Why I quit Twitter more than a year ago

Hello readers!

Today I’m here for a little explanation/accusation post about why I quit Twitter more than a year ago.

(I can’t cancel the icon of it in the right column of the block, I’m sorry)

And since the recent development thanks to the new CEO Musk, I’m more than happy to have done it.

Obviously, I’m not here to accuse those of you who still use it, I just want to tell someone about my unfortunate experience with this social.

I don’t clearly remember when I first created my Twitter account, but I suppose it was more than 10 years ago. When I closed it, I had nearly 700 followers.

In those years I’ve been bullied by other users for my cosplays, I have tweeted nearly every day without a single interaction, but the last straw was the bullying from the social media manager (and other users) of the “antagonist” of Goodreads, the one beginning with Story…

I had replied to one of my friends who was asking our opinion on that website/app. I told the truth, without accusing or criticizing: I told that a couple of years before, I tried it, but the website wouldn’t upload books in languages other than English, and I was sure that they had repaired that function, but I wasn’t using at the moment. I didn’t tell it means that I’ve lost more than 500 books from my archive. I didn’t tag the account of Story… neither has my friend.

But I received very sarcastic and angry replies from other users and from the official account saying that I was out of date, that it was my fault to have tried the app/website when it was first developed, and that it was my fault to have books in other languages.

Half an hour later I deleted both my Twitter and Story… accounts.

I know most of us have faced sooner or later some kind of online bullying, but I confess it still hurts to think about it. And without a doubt, I’ll never use that website.

If you have read till here, thanks. ❤

Goodreads Monday #9

GoodReads Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Budget tales book blog. To participate, choose a random book from your TBR and show it off.

Ghosts are everywhere, not just the ghost of Momma in the woods, but ghosts of us too, what we used to be like in those long summers …

Amber Alton knows that the hours pass differently at Black Rabbit Hall, her London family’s country estate, where no two clocks read the same. Summers there are perfect, timeless. Not much ever happens. Until, of course, it does.

More than three decades later, Lorna is determined to be married within the grand, ivy-covered walls of Pencraw Hall, known as Black Rabbit Hall among the locals. But as she’s drawn deeper into the overgrown grounds, half-buried memories of her mother begin to surface and Lorna soon finds herself ensnared within the manor’s labyrinthine history, overcome with an insatiable need for answers about her own past and that of the once-happy family whose memory still haunts the estate.

Stunning and atmospheric, this debut novel is a thrilling spiral into the hearts of two women separated by decades but inescapably linked by the dark and tangled secrets of Black Rabbit Hall.

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Goodreads Monday #8

Wrap Up: October 2022

Hi readers, here’s my wrap-up for the month of October!

5 stars:

Two amazing middle grade books, Yesterday Crumb is officially one of the best books I’ve read this year. I wasn’t convinced by Spirit hunters initially, but it evolves so well.

4/3 stars:

A lovely cozy mystery by one of my favorite author, Colleen Gleason, Tomes, scones and crones is the first in a new series. Stolen remains is the second volume in The lady of Ashes mystery series, but it’s not as good as the first one. Any old diamonds is a lovely M/M historical fiction. Another first volume in a series is Lady of devices, with a great MC and a steampunk setting.

2/1 stars:

The worst books for me were Doll house and Terre spettrali: both of them full of errors, and some of them keep repeating throughout the book, really annoying. I gave 2 to Cuore d’inchiostro (Inkheart) and Dead mountain only for the respect I have for Brendan Fraser and for the Dyatlov group. L’uomo dei sussurri (The whisper man) was boring, and Silver in the blood has a really interesting setting, but the two female MC are so YA they’re sometimes embarrassing.

How was your month? Have you found a new fave?

Review: The lost ones by Anita Frank

Title: The lost ones

Author: Anita Frank

Genre: historical fiction – Mystery – Paranormal

Pages: 464

Goodreads rating: 4.01/5

My rating: 5/5

Synopsys:

Some houses are never at peace.

England, 1917
 
Reeling from the death of her fiancé, Stella Marcham welcomes the opportunity to stay with her pregnant sister, Madeleine, at her imposing country mansion, Greyswick – but she arrives to discover a house of unease and her sister gripped by fear and suspicion.

Before long, strange incidents begin to trouble Stella – sobbing in the night, little footsteps on the stairs – and as events escalate, she finds herself drawn to the tragic history of the house.

Aided by a wounded war veteran, Stella sets about uncovering Greyswick’s dark and terrible secrets – secrets the dead whisper from the other side…

Review:

I won a copy of this book through the author’s Instagram profile, which has not influenced my opinion. I’m pleased to had the opportunity to read such a great book!

I love reading stories about ghosts or/and haunted houses, I think it is my fave genre, best if it’s also historical.

The lost ones can seem very long with nearly 500 pages, but I was completely drawn by it, even if sometimes the plot was a little predictable. The style of the author’s writing and the revelation of the past of Greyswick mansion is captivating, and I love Stella, the main character, alongside her maid, and a secondary character I can’t reveal for spoilers. The entire plot has reminded me a little of In the shadow of blackbirds by Cat Winters, one of my fave books of all time. The lost ones have quickly become one of them too.

I recommend it to the lovers of gothic historical fiction with a touch of the supernatural.

Wrap up: July 2022

I know, I’m a little late with the wrap up of July, I’m sorry. You can find the wrap up of August here.

During July I read a total of 11 books, but be prepared, a lot of them were 1 star only.

5 stars:

Granny’s got a gun is a funny cozy mystery featuring a Granny that is also a retired CIA agent. The lost ones is an outstanding gothic historical fiction and you can read the review here on the blog the next week.

3 stars:

First in a historical vampire fiction, As vital as blood is really good, as it’s Spirits of the storm, about a mall haunted by children’s spirits. I can’t say that I enjoyed the short story that gave the collection its name, but there are other stories really good in La banconota da un milione di sterline.

2 stars:

The cat of Amontillado is a “retelling” of the tale written by Allan Poe, but the title is the only thing they have in common. Miss Marple nei Caraibi (a Caribbean mystery) is great for the setting, but it’s also racist.

1 star:

And this was my reading recap for July, I forgot to write the one about September too, shame on me.

Goodreads Monday #8

GoodReads Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog. To participate, choose a random book from your TBR and show it off.

Moody sixteen-year-old barista Devin Mulwray is doing his best to ignore bizarre manifestations at his job in the chilly Northern California town of Arcata. Already teased about his recurrent ‘phase-outs’, the last thing he needs is to get pegged as a guy who sees ghosts. It doesn’t help his state of mind that his boss is a sarcastic slacker, his single dad is always on the road with clients and local occult fan girl Nayra is spreading ‘ghost boy’ rumors about him online.

But when violent paranormal activity badly spooks teens at an abandoned estate, Devin’s pushed into investigating by his eccentric friends Clive, a budding composer, and Rex, a tech head excited by ghost hunting gadgetry. At first reluctant to get involved, Devin’s encouraged when Emily, one of the more empathetic girls at Grey Bluff High, is impressed with his daring.

Together the friends explore the creepy Rousten manor. But as the only person able to perceive the manifestations, Devin soon finds himself going one-on-one against a powerful spirit who attacks the locals and infiltrates Devin’s own dreams.

Devin must face his fear of confronting the spirit world and get to the bottom of the hauntings before the specter unleashes more havoc on him and his friends.

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Wrap Up: August 2022

Hello readers!

I know I forgot to post the wrap-up for July, I’m sorry, I was already on vacation, I promise I will post it in the next few days!

Here’s what I read during August (click on the cover for the plot):

5 stars:

I wasn’t expecting to love L’imprevedibile viaggio di Harold Fry (The unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry) so much, but it’s a heartbreaking story. Same for Lady of ashes, a great historical fiction about a female undertaker in Victorian London.

4 and 3 stars:

My dad visited Iceland this year, and brought me this beautiful book about Aurora Borealis. Do you know that I’m obsessed with Van Gogh right? L’uomo e la terra (The man and the earth) is a wonderful book about the exposition in Milan. I thought that L’isola del tesoro (Treasure island) was more adventurous, but I’m glad I’ve finally read it.

1 or 2 stars/DNF:

The sisters brothers and Devil in the darkness are the books I didn’t finish. Only The power of Poppy Pendle gains 2 stars, the other books are so bad I immediately unhaul them from shelves.

And that was my reading month, hope yours was better than mine!

Wrap up: June 2022

Hello readers, sorry for the delay, I had busy days at work!

In June I’ve read 12 books with 2 DNF, a record even for me.

4 stars:

I can say that Chad Nicholas can write a really good thriller/horror book, having already enjoyed Nightmare written by him. His stories are really dark and twisted, be aware.

3 stars:

If you have a cat, you can easily relate to the poems of I could pee on this. So hilarious.

Are you terrified of dolls like me? Demonic dolls is the book for you!

Philippe Daverio racconta Van Gogh: I was expecting more from Daverio, this book is just a general portrait of the artist.

2 stars:

3 great covers for 3 predictable books: Reign of Shadows is a dystopian/romance retelling of Rapunzel; Knock knock is a ghost story totally ruined by the prologue; The heir of Hawksclaw tried too hard to be gothic/scary, without success.

1 star/DNF:

I wouldn’t talk about each of these books, I know some are very popular, maybe it was just a bad reading month for me. You can check the GR page by clicking on the cover.

And that was my reading month, hope July will be better!

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Wishlist

Hello readers and welcome to another TTT.

This weekly theme is hosted by That Artsy Girl and you can check out the prompts to join in.

Here’s my wishlist on Amazon IT.

Have a wonderful week!

Happy Reading!

Goodreads Monday #7

GoodReads Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Budget tales book blog. To participate, choose a random book from your TBR and show it off.

The city of Marlowe, Massachusetts is a lovely place to settle down… just ask its two resident demons.
For centuries, Iago Wick and his partner, Dante Lovelace, have meddled in the affairs of Man for the benefit of Hell—and had a damnably good time doing it.
Everything changes when a peculiar demon hunter with a murky past comes to Marlowe and sets his sights on Iago. Mr. Wick is all too happy to grant him a game of cat and mouse. After all, a little distraction from his Hellish duties does an old demon good.
But soon, Iago and Dante find themselves entangled in the mystery surrounding the strange hunter, and the line between danger and excitement becomes a blurry one. What happens when Iago gets a little too close? Is working for Hell really all it’s cracked up to be? And why is the idea of freewill suddenly so appealing?
Join a diverse and eccentric cast of demons and the hunters who hunt them in this wickedly witty tale of Victorian adventure and infernal mayhem.