Bibliophile Amber's Book Reviews

Title: The Officer's Daughter: A Memoir of Family and Forgiveness  Author: Elle Johnson  Expected Publication: February 16,2021  Published by: Harper  Genre: Nonfiction/ Memoir  Pages: 224 pages  Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Review:  This is definitely a memoir that pulls at your heart strings, Elle writes about her cousin Karen. When they were both 16 years old Karen was working at a Burger King and was shot point blank in the face with a sawed off shotgun. The author goes through the details of the incident and how it impacted her family, the family that was torn in having to bury a 16 year old girl. Especially since Karen was murdered when two men and another in a get away car were trying to rob the Burger King.  The author also went through the emotions she felt at that time, how the murder of her cousin effected her achademics and even her personality. Elle has not a difficult but a very different relationship with her father who was a Parole Officer. He liked to control all asp

Title: Malorie  Author: Josh McLennan  Published: July 21, 2020 Published by: Del Rey Books  Pages: 320 pages  Genre: Horror  Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Review:  I'll round it up to a 5 STAR read for me! I really enjoyed BirdBox so when I heard that there was a sequel to that book I knew I had to read it! Once I picked it up there was no setting it down, I was hooked and I finished in less than a day! It was absolutely amazing!  The book starts off where we left them at the school for the blind but then time jumps to where the kids are now teenagers! They are still living with the blindfolds, and trying their best to survive and not look at the beast. That is until one day a census worker came by and left some literature for the family. When they were looking at the listed survivors and the train that ran to get to the survivors they found Malorie's parents' names on the list. So, after her inner turmoil Malorie decides to take that risk that journey to see if she can find

Title:The Exorcist  Author: William Peter Beatty Published: June 1971 Published by: Harper Torch  Genre: Horror  Pages: 385 pages  Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5  Review: We have all heard of the legendness of this book! One of the monumental horror books of the time, and one that has lasted up to todays standards even though it was written over 30 years ago. I have always wanted to pick up this book, but I never convinced myself to before now. I haven't watched the movie but I probably will now thanks to this book. The Exorcist is about a girl named Regan. Regan spends quite a bit of time on her own even with her sitter because her mother, Chris, is a movie star and her father is in Europe. In this time that she is alone she discovers a Ouija board and starts to mess with it and comes into contact with something she thinks is a friend. However, she is so wrong. Regan starts to have things happen that cannot be explained, she starts doing stuff that cannot be explained so even after a

Title: The Imposter  Author: Marin Montgomery  Expected Publication: March 9,2021 Published by: Thomas & Mercer Genre: Thriller  Pages: 370 pages  Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5  Review: Twist and turns galore! This is a book that has a lot going on in it. The story starts out with Deborah. She begins hearing banging on her front door so when she goes to the door with the gun she ends up slipping on the ice but then someone kicks her in the head and she becomes unconscious. Thousands miles away her daughter Sibley, a really successful amazing divorce attorney, ends up getting suspended at her firm and her husband is completely convinced that she is having an affair. So, during her difficult time Sibley decides that she wants to try to mend her relationship with Deborah. So once she returns to the small town she realizes fairly quickly that her mother wasn't the woman she had known. Then, the real twist, turns, secrets and history come back to haunt them both. I really enjoyed this s

Title: The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires  Author: Grady Hendrix  Published: April 7,2020 Published by: Quirk Books Genre: Horror/ Fantasy  Pages: 400 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review:  This was one wild ride of a book! Patricia has always wanted a more adventurous life, but most of her time is dedicated to being an at home mother. So she joins a book club where they read a lot of romance novels lol and they also read a lot of true crime novels too. Patricia was walking home from her book club when she noticed that her son had not taken out the trash, so she goes to take out the trash and she ends up being attacked by one of her elderly neighbors. With this attack  the elderly neighbor that attacked her ended up passing away so Patricia being the southernly neighbor felt terrible about the whole incident and decided to take a casserole to her nephew. With that whole situation there was something wrong with it, but Patricia just couldn't put her finger on it. The

Title: Malice  Author: Heather Walter  Published Expected: April 13, 2021  Published by: Random House  Genre: Fantasy/Retellings  Pages: 496 pages  Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5  Review :  OMG this is going to be my next obsession! I enjoy fairytale retellings and all the possibilities and this one definitely blew my mind! I loved it soo much! While the beginning was a little slow, but the beginning definitely lays down everything that you need to know! The second half of this book is amazing, sitting on the edge of your seat good! I was expecting something more villianish, something with more of an evil vibe but that's not how this story was going. Alyce is treated like a doormat from so many people, her customers and the others with powers because her powers have more of a sinnister application. While most of those who have powers are making beauty elixirs and things among that nature Alyce helps even the playing field with a "cat" who is getting too much attention her el

Title: The Bone Houses  Author: Emily Lloyd-Jones  Published: September 24, 2019  Publishes by: Little Brown Books  Genre: Fantasy/Young Adult  Pages: 352 pages  Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Review:  Ryn  is a gravedigger after her father was the towns gravedigger and he disappeared when he went into the mines and never return or heard from again. So while she is being the grave digger she is also helping raise her siblings after her uncle disappeared as well. When things are going poorly for their family, they are going to be evicted from their home Because they can’t pay the money that their uncle had gambled away. So when Ryn meets Ellis he is a miracle because he has offered her a job for her to take him into the mountains so that he can map it out. The only problem is the bone houses. The bone houses are the walking dead, they are able to be the walking dead because of a curse put on the mountain a long time ago. As they set out on their adventure Ellis is looking for answers on his

Title: The Nightingale  Author: Kristin Hannah  Published: February 3,2015 Published by: St. Martin's Press Pages: 440 pages  Genre: Historical Fiction  Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5  Review:  There are some stories that carry us further than we had originally planned. This is one of those stories. Just a warning this book will bring out the laughs, awe moments, strength, love, anger and definitely the tears. The story follows two sisters during WW2 Isabelle and Vianne. Vianne is the older sister who is married and who has a daughter. They both follow different paths within the war, Vianne does what she can to survive to protect her daughter because her husband is off in the war as a war prisoner. She overcomes a lot of obstacles, she puts up with a lot and she keeps her head down for a good part of the novel. Isabelle is bravier and she has a lot less to lose. She delivers papers, notes and even goes on to complete missions to help the british soldiers that have fallen from the sky.

Title: The Shadow Man  Author: Helen Fields  Expected Publishing Date: Feb. 4, 2021 Published by: Avon Books UK  Genre: Mystery/ Thriller  Pages 400 pages  Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5  Review:  This is a different kind of thriller/horror book. An American profiler and psychologist is called in to help aid when a high profile abduction of Elspeth occurs after a murder of a similiar woman. Along with Detective Baarda she and he follow the abductions of a 12 year old child and of a parapalegic man. Trying to figure out the end game is all they can try to do and the twist and the turns of the case is absolutely horrifying. Fergus abducts them all to try to create the family he never had, not long after his introduction the reader can realize that he is not only physically but also mentally sick. He is so sick and twisted it's not even funny. This book follows the investigation and also gives an insight into Fergus's mind, and what an adventure that was. I definitely recommend this b

Title: Pumpkinheads  Author: Rainbow Rowell  Published: August 27, 2019  Published by: First Second  Genre: Graphic Novels/ Young Adult  Pages: 209 pages  Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Review:  I kept hearing about this book, I kept seeing this book all over so I finally picked it up! The book was soo cute, it's a shorter read that can be read in an hour or two. I laughed and definitely had those aww moments as well. Deja and Josiah are friends, they have been friends working together at the best pumpkin patch each year for the last three years. Usually they say goodbye on Halloween just to be reunited the next year. But, this year is different. They are seniors this year and will be going to college next year. Making the most of their last night working together Deja is making it her personal mission to get Josiah to talk to his dream girl, the girl that works in the fudge shop. He has admired her from afar for the past three years, and since this is their last year working at the p

Title: Soon  Author: Lois Murphy  Published: October 1,2017 Published by: Transit Lounge  Genre: Horror/Thriller  Pages: 288 pages  Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5  Review:  There are those stories with an ending so strong and mournful that it takes the reader a bit to process it. A remote town that is haunted by a mysterious mist that anyone or any animal left out after dark is killed or dies. Now the mist itself transforms into apparitions, arms, faces wailing, to the point to where terrifying faces look into the windows into the houses. It seems as long as the doors and windows are shut that the mist can't get in. Once a town full of people now only a few remain. This book itself was an experience to read. The atmosphere is absolutely terrifying, the characters are strong and all can be related to at one point or another. The ones that still remain are there because they cannot afford to go anywhere. This book is an experience but it does start off slow but once things start rolling

Title: Disappearance at Devil's Rock  Author: Paul Tremblay  Published: June 22,2016 Published by: William Morrow  Genre: Horror/ Mystery  Pages: 327 pages  Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Review:  Every parent's worst nightmare comes true. Elizabeth is waiting for a text from her 13 year old son Tommy, who is with his Friends Luis and Josh at an overnight sleepover. He always texts her good night and then her home phone starts ringing. When she answers it's the boys asking her if Tommy was home, that he ran off into the woods and they lost him. Elizabeth's heart sinks, she knows something is not right,that something is wrong and then she see's or thinks she sees her son crouched in her room. But, he's not there. Then, Detective Allison and Elizabeth start going through Tommy's diaries and journals to find out Tommy wasn't  a happy 13 year old boy they originally thought that he was.  The Media are having a field day when they find out the boys have been drin

Title: The Last Story of Mina Lee Author: Nancy Jooyoun Kim  Published: September 1,2020 Published by: Park Row Genre: Fiction/ Contemporary  Pages: 384 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Review:  When Margot was going  back home to LA her mother Mina wasn't answering the phone. Thinking that Mina was busy with her store or maybe her friends. Then when Mina and her friend Miguel reach her childhood home in Koreatown, they open the door to find her mother deceased on the floor under suspicious circumstances. With the chapters alternating between Mina in the 80's to present and Margot trying to find out everything from who her moms friends were, to who she was spending time with to the history of her own mother since she immigrated and then what happened to her that one fatal night. With Mina's story we learn about her heartbreaking beginning, the secrets, the survival and how strong Mina really is. Margot finally finds her voice, learns so much more about her mother that she never k

Title: Instant Karma  Author: Marissa Meyer  Published: Expected November 3,2020 Published by: Feiwel & Friends  Genre: Young Adult/ Contemporary/ Romance  Pages: 512 pages  Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Review:  I really enjoyed the whole thought process of this, and mind you I don't think I would mind waking up to the ability to cast instant karma around on different people. Prudence is kind of an overachiever and really judgemental on those around her. Then her dream comes true when one morning after a night out she wakes up with the ability to cast instant karma on people around her. Now, while this whole ability works on everyone in town except her lab partner. While going through this whole adventure she begins to realize something about herself along with there is a thin line between generosity and greed. I loved that Pru had a lot of growth through this novel. I loved the magical aspect of this novel and really sparked some of my own thoughts! This is definitely one that I

Title: The Haunting of Hill House  Author: Shirley Jackson  Published: October 16, 1959 Published by: This Edition Penguin Classics  Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Genre: Horror Pages: 182 pages  Review:  So, it's that spooky time of year and I wanted to read horror and haunting novels so of course I picked the legendary The Haunting of Hill House. Each of the characters are different and I love it! Hill House is a huge house built in the 1800's with a troubling history. There has been a lot of tradegy including but not limited to a carriage accident that killed a young mother, the fighting between the two daughters, the death of one of the daughters, and then the suicide of the caretaker after she inherited Hill House. So, there Hill House sat for a long while with just the caretakers taking care of the property until Dr. Montague made a team and they decided to investigate the stories of the paranormal occurrences in the house. In addition to his team he chose other individuals b

Title: Scarlet  Author: Marissa Meyer  Published: February 5,2013  Published by: Feiwel & Friends Genre: YA/ Fantasy  Pages: 454 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Review:  This is the next installment of the Lunar Chronicles. Cinder starts out in jail waiting for her pending execution. She is working on escaping so she can make her next plan. Then, we have a new character Scarlet. Scarlet's grandmother is missing and so she's trying her best to find her even though many of the people including the authorities have written her off as crazy! But, Scarlet will not give up. A lot of stuff happens in this installment and I enjoyed it sooo much! I really liked that there are more pieces to the lunar chronicles coming into play here, there are so many more pieces coming together. We also get to see another aspect of the Queen Levana. She's really cruel and she turns her own animalistic creatures on the people of the world because Cinder escaped. With so much going on I firmly believe

Title: Jar of Hearts  Author: Jennifer Hillier  Published: June 12, 2019  Published by: Minotaur Books Genre: Thriller  Pages: 311 pages  Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Review:  This book should probably come with trigger warnings or something but it's so freaking twisted like John Marrs kind of twisted and I enjoyed it completely. Let's start at the beginning. At 16 Geo is completely and utterly smitten with an older boy, you know the type bad boy galore! She started acting different, spending time with friends less and even enjoying a little bit of risky behavior. Then one night after a high school party Geo and her friend Angela go to her bad boy boyfriend, Calvins apartment and after that night everything changes. Angela is forever considered missing or a runaway, until many years later when her remains are found. Years later when Geo is a high executive position at pharmicuticals company, Geo is arrested for the murder of Angela when her body was found. Geo decides to take a

Title: Custom Built (Fast & Fury#1)  Author: Chantal Fernando  Published: Expected November 23, 2020 Published by: Carina Press. Pages: 256 Genre: Romance/Mystery  Review:  Bronte is going through a rough patch when she loses her job, not because she was a bad employee or anything like that but because the employer wasn't making enough money to keep her on. So, on her journey to find a new job she applied everywhere then one afternoon when she went to her father's house to have a BBQ. In this BBQ she finds a job, and she also discovers she has a long lost cousin who also works at the shop that she is going to work at. Finding that job was probably the best thing to happen to her, she finds friends, a love interest and stability. Then the unthinkable happens,  her father passes away. While her father does have some secrets, his death is not as cut and dry as the police think it to have been. So, Bronte is on the road of discovery to find out what happened to her

Title: Kingdom of the Wicked  Author: Kerri Maniscalco  Published: Expected October 27, 2020  Publisher: Jimmy Patterson  Genre: Young Adult/ Fantasy  Pages: 448 Review:  OMG! Kerri has done it again and I am hooked so bad! That's the problem with ARC's now I'm hooked and there's no hope until a release date of the second installment is available! Emelia and Victtoria are twins and they are different from other witches, they are witches with a little bit more demon blood than regular witches. They listen to their Nonna about the demon princes and things are going good or at least Emelia thinks so. Emilia is the twin that stays on the safe lines, she does what she's supposed to and she loves staying in reading a romance novel. Victtoria is the daring twin, she takes chances and she's adventurous until the unspeakable happens. A few weeks have gone on and there have been witch murders around the area, a couple of towns over but as long as the girls hav

Title: Tempted by Her Viking Enemy  Author: Terri Brisbin  Published: Expected November 1, 2020 Published by: Harlequin Historical  Genre: Historical Romance  Pages: 288 pages  Review:  A quick read but definitely good! Brandt is on a mission to reclaim his father's honor and to dish out revenge to those responsible for killing his father, his wife, and his son. He wants revenge, his honor/his father's honor back and he wants the lands of his father back. So, he travels to the castle of who he firmly believes is responsible only to fail on the challenge and end up in the cells. With a promise to turn him over to the king and will probably end up escuted. Katla is loyal to her father, she escaped from a bad marriage the first time and when she is betrothed to a monster knowing she will end up dying she knows she must escape and the only person who will be able to help her escape is Brandt. Brandt and Katla slowly fall in love and then form a plan for their escape. Wi

Title: Little Secrets  Author: Jennifer Hillier  Published: April 21,2020 Published by: Minotaur Books Pages: 352 pages  Genre: Thriller/Mystery  Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Review:  Marin is shopping for the holidays when she answers a phone call, she lets go of her son's hand and then the unthinkable happens. Someone kidnapped Sabastian right under her nose in a crowded Seattle market, to her this is the worst failure that could have happened. The police and the FBI are no closer or have anymore leads on his case 16 months later. Marin's life is holding on by thin strings and alcohol. Derek has been coping on his own, and Marin copes in her own way too. But, when the Private Investigator that Marin hires unturned a stone that Derek has been having an affair with a much younger girl Marin is devastated and her blood boils. She decides to see who this girl really is and she decides to go to the coffee shop that this girl works at, to see who she really is. Then one step from the

Title: The Girl Who Never Came Home  Author: Nicole Trope  Published: Expected November 4,2020 Published by: Bookouture  Genre: Mystery  Pages: 230 pages  Review:  Zoe is on a camping trip with her class, she's the average teenager who is popular. She's mean, down right nasty, she hides her brain and she's pretty. In the cabin she has her two best friends and a girl who she is really mean to, but not everything is as it seems. Zoe and her best friends get into an arguemet that fateful night and Zoe leaves the cabin. In the morning she still has not returned and they start a search party, and in that search party they find her dead. Now, the police are trying to figure out what happened and as it happens everyone has secrets including Zoe. As events unravel not everyone is as they seem and some secrets are to die for. A secret guy, a secret relationship for her sister, the elderly teacher who decides that it's not her problem, the friend who wants Zoe to unde

Title: How to Stay Out of My Emergency Room  Author: Mona Balogh  Published: June 17, 2020 Published by: Houndstooth Press  Genre: Non-fiction  Pages: 300 Review:  Starting off with a bang for October is this book! This book is something that is absolutely interesting and very enlightening on several sides. This book is divided into basically two sections, the first section is more of the comprehension side of what you need to change and why. Then the second section is how to incorporate those changes into your life in an easy and great manner. I loved the meditiotions the author provided. Those are amazing! I love how the author also explained the 12 point support system and why it is important. I really liked that. The case examples were great; they were through enough that will open your eyes to different aspects of unhealthiness. I read through this book quickly and I definitely recommend this book to not only those who work with patients but also anyone in general. Gre