Book Review: The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth

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Title: The Mother-in-Law

Author: Sally Hepworth

Publication Date: January 29, 2019

Number of Pages: 352

Format: Paperback
Publisher: Macmillan Australia

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Synopsis:

From the moment Lucy met Diana, she was kept at arm’s length. Diana is exquisitely polite, but Lucy knows, even after marrying Oliver, that they’ll never have the closeness she’d been hoping for.

But who could fault Diana? She was a pillar of the community, an advocate for social justice, the matriarch of a loving family. Lucy had wanted so much to please her new mother-in-law.

That was ten years ago. Now, Diana has been found dead, leaving a suicide note. But the autopsy reveals evidence of suffocation. And everyone in the family is hiding something…

From the bestselling author of The Family Next Door comes a new page-turner about that trickiest of relationships. Continue reading

Book Review: Spare by Prince Harry

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Title: Spare

Author: Prince Harry

Publication Date: January 10, 2023

Number of Pages: 410

Format: Audiobook
Publisher: Random House

Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir

Synopsis:

It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on.

For Harry, this is that story at last.

Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness—and, because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight.

At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure, and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn’t find true love.

Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple’s cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother. . . .

For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief. Continue reading

Book Review: Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

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Title: Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing

Author: Matthew Perry

Publication Date: November 1, 2022

Number of Pages: 250

Format: Audiobook
Publisher: Flatiron Books

Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir

Synopsis:

“Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.”

So begins the riveting story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry, taking us along on his journey from childhood ambition to fame to addiction and recovery in the aftermath of a life-threatening health scare. Before the frequent hospital visits and stints in rehab, there was five-year-old Matthew, who traveled from Montreal to Los Angeles, shuffling between his separated parents; fourteen-year-old Matthew, who was a nationally ranked tennis star in Canada; twenty-four-year-old Matthew, who nabbed a coveted role as a lead cast member on the talked-about pilot then called Friends Like Us. . . and so much more.

In an extraordinary story that only he could tell—and in the heartfelt, hilarious, and warmly familiar way only he could tell it—Matthew Perry lays bare the fractured family that raised him (and also left him to his own devices), the desire for recognition that drove him to fame, and the void inside him that could not be filled even by his greatest dreams coming true. But he also details the peace he’s found in sobriety and how he feels about the ubiquity of Friends, sharing stories about his castmates and other stars he met along the way. Frank, self-aware, and with his trademark humor, Perry vividly depicts his lifelong battle with addiction and what fueled it despite seemingly having it all.

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is an unforgettable memoir that is both intimate and eye-opening—as well as a hand extended to anyone struggling with sobriety. Unflinchingly honest, moving, and uproariously funny, this is the book fans have been waiting for. Continue reading

Book Review: Never Lie by Freida McFadden

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Title: Never Lie

Author: Freida McFadden

Publication Date: September 19, 2022

Number of Pages: 336

Format: Paperback
Publisher: Amazon

Genre: Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Mystery

Synopsis:

Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams.

But when they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace four years earlier, a violent winter storm traps them at the estate… with no chance of escape until the blizzard comes to an end.

In search of a book to keep her entertained until the snow abates, Tricia happens upon a secret room. One that contains audio transcripts from every single patient Dr. Hale has ever interviewed. As Tricia listens to the cassette tapes, she learns about the terrifying chain of events leading up to Dr. Hale’s mysterious disappearance.

Tricia plays the tapes one by one, late into the night. With each one, another shocking piece of the puzzle falls into place, and Dr. Adrienne Hale’s web of lies slowly unravels.

And then Tricia reaches the final cassette.

The one that reveals the entire horrifying truth. Continue reading

Book Review: You’re That Bitch: And Other Lessons About Being Unapologetically Yourself by Bretman Rock

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Title: You’re That Bitch: And Other Lessons About Being Unapologetically Yourself

Author: Bretman Rock

Publication Date: February 14, 2023

Number of Pages: 272

Format: E-book
Publisher: Harper

Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir

Synopsis:

“This book is hilarious and that bitch made me laugh out loud.”–Chelsea Handler

A chaotically joyous collection of essays from one of the original influencers and the internet’s sweetheart, Bretman The Baddest Rock.

Hilarious and earnest, this collection of essays, drawings, recipes, how-tos and never-before-seen photos goes far beyond what we know of Bretman Rock from social media. Who is Bretman Rock Sacayanan behind the screen and how did he become the original superstar influencer and today’s beloved best friend of the internet?

You’re That Bitch welcomes you into Bretman Rock’s world–from how his childhood in the Philippines, his family, Filipino culture, and being a first-generation immigrant helped shape him into who he is today. Peek into how Bretman became a social media sensation at the precocious age of 14, balancing living a glamorous jet-setting lifestyle on weekends while still serving lunch at his school’s cafeteria, running as a varsity track-star, and making honor roll during the week. With his signature honesty, this is an unfiltered and unprecedented look at what it means to be one of the first digital celebrities and that bitch—from dealing with cancel culture, drama and heartbreak, to what it means to love yourself and your community.

From the funniest and undeniably cutest person on the internet, this is a book for the weirdos and for the bad bitches . . . this book is for you! Continue reading

Book Review: The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson

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Title: The Amityville Horror

Author: Jay Anson

Publication Date: September 13, 1977

Number of Pages: 400

Format: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Pocket Star Books

Genre: True Crime, Horror, Supernatural

Synopsis:

The shocking true story of an American dream that turned into a nightmare beyond imagining…

In December 1975, the Lutz family moved into their new home on suburban Long Island. George and Kathleen Lutz knew that one year earlier, Ronald DeFeo had murdered his parents, brothers, and sisters in the house, but the property – complete with boathouse and swimming pool – and the price had been too good to pass up. Twenty-eight days later, the entire Lutz family fled in terror…

This is the spellbinding, bestselling true story that gripped the nation – the story of a house possessed by spirits, haunted by psychic phenomena too terrible to describe. Continue reading

Book Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

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Title: The Unhoneymooners

Author: Christina Lauren

Publication Date: May 14, 2019

Number of Pages: 400

Format: Trade Paperback

Publisher: Piatkus

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Romantic Comedy, New Adult

Synopsis:

Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything. Her identical twin sister Ami, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Her meet-cute with her fiancé is something out of a romantic comedy (gag) and she’s managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of Internet contests (double gag). Worst of all, she’s forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man.

Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. And now there’s an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs.


Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But the weird thing is that she doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of… lucky. Continue reading

Book Review: Two By Two by Nicholas Sparks

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Title: Two By Two

Author: Nicholas Sparks

Publication Date: October 4, 2016

Number of Pages: 482

Format: Mass Market Paperback

Publisher: Vision

Genre: Drama, Romance, Chick Lit

Synopsis:

At 32, Russell Green has it all: a stunning wife, a lovable six year-old daughter, a successful career as an advertising executive and an expansive home in Charlotte. He is living the dream, and his marriage to the bewitching Vivian is the center of that. But underneath the shiny surface of this perfect existence, fault lines are beginning to appear…and no one is more surprised than Russ when he finds every aspect of the life he took for granted turned upside down. In a matter of months, Russ finds himself without a job or wife, caring for his young daughter while struggling to adapt to a new and baffling reality. Throwing himself into the wilderness of single parenting, Russ embarks on a journey at once terrifying and rewarding–one that will test his abilities and his emotional resources beyond anything he ever imagined. Continue reading

Book Review: The Kurim Case: A Terrifyingly True Story of Child Abuse, Cults, and Cannibalism by Ryan Green

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Title: The Kurim Case: A Terrifyingly True Story of Child Abuse, Cults, and Cannibalism

Author: Ryen Green

Publication Date: June 29, 2016

Number of Pages: 103

Format: Ebook

Publisher: Ryan Green Publishing

Genre: Horror, True Crime, Non-Fiction

Synopsis:

In May of 2007, in a small, quiet town in the South Moravia region of the Czech Republic, a technical glitch – a simple, accidental crossing of signals – revealed just such a case, and an entire nation watched transfixed with horror as the grisly extent of the perversion of the maternal instinct was revealed. Two small brothers named Jakub and Ondrej, nine and seven years old respectively, were revealed to have suffered confinement, mutilation, psychological brutality, and cannibalism at the hands of several people – foremost among them ‘their own mother and her sister’.

The ensuing investigation and trial captivated the country as a web of secrecy and manipulation was laid bare. That entire nation’s attention was transfixed as the disappearance of a teenage girl revealed a daring case of concealed identity and international intrigue, culminating in a thousand-mile chase in the depths of a Scandinavian winter.

The allegations that were levelled would keep any parent of a young child awake at night. A secretive cult operating in close proximity to children: stealing, forging medical records, and possibly attempting to create a new messiah was in full swing. All the while its members appeared, on the surface, to be models of excellent caregivers.

This is the story of the infamous ‘Kuřim Case’, an investigation that engrossed the public and media of a whole country for two years. It is a story of intense cruelty and sadism, inflicted on the most vulnerable members of society.

If you are especially sensitive to accounts of the suffering of children, you may find it advisable not to read any farther.

If, however, you seek to understand the darker side of human nature by coming face to face with it, then this book is written for you. Scroll up and click on the ‘Buy Now’ button at the top of this page, and begin looking into the remarkable story behind ‘The Kuřim Case’. Continue reading

Book Review: Horrid Henry and the Secret Club by Francesca Simon

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Title: Horrid Henry and the Secret Club

Author: Francesca Simon

Publication Date: October 15, 2015

Number of Pages: 96

Format: Paperback

Publisher: Orion Children’s Book

Genre: Chapter Books, Humor, Children’s Books

Synopsis:

Number One for Fiendish Fun!

This book contains the FIENDISH Nurse Needle, a secret club, an ANNOYING brother and a birthday party!


Four utterly hilarious and totally brilliant Horrid Henry stories by Francesca Simon, with illustrations by Tony Ross. An irresistible introduction to reading for pleasure. Continue reading