Book Review – World of Bai

Book Review: “The Spite House” By Johnny Compton

I read this book for my Book Club Pick in the month of May. This book was Co Hosted by my Best Friend Bree and My best Bookish Friend Ireland. The Live Book Discussion is on 06/03/23 at 5 Pm MST.

About The Book

Author: Johnny Compton

Publisher: Tor

Published Date: February 7th, 2023

Page Count: 261 Pages

Main Genres: Horror, Gothic, Paranormal

GoodReads Rating: 3.54

Format: Physical Book

Synopsis

Eric Ross is on the run from a mysterious past with his two daughters in tow. Having left his wife, his house, his whole life behind in Maryland, he’s desperate for money–it’s not easy to find safe work when you can’t provide references, you can’t stay in one place for long, and you’re paranoid that your past is creeping back up on you.

When he comes across the strange ad for the Masson House in Degener, Texas, Eric thinks they may have finally caught a lucky break. The Masson property, notorious for being one of the most haunted places in Texas, needs a caretaker of sorts. The owner is looking for proof of paranormal activity. All they need to do is stay in the house and keep a detailed record of everything that happens there. Provided the house’s horrors don’t drive them all mad, like the caretakers before them.

The job calls to Eric, not just because there’s a huge payout if they can make it through, but because he wants to explore the secrets of the spite house. If it is indeed haunted, maybe it’ll help him understand the uncanny power that clings to his family, driving them from town to town, making them afraid to stop running. A terrifying Gothic thriller about grief and death and the depths of a father’s love, Johnny Compton’s The Spite House is a stunning debut by a horror master in the making.

Synopsis From GoodReads

Rating

Review

This book was neither a hit or a miss. I honestly have pretty neutral feelings towards this book. I loved the paranormal aspect to this read as I have been dying to find a spooky read that makes me questions if spirits are truly there or not and this book did give that! But I did have a few things that brought more questions than answers. With that being said I think if this book was just 50 pages longer I think this book would have ended nicely or even a second book about the family now that all this has happened.

This book had so many POV’s, in fact I think you get a POV from all main characters. I can count at least 9 POV’s from the top of my head. This caused a lot of confusion for me but was honestly needed for the book to make any sense. The Spite House has an Extensive history and without the Multiple POV’s I don’t think we as readers would have been able to grasp what was going on throughout the entire book. But having Multiple POV’s also left me wanting to learn more about each and every character.

Overall I am glad I read this book but I could have lived without ever reading it. This really gave off Stephen King Vibes such as The Shinning and Pet Semetary, so if those are your vibes you might like this book. Lasty, If there was a second book ever made about Stacy I would read it as I cared about her character the most and would love to know more about her situation.

“You can do anything you want, you just have to make it happen.”
Johnny Compton, The Spite House

QOTD: What is the best paranormal book you have ever read?

Book Review: “Happy Place” By Emily Henry

I am a huge Emily Henry Fan. I have read all four of her romance books now that “Happy Place” Has came out. Looking back at my ratings for all her book I have given all of them five stars but if I am honest with you I think I would probably rate “People We Meet on Vacation” A four star read now as I honestly thought that was the true rating I gave it and it is for sure my least favorite of her books but it was still a great read.

“In every universe, it’s you for me. Even if it’s not me for you.”
Emily Henry, Happy Place

About The Book

Author: Emily Henry

Publisher: Berkley

Published Date: April 25th, 2023

Page Count: 400 Pages

Main Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction

GoodReads Rating: 4.40

Format: Physical Book

“Like even when something beautiful breaks, the making of it still matters.”
Emily Henry, Happy Place

Synopsis

Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.

They broke up six months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.

Which is how they find themselves sharing the largest bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blue week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.

Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week… in front of those who know you best?

Synopsis From GoodReads

“Things change, but we stretch and grow and make room for one another.

Our love is a place we can always come back to, and it will be waiting, the same as it ever was.

You belong here. ”
Emily Henry, Happy Place

Rating

“I imagined them all thinking it was worth it. Telling me how much they loved me. All my life, when I thought of my future, that was what I pictured. Not a career. The things I thought would come with it. Happiness, love, safety. And that dream had been enough for a long time. What was school if not a chance to earn your worth? To prove, again and again, that you were measurably good. One more deal I struck with a disinterested universe: If I’m good enough, I’ll be happy. I’ll be loved. I’ll be safe.”
Emily Henry, Happy Place

Review

I was of course very Hyped for this book as Emily Henry can do no wrong in my mind. However, in the beginning of this book I was a little worried I wouldn’t enjoy this one nearly as much as the rest of her books as it was more of an enemies to lovers type vibe but also not really. I just really struggle with any kind of enemy to lovers books as I really hate constant tension between two characters I am supposed to be rooting for. And much like “People We Meet On Vacation” it had a lot of miscommunication in it that I did struggle with.

What really sucked me in and ultimately the real reason it has a pretty high rating is because of the mental health representation in the book. It discusses how hard it is to love someone else when you can barely love yourself. I mean how can you expect someone to be able to be by your side cheering you on when they have a lot of internal battles going on? My big take away from this book is in relationships it is so important to have open communication about your mental space for both romantic and friend relationships. The people who truly care about you will understand if you are struggling and need some distance but they will be there no matter what when you are ready to reach out. A great example of this would be me and my friend, we both struggle with our mental health and some days we talk non stop and then we go a week or two with hardly any communication because it is emotionally exhausting to respond sometimes and maybe we just need sometime to heal ourselves and we just let each other know “Hey, my mental health needs some work I won’t be as responsive for a bit but I still love you, talk when I can.”

Besides mental health it also discussed a lot about friendships and how they change over years. As you move on from school and start families and careers you don’t always have the same amount of time to be with your friends but you should cherish the moments you do have. It is a beautiful thing getting to watch your friends lives grow and how you will fit in with that ever changing life. You won’t always be the same person you were in high school/college, it is normal to go your separate ways but when you do get back together it will be as if no time has passed. This is something that I really struggle with though, friends moving states and having kids when you are still in your childhood home makes you feel stuck and kind of lonely but the nice thing about this day and age is just because someone lives thousands of miles away they are only a text or facetime away. You can still keep these connections strong!

So, yes overall I loved this book! If you like romance books with minimal spicey levels then Emily Henry is your gal! I highly recommend all of her books so do yourself a favor and pick one or all of them up!

“My best friends taught me a new kind of quiet, the peaceful stillness of knowing one another so well you don’t need to fill the space. And a new kind of loud: noise as a celebration, as the overflow of joy at being alive, here, now.”
Emily Henry, Happy Place

QOTD: What Emily Henry Book is your favorite?

“They all do, I think. You are in all of my happiest places. You are where my mind goes when it needs to be soothed.”
Emily Henry, Happy Place

May Hopefuls 2023

I am really hoping to read a good chunk of books this month. Last Month I mostly read only Graphic Novels so I would like to read at least 2 regular chunky books. I feel like I am going to lean more towards Spring Vibes for my books just because as a mood reader that sounds ideal to me.

Hopefuls

Legendary has bene on every Hopefuls list since January…. I am technically almost done with it so I am really hoping I finish it this month.

April Wrap Up

All I have to say is that I am in my Graphic Novel Era! I read seven books this last month and 6/7 were graphic novels. Honestly I was a little sad that I only finished one big book this month but I should still be proud of myself for reaching out of my comfort zone. After all reading is reading no matter the format!

Physical Book

“Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow” By Gabrielle Zevin

These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won’t protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts.

Spanning thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.

Full Review

Graphic Novels

“Lore Olympus” Volumes 2 & 3

I would rate this series so far 4 stars. I really love the art style of these but I feel as if I am missing some of the story line. I am very excited for the next volume to come out in June!

“Spy Family” Volume 9

I am in love with this series so far and this volume was no exception! This was the only book I rated five stars to this month which blows my mind! I can not wait for the next volume to come out, but in the mean time maybe I will start watching the TV Series.

“I Think Our Son Is Gay”

So far this series has been super cute and I love that the perspective is from the mom. I think it has a really sweet message behind it. I need to get my hands on the rest of these ASAP!

“Delicates”

This is the second book in the Sheets Graphic Novel Series and I am absolutely hooked! This one had a lot of teenage drama but did a really good job discussing the reality of bullying. Trigger Warning for Depression and Suicidal Thoughts.

Overall I had a really good reading month where I read books that I truly enjoyed but heavy on the trigger warnings! Let me know if you decide to pick any of these up!

Book Review: “Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow” By Gabrielle Zevin

This was my Book Club pick for April and if I am completely honest with you I probably wouldn’t have ever picked this book up if it wasn’t for my Co-Host Picking this out for April’s Book Club Pick. Also If you are interested in the book club check out this previous post for more information.

“If this were a game, he could hit pause. He could restart, say different things, the right ones this time. He could search his inventory for the item that would make Sadie not leave.”
Gabrielle Zevin, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

About The Book

Author: Gabrielle Zevin

Publisher: Knopf

Published Date: July 5th, 2022

Page Count: 416 Pages

Main Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

GoodReads Rating: 4,26

Format: Physical Book

“How much of your life had been happenstance? How much of your life had been a roll of the big polyhedral die in the sky? But then, weren’t all lives that way? Who could say, in the end, that they had chosen any of it?”
Gabrielle Zevin, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Synopsis

On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn’t heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won’t protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts.

Synopsis From GoodReads

“If you’re always aiming for perfection, you won’t make anything at all.”
Gabrielle Zevin, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Rating

Review

Before I dive deep into this review I have a few things I would like to mention. One, If this was not for MY Book Club I would have DNF’d this book real quick. Two, I should have looked up trigger warnings for this before having my book club pick this up as it has practically every trigger warning under the sun. Three, Because this was for MY Book Club I think it’s the only reason I actually had any enjoyment for it as I really dove deep to understand all the little things so I can provide a good discussion for the book club .

This book starts off extremally slow and probably doesn’t pick up till around page 200 but I personally think it was worth my time and I am so happy I went forward with this book and finished it. If you go into this book knowing that this is not truly a romance book and more of a slow burn friendship I think you will have more enjoyment while reading.

As mentioned above this book has so many trigger warnings such as; Suicide, General Depression/Anxiety, Gun Violence, abortion, and more. So please take care of yourself if you decide to read this. Because of all of these trigger warnings this was a really difficult book to read but honestly left such a powerful message that really reflects on our day to day life and I applaud the author for bringing awareness to these things.

One Issue with this book I would like to bring up was the formatting of the chapters and the overall timeline. This was broken up into many different parts each with their own separate chapters so when discussing this book with others I couldn’t say oh yeah I am on chapter 5 because their were multiple chapter 5’s which is not a big deal but a bit inconvenient. But the big thing was all the timeline jumps out of no where, it felt like I was constantly guessing what age these characters were and it did take me out of the book several times because it felt weird. Again this isn’t a huge issue and overall it ended up making sense in the end of the book but I struggle with things like this I suppose.

Overall I am glad I read this book but I can’t say that it is a book for everyone so check the trigger warnings and other reviews before committing to this one.

“She had once read in a book about consciousness that over the years, the human brain makes an AI version of your loved ones. The brain collects data, and within your brain, you host a virtual version of that person. Upon the person’s death, your brain still believes the virtual person exists, because, in a sense, the person still does. After a while, though, the memory fades, and each year, you are left with an increasingly diminished version of the AI you had made when the person was alive.”
Gabrielle Zevin, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

QOTD: Have you read this book? I need to know if you think the same way I do!

“Long relationships might be richer, but relatively brief, relatively uncomplicated encounters with interesting people could be lovely as well. Every person you knew, every person you loved even, did not have to consume you for the time to have been worthwhile.”
Gabrielle Zevin, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

April Hopefuls: Realmathon Edition

This TBR is very important! I need to actually stick to this as I am participating in Realmathon hosted by CoversWithCassidy on YouTube. If you haven’t heard of Realmathon I highly suggest checking out this introductory video on Cassidy’s YouTube. But put very simply, you pick what Realm you want to join and you read books that will either add points to your realm or take points away from one of the enemies realms. This is my first time participating in a big readathon like this and I am so stoked! I hope you join along and may the best realm win!

My Realm

I chose the Sanctum Realm. This is the Thriller, Horror, Mystery Realm. I am for sure fit for this realm as Thrillers are my comfort reads. I have mostly Thrillers on my TBR this month and I can’t wait to devour them!

Hopefuls

I am excited to read these books and possibly others for this month long readathon. I hope to see some of you also participating and hey lets do a buddy read and hold each other accountable! Let me know if you join.