Review; Rainbirds by Clarissa Goenawan

As part of Mystery Thriller Week, you have maybe figured out that I'm reviewing a few books. Rainbirds by Clarissa Goenawan, which I recieved as a press copy through Netgallery from the author/publisher is one of them. Today I'll post the review of the book which also enables me to cross of Japan in the Literary Voyage Around the World Reading Challenge

Description from Goodreads
Clarissa Goenawan’s dark, spellbinding literary debut opens with a murder and shines a spotlight onto life in fictional small-town Japan.

Ren Ishida is nearly finished with graduate school when he receives news of his sister Keiko's sudden death. She was viciously stabbed one rainy night on her way home, and there are no leads. Ren heads to Akakawa to conclude his sister's affairs, still failing to understand why she chose to abandon the family and Tokyo for this desolate town years ago.

But Ren soon finds himself picking up where Keiko left off, accepting both her teaching position at a local cram school and the bizarre arrangement of free lodging at a wealthy politician’s mansion in exchange for reading to the man’s catatonic wife.

As he comes to know the figures in Akakawa, from the enigmatic politician to his fellow teachers and a rebellious, alluring student named Rio, Ren delves into his shared childhood with Keiko and what followed, trying to piece together what happened the night of her death. Haunted in his dreams by a young girl who is desperately trying to tell him something, Ren struggles to find solace in the void his sister has left behind.

My Thoughts on the Novel
I really enjoyed reading Rainbirds, partially because of the writing style and partially because of the characters, which was well written. I also enjoyed reading about the dynamic and relationship between Ren and Keiko.

Book Blogger Hop; How Do I Organize My Books For Review?

It's Friday again, which means it's time for a new Book Blogger Hop post thanks to the blogger behind Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. The question of the week was "How do you organize your books for review? Does it work for you or have you had to change it?".

Book Blogger Hop

Personally, I sort the books by urgency/priority. The rough draft looks something like this;

1. Book blog tours

2. Library books

3. Advanced reading copies

4. Reading challenges

5. Various books that doesn't fit any other category

It's a somewhat flexible way of doing it and I can tweak it as I go, depending on said urgency, so I don't need to panic too much, but of course mishaps do happen from time to time.

Release Day Blitz; The Weekend Bucket List by Mia Kerick

Review; The Reading Buddy by Bryce Gibson

It's time for yet another review in terms of Mystery Thriller Week. Today it's The Reading Buddy by Bryce Gibson, in which I was fortunate enough to recieve as an e-ARC/press copy from the author.

Description from Goodreads
ACCEPT THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS...OR ELSE! 

A SET OF keys jangled in my hand. The keys were my lifeline. One of them would be what saved the day. I held onto them as tightly as I could. I was being followed. The man running behind me was my stepdad, Morris Heyward. He was holding an axe. 

AFTER THE DEATHS of his best friend and stepdad, seventeen-year-old Blake Thomas can't escape the memories of that night...the screams...the blood...the axe. Now, Blake suffers from social anxiety and making friends at his new home seems impossible. With his therapist's suggestion, Blake joins a social media site called The Reading Buddy. It is supposed to be a way for him to slowly step back into social relationships, and it doesn't take long for him to become online friends with someone known as Charley17. Recovery seems to be within reach, but once the school year starts, three local teens quickly pull Blake into their own circle, and soon it appears that Charley17 doesn't want to share his new friend with anybody else.

The Reading Buddy is a Southern-set throwback to the teen horror and thriller novels from the 1990s and will keep you guessing until the very end!

My Thoughts on the Novel
The characters in The Reading Buddy are well developed and the story itself reminded me a bit of the Fear Street novels by R. L. Stine, which I read quite a few of WAY BACK. So if you loved those books by R. L. Stine, it's a fair chance you'll like this one. Something else that I liked about the book was the portrayal of social anxiety.

Book Blitz; Everything Under the Sun by Jessica Redmerski

Review; The Baby On The Back Porch by Lucia N. Davis

It's time for a new review in relation to Mystery Thriller Week. Today I'll post the review of The Baby on the Back Porch by Lucia N. Davis and I was fortunate enough to recieve this short story as an e-ARC/press copy from the author.

Description from Goodreads
An old cabin, hidden in the forests of the Northern Cascades, has been a silent witness to mysterious events long forgotten. But sometimes the past has a way of resurfacing…

In search of solace after a personal tragedy, Sara Eriksson exchanges vibrant San Francisco for a small mountain village. Initially, everything at the cabin is just as she imagined: Her new surroundings are breathtaking, and her landlord, David, is kind and helpful. As soon as she’s left alone, however, Sara finds her new home is not quite as peaceful as she’d thought. First she has an unwanted visitor. Then, an unsettling dream…

Sara pursues the leads presented to her, but she can’t solve the mystery on her own. It takes both Sara and David to uncover the truth about the past—and discover a connection they never expected.

My Thoughts On the Short Story
I really enjoyed reading this short story, partially due to the descriptions and the paranormal elements in it. I also have a weak spot for rural/remote locations, so it was a bonus with the remote forest setting.

Book Blitz; Wings of Flesh and Bones by Cathrina Constantine