Author: mysteriousalien2

Just a random human being on the earth who likes to write and eat;)

Book Review: We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough

Wow, that’s the word that came to my mind after reading this book, because seriously, it blew me away with its concept. I would say please go into this book blindfolded and expect the unexpected, that way it will be so much fun. Emily and her husband, Freddie, just moved to a new place called Larkin Lodge. Emily just recovered from an accident and is not well emotionally as well as physically. Emily felt that the house was different as things started to happen to her when she was alone, not when she was with her husband. Emily becomes obsessed with finding what is wrong with the house, even when her situation is crumbling every second.

Let me start with the plot. I loved it. It blew my mind with how unique the concept of this book is. Honestly, hands down one of my favourite plotlines in a thriller/gothic book. The book is about a haunted house, and the revelations were amazing. The plot is very twisty, focusing more on the human mind than the surroundings. Reading about different characters and their flaws made me think of different perspectives.

The characters were so unlikable. Emily, I hated her more than Freddie. She is one of the most complex characters who made me so mad. But also a smart move she made, I loved reading it. I hated everyone, and this is also one of the reasons I liked this book. I really enjoyed reading this book, and it definitely messed with my mind. I legit have a headache, but couldn’t stop reading it.

The book is actually the representation of humans in the disguise of a house. I liked the concept. The descriptions of the house and the atmosphere were amazing; it made me immerse myself in the book. The book is about a haunted house, and at the same time, the flaws of humans, which I loved. I hated the characters more than the creepy things that the house did.

The concept was amazing, and I was in awe. From my perspective, I think humans are never happy with anyone unless they act a certain way. Also, some mistakes are never meant to be forgiven, and even if others don’t know the guilt of living with it, it makes it hard to repair the relationship. Nothing will go back to the same again once everything becomes beyond repair.

The book made me so mad, and my mind was definitely feeling it, and if you want to be like that, definitely give this one a try.

Rating: 4/5

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Raw feelings…

Being a person who feels things deeply is exhausting.

I was sitting in the middle of the chaos, but my heart was so empty that the outside chaos couldn’t stir the chaos in my heart. These are my thoughts when I was sitting between kids running around and just living their lives. And this brought me back to my time as a child. I was a child who lived fully. I played my heart out and never worried about my future or what I would be once I grew up. Now, when I look at myself, I have grown a lot in a lot of ways. I was a child who never believed that I could stand up on the stage and speak a few things, that I could overcome any challenges, or that I could ever achieve things. But as for where I am today, I can proudly say I am doing everything that I was made to believe that I couldn’t do. I feel like, as I have gotten older, I have gotten really quiet, but I have a raging storm in me that I don’t know how to express. But at certain times, I feel like nothing, no matter what is happening around me, I feel empty inside. I don’t know how to express myself, especially my feelings, which are so intense that I feel nothing, leaving me feeling empty from the inside. This makes me believe that every feeling is valid, and it’s okay to feel nothing when everything becomes intense. Everyone has different ways in which they deal with their feelings. For me, it’s to give it time and let it flow; otherwise, I can’t function properly. Also, I need to think about my feelings, I need to observe my surroundings and express how it makes me feel, and one of the reasons why I am here is to express my raw feelings.

I wrote this post in the situation, so it came really raw. I hope whoever is reading this post is okay, and that it’s okay to deal with feelings that make you feel nothing inside. Everything will work out eventually.

It’s okay. To feel all the feels.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Book Review: Guess Again by Charlie Donlea

For such a long time, I really wanted to read a mystery thriller, a proper one with a detective and all and when everyone started raving about Guess Again by Charlie Donlea. I knew it was time, and everyone liked it so much. So the book is about a girl, Callie, who disappeared 10 years ago. And the detective working on that case, Ethan Hall, now works as an ER doctor. He gets a call from his former detective partner to reopen this cold case and find unfinished answers.

I have to start with the plot, it was amazing with twists and twists coming every second. Throughout, it was engaging, and I really wanted to know how it would end. However, the book is huge with many chapters that are so short. The different places and timelines were so chaotic that I couldn’t keep up with them. Because of it, I was dreading continuing. At one point, I wanted to know, and at another point, I was getting confused with all the names of the places. I wish it were not written that way; it would have made the book fast-paced and more enjoyable.

I legit guessed the plot twist. I guess I don’t have to guess again! (hahaha) I will be honest, I didn’t like the plot twist, it was too predictable, or would I say too common for a thriller book. I like the vibe of the book, the chapters are short but very chaotic, which, for a thriller, might be a part I didn’t like, and till the end, it never really made sense to me about the places.

After reading the blurb, I thought that the detectives would work together; however, the entire book is totally different. The storyline is good, the vibes match with it perfectly; however, it was very common, so I didn’t find it amazing, or something I will rave to others.

The characters are good, including Ethan Hall, the main protagonist. The pressure of finding out what exactly happened to Callie, while his own personal and professional life is getting mixed up. As we move through so many POVs and characters, nobody really stands out as such.

If you want, you can give this book a try.

Rating: 3.5/5

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Random Pause…

It’s okay to push pause.

In one of my earlier posts, I talked about how taking a pause is so important for the mind and body. And here I am with another post on pause; however, it’s quite different from that one. So basically, you know when everything is working out and all, but suddenly a random pause stops you and just like a line is drawn and you see yourself not able to pick yourself up. Yes, this is how I am currently feeling. I have gotten into a random pause zone where I want to do, but I just can’t. My mind won’t allow me to focus and would work against it. And I know this is just for some days, but I feel like I am wasting my time doing nothing. Having the urge to pick up the pace in life and do everything, however, at the same time, you will always find a small rock trying to throw you off. I guess that’s life. The random pause coming in the middle of something is like a routine. Whenever I am doing something, there are always some days when I question everything and wonder what I am even doing. And this all goes only when I give myself time to just let it pass through, and I guess that’s not a bad idea. However, it is in life that there will be days when we will feel our worst, feel that we can’t do anything, it’s like a constant. We need to learn how to live with those feelings and cope with them. What I have understood is that life not only wants to be successful but also wants to be stronger to face any challenges. I feel like in doing anything, there will be more challenges, and we should trust ourselves in overcoming them. Giving time to ourselves is so important. You are human; it’s in your nature to feel things and take breaks, but sometimes we are so under stress we forget to do it, and our mind shuts down. So if it feels like you are unable to do something, just shut everything down and breathe.

Pause now, rise later

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Book Review: That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally

I heard so much about this debut book, so I picked it up. It did intrigue me as I went through its blurb; it felt mysterious and creepy. I love books with mystery and thrilling vibes, and this one stood out to me. So basically, this book follows the story of a teenage girl who is found shivering in a corner of the road. However, she knows nothing about herself, no name or where she came from. But a man shows up claiming that he is the father of, and her name is Mary, with all the proof. On the other hand, a teen named Lola disappears and the entire time believes that Dew, her boyfriend, murdered her.

Honestly, I had high expectations from this book, and unfortunately, it did not deliver. Starting with the plot, it has two points of view, one from Mary and the other from Dew. The story is very straightforward; everything is as clear as water. I liked the fact that the author tried to mislead me into believing something that wasn’t true, and then the plot twist happened. I liked it as it was very fast and very disturbing. However, there was nothing new about the book or the plot.

The character of Dew brought a lot of emotion to the book, which I liked. Also, the last plot twist was amazing. I didn’t see it coming at all, and that made me feel really bad for Dew. There are creepy moments in the book, but it’s short, so I flew by very fast. The book is really short, so it is suitable for beginners.

Overall, the plot fell really flat for me as it’s very clear in the beginning what it is about, except for that one plot twist, which I have to say I liked.

The book has a thriller, mystery and emotional side, so if you like to read it, please go forward.

Rating: 3/5 (Please proceed by looking at the trigger warnings.)

Side Note: I just want to clarify that this is entirely my opinion; you are free to love this book, and I am free to give my opinion on this book. I would be very happy if you loved this book, but please do not take this review to heart, and it is okay to have different tastes. Thank You.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Don’t Look Back.

Don’t look back. You’re not going that way.

In my life, I have reached that stage where I have gained confidence, where I have learned to believe in myself, and I have finally started to learn how to handle my insecurities. And this happened because I made myself and my mind strong. However, there are moments when I feel my insecurities getting the best of me but I know how to handle them.

The way I have learned is by not letting myself look at my past mistakes as mistakes, but rather as my learning points. I believe we should only look back to see how far we have come. Sometimes we dwell so much in our past and its mistakes that we forget that the entire present and future are there to live through. In life, we have a lot of moments, many of them are about learning, which definitely makes us feel bad about ourselves; however, that’s all the moments that make us strong, as much as we are fighting and still standing strong.

We have to live in our present; we don’t have to dwell on our past, nor do we have to think too much about our future. It always works out, maybe in a hard way, but it works out, and that’s what is important. The present is the most important time in our lives as we fight through so much just to live in the moment, so don’t just look back and feel how much better you could have done. Believe me, you tried your best, and maybe life wanted you to be tougher for better experiences.

I always have the motto to never look back and regret things because that only makes me feel horrible about myself and how I was unable to achieve things. And always, that was a phase for me to grow, and now, when I look at myself, I feel so proud because the things that made me doubt are now just mere things. Now I can achieve more because of my stronger mindset, and I am so happy and grateful about it.

So remember, look back only when you need to feel proud of yourself, to see how far you have come, to appreciate your strength, and just to see how much better you have gotten.

Wake up and live.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Book Review: Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

I have read, I think, three books by Riley Sager and loved every single one of them. So I decided to pick another one by him, Home Before Dark. The concept was perfect for this spooky season, and I was really excited to see what’s stored in this book for me. The book follows the story of Maggie Holt, who returns to a Victorian estate which is owned by her father. And after he passes away, she gets hold of it. However, the house holds a haunted tale that his father has published in his book, House of Horrors. But she doesn’t believe a thing until she starts living in the house and experiences some questionable things.

Honestly, the plot was really good and entertaining. There was a perfect balance of spookiness, calmness and haunted vibes that I felt in the book. The plot was very simple and straight to the point; however, the plot twists, did I see it coming? Some I did while the last one, I knew it would never be simple in Sager’s book, so I knew something had to come.

And it did! The plot twist was crazy. I was shocked because it was not much talked about in the book; it just came out of nowhere, and I loved it. And I know Sager’s book had that twist, and it did. The story has a lot of intensity because the past is what made the book more haunted, rather than the house. I loved all of the things that came together.

Talking about Maggie, our main character, she was a likeable protagonist trying to find the truth as well as run away from it. Her backstory was amazing. I did not see anything coming, given how she was such a crucial part of what happened in the past.

Maggie’s parents, in the beginning they might seem unlikable, but actually, they are the main characters of the book. Other characters play a huge role, but for the spoiler-free review, I am just going to say that every character in this book is phenomenal. I absolutely loved the back story of the plot twist. It was everything gothic and creepy, and I ate it up. The book is really fast-paced. I finished it in less than 24 hours.

I highly recommend this book as it’s a mixture of intense, haunted and gothic vibes. As well as the story makes total sense with a great ending.

Rating: 4/5

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Doubt ruins everything

Self doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.

I came across some of William Shakespeare’s quotes from his plays, and one of them really stood out to me: “Doubt kills everything, and ruins the best within us.” I always used to believe that I needed to be good at it naturally and that I would achieve it. But it never crosses my mind that I need to try to know if I can do it, and if not, then I can learn. There is this theory that I was studying the other day by Howard Gardner, where he says that intelligence doesn’t only come in academics but also in linguistic, musical, spatial and many more.

And that’s so true, but the doubt that comes before starting anything literally kills everything. I know at this point in my life, I have done so many things, some worked out while others didn’t, and that’s okay, but I learned so many things. If I let doubt take over my mind, I wouldn’t be mentally strong enough to achieve things further in my life. Remember, every moment and every opportunity is a step towards better things. We will be learning every single day in our lives; it is a phase that will never be over.

So, doubt before even trying is a big cause of losing so many things. Don’t be afraid to try new things; it will bring you so much confidence, and it will help you see yourself in a light where you can do so many things. It’s all the game of mind, how you look at things, and how you allow yourself to look past the doubts and take the step. I know it’s not easy to make up your mind and look past the doubt; however, ask yourself questions: if you took this opportunity, what would you be going to lose? Instead, you are going to learn. The first step towards learning is accepting the challenges and just doing it.

You need to make yourself and your mind stronger. You can do many things; it’s the doubt that ruins everything, so remember, before the doubt ruins it, you get over it.

You can do hard things.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Book Review: His and Hers by Alice Feeney

It was good, but I was waiting for it to be great. That was the only thought that came to my mind after finishing the book His and Hers by Alice Feeney. At first, I picked up Beautiful Ugly by her, but DNF’d it. But I really wanted to read a book by her, so I picked this up. The book follows the story of newsreader Anna Andrews, who is put on a case about a woman’s murder in Blackdown, a British Village. The detective Jack Harper suspects Anna; however, later, he becomes the suspect in his own murder investigation.

Just like the title emphasises, the book is from his and her point of view, which was definitely entertaining. The character of Anna was intriguing; it was traumatic to read what happened to her. Definitely, the twisty past kept me hooked till the end, so I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

The character of Jack was not particularly important; however, I appreciated how the author linked the murder to Jack’s past. Overall, the plot is good, but the plot twists were predictable from miles away. Maybe I have read so many thrillers that it felt like I had already read this story.

The past definitely felt really traumatic and disturbing, which made the book really dark. Another thing was that it was twisty; twists were coming, but I guessed it all. The main culprit, when it was revealed, I knew it, so no shocking factor was there while reading this book.

The ending was really good, so much was happening that I felt the rush in my mind while reading.

I recommend it.

Rating: 3.5/5 (Please proceed by looking at the trigger warnings.)

Side Note: I just want to clarify that this is entirely my opinion; you are free to love this book, and I am free to give my opinion on this book. I would be very happy if you loved this book, but please do not take this review to heart, and it is okay to have different tastes. Thank You.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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living our own life?

Your heart knows the way. Run in that direction.

Everybody pretty much talked about the responsibility of adulthood, the job, the financial situation; however, nobody talked about how, amidst that, it will be so hard to live our lives. There are so many responsibilities that an adult carries; however, we have to look at everything. However, what about living our own lives? I have come to reflect on how little time we get for ourselves; it’s mostly taken up by others and their responsibility. I always heard while growing up that responsibility is like a curse that will slowly take you under its spell, and you will not realise it when it happens.

There are so many moments in my life where I just wanted a minute of peace just for myself, but I didn’t know it would be so hard. The hardest thing is that it all comes down suddenly in the middle of the day, and it takes weeks for me to recover my mind and be my usual self. This is my life, but I have to look at so many aspects that I sometimes forget how much I am suffering in the process. I want to work on myself and just myself. I want to take just my responsibility and create the life that I deserve.

I just realised how important it is to move and go to another place because that’s how you create your own life, take care of yourself, and find your personality. At first, I used to think it was scary moving to an unknown place, but now I have realised the person you become in an unknown place is the strongest and the happiest version of yourself. You find yourself, you don’t have to think about others, you just focus on what makes you happy, and honestly, that’s beautiful to live through. It’s your life, so you should be able to make decisions that you feel are right because in the end, it’s you that matters, nobody else.

Live where your hearts find life.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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