Book Review - Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis:  Sadomasochism. Obsession. Death.

A whirlpool of darkness churns at the heart of a macabre ballet between two lonely young women in an internet chat room in the early 2000s—a darkness that threatens to forever transform them once they finally succumb to their most horrific desires.

What have you done today to deserve your eyes?

My Thoughts: Totally disgusting but I couldn't help myself! Told completely in emails and instant messenger posts a relationship between two women unfold from buying an apple peeler to well......Ewww just ewww. Not what I was expecting but....

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Book Review - Small Batch Keto Baking Cookbook by Lolita Carrico

Small-Batch Keto Baking Cookbook: Perfect Portions of Low-Carb Breads, Cookies, Cakes, and More by Lolita Carrico
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Synopsis:  Fill your home with the irresistible aroma of freshly baked cookies, all while remaining on a keto diet. Dive into the world of low-carb, small-batch baking with this keto baking cookbook of flavorful and perfectly portioned recipes.

**60 delicious recipes—From flaky, buttery hand pies to rich, melt-in-your-mouth brownies, enjoy a wide variety of baked recipes you won’t believe are keto-friendly.
**Master small-batch baking—Keep your keto baking skills on the rise with tips on the best flours, small-batch baking secrets, ways to troubleshoot common issues, and more.
**Measure twice, bake once—Stay on track with easy-to-follow guidelines and recipes that stick to accurate keto macros.

My Thoughts: For health reasons I needed to begin following a low carb lifestyle and for anybody else who has been down this journey like me realizes everything you have to give up especially things like cookies, cakes, and breads so it was a wonderful delight to find this book on how to be able to have my cake and eat it to!

There are some yummy goodies like the Lemon Sour Cream Muffins with Lemon Glaze and the Simple to make Dinner Rolls in here and a lot of them are any only around 4 net carbs or less. I like the fact that this is small batch baking so I wont be tempted to pig out or have to put them up for later because most baked goods like these are better fresh than reheated I have found.

I also liked the fact that all your dietary lists come with each recipe letting you know how many calories, carbs, and so forth so you don't have to figure it out on your own. That means a lot to me!

My biggest regret is that it didn't have very many photo's. I would have loved to have seen the end product on a lot of the recipes!

Thanks to NetGalley and Callisto Media for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

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Book Review - Dwayne Johnson by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara

Dwayne Johnson by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
 

My Thoughts: This was my first book in the Little People, Big Dreams series and it mainly caught my eye because I recognized that name, "Dwayne Johnson" as being "The Rock" and I wanted to know more! It was quite enjoyable reading about his early years and what led up to his wrestling career and afterward, beautifully illustrated, and has a great more detailed timeline found at the end summarizing everything.

I found quite a few interesting tidbits I never knew and think this book puts forth a great message for children to never give up and to keep striving and moving forward even when life gets you down and always understand that just because things don't always turn out as you have planned doesn't mean something even better is just ahead!

Dwayne Johnson will always be "The People's Champion" and I'll always wonder "What The Rocks Been Cooking!"

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced copy for my honest review.

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Book Review - 3 Childrens Books by Karen A Wyle

You Can't Kiss A Bubble by Karen A. Wyle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

How can one not enjoy bubbles? I love them even as old as I am! The story is so fun and lively discussing the things you can and can't exactly do with bubbles. Cute adorable illustrations. A must have for any children's library!

When It's Winter by Karen A. Wyle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A delightful tale of what winter brings as experienced by a little girl and her dog. I really enjoyed the little dog as a sidekick in the story because it reminds me of myself and how many things and how much my pup is always by my side. The illustrations are beautiful making me long for the cooler months ahead.

Wind, Ocean, Grass by Karen A. Wyle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A really different type of storybook that discusses how the grass and ocean waves are similar and different as told by the wind! The artwork is stunning! I love the bold colors and the discussion of how all of the mentioned come together and how they need one another.

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Book Review - Hell Spring by Isaac Thorne

Hell Spring by Isaac Thorne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Synopsis: In the twilight of March 21, 1955, eight people take cover in their local general store while a thundering torrent and flash flooding threatens life and livelihood alike. None of the eight are everything they claim to be. But only one of them hungers for human souls, flesh, and blood.

An overflowing waterway destroys their only path of escape. The tiny band of survivors is forced to confront themselves and each other when a peculiar stranger with a famous face tries to pick them off one by one.

Can the neighbors survive the predator in their midst as well as the 100-year flood that drowns the small town of Lost Hollow?

Or will they become victims of the night the townsfolk all remember as Hell Spring?

 

My Thoughts: Okay so I am really riding the fence on this one. While not a bad story, at all, I just don't feel like it was what I was thinking it would be or that I am the target audience for it but that is my fault alone and not the authors!

Lets just start with that gorgeous cover! That deserves a star all in itself. Absolutely gorgeous! Next, high fives on the writing! It flowed easily and was simply beautiful writing or I may not have made it thru that first section of the story! I actually thought I had downloaded the wrong book because I couldn't for the life of me understand what "that" had to do with the synopsis I had read. I'm not saying what "that" is because it's just something you need to experience on your own! Enough said.

Even with those great things I would have enjoyed it more had it been shorter...it was way to chatty and overly explanatory at times and sadly it just wasn't scary and that was what I had been anticipating.

Thanks to Netgalley and Lost Hollow Books for providing me with this copy for my honest review!

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Book Review - The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Synopsis:  It’s New Year’s Eve 1999. Y2K is expected to end in chaos: planes falling from the sky, elevators plunging to earth, world markets collapsing. A digital apocalypse. None of that happens. But at a Blockbuster Video in Linden, New Jersey, four teenage girls working the night shift are attacked. Only one survives. Police quickly identify a suspect who flees and is never seen again.

Fifteen years later, in the same town, four teenage employees working late at an ice cream store are attacked, and again only one makes it out alive.

Both surviving victims recall the killer speaking only a few final words. . . . “Goodnight, pretty girl.”

My Thoughts: I feel like The Night Shift will probably be one of those stories the reader will either love it or hate it, but as for me, I may be in a minority here, but I enjoyed it. Maybe because it had more of a nostalgic feel with the video store and existing back in that era and all for me...I just don't know, but I liked how the survivors lives were intertwined and kept coming together with new twists and kept the pacing moving along so I didn't want to put the book down. Most of the characters were fun and engaging with a couple that I came to despise but I couldn't figure out why in this world the author put a detective in that condition in such a leading role/position until towards the end of the story. It made a bit more sense to me then but gosh what an ending.......



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Book Review - The Ex-Wives by Jenna Kernan

The Ex Wives by Jenna Kernan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Synopsis: Two ex-wives. Two missing girls. Will yours be next?

Pulling a batch of my husband’s favourite golden oatmeal cookies from the oven, I smile to hear my daughter Phoebe playing in the treehouse outside. I was once so close to losing everything, but since I married handsome Jackson, I have a perfect life. Jackson might tell me what to wear, but he just likes to buy me nice things. He says I don’t need a job, and why would I want one? I can spend all day taking care of Phoebe and running errands in the fancy car Jackson gave me—he knows everywhere I go, and I love how much he wants to keep me safe.

But my whole world shatters when I find out Jackson is a liar.

He never mentioned he was married before—twice.

I love him so much. But how can I trust him now? Desperate for answers, I search our pristine house top to bottom. I thought Jackson was caring: but is it a way to control me?

When I track down his ex-wives, I see fear in their eyes. Both these women had little girls just like me. And when they left Jackson, their daughters went missing.

Devastated I’ve put Phoebe in danger, I have no choice but to find the truth about those poor girls. To protect Phoebe, I must pretend to still be the perfect wife, even though fear floods through me at Jackson’s touch.

But how far will I have to go? And what will happen to me and my sweet child if my husband finds out? 

 

My Thoughts: Oh Wow! I don't know where to start! I can't even begin to tell you how much I loved this book! The easiest 5 stars I think I have given hands down.

I enjoyed it because it keeps a quick pace with jaw dropping moments on almost every other page as we follow along with Elana "then" before marrying Jackson and "now" the present day. I felt sad for Elana because I could understand and sympathize how she could fall into the fairy tale web Jackson weaved for her and how he kept her trapped there. Boy was he a piece of work!

I can't say I read this in one sitting but I can tell you that it bothered me so bad during bedtime that I couldn't sleep and the hubby woke up in the wee hours of the night to find me perched in bed with my Kindle because I just had to know what was fixing to happen next!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing this copy for my honest review.

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Book Review - The Christmas Movie Cookbook by Julia Rutland

The Christmas Movie Cookbook: Recipes from Your Favorite Holiday Films by Julia Rutland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis:  Do you ever yearn for roast turkey while watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation? Or, for the more cynical, do you wish you could taste the roast beast from How the Grinch Stole Christmas? Well, top up your mug of eggnog and don your coziest ugly sweater: ‘tis the season to recreate the dishes from all of your favorite holiday movies with the help of The Christmas Movie Cookbook.

This season you can indulge alongside your favorite Elf characters as they make special spaghetti and get tipsy with the Bad Moms crew while they imbibe their spiced cider. Just crack open The Christmas Movie Cookbook and discover sixty-five mouthwatering recipes to add joy to any holiday gathering. Recipes include:
-Old Fashioned Meatloaf from A Christmas Story
-Chicken, Broccoli, and Cheddar Cheese Soup from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
-Christmas Pudding from A Christmas Carol
-Breakfast Strata from The Family Stone
-Really Rich Hot Chocolate from Polar Express
-And much more!

 

My Thoughts: This has been one of the funnest and most entertaining cookbooks I have read up until now. Not only does it give you tasty recipes for your holiday season but also provides a holiday movie to read about for each one. A lot of them I had heard of and was taken down a memory lane trip but was interesting to find some I had never heard of and look forward to finding this coming seasons holidays and trying out the recipe to go along with them.

It also provides you with tips for throwing the best holiday get togethers you can like setting up your music list or how to arrange seating for any kind of party and lots more great tidbits you can mark off your checklist as you go.

Some of my favorites were... The Salted Caramel & Fudge Milkshake, The Orange Cinnamon Rolls, and The Burgermeister's Perfect Burger.

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Book Review - Cirque Berserk by Jessica Guess

Cirque Berserk by Jessica Guess
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis:  The summer of 1989 brought terror to the town of Shadows Creek, Florida in the form of a massacre at the local carnival, Cirque Berserk. One fateful night, a group of teens killed a dozen people then disappeared into thin air. No one knows why they did it, where they went, or even how many of them there were, but legend has it they still roam the abandoned carnival, looking for blood to spill.

Thirty years later, best friends, Sam and Rochelle, are in the midst of a boring senior trip when they learn about the infamous Cirque Berserk. Seeking one last adventure, they and their friends journey to the nearby Shadows Creek to see if the urban legends about Cirque Berserk are true. But waiting for them beyond the carnival gates is a night of brutality, bloodshed, and betrayal.

Will they make they make it out alive, or will the carnival’s past demons extinguish their futures?

Book 4 in the Rewind-or-Die series: imagine your local movie rental store back in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, remember all those fantastic covers. Remember taking those movies home and watching in awe as the stories unfolded in nasty rainbows of gore, remember the atmosphere and textures. Remember the blood.

 

My Thoughts: Loved the 80's vibe and oh my... the songs really took me back in time! I felt like I could connect to most of the characters fairly well even though I was surprised at the twist towards the end but it was fun especially when you realized why it must be the way it was. Read in one sitting!

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Book Review - The Vampire's Mail Order Bride by Kristen Painter

The Vampire's Mail Order Bride by Kristen Painter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Synopsis: Welcome to Nocturne Falls, the town where Halloween is celebrated 365 days a year. The tourists think it's all a show: the vampires, the werewolves, the witches, the occasional gargoyle flying through the sky. But the supernaturals populating the town know better.

Living in Nocturne Falls means being yourself. Fangs, fur, and all.

After seeing her maybe-mobster boss murder a guy, Delaney James assumes a new identity and pretends to be a mail order bride. She finds her groom-to-be living in a town that celebrates Halloween every day. Weird. But not as weird as what she doesn’t know. Her groom-to-be is a 400-year-old vampire.

Hugh Ellingham has only agreed to the arranged set up to make his overbearing grandmother happy. In thirty days, whatever bridezilla shows up at his door will be escorted right back out. His past means love is no longer an option. Not if the woman’s going to have a future. Except he never counted on Delaney and falling in love for real.

Too bad both of them are keeping some mighty big secrets...

My Thoughts: This has been one of the cutest reads I think I have read this year! I ate it up in a few sittings and it was just the kind of story I needed after reading so much other heavier books. Just a nice, fluffy, and fun read.

I loved the idea of a town celebrating Halloween all year long as it is one of my favorite times of the year and every time Delaney called her chubby cats name "Captain Underpants" I would totally lose it! I enjoyed following along as Delaney and Hugh fell for each other even if it was a bit quick but then again everything had to move along quickly in their situation. Hugh was quite dreamy when he wasn't acting like a monkey's behind but he thought he had a good reason to act that way so anyhow one of my favorite quotes from the story was...

"I never knew I was the kind of girl who went in for the whole vampire thing until I had one of my very own."

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Book Review - The Science of Witchcraft by Meg Hafdahl

The Science of Witchcraft: The Truth Behind Sabrina, Maleficent, Glinda, and More of Your Favorite Fictional Witches by Meg Hafdahl
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 Synopsis: Kelly Florence and Meg Hafdahl, authors of The Science of Women in Horror and co-hosts of the Horror Rewind podcast called “the best horror film podcast out there” by Film Daddy, present a guide to the history of witchcraft through the stories and characters we all know and love. Reveal the spellbinding science behind the legends and lore surrounding fiction’s most iconic witches, answering such questions as: 
What is the science behind divination and spellcraft?
When did witchcraft begin to show up in literature and media?
Has science made it possible to uncover the truth behind the powers of necromancy and employing familiars?
How has witchcraft been thought of throughout the world?
Through interviews, film and literary analysis, and bone-chilling discoveries, join Kelly and Meg as they learn about the complicated and rich science of witchcraft throughout the centuries and discover why now is the season of the witch!

My Thoughts: Interesting! A great mix of media nostalgia and fun facts to treasure. It had so many of my favorite witches in it from days gone by. Some I had forgotten and it was so wonderful and refreshing traveling down memory lane and reminiscing over them again.

One of the many fact/interview sessions within the book was the one with the herbalist. I learned a good bit more than I expected to about plants and their powers in that section like which one was good for inflammation or which one would help with arthritis problems and more.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me this copy for my honest opinion.

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Book Review - A History of the World Through Body Parts by Kathryn Petras

A History of the World Through Body Parts: The Stories Behind the Organs, Appendages, Digits, and the Like Attached to (or Detached from) Famous Bodies by Kathryn Petras
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Synopsis: From famous craniums to prominent breasts, ancient spleens and bound feet, this book will bring history to life in a whole new way. With their inimitable wit and probing intelligence, authors Kathy and Ross Petras look at the role the human body has played throughout history as each individual part becomes a jumping-off point for a wider look at the times. In far-ranging, quirky-yet-interrelated stories, learn about Charles II of Spain's jaw and the repercussions of inbreeding, what Anne Boleyn's heart says about the Crusades and the trend of dispersed burials, and what can be learned about Lady Xoc's pierced tongue. A History of the World Through Body Parts is packed with fascinating little-known historical facts and anecdotes that will entertain, enlighten, and delight even the most well-read history buff. 

 

My Thoughts: Very quick and exciting read. It was interesting and simple to understand...not stuffy and long worded, and boring like most books of its character. I always enjoy learning something new and I loved the short chapters!

There are 27 chapters but as I said they are all fairly short. It has a cool numbered image (corresponding to the chapter that body part is discussed in) of the human body in the contents. So if you wanted to learn more about a certain body part it was totally possible but once you dive in and read some of these historical and fun facts you will want to read the entire book from cover to cover!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book for my honest review.

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