Oi, pessoal! Estou de volta com uma resenha para um livro nacional: O Hospício de Muskov: Antologia de Contos de Memórias, organizado por Tyanne Maia e Valquíria Vlad! 🙂 Como o blog aqui é originalmente escrito em Inglês, publiquei primeiro a resenha em inglês e agora vamos de português!
Construído em 1812, o Hospício de Muskov trouxe sofrimento para seus pacientes, médicos, enfermeiros e vizinhos por 133 anos antes de seu colapso, durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial. Nesta antologia ambientada em uma Rússia especialmente fria, 28 autores nos contam, através das memórias do Hospício de Muskov, alguns dos horrores e injustiças que seus pacientes viveram.
A única certeza sobre o Hospício de Muskov, desde a inauguração até seu declínio, é que nenhum humano está à salvo de sua insanidade.
Hello, darlings! I’m back with a review for a Brazilian Portuguese written book: Muskov’s Asylum: Tales and Memories, an anthology by Wish Publishing House! 🙂 As the blog is originally written in English, I’ll post my English review first and then leave you with a link to the Brazilian Portuguese review. Fasten your seat belts, this review is one of those rides!
Built in 1812, Muskov Asylum brought misfortunes for its patients, doctors, nurses and neighbors for 133 years before its collapse, at World War II. In this anthology set in an especially cold Russia, 28 authors tell us through Muskov Asylum’s memories some of the horrors and injustices that its patients have been through.
The only thing to be sure about Muskov Asylum, from its rise to downfall, is that no human is safe from its insanity.
Hello, dearings! I’m alive yet again =D I have been making some solid progress on my readings, which brings us here today: MORE MINI REVIEWS! This time, our theme is Edgar Allan Poe, as I’m reading this pretty and giant book with his main works =) I’m not done yet, hence the ‘part 1’ deal, haha!
Just remembering that the mini reviews deal is a combination of inspirations from Cait, of The Paper Fury, and from Lindsey, of @thepagemistress, and that I do those with books that: a) I really liked, but the book didn’t change my life; b) regardless of my feelings, were too short for a complete review; c) regardless of my feelings, weren’t unforgettable.
In this post, you’ll find mini reviews for these Edgar Allan Poe’s books:
Hello, world! I’m back with another edition of the Mini Reviews and, this time, our theme is Young Adult books! YAAAY!
Just remembering that the mini reviews deal is a combination of inspirations from Cait, of The Paper Fury, and from Lindsey, of @thepagemistress, and that I do those with books that: a) were good, but weren’t unforgettable; b) were too short for a complete review; c) I really liked, but the book didn’t change my life.
In this post, you’ll find mini reviews for:
Madeleine Roux – The Scarlets (The Asylum #1.5)
Madeleine Roux – Catacomb (The Asylum #3)
Rainbow Rowell – Kindred Spirits
Sarah J. Maas – A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1)
Sara Shepard – The Perfectionists (The Perfectionists #1)
(Alternative title: HOLLY F*, THE CREEPS. ALL. OVER. THE. PLACE! =OOOOOO)
Hello to you that decided it was a good time to seat and read a review! Or not sit, but happily scroll down through your phone. Oh, well. Welcome to you, no matter if you are seated, on your feet or laid down. My only piece of advice before cutting the crap and start talking about today’s book is: do not read this with the lights off. You know, safety matters and all. Thanks!
Without further ado, today I took the day to review a DELICIOUS book that I received from the author in exchange for an honest review: Black Water Tales: The Unwated, from JeanNicole Rivers! Technically, this is the second book in the series, but they are totally unrelated to each other, so I will just treat is as a standalone 🙂 Thanks so much for sending me your book, JeanNicole! I don’t have the words to describe what it meant to me! Actually I kind of do, as I am writing all about my feels for the book as we speak, but never mind that.
Blaire Baker is one of those people who is in a serious need to find a purpose in life. Which better way than to volunteer herself to teach special children at a poor orphanage in eastern Europe? St. Sebastian sounds like the perfect place to escape her problems and make herself useful, maybe even changing some lives for good. Paired up with Travis, a funny and easy-going nurse on the same mission as her, Blaire heads to Borslav to start her life.
She knew not to expect a nice looking place or even healthy children, but nothing prepared Blaire to the eerie creeps that St. Sebastian gave her. She also wasn’t prepared to deal with emotionless and stoic children that couldn’t care less what happened around them. Or even to hear so many whispers about the basement.
As if caring for those lost children wasn’t already a big deal, Blaire also started to be haunted by her own past. She would have to fight her own demons before trying to dig up the mysteries around the night noises and voices of St. Sebastian.
The only question is… Will she survive long enough for that?
Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader 🙂
DEAR HEAVENS, WHERE DO I BEGIN?! This book scared me on a whole new level. I admit not being an avid reader of terror books so far in my life, but NOT A SINGLE BOOK THAT CAME BEFORE THIS ONE WRACKED ME SO HARD! Nearing the end, I would shiver in broad daylight, with the sun on my back and many people around me, feeling utterly alone in the world. As I finished it on a very crowded subway station, I kept looking over my shoulder, being sure that ~something~ was watching for me, if you know what I mean. I only avoided a panic attack because I managed to run home and burn my energy. And when I say run, I mean it. I must have looked absolutely crazy, because I only stopped to cross streets and to enter my building… Oh well, it happens to the best of us. For all those sensations, that are priceless on their own twisted way, A MILLION STARTS FOR THIS BOOK!
The narrative had to be my favorite style: third person with switching points of view between Blaire and Travis. As both them are oblivious to the things that really happen at the orphanage, the narrative choice fit as a glove. Even when one of them discovered something else, we all kept in the dark (quite literally) about what was real and what was paranoid delusion. In the end of the book, I truly didn’t know any more if things were actually happening of if it was a glitch from one of their minds. Rivers plays with your mind that hard.
The plot was all kinds of brilliant. I admit that the story starts off a little slow with Blaire going to Borslav with Travis, but as soon as they step on St. Sebastian for the first time, you are doomed. It’s a mix of morbid curiosity with pure agony that makes you go on. You want to see these poor children winning in life after so many problems. I have to also admit that I was actually cool in the scary side while I thought things were supernatural. While I thought that ghosts were behind the bad things and that was a simple matter of calling Sam and Dean, you know?
I thought it would be the case of involving the Impala brothers 😛
However, Rivers played me like a puppet and laughed (metaphorically) at my face. No Sam and Dean were required and just like that my biggest fears came alive: REAL PEOPLE DOING NASTY THINGS. This is what truly scared the shit out of me and Rivers had me at my fear of real people. Well played, Rivers. Well played indeed.
Ok, focus. Now we have characters. Oh, the characters. I was soooo in love with Blaire and Travis once that I got to know them! What I really liked about this book is that the author didn’t push the romance – no, it’s all about the mystery and remaining true to yourself. Despite some facts, it would have been really easy to turn Travis and Blaire into a couple and I am so proud of Rivers for not falling into that trap ❤ From the bottom of my heart: THANK YOU!
What I really love about Black Water Tales: The Unwanted is that every character has a shady edge, even the children and St. Sebastian building. By the way, the building pulses with life, which is so freaking odd and creepy. I love decadent places, but I doubt I would have the courage to enter St. Sebastian.
The only complaint that I have is that I ended the book without many vital details. I felt more tying up right before the end and I doubt that the next instalment of this series will also be in Borslav, so it is a bit disappointing. I only overlooked this on my rating because all the rest is SO FREAKING AMAZING that I could deal with some plot holes, haha!
I think I have already went on too much today, so let me just wrap things up by saying that if you love mystery and terror, you simply have to read this book asap. After that, message me for us to fangirl about it together, please! =D
Thanks for reading another unnecessary long and fangirling review, you rock if you reached the bottom of my post! Also, another round of thank-yous for JeanNicole herself for being incredible in both writing this masterpiece and sending it my way ❤ ❤ I loved this experience! But of course you couldn’t tell by this review. #sarcasm
(Alternative title: the book that made me so hot to read it that burned me when I did)
Hi, there, lovelies! Slowly and steadily, I’m putting some order on my missing reviews 🙂 I’m almost done with the sent books, so I’ll start the asked ones, haha! Today I’ll be talking about a book I received through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review: The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror, from Joyce Carol Oates. While I thank the publisher to the infinity and beyond for approving my review request, I must say that this book wasn’t my kind of terror 😦
For that reason, I won’t be long on my review, as I still think many people out there will love it despite my feelings towards this book 🙂
From one of our most important contemporary writers, The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror is a bold, haunting collection of six stories.
In the title story, a young boy becomes obsessed with his cousin’s doll after she tragically passes away from leukemia. As he grows older, he begins to collect “found dolls” from the surrounding neighborhoods and stores his treasures in the abandoned carriage house on his family’s estate. But just what kind of dolls are they?
In “Gun Accident,” a teenage girl is thrilled when her favorite teacher asks her to house-sit, even on short notice. But when an intruder forces his way into the house while the girl is there, the fate of more than one life is changed forever.
In “Equatorial,” set in the exotic Galapagos, an affluent American wife experiences disorienting assaults upon her sense of who her charismatic husband really is, and what his plans may be for her.
In The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror, Joyce Carol Oates evokes the “fascination of the abomination” that is at the core of the most profound, the most unsettling, and the most memorable of dark mystery fiction.
Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader 🙂
This book wasn’t for me. I like my terror more terrifying. I enjoyed the first story, but I had it all figured out in the middle. The other stories were just boring for me and I feel awful for that. The writing style was tiresome, the mystery was too obvious and the terror itself didn’t built up on my head I was the most wrong target, haha! So, two stars.
What I liked: the first story. I loved the concept and even after understanding it all, it gave me the creeps to keep going. I have a thing for dolls, especially porcelain dolls. I know several people are afraid of them, but I love them to the core – I have four myself, gifts from my grandma ❤
That’s my reaction EVERY TIME I see pretty vintage dolls, be it porcelain or not, haha!
Anyway, I don’t really want to bitch about this book. All I will say is that I was too excited to read the book and got disappointed. If you like light terror, soft mystery, creepy things and don’t open this book with high expectations, you’ll love it 🙂
That’s it! Thanks for reading this review and I honestly hope more people can love this book to compensate my lack of love 🙂
Hi, there! Hope everyone is enjoying the Sunday! Happy Father’s Day for all dads out there! (Here in Brazil we don’t celebrate Father’s Day today, but I’ll make sure to drop a picture of my dad and I when it happens, haha!)
I finished reading Black Water Tales: The Unwanted this week and it blew my mind off – review coming soon, I promise! – so it was only natural for me to stalk JeanNicole and see what else she had written, right? 🙂 It happens that Black Water Tales is a series with standalones – I can testify to that, as I read the “second” volume and never batted an eyelash, haha! So now I want to read the first one too: Black Water Tales: The Secret Keepers!
Hello, again! Yes, despite the readathon, the blog is still up and running, haha! 😉
Today I bring back to life a section of the blog called Must-Have Edition of the Month, which started as weekly, but I think it will be more cool to be around only once a month. To see the previous post, click here 🙂
Beautiful and flawless, right? I won earlier this year their edition of Alice and that piece of art made me want ALL OF BARNES & NOBLE EDITIONS, OMG!
So, if you want to give me a Christmas present, you can pick any of these classic beauties (except for Alice’s and Peter Pan’s, which I already own, haha!) and I will love you forever ;D
That’s it, thanks for reading! Are you a sucker for B&N editions as well??
If you follow me at my Instagram account (follow me! :D), you may have notice how much I loved the Asylum series, by Madeleine Roux. I’ve read Asylum in less than three days and Sanctum, in four (I was already back to classes and work, LOL). I love those kind of books that create a psychology terror with only a touch of supernatural events.
Anyway, Catacomb is the third book of the Asylum series and it will be out in September, published by HarperTeen (I love these people so much <3).
Senior year is finally over. After all they’ve been through, Dan, Abby, and Jordan are excited to take one last road trip together, and they’re just not going to think about what will happen when the summer ends. But on their way to visit Jordan’s uncle in New Orleans, the three friends notice that they are apparently being followed… And Dan starts receiving phone messages from someone he didn’t expect to hear from again—someone who died last Halloween.
As the strange occurrences escalate, Dan is forced to accept that everything that has happened to him in the past year may not be a coincidence, but fate—a fate that ties Dan to a group called the Bone Artists, who have a sinister connection with a notorious killer from the past. Now, Dan’s only hope is that he will make it out of his senior trip alive.
In this finale to the New York Times bestselling Asylum series, found photographs help tell the story of three teens who exist on the line between past and present, genius and insanity.
In other words, it can be read as “I need it right now”. If you got interested in the series, you check here the description of Asylum, The Scarlets, Sanctum and The Bone Artists:
Hello! Today I’ve finished The Murders in the Rue Morgue, from Edgar Allan Poe. Sadly, I’ve read it in my Lev, so the pic is not that charming 😦 Bad side of online reading, LOL.
My Lev with the pdf copy 🙂
Anyway, the book has six tales:
The Imp of the Perverse
A little like The Tell-Tale Heart, the base of the plot is the guilty that the narrator feels after doing something bad. In this case, the main character murdered another man to inherit his proprieties and, as he was very clever, the police never got him. However, the narrator always feels like he may be caught at any moment and his paranoia is the crux of the problem.
What I thought: My mom gave me a book with 22 stories from Poe some years ago and this one I had already read in the past, but I almost didn’t remember it. It was very nice to feel the thrill that Poe constructs in his writing like it was the first time. This one became one of my favorites ❤
Hop Frog or The Eight Chained Ourangoutangs
This is the story of two dwarfs at a king’s court. The male one, Hop Frog, was the court jester and limped a lot. The female one, Tripetta, was a beautiful dwarf, well proportionated and very charming. The two of them bound, as both are slaves of the king, who likes most of all, to mock Hop Frog with his consultants. After a particular unfortunate incident with Tripetta, Hop Frog elaborates a plan to avenge her and punish his king and his consultants.
What I thought: Another one already read and this one I remembered well, as Hop Frog’s plan was audacious, brilliant and cruel. But there was another thing that marked my good: the happy ending. It’s a rarity among Poe’s tales, LOL.
The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
In this tale, the narrator is a doctor interested in mesmerism, a kind of hypnotism. He’s specially interest in the effects of mesmerism on a dying person, so he is given the chance to test his theories at his dying friend, Mr. Valdemar. Of course, things don’t go as planned.
What I thought: This one also was in my other book, but I totally forgot it. And I have to say I know why: I didn’t like it. It was too much fantasy for Poe’s style, in my opinion
The Black Cat
This is the tale of a man who loves animals very much, but an incident with his cat Pluto transforms his conception of reality in a way that drives him insane.
What I thought: I don’t know which is more famous: The Black Cat or The Tell-Tale Heart, LOL. I first read this when I was in junior high and it’s wonderful every time I read again. It’s simply ingenious.
Never Bet the Devil Your Head
Tommy Dammit was the hateful kind of person you want to punch in the face. This friend, the narrator, tries during the whole story, to bring him to the “good” side, but Tommy won’t go for it. The result is that, after so many bets to the devil, Tommy finally delivers the so-promised prize.
What I thought: this one was new for me, as it wasn’t present on my other book. It was very interesting, specially the way of how the narrator’s thoughts change during the tale, but wasn’t anything breathtaking. I guess, when you know a bit or two about Poe, some kinds of plots became a little foreseeable. Anyway, it’s worth the reading 🙂
The Murders in the Rue Morgue
The tale that names the book presents us to Mr. Dupin, a very intelligent man who uses his observation powers to solve a murder case that even the police considered a lost cause.
What I thought: Dupin is Poe’s French version of Sherlock Holmes. He’s very talented, intelligent and eccentric, just like Sherlock, but a little more insane, if you ask me. I didn’t know this one too and it was amazing how things are so not what they look like. It’s now in my heart, along with The Black Cat, William Wilson, The Tell-Tale Heart and Berenice ❤ ❤
That’s all, folks! If you want to know what I’m reading right know or what I want to read or what I’ve already read, check out my Goodreads profile and don’t forget to follow me on Instagram to always know when there will be a new post available!
Thank you for reading! Do you like Poe’s tales too? 😀
PS: This is my physical edition, that my mom gave me:
I was the most wrong target, haha! So, two stars.
The Book Adventures of Annelise Lestrange 