I never thought I would be terrified of Ikea. But, it’s been a little while since I finished Grady Hendrix’s Horrorstör, and I’m still giving the store some side eye as I drive past it on my way to work. Despite the fact that I’m now too scared to go buy that third Billy bookcase I’ve been wanting for awhile, I highly recommend you read this book if you’re looking for a good scare. What's Horrorstor about?...
Oh, Wendy Webb. Will you ever write a book that I don't enjoy? Probably not. I don't think you're capable of it. I was fortunate enough to receive an Advance Review Copy of Daughters of the Lake, and I was totally psyched when it arrived in the mail. I've read all of Webb's previous novels and have been eagerly anticipating her newest -- so, receiving an advance copy to read and review for the blog had me...
What. The. EFF. Is. Going. On…. ?!?!?!?!!?!? This is what kept playing in my head as I kept reading Paul Tremblay’s The Cabin at the End of the World. Because this book is INSANE. In the best possible way. Definitely one of the best btyooks I have read all year. I greedily consumed this novel with the same intensity as I did Bird Box, which I actually finished in one day. I wanted to inhale this book, but I settled for reading it in great,...
Um, the main character in Lying in Wait is batshit crazy. Well, one of the main characters. There are several who are more than a little "off," but the one I’m talking about is Lydia, the woman who tells you within the first few pages that she committed a murder. She relays this information so matter-of-factly, it’s as if she’s telling you what groceries she just picked up from the store. La di da. Bought this, bought that, murdered a...
Welcome to Part 2 of this month's Quick Look Books! I posted recommendations of supernatural horror stories for the YA audience earlier this week, and now it's time to feature some titles for the grown-ups. I'm a connoisseur of spooky stories, and after many years of reading about the paranormal, it's rare that I find books that truly unsettle me. You already know how much I loved (and was terrified by) Ania Ahlborn's The Bird Eater. Here are...
I almost stopped reading this book. I have a 50-page rule when I read something new -- every book has 50 pages to get me interested in the story, or I put it aside. Most novels grab me right from the get-go; others take a bit of time to get into the story. I used to dismiss books after only a few paragraphs or pages, but I decided to make the cut-off point 50 pages after reading We Need To Talk About Kevin, which is perhaps one of my favorite...
Love can be creepy. And The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, among many other things, is a love story. A twisted, gruesome, incredibly disturbing love story. AND IT’S AMAZING. What's The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein about? The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein is a re-telling of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein from the viewpoint of Elizabeth Lavenza, a woman who's taken in by the Frankenstein...
I have a friend who, without fail, asks me “So, what have you been reading lately?” every time I see him. Despite the fact that I’m a book blogger, I usually draw a blank when someone asks me for literary recommendations out of the blue. I’m always reading something, but I can’t always recall the title of my current read off the top of my head. (Meanwhile, I remember the name of my best friend's sophomore year math teacher quite...
So, yeah. This is the first time I've not had anything to say immediately after finishing a book. However, the length of this review is going to make a liar out of me, because after ruminating for a bit, I now have a lot to say about this book. It took me the better part of a month to get through Unbury Carol, by Josh Malerman. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had read Malerman’s previous novel, Bird Box, and absolutely loved it. In...
I <3 Curtis Sittenfeld. This woman can do no wrong. I'm here to talk about her newest book, You Think It, I'll Say It. But, first, we have to talk a little bit about the author. My appreciation for her work began when I read American Wife at the recommendation of a friend. Said friend is highly intelligent and often has, oh, let’s say, more educated entertainment preferences than I do. Read: she regularly watches documentaries; I’m still...
