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Laney

laney@books.heathenlab.net

Joined 3 months, 3 weeks ago

Rediscovering the joy of reading.

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2026 Reading Goal

80% complete! Laney has read 8 of 10 books.

Dot Hutchison: The Roses of May (Paperback, 2017, Thomas & Mercer) No rating

Four months after the explosion at the Garden, a place where young women known as …

Second in the series from this author, this book has a slightly different style and pace. There are links back to the first book The Butterfly garden, however they do not form part of the main storyline. Instead we have a new main character and new serial killer.

The book is written mostly from the point of view of the main character, but we get glimpses into the dynamic of the FBI agents nicknamed the Quantico Three, and also the point of view of the serial killer and what makes him chose his next victim. So far in each book one of the three agents comes to the forefront leading the case.

Each book, focuses on gruesome crimes, the psychological impact, character strength, building of friendships and found family and although this is a new story I still found it interesting to read.

finished reading Alchemised by SenLinYu

SenLinYu: Alchemised (Paperback, Del Rey)

In this riveting dark fantasy debut, a woman with missing memories fights to survive a …

I really wanted to love this book, considering the hype surrounding it. At just over a thousand pages, its probably one of the largest books I’ve read in a while. The story line is the usual hate to love relationship, intertwined with war, politics, religion, sex and espionage. I almost gave up reading at one point as the story feels like it’s going no where, but perseverance yields reward, and things finally progress. The characters are interesting, with reasonable back stories. The word building can get a tad over complex in places. But that could just be me.

Could the book have been shorter? Yes. Are the characters interesting? Yes. Is it worth the hype? Not so much.

Take this one at a steady pace, after all reading is not a race.

reviewed The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison (The Collector, #1)

Dot Hutchison: The Butterfly Garden (2016)

"Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden. In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady …

Captivating

Dark, twisted, and triggering. The story slowly reveals with each turn of the page, taking the standard serial killer thriller and playing with the relationships of victim and villain. The main character I found very intriguing, wise beyond her years, and insightful. Overall an engaging read that can easily be read as a standalone as I didn’t realise it was part of a series. So I look forward to seeking out the others in this series.

reviewed The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig

Chuck Wendig: The Book of Accidents (Hardcover, 2021, Del Rey)

Book of

Lots of different themes run throughout this book. Family traumas, sci-fi, magic lovecraftian horror., and multiverses.

The family are relatable and I quickly become invested in how they would survive.

Wendigs style is very reminiscent of Stephen King, therefore if you are a fan of one you would probably enjoy the other.