Joy's Book Blog
“The Invited” is a ghost story by Jennifer McMahon. Honestly, I read this book while waiting for another one of hers (I’ll review that when I get it eventually). It tells the story of Helen, a history teacher who convinces her husband, Nate, to leave the city and build their own house in rural Vermont. …
I admit I haven’t posted lately because I’ve seemed to hit a string of bad books (or more precisely, “books I didn’t enjoy” is the better term). It’s gotten to the point over the past month where I’ve read at least two books I haven’t even finished! I am not going to review those because …
“Daisy Darker” by Alice Feeney is hard to classify: it’s a ghost story wrapped up in a who-dun-it wrapped up in several murder mysteries, so I guess a fantasy/paranormal/mystery/thriller. What I do know is that the mystery part draws strongly from Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None,” and since that is one of my …
“Verity” Take Two Ok, so I’m actually writing two reviews for this one since I read it twice, approximately one year apart. The first review: This was an ….um…. interesting book. I honestly don’t know if I liked it or not for two reasons: 1. Definitely a psychological thriller à la “Gone Girl” (a book …
This was an ….um…. interesting book. I honestly don’t know if I liked it or not, but I do know I will not be recommending it to others for two reasons: 1. Definitely a psychological thriller à la “Gone Girl” (a book which I did not care for). I’ve met a lot of people lately …
I’m so lucky that I’ve been able to read such good books lately! I just finished “The Sanatorium” by Sarah Pearse. This genre of book is one of my favorites: a murder mystery that takes place in a historic building cut off from the rest of the world, usually by a storm…meaning no established characters …
Now, normally I would never, ever critique a genius like Agatha Christie. Her book And Then There Were None is one of my top 3 favorite books of all time (see all my favs here), with Murder on the Orient Express also being close to the top of the list. I thought Kenneth Branagh and …
I’m a sucker for Sherlock Holmes and anything related to its original premise. From Sir Arthur’s stories, to TV shows like House, to mini-series like the BBC’s Sherlock, to the traditional Sherlock Holmes movies, as long as the synopsis mentions Holmes, I’ll at least try it. That’s why I decided to read The Devil …
Mexican Gothic has all the elements in a book that I like, especially this time of year. Scary gothic mansion….check. Set in a foggy, gloomy, isolated place…check. Supernatural, unexplainable occurrences…check. Plus terrific character development….check. It’s no wonder that I liked this book! I’ve heard a lot of hype about Mexican Gothic and I was …
I liked this book, mostly because I thought it was beautifully written, a rarity in the horror genre. It’s in first-person, with the author being a well-to-do women, Colquitte, in her thirties. She’s a calm, logical person living a sedate life with her husband (no kids) somewhere “in the South” with a hint of New …