Hello Friends, and welcome (or welcome back) to the blog.
Book Quote of the Day!
“Not all ghosts haunt houses. Some try to live in your head.”― Craig DeLouie ~ Episode Thirteen
Friends, I hope you’re enjoying some creature comforts, staying hydrated, getting plenty of rest, not constantly scrolling, and getting outside.
When preparing this, I realized that my edition numbers were off, as well as some of the info. This is the result of copying previous months’ content and adding new material without proofreading it. Hey…It happens, so I’ve gone back to correcting everything from March till now, and I’m sharing my Bookish* Newsletter for May. As always, these newsletters are a month behind to reflect what I’ve read from the previous month.
You can also find more book updates on my Book Tracker page, which I’m updating as this goes live [yes…I’m always behind]. Also, check out my Spotify ARC review podcast, where I’ve been posting.
The Bookish* Newsletter!
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Issue No. 4 | May 2025 | Blog Version
Check out updates on my good reads progress, upcoming titles, lists, and reviews.
NEW ARC BOOK REVIEW ✨ 4.00 ✨
Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing for this title.
Mayra, Nicky Gonzales [Gothic, Thriller, Fiction]
I’m still trying to understand what this story is about, other than two friends reconnecting after a long separation. There is unfinished business and hurt feelings between Mayra and Ingrid. My first impression is that Mayra seems complicated to love and be around. Most of this story revolves around rehashing their relationship, during which Mayra experiences some gaps in her memory.
The relationship started wonderfully, but then turned toxic for them both. The girls had planned to go to college together close to home, but Mayra had other dreams and aspirations. She wanted to thrive in new surroundings. When Ingrid doesn’t support Mayra’s choice, it would affect the friends as they move forward.
The story focuses on the weekend for these estranged friends and vividly describes the tranquility of the secluded home, situated in the swamp. Ingrid saw this as a getaway from her current environment. However, the house has a sinister history of keeping its occupants docile and quiet.
Benji enters the story as Mayra’s boyfriend. He has inherited this home and is obsessed with its upkeep, as well as caring for his guests’ every want and need.
At this point, Ingrid doesn’t know how long she’s been in the house as days spill into one another with her friend, eating great food, and reminiscing. Benji makes sure they never have to leave. Ingrid is also intrigued by the design of the house and that it doesn’t make sense, so she spends her time exploring and, in doing so, finds a journal. This journal will be critical as the story unfolds.
Will Ingrid and Mayra ever leave this tranquility? Or is that the house masking another dark, insidious secret?
I found this story to be a lot more than I expected. Yes, it’s about friendship, love, and family, about appreciating your movements in this world and understanding life and your place in it.
Approved ARC Titles! |
Great Book Sources++ BookTrib ++ |
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Upcoming Thriller TBR!
Vera is a survivor of a global catastrophe known as the Low Probability Event, but she definitely isn’t thriving. Once a passionate professor of statistics, she no longer finds meaning in anything at all. But when problematic government agent Layne knocks on her door, she’s the only one who can help him uncover the connection between deadly spates of absurdity and an improbably lucky casino. What’s happening in Vegas isn’t staying there, and the world is at risk of another disaster. |
CURRENTLY READING
Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most elite universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why here? |
NINTH HOUSE
May Reading Challenge!“Read a debut novel.” |
Good Reads Challenge Progress
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What Books Did I Get in May?The House That Horror Built, Christina Henry |
Here’s the link to the PDF version of the newsletter.
Friends we’ve come to the end of my May Newsletter. I’m still looking to streamline this, but for now, this will do. Thanks so much for visiting today, and please consider subscribing or following along. — Duces.✌🏽 —