What Have You Read - 2019

[Char]

Krystal wrote: "Char wrote: "David wrote: "Char wrote: "Rob wrote: "Char wrote: "Rob wrote: "I ordered the Paperbacks From Hell edition of When Darkness Loves Us by Elizabeth Engstrom yesterday. I'm pretty stoked ..."

Just don't expect literary masterpieces. If romping and chomping sounds good to you, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy them! :)

I finished Ready Player One last night. I listened to it on audio, and Wil Wheaton was an excellent narrator.

[Erin]

The Circle

[Kelly B]

Catherine wrote: "I have been busy reading this past couple of weeks and have had a great time with a variety of scary stories:

The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell which I swiftly fol..."

I didn't even realize that Michelle Paver has a new book out, so I'm glad I saw your post! I added it to my TBR list. I really liked Dark Matter and Thin Air.

[Kelly B]

I thought this was pretty great. It reminded me that I need to read more of his books.

[Char]

I finished and thought it was very good and a quick read!

[Krystal]

I finally read The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson and loved it!

Here's my review if you're interested: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Christian]

Finished Dark Father by Tom Piccirilli

Definitely reads like a first novel, and not a very good one at that. 1/5

[Wes]

Just finished The Fisherman.

I've been looking forward to reading this one for a while, and absolutely loved it. I loved the story-within-a-story path that it took.

[Alan]

Wes wrote: "Just finished The Fisherman.

I've been looking forward to reading this one for a while, and absolutely loved it. I loved the story-within-a-story path that it took."

[Erin]

Judge & Jury


I don't know what's going on with James Patterson. Aside from Zoo, every book I pick up from him has just been....bad, in my opinion.

[Christian]

A Gathering of Evil by Gil Valle

Starts off slow and ends brutally. Hostel for a new generation. I can see why it got nominated for a Splatterpunk Award. 4/5

[Erin]

No Country for Old Men


It was okay. Not as good as The Road, in my opinion.

[Christian]

Cover by Jack Ketchum

A fantastic and totally believable thriller that moves along at a cracking pace, one you start reading you don't want to stop. Another winner from Ketchum. 5/5

[Rob]

Christian wrote: "Cover by Jack Ketchum

A fantastic and totally believable thriller that moves along at a cracking pace, one you start reading you don't want to stop. Another winner fr..."

I think that accurately sums up ALL of Ketchum's work (with the possible exception of She Wakes, which I struggled to finish). Have you read The Girl Next Door yet? Steel yourself before tackling that one!

Reading Lies and Ugliness, a collection by Brian Hodge that I've owned since the early 2000's but am just now diving into....

[Erin]

The Last Town

A quick read and good ending to the series.

[Christian]

Rob wrote: "Christian wrote: "Cover by Jack Ketchum

A fantastic and totally believable thriller that moves along at a cracking pace, one you start reading you don't want to stop...."

Rob wrote: "Christian wrote: "Cover by Jack Ketchum

A fantastic and totally believable thriller that moves along at a cracking pace, one you start reading you don't want to stop...."

Yeah, that was one of the first things I ever read of his. One tough read but made me a fan for life.

[Christian]

Camp Slasher: A gory dark horror novel by Dan Padavona

Loved it. This reads like what could of been if the late great Richard Laymon wrote a Friday the 13th slasher with great characterisation. Even saw a nod to Halloween. Screams for a Part 2. Ki ki ki ma ma ma... 4/5

[Catherine]

At long last - Bag of Bones. I can;t believe I hadn't read it before. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Classic King

[Kevin]

Recently finished Hell Divers book 5 by Nicholas Sansbury Smith & The Same Deep Water as You by Chad Lutzke. Really enjoyed both.

[Char]

Wes wrote: "Just finished The Fisherman.

I've been looking forward to reading this one for a while, and absolutely loved it. I loved the story-within-a-story path that it took."

This will be in my top ten of the year, for sure!
If you enjoy Cosmic Horror, you might also enjoy Brian Hodge's The Immaculate Void. :)

[Char]

I finished Luke Walker's The Dead Room and thought it was very good, though I'm still mulling over the denouement. 4* at least.

[Erin]

Hollow City


A good continuation of the series.

[Catherine]

The Sorrows by Jonathan Janz - One of the author's earliest which is now thankfully back in print.. Haunted island, group of disparate characters, each with their own story and many with plenty to hide, a hungry monster. Great story, characterisations suspense and a lovely twist at the end.

[Phil]

I have been working through some James Herbert The Dark, Deadly Eyes, The Spear and some excellent southern Gothic by Michael McDowell The Elementals and The Amulet.

[Catherine]

https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8...

Claws by Russell James. (For some reason, I can't find the proper link). This is the latest creature feature from a master of the art and the first featuring his new team - Kathy West and Nathan Toland. Thoroughly enjoyable scary adventure

[Erin]

The Client

I think this is another one of those rare situations where the movie was better.

[John]

Kevin wrote: "Recently finished Hell Divers book 5 by Nicholas Sansbury Smith & The Same Deep Water as You by Chad Lutzke. Really enjoyed both."

Also just finished The Hell Divers Series and now looking for my next horror read.

Will peruse the bookshelf and discussions,

[Char]

Phil wrote: "I have been working through some James Herbert The Dark, Deadly Eyes, The Spear and some excellent southern Gothic by Michael McDowell [book:The Elemental..."

McDowell is one of my top 5 favorite authors. I hope you enjoy your McDowell reads as much as I did!

[Laurie (barksbooks)]

I finished a reread of Pet Sematary and it nearly killed me.

I also recently finished Teeth by Kelli Owen and gave it 4 stars.

[Wes]

Phil wrote: "I have been working through some James Herbert The Dark, Deadly Eyes, The Spear and some excellent southern Gothic by Michael McDowell [book:The Elemental..."

I think The Elementals is hugely underrated. It has stuck with me since I read it last year. I think about it on any oppressively hot day.

[Wes]

Char wrote: "Wes wrote: "Just finished The Fisherman.

I've been looking forward to reading this one for a while, and absolutely loved it. I loved the story-within-a-story path that it took."

..."

Definitely will check that out!

[Christian]

Finished Sourdough and Other Stories, a collection of (dark) fairy tales from Angela Slatter, recently. Absolutely adored this book. Remarkable that it's also a debut collection. One of the best things I've read all year. 5/5

[Erin]

The Forgotten Garden


Slow and WAY too long. The writing was fine but the book would have been much better had it been half the length.

[Laurie (barksbooks)]

Erin wrote: "The Forgotten Garden


Slow and WAY too long. The writing was fine but the book would have been much better had it been half the length."

I read something by her and felt exactly the same way about it.

[Char]

Wes wrote: "Phil wrote: "I have been working through some James Herbert The Dark, Deadly Eyes, The Spear and some excellent southern Gothic by Michael McDowell [book:..."

Have you read Blackwater by McDowell?

[Char]

I finished up Paul Tremblay's latest Growing Things and Other Stories and thought it was outstanding!

I also finished up the latest Cormoran Strike novel by J.K. Rowling. It was very good, mostly due to the narrator.

[Wes]

Char wrote: "Wes wrote: "Phil wrote: "I have been working through some James Herbert The Dark, Deadly Eyes, The Spear and some excellent southern Gothic by Michael McD..."

Not yet! It's on my list.

[Erin]

Of Blood and Bone

[Kirsten]

Char wrote: "I finished up Paul Tremblay's latest Growing Things and Other Stories and thought it was outstanding!

I also finished up the latest Cormoran Strike novel by J.K. Rowling. It was ve..."

I recently finished The Silkworm and I thought the narration was excellent!

[Rick]

Coldbrook, Relics, the Silence by Tim Lebbon

[Bob]

I just read Shadows In the Asylum by D.A. Stern.

Its an Epistolary novel, about a psychiatrist whose treating several patients with various forms of schizophrenia that involve either hearing voices or seeing living shadows. At first he doesn't believe any of them, but over time he begins to see and hear things that cause him to question his beliefs in reality.

The novel consists of medical reports, e-mails, segments from books and magazines and even pamphlets (among other material). This adds to creepy factor, in that the reader becomes a voyeur on the events at hand.

To say anymore would spoil a truly creepy, and rarely read book!

[Kelly B]

Erin wrote: "The Forgotten Garden


Slow and WAY too long. The writing was fine but the book would have been much better had it been half the length."

I loved that book, but I've really liked all her books. Big houses, mystery, family secrets=totally my thing.

[Erin]

Kelly B wrote: "Erin wrote: "The Forgotten Garden


Slow and WAY too long. The writing was fine but the book would have been much better had it been half the length."

I loved that book, but I've re..."

I haven't read anything else by her.

[Erin]

Rot & Ruin

[Erin]

A Stranger in the House

God, I thought this was bad. From the writing to the wooden characters, DNF.

[Krystal]

Just finished YA novel The Amateurs and it was pretty terrible.



Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Char]

I finished up a novella In The Scrape and thought it was a very good coming of age tale.

[Erin]

Then She Was Gone

First book I have read by this author. I enjoyed it.

[Kelly B]

I just finished . It lived up to my expectations, and I gave it 5 stars.

[Erin]

Disappearance at Devil's Rock

It was okay, not as good as previous novels I have read by him.