“What better occupation, really, than to spend the evening at the fireside with a book, with the wind beating on the windows and the lamp burning bright.” – Gustave Flaubert
I couldn’t do it. This is the latest book I tried reading but no matter what I did, I couldn’t finish it. Have you ever read a book that was so bogged down with details that you couldn’t drudge your way through it to finish the book? Well, that’s the way it was for me with this book. I felt like there was too much information being stuffed into this book that the train derailed badly. I didn’t even make it half way through the book before I had to put it down. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t able to finish a book, this may be a first for me.
Synopsis: In 1860, a 70 year old widow turned landlady named Mary Emsley was found dead in her own home, killed by a blow to the back of her head.
What followed was a murder case that gripped the nation, a veritable locked room mystery which baffled even legendary Sherlock Holmes author, Arthur Conan Doyle. With an abundance of suspects, from disgruntled step children concerned about their inheritance and a spurned admirer repeatedly rejected by the widow, to a trusted employee, former police officer and spy, the case led to a public trial dominated by surprise revelations and shock witnesses, before culminating with one of the final public executions at Newgate.
This is the case Conan Doyle couldn’t solve and, after confounding the best detectives for years, has finally be solved by author Sinclair McKay. Discover ‘whodunit’ as the real murderer is revealed for the first time exclusively in this captivating study of a murder case in the nineteenth century, a story never told before.
I’m willing to give the people following my blog and any one reading it the ability to pick the next book I read on my Kindle. Below, you’ll find a list of all the e-books I currently have my Kindle Fire. They’re listed in alphabetical order by author. I only ask for two things when choosing a book from the list….
One, please choose a book that I haven’t read already. I’ve put an asterisk next to the books I’ve already read to make it easier for you to pick a book from the list. Two, if you are going to choose a book that is part of a series then please don’t pick a book out of order. Please choose the first book in the series that I haven’t read yet.
If you have any questions, hit the “contact” button and I’ll be happy to help. Otherwise, leave your pick in the comments below. Thank you in advance!
A Haunting by L. I. Albemont * Gum Town Detective Agency by David Banks The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs * Gwendy’s Button Box by Richard Chizmar & Stephen King Gwendy’s Magic Feather by Richard Chizmar The Haunting of Gillespie House by Darcy Coates The Folcroft Ghosts by Darcy Coates Craven Manor by Darcy Coates Quarter to Midnight by Darcy Coates The Haunting of Ashburn House by Darcy Coates * The House Next Door by Darcy Coates * Small Horrors by Darcy Coates The Carrow Hunt by Darcy Coates The Haunting of Rookward House by Darcy Coates Ghost Camera by Darcy Coates Night Music (Nocturnes Volume II) by John Connolly The Haunting of Lannister by Amy Cross The Ghost of David Brook by Amy Cross Aberrations (The Beast Awakens) by Joseph Delaney Aberrations (The Witch’s Warning) by Joseph Delaney Murder has a Motive by Francis Duncan * Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan * So Pretty a Problem by Francis Duncan In at the Death by Francis Duncan Behold a Fair Woman by Francis Duncan Winterhouse by Ben Guterson The Secrets of Winterhouse by Ben Guterson The Winterhouse Mysteries by Ben Guterson The Magician’s by Lev Grossman The Magician’s King by Lev Grossman The Magician’s Lang by Lev Grossman The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton * The Mystery of Drear House by Virginia Hamilton * The Small Hand by Susan Hill Full Throttle by Joe Hill Pet Sematary by Stephen King * 1922 by Stephen King The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye by David Lagercrantz The Girl Who Lived Twice by David Lagercrantz The Vanishing by Bentley Little The House by Bentley Little Darker Daze: The Storms Within Volume I by A. L. Mabry Hell House by Richard Matheson * Dark Halls by Jeff Menapace Viper’s Daughter by Michellle Paver (won’t be downloaded till 04.02.2020) A Journey Through Charms & DADA by Pottermore Publishing A Journey Through Potions & Herbology by Pottermore Publishing A Journey Through Divination & Asterology by Pottermore Publishing A Journey Through Care of Magical Creatures by Pottermore Publishing Awake by Natasha Preston The Lost by Natasha Preston Mirror Image by Michael Scott & Melanie Ruth Rose Nightmares by Jason Segel & Kirsten Miller Nightmares: The Sleepwalker Tonic by Jason Segel & Kirsten Miller Nightmares: The Lost Lullaby by Jason Segel & Kirsten Miller The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud The Whispering Skull by Jonathan Stroud The Hollow Boy by Jonathan Stroud The Creeping Shadow by Jonathan Stroud The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop * The Battle for the Castle by Elizabeth Winthrop * The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright
I finally finished reading this last night right before I went to bed. It says on the front of the book that this book scared Stephen King……I didn’t find it THAT scary. I figure Stephen King would be harder to scare than this. Yes, I think this was a good book and I wasn’t expecting the ending, however, I think that statement was more over hyped. They probably used that to get more people to read the book. You may just have to read it for yourself and see what you think….
Winner of the 2015 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Novel
A chilling thriller that brilliantly blends psychological suspense and supernatural horror, reminiscent of Stephen King’s The Shining, Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, and William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist.
The lives of the Barretts, a normal suburban New England family, are torn apart when fourteen-year-old Marjorie begins to display signs of acute schizophrenia.
To her parents’ despair, the doctors are unable to stop Marjorie’s descent into madness. As their stable home devolves into a house of horrors, they reluctantly turn to a local Catholic priest for help. Father Wanderly suggests an exorcism; he believes the vulnerable teenager is the victim of demonic possession. He also contacts a production company that is eager to document the Barretts’ plight. With John, Marjorie’s father, out of work for more than a year and the medical bills looming, the family agrees to be filmed, and soon find themselves the unwitting stars of The Possession, a hit reality television show. When events in the Barrett household explode in tragedy, the show and the shocking incidents it captures become the stuff of urban legend.
Fifteen years later, a bestselling writer interviews Marjorie’s younger sister, Merry. As she recalls those long ago events that took place when she was just eight years old, long-buried secrets and painful memories that clash with what was broadcast on television begin to surface—and a mind-bending tale of psychological horror is unleashed, raising vexing questions about memory and reality, science and religion, and the very nature of evil.
I know there are some people that are probably stuck inside and can’t get out due to the Coronavirus going around. I haven’t gotten to that point yet where I live but I have a feeling that may come one day soon. Even though the Coronavirus was already in my state, they just announced over this past weekend that someone in my actual town tested positive for the Coronavirus. Yikes! Being that I work with the public, I wonder how long it’ll be now before everything gets shut down here? A lot of the restaurants were already “pick up only” or “curb side only”, at least for the ones that are still open. Plus, kids were already out of school for 2 weeks……and all this was before the confirmed case. I just have to see if the place where I work is considered essential or not (if it is considered essential, then we’ll have to stay open). We may just end up going “curb side only” like some of the restaurants.
Anyway, I have plenty of reading material to keep me occupied if I were to get quarantined. If anyone wants to, you can join me in reading. I’ll even take suggestions if anyone wants to throw some my way. I’ve also got some movies to watch (a lot of them are based on some of the literature I’ve read) so I can pull out some of them if I want to take a break from reading.
What do you have planned to do, if in the event you get quarantined? What are you doing to get by if you are already quarantined? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Reading is something I’ve enjoyed my entire life. Even before I learned to read on my own, I enjoyed it when someone else read a book to me. I don’t ever see myself quitting because I’ve enjoyed it too much. These days, not only do I enjoy it but I find it a relaxing after a long, hard day at work. It takes my mind off the stress and the little things that can get you down. It’s like giving your brain a vacation without having to leave the comfort of your own home (and I’m sure it’s a lot cheaper than taking a vacation).
Are there any avid readers out there like me who think they’ll ever quite reading? Why or why not?
What books do you think other people should read? I have a few books that I think everybody should read. I’ve listed them below in no particular order. Also, I’ve listed a synopsis directly beneath each book so you can see if you’d think you like it or not. One more thing……at the end of the synopsis, I’ve listed what age range the book is typically found in.
Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank’s remarkable diary has since become a world classic—a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit.
In 1942, with Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, they and another family lived cloistered in the “Secret Annex” of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death. In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and amusing, her account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short. (Young Adult)
After losing her family and everything she knew in the Nazi concentration camps, Gerta is finally liberated, only to find herself completely alone. Without her papa, her music, or even her true identity, she must move past the task of surviving and on to living her life. In the displaced persons camp where she is staying, Gerta meets Lev, a fellow teen survivor who she just might be falling for, despite her feelings for someone else. With a newfound Jewish identity she never knew she had, and a return to the life of music she thought she lost forever, Gerta must choose how to build a new future.
“What the Night Sings is a book from the heart, of the heart, and to the heart. Vesper Stamper’s Gerta will stay with you long after you turn the last page. Her story is one of hope and redemption and life–a blessing to the world.” –Deborah Heiligman, award-winning author of Charles and Emma and Vincent and Theo (Young Adult)
Shortly after moving into an old, spooky home, thirteen-year-old Thomas Small and his family start hearing strange noises. The house has a past, and when Thomas discovers a hidden passageway that may have been part of the Underground Railroad, the family realizes the house has a history as well. To find out all there is to know about the House of Dies Drear, Thomas must explore secret rooms—and the secrets of lives lived centuries before, lives that tell the story of America’s troubled early years. (Kids, 5th or 6th grade level)
Thomas Small and his best friend Pesty Darrow have been keeping the secret of the vast treasure that’s hidden in Mr. Pluto’s cave, once a stop on the Underground Railroad. Pesty also has to keep the treasure a secret from her family, who want it for themselves. And there are plenty more secrets in the underground passageways—hidden rooms, Indian legends, and terrifying ghosts. Now Thomas thinks that Pesty might be keeping some secrets from him, too. If they can’t trust each other, how will they ever protect the treasure? (Kids, 5th or 6th grade level)
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Program comes a haunting, romantic, and suspenseful story about one girl’s search for healing in a grand and mysterious hotel full of secrets.
Stay tonight. Stay forever.
When Audrey Casella arrives for an unplanned stay at the grand Hotel Ruby, she’s grateful for the detour. Just months after their mother’s death, Audrey and her brother, Daniel, are on their way to live with their grandmother, dumped on the doorstep of a DNA-matched stranger because their father is drowning in his grief.
Audrey and her family only plan to stay the night, but life in the Ruby can be intoxicating, extending their stay as it provides endless distractions—including handsome guest Elias Lange, who sends Audrey’s pulse racing. However, the hotel proves to be as strange as it is beautiful. Nightly fancy affairs in the ballroom are invitation only, and Audrey seems to be the one guest who doesn’t have an invite. Instead, she joins the hotel staff on the rooftop, catching whispers about the hotel’s dark past.
The more Audrey learns about the new people she’s met, the more her curiosity grows. She’s torn in different directions—the pull of her past with its overwhelming loss, the promise of a future that holds little joy, and an in-between in a place that is so much more than it seems…
And the 13th chapter will only add to the mystery behind the 13th floor of Hotel Ruby…and ultimately, what it means for Audrey.
Well, I’ve finished reading this novel on my Kindle Fire. I enjoyed this book as well, however, I think I enjoyed the first book more if I had to choose. I’m not saying this book was bad, far from it. I just think I enjoyed the adventure in the first book a little more than I did in this one. Still a good book to read with your kids, especially if you like medieval fiction
Synopsis: In this sequel to The Castle in the Attic, twelve-year-old William uses a magic token to return, through the toy castle in his attic, to the medieval land of Sir Simon, which is now menaced by a skeleton ship bearing a plague of evil.
