Month: February 2025

I love short stories.  A good short is able to deliver the same message/mood/emotion  as their longer counterparts.  I’m continuing my annual February choice with these titles…

Since we’re still in the middle of winter, and we have definitely entered dark times, I felt The Darkest Night seemed appropriate.  This anthology has some of my favorite horror authors plus a few I haven’t had a chance to check out.  Looking forward to starting this one.

After the People Lights Have Gone Off is an older collection (2014 I believe) from Stephen Graham Jones, another fav of mine.  It’s been out of print for some time, and after searching for it everywhere, I was super excited to find out they reissued it AND a signed copy came in one of my NightWorms packages!  I enjoy reading an author’s earlier works, it’s always fun to see how their writing has changed and grown over the years.

I’m also adding this anthology to the mix for this month as well.  Recently released by one of my favorite new indie publishers, Bad Hand Books, this is an eclectic mix of stories and poetry that, well, the title sums up pretty well.  I started reading it in late January, and as of this writing (early February 2), I’m probably going to finish it later today or tomorrow.  I’ll let you know what I think!

As for January, I finished my monthly goal of 10 books.  I’m still reading A Court of Thorns and Roses, my pick for the month, but only have around 100 pages left.  It’s been a mixed bag for me, but I’ve been enjoying more than I thought I would.

What are your reading goals for February?  Drop me a line and let’s talk books!

Stay vigilant, stay safe, and Happy Reading!

Starting out the New Year with some great new books!

As usual, my monthly subscriptions did not disappoint.  Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao (Fantastic Strangelings Club) is the tale of a woman who inherits a pawn shop where you can sell your regrets, and soon “…embarks on a magical journey when a charming young physicist wanders into the shop, in this dreamlike and enchanting fantasy novel.”  Something about the cover blurb reminds me of an earlier FS selection, The Full Moon Coffee Shop, another magical realism story involving a mysterious “hidden” location.  I’ve been on a fantasy kick since the holidays, so I put this one high on my to-read list.

From NightWorms — A novelist seeking inspiration moves into the historic home of a 19th century poet and spiritualist in Beneath the Poet’s House by Christa Carmen.  I’m sure nothing good will come from that!  Feast While You Can (Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta) has a woman living in a small, isolated community who apparently awakens the evil forces in nearby caves.  Sounds intriguing for sure.

Of course, I had to start the New Year by treating myself to a little online shopping (and to also serve as a distraction from current events).  I’ve been searching for a copy of The Last King of California by Jordan Harper for a couple of years now, and was super excited to finally find a copy!!  It arrived January 30, and I immediately pushed aside my current reads pile and dove right in (apologies to my current reads!).  I’m only a few chapters in, but so far it is meeting all of my expectations.

I recently stumbled across the movie, Battle Royale, on a free streaming service.  Seeing that it was based on a book, of course I had to look it up.  How have I not heard of this before?  A 21st century twist on Lord of the Flies, well, that immediately got my attention!  At 627 pages, this isn’t going to be a light read in any sense, and definitely one I will need to be in the right reading mood to start.  And no, I didn’t watch the movie…if you have, what did you think?  Worth watching?

Have you received any great book mail lately?  Or checked out any awesome reads from your local library?  Drop me a line and let’s talk books!

Until next time, stay vigilant, stay safe, and Happy Reading!