How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

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I have never read anything by Grady Hendrix before, and I guess judging by How to Sell a Haunted House, he writes comic-horror novels. I bought How to Sell a Haunted House because I wanted something spooky to read, but this is not a scary novel. It is low-key terrifying, though, because of all the creepy dolls and puppets that populate the story. I still found it to be an interesting read as it is about how trauma can affect generations of a family.

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The Armor of Light by Ken Follett

The Armor of Light by Ken Follett

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The Armor of Light is the latest beast of a book by Ken Follett set in the fictional town of Kingsbridge, England. It is amazing how quickly he churns out these books! As I suggested in my review of the last novel in the Kingsbridge series, The Evening and the Morning, if you like historical fiction and have not yet read any of Follett’s historical novels, I highly recommend that you rectify that situation and read the Kingsbridge series.

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Haven by Emma Donoghue

Haven by Emma Donoghue

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The only reason I would bother to read a novel about a group of 7th century Irish monks who sail to a remote island to start their own monastery is because Emma Donoghue wrote it. Haven is a well-written story, but it is one of the most infuriating novels I have ever read. I have never wanted to reach into a novel and bitch slap a character as badly as I did while reading this book.

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Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

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I was initially put off by Starling House because of the “Reese’s Book Club” decal on the cover1. However, I kept seeing this book on different websites with good reviews, and it is described as a gothic novel – a genre that is like catnip to me – so I knew I had to read it. Although this book did not turn out to be as creepily gothic as I hoped, I found Starling House to be an entertaining read.

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The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper

The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper

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The Temple of Fortuna is the final novel of Elodie Harper’s Wolf Den Trilogy, preceded by The Wolf Den and The House with the Golden Door. I like The Temple of Fortuna better than The House with the Golden Door, but the first novel in the trilogy, The Wolf Den, is definitely the best one (as is usually the case). Overall, I think the Wolf Den Trilogy is worth reading. As disappointing as Amara’s character development is, I appreciate Harper’s efforts to recreate Pompeii for her readers. Do not read any further if you have not read the first two novels of the Wolf Den Trilogy yet.

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Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

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Prep is Curtis Sittenfeld’s debut novel, published back in 2005. Prep is an agonizingly authentic portrait of a teenage white girl’s high school experience. Its authenticity is so remarkable that I had a hard time getting through this book because of my own painful memories of high school, but it is such a well written novel that I am glad I read it.

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My Top Five Reads of 2023

My Top Five Reads of 2023

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It’s funny how everyone seems happy to put the year behind them. I thought my 2023 was a good one. I definitely read some great books this year. The only reason I’m happy it’s 2024 is because I have some big plans this year. But let’s recap my top five books of 2023 before we look forward to what’s to come:

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The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

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The Witch and the Tsar has all the makings of a novel that I would like: historical fiction, magical realism, an interesting back story featuring a mythology I am not familiar with, and a strong female protagonist; however, I just was not that into it. I did not think about not finishing The Witch and the Tsar, but I was not excited to get back to reading it every night before bedtime.

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The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye

The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye

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I really should make more of an effort to read Lyndsay Faye’s novels because I usually end up enjoying them. The first novel of hers that I read was The Gods of Gotham, which is set in mid-19th century New York and is about a police officer who investigates a serial killer. It is a fascinating story about the Five Points district, but I will admit I was not a fan of the ending. I have also read Jane Steele, which reimagines Jane Eyre as a serial killer. Sounds like something that would make Charlotte Brontë roll over in her grave, but I thought it was really good. Now I have read The Paragon Hotel, which is set in one of my favourite time periods, the 1920s Prohibition Era, and is about the Italian mafia in New York and Black people living in Portland, Oregon as the Ku Klux Klan begins to make its presence known.

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