All Dragons Read

My problem when I get out of a reading slump?  I just want to keep reading and I start putting off reviewing!  Here are some of the highlights from the past few weeks…

What I’ve Been Reading

Those We Thought We Knew by David Joy — 5 out of 5 stars

Two shocking crimes rock a small North Carolina community and bring to light some of the town’s darkest secrets.  David Joy’s storytelling skills are on point in his latest novel, exploring the topic of racism and its generational impacts.  At times brutal, other times heartbreaking.  I honestly couldn’t put this book down, and I am still haunted by it.  Highly recommend.

She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper — 4.5/5 out of 5 stars

“The girl didn’t say a thing.  She had a teddy bear in her arms and murder in her eyes.”  If this doesn’t make you the least bit curious about Harper’s 2017 debut novel, then move on to my next review.  😀  This is noir fiction at its finest (and that’s saying a lot coming from me since I hold David Joy and SA Cosby as the kings of modern rural noir fiction).  None of the characters are truly good, only different levels of bad.  I knew not to get too invested in the main characters since it was a given that somebody would wind up dying,  but I still found myself totally wrapped up in these broken souls.  Highly recommend.

The Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe — 3.5/4 out of 5 stars

This is a story told through the eyes of young Francie as he navigates through life while descending into madness.  Let me tell you, this was one total mindfuck of a story.  It took me some time to get used to Francie’s inner voice/narration, but once I did, I kind of wished I hadn’t.  I found it a bit slow-going but eventually worth it.  If you like stories told by very unreliable characters, you might want to check this one out.

Novellas, Short Stories, and Anthologies

The Bedmakers by Chad Lutzke and John Boden — 4 out of 5 stars

Lutzke and Boden team up again to write another novella that combines human relationships with crime drama.  Set in 1979, two homeless war veterans stumble onto a crime scene, and later discover some dark secrets in the small town they’ve adopted as their new home.  These authors are great at creating sympathetic characters, and once again I felt my heart aching for one in particular.

Garden of Fiends — 3.5/4 out of 5 stars

Addiction is it’s own horror. This is the second in a series of anthologies that focuses on addictions, whether they be drugs, alcohol…. or something more sinister.  Eight disturbing  tales from some of the heavy hitters in horror writing today.  I thought this was a good mix of subject matter, and of course, as with any collection, I found some stories more to  my liking than others.

Orphans of Bliss — 3.5/4 out of 5 stars

One of my February TBR selections, and the final (?) anthology in the Tales of Addiction Horror series.  I found this assortment of stories to be very polarizing for me, where I either really liked the story or thought it was just meh.  Fortunately, there were far more good, and even the ones that weren’t my favorites were solid tales.  If you want to see what addiction horror is all about, you can’t go wrong with any of the titles in this series (Lullabies for Suffering and Garden of Fiends  being the other titles).

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Stay safe, and Happy Reading!

Short stories just seem to be my go-to reading for the shortest month of the year.  This month, I picked out these two from my TBR shelves (highlighted by a brief ray of sunshine that popped out!)…

Orphans of Bliss is the third (and possibly final?) anthology of addiction horror.  There’s just something about these tales that creeps in under my skin, and I can’t get enough of them.

I’ll also be checking out a collection of dark tales from new-to-me author Sarah Read.  The blurb has me believing there is a wide range of subject matter in these eighteen stories so I’m looking forward to that.

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

Until next time, stay safe and Happy Reading!

We all love book mail, am I right??!!  Since I now have a couple of monthly subscriptions, as well as having poor impulse control when it comes to ordering random purchases, I thought I would make a monthly post of all the great books I’ve received during the month.  Maybe this can help you find your next great read!

First up…I have been a member of NightWorms for several years now and I always love getting that dark little package in the mail.  These were January’s selections…

A few months ago, I joined another monthly subscription.  This one is called The Fantastic Strangelings Club, put out by The Nowhere Bookshop that is owned by one of my favorite authors, Jenny Lawson.  This picture shows the books I have received so far, with the January selection on the right…

And I couldn’t go through the holidays without buying some other books as a belated birthday/Christmas gift to me, lol!

I can’t wait to dive into all of these titles!

Did you get any great book mail recently?  Drop me a line and let’s talk books!

Until next time, stay safe and Happy Reading!

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.

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Stay safe, and Happy Reading!

Another year, another set of reading goals!

For 2023, I did complete my Goodreads goal of finishing 150 books, with a total of 152.  I have to admit, though, for about ninety percent of the year I was lagging behind by a few books at any given time (thank goodness for novellas and books of poetry to help me reach my final number!).  This year, I reduced it to 125 books, still pretty high, but one that I know I can attain without too much stress.

I also went through my never-ending TBR mountain to pick out twenty books that will be on my must-read list for 2024.  Here are the fourteen physical books I selected…

To round out the twenty, I went through my kindle and selected the following:

Backwater by Allen Kent

Breaking Ava Lake by K. P. Ambroziak

Extreme Medical Services by Jamie Davis

Gods and Angels by Ophelia Wolf

The Ragged Edge of Night by Olivia Hawke

The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells

I tried to pick out a wide variety of genres and themes, in both the fiction and nonfiction.  And hopefully I learned my lesson from the past two years:  don’t save the longest, most involved books for the end of the year!

I want to continue my monthly reading themes as well, so for January, I’m going with New Year, New Series.  Since I have several “heavy” reads going right now, I decided to try out a new-to-me cozy series by C. A. Phipps.  Apple Pie and Arsenic has already hooked me at only the twenty percent mark, so I’m hoping this momentum continues!

What are your reading goals for 2024?  Drop me a line and let’s talk books!

Stay safe, and Happy Reading!

If I could wrap up 2023 with a book title, it would be this…

The first three-quarters of the year felt like a dumpster fire for me in my personal life, for a variety of reasons.  By the time things started looking up in the latter part of the year, I was so burned out from stress and depression that I couldn’t even find solace in reading and writing reviews (thus my silence for November and December on this blog).  After a quiet birthday in December to think about what I really want to accomplish, I feel renewed and ready to take on some (realistic) challenges in 2024.

Not all was bad, though.  Looking at the 152 books I wound up finishing over the year, I have to say that 2023 was the year of highly rated books for me, with a lot of four star reads.  And even with all the great books, it wasn’t difficult for me to put together my favorites from the past twelve months.

Top Five Favorite Fiction (in no particular order)

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

Slewfoot by Brom

The Human Son by Adrian Walker

The Bottoms by Joe Lansdale

Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay

Favorite Series

The Tom Nolan trilogy by Craig Wallwork (Bad People, Labyrinth of the Dolls, The Ghost of Stormer Hill)

Favorite Collection/Anthology

Les Femmes Grotesque by Victoria Dalpe

Cold, Black, and Infinite by Todd Keisling

Cleveland Noir from Akashic Books

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I’m currently putting together my reading list/goals for the new year, so until next time…

Stay safe and Happy Reading!

After two months of nonstop horror for Halloween, I’m going in a different direction for the month of November and focusing on nonfiction.

I started In the Garden of Beasts a few months ago and set it aside for a variety of reasons, so I decided to make it a priority to finish it this month.  I have to say, the similarities between Hitler’s rise to power and the current political atmosphere of today are quite frightening.

For some lighter reading, I picked out a couple of books based on two of my favorite things:  tea and flowers.  Naomi Slade has a series of beautiful flower guides and Lilies is probably one of my favorites.  Taking in the gorgeous photos on dark, rainy autumn days is definitely a mood booster.  The Harney and Sons Guide to Tea offers histories, commentaries, tasting notes, and other information on a variety of teas from around the world.

And speaking of around the world…World Travel is a collection of quotes and travel/dining tips from Anthony Bourdain’s many televised travel series.

Mango and Peppercorns is part memoir, part cookbook, telling the story of a Vietnamese refugee and her friendship with a young American woman, that later turned into a successful partnership behind a beloved restaurant.

A few weeks ago, I stumbled across a movie called Mockingbird Don’t Sing which was based on the true story of a young feral girl discovered to be living in deplorable conditions in the early 1970’s.  I was intrigued by the story so I managed to track down Genie:  A Scientific Tragedy.   I am curious to learn more about this girl’s story.

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

Stay safe, and Happy Reading!

It’s hours away from my favorite holiday, and as of the afternoon of October 29, I completed my 31 Books of Halloween personal challenge!  Quite a few hits and a couple of misses, but overall a creepy fun time.

What I’ve Been Reading

The Beauty of Horror: Tarot Coloring Book by Alan Robert — 4 out of 5 stars

(H 24/31)  So why am I including a coloring book on my reading list?  Because this is more than your typical coloring book.  Alan Robert not only gives us his artistic versions of a tarot deck, but also provides some introduction on the meanings behind the cards.  Very entertaining, and some decent information for those new to tarot.

We Need to Do Something by Max Booth III  — 4 out of 5 stars

(H 25/31)  I went into this one knowing the basic outline:  a family of four hide in their bathroom during a tornado warning and wind up trapped.  What I wasn’t expecting was the sheer emotional and psychological terror that would happen as the story unfolded.  I don’t want to give away any of the spoilers so I will just say that I tore through this in one sitting and was left feeling disturbed and unsettled.

The Haunted by Robert Curran and Ed and Lorraine Warren — 3.5/4 out of 5 stars

(H 26/31) An average American family moves into their new home, and shortly after, are plagued with strange noises, smells, and events.  World famous demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren are called in to help the overwhelmed family and to try to determine what evil is plaguing the residents.  Whether you believe in ghosts, demons, and other supernatural entities or not, this is still a good, creepy story, perfect for fans of The Amityville Horror.

Rovers by Richard Lange — 3.5/4 out of 5 stars

(H 27/31)  When I saw this book referenced as “Of Mice and Men meets Dracula,” I was instantly intrigued and needed to check it out.  And yes, Jesse and his brother, Edgar, do fit the OMAM bill, and this is a story about vampires.  But that’s really where any similarities end.  The main plot point centers around revenge, from the father seeking revenge against the killer of his child to the vampiric biker group looking for revenge against wrongs done against them.  I liked this one, especially being able to see everything from the multiple points of view.  I would recommend this to anyone looking for a different twist to the standard vampire story.

Sundial by Catriona Ward — 3.5 out of 5 stars

(H 28/31)  Rob fled her childhood home in search of a normal life with her husband and daughters.  When the oldest daughter starts to exhibit some disturbing behavior,  Rob realizes she must return to her past to help her daughter.    I was excited to read this one after enjoying Ward’s last novel, The Last House on Needless Street.  I wound up having some mixed feelings on this one though.  I’ll admit, I found it difficult to really get any traction until the halfway mark, when things finally started to happen.  Even then, I found Rob to be annoying as hell which I just couldn’t shake off.  Were the reveals worth the read?  I’m still on the fence with that.  Not bad, but if you’ve read TLHONS don’t expect the same type of story here.

The Long Shadows of October by Kristopher Triana — 3 out of 5 stars

(H 29/31)  If you’re a fan of those 1980’s/90’s horror flicks involving horny teens getting taken out by deranged killers/evil spirits, then this book is for you.  Triana pays tribute to those movies with a tale about a couple of teen boys housesitting at a mansion filled with lots of secrets…oh, and a succubus.  Entertaining, and not the total gorefest that Triana is known for (oh, it’s still there, but in smaller doses).

Graveyard by Ed and Lorraine Warren — 2.5/3 out of 5 stars

(H 30/31)  After reading The Haunted, I was really disappointed with this one.  The writing is disjointed, and all of the stories are similar to urban legends I have been hearing about for years.  However, if you’re looking for some spooky ghost stories to tell around the campfire, you might find a few here.

The Night Stockers by Kristopher Triana and Ryan Harding — ??? out of 5 stars

(H 31/31) The plot in a nutshell:  the employees at Freshway grocery store have to work a night shift.  The satanic cult employees at the rival grocery store across the street, Devil’s Food, decide this would be the perfect time to kill the competition.   Literally.  When I first heard of this book, I thought the story sounded like a really bad B horror movie, only with a lot more “splatter” (thanks to having two outstanding splatterpunk authors working in collaboration).  I’ve read my share of extreme and splatter horror.  In all of the decades that I’ve been reading horror, I’ve come across some vile shit.  Nothing prepared me for the two scenes in this book that pretty near broke me.  But, strangely enough, I couldn’t stop reading (mainly because I wanted to see if the most twisted character met an ultimate demise, also to see who fricking survives, kind of like when I watch slasher movies).  There is some great dark humor, and the various references to the death metal culture of the 80’s/90’s are spot on.  I can’t in good conscience give this one any stars, but I would recommend it for fans of extreme and splatter.

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Stay safe, and Happy Reading!

I was able to get a lot of reading done the past couple of weeks, so let’s dive right in…

What I’ve Been Reading

Slewfoot by Brom — 5+ out of 5 stars

(H 13/31)  I first heard about this book through posts on a facebook page and became intrigued (plus the cover art won my instant attention).  There was a ton of praise being given to it, so, on a whim, I decided to give it a shot.  The hype is real on this one.  Set in the year 1666, at the height of the witch trials, this is the story of Abitha, a creature named Samson, and the Puritan society that surrounds them.  This is all the info I really want to give out, as I went in with very little knowledge of what the story was about and I think that’s the best way to discover this amazing tale.  I have read thousands of books in my lifetime, and I don’t get to say this often, but Slewfoot instantly shot into my top ten all-time favorite stories.  Highly recommend.

Brother by Ania Ahlborn — 4/4.5 out of 5 stars

(H 14/31)  Ahlborn goes full dark with this novel of an Appalachian serial killer/cannibal family.  Michael, the youngest son, is the main focus of the story, and as I fell farther down this rabbit hole of twisted family “values”, I couldn’t help but feel for the guy, the quiet one of the clan who actually questions his place in the horrors.  Ahlborn’s writing is fast and furious, and the characters, no matter how vile, are well executed (no pun intended).  Highly recommend, but proceed with caution.

Lay Them to Rest by Laurah Norton — 4 out of 5 stars

(H 15/31)  Absolutely fascinating, especially for anyone interested in true crime and forensic science.  Laurah Norton, a host of a popular true crime podcast, takes us on a behind-the-scenes journey into the many steps and layers it takes to identify the unknown.  In this case, it revolves around the partial remains of a woman known only as “Ina Jane Doe.”  Norton details her personal experiences as well as offers chapters explaining some of the science involved.   I found this to be informative while also paying homage to the many victims who have yet to be identified and laid to rest.  Highly recommend.

Jarvis Street by Amanda McCormack — 4 out of 5 stars

(H 16/31)  The second installment of the North County Paranormal Unit series picks up a month after the first story left off.  This one puts the focus on James as he tries to adjust to his new role in the unit.  As with the first story, this one focuses on the character building and not so much the paranormal aspect.  No matter though.  I am really getting into this series.  Added bonus:  it makes for a nice mental palate cleanser after some of the darker tales I’ve been reading lately.  If you’re looking for a lighter read (I hesitate to call this series “cozy”) but still want some Halloween vibes, I recommend giving this series a shot.

Fairview Hills Cemetery by Amanda McCormack — 4 out of 5 stars

(H 17/31)  The third installment of the North County Paranormal Unit series, and now we’re really getting into the paranormal side of things!  Just in time for Halloween, the group has to investigate some disturbances at a local cemetery after some kids use a Ouija board and unwittingly bring forth a malicious spirit.  The character focus goes back to Gabriella, and while this was fine (and good to see she’s finally growing a bit), I do hope the future installments will center around some of the other characters, especially Bradley.  I want to know what the hell happened to this guy that he has a perpetually bad attitude (seriously Bradley, check your attitude at the door for an hour).

Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman — 3.5 out of 5 stars

(H 18/31)  “Pop a pill and see the dead.  Side effects may occur.”  An interesting premise to be sure.  Erin’s ex-boyfriend overdoses, and in the aftermath of his death, she is introduced to a new drug called Ghost.  Wanting to find (escape? peace? answers to the unknown? I’m still not really sure), she spirals into addiction with some truly terrifying side effects.  I liked the story itself, but for some reason I had a hard time gaining any traction or momentum while reading it.  There were some great unnerving scenes throughout, but I guess not enough to keep the story moving for me (or perhaps it just didn’t fit my mood at the time).  Even though it didn’t totally work for me, I would still recommend it for some creepy late-night reading.

—Novellas, Short Stories, and Anthologies—

Linghun by Ai Jiang — 5 out of 5 stars

(H 19/31)  In a mysterious town known as HOME, people can bring back the ghosts of their beloved ones…but at what cost?  There are many layers to this novella while also tying in the themes of love, loss, and grief.  This had me feeling all kinds of emotions while reading it, and I really didn’t want it to end.  But I guess that also could sum up the book:  grieving loved ones not wanting to let go of the dead.  Highly recommend.

Attack of the Crawling Hand by Nicole Prestin — 4 out of 5 stars

(H 20/31)   The title pretty much sums up the story, where we have a waitress at a truck stop diner having to battle a dismembered hand that is seeking revenge.  Apparently, there is a series of short stories featuring this diner and some of the characters, and if they are as silly and amusing as this one was, I’m definitely going to check them out.

Snowman Shivers:  Two Dark Humor Snowmen Tales by Mark Leslie — 3.5 out of 5 stars

(H 21/31)  Snowmen and Halloween don’t really go hand in hand, but I thought I’d include these two short stories in my October reading list since we’re dealing with walking, living snowmen (you have to admit, that is kind of creepy).  These were more along the line of emotionally darker tales, and, while not bad at all, wasn’t what I had in mind after reading the blurbs.

Dig Two Graves — 3.5 out of 5 stars

(H 22/31)  Twenty-two stories of revenge and retribution, with varying degrees of success.  There were some great standouts, like my personal favorites Steadfast Shadowsong (Andy Rausch), Samantha (Jeremy Megargee), and Nemesis (C. Derick Miller) to name a few, many good stories, and a couple that left me scratching my head and wondering what the hell just went on.  Recommend for those looking for dark tales with not-so-happy endings.

Spine by Steven Jenkins — 2.5 out of 5 stars

(H 23/31)  Eight tales that promised creepiness and, for me, failed to deliver.  The writing was technically good and there were some good ideas, but all the stories just seemed flat and emotionless.

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Stay safe, and Happy Reading!

The spookiest month of the year is here, and I am right in the middle of my Halloween reading marathon!  As of today, October 4, I have finished fifteen titles, and currently reading three others.  Will I hit the magic number of 31 before the end of the month?  Stay tuned…