Sage Nestler's Blog, page 8

3 Books to Read If You Are Struggling This Holiday Season

The holidays can be a joyous time for many, but there are also some of us who find this season to be particularly difficult. If you are having a hard time with depression, grief, or feeling lonely, I hope that the following three books can bring you some sense of comfort. As a bibliotherapist, I find reading to be very therapeutic, and reading can be particularly helpful during this time of year. Try taking some time for yourself each day, put on some soft music, and escape into a book. The process of reading will help to put your mind at ease, while providing you with a comforting escape.

A BOOK TO READ IF YOU ARE FEELING LONELY

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.

By her brother’s graveside, Liesel’s life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger’s Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor’s wife’s library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel’s foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel’s world is both opened up, and closed down.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.

Goodreads Synopsis

The Book Thief is a beautifully haunting book that highlights how beautiful and life-changing books can be. While this book is intense and heartbreaking in many ways, it helps the reader to feel less alone.

A BOOK TO READ IF YOU ARE DEALING WITH DEPRESSION

This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

This is the story of what it’s like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie’s letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that the perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

Goodreads Synopsis

The first time that I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower, I was really struggling with my mental health. Reading Charlie’s story helped me not to feel so alone, and I consider it to be one of the books that saved my life. It can be an intense read, but hopefully it will be cathartic for you as you are struggling with your own depression.

A BOOK TO READ IF YOU ARE IMPACTED BY GRIEF

The bestselling novel about love, loss and hope from the twice Carnegie Medal-winning Patrick Ness.

Conor has the same dream every night, ever since his mother first fell ill, ever since she started the treatments that don’t quite seem to be working. But tonight is different. Tonight, when he wakes, there’s a visitor at his window. It’s ancient, elemental, a force of nature. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. It wants the truth.

Patrick Ness takes the final idea of the late, award-winning writer Siobhan Dowd and weaves an extraordinary and heartbreaking tale of mischief, healing and above all, the courage it takes to survive.

Goodreads Synopsis

The beauty of this novel is that it has a fantasy feel to it, but the overall theme is about managing grief. It is full of heart, and my hope is that it can be a source of comfort for you to help you work through your own grief.

Even though these books are very intense, I find that sometimes the most heart wrenching books can be cathartic because they help us to process through our own strong emotions. I hope that these books can bring you a sense of comfort if you are struggling this holiday season. Please know that you are not alone.

An Essential New Guidebook of Life-Honoring Rituals

To Purchase: https://www.laurenceking.com/products/rituals-for-life

Rituals are among the most powerful tools we have to create meaning and cultivate wellbeing in our lives. In Rituals for Life, you can learn to live a more intentional life, enriched by your connection with nature. The book explores the essential components of ritual and how to use them to bring happiness and inner peace into your every day life. Includes instructions for twenty rituals, some for every day and others for specific moments and occasions, that you can adapt for your own needs, as well as an exploration of the roots and purposes of ritual. Beautifully illustrated by Luisa Rivera, this inspiring book is a guide more authentic and soulful way of living.

Laurence King Publishing

Overall Rating

5/5

Quick Take

Rituals for Life: A Guidebook to Creating Meaningful Rituals Inspired by Nature by Isla Macleod is a beautifully illustrated new guidebook filled with information on how to create rituals, as well as a collection of pre-made rituals for the reader to re-create for themselves. The book focuses on rituals inspired by nature to help the user better connect with themselves and the world. It is an essential tool for any spiritual practitioner, and it is sure to become a staple in every practitioner’s library.

Tell Me More

I have been Wiccan and a spiritual practitioner for most my life. Rituals are a large part of my spiritual practice, so I was very excited to see that Rituals for Life: A Guidebook to Creating Meaningful Rituals Inspired by Nature by Isla Macleod was being published. This book is as essential for seasoned practitioners and beginners alike. The book heavily focuses on connecting with the earth and its cycles, which I find to be beautiful. So often we get stuck in our technology and fast paced lives, that we don’t take the time to connect with the world we are living in. This book gives us rituals to do just that, while allowing us to open up and create rituals that reflect our own needs.

The beginning of the book goes over rituals and their importance, as well as how they can benefit our lives. This is one of the best books I have found that explains the importance of rituals without just diving in, so I would gladly recommend it for those just starting out with rituals, or those who want to learn more. The beginning of the book also goes over the wheel of the year and explores the seasons that we go through and how they impact our lives. This section includes various illustrations that help explore these concepts, and I found that I will be using this section to educate others who are just starting to explore this form of spirituality.

But my favorite part about the book is that the rituals are split up by time of year (such as winter, spring, summer, and autumn). Each ritual in the seasonal sections of the book is designed to align with that time of year and teach readers which types of concepts are better for different seasons. The pre-prepared rituals are fairly simplistic but provide in-depth instructions on how to re-create the process. I found that the rituals were generalized for average events that could be considered universal, and while readers will probably not relate to every ritual, they can take the concepts therein and create their own processes. The book also includes a list of other books and resources for readers to explore, while including variations of the ritual to match each reader’s needs.

Rituals for Life: A Guidebook to Creating Meaningful Rituals Inspired by Nature by Isla Macleod is very well rounded in that it not only includes pre-thought out rituals, but information on how to create your own rituals, information on each season and what concepts are best to address in each period, as well as why rituals are helpful and how they can help you connect to the earth. The illustrations make the book user friendly, and Macleod’s writing made learning about rituals simple and fun. I absolutely recommend this book for any spiritual practitioner’s library, as well as those just starting out. It is a must read.

A Gorgeous Portrayal of Bullying, Trauma, and What Makes Us Human

Sixteen-year-old Sayers Wayte has everything—until he’s kidnapped by a man who tells him the privileged life he’s been living is based on a lie.

Trapped in a windowless room, without knowing why he’s been taken or how long the man plans to keep him shut away, Sayers faces a terrifying new reality. To survive, he must forget the world he once knew, and play the part his abductor has created for him.

But as time passes, the line between fact and fiction starts to blur, and Sayers begins to wonder if he can escape . . . before he loses himself. 

Goodreads Synopsis

Overall Rating

4/5

Quick Take

Dark Room Etiquette is one of those rare novels that you go in to not knowing what to expect and end up coming out completely changed. It is an exploration of bullying, trauma, class, and family that is beautiful and haunting. Despite the large size of this novel, I read it in two days because of how much I bonded with the story. Robin Roe is one of my new favorite authors, and I look forward to seeing where she goes next with her writing.

Tell Me More

Dark Room Etiquette follows Sayers Wayte, an affluent sixteen-year-old boy who seemingly has it all. He is popular, and he has a lot of friends and family. Unfortunately, he and his friends exhibit bullying behaviors towards another boy at this school named Evan. In the beginning of the novel, Sayers is highly unlikable, and it was hard to connect with him. But the beauty of this novel is that Robin Roe made a character who on the outside is the stereotypical “popular kid” who many of us detested in high school and forced us to dive deep into his character and see him from another perspective.

“It’s unnerving, the sheer imagination people have when it comes to inventing new ways to hurt each other.”

Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe

Soon into the novel, Sayers is kidnapped by a man who holds him hostage and claims that Sayers is his missing son, Daniel. He brainwashes Sayers with outrageous stories, and we slowly watch as Sayers develops Stockholm Syndrome and loses himself as he further bonds with his kidnapper. Further into the novel, Sayers’ kidnapper brings him a young woman, Penny, to keep him company, and the two create a unique bond as they become isolated with each other.

“A smile from the wrong person is terrifying.”

Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe

The descriptions of the abuse that the kidnapper puts Sayers and Penny through are difficult to digest, and I found myself have to stop at certain points to take a break. It was so hard seeing how Sayers’ character diminished over time, and I felt myself wanting to save him from his situation many times. Eventually, when Penny and Sayers are saved from the kidnapping situation, Penny can’t have anything to do with Sayers because she exhibits a severe trauma response whenever she sees him. Penny ends up having to go away to a residential program to receive treatment for her trauma, and Sayers finds himself feeling very alone.

“Names are important. You win favor by remembering. You diminish someone by forgetting.”

Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe

The beauty of Dark Room Etiquette, compared to other novels and movies that feature kidnapping, is that the majority of the novel focuses on what happens AFTER Sayers is rescued. We see how his brainwashing affects his relationship with his family, while also discovering how difficult it is for Sayers to try and go back to a “normal” life. I particularly liked how Sayers ends up becoming friends with Evan, the kid who he used to bully, and how their friendship becomes cathartic for him. While the rest of the novel does focus on Sayers’ trauma and how it now impacts his life following the kidnapping, we learn more about Evan and the bullying he suffered at the hands of some of Sayers’ friends. While before the kidnapping Sayers seemed to be oblivious to the struggles of his loved ones and his classmates, he becomes increasingly aware of those around him and what they are going through.

“The bad things are going to change you no matter what, and they can make you angry and bitter – or they can make you better.”

Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe

One aspect of this novel that I found interesting was that it heavily featured thoughts on God and faith. Penny believes in God and introduces the idea of God to Sayers while they are isolated, and it seems to be a saving factor for the both of them. Somehow the novel does this without preaching to the reader. I appreciated being able to consider God and see how He became something positive for Penny and Sayers to focus on in the depths of their despair without having religion or faith thrust upon me.

“Logically, I’ve known I wasn’t still locked in a house or a cellar. I mean, obviously I knew that. But I think your mind can stay trapped even when your body is free.”

Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe

The only reason I gave Dark Room Etiquette four out of five stars, instead of the solid five stars, is that I was disappointed with how the character of Penny was seemingly neglected following the kidnapping. We aren’t really given an explanation as to why she has such an aversion to seeing Sayers following the kidnapping, and by the time she gets back from residential treatment, the novel ends. While I know that this novel is from Sayers’ perspective, and not Penny’s, it would have helped the reader to learn more about trauma and why Penny acted the way that she did – as well as how deeply the kidnapping impacted her. There were also so many characters with so many storylines that some of them were just barely touched on, and I would have liked to see more depth.

“The thing is, I don’t really care what people believe – I just care what they do.”

Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe

Overall, Dark Room Etiquette is one of the best books I have read this year. It is an important novel about trauma and abuse, as well as the difficulties we experience in high school that can impact us for life, and it absolutely blew me away. If you are looking for a novel that will stick with you for a long time, then look no further than this novel. It has quickly made Robin Roe become one of my new favorite authors.

“No matter what’s happened to us, we still have the capacity for so much joy – because there is always a way out of a dark room.”

Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe

Happy Pub Day! The Crystal Astrology for Modern Life Series

Harness the energy of the stars with the healing power of crystals to live a confident, empowered, high-vibe life.

I have been a crystal healer for many years now, and I was so excited to learn about this new series of books entitled The Crystal Astrology for Modern Life Series. The series just released on November 15, 2022, but I had the pleasure of previewing one of the books a few months ago. I am a Gemini, so I chose to review the Gemini edition of this set of books.

The beauty of these books is that they explain your astrological sign and what it means for your personality and temperament, while also highlighting various crystals that work best for you based on your astrological sign. The book includes rituals for various subjects (such as money/wealth) that utilize crystals that correlate with your astrological sign. There is also a section that goes over crystals that you should include in your crystal toolkit, as well as directions on how to use the crystals in different rituals explained throughout the book.

While these books are small, they include essential information on which crystals are best for you based on your sign, along with essential rituals that you can use for everyday needs. If you are into astrology, you can utilize these books to focus on your various signs and learn about the crystals that can be used to best serve you in everyday rituals.

This new line of books is perfect for anyone who practices crystal healing and/or astrology. The information they present is easy for newcomers to crystal healing to understand, while also providing seasoned practitioners with new rituals and essential information on crystals and how they relate to astrology. I highly recommend this line of books for anyone looking to improve their life through astrology and crystal healing. These books are one of a kind, and essential for any holistic library.

SHOP NOW

This Cathartic Read Will Haunt You

Rating5/5

*This review contains SPOILERS*

Quick Take

My Dark Vanessa is one of those rare novels that worms its way into your veins and captures hold of your heart. It is painful, frightening, cathartic, and absolutely necessary of a read. I have only read a few novels in my life that have affected me as deeply as My Dark Vanessa has, and while this novel was such a difficult read, it has impacted me for life.

Tell Me More

“It’s enough to make me crazy, seeing these things that no one else ever seems to notice.”

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell, in short, is one woman’s experience about grooming, sexual harassment, and sexual abuse at the hands of her high school English teacher. However, Vanessa does not see her relationship with her English teacher in this way. The chapters alternate in time and reveal the relationship between Vanessa and her teacher back when she was in high school while also highlighting Vanessa’s current life. It is in her current life that she is being impacted by another woman who went to her same high school and is now accusing this same English teacher of grooming and sexual harassment and assault. Seeing both sides of Vanessa’s life give the reader an inside look into her fragile emotional state, and her complicated emotional attachment to this man, who is still in her life, and has been since she was in high school. But the story is so much more than just Vanessa’s story, because it begs the bigger question “how does one define sexual abuse, what counts as such, and does the ‘victim’ have to see the acts against them as abuse for it to be considered in that manner?”

“People will risk everything for a little bit of something beautiful.”

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

As a survivor myself, I found My Dark Vanessa to be an incredibly difficult read. However, it allowed me to re-examine my own abuse and empathize with how Vanessa viewed the treatment of herself at such a young age. Russell highlighted well the confusion and mixed feelings that are involved when one is groomed, and how that grooming impacts how the victim experiences any sexual acts that are involved. At times, the reader becomes frustrated with an adolescent Vanessa for how she views her teacher and the relationship they have, and how those feelings grow with her as she ages and stays in contact with her teacher. It is clear to the reader throughout the novel how manipulative Vanessa’s teacher is and how his feelings for her do not mirror her own; but it is important to remember that Vanessa takes what her teacher says to her at face value. She believes whole heartedly that he cares for her and loves her due to the grooming she experiences. Russell highlights the very real concept that survivors often believe what their attackers tell them to try and reason with the abuse at hand, and while that may be frustrating for others to understand, it is entirely personal to the person being abused – and more importantly, it is not our place to judge.

“I don’t say it, but sometimes I feel like that’s exactly what he’s doing to me – breaking me apart, putting my back together as someone new.”

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

My Dark Vanessa references Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov heavily, and while one can read the book without having ever read Lolita, I found it helpful to read both books back-to-back. I had never read Lolita before picking up My Dark Vanessa, but due to the emphasis put on the novel, it helped me to better understand the teacher’s fascination with Vanessa. Her subsequent obsession with the novel also helped me to see how she saw her relationship with the teacher as a love story, rather than abuse. However, much like My Dark Vanessa, Lolita is sensitive reading material particularly for those impacted by grooming, sexual assault, and sexual abuse, so please proceed with caution.

“I never would have done it if you weren’t so willing, he’d said. It sounds like a delusion. What girl would want what he did to me? But it’s the truth, whether anyone believes it or not. Driven toward it, toward him, I was the kind of girl that isn’t supposed to exist: one eager to hurl herself into the path of a pedophile.”

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

One important aspect to this novel is that the chapters that feature Vanessa’s adult life are set during the height of the “me too” movement. Russell did well to highlight how this movement has empowered victims, while also highlighting how there are still problems with victims not receiving the justice they deserve. Vanessa’s classmate deals with being overshadowed by the power that her teacher possesses, and with Vanessa refusing to share her own story of abuse, one woman’s word isn’t enough. Russell highlights how even though the “me too” movement gave victims a chance to share their story in a safer climate, not everyone feels safe doing so. Rather than choosing to come out with claims of abuse herself, Vanessa instead chooses to side with her teacher.

“‘I just feel…’ I press the heels of my hands into my thighs. ‘I can’t lose the thing I’ve held on to for so long. You know?’ My face twists up from the pain of pushing it out. ‘I just really need it to be a love story. You know? I really, really need it to be that.'”

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

The pain of watching Vanessa go through this abuse, and seeing how it begins to define her life, is absolute torment. Russell highlights how it is not easy to move on from abuse that defines your youth, and how if not dealt with, it can define your adulthood.

“Your life is like a movie. She didn’t understand the horror of watching your body star in something your mind didn’t agree to. She meant it as a compliment. Isn’t that what all teenage girls want? Endlessly bored, aching for an audience.”

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

While My Dark Vanessa is fictional, it reads like a memoir. So many readers may find their own stories in the pages of this book, and that is what makes it beautiful. It is raw and painful, yet so beautiful in how it changes the reader with each page. While this novel has become incredibly controversial, it is that controversy that will bring about important conversations. Do not go into reading My Dark Vanessa without great care but do go in with an open mind. You might just find yourself within its pages.

This Heartbreaking and Gritty Novel is Sure to Become a Modern Classic

Order Here : https://www.amazon.com/Exit-Wounds/dp/1579626599/ref=sr_1_1?crid=34E8O87RMATEM&keywords=exit+wounds+by+annie+stein&qid=1665516561&sprefix=exit+wounds+by+annie+stein%2Caps%2C136&sr=8-1Rating5/5Quick Take

Exit Wounds is one of the most heartbreaking yet truthful and gritty novels I have ever read. Annie O’Neill Stein writes with such grace and a unique voice that makes the story truly one of a kind. This novel will stick with you for days to come.

Tell Me More

Exit Wounds by Annie O’Neill Stein takes the reader inside the mind and the life of a woman named Laura. The novel itself follows Laura from a child up through adulthood, and features insight into her struggle with drugs and promiscuous sex, as well as the relationships that she finds herself struggling with throughout her life. From the beginning of the novel, we are invited into Laura’s mind, and the reader can’t help but empathize with her.

Annie O’Neill Stein has such a unique voice as an author. I found that she could portray serious subjects with dark humor, while still highlighting the seriousness of the events. I flew through Exit Wounds because it was so easy to read, and by empathizing with Laura, I found myself reflecting on my own life. Reading Exit Wounds was cathartic, and I can’t help but feel changed upon finishing the novel.

I tend to judge novels on how strongly they make me feel, and I honestly can say that Exit Wounds swallowed me whole. The characters and storyline were so complicated and realistic, that I had a hard time reminding myself that they were fictional. Laura’s complicated life story was multidimensional and so abstract that I could read the novel multiple times and still discover new aspects of her. The best novels are those that can be read multiple times and reveal something new to the reader each time and Exit Wounds does just that.

Upon finishing the novel, I still find myself thinking about Laura and her triumphs and tribulations. The beauty of Exit Wounds is how in depth the characters and storyline were, and how deeply they embedded themselves in my psyche. This novel is one of a kind, and a beautiful piece of work that will create a unique reading experience for anyone who reads it. It is truly a work of art.

NEW! Crocheted Book Sleeves and Bookmarks

Happy Sunday, Everyone!

I am excited to announce that I have begun making crocheted book sleeves and bookmark sets! All of my book sleeves and bookmarks are made from rare yarn from Denmark and include gorgeous beads and charms. I just posted my Halloween collection, and each book sleeve set in it is one of a kind. When they are gone, they are gone! Click on the pictures of my book sleeve sets below to bring you to my Etsy shop. Thank you so much for supporting my small business!

Spider Inspired Book Embracer and Bookmark Set – Book Sleeve – FREE US SHIPPING

Fall is finally here, and what could be better than a Halloween themed spider book embracer to keep your books cozy? This gorgeous, crocheted book embracer is stretchable and will fit any size book. It also comes with a spider themed bookmark, and the yarn that is used is a gorgeous mix of various rainbow shades. This book embracer is one of a kind, so make sure you scoop it up before it sells out!

I created this book embracer from my own design. It is made from one of a kind, hard to find yarn, and it is adorned with beads. This book embracer can be used to hold any of your books or reading devices.

*Book is not included.

*FREE SHIPPING in the US

From Rebel Sew on Etsy

Autumn Leaves Crocheted Book Embracer with Bookmark – Book Sleeve – FREE US SHIPPING

Fall is finally here, and what could be better than an autumn leaves inspired book embracer to keep your books cozy? This gorgeous, crocheted book embracer is stretchable and will fit any size book. It also comes with an autumn leave themed bookmark, and the yarn that is used is a gorgeous mix of various colorful shades. This book embracer is one of a kind, so make sure you scoop it up before it sells out!

I created this book embracer from my own design. It is made from one of a kind, hard to find yarn, and it is adorned with beads. This book embracer can be used to hold any of your books or reading devices.

*Book is not included.

*FREE SHIPPING in the US

From Rebel Sew on Etsy

Skeleton Crocheted Book Embracer with Bookmark – Book Sleeve – FREE US SHIPPING

Fall is finally here, and what could be better than a Halloween themed creepy skeleton book embracer to keep your books cozy? This gorgeous, crocheted book embracer is stretchable and will fit any size book. It also comes with a skeleton themed bookmark, and the yarn that is used is a gorgeous mix of various grey shades. This book embracer is one of a kind, so make sure you scoop it up before it sells out!

I created this book embracer from my own design. It is made from one of a kind, hard to find yarn, and it is adorned with beads. This book embracer can be used to hold any of your books or reading devices.

*Book is not included.

*FREE SHIPPING in the US

From Rebel Sew on Etsy

Pumpkin Patch Crocheted Book Embracer with Crocheted Bookmark – Book Sleeve – FREE US SHIPPING

Fall is finally here, and what could be better than a pumpkin themed book embracer to keep your books cozy? This gorgeous, crocheted book embracer is stretchable and will fit any size book. It also comes with a pumpkin themed bookmark, and the yarn that is used is a gorgeous mix of various shades of orange. This book embracer is one of a kind, so make sure you scoop it up before it sells out!

I created this book embracer from my own design. It is made from one of a kind, hard to find yarn, and it is adorned with beads. This book embracer can be used to hold any of your books or reading devices.

*Book is not included.

*FREE SHIPPING in the US

From Rebel Sew on Etsy

Crocheted Carnival Clown Book Embracer with Book Mark – Book Sleeve – FREE US SHIPPING

Fall is finally here, and what could be better than a Halloween themed creepy carnival clown book embracer to keep your books cozy? This gorgeous, crocheted book embracer is stretchable and will fit any size book. It also comes with a carnival clown themed bookmark, and the yarn that is used is a gorgeous mix of various colorful shades. This book embracer is one of a kind, so make sure you scoop it up before it sells out!

I created this book embracer from my own design. It is made from one of a kind, hard to find yarn, and it is adorned with beads. This book embracer can be used to hold any of your books or reading devices.

*Book is not included.

*FREE SHIPPING in the US

From Rebel Sew on Etsy

GIVEAWAY: Golem – The Devil is in the Details by PD Alleva

Happy Spooky Season, Everyone!

I am excited to announce that I have teamed up with author PD Alleva to give away 1 hardcover and 2 paperbacks of his horror novel Golem – The Devil is in the Details to three lucky winners! This is a great novel to help you celebrate spooky season, and PD Alleva just recently updated the cover, so your book will be updated with the new cover as seen above.

Check out the synopsis of the book below:

“An extraordinary psychological horror book. Excellently written, with a twisted, spiraling, unexpected end that will leave you speechless.” ~ TBM Horror Experts

Detective. Angel. Victim. Devil.

A haunting tale of suspense, loss, isolation, contempt, and fear.

On November 1, 1951, war hero John Ashton was promoted to detective. His first assignment: find the district attorney’s missing daughter. But his only lead is Alena Francon, a high society sculptor and socialite committed to Bellevue’s psychiatric facility.

Alena has a story for the new detective. A story so outlandish John Ashton refuses to heed the warning. Alena admits to incarnating Golem, a demonic force, into her statue. A devil so profound he’s infiltrated every part of New York’s infrastructure. Even worse, he uses children to serve as bodily hosts for his demonic army, unleashing a horde of devils into our world.

When Alena’s confidant, Annette Flemming, confirms the existence of Golem, John is sent on a collision course where fate and destiny spiral into peril, and the future of the human race hangs in the balance.

The Devil Is In The Details!

Fans of The Silence of the Lambs, Clive Barker, John Connolly, Stephen King, and Anne Rice will be fascinated by this edge of your seat psychological horror thriller with a story that rips out the heart of humanity and throws it on a slab to be feasted on.

Amazon Synopsis

Enter the giveaway by click on the photo below:

The giveaway will run from October 8 – 31, 2022. Be sure to get your entries in and share the giveaway with any friends of yours who might be interested!

My review of Golem – The Devil is in the Details by PD Alleva will be going live soon, so keep an eye out for that as well!

Good luck!

Let This Expertly Written Literary Fiction Take You Away

Book Review of Bombora by Paul DrewittRating: 5/5Quick Take

Bombora by Paul Drewitt is a lyrical coming of age tale that worms its way into the reader’s heart. Drewitt’s imagery was vivid and tantalizing, and it completely swept me away.

Tell Me More

Bombora follows sixteen-year-old Andy, a young boy as he comes of age, and the adventures that he finds himself exploring. Andy finds himself becoming friends with Mick, his older brother’s friend, which leads him on an excursion through underwater tunnels. Andy soon finds himself meeting new people and exploring his sexuality as he enters adulthood, while highlighting his insecurities and exploring who he is becoming as an adult.

Paul Drewitt’s writing is lyrical and enchanting. I found myself becoming engrossed in Andy’s world and reminiscing about my own adolescence and the awkwardness of leaving childhood behind and becoming an adult. Andy is a likeable character who reminds me of my own adolescence and the awkwardness that is difficult to manage as I continue to mature. Drewitt captures the beauty of adolescence while drawing the reader into the insecurities of childhood and how complicated it is to leave childhood behind.

Upon starting Bombora, I found myself attached to the beautiful, lyrical writing as it reminded me of my own childhood and the discomfort that comes along with adolescence. Drewitt did well to reveal the raw and uncomfortable adolescence that many of us experience, without glamorizing the journey into adulthood. At times Bombora was difficult to read because it was so raw and uncomfortable to remember just how difficult the journey into adulthood can be.

Literary fiction is one of those genres that is essential for book readers to explore as it highlights the truth and discomfort of growing and evolving. Drewitt is an essential new voice in literary fiction because he highlights the discomfort of the human experience, while shedding light on the beauty of growing and evolving.

Bombora is one of those rare novels that comes once every blue moon and takes the reader by storm. While reading this novel I felt like I was an adolescent again, exploring the awkwardness of growing up, in the most beautiful way. Drewitt’s writing is magical and creates a one-of-a-kind reading experience. Upon finishing the novel, I feel deeply connected to Andy and his exploration of growing up, while feeling reminiscent of my own journey into adolescence. Drewitt’s writing is gorgeous and complicated, and it captures the reader into its clutches while refusing to let go. Lovers of literary fiction will find a new favorite author in Drewitt, and I look forward to seeing where Drewitt takes his writing next. He has found a dedicated new reader of his work in myself.

My Favorite Book That I’ve Read in 2022

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

From Edgar Award-finalist Jason Rekulak comes a wildly inventive spin on the supernatural thriller, for fans of Stranger Things and Riley Sager, about a woman working as a nanny for a young boy with strange and disturbing secrets.

Mallory Quinn is fresh out of rehab when she takes a job as a babysitter for Ted and Caroline Maxwell. She is to look after their five-year-old son, Teddy.

Mallory immediately loves it. She has her own living space, goes out for nightly runs, and has the stability she craves. And she sincerely bonds with Teddy, a sweet, shy boy who is never without his sketchbook and pencil. His drawings are the usual fare: trees, rabbits, balloons. But one day, he draws something different: a man in a forest, dragging a woman’s lifeless body.

Then, Teddy’s artwork becomes increasingly sinister, and his stick figures quickly evolve into lifelike sketches well beyond the ability of any five-year-old. Mallory begins to wonder if these are glimpses of a long-unsolved murder, perhaps relayed by a supernatural force.

Knowing just how crazy it all sounds, Mallory nevertheless sets out to decipher the images and save Teddy before it’s too late.

Amazon Synopsis

Rating

5/5

Quick Take

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak is a one-of-a-kind supernatural thriller that borders on horror and took my reading life by storm. It is by far the best book that I have read in 2022 so far, and I cannot recommend it enough.

Tell Me More

I read a large number of horror and thriller novels each year, and sometimes it feels like they begin to blur together. Many thriller novels have seemingly begun to run together due to a lack of originality, but that was not the case with Hidden Pictures. Jason Rekulak created a supernatural thriller with such eerie elements that lent the novel to the horror genre and forced the reader to devour the novel within one sitting.

Hidden Pictures follows Mallory Quinn, a woman who has just gotten out of rehab and takes a babysitting job for an affluent couple. She watches over the couple’s five-year-old boy named Teddy, and lives in a pool house on their property. Teddy is a shy boy who tends to be partial to creating sketches that start off innocent, but eventually become eerie. He begins to make sketches of his imaginary friend, as well as sketches of what look to be a murder. Mallory finds herself on a journey to discover the supernatural secrets behind the property that she is living at, while subsequently becoming entrenched in the secrets that the family holds.

One of the most unique aspects of Hidden Pictures is that throughout the novel were actual representations of Teddy’s drawings. The drawings added a realistic and eerie element to the novel that helped the story come alive. But the truly best part of the novel was how many secrets were hidden throughout it that Rekulak kept from the reader and revealed at just the right time. While there was a lot going on, each element was essential to the story and kept the reader guessing until the end. While the supernatural elements of the novel created the horror setting throughout the novel, there was a sense of mystery and sleuthing that completely captured my imagination. Once you felt like you had figured out the secrets behind the story, Rekulak would through another secret at you that would completely change your perspective.

Jason Rekulak is a new and vital voice in the mystery, thriller, and horror genres. He expertly blended such smooth prose with shock factors that were neither cliche nor juvenile. Hidden Pictures got me out of a reading slump that left me pining for more, and I fully intend reread and reread this novel over and over again. It is one that will reveal new secrets to the reader with each reading, and I cannot wait to see where each reading takes me. Rekulak is fully one of my new favorite authors, and I am excited to see where he takes his writing next.