Showing posts with label Laurie Faria Stolarz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Laurie Faria Stolarz. Show all posts
Thursday, December 9, 2021
Random Reads #525, December 9th
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Waiting on Wednesday #511, February 24th
Expected Publication: March 16th, 2021
From Goodreads:
Death sings in the forest, and when it calls, Charles and Anna must answer. Something has awakened in the heart of the California mountains, something old and dangerous—and it has met werewolves before.
From Goodreads:
Mated werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham must discover what could make an entire community disappear—before it's too late—in this thrilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Alpha and Omega series.
In the wilds of the Northern California mountains, all the inhabitants of a small town have gone missing. It's as if the people picked up and left everything they owned behind. Fearing something supernatural might be going on, the FBI taps a source they've consulted in the past: the werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham. But Charles and Anna soon find a deserted town is the least of the mysteries they face.
Expected Publication: March 16th, 2021
From Goodreads:
Shockingly, Tempe eventually discovers that not only are the victims in both grisly murder cases related, but that the murders and the disease outbreak also have a common cause…
From Goodreads:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs returns with her twentieth gripping novel featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, whose examinations, fifteen years apart, of unidentified bodies washed up from the sea may be connected to a deadly new pestilence.
A storm has hit South Carolina, dredging up crimes of the past.
On the way to Isle of Palms, a barrier island off the South Carolina coast, forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan receives a call from the Charleston coroner. During the storm, a medical waste container has washed up on the beach. Inside are two decomposed bodies wrapped in plastic sheeting and bound with electrical wire. Chillingly, Tempe recognizes many details as identical to those of an unsolved case she handled in Quebec fifteen years earlier. With a growing sense of foreboding, she flies to Montreal to gather evidence and convince her boss Pierre LaManch to reopen the cold case. She also seeks the advice—and comfort—of her longtime beau Andrew Ryan.
Meanwhile, a storm of a different type gathers force in South Carolina. The citizens of Charleston are struck by a bacterium that, at its worst, can eat human flesh. Thousands panic and test themselves for a rare genetic mutation that may have rendered them vulnerable.
Expected Publication: March 16th, 2021
From Goodreads:
The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the danger has never been greater. Somehow, I need to weave one last strand in my web of death—and kill my enemies before they kill me . . .
From Goodreads:
Every bloody thread has been leading to this . . .
I’ve battled a lot of bad guys in my time, both as Gin Blanco and as the notorious assassin the Spider. But I’ve never faced off against anyone quite as powerful and deadly as the dastardly leader of the Circle secret society.
Just when I finally have a lead on how I can defeat the evil group once and for all, new information comes to light that throws me for a loop. Suddenly, everyone and everything I love is in imminent peril of being destroyed, and I’m racing against the clock to figure out a way to save my friends.
Expected Publication: March 16th, 2021
From Goodreads:
Our Last Echoes is an eerie collection of found documents and written confessionals, in the style of Rules for Vanishing, with supernatural twists that keep you questioning what is true and what is an illusion.
From Goodreads:
Kara Thomas meets Twin Peaks in this supernatural thriller about one girl's hunt for the truth about her mother's disappearance.
Sophia's first memory is of drowning. She remembers the darkness of the water and the briny taste as it fills her throat. She remembers the cold shock of going under. She remembers her mother pulling her to safety before disappearing forever. But Sophia has never been in the ocean. And her mother died years ago in a hospital. Or so she has been told her whole life.
A series of clues have led Sophia to the island of Bitter Rock, Alaska, where she talked her way into a summer internship at the Landon Avian Research Center, the same center her mother worked at right before she died. There, she meets the disarmingly clever Liam, whose own mother runs the LARC, as well as Abby, who's following a mystery of her own: a series of unexplained disappearances. People have been vanishing from Bitter Rock for decades, leaving only their ghostly echoes behind. When it looks like their two mysteries might be one and the same, Sophia vows to dig up the truth, no matter how many lies she has to tell along the way. Even if it leads her to a truth she may not want to face.
Expected Publication: March 16th, 2021
From Goodreads:
From Goodreads:
Bestselling author Laurie Faria Stolarz returns with a thrilling novel where an eighteen-year-old girl's search for answers lands her in one of the most terrifying situations imaginable.
Four days…
Trapped in a well, surrounded by dirt, scratching at the walls trying to find a way out.
Four days of a thirst so strong, that when it finally rains, I drink as much as possible from the dripping walls, not even caring how much dirt comes with it.
Six months…
Since my escape. Since no one believed I was taken to begin with – from my own bed, after a party, when no one else was home…
Six months of trying to find answers and being told instead that I made the whole incident up.
One month…
Since I logged on to the Jane Anonymous site for the first time and found a community of survivors who listen without judgment, provide advice, and console each other when needed.
A month of chatting with a survivor whose story eerily mirrors my own: a girl who’s been receiving triggering clues, just like me, and who could help me find the answers I’m searching for.
Three days…
Since she mysteriously disappears, and since I’m forced to ask the questions: will my chance to find out what happened to me vanish with her? And will I be next?
Expected Publication: March 16th, 2021
From Goodreads:
Welcome to a world made dangerous by the sea and by those who wish to profit from it. Where a young girl must find her place and her family while trying to survive in a world built for men.
On This Unworthy Scaffold by Heidi Heilig
From Goodreads:
Filled with action, emotion, and lyrical writing, New York Times bestselling author Adrienne Young returns with the final book in the captivating Fable duology.
Trader. Fighter. Legend.
Expected Publication: March 16th, 2021
From Goodreads:
The sweeping conclusion to Heidi Heilig’s ambitious trilogy takes us to new continents, introduces us to new gods, flings us into the middle of palace riots and political intrigue, and asks searching questions about power and corruption. As in the first two books, the story is partly told in ephemera, including original songs, myths, play scripts, and various forms of communication.
From Goodreads:
Jetta is in the center of a war. With her magical power, she could save everyone, save her country… or she could destroy it all.
Jetta’s home is spiraling into civil war. Le Trépas—the deadly necromancer—has used his blood magic to wrest control of the country, and Jetta has been without treatment for her malheur for weeks. Meanwhile, Jetta’s love interest, brother, and friend are intent on infiltrating the palace to stop the Boy King and find Le Trépas to put an end to the unleashed chaos.
There's some really excellent books coming out! I'm so hyped to read these! What about you guys? Happy reading!
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Waiting on Wednesday #442, October 30th
Expected Publication: January 7th, 2020
From Goodreads:
Investigator Kendra Michaels -- whose former blindness has left her with uniquely insightful observational skills -- must put her life on the line to catch a terrifying murderer setting his sights on some of society's most vulnerable in this electrifying new novel from the #1 New York Times and Edgar Award winning writing duo Iris and Roy Johansen.
Dr. Kendra Michaels, blind for the first twenty years of her life before gaining her sight via a revolutionary surgical procedure, is a renowned investigator known for her razor-sharp senses--honed during her years in the dark--and keen deductive abilities.
Now her skills are needed uncomfortably close to home. Two staff members have been murdered at a school for the blind where Kendra spent her formative years. But the murders are puzzlingly dissimilar: one victim was brutally stabbed, while the other was killed by a bullet to the head. Are the crimes related? Or is Kendra on the hunt for more than one dangerous killer?
With the killer (or killers) still on the loose, Kendra must put her life on the line to unravel a terrifying conspiracy. But Kendra soon discovers that she herself may hold the key to the deadliest secret of all..
Expected Publication: January 7th, 2020
From Goodreads:
In the sequel to New York Times bestselling A Curse So Dark and Lonely, Brigid Kemmerer returns to the world of Emberfall in a lush fantasy where friends become foes and love blooms in the darkest of places.
Find the heir, win the crown.
The curse is finally broken, but Prince Rhen of Emberfall faces darker troubles still. Rumors circulate that he is not the true heir and that forbidden magic has been unleashed in Emberfall. Although Rhen has Harper by his side, his guardsman Grey is missing, leaving more questions than answers.
Win the crown, save the kingdom.
Rumored to be the heir, Grey has been on the run since he destroyed Lilith. He has no desire to challenge Rhen--until Karis Luran once again threatens to take Emberfall by force. Her own daughter Lia Mara sees the flaws in her mother’s violent plan, but can she convince Grey to stand against Rhen, even for the good of Emberfall?
The heart-pounding, compulsively readable saga continues as loyalties are tested and new love blooms in a kingdom on the brink of war.
Expected Publication: January 7th, 2020
From Goodreads:
Bestselling author Laurie Faria Stolarz’s thrilling novel Jane Anonymous is a revelatory confessional of a seventeen-year-old girl’s fight to escape a kidnapper—and her struggles to connect with loved ones and a life that no longer exists.
Seven months.
That’s how long I was kept captive.
Locked in a room with a bed, refrigerator, and adjoining bathroom, I was instructed to eat, bathe, and behave. I received meals, laundered clothes, and toiletries through a cat door, never knowing if it was day or night. The last time I saw the face of my abductor was when he dragged me fighting from the trunk of his car. And when I finally escaped, I prayed I’d never see him again.
Now that I’m home, my parents and friends want everything to be like it was before I left. But they don’t understand that dining out and shopping trips can’t heal what’s broken inside me. I barely leave my bedroom. Therapists are clueless and condescending. So I start my own form of therapy—but writing about my experience awakens uncomfortable memories, ones that should’ve stayed buried. How far will I have to go to uncover the truth of what happened—and will it break me forever?
Expected Publication: January 7th, 2020
From Goodreads:
The highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling thriller everyone is talking about, One of Us Is Lying! There's a new mystery to solve at Bayview High, and there's a whole new set of rules.
Come on, Bayview, you know you've missed this.
A ton of copycat gossip apps have popped up since Simon died, but in the year since the Bayview four were cleared of his shocking death, no one's been able to fill the gossip void quite like he could. The problem is no one has the facts.
Until now.
This time it's not an app, though—it's a game.
Truth or Dare.
Phoebe's the first target. If you choose not to play, it's a truth. And hers is dark.
Then comes Maeve and she should know better—always choose the dare.
But by the time Knox is about to be tagged, things have gotten dangerous. The dares have become deadly, and if Maeve learned anything from Bronwyn last year, it's that they can't count on the police for help. Or protection.
Simon's gone, but someone's determined to keep his legacy at Bayview High alive. And this time, there's a whole new set of rules.
Expected Publication: January 7th, 2020
From Goodreads:
One girl must make a name for herself--or die trying --in this royal fantasy where an unknown peasant becomes the ultimate ruler. But how long can she keep the crown if everyone wants her dead? Perfect for fans of Furyborn, Red Queen, and Everless.
Everyone expected the king's daughter would inherit the throne. No one expected me.
It shouldn't even be possible. I'm Nameless, a class of citizens so disrespected, we don't even get names. Heck, dozens of us have been going missing for months and no one seems to care.
But there's no denying the tattoo emblazoned on my arm. I am to be queen. In a palace where the corridors are more dangerous the streets, though, how could I possibly rule? And what will become of the Nameless if I don't?
Expected Publication: January 7th, 2020
From Goodreads:
New York Times bestselling author Sylvain Reynard returns with the fourth installment of the beloved Gabriel’s Inferno series.
When Gabriel and Julia Emerson first lay eyes on their newborn daughter, Clare, they realize life as they know it will never be the same. Gabriel has vowed to be a good father when he suddenly receives an invitation to give a series of lectures in Edinburgh, Scotland—an opportunity of high prestige—but that would mean leaving his wife and newborn child in Boston. Hesitant to bring it up, he keeps the opportunity from Julia as long as he can, not knowing she has a secret of her own.
When a frightening situation arises that threatens to break their new family apart, both parents must make sacrifices. With the family in danger, the looming question remains: Will Gabriel pursue his lectureship in Edinburgh, leaving Julia and Clare unprotected in Boston, or will he abandon the chance of a lifetime in order to ensure his family's safety?
Oh, yeah, we've gotten to the start of next year already! And there's some really fantastic books starting us off! I've read Jane Anonymous, and I can't wait for the rest of them, I've enjoyed some of these authors previously, and yeah, can't wait for them to come out! What about you guys? Happy reading!
Monday, October 7, 2019
Laurie Faria Stolarz Author Page
The Story: I saw Welcome to the Dark House around, and yeah, then I got a chance to read it through NetGalley, and bought the 2nd book, and yeah, read them and I enjoyed them so much! I can't wait to read more books by Laurie Faria Stolarz!
Website
Series: Dark House, Touch, Blue is for Nightmares, Jane Anonymous.
Dark House: Welcome to the Dark House and her site, my review, Return to the Dark House and her site, my review.
Touch: Deadly Little Secret and her site, my review, Deadly Little Lies and her site, my review, Deadly Little Games and her site, my review, Deadly Little Voices and her site, my review, Deadly Little Lessons and her site, my review.
Blue is for Nightmares: Blue is for Nightmares and her site, my review, White is for Magic and her site, my review, Silver is for Secrets and her site, my review, Red is for Remembrance and her site, my review, Black is for Beginnings and her site, my review.
Website
Series: Dark House, Touch, Blue is for Nightmares, Jane Anonymous.
Dark House: Welcome to the Dark House and her site, my review, Return to the Dark House and her site, my review.
Touch: Deadly Little Secret and her site, my review, Deadly Little Lies and her site, my review, Deadly Little Games and her site, my review, Deadly Little Voices and her site, my review, Deadly Little Lessons and her site, my review.
Blue is for Nightmares: Blue is for Nightmares and her site, my review, White is for Magic and her site, my review, Silver is for Secrets and her site, my review, Red is for Remembrance and her site, my review, Black is for Beginnings and her site, my review.
Jane Anonymous: Jane Anonymous and her site, my review, The Last Secret You'll Ever Keep and her site, my review.
Stand Alone's: Shutter and her site, my review, Project 17 and her site, my review, Bleed and her site, my review.
Stand Alone's: Shutter and her site, my review, Project 17 and her site, my review, Bleed and her site, my review.
Saturday, August 31, 2019
Week 35 Review: Jane Anonymous
Bestselling author Laurie Faria Stolarz's thrilling novel Jane Anonymous is a revelatory confessional of a seventeen-year-old girl's fight to escape a kidnapper—and her struggles to connect with loved ones and a life that no longer exists.
Seven months.
That's how long I was kept captive.
Locked in a room with a bed, refrigerator, and adjoining bathroom, I was instructed to eat, bathe, and behave. I received meals, laundered clothes, and toiletries through a cat door, never knowing if it was day or night. The last time I saw the face of my abductor was when he dragged me fighting from the trunk of his car. And when I finally escaped, I prayed I'd never see him again.
Now that I'm home, my parents and friends want everything to be like it was before I left. But they don't understand that dining out and shopping trips can't heal what's broken inside me. I barely leave my bedroom. Therapists are clueless and condescending. So I start my own form of therapy—but writing about my experience awakens uncomfortable memories, ones that should've stayed buried. How far will I have to go to uncover the truth of what happened—and will it break me forever?
My Review:
This book was a fantastic read! I loved how we went back and forth between then and now, of the story of being kidnapped, and the story of recovering from what she experienced. It was pretty intense, and such a great read!
One thing that I really enjoyed, was that everything, from her school to her name, which wasn't her real one, her name probably isn't Jane, was generic, fill in the blank kinda of name. So you could fit her story in pretty much anywhere, imagine it was your town where this had happened.
With going back and forth, we knew that there was something up with the kidnapping and the subsequent captivity. And then when we found out what that was, wow, did that make for great reading! Jane had a long journey to go through!
The now side of the story was for healing. That nobody really knew what she went through, who might have guesses, well, yeah, that wasn't easy to go through. And her method of coping, from the outside, was worrying. She had to come to terms with that she knew, and what she didn't, and find out the truth of what happened to her.
Loved reading this book, it was a fantastic read!
Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz
Read: August 25th, 2019
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: It sounded really good, and it's a SAC 2019 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Expected Publication: January 7th 2020
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 5/5 Books |
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| 5/5 Stars |
Saturday, July 27, 2019
Week 30 Reviews: Welcome to the Dark House, Return to the Dark House
What's your worst nightmare?
For Ivy Jensen, it's the eyes of a killer that haunt her nights. For Parker Bradley, it's bloodthirsty sea serpents that slither in his sleep.
And for seven essay contestants, it's their worst nightmares that win them an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at director Justin Blake's latest, confidential project. Ivy doesn't even like scary movies, but she's ready to face her real-world fears. Parker's sympathetic words and perfect smile help keep her spirits up . . . at least for now.
Not everyone is so charming, though. Horror-film fanatic Garth Vader wants to stir up trouble. It's bad enough he has to stay in the middle of nowhere with this group-the girl who locks herself in her room, the know-it-all roommate, "Mister Sensitive", and the one who's too cheery for her own good. Someone has to make things interesting.
Except, things are already a little weird. The hostess is a serial-killer look-alike, the dream-stealing Nightmare Elf is lurking about, and the seventh member of the group is missing. By the time Ivy and Parker realize what's really at stake, it's too late to wake up and run.
From Goodreads:
Ivy Jensen survived the Dark House once, but can she make it out a second time?
Two months have passed since Ivy narrowly escaped the Nightmare Elf's grip, but the memories of Parker, Natalie, Shayla, Frankie, and Garth continue to haunt her. Their killer is still out there—somewhere. The police trail has gone cold, though, and it's up to Ivy to piece together the clues to find him.
When a cryptic video arrives in her inbox, Ivy soon finds herself back in the spotlight, this time on a twisted scavenger hunt through the dark, ancient halls of a long-forgotten Gothic school building. Ivy's not alone, either. Taylor Monroe has returned to the scene. But can Taylor be trusted? Or is she another pawn in the Nightmare Elf's deadly game?
Laurie Faria Stolarz crafts a mesmerizing thriller that will leave readers looking over their shoulders.
My Review:
Oh, I enjoyed reading these books so much! I do wish that there could've been a 3rd book, since the bad guy wasn't caught, and there's still the bodies of the contestants that were killed to be found. It's unlikely, though, since Return came out in 2015, and it's not 2019, it's probably not going to happen after all this time.
I wasn't sure if these books were going to be horror, or paranormal. They could've gone either way, and it worked being horror, because there were explanations for what was going on, that weren't out of this world.
I feel bad for Ivy, losing her parents like that. And I can understand her want/need to not be so afraid of things. But going to a house specifically geared towards horror? Even to desensitize herself, probably not the best idea. And when it goes wrong, that becomes abundantly clear! And then she puts herself in the same situation, but that makes more sense, since she wants to save Parker and the other contestants.
There was a problem with my copy of Return to the Dark House, it skipped some pages, and then repeated a scene. So that was a little unfortunate, because it was at the point just after the killer called her with instructions to the school, and it was her journey there, which might've been something important. Oh, well!
Loved reading these books, they were creepy and awesome books!
Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz
Series: Dark House #1, 2
Read: July 21st, 22nd, 2019
Source: NetGalley, Bought
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2019 Books! And Welcome to the Dark House is a WTC Book! And Return to the Dark House is a End of Series 2019 Book!
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Published: July 22nd 2014, July 21st 2015
Welcome to the Dark House:
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 4/5 Books |
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| 4/5 Stars |
Return to the Dark House:
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 4/5 Books |
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| 4/5 Stars |
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Week 46 Review: Project 17
High atop Hathorne Hill, near Boston, sits Danvers State Hospital. Built in 1878 and closed in 1992, this abandoned mental institution is rumored to be the birthplace of the lobotomy. Locals have long believed the place to be haunted. They tell stories about the unmarked graves in the back, of the cold spots felt throughout the underground tunnels, and of the treasures found inside: patients' personal items like journals, hair combs, and bars of soap, or even their old medical records, left behind by the state for trespassers to view.
On the eve of the hospital's demolition, six teens break in to spend the night and film a movie about their adventures. For Derik, it's an opportunity to win a filmmaking contest and save himself from a future of flipping burgers at his parents' diner. For the others, it's a chance to be on TV, or a night with no parents. But what starts as a playful dare quickly escalates into a frenzy of nightmarish action. Behind the crumbling walls, down every dark passageway, and in each deserted room, they will unravel the mysteries of those who once lived there and the spirits who still might.
My Review:
This was a pretty dark and creepy book! I mean, a group of teens trespassing in an abandoned state hospital, a mental institution, just before it's going to be torn down, to film a movie? Sounds like a plot of a scary movie to me! The only difference is, that this is a book!
I enjoyed these characters! Not as much, because a lot about this book, I just didn't connect to, but yeah, there were some really great moments with these characters, where they weren't their selves, people who were pretty average, but instead were people going through this pretty scary thing!
Taking the name of the book from the name that he was planning on naming the movie, or vice versa, was a pretty great choice, because it connects things, a detail that I think only about half of the books that I read, really have. So that was great!
I really enjoyed the trilling mystery of it all, because it was all creepy and stuff, and it's something that I would never do, so being able to experience it through these characters was great. And when it ended, that was pretty great, too!
I enjoyed this book, it was pretty OK, but I won't buy it, and I won't read it again!
Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz
Read: November 15th, 2012
Source: Library
Reason Why: Sounded scary and good, so why not?
Publisher: Hyperion
Published: December 18th 2007
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| 3/5 Hearts |
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| 1/5 Books |
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| 1/5 Stars |
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