Books? I have a few...

Reading Blog/Goals Featuring: -Cats -Life Events? -Maybe even some Lego

[beakys-book-hoard]

I've got an empty cookie tin.

You know what that means.....

Time to put sewing things inside

[beakys-book-hoard]

I put off reading books in a series because I don't want the series to end.

I did that to one of my favorite tv shows once. I, to this day, have not watched the last episode of my favorite show and that ended in 2017. That's 9 years lol.

Upon writing this, I'm realizing this is kind of crazy.....

But anyways, back to books.

I sometimes avoid finishing a series I really like because I just don't want it to end. I finished the second book in what is a duology but also in a series? And part of me wishes I hadn't? I reeeeeeeeally liked the first book but the second was disappointing. :(

[beakys-book-hoard]

07/04/26

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Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough Published: March 30, 2022 Genre(s): Thriller Page Count: 336

My Rating: 3.5⭐of 5⭐

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I forgot to write in my book journal when I was reading so I'm having to think back to what my reactions were in the moment. It was nice not knowing immediately what the end was going to be. I really enjoyed reading the spiral that the MFC was going through. It was like the perfect mix of far fetched and yeah, that could probably happen.

I do think a couple things were randomly thrown in, maybe to throw you off? Maybe because it was just an idea the author really wanted to add. Like the husband's "midlife crisis" and the daughter's affair.

MFC clearly had a lot of unprocessed trauma so I brushed a couple odd decisions off. Like the random friendship to a complete stranger that she lowkey kind of stalked?? But that was needed to further the plot I suppose...

The tiny twist of the stuff that happened in the past was...eh. The revenge plot was unexpected but not? I'm not going to lie, I wish it had been the sister and the husband. That would've been really messy and I feel like it would've fit in with the vibes.

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[beakys-book-hoard]

I forgot that I had been reading a book.....oops.

When I finally remembered, I made sure I finished it over the weekend.

But then I forgot to post about it.

Annnnnd I forgot to write in my journal and everything. Now I have to try and remember all of my thoughts.

[beakys-book-hoard]

06/13/26

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Day Four by Sarah Lotz Published: May 21, 2015 Genre(s): Horror Page Count: 352

My Rating: 2⭐of 5⭐

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I didn't realize this was technically part of a series. Not that they're really connected. Or at least, according to what I've looked up, it's not.

I feel like the blank pages for days 1, 2, and 3 are a cop out. There's so much potential to actually add substance to this book in the beginning but nope. Just jump straight in.

There was way too much going on in this book for this to be good. It was almost as if the author had so many plot ideas but couldn't decide and didn't want to put the effort into a different book.

You've got poop cruise in book form. You've got ghosts and ghost or demon possessions. You've got murder mystery. You've got a suicide pact. You've got shipwreck survival. You've got a plague or viral outbreak. You've got references to rapture. You've got an attempt at like, a documentary in form of a blog and then scattered interviews.

Everything thrown together and none are fully fleshed out.

It's just too much. It's also not horror, despite the label.

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[beakys-book-hoard]

06/11/26

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Expiration Date by Rebecca Serle Published: March 19, 2024 Genre(s): Romance Page Count: 272

My Rating: 2⭐of 5⭐

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Started out decent. I like the concept, it sounded like it could be interesting.

I hated the back and forth between the current time and the past relationships. I'd rather read that in order.

Of course the whole, listening to a piece of paper to dictate your relationships is absolutely ridiculous. MFC took it and ran with it and ruined so many opportunities in her life.

I knew some fuck shit was going to happen with the best friend. It was right in your face almost immediately even though it wasn't out right written.

The "twist" or the randomly added health issues added over half way into the book was honestly so stupid. Just add it in the beginning. And honestly, keeping it a secret and then revealing it had like no real impact to the story.

The other "twist" of the best friend claiming he wrote the last paper was also stupid. I think my enjoyment of the book plummeted to the floor after that, not that it was that high anymore after the first reveal.

Of course she destroys probably the best thing that happened organically to her.

And of course it ends alluding to her getting back with the best friend.

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[beakys-book-hoard]

06/07/26

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Innocent by Scott Turow Published: May 04, 2010 Genre(s): Mystery, Crime Page Count: 407

My Rating: DNF 🥲

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Even thought the first book was kind of a toss up, I still continued on to the direct sequel. I didn't read any of the other books in the whole series because only this one and the last published book follows the same character from Presumed Innocent.

This book is just a copy + paste of the first. The only thing that's different is that they're older and the minor characters are different.

Despite the fact that there's been what, around 20 years since the first book was written, the author's writing is still outdated and honestly terrible. It's like the author made no effort into making it seem like it was based in the early 2000's.

The author writes the characters the same, there was basically no character development for the MMC. The MMC does the same things as he did in the first book but now he calls his wife crazy.

Then he makes the affair woman date the MMC's son.

Author writes the men like they're virgins who've never seen boobs before. Literally every interaction and thought of a female character turns them horny and we have to read about it.

To continue with that, the author doesn't know how to describe the female body. He describes the affair woman in this one basically the same way he did in the first. Who the fuck calls nipples long.

This author can't seem to get away from racist, sexist, or homophobic writing. The story could go on and be the same if you removed it, therefore it's not necessary.

After the success of show, (and honestly, I don't know how he got so many show and movie adaptions) he wrote a third book. I won't be reading that one now because I couldn't, no wouldn't, finish this one.

The author should've just stayed a lawyer because writing isn't for him.

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[beakys-book-hoard]

I'm lowkey thinking about DNF'ing Innocent.

I don't know if I want to read the exact same book all over again.

Especially when it's not that good......

[beakys-book-hoard]

Okay so I've been reading Innocent, the sequel to Presumed Innocent.

It's literally just the same book with different minor characters.

And the language! It's so outdated. I could kind of understand why the first book was written the way it was but this one was published in the 2000's.

Not only is it published in 2010, the timeline of the book is set in those surrounding years too. The author made no attempt to alter the language or the tone of the book to further reflect and convey the story.

How this man wrote so many books that got tv and movie adaptions is beyond me.

I think he probably should've stuck to being just a lawyer.

[beakys-book-hoard]

Doing some creative experimenting today.

Attempting to make my own shelf raisers.

My shelves are very wide so they have to fairly customized.

I've never been able to find any online that fit the size I needed and within a decent price range.

🤞that this turns out well because I need 26 total lol

[beakys-book-hoard]

The Book Outlet sale is going on and I can't buy anything this time 😭😭😭

[beakys-book-hoard]

06/01/26

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Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow Published: August 01, 1987 Genre(s): Mystery, Crime Page Count: 496

My Rating: 3⭐ of 5⭐

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I picked this up because I had watched the show and had really enjoyed it. I had kind of forgotten about the book for a while, but I finally got around to reading it.

It's not as exciting as the show, which I'm not surprised. It is, I believe, my first court centered book. There were parts that drug on and then it would suddenly pick up.

I could do without the racial and homophobic slurs. That definitely made my opinion on it drop. I was surprised at first and then I remembered the publish date. I still think it could do without it and still follow the plotline just fine.

Imo the reveal at the end was much better in the show. It was more of a shock.

There's surprisingly a lot of books in this series. I won't be reading them all, just the sequels to this MMC. Which, I recently found out that the author wrote a third one about the MMC after the show came out.

I wonder how much of the show will reflect in it, if it gave any motivation to produce it.

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[beakys-book-hoard]

I've been kind of down about my weight a little recently. Not that I'm like crazy big but I can't fit into my favorite clothes comfortably anymore and that annoys me. A lot.

So I picked up some daily light exercises again to hopefully get myself back into those clothes. Honestly, I should've never stopped them but one skip day turned to another turned to not doing it anymore.

Anyways, light exercises. Picking Pilates back up and I'm back to walking a minimum of a mile a day. And what do I do when I walk? I read.

SO with that, I should hopefully get out of my slump.

A 2-in-1 deal honestly.

🤞please let this go well lol🤞

[beakys-book-hoard]

Can't believe I've already made it through the 2025 backlog.

Felt like I was typing them up for forever.

2026 hasn't really been a reading year so far for me. Big slump.

Maybe I'm just picking the wrong books to read....

[beakys-book-hoard]

Backlog #61 - 11/24/25

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Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid Published: March 25, 2019 Genre(s): Romance Page Count: 375

My Rating: 2⭐ of 5⭐

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I read this because I wanted to watch the show.

I didn't like either of the MMC's.

I felt like there was no real emotions between them. Like, none at all. None of the spoken feelings felt true. They were just words.

They basically no interactions other than sex. I figure the show will add more to flush it out.

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I watched the show.

It filled in some gaps but it wasn't good. Idk why people are so obsessed with it.

I'll pass on the next season. Just like I passed on the other books.

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[beakys-book-hoard]

Backlog #60 - 11/10/25

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Plot Twist by Bethany Turner Published: June 15, 2021 Genre(s): Romance Page Count: 321

My Rating: 2⭐ of 5⭐

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I feel like this should've been a short story. Or maybe a novella.

I disliked all of the characters.

I disliked all of the relationships.

Kind of harsh, but she basically wasted her life waiting on nothing.

The love interest was clearly going to be the end game for the relationship.

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[beakys-book-hoard]

>Went to local library book sale. >Found the sequel to a book I had at home. >Gets excited and buys it. >Goes to put it on the shelf with the first book. >Realizes that the first book is paperback. >The new book is hardback.

Sad.