darcy, is a splendid performance of civilized sparring. And Jane Austen's radiant wit sparkles as her characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, making this book the most superb comedy of manners of Regency England.]]> 334 Jane Austen 0553213105 Sam 0 to-read, owned-tbr 4.36 1813 Pride and Prejudice
author: Jane Austen
name: Sam
average rating: 4.36
book published: 1813
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/02
shelves: to-read, owned-tbr
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, #1)]]> 228665
Moiraine Damodred arrives in Emond’s Field on a quest to find the one prophesized to stand against The Dark One, a malicious entity sowing the seeds of chaos and destruction. When a vicious band of half-men, half beasts invade the village seeking their master’s enemy, Moiraine persuades Rand al’Thor and his friends to leave their home and enter a larger unimaginable world filled with dangers waiting in the shadows and in the light.]]> 800 Robert Jordan 0812511816 Sam 0 4.19 1990 The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, #1)
author: Robert Jordan
name: Sam
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1990
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/02
shelves: to-read, first-in-a-series, owned-tbr
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore]]> 228142770
She traded curses for carnations. But old magic dies hard...

Guy Shadowfade is dead, and Violet Thistlethwaite is out of a job. After a lifetime as the dark sorcerer's right-hand witch, she's ready to turn over a new leaf. And this time, she wants to sprout peonies instead of poison.

The quiet town of Dragon's Rest seems like the perfect place to start over. Violet opens a flower shop, swears off dark magic, and does her best to be...good. Even if her reputation - and her mildly homicidal, sentient houseplant - make that tricky.

Her vibrant bouquets soon charm the locals, but nothing she does seems to impress the grumpy (and infuriatingly gorgeous) Nathaniel Marsh, the alchemist she's forced to share a greenhouse with.

But when a strange blight begins to rot the roots of Dragon's Rest, Violet and Nathaniel must work together - through their fears, pasts, and growing feelings - to save the town.

And as old secrets start to surface, Violet can't help but does a former villain like her truly deserve a happily-ever-after?]]> 360 Emily Krempholtz 0593954300 Sam 0 3.77 2025 Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore
author: Emily Krempholtz
name: Sam
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/02
shelves: to-read, book-boxes, owned-tbr
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Corpse in the Closet (Riley Thorn #2)]]> 219287804
Nick’s got his own hands full with a tricky missing person case and his parents who want to know why he didn’t tell them about his live-in girlfriend. Then there’s the fact that he’s still the tiniest bit stressed about Riley almost getting murdered earlier that summer. The last thing he wants is her getting involved in another investigation.

Things go from bad to worse when the body count starts stacking up, the meet-the-parents dinner goes horribly wrong, and their elderly roommate is up to no good…dressed like a mime.

To top it off, Riley is forced to return to Channel 50 on official police business to question her spray-tanned news anchor ex-husband and his new weather girl fiancée.

The trouble comes to a head when Riley receives a warning from the killer: Back off or she’s next. Someone has to solve these murders before she becomes the next corpse.]]> 450 Lucy Score 1945631783 Sam 0 4.13 2021 The Corpse in the Closet (Riley Thorn #2)
author: Lucy Score
name: Sam
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/02
shelves: to-read, started-series, owned-tbr
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed]]> 37570546 From a psychotherapist, and national advice columnist comes a thought-provoking new book that takes us behind the scenes of a therapist's world -- where her patients are looking for answers (and so is she).

One day, Lori Gottlieb is a therapist who helps patients in her Los Angeles practice. The next, a crisis causes her world to come crashing down. Enter Wendell, the quirky but seasoned therapist in whose office she suddenly lands. With his balding head, cardigan, and khakis, he seems to have come straight from Therapist Central Casting. Yet he will turn out to be anything but.

As Gottlieb explores the inner chambers of her patients' lives -- a self-absorbed Hollywood producer, a young newlywed diagnosed with a terminal illness, a senior citizen threatening to end her life on her birthday if nothing gets better, and a twenty-something who can't stop hooking up with the wrong guys -- she finds that the questions they are struggling with are the very ones she is now bringing to Wendell.

With startling wisdom and humor, Gottlieb invites us into her world as both clinician and patient, examining the truths and fictions we tell ourselves and others as we teeter on the tightrope between love and desire, meaning and mortality, guilt and redemption, terror and courage, hope and change.

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone is revolutionary in its candor, offering a deeply personal yet universal tour of our hearts and minds and providing the rarest of gifts: a boldly revealing portrait of what it means to be human, and a disarmingly funny and illuminating account of our own mysterious lives and our power to transform them.]]> 415 Lori Gottlieb 1328662055 Sam 0 non-fiction 4.35 2019 Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed
author: Lori Gottlieb
name: Sam
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/09/02
shelves: non-fiction
review:

]]> The Last Contract of Isako 123163998
LIVE BY THE CODE. DIE BY THE KNIFE.

Isako is a legendary swordswoman, but every legend must come to an end. When her long-time client unexpectedly retires, she plans to follow—to walk out into the frozen wasteland of their planet with her head held high and her family enriched by her death. But when she's offered a final mission, she can't refuse, especially when she realizes who lies at the center of it Martim, her last—and worst—apprentice, who's somehow made his way to the top. As she's thrust into a world of corporate espionage and shadowy secrets, what she uncovers could forever change humanity's existence among the stars.

The Last Contract of Isako is epic science fiction like only Fonda Lee can write it—set in a world where money trumps loyalty, the elite have the power to extend life or end it, and one woman in the twilight of her calling must decide what's ultimately worth living—or dying—for.]]> 528 Fonda Lee Sam 0 3.96 2026 The Last Contract of Isako
author: Fonda Lee
name: Sam
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2026
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/09/02
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]]> Molka 228398323 molka (n): the Korean term for spy cameras secretly and illegally installed, often to capture voyeuristic images and videos

Dahye can't believe her luck when she finds herself in a whirlwind romance with handsome, charismatic Hyukjoon, the heir to a multi-million dollar fortune.

But then a shocking revelation threatens: the couple has been caught on a spycam amid Korea's growing molka epidemic, and the video is all over the internet. When Hyukjoon flees the country to avoid the intense public scrutiny, Dahye is left to grapple with the ramifications on her own; and the demons from her childhood, long dormant, begin to surface.

Amid the chaos, she catches the attention of Junyoung, a nerdy, introverted IT tech at work. Junyoung harbours a dark secret: he has been spying on the women at work with his own hidden cameras. As Dahye's life begins to unravel, she unknowingly becomes the sole target of Junyoung's perverse obsession.

When the facts surrounding the invasion of her privacy come to light, Dahye is faced with the humiliating truth. Her pain and hurt turn to rage as she faces her past. Her desire for vengeance is insatiable, and she will not rest until the men who have wronged her have paid in blood...]]> 292 Monika Kim 1840918659 Sam 0 3.67 2026 Molka
author: Monika Kim
name: Sam
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2026
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/09/02
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]]> <![CDATA[The Library of Amorlin (The Age of Beasts, #1)]]> 221821504 A brilliant con artist and a secretive librarian collide in New York Times bestselling author Kalyn Josephson’s enchanting adult fantasy debut packed with twists, tricks, slowburn romantic tension, and magical creatures -- perfect for fans of S.A. MacLean, Mai Corland, and K.A. Linde.

A USA Today and Independent Press bestseller

Former con artist Kasira expected to spend her life as a soldier, miserably working off her prison sentence by hunting down magical creatures for the fanatical kingdom of Kalthos. But when the Kalish ambassador arrives with a non-negotiable assignment, Kasira finds herself swept into the biggest con of her life: infiltrating the Library of Amorlin. 

As the heart of all magic and the protector of magical creatures throughout the six kingdoms, the Library is historically politically neutral. Kasira is meant to pose as the new Assistant to spy for the ambassador and destabilize the Library from the inside, clearing the way to dethrone its Librarian. 

But when she arrives, Kasira learns that the Library is not all she was told it would be. Neither is the prickly, handsome Librarian, Allaster, whose own monstrous secrets are about to catch up with him. 

Swept into the enchanting world of the Library, Kasira’s reluctant con is jeopardized by her growing affection for the wondrous life the Library promises…and by her complicated, burgeoning attraction to Allaster. As the ambassador’s game closes in, Kasira must decide where her loyalties lie: to her newfound home, or to her own survival? ]]> 448 Kalyn Josephson 1645662632 Sam 0 to-read, 2026, owned-tbr 3.79 2026 The Library of Amorlin (The Age of Beasts, #1)
author: Kalyn Josephson
name: Sam
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2026
rating: 0
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]]> It's Not Her 230443142 A scream shatters the silence…

Courtney Gray’s peaceful vacation turns into a nightmare when she discovers her brother and sister-in-law dead in their lakeside cottage. Her niece Reese is missing. Her nephew Wyatt is asleep upstairs—unharmed.

A town full of secrets…

As police swarm the quiet resort, dark truths about Courtney’s family—and the town itself—begin to surface. Is Reese a victim… or the killer?

A truth no one saw coming…

With everyone hiding something, Courtney races to uncover the terrible mystery. But the closer she gets, the harder it is to know who—or what—to trust.]]> 342 Mary Kubica 0778387992 Sam 0 3.90 2026 It's Not Her
author: Mary Kubica
name: Sam
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2026
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/09/02
shelves: to-read, 2026, book-boxes, owned-tbr
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]]> <![CDATA[The Rebel and the Rose (The City of Fantome, #2)]]> 224004229
From a remote hilltop haven, far from the city of Fantome, Seraphine Marchant and her Order of Flames plot to eradicate shade magic with lightfire. But as Sera struggles to control her blooming powers, destiny calls her back to Fantome—and to the assassin who haunts her dreams.

Ransom Hale can’t get Sera out of his head. As their rivalry grows and he grapples with the responsibility of leading the Order of Daggers, he feels himself slipping further from who he wants to be. Is he doomed to a life in the shadows? Or can he forge another path?

Meanwhile, rebellion is stirring in the kingdom, and a dangerous prince grows in power. Forced to work together by order of the king, Sera and Ransom’s conflicted hearts are tested to their limits. And all the while, an ancient prophecy is unfolding that will change the fate of Valterre forever…]]> 528 Catherine Doyle 1665955147 Sam 0 4.13 2025 The Rebel and the Rose (The City of Fantome, #2)
author: Catherine Doyle
name: Sam
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/09/02
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]]> <![CDATA[The Other Side of the Sky (The Other Side of the Sky, #1)]]> 40599772 New York Times bestselling author duo Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner have crafted a gripping tale of magic and logic, fate and choice, and a deadly love. Perfect for fans of Laini Taylor and Brandon Sanderson.

Prince North’s home is in the sky, in a gleaming city held aloft by intricate engines, powered by technology. Nimh is the living goddess of her people on the Surface, responsible for providing answers, direction—hope.

North’s and Nimh’s lives are entwined—though their hearts can never be. Linked by a terrifying prophecy and caught between duty and fate, they must choose between saving their people or succumbing to the bond that is forbidden between them.]]> 432 Amie Kaufman 0062893351 Sam 0 to-read, owned-tbr 3.88 2020 The Other Side of the Sky (The Other Side of the Sky, #1)
author: Amie Kaufman
name: Sam
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/09/02
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]]> <![CDATA[Gods of the Wyrdwood (Forsaken, #1)]]> 62874007 In a world locked in eternal winter and haunted by prophecy, a young boy trains for years to become the Chosen One, only for another to rise and claim his place in the start of an unmissable epic from a rising star in fantasy. 

The northlands of Crua are locked in eternal winter, but prophecy tells of the chosen child – who will rule in the name of their God, and take warmth back from the South. Cahal du Nahere was raised to be this person: the Cowl-Rai, the saviour. Taken from his parents and prepared for his destiny.

But his time never came

When he was fifteen he ceased to matter. Another Cowl-Rai had risen, another chosen one, raised in the name of a different God. The years of vicious physical and mental training he had endured, the sacrifice, all for nothing. He became nothing.

Twenty years later, and Cahal lives a life of secrecy on the edges of Crua’s giant forests – hiding what he is, running from what he can do. But when he is forced to reveal his true nature, he sets off a sequence of events that will reveal secrets that will shake the bedrock of his entire world, and expose lies that have persisted for generations.]]> 640 R.J. Barker 0316401587 Sam 0 to-read, owned-tbr 3.96 2023 Gods of the Wyrdwood (Forsaken, #1)
author: R.J. Barker
name: Sam
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The Lighthouse at the End of the World (Cities of the Drift, #1)]]> 216622478 Enter a London like no other in this fast-paced, captivating fantasy novel, perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab and Genevieve Cogman.

Oyster McLellen has spent his life causing mischief. Running with a small-time gang and fleecing money from tourists in Hyde Park to support his struggling family in the absence of his father, who abandoned them years ago.

When a simple money drop for his boss, Big Mickey, goes wrong, Oyster's future looks bleak. His only chance to redeem himself in the eyes of Mickey is to get the money back, but as he pursues the thieves across South London he suddenly finds himself washed up on a beach, surrounded by broken phones and shattered office furniture.

His new world: Greater London. A city built on the detritus of our own, where leviathans crafted from broken skyscrapers roam the seas, where ink beetles nestle beneath the skin of its residents and where Oyster's father, Lucas, may well have escaped to all those years ago.

But there are bigger things at stake. Oyster's allegiances are torn between the enigmatic Nonesuch, the eccentric escapist Marya Petrovna, and the terrifying Mr Primrose - and he will have to choose who to align himself with quickly. Because plans are afoot: something ancient is brewing, and a choice needs to be made, the consequences of which will determine the fate of Londons, and life, everywhere.]]> 448 Philip Suggars 1835412505 Sam 0 to-read, owned-tbr 3.23 2026 The Lighthouse at the End of the World (Cities of the Drift, #1)
author: Philip Suggars
name: Sam
average rating: 3.23
book published: 2026
rating: 0
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]]> Blood on the Vine 219401055 Between the shadowed rows of grapevines at a California vineyard, deadly secrets grow ripe and blood-red in this twisting thriller perfect for fans of Lisa Gardner.

FBI Agent Lana Burrell grew up on an idyllic Napa Valley vineyard with her best friend Jess–until Jess was murdered at the same vineyard they called home. Lana’s father is serving a life sentence for Jess’s murder, but Lana has always believed in his innocence–and has always wanted to know the truth about what really happened to her childhood friend.

Lana gave up the chance to exonerate her father for a career with the FBI, but when a killer strikes the Valley again, those old wounds reopen and she grasps at the chance to solve the case that has haunted her entire life. Two women are slain near where Jess’s body was once found, and Lana is forced to revisit the site of the fraught childhood she tried to leave behind.

Forced to partner with the local sheriff’s office that put her father in prison, and to reconnect with the wealthy family that runs a powerful wine dynasty, Lana fights the distraction of old flames and grudges reignited. With clues of a shadowy cult embedded at the center of wine country, and a mysterious stranger stalking her every move, Lana’s hope to solve the murders begins to have a darker the fear that she might be the next to die.
]]> 336 J.T. Falco Sam 0 to-read, owned-tbr 3.74 Blood on the Vine
author: J.T. Falco
name: Sam
average rating: 3.74
book published:
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[A Killer Hold (Larkspur Library Mysteries #3)]]> 219839593 A librarian’s rule for Better to be bookish than brash!

Spring has sprung, and with it, a full line-up of programming at Larkspur Community Library. Director Greta Plank is preparing to host the Wisconsin Library Organization’s annual conference—and dreading the arrival of her ex-boyfriend—while also helping a local treasure-hunting club coordinate a showcase highlighting Northern Wisconsin’s gangster trail and the nearby hideouts of the notorious criminals of the early twentieth century.

When Greta overhears the library board president and a larger-than-life member of the treasure-hunting club arguing about a secret discovery, her curiosity is piqued—even more so when one of the women leaves a book with a sequence of strange markings on its pages in the library book return bin. Before Greta can ask about the marginalia, the book’s outspoken owner turns up dead.

At the request of the police—though against the better judgment of her new beau, Detective Mark McHenry—Greta sets to work trying to decipher the peculiar notations, and she quickly hypothesizes that there’s more to the story. Was something sketchy going on at the deceased’s jewelry shop? Did her death have anything to do with the gangster trail event she was helping to plan and the personal research she was bragging about? Greta must work against the clock to decode the dead woman’s book code. What she finds is someone willing to go to great lengths to keep a secret buried in the stacks—and the past—even if it means killing again.
]]> 285 Leah Dobrinska Sam 0 to-read, owned-tbr 4.01 A Killer Hold (Larkspur Library Mysteries #3)
author: Leah Dobrinska
name: Sam
average rating: 4.01
book published:
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The Midnight Train (The Midnight World, #2)]]> 242380266 When your life flashes before your eyes, where would you stop?

No one can change the past, but the Midnight Train can take you there. The chance to re-live the moments that meant most. To see what kind of person you really were.

For Wilbur his best days were with Maggie, the love of his life. On his honeymoon in Venice.

Before he gave it all away.

He wishes he could go back and live differently. But to do so risks everything . . .

A magical, time-travelling love story, from the world of The Midnight Library.]]> 296 Matt Haig 0593833376 Sam 0 to-read, owned-tbr 3.93 2026 The Midnight Train (The Midnight World, #2)
author: Matt Haig
name: Sam
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2026
rating: 0
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]]> Undying (Unearthed, #2) 26839798
The earth's fate rests in Mia and Jules's hands in the epic conclusion to New York Times best-selling authors Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner's tomb-raiding sci-fi duology. ]]> 308 Amie Kaufman 1484755561 Sam 0 3.82 2018 Undying (Unearthed, #2)
author: Amie Kaufman
name: Sam
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/02
shelves: to-read, started-series, owned-tbr
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]]> Piranesi 50202953 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781635575637.

Piranesi’s house is no ordinary building: its rooms are infinite, its corridors endless, its walls are lined with thousands upon thousands of statues, each one different from all the others. Within the labyrinth of halls an ocean is imprisoned; waves thunder up staircases, rooms are flooded in an instant. But Piranesi is not afraid; he understands the tides as he understands the pattern of the labyrinth itself. He lives to explore the house.

There is one other person in the house—a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel, revealing a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known.]]> 245 Susanna Clarke Sam 0 to-read, owned-tbr 4.19 2020 Piranesi
author: Susanna Clarke
name: Sam
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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]]> Goldenborn 230612594 A girl with a mission. A god with a deal. A story that could change everything.

When 17-year-old Akoma Addo stumbles into a world of ancient gods and modern magic, she’ll have to choose between saving her father… or staying true to everything she’s ever believed.

Akoma Addo has one rule: don’t get too close to the supernatural.

Ever since a blazing orb of light left her father in a coma, she’s buried herself in her secret job investigating magical crimes in San Francisco’s AfricaTown -- just enough to keep her grief at bay. But when a body turns up in a pool of molten gold and ash, Akoma’s pulled into something much bigger -- and far more dangerous. At the center of it all is Anansi, the trickster god of stories, who makes her an impossible offer: help him catch a killer and awaken the ancestral magic buried deep in her blood... and in return, he’ll give her a chance to bring her father back. To take the deal, Akoma will have to lie to everyone she loves and embrace the very power she’s spent years trying to deny. And as her connection grows with Xander, the new guy in town with secrets of his own, Akoma must decide who she can trust -- especially when she’s no longer sure she can even trust herself. Rooted in Ghanaian mythology and packed with mystery, danger, and slow-burning romance, Goldenborn is a gripping fantasy about legacy, lies, and what it really means to rewrite your story.]]> 416 Ama Ofosua Lieb 1546147462 Sam 0 to-read, owned-tbr 3.99 2026 Goldenborn
author: Ama Ofosua Lieb
name: Sam
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2026
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The Butcher's Masquerade (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #5)]]> 220772913 Attention. Attention. The gates are down. The hunters are loose. Run, Run, Run.

A lush jungle teeming with danger. Savage dinosaurs seeking blood. A fallen princess intent on vengeance. A mysterious, end-of-floor celebration for the top crawlers, dubbed “The Butcher’s Masquerade.”

The sixth floor. The Hunting Grounds.

As the remaining crawlers battle for their lives, a new, terrible threat looms. Outside tourists are finally allowed to enter the game, and they are here and ready to hunt. Among them is Vrah, a famed and veteran hunter, intent on collecting the biggest trophy of her career.

But their prey is far from harmless, and this season they are fighting back.

Dungeon Crawler Carl and Princess Donut return in book five of the acclaimed litrpg series.]]> 707 Matt Dinniman 0593955994 Sam 0 currently-reading, owned-tbr 4.65 2022 The Butcher's Masquerade (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #5)
author: Matt Dinniman
name: Sam
average rating: 4.65
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/09/02
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]]> The Dahlia Suite: A Novel 242975038
When Paige arrives at Sueños, the Caribbean’s most exclusive resort on Beck Island, she’s eager to use the time away from her young son to shake off the writer’s block that has stifled her new career as an author.

Hollywood starlet Lindsay Law is on a mission of her own at Sueños: spiraling from a recent Oscar loss, she’s determined to find out why the winner in her category gave thanks to Mara Morgan, the legendary actress who owned Beck Island before her tragic death.

While Paige and Lindsay are drawn together by creative inspiration, Gabby, the resort’s concierge, is torn apart by the loss of a coworker and the mysterious appearance of a man from her past. Gabby still has the power to grant her guests’ most over-the-top requests, but she’s helpless against her own grief and confusion.

As the sun-soaked days of bliss morph into sinister connections, Paige, Lindsay, and Gabby are united by a shocking twist, and must race to untangle the knot of Beck Island’s mysteries before another woman vanishes.]]> 304 Carinn Jade 1668045990 Sam 0 3.33 The Dahlia Suite: A Novel
author: Carinn Jade
name: Sam
average rating: 3.33
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/09/02
shelves: arcs, 2026, ebooks, did-not-finish
review:

]]> <![CDATA[How to Build a Haunted House: The History of a Cultural Obsession]]> 223714088 A grand tour of The Haunted House through art, architecture, ghost stories and more

What makes a house haunted? Why do some buildings conjure up a reputation for being particularly creepy, while others leave us unmoved? Barring the possibility of a looming afterlife, what are the particular features, contexts and histories that lend a building the dreaded identity of haunted house?

How to Build a Haunted House tours some of the world's most famously spine-chilling structures in search of answers. From Medieval Scotland to Enlightenment-era London; Victorian suburbs to pre-Civil War Louisiana, Blackwell-Baines, an expert in Gothic art and architecture, will explore that specific set of ingredients that captures our imaginations and contributes to our collective understanding of the eternally eerie. After all, whether a staunch sceptic or paranormal enthusiast, we all know a haunted house when we see one.]]> 312 Caitlin Blackwell Baines 1805221507 Sam 0 to-read 3.66 2025 How to Build a Haunted House: The History of a Cultural Obsession
author: Caitlin Blackwell Baines
name: Sam
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/09/02
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Something Is Killing the Children: Hope Is a Knife: A Novel]]> 246552985
Based on the internationally bestselling comic series, with millions of copies in print,​ the first full-length novel from the terrifying world of Something Is Killing the Children—a stunning collaboration between Eisner-winning co-creator James Tynion IV and #1 New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White

As a Black Mask, Erica Slaughter has a very straightforward job: find the monster, kill the monster, then do it all again. But when she arrives in Badwater, Idaho, nothing is simple. She can’t determine whether the horrific killer of a twelve-year-old was a bear, a person, or something much worse. Complicating matters is the charismatic doomsday preacher who is quickly leading the small town to the verge of hysteria. If Erica wants to save the surviving children, she has to figure out which kid’s fears might have summoned a monster—and fast. Erica must get to the truth before the Order and the town come to the same conclusion: to stop the monster, you have to kill the girl.

Hope Is a Knife is a chilling, original tale in SIKTC lore, where monsters are real and only the hunters of the Order of St. George are equipped to challenge them. Whether or not you’ve already devoured the Eisner Award–winning comics, this standalone vision of supernatural horror is a thrill ride of the highest order.]]> 304 James Tynion IV 0593799380 Sam 0 to-read 3.93 2026 Something Is Killing the Children: Hope Is a Knife: A Novel
author: James Tynion IV
name: Sam
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2026
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/08/27
shelves: to-read
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]]> In the Woods They Wait 247477543 A park ranger in Devil’s Den becomes obsessed with the case of a missing child—a case that mirrors the disappearance of her own brother, whom she lost in the woods many years ago—and the possibility that both were taken by something vicious and unnatural that lives deep in the Ozarks.

Fifteen years ago, Audrey Figg's little brother, Benny, vanished on a family vacation to Devil's Den state park, a day that split her life in two.

Now, Audrey is a park ranger in the very same woods with expertise in wilderness search and rescue. Audrey has found a rhythm to her training new rangers, tending to injured hikers, protecting the backcountry, and still, searching.

When a little girl, Ivy, suddenly goes missing on the trails, Audrey can’t help but notice the similarities to her own brother’s case. As Audrey widens the scope of her search, she begins to believe Ivy wasn't merely lost; it looks like she was taken by something—and maybe Benny was too. Yet the closer Audrey comes to answers, the more old memories push to the surface. Audrey is haunted not only by her brother's loss, but a terrible secret from that day. A secret she has never shared with anyone.

Utterly absorbing and disquieting, In the Woods They Wait is an enthralling page-turner, one that asks how far you would go for a sense of closure—and what would you be willing to face to get it.]]> 304 Carrie Lee South 031660898X Sam 0 to-read 3.93 In the Woods They Wait
author: Carrie Lee South
name: Sam
average rating: 3.93
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/08/27
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]]> <![CDATA[Something is Killing the Children, Vol. 4]]> 58673882 The origin of Erica Slaughter, monster hunter, is revealed in this volume of the Eisner Award-nominated horror series.

Erica Slaughter went to hell and back in Archer’s Peak, but that may be nothing compared to the events that forged her at the House of Slaughter. What events brought Erica to the House of Slaughter? And what did she have to do to join the Order of St. George? Erica Slaughter’s origins are finally revealed in this volume of the Eisner Award-nominated series from GLAAD Award-winning author James Tynion IV (The Woods, Batman) and artist Werther Dell’Edera (Razorblades).

Collects Something is Killing The Children #16-20.]]> 144 James Tynion IV 1684158044 Sam 5 4.44 2022 Something is Killing the Children, Vol. 4
author: James Tynion IV
name: Sam
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2026/08/27
date added: 2026/08/27
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]]> <![CDATA[Psychotic Obsession (The Edge of Darkness Trilogy)]]> 208177256 TRUST IS A WEAKNESS
POSSESSION IS A TOXIC GAME
Sweet and gentle.
Calm and collected.
Nervous and inexperienced.
He was death cloaked in the form of a handsome man, and instead of running the other way the first chance she got, she fell for him.

Aria Miller is a scientist searching for the cure for a rare genetic disease when her world turns on its head – she collides with Tobias Mitchell. When she takes him on as her assistant, he becomes infatuated with her in ways he knows he shouldn’t be.

Then, reality hits, and Aria is forced to leave the country. Faced with the thought of losing the object of his obsession, Tobias’ mask slips, showing her his true self for the first time.

Aria is his, and he’ll do anything to make sure she stays that way.

This is an interconnected standalone set before The Edge of Darkness Trilogy]]> 442 Leigh Rivers Sam 0 to-read 4.20 2025 Psychotic Obsession (The Edge of Darkness Trilogy)
author: Leigh Rivers
name: Sam
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/08/20
shelves: to-read
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]]> Where the Axe Is Buried 211934965 All systems fail. All societies crumble. All worlds end.

In the authoritarian Federation, there is a plot to assassinate and replace the President, a man who has downloaded his mind to a succession of new bodies to maintain his grip on power. Meanwhile, on the fringes of a Western Europe that has renounced human governance in favor of ostensibly more efficient, objective, and peaceful AI Prime Ministers, an experimental artificial mind is malfunctioning, threatening to set off a chain of events that may spell the end of the Western world.

As the Federation and the West both start to crumble, Lilia, the brilliant scientist whose invention may be central to bringing down the seemingly immortal President, goes on the run, trying to break out from a near-impenetrable web of Federation surveillance. Her fate is bound up with a worldwide group of others fighting against the global status quo: Palmer, the man Lilia left behind in London, desperate to solve the mystery of her disappearance; Zoya, a veteran activist imprisoned in the taiga, whose book has inspired a revolutionary movement; Nikolai, the President’s personal physician, who has been forced into more and more harrowing decisions as he navigates the Federation’s palace politics; and Nurlan, the hapless parliamentary staffer whose attempt to save his Republic goes terribly awry. And then there is Krotov, head of the Federation’s security services, whose plots, agents, and assassins are everywhere.

Following the success of his debut novel, The Mountain in the Sea, Ray Nayler launches readers into a thrilling near-future world of geopolitical espionage. A cybernetic novel of political intrigue, Where the Axe is Buried combines the story of a near-impossible revolutionary operation with a blistering indictment of the many forms of authoritarianism that suffocate human freedom.]]> 327 Ray Nayler 0374615365 Sam 0 to-read 3.76 2025 Where the Axe Is Buried
author: Ray Nayler
name: Sam
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/08/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Gate of the Feral Gods (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #4)]]> 57905101 New Achievement! Total, Utter Failure.

You failed a quest less than five minutes after you received it. Now that’s talent.

A floating fortress occupied by warrior gnomes. A castle made of sand. A derelict submarine guarded by malfunctioning machines. A haunted crypt surrounded by lethal traps.

It was supposed to be easy. One bubble. Four castles. Fifteen days. Capture each one, and the stairwell is unlocked.

Here's the thing. It's never easy. Carl and his team can't go it alone. Not this time. They must rely on the help of the low-level, I-can't-believe-these-idiots-are-still-alive crawlers trapped in the bubble with them. But can they be trusted?

Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the fifth floor of the dungeon.]]> 592 Matt Dinniman Sam 5 4.55 2021 The Gate of the Feral Gods (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #4)
author: Matt Dinniman
name: Sam
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2026/08/20
date added: 2026/08/20
shelves:
review:

]]> Wildwood 244985529 A chilling debut gothic mystery in the vein of Jason Rekulak and Stacy Willingham about a house with dark secrets beneath its floorboards.

It seems like divine intervention when newly pregnant and freshly unemployed Elinor unexpectedly inherits Wildwood, her family’s estate. She convinces her husband to move to the sprawling wilderness of rural Vermont to make a home and raise their baby.

Estranged from her extended family since childhood, Wildwood is a mystery to Elinor—she’s an outsider to the townsfolk and to the prominent Brook family who control the town and its history. Knowing little of the house or its past, save for snapshots of childhood memories, she becomes entranced by an eerie nineteenth-century mural in the primary bedroom she calls “the Forest of the Dead.”

But instead of growing more settled in her new home, Elinor feels increasingly isolated and uneasy. She begins to have dreams that feel like memories, phantasmagorical visions of something terrible that happened long ago. Haunted by the mystery of why her family fell apart, she’s determined to uncover the secrets of her ancestry buried deep in the past and even deeper in the woods . . . secrets kept by powerful forces within the house and within the town.

Obsessed with finding the truth, Elinor knows she must answer when “the Forest of the Dead” calls her. Someone wants her to know they were there first, and someone else is trying to get in. As the nightmares creep into her waking hours, Elinor embarks on a journey that takes her back and forth in time, to the dark recesses of memories, to the streets of modern Salem, and to the haunted corners of this otherworldly house.

The Forest of the Dead is calling. Can you hear the whispers?]]> 352 Ashley Woo 0063434571 Sam 0 to-read 3.91 2026 Wildwood
author: Ashley Woo
name: Sam
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/08/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Find Me 242975220 From the bestselling author of The Shallows and The Rip comes a terrifying survivalist thriller as two sisters navigate the eerie Tasmanian wilderness.

Don’t stop until you find me.

When their brother Pete went missing two years ago on Mount Mercy, officials shook their heads. “He never should have been here; he was warned. Mount Mercy takes things.” After a disastrous first attempt to locate him, they called off the search.

Estranged sisters Hallie and Gertie are drawn back together when their mother’s dying wish is for her girls to find their brother. To bring him back home. Their brother was last seen at a mysterious commune at the foot of the mountain, where members perform strange rituals to keep a sinister presence that comes from deep in the woods at bay.

But this mountain has no mercy, and they shouldn’t be there either.

The sisters must navigate treacherous terrain as they confront what lies between them and what lives on the mountain. When Gertie also vanishes, the line between reality and nightmare blurs. Hallie realizes she must face Mount Mercy, and whatever is lurking in the forest, all alone.]]> 325 Holly Craig 1668222914 Sam 0 to-read 3.86 2026 Find Me
author: Holly Craig
name: Sam
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/08/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Unknown 243596193
Struggling actress Marin Keane is shocked when she lands a role in a major motion picture about the unsolved mystery of New Avalon, an island on sprawling Lake Faraday in Vermont. She’s even more surprised when she learns that the role requires a weeklong research trip to that very spot.

Because New Avalon isn’t your ordinary island. A century ago, it was a commune for spiritual mediums—until they all vanished in 1926. The only trace of them was five dresses hanging from the branches of an old oak tree in the middle of the island, one for each missing woman. Some locals say they simply left. Others think they were murdered. But the prevailing opinion, thanks to a diary left behind by one of the vanished, a young woman named Daisy Rue, is that a séance gone wrong conjured something supernatural that took them all one by one.

Not long after arriving, Marin and her castmates, including legendary actress Violet Wright and white-hot director Ronan Peters, begin to realize all is not right with New Avalon. They hear strange noises in the night and notice mysterious symbols left behind by the island's previous occupants. And after a sudden health emergency leaves Marin, Ronan, and the other actors stranded on the island, the disappearances begin again.

Is it the work of someone trying to derail the movie? Or is the island’s alleged supernatural past catching up with the present? As fear and suspicion mount, Marin turns to Daisy’s diary, hoping it holds the key to figuring out what really happened to the women of New Avalon—and how to keep the island’s terrible history from repeating itself.]]> 368 Riley Sager Sam 0 to-read 3.87 2026 The Unknown
author: Riley Sager
name: Sam
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/08/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Mystic and the Missing Girl]]> 244967478 Reluctant psychic Drew Benson can read tarot cards and get impressions from objects—she just never expected to use her gifts to investigate an infamous cold case.

Drew Benson has a secret. She gets visions, something she hasn’t tapped into since she was a teenager, when her late aunt, a TV psychic known as Hannah Mystic, became the scapegoat in the unsolved disappearance of a local teenager. Twenty years later, Drew is happy to ignore her gift, focusing instead on keeping the metaphysical shop she inherited from Hannah afloat, wrangling her sole, astrology-obsessed employee, and dodging local rake Foster Banks in her picturesque lakeside hometown.

But when Drew's arch-nemesis from high school, now a big city reporter, decides to investigate the cold case from all those years ago, it’s Drew’s ability that could finally make a break in the decades old mystery. With bills piling up, a disapproving mother laying on the guilt, and a local vandal who wants Drew and her witchy store gone, Drew has a lot to lose. But what she stands to gain—finding out what happened to the missing teen, clearing her aunt’s name, and a second chance at belonging—could change everything.

In The Mystic and the Missing Girl, Vikki VanSickle seamlessly draws readers into an utterly charming world in this unputdownable, small town mystery.]]> 336 Vikki VanSickle 1250461103 Sam 0 currently-reading, 2026, arcs 4.12 2026 The Mystic and the Missing Girl
author: Vikki VanSickle
name: Sam
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/08/17
shelves: currently-reading, 2026, arcs
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Carl's Doomsday Scenario (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #2)]]> 212393364
The ratings and views are off the chart. The fans just can't get enough. The dungeon gets more dangerous each day. But in a grinder designed to chew up and spit out crawlers by the millions, Carl and Princess Donut need to work harder than ever just to survive.

They call it the Over City. A sprawling, once-thriving metropolis devastated by a mysterious calamity. But these streets are far from abandoned. An undead circus trawls the ruins. Murdered prostitutes rain from the sky. An ancient spell is finally ready to reveal its dark purpose.

Carl still has no pants.

They call it Dungeon Crawler World. For Carl and Donut, it's anything but a game.]]> 371 Matt Dinniman 0593820266 Sam 4 4.41 2021 Carl's Doomsday Scenario (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #2)
author: Matt Dinniman
name: Sam
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2026/08/09
date added: 2026/08/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #1)]]> 211721806 The apocalypse will be televised! Welcome to the first book in the wildly popular and addictive Dungeon Crawler Carl series—now with bonus material exclusive to this print edition.

You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what.

Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show.

Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the Dungeon. Survival is optional. Keeping the viewers entertained is not.


Includes part one of the exclusive bonus story “Backstage at the Pineapple Cabaret.”]]> 450 Matt Dinniman 059382024X Sam 4 4.36 2020 Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #1)
author: Matt Dinniman
name: Sam
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2026/08/05
date added: 2026/08/05
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Shrouded Queen (The Shrouded Queen #1)]]> 242970579 In the first book in this romantasy duology inspired by ancient Egyptian mythology, a slave and a princess switch places during an enemy attack, igniting parallel journeys of love and survival.

As a slave to the Ashoran royals, Samira has always known she was expendable. So when the vicious Kaldfolk attack the palace, she is ready to die as a decoy for her princess. But when she’s captured instead, she’s forced to impersonate the princess and survive through brutal trials designed to awaken her divine powers—all under the watch of her dangerously intriguing, shape-shifting captor.

Amunet Khada—now queen of Ashorah—is on the run following the king’s death. With only her guard-with-benefits, Jasim, by her side, she must evade treacherous allies while racing to contact her father—the god of the underworld—before her long-promised powers slip beyond reach.

While Amunet embarks on a quest through the wastelands, Samira learns the true reason for the attack and unlocks secrets in her past that could change everything. And with threats growing on all sides, Samira and Amunet must decide...who can they trust?]]> 448 Ashley Tropea 1668096218 Sam 0 to-read 3.86 2026 The Shrouded Queen (The Shrouded Queen #1)
author: Ashley Tropea
name: Sam
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/08/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)]]> 68428 What if the whole world were a dead, blasted wasteland?

Mistborn
For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison. Kelsier "snapped" and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.

Kelsier recruited the underworld's elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Then Kelsier reveals his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.

But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel's plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she's a half-Skaa orphan, but she's lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets. She will have to learn trust if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.

Brandon Sanderson, fantasy's newest master tale-spinner and author of the acclaimed debut Elantris, dares to turn a genre on its head by asking a simple question: What if the prophesied hero failed to defeat the Dark Lord? The answer will be found in the Mistborn Trilogy, a saga of surprises that begins with the book in your hands. Fantasy will never be the same again.]]> 541 Brandon Sanderson Sam 0 4.47 2006 Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Sam
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/07/30
shelves: owned-tbr, first-in-a-series, currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Murder on the Links (Hercule Poirot, #2)]]> 639787
There's no lack of suspects: his wife, whose dagger served as the weapon, his embittered son, who would have killed for independence, and his mistress who refused to be ignored. Each felt deserving of the dead man's fortune. The police think they've found the culprit. But Poirot has his doubts. Why is the dead man wearing an overcoat that is too big for him? And who was the impassioned love-letter in the coat pocket for? Before Poirot can answer these questions, the case is turned upside down by the discovery of a second, identically-murdered corpse.

Librarian's note: the first 5 Christie mysteries featuring Poirot are: 1) The Mysterious Affair at Styles, 1920; 2) The Murder on the Links, 1923; 3) The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, 1926; 4) The Big Four, 1927; and 5) The Mystery of the Blue Train, 1928. There are many short stories and a collection featuring Poirot in this period as well. Each novel and short story has its own entry on Goodreads.]]> 228 Agatha Christie 0425067947 Sam 4 audiobooks 3.83 1923 The Murder on the Links (Hercule Poirot, #2)
author: Agatha Christie
name: Sam
average rating: 3.83
book published: 1923
rating: 4
read at: 2026/07/29
date added: 2026/07/29
shelves: audiobooks
review:

]]> The Door in the Wall 275779 144 H.G. Wells 1600964249 Sam 4 3.76 1906 The Door in the Wall
author: H.G. Wells
name: Sam
average rating: 3.76
book published: 1906
rating: 4
read at: 2026/07/20
date added: 2026/07/22
shelves:
review:

]]> Strange Animals 233717147 An ordinary man discovers a hidden world of supernatural creatures—and an unexpected home—in this enchanting contemporary fantasy debut.

“One of the most fun and original books I've read in years. Excellent storytelling. See for yourself.”—Jim Butcher, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Dresden Files

“A haunting and atmospheric urban fantasy populated by quirky human characters and fabulously weird mythical creatures . . . a wholly captivating tale of magic and nature.”—Publishers Weekly

Green trips on the curb, falls flat into the street, and sees the city bus speeding toward him. And then . . . blink. He’s back on the curb, miraculously still alive. A five-foot-tall crow watches him from atop a nearby sign, somehow unseen by the rushing crowd of morning commuters.

Desperate for answers and beset by more visions of impossible creatures, Green finds his way to a remote campsite in the Appalachian Mountains, where he meets a centuries-old teacher and begins an apprenticeship unlike anything he could imagine.

Under his new mentor’s grouchy tutelage, Green studies the time-bending rag moth, the glass fawn, and the menacing horned wolf. He begins to see past hidden nature’s terrors and glimpse its beauty, all while befriending fellow misfits—and finding connection and community.

Along the way come clues about the forces that set him on this path—and, most incredibly, a sense of purpose and fulfillment like nothing he’s felt before.

But Green’s new happiness promises to be short-lived, because alongside these marvels lurks a deadly threat to this place he’s already come to love.

Creepy, cozy, and beautiful, Strange Animals is a fantasy about home, belonging, and the fearfully wonderous nature all around us.]]> 320 Jarod K. Anderson Sam 5 favorites 4.25 2026 Strange Animals
author: Jarod K. Anderson
name: Sam
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2026
rating: 5
read at: 2026/07/14
date added: 2026/07/14
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> Where He Can't Find You 123262468
Abby Ward lives in a town haunted by disappearances. People vanish, and when they're found, their bodies have been dismembered and sewn back together in unnatural ways. But is it the work of a human killer…or something far darker?

DON'T STAY OUT LATE, OR THE STITCHER WILL TAKE YOU.

She and her younger sister live by a strict set of rules designed to keep them safe―which is why it's such a shock when Hope is taken. Desperate to get her back, Abby tells the police everything she knows, but they claim their hands are tied.

DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES, OR THE STITCHER WILL REMAKE YOU.

With every hour precious, Abby and her friends are caught in a desperate game of cat and mouse. They have to get Hope back. Quickly. Before too much of her is cut away. And before everything they care about is swallowed up by the darkness waiting in the tunnels beneath the home they thought they knew.]]> 395 Darcy Coates 1728278945 Sam 3 3.81 2023 Where He Can't Find You
author: Darcy Coates
name: Sam
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2026/07/12
date added: 2026/07/12
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Eyre Affair (Thursday Next, #1)]]> 27003
Hades' real target is the beloved Jane Eyre, and it's not long before he plucks her from the pages of Bronte's novel. Enter Thursday Next. She's the Special Operative's renowned literary detective, and she drives a Porsche. With the help of her uncle Mycroft's Prose Portal, Thursday enters the novel to rescue Jane Eyre from this heinous act of literary homicide. It's tricky business, all these interlopers running about Thornfield, and deceptions run rampant as their paths cross with Jane, Rochester, and Miss Fairfax. Can Thursday save Jane Eyre and Bronte's masterpiece? And what of the Crimean War? Will it ever end? And what about those annoying black holes that pop up now and again, sucking things into time-space voids . . .

Suspenseful and outlandish, absorbing and fun, The Eyre Affair is a caper unlike any other and an introduction to the imagination of a most distinctive writer and his singular fictional universe.]]> 374 Jasper Fforde 0142001805 Sam 0 to-read, first-in-a-series 3.89 2001 The Eyre Affair (Thursday Next, #1)
author: Jasper Fforde
name: Sam
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2001
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/07/07
shelves: to-read, first-in-a-series
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Quilter's Apprentice (Elm Creek Quilts, #1)]]> 148874
During their lessons, Mrs. Compson reveals how her family was torn apart by tragedy, jealousy, and betrayal, and her stories force Sarah to face uncomfortable truths about her own alienation from her widowed mother. As their friendship deepens, Mrs. Compson confides in Sarah the truth about why she wants to sell Elm Creek Manor. In turn, Sarah seeks a way to bring life and joy back to the estate so Mrs. Compson can keep her home -- and Sarah can keep her cherished friend.

The Quilter's Apprentice teaches deep lessons about family, friendship, and sisterhood, and about creating a life as you would a quilt: with time, love, and patience, piecing the miscellaneous and mismatched scraps into a beautiful whole.]]> 272 Jennifer Chiaverini 0452281725 Sam 0 to-read, first-in-a-series 3.93 1999 The Quilter's Apprentice (Elm Creek Quilts, #1)
author: Jennifer Chiaverini
name: Sam
average rating: 3.93
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/07/07
shelves: to-read, first-in-a-series
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Level: Unknown (Level: Unknown, #1)]]> 213924022 The magical world of Yensere holds the key to saving humanity from a horrific apocalypse. Too bad Nick can only get there in his dreams. 

When an ancient alien artifact chooses research cadet Nick to explore the world stored within it—a place full of forgotten empires, heroes with strange powers, and monstrous creatures that he is automatically transported to when he sleeps—he finds he has no choice but to grow stronger within the realm of Yensere to uncover its mysteries. 

But Yensere isn’t all fun exploration. In this land guided by statistics and levels, Nick is seen as a demonic threat by its diseased inhabitants and always killed on-sight. When he dies in Yensere, he awakens in his bed upon the research station, his body in a state of panic; when he sleeps again, Yensere drags him back for another life...and another death. 

Nick can only keep this up for so long before he dies for real. But there’s a good chance Yensere holds the key to saving humanity from a terrible fate, and so he ventures on, getting stronger and stronger with each new enemy defeated. And there are a LOT of enemies to defeat…

From David Dalglish, author of The Vagrant Gods  and The Keepers trilogies, comes the start of an exciting new LitRPG series.


About the  Join Nick as he adventures through the incredible world of Yensere in this progression fantasy isekai. Featuring multiple POVs, traditional LitRPG elements, magic and fantasy weaponry combat, friendships, light romance, and sarcastic robot guides, this is the perfect series for anyone wishing they could explore the galaxy and fight terrifying liches at the same time.

 

 ]]> 438 David Dalglish 0316577375 Sam 0 to-read, first-in-a-series 3.85 2025 Level: Unknown (Level: Unknown, #1)
author: David Dalglish
name: Sam
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/07/07
shelves: to-read, first-in-a-series
review:

]]> <![CDATA[West of Wicked (The Great and Terrible Land, #1)]]> 231127414
Inzwischen ist Dorothy älter und jagt dem Hochgefühl ihrer Liaison mit Edward hinterher, doch seine Heiratsanträge sind nicht genug. Sie will herausfinden, wer sie wirklich ist und wie sie diesem tristen Leben entkommen kann.

Dann fegt ein Wirbelsturm durch die Nacht und bringt Dorothy in ein in Schatten gehülltes und verfluchtes Land, das viel weiter entfernt ist, als Dorothy es sich je vorgestellt hat. Um wieder nach Hause zu kommen, muss sie einen Zauberer aufsuchen und einem tückischen Pfad folgen, auf dem bereits dunkle Gefahren, machthungrige Hexen und ein verfluchter Attentäter auf sie lauern …]]> 310 Nikki St. Crowe 125038219X Sam 0 to-read, first-in-a-series 3.80 2026 West of Wicked (The Great and Terrible Land, #1)
author: Nikki St. Crowe
name: Sam
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/07/07
shelves: to-read, first-in-a-series
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Tombs of Atuan (Earthsea Cycle, #2)]]> 13662
Then a wizard, Ged Sparrowhawk, comes to steal the Tombs’ greatest hidden treasure, the Ring of Erreth-Akbe. Tenar’s duty is to protect the Ring, but Ged possesses the light of magic and tales of a world that Tenar has never known. Will Tenar risk everything to escape from the darkness that has become her domain?]]> 180 Ursula K. Le Guin 0689845367 Sam 0 to-read, started-series 4.13 1970 The Tombs of Atuan (Earthsea Cycle, #2)
author: Ursula K. Le Guin
name: Sam
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1970
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/07/07
shelves: to-read, started-series
review:

]]> <![CDATA[User Unfriendly (Rasmussem Corporation, #1)]]> 372808 It's the most advanced computer role-playing game ever: When you play you're really there in a dark dream teeming with evil creatures, danger-filled fortresses, and malevolent sorceries.
The game plugs directly into your brain--no keyboard, no modem, no monitor. And for game hacker Arvin Rizalli and his friends, no cash up front, no questions asked . . . and no hope of rescue when the game goes horribly, deathly wrong.
]]> 400 Vivian Vande Velde 0152163530 Sam 0 to-read, first-in-a-series 3.42 1990 User Unfriendly (Rasmussem Corporation, #1)
author: Vivian Vande Velde
name: Sam
average rating: 3.42
book published: 1990
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/07/07
shelves: to-read, first-in-a-series
review:

]]> Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 1 40893782 A TOUCH OF MAGIC

In a world where everyone takes wonders like magic spells and dragons for granted, Coco is a girl with a simple dream: She wants to be a witch. But everybody knows magicians are born, not made, and Coco was not born with a gift for magic. Resigned to her un-magical life, Coco is about to give up on her dream to become a witch…until the day she meets Qifrey, a mysterious, traveling magician. After secretly seeing Qifrey perform magic in a way she’s never seen before, Coco soon learns what everybody “knows” might not be the truth, and discovers that her magical dream may not be as far away as it may seem…]]> 203 Kamome Shirahama 163236770X Sam 0 to-read, first-in-a-series 4.47 2017 Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 1
author: Kamome Shirahama
name: Sam
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/07/07
shelves: to-read, first-in-a-series
review:

]]> <![CDATA[How to Kill a Witch: The Patriarchy's Guide to Silencing Women]]> 222476092 Nothing brings people together like a common enemy, and witches were the greatest enemy of all.

Scotland, 1563: Crops failed. People starved. And the Devil's influence was stronger than ever—at least, that's what everyone believed. If you were a woman living in Scotland during this turbulent time, there was a very good chance that you, or someone you knew, would be tried as a witch.

During the chaos of the Reformation, violence against women was codified for the first time in the Witchcraft Act—a tool of theocratic control with one chilling to root out witches and rid the land of evil. What followed was a dark and misogynistic chapter in history that fanned the flames of witch hunts across the globe, including in the United States and beyond.

In How to Kill a Witch, Zoe Venditozzi and Claire Mitchell, hosts of the popular Witches of Scotland podcast, unravel the grim yet absurdly bureaucratic process of identifying, accusing, trying, and executing women as witches. With sharp wit and keen feminist insight, they reveal the inner workings of a patriarchal system designed to weaponize fear and oppress women.

This captivating (and often infuriating) account, which weaves a rich tapestry of trial transcripts, witness accounts, and the documents that set the legal grounds for the witch hunts, exposes how this violent period of history mirrors today's struggles for justice and equality. How to Kill a Witch is a powerful, darkly humorous reminder of the dangers of superstition, bias, and ignorance, and a warning to never forget the past… while raising the question of whether it could ever happen again.]]> 320 Zoe Venditozzi 1464241228 Sam 0 to-read 3.81 2025 How to Kill a Witch: The Patriarchy's Guide to Silencing Women
author: Zoe Venditozzi
name: Sam
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/07/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Mysterious Affair at Styles]]> 32505574 190 Agatha Christie Sam 5 4.27 1920 The Mysterious Affair at Styles
author: Agatha Christie
name: Sam
average rating: 4.27
book published: 1920
rating: 5
read at: 2026/07/05
date added: 2026/07/05
shelves:
review:

]]> Strange Beasts 206777707 In this fresh-yet-familiar gothic tale―part historical fantasy, part puzzle-box mystery―the worlds of Dracula and Sherlock Holmes collide in a thrilling exploration of feminine power.

At the dawn of the twentieth century in Paris, Samantha Harker, daughter of Dracula’s killer, works as a researcher for the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena. But no one realizes how abnormal she is. Sam is a channel into the minds of monsters: a power that could help her solve the gruesome deaths plaguing turn-of-the-century Paris―or have her thrown into an asylum.

Sam finds herself assigned to a case with Dr. Helena Moriarty, daughter of the criminal mastermind and famed nemesis of Sherlock Holmes and a notorious detective whom no one wants to work with on account of her previous partners’ mysterious murders. Ranging from the elite clubs of Paris to the dark underbelly of the catacombs, their investigation sweeps them into a race to stop a beast from its killing rampage, as Hel and Sam are pitted against men, monsters, and even each other. But beneath their tenuous trust, an unmistakable attraction brews. Is trusting Hel the key to solving the murder, or is Sam yet another pawn in Hel’s game?]]> 375 Susan J. Morris 1959411640 Sam 0 3.81 2024 Strange Beasts
author: Susan J. Morris
name: Sam
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/07/02
shelves: first-in-a-series, owned-tbr, to-read
review:

]]> Plant Lady 243596348
Will you dare to disrespect her plants?

Tucked away in the corner of a neighborhood in Dosan, South Korea, is the Plant Shop. Shop owner Yoohee has started anew, and her meticulously grown foliage thrives under her tender care. To both her customers and herself, Plant Shop is a refuge, where petunias and marigolds bloom and the air itself is like an elixir of peace.

By day, Yoohee dispenses advice on gardening, but she also finds herself offering a special service off the clock. Women who are at their wits’ end come to her about a man they hope might disappear from their lives. Pulling extra hours is taxing, but Yoohee has encountered—and dealt with—these kind of men in her own life, men who treated her (and her beloved plants) with utter disrespect. So as night falls, Yoohee trades her apron for a shovel and a hoe and disappears into her moonlit garden. There, she buries not just the remains of the day, but also the bloody remnants of a few unfortunate encounters.

As men begin to disappear…will anyone ever suspect the Plant Lady?

A highly acclaimed novel from South Korea, Plant Lady brings atmospheric tension and delicate humor to a story of obsession and misogyny that will keep you rooted right to its simmering last page.]]> 208 Minyoung Kang Sam 5 arcs, favorites
My first five star fiction book of the year!! This was such a sneaky book as far as catching my attention. At first, it was slow, but there’s a soul to it that I’ve found really sat with me for the entire book. Once the clues started lining up and actions were actually shown? I was hooked!

This book follows Yoohee mostly, but it also takes in scenes from the lives of women throughout her neighborhood who come to her for help. They are of varying age as well as standing, but all have one thing in common: a terrible man in their life. The other point of view we get is of a detective who is trying to figure out of the recent disappearances of the men in the neighborhood have anything to do with the mysterious Plant Shop everyone is loving.

This short book made a big impact on me while reading and I can’t recommend it enough to everyone around. While this is technically an ARC review since it hasn’t been released yet, I still hope everyone picks it up! 5 out of 5 from me!!]]> 3.75 2024 Plant Lady
author: Minyoung Kang
name: Sam
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2026/04/19
date added: 2026/07/02
shelves: arcs, favorites
review:
I received this book in exchange for an honest review, which has not altered my opinion of this book.

My first five star fiction book of the year!! This was such a sneaky book as far as catching my attention. At first, it was slow, but there’s a soul to it that I’ve found really sat with me for the entire book. Once the clues started lining up and actions were actually shown? I was hooked!

This book follows Yoohee mostly, but it also takes in scenes from the lives of women throughout her neighborhood who come to her for help. They are of varying age as well as standing, but all have one thing in common: a terrible man in their life. The other point of view we get is of a detective who is trying to figure out of the recent disappearances of the men in the neighborhood have anything to do with the mysterious Plant Shop everyone is loving.

This short book made a big impact on me while reading and I can’t recommend it enough to everyone around. While this is technically an ARC review since it hasn’t been released yet, I still hope everyone picks it up! 5 out of 5 from me!!
]]> That Night in the Library 197036035
On the night before graduation, seven students gather in the basement of their university's rare books library. They're not allowed in the library after closing time, but it's the perfect place for the ritual they want to perform—one borrowed from the Greeks, said to free those who take part in it from the fear of death. And what better time to seek the wisdom of ancient gods than in the hours before they'll scatter in different directions to start their real lives?

But just a few minutes into their celebration, the lights go out—and one of them drops dead. As the body count rises, with nothing but the books to protect them, the group must figure out how to survive the night while trapped with a murderer. That Night in the Library is a chilling literary mystery that transports readers to a world where secrets live in the dark, books breathe fears to life, and the only way out is to wait until morning.]]> 288 Eva Jurczyk 1728295696 Sam 2
Instead of the mystery I was looking for, I watched as people who I had expected to at least be some form of friends, but were not just started pointing fingers with absolutely no proof. It could be seen as a reflection of the anonymity of college work, but as someone who works in a library, I find that I’m constantly curious about what my coworkers are doing and they’re the same. Overall, this book wasn’t for me. When it came to the ending, I found myself disappointed because this was fiction and I wanted something dramatic, I had my ideas and I honestly felt let down by what ended up being the reasoning. This book felt like a bunch in insecure people yelling at each other, which didn’t work for me.

If you enjoy reading impulsive and dramatic characters who jump to conclusions and don’t think before acting, this is a good story to read. In general, this book felt more like a drama than like a thriller and if I had gone in knowing that, I might have enjoyed it more. 2.75 out of 5.]]> 2.63 2024 That Night in the Library
author: Eva Jurczyk
name: Sam
average rating: 2.63
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2026/05/24
date added: 2026/07/02
shelves:
review:
I had high hopes for this book. A university library at night to perform a ritual in order to summon an ancient power to rid yourself of fear? Sounds honestly amazing! The concept was all there, the characters were unreliable at best and they were all very different and unique. Unfortunately, that’s where my interest about stopped with this one.

Instead of the mystery I was looking for, I watched as people who I had expected to at least be some form of friends, but were not just started pointing fingers with absolutely no proof. It could be seen as a reflection of the anonymity of college work, but as someone who works in a library, I find that I’m constantly curious about what my coworkers are doing and they’re the same. Overall, this book wasn’t for me. When it came to the ending, I found myself disappointed because this was fiction and I wanted something dramatic, I had my ideas and I honestly felt let down by what ended up being the reasoning. This book felt like a bunch in insecure people yelling at each other, which didn’t work for me.

If you enjoy reading impulsive and dramatic characters who jump to conclusions and don’t think before acting, this is a good story to read. In general, this book felt more like a drama than like a thriller and if I had gone in knowing that, I might have enjoyed it more. 2.75 out of 5.
]]> <![CDATA[Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class]]> 231126841 The story of a disillusioned generation that set out to reclaim its dignity and take on corporate America.

In recent years, young college grads have faced an alarming crushing debt, unemployment, and jobs below their qualifications. They are frustrated that the time and money they invested in a degree have failed to bring about the opportunities they were promised.

The anger of this college-educated working class began to boil over during the Covid pandemic, when workers at companies like Apple and Starbucks shocked corporate America by voting to unionize. Not long after, the veteran New York Times reporter Noam Scheiber met Chaya Barrett, an astute college grad and eight-year Apple employee who had helped organize her coworkers at an Apple store near Baltimore.

While following Barrett and her cohort as their seemingly spontaneous rebellions spread far and wide—from college-educated workers at Apple stores and Starbucks cafés, through video-game studios, and even to Hollywood writers’ rooms—Scheiber realized he was witnessing something deep and lasting. Mutiny is the revelatory account of a generation made confident by their historic educational achievements, only to become disillusioned when their degrees yielded far less than they were taught to expect.

With striking empathy, Scheiber paints a vivid portrait of this new working class while telling the dramatic story of its revolt against the status quo. He describes how recent developments like the proliferation of artificial intelligence and the war in Gaza have further fueled its discontent, and he explains why the college-educated working class will continue to demand change in the workplace, in cities like New York, and in national politics for years to come.]]> 384 Noam Scheiber 0374610819 Sam 4 arcs, 2026, audiobooks
Non-fiction isn’t generally a genre that I spend a lot of time reading. My goal is about one a month and generally I stick with history since it’s a passion of mine. However, this came up and I found myself intrigued. I am a part of this generation that was told all I needed was a college degree and life would be easy. I graduated undergrad in 2009 and have held twelve jobs of various types since. When I say that some of the experiences in this book resonated with me, know that I mean it.

If you have any sort of interest in learning about the last thirty or so years of unions, this is a good place to start. I learned a lot about unions and their processes through this book, having never been a part of one until recently. For a lot of America, unions are taught as being something that doesn’t help, or maybe that’s just from those who were never a part of one or who follow social media. Yet, following the experiences of the people in this book really showed a lot of the struggle and a lot of the reality of what a union is verses how it is seen in this country. The way it was explained made it apparent that while the author is pro-union, they also are talking about both sides and the processes, not attacking anyone. It’s a great non-fiction book and I would highly recommend it if you have any interest in the topic.

I did wish that there was a bit more about how we got to this point but that’s not the point of this story, so overall, I think it did exactly what it set out to. I didn’t leave the book more one way or another than I had been before, but it was informational and real and reflected what we have seen over the past few years. A good and thought-provoking read. 4.25 out of 5.]]> 3.35 Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class
author: Noam Scheiber
name: Sam
average rating: 3.35
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2026/06/03
date added: 2026/07/02
shelves: arcs, 2026, audiobooks
review:
I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review, which has not altered my opinion.

Non-fiction isn’t generally a genre that I spend a lot of time reading. My goal is about one a month and generally I stick with history since it’s a passion of mine. However, this came up and I found myself intrigued. I am a part of this generation that was told all I needed was a college degree and life would be easy. I graduated undergrad in 2009 and have held twelve jobs of various types since. When I say that some of the experiences in this book resonated with me, know that I mean it.

If you have any sort of interest in learning about the last thirty or so years of unions, this is a good place to start. I learned a lot about unions and their processes through this book, having never been a part of one until recently. For a lot of America, unions are taught as being something that doesn’t help, or maybe that’s just from those who were never a part of one or who follow social media. Yet, following the experiences of the people in this book really showed a lot of the struggle and a lot of the reality of what a union is verses how it is seen in this country. The way it was explained made it apparent that while the author is pro-union, they also are talking about both sides and the processes, not attacking anyone. It’s a great non-fiction book and I would highly recommend it if you have any interest in the topic.

I did wish that there was a bit more about how we got to this point but that’s not the point of this story, so overall, I think it did exactly what it set out to. I didn’t leave the book more one way or another than I had been before, but it was informational and real and reflected what we have seen over the past few years. A good and thought-provoking read. 4.25 out of 5.
]]> Unearthed (Unearthed, #1) 25446297
For Jules Addison and his fellow scholars, the discovery of an alien culture offers unprecedented opportunity for study... as long as scavengers like Amelia Radcliffe don't loot everything first. Mia and Jules' different reasons for smuggling themselves onto Gaia put them immediately at odds, but after escaping a dangerous confrontation with other scavvers, they form a fragile alliance.

In order to penetrate the Undying temple and reach the tech and information hidden within, the two must decode the ancient race's secrets and survive their traps. But the more they learn about the Undying, the more their presence in the temple seems to be part of a grand design that could spell the end of the human race...]]> 384 Amie Kaufman 1368012299 Sam 4
Part coming of age, part adventure, this book pulled me in from the beginning and held me until the very end. The plot kept me intrigued and I definitely saw the Indiana Jones and Lara Croft influence between the puzzles and the running for our lives parts. This book was fast paced and a lot of fun that I really didn’t have to think too hard about while reading. While some parts were a bit predictable, there was one reveal that had me pausing and rethinking everything before I was able to continue. The character development was enjoyable to watch and I can’t wait to see what happens in the third book. 4.25 out of 5 from me!]]> 3.83 2017 Unearthed (Unearthed, #1)
author: Amie Kaufman
name: Sam
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2026/06/04
date added: 2026/07/02
shelves:
review:
When a book is advertised as Indiana Jones and Lara Croft in space, I find it very difficult to say no. And I’m glad I didn’t, because this was such a wild and fun time! It’s been a while since a ya book has pulled me in quite like this one. In this story we follow Jules and Mia, two polar opposite teenagers who find themselves on a mostly deserted planted searching for an ancient civilization that left clues for humanity to follow. One searches for something to barter with to save her sister’s life while the other searches for academic integrity and knowledge. They couldn’t be more different, but as this new world forces them to rely on each other in order to survive those after them, they’re forced to face some uncomfortable truths about each other.

Part coming of age, part adventure, this book pulled me in from the beginning and held me until the very end. The plot kept me intrigued and I definitely saw the Indiana Jones and Lara Croft influence between the puzzles and the running for our lives parts. This book was fast paced and a lot of fun that I really didn’t have to think too hard about while reading. While some parts were a bit predictable, there was one reveal that had me pausing and rethinking everything before I was able to continue. The character development was enjoyable to watch and I can’t wait to see what happens in the third book. 4.25 out of 5 from me!
]]> <![CDATA[A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle, #1)]]> 13356691 224 Ursula K. Le Guin 0547851391 Sam 4
In this story we follow Ged, who is a young man at the beginning who learns a bit of magic and finds he is a natural at it. He is named and brought under the tutelage of an older man who begins to teach him the ways of magic, such as reading and casting, but Ged has big dreams. He sets off to make these dreams a reality and we follow his journey through his schooling to become a sorcerer and his mistakes and successes. This first book has a very interesting way about it that pulled me in gently and just held on.

Overall, this book is incredibly approachable and I can't wait to continue with the whole series to follow Ged's travels and the adventures of others in the world of Earthsea. Ursula K Le Guin has created a marvelous world and I can't wait to see more of it. 4.25 out of 5.]]> 3.86 1968 A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle, #1)
author: Ursula K. Le Guin
name: Sam
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1968
rating: 4
read at: 2026/07/02
date added: 2026/07/02
shelves:
review:
I can't believe I haven't read this before now. This is exactly the sort of fantastical adventure I thrived on as a child and in my teen years. A coming of age adventure set in a mapped out oceanic world dotted with islands. The magic system, which I have only gotten a taste of, and the characters are charming, captivating, and uniquely intriguing. I cannot recommend this enough for any fantasy loving audience.

In this story we follow Ged, who is a young man at the beginning who learns a bit of magic and finds he is a natural at it. He is named and brought under the tutelage of an older man who begins to teach him the ways of magic, such as reading and casting, but Ged has big dreams. He sets off to make these dreams a reality and we follow his journey through his schooling to become a sorcerer and his mistakes and successes. This first book has a very interesting way about it that pulled me in gently and just held on.

Overall, this book is incredibly approachable and I can't wait to continue with the whole series to follow Ged's travels and the adventures of others in the world of Earthsea. Ursula K Le Guin has created a marvelous world and I can't wait to see more of it. 4.25 out of 5.
]]> The Compound 218460337 Nothing to lose. Everything to gain. Winner takes all.

Lily—a bored, beautiful twentysomething—wakes up on a remote desert compound alongside nineteen other contestants on a popular reality TV show. To win, she must outlast her housemates while competing in challenges for luxury rewards, such as champagne and lipstick, and communal necessities to outfit their new home, like food, appliances, and a front door.

The cameras are catching all her angles, good and bad, but Lily has no desire to leave: Why would she, when the world outside is falling apart? As the competition intensifies, intimacy between the players deepens, and it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between desire and desperation. When the producers raise the stakes, forcing contestants into upsetting, even dangerous situations, the line between playing the game and surviving it begins to blur. If Lily makes it to the end, she'll receive prizes beyond her wildest dreams—but what will she have to do to win?

Addictive and prescient, The Compound is an explosive debut from a major new voice in fiction and will linger in your mind long after the game ends.]]> 292 Aisling Rawle 0593977270 Sam 0 to-read 3.51 2025 The Compound
author: Aisling Rawle
name: Sam
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/07/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Astrology House 199797698 A group of wealthy Manhattanites escapes to an astrology-themed retreat, where simmering resentments and long-held secrets lead to a shocking death.

Margot needs a minute. She’s been working eighty-hour weeks as a newly minted partner at her law firm. She’s disconnected from her brother, the only family she has left. And she’s still not pregnant after years of trying.

Stars Harbor Astrological Retreat promises rest, relaxation, and wisdom for Margot and her friends. With Instagram-worthy views and nightly astrology readings in an impeccably restored waterfront Victorian house, this getaway should be nothing but idyllic fun. For Margot’s brother, Adam, it’s the perfect opportunity to rekindle the romance that fuels his writing, but his wife, Aimee, hides the darkness of her past with a beautiful social media feed. Their friend, Farah, is a successful doctor who cannot admit she’s losing control. But no one holds a greater secret than their astrologer host, Rini. She has a plan for all her guests, and one won’t be leaving Stars Harbor alive.]]> 307 Carinn Jade 1668045966 Sam 0 to-read 3.44 2024 The Astrology House
author: Carinn Jade
name: Sam
average rating: 3.44
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/06/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Scritch Scratch 45171440 A ghost story about a malevolent spirit, an unlucky girl, and a haunting mystery that will tie the two together.

Claire has absolutely no interest in the paranormal. She’s a scientist, which is why she can’t think of anything worse than having to help out her dad on one of his ghost-themed Chicago bus tours. She thinks she’s made it through when she sees a boy with a sad face and dark eyes at the back of the bus. There’s something off about his presence, especially because when she checks at the end of the tour…he’s gone.

Claire tries to brush it off, she must be imagining things, letting her dad’s ghost stories get the best of her. But then the scratching starts. Voices whisper to her in the dark. The number 396 appears everywhere she turns. And the boy with the dark eyes starts following her.

Claire is being haunted. The boy from the bus wants something...and Claire needs to find out what before it’s too late.]]> 277 Lindsay Currie 1728209722 Sam 0 to-read 3.91 2020 Scritch Scratch
author: Lindsay Currie
name: Sam
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/06/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> X Marks the Haunt 234002548 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery of Locked Rooms , when a centuries old crypt key is lost—unleashing a dark force—it’s up to the son of the local crypt keeper to end the haunting for good.

Find the key. Put it back. Get rid of the ghost. It’s supposed to be simple…it’s not.

Thanks to his mother’s job at a local graveyard, twelve-year-old Will Stone has some unique talents. For one, he knows exactly how a burial vault works and why they’re used. For another, he’s great at genealogy and can decode centuries old records. Not your normal every day after school activities, that’s for sure!

But when a centuries old crypt key is lost, his normally peaceful existence at Graceland cemetery is shattered. Trees wither and die. The lake becomes covered with a sinister green slime that threatens to choke out anything living in it. And suddenly, the graveyard’s reputation isn’t the only thing in jeopardy . . . Will and his friends' safety is, too.

Suddenly, Will is forced to consider that the lost key might be an even bigger problem than he originally thought. A dark force has been unleashed within the cemetery gates, and along with his friends Stash, Michelle, and Henry, Will must use his unique skill set to figure out which restless spirit is draining the graveyard of life, and how to end the haunting for good.]]> 304 Lindsay Currie 0593811674 Sam 0 to-read 4.16 2026 X Marks the Haunt
author: Lindsay Currie
name: Sam
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/06/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Secret Bookstore Sleuth Society (Deluxe Edition)]]> 245424128 New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery of Locked Rooms comes a thrilling murder mystery.

Merrick McGee has been having a tough time. When her Grandma Ida gets sick and moves in, the family can't afford to keep sending Merrick to her beloved private school. So, she spends most of her time in the small room at the back of the bookstore/inn her mother works at being homeschooled, bored out of her mind, and lonely for her best friends.

But when an ice storm hits their town, and fate brings her friends together to ride out the storm at the inn with her, she's stoked to finally be able to spend time with the people she loves the most. Until… the unthinkable happens, and someone is found dead―facedown in a birthday cake sitting right at Merrick's own desk.

With the storm picking up the police remove the body and suggest the victim died of old age. But to Merrick it seems more like a murder. Luckily, she and her friends love solving mysteries, and with the suspects all under the same roof, and her friends eager to crack the case―the Secret Bookstore Sleuth Society is born! As the club begins to investigate, more questions come to light, and Merrick soon realizes her own grandmother may be the key to solving the case...]]> 288 Lindsay Currie 1464241260 Sam 0 arcs, 2026, currently-reading 4.21 2026 The Secret Bookstore Sleuth Society (Deluxe Edition)
author: Lindsay Currie
name: Sam
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/06/16
shelves: arcs, 2026, currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Dance of Blades (Shadowdance, #2)]]> 11094207
----

It's been five years since Haern faked his death to escape the tyranny of his father. He has become the Watcher, a vicious killer who knows no limits, and whose hatred of the thief guilds is unrivaled. But when the son of Alyssa Gemcroft, one of the three leaders of the powerful Trifect, is believed murdered, the slaughter begins anew. Mercenaries flood the streets, with one goal in find and kill the Watcher.

A DANCE OF BLADES by David Dalglish
Peace or destruction; every war must have its end.

------
About the

David Dalglish currently lives in rural Missouri with his wife Samantha, daughter Morgan, and snake, Velixar. He graduated from Missouri Southern State University in 2006 with a degree in Mathematics and currently spends his free time watching Spongebob Squarepants with his daughter.]]> 350 David Dalglish Sam 0 currently-reading 4.02 2011 A Dance of Blades (Shadowdance, #2)
author: David Dalglish
name: Sam
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/06/12
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Lost World (Jurassic Park, #2)]]> 8650
There are rumors that something has survived....]]> 448 Michael Crichton 0752224417 Sam 5 3.86 1995 The Lost World (Jurassic Park, #2)
author: Michael Crichton
name: Sam
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1995
rating: 5
read at: 2026/06/12
date added: 2026/06/12
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1)]]> 40604658
Until something goes wrong...

In Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton taps all his mesmerizing talent and scientific brilliance to create his most electrifying technothriller.]]> 466 Michael Crichton 0307763056 Sam 5 4.38 1990 Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1)
author: Michael Crichton
name: Sam
average rating: 4.38
book published: 1990
rating: 5
read at: 2026/06/05
date added: 2026/06/05
shelves:
review:

]]> Remarkably Bright Creatures 59710157 For fans of A Man Called Ove, a charming, witty and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope that traces a widow's unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus

After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late.

Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.]]> 360 Shelby Van Pelt 0063204177 Sam 0 to-read 4.51 2022 Remarkably Bright Creatures
author: Shelby Van Pelt
name: Sam
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/06/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Violin Maker's Secret 230617900 Hewn by a master and passed down through generations, one violin charts its own course through history…

Baggage claim agent Devlin, retired teacher Walter, and appraiser Gabrielle should have nothing in common, but when a single choice sets in motion a new chapter in the violin’s story, they finally feel a part of something – something that matters, and which makes them matter.

Because as their search for the violin’s origins unlocks a mystery stretching back decades, the instrument teaches them a melody they never expected.]]> 416 Evie Woods 0008777675 Sam 0 to-read 3.86 2026 The Violin Maker's Secret
author: Evie Woods
name: Sam
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/06/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Bones of the Bellators: Book One of the Nyxteria]]> 223662711 "I am not afraid of the dark."

Lyvia Cantor will never wear the black robes of a Death Scholar. Despite her curious pull toward death, she is a woman, and her father’s influence with the king only goes so far.

Amidst rumors of disappearances throughout the kingdom of Sultira, Lyvia grapples with her own fated future. The lady-in-waiting loses herself in the excavation of ancient mysteries until she discovers a hidden burial chamber, the contents of which unravel everything she’s ever been told.

Hunted for her newfound knowledge, Lyvia is thrown into the life of a fugitive and must decide who to trust as her eyes are opened to the forgotten arts and the scrubbed history of her kingdom. Her world becomes far bigger and more dangerous as betrayal stalks her every move. The line between ally and enemy will blur as she joins forces with a rogue captain and his crew.

Lyvia must decipher her connection to a prophecy laced with mystery and magic if she is to fight against an army of undead and weed out the evil lurking within her own kingdom. She will trade shovels for blades, putting her heart and life on the line, as the fate of her beloved home falls on her shoulders.]]> 481 A.M. Kay Sam 0 4.36 Bones of the Bellators: Book One of the Nyxteria
author: A.M. Kay
name: Sam
average rating: 4.36
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/06/05
shelves: to-read, first-in-a-series, owned-tbr
review:

]]> Portrait of a Haunting 246235608 After fearing it all her life, a young woman embraces her ability to see ghosts after a murder occurs that appears dangerously linked to her past.

To Tatum Alexander, the Sight—her ability to see spirits—has always been more of an affliction than a gift. Inheriting the power from her mother, Amarina, an infamous artist known for murdering her lover and using his blood for her final painting, Tatum has been reluctant to step into her talent or even get close to the man she loves.

She's been able to find a safe space to hide her Sight with the largest witch coven in Manhattan and her best friend, Mischa. But when Mischa is murdered, a crime that's eerily connected to Amarina's, a traumatized Tatum must reckon with the loss and the sudden surge of spirits vying for her attention and her life.

The spirits have a the murderer is coming for her next and a price must be paid. To learn the truth of her past and catch the killer she'll have to rely on her loved ones’ helping hands—some witchy friends, the man who won't let her go, and her eternally perplexing mother—in order to embrace her Sight while keeping them all safe.

The clues will lead Tatum to a dangerous secret that Amarina has spent decades trying to keep. And when the secret is out, Tatum will be forced to risk the lives of those who know her... or risk it all.]]> 352 Madison Tyler Nelson Sam 0 to-read, arcs, 2026 4.22 Portrait of a Haunting
author: Madison Tyler Nelson
name: Sam
average rating: 4.22
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/06/04
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]]> <![CDATA[A Game of Cat and Killer (The Casebooks of Mikeneko Holmes, #1)]]> 248079287 Introducing an iconic investigative duo―a hapless detective and his capable cat―in this must-read by one of Japan's most beloved novelists of crime fiction.

Detective Yoshitaro Katayama is afraid of many things: heights, dark spaces, blood and ... women. When a young female student is found murdered, he's given two choices―review the harrowing crime-scene photographs or head to Hagoromo Women's College to investigate―and reluctantly opts for the latter.

But the threat escalates with additional murders, and soon Katayama has a different surprise on his hands: a calico cat named Holmes, orphaned when the dean himself falls victim.

Surely that's the last thing Katayama needs. Until Holmes begins to display some uncanny investigative instincts of her own ...]]> 272 Jirō Akagawa 1538786710 Sam 0 to-read, arcs 3.63 1978 A Game of Cat and Killer (The Casebooks of Mikeneko Holmes, #1)
author: Jirō Akagawa
name: Sam
average rating: 3.63
book published: 1978
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/06/04
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]]> Revenge Plot 247912742 A desperate writer’s pursuit of a powerful literary agent takes a dark turn in this new novel from the internationally bestselling author of The Hitchcock Hotel and Darling Rose Gold.

All Arnie Tenderton wants this Christmas—all he’s ever wanted—is to be a published author. For decades he has toiled over one novel after another. Each was missing something. Until now.

He’s finally written his perfect book.

What he needs next is a literary agent, someone who can get his book into publishers’ hands. Not just any agent will do, of course. Arnie wants the best. Arnie wants Claudia Conley.

She already rejected him once, and Arnie has never forgiven her. He could move on. Instead, he finds out where Claudia is spending the alone in a remote house in the Catskill Mountains. He decides to show up there to make his pitch.

Claudia may try to turn him down again, but this time Arnie won’t take no for an answer.

Because his book is about her.

And he’s not leaving until the story ends the way he wants.]]> 416 Stephanie Wrobel 0593547144 Sam 0 to-read, 2026, arcs 4.28 2026 Revenge Plot
author: Stephanie Wrobel
name: Sam
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2026
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/06/04
shelves: to-read, 2026, arcs
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]]> <![CDATA[The Ghost and the Dead Librarian (A Haunted Bookshop Detective Mystery)]]> 245976137 A Library Journal "Mystery Pick of the Month" In an utterly charming new mystery from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle, a smalltown Rhode Island bookshop owner investigates the death of an eccentric librarian with the help of a wisecracking, 1940s gumshoe ghost.

As a young widow, Penelope moved back to her quaint Rhode Island town to give her young son a safer home and her aunt’s dying bookshop new life. Using her late husband’s insurance money, Pen polished the store into a local treasure. But her updates did more than attract new customers. They roused a dead private eye from his big sleep.

With Pen’s affection for hardboiled detective stories, it’s no surprise she’s developed a fondness for the wisecracking yet oddly likeable spirit. Sure, Jack’s cold spots are exasperating, along with his proclivity for putting noir fiction in the cozy section. But murder was Jack’s business in life, and his PI skills come in awfully handy when the body of an eccentric librarian is found amid the bookshop’s aisles.

For years, Dory jokingly called herself “The Dead Librarian” because of her hobby of collecting and writing local obituaries. Now, in death, she’s discovered with her own eerily pre-written obit. Was it a suicide note? Jack and Pen say no and their certainty takes them from a ghost town’s ancient cemetery to a posh Newport mansion. Then another body drop and a mysterious stranger makes Pen a shocking offer, one that may change her life—and Jack’s afterlife. But unless Jack can help Pen prove who “checked out” the librarian, a ruthless killer may close the book on her.

"This spin-off of Coyle's 'Haunted Bookshop' series blends cozy mystery, supernatural intrigue, and classic noir influences into a suspenseful small-town murder mystery....Combining humor, literary references, ghostly interventions, and layered community drama, the novel explores how hidden truths from the past continue to haunt the present." —Library Journal (*Starred Review)

"INGENIOUS...EXCEPTIONALLY VIVID....Jack and Pen, along with a host of colorful characters, solve an assortment of crimes in a variety of places across nearly a century." —Kirkus Reviews]]> 384 Cleo Coyle 1496749332 Sam 0 to-read, 2026 4.11 2026 The Ghost and the Dead Librarian (A Haunted Bookshop Detective Mystery)
author: Cleo Coyle
name: Sam
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2026
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/06/02
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]]> House of Splinters 234073951 The Silent Companions revisits the haunted Bridge estate in this delightfully disturbing gothic treat, as Belinda Bainbridge and her family discover that their new home is anything but inviting.

Not every house is a home...

Belinda Bainbridge has spent her life in the shadow of her anxious mother, so when her father-in-law dies at The Bridge, his remote ancestral seat, she is secretly thrilled. His death means she, her husband Wilfred and their children can relocate and finally begin to create their own happy home together: born a merchant’s daughter, she will now be lady of the manor.

But their new home quickly proves far from ideal. The garden is a wilderness, the estate is struggling financially, there are whispers about the mysterious death of a servant many years before while their young son, Freddie, seems unusually fixated on the strange wooden figures – so-called 'silent companions' – that were once owned by his ancestors.

When Wilfred's charismatic brother, Nathan, arrives unexpectedly from abroad, bringing a very different account of the family’s past, Belinda begins to question what her husband has told her. What really lies behind the sad history of the house?

And are Belinda’s children truly safe here?

The outstanding new haunted house story from Sunday Times bestseller and multi award winner, Laura Purcell. Adored by readers, The Silent Companions was picked for both the Radio 2 Book Club and the Zoe Ball ITV Book Clubs, and reignited readers' passion for classic gothic tales for a new audience. House of Splinters revisits her iconic setting of The Bridge for a fresh new tale to chill and thrill new readers and existing fans to their very depths.]]> 368 Laura Purcell 152662723X Sam 0 to-read 3.97 2025 House of Splinters
author: Laura Purcell
name: Sam
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/06/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> The Caretaker 235993046 Follow the Rites...

Nothing less than the survival of humanity is at stake.

From Marcus Kliewer, a new “titan of the macabre and unsettling” (Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author), comes a supernatural horror about a young woman who accepts a caretaking job from Craigslist, only to discover the position has consequences far greater—and more dangerous—than she ever could have imagined.

EXCITING OPPORTUNITY:
Caretaker urgently needed. Three days of work. Competitive pay. Serious applicants ONLY.

Macy Mullins can’t say why the job posting grabbed her attention—it had the pull of a fisherman’s lure, barbed hook and all—vaguely ominous. But after an endless string of failed job interviews, she's not exactly in the position to be picky. She has rent to pay, groceries to buy, and a younger sister to provide for.

Besides, it’s only three days’ work…

Three days, cooped up in a stranger’s house, surrounded by Oregon Coast wilderness.

What starts as a peculiar side gig soon becomes a waking nightmare. An incomprehensible evil may dwell on this property—and Macy Mullins might just be the only thing standing between it, and the rest of humanity.

Follow the Rites...

Follow the Rites...

Follow the Rites...

..--- / ..... / ---..]]> 295 Marcus Kliewer 1982198818 Sam 0 to-read 3.56 2026 The Caretaker
author: Marcus Kliewer
name: Sam
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2026
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/06/01
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]]> The Terror 3974 Terror have every expectation of triumph. As part of the 1845 Franklin Expedition, the first steam-powered vessels ever to search for the legendary Northwest Passage, they are as scientifically supported an enterprise as has ever set forth. As they enter a second summer in the Arctic Circle without a thaw, though, they are stranded in a nightmarish landscape of encroaching ice and darkness. Endlessly cold, with diminishing rations, 126 men fight to survive with poisonous food, a dwindling supply of coal, and ships buckling in the grip of crushing ice. But their real enemy is far more terrifying. There is something out there in the frigid darkness: an unseen predator stalking their ship, a monstrous terror constantly clawing to get in.

When the expedition's leader, Sir John Franklin, meets a terrible death, Captain Francis Crozier takes command and leads his surviving crewmen on a last, desperate attempt to flee south across the ice. With them travels an Inuit woman who cannot speak and who may be the key to survival, or the harbinger of their deaths. But as another winter approaches, as scurvy and starvation grow more terrible, and as the terror on the ice stalks them southward, Crozier and his men begin to fear that there is no escape.]]> 835 Dan Simmons 0316017442 Sam 0 to-read 4.07 2007 The Terror
author: Dan Simmons
name: Sam
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2007
rating: 0
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]]> It Came from Neverland 241434036 Peter Pan meets Stephen King's It in this twisted horror retelling of a classic childhood fairytale set during WWI.

1914, Wendy Darling works by day as a school teacher and by night, she assists soldiers who have returned home from the Western Front. There is one mysterious patient who despite all the care they’ve given him, is in a deep sleep, unable to wake up. One night, when he murmurs the words “Peter Pan,” Wendy is thrown back to a darker time, one that she wishes she could forget.

When one of her students goes missing, it brings back memories of when children went missing and were later found murdered in London many years ago. Wendy believes that Peter Pan, the entity that she believed killed those children, is back. She and her brothers had a close encounter with Peter Pan, after all. But her brothers only remember Peter Pan and Neverland as a fantasy of childhood games.

When another child goes missing and signs start to point to Wendy, Scotland Yard digs into old reports, finding that Wendy knew the names of all the children who had been killed. As Wendy tries to prove her innocence, she also has to find a way to stop Peter Pan once and for all.]]> 288 Cynthia Pelayo Sam 0 to-read 3.78 2026 It Came from Neverland
author: Cynthia Pelayo
name: Sam
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2026
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/06/01
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]]> <![CDATA[Songs of the Dead (The Strata Wars, #1)]]> 241242907 A London rocker is faced with a life-or-death choice when he realizes that a powerful society of magic wielders are the only ones keeping London safe in this deft contemporary fantasy cowritten by #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson with author and musician Peter Orullian.

When Jack Solomon, a struggling musician who works in London’s West End, is killed, he awakens to a new reality in which light and music are used to create magic and where living eras of the past sprawl beneath modern London, layer upon layer, all the way back to recorded history.

Jack also soon discovers that many of those who reside in the stratums of London’s past have grown angry with the present world, and that their anger is being channeled by a powerful society of light-and-music-based magic wielders who can cross the realms between life and death, between the present and the past. A past where the dead are sowing revolution against the living, and all of history is at stake.

Welcome to the Strata Wars.]]> 455 Brandon Sanderson 1668068141 Sam 0 to-read 3.08 2026 Songs of the Dead (The Strata Wars, #1)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Sam
average rating: 3.08
book published: 2026
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/06/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> The Children 241096327 An intoxicating, haunting new novel from New York Times bestselling author Melissa Albert, in which the estranged adult children of a legendary author, written into their dead mother’s beloved fantasy series, contend with the vine-like creep of legacy, memory, and magic.

Guinevere Sharpe has two childhoods.

In one, she lives in the wooded shadow of her family's isolated Vermont farmhouse; in the other, the pages of her mother’s world-famous Ninth City books, where her magical adventures have made her a household name. In reality, Guinevere's childhood isn't the enchanted idyll her mother’s readers imagine: she and her older brother are growing up near-feral, unwashed and underfed, escaping each day to the lichen-clotted woods they’ve made their playland. As Edith Sharpe’s books explode into epic popularity, the threats of a rural childhood give way to the escalating perils of fame—until the night it all goes up in flames, leaving Edith’s series unfinished and her children the sole survivors.

Now an adult coasting on her mother's name, Guinevere is mid-promotion for a ghostwritten memoir when her estranged brother, an artist who has until now spurned his family's legacy, announces an upcoming installation titled Mother. As rumors swirl around a death connected to his last show, unsettling recollections from Guinevere’s childhood begin to surface. Her public facade starts to crack, forcing her to confront the questions she's spent the last twenty years running from: What really happened the night of the fire? And what dark history lies behind their mother’s creative genius?

Wise to the mythic weight childhood memories gather over time, The Children whispers to you from the hallway outside your bedroom, lights flickering as you turn the pages of a book that didn't seem so scary a moment ago. It's a story for anyone who's ever revisited an old favorite and found it cast in a darker light, the line separating magic and memory blurring as the gap widens between the authors we imagined and the people they turn out to be.]]> 398 Melissa Albert 0063487438 Sam 0 to-read 3.45 2026 The Children
author: Melissa Albert
name: Sam
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2026
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/06/01
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]]> <![CDATA[A History of Scottish Witches: The Devil's Handmaidens]]> 240381780 A History of Scottish Witches: The Devil's Handmaidens explores the phenomenon of witch persecution in Scotland between 1563 and 1736. Looking at the influence of the likes of John Knox and James VI of Scotland, this book examines the magic and fairy beliefs that underlay witchcraft and how this became twisted by the Scottish Kirk’s obsession with the Devil.

Using examples from actual trial records and so-called witch confessions, this book explores how societal norms surrounding women caused so many to face the rope and the flames and how those norms were exacerbated by the chaos of the reformation and the wars of the Three Kingdoms. How did the magical beliefs of ordinary people become twisted into Devil worship? And why did so many come to believe this? How did the Scottish church and the courts fall into a frenzy of belief that the Devil was around every corner, causing terror across Lowland Scotland, and how did they extract themselves from that frenzy?

Finally, the book looks at how this period of persecution affected the ordinary people of Scotland and what lessons it might hold for today.]]> 240 Mary W. Craig 1036106314 Sam 0 to-read 3.55 2026 A History of Scottish Witches: The Devil's Handmaidens
author: Mary W. Craig
name: Sam
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2026
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/06/01
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]]> Overgrowth 217387964 Day of the Triffids meets Little Shop of Horrors in this smart, charming, harrowing alien invasion story about being human, by a Hugo-award winning author.

Since she was three years old, Anastasia Miller has been telling anyone who would listen that she's an alien disguised as a human being, and that the armada that left her on Earth is coming for her. Since she was three years old, no one has believed her.

Now, with an alien signal from the stars being broadcast around the world, humanity is finally starting to realize that it's already been warned, and it may be too late. The invasion is coming, Stasia's biological family is on the way to bring her home, and very few family reunions are willing to cross the gulf of space for just one misplaced child.

What happens when you know what's coming, and just refuse to listen?]]> 469 Mira Grant 1250768233 Sam 0 2025, arcs, to-read 3.46 2025 Overgrowth
author: Mira Grant
name: Sam
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/06/01
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]]> The Primrose Murder Society 235672427 Witty, endearing, and wildly entertaining, this Southern cozy mystery is a little bit Gilmore Girls, a little bit Finlay Donovan, with a big helping of Only Murders in the Building.

Lila Shaw stopped trusting anyone the minute her husband went to jail for white-collar crime, taking their country club lifestyle with him. Now Lila is broke, friendless, and losing her house—and to make things worse, her true-crime-obsessed daughter, Bea, was just expelled from fourth grade. Desperate for a fresh start, Lila agrees to temporarily move in and clean out an abandoned junk-filled apartment in Richmond’s palatial Primrose building. The luxurious Virginia landmark is filled with retirees who start their days early drinking bourbon and gossiping, in that order.

Soon after Lila’s arrival, the Primrose is thrown into chaos. The owner of the building’s splendid penthouse has died and in his final days he set up a two-million-dollar reward for any resident who helps to solve the 21-year-old murder of his granddaughter at the Primrose. A fan of all detective stories and true-crime podcasts, Bea is inspired to investigate. They really could use the reward money, so Lila reluctantly agrees, in a questionable attempt at family bonding. She’s certain the killer is long-gone after all these years anyway. That is, until another resident is murdered… and Lila becomes the prime suspect.

Now Lila needs to solve both murders to avoid jail, and even worse, losing her daughter to her snobby in-laws. To catch a killer and clear Lila's name, she and Bea must rely on their elderly neighbors—Jasper, a shy former detective, and Evelyn, an opinionated socialite—along with Nate, a good-looking reporter who keeps appearing at the most inconvenient moments. As the amateur sleuths expose the truth about the Primrose, Lila hopes she can also unravel the trickiest parts of her own life and start fresh.]]> 352 Stacy Hackney 0063466023 Sam 0 2026, arcs, to-read 3.79 2026 The Primrose Murder Society
author: Stacy Hackney
name: Sam
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2026
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/06/01
shelves: 2026, arcs, to-read
review:

]]>