Abbie’s Recent Reads

Posted on April 18, 2025April 10, 2025 by abbiebourelle

Dear Readers, welcome to another installment of Abbie’s Recent Reads! Over the last few months the main genres I have been reading have been Nonfiction and Horror. The Nonfiction reads have ranged from the true crime genre, ballet, to Polar exploration. Prepare for a wild ride through time, space, and the globe as I share some of my recommended books I have read recently!

The Stowaway by Laurie Gwen Shapiro

I will read any book I can find on Antarctic Exploration or North Pole Exploration. While awaiting my hold of Madhouse at the End of the Earth on Libby, The Stowaway was recommended to me as a similar read to enjoy while I waited. (I am still awaiting my hold of Madhouse at the End of the Earth to come in.) I am really glad I read this one. As I have read many books on Polar exploration, I have always wondered what it would be like to be along with the explorers on their grand adventures. Apparently a lot of other people at the time of these explorations were thinking the same thing! The Stowaway is the true story of Billy Gawronski, an ordinary teenage son of Polish immigrants living in New York. In the 1920’s Billy has grown up on adventure stories and dreams of going off on one of his own. He becomes obsessed with Captain Byrd and the expedition being planned to explore the Antarctic. Billy’s father and mother do not approve of their son’s dreams as Billy is expected to take over the family upholstery business. Billy feels he has no choice. If he wants any chance at adventure he is going to have to stowaway on Captain Byrd’s ship! The plot sounds like something out of a kid’s adventure novel, but this is a TRUE story! I took great delight in following Billy through his adventures and cheering him on along the way. As I followed Billy’s story I found myself asking on more than one occasion “could I be that brave and daring?” I greatly recommend this for anyone who loves reading about history, exploration, and scrappy underdog characters.

Click HERE to request The Stowaway!

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Author Highlight: Books by Jennifer McMahon!

Posted on December 27, 2024December 11, 2024 by abbiebourelle

During the Halloween season I was browsing Libby/Overdrive searching for the perfect spooky book. Earlier that day a patron had asked me for help finding The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon. I admit at the time I did not know The Winter People was a scary book! It looked from the outside like your typical winter time read. I should know never to judge a book by it’s cover! Just a few hours later my Libby/Overdrive suggested that I would like The Winter People if I was looking for something scary. It could not be a coincidence that the same book would cross my path in one day! I decided I MUST read that book! Well ever since I have gobbled up everything by Jennifer McMahon I can get my hands on. She doesn’t just do horror, she is also a terrific thriller writer! Each book that she writes is a stand alone thrill filled with unpredictable twists and turns that leave you wanting more, more, and more! I may have a slight Jennifer McMahon addiction right now.

(As I covered The Winter People in my October Favored Frights post I will be only covering the other books I have read from her to date. I have loved each and every one!)

Promise Not To Tell by Jennifer McMahon

Promise Not To Tell is the first novel written by Jennifer McMahon. One thing I LOVE about Jennifer’s books is that they often take place between the past and the present. Flashbacks to the past often help to fill in clues as to what is happening in the main storyline.

When Kate Cypher was a teenager she made a promise to her friend. She promised not to tell a big secret. Kate was loyal and never told a soul. Now Kate is all grown up and has to return to that same small town to care for her aging mother who has Alzheimer’s. While staying with her mother a teenage girl is murdered in the woods close to their home. The girl is murdered in the same way that Kate’s friend was all those years ago. The single witness claims that it was The Potato Girl that killed her friend. “The Potato Girl” is what the town bullies called Kate’s friend. Could The Potato Girl’s ghost be seeking revenge? Could Kate hold the clues that will solve both murders? Find out in Promise Not To Tell.

Click the title to request Promise Not To Tell

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Favored Frights

Posted on October 25, 2024October 8, 2024 by abbiebourelle

Happy October everyone!!! I have always been a fan of anything scary. I grew up in the middle of the Kettle Moraine in a small house surrounded by woods. I spent a lot of time in those woods wondering what spirits or monsters lurked within. I saw something once when I was very young, something that I still cannot explain come out of those woods. That is a story I only relate to those I am close to, though it caused my 6 year old self to scoop up every book on Cryptozoology I could get my little hands on. My interest naturally led to anything I could read about ghosts and spirits. Being the season for frightful tales, it seems like a good time to share some of my favorite spine tingling reads!

The Wisconsin Road Guide to Haunted Locations by Chad Lewis and Terry Fisk

I felt that this one would be a good title to open this blog with. Personally I am an armchair horror fan. I LOVE to read about other people’s ghostly experiences…but only went actual ghost hunting with a team once. (That was enough for me). For those braver readers out there I present The Wisconsin Road Guide to Haunted Locations! Pack your flashlight, EMF meter, salt, and holy water and prepare to hit the road! This road guide takes ghost hunters to paranormal hotspots throughout the state of Wisconsin. Each entry includes directions on how to get there, details of the haunting or story, and sometimes even a dare meant to stir up the ghostly activity! Good luck, keep safe, and happy hauntings! (Even if not intending to set out it is still an enjoyable read for the less brave like me.)

Click the following link to request this title! The Wisconsin Road Guide to Haunted Locations

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