Xepherus Reads

       Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,    Never let them dull your shine. You hear this a lot from people, and it is great advice. However, if you have the Shining, this can be problematic. Just ask Abra Stone and Danny Torrance.   Their shine is brilliant and no one wants it more than Rose the Hat. This terrifying villain from Stephen King's Doctor Sleep is beautiful, charming, and a deadly psychic vampire. She travels the roads of the world searching for Steam, the essence of those with the Shining. Her ancient race of humanoid demons called the True Knot, wreak havoc on the people of the world to keep their immortality.   Rose the Hat will always be one of the most terrifying villains in Stephen King's works. Her disregard for all humanity, including children, is chaotic and horrific. She is a villain who is fascinating and cunning, and it is fun and scary to see what her next move will be.   Happy Halfway to Halloween! Let me know in the comments below what you

  Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,    When reading spooky books, Halloween is my favorite time of the year. In April, it's time to enjoy Halfway to Halloween. I usually celebrate by burning pumpkin candles, making hot cider, and curling up for horror movies and scary books.    Join me this week for some fun as I look back and share my favorite spookiest reads.       Let me know in the comments below if you celebrate Halfway to Halloween.     If you wish to donate to my publishing fund at Venmo. All donations are appreciated. If you wish to donate to my publishing fund at Venmo.  Or at Buy Me a Coffee        All donations are appreciated.       Also, I am a proud affiliate of  Book of the Month . Check out their amazing selection and save by clicking above.         Also please follow me on my  social media platforms  and enjoy shopping with me at eBay, Pango Books, and Mercari.      SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS AT LINKTREE     Because there is always time to read,   Xepherus3   All

  Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,    It's always fun to travel back in time and see past writings. It shows you how you have progressed as a writer. It also shows you what ideas were successful.    Let's check out an article from December 30, 2015 . Photograph by Xepherus Studios. All rights reserved.     There it is. That pile of unread books that still haunt your bookcases. They taunt you, saying that you will never read them. Are they true? Or will you change your ways, and give them their due audience?    In 2016 I planned to be a bit strict with my reading habits. Let's see how these plans work and maybe they can help you, as well. Take seven books that I began and never finished out of my bookcase. (This worked well, culminating in 50 books read. By choosing a small lot of books, I focused better. I added 3 DNF'd books at a time and 4 new reads.) Set my TBR next to my bed standing up between bookends on my nightstand. (This worked somewhat. I did find

  Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,       When I think of thrillers, I think of great writing, gut-punch twists, and dynamic settings. Did The Sanatorium meet those standards? Let's find out.      The Sanatorium is written by Sarah Pearse and is the first book in the now three-book series. It is published by Penguin Books and was a Reese Witherspoon pick.     In it, we are introduced to Elin Warner, a detective on leave after a traumatizing case almost killed her. She is on her way to the posh hotel, Le Sommet, in the Crans-Montana area of Switzerland. There, she will be reunited with her estranged brother, Isaac, to celebrate his engagement to their longtime friend, Laure.    But the hotel has a past that has been kept hidden from the public. It is a past that begins a new body count, as staff begin to turn up dead. And with a snowstorm, avalanche, and cunning killer on the loose, can Elin defy the odds to solve the case or become the next victim?    The Sanatorium takes

   Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,            Storm Shelter is written by April Salee and is published by Whitepaper Books.  In it, we meet Amelia Barber who returns home early from school due to a severe storm about to hit her area. Upon reaching home, Amelia realizes that she does not have her house key. She is about to seek alternate shelter from the storm when she is abruptly pulled underground. She comes face to face with Starla, an Earth Ranger. Starla protects those in need and informs Amelia that she has the potential for great things in the future. She explains this is why she was saved from the now-escalating storm above.   Amelia is skeptical, wanting to be just an ordinary girl growing up doing ordinary things. But soon she realizes that everything the Earth Ranger has said is all true. Sometime later, Amelia is once again approached by Starla. The Earth Ranger begins to inform her of those she is to save, as well as offering her encouragement and guidance. From

  Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,    When it comes to a good blizzard, nothing helps pass the Winter weather like reading a thriller. Curl up with a cozy blanket and some cocoa, because things are about to get scary.      Here are my Top 5 Snowy Thrillers- 5) No Exit by Taylor Adams- A woman trapped during a blizzard at a rest stop finds a caged child in a van. Which of those stranded with her is the kidnapper? And what will they do to protect their crime? 4) The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse- A luxury hotel opens in Switzerland, and the body count rises. Can a traumatized police detective rise to the occasion and find a killer before she is his next victim? 3) In a Dark, Dark Wood- A woman wakes up in a hospital under arrest for murder. She must work to escape authorities to find the real killer... in a blizzard.  2) An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena- An inn high in the mountains houses guests during a blizzard. But one of them is a murderer and the guests begin to be killed o

  Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,   As millions tune in to Netflix's adaptation of Fool Me Once, let's head back to the book that started it all and my review.       Fool Me Once is written by Harlan Coben and published by Dutton Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. In this tense and often nail-biting thriller we are introduced to Military Captain Maya Stern. Stern has just lost her husband to murder, Joe, and the family of Joe Burkett just wants what's best for Maya and Joe's two-year-old daughter, Lily. Her nanny is even the daughter of Joe's nanny. The Burketts' wealth is evident in Maya's life right down to her beautiful home. But Maya wishes only to mourn Joe and take care of Lily when she is not working. Maya does not like the "rich thing", and cares nothing for the Burkett fortune, even signing a prenuptial agreement.   Maya's friend Eileen suggests getting a nanny cam for her home. That way when Maya is at work at least