Shelly > Recent Status Updates

OMG could June/Juniper be any less likable? She does something unethical (other words may apply), spends so much time/pages defending what she did, and freaks out when called out about it - while maintaining her innocence (in print).

I am only finishing this because it will meet the letter Y on my ABC countdown for the year, if it weren't for that, I would have donated this whiny-a*s book weeks ago!!! 🤮

Chapter 19.

So far, I don't care for the narration/narrator, and I find Zelda & Scott Fitzgerald to be generally unlikable, at least so far.

Only continuing to listen because this is my choice for a book beginning with the letter Z for a reading challenge. 🫤

So many "my dear" by the Sinclairs to Julia. 🤮

Ok, so this is a retelling of the fairy tale THE TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES

Danso is so entitled ... 😑

And then there is the big surprise twist! 😳

I wasn't even 100 pages in, and I was getting uncomfortable with the seeming attraction between the patient and the therapist - the two MCs. I put the book aside for a bit.

Trying to finish the book today, and the attraction between them is real and she has helped him escape. The story has a strong romance undertone that I wasn't anticipating and I am not enjoying that aspect of the book. 🫤

Idk if I will be able to finish this.... Hard to read when I have eye rolled so much that my eyes are going to be permanently looking out the back of my head!!!

Pretty preachy 🫤

The character of Ryssa - I despise that type!!! Whiny teenage girl 😖 🤮

Kagan reminds me of Geralt from THE WITCHER.

Many common fantasy tropes....

Not a huge fan of high fantasy anymore, I guess. All the world building details, while important, just kind of annoy me , too complex. I enjoy the stuff I read as a younger person, but new stuff now? Meh.

Having said that, this isn't bad in and of itself. Actually reminds me of Shadow and Bone a bit.

And I loved the author's zombie series for middle grade kids! So I am not quitting this!

I am getting NO. 1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY vibes. 🙂

I am on page 8 and am loving this author's writing already!! It is so easy to visualize everything! 😀

Giving me Station Eleven vibes. 👍

This installment of the series is really not grabbing me at all. 🫤

Meh meh meh
Is the book really this boring? I wonder if it is the origt or the translation? (Yawn)

I put this down for a few weeks because I was not enjoying it. Read a couple other books and came back to this last night. Suddenly, it was much better! Much more intense!

I still don't love first person narrators tho.

So far, not loving it.
First person narrator - meh.
Reads more like a romance book - a lite one. 🫤
Just bland.

I expected better. Oh well, back to it.

This one really is a lot more atmospheric....and creepier! Loving it!!

The MC is a chef, and the author has kinda given a couple of recipes! The Autumn Stew sounds yummy!

Also, is Wharton on the North Shore or South Shore or Superior? I have read several of Webb's books now and just when I think one, the next one makes me think the other!!

First person narrative = don't love it. 🫤

This is the author's first published work of fiction. I have loved her later books, so I am glad I didn't read this first.

Usually, I don't care much for stories with multiple narrators or storylines. In this book, it works and makes sense.

On the one hand, the writing is excellent - I very much care about all the characters. On the other hand, descriptions do tend to go on and on. 🤷

So far, this is a pretty standard gothic horror ghost story. Not anything standing out. Kinda expect Mr. Rourke & Tattoo to be lurking around.

This is very similar to something else I've read, I just can't remember what. 🫤

It has been 15-20 years since I've read this ❤️.
I started reading Tolkien in junior high and reread it every year ❤️. I love the detail, the poetry, imagery.

The hobbits are in the Barrowdowns. If you know the books, you know what is happening!

Rereading AGAIN! ❤️ It's been many years 😍

Picking it back up after months of reading lots of other stuff. We'll see what I remember!

Maybe it is the audio narrator, I just don't care about any of the characters, not even the dog 🫤. Not sure if I will finish it.

Not loving it. The weird flashbacks, the author making comments directly to the reader, meh.

Bummer. Cuz I was looking forward to it. 🫤

Soooo much repeating from previous chapters!!!! 😭