Tag Archives: hobby

Feb16

Lil Red’s Book Club: A Killing Cold By Kate Alice Marshall Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Lil Red’s Book Club: A Killing Cold By Kate Alice Marshall Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we are going to be discussing a thriller by Kate Alice Marshall called A Killing Cold. My sister, mom, and I tend to read the same books and this was passed down to me from my big sis once she was done reading it. About halfway through the book, she told me she was enjoying it. Then, upon completion she changed her sentiment as it was far too far fetched for her liking. I agree with this wholeheartedly. It started strong enough but I was SO ready for it to be over when there was about sixty pages left. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on A Killing Cold for domestic violence, general violence, child abuse, and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

Theo and Connor met at a party and both of them felt like they had seen each other before. But where? And when? Call it fate, but a whirlwind romance began and after six short months they are engaged to be married. Theo came from a troubled background. She has no idea who her real parents are and is permanently estranged from her adoptive family after years of trauma they caused. Connor, on the other hand, lived a life of wealth and privilege. His family, the Daltons, are powerful in ways that regular people would never understand. They protect their own, keep secrets buried, and go through life with the air of those who are untouchable.

Every Christmas, the Daltons spend two weeks in their luxury mountain retreat and it will be Theo’s first time meeting them. As she braces herself for their interrogations, she begins receiving texts that warn her to stay far away from Connor. She chalks it up to a jealous ex or perhaps one of Connor’s siblings looking out for him for moving too fast. Besides, it’s too late to cancel the trip now and she is head over heels for her fiance. To the mountains they go and upon their arrival, Theo can’t help but feel that she has been there before.

Her welcome from her new family is icy, if not frigid. They are sizing her up and appear to have every intention of scaring her away. After all, Theo is a poor girl who now has unimaginable wealth falling into her lap. As much as she would like to turn on her heels and run, she holds firm. Of course, she is there for Connor, but for the first time fragments of memories from her early childhood are returning to her. What used to be dicey images pulled from nightmares are piecing together. Real or imagined, one thing is for sure: The Dalton family has something to hide.

As the days on the mountain drag on, Theo begins to explore. She is particularly drawn to an abandoned cabin that the family no longer has use for. In this cabin, a small semblance of truth is revealed. Theo can remember the small bed with flowers on the sheets. It was hers. And, tucked away, she finds a photo of a little girl with Connor’s late father smiling in the snow. There is no longer any denying it. Theo’s childhood began and ended in the mountains. She remembers fleeting moments of her and her mother pretending they live in an enchanted forest. Until it all came to an abrupt halt because her mother was wearing a blue scarf that turned red. What happened to Theo’s mother? And how far will the Daltons go to keep the truth buried? Read A Killing Cold to find out!

A Killing Cold was a shining example of a disappointing thriller. Sure, it had the twists and turns. Were they any good? Not really lol. When I am reading a novel of suspense, I love when they are just plausible enough to have some truth to it. Alice Kate Marshall spun a story with A Killing Cold but it was a plot that couldn’t stand on solid ground. As I read, all I could think about was the example of a Hallmark movie where a girl ends up with her childhood pen pal. It’s a story, yes, but it is as unlikely as the grass being purple.

As I turned the pages, A Killing Cold became more and more convoluted and there came a point when I just had enough. With a quarter of the book left, I was damn near begging for it to be over. The poorly placed Red Herrings, overplayed dysfunctional family trope, and the constant shifting of blame was just too much. It felt like Kate Alice Marshall threw Every. Single. classic thriller writing tool at the wall to see what stuck. Sadly, few of these attempts helped push the painstakingly slow plot forward and I felt nothing but sheer relief by the time the last page was read. A Killing Cold was a total and complete dud.

In a shocking plot twist of my own, I will be rating A Killing Cold with zero out of ten stars. I understand this book has received a fair amount of hype and I promise you it is not worth it. I wasted my time so you don’t have to waste yours! ❤

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb2

What Have We Been Watching?

Posted on by
Standard
What Have We Been Watching?

Hi! It has been colder than a MF in the A-K-Rowdy and it’s literally painful to be outside. Snow + single digit temps = me not leaving the house. Wow, I’m great at math! This is the kind of weather to do nothing but stay inside during and I’m honestly so fine with it. I can always get down with hibernating AKA watching TV all day, cuddling in a heated blanket, and only getting up from the couch when I require the bathroom lol. We have definitely been glued to the TV and will dethaw in the spring. Until then, we’ll stay posted up watching the following:

The Traitors:

My blogging bestie and I are not only Gemini Twins but TV Twins too. We love watching the same documentaries, reality shows, and just pure fun shows together then spending all Saturday afternoon discussing them over FaceTime. During our last chat she did the best job that she could have at describing The Traitors to me and the conversation ended with “you just have to watch it”. So we did and we are addicted! I am a huge fan of a good whodoneit and that is The Traitors to the T. A houseful of C-list celebrities with three “traitors” and the remainder being “faithfuls”. It is up to the faithfuls to determine who the traitors are as they “murder” off the housemates one by one. There are challenges, round table detective sessions, and the incomparable Alan Cumming as the host. This show is a complete blast and they are actually casting regular people in the next season. I plan on applying so maybe you’ll see me on there! Hey, it doesn’t hurt to try. 😀

Teen Wolf:

If you follow me on Facebook (Sarah Mushenheim) then you already KNOW that I am obsessed with MTV’s Teen Wolf series. It’s so damn good and I genuinely can’t believe that I haven’t given it the attention it deserves until now. My client got me hooked and I look forward to watching an episode or two every morning. Long story short: Teenage boy gets bitten by werewolf, teenage boy falls in love with girl, girl’s family are werewolf hunters. It might sound like your classic run of the mill show directed to teenagers but it’s very dark and very well done. The actors are also excellent! Hello baby Dylan O’Brien and holy hot-tastic Tyler Hoechlin. On a separate note, I can’t wait to see Dylan O’Brien in Send Help – my mind was blown when I realized it was Stiles!

The Goldbergs:

Before bed Johnny and I will usually put on Superstore, Abbott Elementary, or The Office. We have also enjoyed watching Stumble, Animal Control, and St. Denis Medical. Johnny suggested The Goldbergs as our new pre-bed show and it has just been okay for me. He knows how much I adore Wendi McLendon-Covey in legit everything she does (St. Denis Medical included!) and thought it would be a good match as she plays the Goldberg family matriarch. Despite my deep love for her and Jeff Garlin as the father, there is just something about this show that I can’t get into. Normally, the shows we like to watch have me in stitches no matter how many times I’ve seen each episode. The Goldbergs is lucky to get one chuckle every time we watch it! I am a fan of the parents and, of course, Big Tasty but the rest of the cast leaves a lot to me desired and also the kid that plays Adam annoys me so much lol. Not my favorite and wouldn’t recommend it!

Documentaries:

It’s no surprise that your favorite armchair detective delights every time a new documentary is out and my blogging bestie and I watch them immediately. We recently finished season two of Shiny Happy People, and breezed through the new Elizabeth Smart documentary on Netflix as well as The Cult of The Real Housewife. All of them were great and the perfect bite size documentaries to watch in one sitting as they’re either three episodes long or a little longer than an hour and a half. Unfortunately, we watch the new docs so quickly that we run out and are left with nothing. We would love some recommendations – the dishier the better. 😀

It’s so nice to return home from work, put a show on, and relax the evening away with our beloved TV to keep us company! ❤

What have you been watching lately? Are there any new shows you are looking forward to? (I can’t wait for the America’s Next Top Model documentary!) I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb1

Lil Red’s Book Club: Anatomy Of An Alibi By Ashley Elston Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Lil Red’s Book Club: Anatomy Of An Alibi By Ashley Elston Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we are going to be discussing Anatomy Of An Alibi by Ashley Elston. I have been reading a fair share of Stephen King and was excited to give Anatomy Of An Alibi a go. I love horror but I also love a twisty thriller and was ready for a change of pace. I have also never read anything by Ashley Elston and it’s fun to explore new authors. I suspect this will be the last thing I read by Elston, however, because this book was not it for me in the slightest. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on Anatomy Of An Alibi for car accidents and general violence. Now, let’s get to it:

From the outside, Camille’s life looks picture perfect. She is married to a successful defense lawyer named Ben, has a gorgeous home, and a bank account with more money than she knows what to do with. Everything would be perfect if the people in her life were too. Ben is a controlling husband who watches her every step and tracks her phone. This is rich because Camille has done nothing wrong but has every reason to believe that Ben is up to no good. He is secretive, spends hours tucked away in his home office, and their marriage is disintegrating. She could divorce him but there is a clause in the prenup she signed that she can only have her cut if there is wrongdoing. IE: Ben cheating on her or abusing her.

After some snooping, Camille thinks she has her way out. She finds a woman named Aubrey’s name, home address, and work address on a napkin in Ben’s briefcase. Jackpot! She’ll meet the woman he is cheating on her with, have her admit it, and get this divorce moving. Camille decides to pay Aubrey a visit at the bar she tends at and learns that she is not a cheater at all. She only knows Ben’s name as he’s somewhat of a local celebrity. But Ben certainly knows her.

Aubrey was orphaned at sixteen when her parents got hit by a drunk driver. Paul Granger is the man who was convicted of the hit and run but he has maintained his innocence. In a letter he wrote to Aubrey, he informs her that there has been new evidence in his case that was given to him by a dirty cop. A dirty cop who is dying and wishes to make good with anyone he harmed. With this information, Aubrey makes it her mission to uncover who really killed her parents while Camille focuses on finding a way to escape her husband.

As the story weaves on, the ladies find common ground and must work together to prove that Ben isn’t who he says he is. He either killed Aubrey’s parents or is covering it up. What they need is a plan to prove Paul’s innocence and force Ben to spill what he knows. So they concoct a perfect alibi. One that will allow Aubrey to pose as Camille while Camille spies on Ben through security cameras. Then, the unthinkable happens. Ben is murdered while Aubrey and Camille touch down at their meet up spot and both of their lives are now on the line. Will they get the information they need? Or is one of them going down for murder? Read Anatomy Of An Alibi to find out! (Or don’t lol)

I absolutely love thriller novels and I say the twistier the better. I revel in the surprises and being at the edge of my seat. Anatomy Of An Alibi was twisty, yes, but it was a mess. This book was so incredibly convoluted and read like the twists were just being thrown in for the sake of having them. Every page felt like an eternity to read for a story that just wasn’t that good to begin with. This book was exhausting and, to be frank, poorly written. For all of the poorly crafted plot twists, there was a character that was equally as poorly crafted and I didn’t care for any of them. Normally I can live with one or the other but when both the plot and characters don’t move me, reading feels like a chore rather than something enjoyable.

I finished this book during my surprise snow day and almost didn’t bother with it. It was boring and predictable. The only saving grace was the budding relationship between Aubrey and one of her roommates. Who doesn’t like a little romance?! Other than those fiery moments, Anatomy Of An Alibi was a snooze fest through and through. Perhaps it would have been better written by another author because I think Ashley Elston bit off a bit more than she could chew with this book!

Overall, I am going to rate Anatomy Of An Alibi with a zero out of ten stars. Do not waste your time on this one because it was one of the worst books I have read in recent memory!

What is your favorite twisty thriller? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan31

Surprise Snow Day

Posted on by
Standard
Surprise Snow Day

Hello! This past weekend was christened “snowmagedden” in good ol Akron, Ohio. We had a huge snow storm on Sunday and are now treated to single digit temperatures. It sucks. What didn’t suck, however, was getting a surprise snow day on Monday! The neighborhood one of my clients lives in literally never gets plowed so they let me know that I had the day off because safety first. It was so sweet! For the duration of winter, I would jokingly ask where the adult snow days are at and I finally got one. I rarely take a day off for myself and while I was disappointed to not go to work, I decided to make the most of the me time and had an amazing time. 😀

After working on the computer for the first part of the morning, my day was wide open to do whatever I would like from the comfort of my heated blanket. So, I opened a book and power read the last one hundred and thirty pages or so of the one I was working on. Peep a brand new Lil Red’s Book Club for the review tomorrow! I still had several hours to spare once I was done reading before Johnny got home from work and my next order of business was to play some Vampire Survivors. Johnny purchased this game over our holiday break for a whole two dollars and it has been an endless source of entertainment. And, rather than have to switch off to Johnny when my level was over, I just got to keep playing. It was freaking awesome!

When I had my fill of Vampire Survivors after two rounds, I wound my afternoon down with a viewing of MTV’s Teen Wolf. One of my clients got me addicted to that show and I can’t stop watching to save my own life. It’s surprisingly well done, has a fair share of gross out and scary moments, and a strong cast of actors. My favorite character is Stiles, hands down, but I love Lydia too! I usually like to watch documentaries when I have the TV to myself and it’s really nice to have a show to put on that’s just for fun. Teen Wolf is that for me to the T and I always look forward to the next episode. I’m hoping to find the MTV Scream series on streaming at some point so I can watch that next. If it’s as good as Teen Wolf then I know I am in for a treat. 🙂

Life handed me lemons with a snow storm that kept me from work but lemonade was made with my snow day. Once I got the text from my client’s family to take the day off, I considered it a sign from the universe that a day off was just what I needed. And you know what? It really was! I got to spend the whole day doing all of the things that I enjoy. I was snugly warm in my blanket, had the space heater blasting, and was in a cocoon of comfort. The following day I woke up feeling well rested and so excited to get back to work and that sealed my snow day success. Hey, everyone needs a day off sometimes!

Instead of braving the winter wonderland, I spent an entire day in creating my own fun. The January blues were definitely getting me down and I felt like a brand new Lil Red!

What is a perfect day off like for you? What is winter weather like in your neck of the woods? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan30

Puzzle Place

Posted on by
Standard
Puzzle Place

Hello! My clients got me hip to shopping at 5 Below and I am obsessed. I am an avid van of “little treats” and it is the best place to do so while ballin on a budget. Over the holiday season my parents visited 5B to get a few new games for the grandkiddos. My dad also made a treat yoself purchase by getting two puzzles. Both feature the work of Van Gogh with puzzle versions of Starry Night and Sunflowers. I have always enjoyed doing puzzles and haven’t done so in a while so I was so excited when we busted Starry Night out a few weeks ago. It turned out to be a massive pain in the butt but, my god, was it satisfying when we finally put the last piece in. It’s a beauty and we plan on gluing both the puzzles so we can display them as wall art. Check it out:

This puzzle was five hundred pieces and that is the maximum of what I can do. Any more just feels like torture and I could never imaging doing a one thousand piece puzzle! This Starry Night one might as well have been one million pieces because holy cow was it difficult. Even just getting the border right proved to be a feat as there were countless pieces throughout the puzzle that fit smoothly and looked right. Upon further examination those pieces were, in fact, wrong and it was back to the drawing board. After the border was done correctly, I decided to move onto the sprawling treetop or whatever is in the left of the painting lol. This was much easier but everything afterwards was a challenge!

The next logical step after the questionable tree was the village. This is a part that I thought would come together quickly but it was a lot harder than my dad and I originally thought. Once again, pieces that did fit mislead us and we had to backtrack to get the town just right. However, when we did start expanding to the sky it had me wishing for more of the village because it was a piece of cake in comparison. The most helpful thing that we did to finish this puzzle was color coordinating the pieces and following along with the reference picture. Yes, it’s a lot of blue but all of the shades were different and went in specific areas. This allowed us to focus on one portion at a time rather than trying to find the piece we needed in a sea of other blue pieces.

Once we were down to maybe forty pieces, we organized them to their shape because you could tell at that point which shape needed to go where. The entire time we worked on this puzzle, I couldn’t help thinking to myself “wouldn’t it suck if we were missing a piece?” The answer to that question came back with a resounding YES when I realized that we were. There was one lone piece missing smack dab in the middle. My dad and I scoured the table, looked on the carpet, and shined flashlights under furniture to find it. We were out of luck. Until I moved my feet and saw that I was standing on the missing piece the whole time SMH!!! It was a glorious revelation, though, and it felt awesome to put the last piece in and admire our hard work!

Even though this puzzle was a pain in the nads, it was so much fun to complete it with my dad. Bring on Sunflowers next, baby!

What is the maximum size of puzzles you like to do? What is your favorite indoor hobby? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan26

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Running Man By Stephen King As Richard Bachman Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Lil Red’s Book Club: The Running Man By Stephen King As Richard Bachman Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we are going to be discussing The Running Man by Stephan King writing as Richard Bachman. Johnny and I live for an Arnold Schwarzenegger flick and one of our all time favorites has got to be The Running Man. Who loves you and who do you love? DAMON! Oddly enough, neither of us has read the book and I decided to rectify that. I am so glad I did because it was excellent and I will be looking forward to seeing the new(ish) movie as I understand it follows the book more closely. Before we begin our chat, I will be placing a trigger warning on The Running Man for graphic violence and disturbing content. Now, let’s get into it:

Ben Richards and his family are destitute. Ben is currently unemployed while his wife turns tricks to make ends meet. Their baby daughter, Cathy, is incredibly sick and needs a doctor like three days ago. Of course, they will never be able to afford the care she needs and she seems to be getting worse by the second. There is only one thing that Ben or really anyone in his dilapidated neighborhood can do for money. To head to the Games Network headquarters and apply to be a contestant.

The games that the Network hosts are not like The Price Is Right. No, they are violent, dangerous, and could potentially kill you all for trying to make a buck. But it’s Ben’s only option and he takes it. After a grueling process, Ben lands a spot on the most popular show on the Games Network – The Running Man. In this show, contestants are free to move and travel wherever they please and all the while they are being hunted. For every hour a contestant lives, money is earned. Should a contestant make it the entire thirty day challenge, they will be rewarded handsomely. This has never been done before.

At the start of The Running Man, Ben will get a grace period of twelve hours to get as far away as humanly possible. To create a disguise, get weapons, and formulate some semblance of a plan. After the twelve hours are up, Ben is fair game to be hunted. Winning won’t come easily and his daughter’s life is on the line. But if no one has won before, why not Ben? He is savvy, creative, and strong. But will that be enough to last thirty days on the run? Read The Running Man to find out!

Can I just start out by saying that The Hunger Games is literally just The Running Man? There, I said it. It’s so true, though! Down on their luck people competing for stability all for the entertainment of the rich. I just know that Suzanne Collins is a Stephen King fan! Having said all that, holy WOW was The Running Man good. It was so fast paced and something new was happening with every turn of the page. Ben’s situation was dire and as it was nothing like my beloved Schwarzenegger movie, I had no idea what was going to happen. I seriously couldn’t stop reading and my jaw dropped on the last page!

The Running Man really is an underdog story and it is impossible to read this book and not root for Ben every step of the way. This is his chance to save his family. His chance to stick it to the man. And his chance to maybe bring some changes to the messed up world that they live in. Every step back was agonizing but every step forward was one closer to the ultimate prize. I was on the edge of my seat to see if he could pull it off. As a funny anecdote, The Running Man is set in the future (now past) year of 2025. This book came out in 1982 and, honestly, Stephen King was definitely onto something with his glimpse into the future. Just my brief synopsis alone is enough to make you see why. -_-

Overall, I am going to rate The Running Man with an eight out of ten stars. It wasn’t my favorite Stephen King/Richard Bachman novel but it was very, very good!

Have you seen either of The Running Man movies? What did you think of the newest one? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan17

Vampire Survivor

Posted on by
Standard
Vampire Survivor

Oh hey! The day after Christmas I couldn’t get to my computer fast enough to shop the Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale. I made out like a bandit and got seventeen products for sixty dollars! Johnny also did some shopping as PlayStation was having a sale. He fared incredibly well and got five or so games for around thirty dollars. While he bought a few recognizable game titles like Assassin’s Creed, the piece de resistance was something more obscure. A two dollar game called Vampire Survivor. Since Johnny’s purchase, we have been playing it nonstop and have gotten our money’s worth and then some. It’s great! Also be sure to check my TikTok for videos from Vampire Survivor too. 😀

Have you ever started playing a game and felt immediately overwhelmed by it? The game play, the rules, the items, the everything? Well, that is SO not the case for Vampire Survivor because literally all you do is walk. That’s right, you walk, choose items as you level up, and slay the demons in your path. That’s it and that’s all. And you know what? It’s awesome! Vampire Survivor is a game that anyone can play by simply picking up a controller. Classic gamers will love the highly visible nod to Castlevania (There’s a Castlevania expansion too!) and new players will enjoy its ease of play while still feeling like you are kicking major butt. No one can tell me nothin when I am playing Vampire Survivor!

Each level of Vampire Survivor has an end in sight. Survive thirty minutes and you win. Now, it might start out as easy but don’t let that fool you. You will need to be smart about which weapons you choose to defeat the masses and when they start crowding, they don’t stop until you are completely surrounded. The wrong weapons choice could be your downfall. Or it could be your saving grace when you level all of them up. Believe me, it looks amazing when you do! There is also legit nothing better than making it the full thirty minutes when you are backed into a corner and thousands of demons encircle you. 😀

If you are looking for an ultra fun game, then I truly cannot recommend Vampire Survivor enough. When Johnny and I first started playing, we were nowhere close to lasting through thirty minutes of a level. This wasn’t frustrating, though, and if anything it made us want to keep playing more to unlock better weapons and characters. Now, we can get through levels like it’s *almost* nothing and look forward to playing every day when we get home from work. Best two dollar purchase ever!

Johnny and I will be hibernating for the rest of the winter with Vampire Survivor and I can’t think of anything I’d rather do more!

What is your favorite video game? Have you played Vampire Survivor before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec29

Lil Red’s Book Club: Never Flinch By Stephen King Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Lil Red’s Book Club: Never Flinch By Stephen King Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we will be discussing the horror king and literal king, Stephen King’s, newest book called Never Flinch. This book revisited a few beloved characters who were in Stephen King books that I unfortunately never read. However, this did not deter from my enjoyment of Never Flinch a bit and I devoured it in three sittings. Before we begin our chat, I will be placing a trigger warning on Never Flinch for graphic violence and child abuse. Now, let’s get to it:

An innocent man was wrongfully convicted, went to jail, and was murdered by an inmate. But who is the guiltiest of all? Do they even feel guilt? Trig wants to know and is going to seek revenge. For every guilty party who took place in the trial, an innocent person will be killed in their name. His murders are random, fast paced, and there is officially a serial killer on the loose. Trig knows he will die during his mission but wants a grand finale anyways. And what better way to end his spree than with two celebrities?

As the police and detectives work the Surrogate Juror Murders case, private investigator Holly Gibney is busy tracking down someone too. Holly was recently offered a new gig – to serve as bodyguard to controversial women’s rights activist Kate McKay. After a series of attacks during her lecture tour, Holly has been recruited to protect both McKay and her personal assistant. Their stalker has trailed them unseen throughout the tour and the attacks are becoming increasingly violent. Holly has decided she hates this job, but will see it through. Until the tour touches ground in her hometown at least, where the Surrogate Juror Murders are taking place.

Despite a serial killer running rampant, business as usual must continue. In Wherever, Ohio there are three big shows coming up. Sista Bessie, a gospel and soul singer, has come out of retirement to tour again. Kate McKay is lecturing and there is also the much anticipated Guns And Hoses charity softball game between the police and fire departments. Trig wants a grand finale to his spree and his stage has been set perfectly. Will he succeed in avenging the death of an innocent man? Or will real justice prevail? Read Never Flinch to find out!

I absolutely LOVE a cat and mouse plot and Never Flinch was excellent. It was actually quite an interesting change of pace because this book read more as a thriller than a true horror novel which we all know Stephen King specializes in. It had its moments of terror, sure, but this was a novel of suspense through and through and is a testament to the fact that King can write anything he pleases and it will still be great. Never Flinch was fast paced with a double cat and mouse plot and you all know I live for a multiple narrator setup. The book was told from the perspective of Trig, Holly, and Detective Jaynes, as well as two other characters. The flip flopping narrators kept me turning the pages until the very last.

Never Flinch was expertly written and provided good guy characters that were so easy to root for. Every page was one step closer to both the stalker and the killer being caught and I wanted to see it happen. Holly and Detective Jaynes were so plucky and resourceful and any scenes of danger involving them had my heart in my throat. I also deeply appreciated the local to my neck of the woods references like the Cleveland Cavs, the Guards, and the go to grocery store Giant Eagle. Stephen King put Ohio on the map, baby, and that was SO fun for my forever in Ohio self to read!

Overall I am going to rate Never Flinch with an eight out of ten stars. This was a delicious dive into a thriller Stephen King’s way and I highly recommend it!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec17

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Inmate By Freida McFadden Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Lil Red’s Book Club: The Inmate By Freida McFadden Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we are going to be discussing another Frieda McFadden thriller called The Inmate. This is the second McFadden book I have read in a row and like its predecessor and all those that came before it, The Inmate was very average. However, it was a quick read and Freida McFadden is the author I turn to when I want a twisty tale that can be read in a sitting or two. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on The Inmate for general violence. Now, let’s get to it:

Brooke has returned to her hometown called Raker with her son, Josh, to live in her recently deceased parents’ home. After horrible bullying at his old school, Brooke thinks Josh needs a fresh start although a new beginning for him means going back into her past. Brooke is the survivor of a terrible string of murders and Josh’s father is none other than the perpetrator. Her parents all but disowned her after deciding to keep the baby and they barely communicated since. Before this all took place, however, the small town she grew up in was a happy place and she hopes the same for Josh.

Prior to the move, Brooke applied as a nurse practitioner to every medical facility in the area and received no calls back… Except from Raker Penitentiary. This was her last resort option and now her only option. She accepts the job and crosses her fingers that her former boyfriend and Josh’s father, Shane, will never end up as one of her patients. Of course, it was bound to happen and Shane ends up in the exam room for stitches on her very first day. She does her job, tries not to notice how good he still looks, heeds the warning from her colleagues that Shane is a “manipulative” person, and sends him on his way.

Shane is not the only ghost from her past that she encounters upon her return to Raker. There is Tim, her next door neighbor, first best friend, and was an attendant at the party in their teens that turned deadly. He is the assistant principal at Josh’s school, has turned into quite the looker, and is still as madly in love with Brooke now as he was back in the day. After a few dates, Tim becomes a staple in their household and Josh adores spending time with him. Life is teetering on being actually good and Brooke could get used to this, if she could just keep her racing thoughts out of her head.

Brooke feels like she is missing something from the night of the murders. A critical piece of information that might make Shane innocent after all. There is something suspicious about Tim and as Brooke removes Shane’s stitches at work, he claims that it was not him but her new boyfriend who committed the crimes. Did Brooke really put an innocent man in prison with her testimony? If she did, she needs to make it right but whodoneit? Her first love and the father of her son or her new flame? Read The Inmate to find out!

I like to fancy myself an amateur detective and every twist that occurred in The Inmate was seen from a thousand miles away. Do I like when this happens? Not necessarily although I like to pat myself on the back lol. I prefer to be surprised and there were no real surprises to The Inmate… until the final twist. And, the final twist is always where my problem lies with Freida McFadden books. The shockers leading up to the grand reveal are so transparent and when the reveal happens it’s so out of left field that it barely makes sense. That was very much the case with The Inmate. BAM here’s what happened and now the story is over. In a way, this feels like a cop out on McFadden’s part. To write an entire book, throw some random ending in, and then just be done. It explains why I always feel unsatisfied after finishing her thrillers!

My other qualm with The Inmate and Freida McFadden books in general are the characters. They are all so simple with nothing special about them and it makes it hard to feel anything for them. The characters in The Inmate felt wildly underdeveloped and it almost read like a first draft rather than completed product. In a crazy thriller scenario, the characters were dull and the sense of urgency of a potentially innocent man in prison was nonexistent. The Inmate was an alright story but it felt so incomplete and, therefore, I was unimpressed.

Overall, I am going to rate The Inmate with a four out of ten stars. This was not McFadden’s best and I would not recommend this one!

What is your favorite Freida McFadden book? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec8

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Intruder By Freida McFadden Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Lil Red’s Book Club: The Intruder By Freida McFadden Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we are going to be discussing the most recent thriller by Freida McFadden called The Intruder. I have a love/hate relationship with Freida McFadden books. I love how quick and easy they are to read. I hate how perfectly average they always are and The Intruder very much held those sentiments. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on The Intruder for graphic violence, disturbing content, and child abuse. Now, let’s get to it:

Casey lives in a cabin in the woods in the middle of nowhere, New Hampshire. Since her beloved father’s passing, life has been on a downward spiral. Casey promptly lost her teaching job and decided to go off the grid to a ramshackle cabin she could barely afford. The cabin’s roof is falling apart, a huge tree in the yard is on the verge of falling, and oh yeah – there is a dangerous storm on the way. With no help from her landlord, Casey must face the storm on her own and pray that the cabin remains in one piece for the night.

As Casey prepares for the upcoming downpour, she notices movement outside of her cabin and even thinks she sees a face in the window. She chalks it up to paranoia until she sees light coming from the decrepit tool shed. Casey investigates herself thinking that someone might be injured or lost and finds a painfully skinny girl who is soaked in blood and clutching a knife. She promises the girl that she will not let anyone know that she is there as long as she stays in the cabin for the night where it is relatively safe.

After attempts at conversation that feel like pulling teeth, Casey learns that the girl is named Eleanor. The whole situation seems insane and Casey is fearful of her new guest. However, after she sees bruises and burn marks on Eleanor’s arm she knows that she can’t send her back to wherever she came from. Casey and her visitor share a meal and while Eleanor is in the bathroom, she takes it upon herself to snoop. In Eleanor’s blood soaked backpack is a notebook filled with horrific drawings. Scenes of torture upon a woman who looks like Casey as well as a hand drawn map leading to her home. Is Casey the intended target of Eleanor? Or is she just a pawn in a much bigger plan? Read The Intruder to find out!

I breezed through The Intruder in two sittings and after I was done, I simply said “oh”. It was the definition of a good but not great book. The funny thing about Freida McFadden’s books is that I like the plots of them. I think I just don’t care for McFadden’s writing style which I often feel verges on amateurish. The Intruder featured one of her most twisty plots out of her recent work and I actually didn’t see the biggest reveal of all coming. I love when that happens because I’m usually very good at working it out for myself. Regardless, The Intruder fell short for me.

One of my main qualms about The Intruder was the length of the book as it barely reached two hundred and seventy pages. Don’t get me wrong, I like a short and sweet book as much as the next. However, it just felt incomplete. I understand the fast pacing as Eleanor’s visit occurred during the span of one night. But the book flip flopped between past and present and I was hungry for more information on the past. These flashbacks were when The Intruder really shined with the grit of an excellent suspense novel. I just wish The Intruder maintained that momentum in the present day.

Overall, I am going to rate The Intruder with a five out of ten stars. If you like Freida McFadden, I’m sure you’ll read it. If not, you’re not missing out on anything!

What is your favorite Freida McFadden book? Do you have plans to see The Housemaid in theaters? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah