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Book Review: The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine (The Rivenlea Sphere, #1) by Lindsay A. Franklin

Book Review: The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine (The Rivenlea Sphere, #1) by Lindsay A. Franklin

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The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine by Lindsay A. Franklin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an advance digital copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

When I first saw the cover for The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine, I was intrigued. When I read the synopsis, I was instantly charmed, and had a feeling that this could end up being a lifetime favorite. And I was absolutely correct. From the premise to the setting, from the characters to the references to classic works of fiction, from the voice to the profound musings on the power of story and why stories matter, I was captivated by every page of this book. I dove deep into this story, reading it slowly because I didn’t want it to end. I wish Franklin would write a dozen more books in this series. I would eat up every single one. …

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Book Review: Ghost Stories: Stephen Fry’s Definitive Collection

Book Review: Ghost Stories: Stephen Fry’s Definitive Collection

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Ghost Stories: Stephen Fry’s Definitive Collection by Stephen Fry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Did I purchase this on Amazon solely because it was narrated by Stephen Fry? You bet. He’s one of my favorite narrators of all time. There’s something about his voice that is incredibly soothing, something about his delivery that is cozy and instantly transportive. Additionally, I loved the thought of getting not only his narration, but his brief thoughts on each of these classic, spooky tales. I love his way with words almost as much as the way he says them, and I found his introductions to each story interesting and informative. This collection proved to be perfect for spooky season.

Not only is it an excellent narration of eight classic tales of horror, Fry and the audio producers took things a step further by adding in sound effects that really added to the experience. These effects were perfectly balanced, contributing greatly to the tone and mood without being so prominent as to distract. I wish more audio productions would follow suit. …

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Book Review: The Nightmare Virus by Nadine Brandes

Book Review: The Nightmare Virus by Nadine Brandes

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The Nightmare Virus by Nadine Brandes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned at the end of the world, it’s that hope is stronger than despair.”

The Nightmare Virus is exactly the kind of book I’ve been hungering for without being able to describe. This is fast-paced, high octane dystopian science-fantasy with incredibly high stakes and some captivating allegorical themes. The writing flowed wonderfully, there was a ton of believable character development, and the faith element mattered deeply to the plot. The story itself was fantastic and, while I could draw some comparisons to other stories I’ve loved, it also felt wholly unique. It felt familiar and true while still being a story unlike any other I’ve experienced. I loved everything about it. …

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The Mirror (The Lost Bride Trilogy #2) by Nora Roberts

The Mirror (The Lost Bride Trilogy #2) by Nora Roberts

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The Mirror by Nora Roberts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an advance digital copy of this novel from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Inheritance was one of my favorite books of 2023, and it ended on a major cliffhanger. So when I was offered an advance digital copy of The Mirror, which was quite possibly my most anticipated read of 2024, I couldn’t hit the download button fast enough. And I loved every single page. There’s not a single thing I would change about The Mirror, except for the fact that I have to wait over a year to see how the story ends. …

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The Last Song of Penelope (Songs of Penelope #3) by Claire North

The Last Song of Penelope (Songs of Penelope #3) by Claire North

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The Last Song of Penelope by Claire North
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I adore Greek myth retellings when they’re done well. Circe and The Song of Achilles, Clytemnestra and Stone Blind, Ariadne and Elektra and Atalanta are all examples of excellent retellings, beautifully written. Stone Blind and Circe are even among some of my very favorite books. But North’s Songs of Penelope trilogy has usurped them all on my shelf. It’s rare that a mythic retelling is not a standalone novel. It’s rare that such a story can stay so true to its source material while also being wonderfully original. It’s rare that every book in a trilogy merits five full stars. Songs of Penelope manages to do all three of those things brilliantly. There is nothing that I would change about any of this trilogy, but I believe this final installment, The Last Song of Penelope, is my favorite. What a note to end on. …

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All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

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All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an advance digital copy of this novel from the publisher, Crown Publishing, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

We Begin at the End was one of my very favorite books of 2021. It was one of the two best crime fiction novels I had ever read, alongside Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby. A third is now joining their ranks. All the Colors of the Dark is an absolutely brilliant example of crime fiction. It’s heavy and hard and heartbreaking, but it ends on such a strong, vibrant note of hope that it makes the darkness of the journey feel worth it.

“I just wanted to show you that sometimes things survive despite the harshest of odds.”

…

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The Girl Who Kept the Castle by Ryan Graudin

The Girl Who Kept the Castle by Ryan Graudin

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The Girl Who Kept the Castle by Ryan Graudin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an advance digital copy of this novel from the publisher, Quill Tree Books, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl Who Kept the Castle is the epitome of cozy fantasy, especially for middle grade to young adult readers. It feels like being dropped into a Studio Ghibli movie — in fact, one of the regions of the kingdom is called Ghibli. (And the capital city is Retnec, an anagram of center. Can you guess where on the map that city might reside?) There are lots of tiny nods to other classic fantasy stories, like the works of Tolkien and Diana Wynne Jones. But even outside of the fun little Easter eggs, this is a delightful book in its own right. (I stated above that it’s cozy fantasy, but it might be more fitting to call this cozy-adjacent. Because while the setting and storytelling feel very cozy, there are definite stakes to this tale.) …

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Celeste’s Top Reads of 2023

Celeste’s Top Reads of 2023

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My 2023 reading year was a bit of a mixed bag.  While I read some truly phenomenal books, I also got bogged down in some that didn’t work for me.  This was also the year when I began to take a step back from reviewing quite as much, as have felt myself beginning to burn out for quite a while now.  This led me to rereading much more this year, as I didn’t owe those books anything else.  I read a solid mix of new releases and backlist books, and I believe this is the year where I saw the most new releases added to my list of favorites.  Eight of the twelve books below were published in 2023, with two more having hit shelves the year before.  The other two are modern classics that couldn’t be more deserving of the title.  

The rules for this list are as follows:

  • All books must be new to me.
  • One book per author.
  • All books must have been 5 star reads.  While I read some fantastic books that I gave 4.5 stars, none of those made this list.  

I couldn’t narrow it down to ten. Without further ado, here are my twelve favorite books read in 2023.  …

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Book Review: Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Book Review: Bride by Ali Hazelwood

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Bride by Ali Hazelwood
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

I received an advance digital copy of this novel from the publisher, Berkley, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I can’t remember the last time I read a 400+ page book in less than 24 hours, but that was exactly my experience with Bride. I was pretty excited when Hazelwood announced her first foray into paranormal romance. And somewhat hesitant. While I thoroughly enjoyed The Love Hypothesis, I haven’t been able to get into any of her work since. I was hopeful that a shift in genre would change things, and I was absolutely correct. Bride had me in its thrall from the very first page. I couldn’t put it down. …

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