nzlisam's reviews
1099 reviews

I recall my teacher reading this to the class in 1986 I believe. As a child I found it hilarious and highly entertaining, and as an adult I wholeheartedly agree. The archaic practices of corporal punishment in schools and barbaric medical treatments and care were horrifying. We don’t know how good we have it! The author was a little full of himself and his achievements, but considering his lifelong phenomenal success he had earned the right.

It’s the dreaded Family Beach Vacation for Greg Heffley!

In the 19th instalment of the hugely successful Diary of the Wimpy Kid series, titled Hot Mess, Greg’s Gramma wants the family to vacation at Ruttyneck Island in honour of her upcoming 75th birthday.

In attendance are, of course, Greg and his family – Mum, Dad, older brother Rodrick, and younger brother, Manny.

Greg’s aunts on his mother’s side – Aunt Gretchen and her two bratty twins Malcolm and Malvin, Aunt Cakey and her long-suffering boyfriend Vincent, and Aunt Veronica and her internet-famous dog Dazzle.

And gate-crasher Uncle Gary – Greg’s dad’s brother.

Prepare yourself for the hilarity and light-heartedness. These books are always chock full of fun, and entertaining twists and surprises. As always, Greg tries his best to stay out of trouble and fails spectacularly. It would be boring if he didn’t. I loved spending time with Greg, his family, and relatives. The perfect holiday read to put you in high spirits.

I love a Psychologically Disturbing Murder Mystery Gothic Tale, and Peter Swanson never fails to leave me reeling in shock!

4.5.

The Christmas Guest was prickling with uneasiness and foreboding. I loved the Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, tie-in. Our story begins in 1989 relayed via diary entries, with American college student, Ashley, excited to be spending her Christmas holidays at her friend Emma’s family’s English Country House. The present storyline takes place in Manhattan in 2019 where the full picture of what really happened that winter is revealed.

Unfortunately, I saw the second biggest twist coming only because I have read something similar. It was a brilliant twist though, and I would’ve completely fallen for it hook, line, and centre here if I hadn’t of been familiar with it. i’m still processing the biggest twist, and have two theories regarding what it means, although I prefer one over the other.

I listened to this on audiobook and Esther Wane was superb, and I especially loved the sound effects like the pages of the diary being turned as it was being read. The perfect holiday-themed read for those who prefer mysteries to romances.

I’m in the minority, but Reminders of Him was cringey af. I almost threw in the towel at the 80% mark because of the direction the plot took.

The premise was intriguing with twenty-six-year-old Kenna returning to her deceased boyfriend’s hometown (having served five years in prison for the part she played in his death) to reconnect with her young daughter. The daughter she gave birth to in prison, who had been raised since birth by her boyfriend’s parents, who of course blame her for the death of their son, Scotty

Except it wasn’t about Kenna trying to forge a relationship with her daughter. The majority of the novel was devoted to the romantic subplot, and for the most part their physical rather than emotional connection. Because their emotional connection was difficult to fathom.

I’ve said it before, but I’m over these females who need a man to save them, have nothing and no one else in their lives, no skills, are unable to take care of themselves, and without a man they fall apart Boo-hoo!. Kenna’s past relationship with Scotty was extremely unhealthy and co-dependent, with her being totally reliant on him for everything. And her current love interest, Ledger, treated her badly for most of the book, but that was okay with Kenna because he was good in bed.

And of course, even though Ledger was only twenty-six himself he was exceedingly rich and successful. He was also a toxic alpha male – at one point he physically restrained Kenna by picking her up and carrying her against her will into his house to prevent her from doing something he didn’t agree with. No, no, no!

Pettiness ahead! I don’t expect characters to be called Peter and Susie, but the names CoHo chose were eye-rolling. Kenna’s wasn’t too bad I suppose, but Ledger? So dumb. And Kenna’s daughter was Diem (as in carpe diem). Seriously?

As you can see, I wasn’t a fan. I think I’m too old for CoHo. Next!

When I heard that These Silent Woods was narrated by Bronson Pinchot (of Perfect Strangers fame) I made it my mission to hunt down the audiobook and thankfully it was available to read with my Spotify Premium subscription.

Anyway I digress. Bronson Pinchot was 100% the perfect choice for the voice of Cooper, a war hero living off the grid with his eight-year-old daughter in a remote cabin in the Appalachian mountains, hiding from, and haunted by, the sins of his past. I would categorise this one as a slow-burn contemporary mystery rather than a thriller. There were a couple of tense, suspenseful moments but not enough to be tagged as a thriller. It was an emotional, heart-rending journey, especially the last few chapters, and contained some incredible twists.

This was my first by Kimmi Cunningham Grant, and it’s only taken me a day to read, so I’ll be definitely checking out her more recent novel, The Nature of Disappearing.

The Fitzpatrick’s are back for another delightful Christmas full of love, drama, and romance!

Megan O’Sullivan and Christian Fitzpatrick both grew up/went to school together in the same tiny Irish village but never ran in the same circles. Both are dreading going home to their families for Christmas. Megan, because five years ago she left her fiancé at the altar and has avoided going home ever since. And, Christian, because all his siblings have significant others, and he feels like the odd man out.

When the two of them accidentally run into each other in a Dublin pub, they devise a plan to get through Christmas with their families by pretending to be dating. Strictly for appearances purposes though and only for the holidays…

❄️Snowned In❄️ is the second instalment in the Fitzpatrick Family series, and this time it’s the third youngest brother’s (Christian) turn for a Christmas romance. However, it can definitely be read as a standalone if you prefer the synopsis for this one. I love this family – it was wonderful to catch up with the Fitzpatrick clan, the village and village folk, and of course the couple from the first book, (Holiday Romance) Andrew (second youngest brother) and Molly. It was also fabulous that Molly’s sister, Zoe, made a cameo appearance. And Megan and her family were a welcome addition – Megan was quirky, vulnerable, strong, and relatable, and I loved that she was into knitting.

Fake Dating and Forced Proximity are two of my favourite romantic tropes, especially when complications like ex-partners, relationship baggage, past traumas, and misunderstandings are thrown into the mix. ❄️Snowned In❄️ was sweet, sexy, and swoon-worthy with an abundance of Christmas spirit, and family fun. I enjoyed Megan and Christian’s evolving feelings for one another. The build up to their romance felt very natural, and I loved everything from their teasing banter to their cute texts, and deep conversations. And even though a lot of the book was light and amusing it did cover some serious topics, which is a balance I prefer in my contemporary romances, even the holiday-themed ones. As much as I loved Holiday Romance I preferred Christian over Andrew – he was just so supportive toward Megan and had her back at every turn, and just more smouldering and appealing to me in general. Even while reading Book One I remember thinking that I couldn’t wait for Christian’s story, which is why this one earned a 5-star rating 🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵.

I highly recommended both though and am crossing my finger’s that Catherine Walsh intends to release more novels in this series. I am keen to hear Molly’s sister Becca’s story, Aiden’s (Megan’s brother) and Hannah Fitzpatrick’s (the youngest sibling and only daughter). Pretty please!

Christian White got me again! How does he keep doing this?

He remains one of the Master’s of the jaw-dropping twists. The Ledge sure packed a punch – an emotional gut punch. The clues were there – but of course I didn’t see them for what they were.

The Ledge is his best book yet. All his thrillers have been 5 star reads for me, but this one was even better than my previous favourite – The Wife and the Widow.

The present (2023) and past (1999) dual timeline were equally engrossing, complex, and fast-paced.

At just 352 pages The Ledge is a quick read, so perfect for the approaching busy holiday season.

Christian White captured the vibe and nostalgia of childhood, friendship, and innocence lost when violence explodes into the lives of four teenage boys in a small Victoria, Australia town. Loved the homage to Stephen King’s, It and Stand By Me (1986) with kids riding bikes and walking train tracks.

Just read it! Or listen! I toggled between the physical book and the audiobook, and Nic English’s performance was superb.

I don’t know how I’m going to narrow down my 2024 favourites list?