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thelinguisticlibrary · 3 years

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Title: The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle Author: Stuart Turton Genre: Mystery Year: 2018 Page Count: 432 Summary: Aiden Bishop knows the rules. Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until he can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest at Blackheath Manor. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others.

Thoughts: I had absolutely no idea what was going on in this book at first, but it ended up coming together. It was kind of like Agatha Christie meets Groundhog Day. The end was definitely surprising, which was nice. You definitely couldn’t guess what was going to happen. My Stats: Read: 2020 Time: 4 Days

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thelinguisticlibrary · 3 years

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Title: Middlegame Author: Seanan McGuire Genre: Fantasy Year: 2019 Page Count: 525 Summary: Meet Roger. Skilled with words, languages come easily to him. He instinctively understands how the world works through the power of story. Meet Dodger, his twin. Numbers are her world, her obsession, her everything. All she understands, she does so through the power of math. Roger and Dodger aren’t exactly human, though they don’t realise it. They aren’t exactly gods, either. Not entirely. Not yet. Meet Reed, skilled in the alchemical arts like his progenitor before him. Reed created Dodger and her brother. He’s not their father. Not quite. But he has a plan: to raise the twins to the highest power, to ascend with them and claim their authority as his own. Godhood is attainable. Pray it isn’t attained.

Thoughts: I was unsure about this book after reading the summary, and almost didn’t read it. I’m so glad I did. This was one of the most unique books I’ve ever read. It was absolutely fantastic. Such a good story and such good characters. Beautiful.

My Stats: Read: 2020 Time: 7 Days

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thelinguisticlibrary · 3 years

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Title: I’ll Never Tell Author: Catherine McKenzie Genre: Mystery Year: 2019 Page Count: 355 Summary: What happened to Amanda Holmes? Twenty years ago, she was found bludgeoned in a rowboat at the MacAllister family’s Camp Macaw. No one was ever charged with the crime. Now, after their parents’ sudden deaths, the MacAllister siblings return to camp to read the will and decide what to do with the prime real estate the camp occupies. Ryan needs to sell. Margaux hasn’t made up her mind. Mary believes in leaving well enough alone. Kate and Liddie—the twins—have opposing views. And Sean Booth, the groundskeeper, just hopes he still has a home when all is said and done. But it’s more complicated than a simple vote. The will stipulates that until they unravel the mystery of what happened to Amanda, they can’t settle the estate. Any one of them could have done it, and each one is holding a piece of the puzzle. Will they work together to finally discover the truth, or will their secrets finally tear the family apart?

Thoughts: When I first finished this book I wasn’t really sure about it. I enjoyed reading it and thought it was good, but I wasn’t really impressed. With some distance from reading it, I actually think it was a pretty good book. It set up a really good mystery, I enjoyed the different perspectives, and the camp aspect worked really well. Overall I would definitely recommend.

My Stats: Read: 2020 Time: 4 Days

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thelinguisticlibrary · 3 years

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Title: The Family Upstairs Author: Lisa Jewell Genre: Mystery/Thriller Year: 2019 Page Count: 340 Summary: Soon after her twenty-fifth birthday, Libby Jones returns home from work to find the letter she’s been waiting for her entire life. She rips it open with one driving thought: I am finally going to know who I am. She soon learns not only the identity of her birth parents, but also that she is the sole inheritor of their abandoned mansion on the banks of the Thames in London’s fashionable Chelsea neighborhood, worth millions. Everything in Libby’s life is about to change. But what she can’t possibly know is that others have been waiting for this day as well—and she is on a collision course to meet them. Twenty-five years ago, police were called to 16 Cheyne Walk with reports of a baby crying. When they arrived, they found a healthy ten-month-old happily cooing in her crib in the bedroom. Downstairs in the kitchen lay three dead bodies, all dressed in black, next to a hastily scrawled note. And the four other children reported to live at Cheyne Walk were gone. The can’t-look-away story of three entangled families living in a house with the darkest of secrets.

Thoughts: This was legit one of the craziest books I’ve ever read. At no point did I have any idea where this story was going. Well done. Note there are mentions of abuse that could be triggering.

My Stats: Read: 2020 Time: 1 Day

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thelinguisticlibrary · 3 years

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Title: Elevation Author: Stephen King Genre: Fiction Year: 2018 Page Count: 146 Summary: Although Scott Carey doesn’t look any different, he’s been steadily losing weight. There are a couple of other odd things, too. He weighs the same in his clothes and out of them, no matter how heavy they are. Scott doesn’t want to be poked and prodded. He mostly just wants someone else to know, and he trusts Doctor Bob Ellis.

Thoughts: Overall I liked this book. I thought it was cute, something probably very rarely said about any of King’s work. My favorite thing about King as an author is his characters, and I didn’t feel like he was able to dig as deep into them as he normally would in something this short. I still really enjoyed it either way, and would definitely read it again. My Stats: Read: 2020 Time: 2 Days

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thelinguisticlibrary · 3 years

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Title: The Devil and the Dark Water Author: Stuart Turton Genre: Mystery Year: 2020 Page Count: 463 Summary: It's 1634 and Samuel Pipps, the world's greatest detective, is being transported to Amsterdam to be executed for a crime he may, or may not, have committed. Travelling with him is his loyal bodyguard, Arent Hayes, who is determined to prove his friend innocent. But no sooner are they out to sea than devilry begins to blight the voyage. A twice-dead leper stalks the decks. Strange symbols appear on the sails. Livestock is slaughtered. And then three passengers are marked for death, including Samuel. Could a demon be responsible for their misfortunes? With Pipps imprisoned, only Arent can solve a mystery that connects every passenger onboard. A mystery that stretches back into their past and now threatens to sink the ship, killing everybody on board.

Thoughts: At the very beginning I wasn’t sure about this story, since maritime stories aren’t my usual thing. I very quickly couldn’t put it down, this one is definitely a page tuner. This was like an occult-y Sherlock Holmes-esque story. It was pretty good, though I didn’t love the end. I would still highly recommend. Great writing.

My Stats: Read: 2020 Time: 2 Days

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thelinguisticlibrary · 3 years

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Title: The Sundown Motel Author: Simone St. James Genre: Mystery/Thriller Year: 2020 Page Count: 327 Summary: Upstate NY, 1982. Every small town like Fell, New York, has a place like the Sun Down Motel. Some customers are from out of town, passing through on their way to someplace better. Some are locals, trying to hide their secrets. Viv Delaney works as the night clerk to pay for her move to New York City. But something isn't right at the Sun Down, and before long she's determined to uncover all of the secrets hidden.

Thoughts: I actually really enjoyed this book. It follows two perspectives, the perspective of a night shift employee at a motel who disappears, and her niece who’s trying to solve her disappearance. It’s considered a mystery/thriller, but there are supernatural elements as well. A good mystery novel overall and I would definitely recommend it.

My Stats: Read: 2020 Time: 1 Day

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thelinguisticlibrary · 3 years

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Title: Piranesi Author: Susanna Clarke Genre: Fantasy Year: 2020 Page Count: 245 Summary: Piranesi's house is no ordinary building: its rooms are infinite, its corridors endless, its walls are lined with thousands upon thousands of statues, each one different from all the others. Within the labyrinth of halls an ocean is imprisoned; waves thunder up staircases, rooms are flooded in an instant. But Piranesi is not afraid; he understands the tides as he understands the pattern of the labyrinth itself. He lives to explore the house. There is one other person in the house—a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel, revealing a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known.

Thoughts: I have mixed feelings about this book. I didn’t particularly like the way that it was written. There was something about the prose that just rubbed me the wrong way. I did like the story itself and the general vibe of the story.

My stats: Read: 2020 Time: Within a Day

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thelinguisticlibrary · 3 years

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Title: Home Before Dark Author: Riley Sager Genre: Horror/Thriller Year: 2020 Page Count: 384 Summary: Maggie Holt is used to such questions. Twenty-five years ago, she and her parents, Ewan and Jess, moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. They spent three weeks there before fleeing in the dead of night, an ordeal Ewan later recounted in a nonfiction book called House of Horrors. His tale of ghostly happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon, rivaling The Amityville Horror in popularity—and skepticism. Today, Maggie is a restorer of old homes and too young to remember any of the events mentioned in her father’s book. But she also doesn’t believe a word of it. Ghosts, after all, don’t exist. When Maggie inherits Baneberry Hall after her father’s death, she returns to renovate the place to prepare it for sale. But her homecoming is anything but warm. People from the past, chronicled in House of Horrors, lurk in the shadows. And locals aren’t thrilled that their small town has been made infamous thanks to Maggie’s father. Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself—a place filled with relics from another era that hint at a history of dark deeds. As Maggie experiences strange occurrences straight out of her father’s book, she starts to believe that what he wrote was more fact than fiction.

Thoughts: I thought this book was going to be better than it was, but it was still pretty decent. I would say it was worth a read, and it reminded me a little of the Haunting of Hill House show on Netflix in parts.

My Stats: Read: 2020 Time: 1 Day

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thelinguisticlibrary · 3 years

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Title: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Author: V. E. Schwab Genre: Fantasy Year: 2020 Page Count: 442 Summary: France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world. But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

Thoughts: I wasn’t sure about this book at first, I just wasn’t sure where it was going and the start was a little slow. That being said this book ended up being amazing. It was beautifully written and overall the story was incredible. Great read, and I highly recommend it.

My Stats: Read: 2020 Time: 2 Days

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thelinguisticlibrary · 3 years

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Title: Abandon Author: Blake Crouch Genre: Horror/Thriller Year: 2009 Page Count: 521 Summary: Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?

Thoughts: This book was pretty good! I really liked the dual story aspect. On one hand you have the very intense story of what happened in the past and on the other the very intense story of the present. An absolute page turner. Highly recommend.

My Stats: Read: 2020 Time: 1 Day

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thelinguisticlibrary · 3 years

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Title: The Once and Future Witches Author: Alix E. Harrow Genre: Fantasy Year: 2020 Page Count: 528 Summary: In 1893, there's no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box. But when the Eastwood sisters--James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna--join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women's movement into the witch's movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote-and perhaps not even to live-the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive. There's no such thing as witches. But there will be.

Thoughts: This is the second book I’ve read of Harrow’s. This is my second favorite of her books, but it was still absolutely amazing. When I first started it I wasn’t sure, but I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought it would be. I absolutely love the three witch sisters aesthetic. So cute and charming. Great read, highly recommend. My Stats: Read: 2020 Time: 15 Days

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thelinguisticlibrary · 3 years

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Genre: Fiction/Fantasy Year: 2020 Page Count: 288 Summary: Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?

Thoughts: I would say that I enjoyed this book overall, but I wouldn’t say that it was outstanding. It was short enough to keep my interest despite not really hooking me in. It’s worth a read, especially given its length.

My Stats: Read: 2020 Time: 1 Day

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thelinguisticlibrary · 3 years

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Genre: Mystery Year: 2020 Page Count: 313 Summary: On a remote island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate the wedding of Jules Keegan and Will Slater. Will is a rising television star, handsome and charming. Jules is a smart, ambitious magazine publisher. Though the sea is a little choppy and the cell service spotty, their wedding is everything you'd expect of a young power couple: designer dress, four-tiered cake, boutique whiskey, vintage champagne. Every detail has been curated to perfection. All that's left to orchestrate is happiness. But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. It's not long after the cake is cut and the champagne popped that resentments and petty jealousies come out. Worse yet, the latest barometer reading shows the weather has shifted from FAIR to CHANGEABLE, and dark clouds are looming overhead. Everyone on the island has a secret. Everyone has a motive. And someone won't leave this wedding alive.

Thoughts: This book was not my favorite, but I still enjoyed the read. I don’t usually enjoy stories that switch between perspectives, but I think it actually worked in this one. I would say that it’s worth the read overall. My Stats: Read: 2020 Time: 3 Days

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thelinguisticlibrary · 3 years

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Title: The Hollow Places Author: T. Kingfisher Genre: Horror Year: 2020 Page Count: 352 Summary: Pray they are hungry. Kara finds these words in the mysterious bunker that she’s discovered behind a hole in the wall of her uncle’s house. Freshly divorced and living back at home, Kara now becomes obsessed with these cryptic words and starts exploring the peculiar bunker—only to discover that it holds portals to countless alternate realities. But these places are haunted by creatures that seem to hear thoughts…and the more you fear them, the stronger they become.

Thoughts: This wasn’t the absolute best book of all time, but Kingfisher does have a way of scaring the crap out of you in their writing. This book was super intense and nerve-wracking. Total page turner, and I highly recommend. My Stats: Read: 2020 Time: 1 Day

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thelinguisticlibrary · 3 years

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Genre: Thriller Year: 2011 Page Count: 415 Summary: Arlen Wagner has seen it in men before--a trace of smoke in their eyes that promises imminent death. He is never wrong. When Arlen awakens on a train one hot Florida night and sees death's telltale sign in the eyes of his fellow passengers, he tries to warn them. Only 19-year-old Paul Brickhill believes him, and the two abandon the train, hoping to escape certain death. They continue south, but soon are stranded at the Cypress House--an isolated Gulf Coast boarding house run by the beautiful Rebecca Cady--directly in the path of an approaching hurricane. The storm isn't the only approaching danger, though. A much deadlier force controls the county and everyone living in it, and Arlen wants out--fast. But Paul refuses to abandon Rebecca to face the threats alone, even though Arlen's eerie gift warns that if they stay too long they may never leave.

I liked this book. I thought it was good. I liked the writing. I couldn’t help but feel like it seemed like a plot that would be well at home in a Stephen King novel, and wishing that he would have written it, because it would’ve been better. Cypress House is still worth the read though, and I would definitely recommend.

Stats: Read: 2021 Time: 4 Days

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thelinguisticlibrary · 3 years

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Genre: Horror Year: 1999 Page Count: 370 Summary: On the first day of May, 100 teenage boys meet for a race known as "The Long Walk." If you break the rules, you get three warnings. If you exceed your limit, what happens is absolutely terrifying.

The title of this novel is very apt: the main character is walking the entire novel. You would think that would be boring, but King manages to twist it into something above and beyond. It’s horrible, and touching, and heartbreaking. It’s impossible to put down, and worth a read. Would recommend.

Stats: Read: 2021 Time: 1 Day

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