Tag: to be read

Shelf Control #92 – 27/06/2025

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What better way can I celebrate a fun Friday off work than with a Shelf Control post?! I mean, I could be reading the books on my reading list instead of talking about them, but there we are! It would help whittle the list down… 

Seriously though, I’m really happy to be back with my next Shelf Control instalment. In today’s post, I feature a psychological thriller novel I added to my TBR back in October 2019 – nearly six years ago. I even featured the books in a Top Ten Tuesday post geared around new releases I was excited for. If that doesn’t tell you how far behind I am, I don’t know what will. Even still, to date I’m excited to pick up this book. With a synopsis based on a psychology study, it’ll bring back the old days of taking psychology classes. 

Before I get ahead of myself, here is a recap of what the Shelf Control regular feature is about!

Shelf Control is a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up.

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

 

An Anonymous Girl – Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Pages: 375

Audience: Adult

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

CPublication Date: 08 Jan 2019

Goodreads – An Anonymous Girl

 

Looking to earn some easy cash, Jessica Farris agrees to be a test subject in a psychological study about ethics and morality. But as the study moves from the exam room to the real world, the line between what is real and what is one of Dr. Shields’s experiments blurs.

Dr. Shields seems to know what Jess is thinking… and what she’s hiding.

Jessica’s behaviour will not only be monitored, but manipulated.

Caught in a web of attraction, deceit and jealousy, Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly.

From the authors of the blockbuster bestseller The Wife Between Us, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, An Anonymous Girl will keep you riveted through the last shocking twist.

 

My Thoughts

As somebody who enjoyed studying psychology at school, a book that plays on this subject and how people can be manipulated is naturally a topic of interest. It’s scary how easy the brain can be fooled. 

I’m also interested in the morality aspect of the storyline and how far it’s going to go. If you’ve ever done or taken part in a psychology experiment, you should know that those leading an experiment are not meant to do anything that can be seen as morally grey or worse. What exactly do the experiments entail, and what could they have in mind that could cross this line?

I’ve enjoyed picking up more mysteries this year. It’s a genre I go through spells where I’ll read more of it, and then less so. I’ve been enjoying getting back into this type of book. Picking them up for our work book club has been ideal. It’s a genre many people at my place like, so the club gets good engagement that way. This would actually be a good book to suggest to the group to read in future. 

Have you read An Anonymous Girl? Are there any other books you would recommend as great reads for book clubs? 

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Shelf Control #91 – 13/06/2025

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Happy Friday 13th friends! It’s the end of another working week for us 9-5 people. And, can I say, I’m ready for the weekend 🥳 It’s going to be a busy one, but I’m looking forward to it. But, for now though, we’re here to share my next Shelf Control feature. 

As always, before I get into featuring today’s chosen book, here’s a recap of what the Shelf Control is about.

Shelf Control is a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up.

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

 

When You Disappeared – John Marrs 

 

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 349

Audience: Adult

Publisher:

Publication Date: 01 Jan 2013

 

Goodreads – When You Disappeared

When Catherine wakes up alone one morning, she thinks her husband has gone for a run before work. But Simon never makes it to the office. His running shoes are by the front door. Nothing is missing – except him.

Catherine knows Simon must be in trouble. He wouldn’t just leave her. He wouldn’t leave the children.

But Simon knows the truth – about why he left and what he’s done. He knows things about his marriage that it would kill Catherine to find out. The memories she holds onto are lies.

While Catherine faces a dark new reality at home, Simon’s halfway around the world, alive and thriving. He’s doing whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of the truth.

But he can’t hide forever, and when he reappears twenty-five years later, Catherine will finally learn who he is.

And wish she’d stayed in the dark.

 

My Thoughts

Not too long ago I enjoyed reading The Minders by John Marrs. It’s encouraged me to pick up more of his books. The synopsis of this book caught my attention even before reading The Minders. However, that has reinforced my want to pick up this book. I also want to pick it up because I’ve enjoyed a few mystery/thriller books so far this year. For a genre I enjoy, I feel like I went through a bit of a lull with reading these in favour of other genres. Naturally, I want to set this back aright. 

The synopsis has a good deal of mystery to draw us in before we even start reading. If The Minders is anything to go by, readers will be asking a lot more questions before we get answers. 

My only reservation about this book its that the first page of reviews on Goodreads are pretty polarised. Some love it, whilst others are not a fan. A couple of reading friends have picked this up and rated it 5 stars. May be I shouldn’t put too much stock in what others have rated it and just go for it myself. We’re all different. Of course I’ll give it a chance, and perhaps take it with a pinch of salt as it is John Marrs debut novel. It was originally titled “The Wronged Sons” when it was published in 2013. 

Thanks for checking out today’s Shelf Control post. Have you read When You Disappeared? 

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Shelf Control #90 – 23/05/2025

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Happy Friday, friends! It’s the start of a long weekend here in the UK, and I’m looking forward to a cheeky extra day off work. We’re not quite there yet, though! In today’s Shelf Control post, I feature the first book in a young adult series with a bizarre premise. 

As always, before I share details of the book, here’s a recap of what Shelf Control is.

Shelf Control is a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up.

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.


#MurderTrending – Gretchen McNeil

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 352

Audience: Young Adult

Publisher: Freeform

Publication Date: 07 Aug 2018


Goodreads – #MurderTrending

 

@doctorfusionbebop: Some 17-year-old chick named Dee Guerrera was just sent to Alcatraz 2.0 for killing her stepsister. So, how long do you think she’ll last?

@morrisdavis72195: I hope she meets justice! She’ll get what’s coming to her! BWAHAHA!

@EltonJohnForevzz: Me? I think Dee’s innocent. And I hope she can survive.

WELCOME TO THE NEAR FUTURE, where good and honest citizens can enjoy watching the executions of society’s most infamous convicted felons, streaming live on The Postman app from the suburbanized prison island Alcatraz 2.0.

When seventeen-year-old Dee Guerrera wakes up in a haze, lying on the ground of a dimly lit warehouse, she realizes she’s about to be the next victim of the app. Knowing hardened criminals are getting a taste of their own medicine in this place is one thing, but Dee refuses to roll over and die for a heinous crime she didn’t commit. Can Dee and her newly formed posse, the Death Row Breakfast Club, prove she’s innocent before she ends up wrongfully murdered for the world to see? Or will The Postman’s cast of executioners kill them off one by one?


My Thoughts

The strange concept behind #MurderTrending is why I added it to my reading list in September 2019. The appeal to a younger audience is apparent in the emphasis on social media. However, with it a more prevalent element of modern life, it’s an idea we are all very familiar with.

Aside from the bizarre premise, there’s a mystery here to draw readers in. Why is Dee being lined up for a crime she didn’t commit? Is she really innocent? There are already a number of unanswered questions before we even get to the first page!

This book has very mixed reviews, so I don’t know what to expect. However, this Shelf Control post has got me keen to try this first book and see what I think. If I like it, there are a couple more books in the series I can dive into.

What do you think of today’s Shelf Control feature? I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s post!

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