Author: sandys5

Hi! Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. I'm a huge reader, reading a variety of genres from children's to horror to historical fiction. If the book captures my attention, I'll read it. I'm an active volunteer at our public library performing many different roles. I'm also a mother and a Nana to some terrific grandchildren who I now watch during the day. I love to be outside, staying busy and enjoying nature. I write reviews for all the books that I read and I post the reviews on Amazon, B&N, Goodreads, BookLikes, Bloglovin', and here on WordPress. I also have a few book boards on Pinterest where I pin the book's cover. I am also a member of NetGalley. Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you found something that made your day. Please stop back again, or better yet, hit the "like" button or follow me. Have a terrific day and stay positive and read!

Hansel and Gretel by Stephen King

5 stars Children’s Fairy Tale

I liked this new interpretation by Stephen King of the old classic. Make sure you read the introduction at the beginning of the book as it sets the stage for this children’s picture book, and I felt it helped me appreciate the story more. Illustrated by Maurice Sendak, King took the illustrations and wrote this book based on the whimsical drawings contained inside the book. King used some of the original sentences from this classic fairy tale within the story, but King also added his own touch creating a story that is more elaborate than the original.

Hansel and Gretel lived with their father and their stepmother at the edge of the great dark forest. Their father is a poor broom maker, and the stepmother is a spoiled wicked woman. The family is running out of food so the wife convinces the husband that in order to survive, they must take the children out deep into the forest and leave them. She convinces him that God will care for them and they will be safe in the forest. Now, father was not convinced that leaving his children out in the wild forest but she kept at him, convincing him nonetheless.

Hansel had overheard the plans and started making a plan. Gretal was upset after learning what her parents were planning to do but Hansel convinced her that it would be okay. As they slept, they both had dreams. You can imagine how different their dreams were from one another. The next morning, father and mother walked off with their children into the forest. It was just like the parents had planned, only they didn’t know that Hansel had a plan of his own in the works. The personalities of both the parents were felt and seen as this scenario played out.

The parents returned home alone as the children found refuge with each other inside the dark forest. Imagine the stepmother’s surprise when the children knocked on their door the next day! Ha – surprise! Time passed and food was still scarce. The woman again convinced her husband that the children had to go. They had to leave them deeper into the dark forest this time! Oh, she was wicked!! Just like before, father needed to be convinced, Hansel heard the plan, he thought of a different plan, Gretal was scared, and the dreams came back. They journeyed into the dark forest. When the parents returned home, they were alone and the children had fallen asleep in the dark forest. Hansel had put his plan to work. When the children awoke, they were surprised to find that Hansel’s plan had failed. Stuck in the dark forest, would the children ever make their way home again?

I liked how King wrote the story to match the illustrations. These were definitely Maurice Sendek’s signature illustrations. From the candy cottage in the forest, to the twisted trees swallowing up the pages, and the children’s dreams materializing on the page, Sendek and King worked their magic on this classic. There’s harmony with the text and illustrations, each of them sharing the spotlight. What a great combination. 5 stars

Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid #2) by Nita Prose

4.5 stars Mystery

Listened to this on audio. Molly has worked her way up to head maid at the Regency Grand Hotel and she is so proud of her accomplishment. If anyone could write a book on how to properly clean a room, it would be Molly. Molly is training a new hire and I loved how proud she is of her job and how thorough she was with instructing her.

There’s to be a crucial press conference at the hotel, by an award-winning author, when that author dies suddenly at the hotel. Fans and guests were buzzing around the hotel anxious and excited about this important event and now, the author is dead.

The police are on the scene, and the hotel staff are brought in for questioning. The staff knows more than they realize and Molly, with her attention to detail, becomes central to the investigation. We learn more about Molly in this book. Her grandmother played a key role in Molly’s life, and she was dear to her. Molly is able to carry on her responsibilities as a head maid as she helps the police in this investigation. She makes a fantastic detective (and I guess she could go into this line of work should she want to retire her maid attire) as she helps them solve this case.

A fun and entertaining story. 4.5 stars

When I Kill You by B.A. Paris

4.5 Stars Suspense

Someone is following Nell, she’s sure of it. She feels it yet she has no proof. She’s old enough to understand what’s going on, she’s 36 for heaven’s sake, she can’t be imagining these feelings. Alex, her older friend, can’t be the culprit, she’s pretty sure about that one.

Flashing back in the book, we find a younger Nell, a Nell who goes by the name Elle. Elle was looking out her window when she saw an interaction between a young woman and a gentleman taking place. It was one of those incidents that you watch unfold before your eyes. As it happens, you can’t believe that you are actually witnessing it, taking place. Elle tried to help the woman once she realized what was happening, she really did, but it was too late. Once the police were brought in, Elle did her best to help with the investigation but it’s not over. There’s more, will it ever be over?

The fragile flowers arrived for Nell, at work. Void of a card and with the flowers brightening up the room, Nell wondered who could have sent this huge bouquet for no reason. They discovered that the sender paid cash for the flowers. With Nell being sure that her boyfriend would never send her flowers at work, the identity of who purchased these flowers added another layer to her mystery.

Throughout the story, we do read excerpts from “Extract From Notebook #” which is the person who is actually following Nell. This person gets physically close to Nell and tells their point of view of the who, what and why. Why they chose Nell, what they’re doing, her reactions, and they always close their entry with the same sinister comment. I thought it got creepy sometimes reading Nell’s narrative and then, reading these “Extract From Notebook #” narratives as you read/see their different points of view. I can’t believe how close this individual got to Nell and she didn’t recognize their repeated appearance and figure out who this creepy individual was. Or was it someone that Nell knew who was following her, and giving her the creeps?

Such a suspenseful story that had me wondering who the menace was and why. There were a few individuals that I had suspected but narrowing them down was the tricky part. I’ve always enjoyed B.A. Paris’ books, and this one was no exception. I did wish there would have been story about the younger Nell. Elle’s innocence and drive created the perceptive and over-attentive Nell. 4.5 stars

A big thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this fantastic thriller in exchange for my honest review.

Startling Stay: Scary Hotels and Inns by Natalie Lunis

5 stars Nonfiction Middle School/YA

They can check out anytime they want, but they never really leave. Welcome to a book devoted to some of the mysterious hotels and inns in North America and Europe. One of the first things that came to my mind when I picked up this book was that individuals still flock to the historical hotel where Stephen King’s The Shining took place. I loved this movie and I would definitely love to stay at this hotel, perhaps someday I just may book a room, take a tour, and maybe, hopefully, I might see something. This book touches on all the senses: do individuals see a vision, hear an unexplained noise, smell something that’s not physically there or do they feel something in close range when nothing is there.

In one hotel, management has tried to keep individuals from experiencing any of these feelings. They have physically locked one of their room doors to from curious minds so the dead spirit that is contained inside can’t harm them. Now, that is one hotel boss who cares about his customers. The story of Robert the Doll was a good one for me as I like creepy dolls. A life-sized cloth doll was given to a painter’s son who lived in this beautiful large home. Gene named his doll, Robert. Strange behavior was recorded by others surrounding Robert. When Gene got older, he left home for schooling but returned years later with his wife. Robert behavior continued as the community’s awareness continued. After Gene’s death, Robert was placed in a museum where his behavior continues. Want to go see him? Be nice and don’t take a picture unless you ask.

Each 2-page spread in the book features a destination. Each destination features why it is creepy, strange, or even spooky. A destination you’ll want to visit or stay clear from. Tales from the years gone past or ones not too long ago, these stories are interesting and exciting.

This book gave me the basic facts on specific destinations. I liked how the book provided where the destination is, what it consists of, and how things went dark. The story continues with how individuals experience these strange happenings and the author tries to shed some light on the subject. With realistic photographs and art, each destination becomes its own eerie destination. There’s just enough detail to make the reader aware of the destination and the history behind it.

I really liked this book. It’s a children’s nonfiction book covering about 18 different destinations but it’s a great one in my opinion. This is one book in the series, which I grabbed the rest of the series the library had while I was there. The Index in the back of the book was very good and there is also a list of 4 other Read More books at the back which the author listed. There is a Learn More Online site which includes a QR code which I scanned. This scan led me to more resources which listed more destinations which I could read about. There was a www. Site for those who can’t or don’t want to scan the code and/or you can even scan the cover of the book to see other websites. There is also a Glossary which is helpful for young readers. I liked the detailed map, A World of the Startling Stays, which shows the world and points out each of the different sites which was mentioned in the book. Check out this book!! 5 stars

Hauntings at Home: Scary Houses and Farms

5 stars Nonfiction Middle School/YA

What the heck! These stories were just craziness. Take Annie for example. Annie built a dungeon in the middle of her house to imprison her workers who tried to run away from her. That’s one cruel, evil woman. This is Annie and this is the early 1800’s. Annie lived in a large mansion. Annie was later known as the White Witch of Rose Hall. An owner of a sugar plantation, she liked to have her workers beaten and tortured for fun. Annie was married three times, and it’s been said that she killed all of them. She later had her eyes on another gentleman, but this gentleman had his eyes on one of Annie’s workers. So, yeah…..Annie wasn’t going for that. So, Annie put a spell on the girl (The White Witch part of her name) and the girl died days later. A relative of the girl got his revenge, and he put Annie to rest, forever. Ha! Her beautiful home, she still is in control of it. She haunts the grounds and it had to be turned into a museum as it could no longer be a home. Crazy! What about the farm in Germany where the whole family was killed including the housekeeper. Who did this and why? Still today, over a hundred years ago, the police have never been able to solve this case. It’s the events leading up to this day that make this crime bizarre. Were those events just coincidence or were they something else? Makes you think. You’re bound to find something inside this book to make your sense come alive.

Each 2-page spread in the book features a destination. Each destination features why it is creepy, strange, or even spooky. A destination you’ll want to inquire more about or one you’re glad you know about. From mansions, to estates, to the famous Amityville House, this book will get you going,

This book gave me the basic facts on specific destinations. I liked how the book provided where the destination is, what it consists of, and how things went dark. The story continues with how individuals experience these strange happenings highlighting the senses within them. With realistic photographs and art, each destination becomes its own eerie destination. There’s just enough detail to make the reader aware of the destination and the history behind it.

Alarming Afterlife: Scary Cemeteries and Graveyards by Alex Giannini

5 stars Middle School/ YA

Cemeteries? A whole book devoted to cemeteries and graveyards. This looks very interesting. I thought the Angel of Death from Iowa City was interesting when I had read about it so a couple years ago my husband and I got into the car and visited her. What an interesting site that was. I never thought I would be intrigued by a statue inside a cemetery, but the story was interesting and the statue, that was even more impressive. This book was fun and I liked the variety of stories. This book touches the globe. The United States, Europe, Africa, Australia, and even South America. Each 2-page spread in the book features a destination. Each destination features why it is creepy, strange, or even spooky.

Although most of the destinations inside this book are about hauntings or issues from beyond, not every story carries that tune. Some explain why that particular destination became famous, the history behind the stories. I found most of these stories very interesting. The Last American Vampire, The Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, Ghost Town Graves, and The Haunted Road and the Hanged Man just to name a few. I thought it was interesting how some of these stories reminded me of a few stories that I have read, in a lighter tone, in a children’s holiday book.

This book gave me the basic facts on specific destinations. I liked how the book provided where the destination is, what it consists of, and how it originally was structured. It goes on, in the story, explaining how the destination became more disturbing over time. With realistic photographs and art, each destination becomes its own creep show. There’s just enough detail to make the reader aware of the destination and the history behind it.

Information from the book: The late 1700’s in Paris. Graveyards were getting crowded and individuals were no longer able to bury their dead underground. So, what did they do? They started to bury them on top of each other above ground. Yes, above ground! Stacking them “almost 10 feet high inside the cemetery walls.” Visualize this for a moment. Just like anything stacked too tall, the corpse’s weight started to cause these tall towers to fall, spilling the rotten corpses out onto the streets. Eventually, the city workers had to dig up some of the corpses and remove the rotting ones from the streets and rebury them in underground catacombs the city had created. I find this pretty interesting and gross. Imagine digging them up and reburying them under the ground. You must remember that this was over 200 years ago, the technology and advancements that we have now, were not available to them. There were 180 miles of catacombs! That’s a lot of corpses and work!!

I really liked this book. It’s a children’s nonfiction book covering about 18 different destinations but it’s a great one in my opinion. This is one book in the series and thankfully, I grabbed the rest of the series the library had, while I was there. The Index in the back of the book was very good and there is also a list of 4 other Read More books at the back which the author listed. There is a Learn More Online site which includes a QR code which I used. This scan led me to more resources which listed more destinations. There was a www. site for those who can’t or don’t want to scan the code and/or you can even scan the cover of the book to see other websites. There is also a Glossary which is helpful for young readers. I liked the detailed map, “A World of the Alarming Afterlife”, which shows the world and points out each of the different sites which was mentioned in the book. Check out this book!! 5 stars

Duck Duck Taco Truck by Laura Lavoie

5 stars Children’s Picture Book

Duck and Duck want to make some money to buy themselves a boat for the water. They set themselves up on the beach trying to sell tacos and they’re ready to make some money. They’ve worked hard and now they’re ready. But wait, who is that in that other food truck? It’s Goose and he’s selling food too! No way!! Duck and Duck are mad but they try harder to make their food/business look better. When its time to sell…..the line outside Goose’s truck is long! Duck and Duck have no one in their line. Goose is going crazy with all the orders, he can’t keep up and his customers are not happy.

Duck and Duck feel defeated and start to walk away but Goose realizes that he needs help. Goose suggests that maybe they can work together! They then come up with a plan to combine their foods and sell taco items. Taco pizza, taco burgers, taco hot dogs, etc. What a plan!! They start whipping out orders and everyone is happy! The ending is cute. Bright colorful illustrations. Fun rhyming text. 5 stars.

Oh Dear, Look What I Got! by Michael Rosen

5 stars Children’s Picture Book

A great read along or would make a great book for a classroom. It begins with a small boy going to the shop to get a carrot. The shop owner does not give the boy a carrot, but he brings him a bundle wrapped and tied in brown paper with a tail sticking out of the end. Have your little one guess something that rhymes with carrot….yes, a parrot! The look on the boy’s face is shock, and the poor bird looks sad as the boy says “Oh dear, look what I got! Do I want that? No, I do NOT!” The boy then travels to another shop with the parrot flying behind him. This time the boy asks for a hat. Guess what?

The shop owner comes out with a brown bundle tied with string and sticking out at the end is a black tail with white on the end. Do you think that is the hat the boy wants?

I loved how this book continues on in this fashion. The boy asks each different shop owner for something different as each shop owner giving the boy something besides what the boy wanted yet the item they give him rhymes with what he originally wanted. The rhyming and the repetitive phrasing are fun and will have your child helping you read this book.

As the book concludes, it’s a cute ending and everyone is happy. I also enjoyed the colorful illustrations that did not take away from the story. The facial expressions are wonderful and the animals are cute. This is a must read for little ones. 5++ stars

The Intruder by Freida McFadden

4 stars Thriller

Casey just wanted a place to relax. An isolated cabin in the woods was ideal, but Casey wasn’t able to relax much when a storm was headed her way. The cabin needed repairs to survive the storm which would be upon her soon, but her landlord wasn’t much help in getting them done for her. A nearby neighbor offers up some hospitality so she’ll survive the storm, but Casey hesitates when hearing his offer and believes that she can manage on her own. Lee seemed nice but she’s just not sure. As the storm starts to blow in, Casey notices a light in the shed outback. Yup, Casey has to investigate that light and it’s there that she discovers the emaciated girl.

As I read, I’m visually seeing Casey discovering this girl in her shed while the scenes outside her shed are deteriorating. The storm is building in strength as Casey takes in the girl before her, covered in blood. Some decisions must be made, and they must be made quickly!

We flip back in time and we meet Ella. Ella lives with her mom and Ella’s situation was heartbreaking when I was first introduced to her. Ella’s mom is a hoarder so it may seem like she has everything but in reality, she has nothing. Ella’s mom Desiree is so cruel to Ella. Desiree’s comments and treatment of Ella left me angry and frustrated, why does she need to be so hard? Ella is also the target for some school bullies, who take aim at her for everything. When Ella saves one of her school tormentors, a deep relationship builds between the two of them. Ella finally has some positiveness and a bright side in her day but unfortunately, it doesn’t last. As the bricks came crumbling down, I had to wonder what Ella would do next.

A slower than normal start for this McFadden book. It had the dark gloomy feeling about it but in those beginning chapters, there wasn’t the typical energy that I normally feel with her books. Keep up with the names in this story, as I felt it was challenging at times to keep everyone straight, as the names kept moving about or changing right before my eyes. I even brought out my paper/pen to keep everyone separate. I did enjoy the story but it wasn’t one of my favorites of hers. 4 stars

Keeper of Lost Children by Jadeqa Johnson

5 stars Historical Fiction

I could not read this book fast enough! With multiple timelines, I was thrown between the lives of Sophia, Ozzie, and Ethel. The situations of the characters were different enough to keep the character’s stories separate as I read but when I had to put the book down to actually go to sleep, I did write down some notes as I didn’t want to lose track of any of the important information in the lives of these captivating individuals.

It is the 1940’s, his world is at war and Ozzie wants to make a life for himself. Enlisting with the Army, Ozzie is sent to Germany, where desegregation of the military has just begun. Ozzie thinks he’s keeping his life together amidst all the activities surrounding him. Being alone for the first time in his life, he has made a few friends, and accountability rests all on his shoulders. Although he left his mother back home, her voice is constantly replaying in the back of his mind. The temptation is just too great and Ozzie can’t resist. Out with the guys at a club, he meets a local, Jelka. She fills the void that Ozzie left behind at home. It’s all fun and games for a while until he hears the words that snap him to attention, she’s pregnant.

It’s the mid 1960’s, Sophia is living on a farm with her brothers and parents. Sophia bears a lot of responsibility. Sophia has always felt more like a farmhand than a daughter to her parents, but she never questioned it because life on a farm is hard. A smart student, she earns the opportunity for a free ride to a prestigious school, West Oak Academy. I loved the way Sophia navigates her way to the academy, as she knows the reality of the circumstances that she lives in. Once there, the reality of the situation hits. This is a good academic fit for Sophia, but when she arrives with her meager belongings, she realizes there are going to be many more hurdles that she’ll have to jump over besides the ones she just cleared. It’s hurdle after hurdle as Sophia tries to make a better life for herself. These obstacles left me cheering for Sophia throughout the book. She’d have to be successful, right? She had the determination and the makings to be successful individual. She couldn’t let outside issues and a couple bullies bring her down, could she? She’s going to have to face her parents someday and when that happens, it should be interesting. Sophia can’t keep dodging the facts.

And we have Ethel. Ethel was trying to make the best of her life, but she was missing something. She wanted to have children. It’s the mid 1950’s and Ethel and her husband were unable to have children of their own. Ethel notices a group of nuns with children in the distance, so Ethel approaches them which creates life changing events for her. I saw Ethel as an innocent, sweet women with a huge heart. Ethel wanted to help the nuns and the children, whose lives they oversaw easier. Ethel started out doing what she knew she could do and she later enlisted the help of others. I don’t think Ethel knew the intensity or the impact that she would make in the lives of these individuals.

I enjoyed all the individuals inside this story and as their stories merged, I loved the story even more. The effect that each one of them had with one another created a deep and long-lasting impression. This book was more than I expected when I first read about it. Definitely a must read. 5 stars

Thank you to Simon & Schuster, NetGalley, and Sadeqa Johnson for providing me with a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.