This book lived up to all my Baba Yafa loving expectations!
First, the cover is gorgeous! Secondly, the variety of stories was fantastic! I really enjoThis book lived up to all my Baba Yafa loving expectations!
First, the cover is gorgeous! Secondly, the variety of stories was fantastic! I really enjoyed the different interpretations of witches and how the stories ranged from traditional folklore tellings of the old hag Baba Yaga to stories of present day fowl leg dissection and science.
My favorites were: Mama Yaga by Christina Sng Birds of a Feather by Monique Snyman Fair Trade by Jacqueline West & Stork Bites by EV Knight
There's truly a little something for everyone who loves witches in here and yet it all flows together with a nice edit to the theme of Baba Yaga....more
Racism, Ageism and Misogyny are the scary monsters in this strange and hard-to-read novel. It's told as two books attached to each other. When you finRacism, Ageism and Misogyny are the scary monsters in this strange and hard-to-read novel. It's told as two books attached to each other. When you finish one you literally flip the book around and start the other.
TW: dog death. Lyle's side starts with a story about putting the family dog down and it had me in tears. Oddly I feel like it was important to note that because I didn't cry when they put an elderly lady down.
Lili's side of the book was easier to read because it takes place in the 80's so I could place most things. Still incredibly sad, yet darkly humourous.
Idk this book is so very weird and I feel strange for reading it. Like I'm not "smart enough" to get it or something....more
This might be a novella, but it's actually like 3 stories in one and although they don't mesh perfectly togetheWhat an absolute mindfuckery of a book!
This might be a novella, but it's actually like 3 stories in one and although they don't mesh perfectly together they compliment each other well enough to make things feel fleshed out.
I don't even know if I fully understood what was going on, but I loved the disorienting way it shook up my mind.
Eric LaRocca could write a grocery list and I'd read it fascinated and somehow creeped out. That's the skill of their magic....more
Dawg Towne by Alice Kaltman was the dog-loving book I didn't know I needed in my life! I also haven't featured a dog on here in forever, so thanks to @Dawg Towne by Alice Kaltman was the dog-loving book I didn't know I needed in my life! I also haven't featured a dog on here in forever, so thanks to @booksforwardpr for sending me this book and giving me an excuse to do a photoshoot with Bubs!
Dawg Towne interweaves a bunch of different stories told from multiple perspectives in a suburb called Towne. Everyone in Towne is working through something, be it gender dysphoria, grief over the loss of a spouse, grief over an unplanned career change (Hollywood star to cult underling), writer's block, or just a general feeling of being lost. What draws everyone together is their love of dogs... or love for someone who loves dogs. Someone even takes it upon themselves to save all the dogs of Dawg Towne with interesting results.
I liked this strange mishmash of characters and stories and while definitely liked some more than others (sentient grass aside) enjoyed this book and it would heartily recommend it! Especially because the author and publisher @wordwestpress are partnering to donate $4 from each copy of Dawg Towne sold to @barksofhope to help rescue, rehab, and re-home abandoned dogs in Puerto Rico!...more
Reading Motherthing was an experience I won't soon forget. It's such a strange darkly humourous, but intensely creepy book!
This book enthralled me andReading Motherthing was an experience I won't soon forget. It's such a strange darkly humourous, but intensely creepy book!
This book enthralled me and had such a grip on me that I couldn't put it down! I read this while my baby slept on me, in-between cooking dinner, while brushing my teeth etc...
I couldn't decide if Abby was in danger or if she was THE danger and I was guessing right up until the end. And THAT ENDING godsmacked me right in the gullet!
Highly recommend! Just maybe hide it from your MIL......more
I read THINGS HAVE GOTTEN WORSE SINCE WE LAST SPOKE yesterday and I've been trying to compose my thoughts for it since.I read THINGS HAVE GOTTEN WORSE SINCE WE LAST SPOKE yesterday and I've been trying to compose my thoughts for it since....more
It was cool to read a Horror anthology full of emerging writers because besides the introduction by Grady Hendrix, I hadn't heard of any of these authIt was cool to read a Horror anthology full of emerging writers because besides the introduction by Grady Hendrix, I hadn't heard of any of these authors before.
There are 16 stories in this collection and while I wish there was a little more of a thread to tether them together I enjoyed the majority of them.
The Album of Dr. Moreau is a locked room style mystery where a tough-but-actually-a-sweetheart detective has 24 hours to figure out who killed a guy aThe Album of Dr. Moreau is a locked room style mystery where a tough-but-actually-a-sweetheart detective has 24 hours to figure out who killed a guy after a party, that alone sounds interesting to me but then you throw in the twist and I couldn't read fast enough!
The dead guy is a band manager and the band he manages; The WyldBoyz are a popular boy band (think Backstreet Boys) made up of genetically altered human-animal hybrids. There's Devin, "the romantic one" who's mixed with bonobo, Matt, "the funny one" who's a giant bat, Bobby, "the cute one" who's part cat and has claws, Tusk, the hybrid elephant and "smart one" and my favorite; Tim, "the shy one" who's mostly pangolin. Tim's stress management consists of burrowing into a pillow fort and "contemplating future dooms," which is super relatable because that's also how I handle stress.
Each chapter is a new song title, which was fun and I liked getting to know each "boy" and why they each had their own reasons for wanting their manager dead. There were so many puns, which was a true delight to read. Honestly, my only complaint was that I wanted the book to keep going long after things were resolved.
If you like puns, mystery, and can appreciate the title and the inspiration behind it, you'll love this!...more
"Existence doesn't halt without us present, it continues’' -- Adam Nevill's author notes that perfectly sum up what Wyrd and Other Derelictions is abo"Existence doesn't halt without us present, it continues’' -- Adam Nevill's author notes that perfectly sum up what Wyrd and Other Derelictions is about.
It took me a little while to find my words for Wyrd. I've never read anything like it! Each story is written almost like a screenplay for a Horror movie -- the writing is wordy, but so descriptive and necessary to set the scene. And the scenes! The first story gave me goosebumps and utterly creeped me out and that feeling remained for the rest of the book.
Sure, it took a while to get "into" the following stories, but once you get used to all the devilish details it's worth it to find yourself immersed in a vast landscape of abysmal thoughts. The effect had a certain affect on me that was unsettling in a way I didn't expect for a book with no real narrator.
If this review isn't making sense that's because it's a hard thing to review. Wyrd is weird, horrific, and beautiful. It also reminded me of one of my favorite films: 28 Days Later. Namely in the beginning, where you're just struck by the destruction left behind from an unknown terror.
I'd recommend Wyrd, but with two caveats: 1) be ready for nightmares 2) go slow... these stories deserve to linger....more
**spoiler alert** The cover for this book is fantastic and eye-catching!
They're Watching is a book from the This is Horror podcast duo and it's creepy**spoiler alert** The cover for this book is fantastic and eye-catching!
They're Watching is a book from the This is Horror podcast duo and it's creepy as heck! It's the story of a guy who moved to a strange quaint town and begins peeping on his hot neighbor. She dances nude every night to hypnotic music and he's entranced, but is he the watcher or the watched?
The first 3/4s of this book were very tense and suspenseful and had me intrigued to keep reading and find out wtf was going on! Brian is a total creep, but maybe his neighbor wants him to creep? Is this town just all a big cult?! Does this dude really have a job or is he a little delusional? What's with all the fish?!
Unfortunately, the last quarter of the story read like it was extremely rushed and everything just fell apart. ...more
A deeply creepy short story/coloring book about a girl who wakes up in the hospital to find she needs a face transplant and is encouraged by her doctoA deeply creepy short story/coloring book about a girl who wakes up in the hospital to find she needs a face transplant and is encouraged by her doctor to lucid dream to look for a new face.
Desa's dreamscape is a beautiful and terrifying place-- think Christmasland mixed with Willy Wonka and a heavy dose of acid. Reading and coloring this while listening to the curated playlist that goes with it was such a trip! I felt like I was high, when I wasn't. Before I knew it hours had gone by and I had colored a mermaid's tail and that was all.
Highly recommended if you're looking for a creepy experience to lose yourself in....more
**spoiler alert** The first 400 pages of this book flew by! I was engrossed in the strange world of Winterview and the Scooby-Doo (minus the dog) cast**spoiler alert** The first 400 pages of this book flew by! I was engrossed in the strange world of Winterview and the Scooby-Doo (minus the dog) cast of characters: * Scarlett, a former popular horror booktuber * her brother Tommy, a former MLB player who now works at a Chinese restaurant * Tommy's girlfriend and Scarlett's bff Hannah, a moody wealthy lady grieving the late death of her mother * Jackson, the head of police's son who works as a bartender and is hopelessly in love with Scarlett.
And there's more!
Together they all are intrigued when a gigantic gothic mansion literally falls from the sky and drops into their quiet town making people behave erratically and die. Sounds like quite the setup right?
A year later a mysterious corporation steps in, claims control of the house, and holds a Willy Wonka-style contest for town residents to go inside. Of course Scarlett and her friends are among the chosen! This is where I got really excited to see wtf was going on inside this twisted Lovecraftian mansion and also where things fell apart for me. As the group explores the house things are described in either exquisite detail or hardly at all. One minute there's insane tentacled creatures emerging from voids out for blood and the next page they are just chilling and talking about the weather.
It's not often I read a book that leaves me with more questions than answers, but this one did. There's still so much of the mystery that I don't understand and so many things left dangling, characters introduced and then never mentioned again, spooky things I wanted explained and also... you can't just tease a romance the whole book and then end it without a kiss scene! ...more
The Buck Stops Here was a short fun romp! The small text out me off from reading it for a bit, but once I settled in and got used to it I finished it The Buck Stops Here was a short fun romp! The small text out me off from reading it for a bit, but once I settled in and got used to it I finished it in one sitting.
Basically, you've got a small town cop trying to piece together what's killing her townsfolk and mutilating them. There's strange sounds coming from the woods and the town busybody claims this one guy keeps running around naked......more
The perfect collection of stories to read when there's a pandemic happening and you can't go anywhere because Worst Laid Plans will have you thinking The perfect collection of stories to read when there's a pandemic happening and you can't go anywhere because Worst Laid Plans will have you thinking no plans is the way to go.
I really enjoyed this collection! All the typical summer vacations are covered (road trip, theme park, exotic location, convention...) and each story had a thrilling twist. There's something for everyone here: gore, grossness, dark humor and even a little smut!
My favorite stories involved a creepy folklore creature, possible aliens and crocodiles. Definitely enough creepiness to keep me thinking about things and happy to staycation this year!
Also, it was nice to see a well balanced group of authors included AKA not just a bunch of white men....more
This book started off atmospheric and creepy and then just got straight up weird and annoying. I got up to 70% before deciding to set this aside.
It's This book started off atmospheric and creepy and then just got straight up weird and annoying. I got up to 70% before deciding to set this aside.
It's not a thriller or a horror, but more of a suspense/drama with some light supernatural cliché elements. As a former Wiccan the witch and Wiccan parts were super frustrating to read. I know this is fiction, but geeeez way to completely not research anything and stick to misconceptions.
There's a heavy dose of fat phobia throughout the whole book around one character that wasn't necessary and was just gross. This dude also goes on for pages about women's nipples and it added nothing to the story....more
I expected this to be a haunted house story about the horrors found in a hoarder's house in the South. THE TWISTED ONES isn't a haunted house story thI expected this to be a haunted house story about the horrors found in a hoarder's house in the South. THE TWISTED ONES isn't a haunted house story though, it's more of a faerie tale twisted with local lore and told by a fantastic narrator and her faithful coonhound companion.
I particularly loved how much the protagonist Mouse loves her dog, Bongo. She's constantly worried about him and finds her strength to protect and be brave in front of him and as a dog person myself that won me over. For instance this passage where she's contemplating feeding Bongo a ham sandwich and then just gives in and does it:
"He was delighted to have another meal. I should probably have objected, but really, I was about to drag him to God nowhere, so it seemed like a stupid time to argue about eating people food.
There was mayonnaise on the sandwich. Maybe when we met the holler people, Bongo's gas would knock them out."
If you also are obsessed with your dog and enjoy a good spooky faerie story THE TWISTED ONES is a fun time!...more
"He looked up at me with bloody lips. "You were here first, and I have grown used to the taste of you now. You let me in, and here I am, forever yours"He looked up at me with bloody lips. "You were here first, and I have grown used to the taste of you now. You let me in, and here I am, forever yours till the end."
They struck me, those words: I let him in. They haunted me for years. How could I possibly have let him in? I couldn't recall ever having done anything like that.
Was it because I was wrong? Was that what allowed him to slip inside?"
You Let Me In promised to be dark, disturbing and thrilling and it did not disappoint.
First off, faeries play a major part in this story and they are the twisted evil ones I grew up hearing about and love-- no Disney magical fae here!
You've got Cassie Tipp, bestselling infamous novelist who suddenly goes missing and her estate cannot be passed on to her heirs without them following her strange instructions that tell them to read a manuscript of hers for a password. Said manuscript is this book and it tells the bizarre story of her life and what really happened to her husband (who was mysteriously found totally disemboweled and in pieces), and explains her father and brother's deaths. It's one heck of a story and I was enraptured with reading about Cassie and her imaginary friend/scary fairy man.
The reader is told both sides of the story: faeries or no faeries and left to decide WTF really happened and I was super into that.
I only wish I knew going in the supernatural aspect of the story was faeries, so I'm including that in my review. I love dark fairy stuff that's not on the fantasy spectrum and if you do too you'll enjoy this.
I'd also recommend The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher if you liked You Let Me In....more
"You learn how to be loved without any proof. Seventeen years and I'm still getting that part wrong"
I don't usually read Young Adult books, but when "You learn how to be loved without any proof. Seventeen years and I'm still getting that part wrong"
I don't usually read Young Adult books, but when I do it's Horror and it's Rory Power.
Burn Our Bodies Down was intense. There's an awkward and abusive mother and daughter relationship at the heart of the novel and it resonated with me. There's a mystery that slowly unraveled and then just burns out in the end.
I'm still putting my thoughts together, but this was an interesting read that I'd recommend, but perhaps have something light to read after because this one is heavy....more
Oooph. I laughed and I cried reading about the zombie apocalypse in Seattle.
The story is told through the eyes of S.T. a sassy Crow as he tries to prOooph. I laughed and I cried reading about the zombie apocalypse in Seattle.
The story is told through the eyes of S.T. a sassy Crow as he tries to process what is happening. He's been rejected by his own kind and prefers the company of humans, but now that they are all turning into weird zombie things he's decided to set out with his friend Dennis and see what's going on. Dennis is a bloodhound. Together, they become the heroes we need and set about uniting other animals to rescue the trapped "domestics" AKA house pets.
Throughout the story, there's short chapters from other animals points of view around the world as they all try to make sense of the plague destroying humankind.
Hollow Kingdom is hilarious, heartbreaking and utterly original. This was my second time reading it and I loved it just as much as the first time. Just be sure to read it with an animal close by and some Cheetos, because you'll need some snuggles and comfort food to get through this....more
It took me a while to get into and I didn't really connect with any of the characters. In fact I kind of hated them all. Stella This book was so weird!
It took me a while to get into and I didn't really connect with any of the characters. In fact I kind of hated them all. Stella comes across as a real snob and Jack comes across as a stereotypical "Oh poor me" poor boy, but something made me keep reading.
The story took on some X-Men-like elements that I wasn't anticipating but enjoyed. However, it dragged on for a little long I found myself flipping ahead just to get to the parts with Jack and Stella. an intriguing read overall but something about it just didn't feel quite right for me I feel like it'd be a lot better of a TV series. ...more
**spoiler alert** Skinwrapper packs a ton of action into its 74 pages and things happen so quickly that I wasn't aware what was going on. Basically sp**spoiler alert** Skinwrapper packs a ton of action into its 74 pages and things happen so quickly that I wasn't aware what was going on. Basically space pirates with Cancer take over a big cargo ship and everyone is scared on being skinned alive.
There wasn't enough of people bring skinned alive and grafted onto others though to keep me interested. Instead, the story follows a teenager in hiding to survive who pees herself and uh then she's brave?!
I don't know man, this was a weird little book. Not enough gore for a bloody creepy title and confusion abound because the high techy stuff is flung around and I had no idea what was happening.
A strong beginning that pulled me in and kept me interested...until it was less about the treatment and more about the doctor himself.
The second half A strong beginning that pulled me in and kept me interested...until it was less about the treatment and more about the doctor himself.
The second half got real weird! Slowly I descended into madness until I felt like it was a sure thing that I had lost my mind and was just reading the same five pages over and over trying to decipher them.
Brian Kirk has a gift. He's very skilled at messing with your head. I'm just not sure if I like it or not. I was confused about the drugs and the visions and never got the clarity I wanted.
We Are Monsters started strong, floundered a bit in the too long middle and ended bizarrely. I'll keep reading what Kirk writes, but this one wasn't for me....more
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