All Dragons Read

I’M BACK!!   Maybe??  Hopefully!

The past couple of months have been strange for me, to say the least.  I really couldn’t motivate myself to write anything about the books I finished, even the ones I absolutely loved.  I even questioned whether or not I wanted to continue this blog.  I decided I really do enjoy sharing my reading journey so I will keep going for at least another year (I’ve paid for this website for that long so I intend to use it, haha!).

To help me out, I bought a couple of reading journals that I’ve been keeping next to me for writing down thoughts/feelings, page numbers I want to revisit, etc..  I know  many of you already do something like this, so I thought I would try it out for a bit to see if that helps me to stay on track with my reviews.

And, of course, I had to get back into the swing of things before my favorite time of year, my annual 31 Books of Halloween, starts September 1st!

While I wasn’t feeling inspired to write much, I did at least stay motivated to keep reading.  Here are some highlights…

What I’ve Been Reading

Dahlias:  Beautiful Varieties for Home and Garden by Naomi Slade and Georgianna Lane — 5 out of 5 stars

Naomi Slade has put out a delightful series of nonfiction books dedicated to a variety of flowers and plants.  Each book offers general information, histories, and care tips, as well as more detailed looks at different varieties.  While I do appreciate Slade’s light banter and information, the absolutely gorgeous photos by Georgianna Lane are the true showstoppers.  Dahlias is another great addition to this series, and you really can’t go wrong with any of the other titles.

House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias — 4 out of 5 stars

This is the story of five childhood friends in Puerto Rico, who, as a hurricane approaches, find themselves facing tragedy and evil.  Gabino Iglesias is a master at what I call “barrio noir with supernatural twists,” and I think this is his best novel so far.  HoBaR grabs you by the throat very early on and doesn’t let up.  The characters are well-written, and as for the supernatural “twist?”  Let’s just say, I did not see that coming!  This is definitely not for everyone (lots of violence), but I think this is a great starting place if you are interested in checking out Iglesias’s work.

The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers by Samuel Burr — 3.5/4 out of 5 stars

My taste in reading material tends to gravitate towards the darker side, but I do enjoy a good light-hearted, uplifting read, and The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers hit the mark on that aspect (plus, after having just finished the deeply disturbing Child of God, I really needed something to brighten the mood!).   We meet young Clayton, who was abandoned at birth and left to the care of a group of eccentric wordsmiths.  When his adoptive mom, Pippa, passes away, she leaves behind clues for Clayton to unravel in order to discover not only his past but his future.    I really enjoyed this book and didn’t want to put it down.  My only complaint would be I wish there had been a little more character building, especially with the main players.

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Some other great titles I would recommend:

The Rocks Will Echo Our Sorrow by Elin Anna Labba — 5 stars!

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune — 5 stars!

I Was Better Last Night by Harvey Fierstein — 4.5 stars!

Moonfellows by Danger Slater — 4 stars!

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden — 4 stars!

Until next time, stay safe, and Happy Reading!

To say July was an “off” month for me would be putting it mildly.  However, one of the positive things to come out of the past thirty-one days was my desire to restart what I began with this blog:  to share my love of reading.

My favorite reading months are almost here (31 Books of Halloween for September and October), so I thought I would go the nonfiction route for this month, featuring some lighter memoir/autobiography reading…

Chelsea Handler is one of those people you either love or loathe.  She is definitely not for everyone, but there’s something about her snark and don’t give a shit attitude that I love.

Since I will be attending my first live music concert in over twenty years this month, featuring two favorites (Mudvayne and Megadeth), I thought it would be appropriate to read Megadeth founder Dave Mustaine’s memoir.  I started this a couple of days ago and it’s pretty entertaining so far (and yes, I’ve always  believed Dave was screwed over by Metallica, IYKYK).

In keeping in line with metal legends, I recently ordered a copy of Lemmy Kilmister’s autobiography, White Line Fever.  The founder, lead vocalist, and bass player for Motorhead was one of my first introductions to heavy metal in the early 1980’s, and for some reason has always been one of my favorite old-school frontmen.  It looks like my order is on track to arrive soon so I can include this title on my monthly checklist.

Do you have any reading goals for this month?  Drop me a line and let’s talk books!

I’m looking forward to moving ahead again with my reviews.  Until next time, stay safe and Happy Reading!

Two things I love and appreciate with my monthly book subscriptions are the variety of themes and the diversity of the featured authors.  This month was no exception.

I joined Fantastic Strangelings almost a year ago now, after checking out their past selections and deciding to try something new.  Most of the titles sounded good, but I’ll admit that I would have probably passed them by in a book store or library.  I’ve read about half of the ones I’ve received and have thoroughly enjoyed them!  This month’s title, The Lost Story, has vibes of The Chronicles of Narnia (one of my favorite childhood series).  Two young boys disappear in a local forest, only to reappear six months later under mysterious circumstances.  Years later, one of the boys becomes a missing persons investigator.  He alone remembers the fantastical world that they visited, and believes it holds the clue to finding a missing girl.  I’m looking forward to starting this one very soon!

Over five years ago, I signed up for a relatively unknown little local subscription called NightWorms.  Owners Sadie and Ashley took their love for all things horror and ran with it, showcasing indie presses and new/up-and-coming authors.  This month’s theme, “Strange and Unusual,” was quite fitting for me, as July turned into quite a strange and unusual month.  Bora Chung’s short story collection, Your Utopia, is described as “haunting, funny, gross, and terrifying,” and I am here for it!  As for The Eyes Are the Best Part, well, the title pretty much says it all.

Did you find any great new reads last month?  Drop me a line and let’s talk books!

Until next time, stay safe and Happy Reading!

First up, this month’s selections from NightWorms and Fantastic Strangelings…

In the Hour of Crows is set in a small town in Appalachia and is the story of Weatherly Wilder, a young woman who is a “death talker” (someone who can talk the death out of the dying and save them).  She sets out to find the truth behind her cousin’s untimely death.  Described as a mix of Southern gothic, mystery, and magical realism, this is one I’ve put on my to-read list for July.

The Red Grove is an isolated, protected space for women, but even with the magic surrounding the place, Luce’s mother goes missing and she sets out to discover what happened.  The premise does sound intriguing, but I know I’m going to have to be in the right frame of mind to get into this one.

I read Woodworm shortly after it arrived and I have to say, it was…different.  I really don’t know how to describe it, other than it’s about a house built on sinister secrets and the generations of women who live there and cannot leave.  By the end, I still felt like I had more questions than answers, so I gave it three stars out of five.

Another winning month from LibraryThing giveaways!  Docile is Hyeseung Song’s personal story of growing up as the daughter of Korean immigrants, the expectations placed upon her, and her journey to healing and self-discovery.

I went to the Thriftbooks site to look for a particular title, couldn’t find it, so decided to buy these two instead!  I’ve been a fan of Alan Baxter for a while, so I just had to get his latest title.  I’ve also heard some great things about Moonfellows, a story about a failed moon landing set in (here’s the kicker) 1906!  Sounds like a fun ride.

Did you add any great titles to your collection this month?  Drop me a line and let’s talk books!

Until next time, stay safe, and Happy Reading!

May book mail included a couple of highly anticipated novels…

I’ve been hearing some great things about Indian Burial Ground and The Day of the Door, so I was happy to find these in my NightWorms package.  I had originally planned on saving these two for my Halloween readathon, but I don’t know if I can wait!

The Fantastic Strangelings selection, Real Americans, asks the question “Are we destined or are we made?” as we follow the story of Nick, a young man trying to unravel his family’s past.  I enjoy a good generational, family secrets tale so I’m looking forward to this one.

Some of the best book mail are surprises sent by long-time friends!

My good friend, M., sent me a package that included this personalized signed copy of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s latest.  Loosely based on The Island of Doctor Moreau, it sounds like a mix of strange and sinister, and I am here for it!  I’ve added this to my June TBR and can’t wait to dive in.

What are your June reading plans?  Drop me a line and let’s talk books!

Until next time, stay safe, and Happy Reading!

Every year for Pride Month, I look for titles that represent the LGBTQ+ community.  Earlier this year, I came across these two memoirs that I knew I just had to put on my June TBR list.

I’ve adored Harvey Fierstein for many years so I jumped at the chance to get a copy of his 2022 memoir.  I started reading this last night and so far I’ve found it engaging and entertaining (much like Harvey himself).

While I haven’t read any of his fictional works, I was familiar with author Reinaldo Arenas.  Before Night Falls is his story of growing up in Cuba and finding freedom through his writing.

As for my MAY TBR…

I finished Cormac McCarthy’s Child of God early in the month and I still can’t shake some of the imagery.  Man, that one was brutal!  I tried a couple of times to start Brian Lumley’s Vamphyri but I found I just wasn’t in the mood for it, so I have shelved it for now.

Overall, May was a successful reading month, with twelve books completed.  I’m hoping to keep on track this month by finishing ten books.

Do you have any reading goals for June?  Drop me a line and let’s talk books!

Until next time, stay safe and Happy Reading!

While I haven’t been in a reading slump lately, I am still dealing with a review-writing slump (going on a couple of months now!).  Is there a known cure for it?  If there is, I have yet to find it!

What I’ve Been Reading

Without a Map:  A Memoir by Meredith Hall — 4 out of 5 stars

When Meredith Hall became pregnant at sixteen in 1965, she was sent to live in exile at her father’s house and later had her newborn taken away for adoption.  This series of events (family abandonment, never seeing her baby) changed Hall’s life, and she shares her journey into adulthood while trying to deal with these traumas in this poignant and beautifully written memoir.  I know this couldn’t have been easy for Hall to relive some of these events, and I appreciate her candor about her feelings and choices.  I will admit, the “traveling” chapter felt more like a fever dream in comparison to the rest of the narrative, but hey, it was the 60’s/70’s.  High recommendation.

The Lost Man by Jane Harper — 3.5 out of 5 stars

One of my March TBR selections.  Set in the vast Australian outback, two brothers must deal with the mysterious death of their oldest brother, Cam.  While coping with this tragedy, family secrets and resentments are brought to light.  I’ve enjoyed books by this author in the past, but for some reason I just could not really get into this one.  Perhaps because I was expecting more mystery and less family drama?  I’m not sure.  But while it wasn’t my favorite by Harper, I would still recommend it.

The Prettiest Girl in the Grave by Kristopher Triana — 3.5 out of 5 stars

A great example of “final girl horror,” we have a group of older teen girls who meet at an abandoned cemetery to play a seemingly innocent game and investigate an underground crypt.  I mean, seriously, what could possibly go wrong?!  This was one of those “fun” horror stories that I could easily envision becoming a low-budget movie.  And this was one of Triana’s tamer novels, so if you’re not quite ready for the full splatterpunk experience but don’t mind some grossness then you might want to check this out.

Child of God by Cormac McCarthy — 3.5 out of 5 stars

Cormac McCarthy introduced some truly disturbing characters and stories into the world over the years (the Judge in Blood Meridian and the entire concept of The Road come to mind), but nothing really prepared me for the depravity of Lester Ballard in this 1973 novel.  Holy sh**.  I’ve read a lot of messed-up horror over the years, but this one really got under my skin.  When I picked this story for one of my May TBR selections, I was thinking of doing a comparison review between the book and the 2013 movie.  However, if the movie does stick to the story, I’m going to give it a hard pass since necrophilia is one of those horror tropes that I don’t willingly subject myself to.

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Here’s to hoping I can revive my excitement about sharing my thoughts on the books I’ve read!!  I know this will eventually pass, so if you do like checking out my reviews, be sure to check back.  I’m trying, I really am.  🙂

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

It’s always sad to hear about the passing of a favorite author, knowing that there will be no more new tales to be told.  Since May features the Memorial Day holiday here in the states, I decided to pick a couple of reads to remember authors who have recently left us.

Cormac McCarthy has written some true modern-day classics (Blood Meridian, No Country For Old Men, etc.) and I have loved every one of his that I have read.  I came across Child of God at a used book sale and I wondered how I hadn’t read this sooner.  Now is as good a time as any.  I also found the movie streaming on a free service so I think I may try a book/movie comparison for a review (of course, I still seem to be in a review-writing slump so we’ll cross that bridge when we get there).

I’ve wanted to read Brian Lumley’s Necroscope series for ages, and finally tackled the first book earlier this year.  After Lumley’s passing in January, I tracked down all of the remaining books in the series…so here’s hoping the next seven books are as good as the first!

As for my April goals, I finished Sati Mookherjee’s poetry collection, Ways of Being (beautiful, by the way), and am currently on page 134 of Tarantulas and Marmosets:  An Amazon Diary by Nick Gordon.

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

Until next time, stay safe and Happy Reading!

Another great month for book mail!

First up from my NightWorms and Fantastic Strangelings subscriptions…

The Fellowship of the Puzzle Makers is from F.S. and sounds kind of like a cross between Fredrik Backman and TJ Klune (maybe??).  NW’s monthly theme was “Echoes of Frankenstein,” so I’m expecting some good body horror from Thirst and A Botanical Daughter.

Several months ago, I placed an order with indie publisher Bad Hand Books that included a couple of preorders.  I had to patiently wait for the final preorder to get published, and it was worth the wait when these arrived in early April…

Shadows Over Main Street is an anthology of short stories described as “small town Lovecraftian terror.”  With authors like Clay McLeod Chapman, Laurel Hightower, John Langan, and Ramsey Campbell (to name a few), this is one of my highly-anticipated anthology reads for this year.  And speaking of small town terror, Hailey Piper introduces us to a place called Cranberry Cove, where a creepy old hotel is the center of some strange occurrences.

Finally, I was checking out Thriftbooks for some other titles and wound up ordering these two.  Wandering Stars is a follow-up to Tommy Orange’s There, There.  Actually, it’s more of a prequel, going back 100-plus years in the families who were a part of There, There.  I’ve had this one on my Kindle for a couple of months now as I was supposed to review it for Netgalley (oops!).  It will still get my review, just not before the publishing date!  I’ve enjoyed Ross Jeffery’s previous works, and his newest one, I Died Too… sounds like his trademark blend of family trauma and horror.  I can’t decide if I should read it immediately or save it for my Halloween TBR.

Did you get any new reads for April?  Drop me a line and let’s talk books!

Until next time, stay safe and Happy Reading!

disappoint!

King Nyx, this month’s shipment from the Fantastic Strangelings, sounds like something right up my alley, where historical fiction meets gothic horror.

The March selections from NightWorms includes two very strong female horror authors, Cynthia Pelayo and Gwendolyn Kiste.  I’ve enjoyed their works in the past so these are on my “Read ASAP TBR list.”

Then I bought these titles…

I’ve had a paperback copy of Shogun since the late 1980’s (god, I feel old just saying that!).  I remember it being everywhere for years, so I used some babysitting money to get a copy after seeing approximately one hour of the original television series in 1980 (I was ten years old in 1980, for those keeping score, lol!) and having it just stick with me for years.  Fast forward to when I saw the ads for the remake (which I’ve recorded) , and then finding this beautiful hardcover edition, well…yeah, just had to have it.

As for the others pictured, I’ve been wanting to read Elle Nash and Chuck Tingle for some time so I decided to just order since I can’t find their works through the library (and probably for good reason, lol!).  And speaking of the library, Monsters on the Couch:  The Real Psychological Disorders Behind Your Favorite Horror Movies is a nonfiction I picked up at my local library and I thought it sounded so perfect for my Halloween reading list that I instantly went online to snag myself a copy.

Did you get any new books in March?  Drop me a line and let’s talk books!

Until next time, stay safe, and Happy Reading!