Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

Let's dive into the mystery of Astrology. It's been a long while since I listened to this, so I did have to delve into a few reviews to remind myself, but then it all came flooding back.  There are a lot of characters, and each one was narrated by someone different, so this helped massively. It didn't take me long to work out who was who, how people were linked, and their purpose to the story. As expected from the title, there is a huge focus on astrology and how your star sign, your birth chart and what planets and stars are arising and descending when, can determine the person you become. The Astrology House is full of secrets, with a thrilling twist at the end. I would definitely like to read more from this author.  Thank you to Libro FM and Simon & Schuster Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review The Astrology House by Carinn Jade. About the Book A group of wealthy Manhattanites escapes to an astrology-themed retreat, where simmering resentments and long-...

Missing girls but no bodies.... This was an audiobook listen for me and made all the more enjoyable because of the four narrators, who really made the story their own. It became quite apparent from the beginning that the majority of this small community has had a strict religious upbringing and continues to follow their faith. The wife's role was to bring up the kids and look after the house, and absolutely everything has to be run past their husbands first. I appreciate that there are many, many communities in the US that put their faith above everything, but I don't think I've read a book that focuses highly on this, not one set in the 21st century anyway.  I worked out pretty early on who the bad guy was going to be, but that didn't spoil the enjoyment at all. There were still plenty of moments when I nearly changed my mind, as every now and then the plot took a diversion! A great story with underlying themes of grief and the difficulties of motherhood.  Thank you to...

Told through the words of someone with severe OCD, anxiety and depression. This is an eye-opener. First, my sincere apologies to the author who kindly gifted me a copy of her book back in 2023, and I'm ashamed to say it's taken me two years to read it. Over commitment is my only excuse, but I am trying to do better this year! A short read, I found The Existence of Amy to be so informative, yet entertaining. None of us are fully aware of how another person is feeling, and if you are good at hiding the real you, quite often, no one will find out. This is how Amy has been living, but at some point, it's all going to get too much, and she won't be able to hide it any longer.  I think we all have an element of OCD, but thankfully, the majority of us can go about our daily lives without it affecting us too much. I am pretty sure that this is based on the author's own experiences, and I loved how raw and honest this book was. All the way through I was rooting for Amy, her...

'In love, we find out who we want to be. In war, we find out who we are'. Historical fiction, particularly that set during World War II and inspired by true events, is my first love as a genre. The Nightingale is incredible. I cannot even begin to explain how this book made me feel. I was in awe of the two female protagonists, who both became a part of the Resistance in order to help others. Isabelle - the Nightingale - took many treacherous journeys across the Pyrenees, to help downed Allied airmen return home and Vianne helped to hide Jewish children who were forcibly abandoned by their mothers. The Nightingale is a book about determination, perseverance and love. It is heart-wrenching, but positive, harrowing, yet encouraging. It will fill you with every emotion you have, a million times over, Every single time I read a book like this, I always turn the last page with a gut-wrenching thought that all of these things happened.  Thank you so much to #BookstaBritsBookClub for ...

Well, that was a dark ending! I'm flying through my audiobooks this year, and The House on Cold Creek Lane was another good one. I seem to be picking up the thriller audiobooks rather than the physical or digital copies, and I'm loving the immersiveness of them. A good narrator makes for an even better story, and Emily Ellet and Gail Shalan did a fantastic job of picking me up and depositing me into the lives of those who live or have lived on Cold Creek Lane.  I didn't care for Laurel's husband, yep, he might have wanted what was best for her, but he didn't handle her very well. He came across as controlling and bossy, many a time I wanted to throw that influencing attitude right back at him.  Told alternatively from Laurel and Corey's point of view, both characters were pretty screwed up in different ways.  I worked out pretty early on who the bad guy was, but what I wasn't expecting was that ending! Wow, Liz, just wow! As an author I'm pretty sure you...

So many plot twists that I didn't see coming! I'm pretty sure this was my first venture into Linwood Barclay's world, and I was hooked from the time I pressed play that first time, until I removed my AirPods after the final chapter and wondered to myself what I had just listened to! Tense and frantic, I was pulled this way and that as chapter after chapter brought more surprises and WTF moments. I felt for Richard, our protagonist, as he has to spend the entirety of the book trying to prove his innocence, whilst investigating just what the hell is going on. This seems to be a theme right now for my books! Fancy an adrenaline rush, where at the end of the book, you'll physically feel like you experienced absolutely everything, then grab yourself a copy of I Will Ruin You. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Thank you to Harper Collins UK and Libro FM for the opportunity to listen to and review I Will Ruin You by Linwood Barclay. About the Book How would you re...

I think this will become a favourite... The Haunting of Hill House was one I listened to last October for #classiclitbookclub. I don't usually read or listen to horror, but this sent me down a rabbit hole of defining horror. According to Wikipedia, 'Horror is a genre of speculative fiction that is intended to disturb, frighten, or scare an audience'. According to what I researched, Dracula, Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray can all be classified as horror. I've read all of these, and I wasn't disturbed, frightened or scared by any of them. I was entertained, immersed and enthralled by them all. The things that I class as horror are that vile doll Chucky (was that his name) and The Exorcist, so maybe I need to be a little less judgmental of the horror genre from now on, and perhaps it isn't reading horror that I don't like, it's watching it! Anyway, back to the review...I liked it, I liked it a lot. The author didn't just create the atmosphe...