Tag Archive for: Stand-Alone

The God of the Woods

The God of the WoodsTitle: The God of the Woods
Author: Liz Moore
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: Audio
Pages: 478
Length: 14h 36m
Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld
Source: Owned
Reason: Book Club
Rating:

My Thoughts

I thought THE GOD OF THE WOODS was a very interesting read with a lot to discuss (i.e., it’s a great book for a book club). I wanted to love it, but I didn’t. I loved the concept, but the story seemed really disjointed, way too long, and so depressing. I also despised most of the characters, making it hard for me to love the story since I’m a character-driven, rather than plot-driven, reader.

I don’t think I was in the right frame of mind when I started this one. However, it’s my book club’s pick for November so I kept going. I would’ve rather read this when I was more in the mood for this type of story. I might’ve liked it more, but maybe I wouldn’t have. The beginning held so much promise and then it just kept letting me down.

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The Switch

The SwitchTitle: The Switch
Author: Beth O'Leary
Genre: Contemporary
Format: Audio
Pages: 330
Length: 10h 11m
Narrator: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Alison Steadman
Source: Library
Reason: Just Because
Rating:

My Thoughts

THE SWITCH is a charming story about love, grief, forgiveness, and healing. I loved having the story told from both Leena’s and Eileen’s perspectives. With a full cast of quirky characters, it was a delight to read. THE SWITCH is billed as a romance, but I felt like there wasn’t enough romance. I really wish that Leena’s relationship troubles with Ethan had been resolved a bit sooner so that there could be more romantic scenes with her and Jackson. As far as the audiobook is concerned, I liked Leena’s narrator way better than Eileen’s.

There’s Someone Inside Your House

There’s Someone Inside Your HouseTitle: There's Someone Inside Your House
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Genre: Horror
Format: Audio
Pages: 304
Length: 9h 26m
Narrator: Bahni Turpin
Source: Owned
Reason: Just Because
Rating:

My Thoughts

While I thought THERE’S SOMEONE INSIDE YOUR HOUSE was a fun slasher story, I’ve decided that I like this genre better in movie form. The story definitely felt reminiscent of some of my favorite slasher movies (Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, etc.), but I feel like the written aspect of the story slowed the slasher aspect down. Also, since I watched the Netflix adaptation last year, I thought the reason for the killing spree was more interesting than what happened in the book.

These Summer Storms

These Summer StormsTitle: These Summer Storms
Author: Sarah MacLean
Genre: Romance
Format: Audio
Pages: 384
Length: 13h 17m
Narrator: Julia Whelan
Source: Owned
Reason: Book of the Month
Rating:

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed reading THESE SUMMER STORMS. So much family drama and I loved it! I really loved Alice. I felt so much sadness and anger on her behalf because of how her family treated her. I’m glad she and her siblings made up as much as they could and learned to step outside of their parents’ shadows. I also really loved Jack. I loved the sexual tension between him and Alice. I’m glad that he could give her what she needed in a partner and chose her over the money.

The Haunting of Paynes Hollow

The Haunting of Paynes HollowTitle: The Haunting of Paynes Hollow
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Horror
Format: Audio
Pages: 320
Length: 9h 24m
Narrator: E.J. Lavery
Source: Owned
Reason: Book of the Month
Rating:

My Thoughts

Wow! I’m so glad I chose THE HAUNTING OF PAYNES HOLLOW as my October Book of the Month pick. It was so much fun! I loved the callback to Sleepy Hollow and the Headless Horseman. I loved the setting, the supernatural legends, the characters, and the big reveal at the end! When I wasn’t reading, I couldn’t wait to get back to the story. I’ll definitely be looking up more books by Kelley Armstrong.