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Showing posts from October, 2023

Review: The Twisted Ones (Five Nights at Freddy's Book 2) - Scott Cawthon and Kira Breed-Wrisley

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The highly anticipated sequel to the bestselling Five Nights at Freddy's: The Silver Eyes.It's been a year since the horrific events at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, and Charlie is just trying to move on. Even with the excitement of a new school and a fresh start, she's still haunted by nightmares of a masked murderer and four gruesome animatronic puppets. Charlie thinks her ordeal is over, but when a series of bodies are discovered near her school bearing wounds that are disturbingly familiar she finds herself drawn back into the world of her father's frightening creations. Something twisted is hunting Charlie, and this time if it finds her, it's not letting her go. In the chilling sequel to «The Silver Eyes", Scott Cawthon and Kira Breed-Wrisley plunge readers back into the twisted world of Charlie and the horrific creations of her father, twisted animatronics lurking in the shadows. Charlie, still haunted by the nightmarish events that unfolded at Freddy Fazbe...

Review: The Silver Eyes (Five Nights at Freddy’s Book 1) - Scott Cawthon and Kira Breed-Wrisley

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Ten years after the horrific murders at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza that ripped their town apart, Charlie, whose father owned the restaurant, and her childhood friends reunite on the anniversary of the tragedy and find themselves at the old pizza place which had been locked up and abandoned for years. After they discover a way inside, they realize that things are not as they used to be. The four adult-sized animatronic mascots that once entertained patrons have changed. They now have a dark secret . . . and a murderous agenda. Scott Cawthon and Kira Breed-Wrisley craft a chilling and captivating tale that delves into the dark secrets of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, a once-beloved children's restaurant now shrouded in tragedy and mystery. Ten years after a horrific event drove the restaurant to close its doors, Charlie, a young woman with a troubled past, reunites with her childhood friends to revisit the abandoned pizzeria. As they explore the decaying and eerie establishment, long-b...

Reseña: No te veré morir - Antonio Muñoz Molina

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Durante su juventud, Gabriel Aristu y Adriana Zuber protagonizaron una apasionada historia de amor que parecía destinada a durar para siempre. El futuro, sin embargo, tenía otros planes para ellos. Separados durante cincuenta años por un océano de incomunicación, ella atrapada en la España de la dictadura, él viviendo el éxito profesional en Estados Unidos, vuelven a encontrarse en el ocaso de sus días. Miradas, caricias, deseos acallados y viejos reproches dejarán paso entonces a la constatación de que la nostalgia de aquel primer amor lo es también de la persona que una vez fuimos. No te veré morir es una novela sobre el poder de la memoria y del olvido, la lealtad y la traición, los estragos del tiempo y la obstinación del amor y sus espejismos. La conmovedora historia de una pasión frustrada por la vida y un hermoso retrato de la vejez escritos con una delicadeza extrema. Tras aquel «magistral acto de fe en la escritura como depósito de memoria» (Domingo Ródenas de Moya, Babelia) q...

Reseña: Como vender una casa embrujada - Grady Hendrix

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Cuando Louise se entera de que sus padres han muerto, teme volver a casa. No quiere dejar a su pequeña con su ex y volar a Charleston. No quiere enfrentarse al domicilio familiar, donde se amontonan los restos de la vida académica de su padre y de la constante obsesión de su madre por los títeres y los muñecos. No quiere aprender a vivir sin las dos personas que mejor la han conocido y más la han querido del mundo entero. Sobre todo, no quiere tener que lidiar con su hermano, Mark, que nunca ha salido de Charleston, es incapaz de conservar un empleo y no lleva bien el éxito de Louise. Por desgracia, ella lo necesita, porque, para vender esa casa, va a hacer falta algo más que una manita de pintura y retirar los recuerdos de toda una vida. Pero hay casas que no se dejan vender, y la de Louise y Mark tiene otros planes para ellos dos… «Cómo vender una casa encantada» es una novela de terror y suspense que cuenta la historia de Louise y Mark, dos hermanos que deben vender la casa de sus p...

Reseña: El infierno - Carmen Mola

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Un terrible levantamiento del ejército contra la reina Isabel II tiñe de sangre y muertos las calles de Madrid y el horror campa por toda la ciudad. Entre cañonazos y disparos, una bailarina llamada Leonor y Mauro, un estudiante de Medicina, se ven envueltos en un homicidio que marcará sus vidas. Para evitar la prisión o la muerte, Leonor se ve obligada a huir a La Habana, pero, al llegar allí, este supuesto paraíso no es lo que espera. Las plantaciones de azúcar y los ingenios esconden la tragedia de un esclavismo aún muy vivo. Y, entre los esclavos, reaparece Mauro, aunque puede que ya sea tarde para recuperar su amor. En un intento desesperado por escapar de este infierno, ambos descubrirán que el ingenio donde se hallan oculta una cruel trama de asesinatos siguiendo un rito ancestral brutalmente feroz «El infierno» es una novela histórica que nos transporta a la España de 1868, un periodo convulso marcado por el levantamiento del Ejército contra la reina Isabel II. En medio de este...

Review: Nightbane - Alex Aster

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Isla Crown has secured the love of two powerful rulers and broken the curses that plagued the six realms for centuries, but few know the true origins of her powers. Now, in the wake of a crushing betrayal, Isla finds herself hungry for distraction, preferring to frequent Lightlark’s seductive haunts instead of embracing her duties as the newly crowned leader of two separate realms. Worse, her fellow rulers haven’t ceded victory quietly, and there are others in Isla’s midst who don’t believe her ascent to power was earned. As certain death races toward Lightlark and secrets from the past begin to unravel, Isla must weigh her responsibility to her people against the whims of the most dangerous traitor of all: her heart. In the sequel to the captivating fantasy novel "Lightlark," Alex Aster's "Nightbane" plunges readers into a whirlwind of intrigue, romance, and self-discovery. Isla Crown, the newly crowned Sunbearer, faces the daunting task of uniting two realms w...

Reseña: Sinceramente Ben - Bill Konigsberg

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  Tras las vacaciones de Navidad,  Ben   regresa al internado Natick e intenta hacer vida normal. Todo parece ir bien: acaban de elegirlo capitán del equipo de béisbol, le han dado una beca, conoce a una chica interesante y, sobre todo, está convencido de que   ha dejado atrás lo que sucedió con Rafe . Sin embargo, la  presión por ser perfecto  empieza a hacer mella en él. Además, su familia tiene problemas de los que no se había dado cuenta hasta ahora y, para colmo, Rafe sigue allí… saliendo con otro chico. Sinceramente Ben  está contado desde el punto de vista de Ben, un chico al que su padre ha educado a contener sus emociones, evitar el conflicto y «ser un hombre». Ben es un adolescente humilde que ha trabajado duro para ganarse donde está y que tiene siempre una sonrisa para los demás, aunque pocas veces para él mismo. "Sinceramente Ben" es la secuela de "Abiertamente hetero". Sigue la historia de Ben Carver, un estudiante de secundaria que ...

Review: Honestly Ben - Bill Konigsberg

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Ben Carver is back to normal. He’s getting all As in his classes at the Natick School. He was just elected captain of the baseball team. He’s even won a big scholarship for college, if he can keep up his grades. All that foolishness with Rafe Goldberg last semester is over now, and he just needs to be a Carver, work hard, and stay focused. Except… There’s Hannah, a gorgeous girl who attracts him and distracts him. There’s his mother, whose quiet unhappiness he’s noticing for the first time. School is harder, the pressure higher, the scholarship almost slipping away. And there’s Rafe, funny, kind, dating someone else…and maybe the  real  normal that Ben needs. "Honestly Ben" by Bill Konigsberg is the sequel to the acclaimed young adult novel "Openly Straight." It follows the story of Ben Carver, a high school student grappling with his sexuality, relationships, and the pressures of adolescence. After spending a semester at an all-boys boarding school where he pretend...

Reseña: El sol y su sombra - Piper C.J.

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Encuéntrame... Herida y desesperada, Amaris se ve obligada a navegar por su nuevo entorno con la ayuda del enigmático general de Raascot si espera seguir con vida. Al mismo tiempo, al otro lado del país y sin más opciones, Nox se asocia con la liga de asesinos pacificadores del continente, rogándoles ayuda para encontrar a Amaris y forjar cierta estabilidad entre los reinos. A medida que las heridas sanan y nuevas relaciones florecen, Nox y Amaris deben afrontar obstáculos imposibles y llevar su magia al límite si alguna vez quieren crear un mundo que finalmente pueda reunirlas para siempre. Pero ¿es el destino, el amor o algo completamente diferente lo que las une? El sol y su sombra es el segundo libro de la serie La noche y la luna de Piper CJ. Es una secuela cautivadora y apasionante de la adictiva fantasía queer, La noche y su luna. Piper CJ lleva a los lectores a otra aventura épica llena de romance, magia y traición. La construcción del mundo es impresionante y los personajes co...

Review: The sun and its shade - Piper C.J.

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I love you... Nox's tear-filled words echo across the sand as she and Amaris are torn apart. They've battled fiercely to find each other again, and have barely reunited when Amaris is taken away by the queen's dragon. Injured and desperate, Amaris is forced to navigate her new surroundings with the help of Raascot's enigmatic general if she hopes to stay alive. At the same time, across the land and running out of options, Nox forms a partnership with the continent's league of peacekeeping assassins, begging their help to find Amaris and forge some stability between the kingdoms. As wounds heal and new relationships blossom, Nox and Amaris must confront impossible obstacles and stretch their magic to its limits if they are ever to create a world that might finally reunite them for good. The odds are narrow, the stakes are high, and one question remains: Is it fate, love, or something else entirely that binds these two women together? In the enthralling follow-up to  ...

Review: The Only Girl in Town - Ally Condie

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What would you do if everyone you love disappeared? What if it was your fault? For July Fielding, nothing has been the same since that summer before senior year. Once, she had Alex, her loyal best friend, the one who always had her back. She had Sydney, who pushed her during every cross-country run, and who sometimes seemed to know July better than she knew herself. And she had Sam. Sam, who told her she was everything and left her breathless with his touch. Now, July is alone. Every single person in her small town of Lithia has disappeared. No family. No Alex or Sydney. No Sam. July’s only chance at unraveling the mystery of their disappearance is a series of objects, each a reminder of the people she loved most. And a mysterious message: GET TH3M BACK. Readers are plunged into the unsettling world of July Fielding, a high school senior who finds herself utterly alone after every single person in her town inexplicably vanishes. As July grapples with the sudden emptiness that surrounds...

Review: Check & Mate - Ali Hazelwood

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Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess. Every move counts nowadays; after the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory’s focus is on her mom, her sisters, and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on. That is, until she begrudgingly agrees to play in one last charity tournament and inadvertently wipes the board with notorious “Kingkiller” Nolan Sawyer: current world champion and reigning Bad Boy of chess. Nolan’s loss to an unknown rook-ie shocks everyone. What’s even more confusing? His desire to cross pawns again. What kind of gambit is Nolan playing? The smart move would be to walk away. Resign. Game over. But Mallory’s victory opens the door to sorely needed cash-prizes and despite everything, she can’t help feeling drawn to the enigmatic strategist.... As she rockets up the ranks, Mallory struggles to keep her family safely separated from the game that wrecked it in the first place. And as her love for the sport she so desperately wanted to hate begins...

Review: Going Infinite - Michael Lewis

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At 40, journalist and Brit(ish) author Afua Hirsch had an encounter that kickstarted a year-long journey to decolonise her body and mind. Interspersed with striking photography and epigraphs quoting Grace Nichols, Audre Lorde, and more, this book is a beautiful, thoughtful, well-researched, and intimate exploration of beauty, selfhood, identity, and ritual. In «Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon», Michael Lewis, the renowned author of financial exposés like «Liar's Poker» and «The Big Short», delves into the meteoric rise and dramatic fall of Sam Bankman-Fried, the enigmatic founder of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX. Bankman-Fried, a math prodigy turned Wall Street trader, quickly ascended to the pinnacle of the cryptocurrency world, amassing a staggering fortune and becoming the poster child for the crypto revolution. Lewis paints a vivid portrait of this unconventional figure, capturing his eccentricities, his unwavering belief in the transformative power of crypt...

Review: The Black Feathers - Rebecca Netley

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  In this chilling historical horror novel from Rebecca Netley, Annie has just married widower Edward Stonehouse and arrived at his 17th Century Yorkshire estate, where she receives a warning from his sister, a taxidermist and medium: watch out for black feathers. The question arises: what really happened to Edward’s first wife? Having thoroughly enjoyed Netley's debut Gothic thriller, 'The Whistling', I eagerly anticipated her second offering. Set amidst the remote Yorkshire Moors, 'The Black Feathers' unfolds within the confines of Guardbridge, an isolated manor house where Edward Stonehouse, a widower and artist, brings his second wife, Annie, and their newborn son, John. Annie, our troubled protagonist, finds herself haunted by the lingering presence of Edward's late wife, Evie, whose portraits adorn the mansion's walls. Netley masterfully weaves a spiderweb of words, crafting a captivating world within Guardbridge and its secluded community. I found mys...

Review: The Burnout - Sophie Kinsella

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Sasha has hit a wall. She’s overwhelmed at work, rarely sees her friends, and her love life is at a standstill. Can a trip to a Devonshire health resort cure her problems? She’s willing to try anything – but one broody, stressed-out guest called Finn keeps getting in her way of her peaceful retreat… In Sophie Kinsella's latest novel we meet Sasha, a high-flying marketing executive who is on the verge of burnout. Overworked, stressed, and constantly on the go, Sasha's life is a whirlwind of never-ending tasks and looming deadlines. When a minor accident forces her to take a break, she decides to retreat to a seaside resort she fondly remembers from her childhood. However, upon arrival, she finds the once-grand hotel in a state of disrepair, with a motley crew of staff and a general air of neglect. Amidst the chaos, Sasha encounters Finn, a fellow burnout seeking solace in the same dilapidated haven. Finn, a former tech whiz, is grappling with his own demons, having walked away f...

Review: A stroke of the pen Terry Pratchett

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In the 1970s and 80s, before he became a household name, Terry Pratchett was writing short stories for newspapers under a pseudonym. A Stroke of the Pen is an unmissable collection of 20 of those fantastical short stories, featuring beautiful illustrations and a foreword by Neil Gaiman. In this book, Terry Pratchett's early writing prowess takes center stage, showcasing his signature wit and knack for crafting captivating narratives. This collection of twenty short stories, penned under a pseudonym for newspapers during the 1970s and 1980s, offers a glimpse into Pratchett's formative years as a writer and the budding brilliance that would later blossom into his renowned Discworld series. Pratchett's trademark humor shines through in these tales, deftly weaving together elements of fantasy, science fiction, and everyday life. From a time-traveling seashell to a wizard's bumbling attempts at summoning a barbarian, each story brims with Pratchett's unique brand of absu...

Review: Astor - Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe

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The story of the Astors is a quintessentially American story—of ambition, invention, destruction, and reinvention. From 1783, when German immigrant John Jacob Astor first arrived in the United States, until 2009, when Brooke Astor’s son, Anthony Marshall, was convicted of defrauding his elderly mother, the Astor name occupied a unique place in American society. The family fortune, first made by a beaver trapping business that grew into an empire, was then amplified by holdings in Manhattan real estate. Over the ensuing generations, Astors ruled Gilded Age New York society and inserted themselves into political and cultural life, but also suffered the most famous loss on the Titanic, one of many shocking and unexpected twists in the family’s story. In this unconventional, page-turning historical biography, featuring black-and-white and color photographs, #1 New York Times bestselling authors Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe chronicle the lives of the Astors and explore what the Astor ...

Review: The Running Grave Robert - Galbraith

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Private Detective Cormoran Strike is contacted by a worried father whose son, Will, has gone to join a religious cult in the depths of the Norfolk countryside. The Universal Humanitarian Church is, on the surface, a peaceable organisation that campaigns for a better world. Yet Strike discovers that beneath the surface there are deeply sinister undertones, and unexplained deaths. In order to try to rescue Will, Strike's business partner Robin Ellacott decides to infiltrate the cult and she travels to Norfolk to live incognito amongst them. But in doing so, she is unprepared for the dangers that await her there or for the toll it will take on her. In Robert Galbraith's (pseudonym of J.K. Rowling) seventh installment of the Cormoran Strike series, «The Running Grave», private detectives Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott delve into the murky world of cults and their devastating impact on individuals and families. When a distraught father, Dennis Creed, seeks their help to extract ...