Taylor Fenner's Blog, page 48
January 16, 2023
Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Bookish Goals for 2023
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish and currently hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.
Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Bookish Goals for 2023This week’s TTT is all about Bookish goals for for 2023. For me these are both writing and reading goals.
1. Finish Writing and Publish “It Rose From the Ashes” 2. Listen to 12-15 Audiobooks3. Clear out the books I’m never going to read and focus on the genres I’m interested in now 4. Write more regularly5. Read 30-50 books6. Read/Listen to more books in my Kindle/Audible library7. Catch up on old reviews8. Update my Netgalley account to get my review rate back over 80%9. Declutter my bookcases and keep them that way10. Booktok moreWhat are your bookish goals for 2023? Let me know in the comments or drop me a link to your TTT!
First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros: What Lies in the Woods
First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros is a weekly meme hosted by Socrates Book Reviews where you share the first paragraph of one of the books that you are currently reading. Each week bloggers will choose a book or books of the week (which will be one of the books that you are currently reading) and that book will take part in this book blog meme.
My book of the week is: What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall
First Chapter, First Paragraph:There is a wilderness in little girls.
We could not contain it. It made magic of the rain and a temple of the forest. We raced down narrow trails, hair flying wind-wild behind us, and pretended that the slender spruce and hemlock were still the ancient woods that industry had chewed down to splinters.
I love the introduction to this book, it paints a vibrant picture.
Teaser Tuesday:Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Ambrosia @ The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Teaser:Where I’d had two worlds, one cruel and one fantastical, I was about to have only one. I remembered it as a period of stomach-churning dread, but in Cass’s words it was a time of delight and whimsy.
Blurb:
They were eleven when they sent a killer to prison . . .
They were heroes . . . but they were liars.
Naomi Shaw used to believe in magic. Twenty-two years ago, she and her two best friends, Cassidy and Olivia, spent the summer roaming the woods, imagining a world of ceremony and wonder. They called it the Goddess Game. The summer ended suddenly when Naomi was attacked. Miraculously, she survived her seventeen stab wounds and lived to identify the man who had hurt her. The girls’ testimony put away a serial killer, wanted for murdering six women. They were heroes.
And they were liars.
For decades, the friends have kept a secret worth killing for. But now Olivia wants to tell, and Naomi sets out to find out what really happened in the woods—no matter how dangerous the truth turns out to be.
Would you read this book?
January 15, 2023
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 16 January 2023
#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.
Hey Bookdragons! Happy Monday! You’d think you’d read more when you’re home and sick right? Well I didn’t at the end of this past week. I mostly slept and watched old episodes of Maury on some streaming platform. So here’s my little to no progress…
What I Read Last Week/Currently ReadingThe Family Game by Catherine Steadman
Last Week’s Progess: 30%
What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice MarshallProgress: Page 74 of 336
This is my January BOTM pick. I’m not sure if I like it yet or not. None of the characters are likable and it’s hard to connect with the story.
Next Read:Hot Vampire Next Door: Season 2 by Nikki St. Crowe
I need a fast read to pull me out of my reading rut so I’m going to squeeze this one in while I decided what to do with What Lies in the Woods.
What are you reading this week? Do you read more or less when you’re sick?
January 14, 2023
The Sunday Post: Release Week, Strep, and Book Boxes
The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.
Release Week, Strep, and Book BoxesHey Bookdragons! Happy Sunday! How was your week? Mine was busy and then I got sick…
I spent all my free time this past week getting ready for the release of No Check Out and I really think it paid off. I had a really good release day on Friday. Too bad I couldn’t enjoy it fully…
Wednesday night into Thursday my throat was really bothering me and when it didn’t get better I went to the doctor to confirm my suspicions… yep. I tested positive for strep throat. The doctor thought it was odd because adults don’t usually get strep apparently. Well she hadn’t met this adult before. I seem to be prone to it every few years. Thankfully the antibiotics worked wonders.
I got my December Fairyloot box this past week and I was seriously underwhelmed with the few items included with the book. For the price I don’t think I’m getting a good value anymore. That and The Bookish Box (whose delays I’m just plain fed up with) are on my list to cancel.
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 9 January 2023
First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros – The Midnight Game
Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2023
Can’t Wait Wednesday… She Is A Haunting!
Audiobook Review: Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict
Book Blogger Hop: Are there any new books you’re excited to read in 2023?
Book Review: Haunted Charleston by Sara Pitzer
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 16 January 2023
First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros: What Lies in the Woods
Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Goals for 2023
Can’t Wait Wednesday… With My Little Eye by Joshilyn Jackson
Book Review: The Midnight Game by Cynthia Murphy
The Friday 56: What Lies in the Woods
Book Blogger Hop: How many books are on your “to be read” list?
Fairyloot December Box:
January 13, 2023
Book Review: Haunted Charleston: Scary Sites, Eerie Encounters, and Tall Tales by Sara Pitzer
Haunted Charleston: Scary Sites, Eerie Encounters, and Tall Tales by Sara Pitzer
Blurb:Among South Carolina’s many treasures is Charleston, a city of rich history. Since the first British colonists established Charles Towne in 1670, this city has been a study in contradictions – a beautiful coastal environment, magnificent architecture, and sometimes unspeakable cruelty. Haunted Charleston, a collection of stories of ghosts, mysteries, and paranormal happenings in the Holy City, will leave readers frightened and fascinated.
Haunted Charleston includes twenty-five stories from the Ghosts at Dock Street Theater to the Haunted Graveyards, that will send chills up the spines of even the most daring ghosthunters. Each story includes notes on historical significance and local lore and readers will discover just how haunted and spooky this city is.
A bibliography, a resources list of contact information to visit the haunted sites, and a brief “Ghost Hunter’s Guide” for the region or city, are also included, giving readers the resources to explore the haunted areas for themselves.
My Review:I received this as a Christmas present from my mom since I love Charleston and I’m planning to go back this year.
I loved reading about the dark history of some of the locations, I thought it was really interesting. I’ve been to two of the locations mentioned in the book, The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon and the Aiken-Rhett House and personally did not notice anything paranormal in nature but I’m a skeptic who wishes to have an experience.
This book definitely gave me a list of places to check out when I visit! I’m so excited and currently dreaming of my trip.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book even though I’m still skeptical.
My Review:
4 of 5 Knives
January 12, 2023
Book Blogger Hop: Are there any new books you’re excited to read in 2023?
Book Blogger HopThe Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer @ Crazy-For-Books in March 2010 and ended on December 31, 2012. With Jennifer’s permission, Billy @ Ramblings or a Coffee Addicted Writerrelaunched the hop on February 15, 2013. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop’s purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.
January 13-19, 2023Question of the Week:Book Blogger Hop: Are there any new books you’re excited to read in 2023?AOTW:
For the long answer, see my Top Ten Tuesday post for this week. Short answer: my two most anticipated at the moment are The Only One Left by Riley Sager and Four Found Dead by Natalie D. Richards.
What about you? What books are you excited to read this year?
The Friday 56: No Check Out
The Friday 56 is a weekly blog meme hosted by Freda’s Voice. How to participate: Grab a book, any book. Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your ereader. If you have to improvise, that is okay. Find a snippet, short and sweet. Post it, and link up on Freda’s Voice so everyone knows to visit.
This week I’m participating with my new release, No Check Out which came out today!!
Blurb:Can a building be inherently evil? With every board, window, and brick that went into building The Williamson Hotel, nestled at the mouth of the Great Smoky Mountains, a dark being was forged. Some say the hotel is haunted, others swear it’s cursed, But nobody knows the truth.
When a team of paranormal debunkers is invited to The Williamson to spend the night and dispel the rumors of its haunting, they think it’s just another routine job. Huntleigh Graves and her friends have investigated many “haunted” locales around the southern United States and proved them all to be fakes. But they had no idea what they were getting into when they agreed to investigate The Williamson.
From the moment they arrive at The Williamson, the team knows something isn’t right. But what starts off as a simple investigation into the paranormal turns into eight hours of horror. Eight hours that not all of them will make it through alive.
Welcome to The Williamson Hotel. We hope you enjoy your stay. Because once you check-in, there is… No Check Out
The Friday 56 Excerpt:“There is no way out,” Verbena grins, baring her teeth which seem to yellow and elongate before my eyes. “There is no checkout.”
Would you read this book?
January 11, 2023
🎧 Audiobook Review: Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict
Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict
Blurb:Eighteen passengers. Seven stops. One killer.
In the early hours of Christmas Eve, the sleeper train to the Highlands is derailed, along with the festive plans of its travellers. With the train stuck in snow in the middle of nowhere, a killer stalks its carriages, picking off passengers one by one. Those who sleep on the sleeper train may never wake again.
Can former Met detective Roz Parker find the killer before they kill again?
All aboard for…Murder on the Christmas Express.
My Review:This book was basically a genderbent, Christmas themed reimagining of Murder on the Orient Express (or at least it felt that way).
I did enjoy it overall. The elements were there: a train full of strangers stranded in the middle of nowhere, a recently retired police officer who can’t help noticing things, a string of murders, and chapters in the killer’s perspective.
It was a fast listen which I always like and the narrator was enjoyable to listen to.
I could have done without the sexual assault theme throughout. It was mentioned so often you couldn’t forget and I found it a little annoying after a while. And the big reveal at the end was a little underwhelming as I had figured out the killer early on.
Overall, I preferred The Christmas Murder Game by this author over this one.
My Rating:
3 of 5 Knives!
January 10, 2023
Can’t Wait Wednesday… 11 January 2023
Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released.
I have two this week… one book I’m excited to read and my new release coming out this Friday that I’m excited for everyone to read!
She is A Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
Standalone, Horror
eBook, Hardcover, 352 Pages
February 28, 2023 by Bloomsbury YA
Blurb:A house with a terrifying appetite haunts a broken family in this atmospheric horror, perfect for fans of Mexican Gothic.
When Jade Nguyen arrives in Vietnam for a visit with her estranged father, she has one goal: survive five weeks pretending to be a happy family in the French colonial house Ba is restoring. She’s always lied to fit in, so if she’s straight enough, Vietnamese enough, American enough, she can get out with the college money he promised.
But the house has other plans. Night after night, Jade wakes up paralyzed. The walls exude a thrumming sound, while bugs leave their legs and feelers in places they don’t belong. She finds curious traces of her ancestors in the gardens they once tended. And at night Jade can’t ignore the ghost of the beautiful bride who leaves her cryptic warnings: Don’t eat.
Neither Ba nor her sweet sister Lily believe that there is anything strange happening. With help from a delinquent girl, Jade will prove this house—the home her family has always wanted—will not rest until it destroys them. Maybe, this time, she can keep her family together. As she roots out the house’s rot, she must also face the truth of who she is and who she must become to save them all.
Why I Want to Read She Is A Haunting:I’m excited yet apprehensive at the comparison to Mexican Gothic. This does sound wonderfully chilling though and I’m excited to check it out!
No Check Out by Taylor FennerStandalone, Horror
eBook, Hardcover, Paperback, 205 pages
January 13, 2023 by Taylor C. Fenner Publishing
Blurb:Can a building be inherently evil? With every board, window, and brick that went into building The Williamson Hotel, nestled at the mouth of the Great Smoky Mountains, a dark being was forged. Some say the hotel is haunted, others swear it’s cursed, But nobody knows the truth.
When a team of paranormal debunkers is invited to The Williamson to spend the night and dispel the rumors of its haunting, they think it’s just another routine job. Huntleigh Graves and her friends have investigated many “haunted” locales around the southern United States and proved them all to be fakes. But they had no idea what they were getting into when they agreed to investigate The Williamson.
From the moment they arrive at The Williamson, the team knows something isn’t right. But what starts off as a simple investigation into the paranormal turns into eight hours of horror. Eight hours that not all of them will make it through alive.
Welcome to The Williamson Hotel. We hope you enjoy your stay. Because once you check-in, there is… No Check Out
Why You Should Read No Check Out:No Check Out is my love letter to all the things I love about horror. It has an atmospheric setting, a killer hotel, and is a twist on the haunted house trope.
Would you read these books? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?
January 9, 2023
Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2023
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish and currently hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.
Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2023This week’s TTT is all about our most anticipated releases releasing in the first half of 2023. I had to look through my Goodreads because I have no idea what’s releasing when anymore.
1. These Bitter Blooms by Emma Hamm (January 9, 2023)
Blurb:In a world where magic means power, a “small” gift is a curse.
Thea was not blessed with power. Her gift of devouring plants and absorbing their hidden abilities does not make her stand out among her peers. Until a young man from the other side of the river sees something in her that no one else has seen before. When his family mercilessly strikes at her pride, he makes a point to ease the sting.
Alistair is not like his family. He has no interest in magic or wealth. He can see through the veil of the world into the faerie realm, and that has no use in his family. He never understood the desire to write to the girl across the river, but she turns his world of grey into a life of color. At the first opportunity, he meets with her. The second, he falls in love. And the third, he knows he wants to marry her.
Until the cities across the river go to war. Their lives are shattered, ripped apart, and thrown asunder. Then, ten years later, a chance meeting brings them back together. He needs a secretary. She needs a job. Neither realized they were about to be thrown into each other’s arms once again. And this time, he doesn’t intend to ever let her go.
Dark Academia meets, falls in love with, and then keeps Goblincore. For fans of witches, slow burn romances, and a little bit of magic, this page turner will wrap you up in a warm hug, snuggle you in a blanket, and hand you a hot cup of tea.
2. The Villa by Rachel Hawkins (January 3, 2023)
Blurb:From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins comes a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set at an Italian villa with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.
As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend.
Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a high-end holiday home now, but in 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato, and rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon. In an attempt to reignite his creative spark, Noel invites up-and-coming musician, Pierce Sheldon to join him, as well as Pierce’s girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. But he also sets in motion a chain of events that leads to Mari writing one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara composing a platinum album––and ends in Pierce’s brutal murder.
As Emily digs into the villa’s complicated history, she begins to think there might be more to the story of that fateful summer in 1974. That perhaps Pierce’s murder wasn’t just a tale of sex, drugs, and rock & roll gone wrong, but that something more sinister might have occurred––and that there might be clues hidden in the now-iconic works that Mari and Lara left behind.
Yet the closer that Emily gets to the truth, the more tension she feels developing between her and Chess. As secrets from the past come to light, equally dangerous betrayals from the present also emerge––and it begins to look like the villa will claim another victim before the summer ends.
3. She Is A Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran (February 28, 2023)Blurb:A house with a terrifying appetite haunts a broken family in this atmospheric horror, perfect for fans of Mexican Gothic.
When Jade Nguyen arrives in Vietnam for a visit with her estranged father, she has one goal: survive five weeks pretending to be a happy family in the French colonial house Ba is restoring. She’s always lied to fit in, so if she’s straight enough, Vietnamese enough, American enough, she can get out with the college money he promised.
But the house has other plans. Night after night, Jade wakes up paralyzed. The walls exude a thrumming sound, while bugs leave their legs and feelers in places they don’t belong. She finds curious traces of her ancestors in the gardens they once tended. And at night Jade can’t ignore the ghost of the beautiful bride who leaves her cryptic warnings: Don’t eat.
Neither Ba nor her sweet sister Lily believe that there is anything strange happening. With help from a delinquent girl, Jade will prove this house—the home her family has always wanted—will not rest until it destroys them. Maybe, this time, she can keep her family together. As she roots out the house’s rot, she must also face the truth of who she is and who she must become to save them all.
4. In Nightfall by Suzanne Young (March 28, 2023)
Blurb:In the quaint town of Nightfall, Oregon, it isn’t the dark you should be afraid of—it’s the girls. The Lost Boys meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this propulsive novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Treatment.
Theo and her brother, Marco, threw the biggest party of the year. And got caught. Their punishment? Leave Arizona to spend the summer with their grandmother in the rainy beachside town of Nightfall, Oregon—population 846 souls.
The small town is cute, when it’s not raining, but their grandmother is superstitious and strangely antisocial. Upon their arrival she lays out the one house rule: always be home before dark. But Theo and Marco are determined to make the most of their summer, and on their first day they meet the enigmatic Minnow and her friends. Beautiful and charismatic, the girls have a magnetic pull that Theo and her brother can’t resist.
But Minnow and her friends are far from what they appear.
And that one rule? Theo quickly realizes she should have listened to her grandmother. Because after dark, something emerges in Nightfall. And it doesn’t plan to let her leave.
Blurb:
A stay-at-home mom with a past.
A has-been rock star with a habit.
A reality TV producer with a debt.
Three disparate lives.
One deadly secret.
Twenty five years ago, Jenna, Donnie, and Nico were the best of friends, a bond forged as residents of Savior House, an abusive group home for parentless teens. When the home was shut down—after the disappearance of several kids—the three were split up.
Though the trauma of their childhood has never left them, each went on to live successful, if troubled, lives. They haven’t seen one another since they were teens but now are reunited for a single haunting reason: someone is trying to kill them.
To save their lives, the group will have to revisit the nightmares of their childhoods and confront their past—a past that holds the secret to why someone wants them dead.
It’s a reunion none of them asked for… or wanted. But it may be the only way to save all their lives.
In one of the year’s most anticipated thrillers #1 New York Times bestseller Sarah Pekkanen calls “Alex Finlay’s best yet,” What Have We Done is a tale about the lives we leave behind and the secrets we carry with us forever. Both an edge-of-your seat thriller and a gut-wrenching coming-of-age story, What Have We Done cements Alex Finlay as one of the new leading voices in thrillers today.
6. A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley (March 7, 2023)
Blurb:Mariel Spark knows not to trust a demon, especially one that wants her soul, but what’s a witch to do when he won’t leave her side—and she kind of doesn’t want him to?
Mariel Spark is prophesied to be the most powerful witch seen in centuries of the famed Spark family, but to the displeasure of her mother, she prefers baking to brewing potions and gardening to casting hexes. When a spell to summon flour goes very wrong, Mariel finds herself staring down a demon—one she inadvertently summoned for a soul bargain.
Ozroth the Ruthless is a legend among demons. Powerful and merciless, he drives hard bargains to collect mortal souls. But his reputation has suffered ever since a bargain went awry—if he can strike a bargain with Mariel, he will earn back his deadly reputation. Ozroth can’t leave Mariel’s side until they complete a bargain, which she refuses to do (turns out some humans are attached to their souls).
But the witch is funny. And curvy. And disgustingly yet endearingly cheerful. Becoming awkward roommates quickly escalates when Mariel, terrified to confess the inadvertent summoning to her mother, blurts out that she’s dating Ozroth. As Ozroth and Mariel struggle with their opposing goals and maintaining a fake relationship, real attraction blooms between them. But Ozroth has a limited amount of time to strike the deal, and if Mariel gives up her soul, she’ll lose all her emotions—including love—which will only spell disaster for them both.
7. With My Little Eye by Joshilyn Jackson (April 25, 2023)
Blurb:From the New York Times bestselling author of Never Have I Ever comes the hair-raising story of a mother who moves herself and her daughter across the country to lose a dangerous stalker—only to discover that it will take more than distance to escape him.
It started with the letters…
For actress Meribel Mills, disturbing fan mail is part of the price of fame. So when she starts getting creepy letters written in fruit-scented marker she is mostly unphased and diligently files them along with her other messages from unhinged fans. After all, she’s a single mom approaching forty, not the kind of hot young celeb who sparks dangerous obsessions. But there’s something different about Marker Man…
He’s been in her home…
Meribel’s sheets smell of unfamiliar cologne, and objects have gone missing around the house. Plus, the letters have become more perverse, with drawings of a naked Meribel tied up or chopped into pieces. While the police insist that stalkers hardly ever escalate to violence, Meribel has played the dead girl one too many times on TV to risk becoming her in real life. She and her daughter move from Los Angeles to Atlanta for a fresh start—but no distance is great enough.
He’s watching her…
Years of being in front of a camera have given Meribel a superpower—she can feel eyes on her, a creeping sensation like bees inside her skin. And someone definitely has her in their sights. Could Marker Man have followed her all the way across the country?
Who else might be watching—her ex-husband? The lover she left behind in LA? Her new neighbor? Suddenly, every man in her life is a suspect, but she can’t keep herself and her daughter safe from a monster she can’t identify. When the paths of all of these men collide, Meribel will find herself alone in the fight of her life, desperate to protect those she loves as danger closes in from all sides.
8. Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban (May 2, 2023)
Blurb:A juicy mystery of jealousy, love, and betrayal set on a Semester at Sea-inspired cruise ship, with a diverse cast of delightfully suspicious characters who’ll leave you guessing with every jaw-dropping twist.
After being jilted by her ex-boyfriend and best friend, Jade couldn’t be more ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime—11 countries in 4 months, all from the luxurious Campus on Board ship—and to wedge an entire globe between her and the people who broke her heart.
But when Jade discovers the backstabbing couple are also setting sail, her obsession with them grows and festers, leading to a shocking murder. And as their friends begin to drop like flies, Jade and her new crush must race to clear her name and find the killer they’re trapped at sea with….before anyone else winds up in body bags.
Perfect for readers of Natalie D. Richards, E. Lockhart, and Karen McManus!
9. Four Found Dead by Natalie D. Richards (May 23, 2023)
Blurb:At the movie theater where Jo works, the last show has ended. But the nightmare is just beginning.
Tonight, Tempest Theaters is closing forever, the last remaining business in a defunct shopping mall. The moviegoers have left, and Jo and her six coworkers have the final shift, cleaning up popcorn and mopping floors for the last time.
But after an unexpected altercation puts everyone on edge, the power goes out. Their manager disappears, along with the keys to the lobby doors and the theater safe, where the crew’s phones are locked each shift. Then, the crew’s tension turns to terror when Jo discovers the dead body of one of her co-workers.
Now their only chance to escape the murderer in their midst is through the dark, shuttered mall. With its boarded-up exits and disabled fire alarms, the complex is filled with hiding places for both pursuer and pursued. In order to survive this night, Jo and her friends must trust one another, navigate the sprawling ruins of the mall, and outwit a killer before he kills again.
10. The Only One Left by Riley Sager
Blurb:
Bestselling author Riley Sager returns with a Gothic chiller about a young caregiver assigned to work for a woman accused of a Lizzie Borden-like massacre decades earlier.
At seventeen, Lenora Hope
Hung her sister with a rope
Now reduced to a schoolyard chant, the Hope family murders shocked the Maine coast one bloody night in 1929. While most people assume seventeen-year-old Lenora was responsible, the police were never able to prove it. Other than her denial after the killings, she has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she set foot outside Hope’s End, the cliffside mansion where the massacre occurred.
Stabbed her father with a knife
Took her mother’s happy life
It’s now 1983, and home-health aide Kit McDeere arrives at a decaying Hope’s End to care for Lenora after her previous nurse fled in the middle of the night. In her seventies and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora was rendered mute by a series of strokes and can only communicate with Kit by tapping out sentences on an old typewriter. One night, Lenora uses it to make a tantalizing offer—I want to tell you everything.
“It wasn’t me,” Lenora said
But she’s the only one not dead
As Kit helps Lenora write about the events leading to the Hope family massacre, it becomes clear there’s more to the tale than people know. But when new details about her predecessor’s departure come to light, Kit starts to suspect Lenora might not be telling the complete truth—and that the seemingly harmless woman in her care could be far more dangerous than she first thought.
*Bonus* 11. No Check Out by Taylor Fenner (that’s me!) (January 13, 2023)Blurb:Can a building be inherently evil? With every board, window, and brick that went into building The Williamson Hotel, nestled at the mouth of the Great Smoky Mountains, a dark being was forged. Some say the hotel is haunted, others swear it’s cursed, But nobody knows the truth.
When a team of paranormal debunkers is invited to The Williamson to spend the night and dispel the rumors of its haunting, they think it’s just another routine job. Huntleigh Graves and her friends have investigated many “haunted” locales around the southern United States and proved them all to be fakes. But they had no idea what they were getting into when they agreed to investigate The Williamson.
From the moment they arrive at The Williamson, the team knows something isn’t right. But what starts off as a simple investigation into the paranormal turns into eight hours of horror. Eight hours that not all of them will make it through alive.
Welcome to The Williamson Hotel. We hope you enjoy your stay. Because once you check-in, there is… No Check Out
What are some of your most anticipated releases of the first half of 2023? Did any of my picks make your list?
