Episode Thirteen by Craig diLouie

Started: 22.9.26

Finished: 27/9/26

Paperback

An epistolary 'found-footage' style account of a ghost hunting reality TV crew's visit to a haunted house. I think epistolary can work really well when it's letters or written accounts (although having people still write journal entries in the dark or in the middle of life and death situations felt very clunky!). But I'm not convinced things like transcripts of video footage work as well. This was ok, but it got very weird and 'cosmic horror' at the end, not in a good way. 

The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling

Started: 23.9.26

DNF: 26.9.26

Kindle Unlimited

I gave this a try but I wasn't really getting into it. I've since read some reviews and I'm not sure that I would've enjoyed it really, so I'm happy to call it a day.

Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

Started: 13.9.26

Finished: 23.9.26

Paperback then Kindle

At almost 900 pages the paperback is a chonker, so I gave in and bought the Kindle edition instead.

This book started off well, although my biggest gripe with it is that I just don't think 7 year olds are that eloquent and articulate. Not just in what they say, but how they think. This is an issue I have with most books involving kids. Anyway, it was giving Stranger Things vibes, with the kids and the 'imaginary side', but it just got weirder and weirder, and from about the 75% mark I was skipping chunks of it because I just wanted to get to the end. And when it did I just felt 'meh'. 

And The Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich

Started: 21.9.26

DNF: 22.9.26

Hardcover

This was just a bit too weird for me, I couldn't get into it. 

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf

Started: 18.9.26

Finished: 22.9.26

Kindle Unlimited

Really enjoyed this! It was sometimes a bit confusing because there were a couple of different timelines going on, and one where the 'when' wasn't obvious at first, but overall it was a great thriller.

I really enjoyed the murder mystery aspect, I don't think I'd have minded if the whole book was just set in that timeline. 

I even shed a few tears at the end, and I hardly ever cry at books these days, so that is a good thing, I guess?

Verity by Colleen Hoover

Started: 14.9.26

Finished: 20.9.26

Paperback

This is essentially a book about a woman reading a book. She's supposed to be writing a book too, but she's a bit busy falling for another woman's husband. And reading.

I've seen that Verity (this book) gets a lot of hate. It kept me reading to the end, because I wanted to know what the twist was, but it was touch and go. Although they were part of the 'plot within the plot' there were some pretty horrible scenes involving child abuse where I seriously considered DNF-ing it.

Overall, not bad, but not great.

The Mental Load Diaries by Cat Sims

Started: 8.9.26

DNF: 18.9.26

Kindle

I used to follow Cat Sims on Instagram, so this was on my radar for a while. I've read a few chapters and got the gist of it, but to be honest, reading about someone else's mental load is kind of just adding to my own! So I don't think I want to finish this. 

No Exit by Taylor Adams

Started: 12.9.26

Finished: 17.9.26

Kindle Unlimited

This was really good, it had me gripped all the way through. I do enjoy the 'survival in remote location' trope, and that's exactly what this book was. I don't usually spot the twists and turns in thrillers, but there were a few occasions where I wanted to give the main character a shake and say "don't do that!" I'm sure that was the point though, it was definitely the kind of book that makes you think, what would I do in this situation? And as that famous thriller line goes, once I'd read those last couple of pages, I "let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding..."

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

Started: 12.9.26

DNF: 13.9.26

Paperback

Only read to about page 28, but I just wasn't getting into this. Once I'd decided to DNF I read some reviews, and it sounds like I wouldn't have enjoyed it anyway.

At The Bottom Of The Garden by Camilla Bruce

Started: 27.8.26

Finished: 12.9.26

Paperback

I enjoyed this book, but even though it was only 351 pages, it seemed to go on forever! When I was about halfway through I remember thinking, "well, surely that's it, there's nothing more to happen now?" and in a way, not much else did happen, it was a bit repetitive. I did like the sisters, and Dina, and the 'familiars'. I thought it was quite an unusual, but fun, angle to have the ghosts visible to everyone. It was difficult to feel any sympathy for Clara, even given her unfortunate upbringing, but her refusal to be anything other than just really annoyed by the ghosts was quite amusing!