All Dragons Read

I decided to do something a bit different this year!

I found out that April is National Poetry Month, so I decided it would be the perfect time to read a former schoolmate’s recent collection.  I knew Sati Mookherjee in high school, and while we only knew of each other through our mutual friends, I remember her beautiful musical talents and her seemingly effortless perfect grades.  I heard about her first poetry collection, Eye, a couple of years ago, and just recently was able to track down a copy of that as well as this recent offering.  I truly enjoyed Eye (an ode of sorts to her grandfather who was exiled from his native India in the early 1900’s) and I am excited to read more from Sati.

For Earth Day (April 22), I picked Nick Gordon’s Tarantulas and Marmosets:  An Amazon Diary.  First published in 1997, this is a record of Gordon’s adventures while spending over ten years in the Amazon rain forest while being a wildlife filmmaker.  The included photos are amazing, so I have high hopes for this one.

What’s on your April reading list?  Drop me a line and let’s talk books!

Until next time, stay safe, and Happy Reading!

This year started out strong for my reading goals, and at one point I was ten (yes, ten) books ahead on my Goodreads goal.  As of today, I’m happy if I’m “on track,” haha!!  But spring is here and I find myself reading more gardening catalogs than actual books…but, hey, it’s still reading, right?!

What I’ve Been Reading

Red Sands:  Reportage and Recipes Through Central Asia by Caroline Eden — 5 out of 5 stars

Caroline Eden takes us on a very personal journey through Central Asia, from the shores of the Caspian Sea in West Kazakhstan to a truly strange (and kind of creepy) “health spa” in West Tajikistan.  Along this journey, she relates the histories of various areas and introduces us to amazing people, ordinary citizens who have found a way to survive in, at most times, very hostile situations.  Hidden amongst these stories are recipes that embody the regions and people Eden encountered.  I’ve always been fascinated by Central and East Asian culture and history, so this book was a must-read for me that I totally enjoyed.  Highly recommend.

Starter Villain by John Scalzi — 4.5 out of 5 stars

Charlie is a substitute teacher with not a lot going for him.  He finds out about an estranged trillionaire uncle’s death and his world changes forever.  Between the “talking” cats, the dolphins that are demanding a labor union, and certain characters that seem like they’re straight out of an Austin Powers movie, this book was a fun ride from beginning to end.  It was a book I didn’t know I needed in my life, and I had a blast reading it.  I can’t recommend this one enough.

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis — 4 out of 5 stars

I’m sure you’ve heard of this novel, and I’m sure you’ve heard the controversies surrounding it and have read some of the shocking reviews.  I finally picked up this 1991 horror “classic” with pretty low expectations as I’ve learned over the years that lots of hype doesn’t necessarily mean a great book.  The hype is real on this one.  Good god.  It’s been a few weeks since I finished it and I am still having nightmares and having random passages pop up in my head.  There is a connection between the extreme excess of the 1980’s and the extreme depravity of Patrick Bateman, and the author does a masterful job of connecting the two through this dark satirical  tale.  Even if you have a strong stomach for the extreme, I would still say enter Bateman’s twisted thoughts and deeds at your own risk.  And, because of this book, I will never eat brie cheese again (if you know, you know).

The Rocky Road to Ruin by Meri Allen — 4 out of 5 stars

One of my March TBR selections and the first book in Allen’s Ice Cream Shop Mystery series.  I read book three a few months ago and really liked the characters and writing so I tracked down the first two in the series.  I’m glad I did.  A great start to the series, we have Riley returning to her small hometown to help her friend, Caroline, after the death of Caroline’s mother.  In typical cozy fashion, murder and mayhem happen, with a large list of suspects and a couple of very intelligent cats.  I also appreciate that romance wasn’t automatically (and awkwardly) thrown in, and instead, the author is building the characters before that inevitably happens.  This is definitely one of my top five cozy mystery series at the moment, so if you like the genre, be sure to check it out.

Searching For Van Gogh by Donald Lystra — 3 out of 5 stars

Set in the early 1960’s, this is a coming of age story told through the eyes of young Nate, who has left home and forms a friendship with young Audrey, a broken spirit in her own right.  Nate stumbles through various experiences, some with Audrey and some without, and by the end of the novel I was wondering if all young men during this time period were as stupid and yet as arrogant as Nate.  There was a good story here, but for me, Nate’s narration came across as flat and ultimately left me wanting more from the other characters and less from Nate.

–Novellas, Short Stories, and Anthologies–

Root Rot and Other Grim Tales by Sarah Read — 4 out of 5 stars

It’s easy to see why this collection was recently nominated for a Bram Stoker award.  These eighteen tales are atmospheric, haunting, some with a gothic feel while others are just plain dark and disturbing.  There are several trigger warnings for violence/darkness regarding animals, children, pregnancy, and suicide, so while I highly recommend this collection, please keep these in mind.

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Stay safe, and Happy Reading!

Spring may be right around the corner, but in my corner of the world we are still getting snow and freezing temperatures.  So what better way to spend indoor time than with some good mysteries?

I have a lot of mysteries in my TBR pile so it was a bit difficult to narrow down the field.  I decided to go with two very different styles:  a cozy and a crime thriller.

I’ve read two of Jane Harper’s Aaron Falk series and I really like her writing.   She brings to life not only the characters but the settings, and I have found myself feeling the relentless heat or smelling the smoky air.  The Lost Man is a standalone novel involving a mysterious death and two brothers trying to find out the truth.  Looking forward to starting this one.

Meri Allen’s The Rocky Road to Ruin is the first installment of the Ice Cream Shop Mysteries.  I read the third book, Fatal Fudge Swirl, a few months ago and liked it so much I tracked down the first two books so I could start Riley’s story from the beginning.  I just started this one earlier today and I can already tell I’m in for a treat.

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

Until next time, stay safe and Happy Reading!

It may be the shortest month, but that doesn’t mean it’s short on awesome book mail!

February started out on the right foot with the arrival of one of my latest wins from LibraryThing…

NightMARE Crush by Casey Renee Kiser is a collection of “punk” poetry, and after reading it a couple of times now, I can say it does have that edgy, angry feel that I associate with punk rock.  I was interested in The Plantastic Cookbook for its vegan/vegetarian recipes, since I’m always looking for new ways to incorporate veggies and fruits into dishes other than the typical sides and desserts.  I had mixed feelings on this one.  I did find some interesting recipes that I  may try, but I also found some errors that shouldn’t have made their way to this final copy.

My monthly subscriptions didn’t disappoint…

This month’s NightWorms delivered the latest Chad Lutzke/John Boden collaboration, The Bed Makers, as well as Adam Nevill’s new novel, All the Fiends of Hell.  When I saw The Bed Makers, I immediately dropped my current reads to dive into this one (which was a solid four star read for me).  I’m saving Nevill’s book for my Halloween reading list.  I really enjoyed one of his earlier works, The Ritual, so I’m looking forward to this one.

I am so glad I signed up for the Fantastic Strangelings subscription.  This month’s selection, The Warm Hands of Ghosts, sounds amazing:  set during World War I, the story of a young woman (former field nurse), her brother who goes missing during the war, and a strange hotelier who offers soldiers “the gift of oblivion.”  I’m hoping to start this one in the next week or so.

Last but not least, my latest purchase from Kristopher Triana…

I love ordering directly from the author as I can get signed copies.  The Old Lady is Triana’s newest and sounds like a mix of survival horror meets splatter, which is something this author is known for.   The Prettiest Girl in the Grave is another recent release and, with a title like that, one I knew I had to add to my Halloween list.

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

Until next time, stay safe, and Happy Reading!

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!