Winter finally arrived in my corner of the world, and Mother Nature wasn’t kidding this year! A foot of snow fell in less than six hours, which brought a couple of localized power outages (over the course of two days we were without power for about 18 hours). Then came the deep freeze. Temperatures have averaged in the single digits fahrenheit. I do count this small area lucky in that we haven’t had the wind chill factor drop the temps into the negative territory like so many others.
Needless to say, being stuck indoors has given me plenty of time to enjoy some new teas and read some great books!
What I’ve Been Reading
Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker — 4 out of 5 stars
I would consider this part memoir, part true crime. The first half or so, Douglas tells his personal story, which includes how he became involved in the FBI’s fledgling serial crime unit. The second half of the book was what I had been expecting: a look at some of the most notorious serial killers in modern history. There were a few times that I felt Douglas patted himself on the back way too much, but overall, I thought this was an interesting (and somewhat chilling) read. Note: be sure to read the newest version, which updates some of the cases that were originally written as unsolved and have recently been solved.
We Are Wormwood by Autumn Christian — 4 out of 5 stars
I really don’t know how to describe this book other than this: schizophrenic fever dream on acid. If you’re looking for a story that takes you from point A to point B in a straight-forward fashion, this is not the book to choose. But if you want to witness a teen girl’s descent into madness, written in beautiful yet terrifying prose, consider giving this one a shot.
Being Henry: The Fonz and Beyond by Henry Winkler — 4 out of 5 stars
When I was six or seven years old, I received a green t-shirt with a picture of the Fonz on the front that quickly became my favorite thing ever. Happy Days was regular viewing in our household, and Henry Winkler’s character was by far my favorite on the show. Over the years, Winkler has always seemed to me to be a genuinely nice person, so I immediately ordered his memoir when it came out. It did not disappoint. From his not-so-happy childhood and struggles with dyslexia to his passion for acting, his successes and failures, finding the love of his life and finding the love of nature, Henry Winkler tells his story with self-deprecating humor, warmth, and thankfulness. Truly one of the best memoirs I’ve read.
Necroscope by Brian Lumley — 3.5/4 out of 5 stars
There’s a lot to take on in this first book of the Necroscope series. We are introduced to Harry, who, as a young boy, discovers he can speak to the dead. There’s also Boris Dragosani, who finds himself communicating with an ancient evil. Throw in some government agencies and time travel and you have a very complex, yet entertaining, story. I’ll admit, it took me a while to get into this novel, but once all the pieces started clicking for me, I flew through the second half. I do have the next couple of books lined up, but I now know I will have to be in the right mindset to fully enjoy them.
Apple Pie and Arsenic by C.A. Phipps — 3.5/4 out of 5 stars
One of my January TBR selections. Maddie returns to her small hometown of Maple Falls to help out her grandmother. She winds up opening a bakery with Gran, reuniting with her BFFs, catching up with an old high school flame (who is now the local sheriff)…oh, and trying to find out who poisoned the mayor at a local baking contest. Yep, this cozy hits all the marks. What I especially liked about this one is the author took the time at the beginning of the book (actually about the first half) to really introduce all the players, which made it easier to keep track of everyone once the mystery started to unfold. Nice pacing and good whodunit. I will definitely be picking up the next couple in this series to see if it keeps up the momentum.
Stay safe, and Happy Reading!
All Dragons Read 