donttrustthe_bea – Page 5 – Cannonball Read 17

Memoir of a Child Star

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

October 17, 2023 by donttrustthe_bea Leave a Comment

Wow. This one was brutal. Jennette McCurdy is an excellent writer and draws you in from the very beginning of her memoir. I’ll admit, I had to put this down many times and opt out of reading it at night just becuase I couldn’t stop thinking about the things I read. McCurdy is a survivor of trauma at the hands of the industry and at the hands of her own mother. She paints a vivid picture of the abuse and exploitation she suffered, able to […]

Girl, Forgotten

Girl, Forgotten by Karin Slaughter

July 12, 2023 by donttrustthe_bea Leave a Comment

For some time now, I have been recommended Karin Slaughter as an author whose work I would thoroughly enjoy. Known for her slow burn thrillers, one of her most recent works, Pieces of Her, was adapted into a limited Netflix series. I didn’t know this when I picked up Girl, Forgotten, and thankfully it wasn’t necessary to have read the previous book as this book is only tangentially related to Pieces. The novel follows Andrea Oliver, a newly graduated US Marshal and daughter of Laura […]

A True Crime Memoir

The Babysitter by Liza Rodman and Jennifer Jordan

May 2, 2023 by donttrustthe_bea Leave a Comment

Decided to start 2023 off with a bang after listening to an interview of the co-authors on the podcast Tenfold More Wicked. As Liza recounted her childhood story to host Kate Winkler Dawson, my interest was immediately piqued and I borrowed the e-book from the library. Needless to say I burned through this book after 2 nights. The format of the novel is unlike any I have read before, where the author alternates chapter between her childhood growing up in Cape Cod and the story of […]

What is the truth? SPOILERS

Verity by Colleen Hoover

December 16, 2022 by donttrustthe_bea 5 Comments

This was my first time, and probably last time, reading a Colleen Hoover book. I picked it up since so many people were raving about it, saying that Hoover’s psychological thrillers are much better than her normal fare. Well, I have thoughts about this book and…yeah, they’re mostly negative. This post will have spoilers, don’t read further if you are looking to read this book. Our protagonist is Lowen, a thirty-something single author who just recently lost her mother after a long batter with […]

This House is Not a Home

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

December 8, 2022 by donttrustthe_bea Leave a Comment

Mexican Gothic meets Crimson Peak is the way I would describe this novel, although some reviews have compared it to Rebecca, a book I have not read. Set during the years following the Mexican War of Independence, the story follows Beatriz, a young woman who has recently married into the wealthy Solórzano family after a whirlwind courtship from the heir patron of San Isidro, Rodolfo. Although she barely knows him, Beatriz agreed to marry him as a way to raise her status as a mixed […]

Not your mother’s book club

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

November 19, 2022 by donttrustthe_bea Leave a Comment

My first time reading a Grady Hendrix novel, I did not realize he was the same author who wrote My Best Friend’s Exorcism and The Final Girl Support Group – I imagine I will enjoy both of those novels as I quite liked this one. It gave me the same feeling as those first few seasons of True Blood, southern camp at its finest. Think Steel Magnolias, but with an added twist of body horror. Set during the late 80s and early 90s in South […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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