http://www.goodreads.com/jessrenee, https://fable.co/jess-renee-159891185248, https://essywessy.com/JESS, https://thespi

Mood Reading Momma, St. Louis, MO (2025)

09/04/2025

📚ARC Review 📚

✨️Title: These Familiar Walls by C.J Dotson
✨️Method: Netgalley
✨️My rating: 3.5/5⭐️

This was a great mix of mystery, paranormal and psychological horror. Our main character made me so so angry in multiple points of the story, but I felt like that anger added to the atmosphere of the story. She was written to be despised. The twist in the story didnt surprise me BUT I do think it was very well executed. I liked that we thought we were getting another psychological horror then the author threw in paranormal and uncanny aspects that just made sense and flowed well with the plot. That was a very fun twist I did not see coming. The author has such a beautiful and descriptive prose that made this a solid and easy read. Overall, this was an enjoyable horror with many mixed subgenres that made it a rather unique read that I would recommend to someone looking for a jacket of all trades horror with a little bit of everything. Im also excited to read more from this author!

09/04/2025

📚Book Review📚

✨️Title: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
✨️Method: Physical Copy
✨️My rating: 4.5/5⭐️

This was one of the most unique stories I've ever written. It was beautiful, enchanting and thought provoking. It felt like there were hidden stories within the story as a whole. The entire time reading this, each journal entry, from start to finish had you contemplating, analyzing, and questioning. There was closure, strong conclusion understanding in the end though that leaves you feeling satisfied and happy that you took the time to read this story. The authors imagination and descriptive prose made this story enticing to read and easy to fall into. I am still processing the workings of this story and I believe that I will still be thinking and processing the workings of this story for awhile because there are so many different thoughts one can have that would make sense and go with this story as a whole. I want to speak to others who have read this story to know what their thoughts are on Piranesi as a whole because I do not think there is one right answer and I do not think anyone can really be wrong when sharing their thoughts on what they felt and believe when it comes to this story. I definitely recommend this book but I do think that one needs to be in the right head space when reading it. Don't go into it thinking you know what will happen and dont go into it with a cynical mind. Open your mind, dive in, and let this work change your thoughts.

09/01/2025

My August Wrap Up!

3 audio books
2 arcs
The rest were Kindle and physical copies!

12 books total! How did you do?

08/31/2025

📚Book Review📚

✨️Title: Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones
✨️Method: Physical copy
✨️My rating: 3/5⭐️

This was a solid read. It wasnt my favorite book of the year but it was definitely a book I am glad that I took the time to read. This was my first SGJ book although it took a bit of time for me to get accustomed to his prose and this story structure, once I got used to it, I found the style quite unique and interesting. I personally wouldnt have categorized this book as "horror" although there were some moments I got old werewolf movie vibes. I would more consider this book a dark lit fic with a unique angle into scary movie creatures told/shown in the past. Overall I was satisfied with this read because it was unique, all questions were answered by the end of the book and the conclusion although not surprising, was still a great way to tie the whole thing up. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to read a unique story about werewolves that does not entail the typical werewolf vibe we are all accustomed to. I will also definitely be reading more of SGJ soon.

08/31/2025

August Wrap ups! I cant believe its already September tomorrow!

08/24/2025

📚Book Review 📚

✨️Title: Fantasticland by Mike Bockoven
✨️Method: Audiobook
✨️My rating: 3.75/5⭐️

This was my first slasher/horror audio book and it did not disappoint. It wasnt so much a jump.scare book as it was a terribly bleak look into the possibility of a large group of people being trapped and not really having the tools or sense to get through or make it out of a disaster unscathed. I loved the interview set up of this story and all of the different perspectives from not only young workers, but older workers as well. I feel like the age differences have the readers a sense of range from young ones addicted to social media and suddenly being withdrawn from the outside world to older ones who probably should have stepped up more, as the older and supposedly more mature workers and tried to corral all of the workers together in a united front for survival. It was interesting to hear/see how each person reacted and acted in a time of disaster and it had you stop and think of how you would act and react if you were in their shoes. In the aftermath of it all, this story truly had you wondering who was the real "bad" guy, if there actually was one or if everyone showed their bad side during their time trapped in the amusement park. I feel like the entire experience should have been completely different and yet it turned into a slaughter that had no real rhyme or reason to it. This story also shows what happens to people and how they react differently when panic and fear set in which was probably one of my favorite aspects. We all react differently to disaster and trauma and listening to interviews of a wide variety of people definitely paints that picture. I would recommend this book if only to just provoke your thoughts in how you would handle the situation and what you would do in disaster.

08/24/2025

📚ARC REVIEW 📚

✨️Title: Yehaw Junction by Kayli Scholz
✨️Method: Netgalley-e.reader
✨️My rating: 4/5⭐️

I mean wow. This book was chaotic, gritty, messy, and raw. There was so much trauma and insanity and unbelievable wtf moments, but I COULD.NOT.STOP.READING!
This was an incredibly unique horror/slasher read that will probably stick with me forever. Kayli did NOT shirk on shock value. She did NOT shirk on chaos. I appreciate that this was something that I hadn't really come across before.

We follow this young male character who is so mentally insane that you truly do not know whether what he sees is the truth or a hallucination. His found family is a cluster of insane and broken beings who are simply just trying to make it through the day.

This book and the way it is told throws you around and roughs you up and expects you to hold on tight and take whatever is thrown at you. I loved the gritty atmosphere, the absolute chaos in story telling, it was an incredible experience I will not soon forget and I will recommend this book to anyone who enjoys slashers!

08/24/2025

📚Book Review📚

✨️Title: Gild by Raven Kennedy
✨️Method: Kindle
✨️My rating: 3.25/5⭐️

Okay. This was a good book overall. I can see why its a popular series and I definitely plan on continuing with the series. I enjoyed the character dynamics and the way the plot is carried throughout. The plot and world building were the main reasons I continued reading as I was not a huge fan of our main character. I felt that unfortunately the plot armor was a little too thick and made some certain situations a little unrealistic when it came to our main character. So many times there would be a terrifying build up of some horrific event to happen directly to her and instead either some other character took the brunt of the event or she was miraculously saved by someone or something. Had it happened maybe once or twice, I probably wouldnt have minded but this happened multiple times with our main character and I suppose I am used to my main character going through some serious s**t without being saved and taking that event to strengthen their resolve to keep fighting. It simply did not feel believable to me and I couldnt really connect with the main character. I do however think she has room for improvement and chance to connect still, since there are 5 more books in this series. Moving on to more positives, I think the world building and the character description was written beautifully. Raven Kennedy definitely has a talent when it comes to building a world to escape into. I definitely felt like I was in Orea and I could see the bridge to the 7th kingdom. They say that the first book is always a "starter" and so I am very excited to see what is in store and how this series continues.

08/19/2025

📚Book Review📚

✨️Title: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
✨️Method: Audiobook
✨️My rating: 5/5⭐️

Oh my goodness....I dont want to say too much because I am NOT one for spoilers...but I loved this book. It was absolutely fun and entertaining from stsrt to finish. There was not one lull or weak spot. I was happy to have listened to it rather than read it physically because the narrator really brought characters to life and made all of the scientific jargon feel more tangible to my not so advanced brain. This is a book that I truly believe everyone should read or listen to because the story start to finish is more than a story its a work of art and a beautiful sight into humanity. There was not a character that I didnt like and not a part of the book that I didnt enjoy. I felt excitement, sadness, hopelessness, fear and joy. This story takes you on a total emotional roller-coaster ride but has you wanting to hold on and stay put for the entire run. I could have easily binged this book and would have finished it much sooner had life not gotten in the way...it was that good. Again, I cant say much about it because I refuse to give spoilers and I truly think that this book is BEST experienced when you go in completely blind. What a beautiful story and journey Andy Weir takes you on and I am so happy to have been a part of it! Please read/listen to this book if you have not already!

08/11/2025

For 200 days I've read and ive met my goal for the year!

How are you doing in 2025 so far?

08/10/2025

📚Book Review 📚

✨️Title: Final Girls by Riley Sager
✨️Method: Kindle
✨️My rating: 3.5/5⭐️

This was my first Riley Sager book and I think maybe he was too hyped up for me? Or maybe this wasn't his most mind blowing work? The very beginning of this book hooks you, but instead of keeping you hooked, it slows down almost too much. Slowing it down made sense of course, after the initial scene we are taken through the main characters day to day life after surviving a horrible event, but because of the switch from immediate action and thrill to monotonous day to day living after surviving trauma all those years ago, for me it took awhile to get hooked again. So maybe I would say pacing was a bit of an issue for this book. Now all of that being said, once the story started to pick back up, the pacing stayed consistent and the plot moved along nicely, reading like a true thriller with constant twists and turns with nail biting scenes that had me unable to look away. The last 35% of this book saved it from being a DNF or a lower rating for me. Uneven pacing aside, this was still an entertaining read and I plan to read more Riley Sager books in the future. I dont know if I would recommend this one specifically as an introduction to Riley Sager but I would still definitely recommend it if youre looking for something twisty that will hit you out of nowhere with an ending that can pack a punch.

08/10/2025

📚Book Review📚

✨️Title: Incidents around the house by Josh Malerman
✨️Method: Physical Copy
✨️My rating: 3.25/5⭐️

Okay. This was a solid read. I really enjoyed reading from the perspective of a child and feel that it gave a more eerie/spooky experience. The perspective brings the reader back to when they were a child and their imagination would eek them out over the shadows that moved in the night. As a parent this book definitely spooked me because it put me in the thought process of what I would do if I were in the parents position and my child expressed to me they were being visited by a strange entity. I personally could not stand the mom in this book and there were multiple time where I wanted to reach in and shake her for her actions and questionable choices. Although the book was in the pov of a child and had an overall spooky vibe, there was not a point where I genuinely felt scared and instead I only felt anxious in the last 15% of the book. The ending was somewhat unsatisfying to me because I just wanted something different. Im not sure what I would have had as the ending of this book, but that honestly wasn't it. Despite me being disappointed in the ending, this was an entertaining book to read and I would recommend it because its a solid read with a unique perspective that I do think the author executed well.

Mood Reading Momma

09/04/2025

09/04/2025

09/01/2025

08/31/2025

08/31/2025

08/24/2025

08/24/2025

08/24/2025

08/19/2025

08/11/2025

08/10/2025

08/10/2025

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Practice

Shortcuts

Share