Let the Right Book In

In the suburban community of Shaker Heights, the Richardson house is up in flames following suspected arson. The youngest of the family is thought to be the culprit… "All her life, she had learned that passion, like fire, was a dangerous thing. It went so easily out of control." The main reason why I really loved this book is also why I am a big fan of Jodi Picoult. Questions are raised which do not have a right or wrong answer – a lot of scenarios are morally ambiguous. They are also the kind of questions and scenarios that will stick with you long after you have finished the book. What makes a mother? Is it being the one who gives birth to the child, who is the mother biologically? Or is it caring for and raising a child in a loving home, where they are provided for? I still haven’t decided where I fall in this morally grey situation. Celeste Ng’s writing is simply gorgeous, I will definitely be picking up her debut book at some point. Her prose is rich in ...

Paul Sheldon, the best-selling writer of the Misery novels, finds himself rescued from a car accident by his number one fan, Annie Wilkes. As the former nurse takes care of him in her home, she finds out he killed off Misery in his latest novel and decides to keep Paul as her prisoner as he writes Misery back to life. "I am in trouble here. This woman is not right." I read a number of Stephen King books pre-bookstagram and pre-goodreads, therefore I have never written a proper review for these books. Revisiting these books through readalongs and listening to audiobooks while running or at the gym gives me the opportunity to do so! Unfortunately when I revisited Misery it was in the form of the audiobook... and I was not a fan (and most certainly NOT its number 1 fan). The narrator did such a brilliant job of conveying the truly insane character that is Annie Wilkes, but otherwise it was very monotonous and boring at times. BUT I know that's not really the case ...

This omnibus is comprised of the first 5 graphic novels in the Dark Tower series. It is basically an adaptation of Wizard and Glass, so the story starts chronologically in this format. "That's how it always is when star-crossed lovers first lock eyes. And they are like stars, they really are... burning hot and bright, and then flaring out. For all I know, they may even be the same ones, do ya kennet? The same souls, always meeting, always hoping to beat the long odds... and always failing." Let's get one thing straight: these will never be anywhere near as good as the books. Obviously. But once you accept that, you can enjoy them for what they are. I LOVED seeing the story told in this format - the illustrations are fucking incredible and the writing has all the Dark Tower lingo that we've come to know and love. This omnibus has the basic events of Wizard and Glass, but also has the bonus of certain happenings being expanded upon - like The Fall o...

The story of a closely knit group of six classics students at a small, elite college in Hampden, Vermont. One of the six students is Richard Papen, who reflects upon and narrates the events that let to a murder within the group. "There is nothing wrong with the love of Beauty. But Beauty - unless she is wed to something more meaningful - is always superficial." Please excuse me while I fangirl over this wonderfully dark story that appears to be heavily inspired by the Greek mythology and tragedy that our characters bonded over in the first place. Let's get this straight - I'm almost 100% certain you won't find any of these characters endearing in the slightest. They are all literally THE WORST. And as someone who often needs to fall in love with characters in order to really enjoy a story, I was surprised at how taken I was with this group of preppy Ivy League college students. Our narrator, who is the outsider of the group being on financial aid and su...

The story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, who was born without his own scent but with a heightened sense of smell. Set in Paris in the late 1700s, Perfume tells the tale of his search for the perfect scent. "For people could close their eyes to greatness, to horrors, to beauty, and their ears to melodies or deceiving words. But they couldn't escape scent." Perfume has to be one of the most unique stories I've encountered, at times it is as equally beautiful as it is grim and disturbing. The story focuses on the life of Grenouille, right from his birth up until his later adult years. It's absolutely captivating and unique in that Suskind uses scent and smells as a way to explore so many different themes, such as power, obsession and the strong desire to obtain perfection. The character development of Grenouille is incredibly well-written, you can't help but feel sorry for him as he becomes quite a loner in his quest (he literally fucking lives under a mo...