Tag: the sanatorium

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Monthly Reading Wrap Up: What I Read In April

mindbeautysimplicity

I’ve decided to start a new book series on my blog where I share what I’ve read each month. And I hope to do a full yearly wrap up in December. Currently, I’ve read 12 books this year – April being the longest reading list of six books. If you are interested in keeping up with my book updates in real time, be sure you are following my bookstagram.

The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

I actually started reading this one at the end of March & finished it the first week of April. What made me pick this book up was the author commendatory saying it was similar to Stephen Kings the Shining which I think was a bit of a stretch. I did love the atmosphere of this read & the trope of being snowed in a creepy sanatorium turned hotel. If you enjoy detective stories & “who done it’s”, I recommend this read, It’s the first of three, so I’m curious to know how the story continues in Pearse’s second book, The Retreat.

Let Me Go by Kate Bold

This is your PSA to check out some of the free novels provided on the book app. Although this story was rather predicable at the end, it kept my attention the entire time. It tells the story about a woman who’s past is coming to haunt her when she takes her husband to meet her family & childhood town.

13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do by Amy Morin

I love a good self help book. And although the majority of the book was rather repetitive & filled with psychological statistics, what really made me love this book was the introduction. The author shares her personal stories of lost & how she went through grief.

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

I’ve had this Ruth Ware novel on my shelves for over a year & I finally decided to read it. In the past, I tried reading it but wasn’t in the mood. I strongly believe it’s ok to read based on your mood. Don’t force yourself to finish a book. You can always come back to it later. This one was about a young girl who was trying to find her place in the world after losing her mother. She is surprisingly sent a mysterious letter informing her of a family inheritance. When she goes to find answers, she discovers so much more.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

One of the most hyped novels everywhere & I finally decided to read it. This is hands down my favorite read of 2022 so far. If you haven’t read this one yet & are questioning whether it’s worth the hype, well it is! It tells the story of Evelyn Hugo, a 50’s starlet actress who decides to tell her story to a new magazine writer & proposes she writes an entire novel about her life, her seven husbands & other secrets.

No Exit by Taylor Adams

I was going to wait until winter to read this one as it is set during a blizzard & 5 strangers are stranded together at a truck stop. I also wanted to compare the Hulu movie to the novel, which both are very gruesome & dark. I’m more of a fan of psychological thrillers & this was definitely out of my comfort zone.

Have you read any of these?

-B

books, Uncategorized

A Major Book Haul: My 2022 TBR is Growing

mindbeautysimplicity

Books. books. & more books! I’ve been reading like a mad woman the last few months thanks to all the recommendations on Tiktok, Instagram & Youtube. A bit of an update, I’m actually back on Instagram. The hiatus [ that I thought would be forever] is no longer & now I have not one but TWO Instagram accounts. That’s right – I finally decided to have a designated bookstagram called B’s Book Reviews for any amateur reviews I decide to share, stacks & book hauls. The husband suggested I call my little book community the Bee Hive. LOL. If you are just as obsessed with books as I am, I hope you check that page out & give me a follow. I’ve been loving the book community so far. With that being said, I plan to share even more book related content along with my usual intentional living content on the blog. I included it’s own category on the homepage. I’ve been finding reading to be my favorite self care activity & quite frankly – you can never have too many books [ & that’s coming from a minimalist]. My collection is growing so much to the point where a bookshelf is sitting in the Target online cart as I write this.

On To The Book Haul

This is a collection of books I’ve accumulated since the beginning of 2022. So, if it seems like a lot. It is. But we aren’t hear to critique my spending habits are we?

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

This one has been raved about all of social media lately. Sarah Pekkanen & Greer Hendricks , the writers behind the book, “The Wife Between Us” [ which I have NOT yet read] have teamed up again to share this anticipated romantic thriller. I’m so excited to read this one & hope it lives up to the hype.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

I read The Midnight Library back in February. And I have unpopular opinions about this Matt Haig novel. If you are triggered by topics of suicide, loss or grief – I wouldn’t recommend this one or just keep those in mind going into this read. The concept of how your life can go in different directions depending on which choices you make or “library books” you open intrigued me to read it. I understand Matt Haig is more of a self help writer & he combined that into a fictional story. I personally found this book to be quite depressing to the point where I didn’t even want to finish it. But my toxic trait is I always have to finish a book no matter how bad it is. But once I finished it [ predictable ending btw], I sold it.

The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

I read The Sanatorium in March after seeing a lot of people order this one off Book of the Month. Let me know if that subscription service is worth it btw. What got me interested in purchasing this one was it’s compared to Stephen King’s classic The Shining. Ha! Yea…ok that statement is a bit of a stretch. And I feel like Stephen King himself would be insulted. I loved the atmosphere of this book & the creepy santatorium turned hotel in the snowy Alps during a blizzard. It’s more of a who done it type of storyline where a detective tries to figure out who is murdering innocent guests of this hotel. I was hoping for more of a haunted vibe & so I kind of left unimpressed. Apparently, this is only the first of three novels & the second book, The Retreat is being released sometime this year. So, I’ll leave this one on a cliffhanger & hope the story wraps up better in the sequel.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

As this blog post is going up, I’m currently reading this gem of a book. I’m only a few chapters in & I can already tell this will be a favorite of the year. Let me know if you’d be interested in a yearly wrap up of my top tier reads btw. I know this book has been hyped up for a long time but I had no idea I would love this one so much already. As a writer myself & someone who loves journalism, this trope of a writer interviewing a famous actress & telling the story of her life is * chef’s kiss*. Not to mention this is seeming to be a novel within a novel. I’m trying not to read this one in one sitting but gosh – it’s so good!!

Beach Read by Emily Henry

I’ve been on the hunt for some summer vibey reads lately & I’ve heard great things about the author, Emily Henry. Not to mention, these book covers are beautiful! I’ve been told through unspoiled reviews, this book title is rather deceiving. It’s not set on a beach [ but a lake] so….i’m still going to probably read this on the beach. It’s about two opposite style writers who have extreme writers block & apparently swap stories.I hope I enjoy this one & find another author to rave about.

People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry

Staying on course with Emily Henry, I decided to also pick up her second book called People We Meet on Vacation. This seems like a good old heartwarming read about two best friends, Alex & Poppy who have gone to the same vacation spot for the last 10 summers. I feel like this is a friends to lovers trope which is always a good reading choice.

Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Kind of out my comfort zone with the greek mythology but according to Goodreads, you don’t need to know greek mythology to enjoy this romantic novel. Plus, I feel like I know enough to get by. The reviews of this book made me decide to add to chart. It’s apparently beautifully written, heart wrenching, sad, funny & heartwarming all in one. Out of this entire book haul, i’m most intrigued about this novel.

The UnHoneymooners by Christina Lauren

I bought this book because I thought it would be perfect for our honeymoon since the story is based in Maui. It’s about twins who are complete opposites – one is unlucky [ Olive] while the other always gets her way like having her wedding in Hawaii[ Ami]. Olive on the other hand, needs to just make through the day without fighting with her sworn enemy, the best man – Ethan. It’s a enemies to lovers trope that will be a perfect read for my long flights next month to Maui.

Let Me Go by Kate Bold

This one [ technically] was free off Apple Books but I wanted to mention it because it’s good to know there are free books out there! I’ve found quite a few classics like Pride & Prejudice or Dracula that I plan to read. But basically, I read this book in one sitting. It’s about a woman who goes back to her home town with her new fiance to introduce him to her family. Little does she know her past is still there to haunt her & her ex husband is out of prison. Since it was free, I give this a solid 3 stars & recommend it if you are looking for a thriller / murder mystery. This is the first book of three in a series.

All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover

I’ve become a Colleen Hoover stan. Anyone else? After reading Verity & It Ends With Us – I was looking for more of her novels to read. And this one seems just has heartbreaking as It Ends With Us but hopefully I don’t leave as angry. This book is about a married couple on the brink of divorce & trying to mend what they are potentially going to lose. Sounds like a tear jerker to me!

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

Let’s move onto from romance & onto my all time love which is thriller & haunted stories. So many people on Twitter have told me to check out Riley Sager’s novels. So, I finally purchased Home Before Dark which sounds like the perfect haunted read that will probably keep me up at night. I can’t decide when to officially read this one. Maybe I should save it for Blogtober / October?

Horrid by Katrina Leno

Guilty as charged – I bought this book solely because the cover is GORGEOUS in a creepy & dark academia type of way. But I also picked it up because I’ve been itchy to read a proper new age horror novel. And this one seems like a strong contender. According to GoodReads reviews, this novel explores topics of mental illness, rage & grief with Stephen King like elements [ with this book – I can believe that]. Whether I like it or not, it will for sure remain on my bookshelf for the sheer beauty that is the cover.

Of course, my TBR is forever growing, so please comment below any books I should check out. Also, let me know what type of book related content you’d like to see. Amateur reviews? More book hauls? Or specific genres to focus on….

And don’t forget to follow me on my Bookstagram

-B