Book Reviews: Nightmare Fuel: The Science of Horror Films by Nina Nesseth, The Death of Jane Lawrence...

 October has been busy in my house. Vacation, illness, and just regular life...So my Halloween posts have been too sparse. So here are some mini reviews of the horror-type books I've completed this month.

Nightmare Fuel: The Science of Horror Films by Nina Nesseth

I would call this more of the psychology of how we get scared and how horror movies capitalize on those fears. Really fascinating look at how these movies get under our skins. If you are a horror movie fan or even just a lover of human psychology this is the book for you. She also gives us a great list of horror films to add to our ever-growing list. I definitely have a few new ones to watch!

The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

A lot of things going on with this one. One too many, I think. It's kind of a weird alt-history in England where Jane feels she needs to get married in order to have a decent life after her foster parents are ready to move on to other things. So she picks Dr. Lawrence and eventually he agrees to their arrangement, but with stipulations. She can't ever stay at his family manor and she must allow him to do so while she stays at the surgery. But a terrible storm forces her to turn back to the family manor at night and all is not well. 

Ghosts or are they ghosts roam the manor at night. She sees Dr. Lawrence's deceased wife in the windows...

She soon discovers that she has a talent for magic through her love of math and numbers. This is a nod to H.P. Lovecraft's use of magic and geometry. And her husband has been trapped in the basement and she must find a way to get him out and save both their lives. 

It gets really messy the last 1/3 of the book. It was hard to follow and I'm still not sure what happened exactly by the end! Cool concept in a lot of ways. But I think there were just too many working parts to really let the story flow. Which is a big disappointment for me since I really loved Starling's "Luminous Dead."

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

I always enjoy Hendrix's books because they are funny and horrific at the same time. While this one wasn't my favorite it was still a fun read even when the story dragged on for a bit too long.

Patricia Campbell moves into a nice neighborhood with her two children and joins their book club. It's a sordid book club where they read true crime novels and discuss all the horrid things people do to each other. But when Patricia is attacked by elderly neighbor and Mary and Mary's nephew James moves into to help sort it all out, things start to get even weirder. 

A lot of things are going on from rats attacking Patricia's mother-in-law and her nurse Mrs. Greene to all the children that die and go missing in Mrs. Greene's poorer neighborhood. Hendrix tries to connect systemic racism, sexism, and class into his horror book. Sometimes it works, sometimes not so well. But kudos for trying! Like I said his books are always a hoot. How does the book club and Mrs. Greene find a way to get their revenge and protect their families? No spoilers but yeah it's freakin' fantastic. Best part of the whole book! 

Which brings me to another reason why I love Grady Hendrix even when specific books aren't necessarily my fave. He has great endings! He believes in his characters and I know what I'm going to get each and every time. We're going to get great endings for our heroines. Amen.

October and the Spooky Season

 I say this every month...but what happened to September?

Lots of spooky fun plans this month. We just did our annual Fall hike (check). The soup season is in high-gear. Fall break is next week and we are actually heading out-of-state to meet up with our friends who moved out-of-state a few years ago. Outdoors, friends we haven't seen for awhile, and relaxation! The Haunted Forest is our annual "haunted" house we go to as a family...we'll be heading there soon too.

G has picked out his costume. This is the first year where he plans to trick-or-treat on his own! DH and I are planning on getting out the firepit and enjoying the evening with some yummy cocktails and spooky snacks with some neighbors. Hopefully the weather holds up!

Also, I'm so grateful my friend and her family are safe after Hurricane Ian hit. They were further inland but they were directly north of where it landed. They lost power and just got it back yesterday. Their fences are ruined and some plants did not make it. But other than that they fared well. All the neighbors came together and offered each other what they had. Just so grateful they're OK.

I've been full-tilt on reading and watching all the horror. I just have not been great at getting up my reviews...

Where's G? This one makes me chuckle...

I just love the fall colors so I'm sharing a few from our hike!

It's been hard to find the time as much as I'd like for my spooky reviews. My mom has been in and out of the hospital this last month, once with Covid and the second time with a severe bladder infection. So yeah, life gets crazy. 

So...onto the good stuff!

Books...I finished 7 books in September! Granted, I didn't start all seven in September but I'll take it.

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher. Lots of body horror in this one. I loved the creep factor and yet how funny it was. She does a good combo of both.

How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Question by Michael Schur. I read...well, listened to this one, with my friend for our philosophy club. And I highly recommend listening to it. Schur is the creator of The Good Place and he gets the whole cast to help him read it. It's a hoot. And he really dove into moral and ethical philosophy for the show and he gives us a rundown in his book. One of the most funny and concise lay-person philosophy book I've ever read. While, I didn't necessarily draw every conclusion he did, he sure got me thinking. Which is the actual point of philosophy and thinking about ethics and values is the actual point of moral philosophy. So go listen and be entertained and edified!

A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2) by V.E. Schwab. I am really enjoying this fantasy series. I'm taking a break this month but I will finish off the final book in November! Very excited to see how she wraps it all up.

Last of the Sandwalkers by Jay Hosler. This is a middle-grade graphic novel that follows a group of beetles (who are scientists) who are on an expedition to find out what the world's like outside their tiny city. It's funny, heart-warming, and full of science. This guy loves his beetles. There's even an endnotes section for all your extra beetle and/or bug facts. Love these little gems.

Gallows Hill by Darcey Coates. This book felt like a movie in book form. There was non-stop creepy action. I had to keep reading in order to get away from super creep factor. I am now a fan! Coates is a prolific author and I can see why! She knows how to keep the terror amped up. This book has curses, ghosts, and zombies, plus a haunted house. What's not to love?

Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden. This is a young adult graphic novel with lots of heavy stuff to deal with. I love what she tries to do here...she blends the fantastical with grief and trauma. I had a hard time following some of it. And it's definitely not for everyone but very interesting.

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill. I really enjoyed the premise of this murder mystery. An author is sending her preliminary chapters to an online acquaintance. We only see his emails to her and then the next chapter of the author's story. So there are two layers here, the fictional author and her fictional story...well, I guess three if you count Gentill as the original author of all! It's one of those meta-mysteries that Anthony Horowitz has made so famous recently. It did feel a bit rushed towards the end. But overall, it's a very quick and fun mystery.

Not bad for my first month of horror!

With Interview with the Vampire TV series coming out, I decided to finally read the original book. It's pretty interesting so far. And I am loving the updates to the plot the TV series has done! 

I am currently reading: The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle, Ghost Story by Peter Straub, Nightmare Fuel: The Science of Horror Films by Nina Nesseth. And I am listening to The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling.

TV...DH and I are watching Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power on Amazon Prime. We both are really enjoying it. It's funny and beautiful. 

We also binge-watched One of Us Is Lying on Peacock a couple of weeks ago when we were recovering from our Covid booster jabs...silly but addicting. He said he would NOT be watching season two with me when it drops later this month...ha ha!

I finally finished Shining Girls on Apple TV+. That was a difficult one to get through. It's very dark with really no light until the actual final episode and not much is revealed but why or how with the fantastical elements. So while a quality series, I don't think I'd actually recommend it.

I've started Yellowjackets (Showtime), Dexter: New Blood (Showtime), and Interview with the Vampire (AMC+).

And of course all my cooking shows for Halloween are back on...Halloween Wars, The Great British Baking Show (Netflix), etc.

I'm also looking forward to The Midnight Club which drops later this month on Netflix. It's by Mike Flanagan who did The Haunting of Hill House, Bly Manor, and Midnight Mass, and Hush. He also did Oculus...which scared me silly when I first watched it. Love everything he does.

Movies...The Northman: Watched with DH. I really liked this one. A lot more than I thought I would. Great storytelling, acting, action. Very impressive.

Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel and Hell House III: Lake of Fire. The original Hell House went kind of viral and that was one creepy movie! I had a few nightmares from that one. Two was terrible and the third one wrapped it all up in nice paper bow. But it had some good scares. Watched the whole series with G. He really liked them!

The Boy Behind the Door (Shudder). This was a fun surprise. Two tween boys are kidnapped. And it's up to one to rescue his friend and outsmart the kidnappers. Very intense but it ends well!

Nope. I was really looking forward to watching this after loving Jordan Peele's first two horror movies. But meh. I wasn't overly impressed. It was pretty. The cinematography is amazing. But the story was all over the place, messy. And only one cheap jump scare...

Lou (Netflix). This was a fun one! Allison Janney kicks booty and the story has layers. Pretty tight pacing. It was dark, though. Kind of hard to see what was going on half the time. Why can she kick booty? Who's the prey and who's the hunter?

Sissy (Shudder). Yes, to this movie. Bloody and twisted. Great new horror. An influencer runs into her old friend at the drug store and is invited to her bachelorette party weekend...is she an old friend cuz she was also her tormenter? 

Yes, most of my movies are of the horror variety! Tis the season!

I hope to see Barbarian and Smile this month!

Spooky Fall Challenges: RIP XVII, Frightfall, and Cryptkeeper 2022...

 I'm a little late getting this up but oh well, better late than never I say! Tis' that time of year again!!!! All things spooky and fall and Halloween. We are officially putting up our décor this Saturday even though it is still 100 degrees F outside😵

R.I.P. XVII is in it's 17th year! I can't believe it. Crazy. Just goes to show how long I've been hanging around the blogosphere...

Frightfall is hosted by Michelle of Castle Macabre and she has a ton of things going on over the next couple of months from Gothic readings and short story horror to a read-along of Victor LaValle's The Devil in Silver.

And this challenge is new to me this year Cryptkeeper 2022: Countdown to Halloween.

Books

Too many but here's a pile I'm hoping to draw from this spooky season:

Darkly: Black History and America's Gothic Soul by Leila Taylor--This one has been on my list for far too long.

Nightmare Fuel: The Science of Horror Films by Nina Nesseth--She takes a lot of the psychological reasons why and how horror films get us scared. Looking forward to this!

The Monster Show: A Cultural History of Horror by David J. Skal--This is a classic.

The Lady and Her Monsters: A Tale of Dissections, Real Life Dr. Frankensteins, and the Creation of Mary Shelley's Masterpiece by Roseanne Montillo--This one sounds so fascinating.

All the Living and the Dead: From Embalmers to Executioners, an Exploration of the People Who Have Made Death Their Life's Work by Hayley Campbell--I love all things about the culture of death and dying. Yes please.

The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle--Looking forward to the read-along with Michelle. I loved "Changeling" and his short story that flips H.P. Lovecraft on its head! So good.

Fledgling by Octavia Butler--She writes amazing fiction. This one is a twist on vampires.

Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker--I've had this one on my list for awhile too and my son read it recently and really enjoyed it.

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix--He's great for humor and horror all in one.

Gideon The Ninth by Tamsyn Muir--Also have heard great things about this series.

Ghost Story by Peter Straub (may he rest in peace)--I'm hoping to actually get to this one, especially after his passing recently.

It Bleeds by Stephen King--I've heard there are some really great short stories in this collection.

Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw--Just picked this one up. Looks intriguing.

Gallant by V.E. Schwab--I love everything she writes. This one is a one-and-done haunted house story. Yes, please.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Enjoyed her last horror mashup "Mexican Gothic."

The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman--The first in a series. AMC+ just made a TV series based on this called "Dark Winds" which I loved. Really want to see how the setting and characters differ, etc.

Movies

The Invitation-- Looks like a take on "Dracula." Looks fun

Nope--Jordan Peele's stuff is always interesting. Looking forward to finally seeing it soon.

Barbarian--Air Bnb from Hell? 

Hell House II--I watched the first one with my son so we're hoping to get the final two installments in this Halloween!

Hell House III

Murder by Death--Someone told me about this being a precursor to "Clue" so now I must see it.

Bodies Bodies Bodies--I've heard all the good things...

Nosferatu--The original German horror classic. I have yet to see it.

 and anything else I can watch on Shudder...

This is just a slice or maybe I won't even get to these and other delectable and terrifying morsels will capture my soul...

Book Reviews: Sundial, A Darker Shade of Magic

Sundial by Catriona Ward

I loved her previous book The Last House on Needless Street! Such a twist and had no clue what was coming for so long. It's truly hard to create a book like that again...I liked Sundial. But I did not love it. It took a really long time to get into it and while there were plenty of surprises towards the end, it wasn't enough for me. It was really hard to sympathize with any of the characters and I felt like the characters were serving the plot instead of having some real motivation. But yeah, it's still a horrific and tragic story but not one I'd recommend whole-heartedly like I did her other book.

Rob has a past. Her husband is abusive and now her youngest daughter is sick and maybe her oldest daughter is to blame? She must take her oldest daughter Callie back to her childhood home of Sundial. She must face what's truly real and what happened to her before Sundial so she can save her family.

Catriona Ward is creative. The way she can plot out these stories is just remarkable. While this one was not my favorite I will still be looking forward eagerly to her next book!

A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic #1) by V.E. Schwab

I had a great time with this one! It reads fast and I loved the world building and the characters. Sometimes you get one or the other and I really felt like she did a great job building both up without being a really long high-fantasy series.

There are four Londons. Yes a multiverse. And only antari can pass through the worlds. Black London has been lost to magic for long time now. White London sucks magic dry, Red London is blooming and booming with magic, and Grey London...well, that's our world. Magic has been long-gone and we make do with our guns and industry rather than magic.

Cue in Kell who is the antari of the Red London world. He takes messages between each London. White London is plotting. And Kell is saddled with a forbidden bit of Black London. He is unexpectedly saved and then subsequently robbed by a woman named Lila in Grey London. They eventually team up eventually, cuz of course they do! This forbidden stone from Black London must be destroyed and kept out of those hands that would use it to conquer and destroy the other Londons.

The plot gets a bit muddy but overall it's funny and the worlds of the different Londons are intriguing. She uses the greats to draw from but makes the magical and fantastical worlds her own.

This is the first of three.

Week-in-Review: Happy Valentine's Day

 Happy Valentine's Day! OK, I'm late but that's how I roll...

G had his best friend over for a birthday sleepover so the fun just kept going. Lots of pizza, cupcakes, VR, Minecraft, and Nintendo Switch fun were had by all. I even got them to go outside and run around with Nerf guns for an hour so me for the win! 

One more birthday celebration this weekend with the grandparents. My mother isn't very mobile so we go to her and my father and bring the fun to them. It'll be more pizza and ice cream cake and a small game or two.

We had a freak snow storm blow in for a few hours Wednesday but it didn't stick but I know the mountains got hit with some moisture and it is sorely needed. We haven't had a drought this bad for 800 years!

Sunday we spent some time with my parents. We brought pizza and cake and sang happy birthday to G again! He's had a month-long celebration.😎

Also, happy Presidents' Day! G has enjoyed his much-needed day off. While DH and I did our taxes, got the car into the tire place, and drove through a little snowstorm...it has made it a rather cold, dreary, and gloomy day. On the bright side, we are watching my friend's two kitties while she and her family on vacation this week. More kitty time is always a plus!

We're planning on a game night this weekend with my nephew and his wife. We haven't done this since before the pandemic so we're very excited to get that going again.

I can't believe February is almost over...

Currently Reading:

Cibola Burn (The Expanse #4) by James S.A. Corey

The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory

Immune: A Journey into the Mysterious System that Keeps You Alive by Philipp Dettmer

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

The Once and Future King by T.H. White 

Serafina and the Seven Stars by Robert Beatty (with G)

The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. du Bois

Books Read:

The Dark Heart: A True Story of Greed, Murder, and an Unlikely Investigator by Jaokim Palmkvist / 2017 / 314 Pages / Audiobook / Scribd

Goodreads Summary:

In late summer of 2012, millionaire landowner Göran Lundblad went missing from his farm in Sweden. When a search yielded nothing, and all physical evidence had seemingly disappeared, authorities had little to go on—except a disturbing phone call five weeks later from Göran’s daughter Maria. She was sure that her sister, Sara, was somehow involved. At the heart of the alleged crime: Sara’s greed, her father’s land holdings, and his bitter feud with Sara’s idler boyfriend.

With no body, there was no crime—and the case went as cold and dark as the forests of southern Sweden. But not for Therese Tang. For two years, this case was her obsession.

A hard-working ex-model, mother of three, and Missing People investigator, Therese was willing to put her own safety at risk in order to uncover the truth. What she found was a nest of depraved secrets, lies, and betrayal. All she had to do now, in her relentless and dangerous pursuit of justice, was prove that it led to murder.

My Thoughts:

I first caught wind of this sordid crime during the Sundance Film Festival in January. They premiered the first three episodes of this 5 episode limited crime series called The Dark Heart. And wow it was good and it had me hooked. But as such is the nature of premieres--there wasn't a distributor yet for the rest of the series...so I looked and found...a true crime book talking about it. I needed to know what happened!

The book is a little bit dry. The TV series takes its liberties but that makes sense. But the book lays out the location, characters, and we get a tons of information on how the Swedish legal and criminal justice system works and I loved that! Fascinating stuff. And it just goes to show that dark hearts are everywhere.

Lockwood & Co: The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co. #1) by Jonathan Stroud / 2013/ 440 Pages/ Own

Goodreads Summary:

When the dead come back to haunt the living, Lockwood & Co. step in . . .

For more than fifty years, the country has been affected by a horrifying epidemic of ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy the dangerous apparitions.

Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping for a notable career. Instead she finds herself joining the smallest, most ramshackle agency in the city, run by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood. When one of their cases goes horribly wrong, Lockwood & Co. have one last chance of redemption. Unfortunately this involves spending the night in one of the most haunted houses in England, and trying to escape alive.

Set in a city stalked by spectres, The Screaming Staircase is the first in a chilling new series full of suspense, humour and truly terrifying ghosts. Your nights will never be the same again . . .

My Thoughts:

G and I overall had a fun time with this one. It's a very imaginative world but also a very confusing one. Stroud has a whole glossary in the back for all the terms of ghosts and the business behind hunting them. He just has you jump on in and hopes you look in the back of the book for context. I'm a sucker for ghosts and a good mystery.

I don't think this has anything to do with Stroud but the American publisher. They tried to Americanize the language from England and it just kind of made it weird...like I kept thinking it was in the U.S. but it wasn't. G didn't care or notice so I think it's only adults who would care about that! But it was a bit annoying.

Overall, a fun ghostly mystery with more to read in the series!

Movies Watched:

Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror (Shudder) directed and written by Kier-La Janisse / 2021/ Documentary / Horror

Plot from IMDB:

• WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED explores the folk horror phenomenon from its beginnings in a trilogy of films - Michael Reeves' Witchfinder General (1968), Piers Haggard's Blood on Satan's Claw (1971) and Robin Hardy's The Wicker Man (1973) - through its proliferation on British television in the 1970s and its culturally specific manifestations in American, Asian, Australian and European horror, to the genre's revival over the last decade. Touching on over 100 films and featuring over 50 interviewees, WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED investigates the many ways that we alternately celebrate, conceal and manipulate our own histories in an attempt to find spiritual resonance in our surroundings.

My Thoughts:

I loved this weird and very long documentary on the history of folk horror cinema from around the world. They provide around 100 clips of various movies and there are so many I need to watch now! If you love cinema and horror this is a must-see. Maybe break it up into two or three watching blocks!

They Live in Grey (2022) (Shudder) written and directed by Abel and Burlee Vang / Horror

Plot (from Letterboxd):

While investigating a child abuse case, Claire discovers that the family is being tormented by a supernatural entity. In order to save the family, she must confront her own fears and use her emerging clairvoyance to stop the malevolent force.

My Thoughts:

A very strange horror film. It was way too long and it was a basic rip-off of "The Sixth Sense." While there were some interesting twists and some horrific visuals and jump scares, overall it was a letdown. But it wasn't a bad way to cure some insomnia...

TV Watched:

Somebody Somewhere (HBO Max): This is a new dramedy starring Bridget Everett. It's brilliant! Touching and funny and those are the ones that are dear to my heart.

The Super Bowl LVI on NBC: That was a great game! I made teriyaki chicken wings, pigs-in-a-blanket, and nachos with sides of hummus, pretzels, naan bread, and a veggie tray. Our friends came over and brought some yummy beers and jalapeno poppers. A good time was had by all!

The Gilded Age (HBO Max): Just started this one and it definitely looks promising. It has all the peeps I love. I've been wanting to watch a good period piece and this looks like it will do that!

Joining up with Deb from Readerbuzz and her Sunday Salon.

R.I.P. Book Reviews: My Heart Is a Chainsaw...

I am loving all things horror this month and onto next month! 5 horror books with a possible 6th one done before October hits. We shall see...

My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

Published: August 31st, 2021 by Gallery/Saga Press

Genre: Horror

Format: Audiobook, 12 hours and 25 minutes, Scribd

Five Stars

Publisher's Summary:

In her quickly gentrifying rural lake town Jade sees recent events only her encyclopedic knowledge of horror films could have prepared her for

Jade Daniels is an angry, half-Indian outcast with an abusive father, an absent mother, and an entire town that wants nothing to do with her. She lives in her own world, a world in which protection comes from an unusual source: horror movies…especially the ones where a masked killer seeks revenge on a world that wronged them. And Jade narrates the quirky history of Proofrock as if it is one of those movies. But when blood actually starts to spill into the waters of Indian Lake, she pulls us into her dizzying, encyclopedic mind of blood and masked murderers, and predicts exactly how the plot will unfold.

Yet, even as Jade drags us into her dark fever dream, a surprising and intimate portrait emerges… a portrait of the scared and traumatized little girl beneath the Jason Voorhees mask: angry, yes, but also a girl who easily cries, fiercely loves, and desperately wants a home. A girl whose feelings are too big for her body.

My Thoughts:

Jones knows how to just gut your heart! I loved this book. I need to read is earlier work as well. Jade! What a character! So many layers to her and her town and the people in it. It's a homage to all things slasher as well. So many references I didn't get but it didn't matter. The story carries you a long and you are wondering who and what the whole time. Loved the twist as well. It was a great way to start off my R.I.P. challenge this year.

The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup

Published: June 6th, 2018 by Harper (in U.S.)

Genre: Crime fiction

Format: Paperback, 519 Pages, Own

3 Stars

Publisher's Summary:

The heart-pounding debut from the creator of the hit Scandinavian television show The Killing.

If you find one, he’s already found you.

A psychopath is terrorizing Copenhagen.

His calling card is a “chestnut man”—a handmade doll made of matchsticks and two chestnuts—which he leaves at each bloody crime scene. Examining the dolls, forensics makes a shocking discovery—a fingerprint belonging to a young girl, a government minister’s daughter who had been kidnapped and murdered a year ago.

A tragic coincidence—or something more twisted?

To save innocent lives, a pair of detectives must put aside their differences to piece together the Chestnut Man’s gruesome clues.

Because it’s clear that the madman is on a mission that is far from over.

And no one is safe.

My Thoughts:

I loved the American version of The Killing. Sveistrup is the writer and creator of the original Danish version of The Killing. So I had high hopes. Chestnut Man is his first novel. And it shows. Great plot, overall, but it definitely played out like a TV series. How everything was setup and how the characters are introduced and used within the story. I'm actually excited to see the Netflix series since I feel it will fill in the details missing from his book. But it's still a very creepy and disturbing story.

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Published: October 10, 1983 (this edition by Vintage)

Genre: Gothic horror

Format: Paperback, 164 Pages, Library

4 Stars

Publisher's Summary:

‘I did not believe in ghosts’

Few attend Mrs Alice Drablow’s funeral, and not one blood relative amongst them. There are undertakers with shovels, of course, a local official who would rather be anywhere else, and one Mr Arthur Kipps, solicitor from London. He is to spend the night in Eel Marsh House, the place where the old recluse died amidst a sinking swamp, a blinding fog and a baleful mystery about which the townsfolk refuse to speak.

Young Mr Kipps expects a boring evening alone sorting out paperwork and searching for Mrs Drablow’s will. But when the high tide pens him in, what he finds – or rather what finds him – is something else entirely.

My Thoughts:

I watched the movie back in 2012 and thought it was so creepy. So I'm glad I finally sat down and read the book it was based on. Susan Hill uses a lot of wonderful gothic ghost devices to keep you constantly creeped out. It's short and sweet and it is so effective at leaving you unnerved long after you've finished. It's a modern classic for a reason!

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

Published: July 13, 2021 by Berkley Books

Genre: Horror

Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages, Own

4 Stars

Publisher's Summary:

A fast-paced, thrilling horror novel that follows a group of heroines to die for, from the brilliant New York Times bestselling author of The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires.

In horror movies, the final girl is the one who's left standing when the credits roll. The one who fought back, defeated the killer, and avenged her friends. The one who emerges bloodied but victorious. But after the sirens fade and the audience moves on, what happens to her?

Lynnette Tarkington is a real-life final girl who survived a massacre twenty-two years ago, and it has defined every day of her life since. And she's not alone. For more than a decade she's been meeting with five other actual final girls and their therapist in a support group for those who survived the unthinkable, putting their lives back together, piece by piece. That is until one of the women misses a meeting and Lynnette's worst fears are realized--someone knows about the group and is determined to take their lives apart again, piece by piece.

But the thing about these final girls is that they have each other now, and no matter how bad the odds, how dark the night, how sharp the knife, they will never, ever give up.

My Thoughts:

You've got to live in his world where slasher killers are real and they leave behind actual final girls and these actual final girls have a support group! Wild. It got off to a rocky start but by the middle and I'm wondering who, what, and how and I have to keep going to find out how it all ends. And I just love Hendrix. He's got a heart of gold and he never disappoints with his characters. They get what they deserve and I love that!

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

Published: March 20, 2018 by Berkley Books

Genre: Horror

Format: Kindle, 409 Pages, Own

4 Stars

Publisher's Summary:

A journalist uncovers the dark secrets of an abandoned boarding school in this chilling suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel.

Vermont, 1950. There's a place for the girls whom no one wants--the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the ones too smart for their own good. It's called Idlewild Hall, and local legend says the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their friendship blossoming--until one of them mysteriously disappears....

Vermont, 2014. Twenty years ago, journalist Fiona Sheridan's elder sister's body was found in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Idlewild Hall. And although her sister's boyfriend was tried and convicted of the murder, Fiona can't stop revisiting the events, unable to shake the feeling that something was never right about the case.

When Fiona discovers that Idlewild Hall is being restored by an anonymous benefactor, she decides to write a story about it. But a shocking discovery during renovations links the loss of her sister to secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the past--and a voice that won't be silenced....

My Thoughts:

I first read her most recent book The Sun Down Motel, which I really enjoyed. Her format for that book was very similar for this one. There are two times we are following and they meet up at the end and all is revealed. I actually enjoy how she does it. And there is always an element or two of supernatural awesomeness that is very creepy. I did feel like there was a bit too much going on with the plot, especially at the end but overall I highly enjoyed it. I look forward to more of her writing! 

Mini Book Reviews: Broken Harbor...

Faithful Place by Tana French

Published: July 13th, 2010 by Viking

Genre: Mystery

Format: Kindle, 416 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher's Summary:

Back in 1985, Frank Mackey was nineteen, growing up poor in Dublin's inner city and living crammed into a small flat with his family on Faithful Place. But he had his sights set on a lot more. He and his girl, Rosie Daly, were all set to run away to London together, get married, get good jobs, break away from factory work and poverty and their old lives.

But on the winter night when they were supposed to leave, Rosie didn't show. Frank took it for granted that she'd given him the brush-off--probably because of his alcoholic father, nutcase mother, and generally dysfunctional family. He never went home again.

Neither did Rosie. Everyone thought she had gone to England on her own and was over there living a shiny new life. Then, twenty-two years later, Rosie's suitcase shows up behind a fireplace in a derelict house on Faithful Place, and Frank is going home whether he likes it or not.

Getting sucked in is a lot easier than getting out again. Frank finds himself straight back in the dark tangle of relationships he left behind. The cops working the case want him out of the way, in case loyalty to his family and community makes him a liability. Faithful Place wants him out because he’s a detective now, and the Place has never liked cops. Frank just wants to find out what happened to Rosie Daly-and he’s willing to do whatever it takes, to himself or anyone else, to get the job done.

My Thoughts:

Another excellent mystery that's heavily character-driven rather than plot-drive from Ms. French. Her plots don't quite make a lot of sense but I still enjoy my way getting there. Mackey and his family came alive for me. I loved getting a better sense of his history and what has made him tick. I loved her exploration of families. How messy and complicated they are and why. Sometimes I had to set the book down because the dysfunction felt a little too familiar...

Bridge of Souls by Victoria Schwab

Published: March 2nd, 2021 by Scholastic Press

Genre: Horror, Middle Grade

Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher's Summary:

Where there are ghosts, Cassidy Blake follows...unless it's the other way around?

Cass thinks she might have this ghost-hunting thing down. After all, she and her ghost best friend, Jacob, have survived two haunted cities while travelling for her parents' TV show.

But nothing can prepare Cass for New Orleans, which wears all of its hauntings on its sleeve. In a city of ghost tours and tombs, raucous music and all kinds of magic, Cass could get lost in all the colourful, grisly local legends. And the city's biggest surprise is a foe Cass never expected to face: a servant of Death itself.

Cass takes on her most dangerous challenge yet...

My Thoughts:

This is another fantastic instalment by Schwab. Loved reading about Cass and her antics in New Orleans. How her parents are still clueless about her supernatural abilities. But I love her friendships and how she solves each problem with help. And of course, her kitty is always super cute!

Broken Harbor by Tana French

Published: April 28th, 2013 by Penguin

Genre: Mystery

Format: Hardcover, 450 Pages, Library

Rating: 3.5 stars

Publisher's Summary:

Mick “Scorcher" Kennedy is the star of the Dublin Murder Squad. He plays by the books and plays hard, and that's how the biggest case of the year ends up in his hands.

On one of the half-abandoned "luxury" developments that litter Ireland, Patrick Spain and his two young children have been murdered. His wife, Jenny, is in intensive care. At first, Scorcher thinks it's going to be an easy solve, but too many small things can't be explained: the half-dozen baby monitors pointed at holes smashed in the Spains' walls, the files erased from the family's computer, the story Jenny told her sister about a shadowy intruder slipping past the house's locks. And this neighborhood—once called Broken Harbor—holds memories for Scorcher and his troubled sister, Dina: childhood memories that Scorcher thought he had tightly under control.

My Thoughts:

The plot was a bit better in this one. But...overall, this one wasn't as good as I was hoping but she still knows how to pack a punch. And such a different take from her other books, taking on class and the economic downturn on the global scale but especially in Ireland. I also enjoyed getting to know Scorcher Kennedy that we were introduced to in "Faithful Place." I love that she fleshes everyone out eventually. Everyone's a bit different and I love that she can write them so vividly. It's another great reason to read this series since she doesn't focus on one detective each book. I'd say one of the big explorations in this one is despair and the horrors one can do when there are no lights at the end of the tunnel.

The Secret Place by Tana French

Published: September 2nd, 2014 by Penguin Books

Genre: Mystery

Format: Kindle, 541 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher's Summary:

A year ago a boy was found murdered at a girlsʼ boarding school, and the case was never solved. Detective Stephen Moran has been waiting for his chance to join Dublin’s Murder Squad when sixteen-year-old Holly Mackey arrives in his office with a photo of the boy with the caption: “I KNOW WHO KILLED HIM.” Stephen joins with Detective Antoinette Conway to reopen the case—beneath the watchful eye of Holly’s father, fellow detective Frank Mackey.

With the clues leading back to Holly’s close-knit group of friends, to their rival clique, and to the tangle of relationships that bound them all to the murdered boy, the private underworld of teenage girls turns out to be more mysterious and more dangerous than the detectives imagined.

My Thoughts:

French takes on teen girls in an upper crust boarding school. While the dialogues of the teens weren't especially convincing, the emotions were. And the plot. This is one where I could see it. It seemed plausible. And I just learned French puts a bit of supernatural stuff into each of her books based off of Celtic myth/folklore. This book had it the most abundant, which wasn't my favorite. But overall, I liked the plot and the teen emotions exploration. I wasn't a big fan of the detectives...but they came through in the end. 

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling

Published: April 2nd, 2019 by Harper Voyager

Genre: Sci-fi, Horror

Format: Kindle, 432 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher's Summary:

A thrilling, atmospheric debut with the intensive drive of The Martian and Gravity and the creeping dread of Annihilation, in which a caver on a foreign planet finds herself on a terrifying psychological and emotional journey for survival.

When Gyre Price lied her way into this expedition, she thought she’d be mapping mineral deposits, and that her biggest problems would be cave collapses and gear malfunctions. She also thought that the fat paycheck—enough to get her off-planet and on the trail of her mother—meant she’d get a skilled surface team, monitoring her suit and environment, keeping her safe. Keeping her sane.

Instead, she got Em.

Em sees nothing wrong with controlling Gyre’s body with drugs or withholding critical information to “ensure the smooth operation” of her expedition. Em knows all about Gyre’s falsified credentials, and has no qualms using them as a leash—and a lash. And Em has secrets, too . . .

As Gyre descends, little inconsistencies—missing supplies, unexpected changes in the route, and, worst of all, shifts in Em’s motivations—drive her out of her depths. Lost and disoriented, Gyre finds her sense of control giving way to paranoia and anger. On her own in this mysterious, deadly place, surrounded by darkness and the unknown, Gyre must overcome more than just the dangerous terrain and the Tunneler which calls underground its home if she wants to make it out alive—she must confront the ghosts in her own head.

My Thoughts:

This was gripping! I read this for April's Spring Into Horror readathon and boy oh boy. It delivered. Sci-fi horror that can make me feel claustrophobic. It felt like a combo of Alien and The Descent. Two of my fave horror films of all-time. And add in some lesbian romance and boom. I really enjoyed this one. There were only a couple of places where it dragged but overall an engaging story and one I wouldn't mind returning to.

Floating Staircase by Ronald Malfi

Published: October 2010 by Leisure Books

Genre: Horror

Format: Kindle, 448 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher's Summary:

Soon after Travis and his wife move into their new house by the lake, he becomes convinced the house is haunted. Is it the ghost of a child who was murdered there years before - or is there a deeper mystery?

My Thoughts:

This is my first book by Malfi. I also read this one for my Spring Into Horror readathon. I'll definitely be returning to another of his books soon. 

Travis and his wife move into a secluded home by his brother. He soon becomes convinced the house is haunted. He begins to become obsessed with the house, the history, and the ghost. As he delves in, it brings up his own baggage from when he was a child and the death of his little brother. I really enjoyed the exploration of grief and obsession. How do we process all of that? It's one of the reasons I love horror. We can explore all of this stuff in interesting ways. 

*all images taken from Goodreads.com

Read in part for Spring Into Horror Readathon.

Mini Book Reviews: Snow Child, Elatsoe...

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

Published: February 1st, 2012 by Reagan Arthur Books

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Format: Ebook, 404 Pages, Kindle

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher's Summary:

Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead, and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart--he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm; she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season's first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone--but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees. This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed the journey. It was a long read for me but beautifully executed. I felt cold and yet cozy the whole time reading it. The journey is also a long one for Jack and Mabel. They have so much grief and pain and it takes a long time for them to find their way. Eowyn Ivey describes a cold, haunting, unforgiving terrain but one that welcomes those who wish to learn its ways. It's been my favorite winter read so far. Highly recommended!

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

Published: August 25th, 2020 by Levine Querido

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Fantasy, LGBTQIA

Format: Hardcover, 360 Pages, Library

Rating: 4.5 stars

Publisher's Summary:

Imagine an America very similar to our own. It’s got homework, best friends, and pistachio ice cream.

There are some differences. This America been shaped dramatically by the magic, monsters, knowledge, and legends of its peoples, those Indigenous and those not. Some of these forces are charmingly everyday, like the ability to make an orb of light appear or travel across the world through rings of fungi. But other forces are less charming and should never see the light of day.

Elatsoe lives in this slightly stranger America. She can raise the ghosts of dead animals, a skill passed down through generations of her Lipan Apache family. Her beloved cousin has just been murdered, in a town that wants no prying eyes. But she is going to do more than pry. The picture-perfect facade of Willowbee masks gruesome secrets, and she will rely on her wits, skills, and friends to tear off the mask and protect her family.

My Thoughts:

I was absolutely blown away by the creative imagination of Darcie Little Badger. I hope there are books with Elatsoe, her family and friends, and all her beloved otherworldly pets. I enjoyed the world-building where fae realms and Indigenous realms, and magic of all sorts exist together. How do you navigate a world like that? Elatsoe is also an asexual character so no romantic entanglements here. I loved seeing Elatsoe come to terms with her grief and ultimately the grief of her people. There's a lot of action and magic, and revenge too. So come for all of it in this one. I look forward to more from Darcie Little Badger.

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

Published: February 18th, 2020 by Berkley

Genre: Crime Thriller, Horror

Format: Hardcover, 327 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher's Summary:

The secrets lurking in a rundown roadside motel ensnare a young woman, just as they did her aunt thirty-five years before, in this new atmospheric suspense novel from the national bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls.

Upstate NY, 1982. Every small town like Fell, New York, has a place like the Sun Down Motel. Some customers are from out of town, passing through on their way to someplace better. Some are locals, trying to hide their secrets. Viv Delaney works as the night clerk to pay for her move to New York City. But something isn't right at the Sun Down, and before long she's determined to uncover all of the secrets hidden…

My Thoughts:

This engaging mystery combines the past and present along with some good old ghosts thrown in. I enjoyed watching Carly investigate her Aunt Viv's disappearance in a creepy small town in Upstate New York. Guess who else is investigating the murders of other women 35 years ago in the same town at the same motel? Aunt Viv. It all comes to a head towards the end with a very satisfying finish. I did feel like some of the plot was a bit too neat and tidy and sometimes a bit unbelievable ( I mean aside from the ghosts everyone can see). But overall, it's engaging and creepy.