Tag: Book Reviews

Book Reviews, Find Your Next Read

Book Review: Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger

Mandy Webster

Lisa Unger’s novel, Christmas Presents, is the perfect blend of cozy holiday charm and chilling suspense. Set against the backdrop of a quaint bookshop in a snow-dusted small town, the novel invites readers to unravel a decade-old mystery alongside Madeline Martin, the sole survivor of a brutal attack. 

Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger is an excellent holiday gift choice for the thriller reader on your shopping list!

The story begins when Harley Granger, a notorious true crime podcaster, arrives in Madeline’s bookstore just days before Christmas. Known as much for his fame and wealth as for his controversial tactics, Granger is on a mission to reexamine the horrific events that forever altered Madeline’s life. 

Continue reading “Book Review: Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger” →
Book Reviews, Find Your Next Read

Book Review: Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

Mandy Webster

Sally Hepworth’s Darling Girls is a psychological thriller that delves into the complexities of sisterhood, trauma, and the haunting shadows of a past that refuses to stay buried. At the heart of the story are Jessica, Norah, and Alicia—three women whose childhoods were marred by tragedy and shaped by the unpredictable and controlling presence of their foster mother, Miss Fairchild.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

A Story of Secrets and Survival

From the outside, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia had everything a child in foster care could wish for—a safe, idyllic home on a sprawling estate, and the promise of a second chance at happiness. Miss Fairchild, their foster mother, was seen as a saint by the outside world, offering them a haven in the wake of their traumatic pasts. However, the truth of their upbringing was far from idyllic. Miss Fairchild’s “love” was superficial and performed only for others to see.

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Novel Writing

Even Google Bard has read One Bad Cat!

Mandy Webster

I asked Google’s new artificial intelligence (AI) platform, Bard, if it had read my latest book, One Bad Cat, and it turns out it has! Not only that, but Bard gave it a glowing review. Here’s what it had to say:

“Yes, I have read One Bad Cat by Mandy Webster. It is a humorous fantasy novel about a psychology professor who is turned into a cat by his female coven members. The novel follows Stephen as he tries to adjust to his new life as a cat, while also plotting revenge on his coven members.

Continue reading “Even Google Bard has read One Bad Cat!” →
Book Reviews, Uncategorized

Book Review: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Mandy Webster

I feel the need to preface this review with a discussion on genre. The assignment of a genre to a book is little more than a marketing strategy whose purpose is to place the book in the section of the bookstore where it will sell the most copies. There are those who live and die by their chosen book genres. Some book snobs wouldn’t deign to read young adult novels, thinking those books are for kids and kids alone. But the truth is, a book can be many different things to many different people. A fantasy novel can also be a literary novel, and a YA novel can also be for adults. This is one of those rare novels that – in my opinion – is for everyone.

The cover of The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

I first discovered The Girl Who Drank the Moon on one of the many literary blogs I troll for book recommendations. I added it to my Goodreads Want-To-Read list without realizing it is a children’s book. I then placed an online hold on the book, still unaware that my local library houses this particular text in the juvenile books section.

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Book Reviews

Book Review: When the English Fall by David Williams

Mandy Webster

I just finished When the English Fall by David Williams, and wow! This is a great read for anyone who is into apocalypse scenarios.

Continue reading “Book Review: When the English Fall by David Williams” →

Book Reviews, Uncategorized

Book Review | Canine: A #werewolf story with a twist

Mandy Webster

I recently did a book swap with author Kaitlin Bergfield at the Bloomington Public Library’s local author fair, where we were both featured authors.

Canine by Kaitlin Bergfield

The book summary for Bergfield’s novel, Canine, piqued my interest right away. The premise was really unique, and that’s hard to find! Werewolves are everywhere in fiction these days, but this story comes with a twist (a few of them, actually!) In most of these stories, the average werewolf character is a human who happens to turn into a dog sometimes, usually around the full moon. But the protagonist of this story chooses to live life as a dog. And not just any dog, but as a pet dog! Continue reading “Book Review | Canine: A #werewolf story with a twist” →

Book Reviews

Book Review: Pimp in the Pulpit and Pimp in the Pulpit II

Mandy Webster

Pimp in the Pulpit and Pimp in the Pulpit II by Thomas Leslie McRae are two episodic novellas that would make for some great television—not network television due to the strong language, but Netflix or Hulu could turn these stories into a first-rate original series.

Pimp in the Pulpit covers

My favorite thing about these two novellas is the conversational tone that feels like you’re sitting at a cookout next to your gossipy old aunt who always keeps you caught up on family dramas. But this old aunt isn’t just gossipy, she’s hilarious, and she doesn’t mind repeating every foul word that flew during each new altercation! The insults were one of the most creative parts of these stories, and they had me laughing and shaking my head from page one. Continue reading “Book Review: Pimp in the Pulpit and Pimp in the Pulpit II” →

Valley of the Bees

Sustainable Arts Foundation loves Valley of the Bees!

Mandy Webster

Earlier this year, I applied for a competitive writing grant through the Sustainable Arts Foundation. The winners were recently announced, and though I did not win this time, the jurors who reviewed my application packet had great things to say about Valley of the Bees. The following comments are direct quotes from the very nice rejection email they sent: Continue reading “Sustainable Arts Foundation loves Valley of the Bees!” →

Blogging, Book Reviews, Valley of the Bees

Valley of the Bees Book Blog Tour: Stop #1

Mandy Webster

Author T. S. Dickerson
Author T. S. Dickerson

The With Envy Stung: Valley of the Bees #1 book blog tour has officially begun! My first stop is taking place today (right now!) over at author T. S. Dickerson’s blog, where she has posted a book review of my latest novel, which will release on September 1, 2016.

Go check out this book review now, and then check back here later to find out where the With Envy Stung: Valley of the Bees #1 book blog tour will be stopping next.

Do you want to be a part of this blog tour? Contact Me for details!

Buy The Book

For a limited time, With Envy Stung: Valley of the Bees #1 is available for only 99 cents. Pre-order your copy today before the book returns to its regular price of $3.99!

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Book Reviews

Book Review: Spinster by Kate Bolick

Mandy Webster

Spinster by Kate BolickIn this fascinating memoir, Kate Bolick turns the history of women and marriage in America as I learned it completely on its head. According to Bolick, much of what has been spouted as truth by the  mainstream these past few decades  turns out to be false. Not just false, but one bald-faced lie after another.

This text so resonated with me, I could not put it down. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this way about a book, and I have to wonder what has changed in me since my early 20s that I now find it so hard to relate to the characters in the books I read the way I used to. Why is no one writing about strong women whose lives do not revolve around “the question of when to marry and who?” Continue reading “Book Review: Spinster by Kate Bolick” →