Ladies by the Lake

 "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder," written by Holly Jackson, is a gripping young adult thriller that takes high school drama to a whole new level. This book is told through the perspective of Pippa Fitz-Amobi, a high school senior whose curiosity about her small-town murder leads her down a rabbit hole she probably would never see coming. The story kicks off with the suspicious death of Andie Bell, a seemingly perfect student. The interesting plotline of this book that sets it apart from other crime novels is Pip's decision to dig into the closed case, challenging its official ruling of suicide. The narrative is told through a mix of traditional storytelling and modern elements like diary entries, text messages, and transcripts, making the investigation feel like a real-life high school drama. I especially liked these little details as they kept me intrigued and made the read feel much more casual. The small-town setting intensifies the suspense as secrets are unveiled...

The Keepers of the Lost cities series by Shannon Messenger was one of the first fantasy books I really got into (I stayed up wayyy too late several times while reading these books). Thus it has had a pretty major impact on me and helped to fuel my love of Fantasy (along with reading as a whole), so I almost immediately read the tenth book when it was released. And I enjoyed it, but I noticed that the book had a lot of filler. Which led me to view the 9 books I had already read a little more objectively, only to find that the other later books shared this filler, almost to a worrying degree. Now, probably due to nostalgia, I still love all of these books, but I am starting to worry about the ending to the series. Which finally leads me into the main topics of this blog post: What made these books good in the first place? And what makes this filler so worrying in the first place? From what I remember, several details made me get really attached to this series. I think the thing that ho...

Hi! In this week's blog post I will be taking a much different approach than I have recently and going back to my first blog post in a way where I gave book recommendations based off of Taylor Swift’s albums. But in this post I will be discussing Swift’s songwriting methods and how they convey a story of unrequited love and pain,  specifically in her song Tolerate It from her album Evermore. I hope you enjoy :) highlight = my favorite lines  [Verse 1] I sit and watch you readin' with your head low I wake and watch you breathin' with your eyes closed I sit and watch you I notice everything you do or don't do You're so much older and wiser, and I Verse 1: This verse really sets the story, giving depictions of her lover from her point of view using smaller details that most people might not notice but she does. I feel that when you truly look up to someone you “notice” everything they do and that is what Swift says that she does here. The line “I notice everything you...

  The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a historical fiction novel about a actress making her way and carving out a place for herself in Hollywood, getting 7 husbands along the way.  When I first started the book, it took me a while to get into reading it, because the first handful of chapters are the lead up to Evelyn's story. However, the rest of the book is spectacularly written. The story is written as a biography of Evelyn, starting with Monique (her biographer) asking her who her one true love is. Evelyn answers Celia St. James, a woman. Evelyn's seven husbands (and one wife) tell the story of her efforts to hide her sexuality from the societal norms from the 50's through the 80's-- when she quit acting. Throughout the book, Evelyn is shown to be morally gray- she lied, deceived and manipulated people and the press to gain-- and keep-- her fame and money through her tumultuous relationships.  I would highly recommend The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo to anyone who ...

     "The Blackthorn Key" is a historical fiction novel written by Kevin Sands. Set in 17th-century London, the story revolves around Christopher Rowe, an apothecary's apprentice, and his adventures in a world filled with alchemy, mystery, and danger.     The book opens with a series of gruesome murders that seem connected to a cryptic code, leaving Christopher and his friend Tom to unravel the hidden secrets and decode the mysterious messages. The two  uncover a plot that could threaten the entire city. The novel is a blend of historical accuracy and fantastical elements, incorporating alchemical puzzles, potions, and a richly detailed portrayal of London during the time of King Charles II.      The challenges faced by Christopher and his friends emphasized themes of friendship, loyalty, and sacrifice, adding depth to the narrative. I felt a genuine connection to the characters, sharing in their triumphs and feeling a pang of sadness at thei...

     Greywaren is the final book in the Dreamers Trilogy that I have been reading for the last couple of months. As I stated in an earlier blog post about the 2nd book, I discovered this series through reading the main series it is a part of; the Raven Cycle. I really enjoyed the first two books in the series (along with the main story) so I had high hopes for this book, and I can say with confidence that this book surpassed those expectations.      The main reason I enjoyed this book so much is due to it finally giving answers to most of the mysteries that have been present throughout even the main series. Many of which relate to the magic system/worldbuilding that I am a big fan of. The main form of magic in the series generally has to do with certain kinds of people (known as dreamers) who can take things they dream out of said dreams. But there are also seemingly impossible creatures and abilities of some people that have at first glance no connection t...

 Thanksgiving (if you celebrate) and the holidays are coming up- and with it, baking. Whether you want to get a book for yourself or someone else, or if you just want new recipes to try out in the upcoming months, I've put together a 3 reviews of my top recommendations for baking recipe books.  Mary Berry's Baking Bible Mary Berry is a famous British baker, probably most known for her judging on the popular baking show The Great British Bake Off. Personally, I have a huge sweet tooth, and have always loved to bake- with my grandma, relatives or just by myself. The Great British Bake Off was the first baking show I watched, and Mary's detailed desserts always looked so pretty and tasty. Her book includes seemingly everything from different kinds of cakes, to cookies, breads- although that was always more Paul's scene-, to pies, souffles, cheesecakes and much, much more. It covers easy to make desserts and more challenging ones, allowing you to pick one that is at your sk...