Book Review - Harry Houdini (The First Names Series) by Kjartan Poskitt

 

Harry Houdini is probably the most well known magician in the world. Harry Houdini was actually born Ehrich Weisz and he was an Hungarian-born immigrant. He began performing stage tricks so, he can bring in extra cash for his family. He started off doing card tricks and gradually started doing escape acts. Harry became well-known for his death-defying escape acts. 

He was known to undergo daring feats, such as, being buried alive, being locked in a crate that was thrown into a river, and escaping from a milk can. Harry was able to captivate the audience's interest while entertaining them with magic. 

The children's book comes illustrated and goes into detail about Harry's life. The book provided in-depth facts and stories about Harry along with tidbits on how the tracks were performed. The back of the book included a glossary, timeline, and an index. One thing to note, unlike other biographies about Harry, this one doesn't include the story of his death. Overall, a good read for the kids and fans of Harry.

 

Book Review - The Haunting of Ashburn House by Darcy Coates

 

 

 In the small town of Ipson, everyone knows about the Ashburn House. There are rumors that the old owner, Edith went mad and that the house is haunted by ghosts. The ghost stories hint at a cruel supernatural being that dwells near the house. When Edith dies, Adrienne inherited the house. She is beyond ecstatic at her good fortune as she is in dire need of a new home. She has no money and has nowhere to go. Adrienne looks at the house as a chance to start over.

Adrienne notices that there are strange messages scratched into the walls. When she leaves a room, the furniture moves around. And when the night falls, something is lurking in the darkness. When exploring the area around the house, Adrienne finds a grave in the forest. The grave has a vague headstone but, it hints at a dark secret. As Adrienne tries to unravel the mystery behind the grave, she discovers that something is hunting her and it won't stop until it gets its prey.

 This was my first novel by the author and now I am hooked! The story was suspenseful and an entertaining read. I did feel that the novel progressed very slowly with many frivolous details. The story had a few predictable elements along with a few twists. I enjoyed reading the parts with her cat, Wolfgang.

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Book Review - The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle

Photo Credit - Amazon

Imagine for one dinner, you can invite any five people,  dead or alive, to have dinner with you. While the possibility is endless, most people already have a set list of people, they would choose. "The Dinner List", is about a young woman, who on her thirtieth birthday is surrounded by her five chosen dinner companions. Sabrina, at first, is bewildered to be surrounded by these people, especially by, Audrey Hepburn's presence. However, she quickly learns, there is a reason, why everyone has gathered here. Will Sabrina be able to figure out the reason behind the dinner? 

The novel had an interesting premise about choices people make. As we learn in the novel, each of the characters has a specific reason for being there. I felt the novel was well done, even if it was a bit predictable. The characters were all lovable and flawed but readers can't help to love them. I found the ending to be interesting and different. I am looking forward to reading other books by the author. 

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**