Category: Lockup Library

Book Review: Sharp Objects

Posted on by Shawshank

So I watched the HBO miniseries long before I read the book. I loved the series, so I really wanted to see how the book was.

I loved the book as much as the miniseries.

Newspaper journalist Camille Preaker, is broken. Mentally broken. Fresh out of a recent hospitalization for self-harm for carving words on to her body. Camille is sent back to her hometown to investigate 2 brutal murders, as well as navigating and interacting around her family, including her 13 year old half sister.

I really liked the grittiness of the book, and the descriptions of her family and what it was like growing up in a small town. Since she’s a reporter, no one what’s to talk to her on the record, but she persists, and ends up figuring it all out.

Did I mention the twist ending?

I think I just did, but you have to read it for yourself. But when I first saw the twist on the show, I was shocked, repulsed, disgusted all at the same time. It was great. The book lead up to it as a slow burn.

I just wish I could read it again for the first time. Go out and get it!

5 books to read to survive the pandemic

Posted on by Shawshank

First off, I want to draw attention to this absolutely fabulous Lockup Library graphic. I asked Crystal to make me some graphics for the site, and she knocked it out of the park. A really big thank you to Crystal. I love em!

Ok, just scrolling through the Discovery section of the WordPress app, and I saw a post about surviving the lockdown. So here’s my take, since (knock on wood) there’s been no lockdown here, on 5 books that’ll help you survive the pandemic.

1. House of Leaves.

This book is so immersive, that you’ll forget where you are. If you like puzzles, footnotes for days, and a pretty ambiguous ending, then this will be the first book that will help you survive the pandemic.

2. Foucault’s Pendulum.

This book throws you right into the action of the mysteries of secret societies and conspiracy theories. It goes to show that if you make something up, someone out there will believe you and go to all sorts of ends to protect it. This will be the second book to help you survive the pandemic.

3. Midnight Sun.

Take a vampire that’s been around for over 100 years, and give him is Juliet. Follow Edward as he second guesses himself at every turn. This is Twilight from Edwards perspective. This is the third book that’ll help you survive the pandemic.

4. The Historian.

Another vampire book, but this one has a twist – the possibility that Vlad Dracul is still alive. It’s a book with time jumps, both back and forth, with multiple main characters. This is the fourth book that will help you survive the pandemic.

5. Night Film.

The final book that will help you survive the pandemic is Night Film. A mystery/thriller. You could also call it a murder mystery as well. It’s a mixed media book with websites, and magazines in it. Confused? You’ll have a grand time figuring everything out.

Honorable mention:

The Stand. Real life mimicking books? Maybe! But this book is good. Scary good. Scary because it’s like real life!

I hope you enjoyed my 5 books that’ll help get you through the pandemic. Thoughts? Comments? Post them below!

They’re gonna clean up your looks with all the lies in the books

Posted on by Shawshank

Just scrolling through the discovery open here on the WordPress app – using book keywords to find like minded people, I’ve seen weird things lately.

You book people, is that all you do? No jobs or anything? I was scrolling and saw one person “was well on her way to 400 books read this year”. She read 23 in October.

Do you even retain anything from the books when you’re reading that much? Is it out of love that you read or some sort of odd obligation to your blog?

One blogger just simply posted a month of her sites stats. Wow, show off much? I’d assume that most people would read and blog about reading for themselves. Apparently this person does everything for site hits.

Also, and this is gonna sound mean, but how the hell can you afford book hauls every month? Y’all look like you’re buying at least 4 to 5 BRAND NEW books a month? Granted I do book hauls as well, but I spend less than $5 a month on seconds hand books. Are y’all selling body parts?

I read for me. I’m not putting any pressure on myself to perform and read as much as I can, because, lemme tell you something – you may be well on your way to reading 400 books this year, but I’ve read (and reread) the Twilight Saga this year, more than a teen girl in the fall of 2005.

I blog for me as well. I like to share my thoughts (as unpolished that they are) on the books that I read, and anything else that’s happening in my life.

Rant over, please carry on with your day!

Duke Duke Duke Duke of Earl

Posted on by Shawshank

Hey hey party people! I’m in the middle of my 5th wind of the day, and just wanted to share a book haul that’s happened over the last week, or week and a half.

I’ve been wicked busy over the last 4 days, I haven’t had the chance to read much at night, so this weekends Lockup Library Book Club will be about my initial thoughts on the first short story in Full Dark, No Stars.

Here’s the haul, I managed to grab some pretty good ones, I think. The Chronicles of Narnia, and Murder on the Orient Express were rescued from my mom that said just take them to the second hand store.

So yeah. Good pile there! Like I said, I’m currently reading Full Dark, No Stars, what’re you reading?

You said you’d stand by me in the middle of chapter three

Posted on by Shawshank

Here’s what everybody has been waiting for! Help me choose my next Book Club book!* I’m going to post my bookcase, and then write out the titles of all the books per shelf (it’s easier this way) – I’m going to try and label the books that I’ve read with (r) I’ll try and capitalize all the titles.

Ok, are you ready?!

Top shelf:

Twilight (r), Twilight (r), New Moon (r), Eclipse (r), Breaking Dawn (r), Midnight Sun (r)

Second shelf:

Ship of Theseus (r), House of Leaves (r), The Goldfinch (r), Night School, Pet Sematary, Lord John and the Private Matter, The Hunger Games (r), Catching Fire (r), Mockingjay (r), Raw Shark Texts (r), Night Film (r), The Escape Artist (r), Cats Cradle (r), The Slaighterhouse Five (r), Foucaults Pendulum (r), Red Sparrow, Verses for the Dead, The Cabinet of Curiosities, Still Life with Crows

Third shelf:

ABC and XYZ of Beekeeping, The Girl on the Train, Shōgun part 1, The Essex Serpent, Mr Mercedes, Finders Keepers, Full Dark no Stars, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, NOS4A2 (r), Dreamcatcher, Lost Girls, The Clan of the Cave Bear, The Fellowship of the Ring (r), The Two Towers (r), Return of the King (r)

Fourth shelf:

Cemetery Dance, Brave New World, Sharp Objects (r), Die Trying, Sphere

* it would be wicked awesome if y’all had some of the same books, and we could actually chat about the books in the Book Club. But it’s all good, I write this stuff for me, and then for you guys.