Book Review: Never Lie by Freida McFadden

Posted on 05/19/2023 by Lenn

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

Posted on 05/18/2023 by Lenn

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

Posted on 05/16/2023 by Lenn

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

Posted on 05/13/2023 by Lenn

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

Posted on 05/12/2023 by Lenn

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

Posted on 05/11/2023 by Lenn

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 →

Stuff I’ve Been Reading Lately #33

Posted on 05/08/2023 by Lenn

BOOKS READ:

Monster Vol. 2 by Naoki Urisawa
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
The Summer House by James Patterson & Brendan DuBois
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Horrid Henry & the Secret Club by Francesca Simon
Ritualistic Human Sacrifice by C.V. Hunt

BOOKS BOUGHT:

Outsider by Stephen King
Misery by Stephen King
The Lost Boy by David Pelzer
The Push by Ashley Audraine
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Couple at No. 9 by Claire Douglas
The Whole Truth by Cara Hunter
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

Continue reading →

Book Review: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Posted on 04/28/2023 by Lenn

Title: The Poet X

Author: Elizabeth Acevedo

Publication Date: March 6, 2018

Number of Pages: 368

Format: Audiobook

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: Poetry, Contemporary, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about.

With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself. So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out. But she still can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.

Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent. Continue reading →

Book Review: The Summer House by James Patterson & Brendan DuBois

Posted on 04/27/2023 by Lenn

Title: The Summer House

Author: James Patterson, Brendan DuBois

Publication Date: June 8, 2020

Number of Pages: 429

Format: Paperback

Publisher: Century

Genre: Crime, Mystery, Suspense, Military

Synopsis:

For seven unsuspecting victims, death comes in the dark . . .

Once a luxurious getaway for a wealthy Southern family, the Summer House has long since fallen into disrepair. Its fall from grace is complete when it becomes the scene of a horrific mass murder.

Shocking evidence points to four Army Rangers recently returned from Afghanistan. The Army sends Major Jeremiah Cook, a war veteran and former NYPD cop, to investigate.

As Cook and his team struggle to put together pieces of evidence that just won’t fit, powerful forces rally against them to try to ensure that damning secrets are buried along with the victims. Continue reading →

Book Review: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Posted on 04/26/2023 by Lenn

Title: The Silent Patient

Author: Alex Michaelides

Publication Date: February 5, 2019

Number of Pages: 368

Format: Mass Market Paperback

Publisher: Celadon Books

Genre: Thriller, Psychological, Mystery

Synopsis:

The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband―and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.

Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.

Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations―a search for the truth that threatens to consume him…. Continue reading →

Lenn of Spades ♠

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