Featured Review: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

                                      Featured Review: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

★★☆☆☆

This review was written by my good friend Sabrina! She loves photography, reading and watching movies. Lots of movies. She's rated over 300 movies / TV shows on IMDb. Be sure to give her Twitter, Instagram and Goodreads a follow!

"I had been hearing about this book my whole childhood so I thought it was about time I gave it a go. If you've read Inkheart, then you know that Meggie's all-time favourite book is The Secret Garden and since Meggie is so passionate about books, I felt obliged to read it myself. 

The descriptive language used in the book is outstanding. The way in which the garden is described is so detailed and real. Visualizing the Garden and all the other aspects was so simple. The language is so fluid when describing settings and characters. I enjoyed reading all the descriptions and feeling like I was there with the characters. 

However, this book did not do it for me in terms of a plot or a proper storyline at all. I know it's an old book and there was a different way of writing then, but still; this book was just boring. It's just about an spoiled, unhealthy kid who comes to live with her uncle who neglects her and she heals through playing in a garden. She meets a friend and she finds her cousin and that's about it. 

The only thing that kept me from putting this book deep in my bookshelf was the word choice and language. It was amazing, like I already said. I have another complaint though. The way the Yorkshire accent dialogue is written is SO annoying. It makes it so difficult to read. A few of the characters have it and the only reason I don't like those characters is because of their irritating dialogue.

I gave this book two stars because I really enjoyed the descriptive language and the idea of escaping reality into nature but the storyline was so dead. Maybe this kind of novel just isn't for me. I like crime novels, thrillers, travel, and some fantasy books. So maybe something like this would appeal to someone else. Thanks for reading!" 

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The Accident by S. D. Monaghan (NetGalley)

                                                               
                                                                The Accident by S. D. Monaghan

    (Novel to be published on  September 1st, 2017)
★★★★★

First off, I would like to thank Bookouture for approving my request to read and honestly review this novel! This was made possible through NetGalley! So, what an interesting novel! The beginning was very intriguing, and you get right into the book from the start. I had to take quite a few breaks while reading this one because I had a lot of things going on (i.e. interviews and presentations), but I always found myself wanting to get back to the book because it was that good. It has alternating point of view chapters, and is quite suspenseful.

David and Tara are a wealthy, married couple who have it all. They are about to move into their new dream home and begin their lavish life together. They have a baby on the way and they cannot wait to raise their kid in this beautiful, custom home. One mistake can easily alter your life, as the cover of this book suggests. In an instant, Ryan is falling off a balcony because of a punch David just threw. What has David done? Why has he done it? He had such a great life ahead of him......

For some reason, I instantly liked David. He seems perfect, yet he is flawed and emotional just like everyone else, which makes his character more relatable than those goody-goody, perfect characters that make an appearance in other books. In fact, all the characters are well-developed, which makes the book all the more interesting. This book is incredibly well-written. Monaghan does a fabulous job hooking the reader in. I read every word carefully because it was written that beautifully. 

There was quite the twist in this novel, which was very unexpected. I would like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it kept me on the edge of my seat, which is why I gave it a solid 5/5 stars. The Accident will be published on September 1st, 2017, so be sure to add it to your TBR list and read it once it's out! Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!

Have any of you been able to read it in advance yet? Let me know what you thought of it!

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                                                                            About the Author

S. D. Monaghan grew up in Dublin and has travelled quite a bit. He has a degree in psychology and he has also studied screenwriting. He has taught English in Thailand, which shows how much of a well-rounded individual he is. At the moment, he is working on his novels in Dublin.

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Stacking it up & Sunday Post (2)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers discuss the books that they have borrowed from the library or bought to add to their shelves. I personally think it's a fabulous idea, so shoutout to them!

I just happened to find myself in the Chapters bookstore once again this week, and I also just happened to see the 3 books for $10 sale! 😉  I added three more classics to my ever-growing book collection, and I couldn't be happier! Have you read any of the following books (as pictured below)?

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer in which bloggers are able to share news and happenings in their lives on their blog. This idea is fantastic and I look forward to participating in this in the future as well.

I have had such a busy, yet amazing, week! I visited quite a few places, bought a few books and took some pretty sweet photos. On a side note, I've been reading The Accident by S. D. Monaghan through NetGalley, and it's going very well!

At the beginning of the week, I visited a park with my best friend, who is a fabulous photographer and she is the one who took the following three pictures! Go check out her blog at Rafia Tasneem, her photography is incredible! We first went to the gym, and then we had a picnic at this park! Then we went to her house, and watched Friends! Gosh, I just love that show!

Later in the week, I went to watch Dunkirk, directed by Christopher Nolan, for a second time! This movie is so good, and I highly recommend that you all watch it if you haven't done so yet. The actors are incredible! The movie is just breathtaking, and leaves you speechless! Let me know in the comment if you've seen it already!

Finally, to end off the week, I went to Downtown Toronto! What a fun adventure! I went to a few cute cafés (I had two delicious cappuccinos and a bombolone with Nutella filling for the first time ever and it was SO yummy), the mall, a restaurant and the bookstore. I did a lot of walking too and took some great photos that truly capture the beauty of Toronto. Check them out below! At some points in the day, it was quite gloomy and other times the sun shone bright (as exemplified in the pictures below). Have you ever been to Downtown Toronto? How did you like it there?

If any of you watch Suits, I thought I'd just let you all know that the third picture in the second row shows the two buildings in which some of the scenes in Suits are filmed. Just a little info I thought I'd share! 😀  In conclusion, I cannot wait to see what the rest of the summer holds!

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Unsub by Meg Gardiner

                                                                      Unsub by Meg Gardiner
                                                                                   ★★★★★

I have heard many great things about this author, and as this was my first Meg Gardiner book, I was definitely not disappointed! Unsub was intense and frightening. The vivid descriptions made this novel beyond terrifying. It is so well-written that I was at the edge of my seat the entire time. The book was detailed, yet it got to the point and exceeded my expectations.

Caitlin Hendrix has been haunted by the Prophet since her childhood. The Prophet is a relentless serial killer who ruined Caitlin's father's life, who was the main investigator on the Prophet case in the 1990s. The Prophet was never found at the time, and soon disappeared from the Bay area. The Prophet is an UNSUB, which means he's an unidentified subject. He is an intelligent, clever individual who leaves distinct messages behind at the crime scenes. He leaves written notes, as well as the Mercury sign (as seen on the cover of the novel). 

Now 20 years later, the Prophet has reemerged, and Caitlin is part of the investigation team of this case. The Prophet leaves behind a string of brutal murders. Is the real Prophet from 20 years ago back? Or is it a copycat?

Caitlin must race against the clock to capture the serial killer before he strikes again. Will the Prophet ruin Caitlin's life, just like he ruined her father's? Who is the Prophet? 

There's just something about this book that is so realistic. The descriptions, the relationship between the characters may explain how realistic it is. This novel reminded me of a few crime thriller shows that I have watched. If you're into these kinds of shows, the book will definitely be of interest to you! 

This novel was fabulous, and it was suspenseful until the last page. It's a wild ride all the way to an outstanding conclusion. I give it a solid 5/5 stars! This is definitely not my last Gardiner book!

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                                                                            About the Author

Meg Gardiner is an award-winning author, and her writing focuses on crime. She attended Stanford University where she received a BA in Economics, and she later studied Law at Stanford University. She practiced law, and later began writing thrillers. Her Evan Daley books are her best-known novels. For more information about Meg Gardiner, check out the Official Website of author Meg Gardiner.

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July Book Wrap-up

Completed Books

 Reviews Linked Below:

Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben

Bifocal by Deborah Ellis and Eric Walters

What Doesn't Kill You by Aimee Hix

The Breakdown by B. A. Paris

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

19 Souls by J.D. Allen

Here and Gone by Haylen Beck

July has most definitely been incredibly successful! I made a dent in my summer TBR list, and I still have a month to go! To find out what I'm currently reading, as well as what I'm reading next, check out my Stacking it up & Sunday Post, in addition to my Currently Reading post! I'm trying to read as many books as I can before school begins once again in September! Let's see how it all goes!

How has July been for you? What are your plans for August? Please leave a comment! 📚

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Stacking it up & Sunday Post

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers discuss the books that they have borrowed from the library or bought to add to their shelves. I personally think it's a fabulous idea, so shoutout to them!

I went to Chapters today, just to relax because who doesn't love relaxing at the bookstore?! Then I saw such an incredible deal that I needed to take advantage of! Three books for ten dollars!!! 3 for $10! What an amazing deal. So I decided to go ahead and pick three books! I got 1984 by George Orwell, The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli and To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway. 

I've already read 1984, but I really wanted to add it to my book collection, and read it again! I just had to get The Prince because I'm a political science major, so why not?! I decided to throw in To Have and Have Not too as my third book. I'm super excited to read these books! Stay tuned for the reviews! Please leave a comment below if you've read any of these books, and what you thought of them!

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer in which bloggers are able to share news and happenings in their lives on their blog. This idea is fantastic and I look forward to participating in this in the future as well.

Currently Reading

At the moment, I am reading Unsub by Meg Gardiner! I am quite a few chapters in, and my oh my is this book good! It's super action-packed, thrilling and just all around gripping. Keep an eye out for my review of the novel, which will be posted soon!

What am I reading next?

I'm super excited to get started on these books! Let me know if you've read any of them, and your thoughts on them! 

What did I do this week?

I've mostly been reading, writing and watching a lot of Survivor this past week. Honestly just binge-watching past seasons, it's so fun! I went to the bookstore yesterday, browsed the shelves while drinking some delicious Starbucks! How can you go to the bookstore without drinking some coffee?! Am I right? So I relaxed there for a bit, then went to eat lunch at Freshii! I got the Oaxaca bowl, and it was SO yummy! What's your favourite bowl from Freshii?

Today I went hiking, and stopped at a beach along the way (check out the pictures)! The water and sand was so clean, which was quite surprising! While relaxing on the beach I read a bit of The Accident by S. D. Monaghan and ate some energizing food to refuel after the hike. It was a pretty great day, the weather was fabulous and the place we went to was quite nice. Can't wait for more summer adventures!

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