Rebecca Hill
This book was okay - it did not blow me away. This was one of the books that had been pitched for a book club idea, but I just could not connect with Ruby. Her entire character was to sculpted and just did not feel genuine. The remainder of the book was alright, but definitely not on my “will read again” list.
Heartwrenching and disturbing.
This was an interesting, but a hard read. Two sisters defied the odds, and managed to stay together during their time in Auschwitz. The gold coins they were given by their parents were used to smuggle her sister out of the sick cabin, and back to their own.
A quick read, but well worth it!
I received an audiobook to give a fair and unbiased review
Walter is determined to make his own way in the world. After his mother was disinherited by her father, the prince of Wales, Walter leaves to make his own fortune, and find his place. While he hates to leave his mother, he wants something more than the life of a servant for them both.
I enjoyed this story. It drew me in from the start, and I really enjoyed it. It did take me a bit longer to get through this one, as moving and Covid distracted me from reading. The one dislike I had to this audiobook was the narrator whistled on his S sounds. I had to take this one in shorter doses, but overall, it was just as great as all of her other books! I highly recommend this one!
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a nice getaway, from the usual tropes that have been coming out lately. Aleja wants to be an explorer, but for a female, it is not the normal job that a girl should have. When she finds a ship full of pirates, and female pirates, she is amazed. When she is pulled into the crew, she finds way more than she bargained for. Coupled with the book that she found, she finds more adventure than she ever thought possible - and maybe where she fits in.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun and easy read! Kids will really enjoy reading this book!
Everyone knows the story of the fall of Troy, but this book goes into a great amount of detail. I was blown away with the amount of information on not only Troy, but many of the surrounding areas that would have had an impact on Troy.
I absolutely loved this book! I was drawn in immediately and the history presented was fabulous. I have not seen this level of detail in a long time, and this book went into more than just the fall of Troy. If you are interested in the fall of Troy, this book goes into the full breakdown of the many levels of Troy and the different changes that the city went through over its diverse history.
Ohhh, Its hard to think these short story volumes can get better, but oh man, do they ever! Volume 25 has three more stories that are beyond amazing, and you cannot afford to miss these!
From a haunted bassinet, one brother killing another brother, and the ghostly girl that stands in the window of an abandoned house - these stories will keep you riveted throughout!
I loved each of these! They were great!
This book was eerie and full-on creepy!
Chris and Shannan Watts were like most families - hard-working, raising two daughters, and they seemed to have everything going for them. So why did he then turn around and murder his pregnant wife and two young daughters? Shannan had a thriving business and was working to better their lives, although the family was deep in debt. Everything they had was nice, and the price tags that went with it were not small. They had declared bankruptcy once already and were in the process of being sued by their HOA for non-payment of dues. When Shannan came home from her business trip, she was hoping to spend the next weekend with her husband, working on their marriage. But Chris had other plans.
Chris Watts made himself the number 1 suspect through his actions and words on the day that his family disappeared. Throughout the entire process, he was withdrawn, and seemingly unaffected by their disappearance. He was even planning to continue going to work, he said, to keep his mind busy. He did not act like the husband and father of three missing people. He was still talking to his girlfriend on the phone, cleaned the entire house, and spent time giving interviews to new stations instead of looking for his family. But he didn't need to look - he knew exactly where they were.
This book, was hard for me to read. As a mother, cases with children are always hard to get through, but I wanted to read more about this one. I cried through the scene where he talks about how he smothered his children, and then disposed of them in the oil tanks. I was angry when he very calmly talked about how he had eradicated his entire family - without a single thought to the many lives that he was going to destroy in the process. I was livid when he tried to blame the deaths of the two little girls on his wife.
I loved and hated this book. I hated the reason it was written, but I enjoyed diving into the content and looking at what made this mild-mannered man snap and murder four people.
I received an ARC copy of this book to read and review. My opinions are my own.
Love Egyptian history? Think you know it all? THINK AGAIN! This book was a fabulous read on Egypt and a lot of the misconceptions that we have built over time. If I was to break it all down, this review might never end!
I have loved Egyptian history for years. I found a book on Cleopatra when I was in 4th grade, and it has been a rabbit hole for me ever since! From Ramses II, to lost cities, the lost tomb of Alexander the Great, the mystery of the Sphinx, pyramids... well the list goes on!
Dr. Nielsen goes through and systematically explains, corrects, and describes Egypt in a way that will bring it to life, crush a few dreams (not really), and rebuild your love of Egypt with ease! Fabulous and fun - I could not get enough of this book!
Empress Alexandra had a life that was far from fairy tales that we read about. Her mother died when she was young, leaving her in a position to become closer to her grandmother. The illness that took her mother had already taken one of her sisters and she had lost a brother from a tragic fall several years earlier.
As the young Alexandra grew up, she spent quite a bit of time in the presence of her domineering grandmother, Queen Victoria. Victoria was set in her ways, devoted to her grandchildren, but not afraid to let them know what was on her mind. After the loss of her husband, Prince Albert, she grew increasingly withdrawn, saving only brief moments for brightness.
The grand marriage that Victoria wanted for her granddaughter was derailed slightly when the young Alexandra found herself drawn more and more to the young Russian Tsarevich. He was a handsome young man, quiet, and not one to give any affection easily. They had an easy bond, one that had started when they were much younger, having met at the wedding of another relative.
Melanie Clegg never disappoints in her work, and this one was no different. At the forefront, you are given quite a bit of history into the family life of Queen Victoria and her children, the loss and heartbreaks that they went through. It weaves together nicely with the story of Alexandra, and the heartaches that she was later to endure, which of course, ended with the monarchy being overthrown in Russia, and her family being murdered. This is a book that was enjoyable, and just the right amount of detail - giving you a picture of what is going on, without dragging you down.
If you have a weak stomach, some of these cases may bother you
Absolutely ONE OF THE BEST books that I have read this year! I absolutely loved the detail that went into each of the cases, as well as the development of the police officers who formed the murder squad. Scotland Yard helped to mold the development of how cases, evidence, and many other facets of each investigation would proceed in the future. While some of the tactics used by officers would raise eyebrows today, it was the norm at the time.
Each of the cases was laid out so that even those who are not familiar with the criminal justice system could follow the information that was presented here. I did not want this book to end! I found it fabulous and interesting. There were a few cases that shocked me to my core, but the justice that was meted out was somewhat of a consolation.
Grab this book now - its perfect for summer reading (okay, any time of year reading).
Do you love things that go bump in the night? Not everything scary happens in the dark. Join the scare street team as they bring you this volume of scary stories!
From hospitals to graveyards, this book is going to keep you riveted to your seat! Ron Ripley brings out some of his best stories yet! I did not want this book to end! If you want something fabulous to end your day with? Weekend reads? This is one that you CANNOT miss!
Scare Street delivers yet another winning short story collection! These three stories will have you shivering with delight over the perfect level of creepy - yet believable content.
Ron Ripley never disappoints with his writing, and he is quickly becoming one of my favorite go-to writers for all things horror. Grab this short story collection, and get the full creep-fest that your weekend deserves!
This tale it told from the perspective of the author at a young age. As he navigates through the changes in his childhood, there are many different things going on, and our young narrator lays out the challenges of growing up in Southwest Virginia.
This book was interesting, and yet, in some places hard to read. While I was reading through, there are places where you want to reach out with a hug, and then there are persons mentioned in the book that you wish you could take a fly swatter to.
Southwest Virginia has a flair all of its own, but our narrator lays out the challenges of growing up in a small town, and the relationships with his brothers during their formative years. Through the many changes and twists of childhood, we see a story of redemption, growth, and eventual freedom. Freedom comes at a cost (when does it not), but nothing is without heartbreak.
While this is a really fabulous view into small town America, this book comes with several heartbreaking stories, and a eyes open view of the world that one so young should not have had. I highly recommend this one!
Scare Street brings you three more stories in this volume. While they are all good - the first one was the best story in my opinion. The other two just didn't to much for me.
Ron Ripley really comes out swinging with a terrible mom, and a child who is looking for escape. This one sent shivers down my spine. Grab this volume, and get a wonderful chill of delight with these stories.
Scare Street has done it again with three stories that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Each of these stories has just enough scare in them to bring you back wanting more. Ron Ripley does some of his best writing, and yet he continues to only get better with each book that comes along.
Don't miss these great shorts!
The stories are:
Outside of Town
A Peculiar Song
Scouting
Magna Carta was a bitter pill for King John to swallow, but one that he refused and threw out again and again. It was the events that led up to the charter that led many to distrust and fear what the king might do.
Maude deBraos was a wealthy woman, a member of one of the leading families in the land. As she fell onto the wrong side of the king, she was imprisoned along with other members of her family. King John starved her and her son to death, trying to force the capitulation of her husband.
When the bodies were found, there were marks on the son's face, from where his mother had tried to stay alive - by eating the flesh of her own son.
This was only one of the many horrors that happened under the reign of King John, but much of the women who influenced the Magna Carta are only known through their husbands and minor mentions. There are, however, many women who were influential in their own rights - and these stories are played out on the pages of this book. Learn about a female sheriff, military maneuvers and more!
Well done and fabulously written, if you enjoy history - then this is a must to add to your list! This book does not disappoint.
King Arthur is a legend among legends. With the myth persisting, many have insisted that he was, indeed, a real person.
I think it can be argued, and very well, from the tenor and information provided in this book, that Arthur was indeed a real person - one who was imagined and formed from the characteristics of many. As the legend has grown over the years, so have the qualities and the feats of the supposed king.
I really enjoyed this book! The facts, the layout, the information was easy to follow and very enjoyable!
Which are you - real person or complete myth? This book might just help you determine where you stand.
These stories were - AMAZING. Admittedly, I liked the first two better than the last one. There was something about the last story that just didn't grab me. The first two stories in this book, however, are going to have you looking behind you at least once.
Fabulous, scary, and perfect for a late night spook!
Unsolved murders are nothing new in the world. There are some that boggle the imagination, and one wonders how some managed to remain unsolved. In the Unsolved London Murders by Dr. Jonathan Oates, there are twenty cases that have remained unsolved. Although these have happened over 100 years ago, there are some that could be solvable today, if Scotland Yard would reopen the cases.
I was intrigued with this book, as unsolved crimes always peak my interest. I was not disappointed! It was amazing and once I started, I could not put the book down! I read it in one sitting!
Put this book on your watch list, and get ready for a journey through some of the most puzzling and horrific unsolved murders in London!
This book releases in August 2020, and I was given an ARC copy for a unbiased and fair review by Pen and Sword
A gory tale of Murder and Mayhem! Perfectly crafted for the lover of true crime and serial killers!
This in-depth book covers serial killers who are well known and some that you may not be familiar with. The entire book is a gore-fest, filled with facts, the details of the crimes, and what made these serial killers tick. This book was beyond amazing and completely went above and beyond the expectations that I had for it.
I have never read anything by Nigel Blundell, but this won't be the last! I enjoyed his writing style, the blunt honesty and the information that was provided. This book will be a hit!